As I walked into the grand lobby of the Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort, I quickly came to the realization that life was going to be quite lovely for the next few days. The open-air lobby of the hotel was an oasis of sumptuous style with pretty little water walkways, elegant wood beam ceilings, and luxurious sitting areas that invite you to come and stay awhile. Recently opened in the fall of 2009 the resort sparkles; everything looks new, modern and upscale. The setting was a prelude for the delights awaiting me in Mexico.

My visit to the resort was part of a Girl’s Getaway Tweet Trip to Riviera Maya where Dreams Resorts and We Visit Mexico hosted a group of travel bloggers. We played, we tweeted and we bonded over many tequilas and margaritas. We had fun and Dreams Riviera Cancun met all of my “must have” requirements and more for a great girl’s getaway retreat in Mexico.

1. The resort promises Unlimited-Luxury® service, and they deliver.

What does Unlimited-Luxury mean? My take is that Dreams offers the ultimate in all-inclusive service. Room service? Yes, in fact, 24 hour service. All drinks? Yes. All food? Yes. Even the mini bar was part of the package. If you’re like me and hear the constant call of the mini bar during holidays, this is a pretty big deal. There was no need to remind myself the charges far out weigh the momentary bliss of eating the box of Pringles, sitting there, all lonely, just waiting for me to pop it open or sipping the tantalizing ice cold bottle of cerveza (beer), perfect after a day by the pool.

2. One of my hard and fast rules when going on a girl’s getaway is the hotel has to be nice, and I mean real nice. Sorry, but I don’t do girl’s getaway in a Super 7 motel. If I’m leaving my hubby and kids for a few days of R & R, it had better be for a pretty awesome place. With two large whirlpools, three midnight blue pools, daybeds decked out with white linen curtains scattered though out the property (no extra charge), and white, white sand beaches, this resort is a visual treat.

3. The hotel’s newly decorated rooms feature sleek beds framed with luxurious white linen curtains and, how awesome is this: each room has a private balcony equipped with either a hot tub or plunge pool, promising hours of fun sipping champs and feeling fine with a few of your favorite girlfriends! The bathroom is enormous, with double vanities, a large soaker tub and separate shower. Each room comes equipped with generous amenities, including much needed sun lotion. This made me very happy since I had forgotten to pack sunscreen for this trip. My only complaint was the lack of adequate lighting over the vanity sink.

4. Serious about relaxation, the Spa by Pevonia, offers decadent treatments and our group of travel bloggers discovered true bliss in the form of a massage during our stay. Afterwards, the place to be was the Spa’s beautiful private garden and secluded pools.

Our Favorite: Sugar Reef Bar – A swing seat bar located right next to the beach. This place brought back many fond memories of my childhood, playing on the swings, chatting with my girlfriends, but much improved over my childhood past, because at Sugar Reef, the swing seats also included bar service!

Note on safety and security in Mexico.

I firmly believe that parts of Mexico are still safe, and are as safe as any town or city in North America. I accepted this trip with no reservations or concern; I had done my research and knew that Cancun has the reputation for being one of the safest places in Mexico. During our stay, we visited Playa del Carmen arriving sometime after midnight, and even at that late hour, people were slowly strolling along Playa’s main street, Avenida Quinta, the restaurants and bars full of people, chilling in the laidback casual atmosphere of this lovely little town.