Royalton Riviera Cancun

Mark Fennema

Note for this review: This review is based on the price we paid, which I think is somewhat lower than is typically offered. At the rates I'm seeing today I might go one star lower. We paid 3500USD for a Diamond Club Presidential Suite. The Good: 1. The diamond club checkin and checkout process were incredibly smooth. We were checked in within 25 minutes while sitting in a nice comfortable lounge. 2. The architecture and landscaping are incredible. Tons of great spots to walk, sit down and watch the sunrise, etc. 3. The resort is sprawling and doesn't feel crowded. We were there at full capacity and often had pools to ourselves, bar lines were short, etc. 4. It's very clean, both room cleaning, public bathrooms, and common areas were all pretty much spotless. 5. Every staff member was super friendly and helpful 6. The buffet food is very good and varied from day to day, much better than I'd expect from a buffet. 7. The resort gym was very good. Better than a lot of commercial gyms I've been to. 8. The presidential suite was huge and the beds, sheets, pillows, etc. were very comfortable. The Bad: 1. A la carte restaurant food is very inconsistent. While some of it was great (especially the Mexican dishes), other items were quite bland. I'd say about 30% of dishes were great, 70% were a bit dissapointing. 2. There is no lunch available until Noon and no Dinner available until 6, this is tough with a toddler. 3. The apps had the wrong opening and closing times for restaurants, and staff indicated it's been that way for quite a while 4. The room maintenance is quite poor. There were missing tiles on the walls, the roof was peeling off, the fridge was covered in dents, the sinks were loose, and a number of other relatively minor problems. 5. Tap water had an odd sulfury smell. I think most of the variance you see in food reviews depends on what type of food the reviewer prefers. Some of the cuisines (Mexican especially) were pretty consistently good, others (any American style beef product) were quite poor. Overall, I'd happily go back if we see a price this good again, I don't think I'd go back at full price.

Bree

We stayed here for a little over a week at the end of January. The rooms were decent, however the ocean view aspect is very limited - you could barely see it from our balcony and you had to really lean over the side to see it. Aside from that, the room was good. The service was great! A special shout-out to Angel at the buffet, who was very friendly and always had a smile on his face. Roberto at Zen was very kind and humorous, as was Jesus who cooked in front of us. Luis was also very friendly and outgoing. I thoroughly enjoyed the Royalton fit activities! The gym was sleek with a gorgeous view and separate room for classes. Brandon was always energetic and smiling and I looked forward to his classes. I also want to acknowledge Edgar, who instructed a class I didn’t realize I had to sign up for - he very kindly offered me a private session after the current one. I recommend for future travellers to book restaurant as soon as possible, as they fill up quickly. It was also a bit confusing using the app which said you had to book between 12-3:30 however many times I could not, but going to guest services they told us to use the app. You can also only make one reservation per day (even if the booking is in advance) which is fair but sometimes forces you to choose between restaurants. Overall, very good!

John Mcclay

We stayed Jan 1 - 8 in the Hideaway Adults Only Section. To start check in was insanely slow, there was about 3 groups ahead of us and there were 4 check in desks that weren't checking anyone in, we were then handed a buzzer and asked to wait until it buzzed to be checked in. Then we get told our room only has 1 bed when we specifically paid for 2 and they were sold out so no accommodations were made. Room: Overall was very clean Marianna was on top of keeping it clean everyday, her tips reflected that! Food: Food was sub par at best, every restaurant was slow at bringing the food out then it was bad when we received it. Only restaurant that was truly for a 5 star resort was the Zen Teppanyaki. Do not recommend the buffet, there are A LOT of options with each one some how tasting the same, bland. Service: Some bartenders were great and quick especially if you were tipping, some others would flat out ignore you and prioritize other guests who got to the bar well after you did. The Service at the restaurants was horrible, so disorganized. We had to make reservations for every meal on the app, which was fine, but we would arrive to our reservation 5 minutes early and would be met with a 30-60 minute wait time. Yes 60 minutes, at Armadillo we had to stand there for an hour before we were sat down, and we couldn't go somewhere else as no restaurant allowed last minute reservations. Entertainment: Mostly fun, although it didn't last long. They barely played any music at the pools except at night. In my opinion it should be fun party music all day Overall: Hideaway is not worth the extra money, all you get is a private Adult only pool that is too small for the amount of people in that are

Ethan Abe

We had an absolutely fantastic time at the Royalton Hotel's mini disco party. The kids' activities were top-notch, with high-energy dancing, and a vibrant atmosphere that kept our little ones engaged and smiling from start to finish. The highlight was definitely the staff member Carolina—her exceptional energy and service with all the kids was truly outstanding. She went above and beyond to make sure every child felt included, hyping up the crowd and creating magical moments that our family will cherish. We also loved the kids club, white face painting was a huge hit—our kids, brighten up their imaginations in the best way. Everything was so well-organized and child-friendly. We'll definitely be back for more adventures at Royalton! Highly recommend for families looking for unforgettable fun.

Cristina

Unfortunately, our experience at the Royalton Riviera Cancun was extremely disappointing and far from what I would expect from a so-called five-star resort. I wouldn’t have given it one star but that one star is only because of the two staff members that helped us out. Check-in alone took three hours, which immediately set the tone for the stay. The check-in manager was rude, dismissive, and escalated an already stressful situation. In contrast, Armando genuinely went above and beyond to de-escalate a tense situation. He remained calm, respectful, and solution-oriented, acknowledged our concerns, and did everything within his ability to help us. The reception manager could take a lesson from Armando on how to handle guests professionally and with empathy. Without him, the experience would have deteriorated further. The resort itself is very large, and all we asked was that our children’s room be placed in the same building as ours. When this didn’t happen, we were told bluntly that they “did not fail” and that it is not their job to accommodate families in that way, but rather to accommodate families through “entertainment.” That response alone should have been my red flag. The kids’ area raised serious safety and hygiene concerns. Broken tiles near the Wibit (inflatable) area caused two children to slice their feet badly enough to require stitches. Then our daughter also cut her foot and had to be taken to the hospital. This pool should have been drained and repaired immediately after the first incident. Instead, the response was extremely slow and negligent. On another day, a child had an accident in the kids’ pool. Staff simply swept the area and allowed children back into the pool immediately, without properly shocking or sanitizing the water. Our hallway was full of dirty room service dishes and the night was very active with the raccoons having their dinner. The properly smells like sewage. The evaluators don’t always work and required the stairs which are not finished and the rounds edges on the steps make it extremely dangerous. On the day our daughter was injured, it was the only day I even recall seeing a lifeguard. She was helpful, but we had to use Google Translate just to communicate with her and explain that our daughter had a gaping hole in the bottom of her foot. The lack of language accommodation continued in the medical section. For a resort that caters to international travelers, forms should be provided in the languages of their clientele. I should not have to rely on Google Translate to understand what I am being asked to sign. There were no visible lifeguards on most days, neither in the kids’ area nor on the beach, which is deeply concerning for a resort marketed toward families. When we went to the front desk to discuss our experience and concerns, we were simply told to communicate through the app, rather than speaking with someone in person. Additionally, for a family resort that regularly hosts large groups, requiring restaurant reservations to be made only through the app and limiting bookings to six people is completely unrealistic and poorly designed. It is also worth noting that any daytime entertainment we observed was concentrated in the Diamond Club section, leaving very limited options for non-Diamond Club guests. For a resort marketed as family-friendly, daytime activities should be accessible to all guests, not restricted to a premium area. I have stayed at a Royalton in Jamaica before and had a wonderful experience. That is the only reason I chose this location. Unfortunately, this resort has been above and beyond disappointing. This property clearly needs serious revamping, from safety protocols and hygiene standards to staffing, food operations, guest communication, and overall organization. Yes, the resort is visually beautiful, but beauty alone does not make a luxury experience. I was looking for a resort that was truly family-friendly, with strong safety standards, reliable service, quality dining, and proper organization, and this resort fell far short.