First I want to say that the people who work here are amazing. Padron in The Kitchen was 11/10 amazing and made our dining experiences there special every time. I hope to see him again one day. He and the rest of the staff are why I am giving two stars instead of 1. The property outside is well maintained, but the rooms could be better. Bars/drinks, food, and entertainment weren't good. Rooms: My sink made a high-pitched ringing noise if the hot water nozzle wasn't in a specific position, and my friend's room had mold in it likely due to the high humidity in the rooms. I had to keep the air on really low so my bed didn't feel as wet when I got into it. Bars/drinks: We got a drink recommendation on the first day and it included Licor 43. It was amazing. I was ready to drink at least one of these a day as a nice treat. We had it that day and once the following day, then they informed us they ran out of Licor 43. We checked back every day the week we were there and they never restocked it. They also ran out of all but one gin at the martini bar and didn't have the usual martini accompaniments like lemon peel or cucumber. They also ran out of Tecate at one bar and had to send warm ones to another bar to be put on ice. They no also ran out of 1800 tequila. There were no seltzers and the beer options were lacking. Food: Flavor Market was the best place we tried, followed by Agave, but Agave had a very special menu the day we went which included food flown in from somewhere else. Spice was third place, but not the hibachi in Spice which had to be reserved in advance. Hibachi would be last place on my list as the chicken was undercooked, the steak overcooked, shrimp overcooked, and no sauces were offered to us. The Kitchen is the breakfast and lunch buffet and has some decent food. Room service was not good and made my stomach hurt the next day. Otherwise the other restaurants we tried were average or below average. Not up to expectations at all. Entertainment: There really isn't any. The daytime activities are mostly centered around fitness or gambling, so we had nothing to do during the day. Nighttime activities were sad. The shows put us to sleep, which is probably for the best because there's nothing to do after 10pm. The dj played the same songs every night. Only fun thing was silent disco because you had channels to choose from. I will not be back. If you don't drink much, like mediocre food, and like doing nothing every day then go for it.
travisdH6583GK
I have to say, the property lives up its name. If you get Eric as for concierge, you are in luck. He's very attentive, listens to our needs, and tries to make every day as the most pleasant day possible. Samyra was absolutely hilarious as the hostess of the pool blackjack. Her asking "Are you sure sure" is entertaining on the property. She made playing fun. My wife and I have been on many trips and visited other resorts, and ERC makes it hard to go anywhere else. The level of attention and care they gave us, I thought you could only get as a extremely wealthy person with power and influence. This property exceeded any and all expectations. We had the club swim out room. I was able to switch out my in room liquor bottle for something that was more suitable to my tastes. My only criticism of this property is this. Since we were in the swimout room, we didn't see no easy way to enter/exit the pool that's close to our room. You would have to exit on the opposite side and walk around. Maybe add a ladder to the room sides like a regular pool? I don't know. If you are staying in a club suite, please do not skip out on Magna. The food for breakfast was far superior than the kitchen table buffet. They may not be as vast of options, but the quality of food is allot better. And for dinner, if you are a steak person, get the tamahawk... you won't be disappointed. Especially if you add a lobster tail on the side. We did have the baby octopus at Agave, but I didn't realize it would come out as a whole tentacle (expected more calamari). However, the head chef came out personally to make sure it wasn't the food, but my shock of presentation was the issue. I appreciate that. Overall, if you want a vacation were you can just absolutely relax, and your only worry is what are you eating that day, or what activities you may try (I did Pickleball, and now I'm looking for places to play back home), this is the resort for you. We truly enjoyed ourselves!
annettetF6224KK
I read all the reviews and this resort was very much as we expected. The rooms are great, and the amenities are wonderful. Our biggest disappointment was how we were treated by the Excellence Club front desk. When we made reservations we had asked for two rooms side by side. Somehow, that was not in the reservation and we were in separate buildings, same class rooms but too far as we were traveling with a limited mobility family member. The manager Fernanda did get us a room closer the next day but was not very concerned about our discomfort or inconvenience. She seemed almost uncaring. We had better interaction with the front desk outside the club level, who treated us with more concern and kindness. Our concierge Aurora was very sweet but limited as to what she could do to offset our inconvenience. Throughout our stay, we had some of the most kindest and pleasant individuals who made our stay wonderful. The pool concierges Daniel and Miriam were helpful, kind, and attentive. Our waiters Fernando and Sal at the Magna restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning were so accommodating, friendly, and helpful. Definitely do the Spa and Hydrotherapy well worth it. Enrique at the spa was excellent. Kudos to these team members. The martini bar was fun, the activities fun, entertainment was good. I did like the club level but even at checkout, I felt that the front desk person, Ricardo was very cold and unfriendly towards us. If not for the treatment at check-in/check-out I would have rated Excellence Cancun 5 stars all the way. We will come back again but maybe this time we will try Playa Mujeres instead.
heatherj9603
My husband and I visited in September 2023 for our 20th wedding anniversary. This was our first all Inclusive resort experience so we don’t have anything to compare it to, however we absolutely loved it! While there, we heard from many people saying this was the best resort company they’ve ever stayed with, and many who had been back many times. The overall vibe: Being an adults only resort, I was concerned about it being a bunch of party people (aka wild college types) But it was mostly couples, parents with their adult kids, adult friends on a getaway, etc. Sure there were some people there to party, but it was rather tame and not anyone being trashed and obnoxious. The anniversary package: definitely recommend asking for it! The website said to come with a copy of your marriage license but when I presented it, they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. So really proof wasn’t needed. They decorated our door with an anniversary banner, gave us fresh fruit and champagne in the room. We were given certificates for 30% off a couples massage and 15% off any other services (we didn’t utilize this for time but also it was still rather pricey even with the discount) They gave us a card to order a special breakfast room service and another card to present to a restaurant of our choice for a special dinner. We chose Chez Isabella. The table was decorated with rose petals and we were provided special service. They even brought us a plate with small deserts and happy anniversary was written in chocolate. It was so cute! The food: The variety of food was amazing! We especially loved the breakfast buffet at the kitchen table, the brick oven pizza from the Sol bar, and Chez Isabella for dinner. We had no issues staying hydrated because we each had about 3-4 juices every morning from the breakfast buffet. Out of all the yummy food, the juice bar was my favorite part! The portions at the restaurants were small, which made it fantastic to be able to order appetizer, meal and desert without wasting food. We had a late dinner at the lobster house one evening and not many were there, so the waiter even let my husband order a 2nd entree since he was still hungry (we had been gone all day at chiichen itza) SIDE NOTE: this place is extremely allergen friendly! Not only is everything clearly marked, they will ask you every time you request a table if you have allergies. Even at the breakfast buffet, they would do custom orders in a clean kitchen. The activities: my husband isn’t the sit by the pool with a book type. We were worried he’d get bored. Definitely not the case! He really enjoyed the drink demos. Angelo and Naomi were who we saw host the most often, and we loved their spirit and enthusiasm! Angelo is also HILARIOUS and really got everyone involved. Dude needs a raise for how hyped up he got everyone lol. My favorites were the aloe Vera skin care demo and I loved learning to make my own friendship bracelet. It’s a cute souvenir! The circus show was probably our favorite night time show. We really wanted to take part in the silent party but it was our last night and my husband was feeling poorly. We were also there for a Mexican Independence Day festivities. They had a large buffet of Mexican dishes, live bands, and a Mayan ritual demonstration. We had a lot of fun. The pools: Our room was near the lazy river and spa. That pool area is very quiet and relaxed but very sunny during the day, so it was where we’d relax in the evening. The swim up bar pool area was the party spot for sure. That’s where the live music was. But on the other side of that pool (which was on the opposite end of the restaurant this pool is around) was very quiet and had full shade most of the day. Quickly realized this was where all the readers hung out because there were plenty of shelves around the trees in the pool to place your book and drink on. The pool near sol bar is where a lot of the activities took place. It’s close to the swim up bar area (and connected by a bridge) It was a bit more quiet and relaxed but close access to the bars and activitie
chaddf2016
Everything was great. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was really great at all the restaurants! Beautiful resort. It was my first time in Mexico and Excellence Riviera made it great. Thanks!
Tolei4travel
On arrival, directions for pre-arranged transportation was great and specific. Trip from airport was not too long (30 min or so). Welcomed nicely with personal attention. We had a Junior swim up room (non excellence side) building 5. Check in was easy and Luis provided a good overview of resort layout and room specifics- pointing out the step near sliding door. He explained that AC in room would shut off if sliding door left open (love the energy efficiency) but beware that it will lock if closed too hard and you can easily get locked out of room if you don't have room key. Room stayed cool throughout stay. Room is large with spa like shower and 2 jacuzzi tubs- one inside and one outside room. Our room was on the lazy river pool. Temp of water was very warm. No pool bar at this pool, only juice bar but there is complimentary alcoholic beverages in the room if you wish to make your own. They do have servers who will make rounds. Most of the rooms were a hike to the main pool and there are not too many chairs at the main pool with shade. Plenty of umbrella chairs on the beach. I felt like bathroom accessibility at pool was difficult. IF you have difficulty walking (we traveled with others with mobility issues) it is a long way. The ladies restroom near one of the main restaurants (lobster house) only had 2 stalls, one was broken. One end of the main pool (near the kitchen) had rails and benches that looked like steps but was a good 2 foot drop from outside of pool, making it hard to get in/out and get to bathroom for those who wanted to be in quiet/shaded area. There is a pool with ramp, but at the end of the ramp there is another 2-3 foot drop. I had to assist a lady and her companion in a wheelchair back up the ramp because it was too slippery for her to push it back up- he was not a heavy man. She was unable to get him in the pool because of the drop and was afraid she would not be able to get him back in the wheel chair. There are some slippery surfaces around the pool particularly noted at main pool steps leading to the beach. I slipped and my father slipped in the same area. I work with people with mobility limitations so these things jump out at me. The staff are very responsive to any needs and service was great! Hugo took good care of us all week by the pool and knew what drinks we wanted before we asked. Room concerns addressed quickly, fridge restocked, room cleaned and turned down with delightful towel animals to surprise us each night. Food variety good and nice presentation with friendly and accommodating staff, very attentive to food allergies. Service was a little slow at times, noted some trainees but we enjoyed having the time to have relaxed meal. Make reservations in advance with concierge especially if you have more than 4 in your party. Activities: As with our last Excellence stay in DR, this resort does a great job with having activities, would have liked locations on the app (particularly yoga- which was on the nightly entertainment stage). Daily pool games - loved the floating casino table, water exercise, Bingo and drink demos. There is also pool tables, ping/pong shuffle board close to other pools. Bike tours!!! this was my favorite offering here. Arrive at least 30 min early as they only take 6-7 per trip. Most days they go twice a day 9am and 4pm for about an hour. This back street tour will take you into the town of Puerto Morales where there is tourist shopping, walmart type store, pharmacy, local food vendors and photo ops. Some bikes are Ebikes but do not use the batteries (no assist) - larger tires. There is bus/truck traffic at times and pot holes you have to avoid so some bike dexterity is needed. Great for seeing some local culture and getting small necessities as the resort gift shop is expensive. Sailing and water activities also a plus. Ocean water not a clear blue as you may expect in Caribbean, lots of seaweed. There is a barrier in swim areas to control some of this and the staff diligently rakes each day but it does create an ocean aroma. There are walking beach vendors if y
EdGreen222
First time to visit this property and had a blast. We were celebrating my wife’s birthday and our anniversary with another couple for 5 nights. One of the highlights of our stay was a trainee, Symera (?), who got us involved with pool activities and was very entertaining, 5+ Stars!
christianbY7134MO
We were picked up from the airport by a private car service, when we arrived at the ERC we were greeted by so many happy smiling faces, as we checked our bags in with the Bell hop stand. We were offered a glass of champagne and we headed inside to check in. As those giant front doors opened the scent of white tea filled the air and we knew we were in paradise. We checked in and were informed that it would just be a little longer until our room was ready due to us getting there pretty early and that the Bell service would hold on to our bags for us while we enjoyed the property in the mean time. We proceeded to check out the property which all I can say is absolutely stunning! We found ourselves hungry as we made our way around the property so we stopped at Las Olas for lunch. We were so nicely greeted by each and every staff member. We were sat at a table in the amazing open air restaurant and promptly greeted by Marcelino. He explained the menu and the daily specials to us and brought a sample of the bbq wing and ribs along with our drinks. After lunch we ventured directly out on the the white sand beach and enjoyed the beautiful views of the Cancun water from one of the 2 piers. The front desk notified us that our room was ready so we headed back to the front desk. The bell hop met us in the lobby and showed us to our room. Upon entering we were noticed a bottle of chilled champagne with some local fresh fruits for us to enjoy. After unwinding an unpacking we headed out one of the amazing pools for some pure relaxation. There are an abundant amount of lounge chairs and cabanas to use and never had a problem finding somewhere to sit. We floated around the lazy river for hours on end. We headed back to our room to get ready for dinner and to enjoy a little bit of AC. Picking a restaurant for dinner is probably one of the hardest thing we had to do. We went with Oregano and let me tell you as our first experience for dinner it was incredible. My fiancé has a gluten allergy and from the moment we checked in with the host stand they were very aware and accommodating of it. As the week progressed we found ourselves at Las Olas for lunch daily and managed to make a friend for life with Marcelino. He was hands down the best, never left our drinks or bellies empty! One day after lunch we were approached by Benjamin who asked if we would like to purchase a bottle of wine and in return we would get a 5 course meal inside of Chez Isabelle. Neither of us are wine drinker so he suggested a bottle of tequila and we agreed! We got ready for dinner and headed down, upon entering we were greeted and shown to our table, to our amazement if was a private table for 2 inside of Chez Isabelle wine cellar. The table was perfectly set and adorned with rose petals. Benjamin greeted us and explained how Chef Stefany created our meal just for us due to my fiancés allergy. Each and every course was brought out to us by Benjamin and Chef, Chef explained every plate to us and let me tell you, she did not disappoint one bit! She is a genius in her skills!!! After dinner we enjoyed some of the nightly entertainment they have in the plaza. There is never a lack of anything to see or do on the property from classes to entertainment there was always something going on. As our trip came to a close we realized just exactly how amazing this property is and how much we really enjoyed it. We can’t wait to come back and hopefully it is sooner than later!! ERC is an amazing truly all inclusive property! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for such a wonderful vacation!!!
Lilian J
This was our 7 th visit to ERC, the 4 th time with our daughters ( 23 and 22) . It’s has been a family tradition the last few years( even during Covid )to spend a week in January at ERC. Our daughters love it too.My husband and I have also been to EPM (3)and Beloved as well. We always get rooms at the lazy river area. It’s just so quiet and tranquil in that area, peaceful, you hear the birds and so relaxing. Never have a problem to find a chair at the Lazy river. We never spend any time at the main pool, it’s just not our thing. The Main pool is a great place if you like a lively, fun, a bit more a party vibe. Rooms are great , always meticulous clean thanks to the amazing house keeping ❤️Grounds are beautiful and we like the Hacienda style of the building. Food is very important to us , one of the main criteria’s since Alcohol is not very important to us. We love Chez Isabelle, Basmati and the Flavor market. We eat at least twice at Chez and Flavor market is a hidden gem. The Tapas and the Sangria are amazing. Kitchen table we used mostly for breakfast and some lunches. Variety has gotten smaller the last few years at Kitchen table, still a nice selection, the most we miss is the much smaller selection in the bread selection and quality is just not the same of the bread. The grill is our least favorite restaurant, we just never have much luck with the food, either over or undercooked, wrong meals served and it’s always very noisy in there , hard to have a conversation. All the staff is amazing, so helpful, courteous and hard working. Special shootout to the ladies at Aroma, Mathilda , Laylan ( guest relation)who helped us finding a other room since I had a allergic reaction to something in the room. all the waiters at Chez and Basmati and the wonderful Spa ladies. The spa is not to miss, the massages are amazing and that’s coming from someone who does massages often. They have added some swinging chairs and beds at the non EC area, what’s lovely. Always doing some improvements. Would love to have a club possibility with having rooms at the quiet spa area. The new Magna restaurant is gorgeous, great location. Can’t wait for our next trip in January 2024
I stayed at this wonderful resort 18 years ago and recall it being a wonderful place. However, I was young and inexperienced and memory a bit fuzzy. Now, having stayed at over 30 all inclusives throughout the Caribbean including Sandals, Secrets, Couples, Beaches, Dreams, Palace Resorts, Karisma, etc., I can say, without reservation, Excellence Riviera Cancun tops them all .. 1. Check in - if you booked directly through Excellence, private roundtrip airport transfers in plush Suburbans are included. Very nice touch and no wait. Check in was friendly and efficient with a cold towel and bubblies. The only thing that was odd was they had 5 or 6 couples wait at the lobby bar with no instructions. Then, 2 bellhops piled all the luggage on 1 cart and had us follow them like cattle as they dropped patrons off at their individual buildings/rooms. I was told it was because we arrived during prime time, but it was still awkward. 2. Grounds - it's like walking through a perfectly manicured tropical rain forest with beautiful foliage blocking any unsightly views (ie, exterior roads, service equipment/vehicles, construction, etc.). There's a covered path for guests and a separate path for service vehicles and staff. During our week-long stay, we never saw a single piece of trash anywhere. Empty bottles, cups, glassware were immediately removed; and every walkway, fountain, sculpture, bathroom was properly scrubbed throughout the day. 3. Room - I stayed at the top end, oceanfront club suite last time and elected for a bottom end pool/spa view this time. Neither disappointed. Our room was quiet, gorgeous, spacious, spotless and well appointed. Along with plush robes, towels and slippers, they had three 1-liter bottles of premium liquor, a full bottle of Cabernet plus a fruit bowl waiting for us. Toiletries, sodas, snacks, water, juice, coffee pods, tea and beer were replenished daily. Even though we took 3 showers daily, we never ran out of towels nor toiletries. There were always 4-6 sets of fresh towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion. Housekeeping thoroughly cleaned our room twice daily. (I'm super picky about cleanliness.) There's never a lingering hair, soap sud, trash or sand ANYWHERE. Believe me. I looked! The best thing about the room were the thoughtful touches .. a full marble luggage bench that fits 3 checked luggages, shelves of all sizes EVERYWHERE, a discreet butler cabinet, and multiple handles, racks and hooks for all your towels, bathrobes, wet swimwear, toiletry bags, etc. And, everything looked BRAND NEW. The only thing I would recommend is for those who are sensitive to light, to bring eye masks as the blackout drapes don't extend all the way to the floor. So, if you're in an eastern facing room, you will get some light in the morning. 4. Dining - we loved Chez Isabelle (French), and dined there twice. Note - this is the only restaurant where gents must wear long pants. Our server, Daniel, made our dining experience so memorable. Get the mushroom crepe, sea bass and filet. You won't regret it. Since the Lobster House was under construction, they moved into The Grill (steakhouse) for breakfast and lunch and The Kitchen (international buffet) for dinner, so the service was quite slow. However, the lobster (thermador and grilled) were both excellent. Basmati Indian restaurant was just ok. Service was slow and spotty, the dining room was warm; and the food was too spicy. I usually love spicy food, but my chicken vindaloo burned my mouth for a good 30 minutes. IMHO, Flavors (Spanish tapas) was the most underrated restaurant. Despite limited diners, the food was OUTSTANDING. And Sergio, our server, made our experience even better. We loved everything about this hip restaurant. The sea bass was to die for, and the lamb stew was good too. Def get the charcuterie platter and sangria. The seafood paella was a bit disappointing, however. The worst was Spice (Asian fusion) a la cart, which really surprised us. Aside from the sushi, the food was less t
Excellent flavor and finish, very nice and rich.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First I want to say that the people who work here are amazing. Padron in The Kitchen was 11/10 amazing and made our dining experiences there special every time. I hope to see him again one day. He and the rest of the staff are why I am giving two stars instead of 1. The property outside is well maintained, but the rooms could be better. Bars/drinks, food, and entertainment weren't good. Rooms: My sink made a high-pitched ringing noise if the hot water nozzle wasn't in a specific position, and my friend's room had mold in it likely due to the high humidity in the rooms. I had to keep the air on really low so my bed didn't feel as wet when I got into it. Bars/drinks: We got a drink recommendation on the first day and it included Licor 43. It was amazing. I was ready to drink at least one of these a day as a nice treat. We had it that day and once the following day, then they informed us they ran out of Licor 43. We checked back every day the week we were there and they never restocked it. They also ran out of all but one gin at the martini bar and didn't have the usual martini accompaniments like lemon peel or cucumber. They also ran out of Tecate at one bar and had to send warm ones to another bar to be put on ice. They no also ran out of 1800 tequila. There were no seltzers and the beer options were lacking. Food: Flavor Market was the best place we tried, followed by Agave, but Agave had a very special menu the day we went which included food flown in from somewhere else. Spice was third place, but not the hibachi in Spice which had to be reserved in advance. Hibachi would be last place on my list as the chicken was undercooked, the steak overcooked, shrimp overcooked, and no sauces were offered to us. The Kitchen is the breakfast and lunch buffet and has some decent food. Room service was not good and made my stomach hurt the next day. Otherwise the other restaurants we tried were average or below average. Not up to expectations at all. Entertainment: There really isn't any. The daytime activities are mostly centered around fitness or gambling, so we had nothing to do during the day. Nighttime activities were sad. The shows put us to sleep, which is probably for the best because there's nothing to do after 10pm. The dj played the same songs every night. Only fun thing was silent disco because you had channels to choose from. I will not be back. If you don't drink much, like mediocre food, and like doing nothing every day then go for it.
I have to say, the property lives up its name. If you get Eric as for concierge, you are in luck. He's very attentive, listens to our needs, and tries to make every day as the most pleasant day possible. Samyra was absolutely hilarious as the hostess of the pool blackjack. Her asking "Are you sure sure" is entertaining on the property. She made playing fun. My wife and I have been on many trips and visited other resorts, and ERC makes it hard to go anywhere else. The level of attention and care they gave us, I thought you could only get as a extremely wealthy person with power and influence. This property exceeded any and all expectations. We had the club swim out room. I was able to switch out my in room liquor bottle for something that was more suitable to my tastes. My only criticism of this property is this. Since we were in the swimout room, we didn't see no easy way to enter/exit the pool that's close to our room. You would have to exit on the opposite side and walk around. Maybe add a ladder to the room sides like a regular pool? I don't know. If you are staying in a club suite, please do not skip out on Magna. The food for breakfast was far superior than the kitchen table buffet. They may not be as vast of options, but the quality of food is allot better. And for dinner, if you are a steak person, get the tamahawk... you won't be disappointed. Especially if you add a lobster tail on the side. We did have the baby octopus at Agave, but I didn't realize it would come out as a whole tentacle (expected more calamari). However, the head chef came out personally to make sure it wasn't the food, but my shock of presentation was the issue. I appreciate that. Overall, if you want a vacation were you can just absolutely relax, and your only worry is what are you eating that day, or what activities you may try (I did Pickleball, and now I'm looking for places to play back home), this is the resort for you. We truly enjoyed ourselves!
I read all the reviews and this resort was very much as we expected. The rooms are great, and the amenities are wonderful. Our biggest disappointment was how we were treated by the Excellence Club front desk. When we made reservations we had asked for two rooms side by side. Somehow, that was not in the reservation and we were in separate buildings, same class rooms but too far as we were traveling with a limited mobility family member. The manager Fernanda did get us a room closer the next day but was not very concerned about our discomfort or inconvenience. She seemed almost uncaring. We had better interaction with the front desk outside the club level, who treated us with more concern and kindness. Our concierge Aurora was very sweet but limited as to what she could do to offset our inconvenience. Throughout our stay, we had some of the most kindest and pleasant individuals who made our stay wonderful. The pool concierges Daniel and Miriam were helpful, kind, and attentive. Our waiters Fernando and Sal at the Magna restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning were so accommodating, friendly, and helpful. Definitely do the Spa and Hydrotherapy well worth it. Enrique at the spa was excellent. Kudos to these team members. The martini bar was fun, the activities fun, entertainment was good. I did like the club level but even at checkout, I felt that the front desk person, Ricardo was very cold and unfriendly towards us. If not for the treatment at check-in/check-out I would have rated Excellence Cancun 5 stars all the way. We will come back again but maybe this time we will try Playa Mujeres instead.
My husband and I visited in September 2023 for our 20th wedding anniversary. This was our first all Inclusive resort experience so we don’t have anything to compare it to, however we absolutely loved it! While there, we heard from many people saying this was the best resort company they’ve ever stayed with, and many who had been back many times. The overall vibe: Being an adults only resort, I was concerned about it being a bunch of party people (aka wild college types) But it was mostly couples, parents with their adult kids, adult friends on a getaway, etc. Sure there were some people there to party, but it was rather tame and not anyone being trashed and obnoxious. The anniversary package: definitely recommend asking for it! The website said to come with a copy of your marriage license but when I presented it, they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. So really proof wasn’t needed. They decorated our door with an anniversary banner, gave us fresh fruit and champagne in the room. We were given certificates for 30% off a couples massage and 15% off any other services (we didn’t utilize this for time but also it was still rather pricey even with the discount) They gave us a card to order a special breakfast room service and another card to present to a restaurant of our choice for a special dinner. We chose Chez Isabella. The table was decorated with rose petals and we were provided special service. They even brought us a plate with small deserts and happy anniversary was written in chocolate. It was so cute! The food: The variety of food was amazing! We especially loved the breakfast buffet at the kitchen table, the brick oven pizza from the Sol bar, and Chez Isabella for dinner. We had no issues staying hydrated because we each had about 3-4 juices every morning from the breakfast buffet. Out of all the yummy food, the juice bar was my favorite part! The portions at the restaurants were small, which made it fantastic to be able to order appetizer, meal and desert without wasting food. We had a late dinner at the lobster house one evening and not many were there, so the waiter even let my husband order a 2nd entree since he was still hungry (we had been gone all day at chiichen itza) SIDE NOTE: this place is extremely allergen friendly! Not only is everything clearly marked, they will ask you every time you request a table if you have allergies. Even at the breakfast buffet, they would do custom orders in a clean kitchen. The activities: my husband isn’t the sit by the pool with a book type. We were worried he’d get bored. Definitely not the case! He really enjoyed the drink demos. Angelo and Naomi were who we saw host the most often, and we loved their spirit and enthusiasm! Angelo is also HILARIOUS and really got everyone involved. Dude needs a raise for how hyped up he got everyone lol. My favorites were the aloe Vera skin care demo and I loved learning to make my own friendship bracelet. It’s a cute souvenir! The circus show was probably our favorite night time show. We really wanted to take part in the silent party but it was our last night and my husband was feeling poorly. We were also there for a Mexican Independence Day festivities. They had a large buffet of Mexican dishes, live bands, and a Mayan ritual demonstration. We had a lot of fun. The pools: Our room was near the lazy river and spa. That pool area is very quiet and relaxed but very sunny during the day, so it was where we’d relax in the evening. The swim up bar pool area was the party spot for sure. That’s where the live music was. But on the other side of that pool (which was on the opposite end of the restaurant this pool is around) was very quiet and had full shade most of the day. Quickly realized this was where all the readers hung out because there were plenty of shelves around the trees in the pool to place your book and drink on. The pool near sol bar is where a lot of the activities took place. It’s close to the swim up bar area (and connected by a bridge) It was a bit more quiet and relaxed but close access to the bars and activitie
Everything was great. The hospitality was wonderful and the food was really great at all the restaurants! Beautiful resort. It was my first time in Mexico and Excellence Riviera made it great. Thanks!
On arrival, directions for pre-arranged transportation was great and specific. Trip from airport was not too long (30 min or so). Welcomed nicely with personal attention. We had a Junior swim up room (non excellence side) building 5. Check in was easy and Luis provided a good overview of resort layout and room specifics- pointing out the step near sliding door. He explained that AC in room would shut off if sliding door left open (love the energy efficiency) but beware that it will lock if closed too hard and you can easily get locked out of room if you don't have room key. Room stayed cool throughout stay. Room is large with spa like shower and 2 jacuzzi tubs- one inside and one outside room. Our room was on the lazy river pool. Temp of water was very warm. No pool bar at this pool, only juice bar but there is complimentary alcoholic beverages in the room if you wish to make your own. They do have servers who will make rounds. Most of the rooms were a hike to the main pool and there are not too many chairs at the main pool with shade. Plenty of umbrella chairs on the beach. I felt like bathroom accessibility at pool was difficult. IF you have difficulty walking (we traveled with others with mobility issues) it is a long way. The ladies restroom near one of the main restaurants (lobster house) only had 2 stalls, one was broken. One end of the main pool (near the kitchen) had rails and benches that looked like steps but was a good 2 foot drop from outside of pool, making it hard to get in/out and get to bathroom for those who wanted to be in quiet/shaded area. There is a pool with ramp, but at the end of the ramp there is another 2-3 foot drop. I had to assist a lady and her companion in a wheelchair back up the ramp because it was too slippery for her to push it back up- he was not a heavy man. She was unable to get him in the pool because of the drop and was afraid she would not be able to get him back in the wheel chair. There are some slippery surfaces around the pool particularly noted at main pool steps leading to the beach. I slipped and my father slipped in the same area. I work with people with mobility limitations so these things jump out at me. The staff are very responsive to any needs and service was great! Hugo took good care of us all week by the pool and knew what drinks we wanted before we asked. Room concerns addressed quickly, fridge restocked, room cleaned and turned down with delightful towel animals to surprise us each night. Food variety good and nice presentation with friendly and accommodating staff, very attentive to food allergies. Service was a little slow at times, noted some trainees but we enjoyed having the time to have relaxed meal. Make reservations in advance with concierge especially if you have more than 4 in your party. Activities: As with our last Excellence stay in DR, this resort does a great job with having activities, would have liked locations on the app (particularly yoga- which was on the nightly entertainment stage). Daily pool games - loved the floating casino table, water exercise, Bingo and drink demos. There is also pool tables, ping/pong shuffle board close to other pools. Bike tours!!! this was my favorite offering here. Arrive at least 30 min early as they only take 6-7 per trip. Most days they go twice a day 9am and 4pm for about an hour. This back street tour will take you into the town of Puerto Morales where there is tourist shopping, walmart type store, pharmacy, local food vendors and photo ops. Some bikes are Ebikes but do not use the batteries (no assist) - larger tires. There is bus/truck traffic at times and pot holes you have to avoid so some bike dexterity is needed. Great for seeing some local culture and getting small necessities as the resort gift shop is expensive. Sailing and water activities also a plus. Ocean water not a clear blue as you may expect in Caribbean, lots of seaweed. There is a barrier in swim areas to control some of this and the staff diligently rakes each day but it does create an ocean aroma. There are walking beach vendors if y
First time to visit this property and had a blast. We were celebrating my wife’s birthday and our anniversary with another couple for 5 nights. One of the highlights of our stay was a trainee, Symera (?), who got us involved with pool activities and was very entertaining, 5+ Stars!
We were picked up from the airport by a private car service, when we arrived at the ERC we were greeted by so many happy smiling faces, as we checked our bags in with the Bell hop stand. We were offered a glass of champagne and we headed inside to check in. As those giant front doors opened the scent of white tea filled the air and we knew we were in paradise. We checked in and were informed that it would just be a little longer until our room was ready due to us getting there pretty early and that the Bell service would hold on to our bags for us while we enjoyed the property in the mean time. We proceeded to check out the property which all I can say is absolutely stunning! We found ourselves hungry as we made our way around the property so we stopped at Las Olas for lunch. We were so nicely greeted by each and every staff member. We were sat at a table in the amazing open air restaurant and promptly greeted by Marcelino. He explained the menu and the daily specials to us and brought a sample of the bbq wing and ribs along with our drinks. After lunch we ventured directly out on the the white sand beach and enjoyed the beautiful views of the Cancun water from one of the 2 piers. The front desk notified us that our room was ready so we headed back to the front desk. The bell hop met us in the lobby and showed us to our room. Upon entering we were noticed a bottle of chilled champagne with some local fresh fruits for us to enjoy. After unwinding an unpacking we headed out one of the amazing pools for some pure relaxation. There are an abundant amount of lounge chairs and cabanas to use and never had a problem finding somewhere to sit. We floated around the lazy river for hours on end. We headed back to our room to get ready for dinner and to enjoy a little bit of AC. Picking a restaurant for dinner is probably one of the hardest thing we had to do. We went with Oregano and let me tell you as our first experience for dinner it was incredible. My fiancé has a gluten allergy and from the moment we checked in with the host stand they were very aware and accommodating of it. As the week progressed we found ourselves at Las Olas for lunch daily and managed to make a friend for life with Marcelino. He was hands down the best, never left our drinks or bellies empty! One day after lunch we were approached by Benjamin who asked if we would like to purchase a bottle of wine and in return we would get a 5 course meal inside of Chez Isabelle. Neither of us are wine drinker so he suggested a bottle of tequila and we agreed! We got ready for dinner and headed down, upon entering we were greeted and shown to our table, to our amazement if was a private table for 2 inside of Chez Isabelle wine cellar. The table was perfectly set and adorned with rose petals. Benjamin greeted us and explained how Chef Stefany created our meal just for us due to my fiancés allergy. Each and every course was brought out to us by Benjamin and Chef, Chef explained every plate to us and let me tell you, she did not disappoint one bit! She is a genius in her skills!!! After dinner we enjoyed some of the nightly entertainment they have in the plaza. There is never a lack of anything to see or do on the property from classes to entertainment there was always something going on. As our trip came to a close we realized just exactly how amazing this property is and how much we really enjoyed it. We can’t wait to come back and hopefully it is sooner than later!! ERC is an amazing truly all inclusive property! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for such a wonderful vacation!!!
This was our 7 th visit to ERC, the 4 th time with our daughters ( 23 and 22) . It’s has been a family tradition the last few years( even during Covid )to spend a week in January at ERC. Our daughters love it too.My husband and I have also been to EPM (3)and Beloved as well. We always get rooms at the lazy river area. It’s just so quiet and tranquil in that area, peaceful, you hear the birds and so relaxing. Never have a problem to find a chair at the Lazy river. We never spend any time at the main pool, it’s just not our thing. The Main pool is a great place if you like a lively, fun, a bit more a party vibe. Rooms are great , always meticulous clean thanks to the amazing house keeping ❤️Grounds are beautiful and we like the Hacienda style of the building. Food is very important to us , one of the main criteria’s since Alcohol is not very important to us. We love Chez Isabelle, Basmati and the Flavor market. We eat at least twice at Chez and Flavor market is a hidden gem. The Tapas and the Sangria are amazing. Kitchen table we used mostly for breakfast and some lunches. Variety has gotten smaller the last few years at Kitchen table, still a nice selection, the most we miss is the much smaller selection in the bread selection and quality is just not the same of the bread. The grill is our least favorite restaurant, we just never have much luck with the food, either over or undercooked, wrong meals served and it’s always very noisy in there , hard to have a conversation. All the staff is amazing, so helpful, courteous and hard working. Special shootout to the ladies at Aroma, Mathilda , Laylan ( guest relation)who helped us finding a other room since I had a allergic reaction to something in the room. all the waiters at Chez and Basmati and the wonderful Spa ladies. The spa is not to miss, the massages are amazing and that’s coming from someone who does massages often. They have added some swinging chairs and beds at the non EC area, what’s lovely. Always doing some improvements. Would love to have a club possibility with having rooms at the quiet spa area. The new Magna restaurant is gorgeous, great location. Can’t wait for our next trip in January 2024
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I stayed at this wonderful resort 18 years ago and recall it being a wonderful place. However, I was young and inexperienced and memory a bit fuzzy. Now, having stayed at over 30 all inclusives throughout the Caribbean including Sandals, Secrets, Couples, Beaches, Dreams, Palace Resorts, Karisma, etc., I can say, without reservation, Excellence Riviera Cancun tops them all .. 1. Check in - if you booked directly through Excellence, private roundtrip airport transfers in plush Suburbans are included. Very nice touch and no wait. Check in was friendly and efficient with a cold towel and bubblies. The only thing that was odd was they had 5 or 6 couples wait at the lobby bar with no instructions. Then, 2 bellhops piled all the luggage on 1 cart and had us follow them like cattle as they dropped patrons off at their individual buildings/rooms. I was told it was because we arrived during prime time, but it was still awkward. 2. Grounds - it's like walking through a perfectly manicured tropical rain forest with beautiful foliage blocking any unsightly views (ie, exterior roads, service equipment/vehicles, construction, etc.). There's a covered path for guests and a separate path for service vehicles and staff. During our week-long stay, we never saw a single piece of trash anywhere. Empty bottles, cups, glassware were immediately removed; and every walkway, fountain, sculpture, bathroom was properly scrubbed throughout the day. 3. Room - I stayed at the top end, oceanfront club suite last time and elected for a bottom end pool/spa view this time. Neither disappointed. Our room was quiet, gorgeous, spacious, spotless and well appointed. Along with plush robes, towels and slippers, they had three 1-liter bottles of premium liquor, a full bottle of Cabernet plus a fruit bowl waiting for us. Toiletries, sodas, snacks, water, juice, coffee pods, tea and beer were replenished daily. Even though we took 3 showers daily, we never ran out of towels nor toiletries. There were always 4-6 sets of fresh towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion. Housekeeping thoroughly cleaned our room twice daily. (I'm super picky about cleanliness.) There's never a lingering hair, soap sud, trash or sand ANYWHERE. Believe me. I looked! The best thing about the room were the thoughtful touches .. a full marble luggage bench that fits 3 checked luggages, shelves of all sizes EVERYWHERE, a discreet butler cabinet, and multiple handles, racks and hooks for all your towels, bathrobes, wet swimwear, toiletry bags, etc. And, everything looked BRAND NEW. The only thing I would recommend is for those who are sensitive to light, to bring eye masks as the blackout drapes don't extend all the way to the floor. So, if you're in an eastern facing room, you will get some light in the morning. 4. Dining - we loved Chez Isabelle (French), and dined there twice. Note - this is the only restaurant where gents must wear long pants. Our server, Daniel, made our dining experience so memorable. Get the mushroom crepe, sea bass and filet. You won't regret it. Since the Lobster House was under construction, they moved into The Grill (steakhouse) for breakfast and lunch and The Kitchen (international buffet) for dinner, so the service was quite slow. However, the lobster (thermador and grilled) were both excellent. Basmati Indian restaurant was just ok. Service was slow and spotty, the dining room was warm; and the food was too spicy. I usually love spicy food, but my chicken vindaloo burned my mouth for a good 30 minutes. IMHO, Flavors (Spanish tapas) was the most underrated restaurant. Despite limited diners, the food was OUTSTANDING. And Sergio, our server, made our experience even better. We loved everything about this hip restaurant. The sea bass was to die for, and the lamb stew was good too. Def get the charcuterie platter and sangria. The seafood paella was a bit disappointing, however. The worst was Spice (Asian fusion) a la cart, which really surprised us. Aside from the sushi, the food was less t
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