Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa

Just returned from Dreams Riviera. I booked through a UVC family member. Airport transfer: Booked AmStar. Great experience as usual. They are polite, prompt and got us to the hotel quickly Check in: since we booked via a UVC member, check in was fast and in the preferred club area. Unfortunately, they do not walk you to the room, so we had to figure it out on our own, which was awkward. To me, they should have escorted us Room: besides the view, we were not impressed AT ALL with the room. there is not ONE drawer to store clothes, no dressers at all. We had to keep our clothes in our suitcases on stands. The shower and bathroom have ZERO privacy besides a partially frosted glass door. No one wants that. Food: thanks to the good fortune of having Le Petite Chef in the French restaurant, I will give the food 3 out of 5. If not for that upgrade we paid $100 pp for, I would rate is 1 out of 5 (and I am used to all inclusive food at many Dreams/Breathless/Secrets resorts). However, the freezing cold brownie at the end was the worst brownie I have ever had. That, and the one day they made fresh chicken at the Barefoot Beach grill, it was all either inedible or barely edible. I am not a judgy person in terms of food, and we can typically tolerate what we have available, but man this was really poor. The buffet was terrible, the Seaside grill for breakfast looked and tasted like the food had been pre-prepared, the Mexican steak fajitas were awful (so fatty and very low quality steak), the chips were stale but the pico and guacamole were ok. The hibachi was totally booked before we even arrived. I have never experienced not being able to get a hibachi table at a Dreams resort. Preferred amenities: I would strongly recommend not upgrading. The Preferred check in was ok to a point, but the area is very small. Food was mediocre, their beach area was not worth it at all. Only one person working the bar and entire area, so it ends up taking longer for service than the regular area. There is no Preferred pool. The rooms, though in that particular building, were nothing special at all. No butler, as there are in other Dreams resorts with that upgrade. Pools: very compressed area. Two kids pools and one adult pool, all in the center of the pool space on the grounds. The adult pool is decent, good swim up bar, but there is no quiet pool or Preferred area at all. Beach: We always went to the regular beach, right by the bar. soft sand, lots of seaweed that they were always trying to remove. Ocean was NOT turquoise blue like it is in the hotel zone. Chairs were not very comfortable. It was ok. Staff: very nice staff, I will give them that. I tipped wherever I could to show appreciation. Entertainment: lobby music was good, shows were ok, typical stuff but they tried hard which we appreciated. It is not an atmosphere that lends to partying at night, which I did not care about All in all., I was very disappointed in the lack of preferred amenities, poor quality food, and one time I ordered a margarita at the beach bar and clearly said Cuervo reposado, but the bartender just picked up the regular tequila bottle, which surprised me. I did not make a scene about it, but he heard me because I repeated it a few times, and I had made it a point to tip him the whole time I was there. I have been to better AM resorts, and I am sure there are worse places to stay, but this one just did not have what it takes to be anything better than 3-4 stars at best. I won't return.

Pros *Staff are really really awesome! Friendly, very hardworking, helpful and you can tell they love what they do. They really take care of you when you go there. Some staff really stood out during our stay. Gilberto from the buffet, is really great! He remembered how my coffee the second day we came back and overall really enthusiastic in what he does. Antonio and Abraham during our Hibachi experience was great too! Antonio was the chef who made the experience so fun, and Abraham was constantly checking if we need anything else. Jonathan, the host of the events. Every night we were there we watched most of the shows and he works really hard to make the event fun. Great host! Dianna, the name written down as our room attendant. She was really great! If we leave during the day, we come back to a sparkling room. At night, we come back to aromatherapy in our room and our bed is set to how we liked it without asking. This is part of the preferred club perks I guess. *We really liked the layout of the hotel, the lobby smells really good. Restaurant and cafes are well located throughout the resort. There are gardens too. And not just concrete buildings with pools. Cons: The water in that area (which isnt their control) isn’t as blue and clear as the water in the hotel zone. If you like swimming in the ocean, this might not be for you. There’s no reservation in most of the restaurant except for very few - which is a pro. But the downside is long wait times, which could end up always going to the buffet even though you plan to eat in one of the alacarte dining. Food is okay, the desserts in the Mexican is our favourite. Beds fill up so quickly in the morning. I wish there’s a way to control this so you don’t have to wake up early just to secure a sun bed. Notes: We went during the first week of January for reference. This is also a family resort, so if you’re a couple like us, this resort is just okay but you’d probably prefer the adults only especially during the peak season.

Dreams is my favorite hotel to stay in while I visit my family. The staff members are great and the ambiance is even better.

Very very nice place, SUPER clean, family oriented, staff compete to service you with their best at any time. Food is great and always available. The coffee bar is a 24hr operation to service your soul with selections of coffee and ice cream along with some snacks and juices and sandwiches. I will definitley go there again and again. My family and I had a blast knowing it is a great place to be.

What a great trip. We really enjoyed this resort. The beach was a highlight for us for sure. Our pool concierge Pedro Casco took excellent care of us, making sure we found chairs, towels, umbrellas, had drinks and anything else we needed. We look forward to returning!