Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya — Hotel in Quintana Roo

My SO and I just returned from our first vacation together, and we had an absolutely wonderful time at the resort. We stayed for six days and decided to remain on the resort grounds for the entire trip, which turned out to be an excellent choice.

The resort is about 25 mins from the Cancun airport in Riviera Maya. We had a Golden Suite reserved but we upgraded to a Golden Suite with a swim-up pool, and it was amazing! Well worth the upgrade fee! Definately an elevated experience. The suite was spacious and well-appointed, featuring two TVs, a comfortable couch, a jacuzzi, a table, and plush beds. We also loved the 24/7 room service, which was prompt and reliable. Notably, the mini fridge did not get very cold. It was barely cold but we got ice buckets to keep sodas cold.

One of our favorite aspects of the resort was walking along the beautifully maintained walkways through lush greenery. The resort offers plenty of activities to keep guests entertained, including dance lessons, yoga, a bike tour (I recommend doing this early in your stay to familiarize yourself with the layout), a surprisingly fun foam party, a guacamole-making workshop, pickleball, tennis courts, and a ping pong table. There are also two large pools; the "lazy pool" is quieter and often used by guests staying in swim up rooms.

In the evenings, we enjoyed the resort’s live entertainment. The Michael Jackson show was my personal favorite, but there were also fire dancers, live bands, a DJ, a live piano performance, and more. I recommend checking the activity schedule when you arrive and planning your days around the events you’re most interested in, as some activities only take place on certain days.

Dinners were a highlight for us—I loved getting dressed up each night and heading out for a meal. The Chinese restaurant served me a burnt salmon one evening, but they quickly replaced it with a juicy steak, which was delicious. The hibachi experience was fantastic, and the French restaurant was by far the best (we went 2x). However, it’s worth noting that some restaurants seemed to have very low or no air conditioning, which could be uncomfortable at times.

The service throughout our stay was excellent, but I must give special praise to Dora. Dora was an absolute joy! She was friendly, full of personality, and incredibly helpful. She truly goes above and beyond to ensure guests are informed and happy during their stay. On top of that, she graciously helped me improve my Spanish, which I greatly appreciated. Dora is such an asset to this resort, and I already miss her bubbly, friendly spirit.

The food overall was pretty good, with the breakfast and dinner buffets offering a vast selection of options. As mentioned, the 24/7 room service was prompt, and we never had to wait long when calling for a golf cart ride. One thing to be aware of is that the resort is strict about footwear in the restaurants, though we did notice some guests wearing non-permitted shoes without issue.

We also had a great experience at the jewelry store on the resort with Norma and Manuel. My sweetie bought me a beautiful four-piece birthstone set, and they even had some work done on the necklace in Cancun, which was returned in time to the resort, as promised.

From the moment we checked in and were greeted with an alcoholic drink and a cute cart of little bites, to our final farewell, we felt well taken care of. Additionally, I left my jean jacket in the lobby upon arrival, and they had it waiting for me in lost and found on the day of our departure.

The resort is home to lots of wildlife, particularly iguanas and these fascinating creatures called Coatis, which look like a mix between a raccoon, a cat, and maybe a possum. As for the beach, the bottom was extremely rocky, and I did cut my foot, we still enjoyed laying out on the beach with a good book and an adult beverage from the Sunset Bar.

Overall, we had a truly memorable stay at the Valentin, and we can't wait to return. Thank you, especially to Dora, for making our first Mexican...

Beautiful resort and great staff, however, I'm kinda surprised by these 5 star reviews because the resort I went to before this one was much nicer and somehow more fun even with children there. This place was a bit underwhelming.

Food: Amazing and the portions were small enough where you could squeeze in dessert after which is what I prefer. The one thing I wished was a larger portion of was the soups (I had tummy problems and didn't wanna take chances, will get to this later). All of the Asian and Mediterranean restaurants were top notch, but the Mexican one was surprisingly lackluster and I really wished there was a taco/quesadilla sampler that didn't have seafood. The breakfast buffet is just ok. There is still something for everyone, but it felt a bit underwhelming. That one review saying this place has a weird obsession with dress codes and sit-down restaurants is right. Yes, this place is nice, but the elite aren't coming here. Nothing wrong with that! Let's just be real. One of the people I came with luckily got away with violating the dress code. Honestly, if your outfit is SERVING and is also violating the dress code, you can get away with it babe. There is a food truck at the pool that has decent food, but I would like a variety. I don't want to have to take off my swimsuit and get ready to have lunch only to get back in the pool right after. Let me be "trashy" and wear a swimsuit to the buffet! It's vacation! The cafe was a slayyy, thee spot to be imo. The caramel machiatto tastes just like the s'mores frap from Starbucks soo good.

Pool: The main pool is somewhat big, but tbh, the previous resort I went to outsold this one... No lazy river. I don't know if the guests mistook the longer pool for one or if the resort is lying lol. The pool temp felt like I was swimming in soup, but it has a fun atmosphere so maybe it doesn't matter when you're drunk. Unless you reserve seating, you WILL be in the sun. The pool events seemed fun, though I didn't participate.

Beach: The main entry beach area has algae or whatever, but the part of the beach that had unreserved seats had much clearer water. The beach had huge shells so wear water shoes otherwise it's over for you and you'll probably be miserable swimming there.

Other: Room service was great, but it would have been nice to have a broader menu or a menu that included some of the dishes from the themed restaurants. I generally felt safe walking around the resort at night, but brighter lighting would have made me more comfortable. If I got robbed (unlikely to happen here), I would not be able to tell what they looked like lmao. The rooms are about a 5-10 min walk to the restaurants. Not bad! There needs to be more frequent golf carts or carts stopping to see if you need a ride. This wasn't ideal when I was having tummy problems or was wearing heels. There will literally be 2 people in a mostly empty cart zooming past you, like guys wait for me😭 The shower is small which caused it to wet the floor even when the door is closed.

Stomach ache in question: 3/4 guests had stomach problems. I was bed ridden halfway through the trip. The others had less severe symptoms and 1 didn't feel anything until the very end of the trip. It started when I ate at the food truck and I didn't have hand sanitizer on me so I had to take a risk because I was that hungry 🤰I'm not sure if it was the food itself or that, but I had awful cramps and a regular stomach ache every time I took a bite of food since then. Also, I was using bottled water when I brushed my teeth and made sure to close my mouth when I showered. Laying down, eating soup, and drinking suero and sparkling water were the only things that saved me when no one else could. It's been a week since I've had those symptoms, and my digestive system is finally back to normal. Just watch out for the food I guess?? There is a Reddit thread about tummy problems spreading in Cancun resorts that prospective guests might want to look into prior to booking...

This was our first visit to the Valentin Imperial, and mere words cannot convey how completely satisfied with our stay! We've included multiple photos.

First, the service at every step of the way was completely professional, friendly, timely and accurate. Check-in was easy and relaxed and any questions we had were readily answered. We received a shuttle ride to our building (we stayed at Golden Swim-Up Junior Suite King Size - Building 8). Left a 5 dollar tip each morning. AC goes down to 66 F, and the ceiling fan really comes in handy if you like to sleep in a cool breeze. Lights everywhere and a very comfortable bed with lots of pillows.

Service at the pool was exceptional. The first day we introduced ourselves personally to the bartender working at the outdoor bar, tipped liberally, and received attentive service and friendly information and quick service the entire 6 day stay. We ordered drinks, water, and occasional food if we decided to have a leisurely lunch at the pool. We did NOT go to the main pool - that seemed to be more for the social crowd, and we were looking for quiet - which is exactly what our building/pool offered.

Restaurants: World Class service and food! We've been to other All-Inclusive places, and this was by far the most variety and best quality. Your experience depends on what you order. The French Restaurant (L'ALSACE) was our favorite, and Oscar (maître d) ran one of the best restaurants we've ever been in with impeccable table service and food that was simply the best. Get the Foie Gras and Potato/Leek Vichyssoises!

La Hacienda (Mexican) we asked to be seated outdoors and although it was humid, the food was wonderful, and we couldn't have asked for better table service. Recommend the Huitacoche and corn creamy soup and the Roasted Chicken with mole entree. WOW!

We enjoyed Taman Sari as well - very friendly staff, and the food was flavorful and well-prepared. The Pad Thai was exceptional as was the Chicken Satay on the starter menu.

Breakfast: Tried the buffet one morning (LE MARCHE) - but our favorite was MAR Y TIERRA (the beach breakfast), with a fabulous fruit plate and French toast. Try the "Divorced Eggs" for something new. Stellar service, great coffee, and if you want to try your Spanish, the wait staff loves to challenge you in a friendly way. Don't be shy. We also enjoyed "CAFE SISAL" - nice variety of light breakfast sandwiches and a very good Horchata Latte and Chai Coffee. Quick and friendly, this is a nice stop if you want to move a little more quickly. They're open late as well.

Evening entertainment: We usually called it a night by 9:00 pm, but the courtyard music (usually a duet or trio) played well, and if you like chocolate martinis, you've found your place! If you ask for a specific liquor in your drinks anywhere, and tip, they'll remember your choices (Makers Mark, Grey Goose, etc.)

Well-lit and beautiful grounds in the evening, and clear paths with immaculately kept landscaping during daytime hours. If you don't want to walk and sweat on your way to/from dinner, you can call the desk for a quick ride either way. A tip is appreciated of course, and the drivers are friendly. If you like wildlife, be quick with your camera - lots of iguanas (they are not scary!), birds and in the evening you may see a Coati or two.

We did not go to the beach as sargassum was in bloom - but this did not in any way affect our experience - HIGHLY recommend you experience the Valentin Imperial - there is no doubt we will be returning!

Our Tip Recommendations:

Restaurants - tip what you would for a comparable meal in your home country - great service is great service! Anywhere from $5.00 (breakfast) - $60.00 (dinner) US - A bargain anywhere! Rides on property: $3.00 US - worth it not to sweat through your dinner clothes! Wait or bar Staff: $2.00 - $3.00 US each time they come by (even for water bottles - these people work hard and are GREAT at their jobs!)

See you...