Your Guide to Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya | Sydney Nieveen
Escape to a world of unparalleled luxury and bliss at Valentin Imperial Resort, nestled in the breathtaking landscapes of Mexico! Whether you seek a romantic getaway, a fun-filled family vacation, or a rejuvenating solo retreat, this tropical paradise promises an unforgettable experience like no other. Get ready to be captivated by the wonders of Valentin Imperial, where every moment is a celebration of life, love, and indulgence!
Did you know there are hundreds of resorts in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico? This can make it very challenging to decide on which one is best for you. I just got back from an 8-night vacation with my family to this adult's only resort, and I am excited to tell you my thoughts!
QUICK FACTS
The resort is approx. 30-35 minutes away from the CUN airport. The resort has more of a "tropical" feel with lots of walks through the foliage, beautiful palm trees, mangroves, and animals like coatis.
With over 500 rooms, it has 2 daytime lunch restaurants, with 9 a la carte evening restaurants with NO reservations required. There are 11 bars, 3 pools with different daytime vibes for every person.
CHECK-IN
We arrived before 2pm so our room wasn't ready, so we went for a quick bite to eat in the buffet and then shortly received a phone call from the concierge telling us that our room was ready, and we could come back whenever. This was perfect for us.
We opted in for the "club level" service which they call Prive, which includes a few different things, one of them being a private check-in area with top shelf liquor and lite bites to eat. The resort is pretty big, so they drive you on a golf cart to your room.
THE ROOMS
While not the most modern rooms in all of the Riviera Maya, they are definitely still beautiful. So, if you enjoy that laidback Mexico vibe, you’re going to love your stay here. We stayed in the Golden Junior Suite, which has a large balcony and a view overlooking the Golden pool. If a view of the ocean is a necessity, then you’ll need to stay in the Emerald Junior suite that has a BEAUTIFUL view of the ocean with a jacuzzi tub with another view of the ocean. It is the perfect room if you're wanting to splurge a little bit and also have the beach view.
Our Golden room was very spacious with plenty of room for 2 people. All rooms come with a mini fridge stocked with beer, soda, chips, water.
There are many buildings and many room categories, for example some rooms don't guarantee king beds, so it's important to know exactly which room you are booking (if you book with a travel agent like me, I can assist you with this!)
AMENITIES
The resort features a LARGE main pool with TWO swim up bars. This pool is so large that you can order a drink at the first swim up bar, and have it finished before you're able to float over to the other swim up bar. As is fairly standard in the Riviera Maya, they have pool games and entertainment. However, if you don't wish to participate it's very easy to go to the other side of the pool and not be bothered.
The other main pool is the Golden pool. It's a lazy river "style" pool which also connects to the swim out suites. Although, they say it's so lazy you have to paddle yourself. This is more of the "quiet" pool if you're looking for that vibe. Both pools have drink service and food you can order.
The Prive package includes Bali beds that you can reserve for free with the concierge. If having a Bali bed at the pool is important, then Prive is a must.
There is no kid's club as this is an adult's only 18+ resort.
The beach is BIG! And the sand is nice and soft. The dreaded sargassum can be an issue here, but there's really no way to tell when it's going to be worse as the conditions change day to day. There was only one day of our 8-day trip where the sargassum was too bad for us to get into the water.
Every night they have a show and then live music of some sort out on the square. So, after you eat dinner you can go to the show or sit in the square with a drink listening to the band play. Some people dance to the music, but it is mainly for mingling and listening to the band play.
PRIVE PACKAGE – Club Level
- We opted for the Prive package this time. It includes a private check in/check out lounge with top shelf alcohol where they will make any drinks for you.
- You CAN make dinning reservations if you're Prive and then when you get to the restaurant you can skip the wait (highly recommend this during high season).
- Free lobster at every dinner
- Sparkling wine, fresh flowers, fruit plate in the room upon arrival.
- In - room top shelf liquor (4 bottles based on 2 people per room)
- Reserved Bali beds at the pool and beach for no additional cost
DINING OPTIONS
You will NOT go hungry here! I swear every time another meal came around, we were all so full still from the last meal. They have tons of options for every palate, the only thing they don't have is a kid's menu with chicken fingers. The restaurants are fully all inclusive, everything is included (even lobster if you have the Prive package.)
Breakfast:
Coffee shop with coffee drinks along with small bites like sandwiches and tarts.
Buffet (1) for breakfast with an omelet station and a crepe station, amongst other breakfast foods.
A la carte restaurant (1) near the beach with order off the menu options.
Lunch:
Food trucks (2) near the main pool.
Menu ordering by the Golden pool with smaller lunch items.
Buffet (1) which is my personal favorite for getting a quick bite to eat immediately after arriving at the resort.
Dinner:
A la carte restaurants (9) for more formal dining in the evenings. Dress codes are required but nothing too crazy. No reservations are needed unless you want to reserve a hibachi table.
In addition to everything above, they also have a churro cart near the square in the evenings so you can have a small appetizer before heading to dinner or a small dessert afterwards.
DRINKS
There are 11 bars scattered across the resort (I think! it's hard to keep track of all of them as there is no shortage!) they can make pretty much any drink you ask for and they have the standard options that most Riviera Maya resorts have, along with others.
I hope this review gives you a better idea of the resort and what to expect if you were interested in having your next trip here! If this review was helpful, I would love the opportunity to book it for you! My services are completely free, and I have access to direct contacts on the ground at the resort if issues during your stay arise. If you're still interested in Riviera Maya area but don't think this is the resort for you, let's get in touch and I can recommend a different resort that better fits your wants and needs! Reach out to me or your preferred advisor to get started.