Riviera Maya

My friends and I stayed here for 5 nights on a girls trip. We had a really lovely time overall, and it was much nicer than my only other Riviera Maya resort experience. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome and taken care of, and the landscaping and ambiance in all locations is amazing. There is a nice mix of fun to be had, as well as quiet relaxation opportunities. I would say this is not a high-energy nighttime party atmosphere, which was perfect for us - the party is more in the daytime. My main downside was the food - specifically my experience as a vegetarian. Most a la carte restaurants do not have vegetarian main dishes listed on the menu, you have to ask for them seperately. To be fair, I was given *a* main dish at each restaurant, but they were not the same quality as my meat-eating friends enjoyed. The breakfasts are wonderful, and the buffet offered a great variety of good quality food. But for dinner I routinely was given no vegetarian protein, and the dishes felt lacking in variety. There was not usually any kind of sauce or cheese, the dishes mostly consisting of a bunch of mis-matched vegetables roasted or fried quite blandly. The food truck's only vegetarian option was nachos (hold the chicken), so that was also quite frustrating at lunch / snacks. That said, if you are not vegetarian (or worse yet - vegan), you would probably quite enjoy the food.

We have vacationed at the Excellence Riviera Cancun more than 15 times over the years. Some might suggest that we branch out but the amenities, location and especially the outstanding staff keep us coming back. While we're sure that most staff deserve excellent reviews; these are the women and men with whom we engaged on our recent trip and with whom we have the utmost gratitude, affection, and respect. The following staff members are listed in no particular order, but it should be noted that these superb folks keep us coming back. Laylan: Manager for the Excellence Riviera Cancun. There were 6 people in our group. After multiple travel delays and challenging incidents, we arrived at the resort tired, hangry, and irritable. We encountered further frustrations when we learned that our booking agents had not shared some of our specific requests with the resort. Customer service is often a thankless job, but we say thank you Laylan for all that you did for us. We recognize you and your enormous efforts. Your professionalism, effectiveness and calm approach turned grumpy customers into grateful customers. Thank you. It's important to note that an organization is only as good as its employees, and employees like Laylan help make the Excellence Riviera Cancun a terrific resort. Miriam: beach concierge in the Excellence Club. Miriam was an absolute delight. She was energetic, friendly, courteous, efficient, and professional at all times. Miriam went above and beyond, treated us like royalty and could always be counted on to provide excellent customer service. She was a highly effective team player. Thank you, Miriam, for your unceasing commitment and dedication. You always went the extra mile and as such, you are a wonderful ambassador for the Excellence Riviera Cancun. Eleuterio: resort gardener. While always busy with his numerous tasks, Eleuterio went out of his way to engage with us. This is a man who does extremely well with guests. He made us feel most welcome with his friendly, welcoming, and gracious manner, all the while, approaching his duties with passion (the gardens and grounds are beautiful). He was charismatic, thoughtful and customer focused, also going above and beyond. Eleuterio is a loyal and exceptional ambassador for the Excellence Riviera Cancun. Well done. Moises: pool waiter in the Excellence Club. Once you've met Moises and experienced his humour and infectious laughter, you will never forget him. We met Moises years ago and are always impressed with his dedication, high energy, efficiency, loyalty, and professionalism. He is a joy to know. Moises is a thoughtful, conscientious, and excellent team player who puts the comfort of guests first and foremost. A highly skilled and competent employee, Moises is also a remarkable ambassador for the Excellence Riviera Cancun. Carlos Senior: waiter at Magna Restaurant in the Excellence Club. We enjoyed 2 experiences with Carlos Sr. He was attentive, proficient, friendly, courteous, and professional. A skilled server, we noticed how other staff treated him with respect and dignity – obviously a fine mentor. Amir: waiter at Chez Isabelle (wine cellar). Here was a man with impressive knowledge and skill. With 6 people in our group, Amir exemplified professionalism with his friendly, respectful, and excellent customer service accomplished in an elegant and sophisticated manner. Alberto: waiter at Oregano Restaurant. Last but definitely not least. We have known Alberto for years in his many roles at Excellence. We are very proud to count him as a cherished friend. When I asked my wife Wendy to describe Alberto, she said, “kind; a lovely man!” While true, Alberto is also a loyal, dedicated employee with a wonderful, positive disposition. His talent and customer service are stellar, and his hard work takes the resort to new heights. The Excellence Riviera Cancun is fortunate to have Alberto on their team – another fine ambassador. Until next time Alberto . . . Phil and Wendy H. * * * * *

This was our second time visiting the resort, and it did not disappoint. We requested building four as it is the quietest and closest to the yoga studio. The rooms were recently renovated and gorgeous. The yoga program is excellent with real instructors rather than the "activity coordinator" people you teach yoga at other resorts. This is a nice quiet resort and the best for people who want relaxation. You can snorkel right off the main beach and we saw a turtle and many fish. We prefer the garden view so you have a patio and can lounge with the iguanas. The buffet is located right along the water so you have an excellent view. Will be back!

This was our first trip to Mexico, we had great fun. We stayed at the palace, really nice room, great staff, excellent facilities. Will come back for sure!

I was travelling with a friend. The place was clean, the food was good, the entertainment was very fun and it was worry free. The beach is a 10 min walk from the resort on the other side of the street. I would'nt go with kids but for adults its awesome!! The lunch menu wasn't as good as breakfast and dinner.

It was a wonderful first time experience. The staff were nice, and the food was good. Some food did come out raw, due to staff rushing to keep up with guests. The room was clean, the only issue were the small ants that came from a pin size hole in the wall, which we blocked and sprayed with bug spray. Beach and pool area was wonderful, other than the ignorant/self absorbed guests that would “reserve chairs” and not even be there. Im not sure what needs to be done or what could be done. That to me was a major issue as we were travelling with a large family including kids and an elderly couple. I would definitely go again.

check in was easy and cases were delivered to our room promptly, huge property and grounds and pathways were excellent and clean,overall area was well kept and trees, flowering areas were wonderful,pools were great as well as swim up bars etc. Entertainment overall was magnificent, staff friendly and courteous, terrific lobby and buildings, specialty dining was first class as was buffet, great selection of food and drinks and overall very clean in areas and washrooms were cleaned frequently as was other areas. Room was a bit jaded and could do with some upgrading but overall no major problems. Beach was smaller than expected but did not deter us from going there, enjoyed the wildlife on the grounds and really could not find any flaws or negativity with the resort.

We had a great time overall.

Absolutely a beautiful resort overall! Food, service and location was very good and would highly recommend it to all my friends and family! Staff were all so friendly and made the stay all that more enjoyable

This a great resort. Excellent beach & food, great service. Some rooms renovated but some are not. Lobby needs to be renovated and roof is leaking but didn't affect our stay. Resort is beautiful and traditional Mexican architecture and decor. English is not widely spoken and can be a bit of a struggle but we managed and had no issues. Clean resort as well.