Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya

I’d like to start by saying this is simply an honest review based on our experience. I’ve been traveling to the Riviera Maya area for over 15 years and have stayed at many all-inclusive resorts throughout the area. This isn’t a review complaining about towels or thread count of bed sheets—it’s what we experienced during our stay. Honest Review of Our Stay After a little over an hour transfer from the airport, we arrived at the resort. We knew the drive time when we booked, so that wasn’t a surprise. Upon arrival, Romeo from the bell staff was fantastic. He was friendly, welcoming, and made a great first impression by helping us with our luggage and getting us settled. Check-In & Preferred Club We upgraded to the Preferred Club, so our check-in process was separate from the main lobby in the preferred lounge. Unfortunately, we felt we received less information during check-in than we have at other resorts. Instead, much of the conversation focused on encouraging us to visit other dreams properties in Tulum, which appeared to be related to a vacation club or timeshare presentation. After a full day of traveling, we simply wanted to get to our room, change clothes, and grab something to eat. Rooms Our rooms were ready when we arrived. We had two connecting Preferred Club Pool View rooms—one with a king bed and the other with two double beds. The rooms were clean and comfortable, though fairly basic. They weren’t luxurious, but that’s not what we were expecting. They served their purpose as a place to relax and sleep. Although we booked pool view rooms, our third-floor location actually provided a beautiful view of the palm trees. One of our sliding glass doors would not lock, but maintenance responded promptly and fixed the issue without any problems. We were also celebrating a birthday during our stay, and housekeeping surprised us by decorating the door with a “Happy Birthday” banner and leaving a beautiful dessert in the room. It was a thoughtful gesture that we genuinely appreciated. However, after we enjoyed part of the dessert, the remaining portion was never removed. It remained in our room for the final three days of our stay despite daily housekeeping service. While this may seem like a small detail, it reflected what we felt was a lack of attention to detail throughout the resort. Pools & Entertainment The main pool was smaller than I personally prefer, although the photos had prepared me for that. One thing I appreciated was that towels were already rolled and placed on the lounge chairs each morning, eliminating the need to search for towel attendants or make sure you have a towel card at the end of the day. One thing that stood out, however, was the cleanliness of the pools. Throughout our stay, there was a noticeable amount of plant debris—mostly what appeared to be palm leaves and other vegetation—floating in the water. I understand that tropical resorts deal with falling debris, but at other resorts we’ve visited, staff were consistently skimming and cleaning the pools throughout the day. I’m not sure if this was due to a staffing shortage, but it was something we noticed. The entertainment team was another disappointment. Compared to other resorts we’ve visited, the daytime activities were minimal. We’re accustomed to energetic staff walking around the pool, organizing games, interacting with guests, and creating a fun atmosphere. That simply wasn’t the experience here. The resort has two waterslides, but only one was operating during our stay. Fortunately, we still had fun using the one that was open. Beach The beach is not your typical Riviera Maya or Cancun beach. It is quite rocky, although there were plenty of lounge chairs available. There is a designated swimming area, but during our stay there was a significant amount of seaweed, so we were unable to enjoy the ocean, which is no fault of the resort. Food & Restaurants This was probably our biggest disappointment. While having à la carte restaurants sounds appealing, the buffet closes for dinner, making the restaurants your only evening dining option. For families traveling with young children, waiting an hour to an hour and a half for a table simply isn’t practical. What made this even more frustrating was seeing numerous empty tables while guests continued waiting to be seated, making it seem more like a staffing issue than a lack of seating. Unfortunately, none of the restaurants were memorable enough to justify the long waits. Breakfast was also fairly basic. One thing I found unusual was that there was no bacon, sausage, or ham available on the buffet. If you wanted bacon, you had to specifically request it from the omelet station. Another downside was that none of the restaurants are air-conditioned. After spending the day in the hot sun, we’ve always looked forward to cooling off while enjoying dinner at other resorts. Here, the restaurants were very warm with little airflow, and we found ourselves sweating through dinner each evening, which made the experience much less enjoyable. Bars & Preferred Club The main pool has both a swim-up and walk-up bar. Unfortunately, it often felt like the bartender focused primarily on the walk-up guests, leaving those in the swim-up section waiting for drinks. The Preferred Club swim-up bar was also disappointing. One of the reasons we upgraded was for access to premium liquor, but the selection was very limited. Several times when we requested advertised brands, we were told they were out of stock or simply didn’t have them, and were instead offered lower-shelf alternatives. Considering the additional cost of Preferred Club, I expected the amenities that were advertised to actually be available. Resort Grounds & Amenities Roberto in Guest Services deserves special recognition. She was incredibly kind, pleasant, and genuinely helpful whenever we interacted with him. The resort has a game room, but like the restaurants, it is not air-conditioned, making it uncomfortably warm. There is also an outdoor archery area. Unfortunately, when looking beyond it, there were several large piles of miscellaneous debris that gave the appearance of a garbage dump. It detracted from what otherwise could have been a nice recreational area. Near the spa, by the Dolphin Discovery area, there is a walking path with the potential to be beautiful. Unfortunately, when we explored it, we found piles of garbage and several dilapidated structures . It gave the impression that this part of the property had been neglected and significantly affected the overall curb appeal. Overall Impression Overall, we still enjoyed our vacation because we always make the best of our time away. However, this is not a resort we would choose to return to. The staff overall seemed to lack the energy and attentiveness we’ve experienced at other Mexican resorts. Whether it was due to staffing shortages or another issue, it affected multiple aspects of our stay—from dirty pools and long restaurant waits despite empty tables to slower bar service, limited entertainment, and overlooked housekeeping details. The resort certainly has potential. The rooms were clean, Romeo from the bell staff and Roberto from Guest Services provided exceptional customer service, and we appreciated the convenience of having towels readily available at the pool each morning. However, the overall experience did not live up to our expectations, especially after paying extra for the Preferred Club. If you’re looking for a quiet resort and don’t mind a rocky beach or slower-paced atmosphere, this property may meet your needs. However, if you’ve experienced other Riviera Maya all-inclusive resorts and expect lively entertainment, attentive service, premium Preferred Club amenities, and a polished overall experience, you may find yourself disappointed. Read less

Food was terrible especially at the buffet. We have been to many Dreams and Secrets resorts and always enjoyed the food but unfortunately this resort was terrible when it came to food. The drinks were bad as well. It was disappointing to find that the bar at the preferred club would hide the top shelf liquor where you could not see it and only put out bottom shelf liquor. We saw into the stockroom at one point and saw a bottle of don julio by chance and were excited to get to have something better than Jose Cuervo but were disappointed that it seemed like top shelf liquor was hidden on purpose. The service is good and the hotel appearance was not bad. We were disappointed also when we found a bag of Doritos being sold for 18$ American dollars. That is just ridiculous. Read less