Cancun - Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa

We waited for 3 hours to check in. The staff was pleasant and helpful, but the wait was uncomfortable. The food was very disappointing and of the lowest quality. The beach was treacherous, covered with jagged rocks, with only a small area to safely enter the water. The pools were boring and one .. More>

We waited for 3 hours to check in. The staff was pleasant and helpful, but the wait was uncomfortable. The food was very disappointing and of the lowest quality. The beach was treacherous, covered with jagged rocks, with only a small area to safely enter the water. The pools were boring and one pool had NO safe way to enter, other than to jump in. The other pool was used for activities and was loud and crowded. The childrens pool area was right next to the pool swim up bar. Would never return to Dreams Tulum!

I just got bumped. I am not going to write all this again!!! .. More>

I just got bumped. I am not going to write all this again!!!

The main swimming pool and loudspeaker is jutside the preferred club rooms and it can be very noisy (only during the daytime). The other comment is that people go out from 6 am to reserve the chairs next to the swimming pools and beach. There must be another way to control that. I had to take thing .. More>

The main swimming pool and loudspeaker is jutside the preferred club rooms and it can be very noisy (only during the daytime). The other comment is that people go out from 6 am to reserve the chairs next to the swimming pools and beach. There must be another way to control that. I had to take things of one of them that some people had left hours earlier in order to have one.......

We're a family of five and had a great week at Dreams Tulum. The pool was a big draw and the restaurants satisfied all of our tastes. It was really a no-worries vacation. .. More>

We're a family of five and had a great week at Dreams Tulum. The pool was a big draw and the restaurants satisfied all of our tastes. It was really a no-worries vacation.

We expected more for the money. There were not enough pool/beach chairs for all guests so if you wanted a chair you had to awake at 5-6 am to be assured of getting one-kind of defeats the purpose of a vacation. Beach is very rocky so need water shoes. Wifi not widely available despite what they .. More>

We expected more for the money. There were not enough pool/beach chairs for all guests so if you wanted a chair you had to awake at 5-6 am to be assured of getting one-kind of defeats the purpose of a vacation. Beach is very rocky so need water shoes. Wifi not widely available despite what they say-we had none in our rooms. Not all rooms have flat screen TVs and rooms are very dark because they use CFLs. Poor communication among staff. We lost our kids one night because they moved the pool movie to the Coco Cafe, then to the sports bar. No one at the cafe or the front desk knew of the second move so it was very frustrating. Food and service were excellent, rooms were clean, jacuzzi tubs in all rooms. We loved dreams in Puerta Vallarta and were disappointed with this one.

When we arrived we could not check in right away which we figured so we went for lunch. We checked back @ 3pm and still did not have a room. We waited another hour till we got a room. Our room was fine but did not have a makeup mirror which I found out other rooms had. We also had 2 lights that we .. More>

When we arrived we could not check in right away which we figured so we went for lunch. We checked back @ 3pm and still did not have a room. We waited another hour till we got a room. Our room was fine but did not have a makeup mirror which I found out other rooms had. We also had 2 lights that were out and not fixed we lfet a note but did not call. Last year we stayed @ a 4 apple and had a much nicer room closer to the pool. The pool did not have enough chairs and were hard to find. They did try to help you out but were busy with others trying to find chairs as well. The buffet resturant need more variety of items to eat. Maybe try theme nights. The resort was a nice size not too big and easy to walk.

This was the 6th time we went to Dreams Tulum, it feels like coming home. We appreciate the wonderful staff,Claudia, Jasmin, Alexannder just to mention a few, some have been there since the beginning. We first went to Dreams when it was very small, 200 beds. Even though it has expanded we still .. More>

This was the 6th time we went to Dreams Tulum, it feels like coming home. We appreciate the wonderful staff,Claudia, Jasmin, Alexannder just to mention a few, some have been there since the beginning. We first went to Dreams when it was very small, 200 beds. Even though it has expanded we still feel like it is a small resort. We ask for a particular room every time and our wish is always granted. I love the beach, yes there are coral reefs, but that keeps the beach interesting. We have tried other resorts but we felt crowded, where at Dreams Tulum we feel like we have the beach for miles either direction to ourselves. We will return home to Dreams Tulum next year!

Great time at a great place. The staff made up for the slightly tired facility. Had to fight for chairs at pool side but it wae March break! I'd go back. .. More>

Great time at a great place. The staff made up for the slightly tired facility. Had to fight for chairs at pool side but it wae March break! I'd go back.

We travel to Mexico often. This was a repeat trip to Dreams Resort,Tulum, Mexico. It was just as wonderful as our last. The facility, staff (special mention to Sheyla & Fernando of the concierge staff), food, accommodations, and entertainment staff were exceptional. Although we travel to othe .. More>

We travel to Mexico often. This was a repeat trip to Dreams Resort,Tulum, Mexico. It was just as wonderful as our last. The facility, staff (special mention to Sheyla & Fernando of the concierge staff), food, accommodations, and entertainment staff were exceptional. Although we travel to other locations this place will remain a return engagement.

THE SWIMMING POOL WAS SUSPOSE TO BE HEATED. MY FAMILY WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THE WATER WAS SO COLD IT WAS NOT BEARABLE TO SWIM IN. .. More>

THE SWIMMING POOL WAS SUSPOSE TO BE HEATED. MY FAMILY WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THE WATER WAS SO COLD IT WAS NOT BEARABLE TO SWIM IN.

I've been to Cancun (14) times and I thought I try the "gold coast". I picked the six golden Apple Tulum hotel and was very disappointed. My "ocean view" room was on the third floor with no elevator. The maid service was horrible, the food was not that of a six golden apple. Everything was layed ou .. More>

I've been to Cancun (14) times and I thought I try the "gold coast". I picked the six golden Apple Tulum hotel and was very disappointed. My "ocean view" room was on the third floor with no elevator. The maid service was horrible, the food was not that of a six golden apple. Everything was layed out so far, you'd have to walk a quarter mile on uneven stone tile to reach the lobby. This hotel property is aged and needs to be re-evaluated. I personally wouldn't give it more than one red apple. The highlite of my trip was Airtran Airlines. I'm so glad I upgraded to first class, it was a true pleasure for me and definately worth the extra $80.00. I also enjoyed all the Apple Reps with their flowered shirts. The last promblem I had was waiting an hour and one half for my transfer to the hotel from the airport, then it's another hour ride to the less than a Dream hotel. I look foreard to traveling again with Apple. I'll pick a hotel that I've stayed at before. Please don't drop the first class upgrade offer with your air carrier. Tim Ritchey

This had to be the most disappointing experience for me. I have been to Cancun and the Riviera Maya many times and have never experienced a trip that was so terrible. The rooms were dark and dismal... More>

This had to be the most disappointing experience for me. I have been to Cancun and the Riviera Maya many times and have never experienced a trip that was so terrible. The rooms were dark and dismal, the bathrooms were old and needed to be updated. The bed was very hard and uncomfortable and I woke up with a terrible back ache everyday. The food was very bad overall. I was afraid to walk barefoot on the floors of our room. It just did not feel clean.Most of the staff did not speak English and could not answer any questions and did not know where anything was. This trip was not cheap and was not worth the money. I do not recommend this Resort to anyone and will never go back again. I stayed at the Dreams Resort in Puerto Morelos last year, paid less for an extra day and it was so much more impressive and exceeded my expectations. The facilities, accommodations and Spa were amazing. I was expecting a similar experience at the Dreams in Tulum. The pictures on the Website are deceptive and look nothing like the pictures. I will never go back to this resort again.

We first visited Dreams Tulum in April of 2012. It was such a PERFECT week that we returned in 2013. I cannot say enough about this resort. Absolute relaxation, wonderfully attentive staff, great... More>

We first visited Dreams Tulum in April of 2012. It was such a PERFECT week that we returned in 2013. I cannot say enough about this resort. Absolute relaxation, wonderfully attentive staff, great food, gorgeous rooms, meticulously maintained gardens, beautiful beach. My children, ages 8 and 9, spent a lot of time at the Explorer's Club -- what a fabulous place! The kids never wanted to leave. A huge thank you to wonderful ladies at the Explorer's Club --- Berenice ("Buddy"), Monica, Celine, Lucely, and Tanya! They were fantastic -- kind and sweet and always welcoming. I recommend this resort without any hesitation. We had two perfect vacations in Tulum, and we plan to return as soon as we can!

We could not have been happier with the service, our room, the friendly staff, the food and the location! We took 3 different excursions, to Chichen Itza (fascinating, hoardes of peddlers and very... More>

We could not have been happier with the service, our room, the friendly staff, the food and the location! We took 3 different excursions, to Chichen Itza (fascinating, hoardes of peddlers and very hot!), snorkeling from Playa del Carmen (nothing extraordinary about this) and down to Puenta Allen, a natural preserve where we were able to observe giant sea turtles and dolphins in their natural environment. Dreams was convenient to all. When not off property, we enjoyed the beautiful beach or the swimming pools. We don't participate in group activities, preferring to "do our owh thing", but there was always something going on for those who were interested. We enjoyed the 800 meter walking path around the property each morning when it was cool and lots of animals could be observed. We found the spa service excellent as well.

**WARNING: I am very detailed so this review is long! Maybe we are just spoiled now after staying at the Barcelo Beach Resort near Playa del Carmen on our last trip but this is my honest... More>

**WARNING: I am very detailed so this review is long! Maybe we are just spoiled now after staying at the Barcelo Beach Resort near Playa del Carmen on our last trip but this is my honest experience and opinion of the Dreams Tulum resort. Travel/distance: We travelled here from May 4-11 for a friends wedding and booked through Marlin Travel/Sunwing vacations. The first experience is getting from airport to the hotel - the shared transportation our tour guide set up for us was stopping at 5 other resorts before ours so thank god the bus driver warned us before we got on that we were slated to be on this bus for 3 hours. We decided to take a private taxi with another couple for $140, which is not a bad price split 4 ways considering the resort is still about an hour and a half drive from the Cancun airport. (I know this is not a reflection of the resort itself but just giving you an idea of how far away it is!) Rooms: Upon checkin, we were informed that our room was being "upgraded" to a premium club suite due to "maintenance issues" (we had originally just did an upgrade through our travel agent for an oceanview room) but it only needed to be for one night. If we liked the room, we could keep it the remainder of the trip at no extra cost but if not, we could have our original room the next day. We found out later that this happened to almost every couple that had travelled here for our this wedding INCLUDING the bride and groom themselves! What we ended up with was a older hacienda-style room over the Coco Cafe building. The bathroom, bedroom area and balcony were the largest I've ever had in a resort but we really didn't like the old-style feel of it. And let me tell you, it was sure strange getting up the first morning and having to walk through an old, creaky building in the dark with nobody else in the whole place just to get outside from your room... We asked to switch to our originally booked room that morning which was no problem to do. The new room was nice, more what we were used to, on the ground floor and it had a hammock on the patio which was a nice touch! Your regular stuff in the fridge - beer, pop, juice, water and also the regular stuff in the bathroom - soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower cap. I left a note with a couple dollars in the fridge asking for extra sprite and water and it stayed that way for the remainder of our trip so that was nice. However, one day we came back after being gone on an excursion to find our patio door had been left unlocked by the maid - nothing bad happened but it was little bit unnerving for being on ground level. Another time, we spilled a drink by accident on our coffee table and I had to wait for another 2-3 days to see her in person to actually ask if it could be wiped up. Also, some days our bathroom would have 6 towels, some days 4, other days only 2 - a tad inconsisent. However, when we found out that the "maintenance issue" was renovations being done on the third floor of our building, it wasn't very enjoyable if we ever found ourselves in our room during the day before dinner time as it was very loud, I'm sure you can imagine. And even when they weren't actually working, there was a constant smell outside of the doors of paint or paint thinner fumes or something of the like - very chemical-like and not pleasant at all. Resort: It is a smaller resort than some others I've been to but the grounds of the hotel are very nice - beautiful and well-groomed. Lots of little ponds with fountains in them and lots of good walking trails to get everywhere. There are two pools - a party-like activity one with the swimup bar and a smaller, quiter one off to the other side. The bigger one was great (but get up early to get a lounge chair if you want one - most of them were taken by about 9 or 10) - there was always music playing and the entertainment team ALWAYS had something going on - exercising, water volleyball, dancing, drinking trivia. In fact, the team had something going on from 8am to 11pm every single day. This is probably the highlight of the resort - these people work extremely hard and contstanly have some sort of activity going on - it very commendable. The shows in the evening are very well put together and very entertaining. The beach is very well kept and there aren't any resorts on either side of this one so you can walk down the beach for a very long time in each direction and it is nice and quiet, secluded. Lounge chairs are only hard to get if you want to sit by either of the pools - but if you want to sit on the beach, chairs are no problem at all. If you go down the beach to the left about 10-15 minutes, there is a natural cenote in the water which is really really neat to see - cold fresh water coming out of this black hole mixing in with the warm, sea water - make sure you go see this! The resort is very family-friendly - there were always tons of kids around. We met a nice couple from Britain who had their 10 year old daughter with them and she spent almost everyday in the kids club. She seemed to enjoy it and had lots of fun with the staff. Food and drink: The restaurants here were pretty good aside from the buffet - you do not need to make reservations for the a la cartes which worked out well for the most part. Except one night, we tried eating as a group of 12 at Portofino, the italian restaurant. We were told it would be about an hour wait so after 20 minutes, we were finally put on the waiting list and given a beeper. After about an hour and half and still not being called in, we decided to go eat at the Mexican restaurant instead. Before sitting down, we went back to check with Portofino one more time and were told it was going to be another 45 minutes because they just kept sitting smaller groups that came in. Half way through dinner at the Mexican place, our beeper finally went off, about 2-2.5 hours later. The buffet was nothing special - it had the same food every single day and was pretty bland. My fiance was a little disappointed that they never had bacon at breakfast time. The seaside grill near the beach and pool is also open for breakfast however - we ate there on our last morning and it was great, we kicked ourselves for not going there on earlier days. The restaurant staff are a different story. Most were good, polite and courteous but I found that a lot of times, there was a much larger language barrier and lack of customer service skills compared to other places I've been. It would take them a long time to come to you after being seated and then when they eventually came to take your drink order, it didn't matter if you were ready to order your food or not, "they would be right back" which was another 10 or so minutes. The bars are just that - they are bars. Note that there is not a 24 bar on site. They open at 10am and the bar near the pool (which is the place to be in the evenings after dinner and after the sun goes down) is only open until 1am. We were told if you wanted liquor in between these times, you could order room service at no extra cost but otherwise, they shut the party down early if that's what you're into. Cons: - I am a vegetarian. It's not normally hard for me to eat at any restraunt and just slightly modify a dish somehow. But when we ate at the Mexican restaurant one night, I asked the server to order the fajitas without meat - just the tortilla and the vegetables and was told flat out no, I can't order that and wasn't given an explanation as to why. So instead I ordered separate sides of rice, veggies and plain tortillas and it was no problem. Weird? - Another time, my fiance was trying to order food at the little grill in between the two pools with burgers and hot dogs and asked for a double burger - he instead got two separate burgers on a separate plates. An honest misunderstading, yes - but our friend behind us ordered the exact same thing and the guy put two slices of cheese on the one burger. So just a lot of inconsistencies. The main thing for me was that it seemed like food was hard to get sometimes. If you were hungry between breakfast and lunch, there is nothing open between 10 and 11:30. Same thing for afternoons - if you were hungry again between 2 and 6, nothing was open except the burger and hot dog place which would be ok for most, but didn't work at all for me. Pros: We found out while we were down there just how extreme my fiances allergy to shellfish is - he has an immediate and violent anaphylactic reaction just from being in the vicinty of shrimp, prawns, etc. One night while having a wedding rehersal dinner in a private room at the italian place, someone next to us had prawns. Long story short, this reaction ensued and I had to drag him out, almost passed out from lack oxygen and it was quite the ordeal. The restraurant staff at this point were absolutely amazing. About 4 of them followed right behind us, stayed with us outside to make sure he was ok, brough him water and called consierge for us. After we left, we decided to go eat at the mexican restaurant instead. After sitting down and ordering, he had another reaction not 30 minutes after the first one. Once again, I am dragging him out of the restaurant, getting him water and panicking at the hostess to call consierge for us again. They gave us a cordless phone to speak back and forth with the same guy from consierge (i think his name was Daniel), and he got us information right away on getting an EpiPen, the cost of it, etc. We ended up asking the hostesses to just pack up our food we had ordered and ate dinner in our room. But through all of this, they were all quick to respond and very very helpful so I think them very much for that. Every meal after that, we asked to be seated as secluded as possible and were very adamant when ordering that his food had to be cooked with very special care. Each time, they were very understanding and accomodating and we did not have any more issues with food the rest of the trip because of this. All in all, as I said in the beginning, maybe I am just nitpicking with some of this stuff after being so spoiled at the Barcelo resort but because of this, we now know what kind of service and ammenities we could have for spending a certain price. I should note that most of the reason I wouldn't come back to the resort isn't necessarily because I hated it or anything, but more because it is so far away from everything if you want to do anything outside of the resort. The Tulum ruins are only about a 5 minute drive away, the actual town of Tulum (we went in to do some shopping but there's not much there) is only about 10 minutes, Xel-Ha park about the same, 10-15 minutes away. If you're going for a relaxing vacation and just bumming around the resort, you will probably be happy with it but we like to keep busy doing excursions, shopping etc. and it just wasn't ideal for us since we had already been to Xel-Ha and the Tulum ruins on a previous trip. Overall, not a bad place and I would say it's value for what you spend is pretty average.

Honest review of Dreams Tulum, pros and cons and comparing this to our prior experience of staying in Playa Del Carmen at a Riu. Hubby and I have been to Mexico about 4 times now. Ages 31... More>

Honest review of Dreams Tulum, pros and cons and comparing this to our prior experience of staying in Playa Del Carmen at a Riu. Hubby and I have been to Mexico about 4 times now. Ages 31, travelled to Dreams Tulum with our 18 month old for a family member's wedding. Booked: through travel agent, Apple Vacations. Transfer from airport to hotel: fairly standard for most of the trips we have been on. Our trip included direct transfer which we have always gotten on trips to Mexico as it is agonizing to make multiple stops after being on an airplane all day - you just want to get there! We had ordered a carseat for our daughter ahead of time and were assured by our travel agent that it was confirmed, however upon arriving at our transportation, they had no clue what we were talking about. Ride to Dreams Tulum took about 1 hour 30-40 min depending on traffic, so definitely a long ride, especially with a toddler. Check in: we arrived to hotel a little after 2pm and surprisingly our rooms were all ready (we travelled with a group of about 30). Check in very easy, and was normal for most all-inclusives (greeted with cold drinks and snacks). We had a Junior Suite, Garden view. Rooms: - Pros - modern, marble tile/floor, walk-in shower. - Cons - air conditioner leaked all over floor every...single...day. We told maintenance who said they would fix it, but it leaked all week onto the floor in the bathroom doorway. Most of the guests in our group, including us found these little mosquitoes flying in our rooms that never went away and hence we all had mysterious bug bites on our bodies upon waking in the morning. Unlike most all-inclusives that we have stayed at (namely Riu's), no liquor stocked in rooms, only bottled water, Corona and soda. Fridge was difficult to get stocked until we gave our guy a few dollars and told him we needed extra bottled water for our daughter. Also, the lock on our patio door did not work and when maintenance couldn't fix it, their solution was to put a note in our room stating they were not responsible for lost/stolen items from room (...comforting). Layout of resort: - Pros - beautiful property, very well maintained and meticulous care to grounds. - Cons - very spread out. Unlike Riu properties we have stayed at in Playa, everything was very spread out and there was a lot of walking involved to get everywhere....gym, spa, buffet, beach, front lobby etc. Restaurants were for the most part all located in the same area, but congregated on one side of the resort, so if your room was on the opposite side, it was a walk. Food/dining facilities: - Pros - excellent food at all of the places. Not quite as good a main buffet, but the Italian and Japanese places were wonderful! Better than prior Riu's we have stayed at. No reservations needed if you went early enough - if you got there right when they open at 630-730 time frame, seated right away, no wait. Generous portions, very good wait staff. - Cons - main buffet very limited menu. At other all-inclusives, they usually have a wide variety of foods. The food here at main buffet is not for the picky eater, which my husband and I are at times. Basically all Mexican cuisine - not many other options such a pasta, seafood/meat, or American-ized food options (other all-inclusives we have been to usually have a small area of fairly basic food selections and this place did not). Seating at the main buffet was also quite small and sometimes resulted in a short wait at breakfast in the morning. They also did not keep things well-stocked, many menu items would run out (such as the bacon at breakfast buffet was never in stock) and you would have to wait quite a while for foods to be re-stocked. Beach/pool: - Pros - fairly able to get good seating at the beach all day, regardless of time of day. not so at the pool. Pretty standard we have found at most resorts, the earlier you get up to get seats, the better. We were usually up early with our daughter and were able to secure a bunch of chairs for our group around 7am - after that time, seating at the pool very limited. Two very large pools, one more "kid friendly" and the other more adult oriented, which was nice for the adults who wanted more privacy and quiet. Swim up bar good service and strong drinks. The beach is definitely remote and quiet, so this is definitely up your alley if you don't want a lot of people around as you are walking down the beach. - Cons - beach is very rocky, small. We have heard that the beaches in Tulum were like this, and wished we have brought water shoes for ourselves and not just our daughter. Very rocky in water as well and walks on the beach were often painful with the coral/rocks on your feet. Made swimming difficult as well. Also, very dirty beaches outside of the resort. Either way you walked down the beach, the beaches are not maintained and are strewn with garbage (literally, garbage), so not very slightly. Family friendly: and yes, I realize most people go to these all inclusives as couples, but we had to bring our child as the whole family was going to this wedding and didn't have any other options. - Pros - VERY family friendly! It was a perfect place to take our daughter. They had a crib/pack n play for us in the room and the maid maintained it daily, changing the sheets on the crib every day. High chairs in every place to eat. Staff was very accommodating to children. Every restaurant (except the French place which does not allow children) had a kids menu and they would usually ask upon sitting down if you wanted to order your child's food first so that they weren't waiting a long time to eat and get their food. They also had coloring/activities for the kids at most restaurants as well. - Cons - kids cannot participate in the kids club until age 3 but you can hire the babysitting service if you want to (which we did not, just didn't feel comfortable). No WHOLE or 2% milk in main buffet. I knew this before our trip from reading prior reviews, so I had packed whole powdered milk with us for the trip which my daughter drank the whole time. No microwave in rooms to warm milk, so had to leave all of our bottled water at room temp for our daughter. Also, again, very big resort, so bring a cheap umbrella stroller to get around with. Activities: - Pros - many fun activities organized by staff during the day and at night. - Cons - you are literally in the middle of no-where. You are not leaving the resort at night to go wander/shop etc. Unlike in Playa where we stayed last time, there is nothing to do outside of the resort. We rather liked in Playa that after dinner we could walk to downtown Playa and do some shopping/walking around, browse the small shops, etc. It was nice in Playa that if you needed something desperately (like toothpaste), you could run across the street to a pharmacy and purchase it. At Tulum Dreams, they had a gift shop, but a tube of toothpaste (that we needed because our tube leaked in travels), was quite expensive. Only other con is availability of food during day: the restaurants' times did not overlap well. There were times in the day when no food was available at all, mostly in the late morning hours. The main buffet and Seaside Grill restaurant (where breakfast is served too) all closed down around the same time and the mini grill next to the pools (which served hot dogs/hamburgers etc) didn't open until 1130, so there were times in the day when you were hungry and had no where to eat. They do however had 24 hour room service, however not helpful when you are at the beach/pool and want a snack. Wonderful coffee bar/cafe on site that is open early and fairly late.