The age of the facilities at Las Perlas is the first thing guest will notice upon arrival. Expect sagging wooden frames and trim on the exterior of the building, coupled with water marks and stained texture from years of seaside weathering. The location is prime, although on the weekends the beach can fill up with locals who walk over from other stretches of sand or pay for a day pass to access the pool. 

Reception is just past the parking area with its security guards and small snack shop. An air-conditioned lobby with tile floors, sofas, chairs, and Wi-Fi offers some measure of comfort before guests head out to the pool and garden area under the ever-present sun. The grounds have a fountain and manicured vegetation; loungers and palm trees surround the main pool and the children’s pool. The restaurant setting is a high point; Las Gaviotas is housed in an overwater, open-air hut. The marina stretches out past the restaurant, with the hotel’s own vessel, The Montana, available for private rental for fishing or adventure excursions.

There haven’t been any updates in recent years beyond normal maintenance to the buildings or the rooms themselves, which means visible wear is evident throughout. The stairs and common areas, such as hallways, are missing tiles in some areas on the floor, stairs, and baseboards, so watch your step.

Set at the kilometer 2.5 marker just inside the start of the Hotel Zone, the Imperial Las Perlas is a 10 minutes away from downtown via taxi or the R1 or R2 buses available just in front of the hotel.

Across the street, guests will find the same bus lines heading deeper into the Hotel Zone for places like the Cancun International Convention Center (a 12-minute drive), the Super Chedraui supermarket, or some of the more famous beaches -- Playa Tortuga (a six-minute drive), Playa Chac Mool behind Coco Bongo (an 11-minute drive), the outdoor Plaza La Isla mall (a 16-minute drive), or Playa Delfines (a 25-minute drive).

While the hotel has its own section of the beach that is regularly cleaned of seaweed (something that isn’t always the case for the public beaches), guests can also explore the rest of the stretch from which the hotel takes its name -- Playa Las Perlas (Pearls Beach). 

The Imperial Las Perlas has 118 rooms available: 115 Standard Rooms and three Master Suites. Of these, only 16 have king-size beds; the rest have two double beds. There are three main color schemes to choose from: chocolate, orange, or green. While rooms feature mini-split air-conditioners and wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, as well as fresh coats of paint in some cases, the wooden furniture is worn and aged with humidity and salt air, and the balcony wood railings are severely weathered and drooping. Grout is missing from the tile in the showers and floors in the rooms, and wooden doors hang off-center for some of the closets. While some of the rooms feature views out over the ocean or the lagoon, none of them are direct views.

Bathrooms have showers with sliding plastic doors, as well as free soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Mold can be an issue given the humidity and age, and shows up occasionally in the bathrooms throughout the property.

None of the rooms have Wi-Fi, but if you have one of the rooms closet to the lobby you may be able to pick up the signal. Cribs for infants are available upon request. 

Of note is that the hotel does not actively promote additional amenities, nor do the rooms come with coffeemakers, mini-fridges, or kitchenettes in most cases. Although they are available, guests must specifically ask for these features, and they may not be available upon request. 

The Imperial Las Perlas is budget hotel with a few additional features -- just a pool with adjacent kiddy pool, a restaurant, and a small stretch of beach.

The pool is small and freeform, with an adjacent, round, fenced-off kiddy pool and nearby pool bar. The Las Gaviotas restaurant is located in an overwater palapa at the end of a pier, and has seating for up to 200 people; it serves international dishes for all three meals, and all-inclusive rates are available. Because it is open-air, means birds are a frequent nuisance, and will aggressively pursue scraps if left to their own devices. Room service is not available.

The beach is primarily for the guests to use, but locals are known to come in on the weekends given its proximity to the mainland. A volleyball net is available, along with loungers, and the tour shack where guests can book excursions. The hotel operates its own boat out of the marina: The Montana. It can be rented for day trips to Isla Mujeres, fishing excursions, or just lazy days out on the ocean. Waverunners, sailing tours, and diving lessons are also available for a fee.

Free Wi-Fi is available in the lounge area and at the pool, and may reach the beachfront pool bar area and the rooms closest to the lobby.