Haven Riviera Cancun Review: Luxury, Relaxation, and More!

First impressions are important. So when we pulled up to Haven Riviera Cancun in Mexico, I knew we picked the right resort for rest and relaxation. This gorgeous 5 star, adults-only property is a short 10 miles from Cancun International Airport, making it an easy choice for those who want to get off the plane and transport themselves to a piece of paradise in the Yucatan.

As I sit here writing this Haven Riviera Cancun review during our 10 night stay, I hope it helps answer some of your questions about this resort, and solidifies your choice to pick this spot for your next vacation!

I’m big on details so this review covers a lot (because I want to know everything when planning a trip!), but if there’s something I haven’t covered and you have a question about, get in touch with me! I will also list my pros and cons at the end of this blog post as a recap.

Haven Riviera Cancun takes a quick 15 minutes from the airport to reach the gates – and a further 5-10 minutes to get from the road to the resort!

It’s set back quite a distance from the road through beautiful mangroves and greenery, leading you to a beautiful gem along the Caribbean Sea.

After staying at Excellence Playa Mujeres, Excellence Riviera Cancun, and El Dorado Royale Casitas, I will tell you that for the price point, Haven Riviera Cancun is definitely a top contender in luxury resorts in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, and in my opinion, a step above a few other places we’ve been! 

Pricing has gone up everywhere significantly, and I was pleasantly surprised how much we love this place, while spending so much less! You work hard for your money, so I hope to cover as much as possible in this review.

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The Property

The grounds are stunning at Haven Riviera Cancun. You’ll notice on your drive how far back this property is from the main road, nestled in lush greenery and mangroves.

They’ve incorporated nature into a lot of the property’s elements, like using natural materials and earth-toned colours throughout the rooms, bars, and restaurants. It’s very soothing and calming with a balanced mix of colours, patterns, and textures, which is what I think the intention was! 

There is a lot of greenery here too, from palm trees to flowers to bushes, all tying in to the Mexican contemporary design. They’ve also recently been recognized by EarthCheck which acknowledged Haven Riviera Cancun as a sustainable and responsible property.

You’ll find notes of this throughout the resort with compostable espresso pods, reusing towels if needed, no straws in the drinks, etc. 

We found the grounds very walkable, and loved where our building 6 was located. The resort seems huge on paper but it’s quite manageable from the main building.

We loved that all the restaurants are located on the 3rd floor of the lobby building (aside from Flavours – the buffet – and Vora Mar which are ground level by the main pool). The two Serenity-exclusive restaurants – Vistas and Tahani – are located by the round pool and the far east side of the resort respectively.

There are lots of neat features to check out and explore, and we loved that this location is nestled in all the greenery. We walked to the top of the white towers for amazing views of the surroundings and there’s lots of little vantage points throughout the property.

Haven Riviera Cancun Rooms

Haven Riviera Cancun boasts 435 luxurious suites of varying categories. Every room has a jacuzzi tub on the balcony unless if you’re in a swimout suite.

We stayed in a Junior Suite Garden View Swimout room (in building 6) and absolutely loved it. We used our swimout every day!

The swimouts here are private as they’re surrounded by trees and plants, and each room shares a pool with either 1 or 3 other rooms. The pools are heated! There were issues with the heaters the first couple of days, but it was promptly fixed and our pools were perfectly warm.

We felt hot water coming out of the jets so they truly are heated. Our rooms were 6015 and 6009, and the only downside is there is minimal sun at these swimout rooms in December. Most of the sun hits the other side of the building but we loved the privacy on our side of the building.

All rooms are equipped the same – with a large comfy bed, seating area, desk, minifridge, TV, walk-in closet, walk-in shower, separated bathroom area, dual vanity, and a butler’s box where you can have your room service delivered to.

Your thermostat is located at the side of the bed to adjust as you wish or turn off, and a fan above the bed with three speeds. If your patio door is open, the AC won’t be on.

P.S. Your snacks will be peanuts, plain potato chips, and spicy lime “Runners” but be careful eating them over anything white since they’re coated in a red dusty spice! If you want something sweet, we left a couple bucks and a note in the fridge asking for chocolate one day and we got M&Ms!

We loved that the bathroom is equipped with bluetooth speakers so you can connect to your music while you’re getting ready/relaxing in your room.

Another neat feature is the privacy buttons located on the wall beside the bed. Select red for do not disturb, or green for when you’re out of the room so housekeeping/minifridge restocking knows they’re ok to access your room.

The bathrooms are stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, a toothbrush kit (in case you forgot yours like I almost did!), sewing kit, shoe polish, and shower cap.

Turndown service is done daily, which replenishes any towels/glasses you may have used during the day. Our housekeeping service comes mid-morning every day, but I’m sure that varies depending on the building location.

We loved that there were buttons next to the bed (green for yes/red for no) to let housekeeping know if it was ok to enter your room or not. It was timed perfectly each day and we never ran into them.

There are a wide selection of room categories to choose from, whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, honeymoon, birthday, or just an adults-only getaway! 

You can also upgrade to Serenity Club for added perks like a butler, added dining options, private check-in and lounge access, a complimentary hydrotherapy session, and more. We weren’t in this category and didn’t feel like we missed out, but if you’re looking to enhance your vacation, this may be an option for you.

You are given a wristband at check-in (black is the standard colour, unless you’re Serenity which we saw gold and blue but I think it changes frequently). The wristband acts as your room key. While I love places that are wristband free, it was really convenient having it attached to your wrist so you didn’t have to fumble around for a key.

Food at Haven Riviera Cancun

Now I realize food is a very subjective subject. My taste buds won’t be the same as yours. We’ve eaten all around the world, and can say this is definitely one of the better places we’ve had food at!

Flavours – the buffet – is great for breakfast and lunch, and if you can’t find anything you like here, then I don’t know what to tell you! You can also dine here for dinner if you couldn’t make a reservation or just want to pick and choose your meal.

At breakfast, there’s a self-serve mimosa bar, all the traditional American breakfast foods, fruit, omelette station, yogurt, pastries, fresh juice, meat and cheese, and Mexican dishes like tostadas, empanadas, and flautas.

The main place to eat lunch is at the buffet, or if you’re poolside, Mistrals is your place. There is also a self-serve buffet station located outside Vora Mar for lunch.

The lunch buffet has this incredible taco stand where we got tacos made to order almost every day. Choose your protein (chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp), add veggies and cheese, and don’t forget to top it off with delicious sauces (which are hot, don’t kid yourself!).

To be honest I don’t even know what else was there because we always beelined towards the taco station! If you’re on a special diet, there are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options too. 

If you aren’t a big breakfast person, or just want a snack for lunch, head to Mocaccino Coffee Bar located in the lobby. You can get a variety of caffeinated drinks as well as snacks, treats,  and sandwiches throughout the day. It’s open at 6 – perfect if you’re an early riser! There are a variety of boozy options too if you want a little something extra in your drink.

We also ordered room service for a late lunch one day while we were enjoying out swimout pool. It came within the time they said it would and everything was hot and tasted great! The chicken bites are a great snack!

Dinner Restaurants at Haven Riviera Cancun

Haven Riviera Cancun has four main restaurants for dinner, and a 5th if you’re in Serenity. Our favourite was Olios, followed by Agua Bendita, Vora Mar, and Satsu. Of course you’ll read varying opinions about each, but that was our preference!

P.S. Haven Riviera Cancun operates on–property with an app that lets you reserve your dinners. You can also check out the menus on there, dress code, as well as daily entertainment, a resort map, and concierge services. You will scan a QR code at checkin (which is also on the back of your bracelet) to get the app.

If you happen to miss out on booking a time slot for any of these restaurants, you can walk up to any of them to see if there is availability. This happened to us the first couple of nights when the app wasn’t working and we were able to get in at 8:00 pm.

Vora Mar

This Italian inspired restaurant is the only one not in the main lobby (aside from Serenity’s Tahani). We found the food here very good and started with the burrata before moving on to the pasta.

Was the pasta mind blowing? No. But it was very good! This was one we enjoyed coming back to. I enjoyed a variety of pasta dishes like gnocchi and pappardelle puttanesca, and there’s a salad bar you can help yourself to as well (the focaccia is so good!!!).

Agua Bendita

Agua Bendita is a must-visit! With Mexican-inspired offerings, there’s plenty to choose from (in fact, it’s hard to pick what you want!). Our favourites were the shrimp flambeed in mezcal, the governor taco, and the chicken mole. We were also serenaded which was a sweet touch!

We ate twice here and the second time around I wasn’t feeling steak, so I opted to look at the vegetarian menu. To my surprise, there was a fair bit on there, and I ended up getting a delicious spicy poblano chile stuffed with veggies in a tasty tomato sauce. Once again, a great meal.

Satsu

Satsu has a huge menu and it was really difficult to pick what to get! We probably overodered, and opted to stick to the starters and shareables the next time we went.

Honestly, everything was good up until the main dishes. The rock shrimp, skewers, and sushi were all amazing, but the noodle dishes fell short. I’d skip those if it was me, but I’ll let you be the judge of that! Satsu is a fan favourite, and I can see why.

You can also reserve the Teppanyaki table (book early!!!) for an interactive dining experience. We missed out on this but sat beside the Teppanyaki area the second time we dined here and it looked like a lot of fun.

P.S. We ordered a bunch of sushi rolls and I was shocked by how much I loved the spicy tuna roll. In Canada, this is a white fish in a roll, but this was actual raw tuna atop a deep fried roll with cream cheese in it. It sounds gross, but it was delicious!

Olios

Olios by far is the top restaurant at Haven Riviera Cancun. It’s reminiscent of a fine dining restaurant and has the nicest food we found at the resort. The decor is beautiful, the seating is so comfortable, and the service is impeccable.

They will try to offer the paid wine, but you can opt for house wine if you wish (spoiler, it’s really not that great in our opinion, but we do come from Ontario wine country!). We enjoyed tasty salads, a crab dish, foie gras, and the infamous artichoke cream soup (which is definitely worth a try).

For special occasions you can also reserve the Chef’s Table (partially pictured below) for an exclusive dining experience with a 7 course meal. I believe it was $135 USD per person.

Our table had duck, cap steak, and tenderloin, all perfectly cooked and thoroughly enjoyed. The only “meh” about Olios is the dessert. It was not really what we were expecting – not bad, but not what we thought a restaurant like this would have (like basil and mascarpone cold cake with cucumber gel).

P.S. Be sure to check Haven’s dress code for dinners. But FYI, Olios is the only restaurant that requires men to wear long pants. Closed-toed shoes for men are required at all dinner restaurants.

Bars

Throughout the day by the pool and beach, you’ll be treated to drink service. And if you’re in a swim out suite by the round pool, they come around there too! There are swim up bars in both pools but you can also access them from out of the water, so you’ll never go thirsty.

Thankfully the Lobby Bar was a recent addition and it was so nice to head there for pre-dinner cocktails – until we found out about Limes on the 3rd floor! 

Forget everywhere else, Limes has THE best drinks you’ll find at the resort. The bartenders really know what they’re doing up there and we enjoy some incredible drinks. It’s also a great spot to watch the sunset since there’s a covered patio outside (just remember to bring bug spray)!

I asked Emmanuel the bartender for something with tequila and orange – and he asked me if I wanted sweet or not sweet – and came up with this amazing drink that you can only get at limes.

He spent so much time muddling limes, scorching a dried orange, and getting the balance of the drink right. Easily one of the top cocktails I’ve ever had, and it would be one of those fancy cocktails that would cost $18 at home.

Pools

There are two main pool areas at Haven (and a special third pool for those in Serenity) – the first being the “main” pool which is the closest to the lobby, and the large, circular pool on the other side of the resort. We preferred the circular pool because it was quiet. The main pool is where you want to be if you like to party – think loud music, activities, and foam parties!

We were grateful we had swimout suites because by the time we wandered down to the pools the first few days, there were no seats left. I mean none. Unless you wanted to be on the beach (more on that later!).

We got wise the following days and ended up doing what everyone else was doing – which is something I don’t like doing. We headed down around 7:30 to reserve cabanas and loungers, went for breakfast, then headed back to our spots. 

The Beach at Haven Riviera Cancun

Before arriving, I read a lot of comments about how the beach sucked here. I couldn’t believe what I saw, to my surprise, when we arrived, which was a beautiful stretch of powdery white sand, hammocks, and loungers. 

Maybe people are expecting the azure blue waters and crystal clear visibility of Aruba’s beaches, but this is not that. However, it is a gorgeous, peaceful beach with close proximity to washrooms and food, and has beach service. What more could you ask for?

We lounged under the cabanas and pulled our beach loungers out in the sun when we wanted, and one day I wandered down to the ocean to put my feet in. I promptly stripped down to my bathing suit and went right in. The water was gloriously warm, and the soft sand was spongy under my feet. You almost had to pry me out of there.

Is there seaweed? Yes. Is it the gross stuff? No. It’s more like little sticks and reeds that you can just sweep away. We saw tractors removing it daily but given the location of the resort along the Riviera Maya, it’s a daily occurrence and almost a losing battle to keep it pristine.

Long story short, we loved the beach and spent half our time down there, easily. We also saw some incredible sunrises during our visit and I highly recommend getting up early to catch it!

Entertainment

Due to the fact that 1) I am tired and 2) I was in the sun all day, staying up until a show at 9:00 or 9:30 really wasn’t in my cards. The only one I really wanted to see was Michael Jackson as that’s my favourite show whenever we go anywhere.

The theatre, Moons, it’s quite small for such a large resort, so if you have your heart set on seeing a night show, arrive early to get seating (there is also seating upstairs FYI!). There’s a bar there and usually some activities happening beforehand too.

During the day, if you like to do activities, hang out by the main pool. It’s the one with music and foam parties, volleyball, and aerobics. This is not for me so I can’t speak to how they were, but people seemed to be having a great time.

There are also more tame activities like stretching and macrame, but we were too preoccupied lounging around to be bothered to lift a finger, to be honest!

Service & Staff

The service without a doubt has been superb. Everyone has been so helpful and friendly and we felt welcomed by everyone. We became chummy with a few regulars and enjoyed seeing them every day. 

Special shoutout to Arturo in the buffet, Russell at Agua Bendita, Julian at the round pool, Matteo at Olios, Brian the housekeeper, Wilbur at Vora Mar, Emmanuel at Limes (he makes the best cocktails!) and all of the other wonderful people who greeted us with a smile every day.

This brings me to tipping! While it is an all-inclusive resort and technically they market these types of vacations as “inclusive of gratuities”, it doesn’t take much to tip and show your appreciation of their efforts to make our vacation a great one.

Here is what we normally tip during a vacation – take this guide with a grain of salt!

• Drinks: $1-$2/drink
• Breakfast: $2-$5/couple
• Lunch: $5/couple
• Dinner: $5-$15/couple
• Housekeeping: $3-$5/day
• Turndown service: $3-$5/day
• Mini fridge attendant: $2-$3/day
• Spa services: 20% of services

What to Pack 

If you’re looking for an extensive list of what to bring, I have a whole list of what to pack for an all-inclusive vacation (with a printable checklist) that I use as my guide every time! On top of that, some things in particular that you may feel useful for this trip (and what I used, and was happy I brought!) were:

• Cloud slides for the rooms. There is gorgeous marble tiling throughout the resort. It can be slippery when wet, either coming out of the shower or of your swim up suite. I bought these for my parents to provide some extra traction.
• Meds: I always bring a DIY travel first aid kit. Staples for us are cold and flu medication, imodium, heartburn tablets, tylenol, and antihistamines. You never know. And they’re super expensive when you’re here.
• Bug spray. I read there are hardly any mosquitos here, but my bites say otherwise! I only have a few, but if you plan on dining outdoors or enjoying some awesome cocktails at Limes, spray your legs, especially if your legs are exposed!
• Sunscreen (a given!) but oh baby, make sure you put it on. The water refraction will toast your skin and the breeze will make it seem like it’s not as hot as it is. I speak from experience, and have experienced some nasty burns in the past. I opt for the Neutrogena 50 SPF but also I am hyper cautious of skincare in my old age (of 36 lol). Don’t forget about SPF lip protection either!
• Aloe vera: In case you think you didn’t need to reapply sunscreen after swimming! We buy the big bottle and fill reuseable bottles (great for carry-on travel!)
• Straws: As a part of Haven’s sustainability practices, they did away with one-use straws. If you like to drink your cocktails poolside with a straw, we bring the silicone ones that come with straw cleaners. Honestly, the metal ones make me nervous because if you slip they could do some serious damage. Bring tumblers too if you like to have a big drink of your favourite cocktail.
• Floaties: Always fun to have, inexpensive, and easy to pack. Lots of people leave them behind for others to enjoy if you don’t want to bring them home.
• We tipped in pesos and USD. Being from Canada, it’s cheaper for us to bring pesos rather than buying US currency (especially in this political climate!). Pesos mean the staff don’t need to go to the bank to convert anything, but the US holds more power. Of course, tips in general are appreciated!
• Bring towel clips!!!! We needed them and used them daily, as it was quite windy when we were here. It’s also a great way to let others know that you are still using your lounger if you’re swimming or gone for a bite to eat. You can get all sorts of fun ones, too!

Pros and Cons of Haven Riviera Cancun: Would I Recommend this Resort?

If you’re looking for a 5 star, adults-only resort in Mexico that doesn’t cost as much as some other resorts (like Excellence), this is worthwhile checking out and I would absolutely recommend this property!

This is a great spot to come for a honeymoon or anniversary. Aside from a few rowdy crowds during our time here, it was very peaceful and relaxing.

Pros	Cons
Affordable luxury	Tends to be quite a few party crowds (at least when we were here)
Staff is incredibly friendly and helpful	Pools can become busy and if you’re not early to snag a lounger, you may be SOL
Lots of first-come, first-served daybeds and cabanas around the pools, and towel stands located throughout the resort	Hardly any beach loungers! There are a few day beds, hammocks, and like 12 loungers to pick from for the entire beach
Convenience of using app to look at menus, daily activities, and nightly entertainment	You have to book your dinner reservation
Turndown service is a nice touch	Resort bracelet (but also, it is convenient having it as your room key!)
Soothing, earthy tones in the room and calming uplighting.	Marble floors can be slick if you aren’t paying attention
Lots of food options to pick from, as well as vegetarian/vegan and gluten free	Main pool is loud and busy for a resort not marketed as a party place
Acknowledgement of honeymoons and anniversaries and repeat trips with door banner and towel art with rose petals	No alcohol in room (not a dealbreaker, but you cannot order alcohol to your room like mimosas either). Beer is stocked in the fridge.

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