Ambiance Suites

If comfort and style are your top priorities when booking a business hotel, Ambiance Suites is hard to beat when compared with the surrounding options along Tulum, Yaxchilan, and Bonampak in the heart of the city.

The entryway and lobby are decorated in a streamlined style with modern art pieces, and the entire building is air conditioned against the tropical heat -- a rarity for many downtown hotels that often skip running the AC in common areas to keep down on the electric bill. Guests who don’t mind sweating a bit can lounge poolside in the garden area.

The inwards-facing rooms offer a tropical view over the garden and pool, while the rooms on the front look out toward Plaza Las Americas and the towers. The hotel is set against a local park on the back side, offering guests a look into a local suburb in the heart of the mainland Cancun. Though the clientele tend to be mostly business travelers, couples on vacation or working holidays will also fit right in. 

The hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Plaza Las Americas, with its co-working spaces, mixture of outdoor and indoor mall stores, residential towers, and VIP movie theater, and a seven-minute walk to the Plaza del Toros. However, the hotel is nowhere near the beaches of the Hotel Zone, and it's a 10-minute drive to the Cancun Convention Center.

There are dozens of eateries within walking distance, including La Troje, one of the most well-known local restaurants in the city. La Playita with its pint-sized beers, tacos, and salads is just across the street from the Plaza del Toros.

Tulum, Yaxchilan, and Bonampak Avenues are lined with shops and restaurants, especially north of the hotel near the Parque las Palapas, and if you need to go somewhere that isn’t within walking distance, there are taxis and local buses readily available along the street in front of the hotel. 

The 47 rooms at Ambiance Suites are designed specifically with the business traveler in mind. The rooms are clean and functional, with the typical block and tile construction of the Yucatan, and while the basic wood furniture, white bedding, and red armchairs aren't the most stylish, they are comfortable and in range with the price.

Standard Rooms come with a mini-fridge, while all other categories also include microwaves. The Master Suite comes with a fully furnished and equipped kitchen and a full-sized fridge for guests who want to stock up on supplies. While coffeemakers are included in all of the rooms, tea kettles are not. 

Work stations include an iPod dock, and each room has free Wi-Fi (as does the entire hotel). Beds come with 400-thread-count sheets. Some of the suites feature a flat-screen television on a turntable that allows guests to view it from the main room, or the bedroom; all rooms have air-conditioning, cable TV, and DVD players.

The bathrooms are clean and functional, with good water pressure and plenty of hot water, two features that many hotels in downtown Cancun skimp on because they don't want to pay the extra bill for water heater maintenance and a pump. 

Bear in mind that while some amenities are free, such as a bottle of water, others -- such as coffee packets -- cost a fee. There are cards on display which clearly state prices for everything, so pay attention or you’ll be in for a rude awakening when you go to check out.

Standard Rooms and Junior Suites come with one king-size or two double beds, and children under 11 can stay for free.

From the moment you step through the front doors, it’s obvious that this is a business-class hotel. Notable features include the climate-controlled lobby and entrance, the business meeting rooms, the pool and garden directly opposite the main entrance, and the intimate gym space for guests.

The outdoor pool is small -- better suited to a dip than laps -- with loungers and tables set up around the perimeter. The gym is a tiny room with one weight machine, a treadmill, elliptical, and a stair machine -- but the offering is adequate given the size of the hotel. It's modern and bright, with wood floors and views over the pool and garden area.

The continental breakfast is included in some rates, but some guests have reported that it is too bare bones: merely toast, coffee, and juice. The restaurant serves food all day. 

There are two meeting rooms to choose from downstairs: one can seat five to eight guests, and the other can seat up to 45. Around a dozen free parking spaces are included, half in front, and half behind the hotel. Those in front are uncovered, while those in the rear of the building are covered.