Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya

William and Gabriel from the pool concierge team in the aqua park area were amazing! Helped us find seats by the pool and checks on us from time to time to make sure all is well! Great experience!

hardrock hotel riviera maya concierge staff outstanding

Everything was great, the staff, the service and the food. Stayed on Red side the whole week as it seemed way closer to the water park and vibe city kids area. Originally they assigned us building 4 which was on the complete other side but we asked for building 9 and were accommodated. 2 adults and 2 kids ages 8 & 7. Just over an hour from Cancun airport, 75 km.

I'd recommend asking for building 8 or 9 on the bottom floor, close enough to everything.

Air conditioned lobby and See the Show event venue on the second floor. The lobby is a couple of shops, a great coffee place, and the Market Buffet, kids show at dinner time in the lobby and a live band we noticed once. The usual market popup shops on some nights with handcrafted local art.

Gold double room was decent but seems like an awkward little cramped layout. The spa tub is beside the beds.. the room shared a door with an adjacent room and we could hear all of their emotions one time. Housekeeping was decent, they made the beds and changed towels, restocked fridge and chips and oreos but nothing over the top.

It was August and slow season but still seemed busy. Toro the steakhouse was listed as breakfast and lunch but not open, you didn't know until you walked up to the front door. There was only the Market buffet (which was still great!) as an option for breakfast. Poolside lunch was decent at Pizzeto and On Air, and the market buffet lunch and dinner were great also. They ask for food allergies everytime you sit down but it doesn't make a difference at a buffet..

Maximum wait for a buffet table for 4 was 25 minutes. They use a typical restaurant vibrating hockey puck to notify you (sweet) so you don't have to stand there. Grab a coffee at the coffee shop and a crossiant while you wait.

The kids waterpark slides and area (11a-5pm) was great to break up the day from the main pool.

The main pool (8a-7pm) is great and had a great slide (11a-5pm), all tiki beds are reserved and all umbrella beds are occupied by 8am so make sure you go out early and unfold a towel and leave something on them. There was 1 bartender on the pool side and 1 on the dry side and a couple bar staff walking by taking drink orders sporadically, it seemed like a longer wait either way.

The beach is manmade to keep the seaweed out, it's more like a bay. Not bad but totally not what you expect from photos of typical resorts. If you like white sand cuban beaches with a view, this is not that.

The 5th missing star was the fact that all advertised opportunities are extra.

Escapology is $45 Lazer tag is $10 Rock climbing is $10/day Bowling is $16 Gaming Lounge is $15/hour or $29/day Arcade is $2 per game Wine tasting is $37 Tequila tasting is $28 Sensory dinner is $195 Romantic dinner is $370.

All USD per person, We should have researched this on the website before going as it may have impacted our resort choice. Bring extra $$! Would go back again for sure but there are so many to try in the area.