Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa

Let me start by saying my fiancé and I are in our mid-30s, have no children, and have been to multiple Hyatt properties, including the adults-only Secrets and Zilara. We had never been to a Dreams but were aware it was family-oriented. It worked with the days we had off and our budget. Cancun Airport: The customs line was long but moved fairly quickly. The line stretched to the back of the room, but we waited about 30 minutes. The baggage area was extremely busy, shoulder to shoulder, unlike anything we’ve seen before. I immediately got in line (15–20 people ahead of me) to use the washroom while my fiancé went to collect our bags. By the time I came out, he had them, but said people were fighting to get close to the belt, and someone even accused another of taking the wrong bag. Exiting to our transfer was also chaotic. We met the Air Canada Vacations representative and got in line for a bus, but it felt disorganized and overwhelmed. We overheard someone say they had been waiting almost an hour, so we paid $50 USD for a taxi instead. The 15-minute ride was worth it to get to the beach sooner. Check-In Process: They immediately took our bags and greeted us with cold towels and champagne. While checking in, they asked the reason for our trip, and we said we had recently gotten engaged. The front desk clerk, German, explained our room was an ocean view with two double beds. (Our reservation had noted double occupancy with the option of one king or two doubles.) We asked if we could have a king since we were celebrating, but he said no and wasn’t willing to help. Very disappointing, as a double bed for two adults is tight. Room: The walls and doors were very thin—you could hear everything in the hallway, other rooms, and outside. I brought earplugs, but they didn’t help much. Being a family resort, mornings were filled with children crying or screaming at dawn, and I never got a solid night’s sleep. One night, we were woken by an employee picking up dishes; when we commented aloud, he even yelled “sorry,” showing he could hear us. The room itself was unimpressive. The bathroom layout offered no privacy, and while it was cleaned daily and the fridge restocked, everything felt old—stains in the sink, a crooked toilet seat, cracks in the ceiling, nothing modern. Our “ocean view” was mostly of the wasteland between resorts; you had to lean over the balcony to glimpse the water. Grounds: The property was beautiful, with the most jungle-like feel of any resort we’ve visited. Groundskeepers worked daily trimming and tending, which added to the charm. Beach/Pool: The pool deck was too crowded. Chairs were set up neatly each morning with towels, and we got up around 6:45 to claim ours and watch the sunrise. But throughout the day, people moved chairs to follow the sun, leaving the deck cluttered and walkways blocked. Pools weren’t heated, and the music playlist repeated daily. Weddings (sometimes two a day) were held on the pool deck or above the pool bar, lacking privacy. The beach was our favorite part. Soft white sand, cleaned each morning by tractor and hand-raked in patterns. However, birds were a nuisance—hawks were rarely present, and seagulls and crows swarmed anyone eating. Vendors walked the beach daily selling bags, jewelry, hats, etc. One even blew a conch shell to get attention. While the beach is federal property, it would be nice if staff discouraged vendors from lingering. We saw some younger men selling “cigars” sitting at the beach bar drinking all day. Restaurants: The breakfast buffet was the only option for non-preferred guests. Standard items were available, but food was sometimes cold. We skipped the Italian and French restaurants as nothing appealed. Favorites were the Asian and seaside steakhouse, though food didn’t compare to other Hyatt properties. Barefoot Grill was fine for a quick lunch, but there was no menu—signs advertised nachos and hotdogs, yet we saw chicken burgers, regular burgers, tacos, and pizza (not very good). CocoCafe mostly offered pastries and salad cups. More snack options like sandwiches or chips would have been nice before dinner. Entertainment: We prefer relaxing and tanning, so we didn’t join activities, but the entertainment crew was great at engaging guests. Evening shows meant little to no wait at dinner. Service: Service was hit or miss. The check-in experience left a sour taste when they refused to accommodate a king bed. On the positive side, beach, pool, and lobby bar staff were fantastic—David and Victor stood out as excellent servers. Grounds staff were friendly, always greeting us. The downside was restaurant service. At Seaside Grill, our server refilled our wine as we left, but the hostess stopped us, saying we couldn’t leave with glasses, and gave us plastic solo cups instead. Even when we explained we were heading straight to our room, she refused. At other Hyatt properties, walking out with a glass was fine. When we asked at the pool bar for a proper plastic wine glass, the server was shocked we’d been given solo cups. Misc: • Wi-Fi worked well throughout the property, including the beach. • $7 reef conservation fee per person per day for water sports. • During our stay, the Super Bowl was shown. Premium seats required payment. They built a Golden Gate Bridge over the adults-only pool and a San Francisco stadium setup with the screen on the beach. Overall: I would rate this resort 3–3.5 stars. It’s great for young families, but for couples without kids, I wouldn’t recommend it—it felt chaotic and far from relaxing.

We had a great time over the course of our seven day vacation. We spent a lot of time at the beach and had excellent service from Pedro! We were travelling with our young son (<1 year) and the Bali beds were the perfect addition for our beach days. Martin and Santiago made sure we had everything we needed, always ensured we had a nice cold beverage, and provided us extra shade in the Bali beds to keep our family comfortable. Highly recommend this resort for a family vacation!

Spent a wonderful week at Dreams Riviera. This was our first time at this resort but have stayed at a few other Dreams. The staff, food, drinks and rooms at Riviera were better than we expected. Food at the a la carte restaurants was mostly great. We enjoyed the many lunch options: 2 a la cartes, buffet and beach front grill. Dinner options were a bit confusing due to rotating restaurant closures and the hotel app was not always up to date. We never had to wait for a table. We love that there are no restaurant reservations required except for the teppanyaki tables. The beach is spectacular. The resort is unusually compact which tends to be make it a bit noisy at times. It is definitely a family resort which means that there are many young children in all areas of the resort. If you are looking for a family resort that is great for multi-generational groups, Dreams Riviera Cancun checks all the boxes.

Not Dreams couples and couples with children philosophy at this one. The adult only areas are free for all..not control

We have stayed at many all-inclusive’s, and rate dreams Riviera Cancun amongst the best! The grounds were impeccable and beautiful. Each and every staff member so kind and helpful and clearly enjoyed working there. The food is definitely exceptional, especially considering it was all inclusive. The entertainment team kept everyone on their feet and having a good time. We love taking their yoga, their cycling trip, the archery lessons and the fun midday games. In particular Ximena, Vivi and Marco were great! It is definitely a resort for weddings and families. We really enjoyed seeing all the happy couples and multigenerational vacationers.