I stayed for seven days at the Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa, which is an all-inclusive family-friendly resort on the Riviera Maya in Mexico, just south of Cancun. I was at this Hyatt property to attend a wedding. The Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa a designated AAA Four Diamond resort, but I wanted to see if this resort was a hit with me.
We arrived at the resort in the morning and the check-in was a rather slow experience, with all the staff assisting other guests while we were waiting in line for about 20 mins. My room would not be ready until 3PM, so I had some time beforehand to check out the resort. There were staff that offered a welcome drink of champagne (or anything you wanted) while you waited, which alleviated the check-on experience a little bit. I had only one suitcase to take to my room but there were bellhops who were there to assist guests checking in to take their luggage to their room.
Room
I had a Deluxe Junior Suite Tropical View which was spacious. The room had amenities such as a TV, a safe, some bathrobes, extra pillows and blankets, and a coffee machine. There was a mini-fridge with water, soft drinks, and beer. I had a king-size bed which was comfortable to sleep in. There was a sofa (which can pull out to a bed) as well as a small table with chairs. I had a balcony with some wicker chairs and another small table. The bathroom was out in the open with one sink and a shower, and there was a separate small room with the toilet. My issues with the room were that the lighting was far too dim, especially in the night. Also, although the room was clean enough, I would not call the room completely spotless as I saw some small areas not cleaned properly or not clean at all. Overall, the room was fine to stay in, but nothing special.
Rating: 7/10
Food
The main restaurant to get food was the World Cafe, which was a buffet restaurant where you could get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were some changes with the food each day and the food was above-average. I liked that the buffet was indoors and I did not notice many flies buzzing around the food, which was good.
There are also several à la carte restaurants which are first-come, first-serve, rather than you having to book a reservation, which is something that I prefer. The only thing you must book a reservation for is the Teppanyaki grill where the chef puts on a show for you as he serves your food. The food at the à la carte restaurants are noticeably better than the buffet restaurant as they have their own dedicated kitchens and some of the kitchens have glass barriers so you can watch the cooks prepare your food. À la carte restaurants include Mexican, French, Italian, and Asian restaurants, to name a few.
Next to the main pool was is a snack bar where you can get burgers, pizza, chips, and condiments to put on your burger or make your own tortilla. The pizza was decent but the rest of the food at the snack bar was below average.
There are other places to get some food, including a smoothie bar where you can get sorbet and fresh fruit, and a coffee bar. There is also 24-hour room service where you can also get food from a set menu.
Ratings:
Buffet Restaurant: 7/10
À la carte Restaurants: 8.5/10
Snack Bar: 4.5/10
Shops/Vendors
There are some shops within the resort including a souvenir shop, a jewelry store, and a pharmacy. There was also a small shop by the pool that sold convenience store and pool items.
On a couple of nights at the resort, there were some vendors that would set up some stalls along the walkways with some souvenir items for guests to peruse and buy.
Beach
I went to the Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa in August, which was in the middle of the sargassum season in Mexico and made going in the ocean water next-to-impossible. Obviously, the seaweed issue is beyond the resort’s control, but I always saw the resort staff cleaning away the seaweed as much as possible and generally maintaining the beach area. I had some time to walk around in the sand and dip my toes in the water, but I did not spend much time at the beach (nor anyone else). It therefore would not be fair to give a rating for the beach at the Dreams Sapphire.
Pool
There are a few pools on the property. There is the main pool which is accessible for everyone. The pool itself is large and did not feel crowded at all. There is also a swim-up bar on one end of the pool to get drinks. I believe the pool had climate-control, so it felt like the perfect temperature when you enter the pool for the first time. There is also a hot tub in the vicinity as well. It was good to just swim around the length of the pool with a drink in your hand. If I had one improvement, maybe the swim-up bar should be in its own separate pool, but this is a minor suggestion.
There is a quiet pool in the middle of the houses with the rooms, but this is for the Preferred guests. I got to check it out one evening and it looked nice.
Finally, there is the rooftop pool for the Club and Villas guests where you can look out into the ocean or relax on the loungers.
Rating (Main Pool): 8/10
Amenities
The Dreams Sapphire has many things for kids and teens to do. There is a kids club for the younger children, and there is a games room for teens. I was able to look at the games room where there are VR attractions and places to sit and play video games, which I thought was awesome.
Outside the games room is the courtyard where there are table tennis tables, a pool table, cornhole, and other games set up for guests to use.
The resort has a few water slides next to the main pool which are a nice addition to the resort. Next to the water slides was a mini-golf course which was in rough shape.
In regards of things for adults, there are things typical of resorts such as a gym, a spa, and sports courts where you could play football, basketball, tennis, etc.
Ratings:
Things for Children: 8/10
Things for Adults: 6/10
Entertainment
During the daytime, the staff would host events at the pool, including water aerobics, water sports, and various fun competitions for guests. One day, there was even a foam machine that sent foam into the pool.
Going into the evening, there would be some musicians performing in the lobby bar including pianists, flutists, and violinists, which was classy.
There were a few theatre shows during my stay, including a magic show, a roller-skating acrobatics show, and a couples game-show. They were average to mediocre at best.
Finally, there were a couple of shows outdoors by the beach, including a fire show and a Mexico show, which were much better than the theatre shows.
Rating: 6.5/10
Nightlife
After the evening show, there would be a DJ playing music at the lobby until around 11:30pm.
Alternatively, you can go to the sports bar which is the main nightclub and drink and dance until midnight, when at that time the music stops. There is nothing else going on at the resort after midnight, which is extremely disappointing. There is not even a late-night snack bar to go to (so I had to rely on the late-night room service on a couple of occasions). If you are looking for some sort of nightlife, you are not going to find it at the Dreams Sapphire.
Rating: 3/10
Internet
The Wi-Fi was surprisingly strong with very little drops around the resort. The Wi-Fi was free to connect for all guests.
Rating: 8/10
Service
Overall, the service was great and I had no major complaints. Most of the staff were willing to go above and beyond to make your stay a pleasurable one. The room-keepers were fantastic in keeping my room clean and stocking my fridge with drinks. The waiters at the restaurants were attentive and accommodating. The bartenders were firing off drinks with a smile. Whenever I would walk from my room to the lobby, many of the staff were quick to greet you as they walked past, which I appreciate. I always made sure to tip generously, and you should too.
Rating: 8.5/10
Final Verdict
The Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa is a clean and competent family-friendly resort with great food and service, which were some of the best I had at an all-inclusive resort. There are so many things for children to do at this resort, while at the same time, it did not feel like there were too many things for adults to do. This resort was more of a relaxing resort rather than a lively resort, and I prefer the livelier resorts. My biggest issue with the resort of the lack of things to do in the late-night, which I suppose makes sense in a family-friendly resort, but it is something of which I am not a fan. Regardless, if you like to go to an all-inclusive resort to relax and you want something more family-friendly, then the Dreams Sapphire is a solid option.
Final Rating: 7.5/10
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