Excellent place to stay

Clean room, friendly staff, wonderful pool, good food, fantastic beach, average entertainment.... One of the best adult only resorts in Mexico. I have been different places last few years, but this is the one I would like to go again...

Amazing Resort - Must Go

The hotel was perfect. It was just what we needed to to get away and relax. The lazy river was awesome. The food was delicious and the drinks were right on point. We had a swim-out room and I would definitely recommend upgrading to that room. We didn't upgrade to the Excellence Club level and we didn't feel left out. The nightly entertainment was great. Loved the fire show.

First class all the way

The food was exceptional. Many great restaurants to choose from and no reservations needed. The hotel was clean with top notch service. They provide every comfort you can possibly want. My only complaint would be about the beach. Much sea weed is tossed on the shore by the waves. A tractor drives up and down the beach all day, hauling away the sea weed. The tractor is loud and smells of diesel, and is very annoying. There is a lazy river and the hotel provides many mats to float along its path.  [... lire plus]Many activities are available, such as kayaking, beach volleyball, food and drink preparation lessons, dance lessons, etc. You can be as busy or as lazy as you like. For the most part, this is a resort of those who like a tranquil experience. The few hard-party hounds we saw were the exception. The evening shows were good for the most part, especially the singers in the square in the early evening. We have visited this resort three times and have never been disappointed. The guests seemed to be mostly a mix of British, Americans and Canadians.

Favourite resort!

This resort was almost perfect! If you could put that pretty water that I have had at resorts in Cuba, at this resort, I don't think I would ever go to any other resort ever again. I know this is not the resorts fault. The resort....wow!!! Everything about it was great, it looked like everyone had a great view and the rooms very nice and well kept. The room was cleaned twice a day with lots of fresh towels and facecloths. The mini bar was also stocked everyday, with different kinds of drinks, in [... lire plus]cluding pop, juice and beer. There were also snicker bars, m &m's, and oreo's. We did not upgrade and felt we were not missing out on anything! The food was good and there was a large menu you could order off room service , open 24 hrs. Breakfast was good, you could choose the buffet or there were at least two other places to order off a menu. I loved all of the options for lunch, several restaurants opened depending on what you felt like. if you didn't feel like throwing on a cover up or t-shirt, there was a place on the beach to get lunch. For dinner there were no reservations needed which I love! If the restaurant you chose to dine in that evening was busy, they would give you a buzzer and you could wait at one of the fabulous bars while waiting for a few minutes. I think there were 8 restaurants to choose from, all great. There was also a new coffee shop, called Aroma, it was soooo good. Amazing specialty coffees, as good as Starbucks! The beach was great with lots of loungers and never a problem to get one. Nice white powdery sand. Lots of places in shade or sun, depending on what you are feeling. The beach service, fantastic, hardly finished one drink and someone there asking if ready for another! The pools were the best I have seen. There were lots of floaties to grab and laze around the lazy river, very relaxing. There were also several chairs around the pools, sun and shade. There was also an amazing spa, the building was gorgeous. I did not do the spa experience, but everyone that did says it was great. You could grab a floatie and float around it, the soft music and the smell coming from it, was so relaxing in itself. I will go back to this resort some day and plan on doing one of the spa treatments. There were so many good things about this resort, one being no beach chair reserving, loved, loved it! You could go to the beach at 10 and there would still be lots of chairs, and the beach towels....never a shortage! I loved the entertainment here. There was always something going on. Music at pool everyday and the beach being so close you could hear it, really liked this aspect of this resort. There was always music at the little plaza - pre dinner everyday, really enjoyed this and then more action at theatre at 9 or so, everything quite entertaining, would have to say Michael Jackson show was my favourite. I could go on and on about this resort. We have been to a few over the years and always have gone a 4 or 5 star, but this was far the best, I cant wait to return here.

Excellent resort

Nice rooms, very friendly staff.. We have travelled all over the Caribbean and been to 6 sandals.. Only resort we have been to twice.. Love the food, the lazy river pool and very quiet.. Love that adult only, great gym and comfortable beds

ERC - Beautiful Mexican Resort !

If you are looking for a beautiful resort with everything you expect in a luxury hotel, search no further. The Excellence Riviera Cancun delivered the wonderful experience we were looking for. A short 20 minute commute from Cancun airport and you're there. From the "welcome home" greeting upon arrival at ERC, to the hug good-bye from the entertainment staff, we loved this resort. We've been to Cuba, Dominican and Mexico before but this resort topped them all. The entire staff on this resort go o [... lire plus]ut of there way to ensure your stay is enjoyable and memorable. The resturants were all lovely with exceptional food and atmosphere. No reservations were required which we really appreciated. The daily and nightly entertainment was the best we've seen for resort entertainment. The live musical acts each day were exceptionally good. The Mexican Fiesta night was a highlight for the nightly entertainment. The resort grounds are extremely well kept and maintained with gorgeous flowers and schrubs wherever you look. If you like quiet areas to read, sunbathe or just relax in the shade away from the entertainment, there were plenty of spots along meandering pools around the resort. If you like music, entertainment and contests with plenty of action, there is lots of that too on the beach or at the pool bars. Our room was clean, inviting and had very comfortable beds. The large shower was wonderful. Our balcony was spacious with a chair and custom lounger. The fridge was well stocked each day with cold beer, water, juice and soda. The room also came stocked with wine, vodka, rum, tequilla, snacks. We stayed in Spa 3 on the third floor which gave us a great view of the resort and the sun rising each morning over the Carribean Sea. We enjoyed the resort activities very much. Archery, air rifle, beach volleyball and a bicycle ride to Puerto Morellos to name a few. We did a 1/2 day excursion to Playa del Carmen and shopped while we strolled 5th Avenue. The ERC is an outstanding value for this level of resort. We met many nice guests that were from Canada, United States, Britain and Scotland. We did not take advantage of the spa but heard many great reviews from other guests of the resort. We will definitely take advantage of the spa on our next visit to ERC.

Amazing resort and relaxing vacation

Very relaxing resort .. Rooms nicely renovated, gorgeous grounds and very quiet spots along the lazy river.. Staff very friendly and loved the Indian and French restaurant.. We have been to 4 sandals resorts and excellence is on or above par to sandals resorts.. In our travels this is the only resort we have come back to for a 2nd visit.. Not the nicest beach ,but loved the spots around the pool.. Book now as you will not be disappointed.. Also loved the gym as great equipment, clean and modern.

Amazing resort!

I have been to many all inclusive resorts and this one was the best I have been to so far. It was a perfect size to get around, the food was amazing, I loved not having a limit on resteraunts and not having to make reservations in advance. The rooms were beautiful and the service was top notch.

Incredible

My wife & I spent our honeymoon at Excellence Riviera Cancun & it did not disappoint! It was truly incredible, from the service, to the restaurant & layout of the resort. We have been down south the past three years always staying at nice resorts of at least 4 stars and above. The Excellence Riviera Cancun is indeed a true 5 star resort for great value. With 10 restaurants the resort boasts a variety of food choice from Indian, Japanese, Mexican and even has a Tapas restaurant. The place never f [... lire plus]elt crowded and if you wanted to get away to a secluded area, they weren't hard to find. The service was fantastic, with each staff member tending to your needs. My wife and I found that there was always someone cleaning around the resort, the place was extremely clean. To summarize...just go here.

Great resort

We had a wonderful vacation at the resort. Awesome food, great pools, spa and surrounding areas. Only issue was the beach chairs being very uncomfortable, but wouldn't make or break the deal!! They really need to stretch the fabric again as you can see the plastic bars under the fabric. Other than that, GREAT vacation. Can't wait to go back. French had the BEST food, then Spice , Then Italian. didn't do the Tapenyaki grill at spice though so can't comment.

Excellence Riviera Cancun - our favourite resort

The facilities are superior, the food excellent with one minor exception. The staff pleasant throughout our time at the hotel. We really enjoyed our one week stay and will return sometime in the future.

Great resort, not so great service

The resort itself was amazing. We absolutely loved the swim-up room. The food for the most part was very good. The NYE dinner wasn't great, but can be expected when they were serving probably close to 1000 meals. We didn't get to try all of the restaurants as they had a beach buffet one night, the NYE dinner, and we also had dinner on the beach as part of the honeymoon package. The only restaurant that we ate at and didn't particularly enjoy was the Italian one. The Indian restaurant was definit [... lire plus]ely our favourite meal. The spa was absolutely amazing. The facilities were top notch and the service impeccable. My wife says that it was the best massage that she has ever had, and the therapist even put a fancy braid in her hair during the scalp portion. Being able to do all of the hydro therapy and the massage together as a couple was a really nice experience. Where the resort fell short was in the service. With a few exceptions (our pool waitress, the Asian restaurant, the spa, and our beach dinner servers were fantastic), the service left a lot to be desired. It appeared at times as if they were understaffed. The staff that they did have on often seemed unhappy, or didn't care very much about the guest experience. You would often see staff socializing with each other, while ignoring guests. There was little consistency with things like the minibar being restocked as some days is was restocked early morning, other days very late in the day, and one day extremely late after we asked three times to have it done. With the exception of our last day, the maid service was not what I'm used to. Some days it only consisted of them making the bed and replacing towels. Our bathtub was dirty for 2 full days at one point, and they often left without sweeping up sand off the floor. If the service was on par with other resorts that I've visited, then we would definitely go back, probably multiple times. But I don't see myself spending that much money again for that kind of service. It really is too bad, as we absolutely loved the resort. I would rate the physical resort 5+ stars, but the service 2.5 - 3 stars.

Amazing Honeymoon vacation!

My husband and I stayed here for our Honeymoon and it was absolutely amazing!! Food is great, restaurants are amazing, staff is unbelievable and rooms are clean! Best vacation we have had yet! Great!!

Beautiful Break

The resort could accommodate people with mobility issues. If you choose to take a family or friend who has difficulty with stairs or requires a wheel chair, this is a resort for you. Almost all venues, accept the beech are wheel chair friendly. You cannot make sand stable enough for a wheel chair, but the pools, hot tubs, and all but one restaurant had easy entry access. On the first day we had some confusion about room cleaning. I called the front desk and they put us on an early morning daily [... lire plus] schedule. After that, we would go to breakfast and upon our return our room was cleaned, towels changed, etc. The hotel was laid out very well making finding locations, restaurants, activity areas, etc. easy to find. We participated in air rifle shooting and archery although there were many other activities running all day and into the evening. There is a small gym; it had about eight cardio machines and a variety of dumbbells, plus major muscle group machines. I would like them to add a machine capable of allowing pull -ups and chin- ups. Every evening musicians and bands would come to entertain us.These activities occurred in the early evening and later on into the night. All shows were tasteful and entertaining. I was especially impressed with the early shows, starting around 6:30 pm, as we like to go to bed early. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. We had a problem with a broken item in our room, I called the office, a repairman arrived within 15 minutes, completed the repair quickly and departed. We received a call almost immediately to enquire if the repair was completed to our satisfaction, which it was. There was a lot of seaweed on the beach, but that is the weather not the resorts fault. There were almost always enough beech towels and usually good seating, whether by the pool or at the beach. My family and I, particularly enjoyed long walks on the silky, sandy beach. We had a wonderful holiday and would seriously consider this resort again.

Awesome resort

The grounds,buildings,beaches,pools and everything else was amazing.The service was second to none and all the people were very friendly.We also loved the 24hr room service.The way they up keep the hotel you would think it was new,I would be scared to try some where else now in fear of big disappointments.

Another outstanding visit.

Our 5th visit to Excellence Riviera Cancun, November 22 – December 6th, was excellent. We were delighted to find the road from the highway to the resort has been paved; what a difference. We received a warm welcome from Gustavo, our favourite former waiter in Barcelona who is now with the bellboy team. The front desk staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a room we were happy with; 6307. All the in-pool loungers and side tables have been replaced, the gardens immaculate and an overall br [... lire plus]ight, clean feel to the resort. The food was the best ever. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch each day at The Barcelona and there was something to please every taste. A friendly greeting from Gabriela, Armando to ensure everything was running smoothly and Isac, Jose and Martin to look after us made for a pleasant experience each day. The addition of the Mexican specialties at lunch was a treat for the taste buds; poblano chili turkey breast, chicken in guajillo pepper sauce, chicken chimichanga, chicken tinga, chicken wings with pasilla pepper sauce, marinated beef, beef meatballs in guajillo chilli sauce and beef tacos were some of our favourites. The ice cream, as always, was outstanding and I loved the breads and pineapple filled berlines at breakfast and the Paris Brest at lunch. We ate at Chez Isabelle six times, Spice and Toscana three nights each and twice at The Grill. With the exception of one dinner in Chez Isabelle, all meals were excellent. There is a daily menu at Chez Isabelle that runs on a 30 day cycle which is the reason we ate there so often. Juan oversees the restaurant and the excellent staff and the renovations last year has resulted in a larger but still intimate setting. It was wonderful to see Ramon moving up from his former position in The Barcelona. The Grill and Lobster House menu has been combined and offerings reduced while the restaurant is being renovated. Santiago is a great Manager and always provides a warm welcome. The tenderloin I had was exceptional, my husband’s lobster a bit chewy. We look forward to a return of the regular menu next year and the newly renovated restaurant. Ramon oversees Toscana and was always willing to provide special requests. We were delighted to have Guillermo serve us again this year. Dio, our favourite waiter from Chez Isabelle, is now providing excellent service at Spice. Isabel at Revive prepared excellent smoothies each day and our mini bar was restocked daily. The renovations underway had no effect on us but, that being said, we stayed at one of the quiet pools. If you prefer to be where the noise/action is, I would suggest the end of February as an ideal time to visit to ensure the renovations are completed. The ONLY negatives were the shower temperature/water pressure fluctuation, and the bolsters and pillows on the huge, comfy pool beds getting soaked by the rain or blown into the water. I realize it would create more work but, for 5 stars, I would expect these items to be collected and stored indoors overnight as they were in the past. We are looking forward to our return next year already!!!

A wonderful relaxing holiday resort

Beautiful resort---grounds well kept and attractive. Food in every restaurant is excellent. Enjoyed having lunch at the Oregano outdoor restaurant and Luis, a very pleasant waiter. Bar waiters are amazing how they can prepare any drink so quickly and with a smile. All staff always had a Hola which makes one want to keep coming back.

Could have been a great vacation!

In general, this Hotel's standards were as we expected for the considerable price we paid. The only issues worth mentioning as a warning to future guests are as follows: After my wife was bitten several times, we found bugs in our room and had to have it fumigated; that rectified the problem. The hotel surroundings were well kept, and the restaurants (several choices) were very nice. Our opinion of some contracted businesses allowed to work on the hotel premise was mediocre at best and we ran in [... lire plus]to a significant issues with the scuba diving shop and it's operator. They did not nearly provide the services listed on the Excellence Riviera URL (internet site) and displayed a negative attitude when we showed them what the internet stated the hotel provided. It's our opinion that the Excellence Riviera should have more control on who they allow access to their grounds to provide services to the guests. We were so irate that I took time to write a letter to the hotel Entertainment Manager (Mr Antonio Galaz) but rather than taking action to correct our issue he opted to leave the matter for his Concierge staff to handle. They (the Concierges) did as best as could be expected considering their limited authority, but fell short of rectifying our issue the way it should have been. In our opinion, the Entertainment Manager should have communicated with the Scuba shop and arranged for him to provide us with the equipment the Hotel URL stated they would provide. This issue didn't ruin our vacation but it certainly left us very disappointed! Here is a copy of the letter written to Mr Antonio Galaz March 12, 2014 Mr Antonio Galaz Entertainment Manager Carretera Fed. Chetumal Puerto Juarez Km 324-342, Mza 7 L 1 S.M. 11 Puerto Morelos Q, Roo, Mexico C.P. 77580 Re: Excellence Riviera Resort Online Marketing and Onsite Facilities Dear Mr Galaz, Prior to our departure from Canada on 6 Mar 2014, my spouse Jane and I put a lot of time in planning our vacation in an effort to make our first holiday in beautiful Mexico a memorable one. We wanted to ensure that no detail would escape our attention and that nothing would be forgotten. With this in mind, we carefully read all the available information detailed on the Excellence Riviera online site. Among numerous other information we read, we noted clearly written under “All Inclusive Luxury” the following information: Enjoy unlimited access to any—or all—of the following amenities at Excellence Riviera Cancun: Use of Hobie Cats, and surf boards, sea kayaks, snorkel gear and paddle board. Since the information we obtained on the internet was clear about the use of snorkel gear for our enjoyment & free of charge, we opted to bring only our own snorkeling masks and breather tubes because our masks have prescription lenses and are a perfect fit. Another reason for not bringing our fins is that it would have forced us to bring another bag (because of size and bulkiness) which would have forced us to check it for the flight. This would have been an inconvenience to us since we always strive to use only carry-on luggage to simplify our traveling and speed-up airport transit. Having arrived at the Excellence Riviera Resort, and enjoyed a few relaxing days, we inquired on the 12 March about the availability of snorkeling gear (fins) as the weather was favorable and we felt like getting wet. After going to the beach where the kayaks are kept and asking about fins to snorkel, we were directed to the Excellence Riviera diving shop close to the pool. We spoke to Bob at the scuba shop and he informed us that the only people who could be fitted with fins are paying customers who purchase paid snorkeling tours or scuba diving tours. He also stated that only masks and breather tubes are available providing a $40.00 deposit (each) was paid. Considering we love snorkeling and our intention was to remain in front of the Excellence Riviera Resort within the roped off swimming area, we were very much disappointed and frustrated from how this simple wish turned into a kilometer of red tape. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Bob left me with the impression that unless we had money for him he was not interested in helping us. This chain of events left Jane and I no longer wishing or interested in snorkeling for the remainder of our stay. After speaking with Mr Bronsson Comacho (Chief Concierge) it was explained to us that the Scuba shop and staff are actually not Excellence Riviera staff, but are a separate firm contracted to work on the premise. Nevertheless, my opinion is and remains, that if customers are left frustrated by external contracted firms, those results unfortunately reflect on the Excellence Riviera even if it should not. This is part of the reason I am providing this issue in writing. Regardless of the turnout of these events, it would not be fair if we didn’t mention the care and attention provided us by Mr Comacho. He truly went out of his way beyond our expectations to facilitate and provide us extra perks to make up for this disappointment. He was very understanding and admitted to the lack of details on the URL (internet web site) which causes customers to believe that all snorkeling gear would be available at the Excellence Riviera, and doesn´t contain reasons for the unavailability of snorkeling fins from the diving shop. We hope pointing out this issue in writing will ameliorate communication on the Excellence Riviera Web URL, and between future customers and the Dive shop located on the premises. We would hate to see such a gorgeous resort as the Excellence Riviera, suffer negative results from an issue which could be so easily resolved. In passing, another detail which was not discussed with Mr Comacho, is that the Web site (URL) for the Excellence Riviera Cancun resort also offers a free Scuba Diving familiarization given in the pool on hotel site. Jane and I are qualified PADI divers and since we hadn´t dived for an extended period, we inquired at the scuba dive shop to see if we could participate in such a refresher session. We were immediately informed by Bob that there is a $45.00 ea cost to this famil session. Another Excellence Riviera internet Web Site discrepancy (or is it a dive shop issue?) Thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter. We appreciated any effort on your part to rectify these issues, and we welcome feedback from you at your convenience. We will reside at Excellence Riviera room 2101 until 20 March 2014. If you care to reach us after our departure, refer below. Best Regards,

The Excellence in February

What a great resort..we were in the Club Excellence suite with the pool on the top floor. The rooms were excellent, food was great, entertainment was great..not a bad thing to say about this resort. The Excellence has the longest lazy river we have ever seen..they should have na couple more bars along the lazy river. The beach was great..you can take long walks in both directions, with a small local village about 10 minutes down the beach.. we will definately return!!

Awesome resort

I can find no fault with this resort. I have stayed at a dozen or more in Mexico and this is by far the best. Beautiful facilities, great food, very helpful and service oriented staff. Would return in a heartbeat !!