Krystal Urban Cancun Centro

The Krystal Urban Cancun draws primarily business travelers, especially Latin executives in town for conventions. The hotel, formerly B2B, reopened in 2014 under the Krystal brand and set out to establish itself as one of the premier downtown business hotels. It is continually expanding and upgrading, and in 2015 added both a restaurant and a bridge connecting the two buildings that make up the hotel. One building houses the lobby and rooms, while the other houses the restaurant, pool, and gym. 

Entry to the hotel is just behind the bull fighting ring known as Plaza De Toros, on the eastern side of Bonampak Avenue in front of Plaza Las America, with a large sign marking the destination as the entry point for cars. The entry to the lobby is unmarked, however, and can lead to some confusion as guests walk or drive up. To the right are several office buildings rented out to locals, and the actual entrance to the building is an unassuming set of sliding doors just under the connecting bridge. 

The decor is as the name suggests: urban. The lounge area is adorned with streamlined gray sofas, avant-garde baby blue tables, rustic wooden accents, and a bright yellow wall with peek-a-boo honeycomb cutouts providing a peek into the elevator area just beyond. 

Although the offices, salons, and rooms aren’t brand new, they are modern and clean. The constant humidity, however, means that some of the salons can be musty smelling during the slow months when they might not be constantly air-conditioned in between usage.

The Krystal Urban Cancun is set just behind the bull ring of Cancun, across the street from the largest mall in the city, Plaza Las Americas. The mall offers guests a variety of restaurants and sports bars to choose from, and the boardwalk known as Malecon Americas along the lagoon is popular in the evening hours for long walks, cycling, rollerblading, and jogging, as well as parades.

Plaza Las Americas is one of the major transportation hubs in the city, with dozens of bus routes on the west side of the plaza along Tulum Avenue, a five- to 10-minute walk away. The R1 or R2 buses can be found roughly 10 minutes on foot north of the hotel on Kukulkan Boulevard, which run deeper into the Hotel Zone or into the heart of the mainland. There's an underground parking garage for those who are driving. Taxis are also readily available; it's about a 25-minute drive to the heart of the Hotel Zone. There's a free shuttle to sister property Krystal Cancun, set on a gorgeous stretch of beach. 

Krystal Urban's rooms were designed with the short-term working traveler in mind, and all have well-lit work desks, as well as cream-color ceramic tile floors, white walls, light wood trim and furniture, and red and brown bed runners. North-facing rooms look out over the distant ocean and Isla Mujeres, and rooms to the south look out over the lagoon and Plaza Las Americas. Note that ongoing construction peppers the skyline in both directions.

Of the 196 rooms at the hotel, 184 are Standard Rooms with two double beds, and 12 are Junior Suites with king-size beds. All rooms come with Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, irons and ironing boards, in-room safes, and coffeemakers  -- but no mini-fridges or minibars.

The bathrooms are simple and functional, with ceramic tile, fake marble countertops, hairdryers, and a bright green accent wall by the toilet. There are no bathtubs available, only showers. 

The Krystal Urban Cancun is primarily a business destination, and has eight event spaces to choose from, ranging in capacity from 12 to 500 people, depending on the layout. Audiovisual equipment is available for a fee if guests require.

The outdoor infinity-edge pool has a swim-up bar, quality loungers and small potted palms, and nice views of surrounding greenery. The gym, located above the pool and restaurant, looks out towards Plaza Las Americas and has some older cardio machines, as well as free weights. Half of the space was empty during our visit, and more equipment was added in early 2016.

The Aquamarine restaurant opened in mid-2015 and serves a breakfast buffet every morning (not typically included in the rate), and room service is available from morning until night. The selection is primarily Mexican, with a few international options, such as pancakes and club sandwiches. A new bridge connecting the restaurant with the primary building was completed in late 2015, which allows guests direct access without needing to cross the parking area below.

There are roughly 150 spaces for cars between the open and covered parking areas.