Iberostar Opens Selection Riviera Cancun in Mexico
Key points
- Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun opened November 1, 2025 near Puerto Morelos
- The five-star all-inclusive resort offers 444 suites, all with jacuzzis
- Dining includes four specialty restaurants, six bars, three swim-ups, and a Star Café
- The property advances Iberostar's Mexico footprint to 12 hotels and 4,400 rooms
- Wave of Change measures include no single-use plastics, purified water stations, and waste sorting toward zero landfill
Impact
- Who Is Affected
- Couples and families planning Riviera Maya stays who want an all-inclusive base near Cancun International Airport
- Booking Tips
- Compare family rooms, swim-ups, and oceanfront suites against launch pricing and inclusion tiers before committing
- Getting There
- Plan a 20-minute road transfer from Cancun International Airport, then align excursions along the Route of the Cenotes
- On-Site Experience
- Expect four specialty restaurants, an international buffet, a wood-fired pizzeria, six bars including three swim-ups, and a Star Café
- Sustainability Notes
- Bring refillable bottles to use with purified water stations and review seafood sourcing standards aligned to Wave of Change
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has opened Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun, a five-star, all-inclusive resort on the Riviera Maya coastline near Puerto Morelos. The property, which officially joined the portfolio on November 1, 2025, is a 20-minute drive from Cancun International Airport and is positioned as a beach base for snorkeling the Great Mayan Reef and exploring the Route of the Cenotes. Iberostar says the opening raises its Mexico presence to 12 hotels with more than 4,400 rooms and supports local employment through hundreds of new roles.
Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun
The resort features 444 suites, all with a jacuzzi, across several categories designed for couples and families. Options include family rooms, swim-up suites with direct access to semi-private pools, and oceanfront suites. Dining spans an international buffet and a wood-fired pizzeria plus four specialty restaurants: L'Oliveto for Italian, Nopal for Mexican cuisine, a Caribbean seafood venue, and Martinete with Spanish dishes. Six bars, including three swim-ups, and a Star Café round out the food-and-beverage program.
Latest developments
In announcing the opening, CEO Phil Mc Aveety framed Mexico as a "key destination" in the company's growth strategy and emphasized training, local talent development, and responsible tourism initiatives tied to the company's sustainability platform. Iberostar reports it now employs more than 5,800 people in Mexico, and estimates the new resort will generate about 650 jobs.
Analysis
For travelers comparing all-inclusive stays north and south of Cancun, the location near Puerto Morelos offers a quieter stretch of coast while keeping airport transfers short. Suite mix matters: swim-up units trade ocean views for semi-private pool access, while family layouts cluster near kid-friendly zones. Food variety is a differentiator at large resorts; here, four specialty restaurants plus a wood-fired pizzeria should help spread demand beyond the main buffet at peak times. Prospective guests should still book dinner slots early on arrival days during high season.
Background Iberostar's "Wave of Change" program underpins on-property sustainability, targeting plastic reduction, responsible seafood, and a circular-economy approach to waste. The company states the new Riviera Cancun property operates without single-use plastics in the guest experience, uses purified drinking stations, and applies a 3R team model for sorting waste toward a no-landfill goal. The broader roadmap commits all properties to remain plastic-free and sets five-year targets for new additions to reach zero waste to landfill. Travelers who value lower-waste stays can engage by using refill points, opting into linen-reuse, and choosing responsibly sourced menu items.
Final thoughts With its short transfer time, suite variety, and a sustainability program that is visible to guests, Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun enters a competitive Riviera Maya market with a familiar all-inclusive formula and some operational details that will appeal to families and couples. Travelers focused on ease of access, multiple dining choices, and lighter-footprint practices should find this opening worth a look.