Dreams Sapphire Resort & SPA

The adults’ pool was my favorite. It’s only open until 5 p.m., and its middle section is deep, but the shallow edges make the water very warm. The large main pool was also nice, with lots of cabana chairs around it. The property feels more intimate than others of a similar size, with plenty of restaurants and little shops to browse. The beach is large and you can walk between resorts. In heavy seaweed season, though, keeping up with the influx was a struggle for all the resorts, so keep the season in mind. The beach itself was very nice, with plenty of loungers, but limited bar service. My room felt newly renovated. They also have beach-facing rooms with swim-up pools, which were very nice. Buildings 1-3 are closest to the kids’ area and main resort area. Other buildings mean a slightly longer walk, but nothing crazy. The VIP club is in a different area and has a bar you can access with your keycard if you’re a member, plus other restaurants with exclusive access. It’s not too far from the airport, and it’s easy to get an Uber if you want to explore the tourist market in Cancun proper.

The staff were excellent, always pleasant, welcoming, and happy to help. We had a lovely week at Dreams Sapphire. The pool area was amazing, though I would’ve preferred a better music selection. The resort is definitely family-friendly, which is great if that’s what you’re looking for. Seaweed was heavy on the beach during the season, which is outside the resort’s control. The staff worked hard to clean it every morning, but at times you could smell it from a distance, and the water wasn’t as clear as we expected. The restaurants and food were decent and enjoyable, though nothing spectacular. My one real complaint was that our room wasn’t cleaned during the stay, and we noticed a few critters coming up from the drain. Even with those issues, we enjoyed our week.

The food was good throughout the week, even if nothing really stood out, and we liked how friendly and cheerful the staff were. The pool was great, though the music sometimes got too loud. There were lots of families and kids around, so it’s a good fit if you want a family-friendly place. The beach was pleasant, but there was a lot of seaweed. They cleaned it each morning, though the water still wasn’t as clear as I’d expected. I know that’s outside the resort’s control. Restaurant seating was first come, first served, and we sometimes faced waits of one to two hours. Our main frustration was that the room wasn’t cleaned until 4:30 pm or later most days, just when we were coming back to relax and get ready for dinner. Even so, we had a lovely week and miss Mexico already.

We booked an ocean-view room with a king bed more than eight months ahead for a wedding, and paid extra for that option. At check-in, my girlfriend and I were given two double beds instead. They said the bed setup was only a preference. The only way to get a king was to downgrade to a cheaper room, with no refund. Two of our male friends, who had booked a different room type with two doubles, were assigned a king instead. So the bed choice apparently wasn’t guaranteed either way.