As a general rule, the Hotel Zone of Cancun is filled with all-inclusive resorts, ranging from the smaller places with only a hundred or so rooms, up to the mega-resorts with 800+, 12 restaurants, 10 pools, and a sprawl that isn’t much different than a city dropped onto the beach. However, away from all the hustle and bustle of the main tourist strip are quiet areas, such as the Pok Ta Pok residential sprawl alongside the golf course. Quietly located on the back side of the lagoon, with eastern views out over the mega-resort skyline, you’ll find numerous townhouse, condo, and suite-style properties with much smaller offerings, more tranquil environments such as what is offered at Sina Suites.
I actually first came across Sina around six years ago when I was first settling into Cancun. A friend of mine at the apartment building where I first lived had stumbled across this place and wanted to get together with five of the other residents to go check it out and see about the potential for negotiating a long-term lease with the owner. At the time, things didn’t work out because out of the six of us who went, only two of us were actually staying on, and the rest were only in town for a few more weeks.
When I came across it again, it was earlier in 2016 when I visited them while on contract with a client. Lo and behold, I found that they had remodeled much of the facilities, including the pool, and were still in business just as they had been for years before. So after talking with the owner (who inherited the place from his father before him), we set a date to come back in mid-May for the blog article and video.
If we had to classify this place, we’d put it in the mid-range area. First and foremost, it’s tucked away in a quiet corner of the residential area, directly on the lagoon. There’s zero noise here, so if you are a light sleeper who needs their shut eye, this is absolutely a top choice. Sunrise views are pretty amazing up over the Hotel Zone looking out past the private marina that butts up against the property, and the night-time views aren’t half bad either, with the lights of the hotels sparkling against the skyline.
There’s a small pool on-site, with loungers set up around, plus more on top of the restaurant building. Everything is surrounded by a lush garden environment, pristine and manicured and decorated with clay pottery and other sundries throughout. Meanwhile, the restaurant itself is partially underground, so as guests sit inside the interior they have an eye-level view out over the pool. For those who prefer to take their meals outside, there’s a small bar just on the lagoon.
The rooms themselves range from those suited for a couple, up to family-size suites with multiple bedrooms. Most of them have been remodeled as of our visit. You’ve got a choice between ground-floor units (which is where we stayed) with walk-out terraces that open up directly onto the gardens of the property, and second-story units that have their own balcony. Both options give you lounge furniture and plenty of views out over the property, pool, marina, and lagoon beyond.
There’s a kitchen and living room in all of the units, and kitchens vary in scope. As a general rule, there’s at least a full-size fridge, and some of the higher-end suites also have a small, two-burner induction stove for cooking small sundries. However, the idea is that most people who come to the property are going to eat their primary meals on-site at the restaurant, which is a sampling of Mexican specialties and the prices are more than fair; they don’t charge a tourist rate here, so you don’t have to worry about paying too much out of pocket.
Location-wise, it’s pretty central. It’s about a five minute walk to the main avenue, and from there you can hail a taxi deeper into the Hotel Zone, or back to the mainland. The R1 and R2 bus lines also both run along the same avenue, going deeper in or back to the city proper. There’s a Chedraui Select mega supermarket about 10 minutes away by the Convention Center in the heart of the Hotel Zone for full supplies, but you can also walk another five minutes down the avenue to the right and find a small super, plus a Subway, liquor store, gas station, money changer, and a few little tiendas with food as well.
If there’s one complaint to be had, it’s that they still haven’t updated the Internet situation to the 21st century. The only Wi-Fi is what you can pick up from the reception area. While the rooms closer to the main office can pick up on the signal, if you are in a room at the edge of the property you are out of luck. So for those of us who need connectivity while on holiday, it’s not the best option in the city. However, if you’re just here to unplug for a few days and take a load off while enjoying a peaceful vacation, we absolutely recommend Sina Suites.
