Well, I can finally say I’ve visited this adults-only luxury all-inclusive resort; I’ve only been salivating over Haven Riviera Cancun since 2018 when it first opened.  If you follow this resort on social media, you already know that it photographs beautifully–simply because that is exactly what it is, a beautiful contemporary all-inclusive with luxury features like all marble flooring, a stunning lobby chandelier, two very large beachfront pools, 88 swim-up suites, creative bar mixologists, and an upgrade which includes prime oceanfront suites and your own butler.  This resort is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts, the LVX Collection, and has won repeat TripAdvisor awards including Travelers Choice Award and Best of the Best.

I stayed for four nights in April 2022 in a Serenity Club Jr. Suite Swim-Out Oceanfront.  I got a great deal through Cheap Caribbean (I normally don’t book through wholesalers anymore) and it went off without a hitch.  No “I can’t find your reservation” or desperately making calls to the wholesaler trying to work out check-in problems so that I didn’t have to pay double the cost.  (I had a very bad experience with Bookit.com a long time ago which really soured me on wholesaler bookings, but I’m giving it another occasional try),

I arrived at the resort around 1 p.m. and was able to check into my suite immediately–no waiting until the standard 3 p.m. check-in time which most local resorts enforce.  Upgraded Serenity Club guests have their own private check-in lounge; don’t expect the typical upgraded check-in lounge experience that you would find in other comparable resorts since there is an entirely separate Serenity Club Lounge located on the same floor right around the corner from the Haven Bar.  I had no idea there was a separate lounge area different from check-in until Day 3 of my vacation, lol.  You can still get a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate or two in the check-in area until 11 p.m. (you receive a glass of sparkling wine upon check-in), but the appetizers and drink options are in the actual lounge for upgraded guests.

Here’s what a Serenity Club upgrade includes in addition to private check-in and lounge access::

• oceanfront suite location (Buildings 1, 4, and 5)
• butler service
• two small bottles of in-room liquor (if you need extra during your stay it will be an extra cost)
• personalized mini-bar which is refilled daily–Coke products, yay! (there’s even Perrier water available)
• pillow and aromatherapy menus
• 10% discount on spa treatments
• 30 min. complimentary access to the spa’s hydrotherapy circuit or sauna/steam rooms
• complimentary greens fees (with cart included) at El Tinto golf course
• access to Vistas restaurant (only open for breakfast and lunch)

My butler Manny was a gem.  I met him at the end of check-in when he collected my in-room alcohol choices from storage and personally escorted me to my swim-out suite.  He gave a brief resort tour on the way to the suite and explained the room amenities upon entering.  He contacted me every day to see if I had any requests or problems.  If I texted him about something, he always answered within 5-10 minutes.  Only Serenity Club guests are assigned a butler.  Your butler can make dinner reservations at Olios or at Satsu’s Teppanyaki show tables (other restaurants do not require reservations), spa or golf reservations, help with excursions, get you ice if you need it for your room, arrange for luggage retrieval on your departure date, and of course answer any questions you may have about the resort or solve any problems you may run into during your vacation.  I would see Manny at all hours around the resort, even around 7:30 p.m., and he was always very friendly and ready to be of assistance.

I would absolutely recommend a Serenity Club swim-out suite.  First of all, the upgraded swim-out pools are HEATED which is actually a rarity at resorts in the area–feel free to swim in your pool until very late (there is no “pool curfew” that I know of with the swim-outs).  Terrace doors are expansive and can be fully opened to give the impression of indoor/outdoor living (a great advantage in feeling those ocean breezes), and the very large bathroom can be fully enclosed for complete privacy.  Here’s an extra plus–if you want to charge a device while you are out and about, your in-room digital safe has a plug-in.  Want to order room service?  There’s a QR code on the beside table to access the room service menu; once you’ve decided, just dial “0” on your bedside phone to give your order.

 

Serenity Club swim-outs are located in buildings 1, 4, and 5; building 1 is rather quiet with a possible partial obstruction of your ocean view due to the natural beach flora, building 4 is for the socially minded and it has a less obstructed ocean view, and building 5 is next to the new Haven addition being built next door.  Best to stay away from building 5 for the time being until they are finished with exterior work (my stay occurred April 2022 and they were still working on the exterior).  My swim-out was in building 1 on the north end (#1008) and I was very content with everything about it–there was even an ice machine just two doors down by the elevator which made it easy to have afternoon cocktail time while enjoying the swim-out pool and ocean views.. FYI:  Be aware that this end room has a meeting place next to it where guests congregate to talk and have drinks if there is a social event scheduled at this venue.  You can see them and they can see you in your pool even with the hedge.  Oh yes, one more thing, the bathroom has a built-in Bluetooth syncing device so you can listen to your own music playlists within your suite.

Any pool lovers out there?  This resort has two very large beachfront pools which appeal to different vacationers.  The round pool is the quiet pool with piped in spa-like music; it has its own swim-up bar with in-water seats, and the entire pool edge is zero entry which means those with any mobility problems can get in and out of the pool with ease. There are many complimentary day beds around each pool along with loungers and shade umbrellas.  This pool is NOT heated.

The tiered main pool IS heated.  It offers a two-sided swim-up bar (one side on each tier) but neither bar has in-pool seating available.  The lower tier tries to make up for this by having nearby Jacuzzi seating areas and in-pool drink tables.  This pool is the “party pool” with louder music being piped in (I did recognize some soft rock, but most music I had never heard before–the 20 to 30 year olds in the pool acted like they did indeed know the tunes); a DJ played tunes during the afternoon once during my stay.  While the main pool and swim-up bars close at 7 p.m., there is the nearby poolside bar which stays open until the wee hours; a nightly DJ keeps the beats going as well, albeit softly.  Every time I went to and from dinner the poolside bar was busy, the DJ was playing tunes, and some people were indeed still carousing in the pool (on one occasion it was after 7 p.m. and guests were still in the pool).  It was never spring break style partying, though, so don’t worry that this resort turns into another Grand Oasis Cancun at night.

If you are interested in pool activities there was an aqua spinning class, a “board” class (balancing and exercise was done on a small floating board which resembles a surfboard), and pool volleyball.  All classes were held in the main pool.

True beach lovers will be disappointed with the beach at Haven Riviera Cancun, but it is no different than what other resorts in the immediate area north of Puerto Morelos have to deal with in terms of beach conditions.  The water tends to get clogged with seaweed/sargassum despite ocean barriers, but the resort makes a valiant attempt to clean things up beachside with several tractor trips occurring each day.  During my stay there weren’t many people out on the beach with only a handful daring enough to go into the water.  If you are up for it there are loungers, cabanas, daybeds, hammocks, and shade palapas available; non-motorized water sports equipment including kayaks, paddle boards, and hobie cats were also available.

There were many food and bar options available at Haven; most of the food was very good and the pours were decent.  To make it easier to sort out my dining and drink experiences, here’s a list:

• Vistas.  This is the open-air restaurant located above the round pool with pool and ocean views.  It opens for lunch at 12 noon, so be there a bit early in order to request a table directly overlooking the pool area.  It is open for breakfast and lunch and it is only available to Serenity Club guests.  Vistas had a great sirloin burger, Mayan sushi roll, and can even whip up a seafood paella (lobster, squid, and mussels) as long as you give them a minimum of 30 min. to do so.  Even the drinks were good here.  (The menu is in the picture gallery below at the end of this resort review).

• Agua Bendita.  This is the Mexican steakhouse  Beware of the din–this has got to be one of the noisiest a la cartes I’ve ever experienced at an all-inclusive resort.  Not very conducive to having a dinner conversation unless you’re prepared to yell at your travel partner; it may help if you know sign language.  Be aware that choicer cuts of beef are an extra charge.  Some dishes were good, others not.  I would skip this one.
• Vora Mar Grill.  This is the Italian restaurant located beachfront; the large Vora terrace is beautifully lit at night which makes a great setting as you enter or exit the restaurant.  I noticed a few dining tables on the terrace, so perhaps the resort offers romantic dinners for an extra charge??  You have to order the baked cheese appetizer–it sounds gross but tasted oh so good.  Their shrimp pasta dish was excellent, don’t order the ravioli, it was swimming in sauce.  An overall thumbs up for this restaurant.

• Olios.  You have to have reservations for this Mediterranean restaurant.  I will be honest and say that the dishes, although good in taste, did not look appetizing (somehow the “froth” look doesn’t stimulate my appetite…).  Lots of prior guests rave about this restaurant, so maybe it’s just me or what I ordered.  As a matter of fact, I have forgotten what I ordered at this restaurant if that tells you anything.
• Mistral.  A great place to have a casual lunch or late afternoon bite to eat–it’s located beachfront with an ocean view.  They offer sirloin burgers, chicken burgers, fries, hot dogs, ceviche, chips and guacamole, even a chicken caesar salad.  This outdoor restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  (The menu can be found in the picture gallery at the end of this resort review).

• Flavours.  This is the resort buffet restaurant open for breakfast and lunch.  I only ate breakfast here, so I cannot speak to their lunch options.  There was a huge breakfast spread available and all of it was very good.  There were a fair amount of Mexican dishes offered including chicken quesadillas which were tasty.  Freshly squeezed juices, tables and tables of bread options, an omelet station, smoked salmon, you name it they had it for consumption.  A definite thumbs up for breakfast.
• There was no lobby bar which was surprising, but the closest thing to it was Havens Bar which opens at 7 p.m.  This venue offers some live music during the week in the evenings, it was nothing to write home about.
•  I already mentioned the Serenity Club Lounge which was located around the corner from the Haven Bar.  There was no bartender there, it’s serve yourself from the mini-bar, wine, and alcohol bottles the resort has already placed out for your perusal.  As previously stated, this lounge is only for upgraded Serenity Club guests.
• Limes bar is unique in all it has to offer guests including expert mixologists–just tell them what kind of alcohol you like and they will concoct a specialty drink for you; several flat screen TV’s for watching sporting events; and the outdoor Sunset Terrace for having a drink and watching spectacular sunsets.  A nice place to have a pre-dinner drink or meet with friends.

• Moet Corner offers more mixologists serving a select option of drinks; you can even order a bottle of champagne if you want to celebrate something special.
• Dock’s Pool Bar is the place to be in the evening both before and after dinner for guests who appeared to be more serious about drinking.  There was always an evening DJ playing tunes (no blaring music, though), so bring your conversational and friend-making skills.  Pace yourself, though.

Moons nightclub also has its own bar as do most resort theaters.  There were shows put on every night (check your suite TV for show listing dates and times), but be prepared for the small space–it only holds around 130 guests so if you are late you have to stand.  I don’t know if that makes any difference because the theater chairs are uncomfortable to sit in for lengthy periods of time.  They look great but you will be glad to get out of them by the time the show is over.

Just a few other items to mention about the resort, then you can dig into my picture gallery below to get an idea what the resort looks like.  I am STILL obsessed with the lobby chandelier; it is massive in scale and cascades down two floors.  The resort’s main pop of color is turquoise blue and the chandelier lights give off the same color when lit at night.  It’s amazing to see; I wish I had a huge home entry of my own so I could have one of my own.  Oh well, I will have to return to the resort to see it again!!

Haven Riviera Cancun would be perfect for couples looking to spend a relaxing vacation in a luxury resort setting.  Even singles who want to primarily spend time in their luxury suite vedging for their vacation would most likely enjoy what Haven has to offer.  I spent four nights here and that was the perfect amount of time for me; I would have been bored if I’d have stayed longer–I like more of a mix of excitement and relaxation.  This is primarily a resort to come to in order to relax in style.  I plan on coming back here as often as possible!

The comments in this review are those of the author/reviewer.  This trip was paid for in its entirety by the author; at no time were any monies or services exchanged for this review.

Location:  20 min. south of the Cancun airport

Telephone:  52-998-889-9600

email:  info@havenresorts.com (general inquiries), reservations.hrc@havenresorts.com