Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa

My husband, my 3 year old and I went to Dreams Riviera Cancun for 6 nights. We had the plunge pool, which was AMAZING. If my toddler needed a nap I was still able to enjoy being outside in the pool. I even was served drinks a few times while in my pool. There were 3 main pools. One for small kids (less than knee deep), one for teens with basketball hoops, and then the adult pool with the swim up bar. The pools all had lifeguards watching constantly. I will definitely say, the better you tip, the better your service. The servers and staff were all very friendly (except maybe in the coffee shop). I wasn't a fan of the syrup/flavoring for their adult beverages. The food was decent, not amazing. The best restaurants were the Italian and Mexican restaurants. My daughter briefly tried the kids camp. She seems to enjoy it and it seems safe but made me nervous. We went for a wedding and it rained but the wedding coordinator really went above and beyond to make everything special and perfect.

We visited this resort during Spring Break with our five year old and three year old. We have stayed at several Secrets resorts and were hoping for a similar experience. This was our first trip to an all inclusive resort with our children. We were worried (prepared for) that the resort was going to be overrun by screaming kids and that it would be obvious we were far away from a Secrets resort. That was not the case. The resort is a great size- not too big and not too small - with plenty of space for all to enjoy. And, most importantly, it was safe and fun for our kids. The resort is beautiful. I am a sucker for a beautiful welcome and foyer that screams "welcome to your vacation" and this place delivered that. Believe it or not, not all do. We upgraded to a preferred room (as we always do) when we arrived. I have found it is usually far less expensive to do this after arrival than through Cheap Caribbean. Our room was on the fifth floor and overlooked the ocean and the pools. The view was amazing. Definitely worth the money. The restaurant options are the same here as they are at Secrets, but the design of this resort is better than several others to me. I loved the two outdoor restaurants by the ocean. I loved the walk up grill by the pool - so kid friendly. I loved the fun lighting in the seafood restaurant. The food at Oceana was the best. I don't expect great food at all inclusives, but I actually had a few great meals here! We didn't make it to all the restaurants though. The pool party was also fun, though the food that night was not so great. The entertainment was great as usual. Lots of options. Love the comedian who we have seen at just about every Secrets resort. I loved loved loved the kid pools. They are connected. One is warm and one is cold. They are about a foot deep and half of a football field long. You can see your kids no matter where they are in the pool from the chairs along the pool. My kids played here most of the time. The infinity pool offered a great change of scenery and experience. The views are stunning. The swim bar is wonderful. And I loved that the kids were welcome here too. I felt like everyone there took care of their kids, which allowed for fun and relaxation. Maybe we just got lucky. The beach is spacious and beautiful. There was some seaweed, but it wasn't overwhelming. There was plenty of room to swim without ever being near it. It was never difficult to get a beach chair. We loved the beach bar with swings. We didn't utilize the kids club as much as we thought we would. The resort makes it so easy to have fun as a family. We had a good experience with the kids club the couple of times we used it. There were kids of varying ages there. They had several activities planned throughout the day. NOTE - THEY DO NOT CHANGE DIAPERS, important to know if you have little ones. The staff was kind and warm. The spa is beautiful. I enjoyed a wonderful massage in a little hut that is part of the spa. The spa facilities are simply stunning - multiple pools and jacuzzis, sauna, showers, etc. the fitness center was not great, but had everything I needed. The yoga room smelled atrocious, so I used the fitness center main area instead. I spent hours researching the best family resort in our price range and am very happy I chose this one. I would definitely book another vacation here with my family. So many options. Beautiful grounds. Loved it.

Nice place. Great staff. My only complaint is all the walking needed to get from place to place. Also, the hours of the restaurants could be improved. The pools were great. Very clean. Room service took forever.

We visited Dreams Riviera Cancun from June 15-21st for my sister's wedding. There were 22 of us that traveled together. My husband and I have been to Secrets Silversands 5 times and Secrets Capri once in the last 7 years, so all I have to compare Dreams to are adults only resorts from the same chain in Riviera Maya. We do not have children ourselves so it was quite different going to a family resort. Check in: You are greeted with a glass of champagne which was nice (and customary for AM Resorts). We arrived around 10:30am and the line was pretty long since they only have a couple check-in desks. Our room was not ready until around 2 which was fine since check in was not until 3. Pack a swimsuit in your carry-on so you can enjoy the pools and beach while you wait. You are able to start enjoying the restaurants and bars from the moment you arrive. Lobby: Awesome gathering place. The nicest bar on the property is in the lobby where you can get some fantastic martinis! The only thing is that it would be nice if there was more ventilation and fans to move the air around, it stays pretty hot and humid at all times in the lobby. Pools: There are 3 pools, a shallow splash pool with ping pong in the water, an activity pool, and the infinity pool with the swim up bar. None are adults only. The activity pool is warm and was the cleanest of the 3. The infinity pool water was cloudy and, as other reviewers had said, it is over-run with kids even at the swim-up bar. In my opinion, they should at least make the infinity pool adults only. Swim up bar was much nicer than Silversands and Capri. Silversands pools are definitely much nicer than Dreams. Beach: Better beach than Silversands or Capri. Still has seaweed of course, but that didn't bother us. The entrance to the water is mostly sand with only a few rocks. Hot tubs: There are two, both adults only. We were in the hot tub with about 15 kids, although it was clearly posted kids not allowed, but 5 minutes later security came and asked them to leave. Bars: Barracuda on the beach was really cool since the seats are swings, but it would be nice if they added regular tables and chairs also. This bar closed at 6pm, Barracuda at Silversands stayed open until at least 11pm which we missed. The other bar on the beach at Dreams also closes at 6 or 7pm. The lobby bar has all the top shelf liquors, some of the others did not. Restaurants: Everything we had was great! My husband has the palate of a 5 year old, and even he could find things that he liked. Himitsu was our favorite, try the fried ice cream! Room service was delicious also and always arrived quicker than the stated time. Make sure you try the cheeseburgers and pizza at the Barefoot Grill by the splash pool! Service: Generally pretty good. Can be slow sometimes in the restaurants but it is nice to take your time and enjoy a nice dinner also. Our room was cleaned to perfection daily, we also received turndown service with chocolates and a sheet with the next days activities on it. Shout out to Israel, the best server we encountered around the pool area! He even brought drinks to our plunge pool! Secrets resorts definitely have a higher level of service I must say although the service here wasn't bad. We took $200 in tips for a 7 day stay and came home with $5 left. The workers work very hard and deserve the tips! Entertainment: The fire show and the Dreams Performance show were awesome, although the others weren't the greatest. Secrets definitely wins in this category. I was hoping for a wine or tequila tasting activity but neither of these happened. Rooms: Awesome layout! Privacy in the bathrooms wasn't an issue for us, but since the shower and toilet only have frosted doors I can see it being an issue for a family. I highly recommend a plunge pool room, we had room 1146 and it was great! You can go in your plunge pool at any time whereas the pools close at 7pm. They have great toiletries, even sunscreen spf 15 and bug spray, but no conditioner so bring your own! Wedding: There are a ton of weddings here! Usually two per day. My sister's ceremony and reception was supposed to be on the beach, but due to Tropical Storm Cindy coming through it couldn't happen. The ceremony ended up being under the gazebo and the reception moved inside. Maira the coordinator did an awesome job with all the last minute changes and it turned out beautifully. General: There are a lot of stairs at this resort so it can be difficult to navigate if you have mobility issues. There are ramps too, but they are a little out of the way. We never saw elevators in the lobby or restaurant areas but there are elevators in the room buildings. Bottom line: Adults only resorts have a completely different vibe. Had it not been for my sisters wedding we would not have chosen this resort, although if you have kids and are looking for a family vacation I highly recommend Dreams Riviera Cancun!!!

Just stayed June 11 to the 17. Our favorite spot was the swim up bar of course. Luis, Hector, and Valdemar are awesome bartenders! Attentive, quick, and friendly! We felt welcome from the second we stepped into the lobby.