The Westin Cancun Resort Villas & Spa — Hotel in Cancún

Beware of Pablo at Westin Resort & Spa Cancun – Misleading Timeshare/Ownership Presentation - Manipulative, Dishonest, and a Complete Scam Artist

I recently stayed at the Westin Resort & Spa in Cancun and was offered US$175 in activity credits to attend a 90-minute presentation about the Marriott Vacation Club ownership program. What unfolded was a 2.5-hour high-pressure sales pitch led by Pablo, a Marriott ownership representative, and frankly, it left me extremely disappointed and skeptical of Marriott's integrity.

From the beginning, Pablo tried to present himself as a relatable, empathetic person, asking personal questions about my travel habits and life events. But it quickly became clear that he wasn’t listening—he struggled to recall things I had told him just minutes earlier. His approach felt disingenuous and scripted, not like someone truly trying to connect or help.

The Marriott ownership concept itself was intriguing—an upfront payment of around US$26,000 for 44,000 points annually, with options to book resort stays. However, it comes with many hidden fees like annual HOA dues, and numerous restrictions on how and where you can actually use those points. Despite all this, I was considering it as it is Marriott we're talking about—until Pablo turned the whole thing into what felt like a scam.

The ownership program itself had potential, but Pablo’s pitch made it feel like a complete scam. He kept throwing around words like “no pressure,” “no negotiation,” and “we're just here to inform.” But by the end, he circled back with a “special today-only” discount that dropped the price from US$26,000 to US$18,450—and then aggressively pressured me to buy on the spot. I asked for a single day to do some research, and he flat-out refused, saying the offer would be gone and the price would shoot back up. That’s classic bait-and-switch manipulation.

As soon as I showed hesitation, his tone changed. The fake smile disappeared, and he became impatient, cold, and borderline rude. He wasted an extra hour of my time, pushing hard to close a deal I wasn’t comfortable with. Honestly, he behaves more like a sleazy used car salesman than a representative of a global brand like Marriott.

The pressure, the fake friendliness, the dodgy pricing tactics—it all felt like a trap. If I hadn’t asked for more time, I might have made a rushed decision I’d deeply regret.

Marriott, why are you letting your brand be represented by people like this? If your ownership program is truly valuable, why rely on fake urgency and sales games?

To anyone staying at the Westin Cancun and offered this $175 activity credit for the presentation: take the credits, sit through the pitch if you’re curious, but don’t fall for the pressure. Do your research, and think twice before trusting...

Construction, Mold and Expensive!

Check in & Room: Check in was quick, this was my 2nd time at the property. Unfortunately that was the only thing good about it. The room they assigned to us smelled of mold + harsh chemicals used to cover the smell of the mold. Thankfully, I was moved to a upgraded room - however this one had its AC broken so it never got below 72F in the room,

Location & Food: This hotel is located in the far south end of the hotel zone so you don't really have any options for meals outside of their own restaurants which are pretty mediocre if you've ever eaten real Mexican food (not americanized versions of it). Also food WAY too expensive for what it is. If you eat 2/3 meals at the hotel, you are better off getting an all-inclusive. The best part about the location is that its far away from the noisy / party parts of the hotel zone so it feels more exclusive.

Construction: They are constantly having construction on the property. This causes several amenities to be closed consistently + the noises of construction while you are enjoying time in the pool.

Internet: Way too slow during the day, late at night, it was okay. I ran a speed test and it was around 5Mbps or less during the day.

Mariott Bonvoy Status Benefits: They DO NOT provide any status benefits. In fact I was told by the check in agent that this is vacation property and as such no benefits apply here so I don't really understand the point of advertising Mariott Bonvoy everywhere.

Vacation Club selling: They constantly try to call you to take their timeshare presentation, its pretty annoying.

This hotel has seen its better days, the only thing good about this property is its staff (very nice and polite) but I would take my...

The location is good. The room view is perfect. The price is reasonable in hotel zone as a Westin Hotel. But the service is horrible. When I arrived the hotel, I waited 30 minutes for check-in. Seems like the hotel needs more staff. One important thing, the hotel doesn’t accept cash. But there is one receptionist could inform me directly, but he only talked to his colleague, his colleague just transfer what he said. Very rude and very unprofessional gust service attitude. The facility of the room and hotel are lacked of maintenance, water dropping in then sink, you also can find more places need maintenance. The second day of the stay, I had my dinner in the sports bar, once I went back to my room, I felt very bad and I had a very bad diarrhea. The next day I went to report to the concierge, they helped me to contacted their food and beverage manager, but the manager said their food is high quality and probably because I just arrived, maybe because I am not acclimated to the climate. I have been stay in Mexico for 2 years, this is an unacceptable excuse for me. Until I checked out, no one asked my status. The summary of my stay is: If you don’t care to wait for the service more than 30 minutes, and unprofessional hotel service, only want to enjoy the view and location, then you can...