I recently traveled to the
Riviera Maya in Mexico and wanted to share the details of my vacation.
Resort
I stayed at the new
NH Riviera Cancun Luxury Resort, which opened in late fall of 2008. This resort was originally to be named the
EdenH Riviera Cancun, but never operated under that name (the only evidence of this is the towels which say “
EdenH”).
The NH Riviera Cancun is located only 12 miles from the airport, 20 miles from
Cancun, and 20 miles from
Playa del Carmen in the town of
Puerto Morelos. The NH is bordered by protected wetlands on 3 sides, and sits on ½ mile of beach. To the north, the resort is directly bordered by the marina belonging to the
Marina El Cid Resort. You can see the El Cid from the NH, but to the south there are no other visible resorts, just a few abandoned, hurricane-damaged houses which are great for exploring.
This is an all-suites resort, featuring 550 suites split between two categories: Junior Suites and the upgraded Paradise Club. There are nine buildings total, none with more than 4 floors and elevators. The resort has a modern, clean aesthetic and features tons of marble.
The Paradise Club is an adults-only area with an exclusive ambiance and VIP zones including its own adults-only pool, pool bar, beach chairs, restaurant, lounge/business center (with complimentary
internet), and lobby. Snacks and
hors d’oeuvres were offered throughout the day in the lounge, which also had an area where you could make your own drinks and an espresso machine.
The Paradise Club pool was very quiet compared to the main pool, and the staff did a good job of
keeping it adults-only. It featured sun beds in the water and an infinity edge. Chairs were available at any time of the day, whereas at the main pool guests had reserved all of the chairs by 7am. There were plenty of pool chairs, umbrellas, beach cabanas, pool beds, and even hammocks that hung over the pool in a shaded area. There was never a wait at the Paradise Club pool bar and a waitress was available to take orders from the pool or beach. The Paradise Club had unlimited pool towels.
The Main Pool was much busier (and larger) than the Paradise Club pool. It had a sports area, swim up bar, kid’s pool (very shallow and warm), infinity edge, and sun beds in the water. The pool bar was always busy on land, but rarely busy in the pool. There was a waitress in this area serving drinks. Guests staying in the Standard Suites area did have towel cards.
A nice feature of both pools was that in many areas near the edge of the pool, there was a ledge in the water about 1.5 feet deep that you could sit on. It was a great place to cool off. At lunchtime, both pools had an area where one of the chefs grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Guests could help themselves and did not have to leave the pool deck area for lunch. I did not try any of this food, but heard that it was wonderful.
The beach was beautiful (especially at low tide). There were some rocks both on the beach and in the water, but it was easy to find a rock-free place to swim. The water was crystal-clear and very warm. The north side of the beach ended at the rock barrier of the El Cid’s marina, but to the south there was nothing but beach and some abandoned houses. The abandon houses were severely damaged in the hurricane and really illustrated the impact the hurricane had on the area. The southern stretch of beach was rock-free in the water and very quiet. There were some areas where rocks had washed ashore, but they were away from the water’s edge.
NH’s water sports hut was located right on the beach and offered sailing, kayaks, volley balls and nets, soccer balls,
bocce ball, boogie boards, and more. Unfortunately, it was very windy while we were there so guests were rarely allowed to use some of this equipment. I only saw the kayaks and sailboat in use the first day we were there.
The sports hut also offers a snorkeling trip in
Puerto Morelos. The cost is $2 and you must sign up at 8:30am the day before you want to go. Only 30 people per day are allowed to sign up (10 people per trip on 3 trips leaving at various times), so they recommend being in line by 8:00am. Each person in line may sign up a maximum of 2 people for the trip, meaning a family of 4 must have at least 2 members in line. You must find your own transportation to
Puerto Morelos.
I took this trip and it was fantastic! The reef is only about a 5 minute boat ride from the dock, and we were in the water for about 30 to 45 minutes. I went on the 2:30pm trip, so the water was crystal-clear. Apparently it’s much darker and harder to see on the early morning trips. I saw tons of brightly colored fish, a sea turtle, a huge stingray, and a yellow sting ray. The guide got in the water with us and everyone swam as a group. The guide pointed out different things to us, like the turtle, which we never would have seen on our own.
The pool and beach also has a very enthusiastic activity staff that gets guests involved in activities like volleyball,
bocce ball, water volleyball, water aerobics, yoga, and more. These people always seemed like they were in a great mood.
On the roof, there was a sports deck consisting of 6 sport courts for tennis, basketball, and other
racquet sports. The activities desk in the lobby had
racquets and balls available. The resort also had a full gym with brand new equipment including weights and cardiovascular machines.
At night, the resort had a different show every night in the theater. The shows started at 9:30 and last anywhere from ½ hour to an hour and include things like a
Circ de Soleil style circus show, a Mayan Culture Show, and musicians. I went to the Fire & Drum Show where fire dancers performed to a live drum line. It exceeded my expectations and was really cool.
The Kids Club is separated into two categories, ages 4-7 and ages 8-13, and offers arts and crafts, a mini disco, theater,
videogames, and other fun activities. The Teen Club is for kids 14 to 17 and takes place in the Sports Bar where there are pool tables,
foosball, TVs, and more. While we were there, the Teen Club was not staffed and the bar in the Sports Bar was fully stocked and unattended… Parents may want to be aware of this, as it would be very easy for kids to get a hold of alcohol. The Kids Club is staffed (and I assume alcohol free).
I did not visit Spa
RENOVA, but judging by the menu in our room binder, they offer a wide variety of services and a full service beauty parlor. The prices seemed reasonable. Inside the spa are Jacuzzi tubs and a Sauna open to all guests for free. The spa is located on the 2
nd floor of the main building next to the sports bar. It has no real view of anything, however they did offer couples massages at the beach.
The NH has three gift shops: a swim shop, souvenir/general store, and jewelry shop. All shops accepted pesos and American dollars. The stores were all very nice and accepted both dollars and pesos. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights vendors come in and set up in the shopping area square or by the main pool. They sell everything you could get in a souvenir shop in town, but for a higher price. These vendors did not seem inclined to bargain.
In the main building, there was a place to book excursions and buy pictures that photographers took of guests, an ATM, and a business center. The business center had 4 or 5 computers with
internet access that you had to pay for. I believe the rates were something like $10 for 15 minutes, $17 for a day, and $77 for a week.
The resort has a Hospitality Room (basically a very large bathroom with several showers) with separate male and female facilities and a seating area for guests who arrive early or depart late.
RoomsAs I mentioned, the resort splits their suites into two categories: Junior Suites and Paradise Club. All suites in the hotel have at least one balcony; however some have better views than others. About 70% of the rooms have an ocean view or a partial ocean view. However, the 30% with a “garden view” have a view of the wetlands area which is filled with gray, leafless mangroves.
We were upgraded to a Paradise Club suite with a partial ocean view and Paradise Club pool view. We were on the first floor with easy pool and beach access. The only drawback to this room was that we had to listen to the incessant “easy listening” music coming from the pool speakers. In the room, there was a binder that explained every feature of the resort in detail, and contained the spa and room service menus. It was very helpful.
The room was gorgeous and had marble floors, dark stained wood, modern-Mexican
décor, and air conditioning (that we
couldn’t figure out how to use until the last day). We had a separate living/dining area with pocket doors that closed off the bedroom. The living area had a pull-out couch; coffee table; ottoman; large flat-screen TV; room service table and chairs with coffee pot; mini fridge stocked with water, beer, and Pepsi products; ceiling fan; and sliding glass doors out onto the balcony. The balcony had two chairs and a table. We also had a Jacuzzi tub (with a
showerhead) on our balcony. The balcony rail was made with glass, so there was not much privacy (wear a swimming suit!).
The bedroom had a very comfortable king sized bed (2 doubles were available), flat screen TV, 2 bedside tables and lamps, ceiling fan, full length mirror, 2 closets, safe, iron and ironing board, robes, and slippers. One side of the bedroom had a large window which slid open into the Jacuzzi tub and the opposite side opened up to the shower/vanity area where there was a large marble shower with a rain shower head and drying line for wet clothes, double vanity with nice toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower gel, lotion, bath salt, a sewing kit, and bug spray (which we never needed). Apparently the standard rooms do not have these amenities and only get shampoo, soap, and shower gel. The room also had a separate toilet area that opened up to the bathroom and the living area and had its own sink and bidet.
On the day they arrive, all Paradise Club guests are given a complimentary fruit plate and bottle of tequila. The room was wonderful and very comfortable. The only real negatives were that we did not have an alarm clock like we were supposed to and the light switches and air conditioning were confusing. It was hard to know what controlled what.
The major difference between Paradise Club suites and Standard suites is that the Standard suites have no Jacuzzi tub on their balcony. Instead, the tub is in their bathroom and has a window open to the balcony. The bathroom runs parallel to the bedrooms with a separate toilet area. The bedroom and seating area are in the same room, with the seating area closest to the balcony, and the bed behind it. Unlike the Paradise Club, there is a step down into the seating area. Standard suites come with 1 king bed or 2 double beds and also have a pull-out couch.
In my opinion, the standard rooms are just as nice as the Paradise Club; however the views might not be as nice, and while we were there, this section was very noisy.
Restaurants & Bars – room serviceThe NH Riviera Cancun has 5 bars: the lobby bar, Paradise Club pool bar, main pool bar, beach bar, and sports club bar. They serve top shelf liquor and a variety of beer. The pool bars both have a swim up feature. The lobby bar was both casual and upscale and had a fantastic view of the oceanfront courtyard. There was ample seating in the lobby, which was a popular hangout at night. The beach bar was very fun and upbeat with live bands playing on a few nights. The sports bar was indoors and looked like a typical bar with pool tables and a dance floor.
The resort has 7 restaurants:
Festival Buffet – Main buffet serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Olas – Snack bar located near the main pool, open 11am to late afternoon.
Senses – Gourmet À la
carte, adults only
Cinque Terre – Italian À la
carteAsian - À la
carteEl
Mortero - Mexican À la
cartePure – Gourmet À la
carte for Paradise Club members ($30 for everyone else)
The reservation system in the resort was the biggest disappointment. Guests are allowed to make dinner reservations for the entire week (Sunday through Saturday) from 8am to 1pm in the theater lobby. This means that if you arrive on Saturday the 1st, you can make reservations for that night, but would have to return the next morning to make reservations for the rest of your stay, at which time you could reserve for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. Guests who arrive later than 1pm may not make reservations until the following day. The line for making reservations was always long, and it was a very slow process.
We arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, so we could not make reservations until the next morning. The next morning we got in line at about 9am, and there were 10 people in front of us. The line took about 45 minutes. We watched several people get very upset with the reservation staff over things like meal times and menu selections. There were menus available to look at once you got to the reservation desk and guests would spend a long time looking at each one. I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to leave these out in the waiting area so that people would know where they wanted to eat when they got to the reservation desk.
When we finally got to the
des, we were told there were no spots open in any restaurant for that night. I’m love Mexican food, and Saturday night (our last night) was Mexican night in the buffet, so we already knew we did not want a reservation for Saturday night. Therefore, we wanted one reservation (Friday night), for any of the restaurants. The woman at the reservation counter informed us that the only thing they had open Friday night was the Mexican restaurant, which was fine with me, but they could not get us in until 10:30pm. We made a reservation, but I highly doubted we would keep it since it was so late.
The resort was at capacity, so I just kind of accepted the fact that all the restaurants were full and forgot about it…until that night. That night, and every night after, we never saw the restaurants more than half full. Clearly they were not completely reserved.
With that said, we ate at the buffet for every meal, and it was wonderful! The food was delicious and there was a huge selection. We at breakfast on the patio every morning and watched the cruise ships sail by. Dinners tended to be the busiest time, but the staff was happy to find you a seat or clear a table. Unfortunately, the buffet tended to be very understaffed. After a few meals without getting drinks, we learned to stop by the bar or bring our own from the mini-fridge in our room. When we did get service, it was outstanding. Patience and kindness went very far.
The food was always fresh, usually hot, and constantly being refilled. At breakfast, you could get everything imaginable: tons of fresh fruit, made to order eggs and omelets, breakfast meats, breads, cereal, and 6 varieties or fresh juices. Lunch was the least extravagant meal, but there was still a great selection of sandwich fixings, desserts, fruits, salads, hamburgers, hot entrees, and breads. For dinner, there was a different theme to every night, but there were also staples like fruits, salads, breads, and fancy desserts. While we were there the themes were Asian, Caribbean, Grill, and Mexican. Much to my disappointment, Mexican night turned into Seafood night at the last moment. Other nights include International, and Mediterranean.
The resort also offers room service 24 hours. There are separate breakfast and lunch/dinner menus, but both have a lot of selections. We did try to order a couple of things off the dinner menu, and they did not have any of them. In fact, they
didn’t seem to have much of what was on the menu. From 10 pm to 5am they offer only club sandwiches and a fruit plate.
Meeting RoomsThe resort had five meeting rooms, with the capacity to hold 1200 people theater style or 850 banquet style. The meeting rooms had their own separate main entrance, but were connected to the lobby and main building. The facilities looked nice and were brightly colored.
WeddingsThe resort does have wedding facilities and packages starting from $600. During our stay, there was a wedding held in the main courtyard. The ceremony was set up beautifully with an arch and fresh flowers. The staff seemed very attentive to the wedding set up. The resort also offers weddings on the beach.
Puerto Morelos
The NH Riviera Cancun is located just south of the town of Puerto Morelos. Puerto Morelos is a very small town of about 2,000 people. Main attractions include shops and restaurants around the town square, the waterfront, and the Crococan Crocodile Zoo. The shops and restaurants are all very small and there isn’t much variety, but there are no annoying salespeople trying to force you to make purchases and buy timeshares. It was a very laidback area. The beach in town is beautiful, with calm, clear water, and perfect white sand.
The easiest way to get to Puerto Morelos from the NH Riviera Cancun was to take the public bus. The bus picked up right in front of the hotel, just passed the guard station every 5 to 10 minutes and dropped off right at the town square. It picked up again on the opposite side of the street and dropped off at the hotel. The bus was very clean, safe, and only costs $1 round-trip, per person. Without the bus, Puerto Morelos is certainly within a 30 minute walk by road or beach. From Puerto Morelos, there is a bus that runs to and from Playa del Carmen every 20 minutes or so.
Other PointsThe NH Riviera Cancun is very committed to conservation and “Going Green”. Upon arrival at the resort, we were encouraged to save water. There was a note by the bed explaining that sheets are changed every three days (and for new guests), but if you wanted your sheets cleaned before then, you could leave the note on the bed and the maid would refresh your sheets. Some of the lights in the suites work on a sensor, so if you are not in your room for a set period of time, they will turn off, then turn on upon your arrival.
I think that this resort is perfect for a 3 to 5 night vacation for customers who just want to relax on a nice, quiet beach. There isn’t a lot of activity at the resort, and it is kind of far away from Cancun and Playa, which may be a plus or a minus depending on the person. We stayed 4 nights, and by the last night I was ready to come home, but not yet sick of the place. I might return to this resort if the price was right, but there are many other places I would like to see!
