My girls (8, 13) and I took a quick 6 day/5 night trip, flying LAX - CUN (nonstop Southwest Airlines). While funds are low, I had a companion pass burning a hole in my pocket, and some CC points that I was wanting to unload. I'm posting here bc I know a few others have asked about resorts in the area, and I just wanted to provide some input on some that have not yet been mentioned (or at least I don't think so, bc I was searching this board for ideas as well).

Two nights - Andaz Mayakoba. About 45 minutes from the airport. A new property. Rather chic and sophisticated. I loved the planned eco jungle concept of the Mayakoba, and overall, it was extremely relaxing. It's a complicated property, in a sense, and to get to the beach , beach pool, restaurant, and bar (plus the oceanfront rooms), you have to either bike (but no bikes were small enough for my petite 8 year old), walk over 2km (in the heat/humidity), or ride in a golf cart. I was a bit worried, but it turned out the golf carts are very frequent, and rarely did we have to wait more than a few minutes. In our (jungle? I can't remember what they called it) portion of the resort, you find the main check in, several little pools making a large pool complex, restaurant, bar, kids club, spa, etc. Ultimately, I had absolutely no regrets staying here, and in this portion of the resort. Some free activities available include an eco cruise (boat tour through the Mayakoba complex where we saw birds, crocodiles, etc). and also a little cenote you can climb down into (but no swimming). The resort was not full, and we had absolutely no problem finding loungers. One day, we had no one else at the pool with us. The bartender came over and brought us a yummy cranberry orange something blended drink - gratis. It was lovely. Super relaxing and I could have stayed many more days, but I do think perhaps my kids would have gotten a bit bored after awhile. We did see lots of seaweed, and overall the beach was fine. But I think it had to do with the time we were there, as you never know what mother nature decides. We did not see the beautiful blues/greens I was anticipating. Food was pretty $$, but I got the rate with breakfast included, and the breakfast buffet was great! We don't eat much, so we basically had breakfast and then dinner. A few random snacks tied us over in the afternoon. Non-alcoholic beverages and a few snacks were provided in the room's mini bar for free.

Three nights - Hyatt Ziva Cancun. About 25 minutes from the airport. In the Hotel Zone (at the tip/bend of the "7"). This is an all inclusive resort and very family friendly. Upon arrival, my girls squealed with delight, while I covered my ears and had second thoughts. This place was the antithesis of the Andaz. Fully packed with people, large family groups traveling together, kids everywhere, etc. That being said, I had to readjust my expectations, and by the next day, I was pretty OK with everything. The view must have won me over. The sea was amazing. The girls loved swimming in the main pools. AIC was nice, but I dont drink, so I just had a lot of virgin mojitos. Girls indulged in shirley temples for dinner, but we didnt go hog wild. Poolside/beach service was adequate, and my older daughter had a few virgin pina coladas and my younger liked the strawberry/mango smoothie. I wish we ate and drank more, but we just don't... The resort had 6-7 full service restaurants (one being a buffet), a nice coffee place, a fun dessert place that my girls loved (candies, cookies, ice cream, cakes, .... all "free"). Overall, food was fine, a few items stood out for me (a filet steak, and their signature ceviche), but not much else. I discovered a little dessert section in the buffet too late -- but the two bites of creme brulee were also tasty. Like I mentioned, there were a of of people, so getting loungers/cabanas was the toughest job. People would claim a cabana early in the AM, but would hardly use it all day. Rather frustrating. Hotel staff did not do a good job of enforcing the "no reserve" rule. Entertainment wise, it was pretty tame. But fine for us. There is a kids club (but my girls did not want to go), a spa, and also a Delphinus (dolphin experience) on site.

I think I'll stop here, as there is more to mention, but overall, I would say both resorts were nice, and a good option to consider if you are heading that way.