Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya was the first all inclusive resort I had ever stayed at in 2015. That trip gave me my first passport stamp and what started the idea of quitting my job and traveling for a year. So I have a special place in my heart for this resort.

Last week I headed to Mexico with another travel agent to check out a number of resorts in the area to better serve our clients. While we didn’t get to spend a ton of time at the resort, we did get a tour of a few rooms and we experienced many of the restaurants.

The resort is owned by a family from Spain and the resort has a Hacienda and village feel. The resort is very large with a lush tropical landscape. Sometimes you forget you are at a resort because off all the foliage and wildlife. There are walking paths that snake around the property making it very walkable to dinner, rooms, beach, and pools. If you don’t feel like walking, you can call for a golf cart shuttle and it will pick you up and deliver you to where you want to be in just a few short minutes.

Valentin Imperial has nine room categories and we stayed in a Golden Junior Suite. We stayed in building 8 and had a view of one of the three quiet pools. All three quiet pools have a lazy river that runs by each of the three pools. Most of the residents in builds 6-8 congregate in this river around 5pm when the main pool starts to slow down.

Here is a quick tour of our room- Golden Junior Suite.

This resort is geared towards couples as most rooms have king beds, but there are a few 2 double bed rooms and plenty of great spaces for groups of friends to enjoy the property and all it has to offer. One thing to be aware of, some rooms have an open concept. If you are with your spouse this probably wouldn’t matter too much. But friends will want to be aware.

An open concept means the bathroom is open to the bedroom. While the shower and toilet are behind frosted glass the entire bathroom is visible from the bathroom. Some rooms have screen doors, as seen here, to close the open concept a little.

My favorite room type was the Emerald Junior Suite. This room type is beachfront and newly renovated. My favorite thing was this soaking tub that looks outside to the beach. If anyone was to walk by, they cannot see into the windows due to reflective tinting.

Consider getting up early to see the sun rise on the beach.

All inclusive resorts are perfect for foodies. You can try as many dishes as you want. It is nothing for me to order two appetizers or desserts. If you don’t like something, try something different. Generally, the local cuisine is best to these types of resort.

I tried as many restaurants as I could fit in during my stay. Overall, the food was pretty good. I loved the breakfast buffet, fried eggplant, bruschetta, samosas, spring rolls, and all the desserts.

Le Marché- Breakfast and Lunch Buffet (assisted for the time being)
Taman Sari- Asian Fusion cuisine from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and more.
Ginger- Japanese cuisine with tables of Teppanyaki (reservation is required) and a sushi bar.
L’ Olivo- Mediterranean cuisine (this one was probably my favorite)

Some restaurants have casual elegant dress code not allowing flip flops or men in shorts.

One night, we were completely exhausted from the day and ordered room service. Room service at most resorts is usually just okay. There is usually a limited menu and sometimes by the time it gets to you it is cold and doesn’t make the journey from the kitchen very well.

I was very impressed with Imperial Valentin’s room service. It arrived in about 30 minutes, still hot. Our chicken fajita burrito and quesadilla were perfect. It was just what we needed after a long day.

Valentin Imperial is a casual and relaxed resort but that doesn’t mean the main pool isn’t hopping during the day. There are activities throughout the day all over the resort. From water exercise to bike riding to beach volleyball to tequila tastings to dance lessons to DJ’s and live bands. They even host a 5k each week . The plaza off the lobby has nightly entertainment and a great place for guests to meet up after dinner.

You can stop by Don Migels’s for afternoon tea and a martini. We stopped here one afternoon for tiny sandwiches and a cotton candy mojito.

I don’t want to forget to mention the Churro cart! We saw this cart a few times throughout our stay near the plaza entertainment. We were always heading to dinner and promised to be back, but after dinner we were always too full. The last night, before ordering dessert at Ginger we asked our waiter to find out if the cart was out and about. He confirmed, and we skipped dessert to save rooms for churros. I had mine filled with vanilla and caramel. They didn’t disappoint.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya is a great option if you are looking to relax and feel like you have entered a tropical oasis. Many guests visit this resort year after year because the service, quality, and perfect mix of fun and relaxation.