My daughter and her husband are return visitors to the adults-only Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya resort, it is their “home away from home” resort go-to.  After her most recent visit I asked if she would be willing to write some helpful tips about staying at this resort for my blog, so here they are.

• Booking info:  Bring all your paperwork about your booking, especially if you have changed any of your travel plans along the way since the original booking; this is especially relevant if you’ve cancelled and re-booked for any reason.  The resort will charge you for an additional one night stay if you have changed your travel dates and don’t have documentation of any prior cancellations (we used booking.com).  Double check your booking before you get to the resort, especially if the booking has been done by a third party.
• Beach bar is open after 6 p.m. if you want a drink when the pool bars close at 5 p.m., that way you don’t have to go all the way to the lobby.
• Get to the pool before 11 a.m. for loungers (get there earlier during high season).  They fill up fast!  Same for the beach loungers under the shaded palapa huts (available for all suite guests).  White curtained cabanas at the pool and beach are for upgraded Privilege guests.
• If you are far from your desired resort destination, you can go to the lobby and request a golf cart to take you there, or you can call from your room and request one.
• Lifeguards are very attentive when conditions are marked with yellow or red advisory flags to ensure guest safety.  It’s a lengthy stretch of beach, and some ocean entry points have some large rocks, so water shoes are not a bad idea but not 100% necessary.  Be careful body surfing during rougher ocean conditions–a guest cut his leg on a rock.
• Emerald Suites building #14 is the best location if you want to be close to the pool and the Mar restaurant.  The other Emerald Suite buildings are more out of the way.  Second floor has the best beach views, first floor all you see is vegetation.  The in-room Jacuzzi tub takes about 30-40 min. to fill up.
• Emerald Suite room cleaning service comes once a day as opposed to the Gold and Silver Suites which are cleaned three times a day.
• The French restaurant L’Alsace is a very classy restaurant and still on point with service and food quality.  Complimentary champagne for early diners (6 p.m.) while you wait for your party. The entire party must be there before anyone can be seated.  The French onion soup is a popular starter dish; the lobster soup was just as delicious as I remember.  Escargot was light and had good flavor, not too rubbery.  They have steak, duck, sea bass, and liver main course options.  The Baked Alaska dessert had a great show and tasted great!  Just beware of the sauce at the bottom of the plate, the liquor tastes very strong–drunk at dessert? lol.  The creme brulee is a favorite dessert here as well.  Canoli has a light, flaky outside instead of a more traditional canoli.
• The Japanese restaurant Ginger has upped their game from basic spicy tuna rolls and California rolls to more Americanized sushi with more toppings and sauces.  Sashimi is very fresh!  Book teppanyaki show table the day before you wish to eat there, we booked at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday and the only time available for the same day was 9:30 p.m.  The upside to the late dinner booking is that you get the chance to have the whole table to yourselves.
• The Italian restaurant L’Olivo is another very classy restaurant.  Their salad was overdressed, but lasagna and other pasta dishes were excellent.  Service is quick and waiters attentive.
• The Mar buffet has great food and great service.  The buffet by the lobby has had disappointing service in comparison.  Our waiter at the lobby buffet (Le Marché restaurant) forgot the ladies drink orders and was slow to ask for our drink orders to begin with.  Chilaquiles were a favorite–red one day, green the next. Breakfast buffet locations do not offer the same type of chilaquiles on the same day, they alternate.
• Crepes were fresh and delicious at the buffets; however, I didn’t try the poolside crepe station.
• The new poolside soup stand was just OK.  The flavors were nice, but the yellow corn had a meaty texture.  Personal preference would be the sweet white corn instead.
• Tried the dry ice martini at Don Miguel bar (Martini Imperial), it was a cool little show to watch its preparation, it tasted like a sweet cranberry drink.  Classy place to have a drink pre or post dinner.
• The bar by the entertainment area still disappoints in drink quality.  I asked for a mojito and they put Havana Club in it along with what tasted like Bud light beer on top–it was the oddest mojito I’ve ever had and not very good….

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya is one of the most popular adults-only all-inclusive resorts in this area of Cancun.  It is a beautiful resort and well worth checking out.