Hard Rock Hotel Heaven Club: Adults Only all-inclusive Riviera Maya

This year, we went to Mexico for the first time. In a rare opportunity to get away without our kids, we were looking for the best adults-only all-inclusive Riviera Maya resort and Hard Rock Hotel came highly recommended. The Hard Rock Resort just south of Cancun has beautiful rooms, excellent food and a cool rock n roll vibe you won’t get elsewhere.

Our review of the Adult’s Only Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico

This resort has all the elements you need for relaxed luxury in Mexico. But as well as excellent service and impressive dining, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a beautiful resort in a stunning spot.

The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya spans over 80,000 square feet, split into two sides. The main resort has a family-friendly vibe, including a kid’s club and family restaurants and pools. The other part of the resort is the luxury, adults-only side (Hard Rock Hotel Heaven Club), complete with its own bars, dining and adult-exclusive pools. The sister resorts are connected and guests staying at Heaven have access to all areas. However, the Heaven Club area is strictly 21 and over. This includes rooms, restaurants, pools and bars.

Having left the kids at home for the week to celebrate our anniversary, we were booked into one of the new Deluxe Swim-up rooms at the adults only Heaven Club, which was a real treat.

As well as the swim-up rooms, there are a range of different accommodation styles, including ‘Rock Star Suites’, rooftop lounges and deluxe king or double rooms with balconies or patios. At the main resort there are family rooms and two-bedroom suites.

Arriving in style at Hard Rock Heaven Club (adults only)

This brand is well known for its musical influences and we step out of the taxi to live music by a band playing in the main lobby. A cocktail cart is also on hand to pass us a cold rum punch as we check in.

There is music memorabilia displayed all over the resort, from Lady Gaga’s shoes to Noel Gallagher’s guitar. We wondered if the aptly named ‘Hacienda’ lobby was a nod to the famous Manchester venue or just a welcome to the sprawling resort (hacienda means large ranch or mansion’ in Spanish). The hotel also has the most beautiful scent. I later discovered it’s the house scent and you can buy candles and a room fragrance to take home. It can also be purchased online.

What are the rooms like at Hard Rock Riviera Maya?

We were looking forward to seeing the rooms at Hard Rock Riviera Maya and were really impressed by our room, which had a sleek, definitely rock n roll-esk design, including a huge super king-size bed and a spa bath tub in the room. Sliding doors opened on to our own private patio with a hammock, sun loungers and a swim-up pool.

The room also had a great bathroom with a long vanity and essentials like a decent hairdryer and branded toiletries. There was a double wardrobe and larger-than-life flat screen TV.

The bed looked impressive, but we thrilled to discover it also passed the comfort test with an extremely good mattress and great pillows. The resort offers housekeeping as standard, but turn-down is only available on request. Some sites advertise that Hard Rock Riviera Maya offers a pillow menu, but this service wasn’t made available to us during our stay and may be room-specific.

All rooms at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya benefit from a complimentary stocked fridge and 24-hour inclusive room service. We utilised this a few times, both during the day and in the evening and service was very prompt, which is not always the case in larger hotels.

Rock and Roll Resort vibes

Choosing an all-inclusive resort in Mexico can be tricky, because it’s often hard to know what you will get once you arrive. The atmosphere of the hotel was important to us because even though we wanted a luxurious place to relax and unwind, we didn’t want to be somewhere too refined or stuffy. Since we planned on spending the majority of our time at the resort, we wanted an elegant base with a good amount of fun and the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya really delivered.

Heaven by Hard Rock Pools

The adults-only pools at Heaven by Hard Rock were gorgeous. There was one large pool, Eden Pool, that had a swim-up bar, pool service and live music at different intervals during the day. This pool had ample sun loungers to choose from during our stay, but for the best spots you needed to head down straight after breakfast.

The other adult-exclusive pool area was called Eden Beach and consisted of cute little coves and mini beaches that looked out to sea. There was also a beach bar here and an infinity spa pool. This area also had Bali beds to hire if you were interested. We spent most of the time by the main pool because the atmosphere was really good. This pool was heated to a cool but perfect temperature for the weather.

Poolside service to your sun lounger was especially good. Being an American brand, the level of attentive service is really noticeable for a Mexico all-inclusive hotel. Small details like this really make the whole experience more enjoyable and relaxing.

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Live music at Hard Rock Hotel Mexico

I loved that music plays around the resort. Starting from around 10am with light pop and easy-listening tracks, graduating to more upbeat tunes over lunch and then classic rock numbers in the afternoon and evening. As well as music being projected across the resort via hidden speakers, there is also a programme of live music from full-scale bands, to pool-side vocalists, pianists and artist impersonators, such as a fantastic Elvis act that we caught on the first night.

What’s included with the all-inclusive at Hard Rock Riviera Maya?

The all-inclusive offering at Hard Rock Riviera Maya is very good. I was really impressed with the quality of food and the variety of dining. There are 14 different restaurants and bars as well as pool service, room service and a fully-stocked mini bar.

There is an all-day café serving coffee, cakes and toasted sandwiches, much like having your own private, free Starbucks next door to your house. The buzzing lobby also has a drink cart at selected times, serving freshly mixed margaritas, mojitos and rum punch. Some afternoons, the cart is also spotted by the adults-only pool in Heaven by Hard Rock.

Dining and Food at Hard Rock Riviera Maya – Heaven by Hard Rock

There is such a large choice of restaurants at Hard Rock Riviera Maya, we didn’t sample them all, but we really enjoyed the three adult-only restaurants at Heaven by Hard Rock.

Faro Market is the buffet-style, beachfront eatery, open for breakfast and lunch. This had one of the best locations at the resort. It was one of our favourite spots and breakfast with a view of the Gulf of Mexico is superior.

For lunch, the restaurant is set up with little booths, all serving a different cuisine. I think we tried everything during our stay, but there was so much choice, from fresh sushi, to pizza and pasta, Mexican street food, a fresh carvery, salad bar, deli-style sandwiches and more.

There are also two adult-exclusive fine dining restaurants at Heaven by Hard Rock. Wai is a fantastic Thai restaurant with an inspired menu – try the delectable Massaman Curry, the Tom Yam soup and the double-cooked pork belly with tamarind dipping sauce. So delicious!

Next door is Umo, an authentic Mexican cafeteria serving traditional Yucatan cuisine, which is the area in which the resort is located and uses local and seasonal ingredients for its flavourful dishes. The Costillas de Res Umo is a 12-hour slow cooked beef, with fresh herbs and guajillo chili that hits the spot. The Chilpachole Del mar seafood and corn broth is also perfect.

There is a curated wine list for every restaurant, priced individually. However, the inclusive wine options are very good, so, you don’t have to worry about being stuck with a mediocre tipple all week. This was a real all-inclusive thumbs up.

Awaken Your Senses dinner at Hard Rock Riviera Maya

Hard Rock Riviera Maya also have a choice of gourmet experiences, such as wine tasting, tequila tasting and specialty dining.

We booked the Awaken Your Senses Dinner and had the most fantastic evening. This dining experience has a $150 supplement, but it was exceptional and absolutely worth the extra spend. I had never been to a dinner experience quite like it!

The restaurant makes clever use of 360º projections, scent and music to transport you to culinary hotspots around the globe. And, of course, music from each country is played while you eat.

It’s really well done with some clever ideas, and despite being themed dining, this experience doesn’t compromise on food. The inspired dishes had Michelin / The Fat Duck vibes, which was a real treat! Simon is a big foodie and he loved it. As well as the great food and concept, it was so much fun. If you’re visiting the resort in a big group, it would be even better.

The Rock Spa at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya

Embarrassingly, I had been in the spa all afternoon before realising that ‘Rock Spa’is a play on ‘Rock Star’… I was very relaxed, okay! There is even spa-themed rock memorabilia inside, including Madonna’s dressing gown.

The spa has a beautiful Moroccan relaxation room, very Rolling Stones, and a fabulous spa menu. Since it was our anniversary and we were kid-free, we opted for a Couples Rhythm and Motion massage, which is choreographed to music (of course!). There is also a Yoga Temple, hydrotherapy pool and relaxation rooms with a sea view.

Can you do excursions from Hard Rock Hotel?

During your stay, head to the vacation services desk for a choice of available excursions from the resort, including zip lining, ATV driving, and tours to Tulum and the beautiful ancient Mayan temple and town. These all include pick up and drop off at the resort.

Any downsides to the resort?

For the resort itself, I had no complaints. It was beautifully maintained, in a fantastic location and the level of food, service and entertainment was excellent. I loved the look and feel of the resort, including our room and Heaven at Hard Rock was idyllic for a kid-free stay.

For some, the fact the hotel does not have access to a real beach could be a disappointment. The coast at Riviera Maya here is rough and not suitable for holidaymakers. The resort has a private, man-made beach area, which is lovely (and has full inclusive service) but you cannot go swimming in the sea. The hotel lagoon is large enough for kayaks and snorkelling and very safe.

As much as I enjoyed the resort and the Hard Rock brand, it is heavily American and does lack a Mexican feel. If you are looking for something more true to the area, you may not enjoy the Hard Rock Riviera Maya as much as we did.

How much does it cost to stay?

Rooms at Hard Rock Riviera Maya start from £208 per person, per night.

Getting to Riviera Maya from Cancun airport

The drive from Cancun Airport takes just over 1hr to Hard Rock Riviera Maya. Our package,  booked directly with Hard Rock Riviera Maya included a private transfer. Group and private transfers are available or you can take a taxi from the airport for approximately £90.