4 Nights in Cancun for About $300 in Lodging: Here's How It Played Out 🌴

I just got back from a destination wedding in Cancun, and it was fantastic! When I booked, I wrote a post breaking down how I used points to cover the trip. Paying cash would have run about $500 per night at the wedding hotel (3-night minimum) plus $350 per night at a second hotel, for a total of over $2,000. Instead, I paid $300 for three of us to stay two nights at the wedding hotel, and nothing for the other two nights at the IHG Presidente Cancun in the Zona Hotelera. 🎉

So what was it really like, and did I end up paying for anything else? Here's the full rundown.

✈️ Getting there

We live in San Diego, so we walk across the Cross Border Express and fly domestically out of Tijuana. That lowers the cost and cuts the travel time. You can read about the Cross Border Express here. We took a direct flight, parked in the CBX lot, and paid the fee. Easy!

🚗 Getting around

On my last Cancun wedding trip, I learned that taxis are expensive. Uber and Lyft aren't available, and taxis are regulated by zone, so nearly every ride cost us about $60.

This time I rented a car. Budget quoted me $38 for 4 days. Honestly, I expected a tiny car or a bicycle. 😄 They honored the rate, though the counter upsell was serious:

• Liability insurance: Credit card coverage isn't honored in Mexico, so I bought it.
• SUV upgrade: The rep recommended one because of the recent rains.

Our total came to $192.50 for 4 people. Not bad!

🏨 Hotel #1: IHG Presidente Cancun (2 nights)

This hotel is beautiful. It sits in the Zona Hotelera, beachside from downtown Cancun, within walking distance of the tourist area near Señor Frogs. A few local Mexican restaurants are nearby too.

• Free parking, which is a big plus with a rental car
• Garden room on the first floor, since we booked with points and the $250 Chase hotel credit
• No breakfast included
• A basic room with two beds and a nice bathroom, toiletries included

The pool and beach were the highlight. Just gorgeous. 🏊

🥂 Hotel #2: TRS Coral, a Wyndham all-inclusive resort (2 nights)

After two nights, we moved to TRS Coral. The room cost 30,000 points per night, with no extra charge for our third person. Valet parking was free, and they handed us champagne at check-in. 🍾 Don't miss the chocolate tasting station in the bar area!

Early check-in perk: You can eat, swim, and drink before your room is ready at 3 p.m. They give you a bracelet that opens your door, gets you into the restaurants, and unlocks pretty much the whole resort.

The resort is huge:

• Two hotels (one family, one adults only) plus a timeshare-style section
• Six pools, a beach area, a gym, a spa, bars, and clubs
• 10 restaurants, including two buffets
• Boats and golf carts to get around, plus a butler in every building
• A wedding venue, with three weddings happening the weekend we were there

What I'd tell you before you go:

• The app: The resort recommends it for booking activities and dining, but I found it hard to use and inconsistent. We tried to find a morning yoga class and spent a while searching. What we found turned out to be a 30-minute stretch session.
• Specialty restaurants: They book up fast, so reserve early. We skipped them and stuck with the buffet.
• Food: The pizzas at the pool bar were fantastic. The rest was mediocre, but the buffet is expansive, and the made-to-order omelets at breakfast and the ceviche bar at dinner were delicious. 😋
• Rooms: Huge, with balconies, sofas, a coffee station, and a soaking tub. Upgrade (or get upgraded) and you can have a private pool attached to your balcony. Swanky!
• What's included: Food, drinks, and all activities except motorized sports and the spa

💡 Is it worth it?

Yes. This is a beautiful resort and a great place to relax, and at 30,000 points per night, it's a strong use of Wyndham points. Bilt, Capital One, Chase all transfer 1:1 to Wyndham. 

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