A Great Resort for Family Vacation Date Of Visit - May 19, 2010 Date Of Review - Jul 14, 2010 We had the great opportunity to spend two weeks at the Royal Sands this year. The resort is wonderfully maintained throughout. The lobby, grounds, pool and beach were all in great shape. The Villas are very large and nicely appointed and even have free daily maid service (except Sundays and Mexican Holidays). We were in the E building and had great direct ocean views (Beautiful) from our villa and from the large terrace. There also are tables and chairs at the widened area in front of the villa that offer a great view of the sunset over the lagoon. The kitchen was well appointed for cooking and we did make breakfast several times (and dinner twice as well). In addition to cooking and eating off site, we ate at La Veranda, at the Sports Bar (Sidelines), ordered burgers and ceviche from the pool bar, ordered pizza and also ate at Hacienda Sisal. The food was very good all around. The on site market was pretty well stocked. We did go to Wal Mart, but used the market quite a bit as well. The Sports Bar was a great place for watching the World Cup games and also Karaoke (two nights a week). The resort staff were all very friendly and responsive to any questions that we had. Staff did a great job of greeting us and making us feel welcome, often calling us by name (how can they remember?). Some other amenities are the free sports gear (snorkel gear, volley balls, sail boat usage, bikes, etc), and the free shuttle to Captains Cove and other Royal Resorts. The resort's location, on a great stretch of newly expanded beach is just a short walk to the mall and just a short bus or cab ride to many restaurants, clubs etc. Overall, this is a Great Resort in a Great Location and with Wonderful Staff that make me want to come back again and again. M&M - owner 1

Absolutely fabulous! Date Of Visit - Oct 31, 2009 Date Of Review - Feb 10, 2010 We exchanged into the Royal Sands for a week from Oct. 31-Nov. 7, 2009. We were celebrating our upcoming 20th anniversary. We spent our honeymoon in Cancun and decided to go back. My husband didn't think much of Cancun when were there 20 years ago, mainly because the resort we were at then was not the greatest, so I was a bit nervous. I saw the reviews of Royal Sands and hoped I made a good decision. I really wanted this vacation to be special. Well...it was everything that everyone said it was and then some! There is not one bad thing I can say about this resort. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The staff were fabulous. The resort was gorgeous. The villas were beautiful and the views were breathtaking. We were in the center of the 9th floor in E-5913 A and B. This was a 2BR/BA lock-out on the top floor. The front of the resort in the common areas where the doors lead into the villas had huge balconies with sitting areas overlooking the lagoon and the back of the resort on your private balcony that went along the living area and master bedroom looked out over the pool and the ocean. You had water on both sides of you. I watched the sun come up over the ocean and go down over the lagoon-breathtaking! We were in the center of the 9th floor in E-5913. This was the top floor. We had exchanged into many resorts over the years, but never one that offered daily maid service-what a treat! There is a personal concierge for every so many villas. Our concierge checked in with us regularly, usually daily, and asked if we needed anything, if everything was okay, did we have any questions or needed him to do anything. It was really nice and very personal. There was a mini grocery store right on the property and was very well stocked and very well priced. We picked up everything we needed for the week right there. It was also nice that they stocked the small and mini sizes of the groceries. We had a full kitchen. The was a spa on site that sounded wonderful, but I did not take advantage of it on this trip. We liked that there there were three other Royal Resorts down the road and you could use the amenities at all of them. The Royal Sands does have the nicest and largest beach of all the others. The other three are all right next to each other down the road a bit. There was also another resort in the opposite direction of the other three. The restaurants were very good and reasonably priced, as were the restaurants in the sister resorts. We loved the Sunday brunch at the Captain's Cove . We also had dinner there one night which was also delicious. The coconut shrimp was the awesome. El Conquistador in the Royal Mayan was also fabulous. There were Royal Resorts shuttle buses that took you to the other Royal Resorts resorts and restaurants with their route times posted at each stop. This was so convenient. Public transportation was also not bad. We took the city bus to downtown for 7.5 pesos. A taxi was about $10 depending on the number of people. We did not need a rental car. We went to Xcaret one day. We used Thomas More travel right in the hotel...they are wonderful. We also used Thomas More for the shuttle service back and forth to the airport. It was convenient and very reasonable. Even though they say they do not run the shuttles until certain hours, they did run a very early morning shuttle because there were enough people who needed to get the airport early for return flights. Overall, I have to say that this was definitely the best resort that we have stayed at. Even Tropical Depression Ida didn't make our stay any less enjoyable (just more rain and clouds than what I wanted at the end of the week) By the end of the week my husband had such a great time and enjoyed himself so much that he was looking at buying a week! He absolutely had a different opinion about Cancun! We can't wait to exchange into Royal Sands again! irisheyes1164 2

The beach is back! Date Of Visit - Jan 31, 2010 Date Of Review - Feb 05, 2010 The Royal Sands is a great resort. Other reviews have commented on size and features of the unit--no need to repeat. I would only add that the large balcony is a huge plus. We love to eat breakfast on the balcony, overlooking pool and beach. And the beach is back! An extensive beach renewal project is finished, and the beach is at least 30 yards wide. The level of the ocean is 4-5 feet below the sand, so lifeguards have made access ways every so often. The free tiny sailboats that used to be available right across the street on the lagoon are now available only across from the Royal Mayan (next to Capt's Cove) on the lagoon or at the Club International on the bay. The tiny sailboats are still free and you can get to both places on the free shuttle. There are activities for adults and for children almost every hour of the day, from yoga at 8:30 to poker at 4:00 (no money involved -- you win shirts, hats, free meals, etc.) All activities are free, but some crafts have small charges for the supplies. One negative -- you can only get wireless access in the lobby, bar, and a few other areas. Wish we could get it in the villa! The onsite restaurants, The Veranda and The Hacienda Sisal, are very good. Captain's Cove on the lagoon, also owned by the Royal Resorts, should not be missed. For a special dinner go to The Conquistador in the Royal Mayan or La Capilla in the Marriott. We also like La Dulce Vita on the lagoon across from the Marriott, Mikados in the Marriott, and Cayo Largo in the Royal Islander. Be sure to show your Royal Sands card at any restaurant. Almost all give a 10-15% discount. The Royal Sands is a great place for both couples and families. One of the things that makes it so outstanding is the staff. Everyone is so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. We love to come here! susief - owner 3

Date Of Visit - Jan 23, 2010 Date Of Review - Feb 02, 2010 This was our first trip to Cancun and our first stay in a Royal timeshare. We traded in using our Marriott Kauai week. We are a retired couple who like to travel, to see new areas, and to experience the local culture. We were very lucky to get one of the best units at The Royal Sands, an oceanfront 2-bedroom in the Phase 2 section. The very nice units are well-described in other reviews. One of the highlights for us was a large balcony off the living room and “master” bedroom, with a table to seat four and two other lounge chairs. The second bedroom, the lock off part, only has a narrow balcony that is big enough for standing but won’t accommodate a chair. The beach below has been completely rebuilt with clean white sand and provides a spectacular view. We attended the first morning’s welcome breakfast. It included coffee and limited rolls; the presentation was very helpful for us newcomers. Many of the other vacationers were owners who visit this resort the same week every year and have developed long-term friendships. The staff was outstanding! We had our own concierge who helped us plan our week and made reservations when requested. He and our “host” tried to convince us to hear the timeshare presentation, but they didn’t push back too hard when we resisted. All units are cleaned by housekeepers every day except Sunday. Our reservations: the hotel is on “hotel row”, a 9-mile line of hotels and restaurants stretching down the sand dune. We took the city bus into Cancun one day (cheap!) and took a tour to Chichen Itza, a large Mayan complex about two hours away another day, but apart from that we felt separated from the local culture and environs. If you want sun, beach, pools, Applebee's, and Sam’s Club, this is a place to go. But if you want snorkeling (the reef is only accessible via a boating tour), local culture, and new adventures, you would be wise to head further south to the smaller towns along the Mayan Riviera. Billdianes 4

Royal Sands is THE BEST WARM BEACH DESTINATION RESORT Date Of Visit - Mar 01, 2009 Date Of Review - Jan 21, 2010 We have been vacationing in Cancun for about 6 years, and every year we are reminded why the ROYAL SANDS stands above the rest. We are always greeted by name, even our kids, and find the concierge service is excellent and facilities are EXTREMELY CLEAN. Yolanda, who provided our daily maid service treats us like our satisfaction is her personal goal. Alejandro, who is a waiter in the pool restaurant, always receives us like family. THE ROYAL SANDS IS A SUPERB and REMARKABLE PLACE... compared to any other place we have ever stayed on the planet. - owner 5

The best support staff of any timeshare I have ever stayed at Date Of Visit - Dec 19, 2009 Date Of Review - Dec 28, 2009 The system of check-in made easy with a personal concierge has been taken to whole new level at this resort. The concierge guided us through check in and took us to our room. He gave us invitations to welcome events, 2 for 1 dinner specials and more. I have never seen a timeshare pay so much attention to their guests outside of a sales pitch. Keeping in mind this was week 51 and nearly filled to capacity, they truly know what they are doing. The welcome party with fun activities, and free beer and rum and cokes should not be missed. The resort is beautiful, well maintained and the rooms spotless. At the resort you get daily maid service (except Sunday) and I observed the maids taking great pains to keep the place sparkling (like hand rubbing the railings in the balconies and daily folding the toilet paper into attractive shapes). The only misses I would note are having no kitchen sink in the hotel room/studio side of the lock out, no ice-maker, washer/dryer or wired/wireless internet in the unit. These complaints however pale in comparison to the view from the ocean front balconies and overall quality of the unit. We dined in the La Veranda and had one of the finest steak dinners we have ever had, truly worth of the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse just down the street. You won't go wrong at this resort. vacatiionking 6

Above average resort but Date Of Visit - Sep 05, 2009 Date Of Review - Oct 29, 2009 Well kept, clean. Furniture is somewhat dated. Great pool and beach. Restaurants are only adequate, we found ourselves eating at other surrounding hotel restaurants. I was really turned off by the constant sales barrage. I don't think I would go back, not so because of the hotel, but because of being in Cancun. I think I would rather stay in Playa or Akumal. 7

Part II of Royal Sands review Date Of Visit - Feb 28, 2009 Date Of Review - Mar 22, 2009 I would like to add that the Royal Resorts have a full time Doctor who has a office located next to the Royal Sand's lobby. Personally I found this very important since the Cancun hospital is 30 miles or 50 minutes by taxi from the Royal Sands and health issues can ruin an otherwise great vacation. If you're a light sleeper you might be rudely awakened in the night by the slamming of doors. This is the wind from the ocean catching any doors that owners left opened. Stoppers located at the bottom of the doors only worked half the time I would suggest some kind of spring design to slow the doors shutting would be a better idea. Anyway we were all woke up at various times of the night by our neighbor's doors crashing close. ROCKJenkins 8

Beautiful Ocean...Wonderful Staff Date Of Visit - Feb 28, 2009 Date Of Review - Mar 21, 2009 My brother and sister went with me to Royal Sand to assist me with our 87 year-old mother who needs a wheel-chair. We were greeted out-side the airport by many different transpotation services. I over-payed $100.00 to a tax-shuttle service. It only cost $33.00 to return to the airport using Thomas Moores Travel Services that is located at the Royal Sands. I would like to thank Thomas Moores for going way out of their way to help us. On our rush to the airport we had left our mother's medical supplies in the room. Thomas Moores located the bag containing her life or death medical supplies at the resort, and rushed them to us at the airport in less than an hour. All the staff at the Royal Sands are TENS, and I could not begin to tell you here how nice the Royal Sand's treated us. For a starter when we arrived at the front door of the Royal a wheel-chair was waiting for my mother. But wait you say. I rated the Royal Sands a 9. Well I stayed back in the room with my mother while my brother and sister toured Cancun. I would rate that room only a 6. I found the rooms very plain and out-dated. The ceiling reminded me of a cheap hotel room. Also Mexico timeshares want you to bring your laundry to a central location. Since I like a washing machine in my room Royal Sands get a zero for following other mexican timeshares idea of not installing washers and dryers in units. On the day we arrived their was a lot of activity around the pool. A ten piece mexican band all dressed up in a flashy black outfits with those big round decorated hat was playing off a large balcony by the pool. Planes with banners advertising Cancun's best flew by contantly, The ocean was full of happy children and adults, and there was laughter in the air. My brother and I paid $50.00 for 8 days at the Spa, and it well worth it. There was a work-out assitance, who answered all questioned and kept the cool water, tea, or coffee flowing. In the hot tubs and Sauna their was shaveing equipment, combs and more. They even had a room where you could listen to gentle mayan type music while you cooled down from your visit to the sauna, and enjoy fruits like pears, bannas, or apples. All your care just melted away. I'm ready to go back. ROCKJenkins 9

WORLD CLASS ALL THE WAY Date Of Visit - Jul 09, 2008 Date Of Review - Mar 06, 2009 THE ROYAL RESORTS ARE THE BEST IN ALL OF CANCUN, AND THE ROYAL SANDS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST. IT IS THE NEWEST OF THE ROYAL RESORTS, IS ON THE BEST PART OF THE BEACH, AND ITS AWARD WINNING POOL IS TRULY BREATHTAKING. THERE IS NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT THE SANDS. THE VILLAS ARE ALL TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH, LARGE LIVING ROOM, FULL KITCHEN WITH NICE DINNING AREA, WITH LARGE BALCONIES THAT OVERLOOK THE CLEAR BLUE WATERS OF THE CARIBBEAN. THE RESTAURANTS ARE WONDERFUL, AND THE STAFF AND THE SERVICE IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, WORLD CLASS. THEY ARE FRIENDLY, NON INTRUSIVE, AND VERY PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS, AGAIN, THE VERY BEST OF THE VERY BEST. YOU CAN NOT DO BETTER THAN THE ROYAL SANDS IN CANCUN. SMOKETR 10

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