As any food allergy parent knows, traveling with food restrictions is hard! I have two kiddos with food allergies, and food allergies myself. For the first few years of my son's life we packed food for every meal of every vacation that we went on. Or we rented a place with a kitchen so that I could cook on vacation. Flipping allergy-friendly pancakes at 7am before a day at a theme park is not my idea of a vacation!
The author was hosted at Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts to facilitate the writing of this review. The author received compensation for this article. All thoughts and opinions expressed are their own.
As the years have gone by, I have become more adventurous and I have started researching resorts and hotels that are known for being allergy-friendly. I decided to go along with a group of Macaroni KID publishers for a visit to Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya without knowing whether I would be spending the entire time there eating salads with grilled chicken.
But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this resort goes above and beyond for guests on all things, including those with food allergies.
After my visit, I feel completely comfortable bringing my kids and knowing that they would be safe at every meal. (FYI My allergies include: gluten, dairy, yeast, and pineapple. There were also other members of the group that had nut allergies.)
WARNING: Prepare to be hungry!
Breakfast
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There were several options for breakfast, including food displays and character meals, and both options were amazing with my allergies.
On the first morning, we went to the Sponge Bob Pajama Jam character breakfast. I don't think I've ever eaten so much food in my life! As soon as we arrived, a Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya staff member came over to check on my allergies and food preferences and then brought course after course of delicious food. I had a delicious tropical fruit salad, overnight oats made with almond milk (how they managed to make those in 10 minutes is pure magic), the best banana nut muffin I've ever had in my life, a lobster and veggie omelet, and finally, pancakes covered in powdered sugar. SO. MUCH. FOOD. And everything tasted amazing.
The other two mornings I visited the food displays. As soon as I checked in, the host asked about my food allergies and informed my server. I was able to have a freshly prepared omelet, fresh juices, beautiful fruit, and even warm almond milk for my coffee. There were tables upon tables of food options, all clearly labeled.
Lunch
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There are several options for lunch at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya. You can visit another food display or sit down at a restaurant. I visited both. Every time I entered a restaurant, someone came to check on my allergies. I was able to order off of the menu, and the chef was able to adjust the ingredients to make it something that I could eat.
The food displays also had some of the most beautiful salad bars with amazing toppings. I am still dreaming about the dried fruits and nuts that I topped my salads with each day.
Dinner
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The first night at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, we visited the Ninja Turtles-themed Italian restaurant. The servers brought out course after course of delicious-looking appetizers and pizzas, and I started to get nervous about what I could eat. After I told them about my allergies, they quickly brought out a yummy salad, amazing fish dish, and dessert that my entire table gobbled up before I had a chance to take a picture!
I also visited Good Burger on my final night. When I opened the menu I realized there was not a single thing listed that I could eat, and became discouraged. The servers quickly brought me out food items that were OK for me though, even though they weren't listed on the menu!
They made me my own (not so) little side of fries that were made away from the other food, and a chicken dish that was well marinated and flavorful. I wasn't even jealous of the delicious-looking burgers around me, because I had a meal that looked just as wonderful!
Beverages
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Every time we went to a new location at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, a server was there to meet us with a beautiful cocktail to celebrate the occasion! Many of these cocktails included pineapples (Sponge Bob!), and unfortunately, I am allergic. Any time I told this to a server, they quickly found me a replacement beverage that was equally as yummy! The staff was extremely attentive. I even joked to my husband one night that I couldn't take two sips of my wine without someone showing up to pour me a refill. They really were the sweetest!
In conclusion, it is hard to travel when you have to worry about whether or not you're going to be able to eat each meal during the day. I would 100% recommend Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya to any family dealing with food allergies. The staff bent over backward to make sure that I felt safe and comfortable my entire stay.
I can't wait to book a trip for my kiddos for next summer at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya so they can see what I've been talking nonstop about!
