Excellence Riviera Cancun, Puerto Morelos

Really the only problem was checking in. We had to wait over 2 hrs, then got seperate beds. We were given another room the next day with the king size bed and a bottle of champagne for an apology. Besides that the place is great. Top shelf liquor, and really good food. The entertainment was nice and generally relaxing. The staff was very polite and usually fast. We had to wait 20-30 mins to get into "Spice" and the french restaurant, but ohhh is it worth it. There was a bad smell from time to time coming from the shower, but not a deal breaker. The pool was cold, but it was January. I have been to Cancun several times and this is the best place I have seen. Worth every penny, we will be back!

I just returned from a 10 day stay (honeymoon) at the Excellence Riviera Cancun. It was a great time. 10 days though was probably a little too long. Pros… 1) The resort is beautiful. You immediately know what you’re getting as soon as you pull up to the entry. They have sparkling wine ready and waiting for you as soon as you walk into the lobby. The resort is beautifully maintained. 2) The layout is great. From what we heard, it seems to be one of the larger resorts in the area, but you don’t have to go too far for anything. 3) One of the most appealing features of the resort was that it had eight (8) restaurants (steakhouse, seafood, Italian, Mediterranean, Asian, French, Mexican, and a gourmet pizza place). The food was excellent everywhere we went, but the French restaurant was our favorite, followed closely by the steakhouse. 4) The staff was amazing. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was incredibly friendly. You felt welcomed no matter where you were or what you were doing. They took pride in everything they did. We talked to several of the employees, and they really enjoy working there. They said it’s one of the premier resorts in the area, and they’re glad to have the opportunity to work there, and it shows. 5) The bars are well stocked and in the event you end up getting a drink for yourself (instead of having someone bring it to you on the beach or at the pool), they’re close to everything. Try the drink of the day…every day. 6) There are plenty of activities to choose from. The resort gives you a schedule on a daily basis detailing what is planned for the following day. If you see something you like, do it. They repeat regularly. 7) Take in the shows each night at 9:30PM. We didn’t see them all, but the ones we did see were great. They are professionally done. Cons…Yes, there were a few. 1) They are issues with ants (or ant like insects). We found them in our room the first day, and the maintenance staff did come in and spray right away, but it was only a temporary remedy. They were back a few days later. I noticed them all over the resort though, so it wasn’t specific to our room. 2) Our housekeeper seemed to have an issue providing us with clean bath towels. On 3 separate occasions, we returned from the pool and/or beach to shower for dinner, and we found that we were without any clean towels. 3) Our key cards kept giving us problems. It was a little frustrating getting back to the room only to find out the keys weren’t working. We had to have them changed out 3 separate times. 4) I was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of dripping water. It turned out the a/c unit in the ceiling had a condensate issue, and the pan was overflowing sending water out and onto the floor. The next morning, maintenance came out, and they repaired the problem. 5) The room service menu is very limited. It would be nice if it was expanded to include the various restaurant menus (or at least some of the items from each restaurant). 6) Watch out for the excursion liaisons who work at the resort and try and sell you various packages for excursions. If you give them your room number, they will call every morning…usually an unwanted wake up call. If it happens, just unplug the phone. Make sure to unplug the one in the bathroom too.

I have to say for my first visit to Cancun, there is now a very high standard for when we return! We attended a friend's wedding at Excellence and although it was a bit pricey, it was worth every penny. The service was amazing, everyone was so helpful, and the food was incredible. About the only negative thing I have to say was that the beach was a bit rocky, the ocean a bit murky... not as clear as I had hoped. A friend told us that it was because we were slightly inland from Cancun proper. My suggestion? Stay at the Excellence Playa Mujeres up-shore in Cancun... there you will get the best service with a better ocean experience.

Not a negative thing to say about this place! The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and so well kept. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive to your every need. The restaurants were beautiful with very good food!...and we come from New York and know good food. We stayed in an ocean front swim up room in the Excellence club, which is the upgraded part of the resort. I think it was worth the extra money, just alone to have an exclusive pool where people aren't causing any problems. The beach was a little rocky with some seaweed, but still pleasant. The pool was very clean and very warm. We cannot wait to return for an anniversary. This resort is highly recommended if you are looking to get away for a relaxing vacation where you feel like royalty!!

Ok...so in a word, I LOVE this hotel. My boyfriend and I went to Riviera Maya in Oct. 08 to celebrate our birthdays. At first, we were at El Dorado Royale and it was too AWFUL for words, so thank God for trip insurance, we were able to switch to Excellence. We had an oceanview junior suite in the Excellence Club and it was a beautiful and spacious room. We would definitely stay in the Excellence Club again- it was great. This place is truly beautiful, the food exceeded my expectations for an all-inclusive- it was really good. We befriended every bartender at the Martini Bar and we're hoping they're all still there when we go back! The spa was amazing- we just wish we went a little more often which we would be sure to do next time. The only bad thing was that the weather wasn't so nice...there was a lot of overcast and rain. I wish I knew this before I booked it, but I have since looked for average weather and rain in Riviera Maya and it turns out October is in the middle of their hurricane season and does have more rain than some other months. We were planning to go back in March 2009 but we ended up having another vacation we booked for July, so we're now planning our next trip back probably for the first week of February 2010 and we get butterflies just thinking about being back there and reminiscing about our vacation. This place is beyond excellent.

We just returned from this resort. No swine flu, just a sunburn. We have been to a number of Mexico and Dominican resorts. This was the best. It's fairly isolated given it's so close to Cancun. The staff is very well trained and attentive, you can't walk by someone without a "HOLA" and a smile. When you call down with an issue (TV remote, towels, etc) they are there in minutes. You don't get any of the underlying "resentment" attitude that is prevalent in some Mexican resorts. These people genuinely want you there. Service on the beach, in the room, and in the restaurants is top notch. The waiters especially are really attentive. Food itself is 4 stars in my opinion, very good, not the absolute best in the world, but very good, deserts are especially well done. Service is 5 stars. We had indoor and outdoor jacuzzi and a hammock and love seat in our own little alcove about ten feet from the pool. Canopy beds and chase lounges on the beach. This place is definitely set up for couples. The only downside at all is the beach has quite a bit of sharp little coral and shell pieces in the sand once your in the water and some uncomfortable rock as well, but only in the water. It can be a little tough on the feet when you first go out into the water. Other than that, this place is first class all the way. It's all inclusive (including room service that's available round the clock) but we left tips for everybody for everything, I think it's the right thing to do. Not a lot; $3 -$7 for different things. $20 for the room cleaning staff. It was appreciated and let's face it, these folks working in the resort aren't getting rich. Also, off topic, but if you book with a travel agency/tour operator they will try pretty hard to sell you day tours under the guise of being your concierge (ours did) but you can't blame them, the commission on the tours is how they get paid. Also, the "welcome guy" at the airport made sure to mention that this resort is actually Spanish owned and not Mexican, and half the funds go back to Spain. He made mention of several nearby Mexican owned resorts we could look into as well. Not big deal, but it's not the best touch upon arrival. The hotel might want to look into this. So...highly recommended.

nothing I disliked, it was perfect. The beach, resturants, rooms, staff...everything was Excellent!!!!

I can't think of one thing we did not like about this Resort. We were just there Oct 5-10. The weather was great 80's & 90"s the whole time. Only rained for about a half hour 2 days.If anyone has a complaint I wouldn't know what planet they are from. The service is unbeatable, always greeted with a hello, and a smile from all workers no matter what their occupation. The Restaurants were all very good. The Spa is gorgeous, and many services available. The 24 Hour room service was great. We would have a little something to eat in our room around 4-5PM to hold us over before our late night Dining.I even talked my Husband into going to the Disco for a few dances every night! He always found the Cigar he wanted in the Resort's Cigar Bar. Entertainment day & night was good. The beds very comfortable. Ocean front Suite was the best. We stayed in the Excellence Club part of the Resort, and well worth the extra $. The pool area was never over crowded, and we havd a good choice of Palapas, or beds on the beach. We went for our 21st Wedding Anniversary. There was a banner across our door that said "Anniversary Celebration ", rose petals on the bed, Champagne, fruit platter,were already in the room.Snacks were immediatley brought to our room after check in. The Full Liquor bottles provided in the room, were a nice plus to mix our own Cocktails to drink on our wonderful balcony with a Jacuzzi on it. The suite also had a jacuzzi in it. There is so much to say about this Resort that you will have to check it out for yourself. You will not be sorry you did. Marianne from Connecticut

I loved this place.It was beautiful, service was wonderful. We had room service every morning. We ate at almost all of the restaurants and the last night asked for a second serving which was wonderful. The Lobster house was the best and the lobster was a nice size and great taste. My only compliant would be the night life, but you are suppose to be honeymooning. Enjoy! Very clean and room service came several times a day.

My wife and I went here for our 10 year anniversary and had no idea what to expect as it was our first time at an All Inclusive. Although we're low maintenance people we had high expectations for this resort. They met and exceeded our expectations. The room was spacious, there were plenty of pools to choose from, the spa was top notch, the food was above average and the premium alcohol was plentiful. If I could recommend only one thing, it would be to improve the nightly entertainment, but we didn't really care as we met some cool people while sitting down at the shows. Make sure you have the teppan yaki at Spice, the Chateaubriand at Chez Isabelle, the lobster at The Lobster House and the ceviche and any steak at The Grill.