The Fives Oceanfront Riviera Maya - All Inclusive Optional

We were disappointed by the beach chair situation. When my family and I arrived around 9:30 or 10:00, the beach wasn’t crowded and a row of about six chairs was empty. Most had towels on them and nobody was around, so I assumed they’d been left from the day before. We sat down, my family went into the water, and I read for about 20 minutes before getting up to check on them and take photos. When I returned to our things, another guest confronted me and said I was in his chair. He said he’d put towels on four chairs at 7:00 a.m. and I had to move. I’d already been there at least half an hour and hadn’t seen him. Another guest said something similar had happened to them the day before. Apparently, people put towels down at 7:00 and claim the chairs for the whole day, whether they use them or not. It’s frustrating when there’s nowhere to sit after 8:00 a.m. because all the chairs have towels but no people. Staff could do more to monitor this so chairs aren’t unused for hours when someone else could use them. It was an unpleasant interaction with another guest, not a staff issue, but it bummed me out. We got my family out of the water and went back to our room, since there were no chairs without towels, even though plenty had no one sitting in them. Otherwise, we really enjoyed our stay. It’s a nice mid-sized hotel right on the beach. Our suite was spacious, with a big refrigerator for leftovers and drinks, and the bed was very comfortable. The kids slept on the pull-out sofa in the other room. Its mattress was particularly uncomfortable, which isn’t surprising for a sofa bed. The kids aren’t picky, and I remember sleeping on the floor at sleepovers, but even they found it uncomfortable. A blanket between them and the springs helped. We liked breakfast at the hotel too. I wish I could remember the name of the woman who checked us in. She had glasses and maybe tattoos, and she was great: a friendly face who checked on us and asked about our trip. Shout out to her!

We came away saying we’d absolutely return, even though we usually like trying somewhere new. The team made the difference, especially the birthday touches: a cake and card in our room, then a sparkler with dessert at El Mare. It made the celebration feel really special. So many people made us feel looked after. Gustavo from the wellness program was patient, kind, and upbeat, and we had a blast joining the activities. Angel and Rodrigo were quick, fun bartenders who introduced us to drinks we’d never have tried otherwise. We looked forward to seeing them every day. At the Romarley rooftop, Miguel, Fernando, and Javier were friendly and attentive. Leonardo, Fernando, Christian, Esteban, Eudwardo, and Ian at the Romarley Beach House kept checking in and helping with whatever we needed. Joseph handled our cabana lunch so smoothly that we could just relax. Cristobal and Giovanni at El Mare gave consistently great service, and Francisco was flexible with our requests. Alfredo at the spa even gave me a generous demo massage for my neck and back. I’ll book with him next time. Cynthia, Lilia, Alex, Luigi, and the rest of the reception team were great too. We’re sure we’ve missed some names, since so many staff left an impression. You can tell they really care about guests, and we’re grateful to everyone for making our stay so wonderful.

The food at RoMarley was AMAZING, and that’s the reason this gets two stars. The restaurant service was slow, though I don’t blame the staff for that. We also had the all-inclusive package, but the drinks tasted very watered down. This was my second stay at the Fives. The first was amazing, which is why I came back, but this time was a big disappointment. The adults-only rooftop was closed for all three days we were there. I wish we’d been told before booking, since it was one of my favorite parts of the resort. When I brought it up, I had to fight to get any compensation. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have stayed here. Our room wasn’t clean when we arrived: there was hair and a stain on the bed. I called to have it changed, and the woman upstairs said it was my makeup on the sheets. I wasn’t wearing makeup, and we had only just checked in. All in all, it wasn’t a good experience for us.

The beach was one of the nicest I’ve seen, and the food was outstanding. Giovanni was especially helpful at La Mare, where I’d give the food a solid 10/10. We spent a week here, and the service made the whole stay. Diego greeted us when we arrived and took care of every request, with real attention and care. His service went well beyond what I expected. Yoe was another standout, always smiling and bringing great energy while going above and beyond. The staff, food, and setting were unlike anything I’ve experienced at a resort. I’d gladly recommend it and return.