Let me begin my review by saying that my wife and I are both experienced travelers and neither of us are particularly picky. We based our decision to stay at Dreams Resort and Spa largely on the reviews on Trip Advisor and the location of the Resort on 'Punta Cancun'. It was difficult, at best, to find anything negative on this resort on the user reviews posted here, and what we did find, seemed to be 'overly-picky'. We had a wonderful experience, overall, and definitely plan to return to Dreams to celebrate our first anniversary next year.
That being said let me go ahead and get the negatives out of the way first. We arrived at the Resort at approximately 12:30 p.m., local. The stated check-in time is 3:00 p.m. We figured that if the room was ready, like most hotels, that they would let us check in. Well, that wasn't the case. They told us that our room (5117) would not be ready until 3:00 p.m. Also, the check-in clerk that we were dealing with (can't recall his name) was essentially rude and condescending. We were not met with a cool towel and champagne like we expected from the previous reviews. We checked back with our clerk several times to inquire about the room, always receiving the same response - "The Room is not ready". We even walked up to the room about 2:00 p.m. The door was closed and there appeared to be no maid activity in sight. When we returned to check-in again, and told the clerk that it appeared ready, he still said it wasn't ready. Finally, around 2:50 p.m., we checked again, and were finally given the green light to check in. This was, essentially, our only negative experiences. Now for the good stuff.....
While we were waiting for our room to be readied, we went to the Rendevous Bar, just off the lobby and had some drinks. We met the bartender, Lino, and found him to be warm, gracious, and eager to please. The Rendevous was very nice, with indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outdoors and had a view overlooking the pool. Everything was exceptionally clean and well maintained. The seating was comfortable, and the atmosphere was upscale and relaxed. While sitting at our table, we noticed that the grounds were everything as described, and then some. The foliage was lush and the grass and grounds were breath-takingly beautiful and maintained.
When we got to our room, there was a banner draped across the outside of the door that read 'Honeymooners' with the Dreams shell logo. When we entered, there was a trail of rose petals on the floor leading to the bed. On the bed was a giant heart, shaped from rose petals, in the center of which were towels, meticulously folded into the shape of swans, and washrags folded into the shape of roses. Very impressive. We also had a bottle of champagne on ice. Rose petals were also all over the bathroom. It was very romantic, and it made the wait for the room worth it.
The room, itself, was very nice. The bed was firm, but very comfortable. There was a fluffy comforter on the bed that was very nice. The floors, as described in other reviews, were marble. The room amenities included a refrigerator (fully stocked with sodas, orange juice, mineral water, bottled water, and Coronas), a flat screen TV, Coffee Maker, DVD player, plush robes and slippers for two, a room safe, ironing board and iron, umbrella (with Dreams logo), blow dryer, clothes hangers, alarm clock, laundry bag, as well as an assortment of toiletries and sunscreen. The view from the room and balcony were beautiful. Overall, we were very pleased with all aspects of the room.
A few more thoughts on the room. We did not see a ‘Tower’ room, but were very please with the Pyramid room that we had. Our room faced the lagoon, and we had a wonderful view. We could see down both sides of Cancun, as well as the lagoon. The view could not be beat. When we go back, we’re going to try to get the same room. Room service was very good. We never waited more than 15 minutes from placing our order, and the presentation was always very nice. We ordered coffee and Danishes every morning, and when it arrived, it was with Noritake China and a yummy selection of Danishes. The shower arrangement is a bit odd, as pointed out by other reviews, but as long as you place a towel down in front of the shower entrance, you won’t have any problems. There was always plentiful hot water, and the water pressure was excellent. The maid staff visited the room at least three times a day. The turn down service was nice, and just as advertised. A rose, the next day’s activity roster, the next day’s weather and chocolates. There was also a mat placed next to the bed, which was embroidered with “Sweet Dreams”. What more could you ask for?
The Staff were very friendly and attentive. I would especially like to mention Miguel at the Snack Shack. He was very open and, with a little prodding, would talk about his personal life. That is, if you could get him to slow down from working to make you feel like you’re in Paradise. There were constantly staff members cleaning and catering to your every need. They were always smiling and cheerful, and seemed to enjoy talking about their homeland, if you could get them to slow down enough. The crew at the building where you check out floats, kayaks, canoes, and snorkeling gear (although contractors and not officially Dreams employees) were very friendly, courteous and helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations that I got to have with the wonderful staff members of Dreams. Although our travel agent discouraged tipping, I took some tip money, and thoroughly enjoyed tipping these wonderful hardworking people for the often-thankless jobs that they do to make our vacations seamless and enjoyable.
How about the food? We ate at the Snack Shack, the World Café, the Seaside Grill, and the Oceana. The rest of the restaurants, we cannot comment on. The World Café was our overall favorite. For Breakfast, the selection is astronomical. For lunch and supper, the selection is astronomical. Even the pickiest eater should find something here to satisfy their palate. The selection runs from the most basic hot dog or hamburger, to some pretty frou-frou gourmet selections. The fresh fruit selection for breakfast was a favorite of mine. They even have a Kid’s Corner for those of you with small children. My wife is a shrimp lover. They had a soup at the Oceana, called Shrimp and Vegetable Soup. According to her, it was the ‘absolute best’ soup that she had eaten in her life. I had the fried Grouper, and it was very good. I think ‘absolute best’ is pretty high praise for an all-inclusive. The Seaside grill has a very nice atmosphere and a nice menu. Probably the place to go at Dreams for a steak. I had the Rib eye, and it came covered in brown gravy, which was unexpected. My wife had the bacon wrapped Tenderloin, which I’ve seen reviewed here before. She liked it pretty well. For lunch, the Snack Shack was awesome. If you like a good cheeseburger or hamburger or hotdog, it’s the place to go. The fries were pretty awesome, too. One thing is for sure: you definitely won’t go hungry at Dreams.
A few last thoughts about this awesome resort. Tipping is absolutely discretionary. Not having to wear a wristband is nice. They ask for your room number a lot, but it sure beats having to wear a wristband. The nightly activities are nice, and are more varied than I expected from previous trip reviews. The non-motorized water sports are included, so take advantage of them. Although the place was fully booked, it never seemed crowded. No waits for food, drink, or any services. The Lagoon Side beach is the place to be. Beautiful sand, beautiful water, plenty of bars, plenty of wait staff…..what could be better? Check out was painless and easy and our transportation to the Cancun Airport was right on time.
We will definitely return. I hope this review may be helpful to anyone considering Dreams Resort and Spa. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.
