Cancun for the Convenience

(Last Updated On: February 15, 2017)

When heading to a place like Cancun, Mexico, I’m not going on a jungle-trekking adventure or anticipating anything much more rugged than rough water during a snorkel.  I’m going for a getaway from the daily stress of my workaday world, which means that I’ll be expecting good service all the way around.

Wish fulfillment and customer service seem to be Cancun's specialty. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Wish fulfillment and customer service seem to be Cancun’s specialty. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

On my recent visit to the Hyatt Regency Cancun, I mostly got it although I quickly learned the meaning of a “Mexican minute”—multiply by 15—when it took me three emails and a phone call to the hotel concierge just to arrange a pickup from the airport. How hard was “American Airlines; 10:40 a.m., terminal 3” to schedule a car service for? I learned my transportation needs would be addressed in a Mexican minute, not on my schedule but on someone else’s. A driver was waiting for us when we arrived, though.

Beachfront cabana at the Hyatt Regency Cancun

The view from a beachfront cabana at the Hyatt Regency Cancun. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

For the rest of our visit, the hotel’s service was fine—understated, not in your face, but capable. If I was sitting in a beachfront cabana thinking now would be a good time for a straight-up margarita, someone soon would be seeking to fulfill my most pressing dream. The cleaning staff managed to spruce up our room while we were out of it; the spa was able to accept walk-ins looking for massages, the hotel restaurant served food that tasted far better than I thought it would be, and the deli made caramel lattes that put anything offered by Starbucks to shame. If the transportation back to the airport and my real world were a little slow to arrive, I’d be too relaxed to be upset.

© Lori Tripoli

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