Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya

“True 5 star service”

TL;DR: Stayed as a family with my 7yo and my mom (no Spanish, limited English). Anticipatory, warm, and personal service that won my mom over and genuinely exceeded my expectations. Nicely secluded but close to the airport. Well-designed rooms with beautiful sunrise views over the ocean. Delightf… more

TL;DR: Stayed as a family with my 7yo and my mom (no Spanish, limited English). Anticipatory, warm, and personal service that won my mom over and genuinely exceeded my expectations. Nicely secluded but close to the airport. Well-designed rooms with beautiful sunrise views over the ocean. Delightful kids' AND adult craft activities. Best resort food we've had in the area, but you pay NYC prices for it. Beach isn't great, as other reviews mention, especially during sargassum season. Overall an amazing 3-night stay. --- For context, I've stayed at a range of properties in this area, from all-inclusive like Paradisus to design-forward properties like Etéreo. This time, we picked Waldorf primarily for proximity from the airport. It was a short, easy transfer for my mother but also didn't require us to compromise on the peace and seclusion we wanted for a family vacation. I'm so happy that I picked Waldorf. This was my mom's first trip to Mexico, and she's a particular traveler who isn't easily impressed. She speaks limited English, no Spanish, and has high standards, so I was nervous about how she'd find the experience. On our first night, she received a personal note with desserts. On the second, she found a note in her native language along with thoughtful Mexican gifts waiting in her room. She was so touched. Huge thanks to our personal concierge, Cesar, for making her feel so welcomed. Service. Service is what makes this property. There were so many personal touches from the KPop coloring book and child-sized robe waiting for my daughter to the fact that staff remembered our names instantly. Everyone goes above and beyond. A few to call out: Patricia, Cesar, and Brizeida in the concierge team; Esperanza, Ale, and Odemaris in crafts and kids' activities; and Miguel at Chaya. Manager Alejandra also checked in with us. I'll admit I'm not someone who usually remembers staff names at hotels, but the people here were so memorable I didn't have to try. It's not just that they're kind and flexible. They get things done, and they do their jobs exceptionally well. Nothing felt templated, from pre-arrival communication through checkout. I rarely had to ask for anything, and when I did, everything was handled to my satisfaction from a single ask. Rooms. We had a 6th-floor oceanfront room. My daughter woke up early every day to watch the breathtaking sunrise over the ocean. Ample space, beautifully designed, with a private plunge tub and balcony. Strong shower pressure (I care about this). Housekeeping was meticulous. Dining. From someone who's done a lot of resort dining, Chaya is one of the best resort breakfasts out there. I loved the Mexican options. My favorites were the grapefruit dish, the pastry basket (the passion fruit and strawberry jellies are remarkable, and I'm not usually a jelly person), huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, and the Mezcal French Toast. Malpeque and JAO match solid, popular spots in major cities, a league above most resort dining. Honestly the best food we've had from any resort in the area. You do pay NYC-level prices, but at Malpeque you also get beautiful views and lovely ambience. My favorite there was the tomato with basil ice cream. FYI, the grilled seabass to share was massive (definitely sharable for at least 3 people). At JAO, the tacos were excellent, and the red velvet churros (which every single person at the resort recommended) were also very good. For service at dining venues, Miguel at Chaya absolutely deserves a shoutout. He made us feel exceptionally well taken care of, and checked in with us even when he wasn't our server. Crafts. Esperanza ran craft activities my mom and I genuinely enjoyed. See pics! We're leaving with so many handmade souvenirs and wonderful memories. Kids activities. Crafts and kids' activities often run side by side, right by the pool, which worked out beautifully for our family. My daughter could move between the pool, my craft activity, and her own, it felt like we were still doing family things together even while she was being supervised by other grownups. Esperanza at crafts and Ale and Odemaris at kids' activities were wonderful, flexible, and kind. My daughter, who usually won't do activities without friends around, kept asking to go back. There's no traditional kids' club in off-season (they mentioned a 9am–6pm program runs in December), but she had so much fun making crafts and doing face painting with Ale and Odemaris. She also did watercolor, alebrijes painting, and bracelet making alongside us, and Ale and Odemaris kindly supervised her whenever I wanted to focus on my own craft. Spa. Beautiful facility with thoughtful touches throughout: ice chips after the sauna, cucumber pieces and cold towels, and a relaxation lounge with tea and light snacks. All staff fluent in English. My mom and I did side-by-side 80-minute massage, and we thoroughly enjoyed the facility and the massage. Things to know. 25 minutes door-to-door from CUN (there's a significant stretch of mangroves between the main gate and the actual resort). Security checks every vehicle at the main gate, so if you're using your own transport, the arrangement has to be coordinated. We used USA Transfers, and the hotel handled it seamlessly. They asked about all the details ahead of time so I didn't have to think about any of it. Every room is ocean-view. The beach wasn't great due to sargassum season, but the beautiful pools more than make up for it. Pool service is very attentive, nobody lets you lift a finger. We visited the first weekend of May (which is not a school break week) and the property was wonderfully uncrowded. We had the pool to ourselves for stretches, and our daughter was likely the only school-aged kid on site.

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