Haven Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa

Just a little background, we are a couple in our 60's and our seventh time to Mexico, specifically the Riviera Maya. Now let's talk about the elephant in the room. If you are looking for bright blue ocean waters, wide beaches and no sargassum this is probably not the resort for you. However, if you enjoy big beautiful clean pools, spacious clean rooms and facilities, good food and stellar service this IS the place for you. ROOMS: we stayed in a serenity club one bedroom master suite that was oceanfront. The room was large, well appointed and clean. The bathroom was huge with dual sinks, a separate toilet area , dual rain shower, a separate tub and closets. Plenty of room for everything. The bedroom area was also large with comfortable king bed, crisp linens and large sliding glass doors to the large balcony. The common room or livingroom had table and chairs for dining, couch, another tv, sliding glass doors to the common balcony which had another table and chairs, jetted tub for two and a big round stuffed chair for two. Also in the common room was a wet bar with liquor (serenity club perk: vodka, tequila, Jack Daniels and a mimosa mix), a Nespresso machine and a small fridge with beer, soda and water. Housekeeping was very consistent and towels and drinks were replenished daily.

POOLS: There are 3 huge clean pools; the obligatory party pool with music, activities and a weekly foam party; the serenity club pool; and the big round pool (affectionately called the hangover pool). All pools were open 24hours Each pool area had their own swim up bar, plenty of loungers and shade umbrellas. Although we were serenity club guests we spent all our time at the round pool. Zero entry all around, close to our room (building 4) and above all, quiet. TIP: Bring your own floatie, we did and I do not know if the resort supplied any, saw many different kinds though.

RESTAURANTS: We ate at every one but Olios. Vora Mar (Italian) was our favorite Menus were pretty varied which was good. Mexican steak house was also good. Flavors breakfast buffet was really good with a wide selection of Mexican favorites, European breakfast items and of course American fare. Tahani was for serenity guests only which offered an ala cart breakfast and a dinner show that you could attend for one night. Vistas was also a serenity club only restaurant located above the pool bar at the round pool for breakfast and lunch. Mistrals was a lunch area near the round pool for anybody and offered hamburgs, hot dogs, BLTs and chicken sandwiches along with fries and guac and chips. We ordered room service on our last evening it came on time, hot, correct and delicious.

SPA: Serenity club guests receive a complimentary half hour visit at the hydro spa. Intense water pressure on neck and back areas. (worth it!) for an extra $19 (USD) you get an additional half hour which includes a sauna, then cold plunge pool, steam room, then cold shower before hydro massage (also worth it). SERENITY CLUB: Besides what I already mentioned serenity club-wise the serenity club lounge is a great place to unwind. There is a bar with top shelf drinks, snacks a large screen TV, table games, books and plenty of places to sit and read or visit. IMHO I think it's worth the upgrade.

SPECIAL MENTION: To CHARLY our concierge, a man who was consistently there for us but never hovering. We appreciated his insights and knowledge. Thank You. A thank you to LUIS our bartender at the round pool. His knowledge of drinks and shots was amazing. He not only remembered what our favorite libation was but kept us entertained while we sat in the water at the bar. Thank you.

FINAL THOUGHTS: It's no "secret" that we were fans of another resort chain but felt underwhelmed the last two visits. This was definitely a welcome change. Two things that we have never experienced but found it quite useful. We had wristbands to wear (see photo) At first I didn't like the idea but it serves two purposes; the small wooden looking charm is your key for getting into your room which I now like because you never had to check for a key or keycard whenever you left or dig for it in a bag when you wanted to get in, the color of your braid distinguished your level of stay at the resort (i.e. regular, serenity club and I think a third level perhaps romance??) Nice idea. Secondly I never had to make reservations for dinner before. It was taken care of by Charly and we are creatures of habit so it was the same time each evening and all we had to decide is which restaurant. My thought is it keeps the restaurants at an even capacity level which in turn makes it easier to prepare and deliver food in a timely fashion.

We will definitely return. Thank you Haven.

Andrés, my waiter at the Japanese restaurant in the resort was incredible. Very polite and friendly. Took very good care of us. My favorite server at the resort.

Our stay at Haven Riviera Cancun was absolutely amazing from start to finish! The location was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the service was truly exceptional. Everything came together to make our stay relaxing, memorable, and incredibly special.

A very special thank you to our wonderful butler, Enrique, who went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and well taken care of throughout our stay. His attentiveness, professionalism, kindness, and genuine care made such a difference in our experience. We truly appreciated everything he did for us.

The entire Haven team made us feel welcomed and valued, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. From the beautiful surroundings to the incredible service, every moment was one to remember.

We absolutely loved our time at Haven Riviera Cancun and hope to return in the future! Until then, we left with wonderful memories and nothing but great things to say.

Thank you, Enrique, and thank you to the entire Haven Riviera Cancun team for an unforgettable stay!