Elana Gant
First time in Rivera Maya. Stayed at The Catalonia for 7 nights the last week of August into Labor Day. The resort is absolutely beautiful and very clean! Would come again but hope food gets better!
Food Allergies- I’m allergic to most nuts. The restaurants ask what allergies you have but can’t accommodate very well I think because of the language barrier. If you’re at the buffet, all you can do is read the labels of what the food is called and google it. No ingredients posted. For the sit down restaurant, if you want an item that contains nuts; they can’t modify it and ask you to pick something else.
Sit down restaurants were better than the buffet but what they DON’T explain is that you can bing go to the sit down restaurant 3 times during your stay. That means we didn’t get to try all of them. We tried:
-Alebrijes Restaurant (Mexican) which was okay. But not many options without nuts/guacamole.
-Steakville (steak house) was delicious all the way around!
-Ayami Japanese (hibachi) which was our favorite!! Flavorful appetizers and main course.
Shoutout to these employees:
-Luis and Edwin (servers in El Mercado Buffet) Luis is very sweet man. He was always smiling and talking to people every time we ate there. Edwin checked on us a lot. I broke a glass and he made sure I didn’t feel bad and that it happens. Kind and happy personality.
-Ivan (concierge/luggage staff) was wonderful. He took me to my room and even gave me a small tour while we waited for my sister to arrive. Ivan remembered me and would go out of his way to speak to me each day.
My only real complaint was the food at the buffets (El Marcado and La Brisa) both buffets often served reheated food they didn’t use the day before. For example, leftover plantain. You could tell because the plantain was dried out and warm. No moisture to the fruit. Breakfast food was wonderful but the flies were always swarming the syrup and bakery items such as French toast. The resort can’t help nature but some type of protection over that food/syrup would help.
Nadia L
I had a wonderful stay at this hotel. The rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable, and the staff provided excellent service throughout my visit. The location was convenient, close to restaurants and local attractions, yet peaceful and quiet at night.
One of the highlights of my stay was the massage by Ana — she was amazing! Her technique was relaxing and professional, and she made sure I felt completely comfortable. I highly recommend booking a session with her during your stay.
Overall, this hotel offers great value for money, a relaxing atmosphere, and friendly staff. Perfect for both vacations and family trips!
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Nick Andriano
I had the pleasure of dining at the steakhouse located within the resort during my recent trip to Mexico, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with a stylish yet relaxed vibe that perfectly matched the tropical setting.
The service was outstanding — Ezequiel was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations.
Now onto the food — wow! The steak was cooked to perfection — juicy, flavorful, and tender, just the way I like it. I ordered the ribeye, and it had a beautiful sear and rich, buttery flavor. The sides were equally impressive, especially the grilled vegetables and truffle mashed potatoes. They also had an excellent wine selection that paired beautifully with the meal.
We finished off with a decadent dessert that was the perfect ending to an unforgettable dinner.
Whether you're a steak lover or just looking for a high-quality dining experience, this steakhouse is a must-visit if you're staying at the resort. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Mexico!
M T
3rd visit. will prob be last. Front desk was not very helpful when I complained about my building 7 ocean-view privileged suite being too loud and too close to pool bar. Tried to change/upgrade to quieter room. Spoke to 2 separate front-desk managers, on 2 separate days, who refused to help, even though I wanted to spend more money to change rooms!!
Don't recommend building 7, which is next to pool bar. The pool bar area can get a little crazy and loud during the day. No afternoon naps in this room! Saw couples getting drunk, arguing, and getting kicked out, on a daily basis. Another day, an older woman cried at top of her lungs for 3 hours, directly at my window. Another day, a drunk woman exited pool bar, fell down in front of our balcony, and threw up on grass. Different drunks each day! Stay classy San Diego! The pool bar definitely seems like the place to get a strong drink.
Steak house was surprisingly good. I misunderstood the steak house reservation time because it used military time, but the hostess was very accommodating (I was 2 hrs late). Our server Felipe Hernandez was extremely attentive. Good food. Excellent service. (hint: they try to sell you a bottle of wine as upgrade, but glasses of wine are included with privilege status)
On-line reservation system is better, but still needs work
Bring bug spray, as beach has a lot of "no seem ups" like Florida!
Went to celebrate anniversary, only to have privileged restaurant Bloved closed, despite sign saying open everyday.
Shows were good. Some were much better than others.
Nightclub serves drinks after 11 as part of the all inclusive package.
SAL MANA
My family and i stayed there late September to early October. The airport to the resort is roughly 45minutes drive. We had the privileged suite and upon arrival we were greeted with welcome drinks which was super nice! Our concierge and greeter Annabel was super nice! Our room was so beautiful and perfect for 2 adults and 4 kids. Room was big and clean! We had a mini pool/tub outside we could fill up with cold/warm/hot water for whatever use but we just never ended up using it. Almost all of the employees were super friendly. Some not so. Some of the bartenders looked like they hated their jobs and as well as some of the waitress in the restaurant south of the bridge to the front desk(I can't remember the name) the other restaurant beside it leading to the crepes area, the employees were wonderful! Whether we tipped or not. We were privileged guests and whether we tip or not we shouldn't be ignored when needing cofee/tea. I get it they rely on tips also but level of service shouldn't be based on that. Especially being that we paid more for the resort. The buffet foods were pretty good. They tried to change it up every other day or so. None of us got sick or anything. The reservation restaurants were so good! We were unable to book the Japanese sadly but the Mexican, bloved, steak house and Italian were so good! The waiters and chefs were so great! They were great with my 4 kids too. The pools were clean and the cleaning employees work so hard to keep the place looking great and clean every day! As well as the gardeners, incredible job! I will mention something for the beach lovers. If you are a big beach person especially swimming in the water, I wouldn't recommend this resort at all. The beach is very rocky even going in the water and so much algae and even as privileged guests I took my 5 year old to the yukatan beach and it was better but not very impressed with that one either. If you are a pool person great! This place is excellent for you! It has around 5 pools and within each pool had area for little ones which was perfect for us! The ladies in the shops were so welcoming and kind! The crepe shop was a hit! Shoutout to Daniel! That boy worked so hard making those delicious crepes with such a happy demeanor! also the coworkers with the coffees, excellent job! The sandwich pop up near the pool was great too! Lady was very hardworking and made great sandwiches! All in all, this place got a 4 star for me only because it lacked a waterpark which we knew ahead of time, but my kiddos really love water park and next time we'll be booking a resort with one and a much better beach. Thanks to the staff for all the dedication and hard work! Unfortunately due to those 2 reasons(obviously no fault of the resort) we wouldn't be coming here again. Everything else though was excellent!
My Booking
