Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an Review: An Affordable Jungle Escape in Mexico
Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an is an adults only, all inclusive resort located in a greater complex of three other Bahia Principe resorts: Bahia Principe Tulum, Bahia Principe Koba, and Bahia Principe Akumal.
As the other three resorts are family friendly, Sian Ka’an is the only for-adults Bahia resort in this part of Mexico. And as a guest of Sian Ka’an, we had full access to the three other resorts during our stay.
The resort is also all-inclusive, meaning all of our food, drinks, alcohol, room service, etc was included in the nightly rate! And you won’t believe just how insanely affordable this resort was.
Keep reading below for a full review and guide to Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an in Mexico!
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Planning Your Stay
I highly recommend booking direct with Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an through their online website. They guarantee the best rate and offer a number of additional perks through their loyalty program as well.
Before booking, you will want to sign up for the Bahia Principe Loyalty Program. It’s completely free, and by joining the Loyalty Program, we received an additional 10% off our stay!
Additionally, Loyalty Program members are able to download the Bahia Principe app and select their room and make dinner reservations 5 days prior to their trip!
If you do make multiple trips to Bahia Principe resorts, you will eventually amass enough points to unlock additional perks such as complimentary transportation, discounts on future stay, and even free nights.
Compare Rates: Direct | TripAdvisor | HotelsCombined
Location & How to Get There
Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an is located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, about an hour outside of Cancun. The resort is located near Akumal, which is along Mexico’s Riviera Maya coast, about halfway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
To get to Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an, you will fly into the Cancun International Airport (Airport Code: CUN). Many large airlines fly into Cancun from the US, including Southwest, American, Delta, United, and JetBlue. This means flight costs are typically pretty low. We booked our flights with Southwest during a sale and got an amazing rate (more about cost below), Click here to compare flights!
Prior to traveling, you will need to arrange from ground transportation. We booked our transportation directly through the resort for a cost about $150 for a private roundtrip transfer for two. A shared transfer option is available for $99; however with the distance form the airport, we didn’t want to waste any extra time on transfer that would make multiple stops.
Pre-Travel Check In at Sian Ka’an
The most crucial part of the checking in process at any Bahia Principe resort is done exactly five days before your stay. Members of the free loyalty program are able to select their room and reserve restaurants at this time via checking in on the app. While we did find the app a bit glitchy, we were able to complete this process and secure our reservations.
When the clock struck midnight on day five, we logged in, checked-in, and made our selections. We were shocked to see that several of the more popular restaurants were already booked during our stay, and some had very limited time slots left. Therefore, it is crucial you book in advance and don’t wait for your arrival!
While the app stated we would be able to select our room, neither the app nor website allowed us to. We logged in the following day and saw the room had been selected for us by the hotel. We think this was because a large portion of the resort was booked up for several months by a film crew working in the nearby area.
Checking In at Sian Ka’an
Upon arriving to Sian Ka’an, we were welcomed by a friendly staff and welcome cocktails in the resort’s open air lobby. Here the check-in process was very seamless, and within a few minutes we were ready to be escorted to our room.
Also found in the lobby are the Lobby Gift Shop, Yal Ku Restaurant, and the Tikal Lobby Bar.
The resort is small, and our room was just a building over from the lobby. So expect to walk on foot with the assistance of the bellhop who will take your luggage for you.
Rooms & Suites
Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an features 420 rooms and suites, all of which are different variations of the standard Junior Suite layout. The main difference between the room classes is whether you prefer a standard room with balcony, a ground floor walk-out room with a hot tub in the foilage, or a two story suite with a rooftop deck.
The room types are as follows:
- Junior Suite
- Junior Suite Superior
- Junior Suite Superior Garden
- Junior Suite Superior Penthousell
I thought the Junior Suite Super Garden rooms with the outdoor hot tub were really cool. But, a word of caution – there is little to no privacy and everyone walking by will be able to see you in your hot tub. Plus, you may get eaten alive by mosquitos.
During our stay, we stayed in the most upgraded suite, the Junior Suite Superior Penthouse. Keep reading below for a peek at this room type, or you can check out our Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an Junior Suite Superior Penthouse Room Tour.
Staying in a Junior Suite Superior Penthouse
Since Bahia Principe Sian Kaan is such an affordable resort, we decided to select the best possible class of room. Normally, we try to get the entry level rooms to save money, but this was such a great rate we had to select it.
The Bahia Principe Junior Suite Superior Penthouse is a massive suite with two levels of living space. On the first floor, you have a dining and living room with minibar, open concept bedroom area, and the restroom. The second floor is connected by an indoor staircase, and consists of a rooftop deck.
I loved that this room had these massive windows in the living room and bedroom that could open up. It was so nice to get the fresh air in the room. The downside is, however, that there is no balcony on this level. You will need to utilize the rooftop to actually go outside.
We really enjoyed the rooftop portion of the suite. There is a small table and chairs so you can eat room service up there, as well as two lawn chairs for tanning in private. And of course, the best part, was the Jacuzzi tub!
I will also note that because our room was located in a building right next door to the lobby, we heard the nighttime entertainment and music loud and clear in the room. While it didn’t last too late into the night, if you like to go to bed early, you may want to request a room further from the lobby.
For a full tour and review of our room, check out our Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an Junior Suite Superior Penthouse Room Tour.
Pools at Sian Ka’an
There are three main pools at Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an, and each pool has a slightly different vibe.
The first pool is located at the front of the property closest to the lobby, and next to the Alux Restaurant. This is a very quiet pool, where you will mostly find vacationers napping or reading a book. It was honestly so quiet here, we felt like we should whisper as to not disturb any one!
The next pool is located adjacent to the Pool Restaurant. It is the largest pool, and technically is made up of a bigger pool and a smaller circular pool. This was our favorite pool because it was still very chill and located right next to an outdoor bar.
The very last pool is the more active/vibrant pool. The folks hanging out at this pool were very social and the daily entertainment happened at this pool. There was often a DJ playing at this pool and there was also a big foam party happening during our stay. With that being said, it still was fairly tame compared to parties in Cancun, etc.
Is Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an on the Beach?
Sian Ka’an is not actually located on the beach. Instead, it is a jungle resort located about a 15 minute golfcart ride from the beach located at Bahia Principe Koba. The resorts have an intricate golfcart trolley system set up, so just hang out at the bus station at the front of the property until the trolley for “La Playa” arrives. It usually takes about 15 minutes for the right one to arrive, so make sure you plan ahead.
Sian Ka’an has its own roped area of the beach to enjoy next to the sister resorts. There is a bar area and wait service. You are also right next to the beach areas for the other Bahia resorts, and you have full access.
We found the water wasn’t as great in the adults section because it was quite rocky to wade in. We wished we would have packed water shoes! The water however next door in the family friendly area was absolutely stunning and easy to wade into, even though it was crowded with families.
We were also extremely pleased by the lack of Sargassum and how clear blue the water was. This is due to the beach and swimming areas being protected by rock barriers.
Restaurants & Food
Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an boasts a total of four restaurants on site. Of these, two do not require reservations: Yalku Restaurant, an international buffet, and the outdoor Cenote Pool Restaurant. In addition, you can also order room service as part of your all inclusive stay.
The Yalku Restaurant buffet was probably the best buffet we’ve eat at on our travels. While we did explore the other restaurants at the sister properties, we honestly would have been completely happy eating all of our meals here! We had breakfast here daily as well as a few dinners.
Sian’ Ka’an also has two a la carte dining restaurants that require advance reservations. Alux Restaurant offers gourmet cuisine with a lovely view of the pool. And there is also the Maiko Restaurant, which serves elevated Japanese cuisine.
We were able to get a reservation at Alux in advance on the app. The restaurant was almost completely booked-up when we made our reservations five days in advance. Alux was very classy with excellent service and delicious food.
Unfortunately we did not get to eat at Maiko as a reservation wasn’t available. Definitely take advantage of the advance reservation option!
In addition to the four Sian Ka’an restaurants, guests have full access to thirteen other a la carte restaurants across the Akumal, Koba, and Tulum resorts. However, it is important to note you are not able to utilize those resorts’ buffets.
Bars & Drinks
As Sian Ka’an is all inclusive, all of your wine, beer, and alcohol is included. This includes drinks at the bars, at the restaurants, room service, and your minibar.
There are several bars at Sian Ka’an: The Tikal Lobby bar, the Uxmal Terraza Bar, and the Xpu-Ha Pool Bar. Xpu-Ha is an outdoor bar located between the pools. Both Uxmal and Tikal are located in the lobby area.
I will note that at the restaurants across the Bahia Principe resorts, a wine list was offered with bottles that were not included in your all-inclusive rate. It felt a little awkward having this pushed on us, but there is no need to purchase additional alcohol. You can still order regular wine by the glass without upgrading. We just closed our wine list menus and handed them back when asked if we wanted something from the list. No big deal!
Vibe & Demographics
Sian Ka’an definitely offers peace, quiet, and relaxation in an adults only atmosphere. The guest demographic appeared to be average working class folks, and the age range we observed were the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
When we visited in April 2022, the resorts actually had booked over 600 members of a film crew for a several month long period across the Bahia resorts. This crew was away filming off site during the day, and this combined with lower travel in the post-COVID period, made the resort quite quiet.
It is evident from a Sian Ka’an guest Facebook group, however, that this resort attracts a cult following. Diehard guests visit the resort year after year again and it looks like many have made friends during their visits.
Even though the resort offers entertainment like foam pool parties and live music in the evening, it is pretty tame compared to many other resorts I’ve been to.
Cost of a Trip to Bahia Principe
Wondering what four nights at Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an costs?
We booked our airfare through Southwest during a sale and got an amazing deal! Our grand total for roundtrip flights for two from Nashville to Mexico was $644.74.
Our stay for two at Sian Ka’an in the Junior Suite Superior Penthouse for 4 nights was $1210.16. This was during a sale, so I received 40% off standard rates. We also received an additional 10% off discount for joining the free loyalty program.
Additionally, we booked the private transfer for the total cost of $147.36. I originally was going to opt for the $99 shared transfer, but since we received the surprise loyalty discount, I went ahead and upgraded the transportation.
Grand total, our four night vacation only cost $2,002.26! I thought this was an absolutely fantastic deal. Typically, we usually spend about $2k+ on just the resort and $1k+ on airfare.
If you are willing to stay at one of the family friendly Bahia resorts in the complex or book a basic Junior Suite instead of the Penthouse, you can get this trip even cheaper!
Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an Videos
Check our our Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an vlog video on YouTube! Don’t forget to like and subscribe to our channel to follow along with our adventures.
Check out our room tour of the Junior Suite Superior Penthouse at Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an as well as our review of sister resort Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal!
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