Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico Resort far surpassed our adult and kid expectations when it came to having fun! When looking for our Spring Break destination, I knew I wanted to take my kids to an all-inclusive resort because honestly, not having to think about what to feed my family for a few days is a vacation. Once I saw that Aqua Nick was on the resort’s property, I knew my Spring Break days would be spent watching my kids go bonkers about being slime. All while my feet are in the water, margarita in my hand, and dinner plans being the least of my worries. Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico Resort is truly designed for kids to live their best life while adults enjoy the experience as well.
Ultimately, Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico Resort was a pure dream for my kids and something they continue talking about months later. Dance parties with SpongeBob, purposely losing games so you can get slimed, eating pizza with the Ninja turtles, pajama party with Dora and Boots, and the “Things every Nickelodeon Kid dreams of” list goes on.
First Impressions
We booked transportation to Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico Resort from the airport directly through the resort. We used Lomas Travel and they were a delight. No complaints at all and we felt safe 100% of the time. We arrived at the resort and immediately were greeted with Slime smoothies and Pina Coladas at check-in. We checked in and booked all our “extras” right then and there. It was nice to have that all out of the way. We were instructed to download the app which would become our lifeline throughout the stay. It has all the activity and dining schedules, access to your personal concierge (yes!), and more. The staff was extremely welcoming and accommodating.
The Rooms
The suites are a modern Nickelodeon dream. They were decorated with both little and big kids in mind. The beds were plentiful (we had 1 king, 2 queens, and a murphy bed) and comfortable. The bathrooms were large with a separate tub and shower and two bathrooms in each room. The mini fridge was loaded with water, sodas, and beer and they offered a few snacks
For our family of six, we booked the “Swim-Up Oceanfront Connecting Suite”. This was a Swim-Up Oceanfront Queen Suite connected to a King Suite. There was so much space, four beds, four bathrooms, and it worked perfectly for our family.
If you’re looking for the SpongeBob themed room, it’s the “Pineapple Suite”.
The Food
Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico has SIX different restaurants throughout the property, plus several smaller quick service venues inside the water park. There are options for everyone in your family, including 24hr room service. Even the buffets were a little different each day, which was nice for adventurous eaters. They kept the classics and kid-friendly eats for more picky eaters as well.
Yacht Club
We ate dinner at the Yacht Club several times and loved their selection of fresh seafood. They had an entire table dedicated to kids at this restaurant, including slime to put on your ice cream and desserts. They could even dip their chicken in it if they wanted to!
Good Burger
We tried Good Burger the moment we arrived, because hello, it’s Good Burger, but decided it was a one and done for us because eating burgers and fries in Mexico every day wasn’t something I wanted to do.
Le Spatula
Le Spatula is where you’ll find the biggest breakfast buffet you might ever encounter with every breakfast item you can imagine. The fresh crepes, smoothies, and fruit were my favorite meal of every day.
Piazza
Piazza is a super cute Italian spot featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is the only restaurant on site that requires a reservation.
Bikini Bottom Bar
Bikini Bottom Bar was the only restaurant we didn’t get to try because the hours were kind of funky and never worked during our day. We did enjoy a drink from the bar though.
Nick Bistro
Nick Bistro was another amazing buffet, located inside Aqua Nick which made it a perfect spot for breakfast or lunch while enjoying the water park. Inside Aqua Nick, there were several quick service stations that offered pizza, burgers, and my personal favorite, build your own poke bowls.
Aqua Nick
The greatest thing about this resort was the amazing water park, Aqua Nick. I loved the size of the park because it was small enough to let your kids run around safely, and large enough to keep everyone entertained and happy. I also loved how clean it was. Sparkling clean! The staff were so energetic and hosted activities and games at every hour. They constantly came up to us asking if we wanted to join in on the fun. Super Sliming was a huge hit when the entire Bikini Bottom Beach was flooded with slime. Aqua Nick is also where the Private Family Sliming is, which is the best time to get some fun family photos. It’s funny because the first couple hours at the resort, my kids were so eager to get slimed. We quickly learned slime was in no short supply and would be a frequent thing.
Experiences
On top of Aqua Nick, Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico offered some very cool experiences! There were character meet-n-greets all throughout the day at different spots. The nightly entertainment was fantastic. The kids loved Slime Night (of course) at Orange Plaza and I highly recommend bringing towels with you. We thought we were in for a fun show, but the kid’s were actually part of the show and ended up literally swimming in slime. We also caught a show in the Orange Theatre one night, which reminded me of a cruise ship type show with acrobatics and ariel performances.
Take a seat on the big orange couch in the Snick Lounge. Talk about nostalgia! We enjoyed a magic show in the lounge and drinks from the bar. The slime Pina Coladas were very popular amongst the kids.
The Price For Fun
With all the pros, I can’t leave you without any cons (especially after stating that price).
The beach at Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico was awful. I may just be a Florida beach snob, but we spent maybe 35 minutes on the beach here. It is not swimmable to my standards and the shore was very small that only a beach lounger could fit.
You must take shuttles everywhere on the property. From the lobby and breakfast buffet to your room, to the water park. I don’t think this is a total downside because I liked that the rooms weren’t too close to Aqua Nick since it is open to the public.
I live for compliment sandwiches, so I’m leaving with a pro!
Thankfully Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya Mexico is located very close to some beautiful beach towns like Cancun, Playa Del Carman, and Tulum so day trips are necessary to get those beach vibes. Make sure to book some excursions off site to round out your trip to Mexico. There is a Lomas Travel table in the lobby where you can do so.
