Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa

I dont think you have ever experienced such a wonderful experience than in DREAMS SAPPHIRE RESORT & SPA!!! THE SERVICE, THE ENTERTAINING TEAM AND THE FOOD will make your vacation unforgettable!!!!

We have just returned from a two-week stay at Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa as Preferred Club guests. Overall, we had a lovely holiday and made some wonderful memories, but I don’t think this is a true five-star hotel. I’d personally rate it around 4 stars. The biggest positive by far is the staff – every single member of staff we came across worked incredibly hard and genuinely couldn’t do enough for you. Check-in wasn’t the best start to the holiday. We weren’t really given much information, so we found ourselves figuring quite a lot out as we went along. A tip for anyone downloading the Dreams app – you need to put a 0 before your room number when logging in, otherwise it won’t recognise it. We were travelling as myself, my son and my mum, with my mum and son in one room and me in another. The rooms had been set up exactly as we’d requested, which was great, but one of the doors had a huge “Just Married” sign on it, which gave us a good laugh! It was obviously just a mistake, but quite random. We stayed in ground-floor rooms which were spacious, although definitely looking a little tired. The décor feels dated and room 303 had a stained chair that probably needs replacing. The balconies were quite small but fine for sitting outside, although our view was just a patch of trees, so there wasn’t really anything to look at. The room air conditioning worked brilliantly though, and after being outside in the heat all day, we really appreciated that. One thing that surprised me was the lack of a welcome in the room. We’ve stayed at Dreams resorts before and expected some of the usual branded touches like the Dreams beach bag, but there wasn’t anything. There was also no kettle in the room. There was a coffee machine, but as someone who drinks tea rather than coffee, I ended up ordering hot water from room service whenever I fancied a cup of tea. The Preferred Lounge was a bit of an odd space. It’s quite dated, but it was one of the only indoor areas with decent air conditioning, so we actually used it quite a lot. It was much quieter than the main lobby bar, and the staff there were always friendly and welcoming. Talking of air conditioning, this was one of my biggest frustrations with the hotel. The main reception and lobby area doesn’t have air conditioning, and neither do any of the restaurants. During July, sitting down for dinner could be really uncomfortable and sometimes almost unbearable because of the heat. The food throughout the holiday was actually excellent, and we struggled to find anything to complain about in terms of quality. The only slight disappointment was the buffet restaurant itself. Compared to other all-inclusive resorts we’ve stayed at, the buffet was quite small, so there wasn’t as much variety and choice as we were expecting. We absolutely loved the Preferred adults-only pool. It was peaceful, relaxing and exactly what we were looking for. The service around the pool was excellent, drinks arrived regularly and the food served there from 12.30pm was delicious. We also really enjoyed using the Bali beds. The only downside was that the pool was incredibly warm – almost like bath water – so it wasn’t particularly refreshing when trying to cool off. Breakfast at the Bluewater Grill for Preferred guests was lovely, but unfortunately it closed for several days during our stay, so there was no Preferred breakfast available during that period. One thing we weren’t told before arriving was that not all of the restaurants open every evening. This became quite frustrating as it meant the restaurants that were open got very busy. On one Saturday night there were only two restaurants open for the whole hotel, which resulted in waits of over an hour for a table. By the time we eventually got seated, it was close to 9pm. I appreciate restaurants need rotation, but guests should really be made aware of this before they arrive. Our biggest disappointment was the beach. Unfortunately, red flags were up for our entire two-week holiday, so we never got the opportunity to enjoy the sea. I know this isn’t the hotel’s fault, but if we’d known beforehand how bad the sargassum was, it may have influenced our decision to travel at that time of year. The staff worked tirelessly trying to clear it, but there was simply too much. The sea was brown throughout our stay, and the smell from the seaweed could be quite unpleasant at times. Something else to be aware of is that the water seemed to affect jewellery and clothing. My silver jewellery became badly discoloured and I was told this could be linked to the sargassum. Unfortunately, my light-coloured swimwear also became stained yellow, and my blonde hair even developed a green tinge by the end of the holiday. The hotel shop was eye-wateringly expensive. I couldn’t believe a bag of crisps was around $15 USD. We heard several people say it was cheaper to get a taxi to the local 7-Eleven than buy snacks from the hotel shop. We booked a couple of excursions through Amstar. They were very well organised and enjoyable, but I did think they were expensive compared to similar trips we’ve done in other countries. That may just be the going rate in Mexico. I also treated myself to gel nails in the spa. Unfortunately, this was probably my biggest regret of the holiday. The treatment was very expensive, but the quality was poor and certainly not worth what I paid. I did raise this with the hotel afterwards. Despite everything I’ve mentioned, we genuinely had a wonderful holiday. The staff really make this place. Every member of the team we encountered was friendly, hardworking and always willing to help. I also think upgrading to Preferred Club was well worth the extra cost. We got great use out of the adults-only pool, the lounge and the quieter facilities, and I think it definitely improved our overall experience. Would I return? Possibly, but with different expectations. If you’re looking for a solid all-inclusive with excellent staff and very good food, you’ll probably have a lovely time. If you’re expecting a luxury five-star Caribbean resort, I think you may leave feeling slightly disappointed, as we did. There are some fantastic aspects to Dreams Sapphire, but there are also enough little issues that stop it quite reaching that five-star standard.

Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa We’ve just finished an amazing two‑week stay at Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa and wanted to recognise several staff members who truly stood out. • Jose – French Restaurant — Professional, attentive, and consistently excellent. He made every dinner feel special. • Abraham – Water Aerobics — Full of energy and motivation. His sessions were fun, engaging, and a great part of our daily routine. • Karla – Beach Restaurant — Warm, welcoming, and wonderfully efficient. She looked after us so well. • Francisco – Chef, Bluewater Grill — His food was outstanding every time. Fresh, flavourful, and beautifully prepared. • Felipe – Waiter, Bluewater Grill — Our second time being served by him and he was just as fantastic. Friendly, attentive, and a pleasure to see again. • Mar – Entertainment Team — Always upbeat and engaging. She brought great energy to every activity. • Andreas – Golf Caddy Driver — Helpful, friendly, and always ready with a smile. Made getting around the resort effortless. Overall: These staff members helped make our stay exceptional. Their professionalism, kindness, and enthusiasm truly elevate the resort. Highly recommended.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience. For the price point, it is a nice resort. The food and service was on par with what we expect from Dreams. You can tell this is a bit of an older property especially when compared to the other Dreams resorts we have been to (built in 2002, I think), but it holds it's own. We are UVC members so this is our third Dreams resort and we also stayed at a Secrets before we had our son. The entertainment team did such a great job especially with water aerobics. The Explorer's club girls were sweet. My son looked forward to going back to hang out with them. There are some communication things I would like to see improved from the kids club (particularly more clarity on their hours and schedule for the upcoming days, not just the current day). The bartenders and wait staff were all nice. No particular standouts this trip, but no issues. Every person we encountered in the Preferred club were extremely helpful. I'm not sure I would recommend this resort to people that have kids under 4.5 ft tall unless they planned to stay by the splash pad forever (which it is way too hot to do). Our son couldn't stand in the main pool or the slide pool. He had to swim, float, or hold on. It was pretty irritating for a family resort. He did love the splash pad and the slides though. The spa is nice, but nothing super special. We did have EXCELLENT service in there. We did the hydrotherapy which was nice but they asked if we wanted to upgrade to the exfoliation and foot massage It was 100% worth the extra cost - it really elevated the whole experience. The beach leaves something to be desired in the summer because of the seaweed. We have just resigned ourselves to not going to the beach near Riviera Maya in the summer. Luckily the pool is huge. The rooms are in a lot of separate buildings that do not have elevators. If you cannot walk upstairs, be sure to tell them ahead of time! It is nice walking through what feels like the jungle going from our room to the main area. Last but definitely not least, they have a very healthy coati population and they are absolutely adorable and not too annoying. We also saw an agouti and a Mexican racoon (which I didn't know was a thing until this trip).

The staff goes beyond exceptional in service. The resort needs a remodel badly, it looks like it's in harvest mode. Need to move Amstar away from the main corridor, it feels like your back at the Cancun airport. It's starting to feel like a Carnival cruise ship drop off. Offering 2 kids stay for the price of 1 adult., definitely not a couple resort