Rivieras

A thorough review of VIDANTALAND at Riviera Maya

You know how people are so happy and excited when they enter an amusement park such as Disneyland at 9am? And the complete opposite happens around 5pm when both the kids and the adults can't wait to leave?

THAT was our exact experience at Vidanta Riviera Maya. They should rename the place Vidantaland.

Ohhhh, so much to report about this place:

Pros:

1. Lush and Green Landscaping: The resorts grounds were not lavish nor landscaped with flowers. That's probably best considering there are so many children.

It did still manage to create a serene and relaxing ambience.

2. Variety of Activities and food choices: Vidanta Riviera Maya has an area called the Salum which offers a large variety of activities, restaurants, bars, and swimming pools, 2 spas, and a few gyms. Guests have plenty of options to choose from, ensuring theres something for everyone.

3. Excellent Concierge Service: The friendly and easily accessible concierge service is a standout feature.

Having helpful staff who assist with reservations, recommendations, and any other needs is essential for a pleasant stay. Grácias!

4. Nice housekeeping. Twice a day if you request that.

5.

Although we were told the hotel was 98% full, we only experienced crowds from 5-8pm.

6. Wristbands for Convenience: Wearing wristbands can be practical albeit not terribly attractive, especially in photos. Wristbands do ensure easy access to amenities, help with identification, and they streamline transactions. We appreciated this convenience.

7.

Fantastic customer service, Concierge, trolley drivers and weight staff. It was nice to have a resort that still treats their guests with honor. Like Disney, they've got this one down pat.

8. The campus is spread out over a large area, therefore taking a trolley is the fastest and safest way to get from point A to B.

They arrive in a timely fashion which made it tolerable to move from the beach, to the pools, to the eateries, and back to the room again.

9. Water park, Jungala, located on the premises. Sounded fun but we did not have time.

10. Cirque de Soleil also on the premises.

Convenient but read about it in the Cons section below.

Cons:

1. Spread-Out Layout: While the lush landscaping is a pro, the resorts spread-out design can be a drawback. Guests may find it inconvenient to walk long distances or rely on golf carts to get to various facilities. It can be tiring, especially if youre in a hurry or have mobility issues.

2.

Make sure to make dinner reservations when you first arrive. The choices of restaurants and available time slots fill up crazy fast. No rezzie, no dinner for an hour. No bueno for hangry people, especially kids!

3.

Distance to Amenities: Not having essential amenities close by was frustrating. Most attractions are not walkable because the campus is so spread out and such a maze. If you leave something behind in the room, it's a 30 minute turnaround to dining areas, bars, beaches, and the various pools. That was inconvenient.

Guests want easy access to these facilities without having to trek across the entire resort.

4. Golf was $750 for 2 people. Not worth it even though it included a sandwich, cart, and club rental.

5. No beach swimming!

Whattt?? It's completely rocky and uneven and way too hard to get to water that was safe to swim/snorkel. You can put you toes in the sand where the water meets the beach. That's it for going in that beautiful ocean.

6.

Bad experience in the spa that was resolved, but only because I had to insist. I told them I wouldn't leave a bad review if they handled the situation appropriately.

7. Horribly spotty and unreliable wifi that disconnects as soon as you're not actively surfing the web.

So frustrating.

8. Their parting gift to us was a burst sprinkler head which gave our cart full of people a hefty spray of landscaping water all over our legs, shoes, and anything that was resting in the floor of the trolley.

In conclusion, this is not the experience I had hoped for but I'm grateful that it had enough pleasant perks to make it tolerable for a week.