Elana Gant
First time in Rivera Maya. Stayed at The Catalonia for 7 nights the last week of August into Labor Day. The resort is absolutely beautiful and very clean! Would come again but hope food gets better!
Food Allergies- I’m allergic to most nuts. The restaurants ask what allergies you have but can’t accommodate very well I think because of the language barrier. If you’re at the buffet, all you can do is read the labels of what the food is called and google it. No ingredients posted. For the sit down restaurant, if you want an item that contains nuts; they can’t modify it and ask you to pick something else.
Sit down restaurants were better than the buffet but what they DON’T explain is that you can bing go to the sit down restaurant 3 times during your stay. That means we didn’t get to try all of them. We tried:
-Alebrijes Restaurant (Mexican) which was okay. But not many options without nuts/guacamole.
-Steakville (steak house) was delicious all the way around!
-Ayami Japanese (hibachi) which was our favorite!! Flavorful appetizers and main course.
Shoutout to these employees:
-Luis and Edwin (servers in El Mercado Buffet) Luis is very sweet man. He was always smiling and talking to people every time we ate there. Edwin checked on us a lot. I broke a glass and he made sure I didn’t feel bad and that it happens. Kind and happy personality.
-Ivan (concierge/luggage staff) was wonderful. He took me to my room and even gave me a small tour while we waited for my sister to arrive. Ivan remembered me and would go out of his way to speak to me each day.
My only real complaint was the food at the buffets (El Marcado and La Brisa) both buffets often served reheated food they didn’t use the day before. For example, leftover plantain. You could tell because the plantain was dried out and warm. No moisture to the fruit. Breakfast food was wonderful but the flies were always swarming the syrup and bakery items such as French toast. The resort can’t help nature but some type of protection over that food/syrup would help.
Nick Andriano
I had the pleasure of dining at the steakhouse located within the resort during my recent trip to Mexico, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with a stylish yet relaxed vibe that perfectly matched the tropical setting.
The service was outstanding — Ezequiel was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations.
Now onto the food — wow! The steak was cooked to perfection — juicy, flavorful, and tender, just the way I like it. I ordered the ribeye, and it had a beautiful sear and rich, buttery flavor. The sides were equally impressive, especially the grilled vegetables and truffle mashed potatoes. They also had an excellent wine selection that paired beautifully with the meal.
We finished off with a decadent dessert that was the perfect ending to an unforgettable dinner.
Whether you're a steak lover or just looking for a high-quality dining experience, this steakhouse is a must-visit if you're staying at the resort. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Mexico!
Michael Hayles
We turned up at check-in to issues from the start due to the digital check-in system they had, which saved my second name from the scan incorrectly.
I informed the check in staff, Alba, who was not only dismissive to me, but my wife also. We told her the name was not correct and showed her our booking. She spent the next ten mins with her colleagues sorting this out. The queue behind us were not happy, and it was embarrassing to say the least!
They gave us an “upgraded room” that was a misnomer due to being placed outside the Service station closet. We asked the staff filling the trolly with dirty plates, we are guessing from room service, if this happens all day, and he informed us that it did! He was right, Saturday morning we woke up to cutlery clashing at 8am!!!
The first night we had dinner reservations at the steak house and both meals delivered were inedible. I had the pork ribs which were chewy and fatty and the wife had a rubbery octopus! We had a few bites each and retired our dishes!
The saving grace was Alvin. The waiter who was a rock star. He offered to change our meals, but at that point, we were disheartened and had no confidence in the chefs.
The pool, swim up bar, on the left, beach facing was very dirty and the people were pulled out early on the Sunday to clean it.
One thing I noticed, was when some people were asking for shots they wouldn’t give them to them, telling them it was policy not to serve shots. But then others would be given shots. This sends the wrong message and, even though I don’t drink (wife does) felt that this was sending mixed messages and bad best practices!
All in, for us it was not a good experience. Could have been a plethora of unfortunate events, but if they try to give you room 103! Say no!
Jason Ying
Our dinner tonight at Toscana was awesome! Very delicious! We had the Formaggio, Lasagna, Milanese Parmigana, Scallopino di Pollo, Afogato and Coulant. Our waiter Joel was very attentive, helpful and was very knowledgeable especially in regards to one of our guest's allergy restrictions. The Mariachi band was an unexpected surprise...in a good way! I really liked my Pina Colada!
Lauri Percy
Justino Baez at the beach bar was attentive, conversational and quick with the drinks and a sharp memory for recalling what everyone was ordering. Legit strong drinks, not like some watered down you get sometimes. Great guy! Super friendly. Our stay was not perfect (weather) but Justino sent us off feeling pretty great about our experience.
My Booking
