Generations Riviera Maya

We have been Emerald-level Exotic Travelers members for nine years and have stayed at many Exotic properties, including Prestige properties before the split. We chose Generations because there are only two Exotic properties that truly cater to families. Unfortunately, this stay was disappointing and well below the standard we expect as long-time Emerald members.

There were some positives. The property is small and easy to navigate, which is helpful with kids. Ana, our butler, was excellent—warm, helpful, and one of the highlights of the trip. Javier from housekeeping also did an outstanding job every day. The pool was clean and enjoyable, and we liked Jade and Wine Kitchen best for dining. Aqua Nick was also a fun excursion for our kids. Our room was very spacious and the layout worked well for a family.

That said, the problems were significant. The pre-arrival experience was awful. We received one email the Monday of our arrival week to complete the pre-arrival form and then heard nothing else until less than 24 hours before arrival, despite multiple emails from me trying to confirm transportation. When we landed in Cancun, we learned the wrong transportation had been arranged. Then when we arrived at the resort, we were dropped at the main office with no escort or direction to member check-in. As Emerald members, the arrival experience felt disorganized and anything but special.

The room itself was large, but dark, dated, and in need of renovation. We had to turn on every light just to make it reasonably bright, and even then it still felt dim. The room lacked natural light, and even a burned-out light over the stove that we reported was never fixed. Turndown service was also inconsistent and careless—missed one night, moved our things after we asked them not to, and sprayed the room with a scent we did not choose.

More broadly, the property feels tired and neglected. The fitness room was run down and also needs a makeover. Overall, this resort needs a renovation. Even at only 40% occupancy, the service and upkeep felt inconsistent and underwhelming rather than attentive.

At this point, I am not interested in receiving the resort’s standard generic response thanking me for my feedback and saying they will share it with the team. Every negative review seems to receive the same dismissive reply, yet the reviews remain poor and nothing appears to improve. What this property needs is not another copy-and-paste response—it needs meaningful changes in service, upkeep, and overall quality.

Stay at your own risk! From the moment we checked in, things already felt a bit off. The gentleman at the front desk confirmed the length of our stay, quoted us the total cost, and asked whether we would be paying with cash or card. I was confused and explained that we had already paid in full and that my credit card had been charged. He said, "Let me check," and although I'm not sure he actually did, he returned in under a minute, handed us our room keys, and called for a bellhop.

When we got to our room, we realized it was on a lower level, even though I had specifically booked and paid for an oceanfront room on a higher floor. I called the front desk to request a change and was told a higher-floor room would be available the next day.

We then went to the concierge to make dinner reservations for our stay, only to be told everything was fully booked. Ana, the concierge who assisted us, mentioned that guests staying more than three nights receive access to the Nickelodeon water park. However, before giving us the tickets, she tried to sign us up for what was clearly a timeshare presentation (though she didn't explicitly call it that). She asked us to meet her in the concierge lounge the next morning so she could take us to the presentation and then to the park. We chose not to attend and instead drove ourselves to the water park.

The next day around noon, we were notified that our new room was ready. We packed our belongings and moved upstairs. Couple hours later, concierge notified me that I had left my wallet behind, something that felt very strange, as I had checked the room multiple times. I assumed I may have dropped it under the bed or under the coffee table.

When my wallet was returned, I quickly checked inside and immediately noticed that $220 USD in cash was missing. I also saw that my credit cards had been moved out of place.

I went down to the concierge to report the incident. The concierge manager, Luis, showed no sympathy and did not apologize. I was informed that I will be updated in 24 hrs. 24hrs later, I received 0 calls, 0 updates. I escalated the issue to the front desk hotel manager Emmanuel, and received the same response. No concern, no urgency, no apology, and no follow-up, no accountability whatsoever.

At this point, I've accepted that I likely won't recover the missing money, but I wanted to share my experience. The resort itself is beautiful, but based on what we went through, I would advise others to stay at your own risk. I will not be returning!