My wife and I just returned from five fantastic days at the Paradisus Riviera. I cannot express how pleased we were. This is a wonderful resort. We had a suite with an ocean view and our own butler for the week (thank you Lucio). The grounds were spectacular and the food, the food was terrific. We ate at two of the “reservations” restaurants, Capri and Sumire, both were great. Most of our meals were at the Caribbean Marketplace buffet and it always had a nice variety of dishes. The resort staff were very helpful and courteous, rooms were freshened daily, and then a turn-down service was provided at night. In the restaurants your glass was never allowed to empty and dirty plates were whisked away almost as soon as you finished with them. This is an all-inclusive resort so all food and beverages were “free.” This included room service and mini-bar. The resort offered currency exchange and had on-site car rentals and Olympus tour representatives. Also offered were daily trips to Cancun and free Internet access in the Royal Service lounge. At the beach boats were freely available as were scuba and snorkeling outings.

For anyone considering a visit to the Cancun area, please consider the Paradisus Riviera. I would recommend that you opt for the “Royal Service” and that you make reservations for restaurants and trips to Cancun prior to your arrival, as spaces are limited. We’ve been home for two days now and so wish that we had booked a longer stay – there is just so much to do. We went snorkeling at Xel-Ha and toured the ruins of Tulum, took a taxi to Playa del Carmen for shopping and took scuba lessons at the resort and ate, and ate, and ate…

It was truly a wonderful vactation.

I just made reservations at the Paradisus and am getting really nervous about all the bad reviews I've read. I am taking my husband there for his 40th birthday and want everything to be perfect. Two of the things I wanted to do most was snorkeling at Xel-Ha and visiting the ruins at Tulum. Did you take a taxi or rent a car? I was wondering which would be best and how long it takes to get to each place. Any help would be appreciated!