We recently stayed at Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera May – Adults Only. The ride to the resort was a quick 15 minutes and we had the nonstop transfers so it was great. I always recommend the nonstop or private transfers to speed up the arrival time at the resort.

• Check-in was easy and quick, and you are greeted with a flip-flop margarita Popsicle. It tasted awful, but was cold and refreshing. Our rooms were ready when we arrived.  The bellman that took us to our room did a great job of explaining the property and how things worked with their “different” all-inclusive provisions.  The main bar had an area labeled “Connoisseur Collection”.  These were all top shelf liquor and there was an extra charge for these brands.  This was not offered at all bars and the cost varied by brand.  They seemed to be from $8.00 and up for a single shot.
• The room that we had was fabulous. It was an Oceanfront Paradise Studio, and I would highly recommend this room. We were in room 503 and it was on the top floor (so no noise above), and all we saw from the balcony was the ocean.  It was perfect.
• The beach or lack of a beach could be huge for some. I knew there was no beach and we are big pool people, so it was perfect for us. They have the access to what was the beach blocked off and go down the steps to the beach at your own risk.  You literally walk off of the step and into the water, unless it is low tide, then there might be a couple of inches of sand, but that is it.  We saw maybe 5 people in swimming in the water the entire week.
• The mini bar in the room only had Water in it. When you check in they give you a card with points on it. These points are based on the number of nights that you are there and the room category.  These points are to be used in the Mercantile to purchase items for your mini bar.  They had pop, beer, power aid, etc. that you could purchase, along with a few snack of chips, candy and cookies.  The also had selections of wine and liquor that could be bought, but in the week we were there, they only offered wine and Rum to be purchased with the points.  I was told that the selection varies, but we had taken our own bottle so we did not need to buy anything for a beverage.  I will say that once you check out your points are gone, so make sure you spend them prior to checking out that day.  
• Food – There were four restaurants for dinner. The Boathouse – Buffet, Landshark - American Bar food with wings, Ribs Burgers etc.  Frank & Lola’s – Italian.  Loved the Rood burning Pizza, but the other meals were just ok.  JWB Steakhouse – We were really excited for this one, since they have a meat sommelier and my daughter loves to grill, so she was excited experience this.  There are 3 cuts that are included or you could purchase dry aged cuts of meat to cook, but the cost started at $75.00 for the lowest cut.  There was a “License to Chill Bar & Grill that served tacos, salads and burgers and Hot Dogs and this used by many for lunch while at the pool.   All in all the food was good; it just could have been served warmer.
• Show/Entertainment – We did one show and it was just dancing and singing. They had 2 – 3 shows each week and the rest of the entertainment were bands at Landsharks or solo entertainment at the main bar. This was perfect for us as we are not big on the shows.
• Fitness Center was decent size (2000 Sq Ft) with updated equipment, and you could see many used the outdoor terrace for yoga.

The vibe here is relaxation and “no worries”.  With the Jimmy Buffet theme being emphasized throughout the resort, it creates a fun atmosphere for the 38 – up age bracket.  This small resort is easy to get around and is very handicapped friendly.  All in all it was a great week!