I’ve been curious about this property for awhile, especially the details about how guests arrive to the resort from Cancun. Now there’s a video that gives all the details I’ve wanted, and from one of my favorite vloggers, 3 Days 3 Noches.
If anyone is curious about the new Riu Ventura, here’s a short drone video of the build which was taken about a month ago. Notice the beautiful beach area it’s on (it’s by Playa Delfines), but also notice that this resort is built in a more perpendicular position to the beach so that means less real oceanfront room views vs. all the side ocean views. Some vacationers like both a sunrise/ocean view while others like more of a partial ocean view with an emphasis on sunset views when staying in the Hotel Zone, so this property can accommodate both wants as far as that is concerned.
For those of you familiar with the multiple Hotels Xcarets (Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Hotel Xcaret Arte, and La Casa de la Playa), you know that once you paid for your resort stay in full you were given access to their “Wishlist” which meant you could make reservations at specialty restaurants, select parks, and select excursions. There evidently has been some very recent changes which will affect their Wishlist policy.
For those of you fellow swim-up/out room category lovers, here are several options which are mere steps from the beach. Which one would you prefer to stay in and enjoy such proximity to a beach and ocean swimming? Let me know in the comments section below.
This resort has changed names so frequently the last several years that it’s hard to keep up with what it’s currently being called as of today. It started out as an Azul resort by Karisma for many years, changed its name to a lengthy Azul property I couldn’t for the life of me remember, then there was the guest fatality in the outdoor Jacuzzi via electrocution, then it was sold to Tafer as Palmar but that didn’t last long because Iberostar bought the property. Why? I have no idea, the Tafer resort rebranding only lasted several months.
Wow, I came across the news this morning, if anyone is familiar with Barcelo Maya Riviera which is part of the Barcelo resort complex in the Riviera Maya, their resort entrance completely collapsed ! Luckily no one was hurt.
Those of you who have followed my blog for awhile know that I have been working on a book on all-inclusive resorts (and answering questions about all-inclusive travel) in Cancun and the Riviera Maya for quite some time now. If you’ve been impatient waiting for the book to materialize, so am I, lol.
I don’t know fellow vacationers and Dreams resort lovers, it looks like the brand new Dreams Grand Island plans are on a permanent hold right now. Dreams is not even advertising this resort at all, not even a listing with bare bones info on their website.
The brand new Ocean by H10 resort, Ocean Azure Costa Mujeres, looks like it is slightly changing its name to Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres. It’s adults-only and looks like it has the potential to be a very popular property with amenities typically included for family travel.
An update here concerning the brand new Secrets Mirabel which was scheduled to open Oct. 2025 but now has been postponed until sometime in Nov. 2025 (I swear the new Secrets and Dreams resorts are NEVER open on time). Since there is no set date in Nov. I would be willing to bet that they won’t be open until early Dec. 2025 or even Jan. 2026 if things go really south. The spa won’t be available for use until Feb. 2026.