We just returned from staying 5 nights at the Dream's Resort. We checked in at about 5:00 pm hot and sweaty hoping for those cool, mint washcloths that others have mentioned, but they weren't offered. The front desk person suggested we upgrade to an oceanview room for $25 extra a night and we decided to check out the room first. It was exactly like the room that we had booked (room 2109) which I thought was fine. It overlooked the pool area and had a partial view of the lagoon and the ocean. So we walked back to the front desk to say that we would just keep our room. The Dream's is an open air resort so there is really no escape from the heat. That is something to keep in mind if you are not used to the humidity and heat. The only restaurant that has a minimal amount of air conditioning was the World buffet so we found ourselves there alot to escape the heat. One thing to keep in mind if you eat there is that they DO have a menu to order off for dinner as well as the buffet. We noticed one waiter in particular that never offered the menu to anyone. he just told you to go to the buffet. When he waited on us we always had to ask the hostess for the menu. I think he did not want to have to take our order and go get our food. However, we always left a tip for anyone that waited on us which he did a few times and we think that he knew that. On our last day there we went in for breakfast and even though we were seated with another waiter he came over and asked if we remembered him and was trying to wait on us too. For the most part though, I have to say the service in the restaurants was great. As you'll find anywhere, there are always a couple of employees that will try to do as little as possible, but I'd say about 95% of them did really try their absolute best.

We ate at Oceana only once for lunch. The service was extremely slow and the waiter seemed unsure every time he approached our table. The food was only average and the chips were stale. We probably should have tried it again for dinner but the one time was enough for us. The Sea Side grill served good burgers and fish tacos. My husband really enjoyed the Himatsu's sushi and we ate there several times. Their fried bananas with coconut ice cream and chocolate syrup was awesome. One thing we found funny though on our last meal there was when we asked for it the waiter asked if we wanted to share and we said no, that we each wanted one. I told him my husband wouldn't share his food with me and he laughed and said that he would bring us each one. It typically came with a half of a banana that was cut in half (1/2 of a banana), fried with a scoop of ice cream. We each got half of a half of banana (1/4 of a banana) and a scoop of ice cream. It looked like he split our order and put it on two plates. So he must have decided for himself that we were going to share that desert one way or another!!

The drinks were good although they were always weak. Normally I get a nice warm glow from just one good Pina Colada (I'm a lightweight :) but I could drink 5-6 of theirs and not feel a thing. My husband was pretty disappointed in how watered down their drinks were. That was something that we wanted to take advantage of since we were paying for it so it was kind of a bummer. I guess if you are a beer drinker it would be okay. We noticed when we sat at the Himutso bar waiting for a table that we ordered a Kalua and Cream and a Bailey's and Cream and both drinks were cheap imitations. The bar tender said he was out of the Bailey's and what he used was "almost the same" and he didn't even make an excuse for the imitation Kalua.

The workout facility was nicely equipped but it REALLY needed air conditioning. There were a couple of fans in the room but one of them kept shutting off. Also could have used two treadmills that worked. One of them was a smaller one that the incline didn't work on.

The rooms are about your only reprieve from the heat and it always felt good to be get there. However, they have the thermostats pre-set and you cannot adjust them. The maid sevice was pretty good if not a little inconsistant. We didn't get turn down service one night in which the maid usually left a list of events for the next day. Sometimes she would take our towels at night and leave clean ones. Sometimes she would leave 3 towels which is what we started off with. Sometimes she would leave 2 towels and sometimes 1...... Sometimes she didn't take the towels at all.... She took our bath mat several times and did not replace it so be sure to put a towel on the floor because the tile floors are very slippery. However, she did keep our ammenities stocked and our bed was made daily. Our fridge was also always stocked once a day with water, Corona and assorted sodas.

The pool on the tower side is EXTREMELY small but the lagoon side pool was a little bigger. The ocean side beach area was small and had a lot of broken shells (hard on your feet) and the lagoon side was nice, calm and had soft sand. The waiter's on the lagoon side seemed to come around regularly but we had only one come to wait on us one time on the beach side. We never seen her again besides the one time. That was kind of aggravating.

We asked for a late check out at 1:00 instead of noon since our transportation wouldn't be picking us up until 2:15 and they nicely accomodated it. We ordered room service while we were packing and it was very good. We wished that we had tried it before. We had fresh fruit, Caesar's salads and a club sandwich and and a cheesburger. It was nicely presented and the room service employee was very nice and offered to set it up on our table for us.

All in all a very nice get away. You can ride the buses for 65 cents-$1 which we did several times. Dream's is close enough to walk to shopping and some clubs. Didn't care to go to the flea market area though as the people there are too aggressive, yelling at you if you happen to get into hollering distance to come into their shops. If you are dumb enough to get too close they all come after you to come in their shop. Stay away unless you like that sort of thing. We went into a couple of the stores that have set prices and no one pushing you. It was a little more expensive but not nearly as stressful. We also took the bus to Wal-mart and bought some travel totes (which were exactly the same as the flea markets for half the price), Kalua ($9) and vanilla. They also had Cancun T-shirts and the usual souvenoirs without the hassle.

We plan to return to Cancun in a year or two to take our kids. Although Dreams was nice, we will probably opt to try somewhere else that has air conditioning and more options on their menus. As mentioned on other reviews, the food choices did start to get old and besides the banana desert at the Himitsu, their desserts were not very good. Depending on where you ate the food was probably average-above average.

Again, we enjoyed it there, just will try elsewhere the next time.

My fiance and I just returned from a week at Dreams and had a wonderfully relaxing time.

Overall Impression: Just perfect! The hotel's smaller size compared to other Cancun behemoths makes it easy and non-stressful to get around, and you don't have to plan your day at all. We wandered without thought from beach to pool to restaurants easily. The no-reservation system is also relaxing. I just loved not having to think about anything in advance! The resort was best Tue-Thur, when there were less people, but wasn't overcrowded or stressfuleven even on the busier weekend.

Food: The 3 a la carte restaurants were really good. We never waited for a table (although late September is the start of the off-season, so could explain), and often got the prime tables looking out at the ocean. Particular entree favorites---Atun (tuna) del Pacifico at Oceana, Chicken Bourbon at Oceana, and Chicken Mignon at Seaside. There are lots of great dishes at each restaurant, but these were our faves. Breakfast at the buffet was good. Although it offered a smaller selection than you would find on a cruise ship, there was plenty of variety nonetheless plus some excellent Mexican breakfast foods. Lunch at the buffet was probably the weak point of the dining options, so we would recommend taking advantage of the a la carte restaurants for lunch (even if you're supposed to observe a slightly higher dress code at these restaurants). As for drinks, try a strawberry colada, as the strawberry daquiri is a little too tart. Finally, at the bar in the lobby from 7pm-9pm (I think), if you ask for the special coffees you can have a coffee prepared at your table involving a little volcano with real fire and flaming alcohol!

Room: We were given the complimentary upgrade to ocean view pyramid; it was nice, but as little as we were in the room I don't think it is necessary to purchase this view. We had problems with condensation leaking from the entryway air conditioning for the first 2 days, but the problem was totally fixed.

Beach/Pool: The pool, as noted in other reviews, is relatively small (bigger than a pool you might have in the back yard, but not massive), but it was never over crowded---even with a volleyball game going. As for the beach, there were plenty of umbrella spots even as late as 11am, particularly on the tower side where they never seemed to fill up. We got the free snorkel equipment and tried out the water at the beach, but there was really no point. There are a few fish and a baby sting ray, but they all hang out in the really shallow water by the outlet from the lagoon and you can see them without goggles. So we went on a snorkel excursion that we highly recommend (discussed below). The floating mats were nice and free for 1 or 2 hours, depending on demand, but please remember to wear really strong sunscreen! I am red-headed, freckled, and very pale, and after spending 1.5 hours on a mat floating in the ocean with spf 45 on, I was not only burnt, but burnt horribly. I switched to 70 which still wasn't entirely sufficient.

Activities: Waverunners can be rented on-site, and boats heading out to do scuba, parasailing, etc. can be boarded on-site as well. We highly recommend an off-site snoerkeling excursion with a company called Snorkel Adventure (booked through Apple, but the excursion is operated by an independent company that deals with the other on-site travel groups). It was 10:30am-5:30pm at a reef 20 minutes south of Cancun (transportation is included) and consisted of 3 separate 40-minute swims plus lunch and lounging time on a private beach. One swim was at a deeper reef with incredible coral formations and some more unique fish, and the other two swims were at a shallow reef just swarming in fish. The coral was not as pretty, but the fish were all over. We saw a huge manta ray---very nice. Totally suitable for beginners. We paid $69US per person, and considered it well worth the money even though we had to bus it to Flamingo Mall in the morning (but they did drop off at the resort at the end of the day). There is a morning excursion that cuts out the midday lounging/eating, which might also be nice since the beach at Dreams is actually better for lounging. Incidentally, there are tour group agents at Dreams almost all day long, so it is really easy to book tours, etc., from the hotel. As for some Dreams-provided stuff, each room is entitled to 15 minutes of free internet access a day (you get the code from the concierge). The concierge also has the dvd "rentals" (they're free), but go early if you want a good movie. By 6 on a Saturday, we were stuck with The Mummy Returns.

Aug 30-Sept 6
One could easily argue that Dreams is the most beautiful property of all of Cancun. Surrounded on all three sides by water you can experience the tranquility of the northern shore, the fierce waves at the lighthouse, or the soft sand beaches and smooth tides of the eastern shore all at this resort. If that is not enough, Dreams has its own man made lagoon. With such natural resources, Dreams is a property ripe for a King and expectations are high, maybe too high.

Like an over budgeted movie with a famous director. The final product of Dreams is not that it is all that bad, it is not, but you cannot escape the empty feeling in your stomach of what this magnificent property could have been or maybe one day will be. It is this feeling of frustration and slight dissatisfaction you may have during your trip. Whether it be the old structures, poor paint jobs, poor drainage or Asian food that makes panda express look gourmet. Nothing is bad; it’s just not that good.

FOR DREAMS IF YOU ARE READING: Less salty food - I love salt, but come on. Please fix the sushi rice. The elevator bell in the tower is LOUD get rid of it (no OSHA here). Drainage problems in the tower (clean with baking soda and vinegar please!). Convert the swamp to a sandy bottom at least by the shore so PEOPLE CAN USE IT! The grass is nasty - this is not a natural habitat!!! You may notice no one uses your swamp? Or turn the swamp into a pool (you would have the best pool in Cancun) or AT THE VERY LEAST add some pretty fish…

Here are some thoughts:

Food: First, I have to say I was looking forward to the Japanese restaurant. But in the end, I missed my local Sushi Boy and Panda Express. The kitchen manager must know that you cannot cook Japanese Rice without a cover (this is not Uncle Ben’s rice), - that you cannot use the same white rice that you eat for dinner, as the sushi rice. (yes, you use less water in sushi rice so when you fan in the vinegar it doesn’t get mushy with the extra liquid). Sushi rice should look like little pearls, not a white slab of rice bits. Also you will find the egg rolls at the buffet – all you can eat.
The other restaurants were fine but everywhere seemed to favor one spice in particular - SALT. I know that over salting food makes people eat less, but I hate to think that someone at Dreams is that insidious and I will blame it again on the bad kitchen manager. Salt and hot weather does not make a happy eater. Overall, seaside Grill was my favorite.

Wait staff – The lunch crew with the exception of the hostess who never smiles was our favorite. They were very nice. I think there were less people at lunch so they could pay more attention to us. Tipping is unnecessary unless you want to make an extra friend along your “honeymoon”…

Tired of the salty food, one night, I ate at LaDistelleria, I enjoyed it.

Shopping: Everything is marked way up. It’s hard. After bargaining for an hour getting a great deal at $40.00 you will find the same thing down the road for $10.00. Go figure? Silver is everywhere. Know your Silver prices; if you don’t, you will get ripped off. Showing your girlfriend or wife you know what you are doing is points! Bracelets that shoud cost $7.00, start at $50.00 when you ask, and you stupidly think you are getting a good deal bargaining them down to $20.00. What a waste of time. On the flip side, some really nice designs exists, so if you know how much silver costs per gram you may be able to get good workmanship. If you don’t know the difference between 95 silver and 98 silver don’t buy… The name brand stores like Rolex and Gucci did not have great prices, but they did have a selection of items you may not have at your local retailer. Liquor - duty free or Walmart Cancun.

Property: It is an older property. Drainage problems so I had to cover the drain in the bathroom. The view from the Ocean side pyramid, to me, is just as nice as the view from the ocean view tower. In fact, in some ways it is nicer. The pyramid swamp view is a little less nice unless you get the north side away from the pool and not on the ground level. I would pay for an ocean view or upgrade, but check out your room first.

Bars: Very good liquor and lots of bars. My friends 12 year old Black Label and 12 year old Chivas, made me very happy. Also has Jack Daniels, Bacardi and Tanquary - Reposado was also good. If you enjoy good alcohol you should feel at home here. I like the lobby bar, they play music at night and the bar by Oceana. The bar in the Tower is great if you want to drink by yourself. There are a lot of people by the pool bar if you like that atmosphere. Ask the bar tenders for some fun drinks and they will make some interesting stuff.

Snorkeling: Yes, you can snorkel here! They actually have snorkel rentals. I would suggest you go EARILY OR LATE when no one is there as the fish go away when it gets crowded. Don’t expect too much, but it was enough to keep us busy for an hour or so. The main problem is that the swimming areas are roped off and someone will whistle at you to come back in, but unlike the US, they really don’t care if you listen to them or not so swim and enjoy - you rebel. The north side has bigger fish like blow fish and pike fish. The Tower side had some prettier yellow fish. If you really want some adventure you have to GO OUT OF the roped area and sneak a dip by the lighthouse. If you have kids, you can snorkel in the swamp also, but wear water shoes. In general, since there is a lot of water grass you may want water shoes anyway. Snorkeling is not the best but definetly something to do and was good enough for us. Go to Cozumel if you want real Wow! snorkling.

Pool: Small but fun. Lots of people drinking and playing volleyball.

Swamp: This is one feature that I don’t understand. It could be the Crown of Dreams, instead it is a grassy wasteland. As stated before… Please do something with the swamp. i.e. convert the swamp to a SANDY bottom (at least by the shore) so PEOPLE CAN USE IT! The grass is nasty - this is not a natural habitat!!! You may notice no one uses your swamp? I saw 8 people use it in 5 days. Or turn the swamp into a pool (you would have the best pool in Cancun) or AT THE VERY LEAST add some pretty fish… What could be the best feature of this location is simply an oddity…

What I liked: From my complaints you would think I did not like Dreams. But the truth is, I blame myself. I let the “what should have been” ruin the really nice 3 ¾ star accommodations. What I should have done is accept Dreams for what it is and I would have enjoyed the best beaches in Cancun and a great Ocean view room - unlimited food, room service and top shelf drinks, live entertainment and had a wonderful time. The water was great and the alcohol was great. The relaxing atmosphere and close proximity to the town, bars and shops. Walking distance to all the major clubs and just a little further for some of the malls. It is truly an incredible location. In the end what makes dreams is not what it is, but what it could be… If you go here, don’t make my mistake and wonder, just enjoy a truly amazing property…

My husband and I traveled to Mexico and my first choice had been Secrets in the Mayan Riviera but it was sold out so we booked Dreams Resort. I can say that it was an awesome vacation. We are so glad we had a chance to experience this resort. Everything was wonderful from the check in staff to the waiters, maids, etc. Everyone really seemed to enjoy their jobs and it showed. Not once did we encounter anyone that was unhappy and they always had a smile and said hello (whether in english or spanish). We felt very welcomed at each restaurant and only once during our 7 night stay did we have to wait for a table. I loved not having to make reservations at the restaurants and the food was wonderful, our favorite was the Seaside Grill.
I thought the rooms were very nice and the small touches with the turn down service at night and the pool chairs with the beach towels on each chair each morning was wonderful. I heard the childrens program was terrific and everyone I talked to loved the resort as much as we did.
I have to say having traveled to many resorts over the years this by far exceeded our expectations and I will certainly recommend it to anyone.