All Ritmo Cancun Resort & Waterpark

I wish I would have listened to the less-than-favorable reviews. I assumed those reviewers simply had unrealistic expectations, but after staying here, I don't think that's the case. The resort is okay, but if you see reviews rating it higher than three stars, I'd be skeptical. We noticed employees, including lifeguards and other staff, taking scenic photos around the resort throughout the day, which made some of those glowing reviews seem questionable. We were treated well, and the resort technically offered many of the amenities it advertised, but most were at a much lower standard than expected. Food During our stay, only one restaurant was available. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style. Dinner alternated between buffet nights and menu service in the same buffet area. We were able to eat in one of the specialty restaurants only once, and that was because they were repairing the air conditioning in the buffet area. Unfortunately, there was no air conditioning in the main dining area while we were there. The doors were often left open, allowing birds to fly in. The staff did their best to keep them away, but they regularly tried to eat food left on tables and occasionally attempted to get to the buffet. The nights with table service were noticeably better. The food presentation was attractive, and the quality was much higher than the buffet meals. If you're looking for multiple restaurants, lots of variety, and an upscale dining experience, this isn't the resort for you. If you're okay with basic food and limited variety, it may be acceptable. Pools & Water Park The pool tiles are literally coming loose. Our kids spent part of their time collecting loose tiles they found under their feet. We also visited the smaller pool near the condos, which was quieter. The "water park," however, was very disappointing. It has visible rust throughout, one slide was closed our entire stay, and overall it would never pass inspection in the United States. If the water park is one of the reasons you're considering this resort, I would look elsewhere. Activities Kayaks and paddleboats were available, and we saw people using them. We tried miniature golf, but the course is entirely concrete, badly overgrown, and only had two usable golf balls available which didn't work for our family of four. The tennis/pickleball court was flooded and in poor condition. Basketball was available, but during our seven-day stay we only saw that area used once. The soccer area was grown up so much that I didn't even realize that was what the area was before looking at the map. If activities are an important part of your vacation, this resort will likely disappoint. Beach Volleyball & Beach Soccer Beach volleyball is offered daily near the main pool, but you'll need to pay close attention because the entertainment staff simply walks down with a volleyball without making any announcements. Our small group had fun playing, but the entertainment staff never joined in and rarely kept score when they did, it was often wrong because they were really paying attention. We ended up keeping score ourselves. Even more surprising, when the ball rolled toward the entertainment staff, they stayed seated and had us come and get it instead of tossing it back. We've stayed at several all-inclusive resorts, and this was unlike anything we've experienced. Normally the entertainment staff actively plays with guests and creates an energetic atmosphere. Here, they mostly sat on beach chairs talking with one another or looking at their phones. Beach soccer was another activity our kids enjoyed, but again, guests had to organize it themselves. Rooms The staff worked hard to keep the rooms clean, but they're definitely showing their age. The furniture was worn, the couch had noticeable stains, and the pillows were extremely firm. I didn't sleep particularly well during our stay. On the positive side, the beds were clean, housekeeping provided two bottles of water each day, they brought us a rollaway bed for our fifth guest, and our ocean-view room had an absolutely stunning view. The view did not disappoint, the room overall did. Game Room The arcade games and foosball require payment, but when one of our kids paid to play, a staff member told him the machines didn't even work. The air hockey table was so worn that the wood was splintering near the goals. The ping pong table was uneven, and the paddles were in rough shape. The pool table wasn't bad, but it was clearly older. If the game room is one of the reasons you're booking this resort, don't expect much. Entertainment Each afternoon there were two simple games by the pool, such as throwing a ball into a bucket or knocking over bowling pins. Winners received a "prize," which was usually a "free" photo shoot and printed picture (something that is available to everyone anyway), along with a couple pieces of gold-foil chocolate. (Side note: The photo shoot was great and our pictures turned out awesome. We ended up purchasing all of the pictures at a very good price.) Most of the entertainment staff spoke very little English and didn't seem particularly enthusiastic. We participated throughout the week and were among the only guests joining many of the activities, yet after seven days they still didn't know our names. At other all-inclusive resorts, the entertainment teams quickly learn guests' names and make everyone feel included. That simply wasn't our experience here. They also hosted pool trivia each day. Prizes were generally the same, although once we received a keychain and another time a bracelet. We did see the Mexican guests get trophies when they won which possibly could because it would be easier for them to transport. Nightly Shows The Michael Jackson tribute show, performed by an outside group, was excellent and was our family's favorite show of the week. Karaoke night was enjoyable, but again, the entertainment staff wasn't actively encouraging participation and mostly stayed in the background. The remaining shows, performed by what appeared to be resort staff, were entertaining enough, although occasionally a bit cheesy. The biggest downside was that the area isn't air conditioned, making the shows uncomfortable on hot evenings. Beach This was one of the highlights of our trip. The seaweed wasn't bad during our stay, and staff worked hard to keep the beach clean. The water was generally calm and clear. Our kids spent hours snorkeling, finding shells and fish. They even spotted a couple of pufferfish and several small stingrays, which was a memorable experience. We were told the seaweed had been much worse in June, with piles reaching several feet high, so timing clearly matters. If you're looking for a quiet beach with relatively clear water and fewer crowds, this could be one reason to choose this resort. Guests The resort felt nearly empty during our stay. I would estimate there were fewer than 100 guests, and at times it felt like there were more employees than vacationers. We learned that much of the property consists of privately owned condos that are rented out. Most guests were from Mexico, which likely explains why relatively few staff members spoke much English. We were fortunate to meet another English-speaking family and ended up spending much of our vacation with them. If you're hoping to meet and socialize with other English-speaking guests, that may be difficult here. Overall We won't be returning to this resort, and I wouldn't recommend it to others. Our vacation turned out okay largely because we met another family that made the week enjoyable. Had we not met them, this would have been a very disappointing trip. The resort isn't terrible, it simply falls well short of what it advertises. It's sad because it has a lot of potential, but needs a large overall to get it to where it needs to be. While the beach and ocean views were beautiful, nearly every other aspect of the experience felt outdated, uneventful, or underwhelming. There are much better all-inclusive resorts available even if they may cost you a bit more, trust me, it’ll be worth it.

Cute property, nice staff, clean, beautiful ocean view, yummy food just not a very big buffet

We were very sceptical about this hotel as the reviews weren't the greatest. The hotel is a little out of the way so not much to go to during the day or night as is quite remote and very local. The atmosphere during the day, whilst quiet also had a nice vibe around the main pool. The rooms were a little dated but were clean and maintained well by the housekeeping staff. One of our rooms had a fridge, but the other didn't but we had everything we needed. Would have been nice to have tea and coffee making facilities but wasn't an issue. The hotel was great value for money especially for the time of year. There was enough there to keep us occupied during the day but at night was a little dull. The entertainment staff especially Alex and Pepe were great and really personable. The bar staff were really friendly - more so when tipped! The theatre could have been utlised better, whilst there was a show at night, this ended after an hour with no bar in it. Would have been nice to have kareoke in there along with a disco type thing of an evening. We have older teenagers and felt it was lacking for them but great for a chilled day during the day. The drinks were ok - but the food we couldn't fault. My daughter is very picky and I feared that we would be eating out a lot but the choice was amazing, fresh and although repeatative at times, like all all inclusives, it was very nice. Also having the choice of the other offerings was good and really delicious. Overall I would say that this is a great hotel, whilst a bit remote, it was clean and had what we needed. A short drive away from Hotel Zone and other areas. I would visit again knowing all of this. I dismiss all the bad reviews as we did not have any problems at all. We had a great holiday.

We were operating on a budget and were a family of four, hence why we chose this hotel. Plus, this was part of a three-centre trip. We upgraded the room to a junior suite, which puts you across the road (accessed by an underpass), as we knew the room originally booked would not be big enough. The suite was OK apart from the water had no cold pressure in three sinks. The master bedroom had two bedside lamps and no main light. Also, the blocks did have actual residents as quite a few nights we were awoken by cats crying in the hallway, I guess to be let in? Be careful of the waterpark with kids. As it is made of fibreglass, my son trapped his toe in a crack on one of the steps, which caused him some discomfort. Plus, the floor around the slides is concrete, not very smooth, and has some potholes, so my daughter grazed her feet quite a bit. At their age, they just shrugged it off and got on with it. The food is ok, but does get repetitive unless you choose to go Ala carte maybe a couple of nights. The staff are pleasant and very helpful. But some are better than others as they speak better English. Seven days were enough for us at this resort, as the kids did get bored after a few days. So, if you get the chance, take some trips out. We went to Xelha for the day, which was brilliant.

We read the bad reviews and really worried about our holiday I even started to look at other hotels , but when we came here we quite liked it, it’s definitely clean , the food is really good there are 3 different restaurants there are lots of different type of food , Alex from the entertainment team is really great and also Julio helped us at the reception over all I definitely recommend this hotel and we think to come again.

The hotel staff are very friendly especially Julio at reception. There are a number of restaurants you can get at and a wide choice of food. There are a