| NH Riviera Cancun | Sheila ~ Georgetown, Ontario |
May 2009
We stayed at the NH over April 8-13th. We had a great time. We had six of us travelling. Two couples aged 45, 47, 49, 51 with one daughter each 16 and 17. There were no young women their age but they had lots of fun with the staff as well as some young american men dancing at the sports bar etc which turned in to a disco after 9. It was a great resort just to relax. There wasn’t very many activities at the resort, no beach volleyball, kayaking etc as it was too windy each day. I loved the breeze, it would have been too hot without it. We booked with Air Transat and flew on a 330 both ways which had lots of leg room etc.. the food on the plane was bad (at least in regular class) and the flight home was delayed over 2 hours without any type of compensation.. other than that I would fly again with them. Good thing we didn’t book with Conquest! The resort was not far from Cancun and personally I would have rather been closer to Tulum or Playa Del Carmen where we stayed last year. Any of the good day trips where in that area which was far away. We did go snorkelling in the little town close by Puerto Meurilos (sic). We took a taxi there for about 20 american for 6 of us and just took a bus back for about 12.00. You book this at the beach at the resort and it only costs 2.00. It was a lot of fun and one of group was very nervous snorkelling and the guys that ran the boat where awesome with her! We saw lots of fish, a turtle and a crab! I love snorkelling! The one day trip we did was really the only disappointment of our trip. We booked Sea Passion Catamaran with Pronto tours— DON"T BOOK IT!!!! we were promised to snorkel, hold sand sharks, have lunch on an "island" perhaps go sailing off the back of catamaran etc.. none of this happend. It was a total rip off at 80.00 US each! The weather was hot and sunny every day! We were lucky to be upgraded to the VIP section as they ran out of rooms in the regular side (Easter Weekend). The room was lovely with a hot tub on the balcony overlooking the ocean! Wonderful way to start my day each day with a coffee overlooking the ocean in the tub!! However, we were not able to use the pool, VIP lounge room that had internet and the VIP restaurant that was only open for breakfast. By mid-week, after the Easter holiday we did pay about 40.00 each for 6 of us to upgrade to use those facilities, the pool was beautiful with hammocks and big canopy beds (if you could get up early enough to reserve one). I loved all of the meals with the exception of the seafood night at the buffet–We ate at Senses,(adults only) took a very long time and small portions but lovely, The Japanese was the most fun by far, book the table where they cook for you, we ate at the Italian and the girls went there twice! Very good. Room service took a bit but it was also great! They had top shelf liquors and loved having a pre-dinner drink in the lobby each night listening to a live band.
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March 2009
NH Rivera Cancun Hotel was booked using BookIT.com for spring break vacation for 3 families who had booked 4 rooms for six days. This was to be 4.5 star hotel by ratings. Our flight from Omaha, NE to Houston for a connection to Cancun was cancelled so we had to be rebooked on a later flight that day. As a result, we missed the last flight from Houston to Cancun for the day-so missed a day/night at our hotel. Continental did the right thing by putting giving us a voucher for a hotel stay in Houston, and upgrading us on our Houston to Cancun flight first thing the next day. Also would have moved our reservations to return one day later had the resort worked with us.
This was not to happen as NH Rivera Cancun would not work with us, Continental Airlines, nor BookIT.com to a satisfactory solution. They held firm to their position that we must pay for our first night even though we could not be there and we had no way to get there. In addition, we had conflicting stories if they would let us extend our stay. Were told we could as rooms were available but would have to pay for the additional night in addition to the first night we were not at the hotel. We decided not to extend at resort that would take such a position.
Our experience with the hotel was not overall a good one and we would not recommend this resort nor return to it. The problems were too many and too significant for hotel that has been open for almost 6 mos., claims to be 4.5 stars, and charges accordingly. We were to have stayed 3/18 -3/24/09.
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Registration was a nightmare as staffing was short and they were inexperienced. We had to wait over 20 minutes for check in and were told our rooms (which we were not there for but paid for) were not ready and we would need to wait. Only after we objected and shared our story did we get rooms assigned. We had over a 30 minute wait at check out and finally had to ask for a Manager to assist so we could get to the airport on time for our international flight. They actually held our valet parked cars hostage til we had completed check out to get what they called a check out pass.
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Staffing for buffet was never enough to provide drinks as needed. No beverages are available, so staff must bring you water, soda, coffee, whatever and there were never enough to service you. Plates frequently were not available. Food was ok for a buffet. Pepsi Light was flat.
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The 4 nice restaurants were extremely difficult to get reservations for. The problem we had was with the policy of making reservation to restaurants, you can only eat at the buffet your first night and they only serve a limited number of people per night per restaurant. Unless you wait in line (up to 2 hours) at 8 in the morning to make the reservation, you can’t get in to the more popular restaurants. Or only very early or very late hours were available. We ate at one restaurant (Senses) and had a fabulous dining experience with great food and excellent service. The 2nd restaurant was not so good either with food, or service. They were clearly understaffed with a host, a manager, and one waiter. We chose to eat elsewhere after that experience. Also, know that formal dress is required (though we never saw this or were told this) meaning long pants for men and shirts with collars. If not, they don’t let you into the restaurant.
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Wifi internet access was expensive, $17.95 per day. Never have I paid so much for a service, even in New York City.
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Facility was very nice and rooms were large and clean. A door to the spa had a broken return that took a full day to be repaired, when it was– it was not repaired correctly and stayed that way for 3 more days. At times water temperature in the showers fluctuated. In 3 of the 4 rooms we had problems with the Air Conditioner and most had issues keeping rooms at constant comfortable temperature.
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Beach was full of coral and rocks, many not visible making walking and swimming difficult and dangerous.
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Make sure to get an ocean view, as the opposite side is a swamp with sticks. 2 of our rooms had this not so nice view.
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| NH Riviera Cancun | Sandy ~ Vermont |
March 2009
Arrival: March 5 – 10
Although there were only a couple of people in front of us at check-in, it took a long time to process us in, which we found strange because everyone was pre-registered.
Rooms
The rooms were new and beautiful but we had a terrible view from our room.
Restaurants and Bars
The service at the bars was okay and the drinks were good. However, service at the restaurants was very slow and the food was not very good. We had to walk out of the Mexican restaurant because it took so long to get our food. The food at the buffet was cold. In addition, if you wanted to make reservations at the restaurants, you had to wait in line for two hours in a room with no air conditioning.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was not very nice because it was hard to walk with all the coral. The pools were very nice though.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went on a Sea Passion Catamaran and snorkeling tour in Cancun, Isla Mujeres. That was a blast and we had our first good meal with them. We also went to visit the Mayan Ruins in Chitzi Nitza. It was well worth the 2 1/2 hour ride to get there. They also fed us a great meal for lunch.
Other Comments Beware there may be some extra charges at restaurants for certain food and drink items. We were told after eating our meal that we would be charged $70 for overcooked and rubbery lobster tails. Because the service and food was so poor, the resort is highly overrated. I would give it 2 apples instead of 5.
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| NH Riviera Cancun | Yoshshu ~ NJ, USA |
March 2009
NH Hotel Riviera Cancun WHY YOU WILL HATE IT – WHY I LOVED IT Don’t be confused by the name, NH Hotel is in the Riviera Maya area, south of Cancun. The name may create some confusion about the location, don’t be fooled. The hotel itself is indeed beautiful, like most of the hotel designs in Mexico, the designers never gave thought to a large bus pulling up to the front to discharge clients, quarters are tight. The bus ride from the airport was of short duration and the elation of arrival was soon diminished by the long lines at check in. The process always seems slow, but in this case it was more due to their inefficient system or untrained staff. In all fairness, the hotel just opened in Nov of 2008, growing pains are expected. An Apple tour lists the hotel as 5 apples on a scale of 6 apples being the best. Mrs. Yosh and I are both over 50 and are used to some small travel glitches. There did seem to be way to many travelers upset at the front desk, and little in the way of quick resolution. We arrived about noon and were told our room would not be available until about 3:30 PM. I requested a king bed at the desk and the polite clerk made a note of it on our check in form. Booking with Apple, you don’t get a choice on our "5 Apple Square Deal" (you are guaranteed a 5 star hotel, Apple gets to make the choice) ROH is the normal expectation.
The hotel lobby is a grand room of excellent Mexican marble & tile, with a circular bar at the far end. The lobby is filled with cozy chairs and cocktail tables, and in the evenings drink servers will remember you much better when a small tip is provided. Eager to sample the lunch offerings and discover the grounds, we were told the main buffet was not quite open (12:30) so we ventured off to the pool area where there is a nice covered deck restaurant with great luncheon fare. They have a help yourself nachos bar with fresh guacomole, salsa, all the goodies, excellent for poolside snacking. While enjoying lunch that overlooked both the lively pool aerobics and the beautiful Caribbean, the relaxing had begun.
The pool itself was large and a bit cool, expected in February. The swim up bartenders did seem overwhelmed at peak times, a small but important annoyance. However, if you are not an early riser (get those towels on those chairs) do not expect a premium spot. NH hotel does have 550 or so rooms and more than one late riser found themselves begging for spots there and on the beach. Yikes the beach! Rocks, rocks rocks rocks with some sand thrown on top. The beach does need some help, again there are those palapa type things with covered grass roofs clustered along the beach, but just not enough of them.
After a long leisurely lunch Mrs. Yosh and I ventured back to the front desk to check on room status. There were quite a few angry guests stuck off to the sides of main lobby desk, all in various stages of anger and frustration. When our turn came, I feared the worst, but after lots of slightly agitated conversation between various clerks, the result was room #2422 being our home for the week. The room was indeed great, just like the brochure picture, and a king bed as requested. Pivoting HD TV on a wall mount, stocked little fridge, sunken living space with a small couch & chair, desk, and a balcony with a great view that overlooked both the pool and the sea beyond. My only objection was the bathroom shade over the jetted tub and in the separate shower, didn’t seem to block those wanting to look in, however on the 4th floor it was a non-issue. I would be flattered if that did happen in any case.
There are multiple a la carte restaurants but we were limited to 4 such reservations on the 7-night stay. The reservation table is in the main lobby and although the sign says open at 9AM, they start taking reservations at 8 AM, it’s Mexico, what can I tell you. The process is so very annoying and slow slow slow. The best thing is that in the long line we met these Canadian girls who had a lively sprit and a great outlook, they were from western Alberta and we shared the better part of an hour and a half with them. Their check-in story was a great success; they were upgraded to a premium suite in the more exclusive section of the resort. It seems all the king beds, as they had contracted for, were given away to couples from NJ who didn’t contract for them. The Canadian tour representative who was about to hold her orientation beckoned Louise & Donna (after an hour in the reservation line we were on a first name basis). Needless to say the girls from Canada would not give up their place in the reservation line. I suggested to the transat tour person that she hold the orientation in the reservation line, she was NOT amused. The material point is that their dinner reservation system sucks. I have a suggestion, assign someone to reservations and give them a phone number, allow the guests to call.
Mrs. Yosh is an avid reader, my interests are more toward water sports, I can place her on the beach or by the pool, fetch her a few drinks and she is a happy girl. There is supposed to be complimentary snorkel trip daily, it costs $2 and there are 14 spaces. (I didn’t get to go) When I asked about a "dive package" I was told there was no such deal in the SCUBA program. Undaunted, I trekked next door to the El Cid Hotel/Marina complex, where I met Jose who ran the dive shop. After a brief chat I was signed up for a multiple dive deal (sadly due to rough seas in the area, dives were limited during my stay). They few dives I did go on were shallow reef dives. For those interested in fishing, the El Cid Marina boats, Puerto Morales, did return to port with some great specimens of the deep, I can testify to that. I don’t really recall the food at the restaurants but I do recall the company, it seems Louise & Donna had equally excellent husbands and we all dined together on a few occasions. The most memorable being the steak house, where we all ordered different cuts of beef (Canadians from Alberta do know their beef) however it seems 6 people dining at the same table throws the service into a tizzy, the menu stated Rib Eye, Prime Cut (who knows what that means) and skirt steak, upon arrival all the steaks we ordered seem to have the same appearance and doneness, and only 5 of the entrees arrived. Our waiter was one of the nicest but perhaps inept person (other than the front desk people) we encountered. The restaurant manager was constantly shooting dagger looks at Manual throughout the meal service. It reached a point where the looks were so bad we all feared that Manual and his family would shortly discover the pain of unemployment. The topper of the night was when Manual asked us if we would like dessert, with Louise never getting her entre Manual then smacked himself on the forehead and mumbled the Spanish equivalent of SHIT! I forgot her dinner. Needless to say at this point the quality of the dinner was forgotten in the comedy of the moment. Our fears for Manual’s job, and his likeable attitude got him a good tip, and us a good laugh and a great memory. The following night we found Manual in the hotel Lobby dressed like a Bengal lancer. It seems Manual was promoted! We all hoped it was from our ringing endorsement of him on the previous night. We never did make it to one of the shows, we were having so much fun with our new friends, the hotel did have shows nightly.
My advice, check the availability of those Canadians (Louise & Ken and Donna & Bob) take them with you to the NH Hotel, and have a great time. Hope the review helps, Yosh
yoshshu@comcast.net
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| NH Riviera Cancun | Bob, Donna, Ken, Louise, John and Cass |
March 2009
Sunday morning, 04:00, Feb 22/09 and we pick up our friends for a trip to Mexico and the NH (Eden-H) Riviera Cancun. Weather’s fine, -25C and the roads are good.
Arrival at the airport, shuttle bus to the terminal and a good breakfast at one of about 4 restaurants that are open at that ungodly time of day. Finish and head to Duty Free (buy on the plane dummy).
5 hours, 5 minutes to Cancun (it was suggested to us that we, because of my size, 6’1” 260lbs, that we might want to pick a seating group near the rear of the aircraft A-310 for a measly $100 return) which we did and are both extremely glad we did. (more on that later). Seats were roomier than the exit row seats!!
As I said, 5 hours, 5 minutes – extremely good and we touch down at Cancun Intl. Now, the fun starts. Got to the bus right away and waited 45 minutes on board for a late couple, grrrrrr. No problem, we’re on holidays and the weather is 30C. Got underway and arrived at the Eden-H or NH (I think NH is the new name now but no one really knows or cares) in less than 35 minutes.
I was expecting the four of us to disembark but was really surprised when 75% of the bus joined us!! Check in was 45 minutes BUT because we wanted a single king size bed and they apparently had none, they upgraded us to a major suite – sweet!! Separate sleeping area, sitting area and more sinks than we both could use. Room view presented us with an overview of the private pool and the ocean – fantastic!!. The patio area was 10’ by 24’ with an outdoor hot tub not that we’d use one in Mexico but just a fabulous deck area; two wicker chairs and a wicker table – large enough to place a bottle of Tequila on plus the famous free fruit platter (3 apples and a Mexican thing that was a gift of Air Transat).
I won’t bore y’all with a lot of details – suffice to say that this resort is the best for rooms and prices that we’ve ever stayed in! DR once and Mayan Riviera three times.
Its windy at the resort, both at the private pool (la de da that we were granted). The ocean is no more than 100’ from the resort pools (pools which are of an infinity type and are gorgeous). Beaches are not pleasant to walk on immediately in front of the resort but South (towards Playa Del Carmen) they are very nice and sandy. Remnants of several hurricanes abound as one walks further South – never was there any fear of walking and an occasional dip into the very warm ocean was pleasantly accepted.
Let me sum up the a la’cartes by saying this………..Have good friends with you and a strong sense of humour! We had dinner at 6 restaurants – the first being exceptional (International – The Senses) where red snapper was to die for. The rest – all appys and soups were good – the main meals were garbage, absolute garbage. As I mentioned, if it wasn’t for pleasant company, we probably would have tipped over a few tables and waiters.
We met an interesting couple from Joisey (John and Cass; John’s an avid scuba diver) and the six of us really hit it off well. We dined with our two new friends and as I mentioned before, if it wasn’t for great company we probably would not have had the fantastic times we did.
There are two infinity pools at the resort; one being semi-private, the other like a large can of sardines. One semi-private pool for two blocks of rooms, one larger pool for 7 blocks of rooms.
Weather was typically Coastal with mild winds warm climes (+30C most days) and one ½ day of rain whereupon we toured Puerto Morellos – a six dollar cab ride.
Would we go back? Probably not mostly in great part because of the food – heck maybe they’re simply enjoying growing pains. All staff members were very friendly.
The trip home was the longest flight from Mexico we’ve ever experienced. Ground speed was 390 mph heading straight into the jet stream. The $100 seats – priceless!
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| NH Riviera Cancun | Donna ~ Meaford, Ontario |
January 2009
Arrival:
We arrived on January 23,2009.
Rooms:
550 rooms
Restaurants and Bars: 12 restaurants and bars total
The food was amazing and people were all very friendly. Service was good.
Beach/Pools/Grounds: the pool was chilly but once in you were ok.
There is an infiniti pool and it was my favourite to sit beside. You got the ocean view with the pool.The beach is a little rocky but they are working hard to clean up the rocks. Not a big beach area but the water was warm.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went to Playa de Carmen. By taxi it will cost approximately $70 plus your tip for return to the resort. We took the public bus and it cost $15 for return.It’s worth going to see and you can also take the ferry over to Cozumel for $44 return for 2 people. This is well worth it as well.
Other Comments: We really enjoyed our stay at this resort. We would return again in a heart beat. We had a very positive experience and loved everything about this resort.the rooms were amazing – the bathroom is to die for and to boot we had pool and ocean view. You won’t be disappointed in your stay here. It’s a fairly new resort that opened in Nov/08 so not a lot of people there right now but give it a couple of years and it will be booming and you won’t get it for the cost right now. Can’t wait to go back!!
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| NH Riviera Cancun | Robin ~ Canada |
December 2008
We just got back from a week at the NH Riviera (Dec 20-27) This was our first time at an all-inclusive, and in Mexico. We had no choice in which resort we stayed at because we booked so late, so we crossed our fingers knowing that the NH was only a month old, and that there were some growing pains to be expected. The NH lived up to the reputation of 4.5 stars for some things but still needs lots of work in other areas.
Things I wish we’d known:
Bring lots of money, even though it’s an all-inclusive. Tipping is expected..not only on the resort but EVERYWHERE! The front desk will not give you $1 bills or small pesos for tipping so make sure you order some at your bank before you go. I would say you’d need about $50.00 in tips for a one-week stay, maybe more if you’re eating at the a la carte restaurants where they expect you to tip $5-$10.00. (People who expect daily tips: buffet servers, waiters, bartenders, taxis, tour guides, room service, maid service) For the maids, leave money *daily* on the pillows so they know it’s for them. Daily is better than at the end of your stay because you may not have the same maid all week or it may be their day off on the day you leave. If you leave any goods in the room at the end of your stay, our tour rep told us we had to write a list of what we were leaving and that it was for the maid and to sign it, so they wouldn’t get accused of stealing).
The hotel has no ATM, and the nearest one is in Puerto Morelos which costs $12 return by taxi, and then an $8 ATM charge to take out money! We needed cash in Playa del Carmen when we went shopping and the taxi cost $30.00 USD each way. Some evenings, there were vendors and artisans in the courtyard of the hotel selling their wares but they didn’t take credit cards so again, having cash with you always helps.
The hotel photographer is always around taking photos and then will try to sell them to you for $10.00 each….and again, they don’t take credit cards..only cash. Their photos are very well done and you’ll want to buy some of them, for sure!
There are only THREE computers for client use. Impossible to get access to one unless you get up with the birds at 6am. Bring a laptop if you absolutely need to be in touch by email with work or family, as there’s wireless access in the lobby.
Good things:
Beautiful rooms, spacious bathrooms, excellent maid service, wonderful bartenders and servers at all meals, very pleasant front-desk staff, beautiful lobby with bar and evening entertainment, pristine grounds, clean pools, interesting and varied evening entertainment..would highly recommend the Fire Show and the Pre-Hispanic Show and possibly the Mexican show.
We had a problem with the air conditioning and burned out light bulbs and all we had to do was call and the workmen fixed us up within an hour. Very helpful.
Bartenders…very capable and friendly. Filberto at the poolside and Carlos in the lobby never got flustered no matter how big the crowds were.
Breakfast buffet: amazing!! Every food you can imagine…and all very delicious!
Our room overlooked the swamp and although many people on other travel forums have complained about that, we liked it! It was calm, and private and yes, there were some mosquitos (not until late evening), but I prefer them to having everyone look at us out on our balcony if we were in the front part of the hotel.
The sports hut offers trips to the coral reef to go snorkeling for $2 per person…a real steal, as the other outfits start at $15-20 per person!! The only other cost is the $12 return taxi trip to Puerto Moreles where the boat leaves from. My children really enjoyed this activity.
Problems:
The beach is hit and miss depending on what the surf washed in the night before. I went down every morning around 7am, and the men were already working to rake up the seaweed, but so many rocks and coral chunks wash up that it is impossible to rid the beach of them all and it is uncomfortable to walk into the water or swim in the ocean in front of the hotel. However, if you walk down the beach to the right about 2 minutes, there are miles and miles of pristine beach with more or less clear areas to swim in. The waves were relentless, though, all last week, and I would not let children under 12 play in this water unsupervised.
Speaking of children, we were disappointed that the Kids Club only provided activities like Video Games and Arts and Crafts. Of course our kids weren’t interested in that if they could swim! As a result, we had very little free time as a couple…the kids hung out with us as there was nothing else for them, and no Teen Club at all for my 12 yr old to fit in and meet other young teens on the resort.
Reserve your chair poolside or on the beach by 8am by leaving a towel (we’d keep our towel from the day before and use it in the morning to reserve the chair, then get a new one when the pool people came on duty) Sometimes just leaving a towel is not enough as newbie resort people don’t know the etiquette that means a chair has been reserved by doing this. Our chairs were taken from us in this way one day, so I quickly learned to leave a water bottle or our sun-tan lotion, or a book/magazine on the chair as well as the towel.
Food: The food situation at first seemed ok..the buffet was great for our kids (11 and 12), especially the breakfast buffet where you’ll find everything you could ever want to eat. We were usually so full that we didn’t want much during the day which was a good thing because only the ‘snack’ restaurant by the pool serves food at lunch. There are only about 7 things on the menu…fish, hamburger (not like our hamburgers), grilled chicken sandwich, beef sandwich, club sandwich and one or two other things of the same type. There was a small buffet table there that served salsa, guacomole, tortilla chips and fresh veggies, icecream and some squares and cookies. This was ok for a day or two, but after 6 days, it got old and I would have liked to have had another choice of places to go for lunch. We were u
nable to get reservations for a la carte restaurants because there were only 2 restaurants open a night and with over 300 people at the hotel, reservations were at a premium, especially the early ones, so we did the supper buffet each night. Again, it was fun the first night or two, but then we kept seeing the same meals being recycled…over and over again. Some dishes were new, but nothing fancy or artistic was presented. It was like cafeteria food. Desserts were not good at all, very pre-fab and boring. (I’m a foodie and was looking forward to a 4.5 star culinary experience. especially after hearing my friends rave about food at these kinds of resorts) Some friends we met who tried the a la carte restaurants told us they really enjoyed the food and the service was excellent, especially the Asian restaurant.
Pools were freezing but after the sun warmed them, they were ok by about 2pm….no service at the swim-up bar–you had to get out of the pool and up to the poolside bar. (not a big deal, but it was something novel I wanted to try and didn’t get a chance to)
As I mentioned above, the sports hut offers trips to the coral reef to go snorkeling for $2 per person.However, I never would have known about it had I not read about it on an internet travel forum! There was nothing in the rooms announcing the activities for the day or the services that are provided for the guests.(they offer aqua-aerobics, yoga, salsa dancing lessons each day on the pool deck, but if you’re not poolside when the hotel reps come around announcing that they’re starting, you won’t know they’re happening!) For the snorkeling trip, go to the hut next to where the volleyball net is on the beach, between 8:30-9:00 in the morning. They only take about 14 or so each trip and this sells out early.
Bottom line: We really enjoyed our stay but I wasn’t blown out of the water as I hoped I’d be. If you’re looking for a quiet, isolated place to relax and don’t care if you’re not waited on hand and foot, NH Riviera is a good choice. If you have kids, there isn’t much for them there after they’ve tired of swimming or playing at the beach, especially for the pre-teen/teen set. The staff is very willing to help and they are the heart and soul of this place…so friendly and polite.
They still have a ways to go to be a 4.5 hotel, in my opinion, but they have made a good start.
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December 2008
I spent 1 week with my child at Eden Luxury or NH Riviera Cancun resort (the second names of the resort) and completely terrified with the experience. It’s absolutely unsafe and there was a guest seriously injured that required hospitalization in Cancun hospital because of the accident on premises. There were 2 who got food poisoning at Mexican restaurant with shrimps. Most of the services they advertised are not even available yet. Rooms are beautiful and truly 5 stars, however, room service is very poor. Staff is not trained and very much over-worked. Beech is very dirty with grass and garbage and basically stone dominated. Boat trips were cancelled for most of days during our stay because of the rough ocean. Pools are very cold and not heated. I am, glad we are safely home. I will NOT recommend this resort to anyone, especially if you have children.
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| NH Riviera Cancun | William |
November 2008
This resort is also know as NH Riviera Cancun. It is located in the Mayan Riviera near Puerto Morelos.
It has just opened on Nov. 20. We have also just returned from 7 days at the resort. We were, of course among their first guests. I’m sure there are several people who have booked and would like to know more about it.
As with any brand new resort, there are growing pains, for sure. When we arrived there were only somewhere between 20 to 30 of the approx. 700 rooms occupied. Initially the only option for dinner was one a la carte restaurant open per night – no buffet. This was great because the food was truly wonderful. The same could not be said for the service, however. Changes made during the week improved service daily as well as opening additional dining options. The rooms are also 5 *. There are quite large, very clean and of course, new. All have partial views of the beach but some look out on mangrove swamp. The pool was pretty cool for the first few days, but it too improved as the week went on. The beach is quite exposed, so the wind and wave were threatening to some. There were lots of rocks and correl on the beach, but crews of 20 men spent several days removing them by hand. Highly recommended is the complimentary boat trip to the reef for snorkelling. The staff as wonderful, if over-worked. The service issues we saw were largely because they were stressed, certainly not because they were not trying very hard.
To sum up the food, pool, bars, staff and rooms are 5 *. The service is improving daily as are the number of bars and restaurant opening. There are problems as you would expect as the number of guests increase dramatically, but they are dealing with them as things unfold. I recommend that you go there, but if you can, wait a bit to have these problems resolved.
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