Desire Riviera Maya Trip Reports
The following trip reports have been submitted by our friends and clients. If you have recently visited Desire Riviera Maya, we need your trip reports.
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Castaways Couple - July 24 Repeat Guests
We thought Eden is a great addition to the already great Desire RM. We loved getting to see everyone in the group and it was nice that there are two pools when you need a reprieve from the loud music. We thought the Lobby was beautiful and the new lobby bar and snack food area was great! We will definitely be back! We look forward to seeing you both at Hidden Beach in October.
Castaways Couple - July 2024 First time visitors
We definitely had a great time at DRM. As always, your hosts did their very best to make sure everyone was having a good time. Both were available to help us with any problem we may have had. They really got the pool party going for the Castaways group. We were not too thrilled with how cloudy the (pool) water was but that happens with large crowds with suntan lotion. The quiet pool was beautiful and the water was crystal clear and blue.
It is hard to say how we like Eden because we didn’t really experience anything special about Eden. It just seemed like a continuation of RM. Now perhaps if we paid for one of the beautiful suites, it would have made a difference. We did love the outside forum where they did the shows on the patio. That area was very nice.
As far as restaurants, our favorite was Eros (but were told once we couldn’t eat there since we weren’t a member… after us eating breakfast there multiple times. The food there is far superior to the buffet. We personally did not find the buffet very appetizing. We did go to Suki twice and as much for the friendly staff as the food. We went to Kahlo expecting a great Mexican meal only to have two options: Fish or Chicken.
Overall, the staff was fabulous and very nice and courteous. No complaints at all about how we were treated (other then the minor issue with the hostess at Eros).
Believe me, we had a blast because of the group we were with and the hosts made sure everyone was happy.
Definitely, we prefer Desire Pearl.
Castaways Couple - November 2022 First time visitors
- Soni who works with the front desk/Reception (not sure her exact position) was GREAT!!
- All wait staff at restaurants were very good.
- Bartenders were also very good.
- Bar servers also were very good.
- Food at lunch was very good, nice variety, kept full and hot.
- Property was well kept, very clean, well maintained even in the couple days we had storms with high winds. They did the best they could with the beach but due to storms there was so much seaweed the beach was on the most part not usable nor were the beach cabanas or chairs.
- Sahlo- Beautiful place, very good food, but WAY too dark. Waiter used a flashlight for every table we saw to read the menu. Turn up the lights a bit and would have been perfect.
- Suki- Good food....until the power went off and place went dark. Waiter did the best he could.
- Room was clean with a nice view.
- Room frig was stocked with what we requested.....bottled water. Very nice option.
- Front Desk at check in- fairly slow but biggest issue was very pushy for a commitment to meet for a (time share/vacation club) presentation. Wouldn't complete check in until we set an appointment. Told presentation would be no more than 1 hour....at 2 hours we said enough. Presenter was nice but our vacation was not to spend doing that.
- We arrived about 10AM...we had the impression a room would be ready sooner than later.....there was no room until after 3PM and at that point ALL the rooms are ready at once. We would have packed differently had we known that. Bags were stored for us but everything we needed was not available.
- Room was both good and bad. View was nice....but a shared balcony with guests that we had no desire to constantly interact with and they lived on the balcony (often smoking and we don't).
- Room was upstairs and not just a few. Was wet several days and very slippery with poor lighting.
- Room had no chair or couch of any kind....sit on bed or stand.
- Room had a step right beside bed which was hard to see and awkward.
- Room had no tub....first resort we have ever gone to without a tub or jacuzzi in room or patio.
- Pool...only one, limited seating and pool/towel attendants were horrible. Only way to get a chair was heavy tip and basically complain. We arrived daily early and were the ONLY ones at pool but could not get a decent chair. We noted only the heavy tippers did. Never been to an ALL INCLUSIVE that you were required to tip to use facility. Tipping was done by choice and at the end of the stay. FYI- We discussed with front desk management and they concurred that was not appropriate....towel guys made excuses in way of apology but nothing changed. An obnoxious start every day.
- Daytime activities- for a sensual place the activities were anything but. In the entire stay there was ONE sexy activity....boob/butt blindfold game. Volleyball taking up most of pool. Sort of pole exercise. How about body shots, body paint, fun sensual....
- Hot tub was one of only two places on property to have sex fun outside of your room. Very big deal made upon check in about that. We kissed in the pool and felt we were being watched. Problem with hot tub was up a long flight of stairs that were slippery when wet and there was limited hours it was available.
- Sexy room was again up a flight of stairs, limited hours....didn't open until club did....10PM. How about 8PM and have a longer time available for those who come early and those who stay late. There were hardly any activities so lengthen the time makes since.
- Breakfast and dinner in main dining buffet was never hot unless you ordered specific eggs (breakfast) or protein (dinner). Rest of food was closer to room temperature.
- Reservations at specialty places- could not make until day you were going. Acted like they were overflowing yet we like to eat early and there was maybe one other table when we ate as well as whenever we walked by on other nights. Make it easier to enjoy.
- Sahlo was formal for men....slacks, no sandals, nice shirt. Women could wear anything- not a complaint for their wear. See through coverups, bra only tops, halters etc.... Is it really such a big deal to allow nice shorts for men, nice sandals,.....it is a tropical vacation spot and HOT weather causes to be uncomfortable when we should have choices and be comfortable.
J & B Couple - April 2021 Repeaters
We had the most amazing time at Desire Riviera Maya, will be returning time and time again (in July 2021). The staff is incredible , playmakers are just over-the-top friendly interactive and just overall great people. This was our 4th trip, we enjoy interacting with people and also just spending alone time with each other, whether it was out in public or just tucked away in our own little private bed.
Food was amazing, Bar staff never let you go thirsty, hands down late-night snack chef was the bomb! We had our first ever couples erotic massage….oh lord this was so fantastic…erotic…and amazing, the fire was lit and we had a bonfire! There’s more to tell, will just leave some to the imagination …can’t wait to return. (*)(*)
A & A Couple - January 2021
This email is to make some comments about my stay at Desire Resort that could be of help to others.
Overall the holiday week was very relaxing and fun. We like nudism and it was very nice to be inside the resort without clothes and without a mask. At the resort, the use of a mask is not mandatory for hotel guests, but for hotel employees (masks are required). We do not use the mask but we avoided the approach with other couples due to the Covid issue. Both on the beach, the pool and in the restaurant you could keep a reasonable distance to avoid taking risks.
The buffet was very well attended and safe. Using the Jacuzzi is more complicated for those who are afraid of the Covid, but we got into the Jacuzzi when there were few people and it was very pleasant too.
In conclusion, I would recommend anyone to go to the Desire Resort, it is a safe place but it is your responsibility to keep your distance. The place continues to be very entertaining, the service was excellent and the quality of food and drinks excellent.
S & S Couple First-timers - August 2020
Arrival in Cancun:
Airport staff was friendly, signs were clear and our driver gave us clear instructions on what to expect and how to find him so our airport experience was smooth.
Desire Resort:
The staff at Desire are very attentive and really aim to please. The accommodations were clean and comfortable. The food was fantastic. There was something for everyone - relaxing pool atmosphere, nighttime partying and socializing by the hot tub.
Relating to COVID protocols, our temperature was taken prior to entering the lobby and our hands and even shoes were sanitized. We saw the staff cleaning thoroughly and frequently. All food including buffet items were served to us to avoid contamination.
M & B Couple Repeat Trip 2020
We had a wonderful time on our Desire Riviera Maya vacation. We had a slight mix up with our room preference upon check it but everything got worked out immediately. The resort took good care of us when we changed to the room we had requested and paid for.
The weather, accommodations, food, drinks, and staff were fabulous and we are planning to go back before the end of this year and join some friends we met while there this trip.
Lomas Travel transportation (airport transfer) was fabulous as always and right on time arriving and departing. We have always had a great experience with them and would always expect nothing less from them.
Thank you and your staff for always taking such good care of us.
H & T Castaways Clients
Thank you for your expert help in arranging our recent trip to Desire Riviera Maya. As usual (our fifth trip), Desire was wonderful: beautiful, well-maintained rooms and resort, delicious food, great service! Allyson and Jennifer were very courteous, responsive, and efficient in booking our stay and arranging ground transportation.
Due to Hurricane IRMA (Sept 2017) our flight home was canceled, so we were "stuck" in Paradise with beautiful weather and pool drinks for three extra days! Looking forward to our next trip through Castaways!
F & O Castaways clients
My wife and I just returned from Desire Riviera May - Cancun. Of course, we had a good trip and had no issues with the hotel. Even the pressure to join the Premier (Vacation) Club was minimal and non-existent once we said no. We had a Gardenview room which was a nice room and plenty cold. Poolside had a good concierge (Daniel) who coordinated the seating, beds and umbrella chairs around the pool. He did a great job in accommodating our preferences. And unlike Pearl, we never got bumped by Premier Club members (maybe because there weren't very many). The upstairs hot tub was lukewarm. But maybe that's a good thing so one can stay in longer. (Also, not much PDA to speak of:)
The restaurant served great food which we think is actually better than Pearl.
The only issue we had was with Lomas Travel (for arrival service) who provided our transport to and from the hotel. On arrival, Lomas dropped us off at Pearl instead of Desire Riviera Maya Cancun. Once inside the hotel we discovered we were in the wrong place and had to wait over an hour for Lomas to return to pick us up. The Pearl staff was very helpful. However, all in all Lomas returned and took us to the right place.
On the return trip Lomas provided a special Navigator SUV private transport back to the airport to make up for the mix up.
We appreciate Castaways in assisting us with our travels. Your representatives are very helpful. We look forward to future service.
Castaways Note: Before you enter your vehicle, confirm the driver knows where to take you and make sure he knows how to get there. Majority of the time, the driver speaks English and if there is any doubt while you're at the curb BEFORE you depart ask a Lomas Supervisor at the dispatch desk where you check in to confirm: 1) Driver knows the correct name of the resort 2) Directions or location of the resort. 3) How to get there and 4) Has the telephone number of the correct resort.
A & D Couple - Comparison of Desire Pearl vs. Desire Riviera Maya
Desire: Pearl vs Riveria Maya
Food: Equal and very good. There are differences. Rivieria Maya has more Mexican food.
Service: Equal and Excellent
Rooms: similar but smaller at Riveria Maya
Shows: better at Pearl
Exercise facility: better and more up to date at Pearl, but Riveria Maya is adequate
Sin Room: Very good at Riveria Maya, too small at Pearl
Hot Tub: Much nicer at Pearl. RM is small on top of the roof
Disco: similar, but see re Crowd
Crowd: Riveria Maya had a wider age range which meant there were more and wilder dancers at the Disco. Not much in the way of PDAs except in the designated areas.
Pool: much better at Pearl, Riveria Maya’s pool is very small and you can’t swim if there is an activity, such as water volleyball going on
Out-of-resort excursions: slight advantage turns major if you can find Cesar at Pearl
Wildlife: alligators and coatis at Riveria Maya, iguanas at Pearl
Beach: both becoming over-run by seaweed but Pearl’s Warf is a major plus, both for snorkeling and for romantic moments.
J & R Repeat couple
We like Desire Pearl so much better. Too many young people acting crazy this time of year. Didn't get room we wanted although requested. We had requested white love seat/stool we had last time. Great for play! Didn't get it front desk couldn't understand English good enough. Bed was horrible..uncomfortable.
We travel often with no problem this was horrible. Sheets were very rough. But room was clean and quite no view of anything. We will spend more and go back to desire pearl. Like more mature crowd and more intimate easier to meet others.
(Castaways Note: Even though the room was requested, Desire will not guarantee a room number or location.)
A & R Summer
We like pearl so much better. Too many young people acting crazy this time of year. Didn't get room we wanted. We had requested white love seat/stool we had last time. Great for play! Didn't get it front desk couldn't understand English good enough. Bed was horrible..uncomfortable.
We travel often with no problem this was horrible. Sheets were very rough. But room was clean and quite no view of anything. We will spend more and go back to desire pearl. Like more mature crowd and more intimate easier to meet others.
The entertainment, food and service was awesome! It was great to see Silvia, CC, Daniel and others again. We experienced the erotic massage and it was nice but overpriced. This was our 2nd trip to Desire and this was our least favorite out of the 2. The beach was covered in several inches of stinky seaweed which attracted many insects. The mosquitoes were terrible at the resort even though they fogged in the evening. The pool water was miserably hot so there was no way to get refreshed from the heat.
The Catamaran ride from Pearl was boring. Too few couples and seas were too rough to snorkel or swim but the Capt and deck hand was fabulous. We will definitely go back but never in the hot summer. Travel to the resort was a breeze with Castaways Travel.
Uncle Jack
This resort is a great place to vacation and unlike other resorts open sex in the pool or surrounding premises is prohibited. Now the Hot Tub is completely different.
Places like HEDO gets a little sickening of all the body fluids that end up in the pool from open sex. Desire's personnel have always been very friendly and always willing to help make your vacation a wonderful experience. You don't hear the 'no problem mon' at this place.
All the restaurant's are in air conditioned buildings, with the exception of the grill near the pool, but with the gulf breeze and ceiling fans it's nice. Make reservations for the International and the Oriental restaurants to guarantee your seating. And remember the International restaurant is fine dining, so don't go in there like your eating at a fast food establishment with all your friends making a lot of noise.
A tip for those of you wanting to buy liquor, buy it at the duty free store at the Cancun airport. Their prices are the lowest. Now be careful as you buy this after your checked luggage has been taken, so you are bringing (your purchase) on the plane with you. If you don't have a direct flight, non-stop to your home town ..... like us, we changed planes in Houston.
First off you go through customs in which they ask you certain questions about your visit and what you are bringing back. Don't be afraid to say you have 3 or 4 bottles of your favorite liquor, I know your only supposed to have 1 liter per person, Customs is not set-up to collect duty for the extra bottles. Just be honest and they have always just let me go on. Now you get our checked luggage and go through customs again and leave a secured area for about 20 ft. and then you have to recheck your luggage.
It's at this time you need to place the liquor in your checked luggage as you will have to go through TSA security and you cannot board with all those big bottles of liquor. If you go without placing in your luggage, you will have to turn it over TSA for their annual Christmas party or go back and check it in.
Enjoy yourself as we have the past 3 years and will be going to Desire again next year.
D & N Couple
Some of the (marketing) issue is that their (Desire's) marketing makes it sound like the resort is so over the top. I wonder if that extreme marketing actually hurts them more than it helps, since it tends to scare people who just want a free and open environment rather than a "drunken orgy."
One more point to add on the "drunken orgy" issue, is that despite the free and strong alcohol drinks, it's true that I never saw anyone out of control, staggering or drunk.
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My wife and I just returned from a few days at Desire RM. This was our second trip there, previously we had visited a few years back.
The weather was perfect and staff was as good as we had remembered them from before. I few of the same people were still working, including C.C., Sylvia, etc. Sylvia is so sweet and always has a smile on her face. I just don't know how she can maintain such a caring attitude in the face of all us demanding vacationers, but she does somehow. I think she is motivated by a "Higher Power", or some such...... 🙂
Food is good-not spectacular for the most part, but very nice with appropriate portion size in the restaurants. If you need more calories just order more at the Melange bar. The pizza is good there.
Several of the entertainment nights and pool games from "The Playmakers", as they are called, were a bit lame, but I think it was because this was a weekend. Pool games got more fun on Monday. They had a cover band one night that was fantastic and some gymnasts that were talented.
They need to make a rule that the disco has only live DJ's. Otherwise the music by the pool and the disco was pure 1980's.... By Sunday night and Monday, they were playing some more modern stuff which was a great relief.
They need to attach the mirror to the wall in our bedroom--we stubbed a toe on it and it's just leaning up against the wall.
Pickup at the airport with Lomas was a bit chaotic--we stood in 3 different lines and kept being sent to another line. Eventually we got onto a bus by ourselves and had a great driver. When they returned us to the airport, the driver even went inside the airport and printed out boarding passes. That was an unexpected plus!
I left a room tip for our cleaning lady and $20 for a few other staff in an envelope when we left the resort. I never felt any pressure to tip and didn't see much tipping going on around me either.
All inclusive is so awesome.... much less stress than being nickeled and dimed to death and I've done travel both ways.
We had fun with the water craft, taking out the Hobie Cat and kayaks. The "instructions" were minimal, I'd say and it's a good thing that we are sailors already or we could have easily ended up beached far downwind. They will go out with you on the Cat if you ask and if you are not confident at sailing a Sunfish or Hobie Cat, I suggest you ask for Alfredo or his associate to keep you afloat and pointed the right direction.
I know it sounds like I'm being grumpy, but that's everything that was bad. Otherwise you just can't beat Desire for being a place of openness and no judgment. We are not swingers, although several nice couples engaged us in conversation about it to determine if we were "curious" or not.
No one was rude, but non-swingers need to be prepared to speak up about what they want or don't want. It's a compliment to be asked. I'd guess it was about 65/35% non swingers/swingers ratio when we were there. It's nice to have the freedom to wear as much or as little as you want at the pool and hot tub area and enjoy PDA with your love without judgment.
As plenty of people have said, the hot tub (upstairs and out of site), associated outdoor beds and (private) play room is where 90% of the X rated action happens. They try to keep that out of the pool and beach area. If you get too much, just stay away from those areas and your vacation will be pretty tame.
My wife was a bit nervous this time and "competition", only remembering the beautiful people from years ago and not the average people. It took her about 15 minutes to relax, as expected, when she noticed that there were only a few "perfect" bodies present and no one was judging.
Pretty much everyone feels beautiful and "Desire--able" at Desire. Staff does a good job of drawing in people who seem to be hanging back. There were a few couples in their 60's and 70's who were smiling and very few under mid 30's.
A couple of girls in their 20's were probably models (that comment about the "perfect" bodies above?) and my wife and I wondered if they had been paid to be present by some generous benefactor, owner or wealthy guest. We had fun coming up with various scenarios that we obviously had no evidence for creating...
I can't wait to go back! Just call us "Anonymous and in love."
K & K - Two summer trips -- Pearl and Riviera Maya
We went to Desire Riviera Maya (RM) and Desire Pearl (Pearl). We were very happy with both resorts. In general we do not sweat the small stuff and find enjoyment in most places. But here are some comparisons between the two...nothing a major problem though.
First, both resorts are very nice and offer a great environment for a clothing optional vacation. Both have amazing staffs that go out of their way to help. Both are close to Cancun airport with Pearl just a little further. Both had a great entertainment staff that was not overly pushy. You want a staff to pick up the fun but not "force" you into the fun...they hit the right mix.
Rooms: The rooms are nice at both but we probably give a nod to Pearl. We were in the cheapest room at both and the rooms were very nice. RM room had a much bigger shower that was really nice but no tub.
Pearl's room had a nice couch in the room and a tub. We would actually rather have the large shower than the tub, but that is us. The TV at Pearl had more channels and was bigger...not that we watched much TV, but the NBA finals were on:)
Pool: Nod again to Pearl only because there is a swim up bar. At RM you have to get out of the pool. But at RM you have Sylvia who is always ready to get you a great drink. We just like the swim up bar idea. Other than that, the pools at both are nice. Pearl's pool extends along the length of the resort.
Nice if you want to wonder in the pool, but not a dramatic benefit. Foam party at Pearl was just awesome.
Food: Kind of a tie here depending on what you want. We thought the individual food items were better at Pearl, but there was more choice at RM. We liked the buffet they had every night, but you could order something if you wanted. Pearl had a 4-star presentation quality for their food.
We ate at Aphrodite mostly at Pearl and loved being able to sit outdoors near the ocean. At RM you eat inside...not as nice, but this is not a big deal. We did not eat at Pearl Restaurant at Pearl because we did not want to spend 1-2 hours eating. Heard it was great quality, but we wanted to eat outdoors and get through dinner.
Nightly Shows: RM wins here because they have a central area outside for their shows. We only made portions of a couple shows at Pearl because they were in the Disco. Seemed out of place. We made all the shows at RM. Pearl should try to do them in the lobby area maybe.
Playroom: RM is better here. It is much bigger and the "beds" give a sense of privacy. We never used the playroom at Pearl and did not see anyone go in. It is just a small room at Pearl.
Drinks/Bars: Top notch at both. Great booze choice. Would be nice if they had a "drink menu," and a published drink of the day. It is nice to look at a list of specialty drinks and martinis and choose vice trying to remember something and tell the bartender how to make it.
Hot tub: Pearl wins here. RM rooftop hot tub is neat but much smaller and the stairs are a bit dangerous. Pearl had snacks available at hot tub time after our first day there and that was awesome. You need a little food while drinking in the hot tub.
Beach: Beach was nice at both resorts, no real winner here. It is nice at Pearl that you can walk to Puerto Morales if you want.
Shopping: We do not like to go off resort so RM had local artisans come one night to sell their wares. This was great and Pearl did not have this so it was hard to get a keepsake for the trip. The resort-identity bracelet that you get at Pearl was nice and made a nice keepsake we still have vice the plastic band you get at RM.
Pool Chairs: Equal at both. This is the most annoying part of the resort experience. We don't have a fix so we just deal with it by getting up early and getting a chair with the "chair guy" and then going back to bed. There are more than enough umbrellas to keep you shaded. RM had "couch beds near the pool and that was neat...Pearl did not.
In the end we had a great time at both resorts and would go back to either in a heart beat. The people you are with make the experience more than the resort amenities. Both Pearl and RM are great resorts and offer a wonderful time to connect with the one you love.
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