Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Sandals Royal Barbados
Our Rating
8.2
8.2
Star Rating
5.0
5.0
Room Count
146
222
Restaurants
4
21
Pools
4
11
Year Opened
2020
2017
Year Renovated
2020
2021
Features
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Sandals Royal Barbados
All-Inclusive
Yes
Yes
Adults Only
No
Yes
Beach Access
Yes
Yes
Spa
Yes
Yes
Kids Club
Yes
No
Dining Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Sandals Royal Barbados
Total Venues
12
26
Included
12
26
Extra Charge
0
0
Room Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Sandals Royal Barbados
Room Categories
10
12
Suite Categories
8
12
Activities Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Sandals Royal Barbados
Total Activities
19
24
Included
12
18
Extra Charge
7
6
Pros & Cons
Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma
Pros
At 148 rooms, staff-to-guest ratios allow genuine personal service that the 500-room Margaritaville properties cannot match — guests are recognized by name from the second day
The Gourmet Inclusive program covers all four a la carte restaurants without specialty surcharges — meaningful savings versus properties where specialty dining is extra
Puerto Morelos is one of the calmer small towns on the Riviera Maya — a 10-minute walk from the resort puts guests in a real fishing village rather than a tourist strip
Cons
148 rooms means less activity variety — guests who want multiple pools, multiple entertainment zones, and 10+ restaurants should book a larger Island Reserve property
Water clarity at Puerto Morelos varies with reef proximity and conditions — not the postcard-clear Caribbean water seen at some Riviera Maya properties
The property lacks the scale of kids' programming infrastructure of the larger family resorts — families with young children who need structured entertainment should consider the Wave section at Cap Cana instead
Sandals Royal Barbados
Pros
The rooftop infinity pool is the Caribbean's first — an evening pool experience with ocean views that's unavailable at other Sandals properties
All-suite property means no standard rooms — every guest has suite-level accommodations
'Stay at One, Play at Two' with adjacent Sandals Barbados effectively doubles dining to 20+ restaurants and 10+ bars
15-minute transfer from Grantley Adams International Airport — one of the shortest Sandals arrivals in the Caribbean
Lovers Lanes bowling alley and craft beer bar are genuine novelties within the all-inclusive format
Cons
Maxwell Beach is a public beach — other hotel guests and persistent local vendors are present and regularly cited by guests
Lounge chair competition is consistent: early morning positioning is required for both the main pool and beachfront spots
Summary
Sandals Royal Barbados has more restaurants, while Sandals Royal Barbados is the larger property, while Sandals Royal Barbados has more dining venues, while Sandals Royal Barbados offers more activities.
