Desire Riviera Maya Pearl Resort

We visited Pearl last March. Another best wedding anniversary. First, the food is great. Thank you to chef Ana, Christopher & Jesus. Excellent food. The room was very clean. They keep the place neat. Every body is welcoming, they always try to help. The pool attendants are wonderful. We'll be back soon. Thank you Pearl, you guys are awesome.

I want to start by adding that I sent this review on 3/12, as well as filled out the exit survey at the resort on 3/9 during our checkout. It is now 3/25 and we have not hear anything back from them, I wanted to take the time to provide honest feedback from our recent stay. Our intention is not to simply complain, but to share a candid experience so improvements can be made for future guests. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the bellman, who was wonderful and immediately welcoming. We were then greeted by a woman I believe was named Alexandra (I apologize if that is incorrect), who appeared to be part of the Premier sales group. She pointed out a few areas of the resort, but as first-time visitors we really wish things had been explained in more detail. At the time we had no idea what she was pointing out or how those spaces were used. She brought us to the Mansion to begin the check-in process. That portion went smoothly. However, afterward we were required to go back and meet with her again. We both immediately felt uncomfortable as she was pushing very hard for us to schedule a meeting to become members. This was our first visit, and we felt strongly that we should have time to explore and experience what Desire had to offer before being asked to make that type of commitment. After feeling quite pressured, we eventually agreed to a meeting on Friday, which we ultimately chose not to attend. From there we were brought to our room. One very positive note: the bracelet room key is fantastic. We absolutely loved that concept and wish more resorts would adopt something similar. Unfortunately, when we entered the room there was an immediate musty/moldy smell. It was strong enough that we noticed it immediately upon walking in. After returning home we also discovered that our luggage and many of the items we brought with us now carry that same musty odor, which has been extremely difficult to remove. This was clearly not just a temporary smell in the room, but something that had permeated the environment. After our bags were delivered we began unpacking. I programmed the safe and placed our valuables inside. After finishing unpacking and getting ready for dinner we went back to the safe to retrieve tip money, only to discover it would not open due to a battery issue. We called the lobby and someone arrived right away. The staff member was wonderful and tried for over half an hour to open the safe without success. Eventually another staff member came and had to pry the safe open with a crowbar. In the end the safe had to be replaced. We understand that things happen, but this was unfortunately not the best start to our vacation. Another significant issue was the active construction directly above our room. The room above us was being remodeled during our stay, and the workers began working around 7:00 a.m. each morning and continued late into the evening. The noise was loud and constant enough that we were woken up early most mornings and were unable to rest in our room during the day. Having active remodeling directly above an occupied guest room during a stay is extremely disruptive and frankly not something we expected from a resort of this caliber. A vacation should be a place where guests can relax and rest, and unfortunately that was not possible with the amount of construction noise occurring directly overhead. The bartenders at both the main bar (near Pearl) and the jacuzzi bar were absolutely amazing. We loved visiting with them each day and truly appreciated how kind and attentive they were. Throughout the week we also experienced several issues with our room door not functioning properly. Many times it took several attempts before it would unlock. Maintenance did come and witnessed the issue themselves, but they were unable to determine the cause. When we checked in it was made very clear that “no means no.” Unfortunately, this seemed to apply only to guests and not to the resort’s sales staff, spa staff, or Playmakers. We firmly believe that if we say “no thank you” or indicate we are not interested, that should be respected. The continued high-pressure tactics significantly detracted from our experience and is honestly the biggest reason we are unsure if we would return. Also we would like to recognize the groundskeepers, they were so kind, friendly and always ready with a smile on their face. Food & Drink: First, Orlando (our waiter at Suki and Pearl) was truly the best waiter we have ever had anywhere. He was exceptional. Rosemberg and Sulle (I may have the spelling wrong), the bartender in the jacuzzi area, also deserve special recognition. Their service and personalities were outstanding. They were easily the highlight of our stay and deserve tremendous praise. Most dinners were very good. However, breakfast and lunch were very disappointing. They felt like typical inexpensive buffet food with very little flavor. It would have been nice to have at least one non-buffet option available for breakfast and lunch. We also participated in three extras: the special dinner show, the erotic massage, and the Sip and See experience. The show portion of the special dinner was great, but the food itself was underwhelming. We enjoyed the Sip and See the most, though we do wish we had been better informed about how personal the experience becomes. We loved the lighting and the extra couch in the room, but initially we believed it would simply be a performer in the room. Being caught off guard changed the experience somewhat. We did enjoy being able to utilize the couch later in the evening, however the lighting in the room was never reset the following morning. Because the room was already quite dark, leaving the lighting in that setting made the room extremely dim for the remainder of our stay. The shower design is another area that could use improvement. It takes a very long time to get the correct temperature, and for a resort that is marketed as adult play friendly, a larger and more functional shower space would make sense. Both of us are around six feet tall and could not comfortably wash above our shoulders without crouching or standing in awkward positions. The ocean was also not accessible during our stay. While we understand that seaweed conditions cannot be controlled, we do feel that this should be mentioned prior to booking so guests know what to expect. Additionally, there were piles of seaweed over three feet high along the beach. Making some effort to clear portions of it would help with both the smell and allow guests at least some ability to enjoy the ocean. Finally, we wish there were more activity options during the day outside of the pool area. Interactive couples classes or fun daytime activities would add a lot to the overall experience. Again, we share this feedback honestly in the hopes that it helps improve the experience for future guests. There were definitely bright spots during our stay, especially the incredible staff members mentioned above, but there were also several areas that significantly impacted our overall impression.

Desire pearl is a beautiful couples adult only resort. We have had the pleasure of visiting once every year since 2013. This year they made several upgrades to the resort adding a stunning out for amphitheater. But this isn't what keeps us coming back to desire pearl. We come back because the level of service and quality of care from the staff is unmatched. The majority of the staff has been there since we started coming here. Alexis welcomes us back by name and gets our bags to our room, the team of butler's Hector, vincent and Erick take care of every little detail we need from more toiletries stocked in our rooms, dinner arrangements, massage appointments and they all make a point to check in you daily to see if there is anything at all they can do. Carmen or house keeper keeps our room spotless. And Javier one of the grounds keepers will get you a fresh coconut in the morning. May gets you to your table at breakfast she is so very sweet, Oliver, josh, elalberto, emu take care of you while you while you are dining. Eddy (especially eddy), Louis Lugo, and Rosenberg are top notch bartenders truly there to make sure you feel special, coordinating activities all day you can count on Kia and Candace to keep you moving with their new team if play makers. We will continue to come to our see our second home and family many more times!

This resort is a shell of its former self. The ridiculous timeshare sales pressure is even more intense than before, if that's possible (we were told at check-in that our sales appointment was the next day!). The constant upselling just never stops. At the pool, you'll be asked (by the same people) every half hour or so if you want to sign up for spa services, cruises, etc. That's always been annoying but now it's even worse. Unfortunately, that's minor compared to everything else. Even if you're a regular guest and were there recently, the resort is under new management and they've destroyed it. A huge portion of the staff has been fired. Another reviewer talked about their birthday trip in February, and every name mentioned in the review has been fired. They are cutting costs (and therefore services) everywhere. Cuts in food costs and apparently firing the chef resulted in mostly disgusting food. Even the coffee, which used to be very good, is undrinkable now without adding flavoring. The new Melange entertainment area is beautiful, but because of the ridiculous chair placement, they've totally ruined the social aspect of theme nights. All of the chairs face forward in rows like a theater, so you're basically sitting there in costume not interacting with anyone else. In five years of visiting twice a year, we've probably been told two times by a couple that they're not coming back. That was the theme of this trip. People with yellow bands (first timers) were mostly never coming back and were disgusted that they spent this much money for this kind of service and quality. We'd already noticed a major lack of lifestyle participation in our last few trips, and on this trip more people wore bathing suits than not and there was no activity at the jacuzzi beds for the entire week. This is all very disappointing because we've loved Pearl, but new management/ownership has utterly destroyed it. Like so many others, we won't be back.