Three years ago Macaroni KID was one of the very first media outlets to tour Nickelodeon™ Hotels Resorts Riviera Maya. The resort was still under construction and was very much a shell of the amazing resort it is today. I can remember driving through the mangroves to arrive at the resort to tour the buildings and being blown away by how the resort was working with the natural mangroves, was bigger than I expected and had beautiful model rooms for us to tour. Between the soon-to-be-built waterpark, swim-up pool bars, daily activities, and fun characters and decorations I was really excited for the resort to open to welcome families.
Fast forward three years and a lot has changed not just with the pandemic and travel industry but the resort as well. When we pulled up to the main lobby we were greeted with a beautiful and welcoming space, a quick and easy check in process, and lots of excitement for the days ahead. As we quickly came to know, all of the resort staff are so incredibly kind and helpful with directions around the resort, suggestions on activities, and tips on their favorite places to eat and what drinks are the best.
I was hosted by Nickelodeon™ Hotels Resorts Riviera Maya to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
After spending four days checking out the resort it very quickly moved towards the top of the list for places I want to bring my own kids. The trip was with friends from work but I found myself video calling the kids frequently throughout the day to show them the sliming, water slides, lazy river, yummy food and drinks, and all of the activities. Here are the five things I think every family would want to know before booking this amazing resort.
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1.) The suites are big!
As a family of five, I can very much appreciate a hotel room with two queen beds, a pull out couch, TWO! full bathrooms, tons of closet and drawer space, and a table and chairs. We stayed in a Swim-Up Oceanfront Queen Suite that very easily could comfortably hold my husband, me, our three kiddos, and all the "stuff" that comes along for a vacation. It was nice to have plenty of room to put everything away in a closet or drawer and to not have to shuffle things around at bedtime or throughout the day. The patio space offered a lovely spot to enjoy my morning tea with a book each morning and to take a cool dip after getting just a tiny bit of sunburn and to take a quick nap in the breeze. It's so fun having a pool right off your room, perfect for if one of the kiddos needs a nap or some quite time but the other kiddos want to still enjoy some pool time.
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2.) Aqua Nick is for everyone!
Whether you're looking for slow and calm or fast and thrilling, Aqua Nick has it all! The tiniest of babes will love splashing around the PAW Patrol Adventure Bay area, offering a softer ground padding, small slides, and cute little things to play with. Parents will appreciate the sun shade sails above this area to help keep that sensitive skin on the youngest of kiddos safer from the sun.
Kids and grown-ups looking for adventure will fall in love with all of the amazing slides at Soak Summit Tower! Our group had a hard time picking our favorite slide because they all offered something just a little bit different.
For kiddos who like slides and fun but don't quite want to do the largest slides, the Bikini Bottom Beach area offers a multi-level play structure with plenty of slides, sprinklers, and fun for all ages! Hang out here in the afternoon and you just may be part of HUGE sliming!
One of my favorite parts was the lazy rivers - that's right, there are two! One lazy river is a little bit longer and calm while the second is a bit shorter, wraps around the activity pool, and offers fun waves. It was the first lazy river I've found with waves. I found myself enjoying a few nice naps on the lazy river during our trip. There was just something so nice about the current and even the waves that made them both amazing!
Aqua Nick also offers a bunch of different restaurants and places to stop for a quick bite or drink so you don't have to step away from the fun for long. There are some amazing waiters walking around who can help get you a quick drink or offer some amazing recommendations for a snack or meal.
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3.) Gourmet Inclusive® Experience has you covered!
When you fly into Cancun, the last thing you want to deal with is bringing all the baby & toddler gear your child will need - think pack 'n plays, baby monitors, strollers, cribs and all of the other "things" kids need. Nickelodeon™ Hotels Resorts Riviera Maya has everything you could need and makes it incredibly easy. All you have to do is touch base with your Concierge and they'll arrange delivery for you right to your room. Not having to bring all those big, bulky items makes traveling internationally so much easier.
Lounging at Aqua Nick and thinking water or other beverage would be fantastic? All you have to do is as the fantastic waiters walking around!
Need help planning a fun character breakfast, activities, visit to the amazing spa, or anything else? Catch up with your Concierge!
The Gourmet Inclusive® Experience means everyone in your group can have just what they need to make the perfect vacation happen.
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4.) The Food Options are Delicious!
As an all-inclusive, all of your dining and drinks are included during your stay. Beef carpaccio, mojitos, and the single bite desserts definitely topped the top of my list for the trip. I loved that so many drinks and meals were centered on fresh fruit, were creative, and packed with flavor. Nothing was bland or boring - each meal was exciting and I was always looking forward to seeing just what my options would be. Each plate offered a beautiful presentation and showcased the food so nicely.
Yacht Club was easily my very favorite restaurant. All of the food displays were true works of art. Each item offered was offered in small portions, making it easy to grab a little of this, and a little of that, to try so many different options. The special area with the kids' options was super cute, on a level kids could reach everything, and offered both some basic options as well as some more adventurous choices for kids.
Another amazing perk? The 24/7 room service! My roommate and I enjoyed room service pretty late every single night and were blown away that our choices included cocktail shrimp, steak, salads, chicken sandwiches, desserts & more.
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5.) The Resort is Filled with Fun!
Whether you're looking for live music and yummy drinks in SNICK Lounge after dinner, after dinner entertainment, or Club Nick for kids to play in while parents relax - Nickelodeon™ Hotels Resorts Riviera Maya offers it!
SNICK Lounge is filled with all sorts of nostalgic decorations, shows on tv, video games, comfy seating options, live music, and bartenders who make amazing drinks for both adults AND kids. Nickelodeon™ Place offers a variety of different evening entertainment like character dance parties, performances, character breakfasts and more.
If your kiddos want a little break from the grown ups, you can sign them into Club Nick, an amazing indoor play area for kids to hang out with other kids, play video games, enjoy a ball pit, slide, crafts and more! It's a fun, air-conditioned spot where kids can go have their own fun while grown ups enjoy a solo meal, ride around the lazy river or nap on a lounge chair.
Anytime you see the wonderful Team Nick show up you just know it's going to be a dancing, singing, laughing good time.
We had an absolute blast during our four day trip to the resort. We all left talking about how much fun it was, how fun it was to see the finished resort, and how we could have spent another few days at the resort to truly experience the entire resort.
Thank you Nickelodeon™ Hotels Resorts Riviera Maya for such an amazing trip!
Want to find out more about our trip? Check out these articles from other Macaroni KID publishers!
- Say "Aye, Aye, Captain" To Your Best Vacation Yet
- Live, Eat, and Play Like a Kid at Nickelodeon™ Resorts Riviera Maya
- Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya: Food Allergy Guide
- Your Vacation Destination: Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya
