It's a "5 o'clock somewhere" mind set 24/7/365 at Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun. This beautiful, boutique style all-inclusive resort with just 148 rooms and suites exudes a chill vibe. Karisma brand resorts full rennovated the property, previously known as Azul Beach Resort, and forged a partnership with the Jimmy Buffett hotel brand that has proved quite popular. Guests don't necessarily need to appreciate Jimmy Buffett music to enjoy this delightful resort, but they do need to embrace a tropical, laid back vacation.
After a 25 minute ride from the Cancun airport, you'll be greeted in the open air lobby with a margarita popsicle and the iconic Margaritaville resort's flip flop sculpture.
The resort's decor is decidedly tropical without being tacky. It is also one of the cleanest, well-kept resorts I've visited.
Despite the resort's small size, you'll find quite a few amenities:
Four restaurants, where the dress code is t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops
Five bars including two beachfront bars and a sports bar with international top-shelf spirits, beer, and wine
Four pools, two of which are oceanfront
Swim-up bar
Beach Bali beds
Swim-up suites
St. Somewhere Spa (additional cost)
Gym with fitness classes
Parakeets Kid’s Club, with supervised activities for children 4 – 12 years old
Non-motorized water sports, kayaks, paddle boards and snorkeling
Scuba diving clinics in the pool
Live music poolside
An extensive grocery and goods store
24-hour room service
Margaritaville offers so many fun activities and unique touches, like a beachball menu, floating bars, bonfires complete with s'mores, cocktail carts, roving bartenders with margarita filled backpacks, Caribbean parades, foodie hours, mixology classes, and more. But perhaps my favorite thing is the Blender Bike where you can burn off the calories you are about to consume!
Let's talk about the beach. Margaritaville Island Reserve Cancun Riviera is in that part of Riviera Maya that routinely sees sargassum invade. That said, Mother Nature is a fickle woman. One day the beach will be seaweed free, the next it could be thick, and the next it could be minimal. When I visited there was a moderate amount of seaweed in the water, but the hotel staff were doing a pretty good job of keeping the beach cleaned up, and I did not notice a smell at all.
Rooms are comfortable and classy with several thoughtful touches, including a lime juicer for your mini-bar. Choose from standard rooms or suites. Cribs and strollers are available upon request.
Swim-out rooms are true swim-outs, but are set back from the beach. Other rooms have either ocean, pool, or garden views.
Should you choose a swim-up suite, your littles will be safe with lockable gate that separates the living area from the patio and pool.
The point system used to fill your mini-bar is an innovation that I love! Guests are given points to use based on their length of stay and room type. The points can be used at the Joe Merchant shop to select the items you want for your room's mini-bar - liquor, wine, beer, and snacks.
Speaking of food, you'll find many tasty options among the resort's four restaurants. The Beach House offers a variety of familiar dishes both buffet and à la carte. The beachfront Rita's Taco Stand is a favorite that pays homage to the flavors found throughout Mexico. Latino is a fusion restaurant combining Latin flavors with Asian spices and cooking techniques. Lastly, Frank and Lola's serves up Italian flare in a romantic, yet casual dinner setting.
Will kids love this resort? It depends. Our clients who have stayed here with younger kids have reported that the kids enjoyed the Parokeet's Club and found their to be ample activities. Older kids and teens who require a lot of high tech entertainment and activities will likely get bored. There are no nightclubs and nighttime entertainment is limited to live music in the lobby and at one of the pool bars until about 10pm. Again, this is a CHILL place for relaxing, laid bak fun.
Diserella's Pack-Your-Bag-And-Get-There-Now Score: Solid 7.5 out of 10
Who is this resort best for: Fun-loving adults who enjoy a casual, laid back atmosphere or adult with young children, groups of friends
Pros: atmosphere, good food and drinks, unique activities,
Cons: light on nightlife, beach is tempermental, some rooms are a bit small, older kids may get bored
Booking with a travel advisor means having a knowlegable and experienced personal concierge to guide you through resort or cruise selection and planning all of the little details with the security of having someone who will advocate for you should anything go wrong. There is no additional cost to you and you have peace of mind knowing that your vacation is in good hands.
Contact your Diserella Travel Advisor for your next trip or send us a quote request.