Excellence Riviera Cancun - Adults Only All Inclusive

This was our first vacation at Excellence. Far exceeded our expectations which we admit, we're high. We have gone to Xcarate twice before and this resort matched what we thought was a very high level of expectation, but offered a different experience. The beach is wonderful and the food/drinks simply incredible. The staff are so incredibly positive, polite, friendly and helpful. We will definitely return sooner than later.

All aspects of our 4 stays over the years have been remarkably good. The cleanliness is remarkable and the grounds keeping is amazing! The staff in every area seem to truly work to ensure your stay is a wonderful as can be.

We have been coming to this hotel since 2013. We are from the UK so we come for 2 weeks sometimes 3. We have come for 3 times per since we were permitted to travel after covid. This is a lovely hotel but the thing that really make it special. The staff. They are wonderful. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They are friendly and extremely helpful. I am going to mention some so please bear with me and my apoliogies to anyone I have missed. Waiting staff and coffee shop staff. Margarita, Mariana, Elizabeth, Erika, Raquel, Santos, Matilde, Jorge, Hugo, Beatriz, Edin. Bar Staff. Jairo, Jorge, Pablo, 2 Felipes, 2 Oswaldos, Lino, Luis, Yovanny, Rolando, Eddy, Rodrigo, Benji. Restaurant Managers, hostesses and staff. Amelia, Jenn, Juan, Carla, Carolina, Yulisa, Angie, Carlos, Pablo, Aaron, Veronica. Managers. Limbirth, Fernando, Migali, Leylan. There is a lot of entertainment daily in the hotel from archery, daily bike rides to the local village to dance lessons and cocktail making to name name a few. The entertainment team do an excellent job of trying to involve guests. We know some guests do not want to take part and they understand this. The team are all lovely but there is one stand out. Angelo. He is a star. What we miss is the way entertainment has been cut. There used to be daily entertainment around the Sol Bar, eg singers, a saxophone player, a fabulous band at Rock N Burger at Las Olas when the menu was themed. Now there isn't even aqua aerobics. We have been told that corporate do not want loud music played.....not even for 45 mins of fun with the aerobics in the pool. We used to dress up in Christmas costumes in December and do the aerobics with the staff. This year, the amount of staff and return guests who were disappointed that we did not do it because they aerobics were cancelled, was enlightening. At night time, there are shows in the Theatre. The absolute stand out and NOT TO BE MISSED, is a trio at 8pm on a Monday. The singer is Claudia, guitar player, Javier and drummer, Mitch. All are excellent in their own right but Claudia is an amazing singer. She sings everything from Fleetwood Mac songs to Whitney. She takes requests from shout outs to Facebook and Instigram. A highlight of our holiday. Many returning guests we know, come especially to see them. The grounds are immaculately kept by the wonderful gardening staff. This visit we were honoured by planting a bush in accordance with the hotels Earthcheck policy. This is a highly coveted award that the hotel has for sustainability and recycling. When it says it is an all inclusive hotel, it means all inclusive. Coming from the UK and having holidayed in Europe, we understand that AL does not always mean AL. Food. The menus have been streamlined....not always for the better. Menus are on the app that you can download. Some restaurants have specials. NOTE TO CORPORATE. These should be listed on the daily app. In my opinion, The lunchtime buffet should be reinstated. This way, you can spend 15 minutes for lunch in an air conditioned room or a lot longer if you prefer eating as much or as little as you like. We find that the lunch restaurants that are open, duplicate a lot of choices. Would it not be better to close them all, except Las Olas on the beach, and move everything else to The Kitchen Table utilising all the staff there??? Further to this comment, coming from the UK, we do not want to come to a 5 star hotel to be constantly offered burgers, fries and hot dogs. It is just adds to the lack of choice. Rooms. Very large shower, whirlpool bath enormous bed, TV, hairdryer, toiletries and steamer. There is a coffee machine and well stocked gantry and minibar with bottles of spirits, wines, beers and soft drinks. There is also Oreo biscuits, crisps and chocolate. Pools. An excellent disabled pool with a ramp going into the water. There is a lazy river going through the property and of course there is the beach. Sargassum can be an issue, however, the hotel does everything it can to keep the beach clean and that is all you can ask. Overall. A great hotel. Wonderful staff. If you come for the first time, you will love it. CORPORATE. I know you wont but it may be an idea to ask returning guests and staff their opinions before making their changes. You are taking away the charm that we all know and love, from this hotel. I smacks of increasing prices and getting less for your money just for profit. s

We were very disappointed with our latest visit to ERC. We are Diamond members and have been coming to ERC twice a year. We want a quiet, couples-oriented resort with good food, good service, a nice beach, and nice rooms. ERC met these criteria when we first went there in 2023. However, since then the resort has become much noisier with large groups (often drunk and obnoxious) and the food quality has decreased substantially. For purposes of this review, we are comparing the resort now to what it was in 2023. The rooms and grounds are still nice, and the service is still generally good in the restaurants, room service, and for housekeeping. The Seasons transfers were good. However, many of the best staff from our previous visits are no longer there. Beach service is hit and miss depending on who is on duty. The beach concierges are generally MIA, spending almost all of their time around the pool and in their hut. We had one major service problem at Lobster House for dinner. We were seated, the waitress took our drink order, and then we did not see her for 30 minutes. We asked another waiter several times to tell her that we were waiting for our drinks and were ready to order. She finally came back, admitted that we had been forgotten, and apologized. First time that has happened. Some of the staff went above and beyond even the other generally good service: Juan and Miguel at Olas; Wilbrix, Juan de Dios, and Alejandro at Magna; Edy at The Kitchen Table; Mariana and Matilde at the Club Beach; Alejandro and Diego at Agave; and Arturo at Flavor Market. The major problems for us are with the decrease in food quality and the increase in noisy groups. The selections on the menu have been significantly reduced, many of our old favorites are gone, and the food quality overall has decreased. The decrease in food quality started after our first visit when the lunch buffet at the Kitchen Table had been eliminated, including the fajita bar. Other examples include: 1) ice cream has been eliminated as a dessert option at many restaurants; 2) no surf (lobster) and turf at Magna; 3) Magna breakfast has few options now without eggs anyway you want them or French toast; 4) seafood soup eliminated at most restaurants; 5) no snapper Veracruz for lunch at Lobster House. 6) no taco special (or any daily specials) at Olas; and 7) substituting salmon and cod for snapper and grouper. The noise level is becoming an even bigger problem. We have always booked an Excellence Club room because the Club beach and pool ae supposed to be quieter areas. They seem to now be increasingly catering to weddings and large groups to the detriment of couples. The large groups at dinner are often drunk, loud and obnoxious. They are holding weddings in the palapa on the club beach and on the docks with loud music and loud PA systems. The receptions held in Olas were so loud that we could not enjoy our balcony (Building 8) in the evening. In addition, they close Olas for the day to prepare for the receptions, eliminating one lunch option and leaving no snack bar for the day. One night while we were at Lobster House they held a loud reception in Oregano, making it very annoying in Lobster House and impossible to carry on a conversation. If they want to have loud weddings and receptions, they should construct a wedding venue palapa at the north end of the resort (noisier part of the resort) where it would bother fewer people. The restaurant managers should make the loud groups quiet down or leave. The dress codes are not being enforced. Men are wearing sleeveless t-shirts to dinner at Magna and women are wearing short shorts to dinner at the other restaurants. Mostly in the large groups. I don’t care what they wear, but if they are not going to enforce the dress codes, then they should just drop them. The grackles and seagulls were very aggressive at the outside restaurant areas this time. Apparently, they are not hiring the hawk handlers any longer and it has made a big difference. I have seen a lot of people complain about the Coatis. The grackles and seagulls are way more obnoxious. We saw a lot of family groups of Coatis that did not pay any attention to people. There were a few lone large males that were looking for food. We saw one jerk try to pick up a coati that fortunately did not bite him. The problem is the people feeding them, not the coatis. The resort should advise people not to feed the wildlife and not to put food trash in the trash cans, and then enforce these rules. The mosquitos were really bad this time including on our balcony and at the outdoor restaurants. They did hand out repellant at Agave. Bring insect repellant or suffer the consequences. We did not get the room that we had reserved ahead of time. At check-in, they said that the room reservation system was not being used. It is still on their website. Recently received an email saying that there would be a charge (enhancement) for reserving a specific room. Sounds like just another way to squeeze money out of guests, similar to the airlines charging for a specific seat. Our Rewards account(s) have been messed up since the new program went into effect. Even though I made all of the reservations, the account was originally somehow set up in my wife’s name and three of the stays were not credited. I contacted them at the designated email and explained the situation. After a lengthy wait, they replied and said two of the stays had been credited, and that they were working on the third, and that I could change the name on the account by following their directions. Could not get the name to change. Subsequently, we found that they had set up accounts in each of our names. Contacted them again and asked that they combine the accounts under one name. Never heard back. In addition, the address on the account is incorrect and we have been unable to get that changed either. Very frustrating. It is sad that this resort has changed so much. There have been an increasing number of reviews that echo these concerns. Many of the positive reviews are by first time reviewers with a single review in TripAdvisor. The food isn’t bad for an AI, but it is no longer outstanding and the quality and menu options have decreased substantially from what it was. We have seen the same thing happen at other resorts when there is a change in management or ownership. The noise from large groups and weddings/receptions has increased substantially and is a major problem for us. ERC is becoming just another Cancun party resort. They seem to be trying to save money by reducing quality and services, and to make more money by catering to large groups. The bottom line is that the value of this resort has decreased substantially while the prices have continued to go up. We had reservations for February, but cancelled them. We found a resort that better meets our needs. If ERC should return to the status that it had in 2023, we would consider returning again.

Fun trip. Right on the beach. Room service was excellent. The rooms are a bit outdated and starting to fall apart in places. Also the essential oils they use in the cleaning process is overwhelming. They really gouge you on prices at the gift shop and surrounding areas

Staff was once again amazing, as some of the restaurants had limited their menu’s, staff went above and beyond to compensate

-My deepest appreciation for what was truly an unforgettable stay at Excellence Riviera Maya. From the moment me and my wife arrived, it was clear that this resort is not only stunning in its surroundings, but also exceptional because of the people who bring it to life each day with genuine care, passion, and professionalism. We would like to sincerely recognize several outstanding individuals whose dedication elevated my experience far beyond expectations. At the Italian restaurant, Stephany, the Restaurant Manager, demonstrated remarkable leadership, attentiveness, and a true commitment to guest satisfaction. Her presence created a welcoming atmosphere where excellence felt effortless. We would also like to commend Stephany, the Chef, whose culinary skill was evident in every dish. The quality, flavor, and presentation were consistently outstanding and made each visit unforgettable. In addition, Chef Adolfo deserves special recognition for his exceptional talent and contribution to the dining experience — his passion for cuisine and attention to detail were clearly reflected in the food and overall dining atmosphere. Angelo from the entertainment team brought incredible energy, enthusiasm, and genuine joy to the resort. His ability to engage guests and create memorable moments added so much life and excitement to the experience. At the Mexican restaurant, Sergio, our waiter, provided impeccable service. His kindness, attentiveness, and pride in his work made every meal feel personal, warm, and truly special. The spa experience was outstanding from beginning to end. Daniela at the spa reception was welcoming, professional, and attentive, setting a calm and positive tone from the start. Cecilia and Merli provided exceptional spa services that were deeply relaxing and rejuvenating, reflecting the highest standards of care and expertise. We would also like to acknowledge Jennifer, Assistant Manager, along with Megan and Christian, trainers, for their professionalism, encouragement, and dedication. Their commitment contributed greatly to the overall excellence of the resort experience. A heartfelt thank you goes to the management team — Leylan, Fernando, and Gilberto. Their leadership, presence, and genuine care for guests truly distinguish this resort. Each of them went above and beyond to ensure our stay was seamless and memorable, and their influence is clearly reflected throughout the entire team. While our stay was overwhelmingly positive, we would like to respectfully share one area for improvement. our interaction with Jenifer at the Italian restaurant reception felt unwelcoming, and her manner came across as rude. This experience stood out only because it was so different from the exceptional service consistently provided by the rest of your staff. Overall, Excellence Riviera Maya exceeded our expectations in every way. The warmth, professionalism, and passion shown by your team are what truly make this resort extraordinary. We leave with wonderful memories and sincere gratitude, and we look forward to returning in the future. Thank you again for such an exceptional stay. Warmest regards, Nadir Ahmed

From staff to service, location and events. From food and it's quality and room service to management, this place is exactly what it is call, Excellence! Every time I have come to experience just gets better and better. Thank you for everything you guys do! There is no disappointment when it comes to this resort.

This was our third time at the resort and it did not disappoint. The entire staff are so attentive, friendly, and hard working! It says a lot when you go back year after year and the same employees and vacationers are there every year. It's a beautiful property but not too big that it feels overwhelming. The food is always really good, and the service is great. I also slept better there than I have in months. The beds are super comfortable and the rooms nice and cool. We love this property!

My wife and I have been to this resort twice and we will be coming back. Great staff, clean rooms and great service. We also saw a lot of staff out and about making sure things were in top shape (lot of maintenance people cleaning, painting and maintaining the grounds).