For context: I've always been an Aloft hotel fan and would definitely stay in one of the properties on the city that I am visiting. It is for this reason that I booked Aloft Cancun. Moreover, I prefer to stay in this hotel instead of the all-inclusive resorts in the Hotel Zone in Cancun as I have more options to try the various eating places that the city has to offer instead of eating from the resort buffet.
Sadly, Aloft Cancun does not meet my expectations. First, the reception staff are not very welcoming. They are more interested in enforcing house rules 'fore security reasons'. One of this very annoying house rule is that you have to wear a bright neon green wrist band for the whole duration of your stay (6D5N) and you cannot remove this until you check out. Another guest got a neon pink colour which he refused to wear. So I was forced to wear this for the first couple of days and I was asking them about the rationale for wearing this - 'So that they can check and monitor on those people who gets unlimited drink at the crappy bar at the lobby and for security purposes.' What kind of security purposes? Something applicable only when you are inside the hotel premises.
As I am not satisfied with their explanation (from the reception guys) and their is somewhat condescending. I told them that it is useless wearing this wrist band because I am mostly outside (why would anyone stay inside their room all the time when you are in Cancun), and when I take the bus or visit the beach or the mall, I dont want other people to know that I am staying at Aloft (for my own security). Why would other people need to know (people on the bus, on the beach, on the shopping malls) that I am booked at Aloft? I feel like I am marked as a tourist when I am making an effort to blend in with the locals. Moreover, staying at Aloft Cancun does not give you privilege when you ride Uber, or the R1 / R2 bus, or shop at the malls. So I have to explain this to the reception guys and they have to reluctantly cut that bloody wrist band. From there, the whole vibes of staying at Aloft just went down the drain. I paid for 5 nights (No breakfast / NON-REFUNDABLE) but I checked out after 3 nights, and moved to a nicer and welcoming hotel in downtown Cancun.
Verdict: Avoid this hotel.
It has seen better days and needs a total upgrade. The rooftop bar that was featured in their promo pics has been cleaned out. You only see the shell of what looked like a bar previously. There's no people at the pool area any time of the day even though the music was ok. And that's probably - they removed the bar.
I went through the bed linens to check for bed bugs. Glad there's none. (It was mentioned in one of the reviews on Google Maps).
The reception staff can be better with guest communication. Very Important for me as a first time traveler to Cancun.
I share the same sentiment as the other review I read on Google Map (after I made my booking). :(