Excellence Riviera Cancun
I went to the Excellence Riviera Cancun resort in Mexico with my wife for a few days of relaxation last week. The Excellence Resorts are known for offering a luxurious all-inclusive experience, and the Riviera Cancun location certainly lived up to this reputation. If you’re unsure about whether or not to stay at this resort, keep reading. In this Excellence Riviera Cancun review, I will provide information to help you decide if it’s worth the cost, factors to keep in mind, and more. Let’s begin!
I previously stayed at the Excellence Oyster Bay in Jamaica for my honeymoon in 2021 and this was my second visit to an Excellence resort. Due to airline credits left over from COVID, my partner and I wanted to travel and we enjoyed the Excellence Montego Bay resort so much that we decided to visit the Riviera Cancun resort. Our stay was from August 21st through the 25th in 2022.
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The Excellence Riviera Cancun is a luxurious resort that is only for adults who are 18 years and older. It is all-inclusive and situated approximately 20 minutes away from the Cancun airport. This vast resort boasts several large swimming pools, 11 restaurants, 10 bars, a spa, a fitness center, and numerous loungers located on the beach and near the pool.
As a part of the Excellence Club, we were supposed to get a private check-in at the Excellence bar. Although it was advertised as an advantage, it took a lot of time as there were some other couples who were also checking in simultaneously. We were not content with the fact that after a tiring flight and travel, we had to wait for a long time during check-in. Nevertheless, we appreciated that we were served with drinks and snacks at the bar.
We reserved a spacious Excellence Club Junior Suite Ocean Front room on the second floor. Although the room had a nice bar and a fair-sized balcony, we observed a few issues. The balcony didn’t offer much privacy as it directly overlooked the main pool. Besides, there was no separation between the bathroom area and the living area. The room appeared somewhat dated. Here is a photo of our balcony and view. We overheard other guests who were also dissatisfied with their rooms. In general, our room was decent, not excellent, but not terrible.
The service we received at Excellence Riviera Cancun was excellent. Despite missing our flight and being delayed by a day, our accommodations were still available on our arrival. The pool staff was attentive, frequently offering drinks and preparing our chairs with towels. The restaurant service was also impressive, except for one instance where we had to wait for our food for a while.
We had high expectations for the food in Mexico hoping for a diverse range of Mexican cuisine, however, we were disappointed as this wasn’t the case. The food was decent but not exceptional. We dined at the Agave restaurant on our first night, which is the notable Mexican restaurant at the resort. We ordered a burrito, which lacked flavor and spice. We received melted cheese as our appetizer, instead of the queso we had requested.
The restaurant portions are small but you can ask for more. The best restaurant at the resort during our 5-day stay was the Asian restaurant called Spice. For steak lovers, we highly recommend The Grill as they serve great steaks. All dishes that we had from the appetizer to the main course at Spice were fantastic. However, breakfast was a disappointment.
There were only 2 breakfast restaurants available, neither of which were exclusive to the Excellence Club. Due to the crowds, we chose to go to the Lobster House instead of the Kitchen Table because of the service they provided, as opposed to the buffet-style breakfast offered at the Kitchen Table. The view from the Lobster House was decent.
In comparison to the Excellence Oyster Bay, the food at the Excellence Riviera Cancun was not as enjoyable as expected. We did enjoy some of the Mayan dishes.
The Excellence Riviera Cancun has a notably spacious lazy river which turned out to be highly sought-after. However, due to our membership in the Excellence Club and our interest in enjoying premium-quality alcoholic beverages, we only managed to use the lazy river once. Unfortunately, getting hold of a floating device proved to be quite challenging, which resulted in our decision not to use them.
Although the smaller pools were popular because of the bars, there were not enough chairs and loungers for all guests staying at the resort. Many times, we saw people reserving chairs in the morning and using them in the afternoon. Furthermore, the pools were overcrowded despite the large number of people present. The level of privacy in the pools was also lower compared to Oyster Bay, and people frequently bumped into each other.
We enjoyed the tiki huts at the beach, but there were issues with seaweed in the water, causing the water to be murky and smelly. However, the beach itself was beautiful and maintained well. Although the weather was hot, the chairs were plentiful and the breeze was refreshing. Unfortunately, due to the seaweed, we didn’t get in the water very much. The staff was attentive and provided us with regular food and drink service while we sat on the beach.
The resort had a variety of entertainment options for all guests to enjoy. At night, the theater showcased different shows such as live music and fire performances. During the day, guests could participate in various activities such as beach volleyball and yoga, with a few activities available each day. Our room’s location allowed us to watch the daily pool volleyball game.
Although we decided against going on any excursions, there were plenty of options available for more adventurous travelers. These included activities such as scuba diving (which offered training), deep sea fishing, and private yacht trips for a fee. We didn’t look into the prices since we didn’t end up doing any of them, but I assumed they were quite expensive.
The resort has various amenities that may not suit everyone’s preferences. To remain active during my vacation, I made use of the fitness center which was neat and spacious. Additionally, they have an on-site spa that some guests frequent. The spa’s prices are a bit high, but not surprising. A couples massage costs at least $250 excluding the tip. As guests of the Excellence Club, we received Bvlgari soaps and lotions in our room, which was a pleasant gesture.
Our stay at the Excellence Riviera Cancun cost us approximately $400 per night. Since it included all-inclusive facilities, I believe it was a reasonable price. We had the option to select a pool front suite instead of oceanfront and eliminate the Excellence Club to save more money.
The Excellence Riviera Cancun is an ideal all-inclusive resort for those seeking a kid-free retreat to unwind and indulge. Though the food and pools were not exceptional, the resort does offer top-notch alcohol and remarkable service. While it may not be as luxurious as the Excellence Oyster Bay, it was still a pleasant vacation spot.
I recommend these travel resources for Mexico that I personally use:
🏨 Hotels: I have found that Expedia and Booking.com consistently have the best deals on hotels and resorts in Mexico. If you prefer to stay at a vacation rental, check VRBO that is usually cheaper than AirBnB’s added fees!
✈️ Flights: To find the best flight deals to Mexico, I always use Kayak. Remember to subscribe to their price alerts for the travel dates you want. Another great alternative for flight deals is Expedia.
🚗 Rental Cars: I always use and highly recommend Discover Cars because it allows me to compare several car rental companies and view ratings on various factors such as overall value, pick-up procedure, agent efficiency, car condition, and total time taken.
🚙 Cancun Airport Transportation: For the fastest and easiest way to travel, I suggest arranging a private transfer with Cancun Airport Transportation. Honestly, no better way to travel from the airport to your hotel or resort.
🤿 Tours & Activities: For tours and activities in Mexico, I highly recommend using either Viator or GetYourGuide. These websites offer a full refund if you cancel your booking 24 hours before the start of the tour, and they also provide excellent customer service in case of any issues.
🚨 Travel Insurance: I always suggest purchasing travel insurance as a precaution before traveling, especially after a recent accident in a taxi in Mexico. For short trips, I recommend Travel Insurance Master, whereas for digital nomads, Safety Wing is a better option.
📷 Best Camera for your trip: I always carry with me a GoPro, It’s light, compact, takes great video and pictures, and most importantly, it’s waterproof! You just can’t go wrong with one. If you are interested in higher quality video and photography, I always carry with me on my trips and highly recommend the Sony A7IV which I think is the best travel DSLR Camera out there.
☀️ Biodegradable Sunscreen: Remember to include a good sunscreen to protect yourself from the summer sun. I always use and suggest Sun Bum Sunscreen, which is vegan, reef-friendly, and cruelty-free.
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