Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya

We’ve been to dozens of all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean over the past several years.We paid the most we’ve ever paid for this trip & it was disappointing. I’ve paid half of what we paid here and had a much better experience. We had a group of 18 people on this trip!

Our biggest issues was the Air Conditioning. We complained when we arrived and had to fight to get a new room. The AC was not blowing and it was ridiculously hot. We were told the first night that they couldn’t get in our room because the do not disturb light was on. We did not hit this button and didn’t know it existed. We asked again the next day-and was told the SAME THING even after my husband double checked that the light was not on right after we called the front desk. We were then told they worked on it and fixed it which they did not. Several of the couples with us had the same AC issues and we were all in different buildings. We were MISERABLE for 3 nights of our 6 night stay. Humidity was 96% and it was unbearable. We finally “threw a fit” and they moved us. The AC was an improvement but we were still too hot to even sleep under the covers. The sensor systemin the rooms doesn’t allow the rooms to stay cool so when you arrive, it’s hot and takes so much time to even attempt to cool down. We’ve only had a few resorts that did this but when I pay what I paid, my room should be cold! We just stayed at the Secrets Mirabel In Cancun 8 weeks ago and our room was so cold, we had to shut off the air sometimes and that’s how it should be! Beach area is no good- only shade if you are privilege. Water was very choppy and lots of seaweed which we knew coming here it would be. The previous reviews made us confident that even without the beautiful ocean water- it would be okay but I don’t agree with them! Not much privacy in the rooms- no sound barrier and just a curtain between the bed and toilet area- you can hear everything! The staff in the concierge aspect were not accommodating.

Good things- the food was great! We had several picky eaters in our group and no one ever went away hungry! The pool was amazing and the entertainment team is great! Sairy was so good to us- she helped me set up a video to help celebrate by daughter’s Senior Volleyball night that we had to miss due to game rescheduling. She involved many guests and we were able to cheer on my daughter virtually! Sairy is a gem! The grounds were beautiful as well. Mosquitos were awful but I can’t blame that on the resort!

Overall, we did have a wonderful vacation but not sleeping well for 6 nights made us grumpy and not feeling well as we travel home today.it also cut down on “romantic time” due to the sweaty and icky feeling!

We are not picky people by any means, but want others to know what issues we faced. We book our trips after weeks of review researching to see what everyone has to say.

Fourth Visit, Last Visit. Absolutely Disappointed in Valentin Imperial!

We've stayed at Valentin Imperial four times, and after this experience, I can confidently say we will NEVER be back.

We spent five nights in one of their Dunas Suites, paying extra for what was supposed to be an upgraded luxury experience. What we got was five days of plumbing issues, a room where nothing seemed to work properly, and a management team that apparently has no interest in taking care of its guests.

Every single morning, we woke up to a nearly empty private plunge pool. Every day, we had to call the front desk to have it filled, only for the water to be so cold that we couldn't even use it. So much for paying extra for a private pool!

The shower and bathtub were another nightmare. The water pressure was so inconsistent that I spent 45 minutes trying to fill the bathtub, and there still wasn't enough water to turn on the jets. After multiple complaints, they finally addressed the pressure issue, only for us to lose hot water. Once they managed to fix that, the shower stopped draining and flooded the bathroom.

And if all of that wasn't enough, we had a sewage smell coming from the bathroom sinks. Exactly what you want when you're paying for a luxury suite!

But as frustrating as the room was, the complete lack of accountability from management was even worse.

We reported these issues repeatedly to the concierge, front desk, and lobby manager. Every single person passed us off to someone else. Nobody took ownership, and the problems continued.

Twice, we were specifically told a manager would contact us. Not once did a manager bother to reach out. Instead, we'd receive calls from the front desk asking how everything was going, forcing us to explain the same problems all over again. It became almost comical how poorly this was handled.

We didn't come on vacation to spend our days calling maintenance, chasing down managers, and dealing with plumbing issues. We paid a premium to relax and enjoy ourselves.

What makes this even more disappointing is that this was our FOURTH visit. We clearly loved this resort enough to keep coming back, and we were willing to spend more money for an upgraded experience. Apparently, being a returning guest means absolutely nothing here.

My advice: DO NOT waste your money upgrading to a Dunas Suite. The amenities we paid extra for were either unusable or malfunctioning, and the resort made virtually no effort to make things right.

Valentin Imperial has gone from a resort we looked forward to returning to, to one we have absolutely no intention of visiting again.

Four visits, and this is how you lose a loyal customer. Extremely disappointing.

Do not hesitate to book this amazing resort. This is our second time this year and it just gets better. We had our wedding here this time and it was magical. The wedding co-ordinator Fernanda was amazing, so helpful and made our day perfect. Thank you to the lady in the hair salon for doing my hair and making me feel so special. The food is a highlight for us. There were some restaurants we weren’t so keen on, the Mexican and Asian but the others were outstanding in quality. The coffee shop is excellent. The staff are just so friendly and can’t do enough for you. The main pool can be very busy and loud but there are two other quieter pools. We loved the beach. Plenty of activities to do if you want. We stay in the basic room as we don’t spend much time in there and find this is plenty big enough and everything we need. Coming from the UK the upgrade prices for other rooms make the holiday very expensive. We will be back