TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Beautiful hotel with plenty of activities for the family. Great food and drinks. Just wished the club played more of a variety of different music since there are a lot of different cultures. Make sure you bring plenty of bug spray the mosquitoes will eat you alive. You will have no choice just spend $40 on bug spray from the hotel.

The teens club was awesome and Brisa was the best!

Time there was great my 7 year old kids love the kids club I just wish they put fans around the outside bar area very hot and you need bug spray other then that great time vibe team was great Carlos the swim up bar jesus at the pool bar and yesenia with vibe team and everyone in the kids club

Royalton Riviera Cancun – Honest Diamond Club Family Review ?? We just returned from our stay at the Royalton Riviera Cancun for 5 nights in Diamond Club with our two children, ages 6 and 3. A little background before I get into the review: We stayed at this same resort last year without our kids, in Hideaway, and had a wonderful experience. The service was excellent, and we thought the food was great. Because of that experience, we decided to come back this year with our kids and upgrade to Diamond Club, expecting the service to be even better since Diamond Club is supposed to be an additional level of service. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. In fact, I personally felt that our Hideaway experience last year was better from a service standpoint. We still had a fun family vacation, but there were several aspects of this stay that really disappointed me, and ultimately I don’t think I would return. Airport Transportation ?? We used the Nexus bus transportation that was provided when we booked through the resort website. We landed around 2:00 PM and didn’t get on our bus until around 3:00 PM. The bus had air conditioning, and we had a nice driver. The ride itself wasn’t too long—maybe 45 minutes—but we had one other couple with us who were staying at another resort. They were dropped off first, which added some time to the trip. That’s to be expected when you don’t book private transportation. For our departure, we also used Nexus. They were right on time to pick us up, so we had no issues with transportation to or from the airport. Arrival & Check-In ?? We were brought directly to the Diamond Club Lounge. There were only two people working the check-in process, so we waited probably 45 minutes before they got to us. While we waited, they had light snacks and beverages available. A woman helped us get connected to the Wi-Fi since we didn’t have a room number yet, which normally would have been required. She also said she could help us with restaurant reservations and our “resort credits.” The resort credits were essentially a coupon book. We never took her up on the offer because it seemed like her main purpose was to get us to sit down and book additional extras. I knew better than to get caught up in that, so we skipped it. Eventually, we got checked in. Our room was already ready since it was after 4:00 PM by that point. They brought us to our room with our luggage on a cart, which was nice. Room ?? Our room was in Building 5 on the second floor in Diamond Club. Presidential One Bedroom It was not an ocean-view room, although I could see the ocean from our balcony. I had emailed the resort ahead of time asking for a top-floor room and specifically requested a room with a balcony tub. I never received a response to my email, and neither request was honored. Our room was quiet at night, although I did bring two sound machines for my kids, so that may have helped. The air conditioning worked well. One thing to know is that it automatically cuts off when you leave the balcony door open, which makes sense but is worth knowing. The king bed and pillows were comfortable, and the sofa bed was also comfortable. The room was advertised as having a walk-in closet, but ours did not. There were two smaller closets—one in the bedroom/bathroom area and another as you walk into the living room. There was a large round jet tub in the bedroom bathroom that could comfortably fit two people, so the bathroom tub itself was nice. Unfortunately, our room was advertised as having a tub on the balcony, and our room did not have one. This was disappointing because it was one of the things I specifically requested before our stay. When we first arrived, we had champagne and fruit waiting for us. We were hot and ready to get to the pool—we had a 6- and 3-year-old with us—but they told us our butler was on the way, so we waited about 15 minutes for him. Butler Service: SIGH ????? This was probably my biggest disappointment with Diamond Club. You are assigned two butlers who rotate shifts. During our 5-night stay, we only really had one butler. He came in and asked what premium liquor we wanted. You get two bottles with Diamond Club, and we requested vodka and whiskey. Unfortunately, we didn’t actually receive them until the next day. I also asked him to help with dinner reservations, and he initially told me, “You can do that yourself in the app.” I told him that I wanted him to do it for me ??, and he eventually secured three nights of dinner reservations for us. He didn’t offer to help us get settled or unpacked, so I spent some time doing that myself. I gave him some cash for helping with the reservations, and he was due to leave shortly afterward for the day. They use WhatsApp to communicate, and during the first couple of days, he sent us the day’s activity list at the beginning of his shift. You can ask them for things through WhatsApp. I usually asked for more bottled water. You can refill your own water for the room at a station, but I wanted someone else to do it for me. ?? We often ran out of water. We were also told that we couldn’t have snack refills, even though we heard of other guests receiving additional snacks daily. One family even had their butler bringing them special treats every day. We also saw other guests getting “free” cabana beds through their butlers, while we did not. Honestly, we rarely saw our butler. We expressed our disappointment around day 3 or 4, and after that, it felt like he pretty much ghosted us. I can’t say for certain that tipping affected the level of service we received, but based on what we observed, it certainly seemed like guests who tipped more received more attention. We did tip our butler, but it was clear that our tips weren’t making us a priority. The room butler experience was disappointing, especially considering that Diamond Club is an upgrade you pay more for. The pool butlers, however, were fantastic. They were attentive, friendly, and helpful. They even set up my cabana for my birthday with balloons and sand art, which was such a nice touch. One of the biggest reasons I am disappointed with Diamond Club is that we came back specifically because we had such wonderful service at Hideaway the previous year. I expected Diamond Club to be an even better experience, and for us, it simply wasn’t. Room Service ??? We ordered breakfast through the app a few mornings during our stay. I always placed the order the night before, and it arrived on time each time. The food was okay—pretty much what you’d expect from room service. We had a nice spread, and it was convenient for mornings when we didn’t want to get the kids ready and head to a restaurant. Restaurants ?? We ate at the buffet several times. We actually enjoy buffets, and there was a nice variety, especially with kids. Just keep in mind that it is a buffet—not a 5-star restaurant. We also ate at Armadillo for both lunch and dinner. The food was good, but it wasn’t anything that blew me away. I’m not particularly picky, so someone who is more particular about food may find it a little underwhelming. Nothing was bad or “wrong” with it; it just wasn’t memorable. The coffee shop in the lobby was good, although there was usually a long line. We had three dinner reservations: Grazie Italian: Very bland and basic Italian dishes. This was probably our least favorite. Hunter Steakhouse: Delicious! Great service, too. Zen: My favorite. Great dinner, a fun show, and the best flavor overall. It’s worth mentioning again that we had a much better impression of the food during our Hideaway stay last year. This year’s food was not bad, but it didn’t impress us the way it did last year. Bar Service ?? The poolside bars in Diamond Club were quick and attentive. The drinks were good, and everyone was very nice. My kids kept ordering piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris, and the bartenders were very attentive to them, too! I will say that outside of Diamond Club, the pool service was not nearly as attentive. The Pools ?? The Diamond Club pools are spacious and well maintained, and they were never overcrowded during our stay. There is one large pool with a swim-up bar and a bench along the entire wall for sitting. There is also a smaller regular-depth pool, a small shallow kids’ pool, and a hot tub. People do use floats in the pools, but the number of people never felt overwhelming. There is also a food truck serving burgers, fries, nachos, chili dogs, and a few other easy poolside foods. The food was good for poolside eating, but nothing you’re going to say “WOW” about. Outside of Diamond Club are the two main pools, which do get more crowded. When I spent time over there, I didn’t get much poolside drink service. Most people seemed to go to the bar themselves to order. If you go to the far side of the resort, what they call the Family Section or “Splash” area, there is a main pool with a swim-up bar and another pool with a giant inflatable. Every time I was in these pools, I had hair wrapping around my feet, and the bar service was poor. The kids’ splash pool with slides was very fun for my kids (ages 6 and 3), but again, no one was coming around to take drink orders. The food truck on this side was also very overwhelmed by the number of people ordering. We spent some time over there each day, but usually only about an hour before wanting to head back to Diamond Club for the better service. The Beach ??? Yes, it’s true—the beach isn’t good. But I already knew that going into the trip, so it wasn’t a surprise. The sand itself is pretty, but there are bugs, and the beach can be very smelly. The resort has a tractor working to clean it throughout the day, so I don’t blame the staff. The problem is that the water is very brown. During our stay, I didn’t see many people swimming in the ocean. We definitely weren’t interested in getting in. If a beautiful beach and clear ocean water are a major priority for your vacation, this probably isn’t the resort for you. Resort Grounds ?? The resort itself is clean and well maintained. They do a good job constantly cleaning up people’s trash and cups, and the landscaping is beautiful. Unfortunately, there is a pretty strong smell throughout parts of the resort. I think the humidity and beach conditions contribute to it. Again, I don’t think this is something the resort can completely control, but it’s worth mentioning. Family & Kids ??????????? I actually do think this is a nice resort for families with young kids. My kids are 6 and 3, and honestly, all they need is a swimming pool and some French fries to be happy. ?? There are plenty of pools, the splash area is fun, there is a kids club, and there are plenty of easy food options. For older kids and teenagers, I’m less sure. There is a teen club, although I don’t know much about what they actually do there. There aren’t really nighttime shows like you might find at some other resorts. At night, there is karaoke and various dance parties/activities, but there isn’t a big nightly entertainment production. There also isn’t much to do beyond swimming, sunbathing, drinking, and eating. One thing to know if you have young kids: the pools close at 7:00 PM. So you can’t swim at night. For our family, this wasn’t a huge issue because our kids were ready for dinner and bed by then, but it may matter to families with older children. Kids Club ?? Our 6-year-old went to the kids club twice for about an hour and a half each time. It was clean, and she had a blast. They did face painting, coloring, and activities where the kids could run around. Our 3-year-old couldn’t stay alone, but they did let him play as long as we stayed with him. They have a pirate ship for climbing with a slide, a ball pit, and some video games, although they didn’t let the younger kids play those. I’m sure they have other activities as well, but I couldn’t see everything from the outside. For our 6-year-old, it was a great option. Turn-Down Service ??? Our room was consistently cleaned by around 4:00 PM. Our beds were made, and we received fresh towels. The first couple of nights they left chocolate, but that eventually stopped even though we were there for 5 nights. We did have a bug problem in the room and had to request fumigation and new sheets. They took care of it for us when we requested it. The Spa ????? Our daughter had her hair braided and beaded at the spa, and the woman who did it was incredibly kind. It was such a nice experience for her, and she loved it. I’ve also stayed at this resort previously and can say that the adult massages are nice as well, although I didn’t have one this trip. Gift Shops ??? Know that the gift shops enforce the “you break it, you buy it” policy. We had $100+ worth of gifts in our basket that we were planning to purchase. My husband accidentally knocked a small, inexpensive magnet onto the floor and broke it. They made us pay for the magnet. Honestly, it was their attitude about the situation that bothered us more than the cost of the magnet. We ended up deciding not to purchase the $100+ worth of other items because of how rude the interaction felt. Tipping ?? No one was holding out their hand asking for money, but tipping is definitely appreciated when someone is taking care of you. In the past, we would usually give a dollar per drink, but I get the impression that more is appreciated now given the current economy. It seemed like some employees were less enthusiastic about a $1 tip than they used to be. When our butler did small things for us, we would give $10 here and there, but it was pretty obvious that this didn’t mean much to him. It also appeared that the pool bar employees were sharing tips, as I saw them putting tips into a shared bucket. Based on what we observed, guests who tipped more seemed to receive more attention. Obviously, that’s just our personal observation and not something I can say is officially how the resort operates. Check-Out & Departure ?? Check-out was quick and easy. They reviewed any room charges from your stay, and then they simply cut off your resort bracelet. Important: If you lose your bracelet, they charge you $150. If you check out at the regular time but your transportation isn’t scheduled to pick you up yet, you can still stay on the resort grounds, eat, drink, and enjoy the resort until it’s time to leave. Our Nexus transportation was on time for our departure. Unfortunately, our butler did not come to see us off, and we had to carry our own luggage from our room to the lobby. Overall Thoughts ?? This is where I struggle with this review because we did have a fun family vacation. Our kids had a great time, and there are definitely things I like about this resort. For a family with young kids, there is a lot to love. The pools are fun, the splash area is great, the kids club was a hit, and there are plenty of easy food options. But I am reviewing the resort based on the entire experience, and this stay did not live up to what I expected. We stayed here last year in Hideaway without our kids and had wonderful service and great food. That experience is actually what made us want to come back. This time, we paid for Diamond Club because we expected the upgraded experience to provide even better service. For us, it didn’t. In fact, I thought our Hideaway experience last year was better from a service standpoint. The beach wasn’t a surprise because I already knew what to expect. The food wasn’t terrible. The pools were nice. The kids had fun. But the butler experience, lack of personalized service, room not matching what was advertised, inconsistent service outside Diamond Club, and some of the other interactions during our stay really left a bad taste in my mouth. Because we had such a great experience here previously, I think that’s part of why this stay was so disappointing. Would I return? Probably not. I don’t regret bringing my kids here, and I think it is a perfectly decent resort for a family with young children who mainly want to swim, eat, and relax. But for the price of Diamond Club, I expected more. And knowing that we previously received better service in Hideaway makes it difficult for me to justify coming back. If you’re considering this resort, especially with young kids, I would say go in with realistic expectations. If your kids are happy with a pool and French fries, they’ll probably have a great time. ?? Just don’t expect Diamond Club to necessarily mean the personalized, luxury-level service you might assume you’re paying for.

Our family just left this incredible resort from a 6 night stay! We have a 6 year old and this was our second time coming here as a family. We did diamond Club again this year and stayed in a presidential 1 bedroom, ocean view room and it truly was incredible from start to finish! We had a beautiful view, ginormous room and all the details of the resort were important to us! Our experience from checking in to checking out were always smooth and offered with the best care. We got to check in at the diamond club private lobby and immediately were offered a refreshment and snack. They informed us of all important things as far as communication goes to our butlers. Our butlers Nassar & Cesar were the absolute best. They went above and beyond to make sure everything went smooth for us and any and every detail wasn't missed. JC & Vanessa always made sure we setup any and everything we needed for the trip too! I got to experience a deep tissue massage , at the spa with Alfredo & his team and wow, it was fantastic! We came back so extremely refreshed and really owe the staff for their attentiveness the entire trip! We had some amazing waiters and bar staff at the Diamond club pool lounge where we mostly stayed. Emmanuel, Cesar, Jose, were some to name that again went above and beyond for us. We truly felt like family and can't wait to come back again! We enjoyed all of the restaurants on property as we enjoyed them all and over indulged often! From the avocado toast- to Zen teppanyaki we experienced some great meals! As far as snacks and other perks go- The food trucks are convenient , drinks were non stop rather mocktail or cocktail & restrooms were always close and convenient too! This resort really does a great job of offering something for any and everyone. All facilities are clean and make you feel 10% safe. Lastly note to add I was also able to get in water aerobics and water stretching too in the mornings! Super fun to do! We absolutely will be back! Thanks Royalton staff!