As many readers already know, I last vacationed in Cancun and the Riviera Maya April 2022.  I’ve already posted the reviews of the first two resorts I stayed at, Catalonia Playa Maroma and Haven Riviera Cancun, and now on to the third resort of that trip, Planet Hollywood Cancun.  For my stay of four nights at this resort, I upgraded to the adults-only section, Adult Scene, and since I wanted to enjoy all resort amenities I decided to upgrade within Adult Scene to Star Class.  Star Class is the highest upgrade you can book in both the Adult Scene section and the regular family-friendly section of the resort and allows guests access to specific amenities not available to non-Star Class guests such as a private beachfront pool, several bars, private check-in, better room locations, and butler service.

Since PH Cancun is a member of the Blue Diamond Resort family, I had the option to pre-book a specific room in my reserved room category.  Any guest at this resort regardless of upgrade or non-upgrade status can pre-select their own room on the resort website–at the top left of the resort home page just click “Online Room Selection” after you’ve booked your stay and follow the instructions.  Pre-selecting your room is an extra charge, however; I paid $60 for my Star Class Jr. Suite Swim-Out at Adult Scene and thought it was one of my better investments based on the room I’d chosen.  I selected room #11104 which was located beachfront on the pool end of building #11 (the Star Class building in Adult Scene).  From my swim-out terrace it was a quick walk to the pool, the beach with its own private adults-only bar, as well as the Star Class pool area which was immediately adjacent to the Adults Scene pool area.

It looks like I’ve already gotten ahead of myself here in this review, so let me digress a bit and talk about the check-in process.  After checking out of Haven Riviera Cancun I was met with an unexpected shuttle service complimentary upgrade (thanks USA Transfers!) and rode in comfort and style to the separate Adult Scene entrance.  There were two check-in areas, the regular Adult Scene (standing check-in) and Star Class upgrade check-in desks (seated check-in).  While there was a small bar cart nearby, I don’t remember any staff offering welcome drinks.  Perhaps an oversight or was I supposed to just help myself?  That was never explained.  The check-in process was quick, especially since I had already chosen my room; I was introduced to my butler David who escorted me to room 11104.  His tour of the Star Class Jr. Suite Swim-Out was thorough and he was always sending me resort info during my stay as well as making dinner reservations for me.  FYI, for those guests expecting in-room liquor, you only get bottles put into the room’s liquor dispensers if you are staying more than a week.  The room itself was small, particularly the bathroom, but it had everything I needed including a sitting room, lots of closet space, and a large terrace with two chairs, a daybed, plus two loungers which were located on the swim-up pool shelf.  The swim-up pool was narrow, but I certainly loved relaxing in the curtained daybed.  Oh, and don’t worry about the bathroom, there was a door which could be closed for complete bathroom privacy.

While this resort is not labeled as a mega-resort, it felt like one at times.  So be prepared to do some walking since there was no resort cart or on-site shuttle service.  Amenities are scattered throughout the entire property, so if you are staying at Adult Scene and want a burger at Guy Fieri’s for lunch on the opposite side of the property, be prepared for an 8-10 min. walk.  Not terrible, but not an easy trek either.  Let me break down the resort sections and what each has to offer:

1. Adult Scene.  380 suites.  Located on the southernmost end of the resort, Adult Scene is a resort within a resort.  Technically, you could stay in this section for almost your entire stay if you want, but who wants to with all the amenities offered by the resort in its entirety?  Adult Scene has its own beachfront pool (not heated) with a swim-up bar, poolside bar, separate Jacuzzi, and weekly pool foam party (don’t miss it), its own beach bar, numerous DJ’s who spin all kinds of music during the day, two private Adult Scene restaurants (Braza Grill and Catch Seafood restaurants–Braza Grill also serves an excellent breakfast for Adult Scene guests), two lobbies (Star Class and regular Adult Scene guests), one outdoor lobby bar, and a separate room that serves a continental breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and drinks throughout the day and evening.  FYI–Adult Scene lobby is NOT open 24 yrs.  You will have to go to the main resort’s lobby if you need to check-in/out or need their services overnight for any reason.

1. Star Class.  Star Class upgrades are available at both the adults-only and family-friendly sections of the resort.  If you are an adult and haven’t booked Adult Scene, you have to check in at the main lobby’s Star Class check-in area.  A Star Class upgrade includes access to a private beachfront pool (not heated) with a swim-up bar, poolside bar and grill, and weekly foam party (it occurs just prior to the one at Adult Scene), butler service (butlers can make spa and dinner reservations for you), complimentary hydrotherapy circuit once p/stay, upgraded room service menu, pillow menu, nightly turndown, and rooms located closer to the pools and the beach.  Family-friendly Star Class has its own set of guest room buildings located close to the Star Class pool.

1. Family-Friendly.  648 suites.  The family-friendly section located in the central and northern part of the resort has the lion’s share of resort amenities.  These amenities include the Jurassic Splash Park for kids, the lazy river with the grotto bar, the FlowRider($), Planet Play ($) with its Trampoline Zone, games room, and golf and soccer simulators, the well-equipped two-story gym, spa, mini-golf, maze, outdoor sports courts, outdoor theater for evening shows, cinema, 24-hr. medical services office, coffee shop, and most of the restaurants.  The family-friendly section also has its own beachfront pool (not heated) complete with a swim-up bar and large poolside bar, a nearby beachfront restaurant, a nearby Pool Theater for live musical performances during the day, and its own beach bar; non-motorized water sports can also be found on this side of the resort.  The family-friendly lobby is worth a visit, even if you aren’t staying at this end of the resort–lots of exhibits including a car from the Fast and Furious films.  There are two check-in desks in the main lobby, non-upgraded and Star Class.

Since my stay only consisted of four nights (which was definitely not enough time to fully enjoy all this resort had to offer), let me highlight what I did do and note what I thought was worthwhile and what to skip:

• Dinner buffet at So Cal Gourmet Emporium.  This is the first all-inclusive resort I’ve stayed at where I thought the buffet food tasted like cafeteria food.  Stick to the live cooking stations, much better tasting food to be found.  FYI, there is a separate entrance and seating area for Adult Scene guests, look for the sign.
• While the dinner I had at Gusto Italian Trattoria was good, skip the pizza-to-go during the day which can be ordered at this a la carte restaurant’s exterior.  Instead, eat at Guy’s! Burger Joint–good hamburgers and fries, always busy.
• If you don’t want to go far from any of the beachfront pools at lunch time, each of them had a BBQ lunch served several days out of the week.  Adult Scene poolside BBQ was more basic than I thought it would be but very good.
• If you want to watch a specific sporting event at Overtime Sports Bar, go find a seat way ahead of when the event starts.  This place was super small, the pics you typically see make it seem much much bigger than it actually is.
• You can access the Blue Lagoon Grotto Bar without being in the lazy river.  There is a separate entrance with limited seating at the grotto bar.
• Don’t hesitate to walk up to the podium at the Outdoor Theater in the evenings and ask to be seated if they are serving food.  It looks like they are serving guests at a special event, but most of the time there is a themed show and some of them have a dinner to accompany it like the Mexican Fiesta party on Monday nights.  Great show and for the most part the Mexican food was tasty.  On nights they are not serving, resort guests can be seated by the stage area to watch a show, you don’t have to have any kind of reservation.
• If you are interested in the maze, it is not mature enough to be truly interesting.  However, very young kids might find it enjoyable.
• Don’t claim a seat in the FlowRider observation section if you just want to go on the nearby lazy river; seating here is so limited that your “claimed” chair may be taken–your towel and personal items may disappear as well if you don’t secure them in a locked bag.
• The pools were very cold, even during April.  I would suggest skipping this resort during the winter months because you will never be able to get into the water.
• Although there is no current COVID testing requirement in order to return to the US from Mexico, the order was still in effect when I was there in April.  If the testing requirement returns, you will find the testing site on the main path of the family-friendly section by the outdoor sports courts.  Be sure to bring cash to pay for the COVID tests just in case their payment system is down for using credit cards as it was during my visit.
• The beach was swimmable and not as affected by sargassum as some areas near Playa del Carmen or Puerto Morelos.  Please keep in mind that the beaches in Costa Mujeres or Playa Mujeres north of Cancun proper won’t have the quintessential beautiful turquoise waters as the Caribbean side of Cancun’s Hotel Zone.

I think I hit the most salient points of my experience at this resort.  If anyone is interested in the spa, I did a separate blog about it, just click here.  This resort is perfect for those interested in being active while on vacation.  It would not be a good fit for those looking for a lot of relaxation during their vacation.  It is busy, it is noisy, but if you are looking for many varied activities to keep you occupied, you’ve found the perfect beachfront spot.  Would I return?  While the stay was most enjoyable, I probably would not return to this resort.

Take a moment or two and enjoy the photo gallery below.  Just click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger view of the picture.

The comments in this review are those of the author/reviewer.  This trip was paid for in its entirety by the author; at no time were any monies or services exchanged for this review.

Location:  50 min. north of the Cancun airport

Telephone: 52-998-580-9880

email:  There is a Contact Form on the resort’s website.  Go to the resort’s website to access this form at www.planethollywoodhotels.com/contact.