Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya
About
Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya is the new definition of paradise. Our 5 star Adults-Only (18+) All-Inclusive Resort is located a short 25 minutes from Cancun International Airport in the Riviera Maya.
Set amid lavish gardens on a half-mile-long stretch of white sand beach named Playa Del Secreto (The Secret Beach), this magnificent award-winning resort boasts one of the largest swimming pools in Mexico. The location is ideal as one can easily reach Cancun and the world famous Mayan archaeological sites such as Tulum, Coba, and Chichen Itza, yet be removed enough to enjoy the casually elegant ambience of Valentin Imperial Maya.
Escape into a world where your every wish is our command. Come indulge yourself....You deserve it!
Valentin Imperial Maya Hotel & Spa is committed to preserve the environment by reducing the consumption of natural resources, promoting among our guests and staff, protection and respect for the environment through good environmental practices.
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However I am taking off a star (could’ve been two) for the following reasons:
1. The reserving of chairs with towels or slippers or magazines it’s simply out of control. People simply throw their old towels or magazines on chairs before sleeping. Saw dozens of cases of people reserving multiple chairs at multiple pools!!! This absolutely ruins the experience in a major way. Why is the resort allowing this to happen?! Why aren’t all towels simply being cleared over night? We know that people are greedy and have no shame but why is this being allowed? Two chairs in the shade two chairs in the sun and at all three pools? UNACCEPTABLE.
2. The music and entertainment… if I hear sweet Caroline or YMCA one more time I will have a tantrum. Beleive it or not some of us travel to Mexico for the culture and music. Why am I hearing rock music night and day?! What this resulted in is us going to bed every night at 10:30 pm while the 60+ American crowd danced to the same songs every night.
3. I consider myself a great tipper and tipped $400 plus in the 10 days i was there however I don’t like feeling pressured for tips and that is very much so the case here. I get the feeling that the hotel is not paying their employees well. It’s just exhausting. Why am I getting attitude from the bartender in the pool bar when I simply can’t have cash in my swimsuit?
4. The drinks… there is something definitely going on with the liquor being served here. 6+ drinks had the effect of 1 drink at playa del Carmen downtown. This doesn’t make sense and makes me think that the alcohol is being watered down etc.
Loved this resort and enjoyed it however it is for these reasons that I will not be back.



We found our driver, Rafael, with Kalido and off we went. If you need a transfer service, I very much recommend Kalido. They are organized, extremely professional, and very nice. The drive to Valentin took about 25 minutes and when we pulled up, it was clear Valentin was a nice resort. Even its entrance is stunning. Since we were pretty early, we checked in with Phoebe and she told us that we were able to get the room types we had requested (two beds in each, and next-door rooms) but our rooms were not ready so we had a drink at the martini bar and then we went to lunch at their buffet. The lunch buffet truly has something for everyone and if you like dessert, they probably have about 20 different things on it just for you.
When our rooms were ready, we were taken by golf cart to them by Kevin, who gave us a lowdown of the resort. We had rooms 5111 and 5112, on the ground floor. The rooms were very nice and we were happy with the closed concept of the restrooms since I was stying with my son’s girlfriend and my son was staying with his dad. Our rooms overlooked the grounds and we could not really sit on the patios because of the mosquitoes. We had been to Cancun 5 times previously and have never used the insect repellent we brought but we were glad to have it this time. Three of the four of us were bitten all over but my husband did not have a single bite. The resort had a lot of vegetation and wildlife (coatis and iguanas are everywhere) and it is truly beautiful.
After we checked in, we were off to the foam party that they have every Sunday at 3. It was a lot of fun and I am glad we arrived in time for it. The Go Team is truly great; they work really hard to get the guests involved and excited. They had a mechanical bull on Monday, chair basketball, pool volleyball, music trivia, a “magic carpet” race, aqua cycling, and many other activities.
We spent our days at the main pool where we were very well taken care of by Miguel. He is a terrific employee for Valentin but he is also just a wonderful person. The drinks around the pool are outstanding and they did not seem watered down at all. If you want premium liquor, just ask. The pool has food available as well so you can order lunch or snacks. Everything we had off the menu was good. Just be careful when you are eating, as the coatis and iguanas are definitely drawn to the food. We did not feed them so they didn’t bother us too much. If you like to have shade, plan to arrive at the pool early. That was not a problem for me at all this trip since I naturally get up early. I did not want to wake my son’s girlfriend and since I could not sit on the patio due to the mosquitos, I would order room service coffee and head to the pool area to read and then I would head to the beach for a little while to watch the sunrise. I was able to get under the palapas at the pool every day but they were all occupied by probably 7:30 or so. If you are OK with chairs in the sun, you could wait longer but those were mostly claimed by about 9. I can’t comment about the beach during the day because we only did pool. The main pool is lively but if you want more tranquility, there is the golden pool as well as a silver pool. The silver pool in particular looked to have spots available any time, if you don’t want to play the towel game in the morning.
The food at Valentin was really good and we had no complaints with any of it. We did the buffet most mornings but did try the huevos rancheros and divorced eggs at Mar y Tierra. Both were delicious but the buffet was best for us since we have different types of eaters and everyone could find something they liked. For lunch, we again went to the buffet most of the time and were happy with that. The buffet also has snacks later in the day and we went one day for some nachos and they were terrific. The servers at the buffet are extremely kind and hardworking. Jorge remembered our names from the first day and we would request him but we also really liked Yair and Isaac. For dinner, we had l’Alsace twice (the filet, onion soup, and crème brûlée were our favorites). Luis was our server and he is awesome. We went to la Hacienda once. The chips and guacamole/pico there are good and I loved the mushroom crêpes as well as the enmoladas. My husband had the ribeye and he liked it. We had Martin as a server and he was excellent. L’Olivo and being served by José was terrific. The mushroom risotto was my favorite and my son and his girlfriend really liked the fettuccini Alfredo. Mar y Tierra was probably our least favorite but it was still good. I really liked the vegetable cream soup there.
Each night, we visited Don Miguel where the drinks are not only delicious, many are a show in their presentation. I really liked the Imperial martini and the blackberry martini. The flaming coffee was really neat to watch them to prepare but it took several minutes and I could not help but wonder how much the employees hate making that. They have live music and on our last night, they had a trio of men singing who were incredible to watch. The shows at Valentin that we watched were entertaining. We watched the Micheal Jackson show but did not love it. The performers were good but a lot of the music was remixed and it just didn’t draw us in too much. The burlesque show and fire show were more fun to watch but the best one we saw was the magic show by far. After the show, we would hit the churro cart for me and the rest of the group would get ice cream at Café Sisal. The man working the churro cart is really nice and the churros are yummy.
The housekeeping was good during the day but the turndown service for us was sporadic. Normally, that would not be a problem, but at Valentin, they do not have towel huts around the pool so you only get the ones in your room and they exchange them during turndown but a couple of nights, no one came. Not a huge deal; I just asked housekeeping or the concierge the next day for fresh ones but it would have been easier if they has the huts so we would grab them as we needed them. It was also hard to have dry towels throughout the day with how they do it.
At Valentin, you can upgrade to their privé package for about $75 a person per day for perks like liquor in room, a reserved Bali bed, dinner reservations, and lobster. We did not do it and I can’t see ever doing it. If you want a drink in your room, you can ask a bartender to make your drink in your cup (we always travel with insulated tumblers). They do have beer in your mini fridge as well. For dinner, we did have to wait a couple times so we went to Don Miguel while we waited so we were OK not having reservations and like I said, I get up early so I was always able to get the spot I wanted around the pool.
On departure day, they arrived with a golf cart promptly at the time we requested and took us to reception. Kalido was on time to take us back and this time, Rene was our driver. He was extremely funny and a great guy to chat with,
Our trip to VIM was absolute perfection and I cannot wait to come back. If you are thinking of going, do yourself a favor and book. You will not regret it!



We stayed in the Junior Deluxe Suite and I don't think we missed out on anything that the upper rooms had other than the bigger bathtub which we had already enjoyed the week prior. Our room was visited by the cleaning staff a minimum of twice daily (turn down service included), and we felt pampered the entire trip. They even left a beautiful towel art display with rose petals on our bed when we arrived!
All of the food at the resort was fantastic, but I was blown away by the service at the a la carte restaurants, specifically their Italian (L'Olivo) and French (La Sace) options. This is my third time in Mexico, and the food here beats out the other two resorts I've stayed at by miles.
The pool was such a fun atmosphere, and if you wanted to relax the other large pool on site was more of a quiet reading and relaxing vibe. The events team made sure that there was never a dull moment at the main pool and the highlight for us was playing pool volleyball for multiple hours every day.
Every day the app had a new "journal" that included all of the activities scheduled for the day, which restaurants were open (some were closed one day a week because we came at low capacity) which was super helpful to refer to.



The daily rate does include basic meals, room service, and some basic, watered down drinks, but there are endless up charges for everything from the spa facilities, upgraded food, and you need to pay for a special package to get comfortable shaded seating by the pool or beach. It's an embarrassment to call it "all inclusive".
All that said, the rooms are comfortable and well equipped, the grounds are absolutely beautiful, the huge main pool is stunning, exceptional, and the staff is uniformly friendly and helpful. The nightly entertainment is nothing great but at least offers something to do. The staff willingly offered a late checkout at no extra charge for a guest with a later flight and went out of their way to be accommodating . Bottom line, aside from the way subpar food this is a nice resort , by no means exclusive or five star level but fine for a getaway if you don't mind being in a mass tourism facility
Pros:
The resort is well-maintained, with clean walking areas that made exploring the grounds a pleasant experience. Housekeeping did a fabulous job of keeping our accommodations tidy and replenished with necessary items, which I greatly appreciated. The bars, especially Don Miguel, offered a nice ambiance and were a highlight of my stay.
Cons:
However, several issues detracted from my overall enjoyment. Unfortunately, the clientele at the resort did not meet my expectations, and I often felt surrounded by disrespectful behavior reminiscent of a less refined environment. This may have contributed to the staff’s demeanor; I found the staff to be inconsistent in their friendliness. On multiple occasions, I felt as though I was in their way rather than being welcomed as a guest.
The dining experience was another area of concern. The food was generally mediocre, with the exception of the French restaurant and Mar & Tiera, which were both enjoyable. Room service was particularly disappointing; I received a raw hamburger on one occasion, and most food delivered was cold.
In summary, while my friends made the trip enjoyable, the overall experience fell short of my expectations. I had hoped for a much more relaxing and welcoming environment, as I have experienced at other properties. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this resort based on my experience.
The sports bar is currently closed, not an issue for us; Don Miguel's, where we went every night is open until 11pm but then you have the square which has live entertainment and a bar until 1am, the coffee shop is also open until 1am, which has a lot of different goodies, their ice cream is addictive.
The restaurants were great, the French, Mexican, Surf & Turf, and Indonesian were our favourite, and either location was good for breakfast.
Recommended all the shows, something every night, MJ was particularly popular.
The staff work non stop, always giving 100%, unfortunately this was not always appreciated by all the guests, and we heard people complaining. All I have to say is you work in 33° (96°) heat, with 100% humidity for 12 hours a day and see how you feel. We were greatly appreciative for anything and everything the staff done. It's a shame as we heard a number of guests moan.
I recommend going out the resort by Collectivo, it's safe and 90% cheaper than taking a taxi, plus you get to meet other people, either from another resort or who work at another resort. We went to Playa del Carmen, Cancun, and Puerto morelos which I highly recommend on a Friday night, go to La Sarena, live music, great food, had a fab time. Speak to Dora about it.
Big shout outs to...
Everyone at Don Miguel's, and at the buffet breakfast restaurant, plus the GO team and everyone at Barracuda.
Dora has a wealth of information and if you are going to leave the resort, ask here for Thalia's number, she's a highly trusted taxi driver who use to work at the VIM.
Big shout out personally to:
Jesus, Cynthia, Dora, Carlos, Alfredo, Liliana, Jose, Michelle, Katherine, Sexy Lorenzo, Luis, Edgar, Aura, and so many more.
Missing you all already x
When comparing the experience at the Valentine to others, it was average at best. Still an enjoyable week of vacation, but the service & hospitality missed the mark.
Our room was on the third floor of the building with an elevator that was out of commission and was being worked on all week. A minor inconvenience.
An unexpected rain shower soaked our belongings & towels by the pool one day. We asked if we could exchange our wet pool towels for dry ones, we were denied since we were not premium members. We enjoyed the pool the rest of the day, but had to walk back dripping wet due to not having dry towels.
The only restaurant that required a reservation was hibachi. We were instructed to call at 10am to reserve a spot. The first day we called at 10:20am and the only time available was 9:30pm, we passed due to the lateness. The second day we called, they were full and instructed us to call the next day at 10am, but this time we called right at 10am. Third day we called, we were instructed we must go visit a concierge in person to book. We visited the main lobby concierge to book. Upon arrival we were instructed to go back to our buildings concierge to book. Unfortunately for us we were in the only building on the property with no concierge so we were then instructed to visit a neighboring building’s concierge to book.
We were nearing the end of our trip and only had large bills. We visited the main lobby to exchange a large bill for smaller ones so we could properly tip the employees. Unfortunately, the front desk associates stated they could not do that.
On our third day of the visit, all bars (both pools & beach) were out of ingredients to make certain drinks. It was disappointing to ask for a drink and be told “sorry, we cannot make that today, what else would you like?”
The resort seemed low on waiters & bartenders. The wait to get a drink took longer when comparing to other resorts in the area. If you ordered a drink at the bar, it would take nearly 10 minutes to get it. At the pools, the waiters would take your order and bring it back 30 minutes later. We started ordering double drinks due to the tardiness in receiving drinks.
I would not recommend visiting this location due to these experiences. If it was only a few inconveniences, that would he understandable. But being on the resort for 7 days & having issues daily, that is unacceptable from a resort that states it is 5 star.



We made it to every restaurant during our trip other than the French restaurant. All of the food was fantastic with great staff members making sure you were pleased with your meals. After dinner we spent time at the sports bar playing cards and pool and a few of us had cigars/hookah at the Hookah lounge. Amanda in the Hookah lounge was amazing. Each time we came in she helped suggest cigars by telling the prices, origins, and taste profiles. These items are charged to your room.
At 9:00pm each night there are shows that you can go see that change nightly. We had a burlesque show, magic show, circus, and Michael Jackson show.
The place we spent the least time was our rooms. Everything was easy to find and the complimentary items were useful. They make it easy for you to notify them that you’d like your room cleaned or if you are good with literally the click of a button.
Upon arriving we met with Dora who was another great example of what makes this resort top notch. A staff full of smiling faces that make you feel like you’re a friend coming to visit instead of just a guest. Dora was the last person to send us off as well which pretty much brought our trip full circle.
We flew out of KC on Southwest and it was one of the best airlines we've been on, easiest check-in, boarding and flight, extra points for getting us there early! Breezed through customs and baggage, connected with our driver outside (Thanks Santiago Chavez with Local Tours!) and with ice cold cervezas provided by our driver, we were on our way to paradise.
We did the Prive check-in and went to lunch at the newly remodeled Le Marche, the meal and ambiance was excellent and I was delighted to see guacamole and a taco el pastor meat braizer added to the lunch buffet. Our room was prepared after lunch so we changed to our swimsuits and started the party in the pool! Bartenders Michel, Johnny, Diego, Sonja, Veronica and Joel made excellent drinks and ensured we never saw the bottom of our drink cups. Lorenzo and his entertainment staff kept the fun going all day, rain or shine.
The beach was rocky but sea shells were abundant and there were beautiful examples readily available. The ocean was a little rough but people were out in the water. As others have recommended, take your water shoes if you want to get in the ocean. It was too cool for us, made the pool feel good.
The meals and food were excellent as always, our favorite places, Ginger and La Alsace were frequent stops as was Mar and Tierra. We reconnected with some of our favorites, Edgar, Angel, Noemi, Oscar, Samuel, Isaac, Abelardo, Antonio and Bernadino. Wonderful people that keep us coming back. We had a fabulous meal with Oscar at the French Restaurant and William at the Sushi bar is a magician creating sushi delights.
Mornings at the coffee shop with David were always fun and he created just the right coffee blend for the morning wake up drink.
The evening entertainment was always great, the bands along with the Magic, Circus and Michael Jackson show, filled the evening (along with more than a few churros!).
We will return for trip number 21 in April of 2025. VIM delivers!
"Main pool is where people save chairs so go out there at 5am and do the same. I wish they would put a strict policy on this!"Read full review
"Do not try to go to the specialty restaurants after they’ve been closed a day it seems everyone has the same idea."Read full review
"If you plan to spend time at the beach, I recommend getting there early. It fills up quickly but we never spent more than 10 mins looking!"Read full review
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