8 Reasons to Love Azul Fives in Riviera Maya, Mexico

Riveira Maya is one of the vacation capitals of the world with resorts in Cancun being at the top of the most popular escape destinations. Recently our family enjoyed a week long vacation at Azul Fives, an all inclusive family friendly resort in Riviera Maya and it was close to perfect.  Here are our top 8 reasons to we love the Azul Fives resort:

Riviera Maya location in Playa Del Carmen  The Karisma Hotel company operates several all-inclusive resorts in Riviera Maya, with most of them being family oriented and a handful designated as adults only.  The Azul family of resorts are located near Playa del Carmen, about 30 minutes south of Cancun.  Azul Fives a perfect home base for vacationers to explore the Riviera Maya area.

Gourmet All Inclusive vibe  I’m always slightly wary of the “all-inclusive” label of resorts.  Often the quality of these resorts can vary but the Azul resorts are described as “gourmet all-inclusive” resorts and they totally live up to their claim. Each resort has a clean, modern vibe infused with natural cultural elements.   It is easy to feel like you’re staying at a 5 star resort even though rates are very reasonable.

The common grounds on the property are beautifully designed and you fill like you’re in a chic town center!

Spacious, modern room  If you’re a sucker for clean modern design that is also practical and comfortable then you’ll love the decor in all the Azul Fives suites.

I was in absolute love with the decor of the suites. They managed to keep the rooms bright and colorful but modern at the same time!

The resort features 1-3 bedroom residences that are cleanly decorated and very practical for families, couples and solo travelers. There are also penthouse suites and swim up suites available to add some variety!

This wallpaper in the master bedroom gave me life, LOL!

The chic bathrooms in all the suites were a pleasant addition…

Crystal clear waters and loungers & umbrellas with expert service….

Gorgeous beach and pool area The beach at Azul Fives is a lovely, well maintained stretch of sand and sea with gentle waves.  There is sea barrier that keeps the waves relatively calm.  Umbrellas and comfortable loungers are complimentary and there are also relaxing day beds that can be reserved.  The pool overlooks the beautiful beach.

The pier was a perfect spot for photo shoots and for just gazing at the open sea…

These lovely beach beds were hard to come by but oh so comfy!

Mangrove location/beautiful landscaping  I’ve visited Riviera Maya a few times in the past and one of the things I loved was how the resorts often incorporate the lush tropical ecosystem on grounds.  Azul Fives is no different with large mangrove forests full of playful spider monkeys found on the beautiful grounds.

The kids loved racing down the boardwalk, gazing up in the trees for spider monkeys and other wild life

Boardwalks are found through the forests which are well maintained and well lighted so guests can walk freely, day or night all around the resort.  The spider monkeys, in particular, provided plenty of smiles and surprises for the kids as we wandered around the Azul grounds.

I could lay all day in these hammocks, staring up at the azure sky through the shady trees…

In other areas there were hammocks and open lawns perfect for lounging in the grass or play games.  Even though resort was quite large and it could take 10-15 minutes to walk from one end to another, the lush landscaping make the walks enjoyable.

Excellent Service all around  The service at the Azul Fives was top notch!  We found every person we came in contact with was friendly and helpful.  There were occasional language barriers (we were, after all, visiting Mexico ) but staff members were accommodating and we never had a communication issue that wasn’t quickly resolved.  From the wait staff to the kids club ladies to the front desk staff, each employee exuded the highest levels of customer service and they actually seemed happy to be working there.

Hubby and I treated ourselves to beach front massages on our final day at Azul Fives and it was a perfect way to end our trip..

Arrezzo, the Italian specialty restaurant at Azul Fives

Great Dining Options  There are 10 restaurants and bars on property at Azul Fives.  Arrezzo features creative Italian cuisine, Koh Thai is the Asian Fusion spot with great ambience, and Oka is the sushi bar.  Add to that La Brassiere which is French inspired (and features a great breakfast buffet), Sea Olive’s Mediterranean cuisine and the handful of beach front burger and taco stands and you have a wonderful variety of options for dining during your stay.

The ambiance in the restaurants at Azul Fives is top notch

Awesome Kids Club  Most of our travel includes our children so we are always on the look out for resorts with great kids clubs.  Azul Fives is on the top of our list of family friendly resorts that offer Mom and Dad top notch experiences and have our kids begging to go back to the Azulitos Playhouse to spend time with new friends and participate in fun activities.

Kiddie pool at Azulitos Playhouse with the cutest kid sized loungers!

We homeschool so family vacations for us are a great time for the kids to have fun on their own and Mom & Dad to get some real quiet, relaxation time! 🙂 The Azul family of resorts also features a partnership with My Gym with an awesome play space and even My Gym classes!  The staff members at Azulitos Playhouse were fantastic with my girls.

Sharing meals at Azul Fives was a fun experience, building our family connection and creating new memories.

Karisma Resorts has three Azul properties in Riviera Maya and, according to the staff we interviewed, each property is as outstanding as the next.  We hope to visit the area again and try out one of the other resorts.

Our final morning, we watched the sunrise on the beach… Already thinking about our next visit to Azul Fives

Have any of you been to Cancun or Riviera Maya, Mexico?  What are your favorite resorts in that region?