Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya — Hotel in Quintana Roo

This was our second time visiting this resort, and we have had another superb two week holiday - the staff here make your break away so special, they really are incredibly friendly, attentive and welcoming. ||This resort is literally the cleanest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, the cleaners are really good, and the grounds workers keep the place really neat and well planted. Yes, this year the sargassum is incredibly bad, but this is not the fault of the hotel at all obviously, and you do get used to the smell very quickly. People complaining about the sargassum and lack of beach have obviously not done their research, as this hotel has never had a beach. ||There have been changes since we last visited, and there are things missing which used to be provided, which are not necessarily all money saving measures. There is no longer flip flops and margarita popsicles on arrival, you can no longer sit around the quiet jaccussi pool unless you are a Privilege member, and the restaurants do feel particularly understaffed - we waited an hour and 20 minutes in Frank and Lola’s before we received our main meal, which was cold when we got it so we didn’t eat that evening - no one wants to eat cold gnocchi. Getting reservations is hard, I suspect the good times are kept from “ordinary” visitors. Room service is no longer 24/7 which nearly caught us out after our day trip to Xcaret - we only made it by 5 minutes which would have been annoying if we’d missed it as we were absolutely starving! There does seem to have been penny pinching changes across the resort, simple things like the burger buns changing, and steak sandwiches aren’t ‘branded’ anymore, and there are a lot of missing items from menus, eg the steakhouse run out of Sirloin when we visited, and there was no Horchata or oat milk during our trip this time. However, if you were a first time visitor you would not know the difference, and it wouldn’t affect your stay, I am only adding this information in case you were a previous visitor and wanted an up to date review, and if management were reading this, I’d advise them that these things changing and being omitted may affect a persons choice to revisit the resort. ||The food here is exceptionally good - we didn’t have a bad meal, although it was their low season so not all restaurants were open, so you did have to plan your reservations, and the boathouse was not open at all for lunch during our stay. ||We spent each early evening in the Salted Rim before dinner, where Luis greeted us every day with a welcoming “nice to see you” … his raspberry martinis and negroni’s were to die for! There was often a saxophonist or violinist playing, and it was a really nice start to every evening. Gibran and Orlando did a show one evening showing off their really impressive cocktail mastery, juggling cocktail shakers and fire balls - it was something else! ||After dinner or during dinner when we ate there, we spent each evening in the Landshark - there was a live band or karaoke each evening followed by a DJ set, each evening was different however, so we didn’t get bored over the two weeks. As you’ll see below they really do have great staff in the Landshark, and either Laura or the super friendly Jassiel looked after us exceptionally well. Orlando made my drinks each night in the Landshark, and he is a literal master - he makes an absolutely fantastic Cosmopolitan and I honestly don’t know how he kept up with all the drinks orders, without losing any quality in his cocktail skills, he is a true professional. ||We sat by the main pool every day, had a Bali bed easily every day, as travellers from the UK have a six hour time difference to contend with and seem to be the early risers, not suprisingly! Getting a bed by the pools is not an issue at all however at any time of day, there were more than plenty beds for everyone and all had umbrellas if you wanted shade. We were served drinks daily, mostly by the lovely Erika, who also always came over to say hello, and took time to speak to us and learn about us and our family, we really did love seeing her everyday and learning about her family and her life. There are no towel cards here and you can go and get clean towels whenever you like, which is always welcome. Although we only got involved in the Saturday daytime Foam Party, as we are lazy and mainly come on holiday to Mexico to chill during the day due to stressful work life’s (!) the entertainment team were watched from afar and every single day Angel came to talk to us at length - he really is a born entertainer and is welcoming and funny, naturally interested in everyone and their stories, he is superb, especially when dressed as a shark! ;) ||I’m not going to lie, there is a “them and us” with ordinary guests and privilege guests, with them getting more amenities and service, a whole pool area to themselves, and the better restaurant reservations, along with daytime snacks, and return travellers are not recognised or acknowledged at all (we have now visited Margaritaville resorts three times in the last 18 months and spent a small fortune with the company) however, from watching from afar I don’t think I’d actually want a butler calling to speak to me several times a day, but that’s just my perspective, and as we travel internationally at least 4 times a year do not want to be tied to one provider. We were never approached with any offers or hard sell to upgrade to privilege during our stay. ||Overall we had a really lovely holiday yet again with Margaritaville, and will definitely be back next year - the differences noted did not affect our stay, this is still a very very good hotel and suits us with the relaxing daytimes and the more chilled Salted Rim and the fun Landshark in the evening. ||Finally, I could not write this without mentioning the absolute superstar of Laura from the Landshark. She made our holiday so incredibly special - she looked after us every single evening she was our server, knew and remembered our food and drinks orders from the first day, and even when she wasn’t our server she always, without fail, made time to came and said hello and ask how we were. I really do feel we met someone extremely special in Laura this trip, and I hope beyond anything that she is still there when we return, I actually cried and cried saying goodbye to her! She is an incredible asset to the hotel, and I didn’t once see her without a smile on her face, in what could sometimes be a challenging place to work. We have travelled the World as a couple and met hundreds of servers in our time, but beyond doubt, Laura will never be forgotten and should be extremely cherished...

We stayed for one week. We had a group of 4 ladies over 50 yo. We were sad they separated us having 2 rooms on 2 different floors. 2 had amazing views and two looked out to an old resort next door. They have options for meals two of which required reservation. I personally was not at all impressed by the steak house. I am not a snotty steak lady but did not like the steak. I tried two different options. They offer upgrades for a cost (not $50 but more). Note the garlic mashed potatoes are a 10. Portions are small maybe 4 Tbsp. Don’t be shy order 2. The Italian place was nice. Portions are small. Order an appetizer or two. No one left hungry. They have a restaurant that holds breakfast buffet daily. Nice fruit options, omelette station as well. Room service also delivers a nice breakfast. They also have an evening show there twice per week. We enjoyed the dancers. There is a market shop where you can use your points to purchase drinks and snacks. Stock up your room fridge. They also have a coffee shop with little deserts, salad, sandwich. The taco hut has really good burgers. We hand lunches there and at Land shark bar. In the evening Land shark is the go to bar. Karoke , live music etc. We did have dinner there one night as well. The consistency of what you receive is off. You order a nacho tower and receive a plate of nachos. You order again and it is pilled in a lg can which is lifted off when serving. Onion rings = 3 onion rings. We loved the truffle fries. |I drank a lot. But no signature margarita. The tequila was bottom shelf. They make some wonderful frozen sweet drinks. Mango or pineapple margarita were popular. You can drink every color of the rainbow. But, watch out for GI issues it is just too much sugar. I had ice water in a glass poolside one time. Later I developed GI issues. There is a bar in the lobby. Not for wet swim suits but the drinks they make are superior. If I was going back I would definitely buy tequila at the airport. We had only one bad experience which was with the gentleman in towel booth. Which by the way is actually a sales booth. No one is counting towels nor do you need to return towels to him. He did sell us a shopping outing for 4 for $80. He told us we would go to Porto Morales for tequila tasting and then to Playa del Carmen shopping. He may have said it but we did not understand we would be gone 5 hours. Our van came to pick us up. He could speak no English at all. We could not verify the agreed upon destination. It appeared he said he would take us to Jewelry store. No no that is not us. Finally with the help of resort staff the plan was made clear. We would go first to Morales where we needed to stay inside the jewelry store for 30 minutes. They may give you tequila there. (Described as tequila tasting). Then a 45 + minute ride to Playa del Carmen. Once there he would drop us at the mall for 2 hours. We can mall shop at home we wanted to go to 5 th Ave famous for shopping. We aborted the plan. We felt scammed. It is not what he said but what he didn’t say. He never did refund all of our money. He gave us half said it was out of his pocket. If the resort allows this excursion to be sold they should demand guests know exactly what trip entails). Shame on them letting him take our $80 bucks. We are retired grandmothers and would rather buy better tequila. The resort had stretching class and other exercise options for free. The ocean front pool has lots to offer as well. Fun in water exercising while drinking. They have some quick cooking classes that were great. We learned to make fish ceviche. It was really good. My cousin paid for a vase and sat a couple hours painting it. They helped her with finish and she had beautiful souvenir. We had cards and dice with us. We did a lot of sunning , chatting, and enjoyed the pool bars. Note you can break your own small float for the pool. They will inflate for you. |The service is second to none. Every person you encounter is going above and beyond to make your stay more enjoyable. I hate to even list names because we did not note the name of everyone we encountered. My personal favorite was Reyes. He greeted me by name. If I was alone he would ask if I was looking for someone. If I was he knew where they were and he took me to them. He reminded me if there was something up in case I was interested. But, the ladies I was with all had someone they wanted to recognize. They are Sergio, Jesus |Anthony, and Gino. I had the most wonderful full body massage and facial. See Joan you will not regret it. |Never a concern with safety. I am ashamed I do not know who cleaned our room daily but she is exceptional. The resort is well kept. It is on the water and there is a musty smell. It was worse in my cousins room than mine. This is the place to go when you just want to chill. Eat, pool, eat, pool. There is No beach. You can see water if your real close you will likely smell it. There is no way to get down into it and most wouldn’t even consider putting their feet in it. Bring lots of bathing suits and sunscreen. Maybe a book. |Lastly, please be kind and tip. They work so hard and make your experience...

We visited November 2024 and had a great time. The property was new and was very well maintained. The food was well prepared, the drinks cold and the service was fantastic.

Stay narrative: We were ushered to the members lounge for check in and went through the normal process of checking in without any issues. The margarita popcicle was just ok flavor wise, but is a nice touch for the resort. We sat for lunch at the License to Chill bar and had a snack and were shown to our rooms. Everything was great. The aesthetic carries through with teal and white and all feels very clean. The room has a glass wall in the shower, but no fear there is a screen if you would want to feel less exposed. The water is really hot. though sometimes I could feel it kick over to another feed and the water would be warmer than when I started. Def 1st world problems to have enough hot water. The A/C in the room was probably one of the best in a hotel in the RM that I have stayed in. the room was always comfortable and never swampy (keep your door closed so it stays that way). The resort side glass is well insulated, but the hallway side doors tend to close fast and loudly. If you are in a busy hall, you may hear the doors slam off and on throughout your stay.

My overall impression is this is a nice hotel with a grand courtyard with several pools and food options. It doesn't feel too cozy like a resort, but that is a personal preference. The pools are nice, well maintained, there are ample chair loungers and a handful of bali beds. In the terraced area by the pool there are palm trees providing some shade and away from that area, plenty of umbrellas for you to manage the sun. There is generally good music, more country and pop playing and the entertainment work to get people engaged in volleyball and trivia and water athletics. I don't think I recall the two ladies names, but they were very kind. One even subbed for the stretching class when the instructor failed to show, so they 100% are engaged and committed to their jobs and working for their guests.

The pool butlers were busy and brought our drinks regularly. I don't think they were overserving anyone. No issues with filling up insulated cups from the guests.

We did like the gym, it is well stocked with equipment and has some free weights, machines, treadmills and ellipticals. As noted earlier, the stretch class was great, though we only were able to make it 2x

We did order room service for breakfast and other than it being a bit later than ordered on our last day making us a tad nervous (arrived with time to eat it, 3:30 am for 7 am flight) the two times it was ordered it was cooked perfectly and presented beautifully. I do think the pancake batter was a tad overmixed, but again. I didn't have to cook so it was fine for me!

We ate breakfast at the boathouse several times and through several of the themed nights as well. The sushi bar was tasty and fun, the mexican night was filled with typical fare and felt fresh. Nothing was stale on the displays and the fruits ripe and desserts were a step up from normal desserts we have had at other stays. In general the coffee wasn't as good as previous visits to mexico, but could have just been the roast. We drink decaf and one waitress i believe went to Joe Merchants and got us hot lattes, they were delicious and better than the pot coffee there.

Dinner at JWB steak house was fine, the bartender made a delicious martini for me so good on him! The waiter Jimi made the evening a lot of fun. Frank and Lolas was good too! We wanted to go back but didn't have time in our stay to.

One of the best things, I think, in the MVIR brands is the coffee bar at Joe Merchants. I think overall the point system for mixers is annoying and you have to walk by 2-3 bars to go get it so may as well have them make you a drink, but compared to another stay at MVIR C, the store seems lightly stocked. But back to the coffee. Its delicious there and better than anything you can get at starbucks and...