Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya is built around one promise: that the kids will feel the whole trip was designed for them. Since opening in August 2021 it has delivered on that in a way families who have done the all-inclusive circuit notice. Aqua Nick would be a destination on its own, at six acres with 21 slides, a lazy river and an adventure river, the Soak Summit thrill tower and a PAW Patrol zone for toddlers. Add the daily Super Sliming, poolside game shows, character meet-and-greets and Main Stage shows, and the resort runs like a well-organized kids' entertainment operation. All 280 suites face the sea and have their own swim-up or terrace plunge pool, which matters at this price.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Every one of the 280 suites is oceanfront with its own swim-up or terrace plunge pool, so the private-pool experience is the standard room here, not an upgrade
- +Aqua Nick is a six-acre water park with 21 slides, a lazy river and an adventure river, the 18-meter Soak Summit Tower and PAW Patrol Adventure Bay for toddlers, all included for hotel guests with early entry before day visitors arrive
- +Kids get a real daily program: the Super Sliming at Aqua Nick, Nick Live! Poolside game shows, character meet-and-greets and evening shows on the Main Stage at Nickelodeon Place
- +Club Nick takes ages 4 to 12, and cribs, highchairs and other baby gear are delivered to the suite free, so families can pack a lot lighter
- +Gourmet Inclusive by Karisma dining runs across six restaurants, including Good Burger and the Italian Piazza, plus Aqua Bites snack stops in the water park and genuinely 24-hour room service
- +Quick transfer by Riviera Maya standards: about 30 minutes from Cancun airport at km 45 of the Cancun-Tulum highway, and Karisma's own offers have bundled a free round-trip airport transfer
- +Well placed for half-day outings: Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue, Xcaret and the Ruta de los Cenotes are each roughly 20 to 30 minutes away by road
Cons
- −It is expensive, and the headline prices are slippery: Karisma sells almost entirely through 'promotional' rates that sit well below an inflated rack rate, so compare the final total for your party, not the percentage off
- −The beach is not the draw. Traveler forums describe a rough, rocky entry and frequent red flags, so plan on the water park and pools rather than the ocean for young kids
- −The pools are not heated, which is why cold water is one of the most repeated complaints, especially for small children and on winter mornings
- −Plenty costs extra on top of the rate: Aqua Nick cabanas, personalized slimings, the character dining experience (reservation required), spa treatments, laundry and babysitting
- −The value is built for kids roughly 4 to 9 who know the characters; teens and adults without children tend to find the constant theming and noise a lot
- −Service gets mixed reviews: some families rave about attentive staff while others describe slow restaurants and being hard to flag down
- −Room niggles recur in reviews, including noise between suites and air conditioning problems, and some families find the suite layout crowded with five people
The Gourmet Inclusive by Karisma label lifts the food above the standard all-inclusive buffet. There are six restaurants, including Good Burger and Piazza, snack kiosks inside the water park and room service around the clock, and the dining gets steady praise. Service is warm at its best but inconsistent, with some families reporting slow restaurants. Two things to set expectations on before you go: the pools are not heated, so the water runs cold, and the beach entry is rough, so most of the swimming happens in the park and the pools rather than the sea.
This is the right resort for families with kids around 4 to 9 who know the characters and want structured, immersive entertainment, and who accept paying a clear premium over Family Club resorts from Iberostar or Barcelo for it. Older kids still love the slides, but the characters that set the price apart may not land. It sits at km 45 of the Cancun-Tulum highway, about half an hour from Cancun airport and 20 minutes north of Playa del Carmen, with Xcaret and the Ruta de los Cenotes close by; the Tulum ruins are more like 70 minutes each way and Chichen Itza is a very long day.
Common Questions
Is the Aqua Nick water park actually included or does it cost extra?
Is the beach swimmable for kids?
Where exactly is the resort, and is it near Tulum?
What age range gets the most out of this resort?
How does the food compare to a typical all-inclusive?
Are there activities for adults who aren't into the Nickelodeon theme?
Restaurants (4)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Italian | Piazza |
| Steakhouse | Tavola (extra charge) |
| American & grill | Good Burger |
| International & fusion | Yacht Club |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. Venues marked "extra charge" are not covered by the all-inclusive rate; the others are, per the resort.
What's nearby
35 min drive · 21 mi
30 min drive · 16 mi
Playa Mamitas25 min drive · 16 mi
30 min drive · 20 mi
15 min drive · 6.8 mi
Xcalacoco Beach20 min drive · 13 mi
More things to do (23)
- Xenses · adventure park30 min drive · 20 mi
- Xoxi Cancún · adventure park25 min drive · 16 mi
- Croco Cun Zoo · wildlife11 min drive · 7.1 mi
- Playa 88 · beach25 min drive · 14 mi
- Riviera Cancún Golf · golf35 min drive · 21 mi
- Punta Esmeralda Beach · beach30 min drive · 14 mi
- Playa Coral · beach30 min drive · 21 mi
- Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden · nature13 min drive · 5.1 mi
- Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín Botanical Garden · nature13 min drive · 5.1 mi
- Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club · golf15 min drive · 4.7 mi
- Puerto Morelos Town Square and Malecón · town15 min drive · 6.8 mi
- Leaning Lighthouse of Puerto Morelos · historic site15 min drive · 6.8 mi
- Playa Maroma · beach20 min drive · 5.9 mi
- El Camaleón Golf Course · golf20 min drive · 11 mi
- Museo del Chocolate · museum25 min drive · 15 mi
- Parque La Ceiba · nature25 min drive · 16 mi
- Frida Kahlo Museum Playa del Carmen · museum25 min drive · 16 mi
- Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue · town25 min drive · 16 mi
- Moon Palace Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 16 mi
- Voladores de Papantla (Parque Fundadores) · historic site25 min drive · 16 mi
- Xplor · adventure park30 min drive · 20 mi
- Cenote Chaak Tun · cenote30 min drive · 18 mi
- Delphinus Riviera Maya · adventure park35 min drive · 21 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Playa del Carmen gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.6 · 4,797 reviews
“it was our first time staying at this resort. we stayed there with our two kids for 7 nights for my older son’s birthday. I can tell the main strength of this resort is the staffs. they are there to help you and make you feel recognized and relaxed.I...”
“I would rate Nickelodeon as a 4.5. My family had a great time, but easy fixes would make it even better. The rooms are great. My wife and I had a king bed and our own room. Our kid slept on the couch rather than the Murphy bed, and they had their...”
“Gerardo and Armando at the bikini bottom bar were phenomenal! We had an excellent experience thanks to our two servers. They were attentive, friendly, and worked seamlessly together to make sure everything was perfect. Our drinks were always full, ou...”
