BookIt.com Verified Traveler Sil & Christy Gonzalez from Apex, Nc

"My husband and I travel every year and always use bookit to find our next spot. We just returned yesterday and must say it was a overall 'ok' expierance. Every resort I've been too the staff would bend over backwards to make you happy. I found that unless you tipped them up front you weren't getting the best service but to be fair they weren't rude just not over the top. The food was AWFUL! My husband got food poisening at the 'Ginger' resteraunt and we spent one whole day in the room. We reported the problem and they sent up plate of chocolate as that would be the last thing we needed. The French resteraunt was the only place which was good.

The resort itself was pretty but people were really noisy and we didnt get much sleep. This by far was a party hotel for couples. I must admit the pool was fun with the music and games. The entertainment in the evening was great and if your looking for relaxing I wouldn't recommend but the guest were extremely friendly and we made lots of new friends.

Drinks. The drinks were all watered down liqiour. I'm not a big drinker but I had 11 frozen pina coladas and felt nothing. Towards the end of my stay I had 5 cosmo Martini's and again felt like I was drinking straight sweetner. I learned quickly to ask for the 'higher end' liqiour but again made no difference. In the states having two martinis I'd be on the floor but not here.

If I went back which I wouldn't Id bring a bottle of liquor and poor my own drinks.

Hope this helps!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Zach Jarvis from Riverdale, Ut

"Just returned from VIM after spending a week there for our 20th anniversary. Cannot say enough about the resort or staff. They went out of their way for an exceptional experience. The spa was fantastic, the food was excellent, and although there was never a reason to leave the resort, when we did on a couple of excursions we could not have been made more comfortable.
We had such a relaxing and wonderful experience that we will be making this our yearly getaway!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Erik from Washington, Dc

"The Valentin Imperial is a beautiful, luxurious resort on the Riviera Maya. This was our first stay here and won't be our last. The staff are incredibly friendly and well trained and we did not have an unpleasant experience the entire trip. We stayed in a basic room which had a king bed, sofa, TV, and bathroom with both a shower and a whirlpool tub. The room was on the ground floor and had a very nice walk out patio area.
The resort is huge, and even though it was close to full capacity we never felt like it was crowded. We were always able to find loungers at the pool (we did get to it early though) and never had to wait more than 30 min for a table at a restaurant. The restaurants do not take reservations (with exception of the hibachi which has limited seats) so if you wanted dinner between 7pm and 8:30pm you usually had a wait, but there's a plaza central to most of the restaurants where you can wait and have a drink and there was entertainment there every night of the week.

The food was good but didn't blow us away, but we didn't expect it to. The breakfast and lunch buffets are great and usually out-shined the dinner experiences. The restaurants are beautiful and comfortable and feel luxurious, and again, the staff are trained incredibly well.

We had a centrally located building so we never had to walk too far to get to anything.

This isn't a party resort and most of the guests were couples aged 50 but there were still a lot of younger couples in there late 20's and 30's and a bunch of singles too. The resort is romantic in the sense that there are no children, or their enabling parents for that matter, and you can always find a quiet place to slip away.

The beach was beautiful, but it was red-flagged the entire stay, so no one was swimming in it, but the pools are huge and very well kept up.

The drinks are plentiful and were not watered down, on the contrary at times.

This place was so much nicer than we expected and even with the all inclusive it ended up being less expensive and definitely less stressful than other trips we've had to a'la carte resorts."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Vicky from Raleigh, Nc

"My husband and I have been to several all-inclusive resorts in the Carribean and Valentin was by far one of the best. The all adults atmosphere was excellent as was not having to wear a wristband. The all resturant dining at night was also a great experience. Service was great and the food was some of the best we have had. The beach is nice-a bit of a walk from the hotel but they do have bar service. Be a little forceful at check in about your room selection. We were not and wound up with less of a room than we should have had. Our friends who came a day later requested not to have a 1st floor room and wound up with an upgrade. Nevertheless, I would encourage anyone to book this resort. You won't be dissappointed."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Doug & Julie from Strongsville, Ohio

"Room was great,Deluxe Junior Suite, staff was fantastic! the resort was well maintained...plenty of stuff to do, food choices were varied and good! pool was huge..would go back again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Michael Arm from Wildomar, Ca

"Everything was so nice. The service was outstanding, the resort was spotless and the food was fantastic. The new bartender on the north side of the beach by the Emerald Junior Suites was the best bartender ever. The nightly entertainment was great. We didn't want to leave. We didn't have to wear wrist bands, which we really liked."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Ben from Fairborn, Oh

"This was our first trip to Mexico Beaches, and the first time to an All-Inclusive resort. We were really impressed and had a wonderful vacation. The resort is top notch, The staff was really friendly and helpful. All of the food at the resort was delicious. The alcohol selection was really good, and the beer selection was good as well. The pool area was huge and spacious, the beach area was nice and large. We definitely plan on going back. This was our best Beach vacation we have had."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Zilya from Baltimore, MD

"Wife and I just spent 5 nights at Valentin and would return anytime. Excellence in every aspect of a top notch vacation! Treated ourselves for an ocean-front room with a big jacuzzi /Big difference! In room high-speed internet is convenient, so bring your small laptop and CAT5 cable.
Beach area, pools, grounds are very clean and well maintained. Food and bar service is great. No dinner reservation policy is convenient but you may hit some wait time for about 30 min, we've waited at nearby bar. Staff is very professional and friendly. Entertainment is there every night, house band is great. Amount of fun may depend of amount of drinks....!!! Highly recommend to everyone. Good Luck!
"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Gale Thompson from Houghton, Iowa

"Wonderful place! Staff are awesome. Only problems were: We needed a place to grab a quick bite to eat for the evening meal that we didn't have to sit down and 'dine'. We would have liked either a buffet or sports bar food type. There were only three channels on TV. I wish those would have been something we could choose to have on our TV. The first night we were surprised to find this type of program. I find it offensive. If people want to watch that it is ok but I would rather have a choice which we do but finding it by accident wasn't very appealing.
We thought the place was beautiful, staff were awesome and the nightly shows and music were wonderful.
"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Leann Gurley from Dearborn, Michigan

"Loved the resort, very clean. My only complaint was that we had a group of 6 and most of the restaurants had a difficult time accomidating us. All tables set up for 2 or 4."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Pierson from Milford, De

"just wonderful"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Dave Elhard from Calgary, AB

"We just returned from our 10 day stay at the Valentin and it was an excellent experience in every aspect. The resort itself was beautifully maintained, clean, bright and classy. The food was top notch, much better than 'cruise' food and the variety was excellent. Especially enjoyed the Indonesian and Japenese restaurants. Loved the no reservation policy and we only once had to wait a bit to get into a restaurant during rush time. The variety was always very tasty at the buffets each morning and lunch time. We usually only at 2 times a day, always dinner but depended during the day when we were hungry.

Our room was beautiful. We had a swim up suite. We enjoyed the convenience of the smaller pool right outside our room when we didn't feel like walking to the larger pool. It was quiet and the bar service very good. We did enjoy the larger pool with the music and activities, not too much just enough. There were always loungers to be found so we never had to get up early to leave towels to reserve our chairs.

The staff was by far the best part of the resort. They were extremely friendly, helpful and kind. We tipped a lot so bring lots of one dollar bills. We tipped each time we received a drink and after each dinner. Some of the dinners would have cost us $150.00 plus for the 2 of us easily, so leaving a $20.00 for the meal was a bargain we felt considering the level of service. They were always there to help as needed, give direction, clean our room and nightly turn down service with a chocolate!

We will return for future visits for a relaxing and quiet time. There were no unruly young adults and excessive drinking which we were quite happy about. A little more mature crowd, even the younger adults there seemed to be in that category. This is a classy place, high end food, excellent drinks (even the wine) and excellent service."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Pierson from Carlsbad, Ca

"We had the best time. The resort was beautiful and our ocean front room was freaken awesome. We will be back in 2014 for sure. The staff was terrific and really went out of the way to make us feel special.

P.S. Bring a little tip money for the staff because they will make your week!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Barbaa & Rosario Mancuso from Calgary, Alberta Canada

"It was a beautiful resort and the food was wonderful, except for the beef and the pizza. our room was very clean, close to the beach and restaurants. I really enjoyed the entertainment althought I missed Elvis as he was on the night we arrived and never returned. the grounds were superb, there was a leaf to be found. the beach was just like australia, white sand and warm water. the drinks were delicous as I ordered all slushes. Yhe only thing I missed was the dancing. We love to dance and nobody on the plaza danced. We waited till midnight one night but it never happened. we are too old to go to the disco. My daughter was at the Valentin last Easter and recommeded Valentin - I'm glad she did"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jarad DeLorenzo from Stanhope, New Jersey

"Exceeded all of my expectations. Unquestionably the best vacation experience we've ever had."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Gretchen A Chiaramonte from Bahama, NC

"I had a fabulous time at the Valentin Imperial Rivieria Maya. There are no wristbands -- everyone is treated the same way (and that is with the utmost care) regardless of the type of room you booked. I booked a junior deluxe suite (the least expensive room), and even these rooms include a balcony and jacuzzi tub. My housekeeper did a fabulous job every day; leaving swans, baskets, and fish made of towels, including flowers.
You can ask for any type of liquor in any drink you order, and if they have it, you get it, at no extra charge. There may be a charge for some premium wines, but I didn't ask for those, so I have no more information than that. There may also be an additional charge for lobster at some of the restaurants, but this will be clearly marked in the menu,
All of the restaurants are a la carte for dinner, and there are some that do not have a dress code. If the men are willing to wear long pants, collared shirts, and closed shoes, I would especially recommend the 'Ginger' restaurant, which has 4 hibachi tables (which you must reserve in advance on the day you want to eat there). The chef for the tables, puts on quite a show, and appreciates an exuberant audience :-)
The atmosphere on the grounds is so beautiful and restful -- it seem almost as if they had brought in a Feng shui master to enhance the design. Not that there wasn't also fun! The large pool has music, activities, and 2 swim up bars -- we spend many hours almost every day in that pool. There are shows and activities every night, and movies many nights. Even when there isn't a show going, I would recommend spending some time in the Plaza, where they have tables set up at night for socializing."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Judi from Dayton, Ohio

"Great value!!!! The food, service, the view, all exceptional! My only complaints would be that the area around our patio was in desperate need of mowing and I just hated having animals walking around everywhere."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"The entire experience was outstanding. The food was delicious and my partner and I appreciated the many choices for dinner. The breakfast and lunch buffets were tasty. Great drinks, including premium top shelf brands. I highly recommend getting drinks at the Don Miguel bar, the bartender in there was very friendly and made the best drinks in the resort, imho. No negatives to point out during our 5 night stay."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Steve from Westlake, OH

"Valentin is top notch all the way around...the staff is excellent and the grounds are amazing. We had an excellent time. The only slight draw back may be the food...its average to slightly above average (but not 5 star cuisine). The emerald suites (2nd floor) are probably the best rooms at the resort - and the only ones that offer a view of the beach. We hope to return!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Bianca from Charlotte, NC

"Considering how much the reviews meant to me in picking a resort and the investment of my time and money that goes into this process, I thought to pay it forward. The Valentin is an exceptional place. I can't emphasize enough the friendliness of the workers (and the Mexican people in general), the cleanliness, and the beauty of the place. I was looking forward to a 'quiet' place, but with out sacrificing the amenities, which is what I got.... September is low season. With a 55% ~ occupancy rate, it felt like we owned the place with the occasional gathering at the open Plaza (dancing and shows). The beach is AMAZING. I am a beach person and it's a huge reason for the trip and selected location. There is a section that is extremely rocky (no swimming - but GREAT for pictures!!). It's the part of the beach behind buildings 12-15, where you have direct access to the secluded (rocky beach) section (Emerald Beach Front rooms - which I totally recommend). With the low occupancy rate, we spent several hours there on our own various days, and at one point there were 3 couples!! The privacy is priceless!!! If you walk in the opposite direction, towards the volley ball area and pass it, you will find the mostly calm blue - green waters that we all love to soak in (no rocks - just calm waves that sooth you..). While there are more people in this section, it is still quiet... The soft sand is perfect...
The staff catered to all our needs!! ALL... While there is a lot of walking btwn buildings and to and from the restaurants, it is your choice to call for a ride to come pick you up... (big golf cart types..). The food was good, not mind blowing, but good enough that you eat a lot... Breakfast is all you want and more..!! Room service is available at any time. We ordered breakfast in at least 3 times, and wings and a salad at 3:00am!! We experienced no waits for dinner. There is only one restaurant you had to make a reservation. I guess people can't get enough of the Japanese (Makoto / Kyoto, etc) style restaurants, but there is a 2nd Japanese rest. section you do not have to wait.. I enjoyed the Italian & French the best. While tipping is not required, you are motivated to do so with the excellent service by the staff... yes, motivated.. I would totally go back."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Alexandre Gagnon from St-bruno, Qc

"This was our first trip and we were really impressed by the beauty of the resort. It's huge... you have to like walking. The food is excellent. The beach is nice too. Nice white sand, blue water but always waves. We had an emerald suite and it was clean and beautifull. Some sayd that their room was humid but not ours. Spa service are little expensive but really good.
The pool is at perfect temperature and drinks are good too. Activities are nice but when we where there, a few time there was not enough people so they cancelled."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Mark from Richmond Hill, NY

"Very romantic atmosphere throughout the resort. Staff was extremely helpful except for the front desk at check in. They can be a bit more friendlier and accommodating. The food was between average and good. We loved the different types of restaurants/cuisines: Italian, French, Japanese, Indonesian, Seafood, and nightly themed at others. All restaurants are a-la-carte which makes your dinner out with your partner a romantic one.
The grounds are very beautiful with fountains and waterfalls throughout. The beach is nice and clean for the most part on the left side of the beach. I found the pools to be clean.
The entertainment team was OK."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jaci Elliott from Bakersfield, CA

"We went on our trip at the beginning of August. We had a great time! The resort is very nice! It felt like you were in the jungle. The landscaping was great and really gave it a tropical feel. There were lots of iguanas and lemurs around which was neat. Our room was very nice (we were in the jaquzzi suite). We loved relaxing by the beach or lounging around in the pool. It was a very relaxing trip! The restaurants were great! We liked all of them. The resort also has shows every night which were fun to see. We liked that is was an adult only resort so there were no little kids running around and bothering us. Most people there were around our age (20's-30's). Most of the people we met were very friendly.

A few things you should know... this resort does not have a great beach. Its pretty to look at but not great for swimming in. They have a very small area buoyed off for swimming but the rest of the beach is full of large rocks that hurt you if you try to get in the water there. We didn't think the bar tenders at the pool were friendly at all. They almost seemed annoyed when you ordered more complicated drinks or multiple things. The manager at the resort (he is always walking around in a suit) was very rude to us. The resort has 2 swim up bars, but they only had 1 open the whole time we were there. The resort has 9 restaurants (which were all really good!), but you can only go to them for dinner. Breakfast and lunch is all buffet. I wish the restaurants would have been open for lunch. I also wish they had had a little restaurant by the pool so you could order and eat out by the pool. The resort is very large (which is cool), but you do have to walk a bit to different places on the resort. We were ok with it, but some people might not like that.

We went on an excursion that was awesome and I would totally recommend it! We repelled down into a cave with water, swam in the underground rivers, zip lined, snorkeled in the caves, had an authentic Mexican lunch, and visited the Mayan ruins of Tolum. It was awesome! Definitely worth the money!

Overall we really liked this resort! But there are a few things that they could improve on."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler The Owings from Columbus, IN

"Overall a wonderful vacation and the resort was beautiful. We stayed 6 days and 5 nights and enjoyed almost every moment other than staff at restaurants toward the weekend seemed less attentive than the first few days of our trip.

Pros
Beautiful Resort and Landscape
Excellent Pools
Staff at Swim up bars and ocean bars were great
Very helpful and friendly staff overall
Facilities were always clean
Plenty of activities

Cons
Steak dinner on Wednesday night not so good. Steak was not USDA angus quality as advertised. It was chewy
Not all areas air conditioned dinner at L Olivio was hot and service was slow. Kept running out of drinks and food took over 1 hour.
Staff at restaurants beginning of week would not let glass remain empty for 1 minute toward the end of week would have to ask for refill even when only a handful of us in restaurant.
Beach is beautiful but rocky and hard to go out into the ocean when having to navigate rocks.

We will recommend to friends as the rooms and resort were awesome overall."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kelly Stutzman from Lincoln, Ne

"Absolutely amazing Place. Food and staff phenomenal!!!!
Would cOme back in a heart beat. Activities and entertainment
Were a lOt of fun. Dinners were very sophisticated and amazing fine dining.
Plenty Of staff to take care of all your needs. Can't wait to return. Such a great anniversary trip, lOved the age group. Plenty of group activities or you can
Have plenty of romantic time too!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Bates from Tampa, FL

"Just got back from a GLORIOUS week at the Valentin! We only left the resort one day to visit Playa del Carmen for a little shopping and got stressed out and just wanted to come back to the Valentin. There really is no need to leave the property as it has beautiful pools, awesome ocean, and great food and entertainment, what more do you need!

This resort was beautiful, not perfect but close to it, and the staff were wonderful.

Overall we wish we were still there and we are already planning our next trip!

PS. Highly recommend a Golden Swim up suite!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kevin from VA

"Overall, an excellent all inclusive resort. A quick summary of the main pros and cons:

Pros:
-Staff was extremely friendly and goes out of their way to accomodate the guests.
-Amazing pool and beach
-Layout and buildings were beautiful.
-Rooms were spacious and beautiful

Cons:
-None of the buildings other than the rooms had A/C. The theater was extremely hot and made watching shows uncomfortable.
-Entertainment was not that great
-Food was only average
-Room ceiling was extremely thin. You could hear every footstep and chair move above you."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Dan from Winchester, VA

"What a great vacation! The whole experience at the resort exceeded my expectations by a mile! The food was amazing. All of the staff was very friendly and were a lot of fun. The pool bar was a blast!! There were plenty of activities to keep us busy throughout the week. Will definitely plan a trip back!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler TLM from Austin, Tx

"We had a great trip to the Valentin. You can't go to an all inclusive and expect 'great' food but the food was fine. Omelet in the morning, guacamole, pico and drinks after a busy day on the beach! The romantic dinner on the beach was an especially nice touch, I highly recommend. Overall a great experience."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jennifer from Shaker Heights, Ohio

"We really enjoyed our stay at the Valentin Imperial. The staff was very friendly and responsive, the grounds were beautiful and well-maintained, and the food was varied and delicious. Highly recommend for anyone."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler DARLENE from West Jordan, Utah

"We stayed in a golden suite. The suite was very beautiful but smelled like mold and mildew. The other buildings smelled musty including the reception areal Sheets were clean but smelled. They need to work on the smell of everything big time!!!! There was mildew in our shower. The grounds were beautiful and immaculate but very spread out. You could get lost easy. Need some maps posted throughout the premises. There is not a continuous shuttle service so we had to call the bellboy to bring the golf cart but then could not call them to pick us up later. Suggest some courtesy phones located throughout the facility. Most speak some English. Everyone was extremely friendly. Food was good but not as elaborate as described on website. Room service will not bring anything but what is on the room service menu. Need some more variety. It was weird to go to a French restaurant and hear Mexican music. The seafood restaurant did not have just basic shrimp etc. There was not a prime rib in the steak house. Lime is on everything--- please stop so much lime!!! Cats walked through the restaurant and birds were jumping from table to table.TAKE GOOD WALKING SHOES!! Prepare to sweat everywhere you go. Not enough servers on the beach or at the swim ups. Liked the resort as a whole but they need to improve in the area of SMELL,food and helping people get from one thing to ANOTHER. We had booked our excursions in advance and still had to spend an hour or two making sure we had transportation. The staff messed up our name for transport to the hotel from airport and on the Tulum trip. iT RAINED HARD ONE DAY AND WE WERE GLAD WE TOOK RAIN GEAR. The staff of Sports Adventures were awesome. Be careful at the airport, there is a mob outside of the terminal and then two or three separate groups trying to get you to the hotels. Valentin did not have its own transport and you had to arrange it. Did not have a change machine and ther was a limit of how many ones you could get per day. Suggest taking lots of tip money."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Raman from London, UK

"Beautiful resort, really clean and well presented throughout. Friendly staff, good quality of food too, and a number of different restaurants and cuisines to choose from. The only things I'd say would be that there could be a bit more variety at lunchtime eg sushi would've been a welcome change from the offerings in the 2 lunch areas which were always very similar every day, and that the bars in the pool and beach area could have stayed open slightly later. Overall, fantastic stay"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Joseph Poliska from Clifton, New Jersey

"room musty smell [should use some air freshner] maid service fair
pool excellent

"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler EricBlocher from Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

"Was a great rip and nice resort. The room was beautiful, grounds nicely kept and pretty restaurants. The pool was nice, however needed some new tile work done all aorund. The Japanese restaurant was nice but food could have been much better. (soggy rice) and chicken was a poor quality it seemed. The French one was beautiful and good food. The Italian one was not good at all though. We both left in a hurry and did not eat much. The breakfast buffet and lunch was great ! Housekeeping did a wonderful job and very helpful friendly staff all around. Lobby is so pretty and great air conditioning as well. It was our 2nd trip to your resort. We have been to Barcelo Mayan Palace and that is a little bit a step above in the food department. Thank you."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Michael from Philadelphia, PA

"This was our first trip to Mexico after 2 trips to Jamaica. The resort is 25 minutes from the airport. The grounds of the resort are in excellent condition and the rooms are very clean. The buffet meals for breakfast and lunch are good. However, the meals at the restaurants were not good at all. Very little selection and the quality of the food was fair. The mexican restaurant was very good, but it was closed 3 days out of the week. The main buffet restaurant (La Marche) had several birds flying around inside. Twice I saw one of the birds go to the bathroom on one of the tables. When the customers left, the birds swooped in for their table scraps. Finally, on our last night, we tried the room service. When our order arrived, it was cold and the order was not right. The bar service was very good and the entertainment staff was very good. The main theatre where the shows are performed is NOT air conditioned. Prepare to sweat alot if you want to see the shows. Also, the outdoor activities were poor. The paddle boats listed in their brochure DO NOT EXIST and we were unable to go out on the kayaks or the sailboats at the beach because they could not find the life jackets.
We staryed in the one of the swim up suites. Upon arrival, we too were told that we could not have a king sized, we had to take a room with two double beds. After checking in to our room, we waited two hours for our luggage. When it never arrived, I had to call and complain to have it delivered. Finally, on our last day, we had our airport transfer scheduled for pick up at 10:20. Guest services called and asked if we would like a cart ride to the lobby for checkout at 10:00. We accepted the offer since it is a very large resort and it would take 10 minutes to walk with our luggage to checkout. OUR RIDE NEVER SHOWED UP. At 10:10 we had to run to the lobby with luggage to check out and get our ride to the airport. We won't be back."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Daniels from New Jersey

"This was our second trip to Mexico, and I was very pleased. Having stayed at Secrets Maroma last year, I was hesitant on booking another resort, but I am so glad I did!!! My boyfriend and I stayed in the Emerald Suites, building 13. The view on the first floor was nothing spectacular since the palm trees hid the view of the ocean, but the room was gorgeous!!! Very spacious and romantic, LOVED the rain shower and over sized jacuzzi! As you may read from other reviews, the jacuzzi takes a long time to fill...but worth it. We ate all the restaurants, and the only complaint was from the Italian Restaurant. Being that we come from New Jersey, we know OUR pizza. My boyfriend ordered one, and it was somewhat bland, but not really anything to damper the vacation. The staff was extremely nice, every where you turned they were greeting you. Loved the grounds of the resort, absolutely beautiful. We will definitely be back next year!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler C Hawley from Nashville, TN

"Had a wonderful time - great food, great staff, very clean, beautiful property!! rnWould consider going back again despite the rain :) "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Sheila Fazackerley from Charlotte, Vermont

"Very nice resort. Enjoyed the welcome glass of champagne, nice touch. Staff as always super friendly and courteous. Liked that we did not have to book at the restaurants for evening meals. Would have liked more pool options, it was hard to 'escape' the noise/activities of the 'party' pool. The French restaurant is by far the best. The Mexican, surprisingly, not very good. Overall, a lovely experience. Would go again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Christina Sheppard from Richmond, Va

"This was my first trip to Mexico and, naturally, my first trip to the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya. It was delightful! The service was impeccable and timely and oh so friendly. My friends got married on the beach and it was a beautiful ceremony. All-inclusive is the way to go. I would recommend this place any day and can't wait to return. Also, the MJ Tribute Show was really impressive."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler David from NH

"THE HOTEL WAS VERY NICE. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE A BIG PARTY OR ANY CHANGE. EATING IN ANY OF THE RESTAURANTS WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RECEIVE YOUR DINNER WITHOUT A COMPLICATION. QUALITY OF THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT BUT AGAIN THE SERVICE SHOULD HAE BEEN A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT. WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FEW MORE ACTIVITIES WHEN IT RAINS."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler DAMION from GRAND RAPIDS, MI

"OUR TRIP TO RIVIERA MAYA TRIP WAS STELLAR TO SAY THE LEAST. WE WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE STAFF AND THEIR VERY FRIENDLY ATTITUDES. THE PEOPLE THERE SEEMED TO REALLY ENJOY THEIR JOBS AT THE RESORT.
WE WERE ON OUR HONEYMOON AND WERE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT UPON OUR ARRIVAL OUR ROOM WAS NOT SET UP AS EXPECTED. WE WERE EXPECTING A HONEYMOON SURPRISE WITH ROSE PETALS AND SWAN (TOWELS) ON THE BED. WE NEVER RECEIVED THAT BUT DID GET OUR CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE TO SHARE IN THE ROOM.
ADDITIONALLY THEIR CARD ACCESS ROOM WAS DOWN FOR THE FIRST 2 DAYS SO WE NEEDED TO HAVE A PERSONAL ESCORT ESCORT US TO THE ROOM. THIS WAS NOT A HUGE INCONVENIENCE. THE STAY WAS AWESOME THE ACTIVITIES, THE FOOD, THE BOOZE, AND THE POOLS WERE SIMPLY AMAZING. WE AND MY BRIDE WILL DEFINITELY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THIS LOCAL. A GREAT PLACE TO HONEYMOON AND/OR SIMPLY ESCAPE TO!! THANK YOU RIVIERA MAYA!!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler David & Martine from San Rafael, CA

"This was our third visit to the Valentin. We have been to several resorts in the Canucn/Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya area and this is the only one we have been to more than once.
The grounds are beautiful. The food is very good (some of the Indonesian & French versions of things are only fair). The main pool is large and not crazy loud. The staff is friendly. The liquor is top-shelf brands and the bar tenders are not stingy. As you head south from the airport it's one of the first resorts you reach and is only about a thirty minute ride.
If you want a fair-priced vacation in a beautiful setting this is pretty hard to beat. We will continue to stay here and bring our friends."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Darci Perreault from Norwalk, Connecticut

"This was my second stay at this resort. I have had wonderful experiences both times! I find the resort to be very clean and well kept! The resort is so large that you are able to find a lot of places to relax solo or with a group. The bartender at the pool bar near building 6, 7, and 8 is AMAZING! He provides you with the best services...you never have to leave your lounge chair!!! If you visit the Italian Restaurant be sure to request Nallely as your server...she is GREAT! Room service is really good if you don't feel like leaving your room or if you just want a snack."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Alan from Houston, Texas

"Awesome place for adults and very laid back. Food was awesome but drinks could have been a little better. But overall, I give it an A in my book..."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Perry Williams from Virginia Beach, Virginia

"Exceptional resort with very friendly personnel willing to do anything necessary to make our stay enjoyable. This is a very large resort with a well laid out facility that accommodates hundreds of people; however, wherever you go....to the beach, pools, lunch , dinner, bike rides, or the shows at night in the plaza or the theater, it was never really crowded. The food and beverages were exceptional in every way, and we felt welcome and well served the entire week we were there. The rooms were well planned with tile and marble throughout the entire villa. We absolutely loved this resort and will return."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Ryan Roberts from Greensboro, North Carolina

"Wasn't sure what to expect but my expectations were pretty high. When landing, it was a bit hectic navigating through all the 'helpful' people trying to steer me towards a taxi or a shuttle service but I eventually found Best Day (great shuttle company, btw).Trip to the resort took about an hour and a half as we had to drop people at two other resorts first. On arrival, we were greeted with Champagne and wet towels. The check in was pretty easy - they are completely prepared to upgrade your room (for a price) and they have PowerPoint all ready to show you how great it will be (slight sarcasm). We took a silver upgrade with an ocean view - the room was very nice but the ocean view wasn't worth it. In fact the breeze in the building we were in was best felt on the 'non ocean' side. The room service (food, turndown, cleaning) was awesome. Yes, there were a few ants in the room (but you are in Mexico, on the beach, and surrounded by scrub - it's expected). Early morning and afternoon, we would hear knocking outside our room - turned out to be a bird on the porch. Opening the door scared it off but it took two days of losing sleep to figure it out. The food was very good. I recommend trying all the restaurants for dinner. The French (L'Alsace) was by far the best service and taste. LaHacienda and Tierra / Mar / Lobster Pot are the only outdoor only dinner restaurants. Breakfast and lunch are available at two locations - Tierra / Mar and Le'Marche (at night it turns into LaHacienda). While Tierra / Mar is close to the beach / pool, Le'Marche seemed to be much nicer. The Don Miguel Lounge was great - this is where they have a sushi bar almost every night. We only took one day trip - to Tulum (Mayan city with an outstanding view over the water). Would definitely recommend to everyone! We only did the half day where we were back by lunch and it was perfect timing. All in all - a great vacation!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Dorius Desmarais from Vero Beach, Fl

"our 4th visit to Valentin Imperial (I guess we like it) we went to Sandals for 15 years........GREAT value"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Shannon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"We just returned from our trip and it was so hard to leave, we loved it there. The grounds are beautiful and sprawling and the atmosphere very peaceful. The pools are wonderful to drift in and we loved the beach as well. It was exactly what we were hoping for and we truly enjoyed our stay."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jacob from Tipp City, OHIO

"We stayed for a week on our honeymoon and it was amazing. We got the silver suite and it had a very nice jacuzzi tub. The food was excellent. Most placed I have been in Mexico have several restaurants but all of the taste the same, these were unique. The 24 hour room service was amazing and so was the guacamole! The beach was nice and so was the pool. The only thing this place is lacking compared to other resorts are tennis, golf, mini golf, or discotec. I would recommend this place if you want to go and relax and not do a lot of activities."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"Facilities are amazing, however, we didnt like a couple of things.
* No food from 11-12pm (anywhere)...Not even a snack bar
*Lack of available towels in the pool...their response was also pretty bad
*Pool bar closes at 5pm, which I think is pretty early...and by 4:15pm, the bartenders are already putting blenders away, so your only choice of drink is beer
*we felt we were getting kicked out of every restaurant 45 mins prior to close

*Overall, great place, room was amazing, but the service and inconvenience of operations left much to desire.....I've stayed at other all inclusives and cruises, and I certainly wouldn't repeat this one ....."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Frank from Louisville, Ky

"The place was absolutely beautiful. The staff was very polite, happy & out of this world service. The food was great. We loved the choices for breakfast & lunch. The dinners were great to, but could use more menu items. Drinks were very good at every bar & the wait staff was awesome. It did rain a few days on us, but all & all it was a great trip"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Rich Clough from Rochester, NH

"We loved it. The only con was that the menus @ the various restaurants were a little limited. We found the buffets to be the best. Would go back again! Thanks for getting us set up for a great honeymoon!!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Leland Sumptur from Adrian, Missouri

"Everyhting was the finest. Very nice rooms, services was the best ever!!!!
VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE!!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Beth from Towson, MD

"It was our honeymoon, so I didn't care that everything was bad because it made being with my new husband the best thing and nothing compared to that. But everytime we ate I felt sick. Breakfast buffet and some things at lunch buffet at Tierra y Mar were okay. Most everything else at all the nice restaurants was pretty gross. I liked the ceviche at the lobster pot. But everything else was a poor excuse for food. The beach service was pretty much the nicest thing about the whole place. They were always walking by asking if we needed a drink. The pool was incredibly loud, great for spring breakers, but not anyone wanting to relax. There was supposed to be a 'quiet' part of the main pool, but it was just less loud. The spa was awesome, it was my first time getting a massage, and it was fantastic. Also, they say it is 25 minutes from the airport, it was 45 min, after we waited 20 minutes for our ride to assemble. There was one server who was really nice to us and remembered our names. I just didn't feel like it was authentic mexican food. I don't think I'll do all-inclusive ever again. For drinks maybe, but not food."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Centralcoastgal from Los Osos, CA

"We just had the best 7 days of rest and relaxation at the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya. The rooms were amazing. Very spacious-we choose the Silver Suite. The resort was well maintained and clean. The staff was very helpful and made you feel welcome and appreciated. We did not do any outside excursions this trip as we really just wanted to lay on the beach. The food was pretty good. We never had to wait more than 15 minutes to be seated. Some of the wait time to be served our meals was a little long but, hey, we were on vacation and had no where to be. The location was in between Cancun and Playa del Carmen and we did go into Playa del Carmen on day for a four hour shopping trip, The trip transportation was $18.00 per person. When we got into town we found a dive shop and arranged for a quick snorkel trip. I don't think I would bother as the water was rough and we did not see anything too interesting. If I wanted to snorkel again I would go to a better location than Playa. We liked the Mexican food and Italian food restaurants the best. "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Margaret Herron from Kirksville, Missouri

"the hotel was amazing and service was GREAT. the waitress at the pool was totally awesome. We would definitely return. "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Hope Moller from LAKEVILLE, MN

"Place was awesome, staff was top notch, rooms were comfy.nDidn't know about the male dress code -collar shirts, closed toe shoes and pants so my BF had to wear 3 shirts several times. The pool bar closes at 4 which is a bummer, and it rained our entire trip so we didn't get to do much. The ocean beach was closed :( nBut everyone we met loved the resort and we had no complaints except for the weather, and the early close time of the pool bar. The resort is beautiful though. Definitely a 5 star place. I think we would have more positive things to day had we enjoyed a warm 'dry' vacation! :) "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Chris from Winchester, Va

"This is an amazing hotel! I would highly recommend it to anyone!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Heinz Kosser from West Columbia, SC

"Awesome, great experience and we'll be back. Great variety of restaurants. Food and service was excellent all round. Good variety of activities during the day and evening. The grounds are fantastic and well maintained, abundant fauna and flora."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jason Hannah from Midland, MI

"Let me just start out by saying that this is my first vacation outside of the U.S., so I do not have much to compare this trip to. However, I am obsessed when it comes to reviews of all kinds when coming to making decisions on purchases of any kind, let alone a vacation that was in this price range. After searching, studying, and reviewing for almost 2 entire months, I chose the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya. I could NOT have made a better choice. To start out, we arrived at the CUN airport and were met by our Best Day reps, just as advertised. We selected for the round trip transportation to and from the airport, since neither my wife nor I had ever been to Mexico before. They were completely professional and extremely accommodating when we arrived. They delivered us directly to our resort within 30 mins of meeting them, just like I was told. When we arrived at the resort, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the resort staff. They scooped up our luggage and pulled it aside and told us to not worry about it until we got checked in. They handed us both a glass of champagne and escorted us into the lily-scented, air conditioned (which at that point we definitely appreciated) lobby to relax for our check in. After we were finished there, we were greeted by one of their fabulous bell boys with our luggage on a golf cart, and whisped off to our room. En route, he gave us a brief tour of the resort, which would prove to be very helpful in the beginning of our visit (as the resort is quite large). Our room was absolutely awesome! Probably one of the nicest rooms that I have stayed in to date. We opted for a Golden Swim-Up Suite, which couldn't have been more perfect. At this point, I was more than impressed. It only got better. The entire place was absolutely gorgeous and first class. The pools were awesome (especially the main pool), with swim-up and walk-up bars in every direction where you can order every drink imaginable. Honestly, I could have stayed in the main pool the entire time and been 100% satisfied. They have a DJ there playing music, pool games that interact with the entire crowd, and more relaxing areas of the pools in case you aren't necessarily into the party scene. And, once again, the staff could not have been better. The food was the one thing that I kind of worried about. Believe me, after one meal I was not worried at all. Every single bit, and they have more than you will get to enjoy in a 1 week's stay, exceeded my expectations. It was awesome! And, you could eat whenever you wanted (as long as the place was open) and however much you wanted. In addition, you could order room service 24/7! It was perfect! Every night they had entertainment in the main plaza area where most people gathered. It was a tropical bar/night club scene almost every night of the week. People danced, socialized, and partied to the early morning hours. There were almost quieter areas in the same vicinity (such as the cigar/martini bar, sports bar, and sushi bar) where you could go to get inside for some a/c. There really was no reason to venture away from this resort at all. It is a complete enclosed resort that is very secure, you couldn't really sneak in or out if you tried (which made me feel very safe). My wife and I loved our stay here. We totally plan on returning, as there is really no reason for me to look any further. It completely exceeded my expectations, and I have no complaints what-so-ever. My only real complaint was that I had to come home. :)"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"Hated having to get up early to save a shady spot. Didn't like feeling less than equal since we were not 'privileged'. Far too long of a walk to get to a swimmable beach. Great pool"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Crnko from Amherst, Oh

"a-1, super"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler B G from Lumberton, Texas

"The hotel overall is very good. The staff was excellent and eager to please. The grounds are very large and be prepared for lots of walking. The food and room service was excellent and prompt. The rooms are very clean. The AC was cool but not cold as we would have liked. If you are coming for an ocean view from your room, I would recommend somewhere else as ocean view is very limited to upper floor rooms near the ocean. The beach and swimming area was excellent and the pools and grounds were kept very clean throughout our stay. Generally speaking, it is very good value for the money and I would recommend it for most people."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"Great place nicer than the pictures and I wasn't sure that was possible. I would go back in a heart beat."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Shelly Cunningham from Toledo, Oh

"Had an awesome time on vacation there. SO much to do but so little time we had it seems. I would definitly go back for sure and recommend to friends as well"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Marquesa Ortega from Summerville, SC

"This resort exceeded our expectations and we already talked about returning! 1. Distance from airport - 25 mins, not a bad drive at all. Pre-booked airport transfer with USA transfers, they were on time, professional, and the vehicles were new looking. 2. Price - we got a HECK of a deal 3. Staff - these folks REALLY understand the meaning of customer service. Everyone on staff was polite, friendly, and truly strived to make sure you're taken care of. 4. The Room: 500 sq foot, marble everywhere, linens high quality, private balcony with seating, tile shower, dual sinks, mini fridge (stocked with beer water and soft drinks) robes, towels aplenty, ample drawer and closet space, easy to use safe, HBO/Cable in rooms, and 24-hour room service...also the toiletries were larger than the usual and smelled great! 5. The Beach: the staff cleans the beach and they do it well. I saw them bagging up seaweed when it started to accumulate!! The water is crystal clear and the breeze is perfect. The sand is super soft and they have kayaks, hobie cats, bocce ball, volleyball, beachside bars, palapas (covered beach chaises) and servers will bring you your drinks during peak beach hours. There is an area with hammocks near the beach as well. You can also pay to go parasailing or jetskiing if you so desire. The beach was the place to relax and it was straight out of a Corona commercial, i swear! 5. The pool: always full of life with activities and music. One side of the pool was more relaxing, the other full of life. There were 2 swim up bars and tons of covered lounges. There were 2 towel huts if i recall correctly, dont recall them running out of towels at all. They have floaties available as well. 6. The activities: we kayaked, took a cooking class, and did the rifle activity...the staff was engaging, made lots of jokes and were overall very fun. There are tons more activities to do, but we didnt try any of the other activities. 7. The food: room service did not disappoint. Breakfast and lunch were all buffet style, nothing out-of-this-world but all the ingredients were very fresh and there were lots of healthy choices (not like your cruise line buffets where it seems like everything if fried) for the health conscious. Tons of fruits and juices available too. 8. The restaurants: Were all very nicely decorated in very nice buildings. The service was great and the food was really really good. We never had to wait to get a table at all. Some of the restaurants have outdoor seating. 9. Facilities: all the buildings were well kept and beautifully decorated. The landscaping was pristine, and they work hard to keep it that way. You really feel the sense that you're at a spanish villa with all the arches and tile and marble and fresco paintings in the plaza. 10. Entertainment: nightly shows and activities to keep you busy. we were too tired most nights to partake but we did catch the michael jackson show and it was so fun! VIM is close to all the eco-parks as well so take advantage and visit one. We went to Xplor and had a blast. There are folks in the lobby you can sign up for these excursions with. 11. The staff...can't say how great they were! the resort felt big enough to do some exploring, but it felt intimate and they really do make you feel like home."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Lisa & David Powell from St Louis, Mo

"We cannot find one thing to complain about, the trip was amazing! The staff was outstanding! We are definately going back!! Thank you for a memorable time :)"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jose G. Martinic from Vina Del Mar, Valparaiso - Chile

"Comento en espanol por ser mas facil y claro expresarme. Escogi este Resort para vacacionar por mi cumpleaños dado los comentarios en la pagina Bookit y no me equivoqué, el lugar marca una diferencia desde la llegada, buena recepcion, amabilidad de todo el personal, comodidad en la habitacion reservada (silver suite), estaba decorada con una torta de cumpleaños hechas con toallas y petalos de flores, un ameno detalle. (solo podria decir que la tv la encontre pequeña para la habitacion). Todo el complejo aseado y con una mantencion constante, buena playa y la comida de primera linea en todos sus restoranes. Marca diferencia con otros resorts desde el inicio ya que no ponen la molesta pulsera al huesped, no hay tarjetas para pedir toallas playeras y no es necesaria la reservacion previa para ir a cenar, definitivamente un buen lugar para ir a vacacionar y descansar., totalmente recomendable. Gracias Valentin y gracias Bookit por estas vacaciones // Comment in Spanish to be easier and clearly express myself. I chose this resort for a vacation for my birthday since the comments on the page were good, the place makes a difference since the arrival, good reception, friendliness of all staff, accommodation in the reserved room (silver suite), was decorated with a birthday cake made ??from towels and flower petals, a fun detail. (one could say that I found her little tv for the bedroom). The entire complex with a neat and constant maintenance, beach and the food good first line in all its restaurants. Unlike other resorts brand from the beginning as it does not get the annoying strap to host, no cards to ask for beach towels and no prior booking is required for dinner, definitely a good place to go on vacation and rest., Fully recommended. Thanks for this holiday."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Justin Boldt from San Antonio, TX

"I'll get right to it. It would be much faster to mention the few minor complaints than to try to say all that I loved about the place, because I loved just about everything. The bathroom layout is great except for the toilet. I could care less about the fact the door is made of glass, but since it doesn't seal well it doesn't block sounds and smells. The house wine is pretty bad. I don't know why, but they just don't have good wine unless you want to pay extra. All other forms of booze are great. Like I said, I would happily revisit. My wife and I came for our honeymoon and it was wonderful."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Michel Guerin from Lasalle, Canada

"Only one word ''WOW'' what a great time we had in such a wonderful place I would recommend to all my friends"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Cindy from Blasdell, NY

"The resort was absolute paradise and we can't wait to go back next spring. Our room was the basic and was gorgeous and huge private balcony. Everything was always very clean, especially the room. Pool was huge and gorgeous and we never had a problem getting chairs or floaties. Pool games and music were alot of fun, but if you want quiet you can get that too on the other side of the pool. Beach was beautiful and had a huge rock free area for swimming, but beware the waves are very big and strong. had lots of fun trying to jump them. Food and drinks were always good. Drinks were always very strong and made with high end liquors. all the wait staff and bartenders were very friendly, even if you didn't tip. Overall we had an excellet time and for the first time at any resort did not wnat to leave and wish we were back there right now"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Julie from North Vancouver, British Columbia

"A beautiful all-inclusive, adult only resort. Clean and well-maintained. Friendly staff and good food. Even at full capacity there were plenty of places to enjoy the quiet and privacy. We will definitely return."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler John Holmstadt from Blaine, MN

"We chose the Valentin for our 5th anniversary vacation and could not be more pleased with the experience we had. From the moment we arrived at the resort the service was wonderful - we were greeted with a cold towel and a glass of champagne and we had a very small (less than 10 minute) wait to check-in. We were seated by a bellhop and he offered to get us more champagne or something else to drink while we waited. Once checked in, our bellhop drove us to our building, giving us a very entertaining tour of the grounds in his 'Mexican Limousine' (ie. stretch golf-cart) We upgraded our room to the Silver Deluxe and really enjoyed the double size whirlpool tub that separated the bedroom from the bathroom. The room was clean, and the daily housekeeping was always timely - we went through quite a few towels a day using the showers and tub and we never had to use the same towel twice if we didn't want to. The mini-bar was always stocked full of beer and waters. The grounds of the hotel are impressive - clean and beautiful. Some people on here have complained about the amount of walking you can end up doing, but we stayed in building 1 and found that we were only minutes away from anything we wanted - restaurants, bars, pool, and beach....just a quick jaunt anywhere we wanted to go - and the landscaping made every walk enjoyable anyway. The pool was clean and we never had a problem getting seats - we were able to get chairs that sat in about 6 inches of water every single day, and, even though we brought our own swim float, we were able to get the blue resort ones every day. One tip I would suggest is bringing along a insulated drink mug - we brought 2 stainless steel Contigo brand mugs that had flip-up straws on them and they were great. The bar would fill our mugs up for us, effectively giving us two drinks instead of one, and they stayed cold for hours. The food at the resort was wonderful, we ate at the French restaurant 2 times and dined everywhere but the Indonesian. The service was good, though a little slow between courses, but it just gave us time to relax and enjoy each other and our time away. We thought the food was great, a nice variety and we were able to try a few things that we probably wouldn't spend the money on back home....they serve Chateaubriand at the French restaurant, which was definitely a treat, and the Creme Brulee was to die for! We also really enjoyed the Italian restaurant. The Steak restaurant wasn't worth the time for us - the steak was average and wasn't anything you couldn't get back home. The shows at night are nothing spectacular - don't expect them to be on par with a great cruise show, or anything overly thrilling, but they were good enough and provided some nice entertainment in the evening. If I had to find any negatives, I would say I thought the bed was a little stiff, but I think that's just a general preference anyway, and, the rooms did get a little humid - best we could figure out, you can't adjust the room temp below 68 degrees, which seems cool, but our room felt humid several times and it would have been nice to set the thermostat a little lower. One thing to note as well - as much as we enjoyed the room, the fact that the toilet isn't in it's own fully closed off area was a bit unappealing. It has a glass door on it, but it doesn't go all the way to the ceiling. I get that you are sharing that kind of a room with your spouse, significant other, etc...but there were a few times the sounds and the smell were, not very romantic! So, definitely pack some air freshener. Other than that, I would say this was one of the best resorts I have ever stayed at. I generally never stay at the same place twice, but I would definitely make an exception for the Valentin. It was an wonderful, relaxing, and beautiful anniversary vacation - I was sad to leave and am already missing the Pina Colada's and the warm breeze. Definitely worth the time and money."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Michael Sposa from Closter, Nj

"we had the best time. The staff was the best. We are already planning next year."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Karen Lennerton from Langley, Canada

"My husband & I just returned on Apr. 24/12 from a week away. This was our first all inclusive, so we have nothing to compare it to, but we loved it and would highly recommend it. A friend of mine recommended it to us and I'm glad we took her advise. The only thing I would have liked, is if they could have upgraded us. We were in a Silver Jr. Suite, bottom floor with nothing to look at. The next time, I would book either a swim up room, or a room with ocean view. The food was great, especially the Hibachi. The food & show were awesome. You need to get there early as they book up quickly. We also loved the French restaurant. Highly recommend the Chateaubriand!! We were a little disappointed with the Italian restaurant, it was just ok. The breakfasts were good. Anything and everything you could want from cereal to crepes. Lots of fresh fruit, and the Mimosa's!! Great way to start your day!! The beach is fantastic. You need to get there early to get your spot or you can reserve it (not sure if there is a fee or not). The service at this resort is excellent. Anytime we asked or needed something it was there right away. I would definately recommend this resort, and we will certainly go back."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler from Overland Park, Kansas

"Our stay was absolutely wonderful. The only problem for us is that there were 3 friends traveling together. This hotel is really not equiped to accomodate 3 people in one room. We wish they would have told us prior to booking the trip. One of us slept on the couch, which worked out, but could have been better accomodated somewhere else."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Doreen O'Brien from Bellmore, NY

"My husband and I were so excited when we arrived. The internet description and pictures do not do it justice. When you see it in person you will be amazed at the beauty and size of the property. The staff goes above and beyond to make you feel special. We will definitely be returning."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Tanya & Frankie from Staten Island, New York

"I already put up a review, please read it but I wanted to add a few things. Excursions, there are plenty.... Our friends went on Explor and did the Zipline and had an awesome times. Caves, snorkeling, swimming, etc. We took a cab down to the ferry and went over to Cozumel for the day. The resort ordered the cab for us. Our driver was so nice. He gave us his phone number and we called him to pick us up in the evening. He was great! Rented dune buggies in Cozumel. That's another story. I thought they were going to fall apart but everyone had fun! People were cheering us on in the street since we had a pink one! Oh, at the resort, some of our favorite drinks were the Mango Tango, Pina Coladas, and Frozen Mudslides. (add in a fresh banana) and then it becomes the Dirty Banana."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Tanya & Frankie from Staten Island, New York

"OK. This is my first review and my boyfriend and I and 2 other couples returned today from this beautiful resort. I have seen many reviews on here both good and bad and sometimes you just go with the flow. For example, it rained so hard one night that we had water coming in from above the sliding door. That is not anyone's fault and we laughed and put towels on the floor and it didn't happen again. We ordered room service that night which I highly recommend. One day our toilet got clogged... It was fixed right away and that was the end of that, etc. Overall we all had an awesome time and I am sad that I am now home. OK, lets see. We were in a Golden Junior Swim Up Suite which I highly recommend. It was so peaceful to hang out by the 'lazy river' pool and relax. There are 3 buildings for these suites. Buildings 6,7 and 8. We were in 6 which is closer to most things. Big resort, took us awhile to get used to where we were going. A lot of restaurants to choose from. Breakfast, there are 2 buffet places. Mar & Tierra and Le Marche. We basicallly did Mar & Tierra. Closer to us and the beach. I thought it was great. Staff was awesome the entire trip. We did tip generously and they accommodated us very well. Le Marche is closer to the main building/lobby and was also nice. They have an air conditioned area to eat if you like. Mar & Tierra gets split into two different restaurants for dinner. One is called Lobster Pot. Some restaurants for dinner the men have to wear pants and collared shirts. I read some reviews of people not enjoying this restaurant. There was like a 1/2 hour wait but we thought it was worth it. Even though it's all inclusive, the only thing they charge extra for is Lobster tail. $25 but you do get 2 lobster tails and another piece of fish. The other side is the steak restaurant which is called La Hacienda. I had a rib eye and I thought it was great. Everyone I was with enjoyed themselves also. We also tried Ginger which is the Japanese.... I think I enjoyed this one best. We were supposed to do Hibachi instead of regular menu. There was a mix up and they apologized and didn't know what to do for us. We got everything from a special sushi platter to fried vegetables to anything on the menu. It was great! The Italian restaurant 'Il Olivo' was very disappointing. I found it to be just a glorified pizza Restaurant. I was just not impressed. As a matter of fact we were Italian, and they had no Italian menu at all, except for pizza and risotto. We didn't get to eat in the French or Mexican restaurant. They had nightly entertainment which was done extremely well. They have an open outdoor area called 'The Plaza'. Very nice. Bar area, opens into a disco at night if the weather was nice. Some shows are outside but also in the theater. They had a sports bar which was OK to hang-out and have a drinks. There was a cigar bar and a few others. There are bars at the pool areas and down at the beach. They also serve some food by the pool if you didn't want to do the buffet at the restaurants. The main pool was fun. They have music and activities going on to make it more lively. There are different things going on each day. What else? Our rooms were cleaned I think a few times a day. I just loved it. All-in-all Had an awesome time with my boyfriend and our other friends. We plan to do another vacation together and this will definitely be on our list."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Trina Korsgard from Stafford, VA

"If you have never stayed at a Cancun all inclusive resort then you will be fine with this one. If you have stayed at as many of them like I have over the years you will be disappointed. Overall it is just so so , nothing special or unique in compare to others I have stayed at. If you are thinking of upgrading and hope for an ocean view beware that the lower rooms have view of trees but still face the ocean, the resort is heavily vegetative .I upgraded to Silver the room was o.k but was disappointed to have daily linen changed only to find holes and the bed coverlet was very warn.S The resort appears older then it is, up keep is week. You will read comments about the food, the buffet is nothing special so you will be sure not to be tempted to over eat.The food selection and presentation was weak! The resort restaurants to me were less then average then most restaurants at other resorts. The beach was very much like most beaches nothing too unique, get there early to get your chair! If I could have shorten my stay I would have, didn't seem to be worth the money. I am very disappointed."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Adam from Montreal, Quebec

"Amazing. Not too quiet but never too crowded. Best food I've ever had at an all inclusive."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Bret Manuel from Katy, TX

"Aging pools need repairs, average food, need to change types of foods offered. We have been to this place 3 years in a row."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Clay & Alicia from Ohio

"We vacationed here in October 2011 with some good friends and had a GREAT time. The room and resort was super clean. We took the golf cart service to the pool and restraunts. Call the front desk and they will send someone to your villa to pick you up and take you back. The staff was Awesome from begining until check out! The entertainment staff kept us busy with pool soccer, beach and pool volleyball. Special thanks to the pool side and night life bartenders for keeping our drinks refreshing and strong. :) Many thanks to the band, DJ and night entertainers for a great time on the dance floor. The food at the steak house by the beach was our favorite for all of our meals. We are booking our second trip for August soon and can not wait to go on our 2nd trip to heaven!! No kids, no stress just relaxation, and fun!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Donna Rivest from North Port, Fl

"We spent Five glorious days at the resort. From the moment we walked in we were treated like royalty. We have been many times to the Playa Del Carmen area and we felt we liked this resort the best overall. The staff could not of treated us better. Everyone was super friendly and always willing to be of assistance. The resort grounds are beautiful. We had very good meals and service at all the restaurants. We loved the facts that we did not need reservations either. We are looking forward to returning next year."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Terri Duffee from Coudersport, Pennsylvania

"This was our first trip to Mexico. Our resort was totally awesome and more than exceptional. The rooms, restaurants, lobby, pool area, restrooms, buffets, bars, everything was ***** (5 Star). The entertainment was great and the service was just tremendous. I would recommend anyone to go to Valentin Imperial for a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation. This was for our 25th wedding anniversary and will be very memorable."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Todd from Worthington, WV

"Every part of our vacation was excellent from the champagne at arrival to the superb wait staff to the beautiful views. Best vacation ever, If you are not pleased with every aspect of this resort, you cannot be pleased."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler B Sonnemann from Menomonee Falls, WI

"Hotel was very nice, staff very friendly. The only thing that could have been better was that you had to get a chair at the pool early or the chairs would be taken."

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"Spectacular resort. Service, hospitality, resort condition, food,natural beauty all above and beyond expectations. Only negative was that the evening entertainment could be upgraded and changed from year to year. Michael Jackson getting old."

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"this was a beautiful resort and we had a great time.
staff was the best went out of their way to make our
stay was the best. Everyone was kind and made sure we were comfortable and having a good time.
Our only complaint was that we were not able to be next to our friends we had come with. And this made it hard for us to keep in touch.
We do plan on coming back next year and there are others who want to join us. I hope they will be able to accommodate us.
Thanks for everything.
Mary"

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"My wife and I just got back from the Valentin at Christmas time and we absolutely loved it! From the moment we arrived here we knew we were in a 5 star resort. Everything was super clean and new and the staff was super friendly. The food at the restaurants was all top notch, this was fine dining at it's best! The grounds were beautifully landscaped and well layed out. The nightly entertainment was great! We will definitely return to this resort over and over again!"

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"Best vacation ever. Incredible food, incredible service, incredible rooms, incredible beach (and ample swim area), and excellent entertainment. Pure paradise. We would highly recommend for any traveler for any occassion. We took our two college age daughters and their friends and celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in one of the premier all-inclusives."

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"Our stay at the Valentin Imperial Riveria Maya was fantastic! The resort staff was excellent and went out of the way to serve our group of four. They all made us feel very welcome and genuinely appreciated us being at the resort. Food was excellent at all restaurants including the buffets for breakfast and lunch. Our favorite was L'Olive, the Italian restaurant. Pool is easily one of the largest I have ever seen but unfortunately is not heated. We had a superb trip and would urge anyone considering this resot to GO!!"

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"What a week at the Valentin Imperial. This place is amazing. We enjoyed going to the beach, relaxing by the pool, and going out to amazing restaurants every night. If not we just hung out in the huge amazing room and ordered room service. If you're doing a honeymoon this is the best spot for you! Get the Emerald beachfront suite but go second floor so you can see the ocean. LOVED IT! GO HERE"

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"We had requested a Golden Swim Up Junior Suite with a king size bed. We got the room we requested but it came with two double beds. When we checked in my husband expressed his displeasure with the bed situation. We were told that requests could not always be honored due to availability. We were told that there would be another suite like ours available in two days that had a king size bed. We told the check in person to please contact us so we could make the change. Two days later we got the call and request that we go to the check-in desk to do the paperwork. My husband decided to upgrade our accomodations and he booked an available Deluxe Junior Suite in a different building that was more centrally located to the restaurants and main pool. It also had a king size bed.
The Deluxe Suite had two separate rooms, two closets, more dresser drawers plus a bathroom with a jaccuzzi. Unfortunately it did not have as soft and comfortable a bed as the double beds had been. Also, the shower was much smaller.
Because we were now in a VIP room we were entitled to use the Privilege lounge where we could get, among other things, a continental breakfast any morning, use of one of their I pads, reading materials, top-shelf drinks, and daily dinner reservations to any of the restaurants. The staff was very efficient and courteous. We could choose four bottles of liquor and wine for our suite. We chose one bottle each of red and white wine, a bottle of Crown Royal, and a bottle of Bailey's. We were also given a complementary bottle of champagne, a fresh floral arrangement, a bowl of fresh fruit, and chocolate covered strawberries.
We found the staff to be friendly and hard working. The food selection for breakfasts and lunches was good. We were not as pleased with dinner choices. The best meal we had was the night we went to Ginger for dinner at a tepanyaki table with nine other guests. Our chef was entertaining and the food was delicious. Although we thought tipping was not required we found ourselves tipping at every meal and for drinks because other guests were leaving tips.
The nightly entertainment was so so. We liked the tribute to Michael Jackson. The Grease production was amateurish. We skipped the Circus show. The band that performed in the plaza was very good--two excellent singers.
This was the most expensive all-inclusive we had ever stayed at (in part due to the room upgrade). We have been to others in the Cancun and Puerta Vallarta areas that were just as nice with better food and entertainment plus activities that were on site such as wind surfing, snorkeling, and jet skiing."

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"We had the best time on our honeymoon trip to the Valentin Imperial. The staff was wonderful, the property is beautiful and we could not have asked for more! We had a basic room, which was still amazing and had great access to everything the resort has to offer. We ate and drank to our heart's content and were always satisfied. We are already planning our next trip to the Valentin."

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"We thoroughly enjoyed our honeymoon at Valentin Imperial Maya! We would recommend they add ceiling fans in more areas as the a/c couldn't always keep up, and many areas were not air conditioned. Wifi only in the lobby. Fun activities and entertainment, super friendly staff, gorgeous pool (needs some upkeep) and beach! Bring your own raft if you'd like one to use. The grounds were breathtaking and the food was delicious!"

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"Everything about this place was amazing. The staff was above and beyond the best! We spent 10 wonderful days there, and not one complaint! I am already looking into booking our next trip there."

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"This was our third trip to this resort the first two were excellent in all respects 5 star however things have changed. We had told are adult children that we wanted to take them to a great resort. So we book two rooms and took off for Mexico in first part of June and here is what we found. The property is not being maintained large pieces of plaster falling form the ceiling in the lobby area, mold growing in the rooms, ceiling fans in the rooms clicking all night, no air flow in the stage area, pool is losing tiles & pool bars counter tops in need of repair and refrigerators in the rooms don't cool. Well enough about property maintenance. As for the food one of the reasons that we pick this resort is for the quality of food at 7 a la carte restaurants well even that has change. Restaurants closed more often than open, food quality is better off the in room service menu, and more buffet meals than every before. We also paid for the Privilege package ($60.00 plus per day per person) which gives you a cabana at the pool or the beach your choice (it use to be that you get both) another change. You also receive two bottles of premium alcohol for your room and access to a privilege lounge area with premium alcohol. My wife and I went to the lounge to have a glass of wine while enjoying the wine we wanted to leave the lounge area and was informed that we could not leave the area with the glass the wine was poured into a plastic cup which made no senses to either one of us because the same wine glass is used by ever bar on the property except for the pool area. So we paid to be able to have premium wine out of a plastic cup which I don't even do at home let alone for a service we paid for. Well that says it all we won't be going back to bad it was once a very nice resort."

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"Had a BLAST! 2nd time there! LOVED IT!"

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"Let me start off by saying that I travel with 3 other girls for a yearly trip to Mexico/Carribbean. We all read the reviews for the, I guess that is why we were so disappointed with our stay. We had reserved 2 Golden Jr. Suite rooms, but when we arrived at the hotel, the rude manager informed us that we did not reserve these rooms. For 3 hours we were on the phone to get the matter resolved. The manager at the front desk downgraded our room even though we could prove that we did indeed purchase the Golden suites. The following day, they finally admitted to their mistake, but we were never placed in our reserved rooms. Throughout our whole stay we needed to be by my cell phone because our end was trying to rectify the problem. While we were at the pool, we found 2 other parties that this had happened to. Disturbing to say the least. How could all of the reviews posted be so good, yet we and 2 other parties that we know of have such a horrible experience. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone. The hotel is nice, the other service people are nice, the beach is nice, and the pool is nice. But when you encounter a front desk staff that was rude, non accommodating, and wrong, it is not worth any amount of money. We have been travelling since 1999 on these trips, and we have never encountered a problem such as this. Normally, if the hotel makes a mistake, they upgrade you...not here. At first, they would not admit that they were wrong. And once they did admit that they were wrong, we never received an apology or our confirmed rooms. I don't know if this will get posted because it is a negative comment, but please be aware, this hotel does not live up to all of the comments that you read. At first I thought that we were just having a bad experience, but when we found out that we were not alone in how rudely the front desk treated us and did not accommodate our reservation, we knew it was a problem bigger than just our reservations for 2 Golden Jr. Suites. I urge you not to stay at this establishment. You might get lucky and encounter no problems, but then again, you could be like us and others that were vacationing there and have problems. Problems in itself are not bad, but when the hotel does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to rectify the problem, well then, that is a whole different problem. Whenever you are spending the type of money that you are...you deserve the reassurance that the staff at the hotel will do anything that they can to make your stay a pleasant experience. This hotel will not do that. Please look elsewhere. You deserve to be treated wonderfully and you can experience that at other hotels in Mexico and the Carribbean. "

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"My wife and I stayed at the Velentin Maya Jan 20-25 2012. We enjoyed our stay and recommend this resort and hope to return some day. Check in was a breeze as well as check out. We stayed in one of the ocean front rooms called Emerald Suite on the second floor. You have no ocean view on the first floor due to trees. Our first room was in building 9 and was too far of a walk from the lobby and pool plus not much of a view. After two days of asking we got moved to building 12 closer and a great view. Building 11 appears to have the best views. There is a tile Jacuzzi tub that's very large in the room we used a few times. It takes about 30 minutes to fill it and its not comfortable to sit in. The room itself was nice we were pleased overall with it, nice to have a stocked fridge daily and maid service and room service was good, get the chicken wings, breakfast was good as well in the room. I also enjoyed the very large and pretty pool with two swim up bars meant no problems getting a drink. They had snacks at the pools each day as well. The hotel was at full capacity but somehow we managed to get chairs even during the middle of the day at the pool or beach. Also there are floats at the pool. Lots of friendly people there we made new friends. The only somewhat disappointing thing is I wish the food would have been better. Overall it was pretty good but we had a number of poorly prepared dishes and to be fair a number of good dishes as well but we have had better food overall at other All Inclusives. Our favorite restaurant was probably the French, sit upstairs and order the duck, followed by the Japanese but even at these places the dishes were hit and miss. Some raved about the sushi at the bar in the lobby area but it was not very good in my opinion and I eat a lot of sushi. The worst restaurant is the Mar, too bad I love seafood but it was not good. We tipped quite a bit but it didnt seem to improve the service seems that almost everyone was tipping and got the same level of service which was fine. One night they had a Mexican buffet and they ran out of food in about 30 minutes we barely got any of it so we ended up going to a restaurant later, poor planning on their part, plus the Mexican entertainment was blocked buy the buffet so no one could see it form their tables. They had a band that played twice once on the beach after the fire show which we really enjoyed and also in the plaza area, had a lot of fun dancing. They do a good job with the entertainment here overall. I read some complaints about the grounds or accommodations not being a 5 star well yeah its not a 5 star I'd say a 4 star but the grounds and beach are all very very nice and well kept. Wish they had hot tubs on the property...sorry for the rambling review hope you got some good info. Oh and we rented a car and parked it there an did a couple trips on our own and saved a bundle of cash."

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"It is the second time that I have been to that area of Riveria Maya. The first time I stayed at a time share near by not an all inclusive. The all inclusive was a great value and provided plenty of dinner options. The weather wasn't to warm but I guess that is to be expected in January. Overall I would recommend that you stay at the Valentin Imperial Maya."

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"We stayed at this hotel for 7 nights and there were so many defects that it literally ruined the vacation. I had requested a king size bed but there were none left so we were given a room with 2 'queen beds', but they were really double beds. They told us they would change the room as soon as possible. The room we were given had the following defects:

1. sink drain locked closed so sink wouldn't drain

2. toilet flushed poorly

3. hair dryer broken

4. hole in fllor 1 inch wide by 1/2 inch deep right in center in front of TV. If you were wearing hight heels you would break your neck. Another in the bathroom.

5. handle missing from closet door

6. no glasses in room

I reported these and except for the toilet, they were fixed.
Other easity remedied faults (reported also to the staff)

1. There are ususally 6 restaurants opened for dinner and no buffet. There are no reservation...they say just show up...but then you do and you are told at most restaurants that there is a 45 - 1 1/2 wait. Not a good way to relax. It would be easier if they took reservations or opened the buffet for dinner. Many people would like something simple for dinner. In general however the food in the restaurants and buffet is very good and the staff is usually accomodating.

2. There are not enough chairs at the pool and beach, forcing people to get up early and throw personal belongings on a chair to reserve for later. The hotel has a policy against this, but it is impossible to enforce and all they need to do is invest a few pesos in some more chairs because they certainly have room for this.

I would like to add that this is the first review I have ever written, but I think there were so many negative things for a hotel rated this highly, that people ought to be aware of this. The grounds are beautiful by the way."

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"What a great resort for couples. Lots of privacy, beautiful grounds, great beach and very friendly staff. The pool was very clean, however, a bit cold when first getting in. The music at breakfast was a very nice touch. We loved both the sax player and the harpist. We don't usually return to a place we have already visited but will consider a return visit to this resort."

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"From start to finish the entire stay was a delight. Extremely friendly and helpful staff, scrumptious food choices, entertaining nightly shows a treat and the accommodations were indeed relaxing and spa-like. I have already recommended the site to a number of friends and would like to return myself."

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"My husband and I have been to Cancun/Riviera Maya many times before and we always had a great time and have been please with the Resort but Valentin has been the best so far. I strongly recomend it to anyone looking for a beautiful and great place to stay away from home. :-)"

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"Note for physically challenged. Insist bottom floor for beach front. The stair cases have no hand rails, and are dark several times. No elevators for beach front units. The ocean was mighty rough in December. Overall food was good. Ginger restaurant was best and French the worst. Seafood excellent. Pools were not as deep as I would like. About 4.5 ft. Pool water not heated. Beach was rocky with one section not rocky for swimming. Staff was excellent. Place was well kept and beautiful as well as inhabited with wild life. Value was excellent."

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"At the best this is 3 star resort.

THIS IS NOT A COUPLES resort - or DREAMS resort it's a nightmare resort. We looked forward to this vacation and found a resort that had beautiful grounds and gardens, but a staff that did nothing unless it was absolutely necessary. The property obviously has not been maintained and the staff has not been properly trained.

Check In: Hassle free very little information about the resort. No orientation! Told latter bike tour was orientation ( we had an 85 and 87 year olds with us bike tour was not an option), resort is very large and very easy to get lost. No explanation of services meal times except for the daily newsletter with the spa specials and with restaurants are open or closed. Note that they will enforce the dress code for some guest at the restaurants some men in sandals were turn away and others were not.

Room: Very pretty. AC worked most of the time. Bugs Bugs and more Bugs I was bitten by something in the room that made my finger swell to double it size.Room has a small flat screen TV hard to see from bed. Rooms leak beware of puddles from above we were on the first floor of a three story building and had water coming in from the light fixtures. 4 days we had 2 rooms we had water leaking puddles on floor no one offered to move to a dry room. Walking down the hallways and seeing all the towels on the floor against the doors to hold the water out there may have not been any rooms not were not leaking. No hot water for 1st 2 days talked to general manager he could care less.

POOL AREA: Pool tiles falling off. The staff was scrubbing the algae while people are swimming in the pool, adding chemicals from 5 gallon containers (very smelly) while we were swimming around 10am. The pool is shared by the ants as you sit in the shaded areas by the pool the ants fall on you crawl of you and taste you.
There was virtually not waiter service around the pool there was 1 waitress that had to serve everyone she was overworked but she did her best.

Restaurants:
Il Olivo (Italian)
Very good 1st visit and 2nd visit was a disaster- no menu limited choices for dinner took 2 hours for dinner with choice of 4 entrees. 20 minutes to get a cocktail Food overcooked wrong 1st course delivered.

Tamansari (Indonesian)
Noveau Indonesian very sweet lacking any Indonesian influence

Mar (Lobster)
Excellent food (see resort credit below) The waiter was serving the bread and butter drop the butter pad on the table picked it up and put it on my bread plate.

Lalace (French)
A lot of pomp food ok not really worth getting dressed up for

Tierra (Steak)
Over processed tenderized unrecognizable cuts of meats. Not an Outback or Longhorn not even Golden Corral quality.

Le Marche (Breakfast/ Lunch Buffet)
Good food beef /chicken/fish cooked to order lunch. Good breakfast if you are there early by 10:15 they run out of stuff like bacon, sausage, replace with lunch items. This restaurant should be open for dinner but is not. The restaurant is better then all the la carte restaurants above.

Room Service
Very good. The last night we had room service instead of taking a chance of another dinning disaster.




Resort credit is a joke. It should be advertised as resort discount coupons. At every other resort the resorts credits were 100.00 to 200.00 off any service NOT a discount on services where you still have to pay a portion of the bill. Even the lobster cost $10.00 per person after the 2 $20.00 coupons for each two people.
We saw other guests checking out who were angry that the coupons did not cover the of the romantic dinner $200.00 the coupon only took $60.00 off. READ YOUR COUPONS if you do not want an unpleasant surprise at checkout.
"

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"Rooms were just ok. Food was great and staff was very friendly. Be prepared to do lots of walking!! We came home with blisters on our feet because we didn't realize we'd have to hike to dinner each night. Suite upgrade was NOT worth the money."

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"Overall experience: Superb!!



One main recommendation: Contact someone ahead of time in case you have specific requests. My experience is that they at resort will go above and beyond to fulfill your every requests and ensure a pleasant stay at the resort. And this gets easier to accomplish if they know your requests ahead of time!!.



I Thank the front desk personnel for acommodating my specific requests with the room. The wife loved the romantic setting that the room had as we walked in. And It was truly a great feeling to come in and find the Jacuzzi all set up for us and filled with roses. And let´s not forget about the bottle of champagne. Yes, we had quite an exotic and romantic first coujple of hours indoors;)

Tip: Call the front desk and request to have the jacuzzi ready for when you come back from the beach or the pool.



7 A la Carta restauraints: We tried them all, and the Mexican under the strong leadership of its captain, took all the honors. Kuddos to manager and its staff for offering top notch service and for making our already wonderful experience even more amazing! Well Donel!!



Pool Drinks Mud Slide and Miami Vice are so good!! There is the need, however, to work on improving the quality of other frozen drinks such as Pina Coladas and Margaritas!



The resortl turned out to be perfect for us as we were looking for spending some quality time together as a couple just relaxing in the beautifl scenery, enjoying fun times in the pool and at the beach, pampering our six senses, and just enjoying ourselves without the need for heavy alcohol, wild parties, or other well-known guilty pleasures!!

What does this mean? That the resort is not for eveybody. It is, however, for those couples looking to get away from all the stress and noise of life and embark in a very romantic, fun, and peaceful journey. .



Emerald Suites (AKA Oceanfront Suites) are fantastic!!!



Take an excursion. Xplor, Xcaret, and Chitchen Nitza are all great adventures. There´s literally an excursion for everybody, so indulge yourself!



Prearrange your transportation needs from the airport to the resort and viceversa.. It will make your life easier. Best Day Travel transportation was as efficient and courteous as they getI



Lastly, thanks to all at the Resort for doing an excellent job making us feel better than at home, literally!



ArriveDerchi!!





"

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"This holiday was our third year in a row that we choose this resort.
Although there have been some subtle changes in the menu we still had a fantastic holiday. Excellent accommodations and the service was the best."

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"Beautiful resort in every way; landscaping, rooms, pools...just spectacular. Staff was very friendly and efficient. Stayed in the swim up suites with a pool 5 steps from back patio. Really couldn't ask for anything more. Would highly recommend."

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"We had a very relaxing time at the resort. The staff was friendly and the resort/beach was clean. It was a large resort, so if you are in buildings 5-14, be prepared to walk a little. Of course, there is the option to call for a cart. The 24 hour room service was a nice perk that we enjoyed. Our only gripe was the lack of dining options for breakfast and lunch. We wished there was more than two options for lunch, because it gets old after 6 straight days.
Be prepared to spend a little money on the off-resort excursions, which we do recommend.
Overall, a great resort!"

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"Best all inclusive resort ever. I would highly recommend Emerald rooms to everyone. Food is good, 24 hours room service is the best. Nice white sand beach with clear blue waters."

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"Our stay at Valentin was fantastic. Beautiful grounds, awesome staff and fantastic beach conditions! Book It also was a great booking agent to go through."

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"The Valentin was absolutely AMAZING...We were greeted very warmly when we arrived and were immediately given a glass of champagne, told to sit and enjoy and they would come get us when it was time to check in, which took about 10-15 minutes. I work in a Resort in Atlantic City and I was TRULY IMPRESSED with the Valentin. We stayed in the Emerald Suite building 12. It was BEAUTIFUL.... oceanfront. Although I read reviews about how much walking there was, it wasn't that bad. The grounds are beautiful and it took no longer than 5-10 mins to get from building 12 to the lobby.
The pools were beautiful, with lots of activity and they also had quiet pools if you didn't want all of that going on. There was always seats available at the pool. We did not have to get up at 6am and reserve chairs. We found some no matter what time of the day we went to the pool or beach.
No reservations for the gourmet restaurants were required. This was one of my favorite perks. I've been to other resorts and you always had to make reservations at 8am or they were filled up. Nightly entertainment was also great in the plaza. Sports bar was a lot of fun too and we were also able to get premium liquor (Grey Goose).
I would DEFINITELY visit this property again and again. I was definitely impressed and more than satisfied!"

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"I just want to commend the Valentin for their handling of the brush with Hurricane Rina last week. They were excellent in providing the guests with updates on the hurricane's progress, and making sure that our safety was their number 1 concern. Evacuation procedures were explained in detail, preparations for the storm were carried out in full by the staff, with our safety being the reason for everything. Yes, there were certain amenities that were reduced (i.e. no alcohol, restricted restaurants), but they were complying with the law. In spite of the storm, we were entertained by the entertainment staff, and the resort activities continued to the best of their ability. I commend the entire resort for taking every precaution to make our vacation the best it could be in spite of the weather situation! We have never been to the Valentin in 'off' season, only during high season. I did notice quite a few amenities that were not offered during the 'off' season. I missed the daily grilling by the pool at noon, I missed the buffet service at Mar/Tiera for a quick lunch, I missed the live music by the pool.....I also did NOT like the change in the menu at the Mexican restaurant. Please bring back the grouper and flaming shrimp!!! Overall, still one of our favorite resorts.....highly recommend!"

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"This was our 3rd visit to the Valentin and we will definitely be returning. A great Value for the dollar
First Impressions - WOW - Incredible property.
Our arrival at the resort was warm and welcoming
Accomodation:
Clean rooms Comfortable Beds/Linens/Pillows.
Places to relax during the day:
Variety of places to lounge during the day. By the pools or beach. Quiet or more active its your choice!
You could have a quieter beach area and swim in a roped off area that is well supervised by a Lifeguard. Or you can lounge around in the different pool options. A quieter crescent shaped pool in front of Blds 6 / 7 or 8 (Golden Suites) with its own bar for beverages or the HUGE main pool on the other side of the resort that is an hour glass shape with an active end and a quiet section. It has 2 bars in the pool.
Beverage Service - During the day there are servers at the beach and the pool or you can opt to get up and get your own.
Activities:
Entertainment Staff is incredible. The best I have come across at any resort. They keep the guests well entertained OR leave you alone if you want. We preferred to watch the fun and guests were having lots of fun with them. Busy schedule during the day.

Theme nights: Carribean and Mexican nights
Never did get to see the Carribean night but the Mexican theme night was thee BEST we have ever seen at a resort in the area. Beautiful Venue in their courtyard at the front of the resort. Lots of lively entertainment and the buffet style food was fabulous too!

Food in the Evening - No buffet in the evening. Approx 6 ala carte options for dining available in the evening which suited us fine. We were never rushed and service was consistent with 5 *****. Our favorite restaurant was the French Themed one followed by the Meditteranian and Japanese. They also had a snack bar set up at 11pm in one of the bars for guests and also sushi available at 6pm in another bar.

Food During the Day: During the low occupancy season there is one Buffet Breakfast and Lunch with lots of variety while the other large restaurant that is a buffet also during high season is an ala carte for Breakfast and Lunch so you have a choice. We preferred the buffet option. The buffet serves similar items served daily BUT if you didn't eat the fish, pork, beef and chicken on your plate at every meal and paced yourself you certainly won't tire of the many choices.

Room Service:
Have ordered room service several times. Great variety on the room service menu and tasty. Never longer than 45 minutes and the hot dishes were always hot. Very efficient.

Staff is hard working and genuinely friendly. Always an 'HOLA' for you.

Grounds: Beautiful well manicured in areas and 'jungle' in some areas further away. This resort is spread out so you never feel closed in but there is lots of walking. Or you can call for a shuttle to come to your room to pick you up if you don't feel like a stroll.

Like I mentioned before - we will definitely be returning to the Valentin."

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"we stayed in early October for our anniversary, it was wonderful. We had a few room issues which were taken care of right away, otherwise the place is great. The grounds are so pretty and well taken care of, food great, entertainment good and the staff is very friendly and helpful. It was a wonderful vacation."

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"We had an amazing time at this resort in spite of Hurricane Rina. The resort is beautiful although depending on the building you are in, there may be a lot of walking. The walking for us was a bonus, however, as the food at the 7 restaurants was great and we ate a lot! The pools are beautiful and the staff was terrific. We would definitely come back!"

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"BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS... HOMERUN !!!"

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"Overall the resort exceeded our expectations with excellent food, outstanding staff, and a lovely room. I really enjoyed the marble flooring throughout. The maid added a special touch by designing hearts and elephants made from the bath towels topped with carnations. We visited serveral different restaurants and never had a bad meal. Even the room service meals were high quality. We only had two complaints: 1. They don't serve corona beer 2. The seated bike and another piece of equipment was broken in the excercise room."

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"The resort was more incredible than I imagined. I could not have asked for a better location for our honeymoon."

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"Strengths: Food, service, shuttle to move you around if walking is not your style.

Weakness: Pool side food or grill. Help with shipping on purchased goods from street vendors. Casual dining for dinner. All resturants preferred casual elegance, meaning long pants for men and a dress or capri's for women."

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"We spend a week at this resort and liked it, but cannot give it and excellent grade since there are plenty room for improvement"

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"Everything about this stay was great! The only thing we wish would have been different would be the pools and pool pars to stay open later. Food was great, staff was very friendly, and entertainment was also very good. Beach was AMAZING!"

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"Recommended by friends who were there 2 years prior and was a great experience. Terrific rooms, grounds, pool, beach. Food is very good. Staff is incredibly helpful. Definitely would consider returning."

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"This adults only resort is fantastic! We read a lot of reviews from many hotels in the area and chose this resort and we're so glad we did. We were in Building 11 and had an ocean view. I think building 12 would be the best for a clearer view but anywhere from building 9-12 would be great. The beach was really nice, no rocks in the swimming area and if you wanted to snorkel and see fish, all you had to do was go closer to the rocky areas. We liked the fact that we never had to make a reservation for any of the restaurants (unlike some of the other resorts we heard about). We felt the French restaurant was a great dining experience in a beautiful setting. We ate most of our breakfasts in the restaurant near our building on the ocean but the one nearer to the front actually had better choices. We liked the fact that the resort was large and we could get a lot of exercise walking whereever we wanted to go. I liked the fact that when we got dressed up for dinner, we could call for a ride and the driver with golf cart appeared within 3 minutes. Room service was also very prompt and everything steaming hot. We never had an issue with the food or water as the whole. Resort uses a filtered water system. I think the only thing we didn't like was the fact that our in room jacuzzi took over 2 hours to fill up so, we only used it once. We would highly recommend this resort to our friends and family! If you want an active full day adventure try the Tulum extreme. It includes visiting the mayan ruins, swimming in a cave (cenotes), zip lining and rappelling. We finished with a great lunch in the jungle that had chicken prepared in a mayan tradition.
The resort had kayak's, snorkling equipment, boogy boards to use for free and we took full advantage of it. We also took the jungle tour through Aquaworld (signed up for this at the main pool where they had out towels) and got to drive a 2 person jet boat through the mangroves and out to the coral reef where we snorkled. All in all this was a great choice for our honeymoon!
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"This was our second trip to the Valentin Imperial with a group of friends. I can't say enough about this resort. The service is great. The food is very good with a wide variety. We tried all the restaurants and enjoyed the variety of food. The dinners are slow, but this is more a cultural norm versus just slow service. You really can't go wrong staying here."

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"Had a great time

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"We had a wonderful time at the Resort. The Staff was attentive. The Resort itself is well maintained and beautiful. Food was OK, nothing great but OK.



The Beach is clean - soft sand with plenty of lounge chairs."

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"This place is amazing! Beautiful grounds, meticulously maintained, wonderful rooms, terrific food, great service, awesome beach and pools, felt welcomed and pampered by the staff at all times. One down side, lots of walking, its a big resort and things are spread out, but you can call for a golf cart ride anytime and they are happy to oblige. Will absolutely be returning to this resort, next time with our friends. This trip was for our 25th wedding anniversary and it was so romantic and the staff went out of their way to recognize our special event. Few tips, bring a float for the pool, and a beverage holder to keep your cold drinks cold and insect repellent for nighttime outdoor activities."

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"Fantastic from beginning to end...amazing staff, so friendly and caring...immaculate rooms and delicious food...room service any time at all, Joey loved that...endless beach views...even from the shower...patio off the jacuzzi more beach views and on and on and on...excursions galore...we did the Coba Maya Encounter...we zip lined, reppelled down a mountain and swam inside a cave...it was awesome...so much more than we had hoped for.. :-)
Thank you Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya!!!...We'll be back for sure and we'll bring friends!!!"

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"The resort was very nice...very clean and the grounds were well maintained. The large pools and whirlpools were sparkling clean. Customer service was excellent. The overall quality of the food was very good. Our emerald suite had a filtered view of the Caribbean sea and was very private. Overall a great 5 day vacation at a good value."

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"We absolutley loved the place and will return again once our yougest is old enough to handle our absence. Everything was perfect !!! The property was immaculate for being set in a tropical rainforest, we actually picked it because of the greenery in all of the pictures we found on the net. The service was superb as well as very timely and the staff was knowledgable and friendly to all of our concerns. Overall the Hotel Valetin was awesome. They advertise a very strict dress code for dinners which was not very strictly enforced except at the French restaurant. All of the others required casual dress and allowed shorts and nice sandals with a collared shirt for men. The emerald beach front is close to the beach and you can hear it but not see it without a short walk through the vegetation. Overall, all of the food, was excellant however if you dont read french then get a good tranlator because steak tartar is RAW. On another note EXPLOR park was well worth the time and money and highly recommended by us."

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"We spent 4 days at Valentin Imperial and loved it. Beautiful landscaped grounds, very private, yet you could walk anywhere within a few minutes. I was told that this is not the peak season, and the resort was not crowded at all. We never waited for a table, and had no problem finding chairs at the pool and beach. The breakfast and lunch buffets were first rate. The dinners were also very good. We had great weather, and had many frozen drinks by the pool. Someone suggested that we bring about $50 in singles to give out as tips, which we did. The staff were some of the friendliest, most wonderful people we have met, and we tipped for rounds of drinks, good service, the bell hops, etc. The tips appear to be genuinely appreciated. Overall, a great time and the price was great as well. We will definitely come back and hope to stay for a week or more. "

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"Went back for the second time this year and it was as wonderful if not better then the first time. Do yourself a favor and hit up the Valentin, best vacation you will have in Mexico."

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"My husband and I had the best trip--ever to this amazing resort! The food was incredible and the staff bent over backwards for us. Top notch service, for sure. Different dining experience every night and live shows which were impressive. Loved the staff, they really work hard to please. We were there 6 nights and only left the resort once for a shopping trip in Playa Del Carmen. Felt like we never wanted to leave this Mexican palace! Beach was stunning and the pool was tremendous! Thank you staff at for making our stay a memorable trip! Regards, Marguerite & Robert"

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"Excellent trip an Hotel."

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"Excellent venue, wonderful white sand beach with crystal clear ocean. Very friendly and courteous staff, food was mostly great. We even toured the kitchens which were immaculate. Great service was even better with tipping, Please people, one hundred bucks for the week for you is nothing compared to how it can impact the standard of living for those working at resorts. I asked the concierge and only the person you tip gets the tips ,so spread it around to any deserving staff. She also had lots of one dollar bills if you need them and will exchange larger US bills. emerald suite with spectacular view of ocean from bed and enormous jacuzzi. Ask for second level if you want a view as there is serious vegetation in back of the ground floor suites. "

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"My husband and I went to Valintin Imperial Maya for our honeymoon just 5 months ago and we are already ready to go back! EVERYTHING was AMAZING! Staff was super helpful they make you feel like royalty. Food was great and lots of it! Drinks were also great too! We got the JR Suite and loved it! We loved the room service, we were able to order food at any time of the night. Beach and pool was beautiful! We are planning our trip for our 1 yr anniversary as a married couple and can't wait! "

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"This is a wonderful place, if you love nature than this is the place for you. It's like a garden jungle the only thing I can say that wasn't the best was the food it was just good not great maybe thats because I went at off season. "

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"The Valentin was beatuiful. My wife and I went for our honeymoon just a few days ago (Sept.12-19). the weather was great, it was relaxing and there were not to many peeps there. The breakfast buffet and lunch buffet are really good. (ask for the habenero salsa!). The dinners were ok, the best was the Tandoori chicken from the Indonisian resturant. Room service food is best described as, 'eh.' Staff is friendly and the ocean is awesome. It's a good value for all-inclusive, and, out of all the places we looked into, it is the best. always ask for double whatever alchohol you are drinking and the drink will be perfect. Overall, it was an awesome and relaxing experience for both of us. Totally worth it."