Haven Riviera Cancun, to be exact. We just stayed at this new-ish hotel about 20 minutes from the Cancun airport. There is something to be said for traveling from Texas to beachside by 11 AM.
The hotel
Haven Riviera Cancun opened in 2018. It is only about 20 minutes south of the Cancun airport. It’s an adults-only, all-inclusive hotel. There are plans to expand and add a family resort next door.
There’s some construction that should be ending in the next week or so. They are adding a new building for Serenity rooms. Currently, you can stay in a Serenity upgraded room around the existing hotel. The new building will be dedicated to Serenity only and will have a pool and restaurant. The convention center being added will not be finished until late 2023.
Serenity upgraded rooms have a few extra amenities. We made use of the hydrotherapy included and I was happy that they had Tito’s vodka as well! You can see the full list here.
It’s important to note that Haven is situated in an area that can experience a higher amount of seaweed during specific times of the year. Unfortunately, there isn’t much the hotel can do about it, aside from relocating. They do, however, make an effort to run tractors daily to manage it. The only situation in which I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to someone is if they prioritize swimming in the ocean. However, the beach itself is stunning, with an abundance of trees and cozy cabana beds, making it a serene and tranquil spot. It’s worth mentioning that there might be seaweed in the water, but according to one of the bartenders, it’s generally not an issue in January and February.
Our room
My favorite room upgrade is a swim-out. We actually chose Haven this time specifically for the room. We booked a Serenity Club Swim Out Ocean Front room. Probably one of the best views we’ve had from our room.
The room was set up nicely. I liked the separate closet in the bathroom with a full-length mirror but I personally wish there were more drawers. Staying 6 nights means a lot of clothes and we just had them piled up on the shelves in the closet. I think Barcelo Maya Riviera had the best storage.
The vanity area in the bathroom was perfect though. The drawer for makeup storage was a great idea!
Our patio had 2 lounge chairs and a table and chairs for dining. We were in building 5 which was right next to the construction. It didn’t bother us at all. The bartenders do come around to the swim-up rooms with drinks. This was a plus. We usually head to the main pool until lunch then go back to our room for the afternoon.
This room location was shaded in the afternoon which I was ok with after being in the sun for the morning.
We spent our last full day in our pool and never left until dinner.
Main pool areas
At Haven Riviera Cancun, there are two primary pools, excluding the upcoming Serenity section pool. The first pool is circular and peaceful, and it features a swim-up bar, numerous chairs, and cabana beds. In close proximity to this pool is a snack bar, and servers are available to bring drinks. Towels are readily available on chairs and towel stands, and there are no towel cards required, which is fantastic news.
This pool was where we spent most of our days when we weren’t at our pool.
This pool is zero entry surrounded by partial ocean view rooms, garden view rooms, and swim-up rooms. All the ground floor rooms here are swim-up.
The second pool is more rectangular in shape, it also has a swim-up bar. There’s a lounge area in the pool with seating. This pool has music, pool volleyball, games, and water exercise classes. I participated one morning in the surfboard yoga/stretching class. It’s a workout just trying to stay on the board.
Hotel spa
We opted for the Serenity room, which came with a 30-minute session in the hydro-therapy pools. For an additional $19, we extended our time by another 30 minutes, which was a steal. The spa area also boasts a bridal suite, hair salon, and nail salon. The bridal suite was breathtakingly beautiful.
Bars and entertainment
As for the bars and entertainment, we thoroughly enjoyed the nightly shows. We had the chance to attend multiple performances, including the Cabaret, Circus Show, and Magic Show. The schedule remains consistent from week to week. The theater itself spans two floors and tends to get quite crowded. The doors open at 9 PM.
There are several bars open at night. Our favorite was Limes. It’s up on the top floor. There’s an inside and outside seating area. The outside has smoking areas. Inside there are TV’s and seating along the wall and at the bar. We had really good bartenders there and probably some of the best drinks I’ve had at an all-inclusive.
This is also the spot for sunset viewing!
The food
Dinner here was my favorite. They have several restaurants to choose from. Only one requires reservations and it also requires long pants for men. Otherwise, nice dress shorts and polo shorts are perfect. Our favorite was a toss-up between Satsu, the Asian Fusion cuisine, and Agua Bendita which is the Mexican Steakhouse. We ordered from the a la carte menu at Satsu (not hibachi). The hibachi table also requires reservations. It was so good!!
At Agua Bendita we had a semi-private romantic dinner. That food was amazing!
This drink is called a Watermelon Lolly. I also had a steak but apparently forgot to take a picture of it.
Olios is the Mediterranean restaurant. They require reservations. The food and service here was very good, it just takes a little longer to get through the meal. We also purchased a bottle of wine at this dinner.
I had salad, cream of artichoke soup, and steak. I was surprised at how much I liked the soup.
We haven’t ordered room service at a hotel in a while but I’m glad we tried it. Several days for lunch we just went back to our room and ordered lunch and stayed at our pool.
They offer a buffet for breakfast and lunch. When the hotel is at 85% occupancy they open the buffet for dinner Thursday through Sunday as well. We arrived on Friday and the buffet was open so we opted that for the first night. We had been up since 3:15AM and were exhausted.
There is also a coffee shop in the lobby with snacks and ice cream. Open until midnight.
We really enjoyed our stay and I can definitely recommend this hotel!
If you are interested in traveling to Haven Riviera Cancun, or any other options, I’d love to earn your business. You can reach me at Lake Pointe Travel at sarah@lakepointetravel.net or 469-698-4071. This is my personal lifestyle blog but I’m a travel agent by day.
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