Arash Jamshidi
We recently stayed at Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa to celebrate our anniversary, and it was a truly beautiful and romantic experience that exceeded expectations in many ways.
From the moment we checked in, the service felt personal and thoughtful. The front desk team welcomed us with warmth and genuine kindness, and even upgraded us to a beautiful romantic room, decorated just right for the occasion. I wish I had caught the name of the wonderful gentleman who checked us in—his care truly set the tone for our stay.
Every night, the resort hosted high-quality performances that were far more than just typical resort shows. They had a clear artistic and cultural direction, meant to introduce guests to different aspects of global traditions through music, dance, and storytelling. These nightly events became one of our favorite parts of the stay—elegant, thoughtful, and inspiring.
The Kids Club staff were incredible. Fun, engaging, and caring, they created a space where kids could truly enjoy themselves, allowing parents like us to unwind with peace of mind. Our child didn’t want to leave!
Dining overall was fantastic—every restaurant was beautifully designed and the food was great across the board… except for Himachi, the Japanese restaurant. Unfortunately, the cuisine there felt far from authentic and didn’t meet the same standard as the other dining options. That one needs a bit of a refresh.
The pool and outdoor team were another highlight. Special shoutouts to:
Jesus, the outdoor organizer, who was always full of great energy,
Omer, the professional and attentive supervisor,
and Miguel, the main pool bartender, who made each drink with great vibes and perfect hospitality.
These guys were absolute stars and made our days by the pool even better.
Now for a couple of small critiques:
The Lost & Found team felt dismissive and unhelpful when we inquired about a misplaced item. It was the only time we felt the service dropped below the otherwise amazing standard.
The main buffet restaurant, while fine in function, lacked the design and ambiance you’d expect in a resort this beautiful. It could use a bit of a facelift to match the elegance elsewhere.
Despite these small points, our overall experience was nothing short of amazing. The beauty, service, performances, and atmosphere made our anniversary truly special.
We left with full hearts, great memories, and a plan to return again.
Shawn Spiewak
This resort was perfect for my wife and 2 kids (ages 3.5 and 1).
From the second we arrived the service was impeccable. The grounds are meticulously kept and the staff are genuine, pleasant and professional. The resort offered 3 pools to accommodate the various stages of childhood and adult activity. The food from the buffet, to the cafe and pool side grill offered a wide range of options to please any palate. Our 3 year old loved the water park as did my wife and I. The depth of the pool was perfect as it allowed him a little freedom to explore (under our supervision), but was large enough for us to enjoy with him at times. We spent some sun downs at the beach bar where the kids played in the sand while I slow sipped tequila. I would also like to include that we arrived 5 hours prior to check in, but Fredy in the pool area ensured we had a wonderful time. While this situation may have been stressful, Fredy's hospitality made us feel right at home in the pool area, where we would eventually rent a cabana that became a mainstay for our vacation.
I am so happy we chose this place for our vacation.
Shawn
Jack Pajak
This was our kids first trip to Mexico to an all inclusive resort. We all had a blast, all of the staff were very kind, patient and attentive. The food was great, but I particularly enjoyed the tortilla soup. The drinks were about what one would expect, overly sweet and watered down but in the heat they did the trick. The property and rooms were immaculate, they were constantly cleaning and doing maintenance. Finally the shows and entertainment were top notch. I particularly enjoyed the prehispanic and samba dance shows. I would definitely recommend Dreams Riviera Maya for families. It's a great resort, give it a shot for your next family trip.
C. Larmore
The food here is near inedible. Even for Mexico it sets a low for us. The buffet food sits hours and there are tons of odd dishes. We had raw fish tacos served to us at the beach side place. The Italian restaurant had great steak and ok pasta, however it takes no reservations and has a 90 minute wait commonly at dinner times. Mexican restaurant chicken was shoe leather. Its just really tough to get the value out of the all inclusive here unless your drinking a lot of booze. We went offsite for food and it was 100% tastier.
Rooms were nice and the house keeping did a really constant and impressive job. Rooms were Clean and well air conditioned. The service and entertainment staff was awesome. Especially the entertainment staff. UZZY and Eric did a great job pulling people into activities and keeping the fun going at the pool area. The guests really enjoyed it and they got even hesitant people involved. The Location is really pretty off the beaten path if you are seeking party life style. It is more relaxed here. We had some nice morning beach walks. Watch out for glass tho especially southbound. The food is the only reason for the 3 star review.
Geeshan Subasingha
Disappointing Experience – False Promises and Poor Service
I recently booked Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa for a family vacation, expecting a high-quality experience. While some aspects were enjoyable, the overall stay was disappointing due to misleading promises, poor service, and unprofessional staff.
The Positives
The waiters, waitresses, and bar/restaurant servers were excellent—attentive, friendly, and provided the level of service you’d expect. I also had no major issues with the food, despite some negative reviews online. However, let’s be clear—this is not a 5-star resort.
The Negatives
I originally booked a premium-level room, and tried to upgrade to a club room which was unavailable upon arrival. Instead, I was offered “club privileges,” which were supposed to include:
• Exclusive check-in at the Preferred Lounge with upgraded drinks and snacks
• One-time access to the Hydrotherapy Circuit
• A designated beach area
• Upgraded in-room amenities (snacks, juices, espresso machine)
• Complimentary bottle of liquor (Rum, Tequila, or Whisky)
• Aromatherapy for turn-down service
• Exclusive a la carte breakfast at Seaside Restaurant
At a cost of $400 USD per room.
Unfortunately, what was actually provided amounted to about 25% of what was promised. When I raised concerns with the concierge, they repeatedly said they would “look into it” but never followed up.
At checkout, I asked for a credit since they failed to deliver on their promises. Instead of making it right, they simply said Keyla (the staff member who outlined the benefits) had made a mistake and that I shouldn’t have been offered those perks. If that was the case, there was absolutely no value in the upgrade. What’s worse, they made no effort to rectify the situation—no apology, no goodwill gesture, nothing.
Service Issues
• Neither the front desk staff nor the concierge knew where the club lounge was. Instead, they kept referring me back to each other.
• The front desk staff had an attitude and a smug demeanor—completely unhelpful and uninterested in resolving guest concerns.
• When I asked for the manager’s contact, they only provided his name and refused to write it down, despite having a notepad right in front of them.
Final Thoughts
This resort does not provide 5-star service. The staff at the front desk and concierge were poorly trained and unwilling to assist guests. Instead of owning their mistakes and making things right, they brushed off legitimate concerns and dismissed their own miscommunication as irrelevant.
If you’re looking for a true luxury experience, this is not the place. The service I received was more in line with a 1-star resort. I would not recommend staying here unless management significantly improves its customer service and accountability.