Situated in the Riviera Maya area, approximately 45 minutes south of Cancun airport, and only 15 minutes away from the famous 5th Ave in Playa del Carmen, the Ocean Riviera Paradise is situated beachfront in a residential resort area. The Ocean Riviera Paradise is a family friendly, All-Inclusive resort that just opened a little more than a year ago. It is in an ideal location if you are someone who loves long beach walks with some picture-perfect scenery in a modern Caribbean style resort.

THE RESORT 

The resort is build narrowly, boosts 974 junior suites and suites, but is still quaint enough to find yourself and all the amenities it offers. With 4 different room building sections; Daisy (family-friendly rooms, large kid’s waterpark and pool), El Beso (adults’ only rooms and pool), Eden (family-friendly rooms and pool located near the beach) and Privilege (also family-friendly near the beach area with their own pool area and restaurant with upgraded amenities), you are bound to find an area that meets your vacation needs.

 As I was attending a destination wedding during our Canadian March Break, we were travelling with a larger group, from couples to families to young adults. Most of our group had rooms in the El Beso building, which was only accessible to adults over 18yrs. With its own pool and swim up bar, it was the perfect place to spend a kid-free afternoon with some fun entertainment, as there were lots of families on holidays enjoying the Mexican tropical weather and escaping the cold winter during the school break.

RESTAURANTS & FOOD

I’ve always loved the food in Mexico! And it was no different at this resort. Featuring reservation-free A la Carte restaurants for dinner, which was an added bonus, as I do not like to plan out my dinners for the week. Room service was another option for those lazy afternoons or evenings spent in the spacious and well decorated room. Snack bars and an impressive buffet throughout the resort, food was easily accessible and consistently delicious. Although some dinner restaurants were more popular than others, like the Steak House, a longer wait time was needed to enjoy your meal. The only restaurant that needed reservation was at the Sakura which featured the Teppanyaki grills. Unfortunately, I did not get to try it, but others in the group really enjoyed the food and the cooking show. My favorite was Blue Moon, the romantic adult’s only restaurant. No wait time, excellent service and the food was delicious. Another contender was the Pez Vela seafood restaurant, situated right on the beach with delicious and fresh seafood. 

SERVICE

 I can say that the service level we received was amazing, however with the resort being so big, it did feel at times like it was understaffed. The staff work long hours in the heat and I am always fascinated by their determination to please the guests. The only area that we really did not like was the timeshare sharks in the lobby area. Mexico is known for timeshares! That is no secret and anyone who has been should have an idea on their sales tactics. Wanting to give you something free…that’s the way they lure you to sit with them and listen to their sales pitch. No thanks! I can say with all the places and resorts I have visited, they seem to favor this resort. Oh la la, I tried avoiding the lobby area during the day because of them. While some people do like the timeshare or vacation clubs, or whatever you like calling it, it is not for me and I have no interest in wasting my time listening to a sales pitch while I’m in paradise!

 THE BEACH

 And then there was the beach. Riviera Maya is known to have some pretty amazing beaches and some less desirable. You really need to do your research and find what bests suits your needs for a beach holiday. Although I had visited the area before, I knew that the beach was good, but not great. It had some rocky point of entries, so water shoes are recommended, but once you knew where to get in, the ocean water was amazing. The pros were the beautiful turquoise color it projected, so mesmerizing. The beach area is public and can be walked for miles. As all beaches in Riviera Maya are public, there were some vendors on the beach, selling all sort of things like tours and trinkets. A simple no thanks did the trick and they were all respectful.

Unfortunately, a few weeks prior to departure, the area had an influx of Sargassum. Sargassum is seaweed that comes from the Sargasso Sea and is unpredictable as to when it can “hit” the area. The last time it “hit” Riviera Maya this hard was in 2015. It all depends on weather, wind, tide, and other natural factors. It is good and necessary for sea life, but can be a nuisance to people who love to swim in the ocean. It can emit a foul-smelling odor and is a bit of an eyesore, as it did take over quite an area of the beach in front of the resort on a few days. In no way did this take away from the beauty of being on a beach holiday, for me it is part of the natural beauty of this tropical paradise, but it can be a shock if you are expecting crystal clear water like Negril or Cuba.

 AMENITIES

As for the amenities, there were many activity options to keep everyone busy during the day and night. Beautiful jogging paths, a well-equipped gym and spa area. Large waterpark for the younger children to have some fun in the water. Nightly entertainment for kids and adults. Casino for the gamblers to spend (or I should say loose…ha!ha!) some $ in the evening. The piano bar featured live music with dancing in the evening, which I really enjoyed on a few occasions.

I can’t finish this post without mentioning the amazing beach massages that are available on that area of beach. There are many different massage huts a short 5-10-minute walk down the beach. At only $30USD/hour or $50USD/couple/hour, it was a no brainer. Listening to the waves crashing on the beach while being massaged with amazing smelling essential oils, it was pure bliss and became a daily routine amongst many in our group.

Last, but not least is the reason behind this resort stay: my client’s (I should say a good friend’s) destination wedding. The wedding couple had the perfect beach wedding. A beautiful wedding ceremony on the beach surrounded by family and friends, with champagne in hand overlooking the beautiful ocean. Congratulating the couple on their new adventure listening to a Mariachi band with feet in the sand was the perfect backdrop to a beach wedding. Private dinner area with an amazing DJ and lighted dance floor, dancing the night away in a tropical heaven. Muchos felicidades to the amazing couple and thank you again for trusting me as your travel consultant! 

With this, I can say that the Ocean Riviera Paradise is a 5* resort based on my traveling experience in the area and can recommend it with confidence. Are you ready to experience the Ocean Riviera Paradise for yourself? Reach out to me HERE, and I’ll get you there!