Written by Tara Berger

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my last two posts, Something for Everyone at Dreams Riviera Cancun and How Preferred Club can Enhance Your Trip. Today, I am going to share what a typical day is like for a family of four at Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa.

My favorite way to start the day was by watching the beautiful sunrise from our balcony. There is nothing quite like seeing the sun slowly emerge from the horizon while listening to the sounds of the ocean and feeling the warm breeze on your face.

Once everyone would wake up and get motivated, my husband and I would grab a latte from Coco Café on our way to the breakfast buffet at Word Café. The buffet had something for everyone and the kids especially loved the balloon animals that the wait staff would create for them at the end of the meal.

After breakfast, we’d usually take a morning stroll down around the property and take a moment to rest in a hammock or one of the private poolside cabanas. Around 10 am, we’d grab our chairs at the Preferred Club section of the beach where the waiters would bring the adults our first mango daiquiri of the day, while the kids splashed in the ocean and played with toys in the sand.

Then we’d usually shower off and move over to the pool around 11:30 am. We’d split our time between the main pool with a swim up bar and the kiddie pool with a submerged ping pong table. By 1 pm, we’d be ready for lunch and would grab a table in the shade at either Seaside Grille or Oceana.  I seriously could not get enough of the fresh guacamole and pico de gallo. A few of our other favorite dishes included the buffalo wings, fish tacos, chicken burrito, cheeseburger and flank steak.

The rest of the afternoon would be spent in the pool with an occasional break for a fresh coconut drink, soft serve ice cream cone, Euro bungee activity for the kids or to grab a snack and mango daiquiri from our favorite bartender at the Preferred Club.

By 5 pm, we’d make our way back to the room and relax for a little bit before dinner. Our kids would get a bubble bath on our balcony overlooking the ocean, which I think may be the first time in history there were no complaints about bath time!

And now for one of my favorite times of the day, Dinner! I loved having the opportunity to sit together as a family and to discuss our day over a great meal. Each restaurant is so unique with such a diverse menu that it’s almost hard to pick a favorite, but if I HAD to, I’d say our meal at Portofino with 4 courses of delicious Italian food was very memorable. The servers were so friendly every night and were incredibly accommodating of our family and keeping the kids happy during dinner.

On our way back to the room, we’d stop by the lobby to grab a family friendly movie from the concierge, followed by snuggles with our boys in their pullout bed while they fell asleep watching the movie. Once the kids were asleep, we would slide the door shut to their side of the room so we wouldn’t have to worry about waking the kids up. Then, my husband and I would get to finish out the day spending quality time on our balcony listening to the sounds of the ocean.

We were fortunate enough to repeat this daily schedule 5 times during our stay at Dreams Riviera Cancun. It was so nice to be on a vacation where we didn’t need to worry about logistics, reservations and activities and our toughest decision was where we’d like to eat dinner each night. Our stay at Dreams Riviera Cancun allowed us to disconnect from the stress of everyday life, enjoy Mexico’s beautiful weather and create memories as a family. We are already looking forward to planning our next trip back to Dreams Resorts & Spas in the future!

Tara Berger is a stay-at-home mom of two young boys and a former “Travelista” for AMResorts. Prior to staying home with her children, she managed the social media program for Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resorts & Spas and had the opportunity to experience many of the properties in the AMResorts portfolio. She now spends her days managing logistics for preschool, tball, basketball and playdates and is often found playing referee to the occasional wrestling match between her two boys. Tara is also the owner of an online party boutique, One Stylish Party, which gives her an outlet for creativity in the midst of chaos.

Written by Tara Berger

If you’ve never stayed at a Dreams Resorts & Spas before, you might find yourself asking the question, “Is the upgrade to Preferred Club worth it?” My personal answer is a resounding YES. Now don’t get me wrong, every single guest will receive the same unparalleled Unlimited-Luxury ®privileges, but Preferred Club enhances the resort experience even more.

From the moment my family stepped foot on property, we were whisked away to the Preferred Club lounge for a private, air-conditioned check-in while sipping on champagne and fruit juice (for the kids). The staff members were extremely friendly and helpful when explaining the ins and outs of the resort and getting us settled into our room. We were also told that we had the option to do a late check-out on the last day, which I thought was a nice benefit to guests who have later flights.

We stayed in an Ocean Front Master Suite, which included a jaw-dropping view of beach, wrap around balcony with Jacuzzi tub, separate sitting room with pull-out bed and a kitchenette with dining table. Typically the most premium rooms at the resort are Preferred Club status, so if you are interested in the most picturesque ocean view from your room or a larger family suite, then Preferred Club is for you.  Plus, along with the daily replenished in-room mini bar that comes standard with Unlimited-Luxury ® privileges, you also receive an array of mini liquor bottles, a can of pringles and peanut m&m’s each day too.

Throughout our vacation, we found ourselves visiting the private Preferred Club lounge multiple times a day. The Preferred Club bar with top shelf liquor made the perfect mango daiquiri every time and we also enjoyed the variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres set-out and replenished throughout the day (my kids went crazy for the marshmallows dipped in the chocolate fountain!) It was also a great place to grab a glass of wine on the way to dinner or to get out of the sun for a few minutes during the day.

Although we spent most of our days at the pool, we enjoyed having access to the private beach area with wait service for Preferred Club members. It was an added luxury to have the beach towels brought over and set-up for us and we liked that we didn’t have to break away from playing with our kids to order our next round of drinks.

And last but not least, we enjoyed taking advantage of the complimentary access to the hydrotherapy circuit at the Dreams Spa by Pevonia. It is such a relaxing experience to move through the designated areas in the hydrotherapy circuit which includes waterfalls, a cold plunge pool, sauna, ice bucket, hot tub and more. The combination of each therapy helps relieve tension, improve circulation and leaves you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed once you are finished.

I have no doubt that we would have loved our vacation at Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa with or without Preferred Club status, but I am glad that we got to experience what a vacation with these privileges can offer. Without a hesitation, we’d opt for the upgrade on any future vacations within the Dreams Resorts & Spas brand.

Stay tuned…in my last post, I’ll be sharing what a typical day is like for a family of four at Dreams Riviera Cancun. And if you haven’t already, check out my other post, Something for Everyone at Dreams Riviera Cancun.

Tara Berger is a stay-at-home mom of two young boys and a former “Travelista” for AMResorts. Prior to staying home with her children, she managed the social media program for Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resorts & Spas and had the opportunity to experience many of the properties in the AMResorts portfolio. She now spends her days managing logistics for preschool, tball, basketball and playdates and is often found playing referee to the occasional wrestling match between her two boys. Tara is also the owner of an online party boutique, One Stylish Party, which gives her an outlet for creativity in the midst of chaos.