Cancun under a C-note: Gran Melia Cancun treats guests to all-inclusive luxury for under $100 a night.
By Vince Font
A hundred bucks doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to in today’s world, but believe it or not it’s still possible to score cheap Cancun hotels without even hitting the centennial mark for a night’s stay. One such place is the Gran Melia Cancun Beach and Spa Resort, which on first view might give you cause to think you were quoted the wrong price. This place certainly doesn’t look like a cheap hotel – and it’s anything but.
Not only does its sprawling, pyramid-shaped exterior scream magnificence, but its interior is just as epic. Each one of the resort’s 676 rooms is elegantly furnished without being over the top, and all have an interesting blend of modern décor and indigenous artistic sensibilities. All rooms have private terraces that either open up to ocean views or garden views, but with everything else Cancun has to offer, it’s not likely you’ll be spending much time here. Still, it’s nice to know you’ve got a classy retreat to head back to at the end of the day.
If you like variety in your meals, you’re in luck. The Gran Melia has five restaurants from which to choose, and a fitness center that you can visit to work off the guilt of one too many paellas. If you’d rather work off the calories swinging a club, there’s also a nine-hole golf course on resort grounds not far from the beach. But alas, too much physical activity can work up the nerves – which is why a few dozen dips in the resort’s two huge swimming pools and at least one visit to its full-service spa are strongly recommended.
All this for under $100 a night? Don’t forget, it’s called Cancun, not Can’tcun. Your bucks go a long way here, and if you book a package deal, you can take your pick of cheap flights as well. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll have everything you need without having to leave the resort grounds – but if you’re looking for something interesting to see and do, you can’t beat the experience of visiting the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, just two-and-a-half hours away by tour bus.
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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.