Located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Cancun is a world-famous destination for its breathtaking white-sand beaches and year-round warm weather. Millions of tourists worldwide visit the tropical tourist hotspot every year. In 2023, approximately 30 million travelers visited the beach metropolis, breaking tourist records.
Most people who visit Cancun like to stay at one of the many all-inclusive mega-resorts along the beach. To accommodate so many travelers, there are more than a hundred resorts to choose from. The coastline is highly developed and real estate is considered highly sought after, so it’s quite strange that a gigantic resort sits abandoned on the beach, right in the heart of all the action in Cancun’s hotel zone.
A creepy scene in the heart of the hotel zone
Tourists have described the abandoned hotel as creepy, and commenters on Reddit have said they evoke strange feelings in the property, which appears to still be furnished. Some even claimed to have seen people walking around the building at night with flashlights.
In early spring 2024, Reddit user Nervous-Hall4325 wrote: ‘I’m at Beach Palace right next door, and you can really see how much this is affecting business next door. It stinks, it’s creepy, it’s crawling with birds and insects, there might be something rotting inside, but it’s just rotten.” The user then described the lack of police presence in the area, despite a large presence of men hanging around the building at the top of the driveway, who he feared were gang members. “It’s just this huge, terrifying place that I really wouldn’t recommend getting close to,” he added.
Murky water lingers at the bottom of the expansive beachside pool, and graffiti covers the building’s once pristine white exterior. The once luxurious but rapidly decaying property paints an eerie picture in contrast to the clear blue ocean water in front and the prestigious buildings on either side.
Megaresort turned into ghost town
Visitors to Cancun may recognize the property from The Real World: Cancun. The MTV reality series was extremely popular among the youth and the Cancun season was filmed in the former ME Cancun. Later, Globalia bought the property and renamed it Melody Maker. Guests can enjoy luxurious ocean view rooms, suites and even poolside villas. Yet the Melody maker unexpectedly closed just a year after opening, citing low occupancy and a copyright lawsuit.
The story gets even stranger because Marriot apparently bought the property and planned to reconvert it into Armar House All-Inclusive. The hotel shows up on Google with room rates, but when you click to book a room you are taken to another site. If you try to connect to the website from the Google listing, you will receive a Marriot Bonvoy message that the page cannot be found.
In a cryptic Google review: Alex Hijnen wrote: ‘Keep your curiosity to yourself and avoid crossing the warning band. There is a scam here.”
Has Marriott withdrawn from the project? Is the property cursed? Is there a huge scam going on? The building remains mysterious. Whatever happens in the heart of the hotel zone, the abandoned property definitely creates a creepy scene for tourists trying to enjoy their vacation in nearby hotels. For safety reasons, it’s best not to look around this all-inclusive ghost town.
