Marival Distinct All-Inclusive Handwritten Collection

“Wonderful experience”

Our food was absolutely amazing, and our server, Daniel, made the experience even better. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, was incredibly attentive, and provided outstanding service. We’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend asking for Daniel if you get the c… more

Our food was absolutely amazing, and our server, Daniel, made the experience even better. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, was incredibly attentive, and provided outstanding service. We’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend asking for Daniel if you get the chance!

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“Insu”

Daniel at Insu bar took great care of us it was our favorite part, head Waiter arturo was helpful as well

“Amazing time all around at Marival Distinct!”

Marival Distinct was amazing! Drinks, food, service, accommodations, music- everything was thoughtful and intentional. Service at the pool by waiter Francisco was exceptional. VIP concierge Zoe was also amazing along with the whole staff.

“Beautiful, peaceful family resort — come armed with these tips and you'll love it”

We stayed at Marival Distinct with our three kids (ages 6, 8, and 12), booked through Costco Travel, and overall had a wonderful trip. The resort exceeded our expectations in some ways and fell short in a few others — here's the honest rundown, with the tips I wish someone had given me before we ar… more

We stayed at Marival Distinct with our three kids (ages 6, 8, and 12), booked through Costco Travel, and overall had a wonderful trip. The resort exceeded our expectations in some ways and fell short in a few others — here's the honest rundown, with the tips I wish someone had given me before we arrived. One warning up front The sales pitch at check-in is aggressive and slow. Just be persistent in saying no — my sense is that if you give them any rope at all, it will keep going. A firm, repeated "no thank you" and you'll be on your way to vacation. Booking through Costco Two things worth knowing. First, the airport transfer was seamless. The driver was easy to find outside the terminal, we had a private van, and they communicated with us via WhatsApp throughout the stay. They even came to the resort mid-week to arrange our return transport (Grey Line), which turned out to be a very nice private SUV. Air conditioning both ways — no complaints at all. Second, the Costco resort credit is far more limited than you'd expect. You can't apply it to your room, and it must be used in a single transaction, which in practice means spa, wine, or cabanas. We put ours toward two cabanas at the pool ($75 each), which came with a bottle of bubbly and a charcuterie board — honestly a lovely family splurge and probably the best use of the credit. Just go in knowing it's not flexible spending money. The resort itself Beautiful, peaceful, and very clean — nicer in person than in the photos. It is also VERY quiet (not so much that kids couldn't play but just that it was relaxing, in a way that Emotions with constant music and a DJ is not). It does not front onto the beach, but it's a genuine 4-minute walk from the lobby to the beach club (I timed it). The whole property is small and walkable, even with kids in tow, which we came to appreciate more every day. The pools are smaller than they appear online but are lovely: there's a zero-entry pool near the lobby that opens up into a large (but not deep) main pool, and a very nice infinity pool down by the beach club. Rooms The rooms are very large. The bed was firm but comfortable, with nice bedding. The style is what I'd call upscale hacienda-modern — lots of polished concrete and tile — and everything was spotless. The kitchen has plenty of space but almost no dishes or utensils, so don't plan on doing much actual cooking. The fridge was restocked daily with soda and beer, and there's a Nespresso machine. Housekeeping deserves special mention: the room was literally spotless every single day. Restaurants — the part that needs a guide Dining here was confusing at front in the all-inclusive, and the check-in staff gave us bad advice. My best tip: go straight to the concierge and ask what's happening at each restaurant each night AND if you want reservations for Emotions they can be booked at least a day in advance (and maybe more). Ultimately the concierge secured the reservations we wanted without an issue so it was a non-issue. Here's the lay of the land at Distinct: Brunello is the lobby bar with cocktails. Omaggio is the lobby restaurant serving breakfast and dinner — it has an outdoor section that sometimes gets listed as a separate restaurant, but it's really all the same place. Omaggio does a breakfast buffet plus a menu; dinner was a buffet one night and menu service another, so I suspect it varies — ask each day and decide; tons of options. Lemongrass sits right on top of the pool in front of the lobby and is essentially the pool restaurant for all-day lunch and snacks. Mozzamare, down by the beach, was closed for breakfast most of our week but open for lunch — think of it as the Lemongrass equivalent when you're at the beach club. Insu, the rooftop bar, serves tapas with great views — our kids loved picking out plates. Over at the Emotions side, we tried Amalfi for dinner (Italian — amazing, great service, felt more upscale) and Silk (Asian fusion — I had high hopes but came away disappointed). Neither carried an upcharge. A few misses at Emotions: lunch by the pool at Emotions was not good but was saved by the hidden Gelato place, the pizza place that has good reviews was only open for dinner during our stay, and the Mai Tai bar told us it was members only. Also note the evening shows at Emotions start at 9pm — too late for our kids. Service Mixed overall, and here's my advice: be proactive, ask directly for what you need, and tip generously. It works, and I wish I'd started doing it from day one. One huge call out is Francisco at the beach club — if I were opening a hotel tomorrow, I would fly there to hire him. Attentive, fast, wonderful with the kids, responsive, and full of positive energy. There were several other standouts as well. Bottom line A beautiful, calm, walkable resort that's great for families — just come armed with the dining intel above, use your Costco credit on cabanas, and don't be shy about asking for what you need. We'd absolutely go back.

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