Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancún — Hotel in Quintana Roo

Honeymoon - October 2024 (10 night trip)||Visited with my husband for our honeymoon. We'd done a lot of research around what to expect and other travelers experiences and recommend anyone else visiting does the same. This is not to be mixed up with the Riviera Maya hotel, we stayed in the Riviera Cancun hotel. ||Transfer: |If you get travel sick I recommend sickness tablets when leaving the airport as the road leading to the hotel is VERY bumpy and often flooded.||1st impression: |Hotel itself is beautiful, the grounds are immaculate and layout simple and easy to navigate. Beautiful views from most angles and lots of natural Mexican beauty to behold.||Check in: |We'd seen lots of other visitors with welcome ice lollies which we didn't et offered. No problem. Receptionist (lady) was quite abrupt and not very welcoming, put this down to language barriers maybe and us brits typically expect friendlier service. ||Room: |We stayed in a suite (not swim up) and it was beautiful, lovely layout and view of the swim up rooms and pool. There was some dirty marks on the bedding which we reported straight away and this was cleaned within the hour. Room is lovely for a honeymoon, just note that the suite rooms offer little privacy when you are in the bathroom so be prepared to see more of each other than normal. Our room was close to the waterfall which was incredibly loud, even with the doors shut we could hear it and the balcony was pretty much un-useable as we couldn't speak or relax due to the noise. We contacted reception to ask to move room but were advised it would be turned down and the waterfall is turned off at night. Come 11pm, it was still going and just as loud. After a busy day of travelling we put up with it for the night but when we spoke to reception again the next day, they were unapologetic and told us it couldn't be turned down and there were no rooms to transfer us to yet (same rude receptionist from check in) and they'd be in touch. Several hours later and still no update so it took a 3rd visit to reception and speaking to a manager to get a transfer. The new room was much quieter and equally as beautiful as the 1st.||We requested an ironing bit on the 1st day to sort out clothes out post travel, took 2 days to receive after speaking to reception and submitted 2 requests on the app. ||Room service: |Order on the app or TV, really good selection and very quick service. Sometimes left with trays for a day or 2 but no issue overall.||Pools:|There are a couple onsite, we typically ended up at the pool SOS pool. We noticed the main pool often has all sunbeds reserved very early. Disappointing they allow people to reserve beds, we spent most days on the beach and noticed multiple people reserving pool beds for alter that day whilst sitting on the beach. |Towels often run out but you just have to wander for 5 minutes to find another cart. ||We often had beds reserved with no one using them all day, guests leaving towels after finishing with the beds instead of returning them to the laundry piles. Recommend room assigned towels or stop reserving as some days we'd be wandering around unable to get a bed by a pool. ||The pools were all nice, however needed some additional cleaning. The SOS pool in particular had hundreds of missing tiles which made some areas sharp and inaccessible. (this was noted on a review over a year before). The pool needed more regular netting too as there was lots of waste following storms for days after which could easily be cleared.||Weather:|We visited October and had sun for 4/5 days and intermittent clouds after. A few storms in the evening so be prepared for rain and thunder like you've never seen. Staff work hard to clear the water in the walk ways however, on a few nights we were awoken at 2/3am by staff stood outside the door to our room with ridiculously loud walkie talkies. |The doors also have gaps so our room (1116) would have water running under the main door during storms. ||The staff are quick to clear this and put wet floor signs out but it is still incredibly slippery. My husband slipped on the walkway and landed on the pebbled plant area by the members room! ||Beach:|We saw hardly any seaweed and the sea was beautiful. We noticed members were priority in taking beach drink orders which is fine, but some days we'd get asked once, sometimes not at all. If it's members only then highlight that and don't just occasionally take orders.||Food available: |Rita's is a must! We went almost everyday of our trip and tried the majority of the menu. Service was fantastic from Ruben in particular but the whole team were very quick and friendly. Refills without asking and the food was amazing, best Taco's we've had! Recommend the Steak and egg, steak and cheese and Sinaloa!! We just wish they were open in the evenings as to sit there with taco's, wine and watch the sun set would be magical! ||Frank and Lola's - Fantastic waiter every night we visited (Carlos), lovely decor and food was fantastic! Became a regular for most of the trip and well worth a visit. The pastas were all beautiful and again, very quick with refills with Carlos remembering our drinks order after just 1 visit! ||Latino - Visited just once but wasn't great in our opinion. Was very busy and popular most nights we walked past but the food and service weren't great on our visit. Quite slow service and food wasn't anything special.||Beach house - Tried the beach house for a few different meals. We expected it to be menu based on the app but it's typically a buffet with different themes. Food was very good for buffet, kept very clean too! Staff were friendly and quick to seat you, we typically were served by Antonio who was very friendly and welcoming for us. ||Entertainment:|Resort is typically quiet by 10/11pm. Some entertainment in the evenings in the 5 o'clock somewhere bar but usually full due to limited seating. Most guests pour inside afterwards to the later bar for drinks which again gets full. If you're not much of a drinker, expect to be back in your room by 10pm watching TV. |There was a couple of nights with market stalls outside the beach house which was great for souvenirs. Cash only I believe so ensure you take some spending money with you.|Day time entertainment was a little annoying, again personal preference. The host/compere just seemed to love himself a little too much, we noticed he would speak quite fast which people couldn't keep up with and a lot of the time spoke to certain people/families and didn't engage with everyone. the activities listed on the app often don't happen, I understand they get cancelled for bad weather but a few mornings I attended for Pilates/Yoga and there was no one there or anything set up. ||Spa:|We had a couple's package which was lovely, the facilities were well maintained and cleaned. We had massages and facials which were good but the masseuse didn't ask about pressures etc. and even when asked to apply more pressure, it was incredibly light and gentle.||Shops:|Joe merchants is a good concept but needs more variety. First week it was empty, just cans of pop and polos! We have lots of points but used less than half during our stay. Later days of the holiday it was stocked with pringles too but again not much variety. |The souvenir shop was good, however hardly open. The opening times varied daily and some days it was just closed. A little expensive but good for essentials (sun cream etc.) and gifts for loved ones. ||Overall an enjoyable holiday but it needs fine tuning in areas. Our biggest issue was the difference in treatment between members and non members. We understand the perks of the membership which is fine and understandable, but overall you do get a lower quality experience than member guests. From the way you are greeted, to the service you receive from staff. We were avid tippers which was appreciated but still felt like a 2nd class visitor in comparison. ||We would visit again but probably not recommended for honeymooners or those who want the perfect experience. Great for family holidays, quiet and relaxing, but if you aren't ok with early nights or drinking, it's not the place for you. Food was a highlight and the handful of friendly and thoughtful staff really make this place 5 star but honestly, it's more 4 star overall. The grounds are stunning and very phot worthy but unless you are a member, don't...

Let me start by saying I hate leaving bad reviews.  I feel like people are so quick to leave a bad review off of one experience, that I try to mostly leave positive reviews where I can.  However, in this scenario, there have been so many times we've felt taken advantage of, that I felt it necessary to post, in hopes of preventing others from falling victim to this scam. ||||This is a long post going over each incidence of why I regret things, but in an age where we prefer quick results, here is the TL;DR:||We were fed lies through sales tactics, we paid for a 5 yr commitment, a contract was signed AFTER taking money, only to then find out the lies. We regret things immensely.  Please do not sign up with Prestige or Karisma ||||Okay, now for the full store:||||My husband and I have severe buyer's remorse, we feel stupid we let our guards down, when we are usually pretty suspicious of things like this. ||||We were sold on a package, with big promises and flashy sales tactics.  We were told Prestige provides flight bursaries each year.  We were told they have a partnership with Marriott hotels, and 2 weeks per year we could put towards Marriott, who allow us to book a hotel for $230 a week.  We were hesitant with their 10 yr commitment, so they told us they had an old package for 5 yrs we could consider.  We decided it would be worth it, the savings we would get, along with the flight bursaries and marriott hotels for $230 a week, we would be stupid not to commit.  ||||We agreed and they took our payment.  THIS should have been our first red flag, no discussion of contract before payment.  ||||We were then taken to a separate room, where they then go over a contract.  This was AFTER they took our payment.  They have us read through and sign papers, a lot of papers.  One discussed that we would not get flight bursaries.  My husband and I looked at each other in shock.  We were sold on the package because there were flight bursaries.  That was one of the benefits.  They then told us that because we chose the 5 yr, and not the 10 yr, we would not get flight bursaries.  My heart sank, I felt sick to my stomach at that moment.  This was the selling feature, and I would not have signed on if this were not the case.  They did not indicate this at any point during the discussion that the 5 yr contract would not have a flight bursary.   Did we  understand the reasoning, yes, but it was not discussed and we felt we were led to believe otherwise.  We should have chosen this time to go back on the decision, but they told us we would lose $1000 administration fee.  Again, this contract was AFTER they already took our money!!!  So my husband and I decided to think about it over the next few days as they said we could cancel in 72 hrs.  ||||We also found out the partnership with Marriott was also at a cost, the first year was included, but if we wanted access to discounts after the first year, we would have to pay a fee, another fact they didn't tell us.  ||||We discussed things over, and still felt the $230 a week for a marriot hotel would be worth it, along with the other perks, so my husband and I did not cancel. ||||Our contract stated after 45 days of membership, we had to apply for an access code for the Marriott/Interval website.  It would then take 45 business days to get the access code.  We emailed to ask for the code, with no response.  I then emailed customer service, and were advised our designated contact agent was no longer with Prestige, so they assigned us a new one.  We were advised the request for the access code had been sent, and we would be notified of the access code once it was received.    45 business days came and went, and we emailed, multiple times, with no success.  We finally receive the access code, and were told it can sometimes take longer than the 45 days our contract states, if that is the case, WHY does the contract state 45 business days?||Then we come to the interval/marriott website.  We try to look at our options, but apparently we have to request 2 weeks from prestige to be sent to interval, to then see our options.  Talk about confusion and a headache.  Numerous emails and phone calls were made to try and get this sorted, between prestige and interval.  Apparently we have to decide if we want to use our weeks on a cruise, hotel or vacation before they can submit them, but how are we to know what the cost of things are, until the weeks are put through on the interval site?  We finally just ask for 1 week as a hotel to get an idea. ||||By this time we've been trying to plan a vacation since February, and it's now the end of April.  We feel stuck, not being able to plan anything, and frustrated with the back and forth.  The final straw was when we got onto the marriott site, the hotels we are looking at ARE NOT $230 a week like we were led to believe.  Another lie, another issue with what we initially were budgeting when we agreed to this contract.  ||||Oh, also, the resort we fell in love with, the one we bought the contract at, was sold and is no longer an option, as of 2 weeks after we left.   They told us that due to this, we get an additional discount at other resorts.  When did they tell us this?  Once we sent an email with all of the above complaints and concerns.  ||||I've never regretted anything as much as I regret entering this contract.  I'm still sick to my stomach with the amount we put into this, knowing we were lied to, fed sales tactics all to get a sale, and we were left with no flight bursaries, no $230 a week marriott hotels and thus our budgeting we planned when we paid them, went out the window.  Making people sign a contract AFTER taking payment, is just sketchy. ||||If you've made it this far, I really hope I've convinced you not to pursue a contract with Prestige or Karisma, you...

First off, be made aware that people are mixing up the two Margaritville Resorts in these pictures and reviews. I am reviewing the Island Reserve Riviera Cancun.||Also, the "professional pictures" posted look NOTHING like the resort, take those down Karisma. (Just look at the travellers pics, they are more accurate, but be aware that people are mixing up resorts on here. This resort does not have a steak house)||Also, we are members. I feel that drives opinions on stays at these Karisma Resorts. I'll write about that at the end so non members can read other things first.||Travelled as a family with a teenager. Not much for a 15 year old to do at this resort.||Let's start with the beach. Mother Nature can be nasty and she didn't disappoint. I would not travel here again between May and November. The sargassum (stinky, wretched, bug infested seaweed) was relentless and the beach was unusable. I am guessing December to March is good as we've never seen this before, nor have we ever been south in summer months. This is not the resorts fault.||Rooms were great, nice and big, beds were comfortable and clean. Tons of closet space and storage which was great. Probably the best hotel in terms of space that we have ever stayed at.||Food. It's was good, sometimes great but mostly good. Definitely not a deal breaker. As others have stated the taco restaurant close to the beach was great but you can only eat tacos so many times. Overall food is good. Would not recommend paying extra for steak, it was not worth the additional $200 USD. ||Pools were great, plenty to choose from and very warm. Again, we travelled in July so I'd be very surprised if the pools were cold. They were like "soup" ||There was a kids club although we saw very few children. Looked inviting and always open so that's good if you have little ones.||Now this is for members: In terms of service, it ranks quite low. ||- The "butler" was non existent. Half way through we had to get a different one. Original butler made a point of hiding out inside, anyone who had him stated they NEVER saw him. Brutal. |- In terms of reservations, we wanted later times (7pm ish) and were always slotted for 6:30. We've never been "designated" a time before, normally we pick. |- Turn down service, non existent although one night around 11pm while we were winding down we got a knock on the door. Really? Come one. Felt they just did that so there was "an attempt" |- Liquor, before we could pick exactly what liquors we wanted now, that doesn't happen. They don't stock fridge with beer either, you get a credit to spend in the shop near the lobby. The credits were more than enough.|- Lastly, the bali beds. Where to begin...Due to there being SO MANY MEMBERS NOW, there are not enough Bali Beds. So you may or may not get a bed now. This was actually one of the best features for us as members and not having to worry about getting up at 6am to get a bed. Now, good luck. Felt it became a joke throughout the trip fighting to get one considering the beach was dead due to stench and mess on the beach. Literally every bed was empty yet we had a push to get one.||Went to hear what the latest "upsell" was with our membership. It felt like salt on the wound based on this recent experience of overall "member service" ||This resort did do the check in of "what pillows" "what scent" "what soap" etc... Who knows if we got the pillows, the "scent" happened on time due to lack of turn down service and the soap, they just gave us whatever they had. Still check in was smooth and in the members only area.||We were advised that there was a large company who booked they entire resort after us and a lot of people were told to take their vacation that week so they were fully prepared for the next group. Insulting to think we weren't a priority. Money talks.||Overall, we had a great time, we always make the best of where we are. This resort just missed the mark on a few areas that made it just an "average" stay. If you've booked, don't worry, you'll still have a great time. Although our experience wasn't excellent, it also wasn't a deal breaker. We are members so we felt it should have been better based on other stays at...