Hard Rock Riviera Maya Review: Family Friendly AND Adults Only Mexico All-Inclusive Resort

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Are you looking for a super, fun, all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico? Family, or adults only, this is an incredible resort with tons to do, great food and that fun Hard Rock rock n’ roll vibe. Last month, I got to spend three nights at Hard Rock Riviera Maya and from kids club, to nightclub, there is something for everyone at Hard Rock Riviera Maya. Keep reading, I am so excited to share my full resort tour with you.

I was invited to spend three nights to learn more about Hard Rock Riviera Maya and all of the AIC brand hotels. As always, all opinions are my own.

Hard Rock Riviera Maya Review

 

I have sent clients to Hard Rock Riviera Maya (and the Hard Rock in Punta Cana), but I had never stay at a Hard Rock personally, so I was so excited to be invited to experience this resort for myself.

The AIC group (they own the Hard Rock all-inclusive in Cabo, Vallarta, Punta Cana, Cancun and Riviera Maya, along with UNICO 20-87, Eden Roc in Miami, and the Miami, Chicago and Cabo Nobu hotels) put on a mega FAM (familiarization trip) for about 100 agents to come experience Hard Rock (and UNICO) and learn more about the brand.

My short review is that Hard Rock Riviera Maya way exceeded my expectations and I had a great stay. This is a very large resort, with two distinct sides and a lot to know and navigate. It’s also not the resort for some people, and as always, I can help you find the perfect resort for YOU. In fact, if you are looking for a much smaller, but family friendly all inclusive in Mexico, check out my review of the Iberostar Selection Cancun as an alternate.

How Far is Hard Rock Riviera Maya from the Airport?

Hard Rock Riviera Maya is located about an hour’s ride from the Cancun airport. The ride is pretty fast, so it should not deter you from booking this property. Riviera Maya also gives a great jumping off point to explore down to the eco parks and Tulum, and there are so many great excursions nearby!

PS When you book your vacation with me, I assist with all your excursion planning needs

Choosing an all-inclusive resort can be tough. Some are big, some are small, some are on the beach, some just near it. Some resorts have better food, more drink options, and more entertainment than others. Of course, there is your budget to consider as well!

For those reasons, it’s always best to consult with a travel professional to help find the perfect resort for you next vacation. And the best part? My services are free!

That’s right, you get personalized, concierge vacation planning service, and it does not cost you a cent more! In fact, a package vacation with one of my preferred suppliers can often save you money on your trip!

 

But with that said, let’s get to know more about Hard Rock Riviera Maya.

Hard Rock Riviera Maya Hacienda All – Inclusive (Family Side)

The Hard Rock Riviera Maya is a large resort, and its divided into two sections – the Hacienda is the family side and is comprised of buildings 1- 4. Heaven is the adults only (18+) side, and is made up of buildings 5 and 6.

It’s easy to tell the difference regarding which side you are on – Hacienda buildings and rooms have orange/red tones. Heaven is painted a beautiful blue color. Guest are given bracelets upon check in so staff will know who is over 18 and who is not.

Sorry teens, can’t sneak into Heaven!

But back to the family side.

This part of the resort has all the fun things for families – multiple pools, kids club, a splash pad, pizzeria, buffet, restaurants, bars, coffee shop, a sports bar, a full water park, escape room, e-sports arena, and an indoor play zone with laser tag, and a new bowling alley that just opened in April of 2023.

Did you see that part about a full waterpark? Complete with food trucks, so you really don’t have to leave, and its all included with your stay.

This is truly a resort every member of your family will enjoy!

Hard Rock Riviera Maya Heaven Eden – Adults Only All-inclusive Resort

Heaven Eden  is a resort within a resort.

Heaven has its own lobby, with another coffee shop, gym, spa, salon, nightclub, more pools, and IV center (if you party it too hard), a buffet (Faro) and two adults only restaurants – Umo for elevated Mexican, and Wai for Thai.

PS I ate at both of those, they were incredible!

Starting April 15th, 2023, ONLY guests that are staying in Heaven Eden will have access to the following areas in the new adults only section.

The Heaven Eden section includes:
• Building 1
• Building 2
• Eden Beach
• Eden Pool
• Wai, Umo, Faro, and Petit Cochon restaurants

Adults staying in Hacienda will have access to the restaurants located within Heaven Eden for dinner. These restaurants include Wai, Umo, Faro, and Petit Cochon.

All guests staying in Heaven or Hacienda will have access to Hacienda which now includes the following areas as family friendly, Heaven Lobby, Spa, Posh and Body Rock (the gym)

 

Rooms at Hard Rock Riviera Maya

During my stay, I was in a pretty standard room with two double beds in building four (Hacienda side). My room had a small table, in room jacuzzi, closet, drawers, a TV, and a split bathroom with a toilet room and stand up shower. I had a ground floor, so my terrace had two chairs and a hammock.

On the adult Heaven Eden side you will find swim ups, which are so great.

Some other notable room categories at Hard Rock Riviera Maya:

Deluxe Family Two Bedroom – perfect for larger families, this includes two connecting rooms, one with a king bed, the other with two double beds.

Rock Royalty Rooms – these rooms also come with a “personal assistant” aka butler, along with some other VIP amenities

Deluxe Sky Terrace One and Two Bedrooms – These beautiful suites come with access to a private 2nd floor sky terrace with lounge chairs and hydro spa tub

Rock Suite Two Bedroom (with personal assistant) – Unleash your inner icon and enjoy this two bedroom Rock Suite with one room with a king bed, and a second room with two double beds. Don’t forget the living and dining room areas to top off your stay.

 

Can you Swim at the Beach at Hard Rock Riviera Maya

I loved Hard Rock Riviera Maya, but if you are a true beach lover, this is probably not the resort for you. The entire Riviera Maya area is not well known for its beaches – even when I stayed at el Dorado Royale, the waves are very rough and the beaches in this area tend to be rocky.

The beach at Hard Rock Riviera Maya is really a protected lagoon (reminded me of our stay at Hawk’s Cay on our summer Florida Keys trip).

At Hard Rock Riviera Maya, you can snorkel, rent kayaks or SUP boards, and sit on a beach chair in the sand. Because there are no waves, this is a great option for families with littles! And since the beach is protected by rocks (and nets) this beach won’t get seaweed, which is rare for Mexico and this area.

So even though the beach here is not the best, there are some pros to a lagoon style beach, and the rest of the resort is fantastic.

 

Sound of your Stay at Hard Rock Riviera Maya

Music at the heart of everything Hard Rock and there are some really cool music things to experience at this resort.

The program is called sound of your stay, or picks, wax, tracks.

When you arrive you can request a fender guitar to your room, and learn how to play (deposit required).  If you are interested, you can get a record player and vinyl’s, sent to your room. Lastly, get playlists for your stay! Just scan the In room QR code for more information.

Destination Weddings at Hard Rock Riviera Maya

For many reasons, Hard Rock Riviera Maya is the perfect resort for a destination wedding. This is an all ages resort, with lots of adults only amenities, so you can invite the whole family and they will for sure have an awesome time. Hard Rock Riviera Maya has room categories in a variety of price points, so can work with many guests’ budgets.

This resort has some gorgeous wedding spaces. There are multiple above water gazebos, and the Woodstock Terrace that can handle 100s of guests. Since this resort has a convention center, there are indoor spaces for inclement weather.

When you book your wedding with Hard Rock, you start with a dedicated stateside wedding coordinator and then transition to working with an on-site wedding planner closer to travel. The stateside planners, well that’s their only job – the help start the planning process. They can dedicate all their time and energy to getting the ball rolling with your wedding (as opposed to also executing weddings on site).

Lastly, this resort is very generous with wedding groups! The value here is outstanding. Everyone starts out with a complimentary, 32-person wedding (book one room for three nights is all that is required). The add-on wedding packages are very reasonable (way cheaper than having a wedding at your local catering hall) and can you have fireworks on the beach at home?

Hard Rock Riviera Maya is very generous to groups. The bride/groom (or group leader) can qualify for complimentary nights with just 10 room nights booked, and can earn private functions with as few as 5 rooms.

Hard Rock is also a love all, serve all brand, they will marry all couples! At Hard Rock Riviera Maya you can do a symbolic wedding, legal wedding, or a  Catholic ceremony as there is a chapel on site (Also at the Hard Rock in Cabo and Punta Cana).

I love doing destination weddings – so be sure to reach out ASAP if you are in the planning phase for one. I don’t charge any fees for weddings and I assist with all the travel coordination for your guests and am the liaison between the resort and the engaged couple.

Hard Rock Riviera Maya Tips

I know you will have an awesome time at Hard Rock Riviera Maya, but here are some tips to make your stay even better:

• Enjoy 24 hour room service
• Check out the tennis courts
• Play golf – and your food and drinks at the course are included!
• You can make dining reservations in advance. You must email the concierge prior to travel (don’t worry when you book your trip with me, I assist with all this). You can make reservations on site as well.
• Check out the all-senses dinner, $150/person, its an immersive dining experience
• This is a hard core timeshare resort, a polite, but firm no should do the trick. I also alert the front desk that my travelers are not interested in any timeshare presentations so they should be given a colored bracelet to indicate as such.

 

 

Hard Rock Riviera Maya Review

I really loved my stay at Hard Rock Riviera Maya. My room was kind of dark, and needs an update (they are working on this). But my room was clean and comfortable, just a little dated in the décor.

But I really loved the food at Hard Rock Riviera Maya and the service was outstanding. Unlike my stay at Hilton Rose Hall, I was glad to see top shelf liquor at Hard Rock and the mixology was spot on.

I was so tired from our training and tours, but all of my agent friends loved the nightlife at club Heaven.

The pool vibe was perfect – both at the adults only area and the family friendly side. Loved that there are plenty of chairs (at the beach too) and great poolside service for drinks AND food. I also liked that the family pool area had self-serve snack areas with hearty offerings – wings, burgers, fries, pizza, nachos, perfect for families!

I would highly recommend Hard Rock Riviera Maya to families with teens and tweens because there so much to do, they won’t be bored I promise! Little kids would love this property too.

I also would send adult friend groups, couples, honeymooners here – since the adults only side was awesome!

I can’t wait to go back to Hard Rock Riviera Maya with my kids, and to book all of your for this amazing Mexico resort.

Have you been to Hard Rock Riviera Maya? Did you love it?

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