From the street, Smart Cancun by Oasis looks like any older downtown hotel. Lodged in two tall gray and white buildings with a bland facade and little landscaping, guests are usually surprised when they walk into the colorful, artsy lobby and see the modern, updated rooms. 

Since our visit in February 2015, the property has divided into two hotels: Smart Cancun by Oasis and Oh! by Oasis, which share services. The property has two lobbies and two buildings with slightly different rooms.

The hotel lobby is fairly bland with a large front desk, orange accent wall, and seating area separated by a divider. The lobby has a small business center with two computers that are free for guests to use. There is also a cute coffee shop located off the right side of the lobby that serves beverages and light food in the day and early evening. The Oh! by Oasis lobby is much more interesting with its own pop art gallery; super bright colors on the walls and furniture; playful tables, chairs, and decor; and a sparkly chandelier. Up the steps from the Oh! lobby is an indoor/outdoor art gallery that features a rotating selection of local artists. The art gallery has couches and chairs where guests can lounge. A percentage of all proceeds of the art work go to Oasis’s charity.

The hotel was renovated in 2013 and the upgrades show -- the hallways have sleek tile and colorful accent walls, the amazing pool area is hip and relaxing, and the grounds are nicely landscaped with palm trees and tropical foliage. As evidenced in the Oh! lobby, a mod '60s style decor theme is found throughout the hotel and in most of the Oh! rooms. Oasis describes itself as “the lounge hotel” and it is, indeed, very lounge-y with plenty of public spaces.

There aren’t a lot of families here (we didn’t see any children by the pool) and the clientele is on the younger side, including couples and groups of friends. Oasis has a nightclub attached to the hotel as well as bi-weekly pool parties. Although the clientele is younger, we didn’t see any rowdy or intoxicated guests, and the public spaces were both quiet and relaxing.

Oasis also has multiple meeting rooms and an executive floor. Paired with the location in downtown Cancun, the hotel attracts a number of business travelers. 

Smart Cancun by Oasis is located on a busy road in downtown Cancun, on a row with a few other hotels such as LQ Hotel by La Quinta Cancun. The area is bustling and safe, with plenty of activity and restaurants within walking distance.

Oasis is located a five to 10-minute drive from the top of the Hotel Zone, with its beautiful beaches and plethora of restaurants. Multiple bus routes travel to and from Hotel Zone during the day and taxis are easy to find. The hotel is also located a 10-minute walk from the Plaza Las Americas shopping area, a large mall with retail stores and a food court.

• 25-minute drive to Cancun International Airport
• 15-minute drive to the heart of the Hotel Zone
• 37-minute drive to Puerto Morelos, with quiet beaches and great snorkeling spots
• 60-minute drive to Playa del Carmen
• One-hour and 35-minute drive to Tulum ruins
• Two-hour drive to Chichen Itza ruins
• Two-hour and 10-minute drive to Coba ruins

The rooms at Smart Cancun by Oasis have sleek beige tile floors, cream walls, black wood furnishings, and trendy clear plastic desk chairs. The bedding is modern with white sheets and gray, black, or tan accent pillows. The aesthetic is clean and chic with neutral black and white tones. Round mirrors and colorful paintings in the Standard Rooms round out the modern feel. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, safes, and free Wi-Fi.

The bathrooms feature a spacious marble sink and a separate tile shower with a private toilet room. The hotel provides some nice upscale toiletries such as sewing, dental, and shaving kits.

The hotel offers an executive floor with upgraded rooms and its own business center.

The pool area, located at Oh! by Oasis, is one of the nicest in Cancun. The pool is large and rectangular with light blue water and smaller satellite pools surrounding the main pool. The area is nicely landscaped with palm trees throughout. One area has multiple daybeds that guests can use for free, providing an ambience of luxury. There is also a multi-tiered section that has white couches, round loungers, more daybeds, and even tables and chairs. There are five whirlpools lined up on the top tier.

The pool area houses the snack bar, The White Terrace, which serves light food during the day. There are tables and chairs lined up outside of the snack bar as well as more armchairs and coffee tables by the building.

In addition to the coffee shop and snack bar here, the property has one main restaurant, Mega Bites, located next door. Decorated in the same funky, mod style as the rest of the hotel, the restaurant serves a buffet breakfast and lunch, and a la carte dinner. 

There is a nightclub on-site that has comedy shows and cabaret nights. The nightclub is swanky with red couches, a runway, two bars, as well as dancer cages and poles. Guests note that the club can get noisy on weekend nights, especially for rooms on the lower floors. In addition, the hotel hosts bi-weekly pool parties on Saturday evenings.

Oasis has an older fitness center on the ground floor with a few stationary bikes, strength machines, and ellipticals. Parking can be found 80 meters up the road in a secured private lot.