Last year my husband and I went to Puerta Vallarta and did the all inclusive thing which was great but decided to try a small hotel where we would have to go out to eat for our meals. I found the Sotavento through Hostel world as I had a good hostel experience in Ireland. This was a step up from regular hostels as we had a private room with TV and AC. The room was very adequate with a nice balcony overlooking the lagoon. We tipped the maid 2 dollars each day and she would do the towels up in swans etc. The room was always very clean and comfortable. The beds are hard but I like that as we are used to sleeping on a futon. The hotel has lovely garden area and the pool area is nice and right next to the restaurant. Breakfast was included in the price which was good although it could have used more variety. Each morning there were scrambled eggs, black beans, sweet rolls, bread, a variety of cereals, coffee, milk and juice. We also had snacks and dinner at the restaurant a few times and we always pleased. I really enjoyed the gazpacho. The hotel was nice and quiet which was great as other areas of Cancun were filled with college kids out to party. There is a small shopping area close by and the bus is right out front. The beach is about a 5 minute walk away. Also went to a church about 5 minutes away. While in the area we did a trip to Isla Mujeres which was a bit expensive for 30.00 for what we got. The drinks were plentiful but not very strong but the buffet lunch made up for it. We also did a trip to Xel ha and Tulum which was a long day but a lot of fun. The ruins at Tulum are beautiful and Xel ha was fun, nice snorkeling and the food was ok. We went to Cancun City a few times and enjoyed walking around. Mercado 28 was ok for shopping no great bargains though. All in all it was a great vacation and we would definitely go back to Cancun and I would recommend the Sotavento.

I stayed in the Sotavento from March 3rd to March 11th 2007. I'm a study abroad student from Ireland, and me and some friends needed somewhere cheap to stay over spring break. We found Sotavento, and after some searching we found it used to be Aquasol, which had had really bad reviews. But the pictures looked nice so we changed it. We were so nervous because it was cheap, $16 a nite, and old reviews had been so bad. But when we got there we were delighted. It isn't right in the centre but there's a bus out front that runs up and down all night for 65cence. And there are other conveniences around it. The beach is a 10min walk away. The hotel is small and quiet, but has a nice pool, and little restaurant. The staff were friendly and willing to help where they could. The rooms were sufficient in size and most importantly clean! Maid service everyday. Only thing to note is that there is no elevators if this is important, and we had trouble with the toilets, but u jus have to hold down and not flush the paper, wasn't that much of a pain. Overall, we had a great stay, at a great price, definitelt recommend it! Cancun is great!