Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun All-Inclusive

The beach is beautiful, though narrow, and there may be better hotel choices. The food concerned me: there was a norovirus outbreak, but I saw no hand sanitizer at the buffet or restaurants, and staff didn’t seem attentive to disinfecting. Every dish I had was only warm, never hot. Our room itself was okay, but the requested setup hadn’t been arranged, and it seemed no one had checked our request before we arrived. A closet hinge was broken and the safe couldn’t be accessed; staff didn’t fix either during our stay. The concrete interior corridors had no windows, carpet, or sound dampening, so we heard children and late-night partiers shouting, along with the dance club bass in every room. Check-in took over an hour, much of it spent pitching upgrades like cabanas and kids’ activities at a supposedly all-inclusive resort, with the suggestion the cost could be avoided by attending a timeshare presentation. The first impression was also the luggage valet shouting, “Tequila, Tequila, Tequila you want Tequila” as he opened our car door, which I didn’t appreciate on a family vacation. We stayed February 06 - 09, 2026.

The room had a foul odor, and both my spouse and I became ill with what we believe was food poisoning. Meals were consistently cold or lukewarm, and it looked like food had been cooked ahead and left out for quick service, with little regard for health standards. The buffet hours were short and dishes weren’t replenished, leaving our daughter eating French fries every day. The mini bar was a letdown too, with only two beers and four sodas at a resort claiming four diamonds. We had already checked in online, yet waited three hours at the front desk because the hotel was overbooked. Then we were told we had to pay another $700 for the room, which was unreasonable. On checkout day I woke up extremely ill and asked to stay in our room until our 6:30 PM transfer. Late checkout was refused. A supervisor, Carlos, said he’d arrange a hospitality room so we could rest, but it never came, and Carlos couldn’t be found. The lack of guest care and concern for our well-being was shocking. I think the Health Department should investigate, and the four-diamond rating should be reconsidered. Our stay was a nightmare, and I’d urge potential guests to think twice.

The food poisoning was the deal breaker for our family. Eight of the 30 of us became violently ill, including my six-year-old son, who spent a night in the hospital and needed two bags of IV. We’d contacted the resort and Marriott beforehand because reviews mentioned food poisoning, and they assured us they handled food safely. To be fair, the hotel promptly got a physician for our son and paid for transport and the hospital stay. They seemed genuinely worried about him, but the illness ruined the trip. There were good parts: Kevin, Sandra, and Migel were friendly and helpful, the Zen teppanyaki show was fantastic and the food delicious, and breakfast buffets were great, with staff working hard to keep stations full and guests happy. The shows were fun and there was plenty for kids of all ages. Check-in, though, was awful. The counter staff were rude and unhelpful. I’d emailed in advance because we were a large group and asked for us to be placed together. They ignored this, despite emails from the resort saying it would be arranged. We were 30 family members there from Jan 22-29. We’ve been to Mexico many times and never experienced anything like this. We won’t return.

The resort was a good fit for families, and our son loved the kids’ club. There was plenty to do, from poolside activities and a daily foam party around 3 p.m. to evening shows from 8-11 p.m., with a different theme each night. The two water parks were impressive, about like Great Wolf Lodge, though the water was quite cold, even in the lazy river. Our 10-day stay was great despite the mixed reviews we’d read. The rooms were modern, clean, comfortable, and had the amenities we needed. Wi-Fi worked reliably for messages and sharing photos. Staff were very friendly and attentive, and seemed keen to make our stay enjoyable. The buffet had a new theme each day, plenty of variety, and fresh, consistently good food. The a la carte restaurants were a nice change and worth a try. The white sand beach was beautiful, though there was quite a bit of seaweed. The resort worked hard to clear it with tractors each morning. We’d recommend it to families with kids.