Excellence Riviera Cancun

When we decided to have a destination wedding, I must admit we were a little nervous. However, Excellence sets you up with a fantastic team to make your special day stress-free. We were lucky enough to have Elizabeth Calderon on our team, and she is truly a superstar. I don't...

When we decided to have a destination wedding, I must admit we were a little nervous. However, Excellence sets you up with a fantastic team to make your special day stress-free. We were lucky enough to have Elizabeth Calderon on our team, and she is truly a superstar. I don't know how she does it all, but from eight months out from our wedding day, she was communicating with us every step of the way. As the date got closer, my mom and I decided to visit the resort, and we were delighted that Elizabeth had set up a complete tasting and organized a meeting with our decorator. When our wedding day finally arrived, Elizabeth, as her usual self, made every detail even more spectacular and memorable. Our rehearsal dinner was AMAZING, she coordinated a beautiful space with music and lights, and the guests absolutely loved the food. And wow, our wedding, she really hit a home run. I didn’t have to worry about a single thing because she had everything coordinated perfectly, from the guests to the flowers, the music, and the décor. It was truly such a blessing to have her as our wedding coordinator. My friends, family, and I can’t stop raving about her. So thank you, Elizabeth, for making such a milestone in my life absolutely perfect.

Stayed at ERC for our 3rd time since 2019. Our length of the stay was 8 nights in February. Overall, we like the resort, but as many have recently commented its age is starting to show. We usually book club level ocean front, but with recent price hikes opted for...

Stayed at ERC for our 3rd time since 2019. Our length of the stay was 8 nights in February. Overall, we like the resort, but as many have recently commented its age is starting to show. We usually book club level ocean front, but with recent price hikes opted for a club pool view, which was OK. Wear and tear on the room(s) is showing, especially for a club level room. However, it was still nice. Check-in seemed quick and easy. Do not do the virtual check-in online, completely pointless as you do it all again when you arrive. We were a couple hours early so our room wasn’t ready. We were in the room by 300pm and assigned to Bldg 7. Room service was excellent all week. Cleaned and turned down every day and evening. Minibar was also well taken care of w/o asking. The toiletries/amenities have been downgraded from their standard Bvlgari. The room AC is preset to 69, and humidity wasn’t great, but tolerable. It was notable enough to where bed sheets felt damp at night. Of our 8 nights’ stay they only delivered the little desserts at turn down one night, where prior stays club rooms received that every night. Not a deal breaker but another decline in the little things that were noticed. Overall, the food and drinks were good. Never did any drink feel watered down and they usually had what you wanted. As always, the servers were outstanding. Always checked on and refilled. We tried a later evening snack at the sports bar one night but were told the kitchen closed early (2hrs early and showed open on their menu app?). We then opted for room service, which was not good. Only other disappointing food items were the chicken satays at Jasmine. Not even kidding when I say they were literally slices of boiled chicken on skewers lightly dipped in skippy peanut butter. Otherwise, all the food at other restaurants was good-great. Shout out to ALBA who made ‘kiwi fresh’ drinks happen for my wife. This drink was a standard at EPM/Beloved that apparently isn’t known or as common at ERC but requires fresh kiwi puree which they didn’t readily have most days. ALBA went out of her way to get this, and it was much appreciated. A few other shoutouts are ZAQUEO and MIGUEL at the swim up bar, DANIEL at Las Olas, ALEJANDRO at Chez, LUIS and EDWIN at Martini Bar, RODREGO at Lobster House, MARIANNE, MOISES and AMABELE at club beach and MICHELLE on the bike tour. HECTOR and CHEF ISIDRO at Magna really went above and beyond and created a shrimp dish one night for my wife that was amazing. HECTOR and RAFAEL really set the bar for great service at Magna. These people really made our vacation special. The silent discos were fun as always and the nightly entertainment was mostly upbeat and fun. Some of the acts were very engaging with the crowd so that made it fun to watch. Daytime entertainment staff were always engaging and fun as well. We did the bike tour to Puerto Morales one morning which was not what we expected. Its first come to the maybe 8 or 9 bikes they have all in need of some TLC. If you make the cut to go, it’s a fast paced, back streets ride down and your given literally 10-15min to shop, then head back. It was something to do, but having more time there to look around would've been better. We also noted there were A LOT of wedding parties going the whole time we were there. It was fun but odd as the last two stays here I think we saw maybe 1 wedding occur. A couple curve balls that kind of threw us was poor and/or straight-out misleading information being provided by staff at the excellence club. First, at the club level you receive the complimentary hydrotherapy session at the Spa (which IS NOT what it used to be). We scheduled this and tried to reschedule for another day but were told no and if we canceled, we’d forfeit that opportunity and lose it? (and you could only schedule it between 400pm-600pm?) Second, the day before we checked out, we verified our luggage would be picked up at noon. The woman at club reception said someone would be there by noon and if they were not leave the bags in the room. We were out by 1145 and left our bags in the room. When we arrived in the lobby to depart our luggage was still MIA (2hrs later). We checked with the club staff (same woman) who said someone tried to get the bags but were told to come back, which was a flat out lie, no one ever came to our room prior to us vacating it and we left our bags as she told us to do. So, the scramble ensued to go get our bags from our room to make our transfer on time. Lastly, our transfer wasn’t until 230pm and we had to be out of the room by 1200. We inquired with excellence club staff, where we could find a shower or changing facility prior to leaving. They told us several times the Spa will accommodate you with showers and a changing room. We did just that and were turned away by Spa staff and told to go use the workout facility bathrooms (not nearly as private as the Spa but it worked in a pinch). So, there was a sour taste on our departing day due to serious lack of communication. These issues never happened during our prior stays. From a managerial & accommodation standpoint, the machine seemed to be running much smoother on our last two visits. It was very noticeable this time around that management, consistency, and superior service from ALL was no longer the priority. That said, we did have a good time and didn’t let these hiccups take away from the great week had. However, we agreed we’d likely not be rebooking ERC and would try another excellence property, or another all-inclusive chain altogether, depending on where excellence price points keep going

After 11 trips to Excellence Resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, I'm sorry to say that this trip was the last for us. We have been spending our vacations at the Excellence resorts at least once and sometimes twice a year since 2017. We have always enjoyed ourselves and...

After 11 trips to Excellence Resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, I'm sorry to say that this trip was the last for us. We have been spending our vacations at the Excellence resorts at least once and sometimes twice a year since 2017. We have always enjoyed ourselves and the customer service was off the charts until recently. The quality of the food and service has diminished in the last few years. They even stopped serving lobster at the Lobster House. It's now just a shrimp restaurant. The evening entertainment is dull. There were some standouts in the service area at the restaurants like Luis at Chez Isabel, Adrian and Geraldo at the Habachi Grill. But other than that, it was lacking that personal touch. The main reason for the departure from Excellence is the way they have recently reformatted the rewards program for their most loyal customers. We went from being at the top of the tier as Diamond members to starting at the beginning again. No perks or upgrades anymore. They are now only recognizing visits from 2021 to the present day, which is fine because we have vacationed 5 times in that period, but they only recorded us as having two visits. When I brought this to their attention, they said they had no record of the visits and that I would need to produce a myriad of information for them. I have been emailing them for three years to update my stays on my profile, and when they finally do, they can't figure out when we stayed. It's very frustrating and terrible that they would treat their loyal customers this way. Not to mention a very bad business practice. By treating us like this, they have lost us as guests.

We visited ERC with another couple and had a amazing week. Great food at every restaurant, service was exceptional, and beach was wonderful. Had been to EPC a few years ago and that is a great resort, but would say that ERC is even better. EPC has probably a better...

We visited ERC with another couple and had a amazing week. Great food at every restaurant, service was exceptional, and beach was wonderful. Had been to EPC a few years ago and that is a great resort, but would say that ERC is even better. EPC has probably a better beach and the swim out rooms have ocean views which ERC does not have, but ERC has better food and better service. Wish I could name all the staff who provided such great service, but will shout out Javier who took care of us all week on the beach and Angel O made activities fun. Will say everywhere we were we were taken care off quickly and with a smile and staff. Other items to call out were: * Beach - sand is so soft but hard enough near the water to make for easy walking * Towels - have never had such a abundance of beach towels. They were always available and as many as you could ever want. * Chairs - especially at beach you could always find a chaise in the shade. The main pool was hopping so those chairs were taken early, but could usually find a chair at one of the other pools. * Food - excellent. Lots of variety and great quality. Even the lunch buffet (which is really just a really nice salad bar with al a carte menu for main dishes) was awesome. Salad bar itself was great, but we got the crab cakes and grouper and they were soooooo good. Didn't check it out to the last day and wish we had more time to have tried it earlier. * Activities - lots of variety and all fun. Bike tour to town, handy crafts, and all the evening shows. Only item I would say that could use help is the pool tables. Enjoyed a number of games but tables definitely a little warped and pool cues weren't in great shape. A couple items to note: * Seaweed on beach - we where there when not the season for sarassum but even so there is some seaweed on the beach normally. Excellence beach was the best taken care of all the beaches in the area (was being cleaned multiple times a day), but does have some seaweed. * Towels in room and sheets are not the softest * Restaurants on the water at night can be pretty breezy. Even though air temp was quite comfortable, the breeze made it a little cool later in the evening when eating * Restaurants don't need reservations (except for the Japanese show meal) which is great from our perspective, but sometimes did have a wait so recommend checking in a little early and can then go grab a drink while you wait. * Drinks were inconsistent. All were made from scratch and did find that drinks were a little different each time you got them

Lino and Gustavo were amazing! The food was honestly okay, nothing crazy good. It always looked way prettier than it tasted. But the drinks were amazing! Service was amazing. The room was nice, just a bit older. I wish the bathroom and toilet had a proper door though for some...

Lino and Gustavo were amazing! The food was honestly okay, nothing crazy good. It always looked way prettier than it tasted. But the drinks were amazing! Service was amazing. The room was nice, just a bit older. I wish the bathroom and toilet had a proper door though for some privacy.

We had a great time and will be back next year. We booked 5 nights (March 2025)directly with the hotel and received Seasons airport transportation as a result. Navigating the Cancun Airport wasn’t bad or hard. Once outside, we followed instructions in our Season email to find the representative. We...

We had a great time and will be back next year. We booked 5 nights (March 2025)directly with the hotel and received Seasons airport transportation as a result. Navigating the Cancun Airport wasn’t bad or hard. Once outside, we followed instructions in our Season email to find the representative. We were shortly in a private SUV and on our way to the resort. We stayed in a 2 story suite, non club. We loved the room and having our own private rooftop plunge pool. We often spent afternoons up there, sunbathing and having our own space with a waterfall to cool down. Each morning, we walked over to Aroma (coffee bar) and grabbed a coffee, juice, and water. Then we went to the beach around 8am. We had no problem finding chairs under shade. The beach was clean, the water was calm and warm. Yes, there is seaweed but they have a tractor that is used to remove much of it from the beach. We loved seeing our attendant, Javier, every day. Javier was friendly, speedy, and kept us stocked with water/pina coladas/Miami vices. The big reason we will return is because of the staff. They were professional, friendly, and seemed happy to be there. When you walk around the resort, you encounter staff often, and they are all smiling and offer a cheerful “Hola, Buenos Dias, Tardes.” We ate at 5 restaurants and our favorite was Chez Isabelle. We also arranged (at the concierge) to do the Mexican Wine tasting and Tequila tasting. The wine tasting was led by Enrique, who is a sommelier and was so friendly and knowledgeable. The Tequila tasting was led by Manuel, the manager or Chez. We had a great time with Manuel and Enrique. We also booked the private dinner inside the wine cellar of Chez (300$ fee) but it was the best dinner we had and came with a bottle of champagne and a Mexican wine. Our server was Fernando and he was so accommodating and friendly. During our meal, we were visited by Manuel and Enrique and they were joking around with us….it was absolutely perfect. All 3 gentlemen are the reason we will be back. We attended the evening shows and all were good. Our favorites were the saxophone player and the Acoustic Trio with Claudia. Most evening events end by 10pm. Things to note: - Get the Excellence app. It gives you restaurant menus, dress codes, schedule of events and activities. - Bring a beach bag (we didn’t, and will next time) - Highly recommend the Wine tasting, Tequila tasting and Private Dinner Thanks Excellence Rivera for a fantastic, relaxing, and romantic vacation!

We decided to celebrate our birthdays this year with a quick 4 day visit to ERC . Our 2nd visit there and 8th visit to an Excellence Brand resort . Needless to say we love this brand. We had a later flight as we arrived in Cancun around 9:00 ,...

We decided to celebrate our birthdays this year with a quick 4 day visit to ERC . Our 2nd visit there and 8th visit to an Excellence Brand resort . Needless to say we love this brand. We had a later flight as we arrived in Cancun around 9:00 , packing light we were in and out of the airport in 12 minutes! Caesar was our driver with Seasons. Very friendly and professional. We had a quick check in & I also confirmed with the concierge desk about a private cabana I’d reserved. No issues with the reservation on the cabana. The front desk and concierge are number one ! We reserved a Jr Suite in the non Club side overlooking the Spa in the #5 building. A nice room with a view of the Spa and Lazy River . Awaiting us in the room was a nice bottle of Moet & small birthday cake . . A very nice gesture! Our beach cabana was wonderful splurge for our birthdays. Raul took great care of us as did Moise one of the beach waiters ! We ate at The Grill , Agave & French restaurants as well as the Kitchen Table for breakfast. Everything is top notch in our books . The staff truly makes this resort number one ! The resort is so wonderful that we are returning later this spring for a longer visit

My husband and I visited Excellence Riviera Cancun for our 28th wedding anniversary from January 18th - 24th, 2025. (My review is delayed due to family health issues when we returned home.) This was our ninth stay at Excellence properties and our sixth stay in a row at ERC. This...

My husband and I visited Excellence Riviera Cancun for our 28th wedding anniversary from January 18th - 24th, 2025. (My review is delayed due to family health issues when we returned home.) This was our ninth stay at Excellence properties and our sixth stay in a row at ERC. This place is like a home away from home for us and we always look forward to a week of relaxation and superior service, surrounded by the beauty of a Mexican paradise. The only disappointment was the weather, which our friends obviously have no control over. It was unusually cool and rainy this year. However, all staff members worked hard to ensure that guests still had a wonderful time. Now on to what my husband and I love about ERC. At the top of the list is – the people! ERC feels like home because everyone we meet – landscaping, housekeeping, wait staff, poolside and beach service, management, entertainment – literally EVERONE is kind and welcoming. This general spirit of the resort keeps us coming back each year. This year was no exception, and we want to name a few ERC staff members who went above and beyond to ensure our stay was fantastic this year. First of all, we want to recognize poolside and beach service, because we spend most of our day in those areas and interact with these guys the most. Jorge, Antonio, and Matilde are the BEST! All three of them recognized us from previous years and made sure we had everything we needed. We enjoyed conversing with them about everything from Mexican culture to our home lives, but they also balanced that with working hard to serve all the guests in a timely manner. Next, we want to recognize Geraldo and Adrian at Spice Hibachi. What a fun evening! Adrian also recognized us from previous visits, and Geraldo's antics kept everyone in our group laughing. Both of these guys also took careful consideration into providing gluten-free options for me, as I have Celiac disease. At Chez Isabel, Luis provided such great service that we came back a second time! He is fantastic at his job and also very personable. The same can be said for Edin at Aroma, who always had a smile to go with my coffee. And finally, on our last night, my husband really wanted some fries while we watched the evening show. He was unable to get them from the Sports Bar, but Amir told him that he would take care of it – and he did, even though I am pretty sure that's not a usual request. There is a lot more we could say about ERC because we also enjoy the property, the food, etc. But as musicians, we want to give one last shout-out to the entertainment! Several years ago, we suggested that live music was far superior to lip-synching, and management has definitely made improvements in this area. Specifically, our favorite is the lovely and talented Claudia Trevino. But we also really enjoyed one of the pre-show bands (pictured), as they were so talented and the lead singer was fun and engaging. We would listed to them as a headline show. And a special nod to the six-string bass player during the Circus – wow! So the bottom line is – we love ERC! Can't wait to be back next year.

My partner and I researched a lot of resorts in the Cancun Riviera Maya area, as we have never been before. The overwhelming number of positive reviews for the Excellence compelled us to book with them, but I still remained skeptical prior to our trip as it seemed almost too...

My partner and I researched a lot of resorts in the Cancun Riviera Maya area, as we have never been before. The overwhelming number of positive reviews for the Excellence compelled us to book with them, but I still remained skeptical prior to our trip as it seemed almost too good to be true. I am happy to report the reviews should be believed! The check in process was seamless. We arrived 2 hours before check in and they held our bags and we were able to grab a drink by the pool. Our room was clean and comfortable. Room service was impeccable. The food was amazing. I had low expectations given that I have heard bad things about all-inclusive resort dining, but the food was genuinely good and Chez Isabelle was comparable to many DC-area restaurants. However, Basmati was our favorite restaurant. It seemed to be the least crowded, likely because Indian cuisine doesn't seem like a natural choice for a beach vacation. Do not skip this one! Lobster House was also great for lunch or early dinner with great views of the ocean. The service was simply amazing. The drinks were high quality. They had a variety of liquor options. The pools were very clean and we enjoyed that people seemed to naturally funnel themselves into three "vibes" - the pool closest to the ocean was the fun, party pool with activities, the swim up bar, and a lot of young people. The middle pool was a nice mix of people relaxing and partying. The lazy river pool seemed to attract a quieter crowd and was nice for reading, napping. There was a pool for whatever mood you were in! The grounds are very well kept as well. The beach was very clean and the workers were very attentive. Antonio was extremely fast with drinks, snacks! The spa was an amazing experience. We did the couples massage. It was very relaxing and I felt like it was a great value for the experience. They were very flexible with scheduling and even switched my reservation from outdoors to inside with short notice. We also got to see some wildlife on the resort. There are a lot of iguanas, they are very cute. They seemed to hang out by the jacuzzi near the spa. We also saw a coati as well as an agouti.

My husband and I stayed for one week at ERC. It is our 4th time at the property. The staff was very welcoming from the moment we stepped out of the car. Check in was smoothe and our room was ready right away. The room was lovely with a view...

My husband and I stayed for one week at ERC. It is our 4th time at the property. The staff was very welcoming from the moment we stepped out of the car. Check in was smoothe and our room was ready right away. The room was lovely with a view of the Excellence pool and the ocean. Housekeeping was also prompt and well done. Almost all of the servers at restaurants were very good to excellent, with the exception of Basmati - not awful, just not great. Food at basmati had also gone down hill in our opinion. We enjoyed the food at all of our meals - Agave had really good apps, Chez Isabelle was delish, and magna was gorgeous for our 20th anniversary meal. The only drawback for me was a lot of seafood options and less chicken options, but that is a small complaint. Abner was our server at breakfast at Magna and we really liked him. There was also Fatima and one other server with them but I’m so sorry I cannot remember his name. We spent our days by the main Excellence pool and loved it. Our time was made extra special because of the wonderful service - in particular Mario and Raul from pool concierge and Santos who was our drinks server. Mario, Raul and Santos were super friendly and warm, and always ready to help make our day relaxing and memorable. I also visited the spa which was so lovely - Jessica was my massage therapist twice and she was absolutely wonderful. My husband also had a Very good experience at the spa. We did the hydrotherapy session together and although it is shortened from our past visits, it was still very nice, with Abraham and the other workers making our experience good. The grounds are extremely well cared for. I walked the paths each morning and enjoyed seeing the coati and iguanas and birds. The gym is clean and well appointed, but it is small, and felt cramped during the busy early morning hours. Overall, we had a wonderful stay at ERC and would love to come back again soon.

We have been many times to this resort in the Cancun area and keep coming back. Yes, the food is great, the resort layout is perfect...but in the end, it is the staff. Their caring attitudes and willingness to go out of their way is beyond words. After 14 years,...

We have been many times to this resort in the Cancun area and keep coming back. Yes, the food is great, the resort layout is perfect...but in the end, it is the staff. Their caring attitudes and willingness to go out of their way is beyond words. After 14 years, it has not only become an expectation, but the key reason we keep returning year after year. There are so many wonderful staff members here it is difficult to single out those who are just doing their job every day but in such a way that it makes you stop and notice! This year as with other years, there were several who stood out....the ERC Club Pool Concierge Team (Alexa, Raul, Daniel, Mario and Sam) were there bright and early everyday during our two week stay to welcome us regardless of the time of day. (typically,6am) Always going above and beyond to ensure our holiday was not just special, but amazing. 2nd there was Benjamin Torres....always courteous and caring, he is a long-time employee at the resort who knows us well. He continually goes out of his way to make sure we are always taken care of and made to feel special. He stands out to us as one of the best waiter's we have come across in our many travels. I must also give praise to Leylan Villanueva for all she does for us every visit. This year there was a mix up with our reservation and I called her in a panic. She went above and beyond in ensuring the matter was resolved and to reassure us that everything was taken care of. The staff.......each and every one of them go out of their way every day to make sure your vacation is amazing and memorable. They truly value us as repeat customers and take us in as family....the family of which we are proud to feel part of. Lastly, special mention should go to Fernando for his repeated attention to detail year after year and his overall professionalism when dealing with us as repeat guests. We appreciate it and look forward to seeing you next year.