In July, I had the honor of joining over 40 of my Macaroni Kid sister publishers from all around the US on our annual Boondoggle trip. This year, we were invited to be guests at Azul Beach Resort Riviera Cancun, located on the Caribbean coast, literally just steps away from the Caribbean beach. The all-inclusive Karisma property is stunning, family-friendly, comfortable and felt like heaven on earth. This was my first experience staying in an all-inclusive resort and I am already planning to take my family back to the Azul Beach Resort Riviera Cancun.
I arrived in Mexico on Sunday evening and I was impressed with the resort immediately. The front desk employees were all so friendly and welcoming, and the lobby is beautiful.
I've stayed in a lot of hotels in my life, and I can honestly say this place had the most beautiful and luxurious rooms I have ever stayed in. The room decor was perfect and the large jacuzzi tub was such a welcome haven in the evenings before bed. The back door of my room opened to the lazy river area, with comfortable patio seating for me to sit and watch families enjoy the pool. They even have free room service and a minibar in the room full of drinks and snacks, all included. The spacious accommodations include connecting suites, guaranteed to keep everyone close. Suites range from 640-1,924 sq. ft. Connecting suites keep the family within reach, but still give adults and teens their privacy. Azul offers free international calls so you can keep in touch with family back home.
This resort is very family-friendly and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into what they offer to make families with young children feel welcome, too. Buffets have special kids' stations, the pools all have miniature beach lounge chairs for kids around them and there is even Gerber baby food available at all the resort restaurants. There's also a splash pad and toddler pool. You won't need to worry about bringing a high chair, stroller, or pack-n-play, because Azul has already thought of that and has cribs, high chairs, strollers and even a toy-lending menu available.
Have older kids or teens? They too will have a blast, with no shortage of kid and teen-friendly activities. There are clubs for kids and teens, tennis lessons, a Starbucks (additional fee) and high-speed internet throughout the resort. There are also daily activities organized outdoors, like a rock-climbing wall and volleyball, so you can be sure they’ll be enjoying that Riviera Maya sunshine!
Azul has designed this resort so that there is plenty of fun to keep everyone happy and active, including snorkeling, kayak tours, dance lessons, Zumba, tennis, archery, beach soccer, water polo, volleyball, towel folding classes, and more. Want to venture out on your own? Grab kayaks, snorkel gear and paddleboards and set out right at the resort! On the last day of our trip, we had a few hours of free time so 10 of us booked a group snorkeling excursion that left from the resort. (additional fee) We had so much fun and they provided all the supplies and instruction. We snorkeled above coral reefs and saw so many beautiful fish.
There are six sparkling pools, including an adult-only one with cabanas and many of the rooms are swim-up suites with a pool right outside the sliding glass door. These even have a hanging rack outside so you can dry your towels and swimsuit there in the Caribbean breeze.
We didn't have our kids with us on this Publisher-only trip, so we enjoyed a pool party in the adult-only pool with swim-up bar and peace and quiet in the gorgeous and spacious rooms. For three days we were spoiled, pampered and made to feel incredibly special -- all trademarks of a stay at an Azul Beach Riviera Cancun. I was so impressed with the staff. They are obviously trained to treat each guest as valued and I appreciate that so much. It did not matter if you were passing a landscaper, a housekeeper or the head chef- each person greeted you with a friendly smile and hello, and it was always easy to find someone on the property if you had questions. Azul Beach Resort Riviera Cancun has one of the best staff-to-guest ratios in the industry at 2 to 1.
Azul Beach Resort Riviera Cancun offers all-inclusive dining, with chef-prepared gourmet cuisine in one of the resort’s five restaurants. Choose from Italian, Caribbean, Spanish, Mexican and World cuisine, and all restaurants are an easy walk along sidewalks from your room. Also on the property is the fine dining restaurant, Le Chique, voted the #1 restaurant in Mexico and #34 in Latin America by Travel + Leisure’s Best of the Best Gourmet Awards. All dining is chef-curated and a la carte. Have special dietary needs? No problem- organic and gluten-free options, as well as organic baby food, are included. All drinks, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are also included.
If you are looking for a stress-free vacation destination where you can relax without having to worry about meals, housekeeping and entertaining the kids, Azul Beach Resorts Riviera Cancun is the ideal place for you. They have hospitality down to an art, and their customer service is excellent. You will feel like a valued guest and enjoy comfortable and luxurious accommodations.
I received a complimentary stay at Azul Beach Resorts Riviera Cancun for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are my own.
