With an ocean view room, you're always steps away from the beach.
By Vince Font
As an avid traveler, I’m willing to go to any lengths to find those elusive travel deals — even if it means sacrificing sleep. Lately, I’ve been Googling one phrase on my laptop: cheap Cancun hotels. Granted, it’s a phrase that has always stirred mixed feelings for me. On one hand, it’s a luxury destination for those with a lot more butter on their bread than me. On the other, it’s raises fuzzy memories of past college spring break vacations. Ambivalence aside, my hunt produced one true diamond in the rough: Barcelo Costa Cancun All Inclusive Resort, which had an amazing nightly rate. While I thought I might be in a dream, I knew I couldn’t pass up such a great deal on a cheap Caribbean vacation.
Calm, gorgeous beaches
The ride to the resort from Cancun International airport gave me just enough time to absorb my surroundings. A bright blue sky juxtaposed against luscious, green vegetation. Once there, I was thrilled to find that the resort was situated just five minutes from downtown Cancun. I’m the type of vacationer that likes to get out and explore when the opportunity presents itself. Any further away, and I might have sequestered myself to my fancy resort digs simply for the sake of convenience, which of course, isn’t the worst thing. In fact, I could think of a lot worse places to be stuck than minutes from a beautiful Caribbean beach. Much worse, indeed.
Bright, ocean-view rooms
The hotel offers two levels of lodging: the junior suite or standard room. During my stay, I opted for the standard room and found it more than spacious for my needs. The presence of a single king size bed, flat-screen TV and DVD player were all welcome surprises, but the ocean view from my step-out balcony provided a view that ensured I wouldn’t be wasting time watching the tube.
Bonus: Swim, Eats and Entertainment Galore
As far as cheap Cancun hotels go, this resort provided true “bang for your buck.” Along with the satisfaction of landing the Barcelo Costa for an unbelievably cheap price, I soon discovered a few bonuses I wasn’t aware of prior to my arrival:
- Use of the resort’s snorkeling equipment, canoes and kayaks are complimentary.
- Each night features a free live music show.
- Four restaurants, two bars and loads of menu items.
- An impressive fitness center and sauna for all-inclusive guests only.
- An on-site health spa and salon for those who wind up staying so long they need a haircut (trust me, the temptation to extend your stay is strong).
My experience at Barcelo Costa isn’t uncommon. This cheap vacation can be found year-round, and when booked together with cheap flight deals, you can have your dream beach vacation with money left over for another round at the bar. If you happen to spot an online nightly rate under $50, you’re not seeing things. Just remember these four words: Book Early And Save!
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Vince Font is a freelance writer born in Puerto Rico and currently escaped to Utah. When not dreaming of interstellar travel, he’s on the hunt for weird, wacky, and off-the-beaten-track vacation destinations. Next stop: The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.