Trip was Summer 2013
Staying at the Riviera was so convenient for us. We spent three days at the beach and two days out playing at amusement parks/centers. We also stayed at the resort some of the time, swimming or BBQing or just hanging out. It was fantastic to wake up to a gorgeous ocean view every morning.
UNIT: We stayed in a two bedroom ocean-view unit on the second floor in "Phase II." Owners would call this unit "Sunset." The master bedroom has a queen bed, dresser, night stand, closet, and a flatscreen TV along with a sitting chair. The window faces the ocean. The other bedroom has two twin beds, a dresser, closet, nightstand and the window faces the hill (where we saw some cute bunnies). The living room area has a large flatscreen TV and an L shaped sofa that contains a sofa bed. The dining area seats 6 at the table. There are two bathrooms, each has a tub and shower. The master tub is enormous! The kitchen contains a dishwasher, fridge, microwave/convection oven combo, granite counter tops, new cabinets, tile floor... there's a toaster, coffee maker, blender and tableware for 8. It also has a few grilling tools for the gas BBQ on the balcony. We grilled twice and both times it was easy, fun, and totally yummy.
AMMENITIES: two pools, two hot tubs, two fitness rooms, two game rooms, ping pong and pool tables, etc. The activity center has some candy and toiletries for sale along with a small selection of books, DVDs and board games you can borrow. You can also rent bikes (I think it's $3 per day or something). There are two laundry rooms with coin-operated machines. They also have beach supplies available to borrow although we did not investigate that as we have our own stuff we prefer to use.
WIFI: The Riviera charges for wifi and it's $30 per week per device, not per week per room. Moreover, it won't work for all devices (we could not get our roku or paperwhite kindles to connect). We decided to use it as an opportunity to unplug a little but I will admit it was VERY frustrating. I hope that soon they will offer free wifi.
ADA: There is an elevator and automatic doors. I am sure there are some ADA rooms, although our room did not have a walkin shower and the beds were exceptionally high off the ground. I did not see a chair lift to help get people in and out of the pools. Also, someone with mobility issues (wheelchair-bound, etc) might have trouble getting to the beach. The pedestrian bridge does not have a ramp and the sidewalk near the Riviera doesn't go anywhere in either direction, it just ends without getting to a crosswalk. This obviously affects strollers and small children as well as older adults and people who are wheelchair bound.
BUILDING: The building is older and needs some updating but it's obvious they are working on it. The paint is fresh, for example, and the kitchens were recently renovated. I look forward to seeing the other improvements next year when we return. Note: The Riviera has two "phases" and they are different. They often are confused with one another in reviews because the amenities are shared. From what I understand from talking to others at the pool, Phase II was recently renovated whereas Phase I is still outdated. Also, the room layouts are different. When/if you reserve a room ask details about the view and when it was renovated, etc.
STAFF & FEES: The staff was friendly-enough but that's an area where they can improve. They just need to smile more often and pretend they enjoy their jobs. They did help me out a few times when I needed it. But my phone conversations were often frustrating - they are not very knowledgeable, they give excuses for everything, and they have long hold times. There were no additional fees at checkout.
WHO STAYS HERE: We are a family and felt this was great for us. When we were at the resort there were quite a few other families with children. I think it would also work well for couples or singles provided the room layout worked for them. The room we had would probably not work well for two couples, for example, because of how one room had twin beds. But a 1 bedroom or studio would probably be fine. When I visited off-season there were lots of older people whereas this time there were lots of families so I'd say it is suitable for a wide variety of people.
BEACH: The beach the Riviera faces is Doheny State Beach, which is divided by a river. The Riviera is on the south side of the river, across from the part of the beach that is mostly used for picnics and BBQs, although it's got plenty of tidepools to check out during low tide too. The north side of the beach has lots of grass, much more sand, and gentle waves filled with surfers. There is also a snack bar and silly bike rental place along with the "Whale Walk", a section of paved walkway that has lifesized whales painted onto it. I highly suggest that if you visit the beach across from the Riviera that you don't just limit yourself to the section directly across from the Riviera... visit the whole of Doheny State Beach and the nearby marina as well as The Ocean Institute. It's really quite nice!
PARKING: Each unit only gets one parking space. There are no exceptions (trust me, I tried to buy another space.) There is additional free parking on the street in front of the Riviera but it's obviously limited to availability and also once a week is street cleaning when you have to park elsewhere. Across the street you can park along the PCH but only during the day. Also, you can park in Doheny State Beach for $15/ day but not overnight unless you're camping. And there's another nearby lot that's $1/per hour (pretty sure overnight parking is not permitted). Thus, parking is a problem!
Overall, we had a good time and the view was fantastic. That made up for any other problems.
