We booked this vacation even after reading many negative reviews because we are warm and friendly people who tend to find that people have a strange attitude when it comes to vacation. We see so many people who seem to believe they should be treated as royalty regardless of where they are or what they paying. I now know some of the people writing some of these reviews are no exception.

This resort was so fabulous that we cannot wait to return.

First, I must dispel some of what I read on this sight. I saw NO children pouring drinks over thier heads and the swim up bar was populated by adults, the same adults all day long . I saw far more ill-mannered adults than children. The patios were NOT crawling with bugs. The breakfast buffet was beautiful, and the food wasn't cold; even my picky eaters found plenty to try and plenty to enjoy. We found breakfast so fulfilling, we rarely needed lunch. The beach was small, but it truly didn't feel small. The snorkeling was great and because it is cut into the cove, it was exceptionally safe for children. The beach was VERY clean! A few rocky places, but we did NOT need the surf shoes I took with me because of these reviews.

I would agree that the rooms were humid and dark, but we were only in our rooms to sleep and clean up because we so enjoyed all there was to do at the resort. The beds were very comfortable and the rooms were comfortably controlled by our own thermostat.

My own observations are that the adult pool was never crowded and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The family pool was very large and never did it feel too crowded. The spa was exceptionally large; however, we found it too warm outside to want to get in it. There were plenty of places to sneak away to in order to feel secluded. The natural pool by the wedding gazebo was awesome! Breakfast and lunch every day was very good, but I can't rave about dinner. I don't go on vacation for the food, however.
Service was amazing and every single staff person was polite, friendly and warm. Several seemed genuinely sad to see us go.

My children (8 year old twins) LOVED the explorers club. My husband and I had so much alone time because the kids were busy collecting shells, getting their faces painted, rock climbing, making balloon animals, doing mexican crafts etc. They CHOSE to stay at the exploreres club with their new friends and play rather than come with us to dinner. This made everyone happy. After one week with four people (two of whom are 8) sharing one hotel room, we could not believe that we were not on each others' nerves.

I still need to mention the kayaking, the catamaran rides, the bungy jumping etc. There just isn't enough time to mention all the fabulous things we did. We can't wait to go back!

As a return guest 3yrs later I was very dissappointed. When I booked the trip, was given a $100 spa credit. When going to book a masage(which costs $200.) I was told that only $40 could be used towards the spa and the rest had to be used for a romantic dinner/bottle of wine. All inclusive should include food & drink and the cost of this dinner was $300+. I shreaded the coupons and threw them away. I had to call for house keeping to clean the room on the first day. The swim up BAR was crowded by kids who's parents did not care what they were doing. Pouring drinks over their heads IN the pool. I have and love kids but they do not belong at the bar! They were obnoxious and rude. I have to give credit to the waiters/bartenders! They provide the best service and deserve the tips they get. They are very courteous and friendly. The food could have been better, breakfast was the only meal we truly enjoyed. Was not impressed with the nightly shows. Rock bands on the beach ... Helloo this is Mexico. I heard more Ozzy and AC/DC that Buffett or Marley. And the big beautiful jaccuzzi... the water was so hot in it we couldn't even enjoy it. So if you plan to stay at this hotel, keep in mind, if you bring your children, watch them! And if you are given spa credits, don't believe what they tell you, your credits aren't worth what they claim they are.

This review is long overdue as we visited the Dreams Puerto Aventuras from April 15th through April 28th. This resort was previously a Sunscape resort until January 2009, when the Dreams chain took over. Because the resort was technically "new", the resort had some fabulous deals out there that we couldn't pass up. With few reviews to base a decision on, we took a leap of faith and booked. We were not disappointed! We traveled with friends of ours from Canada and we all agreed that this resort was one of the best we had visited.

When we arrived, because it was a few days after Easter, the resort was uncomfortably PACKED! It was difficult to get into the World Cafe (their buffet) without a wait. Lots of families and little children. The beach was packed, the pools were packed, the restaurants were too busy. It was impossible to get a lounge chair anywhere unless you got up at 5:30 a.m to "reserve" one. We're early birds, so, we always got "our" loungers, but, if you wanted to find a lounger at 9:00 a.m, forget it. By the Friday (2 days) after our arrival, the Easter holiday guests left and the resort was PERFECT...no lineups, no trampling over small children, no problem getting loungers. I actually wouldn't recommend this particular Dreams during the Easter holiday.

There are 5 restaurants...The World Cafe (buffet), portofino (Italian), El Patio (Mexican), Oceana (international), Seaside Grill and the Barefoot Grill (hot dogs/hamburgers). Food was decent for an all inclusive, probably better than most. If you are a meat eater, the steaks offered here are not high quality, but tasty. From what I have learned from private restauranteurs in Mexico, getting quality meats is kind of a hit & miss situation...one day the meat is good, the next, not so good. The Dreams resorts do not require reservations for the ala carte restaurants, which, can be a positive for some. I considered it a negative. There could be long waits to get into some of the restaurants, particularly the Portofino(Italian) and the Oceana(international). I could care less about a wait...just drink more wine & socialize! With all the food around during the day, who's starving?! We had read a few reviews of Dreams before we visited , and, most of the complaints were of slow service. Yes, I agree. Service WAS slow...but, again, WHO CARES?! WHERE ARE YOU IN A HURRY TO go?! In the next breath, the servers and staff are FABULOUS.....whatever you want, even if not on the menu, they will literally RUN throughout the resort to find what you want. I don't agree with this practice, but, the staff will find you SOMEWHERE whatever you want. It truly was incredible how accomodating every staff member was. This will be the Dreams resort's MANTRA...."If you want it, we'll find it". We have never encountered a more gracious and accomodating staff. I must compliment my favorite bartenders & servers by name: Gaspar, Amelia, Carlos, Edgarth, Damien and, my absolute FAVE, Willy. Oh, I have to mention, my favorite foods to die for at the Dreams were the fish tacos at the Seaside Grill and, also, the flank/skirt steak at the Seaside Grill.

If you have small children, the staff entertains them all day and into the evening. They provide the children with the little buzzer things that you use for restaurant reservations. If you want your child back, you hit the buzzer and the staff returns your child. The guests we talked with who had children couldn't say enough good about the care of their children.

The resort has a "family pool", which is on the ocean side of the resort. This pool is large and also includes a swim up bar. Activities and music are provided throughout the day. The adult pool overlooks the marina and the road into the small marina town of Puerto Aventuras. The "adults only" is strictly enforced. There is a swim up bar , music that ranges from the 70's disco to the 90's. The cd's or tapes that the resort utilizes seem to make the rounds amongst each pool, bar & restaurant. If you had the disco CD at the adult pool for a few days, they then switched to a Bob Marley CD with a bit of 80's or 90's music. At the time we were there, we found out the bartenders cannot change the music based on popular demand. They have to ask management. So, if it takes a bit of time to get the music changed based on the guest's requests, it may take a few hours. Who CARES? wE HAD A BLAST. I must touch on the fact that if you are too lazy to get off your lounger and get lunch, the staff will bring the food & drink to you. The Dreams resorts advertise this fact, however, there are always idiots in every corner that abuse the system. There were a few groups of people during our stay that were ordering the waiter around all day like he/she was their personal lackey or slave. I was embarrassed. These people could have assisted in their own personal health by getting off their fat duffs and getting their own food & drink. It seemed like the service that is advertised by the resort was completely taken advantage of. To top it off, these 2 groups of people did NOT tip the waiter after multiple days of being waited on like they were royalty. I was SOOO embarrassed, I had to ask the waiter if they tipped. He said "No....but, for you, not to worry". I thanked the higher power when this batch of guests left. Just my two pennys of opinion.

The rooms are appointed with everything you need...shampoo, conditioner, lotion, blow dryer, etc. Rooms are cleaned adaquately and always cleaned before we returned from the beach or pool (around 5:00). The bed are uniquely NOT HARD, which is usually the norm, not the exception, in Mexico. The bed was more comfortabe than my bed in Mi casa. Down comforters. Almost like sleeping in puffy clouds. There is a mini bar in the room, with soda, water & beer, that would not be restocked unless we called the front desk. Ths worked out well for us as,as I recently discovered (on our visit to the Sandos Playacar), that if you leave a tip on your bed for your maid, if the beverage restocking person shows up in your room before the maid, the beverage person will snatch up the tip. So, whenever we needed water or soda, we called the front desk and within 5 minutes, they would arrive with the beverages we requested. We'd tip a buck or so and it made me feel better that the maid was actually receiving the tip we had left her.

Most of the nightly shows are in an indoor "auditorium". Went to one show, so, I am not an expert in the entertainment. Myself, my husband and our friends didn't feel like being inside. There were every few days, entertainment on the beach, but, again, we only caught a few minutes of the acts. We were off doing something else. We have seen so many shows in our 20 years of international travel, that , we rarily spend much time with the evening entertainment shows.

Many of you will receive a $ 200 resort credit, depending on who you book your trip with. You can only use approximately $ 40 per service, meaning, if you want to utlize the spa, you can only use $ 40 on this service, out of your $ 200 credit. My girlfriend & I used the credits to purchase bottles of upgraded wine, which was pretty good. Just an FYI.

The marina town of Puerto Avenuras is right around the corner from Dreams. Every few days, we would walk to the internet cafe, Cafe Cafe. Opens at 8 a.m.. Very reasonable interent rates (around $ 3.00 an hour if I recal) and the internet service was fast and not all cobbled up. Cafe Cafe also has awesome brownies. I believe they have a sandwich fare in the afternoon, but, I'm not certain.There are tables & chairs outside Cafe Cafe, so, my intuition tells me they cater to a lunch clientele, as well.

A cab ride to Playa Del Carmen is $ 16 each way. Just guessing, Playa del Carmen is about 10 miles away from Puerto Aventuras. Lots of fab restaurants, shopping , people watching and ALOT OF UTTER NONSENSE...which is what I love best. I found the Mexican Glass Masks I had been looking for at a price better than what I was looking to pay. If you are looking for a particular Mexican craft, if one vendor doesn't have it, they will run down the street to find it for you. Our U.S. customer service reps could learn a thing or two here about true customer service. You can find anything in Playa del Carmen, from jewelry, swimswear, tshirts, crafts, retaurants, bars and even a gambling place if you feel like betting a few dollars on the horses.

This has probably been the worst organized review I have written, but, I had to get it completed before I forgot everything. Our Canadian friends, myself & my husband have decided that the Dreams resort ranked within the top all inclusive resorts we have visited; very comfortable beds, decent food, SUPERIOR , friendly staff and service. All staff will answer your requests with "it's my pleasure, mi bonita". From researching, it appears that the Dreams Resort chain is attempting to make customer/guest services their priority, and the resort's attentiveness to finding the correct employees to achieve their goals seems to be working. Anything a guest could want or need, the staff will find. It made ME, personally, a bit uncomfortable as I like flying around, getting my own food & drink. I don't want to gain 10 pounds while on vacation.................and, every time ya get up to get food or drink, there is always the opportunity to meet other guests. So fun!

With all the positive things I have to say about The Dreams Puerto Aventuras, we probably would not return for several reasons, not to be reflective of the resort. We would be interested in visiting the Dreams in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta, which is quickly becoming our favorite vacation destination for our fall holiday. The Puerto Aventuras marina area does offer the swimming with the dolphin thing ( which I think is cruel & unusual punishment for mammals/ animals that would be much happier being NOT CAPTIVE.) The Puerto Aventuras area does have several retail shops and bars that cater to vacationers...........it is very quiet there and very safe (if safety may be a concern) to walk around in.

I would recommend the Dreams Puerto Aventuras because of their "over the top" attention to their guests, which is FAR superior to any resort we have visited. I need to do a shout out to newly met friends.... Brenda, Marilynne(sp) Debbie & Tina. We will probably run into you goof balls again soon. Also, Faye & Ebby, our Nova Scotia, Cape Breton friends, "See YOU in SEPTEMBER!

Feel free to private message l me if you have more specific questions.

This was our 4th stay with this chain, with our most recent stay was last October at the Secrets Maroma - A few regular services changed and I will note that at the end of the review


Check In / room

It was a breeze, we arrived at 12:30 pm and was worried we would have to wait for the room to be ready, even packed our swim wear in our carry on's so that we could just head to beach.. Room was ready and the view was OUTSTANDING! Nice room 632, bed was comfortable and everything worked perfectly including the AC... No problems at all


Positives

Great view from the room
Nice small resort... Access to everything was efficient
Snorkeling was outstanding... There were TONS of juvenile fish and coral formations everywhere - Beware... Lots and lots of juvenile and adult sea urchins everywhere… highly advise wearing beach shoes in the water
Away from the pool area and near the natural pool is MUCH more quiet and relaxing if you are looking for peace and quiet
Wonderful surf all day long made for a really nice relaxing day
NO Towel Cards!!!!!
NO reservations required!!!
NO wristbands!!!
US Domestic beers served if that is what you desire
The Kids club seemed to be well managed and the kids seemed to be having a really good time
My wife NEVER has saw the value or expertise in the spas she had used at AI’s in previous visits, but speaks HIGHLY of Alberto... she even booked and additional treatment and said it was better than here in the US
Room service 24/7 (a note on this later)

Neutral

Food... Not better or worse than most AI’s
Pools – did not use and typical of this hotelier they are very basic
The Buffet was closed on two of the nights for Caribbean night and a 4th of July celebration – We did not care for it… but many seemed to enjoy
The Animation team… Did not go to a show… after 20 or so trips they are all about the same
Towel Game – it was there but not as pronounced as the larger resorts. I went to beach around 8am each morning and always found a good spot




Negatives

NOISE – This is one LOUD resort all around the pool and hotel entry area… on two of the nights I had to call the desk due to partiers out by the pools past 1am... hey its not Cancun – very poor insulation and perhaps that is from the “cove” layout – Although RIU is the worst.. This was not far behind it…
Dive Shop – These guys cater only to discover scuba and beginners... They offered NO challenging open water dives and only went to Cenote Chok Mool or Dos Ojos – fun the first 2 or 3 times, but a bit redundant after that
Buffets – Not sure if it’s the economy or the time of our stay... But this chain usually offered prime rib, lobster tails or crab legs at least once per week on the dinner buffet.
Room service menu – The ENTIRE dinner menu has been removed and now is a combo of lunch/ dinner… Long gone were the steak / grilled seafood and great chicken dishes … Also the Build your own Omelet was deleted

We had a good time and I would not hesitate to recommend to friends – once we found the quiet spots it was pure relaxation