Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

19615 reviews

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  We will be back!

  We travelled from Calgary on December 26th for 14 days at the Valentin. We always stay for the same amount of time because we have two full travel days and need to escape the cold. We arrived later than expected and were greeted by the staff with open arms. This was our third visit and won’t be our last. Many thanks to Diego at front desk for giving us the most romantic and breathtaking view of the sunrise. We decided to stay in the Emerald section, it was a splurge but so worth it! Room 205 in building 13 was centrally located for what we wanted. Close to pool and beach as well as Mar y Tiera. The room is spacious and the shower is the best feature other than the view. We found the room to have ample storage for two week travel and plenty of space in the closet. The walk from building 13 is about six minutes to Le Marche. There is always transportation going by to pick us up if necessary, but we really enjoyed our evening walks. The food was spectacular throughout our stay and so much to choose from. We loved all the restaurants and would rotate them throughout our stay. Our highlights were Taman Sari, the sushi bar, hibachi and La Hacienda. Alexander and Jose at La Hacienda were spectacular and giving us an outdoor spot by the fountain. We would like to thank Angel, Alberto and Jesus at the hibachi for such a great show! Fabiola at Ginger for remembering us as well as Carlos at Mar y Tierra for the same. Eduardo was a highlight on our last two visits. He moved to Le Marche and at the main pool for the food trucks. We’ve missed you and glad to see you again, your service always comes with a great smile. In the evenings before dinner we had cocktails with Juan at Don Miguel’s, his service is above the rest for most evening bartenders. We also want to thank Maricelda at Martini bar. She is so lovely and a friendly face that we can’t wait to return and see her again. Gracias mi amiga! During our stay we spent a lot of time at the main pool. Sairy, Israel, Carlos and Lorenzo on the go Team made our stay extra special. We played many games of pool volleyball and spent hours at the Earth Bar with Victoria and Johnny. They are the best pool bartenders EVER! Oscar and Amado pool drink servers at the pool bar were prompt and the drinks always flowed. What makes our trip special is the service at this resort, it is the reason why most people return so frequently and why we will be back in December. The only suggestions that we would have would be to add an additional restroom and another beach bar near the new building buildings as it’s quite a distance. Hopefully that will change in the future. We met so many amazing guests from all over and we will be back mainly for the service and what the resort has to offer. You can find a party or find a quiet section, whatever you desire. See you in December for our fourth visit!

  Jan 11, 2026
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  We probably won't be back. Here's why:

  I'll start off by saying that this resort is beautiful! It's huge and well maintained and the beach was clean and swimmable. We found the food to be good compared to other all inclusive resorts we've been to, but this was also much more expensive compared to other all inclusive resorts we've been to, so that should be expected. Drinks are ok (quite weak) - best are at Don Miguels. The rooms are large. Finally, the staff (servers/pool staff) are very friendly. Now for the part that overshadowed most of the positives of our trip. Our first flight to get to Cancun had mechanical issues and was extremely delayed, to the point where there were no options to get us into Cancun that same day (we come from a 3 hour time difference). As soon as this occurred, I called reservation help to alert them that we would not make it (this was very early in the AM that day) and tried to see if we could adjust the reservation to instead use that night as an additional night on the end of our trip (e.g., staying same number of nights, just pushing out one night). We were met with no sympathy and just a cold hard this will be considered a No Show and there's nothing we can do - take it up with the front desk. Mind you, for an average room, the first night's rate was over $700.... Upon arrival, it took forever to get from the airport to the hotel. Not necessarily the hotel's fault, but the transportation they operate with. After waiting 45+ min for our bags, we then waited an hour outside for the car to arrive. Finally getting to the hotel, the front desk staff was 1) not receptive to our request above and 2) did not handle it in a way I'd expect customer service. Just a response of, it's not our fault. While not their fault, you'd think customer service would have SOME leeway to either adjust our stay or help compensate in any other way (e.g., prive). The ONLY thing they offered (which kicked in the last 2 nights) was dinner reservations, which quite frankly you don't need. In the end, we bit the bullet and purchased the extra night to make up for the first night. My husband had to hike up to reception multiple times each day to try and speak with someone from management and get anything resolved (plus add our extra night on our key card, which took 2 trips to the front desk since it didn't work the first time). Needless to say, this ended up being a very frustrating and expensive trip at no cause of our own and we just wish that customer service was any bit accommodating and kind. If you have ANY issues with travel, do not expect a thing from this hotel. I would also recommend trip insurance. We did not get that as we've never had an issue during many trips (domestic and international) but unfortunately we learned the hard way. Though it sounds like someone in a previous review has trip insurance and still wasn't compensated.

  Jan 10, 2026
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  My review of my trip to Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya for 7 days

  I recently stayed at the Valentin Imperial Mexico and overall had a very good experience, with a few areas that could be improved. My flight from Canada with Sunwing was smooth and problem‑free. The only downside was the extremely long wait for luggage at the Cancun airport, over 1.5 hours. With planes landing every couple of minutes, you’d think they could staff more baggage handlers to speed things up. The resort itself is beautiful. There’s lush vegetation everywhere, and walking the paths during the day feels like being in the middle of a jungle. At night, however, the paths become quite dark, and I can see how this might feel unsafe for women walking alone. I also didn’t notice any visible security presence anytime. Because of the many intersecting paths, I got lost a few times returning to my building after dinner or the nightly shows. Clearer signage or a better wayfinding system would be a big improvement. The food was good overall. The buffet offers a solid selection for breakfast and lunch, but it closes at 4 p.m. and doesn’t reopen for dinner, which is disappointing. The buffet could also use a few more vegan and vegetarian options. The beach is long, clean, and very relaxing, with plenty of shaded loungers, I never had trouble finding a good spot. The main activity pool is large and lively, with daily entertainment, but like many resorts, you need to claim a chair early or they’re all taken by around 9 a.m. The atmosphere is calm and mature. Most guests seemed to be couples in their 30s and up, and I didn’t see any rowdy or drunken behavior, which I appreciated. The staff throughout the resort were friendly, hardworking, and kept everything spotless. My room was on the first floor in Building 5, close to the main pool. It was one of the more affordable room categories, but it was clean and perfectly fine. Noise was never an issue. After about 6 p.m., the pool area becomes quiet for the night. One area that really needs attention is the gym. It’s poorly equipped: only a few dumbbells (with some missing), two benches outside, a couple of cable machines that aren’t very useful, and eight treadmills. It’s difficult to get a proper workout. A full set of dumbbells, a chin‑up bar, and a few barbells for bench pressing would make a huge difference. The nightly shows were mediocre, with the Elvis show being the standout, but entertainment wasn’t a priority for me. The resort is a bit pricey, but it’s well maintained and offers a relaxing environment. Would I return? Yes, specially if they improve the gym and consider opening a dinner buffet.

  Jan 10, 2026
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  10/10 vacation

  Best vacation ever!!!! We came here for our 10 year anniversary. Once we arrived we were greeted with drinks. Check in was such a breeze and they even had a cart pick us up from the main lobby and gave us a tour of the grounds. This resort just speaks tranquility. No smoking near by no emissions, greenery everywhere and animals. You feel like you are in the garden of eden. Food and drinks are superb!!!! All the restaurants are fantastic. Good time to go is right when they open as they can get busy and you may have to wait 20min to an hour. The service has also been excellent. Everyone is so friendly and nice and always has a smile on thier face and checks in with you. The day activities were always great from cycling to yoga and Zumba to beach volleyball etc. It was never a dull moment. I highly HIGHLY recommend this resort.

  Jan 09, 2026
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  Winter vacation

  Great service Everyone that works here is AMAZING & Friendly! Food..... So much food! Delicious Hospitality PERFECT Rooms always clean and smells amazing Entertainment FUN! Can't wait to come back! From Washington State.

  Jan 09, 2026