Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - Heaven Section - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

23541 reviews

• 

  We Left Early on Christmas — Loud, Disorganized, Repetitive Food, and Zero Accountability

  We wanted to do something different for Christmas this year — trading presents for presence. After weeks of research on our own, with a travel agent, reading countless TripAdvisor reviews, and even checking TikTok to see what people were really saying, we chose Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. We had previously stayed in Akumal and completely fell in love with the culture and, most importantly, the food at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. Because of that experience, we were genuinely excited to bring our kids to Mexico, immerse them in the culture, and let them experience a great all-inclusive resort. They were excited to try new foods, eat freely, and yes — get gelato. Arrival and Room Reality We arrived on a Saturday after a very long travel day. The room was advertised as a large suite (close to 1,800 sq ft). In reality, it was two adjoining rooms, not a true suite. One room had two queen beds and a massive jacuzzi tub taking up nearly a quarter of the space — oddly placed about a foot from the beds. Who is actually using a bathtub next to two beds? The second room had a king bed but barely any usable space — just enough room to walk around and put shoes on. There was a very narrow, winding staircase running through the king bedroom leading to a second level with a half bath, some chairs, and another jacuzzi tub with rusty-looking jets. This sounded cool when booking. In reality, it was completely impractical and never used. The stairs were tight, awkward, and disruptive. Noise, Then the “Members Only” Buffet Disaster Sunday was fine. Beach and pool. Monday is when things started going downhill fast. That night, we were kept up all night by backup alarms, scraping, screeching, people yelling, and staff banging tables and chairs while setting up a massive buffet directly outside our building (between Buildings 5 and 6). We counted around 60 tables with 10 chairs each. Throughout the day, multiple employees told us, “Big buffet tonight at 7pm.” We could smell the food cooking all day. We were genuinely excited — especially to finally show our kids what a great buffet could be. We got dressed, walked down as a family, stood in line, were redirected to another line, no problem. Then at the front, an employee checked our wristbands and said, “Sorry, this buffet is for members only.” No one told us this. Not one person. We were kept awake by it, told about it all day, and then turned away in front of our kids. It was embarrassing, frustrating, and completely unacceptable. We ended up back at The Market buffet — the exact same food as the night before. The Food: Same. Every. Single. Day. From that point on, the food situation never improved. Pool food: Pizza French fries Fried rice Pasta Fajitas Mac and cheese Watery guacamole Day after day after day. There is nothing Mexican about this resort’s food. Everything is extremely Americanized and painfully repetitive. By mid-week, we weren’t even excited to eat anymore. Breakfast at the “food truck” area was pure chaos. No signage. No direction. I stood waiting for an omelet while several people were served, only to be told after 10 minutes that the line started somewhere else. No signs. No explanation. Just constant confusion. Even the eggs, once finally ordered, were underwhelming — honestly something my 10-year-old could have made better. “No Reservations” … Except Yes, You Need Reservations We repeatedly asked staff about restaurant reservations. We were told over and over: “No reservations anywhere. First come, first serve.” We dressed up and went to the Italian restaurant — only to be told reservations were required and there was a 90-minute wait. Back to The Market buffet. Same food. Again. For Christmas Eve dinner, we tried to get clarity: Front desk: “Nothing special, no reservations.” Concierge: “Yes, reservations are needed, but we’re not sure how.” Told to come back tomorrow. Then told to come back between 12–2. Finally stood in line while someone with an iPad took reservations. We eventually got reservations. My youngest had a fever, so I stayed back. My wife and kids went — and reported the same thing: another large buffet with the same Americanized food. Nothing memorable. On Christmas Eve. Christmas Morning — Absolute Breaking Point Around 11pm Christmas Eve, I saw staff bringing tables back onto the terrace and thought, “Not again.” At 2:00 AM on Christmas morning, backup alarms, banging poles, scraping chairs, and yelling started again as they set up another massive buffet — right outside our building. I called the front desk. Was told management would be notified. It stopped briefly. Then started again. I slept maybe two hours on Christmas. Stolen Sunglasses and Zero Accountability Christmas Day at the pool, my wife and oldest son were eating the same food yet again. During a water balloon game, the MC told guests to leave sunglasses behind so they wouldn’t get broken. I did. When I came back, my sunglasses were gone. Not in the water. Not in our bag. The only person near our area was staff cleaning cups. We were told: Ask the bartender Go to the front desk Go to concierge Concierge said paperwork would be required, it would take a long time, and they could not check cameras. That was it. We Left Early In over 20 years of traveling, I have never left a vacation early — until this one. Our family was completely done. We contacted JetBlue and booked a flight home a day early. We couldn’t wait to leave. Final Warning This resort: Caters to members first Has terrible communication Is loud at all hours Serves repetitive, Americanized food Shows no accountability when things go wrong If you’re looking for a peaceful family vacation with authentic Mexican food and basic organization, this is not the place. This was supposed to be a meaningful Christmas for our family. Instead, it was exhausting, frustrating, and something we had to escape early.

  Dec 28, 2025
• 

  In the words of Kamala Harris: do not come

  We are currently here and on day 2. Our room stinks of vomit. We were put into the incorrect room type (which is the fault of Capital One Travel, so my tip for folks booking through third parties is to call the hotel DIRECTLY before you travel to ensure the correct room type was booked). After being told we can change to the right type of room, we are told it is not available until 6p (which makes no sense when check in is 3p). Thus we are stuck in this pukey room until then. I read the good reviews here and thought we would get lucky. We so far have not. I regret spending the money we did for the conditions of this room (which even despite the smell is old and in desperate need of a refresh). Stay elsewhere!

  Dec 28, 2025
• 

  Great Trip

  Umo was very good. Danny jam performance was good. The entertainment staff at the haven pool was excellent. Hector, Kevin, braulio, and Kiki were great. Carlos and Urial from the pool bar made great drinks.

  Dec 27, 2025
• 

  Great week!!

  Fantastic week! Our Butlers Paola and Moises were awesome. My father-in-law needed some medical attention throughout the week and our Butlers saved the day in arranging for help. Very attentive and helped immensely in getting us great seats at the pool and lining up our dinner reservations. Would definitely go back and request them again.

  Dec 27, 2025
• 

  A thoroughly enjoyable pre-Christmas resort getaway

  My wife, son, and I spent a wonderful week at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya, staying in a room on the adult-only side of the resort, although we enjoyed the whole resort while we were there. As Legendary members, we admittedly enjoyed an elevated level of service and experience, especially under the special care of our two butlers, Lucio and Bernardo. They went above and beyond to make sure our stay was enjoyable and carefree -- thank you both! Overall, the service everywhere was excellent, especially around the members pool that we spent most of our swimming time at (and regular attendants Ari, Angel, and Omar who kept us well hydrated and made sure we had extra umbrellas protecting us from the sun), and at our favourite breakfast spot: Faro, where Maria, Marcus, Elizabeth, and Paula all added to our experience. The food everywhere was excellent, with stand-out meals and dining experience at Le Petit Cochon (steaks better than Toro!), Frida, Umo, and Wei. Ciao and Zen (the a-la-carte menu, we passed on the Teppenyaki experience this time) were also great for food, but their ambiance tends to noisy and busy. Market, Faro, and La Isla also provided great variety for lunch (and dinner, if that's your thing), but I confess missing some of the wide-open buffet choices -- there were some, but with recent renovations there are now various themed stations at each, with most options behind glass, making it a bit more of a challenge to just wander and graze. We did room service a few times for snacks, and pool-side service for a few lunches -- the food was still very good! Check-in and check-out couldn't have been smoother, and both Pattie and I enjoyed a mix of massage and other spa experiences. I think it's why Pattie likes these properties as much as she does. Our room was, admittedly, a let down -- a rather dark corner and somewhat cramped spaces for 3 of us (rm2139); Lucio had to come to our rescue to have a few early issues addressed. Also, although the resort knew well in advance there would be 3 of us in the room, everything was set up for only 2 (2 chairs on the balcony, 2 robes, 2 sets of glasses, etc. I know, I know: 1st world problems. But we did pay extra for the 3rd person ... ). The housekeeping staff were excellent -- we have absolutely no complaints about the cleanliness or upkeep of the room. David and I enjoyed the extensive grounds, especially the forest around the property, where we walked daily and saw plenty of birds and other wildlife -- the spider monkeys stole the show more times than not! We also enjoyed the Vibe City experience, especially the "big-ball" bowling, something he doesn't get to play here at home. I'll close with a shout-out to everyone at the resort -- always smiling and helpful, which ultimately makes for the best experience.

  Dec 27, 2025