I have never written a review before but I used this site for months before my trip so I thought I should share my experience with others. My husband and I visited the ERC July 10 - 15, 2008 for my 40th Birthday. We had a great time!

We stayed in Excellence Club room 8351 which had an amazing view of the ocean and the Excellence Club pool. The room was nicely appointed and very clean. We did not experience any problem with bugs or musty smells. I’m not sure what people expect, you are in a tropical climate it will be humid and there might be bugs.

The service that we receive during our stay was fantastic; everyone that we came in contact with was friendly and helpful. Our concierge Alejandra was great and always very helpful. The only person I met at the entire resort that needed an attitude adjustment was the representative from Lomas Travel. I don't remember his name but he is very rude, but we did not let him spoil our fun.

The beach & pools were great, and we never wanted for a drink. I visited the spa on my birthday and enjoyed a relaxing hot stone pedicure; it was a nice way to spend an hour of my day. The spa is beautiful with billowing curtains and relaxing music.

My husband told our concierge that it was my birthday and they brought a cake and mimosas to the room and also decorated our room. I thought this was a very nice touch.

The food was ok, not a 5 star compared to US standards but then again we were not in the US. There are several restaurants to choose from and they all have a wide variety to pick from. You will not leave hungry. We also ordered room service a few times and it was delivered fast and hot. We never had to wait more than 30 minutes for room service.

We went on the shopping trip into Cancun and had a great time. They stop at 3 different shopping areas and give you about 1 hour at each stop. We also took a taxi into Playa and did a little shopping on 5th avenue and had lunch. It is $70 round trip for the cab to Playa, but worth it. Overall the service, the food and the resort were well worth what we paid. We had an amazing time and look forward to returning someday.

My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon at the Excellence Riviera Cancun. We stayed for one week, from July 12th-19th. This resort is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! We enjoyed everything about it. The service was the best we have ever received. We have been fortunate to travel around the world and see and stay in some remarkable places, but this trip was a trip of a lifetime! Relaxing if you want it to be, but yet entertaining and never boring if you want that. The rooms were gorgeous! We stayed in a swim-up with a view of the spa and it was awesome. We are definitely going back! Next time we will stay longer and get a Jr. Swim up in the Executive club, as I seen the rooms and they are even better. The pools are fabulous, the views, everything! The food was to die for! We ate like royalty everyday! Room service around the clock, mini-fridge stocked daily, no reservations for restaurants and so many choices! I can't even pick a favorite restaurant, because they were all delicious! The only minor problems were a few tiny ants in the bathroom, but it's Mexico! We loved everything! I have to give it at rating of 15 out of 10! If you are looking for relaxation, adults only, entertainment, service, views and beach, you got it here! Another awesome plus was even though the hotel was at full capacity, it seemed like it wasn't. It is so big and spacious, you feel like you are royalty, kings and queens of the castle!! If you want to be wowed and impressed, book at the Excellence. I can't wait to go back and I can't wait to visit the sister hotels!! Thank-you for making our honeymoon truly unforgettable!
Satisfied Canadians!!!

First of all I just want to give you some background about myself, so you can understand my perspective on the resort. I'm from New York City and have travelled many places throughout the caribbean, mexico and hawaii staying at mainly Hyatt hotels. I overheat on a 90 degree day, am disgusted by unkept surroundings and have a New York attitude when it comes to incompetance.

With that being said - I just got back from the Excellence and my boyfriend and I had an OUTSTANDING vacation. I could go on forever about all of the pro's of this resort, but I'll try to keep this somewhat brief.

FOOD: Like the previous reviews said, food is hit or miss -- ranging from excellent to fine. Nothing really to write home about (not Bobby Flay).. but nothing that any normal person would not be content eating (not Taco Bell). The morning buffet is robust full of fruits, cereals, prepared foods, omelet station and much much more. For lunch you can grab some standard grill food (burgers, chicken fingers, etc) or get a pizza at Oregano. The pizza actually wasn't half bad (and this coming from a new yorker!). My favorite restaurants at night were Spice (pan-asian) and the French restaurant. I would have loved to take advantage of the Grill or the romantic dinner on the beach, but unfortunately there were just too many mosquitos out at night. Never-the-less, I was there for 7 days and only ate at the same restaurant twice. There's also nachos and frozen yogurt available at all times (what's better than that?!)


GROUNDS: BEAUTIFUL! Everything was perfectly manicured with lush foliage. You look out your window and the colors are just amazing. The 6 pools 'meander' around the property with an abundance of chairs lining them in single rows (not in hordes like other resorts). There were always ample charis and towels -- no racing for a chair by 9am garbage. There are these cool beds on the beach and by the pool which were the only things snatched up relatively early in the day. Another good thing about the pool set up was that you could be in the action by the main pool bar or find many spots at other pools that were more chill... and some that had no people there whatsoever.

The one thing I didn't like was that you had to go into Cancun to do watersports like Jet Skiing/parasailing/etc, since it is a private beach.

ROOMS: We stayed in tower 6 in an oceanview jr suite. No construction noise at all. The rooms were uniquely set up with an open bathroom featuring a huge marble shower and water closet, then a huge jacuzzi tub that leads right into the bedroom. Following the bed, there was a couch and table w/ desk then a huge deck with a couch and chairs. Not sure what the previous guy was saying about the bathroom door not going to the floor - who really cares if someone sees your feet? I will agree that the bed was a bit hard, however. Nothing was stolen from our room.


STAFF: So gracious and will accomodate anything you want. They are always walking around smiling and happy, saying hello to all guests and trying to accomodate their every need. Numerous times I got food that wasn't on the menu, speedy room service, accommodating concierge, late checkouts and even easy rescheduling.


WEATHER: I was worried about going to mexico in July, as i thought i would melt, but it really wasn't bad at all. As I said, I melt in the NYC summer heat, and it was actually much more comfortable down in mexico. There is a constant breeze, so you don't really feel the heat and humidity (except when you see your hair start to curl!)

ENTERTAINMENT: During the day, there were an abundance of activities like archery, tennis, water aerobics, bingo, volleyball just to name a few. You could either take advantage of these or just lay by the beach/pool and relax without feeling pressured or annoyed by rowdy guests. At like 5pm there was a live cover band, that was pretty good (until the 7th day when you start to hear the same songs over and over again -- mexicans sure love Bon Jovi!)

At night, there were shows at night that ranged from magic to dance shows to 50's style music. Kinda corny I guess, but after a couple of drinks they were pretty entertaining to watch for a little while. Went to the 'discoteque' one night -- pretty cheesey also. They also had a mexican themed night and a casino night. If you're looking to party and stay up all night, I'd suggest leaving the property and going into Cancun as there's not much going on and no casino.

SPA: The spa was absolutely amazing. You cannot visit this resort and not go to the spa! Yes, it's a bit expensive.. but I got the Excellence massage and it was fantastic. The best part was the whole water circuit they do for the hour before your treatment. I don't want to give it away - but it's not to be missed!

All in all, I had a great vacation and would recommend the hotel to all of my family and friends. Definitely best for young/mid aged couples.. and perfect for a special anniversary or honeymoon, since they were just so willing to do ANYTHING for their guests.

We just got back from a week at Excellence Riviera Cancun. Prior to booking, I researched SEVERAL hotels in the area, along the Riviera Maya including Playa del Carmen. Finally, I chose the Excellence because it was secluded- away from busy Cancun and the public beach areas of Playa. Now the beach at Excellence is public (all beaches in Mexico are) but I hardly ever saw anyone who didn't seem to be at our resort.
The grounds- they are beautiful- great European/Mexican feel with palm trees and Mayan statues. There are several pools, one close to the beach with a swim up bar, which gets a little busier, but the others always have a spot, whether in the shade or sun. I still recommend getting a towel when you get up. The lazy river is a nice change. We liked the pool facing building 6 near the ping pong tables.
The rooms- Our room was in Building 6, no construction what so ever, facing the whole resort and ocean. It was a perfect view. I don't know who really would care about a gap at the bottom of your toilet room door- I knew if I left the light on that way and the doors are so heavy and huge, they are private anyway! The bed is more firm than others but you can request feather pillows which made it much better. I almost booked a swim-up, but when I saw that barely anyone ever layed out by their room and that you would have to go around it you left your spot to eat (because you would lock the patio behind you, etc, I knew I made the right decision. We never had anything stolen from our safe but did not bring any valuables with us. You don't need your designer bags or fancy jewelry here. Who cares?
The food- The food was good. Agave was the best- it was different from some Mexican food in the states but I lived in AZ so I loved it. Spice and Toscana are close seconds. Word of advice- our meet was always overcooked at the Grill...
The beach- the beach has beautiful white sand. The water at the beach is aqua. There were a few grass strands but no seaweed. I am not picky when it comes to the beach anyway. Always enough spots on the beach.
The spa- it's awesome! Beautiful white curtains instead of doors. The staff is very helpful. So it is pricey but you are on vacation! The water rituals are relaxing and the massages and facials great.
So, there is no internet service unless you bring your laptop, you are on vacation, why do you need it? The staff at Olympus toors were very helpful if you had questions about excursions. We went to Tulum/Xel-Ha, Playa, and the Jungle wave runner tour. Do the wave runner/snorkel tour in Cancun. It is awesome! Just listen carefully for your name when they call you for the bus.
If you give a tip to your housekeeper, they will give you even better service. I loved it here and have also stayed at Sandals which is on the same level. Take other negative reviews with a grain of salt. We stay at 4+ hotels all the time, is it the Ritz no, but it is certainly a 4.5 star resort and I would go back in a hearbeat.