Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5118 reviews

• 

  3 stars

  This was our second stay at Royalton Splash, and while there were positives, there were also significant operational issues that prevented this from being a better experience. The Good Our room, Building 19, Room 19208, had a beautiful view and a great location. We really loved being close to the kids’ splash areas and slides, and that part of the stay worked well for our family. The room itself was comfortable and, overall, suited our needs. Room & Accommodation Issues Unfortunately, the room was not properly cleaned on arrival. The sink was visibly dirty with hair in it, which was unpleasant, and the bathtub did not drain properly. These are basic housekeeping issues that should not happen at a resort of this level. More frustrating was the room placement for our group. We traveled with my sister, brother-in-law, and my mother from New York, and we specifically requested to be placed together. Instead, they were assigned to Buildings 12 (Rooms 12715 and 12716)—on the opposite side of the resort. With children, this made no sense, as all kid-focused activities are concentrated near Buildings 17–19. Being separated for the entire week negatively impacted our trip. The Biggest Issue: Food & Beverage Operations The most serious problem — and the reason for the three-star rating — is the food and beverage operation, particularly the buffet. I come from a hospitality and chef background, and the buffet is being run very poorly. Every single morning there were long lines just to get eggs or omelets. Guests do not go on vacation to stand in lines or compete for food. During our stay, I personally spoke with over 100 other guests, many of whom said they would not return solely because of the dining experience. There should never be: • Lines for eggs • Lines for basic condiments (ketchup, Nutella, chocolate) • Empty stations one to two hours into breakfast This indicates serious planning and execution failures. The dining room needs to be restructured so food is plentiful, accessible, and continuously replenished. Food quality also needs improvement. For example: • Pre-packaged bagels are unacceptable at a resort — fresh, properly made bread would dramatically elevate the experience. • The steakhouse was extremely disappointing. Aside from the flank steak, the ribeye and New York strip were very poor quality. Coming from Texas, this was honestly embarrassing for a resort that markets itself as upscale. Dining Confusion The reservation system is another major complaint. Guests should not have to: • Sit at an info desk to fight for reservations • Purchase extra bottles of wine just to secure a table The hibachi restaurant is clearly under-scaled for demand. You need to significantly expand this offering — people want to eat there, and there should be no competition or frustration involved. Lack of Leadership On-Site Another alarming issue was the absence of visible management. I went to the front desk daily during Christmas and New Year’s week asking to speak with the general manager or “el jefe,” and was repeatedly told that leadership had not been on site for weeks. That is unacceptable during the busiest time of the year. Additional Costs & Lines Charging $15 for 30 minutes or $20 for an hour for kids’ activities adds up quickly for families and feels excessive. Combined with constant lines — ice cream, activities, dining — it created a sense that the resort is under-resourced for its guest volume. In hospitality, lines equal failure. If guests are constantly waiting, something is broken operationally. Final Thoughts This review is not written out of spite — it’s written because this resort has potential, but it is being held back by poor food and beverage leadership and weak operational execution. I genuinely want Royalton Splash to succeed. With proper management, staffing, and restructuring, this could be a much better experience. As it stands, the issues outweigh the positives, which is why this is a three-star stay for us.

  Jan 01, 2026
• 

  A $9K Presidential Suite Stay With Zero Elite Recognition

  I’m a Lifetime Platinum Elite and Ambassador member with 1,183 lifetime nights and over 213 nights in 2025 alone. I booked a Presidential Suite at Royalton Splash Riviera Cancún expecting the elevated service and recognition Marriott consistently delivers across its brands. This stay fell far below Autograph Collection standards. Diamond Club offered no exclusivity or elite recognition. Access was based solely on room type or payment, not loyalty. My Ambassador status was never acknowledged. Service and cleanliness issues were recurring: • Hair found in food on multiple occasions • Room service delivered cold twice, with no manager follow-up • Sofa bed for the kids took two days and multiple requests to set up • Promised Diamond Club amenities (aromatherapy, feather pillows) never delivered • Butler service inconsistent and unresponsive • Nexus Tours excursion cancelled without notice For a stay costing nearly $9,000, the experience was nowhere near the level of service I receive at other Marriott brands such as St. Regis, JW Marriott, or Westin. I contacted the property and Royalton Corporate directly after checkout and received no response. Only Marriott’s Ambassador Team replied — promptly and professionally, as they always do. This property did not deliver the recognition, service, or accountability expected of an Autograph Collection hotel. I hope Marriott reviews this property’s alignment with brand standards so future elite guests have a better experience.

  Dec 31, 2025
• 

  Diamond club worth it

  We had a great time at Royalton splash! I wish the rooms were a little bit bigger, but other than that no really any complaints. I highly recommend paying the extra for the diamond club if you have kids. It’s so much easier to make dinner reservations and you get your own breakfast location which was never busy. They did such a great job cleaning our room for us and keeping us comfortable, we hope to come back soon!

  Dec 31, 2025
• 

  Terrible

  Terrible experience... Booked the hotel few weeks before arrival that includes airport transfer. Received emails with confirmation number and tried to book my transfer with nexus travel agency, as instructed. Well, apparently my reservation is in not active so i cant book the shuttle. I called the hotel 20 times and was on hold for 2 hours trying to sort this out unsuccessfully. Send 2 emails without any response. The worst experience ever, flying tomorrow without booked transfer and not sure if my reservation is problematic. Reservation department is MIA and the dispatcher just keeps sending me back to the line that has no answer. Seriously - 4 start hotel?

  Dec 31, 2025
• 

  One of the Worst Resorts We’ve Ever Stayed At– Not Worth the Price and below Marriott Bonvoy Standards, made us sick.

  This was by far the worst all-inclusive resort we have ever stayed at, and it was extremely disappointing, especially considering Royalton Splash Cancun is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Rooms1.0 Service1.0 Rooms: Upon arrival, we were informed that our upgraded room — a corner swim-up pool suite with ocean view — was no longer available because it had been given to someone else. Instead, we were placed in a regular swim-up suite located in the middle of many other rooms, which was much noisier and had far less privacy. This was not what we paid for, and no real compensation was offered. The room itself was also not clean. When we arrived, there was a cockroach on the floor, and our minibar was not stocked properly. As Diamond Club members, we were supposed to receive welcome drinks (champagne and red wine), but we received nothing at check-in. Despite asking our butler daily, we did not receive them until the third day. Overall, paying extra for the Diamond Club and butler service was pointless — the butler provided little to no meaningful assistance. The hotel’s internet was extremely slow and unreliable. It was almost impossible to stay connected to the Wi-Fi, and in some areas there was no signal at all. Nearby activities: IF you want to use amenities like the tennis court or pickleball court, you must reserve them 24 hours in advance with the gym staff. We made a reservation for tennis, but when we showed up the next day, the staff claimed they could not find it. We were told that next time we should take a picture of their computer screen as proof — something they never mentioned when we made the reservation. Luckily, another family did not show up for pickleball, so we were able to play instead. SafetyBeach & Water Quality - DO NOT SWIM AT THIS BEACH. The most disturbing part? Sewer water draining straight into the ocean, right where guests were swimming. Absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. I had been wondering why the water looked so dirty — this explained it. This was shocking and unacceptable. Food & drinks: Dining & Restaurant Reservations: If you plan to eat at any of the specialty restaurants, you must make reservations immediately upon arrival, as availability is extremely limited. Even then, the food quality makes the effort not worth it. Restaurant Reviews: Agave (Mexican Restaurant)- The service was very poor, and the food quality was horrible. We ordered two red snappers and a beef fajita. The fish tasted like it had been pre-cooked, frozen, reheated— it honestly tasted spoiled. It was served with ketchup and capers, which made it even worse. The beef fajita meat itself was okay, but everything else was terrible. The Mexican rice tasted like cheap boxed rice. Applebee’s tastes 100 times better. This was a total disappointment. Rio (Brazilian BBQ)- We were served old, stale nuts, and after dining there, my husband was sick for an entire week. The meat quality was very poor — do not expect good cuts or proper preparation. Hunter (Steakhouse)- This restaurant was a joke. The wait time for food was extremely long. We ordered ribeye and New York strip steaks, both of which were less than 1 cm thick (pancake size). The sides were not edible. The creamed spinach tasted like defrosted spinach mixed with water and milk, and the mac & cheese was watery and tasted like improperly made boxed mac and cheese. Zen Japanese Restaurant- This was the only restaurant that tasted decent during our entire stay. We tried almost all the restaurants except Italian and Indian, and overall the food quality across the resort was consistently bad. Buffet -The buffet was also terrible. The food quality was very poor, and you had to be extremely careful about what you chose. At one point, I picked up a piece of moldy bread, which says everything about their food safety standards. Kids Club (Another Major Failure): The kids club was awful. My 12-year-old son had nothing to do because all activities were designed for toddlers and very young kids — mostly simple arts and crafts. Instead of offering age-appropriate options, staff tried to force him to participate in activities meant for little kids. This was hands down the worst kids club we’ve ever seen, and a huge disappointment for a “family-friendly” resort.

  Dec 31, 2025