Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa

For reference: Neither of us had stayed in an all-inclusive for years, and we had pretty low expectations. We’re both quiet, don’t drink much, aren’t foodies, and generally don’t care about fancy things. We just wanted a week away to escape the daily grind. We booked a Premium Deluxe Plunge Pool King Room and were upgraded to Preferred Club upon arrival—though we didn’t realize it until one of our last days because we are, in fact, idiots. PROS: •The resort grounds are beautiful. •The staff is incredible—truly next level. We were waited on like royalty. I’ve been calling out for Ricardo from my home in Canada, hoping he’ll pop by with a margarita. It isn’t working. I am devastated to be back in my pleb lifestyle. •Plunge pool = an absolute must. If you can afford it, do it. I honestly don’t think we would have had as good of a time without it. More on that in the cons. •El Patio (Mexican) was our favorite restaurant. We went multiple times. I’m a big mole fan, and their mole chicken was chef’s kiss. The passion fruit margarita? Also SO good. •The live music in the lounge/lobby bar at night was SO fun. The guitarist for one of the bands was absolutely next level, like jaw dropping talent. And on the flip side lol… on a different night the performer was arguably one of the worst singers I’ve ever heard, but with the right amount of tequila and a crowd scream-singing Journey drowning out her voice, it became less painful. Bless her heart, though—I could never. •The Café patio was one of my favorite spots. Beautiful setting with relaxing spa music during the day. The ladies working there were wonderful. My go-to: black iced coffee, blended, with a pump of caramel. Highly recommend. •Entertainment was really solid. We loved the shows. Never used the provided seating—standing off to the side gave a better view. The bongo drummer dance show was so good. •Wildlife! Lots of iguanas, lizards, birds (I brought binoculars and really enjoyed watching the frigates). There are stray cats—one orange sweetheart with a messed-up leg (heads up for animal lovers, it was a little tough to see). Family of raccoons outside our room every night, washing their hands in the water—adorable. Also saw a coati and an agouti (which is, in my opinion, just a rat with a BBL). •Bed was firm but comfortable; pillows were plush. •Our patio loungers were incredibly comfortable. Oddly, our room had two, but others only had one? No idea why. •Beach was raked multiple times a day. Kept the sand clean and minimized sand fleas—loved that. •Barefoot Grill was actually really good. The onion rings were absurdly greasy but also so delicious. •24-hour room service = game-changer. 2 AM nachos are always a win. •The beach bar with the swings was a great spot to sit. CONS: •This place is unbelievably loud. Like, I need you to understand this. If you ignore the other reviews about the noise, you’re making a mistake. Do you like raves? Do you enjoy hearing the same 10 obnoxious songs blasted on repeat for 12+ hours? Do you want to hear every word of every conversation within 20 feet of your room? Then congrats, Dreams Riviera is for you. •2-4 weddings per day means nonstop Top 40 wedding music. •Wedding guests will be screaming Katy Perry/Backstreet Boys/other predictable wedding DJ mix songs at 10 PM. •It was actually unbearable at times. Dreams Riviera could be a perfect resort, but they ruin it with the sheer level of noise. If you value peace and quiet, you will not find it here. •We never used the common pools. Too packed, too loud, too much bridal party energy. Some of them were so obnoxious we couldn’t be bothered. We get it. You’re getting married. Stop yelling. •Our shower (room 2146) leaked everywhere. Either the glass wasn’t caulked properly, or something else was going on, but every shower flooded the bathroom. We went through 10-15 towels a day trying to manage it. Didn’t want to switch rooms, so we just dealt with it, but it’s a major safety hazard. I slipped a few times—someone’s going to wipe out hard eventually. •Portofino (Italian) was bad. We were excited to try it, but the food was awful. My penne was not good. Husband’s slow-cooked beef looked like cat food, was super fatty, and was difficult to chew. We aren’t picky eaters, so that’s saying a lot. •The infamous “reserving beach chair” drama. It’s ridiculous. Thankfully, our unknown Preferred status helped us secure a spot—otherwise, good luck. May the odds be ever in your favor. If you can get a plunge pool, do it. It saved us from the Hunger Games of beach chair wars. •Beach vendors = fine. Guys selling coke disguised as cigars = not fine. Look, we get it—it’s a thing at these resorts. But having a fully covered guy in a balaclava/sunglasses offer my husband blow? Not great. Hyatt needs to handle that. Final Thoughts: All in all, we had a great week. We chose to enjoy ourselves despite the annoyances—because what else can you do? Would I go back? No. The noise is a complete deal-breaker for us. But if that’s your vibe, you might love it. To my fellow neurospicy, easily overstimulated introverts: stay far, far away. And finally… RICARDO, PLEASE. I NEED A MARGARITA.

A great vacation overall - the first impression was “wow this resort is small” but that was quickly converted to positive thoughts. The grounds are beautiful and very well cared for. Staff are very friendly and even more hard working. We did not upgrade to “preferred” either at booking or check in ($490 US too expensive for us especially when converted to CDN). Room was good enough and comfortable. Food - gluten free for one of us was a bit challenging to navigate. Every restaurant host asked about allergies and a little piece of paper was given to servers. Buffet breakfast had GF bread and I learned from another guest that GF pancakes, French toast, waffles and hash browns could be requested at arrival. Took about 20 minutes but the pancakes were delicious. Buffet was not appropriate for lunch or dinner based on GF status so never went. Mexican and Seaside Grill got multiple visits from us. However, menus are labeled with GF items but with some inconsistencies and omissions which was frustrating. Just reprint the menus and update your app please! It can’t be hard. No reservations needed for dinner which is awesome. Evening entertainment was good too - kudos to all the dancers and performers for your efforts. Criticism: Hard to get a lounger at the beach - got harder as the week went on. By 7:15 am most loungers were claimed, shockingly. That was frustrating. But we were able to get a shady spot and just keep moving our chairs as the sun shifted. Also, a shift to a bracelet for room access would be appreciated over a plastic card, although it did prove to be waterproof when it went into both the pool and the ocean on separate days. Oops. We are not people who return to the same resort but give this one a high recommendation for sure.

Family had a wonderful time at the Dreams Riviera Cancun. Beach was great. Food and service wonderful especially the specialty restaurants. Oceana was our favorite for lunch. Many activities to enjoy. Overall, a great experience! Will return.

A late review but myself and my partner stayed at Dreams in December for 12 days. We cannot fault our trip at all, it was incredible. We upgraded to preferred club on arrival which was completely worth it just based on the hydrotherapy experience in the jungle grounds of the hotel (a truly unforgettable experience) and breakfast with a clear sea view. Our room was super spacious and was kept beyond clean - even with turn down service. The beach was beautiful and there was barely any seaweed - on occasion with one day which had a storm there was a little but was quickly cleaned by the hotel staff - from walking up the beach it was clear that this hotel was the best one! The food was great, drinks perfect and the service was beyond amazing. The hotel is also conveniently located only a 40min beach walk from a local fishing village where we had some of the best food we've ever had. Lots of beach bars etc too! The thing which truly makes this hotel is the staff as everyone goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. Uziel from the Entertainment Team gets a special mention as he really made our trip - his energy and positivity is infectious! (he makes everything fun!) An absolutely divine vacation. We will be back!

The place was really, really nice, though the food was not stellar. We did the premium club and we’re really lucky to have María Merino be our concierge. It was my husband‘s birthday, and she made sure that her room got decorated, and she helped make sure he had a very special dinner. Our kid loved the Explorers Club and the swim up bar, lol. I definitely recommend this place for families. We took the little catamaran out and it was so beautiful to be in the ocean. The place was very, very clean and all the staff was so nice. The pools were fantastic.