You are describing the way we felt about Cancun in general before finding WLR. On our most recent trip we never really experienced what you described, so maybe it was because you went in peak season and we went in early May? Not sure. But we have usually found the service to be excellent, including pool side. There are always chair hogs everywhere, but we have not found it to be an issue in late April / early May. And also, we have used The One transportation provided by the resort and they charge $85 versus $65 for USA Transfers. Personally I do not find that excessive? I have found that for us the extra $20 is actually worth the convenience.
And really, I completely agree with BobPark56, the real advantage of staying at WLR is how easy it is to move around and visit other restaurants and local dining establishments. There is a whole world of interesting dining choices to visit off the resort and we rarely eat any planned meals at the WLR restaurants.
We love the fact that WLR isn't all inclusive, so it allows one to explore other areas and establishments in Cancun, as well as provide a good home base for trips to Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Akumal, and Playa del Carmen area. When we go to WLR, one day we are sitting by the great pools or on the beautiful beach. The next day we are driving around in a golf cart on Isla Mujeres and paying a nominal fee to eat and swim at the Zama Beach Club before heading back. The next couple of days we are snorkeling with turtles in Akumal and walking the streets of Tulum or Playa del Carmen, and day after that we might hit Xel Ha or Xcaret or just hit some of the many cenotes for snorkeling. On our last trip we spent a couple nights in a beachfront condo in Akumal on Half Moon Bay with gave us time to more fully explore Tulum and Akumal. I highly recommend La Buena Vida, an oceanfront restaurant and bar sitting right on Half Moon Bay.
We have traveled the Caribbean extensively, and have not found the extreme variety of dining and shopping choices and activities we have found available to us in Cancun while staying at WLR. I think the reason for that is because for so many years we went to all inclusive places in Mexico, and I think in order to make it worth it financially, we always felt tied down to the resort we were staying at.
* We have never been to Hawaii so can't speak to that.