ocean riviera paradise

 My husband and I just returned from a quick impromptu 4 night getaway to Playa del Carmen.  We stayed at the brand new resort, Ocean Riviera Paradise.  Being new, it is clean, fresh, but also has some room for improvement.  Check out my review below:

First here is my list of the pros and cons:

PROS:

• Brand new
• Beautifully decorated
• Large, spacious rooms
• Several pools
• Kids club ( ages 4-12)
• Teens club (ages 13-17) *however I noticed a sign saying 10+
• Beautiful, sandy, clean beach
• Waterpark 
• Delicious food, good variety
• Free wi-fi
• Coffee and gelato shops
• Bowling alley (super fun!)
• Great for families, couples, singles
• Basketball and tennis courts

CONS:

• A 40 minute ride from the airport
• Not on a private beach
• Property is not all situated along the beach
• Long walk from lobby to beach (trolley service is available)
• Rooms have thin walls
• Long lines at a la carte restaurants
• Reserving of sunbeds makes it challenging to get a good spot by pools/beach
• Coffee shop doesn't open until 9am
• You must have a towel card to get a towel
• There is a sales pitch in the lobby disguised as a "welcome tour" 
• Service, while friendly, is a little slow and inconsistent

Now for some photos!  I slacked a bit on pictures this trip.  I really just wanted to relax and not lug my camera around.  I did snap some still shots on our GoPro, which actually turned out quite well.  It is so much easier to carry especially with the waterproof case.  

Let's start with the rooms.  We were upgraded to the Privilege section closer to the beach. After chatting with other guests, our room seemed quite similar to the other buildings.  We were garden view, ground level.  We had a very nice patio with a jacuzzi, sitting area and sunbed, however, there was a large sign warning of CROCODILES.  Yikes!  Needless to say, there was no hanging out on the patio for me!   

There is a spacious sitting area with a couch, chairs and desk next to the bed

The bathrooms were very nice.  Double sinks, large bathtub and rainshower with VERY good water pressure

As mentioned above, our room was garden view, ground level.  Be warned, if you go on the patio and shut your door, you will get locked out.  Great way to wake up on your first morning.  :-)  

I didn't photograph much of the restaurants or other facilities, but if you check their website HERE you will find several lovely and accurate photos of the resort.  Here are few of the lobby, lobby bar and buffet:

Now to the beach and pools!  Each building has it's own pool with a bar and snack shack.  There is the waterpark and separate pool in the Daisy section, an adult-only pool at the El Beso building, a pool exclusively for the Privilege guests, the Eden pool (which serves crepes during the day) and the beach pool.

The pool and waterpark in the Daisy section:

It was always empty in this section, so if we couldn't find a spot at the other pools/beach, we were able to plop down in a prime spot, enjoy an empty bar with great service and jam out to some serious Kidz Bop music :-)

These photos were all taken down by the beach.  We found the best time to be there was 3-5 pm.  Everyone seemed to clear out, and we could always find a beautiful view and shady spot.

All in all we had a great trip!  I wouldn't rank this a 5-star resort, but if you are looking for comfortable accommodations, a nice beach and good food, the Ocean Riviera Paradise fits the bill.  If you want luxury, it might not be the place for you. 

Until next time Mexico....