What It's Like to Be a Premium Guest at a Royalton Resort (Hello, Butler Service)

During our visit to Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, my husband, Chris, and I were treated to Diamond Club status, an ultra-luxe service that starts with a private check-in area. We were whisked past the registration desks to a quiet lounge with a full bar and tempting buffet spread. Bottled water, libations, and a much-needed snack fueled us after a long journey as we waited our turn to check in, giving us a first taste of what Royalton’s premium service had in store.

Diamond Club rooms have the best views, plus butler service

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

At the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, accommodations are more than just places to drop your bags — they’re vacation havens. Suites are spacious, with beds designed for a sound night’s sleep, and rain showers and soaking tubs to provide relaxation when you’re awake.

Rooms with balconies overlooking the ocean or pool are the epitome of luxury. The easiest way to guarantee you’ll get a room with a killer view at a Royalton resort is to book an exclusive Diamond Club room. (You may also be able to upgrade on arrival, depending on availability.)

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Chris and I were delighted to find that our suite was a swim-out room. Our terrace slider opened to a patio and semi-private infinity pool. Each terrace was partially separated by a wall and a personal swim space that opened to a long pool encompassing several patios. It was magical to sip Champagne and peer out onto the ocean while perched on the edge of the infinity pool.

Diamond Club guests also have access to a personal butler — a helpful hotel staff member waiting on the other side of WhatsApp to assist you with making dinner reservations, securing choice cabanas, and generally facilitating your dream vacation with white-glove service.

This trip to Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun was my first experience with butler service. Now, I don’t know how I’ll ever do without it. Our exceptional butlers, Alex and Carolina, walked us to our room, set up and confirmed reservations, sent daily activity notifications, and checked in with us regularly. Carolina even popped up at our beachside cabana to ensure we were having the best time. The level of attention paid to Diamond Club guests by the butlers frees up your time for more important vacation activities, such as relaxing on the beach, enjoying a beverage at the swim-up bar, or sneaking in a nap on a comfy pool lounge chair.

Diamond Club guests get complimentary hydrotherapy and spa discounts

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

My Cancún adventure was all about wellness. More than just hitting the gym hard, an overall wellness plan includes mental and physical care. Experiencing an immersive wellness retreat also includes relaxing, sleeping peacefully, enjoying healthy food, and laughing. It’s a vacation where you walk away feeling physically and mentally rested.

Exploring the fitness center and services at Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun was a high priority for me. When I first entered the gym, I marveled at its size, equipment, and panoramic view. The desk attendant immediately handed me a towel and a bottle of water and escorted me around. This is a gym that rivals one you would pay a hefty monthly membership fee to use.

First up for me was 8 AM yoga. It was a bit terrifying to think about balancing after a late night, but my worry was for naught. Five guests came together on the terrace of the busy, multi-level fitness center for a 45-minute flow yoga practice. Sprinkled with a few challenging poses, the yoga session was energizing without being too strenuous. During savasana, a pose that involves lying flat on your back, massage therapists from The Royal Spa enhanced our final pose with a neck and shoulder massage.

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Included in the Diamond Club upgrade is an hour of therapeutic hydrotherapy. I’m a lover of both spas and water, but this was a new adventure for me. Chris, who’s not a fan of spas, happily agreed to join. I was happy he did as most of the guests in the pool were in pairs of two.

During hydrotherapy, a spa guide attends to your every move, timing your steam and sauna in gender-separate locker rooms and your rotation through the heated pool circuits. Divided into two-by-two sections, the session guides guests through personal waterfalls, water jets that target high-tension areas, and finally a chilling cool down. Your personal rejuvenation wraps up with hot tea, a relaxing moment, and perhaps a little gleeful meditation. We enjoyed our hydrotherapy at a sister resort, the Royalton Riviera Cancun, but The Royal Spa at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun offers a similarly luxurious hydro treatment pool.

Beyond the hydrotherapy offering for Diamond Club guests, a full spa service is key to any wellness resort, and I’m always on the hunt for something different in the spa world. At the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, I found that in the Egyptian Stone Massage, a relaxing yet engaging tactile treatment that centers on a heated bed with several inches of crushed stone. Such relaxing yet energizing treatments are available to all guests, but Diamond Club members get yet another wellness perk: 20 percent off of various spa services.

Exclusive dining options for Diamond Club guests

Photo: Sandi Barrett

I like to pick and choose my wellness endeavors, and skimping on dining is not one of them. At Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, the dining and imbibing options are seemingly endless, especially for Diamond Club guests.

Diamond Club guests have access to two exclusive dining options. To start, the Rio Brazilian grill serves a delicious breakfast buffet exclusively for Diamond Club members. Additionally, next to the Diamond Club Pool, another exclusive perk, premium guests can enjoy Grazie Italian Trattoria, which serves up yummy pizzas and other Italian delicacies. Of course, they also have access to the rest of the resort’s dining options.

Photo: Sandi Barrett

For a taste of it all, the massive Gourmet Marché international buffet is a cornucopia of delicious goodies, represented by mini stations from the on-site restaurants. You’ll find the perfect combination of familiar favorites sitting next to local specialties. Fresh dragon fruit, rambutan, and prickly pear share basket space with bananas, oranges, and apples. Salsa and guacamole are as predominant as cream cheese and prosciutto.

For casual seated dinners, options at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun include Agave’s Mexican cuisine, The Cave’s global flavors, the Hunter Steakhouse, Rio’s Brazilian grill, Smoke BBQ, TAJ’s Indian flavors, ZEN for Teppanyaki and Japanese cuisine, and the adults-only Ma Maison serving French cuisine.

Lighter offerings are available from the Caffe Lounge, Score Sports Bar, Grazie To Go, Scoops Gelato, Nibbles, and a Chef To Go food truck.

While I didn’t get to sample every venue, my favorite of the restaurants that I did patronize was Agave. The empanada appetizer was served with beautiful piquant pickled red onion, the fish tacos were unctuous and crunchy, and the dessert was divine — we split the tres leches cake, popcorn-topped flan, and chocolate brownie.

Photo: Sandi Barrett

For fans of spirits, when in Mexico, you must also taste tequila, which the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun makes easy to do. The tequila and mezcal tasting at the resort’s winery venue was a lesson in the history of local agave plants and the process of crafting fine spirits. The winery’s sommelier, Carlos, walked us through each glass, testing for color, aroma, taste, and finish. As the tequila progressed, so did the pairings. We sampled ceviche, octopus tacos, beef, and chocolate truffles, each of which sang a beautiful duet with the tequila varieties.

Entertainment and activities at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Entertainment is an important part of the all-inclusive resort experience for all guests. At all-inclusive beach resorts in Mexico, including the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, that typically starts with access to a white-sand beach, whether you reserve a cabana or snag a vacant lounge chair where you can relax with a cool drink and a great summer read.

Then, there are the pools. There are six amazing pools and two lazy rivers at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun. This is where many guests choose to spend the day soaking — when they’re not enjoying the resort’s other activities and offerings, that is.

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

In the center of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun is a stage, enormous screen, and rows of chairs where various events are held. The show lineups include dancers, musicians, and other elaborate performances. We were treated to a Micheal Jackson retrospective during which a team of entertainers electrified the audience with their glitzy performance.

Elsewhere, the resort’s water park slides are a huge draw for the young and young at heart. There’s something cathartic about zipping blindly through a tube only to land in a splash of water. Laughter is the best medicine, and the water park made me giddy. It was one of many experiences at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun that made me leave the resort feeling rested, relaxed, refreshed, and a little sad to be saying goodbye.

Getting to Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun

Many US cities offer direct flights to Cancún International Airport. As you make your descent into Cancún, the array of blues and greens help to reduce your blood pressure even before your feet hit the soft white sand. After a quick trip through border patrol, we were greeted by information guides directing us to our transportation. Nexus Tours provides complimentary shuttle service for Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun guests. The transition was seamless, and we were swept away to our beachfront home in no time.

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