Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya Overview & Review: 5 Star, Adults only, All-inclusive Cancun Resort
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- This video is for informational purposes only. Our opinions are our own.
Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya is a popular adults only all-inclusive resort. It is rated a 4.5/5 Trip Advisor and 4.8/5 on Google reviews.
It is a great option in the Cancun / Playa del Carmen area for couples, singles, friend groups, and extended adult family groups. It can be romantic if you are looking for that but if you are going as a group of friends you will not feel like you are being overwhelmed with romance.
We show and tell you about the beach, the suites, the pools, the activities and the restaurants.
We give you our opinion on what the resort does really well and also where they could improve.
We always pay for our own trips and we don't tell the resorts that we will be making a video for CZcams. We try to be as authentic as we can in the description of our experiences.
Thank you so much for watching our videos. Please consider subscribing to our channel if this type of content is of value to you. 😊
Went 2 years ago, absolute 5 out of 5 stars. Amazing. We love modern but having this as a beautiful classic Mexican/Spanish theme architecture was honestly the best. Will return soon.
You're right! The architecture and design really suits the location and all of the foliage they have preserved.
So glad you had a good time. 😊
Nice video. Thanks for the content.
My pleasure 😊
I am going to Mexico for the first time next year. Your videos have been a great help as I decide which resort to stay at. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Thank you! I'm so glad you find them helpful. 😊
Thank you for such an honest detailed review
Thank you! 😊
Wow!! Thank you for your honest review this definitely helps me making a decision for 2024 vacation..
Happy vacation planning! So many choices 😁
Your review is, ‘spot on’ !
True to how things are currently.
Thank you!!!!
We just booked today for a trip in November. Thanks for the info!
Happy to help. Have a great trip! 😊
Our middle daughter and son in law went there. They enjoyed their stay. Hubby and I enjoy going to Excellence resorts.
Both resorts have their pros and cons but we like them both. 😊 Thanks for sharing!
Just booked a Valentin trip in January. We have been here 7 years ago and it was good. We usually go the Excellence Riveria Cancun but it’s sold out all January which is odd. Love the Excellence but I would say we love a lot about the Valentin. Little more lively. Food is comparable to the Excellence and beach is way better at the Valentin.
Having vacationed at both numerous times I totally agree with your comments. It would come down to the price for us. We enjoy both resorts. 😊
Enjoy your trip!
Great video!
Thanks!
Hi Nancy, great review as usual! This is the first time I heard of this brand. I looked on a big travel website and could not believe this place is 3 times more expensive than the other expensive 5 star resorts. I put in Nov. dates.
Thank you David! I always appreciate your kind words.
Valentin shouldn't be more expensive than other resorts in the area. I certainly wouldn't advise paying 3 times more. 🧐When I booked this last trip we used points & cash for flights and then I used a Google search to find who was selling Valentin for the best price within the month of May. It is usually a good starting point for me and then I dig a little deeper from there. For example, Right now I am seeing the middle of Nov for $2780 - $3000 CAD or $2100 - $2500 ish USD for 2 people for a week. A bit less than Excellence and a bit more than Iberostar Grand. TRS Coral is around the same price but prices are changing all the time on these bookings.
If you actually want to try it out, Valentin has a price match guarantee. Play with the dates, Find your best price, and see if they will beat it. 😁
I'm not a travel agent but that is where I usually start to find the best price I can.
@@newtravelescapes Great tips Nancy, thanks!
@@newtravelescapeshi there 👋I am very impressed with the your explanations and knowledge can you please help me book the next trip my travel agent is not much of a help!🙏🙏😊
@@user-me4tk6ll4m Hi! I am not a travel agent but if you want to email me I can walk you through the places I look at to find the best prices. Maybe you will find some of it helpful. Newtravelescapes@gmail.com
Great, in-depth video and i appreciate the content. You just got a new subscriber 😊
My fiancée and i are going for our honeymoon in October and everything youve said seems on-par with what ive seen in other reviews...except the AC issue. We both like a colder room so im worried we cont be able to get as cool as we like it...guess we'll have to wait and see lol
Thank you! My advice about the AC is just to keep asking different managers until they lower it or if they insist on 'no' ask for a dehumidifier to be brought in.
October is a great time of year to go so the heat is naturally less oppressive than at the moment (July).
I have also heard they can bring in a fan as well.
@@melissaw1813 good idea! thank for sharing 🙂
Great review! Hubs and I are considering this resort for our 20th anniversary in early June, but can be flexible in our dates. This will be our first time to the Mexican Riviera and I noticed all the seaweed in your beach footage. Is there a time of year when this is not an issue? Are there other cleared out areas where you enter the water?
Congratulations!!! ☺️🥂
Seaweed is less during the winter months but still there. This video was in May. We just went to Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya the last week of January and there are some beach shots in that video so you can see the difference.
We had some days we could go in the sea and some days there was just too much sargassum. It varied daily but there was always some.
Resorts up in the Playa Mujeres area get a bit less seaweed because Isla Mujeres blocks some of it.
June is very warm in this area of Mexico. We went the last week of June 2022 to Excellence Riviera Cancun with friends and it was ridiculously hot. The pools were like bath water. AC'd restaurants for dinner were a must. 😊
We just booked today. I'm concerned because my last 2 trips were at the Iberostar Paraiso maya and the lindo. We loved them both
Concerned in what way?
Paraiso Maya and Lindo are great family resorts. Good service and food with a lovely pool area and a huge beach.
Valentin is an adult only. The food is as good as Maya (imo). Maya buffet is better but VIRM restaurants are better. The main pool is huge with a ton of activities. The other pools are quieter so you can get away from the busyness when you want. Service is good. Drinks are better at Maya, except at Don Miguel's and the Martini bar.
Beach is very comparable.
VIRM is a much bigger resort than Maya and Lindo.
The atmosphere at an adult's only resort is very different from a family resort.
These are just my opinions, of course.
If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I'll answer if I know it. 😄
Hi Nancy thanks for the great review. Planning a trip to Mayan Riv. this winter and have my list narrowed to VIM, TRS Yucatan (possibly TRS Coral but its a bit too cold and concrete looking like many newer resorts for my taste) and Secrets Akumal. I saw your video on TRS Coral but have you or anyone else out there who's been to VIM been to TRS Yucatan or Secrets Akumal? If so any info to help me choose? I really love the lush grounds and gorgeous pool at VIM but hate that you can't see the ocean from the pool/restaurants etc.
Personally, I have to give the win to Secrets Akumal. It's more upscale than VIM with a great beach. Views are gorgeous from Seaside Grill and Oceana. It is one of my favourites 😊
We have stayed at the Excellence Playa Mujeres and the Valentin Imperial Maya and enjoyed the Valentin more so that part is subjective
It is all subjective, of course. 😊We found Valentin to be much better for activities and entertainment but EPM better for customer service. Food we enjoyed at both. Beach at EPM we like better. Pool at Valentin we liked better....all in all it really depends on where your personal priorities lie.
We have honestly found in the last year and a half we actually enjoy ERC above EPM and that was NOT the case in past years. 😃
I would not be disappointed staying at any of them.
@@newtravelescapes I liked the beach at Excellence better as well.
Are there issues getting into the restaurants for dinner at VIM since there is no dinner buffet?? I read some reviews from Royal Hideaway which also has no dinner buffet and many said they ended up having to go back to room and order room service because they couldn't get into a restaurant. That seems ridiculous!
We had no issues at all. You may need to pivot restaurants in order to get the time you want or enjoy a couple of cocktails at Don Miguel's while you wait for a table. They restaurants will give you a 'beeper/pager" and it will vibrate and let you know your table is ready.
If you arrive when restaurants open you will likely get in right away.
We usually went to our chosen restaurant at 7. Got a pager from them, went for a couple of drinks or played pool in the sports bar and they usually paged us in under an hour for our table. Alternately, if the wait is too long ask them to check which restaurants have availability faster.
Also, if you book club level, what they call Prive, you can make dinner reservations for whenever you want them and it includes unlimited lobster.
Hope that helps! 😊
What about the seaweed ? Is August a good month to enjoy the sea ? Is there any bug bed ? I consider The Iberostar Selection Cancun And this one, which one is a better choice ? Any other suggestion for high quality hotel in Riviera Maya ? Thank you
The warmer the weather the more seaweed/sargassum so August is usually bad for it.
We had bed bugs at Valentin but hopefully they have gotten rid of them by now.
I have been to all of the Iberostar Paraiso resorts but not the Cancun ones so I can't speak to those resorts.
Other resorts comparable to Valentin would be many of the Secrets resorts, Unico 2087, Margaritaville island reserve (adults), Excellence properties and more. I have also heard good things about Ocean Maya Royal but I haven't stayed there yet.
Hope that helps a bit. 😊
Did you have the QR code and I missed it??
In regard to the drinks, how was the liquor quality? Any brands stand out as included or restricted?
Hi! Their overall selection is mid-shelf. It was decent for an all -inclusive. The only thing I saw that was top shelf was Grey Goose but it tasted a bit 'off' to me.
I didn't see any Black Label but there was Red Label, Jack, and Balentine. They had Bacardi, not Appleton. No bourbons that we could find. I thought I did see Tito's vodka. They had 1800 and Cuervo tequila and sometimes Don Julio under the bar, if you ask for it. Beefeater for gin.
For any Cognac there were VS but no XOs, without an extra fee.
Overall, the selection was fine. Some resorts have better and others have worse.
House wines were similar to most other resorts except the sparkling wine was on the sweeter side.
Hope that helps. 😊
Thank you Nancy for the info on VIM. We are current members of Karisma properties and see some negative arising lately on our last few trips, Have you ever been in a Karisma property, if so How would you rate between VIM and Karisma?
I have been to the El Dorado Royal /Casitas and Azul Fives but not all of their resorts so I'm not an expert. But here are my thoughts... The beach and pool is much better at VIM than Royal/Casitas. They don't have the rocky areas that are in Playa del Carmen and the Beach at VIM is much bigger.
You don't have to take a golf cart at VIM but it is handy. El Dorado is organized in such a way that the golf carts feel more 'necessary', if that makes sense.
The food and restaurants are very similar between the two.
No time share at VIM.
I prefer the entry level rooms at the El Dorado.
Drinks are better at El Dorado.
Coffee shop is included at VIM as opposed to the Starbucks for an extra charge at most Karismas.
Overall, I would say they are close. They both do different things better than the other so it depends on what you enjoy.
I have not been to a Karisma resort since pre-covid.
Hope that helps a bit. Sorry I don't know more. 😊
@@newtravelescapes Thank you for the prompt reply and detailed comparison. Much appreciated, we alway do Casitas or Maroma. VIM looks up there in quality by the looks of your video.
I know its an older video.. but if you had to pick between TRS Yucatan and Valentin Imperial, which would you choose? Thanks!
It really depends on what makes your top 5 list of 'must haves'. 😊
For service I would say they are pretty similar.
For activities Valentin is better.
For drink quality and bars definitely TRS.
Restaurants and food quality are similar at both.
Rooms are updated and I like them better at TRS.
Valentin is a larger resort.
TRS is a smaller resort but a part of the Palladium family resorts complex (white sands, kantenah, and colonial) so you have access to all of them if you want.
Valentin has more going on in the evening in the plaza and only adults.
Valentin has a much bigger beach.
TRS you have to make dinner reservations.
Valentin you don't need to make reservations but you may need to wait a bit for a table.
Price wise they are usually fairly similar.
Valentin has a huge pool with two swim-up bars and a lazy river style pool.
TRS pool is smaller but beachfront.
Hope that helps a bit. If there is anything I didn't touch on that you want to know just ask away. ☺️
@newtravelescapes amazing response! Exactly what I was looking for, thanks! Our only AI was Secrets Maroma for our honeymoon and we want something close to that feel. Secrets is a bit out of budget for us now.
@@jeremy_c9163 Secrets Maroma is a great resort! but all of the Secrets have gotten pricey since Hyatt bought them. 🤔
TRS Coral is also a good option. (North of the airport by about 40 minutes).
Also Excellence Riviera Cancun is a close comparison to Maroma. We just booked a great package deal for ERC for next September on Expedia.
Iberostar Grand Paraiso is another one that might be worth pricing out. It is quieter and very relaxing but service is exceptional.
Have fun!!! ☺️
You mention the problem with the air conditioning but what about the bed bugs you encountered?
You are a smart one! Good eye for details! 😊
We try to keep our videos as accurate as possible. I didn't feel that it was right to 'bash' the resort for something that I don't believe was their fault. Bed bugs move around in/on luggage and there is a very good chance they were brought in by another guest. Although I believe housekeeping should have caught the problem I do understand that a housekeeper making minimum wage is unlikely to protest too loudly about it. That general manager completely 'ghosted' us when it was brought to his attention both while we were there and when we got back home and this is why I mentioned that the management needs improvement.
The AC situation was totally the resort's fault. A moody concierge that didn't feel like doing their job.
Although Raven (the bed bug bitten one from our team) says she will never go back to Valentin, if she takes the bugs out of the equation she had a good time.
Hope that makes sense. Feel free to ask any more questions if it doesn't. 😊
I hope this resort lives up to the fan page hype and my SIL experience 5 years ago. We have been to Excellence, but was in Punta Cana and we did not like it there. not sure if it was the country or the resort line, but the staff and food were not good. Hoping VIM is better! I will say too post COVID, people have become entitle little babies, and wonder if that has a part of it as well. Customer service industry has become very difficult to work in.
Well, the fan page is just what it says- A fan page. We have never seen a more loyal group than the VIRM fan page. It's quite unique.
Valentin is a good resort. It is not the best but it is also not the worst and that is really dependent on what you value in your vacation. Some things they do very well. Some things need improvement.
You are absolutely right about the Post COVID entitlement and it does not hold at the borders, it is everywhere.
I hope you have a great time! 😊
What was the dates you visited VIM?
Previously, pre -covid. This year it was May.
Who orders a whiskey sour in Mexico 😂
Those who have had too much tequila the day before 😜❤️
Much better hotels in the area to spend your money I would give this one a miss
Depends what you are looking for, I suppose. What other resorts do you prefer? I am always looking to put some great ones on my list 😊
Have you stayed at excellence beloved
Yes! It is one of my absolute favourites. We made several videos about it. They may help. 😊
I prefer Beloved to Valentin for everything except activities. Valentin is an active resort with lots of stuff going on at the pool. Beloved is tranquil with relaxation as its focus.
It’s not 4.5 it’s a 3 Try Secrets Akumal 😅 if you want lux same money or Royal
Hideaway
Book on your own resort and flights
Take one extra day stay in a base place then go too resort next day if flying in late
Paying full price to eat and sleep first night resort is a waste of money
Be the bull not her heard
Good Luck
Yep! I agree. Secrets is a big step up from VIRM but I've never been able to bring it in for anywhere close to the same price. $$$
Secrets Akumal, Maroma, & Moche are all more luxurious resorts.
I don't know much about Royal Hideaway.
It is a very good idea to have a look at airport hotels or less expensive options if you have a late flight in so you aren't paying the all inclusive rates for the first night.
Good advice!
We have visited VIRM 10 times. At last visit, we noticed a massive turnover in staff, and a fundamental change in atmosphere: staff less easy-going, people just more harassed looking. Whether that's from understaffing, obnoxious guests, or management, I couldn't say, but it was palpable enough to put a damper on our enjoyment of the week.i hope the resort can get the happy vibe back.
With the high amount of turnover, there were some food quality and service issues, which we just let go because of above comments, and our aversion to starting a "whining spiral" of fault-finding, anathema to a good vacation.
Prices have increased greatly, almost doubling from 3 years ago. So, it may be a while before we return for visit #11.
Very good to know. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. 😊 Hopefully, things get sorted sooner rather than later.
That’s what happens when the world decides to shut down and allow their government to rule over them. We are all at fault with the Covid situation !
The resort is beautiful, but the food is terrible.
We actually enjoyed most of the food at VIM. It's too bad your experience was terrible. We didn't enjoy the Italian but I hear it has been overhauled and is better now.
I would say many of the cocktails we had were terrible as well as some of the included wine. 😜
Le Blanc Cancun has exceptional food.
@@newtravelescapes we tried the Italian place last night and I got the mushroom risotto and it was undercooked. And I honestly haven’t been impressed by any of the food besides the food trucks. I personally feel basic culinary standards have gone out the window at this resort. Foods either uncooked or overcooked, under seasoned, and nothing seems fresh. I love the pool and the beach, but if you’re looking for a fine dining experience this ain’t it.
@@tylerpeck141 that is disappointing to hear. What a real bummer on vacation. 🫤
The food was pretty good when we were at VIM in May '23. Not everything was great but I would say good overall (except the buffet 👎)
We just got back from Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya and found that the food was ok but not great. I expected better for the price, but most dishes were kind of 'boring' Except lunch actually. Lunch was consistently very good.
Those Pool Bum truck burgers were tasty! 🤤