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Rating8.2Adults OnlyDesire Pearl Riviera Maya Resort
Puerto Morelos, Riviera Maya, Mexico
View →Rating8.2Adults OnlyRating8.2Adults OnlyGood
Based on 3.8k reviews
Exceptional Staff
Guests consistently laud the friendly, attentive, and exceptional staff who contribute significantly to a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
Gourmet Dining Experience
The food receives high praise for its freshness, deliciousness, variety, gourmet quality, and aphrodisiac-inspired elements across multiple dining venues.
Unique Liberating Atmosphere
The clothing-optional, sensual, and open-minded environment is a major draw, creating a unique and pressure-free space for couples to explore their passion.
Impeccable Cleanliness
The resort maintains high standards of cleanliness, with both rooms and common areas frequently noted for their pristine condition.
Beautiful Setting
The resort's gorgeous grounds and direct access to a pristine white sand beach with calm, clear Caribbean waters are highly appreciated by guests.
Diverse Pool Options
Guests enjoy the variety of swimming pools and jacuzzi lounge, providing options for both vibrant social interaction and tranquil relaxation.
Potential Room Noise
Some guests have reported noise disturbances, particularly from jacuzzi pumps, in specific rooms.
Buffet Food Consistency
There have been mentions of lukewarm buffet food and a lack of clear allergen labeling, which can be a concern for some diners.
Occasional Restaurant Closures
Guests have noted instances of temporary closures for some of the specialty restaurants, potentially limiting dining choices.
Beach Seaweed Issues
The presence of significant amounts of seaweed on the beach has been reported as a recurring issue at times, impacting the beach experience.
Cabana Reservation Difficulty
Securing reservations for desirable cabanas, especially at the lively party pool, can be challenging due to high demand.
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Desire Riviera Maya Resort opened in 2003, making it the original Desire property and twenty years older than its sister, Desire Pearl. The 196-room resort sits on the same stretch of Caribbean coast near Puerto Morelos, operates under the same adults-only (21+), couples-only, clothing-optional model, and received a major renovation in 2022. The Eden section, unveiled in February 2024, added new suite categories including swim-up suites facing the Sensual Pool and ocean-view suites with private terraces — the most substantial expansion in the resort's history.
The core distinction from Desire Pearl is scale and dining variety. This property has five specialty restaurants (Sahló for international-aphrodisiac, Suki for Asian with teppanyaki, Kahlo for Mexican, Eros for Mediterranean-Greek, and El Arrecife as the main international buffet) plus multiple casual daytime venues. The teppanyaki at Suki requires a reservation; the other specialty restaurants operate à la carte for dinner without reservations. Guests on a multi-night stay can rotate through all five without repeating — a meaningful advantage over properties with one or two specialty options.
The same sargassum caveat applies here as at Desire Pearl: Puerto Morelos is in the Caribbean Yucatán sargassum belt, with heavy accumulation common April through August. When seaweed is present in large quantities, the beach experience is substantially degraded — smell, appearance, and water clarity all suffer. Staying October through March substantially reduces this risk without sacrificing warm weather. The infinity pool and rooftop Jacuzzi Lounge both remain viable regardless of beach conditions, but the private beach is the resort's most beautiful feature when seaweed-free.
The resort's food quality draws more consistent praise than most all-inclusives in this bracket. Reviews specifically cite freshness and variety of gourmet and aphrodisiac-inspired dishes, which aligns with the property's sensual positioning. The buffet at El Arrecife draws criticism for temperature consistency at dinner — specialty restaurants are the better evening option.
Practical context: 196 rooms in 15 categories across the original building and The Eden section. All-inclusive covers all restaurant dining, premium alcohol, 24-hour bar service (late-night snacks until 4 AM at Melange), non-motorized water sports, fitness center, yoga, sexy aqua fitness, and daily activities. Spa treatments cost extra. Room service is complimentary for Desire Suite category; otherwise a surcharge applies. CUN airport is 19–35 minutes — check current traffic; the upper end of that range happens during peak season.