For the money, you'd be hard pressed to find a better resort!
Dec 6, 2023 Nate W
My wife and I have just gotten back from Secrets Riviera Cancun and our time there was amazing for many reasons. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and wanted some nice, quiet, relaxation and this resort delivered it in spades.
First up, the star of the show, the food:
1. You need pants for the Mexican restaurant, which I forgot, so we…
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My wife and I have just gotten back from Secrets Riviera Cancun and our time there was amazing for many reasons. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and wanted some nice, quiet, relaxation and this resort delivered it in spades.
First up, the star of the show, the food:
1. You need pants for the Mexican restaurant, which I forgot, so we were denied dinner there the first night and had to go to "The Strip." This was a great decision if you like a nice marbled steak. I got the rib-eye and while it was THIN it was the most flavorful steak I've ever had in Mexico. The seasoning and grill marks made this steak amazing. The sides were okay for the most part but the mac and cheese was pretty darn good too.
2. We did eventually get to the Mexican restaurant and I'm glad we did. First off, get the Guacamole and the street tacos. (Al Pastor all the way, the steak ones are just okay). You might be full from that alone, but then get the Steak Pasilla. It's a filet, larger than the Rib-eye I got at The Strip and it's so tender and perfectly medium rare that it melted in my mouth. My wife ate half my steak it was so good. If you don't like spice then don't have them give you the pasilla sauce. That had some heat.
3. Rosewater has some tasty items no matter the time of day. Breakfast go for the ham and cheese croissant, it's a super flaky and buttery croissant. The PB&J waffles are also super tasty and come with lots of banana and berries on top. They also make amazing Coconut shrimp, nachos, chips and salsa and guacamole. For lunch try the shrimp burrito with the queso sauce. Excellent!
4. The hibachi restaurant is great too. We made a reservation for the hibachi and you get a TON of food and it's all delicious and tasty. We heard from others that just the dine in experience is great too.
5. The preferred club has some tasty treats too. The cookies that are always out are nothing gourmet but a nice sweet treat and if you are there during lunch time see if they have the spring rolls. Those things are like crack. Super tasty and you can put some sweet n sour sauce on it too.
- Just some things to mention, as no place is perfect, that during our stay we did have some duds. Not that they were horrible, but not to our tastes. The resorts pizza, whether room service or the restaurants, leaves much to be desired. Party it's they don't have true mozzarella, and the other part is the dough is just gooey and not flavorful. Also, we had some under-cooked steaks at "The Strip" but they fixed it immediately and my wife found a chicken bone (Very tiny) in one of her enchiladas. Nothing major and most of the food is excellent!
Now onto the resort:
1. This is like most resorts in Mexico. It's been around awhile, it's very pretty and beautiful, but it shows it's wear and tear. Things have been repainted, some things get broke, BUT this is one of the few resorts that I saw something broken, didn't say anything since it wasn't a big deal, and then the next day it was fixed. This resort cares about the grounds and property. What I saw at Rosewater was three outlets by a cordless phone. One outlet was cracked and the face-plate missing and the other two outlets were dirty and had rusty screws. Again, this was off to the side, didn't look grotesque and was just something I noticed. The next morning at breakfast all three outlets not only had new face-plates but new, non-rusty screws.
2. The resort is so small and cozy you are NEVER more than a 5 minute walk away from EVERYTHING.
3. The pools are super clean and well maintained. We had a swim-out room and the water quality was perfect each and every day, even after one night of heavy rain.
4. You can find yourself in the party or tucked away in a corner with some privacy. The resort is well thought out, even with the switch to the secrets/breathless layout.
- Couple of notes for those booking. Building 2 has the most sun on your patio and your swim-out room. You want to get tan, go to building 2. But, we found the water to be a touch chilly when the sun goes down. We noticed that building 3 had warmer water by about 10 degrees, even at night. So if you want sun, go building 2, if you want a warmer swim-out shoot for the building closer to Breathless.
And finally the people. The staff is what make any resort special.
1. Luis in the preferred club is the best bartender in the place. Always friendly, great service, smiling all the time and he can make any drink you'd like and with fresh fruit! Make sure to see him if you are preferred!
2. MAR at the secrets pool was our main waitress at our swim-out room. Always asking if we need anything, anticipating our drinks and even bringing us waters when we needed them the most. She also can get you lunch from a limited menu.
3. Urbano and Cruz were our other swim-out attendees and they are equally amazing. Always quick with a drink or recommending a shot. They always had a great attitude and great service.
4. Francisco at Rosewater was our nightly bartender during the live music or watching sports on the big outdoor TV. Great cocktails and held good conversation. Recommend he makes you an 1800 Margarita!
-Even the grounds crew are amazing, always raking up leaves, leaf blowing, power washing etc. Everyone is all working their hardest.
5. Our housekeeper DANIEL was also amazing. Everyday at our swim out he always asked if we needed a cleaning and while we sat in the swim out he was very discreet and quick. Our room was always spotless thanks to Daniel!
Overall Secrets Riviera Cancun was a great choice for a beautiful getaway, great food, excellent service and perfect weather. I would not hesitate to go back to this resort in the future.
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