Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa

As a Brit, we don’t often fly this far on holiday, but this year we made the decision to visit the States and Mexico. After a break neck schedule doing all the tourist stuff in NYC and Florida, we booked in a week of relaxation at the Dreams Sapphire before returning to real life. We are so glad we did as it is paradise. I will review some key points about the hotel and include a few tips for other Brits in particular. Firstly, the elephant in the room, which is the beach. I will include a photo so you can see what it’s like yourself. It’s closed for swimming but you can get out on the kayaks and hobie cats, which my wife did with the kids. It’s a shame as I can imagine it would be beautiful outside of sargassum season. As we holiday in August, we knew sargassum would be in full swing and had reconciled ourselves to that. I suggest you do the same. Yes there is a smell on some days, but we only found it bad when they were moving the seaweed to clear the beach, which they do regularly. The rest of the time, there’s virtually no smell at all so relax on that front if it’s a concern. To be fair, the pool is the size of Cheshire so you have plenty of water to play in. Speaking of the pool, there are daily activities if that’s your thing and the waiting staff are fantastic and always on hand if you can’t be bothered to walk to the bar. It’s amazing how quickly you turn into an entitled lord here! We always tipped a dollar when we used the waiting staff and it’s good form to bring dollars to tip during lunch and dinner. It’s not expected but is appreciated. We brought a hundred dollars in one dollar bills and it lasted the week. The pool bar and swim bar are busy but well managed and the staff work their backsides off in very hot conditions with very little complaint. Their cocktails were epic and I don’t normally drink cocktails. The star of the hotel is the food. There are about 6 restaurants here including the buffet restaurant. We went to them all and they were of restaurant standard. There’s a no booking policy so it’s first come first serve. The one evening the Italian was full, they gave us an electronic disc that beeped when our table was ready so we just waited fifteen mins in the bar. The blue grill was an amazing spot for lunch overlooking the ocean. The food and views were both outstanding. How I am going to live without fish tacos is a question that is troubling me. The rooms are enormous and very nicely kept. We had a family suite which is basically two interconnected junior suites. We paid an additional thousand pounds for this which took our total to £3k for four of us in August. That’s very good value in my book. With flights booked through Kayak, it’s cheaper than a week in Greece and miles better. The evening entertainment is varied. Some good stuff, especially the singers and Mexico show, and some proper holiday delights like the dodgy magic show straight out of 1973. That said, we went to bed pretty early every night as we were there for the sunshine and relaxation. We got that in abundance and only ventured out once on a hotel organised trip to Chichen Itza, which is a must. It’s a modern wonder of the world after all so we felt obliged. My advice is get yourself to the pool nice and early every day and enjoy the cocktails. You will soon be as chilled as a daiquiri.

Alberto was the best! Very nice.

The food was just ok (probably really good for a family resort actually). Portofino was really good. The restaurants that were “air conditioned” got really hot (like cooler outside hot) after about 15min of being open. The restaurant service was hit and miss but the entertainment staff was on point!! Eduardo, Adrian, Mere, Arturo, and Tony (there was a new girl whose name I cannot remember but she was awesome too). The beach was terrible the entire trip. Water muddy brown with sargassum and though they worked seemingly non stop, there was no getting ahead. So the entertainment staff kept games and activities going in the pool all day. They played and had fun with the guests, drawing them in and keeping them motivated. The shows were ok. The core zone was actually 4-5 tvs with video game consoles, a pool table and some lawn games) everything else required payment) The water slides were decent and functioned as they should and are included in the price. The facility itself is a bit warn, though clean, it needs renovation. I would take my family back but maybe not at the end of July. Once again the heros of the trip were the entertainment staff.

Unfortunately, our experience at Dreams Sapphire Resort in Cancun was extremely disappointing. There are so many beautiful resorts in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area, and after this stay, I would strongly recommend spending your money elsewhere. The problems started immediately at check-in. We specifically booked the Preferred Club experience, yet instead of being welcomed and beginning our vacation on a positive note, we were immediately confronted with an issue regarding our children’s ages. The front desk claimed that I had entered both of my teenagers as being under 12 on Expedia and that we would therefore need to pay additional money. My children are 15 and 17, and because our Expedia reservation was booked as a bundled package that included airfare, their correct ages had to be entered as part of the flight reservation as well. I repeatedly explained this and even pulled up Expedia’s virtual assistant to show the information associated with my booking. Despite this, I was met with continued resistance and had to ask for a manager. At one point, it genuinely felt as though we were not going to be allowed to check in unless I agreed to pay additional money. Whether this was a system issue between Expedia and the resort or something else, the way it was handled was unacceptable. After traveling and arriving ready to enjoy a family vacation, the last thing anyone wants is to immediately feel pressured into paying more money for something they did not incorrectly book. The condition of the beach was another major disappointment. The sargassum was extremely heavy during our stay, which I understand is a natural occurrence and not something the resort can completely control. However, the resulting sewage-like odor throughout portions of the property was overwhelming. It was genuinely difficult to tolerate at times. I stayed at this resort approximately 12 years ago and remembered beautiful water, so seeing murky brown water and dealing with the smell was incredibly disappointing. Other resorts in the area appear to be taking more aggressive measures to manage the effects of the sargassum, and I expected more here. My biggest concern, however, was the safety of the swimming pool. During our stay, we witnessed what seemed like four or five people PER DAY being treated for cuts sustained in the pool. It became completely normal to see a lifeguard or medic bandaging someone’s knee, foot, or toe. These were not all minor scratches—some were significant gashes. One of the children traveling with our group was also injured. His toe was cut so severely that it was essentially sliced open and required medical attention and a stitch. What was most alarming was that despite the frequency of these injuries, we did not see meaningful precautions being taken to address whatever was causing them. If broken, sharp, or damaged tiles are repeatedly injuring guests, the pool needs to be thoroughly inspected and repaired—even if that means closing it temporarily. Guest safety should take priority over keeping a pool open. Simply apologizing after people are injured is not enough when the same thing continues happening repeatedly. Beyond these issues, the overall service was underwhelming and the food was mediocre. Dining options also felt surprisingly limited for anyone who does not eat pork or who prefers vegetarian or vegan meals. For a large all-inclusive resort serving guests from so many different backgrounds and dietary preferences, I expected considerably more variety and alternatives. Overall, this vacation did not live up to the experience we paid for, especially considering we booked Preferred Club. Between the stressful check-in, the condition and odor of the beach, mediocre food and service, and—most importantly—the repeated safety issues we witnessed at the pool, I cannot recommend Dreams Sapphire. There are far too many beautiful resorts throughout Cancun and the Riviera Maya competing for your business. Take your money elsewhere. I stayed here years ago and had a completely different memory of this property, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Unfortunately, after this stay, we will not be returning.

If you want to relax, this is an awesome resort. The entertainment team goes above and beyond to keep everyone entertain. All of the shows were great! The only downside I experience was the sargassum that made it impossible to enjoy the beach. We stay for 6 nights and we couldn't go at all; however, you can take an excursion. Food was great but I felt that more options can be added to the menus. Portofino restaurant is supposed to be their best; however, the portions are small and the service was not that great; on the contrary, I found El Patio a lot better and Jacinto provided an excellent service. Their sweet corn cheesecake is amazing.