Potential tourists heading to the Mexican coast recently noticed that the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun was out of rooms to book as of September 1st. Moreover, in the following months, the message “not available for check-in” is displayed. A Marriott spokesperson has confirmed that the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cancun will cease operations under the Ritz-Carlton brand as of August 31, 2022.
In 1993, the Ritz-Carlton became the brand's first hotel to open outside of the United States.
In 2018, the resort celebrated its 25th anniversary. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the resort opened a new family-friendly Club Lounge and refurbished its upscale Mediterranean restaurant, Fatino.
However, by that moment it was clear to the guests of the hotel that it was outdated: 25 years had done their job, the hotel was in need of repair. Outdated elements in public places — gold elevator, low ceilings and out-of-fashion furniture — couldn't compete with the contemporary design offered by many of the upscale resorts in the area.
And the Ritz-Carlton is far behind the newer properties in terms of pricing. Until the end of August, prices do not drop below $539 per night. At the same time, the Conrad Tulum Hotel offers accommodation for less than $400 per night, and on some dates — for just $339.
In general, starting September 1, luxury European hotel brand Kempinski will take over the resort and temporarily rename it Grand Hotel Cancun. There are no plans to close the resort. Over the next few months, the hotel will be brought into line with the Kempinski brand, and after that — early next year — the resort will be renamed again. This time for good, at Kempinski Hotel Cancun.
This will be the first Kempinski-branded resort in Mexico and currently has hotels in Cuba and Dominica.