Excellence Riviera Cancun

Took 45 minutes after our “excellence”check-in waiting for someone to take us to our “excellence” room which was directly next to a LOUD street. Food was okay but never great. This place was overpriced and understaffed. We also waited 45 minutes to get our bags picked up. They never came so we ended up having to take our own bags so we didn’t miss our flight which is unacceptable. The place closes at 11 on Saturday night and 10 the rest of the nights no live music to dance to only shows to sit and watch. This place had a good mix of people in there. 30’s and 40’s so not really clear why they shut it down so early when everyone was wanting to stay up dance and party very weak on the resorts part for not understanding what their guests wanted. We did the silent disco which they shut down at at 11:00 which left 200 people disappointed and sent back to their rooms.

Just got back from a girls trip. We stayed 4 nights and had a fantastic time. I love that you can have a quiet pool experience with a lazy river or you can be at the pool party. The entertainment staff is fantastic and so fun. We had a great time with all the staff actually. Great time to go, didn’t wait long for a drink. We ate at the grill and the French restaurant, both were amazing. If you’re not in the mood to get dressed up, the food cart has amazing hamburgers. Breakfast buffet had every option you could possibly imagine. Entertainment in the evening was fun. They would do a DJ or a band and then they also would have entertainment. I will be back!!!

Wonderful staff: helpful, friendly, joyful! Great choice of restaurants, beautiful grounds: flowers etc. The pool (lazy river) needed attention(cleaning). All in all, we really loved our vacation!

We really enjoyed our stay here, the rooms were spacious and well maintained, clean and very comfortable. The fully stocked free mini bar that was replenished daily was definitely a plus! The staff throughout the hotel were so friendly and helpful, you could see they all loved working here and it made the holiday all the more enjoyable. The facilities were great, the choice of restaurants and bars abundant and we had so much variety that we didn’t go to the same one twice in the week that we were there. We loved the beach but preferred to use the pool to swim as we were there when there was a lot of sea grass. There was lots to do in resort with a daily schedule of different activities and entertainment offerings to keep you occupied if you wanted more than just chill on a beach or around the pool. My only criticisms would be that they allowed people to place towels on the sunbeds even if they weren’t using them all day and didn’t stop people from holding onto the floats that were available for you to use in the pool (Lazy River) so I would recommend you take your own.

Everything was excellent but we think needs more entertainment options. And also the service at restaurant sometumes they rushed us and gives the impression they want us to leave the table sooner specially at the latest hours.

This report has a lazy river which was amazing to Have and we found it very unique and nice. Highly recommend the junior suite swim up room

The pictures do not do this property justice. This was one of the best all inclusive I have ever been to. 24 hour room service, very nice gym with machines to get me through a full workout, a cafe in the morning with espresso and iced drinks, 5 amazing restaurants open for differing meals, and a private beach access with physical ocean activities free. This was so much fun and I will head back if I can.

Great property , nice and quiet. Just wish it had more adult options into music and fun

My husband and I LOVED our stay at Excellence Riviera Cancun. We booked an Excellence Club Junior Swim-Up Suite Pool View. Excellence Club stays come with private check-in, 30 min hydrotherapy session at the spa, upgraded menu for 24-hr room service, access to the Excellence Club lounge & restaurant, Excellence Club pools, turndown service, petit fours delivery nightly. From the moment we arrived we were treated to a luxurious, relaxing experience. We were truly taken care of in every way imaginable. We stayed around Halloween 2025. There was a live show that night and afterwards a silent party. We had a blast. All the food was good and I am a foodie. It was great no to be bogged down by the processed, salty foods of the US. The Excellence Club pool concierge, the waiters, and all the staff were phenomenal. The room was cleaned daily not just fresh towels but changing of linens, sweeping, and mopping. We were planning our next trip before we left. The bartenders could make any drink you could think of. We will be back and I miss it already.

The Spa is excellent, no gimmicks, 100 percent a legitimate Spa experience. Rooms are great, spacious, clean and well maintained. Service is great. Downside, pools were not always clean. Food was okay. The next door property (Dreams Resort) does not clean their beaches and the saggassum piles up, the odor is so strong it overwhelms your senses and your palate at times causing nauseau and overall discomfort.

The rooms were very clean, but at few spots the age of the place can be seen. The bathtub in our room didn't drain properly and ha d a couple of issues like that, but the service staff were very friendly and the whole experience was very good.

I am an Expedia Platinum member and a loyal Excellence guest for nearly ten years, having stayed at Riviera Maya more than five times. This last visit was by far the most disappointing. Our group booked two swim-up rooms and repeatedly requested they be side by side, but we were placed in different buildings. The front desk staff were dismissive and offered no solution, which was very upsetting. Despite my Platinum status, I received no benefits or recognition. Service at the Kitchen Table was also unacceptable. Staff avoided eye contact, never greeted us, and once made us stand waiting only to later say we couldn’t enter because our clothes were damp. This lack of courtesy was shocking compared to past visits. The biggest problem, however, was cleanliness and hygiene. The pool walls had black mold and debris, but worst of all, flies and mosquitoes were everywhere—throughout the resort and even inside the buffet restaurant. It felt dirty and unhygienic, unlike any of my previous stays. I have always chosen Excellence for its high standards, but this stay was a major disappointment. Unless these issues are fixed, I see no reason to return.

This was our first stay on an Excellence property. Everything about the resort is beautiful, clean, and welcoming. Our room was meticulously cleaned every day as well as towels replaced and bed turn down every evening. The pool area and beach were clean and lovely with fresh towels conveniently located and abundant. Restaurant and food options were excellent as well. One thing that stands out above and beyond expectations is the staff and service. Simply outstanding. Looking forward to our next Excellence experience in 2026!

Overall stay was okay/good. I loved how quiet some areas were but then you could easily walk over to the pool bar and socialize. The pool was not clean any of the days. The bottom floor wasn’t cleaned and needed to be vacuumed. The food was good but in most places, it took a very long time for the food to come out, especially the steak house and lobster house for breakfast.

Room was cleaned every morning and night. Re stocked all towels, cleaned bathroom and re stocked all fridge items. Games staff were all so nice and always were hyping the guests up to play games and activities. Adrian, mark, and elicio were all fan favourites from our young group and were definitely a key part to our trip

Our room was beautiful, clean, mini bar stayed stocked, towels were always swapped, service was excellent.

Limpieza deficiente. Alfombras de pasillos huelen muy mal. Y la limpieza en los cuartos 2/5.

It was very unfortunates due to the excessive seaweed we were unable to go the beach not once. The pool was not really clean. But the pool staff HUGO. RAUL. SAMMY MARIO MOSES AND JAVIER was great friendly and professional,

The staff was very nice and the rooms were clean

We loved our stay! Rooms were cleaned 3x a day & the staff was excellent. Emerik, Jose & Orlando continued to go above & beyond for us. We could not have asked for a better vacation.

We reserved the "Two-Story Rooftop Terrace Suite". This was on the upper tier of room rates. The details provided on the room at the time of reservation were somewhat misleading. The rooftop terrace had a small pool, which was a joke! The pool was dirty, and it didn't have enough water in it even to use the jets! It was apparent that the water in the pool was tap water, which is unsuitable for use in a pool/spa. So, basically, it was an oversized bathtub. We didn't need a bathtub; we expected a pool/spa combination. Do NOT spend the extra money for the rooftop terrace if you are primarily reserving for the "pool/spa"!!!!!! The food was mediocre, and the staff's friendliness was inconsistent. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary when we were presented with a card at check-in that offered us a dinner "at any restaurant on the property." We were denied entrance into the MAGNA restaurant because we "weren't club level". We showed them the welcome card we received at check-in, the staff were insulting, and so was the manager; they refused to let us eat in there. So UNSAT! Why give us a useless welcome card when we already had access to all their other restaurants? They provided us with NOTHING! I WILL NOT spend my money at this property ever again!

We really wanted to love this resort… We have really enjoyed both EOB and EEC with EEC being our favorite! The food and staff were Excellence quality, but the property is dated. The room was VERY SLIPPERY even with the room as cold as we could get it (67 degrees F). We used all towels and slippers given to us and still my husband fell and fracture dislocated his wrist getting out of the shower. This caused us to need the on site MD… She was nice, but not at all prepared with any supplies. We had to pay her 170 USD to do nothing but call a taxi for us to go to the Cancun ED which was very nice, but expensive (3000 USD)…. The taxi cost us 150 USD….. The areas around the pools are very slippery as well. I fell before even having a chance to have a drink and we saw several other people fall as well. The EC area had little to no shade, and multiple chair areas did not have functioning umbrellas. I think property needs to be temporarily closed and have several updates made to keep up with the Excellence brand. The beach was full of seasonal seaweed, but that is not the fault of the resort…. In fact they did a fantastic job trying to keep it clean and the smell to a minimum. I wouldn’t stay here again, but it would not keep me from visiting other Excellence properties.

This is our second time staying at an Excellence resort. Staff and service were friendly, helpful and responsive. Food was great, especially the mushroom risotto at Flavor Market. Our housekeeper was so kind and efficient and left us cute little animals made from towels. The only downside was the AC not working in the room for two nights and the plunge pool auto draining and not filling up for two days. Staff was able to resolve the AC issue for one night but the plunge pool issue was not resolved.

Loved the service and the swim up room was beautiful. Staff was amazing.

The swim-up suite and pool in building 6 was great.

We really enjoyed our stay here, the rooms were spacious and well maintained, clean and very comfortable. The fully stocked free mini bar that was replenished daily was definitely a plus! The staff throughout the hotel were so friendly and helpful, you could see they all loved working here and it made the holiday all the more enjoyable. The facilities were great, the choice of restaurants and bars abundant and we had so much variety that we didn’t go to the same one twice in the week that we were there. We loved the beach but preferred to use the pool to swim as we were there when there was a lot of sea grass. There was lots to do in resort with a daily schedule of different activities and entertainment offerings to keep you occupied if you wanted more than just chill on a beach or around the pool. My only criticisms would be that they allowed people to place towels on the sunbeds even if they weren’t using them all day and didn’t stop people from holding onto the floats that were available for you to use in the pool (Lazy River) so I would recommend you take your own.

The room was lovely, spotless, helpful/kind staff.

Tout est toujours très propre, la chambre bien aménagée, le personnel gentil, poli et courtois. La seule déception est qu’il n’y a plus de buffet pour le dîner le midi et la plupart des restaurants sont à la carte même le midi…

Our room was beautiful, clean, mini bar stayed stocked, towels were always swapped, service was excellent.

Overall nice resort and the staff was awesome. The rooms and commune buildings could do with an upgrade and the food wasn’t great

Exceeded my expectations! Between the staff being so welcoming and friendly that whole hotel was so organized, it blew our minds. They went out of their way to celebrate the occasions like surprising my partner with a birthday cake and even singing to him at one of their yummy restaurants. They have about 11 different restaurants and 8 different bars and although we didn’t get to try all, the ones we did were SO GOOD. The whole hotel had such vacation feels! We loved it!!!

The staff was friendly. But we had another party that booked to meet us there. They booked the wrong excellence. I know that is on us,but the excellence would not do anything to help us resolve the issue. They wanted to charge us another $6,000 for them to get a room in our hotel and then told us there were not any cheaper rooms. We then went on expedia and found one for $2,000.we weren't asking for anything free. We just wanted one of to get transferred. They no intention of helping us resolve the matter. They just wanted more money. We wont be going back

Property is clean and staff is excellent. Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about the hotel and surrounding areas. The shows are good, and the restaurants are great.

Took 45 minutes after our “excellence”check-in waiting for someone to take us to our “excellence” room which was directly next to a LOUD street. Food was okay but never great. This place was overpriced and understaffed. We also waited 45 minutes to get our bags picked up. They never came so we ended up having to take our own bags so we didn’t miss our flight which is unacceptable. The place closes at 11 on Saturday night and 10 the rest of the nights no live music to dance to only shows to sit and watch. This place had a good mix of people in there. 30’s and 40’s so not really clear why they shut it down so early when everyone was wanting to stay up dance and party very weak on the resorts part for not understanding what their guests wanted. We did the silent disco which they shut down at at 11:00 which left 200 people disappointed and sent back to their rooms.

This was best vacation ever. The staff met every expectation we had and went above and beyond. The hotel was beyond clean. The staff was so friendly. We will be back.

This was our first stay on an Excellence property. Everything about the resort is beautiful, clean, and welcoming. Our room was meticulously cleaned every day as well as towels replaced and bed turn down every evening. The pool area and beach were clean and lovely with fresh towels conveniently located and abundant. Restaurant and food options were excellent as well. One thing that stands out above and beyond expectations is the staff and service. Simply outstanding. Looking forward to our next Excellence experience in 2026!

Beware! Lovely resort BUT I won’t stay again and can’t recommend if you are a group of friends traveling together. They don’t guarantee room types. When you book a stay, don’t you want what you requested? You have a reason for wanting it. Multiple parties had the same problem - traveling with friends and getting a room with one king bed. No pull out sofa, no rollaways, “nothing we can do, our policy which you agreed to when you booked….” Also, food and beverage service was really slow (and yes, we tipped).

Flew in a little early. Room wasn’t ready. Upgrade to club which was a mistake. Kept telling me they were upgrading the room. Everything in the room was the same. Didn’t get into room until 4:00. Waited 3 hours. It’s a shame but resort is beautiful. I guess upgrading wasn’t the way to go. Plus they really didn’t offer anything better. Been to excellent in Punta cana were club members have more. So if we come back we will not go club. Not worth it.

We booked Excellence Riviera Cancun through Expedia — the only reason we even knew about this resort — yet were treated as “third-party guests.” Upon arrival, we were given a single king bed despite booking two, and were told to “call Expedia” instead of being helped on-site. Our “swim-up” suite required walking across grass and rocks to reach the pool, and the patio door locked automatically, forcing us to keep it open for access (ie, mosquitoes and humidity leading to damp clothes). The beach water was dark brown and not swimmable. Food was mediocre, service slow, and coatis roamed in packs around the pool. The grounds were clean and the turn-down service was nice, but overall this felt like a 3.5-star experience, not the luxury resort it’s advertised to be.

Itamar, maxilliano, Luis, Josias, Christina, Veronica and everyone else I had the pleasure of being served by were all excellent and I’m very impressed with the quality of service I received at this resort thank you again

It was an amazing long weekend at Excellence, it really felt like a luxurious holiday. The staff were all so friendly and hardworking.. you only needed to ask once for anything. Thank you for making my wifes 40th very special and memorable

This was our first time in Cancun and it was amazing. The resort was beautiful as well as the beach and sand. Would definitely stay here again.

Long drive on dirt road from the asfalt road

The staff were very courteous, their service was impeccable. Loved the dining and drink options available at the resort. There’re activities to keep you entertained throughout your stay and the environment is very beautiful. However, this resort is around 40mins from the hotel zone which is the tourist area. Uber for $35-40) and hotel taxis ($60) one way are available to go all the way there. So if that is your vibe you might want to double check or If you don’t mind doing the trip then this place is perfect.

Great staff and short drive to airport; need to pay to clean out seaweed (beach is worthless can’t swim), public beach 2.4 miles south is amazing and $3 cab ride!

Too far away when you want to leave the property. I had to pay over $100 every time we wanted to go into town. Communication through Expedia with Excellence is non-existant. They insist that you use Expedia for all correspondence with the hotel. They never answer when you go through Expedia and if you call them direct to make changes to your reservation they tell you they can't help you and you need to back to Expedia so your needs are never addressed. I had an agent at the hotel hang up on me when I asked to speak to a manager. The restaurant 'The Lobster House' didn't have lobster available for the five days we stayed at the hotel, which was very disapointing to us as my spouse had never tried lobster. All in all an average stay. I expected so much more out of a five star establishment. The amount of pushback I received really soured my experience. I won't be returning.

I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The view was beautiful and the atmosphere was amazing. However, the beach was disappointing because the water was very dirty, so we could only swim in the pool. We also faced some issues with restaurant reservations. Overall, it was still a good experience.

My second time here. Very nice facilities - grounds, restaurants, pool and staff. Beach/ocean are ok but not outstanding. Tons of seaweed on beach and in ocean. Beach is walkable for 1 mile north and 2-3 miles south. Can walk to beach to the town of Puerto Morelos although there isn't a lot there - a few bars and maybe a few shops. The bars at the hotel are ok but don't really promote a lot of interaction with other guests - better if you come as a group. Definitely all adult and very laid back - not a party scene - which is what they and the guests are going for.

I’ve stayed at several 5-star resorts in Cancun before, and while Riviera Maya Cancun is nice in some ways, it just didn’t feel as high-end as others I’ve experienced, especially for the price. One major downside is the location-it’s over 30 minutes from the Hotel Zone, which makes it pretty inconvenient if you’re looking to explore or do anything off-resort. Another letdown was the vibe. They didn’t play much music throughout the day, and it really affected the energy of the place. If you’re looking for a more lively atmosphere with fun activities, this probably isn’t the spot. Overall, it’s fine if you’re strictly looking to relax and do nothing but lounge.. very calm and quiet. But if you’re looking for better energy and a more connected experience with everything Cancun has to offer, I’d definitely go with a different resort, especially at this price point.

Our stay was pleasant and relaxing. The staff was welcoming, helpful, and ready to answer any questions we had. If you’re looking to explore Cancun, you will need to use a taxi but the resort was great and made arrangements for us. We felt safe while in the resort, we arrived in the middle of the week and not much entertainment was planned in the evenings other than karaoke but Friday’s Mexico night was fun!

I have to start by saying the smell in the lobby of this resort is to die for. I could literally sit in there all day. My husband and I arrived to this location with transportation through MTS and it was amazing. We arrived to champagne and hand towels. We got there early so our room was not available but we were allowed to eat and walk around the resort. The staff was incredibly nice and respectful. We were always greeted politely. The entertainment was very good for a resort. We loved Karaoke night. It was so much fun! They should offer this more than once a week. Saturdays are a bit more quiet due to some people checking out on Sundays. My check out with Monday and we could hear a DJ going all night. I wish they would move that to Saturday for weekend fun. The bars were really really good. They could make whatever drink you wanted. My husband did wish the beer selection was better but overall he was ok with what they had. We did order room service one night for dinner it was average but we did not do that again. Breakfast was 10/10. We did decide to do more restaurant eating, which was soo good. Olas was our go too for tacos. The grill was very very good. The Kitchen was amazing due to the selection. They French restaurant was even better. Filet mignon melted in your mouth. Our room was cleaned multiple times a day which I appreciated so much. We did see a couple water bugs but what can you do! Overall 10/10

Everything was great but I do wish the food options were a bit better. We have realistic expectations for an all inclusive, however, despite the amount of restaurants, operating hours are somewhat slim.

Just wish the restaurants were open longer or that the food truck was open all day. Sometimes our only option was pizza by the pool and that got boring.

Excellent dining options

Nice resort. No reservations needed forost restaurants. Good food. Good drinks worth top shelf liquor. Rooms were nice..no issues with air conditioning. Beach was nice. I'll definitely go back.

Just got back from a girls trip. We stayed 4 nights and had a fantastic time. I love that you can have a quiet pool experience with a lazy river or you can be at the pool party. The entertainment staff is fantastic and so fun. We had a great time with all the staff actually. Great time to go, didn’t wait long for a drink. We ate at the grill and the French restaurant, both were amazing. If you’re not in the mood to get dressed up, the food cart has amazing hamburgers. Breakfast buffet had every option you could possibly imagine. Entertainment in the evening was fun. They would do a DJ or a band and then they also would have entertainment. I will be back!!!

The beach is not as advertised. You need to let people know beach conditions. Its smelly. Its brown. And from staff even when sargassum is not an issue. Its still not blue due to the seaweed and grasses. Its not tropical like advertised. And when we called to ask about it they said it was amazing. The staff. The grounds are the only thing that saves this resort. Also. Not having a buffett to go to at any time is a big issue. Not everybody wants to come and dress up for 2 hour dinner service every night. What all inclusive resorts dosnt have breakfast lunch and finner buffet options. The other restaurants food was ok at best.

nice resort overall. liked the balance of pools. Spa was great. Food was just okay.

Property was very nice, ample pools and swim rivers. They kept the beach very clean, but the water is very murky and not swimmable (which I was aware of from many traveler reviews). The spa was one of the best experiences we've had at a resort. Personal concierge service was excellent. Our only complaint is the food and dining. Many restaurants are closed certain nights, which means more demand on others. We are early diners so we never had an issue, but we witnessed many people turned away or told to wait 45 min for a table at some places. 2 restaurants are in a covered outdoor space, so with heat and humidity (depending on time of year), you would want to avoid these places - which again, reduces your dining choices. 1 bar and 1 restaurant are exclusive to the VIP upgrade, which are nice but small, so expect to wait or even have your favorite dish run out if you dine later. We were also disappointed in the VIP upgrade room service menu. There is literally no difference to the menu everyone else gets - so I felt this was false advertising. No buffet dining option for dinner, which was also a disappointment. We only enjoyed 1-2 meals (Magna dinner & Oregano lunch), otherwise we found the food very bland and disappointing throughout the resort. Our room service items were better than the restaurants so we ordered in several times. Aside from the food/dining disappointments, the staff was very attentive and friendly. Our room was beautifully managed daily.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the Excellence brand, visiting Finest Playa Mujeres in 2015 and Excellence Punta Cana in 2019. While Excellence Riviera Cancun still delivers a beautiful experience, I’ve noticed a few changes over the years. The drink selection has definitely gone down compared to previous stays fewer premium options than before. The food quality is also a bit inconsistent now; some dishes are great, others just okay, whereas before it was consistently excellent across the board. That said, the service remains phenomenal. Every staff member I encountered was friendly, attentive, and practically fluent in English though that did lead to being profiled a few times as someone who couldn’t speak Spanish. The resort itself is stunning, with top-notch amenities and a relaxing “lazy river” pool that winds around the spa area. Overall, it’s still a wonderful place to unwind, but I hope Excellence brings back some of the quality and variety that once made them truly stand out.