Great Swimout Room, Hit-or-Miss Service, and Room for Improvement

We recently stayed at Royalton Splash Cancun and had a mix of enjoyable moments and frustrating experiences that are worth sharing. While we had a good time overall, several areas could benefit from better management to create a smoother, more relaxing vacation for guests. Arrival and Check-In Our vacation got off to a rocky start with a long, drawn-out check-in process. We arrived early (just before 11:00 a.m.), knowing rooms wouldn’t be ready until 3:00 p.m. However, we spent nearly an h [... read more]our waiting in line before being handed a pager and told it would be about 20 minutes. Instead of going for a swim, we decided to relax with a drink. By the time we checked on our room status after an hour, we were informed it could be several more hours. At 3:00 p.m., pre-check-in guests were still waiting, but staff served new arrivals instead of directing them to the proper line. This created chaos, confusion, and unnecessary delays. Adding to the frustration, we were approached by a third-party representative selling timeshares, posing as resort staff. We spoke with many other guests who shared similar frustrations, particularly with the disorganized check-in process. This appears to be a common pain point that needs serious attention. Room, Swimout Convenience, and Housekeeping Our swimout room was a definite highlight. Being able to take a quick dip before heading to the main pools or enjoy a peaceful swim before bed was fantastic. The private, easy water access gave our stay a luxurious feel. We even received bar service at the swimout, although it was infrequent and a bit inconvenient—but a nice bonus nonetheless. When it came to maid service, we noticed some inconsistencies: Housekeeping showed up at different times each day, making it hard to plan around. Sheets were never changed during our stay. While we could have requested this, we were curious to see if it would happen without prompting—it didn’t. No towel art was provided, a small touch we’ve enjoyed at other resorts. This simple addition could have earned higher tips and added charm to the experience. Pool and Chair Situation If you plan to spend your days by the pool, be prepared to get up early. Pool chairs were nearly impossible to find unless you claimed them by 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.—and even that didn’t guarantee your spot. We witnessed several instances of chair stealing, where guests moved or took chairs already reserved, leading to tense exchanges. A towel card system would make this experience far more enjoyable by reducing hoarding. We were guilty of the current system’s flaws, often using six towels for our family of three, including those in our swimout room. Dining and Food Quality Dining was a mixed bag. The Rio Brazilian Restaurant stood out as the best experience, with great food, attentive service, and a delightful atmosphere. Unfortunately, the buffet and other à la cartes didn’t measure up. Temperature Issues: Hot food was often lukewarm, and cold dishes weren’t chilled properly. Basic Flavors: The seasoning and variety felt underwhelming compared to other resorts. While we didn’t experience any foodborne illness, we spoke with several guests who had gotten sick. It’s clear that food handling and temperature control are areas that need serious improvement. Bar Service While friendly and efficient in terms of speed, bar service was inconsistent with drink accuracy. On multiple occasions, drinks came out completely different than what was ordered—a Bahama Mama could be something mango-flavored, or a strawberry daiquiri would appear instead. More attention to order-taking would go a long way in improving the bar experience. Overall Impression The resort offers beautiful amenities and fun opportunities, but management could do more to address operational inefficiencies. From a more structured pool chair system to improved food, drink quality control, and housekeeping routines, there are clear ways to elevate the guest experience. Despite the hiccups, we enjoyed the time spent relaxing in our swimout room and by the pool—just be prepared for some patience-testing moments. Would we return? Possibly, if some of these improvements are made. For now, we recommend going in with tempered expectations, a strategy for navigating the resort’s quirks, and a bit of luck avoiding any food-related issues.

Nice resort

The resort was well laid out. Easy access to all bars and restaurants. We had Diamond club which gave us access to better rooms and restaurants. Room service was great. Pools were great if you could get chairs. Down at 6:30 am to secure chairs. Our butlers were non existent. We booked our own restaurants. Needed to call down to housekeeping to clean our rooms twice as they were not cleaned by 5:00 pm.

Good kid-friendly resort, for the pools not the beach

Generally the hotel was very clean, modern and had many amenities. The check in process was a bit disorganized and frustrating, but the app is great. The steakhouse and Agave had amazing food. Overall good food. Our young kids (almost 2 and 5) did not make enough use of the waterpark as it is better suited to older kids. However they loved the kids club, the pool and the nightly shows. The beach however is rarely in use. It does have seaweed and is murky but we would have used it and playe [... read more]d in the sand more. No one talks about it and there are no signs but we learned from past reviews and the bartender that this is due to crocodiles nearby. Thankfully we never encountered any but it made us fearful of spending much time at the beach. This is the only reason I may not go back to this location. Even though the Royalton overall was a good resort. If you don’t care for the beach at all, then it’s worth the visit.

Great resort for families!

The overall experience at the resort was good especially if you have kids. This resort caters a lot of the entertainment at night towards kids. It has a lot of pools so over crowding isn’t usually a problem. There is more than enough bars and a la carte restaurants but beware not all the proper information is given at Checkin regarding reservations. The laser tag, bowling and trampoline are not included and are quite expensive so be cautious of that.The resort is only 18-20 minutes from cancun a [... read more]irport so that was great. There are a lot of drink options but it’s best to ask for a drink menu as when we asked the servers what they recommend, some were dumbfounded. Our room was great and cleaned well everyday, no complaints there. Another tip is to pay the resort tax at checkout not Checkin. The shops on the resort are not cheap and the next closest shopping would be 1hr away at playa del Carmen. It’s hot so I’d recommend bringing a hat.

Great newer resort

This hotel is only a few years old, so the building and its amenities are still quite new. Our room was beautiful. We opted for the Diamond Club once we arrived and it was worth it. The restaurants are fantastic and the service is outstanding. The beach unfortunately is experiencing an influx of seaweed, but the hotel staff is doing all that they can to minimize it through daily raking and setting up a seaweed barrier out on the water. The proximity to the airport is really convenient. Only a [... read more] 15-20 minute drive.

AMAZING RESORT TRUTHFULLY !

IT WAS THE BEST RESORT THAT I HAVE STAYED AT CAN'T WAIT TO RETURN ROOMS WERE CLEAN STAFF WERE VERY FRIENDLY AND ACCOMMODATING FOOD SELECTION WAS VERY GOOD BEACH WAS NOT TO GOOD SEAWEED ALL OVER THE PLACE

Amazing

Very clean. Super friendly staff. Good food. Great shows. Super family friendly resort. Lots of programs for kids. Clean gym and well equipped. That totally worth the money we paid. Spa was very great but abit pricy.

Great resort but food not so good

The resort was really nice, entertainment was amazing and the pools were great! We were in Diamond Club so we utilized the pools in that area the most. Entertainment was amazing and there was lots of things to do. For a 5-star resort, the food was not that great. The a la carte restaurants were not great. Rio was the only decent one and we ended up eating there 3 out of the 7 days we were there. Buffet was better than the restaurants. For a 5-star, the food should be a lot better. We also  [... read more]did not sleep well because you could hear everything going on in the halls. Probably woke up 5+ times a night due to people walking, talking, things rolling, people deciding to randomly knock on doors for fun or stomping around. Overall, it was a great resort for entertainment and all of the activities but the food was not good.

Disappointing trip.

The hotel grounds and pools were lovely. Our kids 12 and 8 loved the water park. Unfortunately these were overshadowed by the poor customer service and terrible food. We couldn’t get into most of the a la carte restaurants, or had to wait 90+ minutes on a table. When we did get in the food was awful. My daughter was served a raw burger in the steakhouse. We heard of families with food poisoning after eating in one other restaurant. The food at the buffet was of very poor quality and was constant [... read more]ly running out.

Not so great

We were very disappointed with this Royalton experience. We have been to several but the things we expected as diamond you don’t get here. Everyone is mixed together- no diamond on the beach , no food service on the beach - shows are boring and short. We wouldn’t recommend this resort. There is up charge for everything- bowling, laser tag and decent wine. It’s too bad the employees are not treated properly and the management team lacks professionalism. The employee turnover is extremely high  [... read more]and I can see why.

Good times for all ages!

Beautiful resort. Lots of options for food, pools,/waterpark/lazy rivers and the beach was great and easily swimmable. Took advantage of an excursion which was worth the extra $$. Lots of nice people and the place was hopping ! It was completely booked up(busy time of the year) . They left a lovely little cake for my bday in our room. Sweet surprise! Very clean and well attended resort . The staff were very helpful. Wished we had the 2 queen beds that we booked instead of the king and a pull out [... read more] sofa. That was disappointing. No option to change the room without a 1000$ upgrade. Otherwise it was a very nice basic room with ocean views. Would go again but not in March.(Sudden onslaught of a large group 18 year year olds exercising their new drinking talents. Just doing 18 year old things. I wasn't expecting that spring break energy-We have been to the neighbouring Royalton at least 4 times and that wasn't the case)

Great resort

Very nice , definitely worth it. The check in process was the only thing I can complain about, they didn’t listen to our requests and had us moving around the next day even though it wasn’t still what we wanted.

Good but not great

Nice stay, food soso, beach soso, resort nice, not enough staff, rude from time to time, but likely due to shirr staff. Same company runs Planet H at Costa M. That resort was nicer, better food, and staff.

A few hiccups but otherwise good

Check in took very long . Not from a lack of staff but the process. Once checked in we got a room that was already occupied , how that happens.. I have no idea !! Next morning we toured around the grounds and were happy the hotel was clean and well kept . My kids loved the water park . I did find slides marked low intensity seemed a little too fast for my 8 year old . Food was great . Hunters steakhouse definitely a must to eat at. I never had any problems getting into restaurants. I ate betw [... read more]een 5-6:00 every night so I had no line ups .

Enjoyed our holiday!,,

We were pleased with the resort. Food, and accommodation was great. Pool areas were good, though kids need a shallower pool.We asked for Antonio each morning at the breakfast buffet, he was excellent. As was Ignasio( not sure of spelling) serving us drinks in the outdoor pool area. We sat in the area he was serving each day.

Very good resort for families with kids!

We had a trip to this destination as a group of 11 (8 adults and 3 kids). We never were at this destination before and decided to try it. There are some assessments of the trip: Hotel/rooms: rooms are of sufficient size, very clean with everything required available. Beds can be changed as often as required. Minibar was restocked daily to replenish consumed items (regular assortment for Mexico). We found that rooms with so call "ocean view" are not really required since garden view rooms have [... read more] partial exposure to see ocean as well. No complains regarding hotel/rooms. Grounds: there is not much green space since hotel is surrounded by lush swamp and only areas someone can use is beach strip and internal area of u-shaped hotel's building. Plenty of pools are available with different water temperature and depth which satisfies adults and children. Lots of loungers everywhere, unlimited towels are available almost 24/7 with no towel cards which is very convenient. Various slides are attractive for everyone (kids/adults). Beach: beach is sufficiently long and walkable with sea weeds cleaned every morning. Swimming area is surrounded by buoys which break large waves and making swimming more attractive. On negative side, color of water was a bit strange - greening/brownish - and murky especially afternoon. Some plastic debris was floating which may be discouraging for sensitive people to swim. Bottom was sandy with no rocks. Food: buffet food was various to satisfy needs of people with different diets. Daily sashimi, soups, salads, fruits, etc. However, availability of meats and fish could be improved (beef, lamb, salmon) and service at grilling islands was not really fast. Also, ready-to-go grilled food was not always timely available. Between pools some stations were available to get some snacks during day time which was very good! A-la-carte restaurants: as almost everywhere in Mexico and Dominican Republic, it would be unreasonable expectation to experience very high quality of authentic culinary based on restaurant's type. We visited Italian (good), French (so-so), Japanese (show, presentation was good with the same menu of fried rice and grilled proteins - flank steak, salmon, chicken breast and shrimps) and Brazilian. In the last one, staff has very limited understanding of what Brazilian steakhouse is about, picanha was undercooked, chicken was bloody inside making it unsafe to eat. Trimming knives were dull making meat shaving very challenging. As such, our experience was not very good. Also, some of us visited steakhouse with kids and it took them almost two hours to be served. We believed that absence of reservation with staggered time and volume of visitors is the main reason for somewhat unsatisfactory service. But, maybe, other people considered that all was good and only us have some negative comments. Finally: I would rank this resort as solid 4 stars and perhaps family with children may come over for a week or so due to all conveniences for them. Personally, I would not come again since for about same price there are (in my opinion) better resorts (e.g. Barcelo, RIU or Palladium) in Mexico and Dominican Republic.

Royalton Splash Holiday

We had a wonderful holiday at the Royalton Splash. We have travelled several times to Mexico and the Caribbean, and were very impressed with the service, accommodations and incredible food at this resort. This is definitely a resort that is geared towards young children - lots of activities and evening shows for smaller humans who looked to be having a blast. The beach is beautiful, but the water is not clear for swimming. Very little seaweed during the time that we visiting and a walkable an [... read more]d safe beach. The short shuttle ride from the airport is fantastic. We felt that the staff were incredibly responsive and we look forward to returning in the future with grandkids.

Resort

I think there should be more entertainment things for adults . It a great place for kid. The bad thing is the upgame we have to paid to use it. It should be free or one time free if you stay for a week. The bed sheet is not clean, need more improvement!!

Amazing resort

From the rooms to the staff to activities I loved this resort . It’s beautiful . The activities the rooms the pools the water park . There was something to do everyday and I had an amazing experience staying here , I highly recommend

Royalton splash riviera

I missed the Spanish culture; the “Mexico feel” Amazing restaurants and good food Service was good everywhere but never particularly noticed staff going above and beyond. Was disappointed with the extra pay activities ie jump zone bowling and laser tag… overall well kept resort and I would return