We were very disappointed in our stay at the Rivijera, and to start with, I’ll just say the pictures of the resort paint a different picture than the actual, especially the outside. So I will start there. Outside, the grass and gardens had not been tended for quite some time. The grass was 6-10” high and so was a lovely home for the 1000’s of mosquitos. The pool was really really cold and had who knows how many months of algae and scum on the sides of it – gross.

In terms of all inclusive, I would not recommend going that route. The ONLY meal that was somewhat reliable was breakfast. Actually I did make a sandwich one night for dinner and so that was acceptable – but really, cucumber, tomatoe and bread sandwich for dinner being acceptable is saying something. We ended up eating off the property at least 80% of the time.

If you like beer, you are in luck. There is beer at lunch and dinner time. If you don’t drink beer, and like your wine, than you will likely be VERY disappointed with the wine here. It’s disgusting. And a huge surprise is that you cannot get coffee, tea, or soft drinks at lunch or dinner, unless you want to PAY for them.

The rooms are ‘okay’, but getting on in age and in a state of disrepair. And worse, the staff don’t really seem to care. We had a huge chunk out of a glass in our room (I’m not talking about a crack here). We put it out to have it replaced, and the staff simply PUT IT BACK. Very odd. Also, the volume of splattered mosquitos (and blood) on the walls, ceilings, and curtains, will tell you a couple of things. One – there are a LOT of mosquitos here; and TWO – the cleaning team is not even looking at that mess. Also, the outside bridge/pathway between the 2 buildings was incredibly slippery ALL day due to heavy dew. It was treacherous, and one guest had a bad fall and had to be taken away for medical treatment.

The staff are a mixed bag. Some are friendly while others are just plain rude. We had a staff person walk right into a locked room WITHOUT knocking, while one of us was having a shower. In what hotel, anywhere, is it OKAY for staff to simply walk into a locked room (using a master key) without knocking.

The location is good, if you can find it. You need to drive through what looks like a construction site to get to this hotel, and my bet is you WILL NOT see the sign to enter into this construction zone.

The beach and sea are lovely to swim in, and there are lots of restaurants and bars nearby (thankfully !!). But to recap, the food is terrible, the wine awful, the staff can be rude, and the condition of the facilities is poor.

We won’t be back.

Booked through a Travelzoo deal. Looks terrible as you get dropped off in car park that’s under construction but walk through lovely gardens. Welcome from reception was great. Lovely big room, possibly a suite, with a sea and garden view. We had got half board although I hadn’t booked that (red wristband) Didn’t intend to use it for dinner but it rained very heavily our first night so we ventured in. Not my thing, queuing for food but it was ok... strange mix that catered for the big German contingent I think. Tricky trying to find out how to get a drink. Guy in charge (bald grumpy looking) made it really difficult to order a beer! Anyway... hotel in great location, room great with comfy bed, gardens lovely, pool great, breakfast good... what’s not to like!