Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun is Karisma’s first partnership with the Jimmy Buffett hotel brand–I believe it is the very first Jimmy Buffett all-inclusive resort anywhere. This resort used to be known as Azul Beach Resort (Azul is Karisma’s family-friendly resort brand name); the resort reopened after a huge renovation but unfortunately it reopened right before the pandemic hit. It has been a slow start for them, but it looks like they are finally settling into their resort “groove”.
This resort is small with only 148 rooms and suites. Despite its overall size it offers quite a few amenities including the following:
- four restaurants and five bars including two beachfront bars and a sports bar. There is a taco restaurant beachfront with a great ocean view!
- a swim-up bar in one of its four pools
- beach Bali beds
- vibrant tropical decor throughout the resort
- swim-up suites
- spa and gym
- live music poolside
- extensive grocery and goods store
Margaritaville started a new concept concerning mini-bar items. You, the guest, are responsible for stocking your own in-room mini-bar from the Joe Merchant grocery and goods store. When you check-in you are given a certain number of points depending on length of stay and type of room category booked. You spend your points at Joe Merchant on exactly what you want–do you prefer a bottle of liquor to cans of cerveza already stocked in your room? Or do you want more snacks of your choosing instead of a few items already stocked in-room which you will never eat? It’s your vacation, it’s your choice.
Another very cool and fun concept which the resort added is the “blender bike”. For some it is more fun to bike your way to a blended drink than have a bartender do it for you…the second video below is a short look at the concept.
What do you think? Would you stay here?