Spring break 2017 happened for my family last week and we had a blast at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya. It was our first spring break trip with our kiddos and boy, we had a blast. I don’t usually share a ton about my kids and my family, but this post is overloaded with cute shots. So take a peak to learn more about our trip and the fun we had.
This is us at 5am! Don’t I look tired 🙂 My little Gavin loves to make faces and he is ready for a great vacation.
*This luggage is my go to these days and you get two for a fantastic price.
We landed in paradise and immediately it was time for a swim. The lobby has a gorgeous center, high ceilings, an adorable swing looped on a tree and tons of food events happen at night here. It’s a fantastic common area that is always bustling.
We checked into our room and we LOVED it. We stayed in a Deluxe 2 bedroom grand sky terrace room and it was AMAZING. Over 1000 square feet, two bathrooms and a great sky terrace that had a hydro tub. And the cutest thing – we walked into the kids room and they had these kiddo robes set out. I just had to take a photo. I know they are my kids, but isn’t this picture the cutest?
Included was also a beach bucket with some toys, candy, and a note.
Everyday was a pool and beach day and was super easy to get to both. We found this bridge and little cute nooks in places while exploring.
The beach was a lagoon they made as the ocean waters were rough (behind the rocks), but it was a perfect playground for my boys. The water was warm, the sand was soft, and tons of kids were making sandcastles. The sand toys they gave us were perfect for beach time and so thoughtful.
I don’t blog about my kids much but I see blogging as an extension of me and sharing my kids is another part of my life I like to keep a bit more private. Balancing them, making sure I’m a good mom, spending time with them and doing what’s best is a constant struggle. I combined this trip of spending time with them and blogging and it was such a fun project. Traveling is something I love and I want my kids to experience the world, different people, and cultures. We all love different types of food and I love seeing them enjoy different things.
Gotta talk about the pool – there was around 4 large pools and this main one here was the life of the party. DJ’s and different activities everyday. Foam Party, floats, water aerobics, water cycling, it was lively. It was perfect for us. This hotel provides a great adventure for families. The hacienda (the family part of the hotel) was full of families with kids around our age and up. The kids enjoyed the music, the kids club (more details below), and they even had a kids bar with freezies, candy and ice cream.
They had picture time with the house monkeys and my youngest dared to pose with one.
The kids club was something we did around 4pm in the main lobby area for their shows. My youngest was still too young to be left with them but the kids club was PERFECT for kids over 5 and had activities all day with counselors. For parents that needed a break – it was a perfect getaway for them. We saw the schedules and activities and it was action packed. I heard from someone who had gone to Hard Rock the week before us and she said her kids loved it. The mom got some free time to go to the spa. The other big plus – there’s no additional fees – it’s all provided with the all inclusive package!
My cutie and I in a swing at the Brazilian style restaurant for breakfast.
The dessert bar we hit everyday! The result is having to workout since I got home. From donuts to macarons to little sandwiches, there was always food.
My kids favorite part – made to order waffles and pancakes that were some of the best we had.
We had a great vacation and went for 6 days and 5 nights. The weather was perfection, not too hot and not cold, all in the 80’s. What I loved:
The food – the options were great, it was delicious AND, you could get food at any time you needed. NO reservations needed for any restaurant and kids are welcome with open arms and balloon animals given. Our favorite for breakfast was the buffet Market – the options and food was delicious and the made to order eggs, waffles and pancakes was a favorite. Lunch – the pizza and chicken fingers outside were delicious. I mean I live in Chicago, these two things are eaten often. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised how good the wood fire oven pizza was. We had it every day by the pool. Dinner favs was the Brazilian restaurant, Ipanema. Overall, the food was fresh, yummy and very very clean everywhere.
Room – We loved the rooms we received but I also know this is on the higher budget side with the grand terrace. The beds were comfy, room was nicely decorated, the rooptop terrace was a great space, and the bathrooms were nice and modern which I loved. The added touch of little things for the kids was a great plus. The only thing I would note is, the doors are thin, you can hear people walking by and talking in the hallway, but overall this didn’t happen that often. The rooms are nicely spaced and there isn’t a ton of levels so it doesn’t feel like a big “corporate” hotel.
Scene/Pool/Hotel – So we loved the music and activities because that is what my boys need and want. They are 3 and 5 and need stimulation. There was also a killer water slide on the other far end of the pool. If you are looking for a relaxing, chill environment or just laying out in peace – this isn’t the place. If you love activities, family setting and a livelier scene, it was great. We didn’t go to Heaven, which is the adult only portion of the hotel so I am safe to assume, it would be more relaxing there. Hotel – I loved that you could walk everywhere and nothing felt too far. I’ve been to hotels where the walk is so long and annoying to get food, see the shows etc. Overall hotel was nicely decorated, space was great, and restaurants were well set.
Shows: These happened around 8:30pm and I found them entertaining and my boys loved them. There was a magic show, latin america dance show, Michael Jackson show and a fire show over the pool. It was the perfect ending to a day at the pool/beach.
Service: At any time you needed something, someone was there to help. There was drink service at the pool, food service was great, and there was a lot of staff around. The only thing I noticed (that was different from other places I’ve stayed at) was that the staff changed day to day. Sometimes having the same person at the pool or beach makes it a nice experience. They get to know you and your drinking habits. But no one ever asked for or expected tips and although we tipped everyday, I loved that there was no pressure to do so. The never lingered around your table or chair.
Overall, it was a great vacation. April is a great time to go for the weather. For deals for any hotel near Cancun, look around June – August (the hot season). Check out the hotel here and note they have other locations.
Style post from vacation to come this week as well – stay tuned!
Thanks for the great review! We are going this coming week for a wedding with our 20 month and almost 3 year old. I was worried about food but I think we will be okay!
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Yes! It is awesome and no problem with food – it will be perfect!!