Ocean Riviera Paradise El Beso

Just returned from 14 nights, we decided to upgrade to a privelege swim up room and were so glad we did , we got our own check in room , assigned our own butler ( the lovely Rosa who was excellent) , who showed us to our room and gave us as much information as we could take in , as seeing as we’re had been on the go for 15 hours , fist impressions were impressive, lovely spacious room , must say maybe a bit worn , possibly due a facelift in a couple of years , swim up was just what we expected, not a private pool but we knew this when we booked , right outside the privelege pool , which was very handy for grabbing sunbeds , even though there are plenty to go around, we visited all the pools and the beach and there are multiple sunbeds to be had , do not worry about getting up at daft o clock in the morning to claim one ! Food was excellent in the à la carte restaurants, we did a few numerous times, and some only once , everyone is different so just find what you like and take it from there ,drinks are plentiful, rack bar has its own specialty cocktail menu , if there’s not something you like on there just ask the brilliant bartenders and they will make it for you - big shout out to William at the privilege swim up bar , what a guy , every member of staff were pleased to serve you but h just stood out. There is a bit of wildlife here , coatis , iguanas , the cenotaph has a resident crocodile which we managed to see , cats which are very friendly, raccoons and we also saw a vine snake one day , which security took control of , all in all a brilliant resort which we didn’t want to leave .

I will start by saying, I am very familiar with Mexico, I go several times a year and do not have unrealistic expectations. My opinion of the hotel will be honest. I’m not one to complain and have never left a negative review before. Checking in was one of the worst experiences I’ve had. We waited for 2 hours in line. They had only 2 people at the counter checking in. It was absolutely ridiculous. Nobody offered drinks in line or an apology. Multiple people standing around doing nothing. I even had someone come up to me and give me their deal about wanting to meet for a timeshare deal, trying to sell me on the new hotels they are opening and have opened. Needless to say, I was not interested. I will say, I don’t think this is normal for check in be this bad of an experience after talking to other people. The room was beautiful. We had a rooftop suite that over looked the pool. We were disappointed with trying to fill the hot tub up with water because the water would only trickle out. Unfortunately, we did not use the hot tub. The chairs on the rooftop deck were extremely uncomfortable and old. The view was amazing, however. We tried to order extra beer to our room and were told on multiple occasions that there is a 2 beer minimum per room per day. If we wanted extra, we would have to pay. This was very annoying and really really disappointing because my husband and I like to sit on our deck and drink a few beers. Never ever have I heard of such a thing for an all inclusive. We ultimately ended up taking an uber to town to buy beer for our room. My favorite part of the hotel was how adorable the room was. Very modern and very clean. I loved the look and the decor. I’d rate the comfort of the bed, at just ok. Wasn’t terrible but nothing special either. The elevators were very reliable, and we used them frequently to go up. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful and very well kept. The pools are clean, and very warm. But that is expected since we did go in August. The pool bar service was ok. The bartenders are not very friendly, even after being constant tippers and we didn’t ask for much other than some beer and a few drinks. Didn’t get much of a smile from any of them. The restaurants were fantastic. We are ate at the Italian, Blue Moon, The Steakhouse, the hibachi and Route 66. All food was fantastic. I had spectacular dishes at the Steakhouse and Blue Moon and the dessert was very very good. The staff at the restaurants were very attentive and went out of their way to make your experience special. We appreciated all the hospitality at the restaurants. The beach is sad. They try to keep up with the sargassum, but it seems to also be eroding. The nightlife is merely non existent. We did enjoy the lobby bar in the evening. The staff was pleasant and friendly. Especially the waitresses that would come to the tables to see if you needed a refill. If you want a great massage, walk out to the beach and take a right. Go past the first group of massage people- about 5 minute walk to MVNGATA. You will see a turquoise sign. I had 2 different massages and they were fantastic. Only paid 45.00 each time. If you go, please give them a big tip, they deserve it! All in all, would I go back, probably- if the price was right. Was it my favorite resort- no, - but I still had a good time. It’s all in what you make it.