Just returned from an eight day stay at Dreams Resort in Cancun, Mexico.
The weather this time of year was just spectacular. Not a drop of rain during the day. The temperature/humidity was so perfect I don't think I broke an unwanted sweat the whole vacation.
The reason I chose this hotel was because of the wonderful reviews I read. And boy did I read reviews...from Aruba, to the Bahamas to the Dominion Republic. Dreams Resort was consistant in every review site- Trip Advisor (of course),Travelocity, Yahoo and Expedia.
It was just my daughter (9yrs. old) and me this trip. So, it was important the hotel had an all inclusive plan and a "kids club".
The grounds of the hotel were exactly like in their pics but even more beautiful. We had a room in the towers and even though it was an extremely long walk to the main part of the hotel or really to do anything, I was glad we were there for a few reasons. #1. More private/quieter. #2. Better view, especially from a higher floor. #3.They were preparing for the dolphins to arrive, so the water in front of the Atrium smelled disgusting anywhere near there. If I had a room near there I would asked for a refund. That's how bad it was. But believe it or not there were people staying right there .
The hotel was extremely 'family friendly'. I really couldn't see staying here if you didn't fall into that 'family' category. Although I did meet a guy who was solo who said he was having a great time. Go figure!
There was plenty for the kids to do all day long. At the pool was a large schedule of all the days activities with times. You also got the same schedule in your room the night before so you could plan your day. Besides the kids club, there was a giant bungee jumping trampoline. There were paddle boats and kayaks also.
Outside to the left of the hotel were 2 or 3 travel guides who can set you up on all sorts of adventures. I would recommend doing this while you're down here and not over the internet. I made the mistake of booking one of my tours on line thru Expedia and ran into a problem which cost me the price of another ticket.
There are many many tours you can take. All-day tours or 1 hour tours. I have to tell you how wonderful the 11 zip-line tour through the rainforest was...AWESOME! It's called Selvatica. Well worth the money.
The food in the hotel, I would say, was just mediocre. Nothing to rave about. I must say there was plenty of it, though. I did like the fact my daughter could eat anytime. If she didn't like one thing she could have something else. Or if she wasn't hungry she could eat a little later when she was hungry. No sweat...It was really nice to have drinks available everywhere at no cost. Even alcoholic drinks and exotic drinks were included.
I also really loved having the use of the Internet whenever I needed it. You were supposed to get only one free pass a day for 15min; Most of the time they didn't keep track of the free passes and you could get one anytime.
I also wanted to mention the employees...they were all extremely helpful and nice. Nothing was too much for them to do for you. Especially the employees who ran the activties at the pool area. They really know how to have fun.
All-in-all, Dreams Resort Cancun was a great place. I would definitely go back again if there weren't so many other new places to explore.

Stayed at Dreams for a week with our 7 year old daughter. Really enjoyed ourselves.

We had concerns about food for our daughter, but there were always kids options available. The entertainment staff was great and joined in a few activities (volleyball, salsa dancing, basketball, the circus).

The new Dolphin experience that has moved in looked really good. We did not do it, but it looked like a better value than one we had done in Bahamas.

The larger beach (by the lagoon) was the busy one and the waiter service was more frequent. The other side of the hotel had a quieter beach (and a smaller, quieter pool) which made for a nice change of pace.

Really can't think of any complaints. The wine selections weren't very good, but hey....Cancun is more of a Corona and tropical drink scene anyway.

We tried to not do too many side trips. Sky rider was cool, submarine ride was not cool, horseback riding was really cool.

December '06, I booked a week at Dreams Hotel, in Cancun, MX. It my first trip to Mexico. Every room was advertised to have a balcony or a patio the travel agent told me. That was one of the things I liked about going to this resort. Flew on USA 3000 charter and it was fine. Arriving at the hotel on a bright warm day, I was feeling good. Away from the Northeast cool weather.

Check-in wasn't until 3PM; we had arrived a little early. Although some of those I rode over on the shuttle bus, were given a room right away. So I changed into my bathing suit and went to one of the beaches. A couple hours later I was given a room. Unpacked and went out onto the balcony. First thing I saw was a construction projection right across from my room. Hammering and the usual noises, plus the loud talking among the workers. Thought this would only be a weekday/ work time nuisance. Then I caught a strong foul odor from below. It was the "lagoon". It was a really bad smell. Went out and had dinner after walking around a bit and getting that smell out my head. Came back to the room, the workers were gone, but heard the huge air conditioner units running situated on top of the roof, across from my room. The smell from the lagoon was worse.

Went to the front desk and asked for a room on the other side of the building, which faced the ocean. That wasn't included in my package and would cost around a $100 a night to upgrade. I wasn't told that I would only be allowed to stay on this side of the building. Spoke with the Apple Vacation agent and she made a call to front desk. She arranged for me to move the next day when another room became available. It was a couple floors higher and towards the end of the building away from the AC and the construction project, but not that nasty smell from the lagoon.

I wasn't happy with the new room, but didn't have much of a choice. The odor wasn't as bad, but it was still there. If I had known where rooms were located, I would have made sure I was on the ocean side. Not doing more research almost ruined the entire week's vacation. As it turned out, I only lost the first two days to relocating rooms and negotiating with the hotel staff.

We just got back April 22nd. Went school break because we are all in school system. Age range 35-52. Soo much fun!We had rooms overlooking the pool and lagoon on the 1st floor with Hammmocks. Couldnt have asked for better. I know they tell you to upgrade but I felt that was an upgrade.
Food - Best we have ever had in cancun. Pool isnt real pretty but fun! Miguel best bartender at pool bar. Drinks were even better!
Now this resort isnt the prettiest you will see in cancun, but the friendliest of people you will find. Even the people staying there were friendlier than other places I have been. Mexico is just great. We tried punta cana last year to try something different-Dont waste your time. Dreams was perfect for anyone. Small and intimate ist he way to go instead of large and pritzy. Any questions feel free to contact me at kkunze@cox.net.
Enjoy!