Canadian Travel News Was There: Seadust Cancun

April 27, 2023 ctn_admin

Working in travel, I’m often asked for my recommendations for vacations, everything from family to romance to getaways with friends, so I’m starting a regular column on where I’ve stayed and how it rates.

First, I think it’s important to understand how I look at properties and why I would recommend one.  My overall basis for any judgement is simple: you’ve saved for your trip, booked your time off work and you want to have the best experience possible within your budget. 

For some that’s lying on a beach all day sipping drinks, for others, it’s using a hotel for a place to crash while you’re out exploring.  It also should be easy – if you can only grab something to eat or drink during certain hours, that will factor into a recommendation. Safety is always a priority, especially when travelling with kids.

With all that in mind, here’s a look at The Seadust Cancun.

About the property – The Seadust Cancun was built in the early 2000s and was a popular spot with locals.  Located at the tip of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, it’s recently come under new management.  Playa Hotels and Resorts has taken over operations and will be making a lot of changes over the course of 2023.  The resort itself is fairly small in comparison to some larger chains, and the four-phase renovation see the entire 502 room property refreshed. The shape of the hotel resembles a cruise ship, both from the outside and inside, with a central promenade hosting the bulk of the restaurants and shops.

Food and Drink – Playa is known for their food quality and service and Seadust is no exception. One major change they’ve made so far is to their food and beverage program, headed by Executive Chef Jesus Farfan who is a millennial chef, previously with Playa at their Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos property. The food is delicious, whether in the buffet or in one of the ala carte restaurants. Guests are encouraged to take one of the free mixology classes available on hand – they’re also very delicious and highly entertaining.

Rooms – Rooms are spacious, though in need of a refresh to meet the Playa existing standard. They’re still very nice, and include an in-room mini bar that is stocked daily, toiletries and a large bathroom. We stayed in a regular room, though there are family rooms that include a bunk bed, with a double on the bottom to accommodate families of 5. We suspect they’d also provide some extra “wow factor” for the kids.  

Beach and Pools – Most beaches in Cancun can be a bit choppy at any time of the year, and while we were there in January, it was yellow-flagged. Still, it’s shallow for quite a few metres, so it’s easy for kids to wade in with their parents. The sand itself is beautiful and there are plenty of huts and lounges.  The main pool is family-friendly, with two smaller ones to the side. Probably the biggest seller for kids would be the waterpark – it’s a lot of fun and has lots to do like dunk towers and climbing on board the “pirate ship.” There’s also a kids club with babysitting services and an area for teens to hang out as well.

Spa – We unfortunately didn’t test out the spa, but it’s serene as you would expect, and offers a vast arrange of services including massage, hydrotherapy, couples massages and even a kids package.

Entertainment – We really loved the entertainment show we saw – it was a medley of Disney’s favourite musicals.  Young and old seemed to really enjoy reminiscing about favourites like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Toy Story to more recent such as Pocahantas and of course, Frozen.  Shows change each night.  For the Disney show, bring your kids a half hour earlier for a dance party beforehand.

Recommendation – This is a great hotel for families. It’s one of the first on the strip when you’re driving from the Cancun airport, so the transfer is shorter than some. Kids will like little amenities like the lobby ice cream shop (which gives out more than 1500 cones a day!) and the performances.  It definitely needs some updating, but that’s underway and once finished should be fantastic.

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