RIU Palace Riviera Maya

We stayed at this resort for 5 nights, June 26-July 1. Everything was absolutely wonderful; service was amazing, rooms were cleaned twice daily, the property was carefully maintained and spotless. The staff work so hard to keep everything clean, constantly mopping and wiping down tables and chairs. Everyone at the restaurants, bars, and coffee shop were always so kind and friendly, taking such good care of us - three adults and one 9 month old. I cannot say enough good things about the staff. We always tip, but they never made us feel like it was expected. I did notice that a lot of other travelers do not tip, which is a shame. You don’t have to, but you should for their wonderful service. Service at a major resort is a demanding job and they all do it with such grace. Now onto the food. There are plenty of options. Some restaurants were better than others, and some dishes were better than others. But overall everything was amazing. Just try it all….you’re on vacation! The Don Rafael buffet was excellent; great options for breakfast and dinner. Exceptional items were the lamb chops and the stone crab claws. For my less adventurous travelers - their pizzas, burgers and hot dogs were great too. If you’re an American keep in mind that foods in other countries are clean and healthier than what we have at home. So breads and meats don’t make you feel sick. It’s clean! The lunch buffet by the pool (Chilis) is very good with tons of salad options, grilled fish, meats and more! There was a taco station and steaks too. Now the beach - the water was great. Yes there was seaweed but unfortunately that’s nature so you just need to make the best of it. Just go past the seaweed then you’ll get to clear waters. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m sure seaweed will do your skin good. The hotel has people on it every day to help clear the area. Lovely resort. We look forward to checking out their other locations. Muchos gracias!

I stayed at the Riu Palace for two weeks with my partner and we had a lovely trip. I had visited the hotel back in 2014 and in my opinion the standards are still on par. The rooms are a bit on the run down side and could do with a freshen up. However they were always clean and tidy, with plenty of mini bar items stocked up and very spacious. Sadly we had a room at the back of the hotel looking out onto building works, but it didnt really bother us. What sets this hotel apart is the staff. I can’t thank German and Antonio at the pool bar enough for their amazing service. Proper branded spirits (including aperol spritz) and the cocktails were flowing! All of the staff work unbelievably hard. Another shout out to Estaban in the buffet, Luis, Carlos, Alba, Gabean - however they are all wonderful and a credit to the hotel. The Coffee bar is fabulous too. The food is of a really good quality for an all inclusive. Lots of fresh and varied options everyday. We didnt personally use the a la carte restaurants much apart from the Italian once, but we loved the buffet options and were perfectly happy for the two weeks. Breakfast was great, loads of fresh fruit, and I enjoyed having an omlette made most days. I also really enjoyed the lunch options and having the options of Pepes by the pool was also great. The pools are fabulous and well maintained. All of the grounds are immaculate. Yes there is seaweed at the beach, but thats just nature!! Once in after 2metres or so, you can swim no problem. I witnessed staff cleaning the seaweed at various points, mostly in the mornings. The Riu Fit team and entertainment during the day is brilliant. I loved yoga with Ferando, volleyball, ‘crazy games’ etc - always lots going on! I would definitely return to this hotel again!

My family and I stayed at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya for two weeks, having booked two rooms. We previously stayed here several years ago and loved it so much that we returned expecting the same luxury, service and attention to detail. Sadly, this hotel is no longer the same. We’ve stayed at more than 11 RIU hotels around the world, and this has been by far our most disappointing experience. First, I want to thank Esteban, Carlos and Mendez. They remembered my family from our previous visit and continue to provide outstanding customer service. They are a real credit to the RIU brand. I’d also like to recognise the staff working at the Cappuccino Coffee Bar. It was the highlight of our holiday. They work incredibly hard despite being constantly busy and always serve guests with a smile. Rooms The rooms are spacious and larger than some RIU Caribbean hotels, which is a positive. Unfortunately, we found insects in our room during our stay. Pools The pools are excellent, clean and well maintained. Beach The beach itself is beautiful, but during our stay there was significant sargassum (seaweed) every day, making swimming difficult. Personally, I never saw hotel staff cleaning the beach, although this may happen at different times of the day. If spending time in the sea is important to you, I recommend checking the seasonal seaweed conditions before booking. Elite Club I did not stay in the Elite Club myself, so I cannot comment from personal experience. However, after speaking with several guests who did stay there, the general opinion was that the additional benefits were not worth the extra money. Based on those conversations, I personally would save my money. Restaurants & Food This was another disappointment. Some speciality restaurants involved waiting times of around 45 minutes, which is unacceptable for a hotel advertising itself as a luxury resort. Breakfast was also frustrating. If you wanted eggs or another freshly prepared dish with additional ingredients, you were often left waiting. On one occasion we waited over 10 minutes after repeatedly being told “one minute”, only to be ignored and eventually walk away without receiving our order. The Italian restaurant is mostly buffet-style, with only one main course ordered from the menu. Overall, the speciality restaurants did not meet the standards expected from a RIU Palace. Service This is where the hotel really lets itself down. We requested bathrobes over a week ago and never received them. Water, beer and minibar items are not replenished daily unless you specifically ask. Evening turndown service only happened two or three times during our stay. The biggest disappointment occurred one night when excessive noise and a lack of water in our room prevented us from sleeping. When I politely approached reception looking for assistance, the night receptionist, Reynaldo, handled the situation in an unacceptable manner. I found him dismissive, confrontational and unnecessarily aggressive. Instead of trying to resolve the issue, he called security simply because I questioned why another guest had been offered another room while my family had not. No guest should be treated that way for raising a genuine concern. The following morning I spoke to management. Elena and Alexia (or Alexandra) were made fully aware of everything that had happened. Alexia kindly offered us dinner at the Crystal Restaurant, and while I appreciated the gesture, I politely declined because I wasn’t looking for free food, upgrades or compensation. That was never the issue. I simply wanted the hotel’s problems to be acknowledged and addressed. RIU Parties Families should also be aware of the Friday RIU Parties, including the Neon Party and White Party. Many adults will probably enjoy them, but in my opinion they are not particularly suitable for younger children. Some of the costumes, dance performances and overall atmosphere are much more adult-oriented than I expected. If you’re travelling with children under around 10–12 years old, I recommend looking into these events before attending to decide if they’re appropriate for your family. Final Thoughts The hotel still has beautiful grounds, great pools and some fantastic employees, but the management has allowed the service standards to decline significantly. This simply isn’t the RIU Palace Riviera Maya we fell in love with years ago. After staying at more than 11 RIU hotels around the world, I never imagined I’d be writing a review like this. Sadly, this experience has convinced us to look elsewhere for future holidays. A beautiful property let down by poor management and inconsistent service.

I am writing this review after yet another wonderful vacation at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya. This was my second time staying at this hotel and with great certainty I can say, that there will be a third. This hotel excels in many ways, which others have never even seemed to aspire to be. Food The food is divine. There is no other word for it. Honestly, there has never been a single time I did not like what was on my plate. Though the main restaurant is absolutely great, I also have to applaud the chefs in the steak restaurant. Rarely have I eaten meat better, be it in Germany, France or Italy. Restaurant service and waiters As good as the food is, the service is what makes this experience excellent. The attention to detail as well as the general kindness are one of the few qualities which have caught my attention. In particular I would like to mention Lorenzo, Mendez, Cielo and Francisco. Furthermore I would like to mention Fernando and Eduardo, who have often worked the evening shift on the plaza by the theatre. Their ability to handle even the most stressful of evenings without making any mistakes in orders, as well as making absolutely perfect recommendations given the person has impressed me and my parents deeply. A similar sentiment I would like to share for Enrique who worked at the pool bar and the beach. His hard work is outstanding. Other Services Notably not to be referred to as the entertainment team but as the team of the other services, I have grown quite fond of them as well. In this case it is honestly hard to single out anybody in particular, just because they are fantastic as a group in what they do. So instead of mentioning anybody in particular for praise, I have something to say about every one of them, starting with those responsible for the Riu Fit area. Jair, Fernando and Erick are all incredible dancers. The energy they bring to the table on any given day is more than impressive. Each one of them I have seen handle frustrating situations with an amount and calmness and understanding, which has impressed me deeply. Each one of them had a very different style, when it came to handling the courses, which led to every course being interesting in a very new way. Most often found in the kids area are Cristina and Acxel. Being able to work with adults is one thing but not everybody is good with kids too. Though we did not travel with a child of relevant age, I have seen the way those two work with the children. Not only were they able to keep a smile on the faces of these children at all times, you could also tell how much they loved being where they are. Furthermore there are Eliot, Emmanuel and Kimberly, which were often in charge of further activities, such as Spanish lessons or Ping Pong. Shining through similarly in energy their patience and ability to keep an eye on multiple things at the same time is what impressed me the most. Last but not least, the second manager Jo, who was the picture of professionalism.

We spent 2 weeks here, flew premium with Tui (very nice) smooth transportation to the hotel after the nightmare that is Cancun airport. We had a lovely room but outward facing - we knew this was the case and liked to watch the animals out there playing so we were happy. Coatis and Agoutis mainly. Drinks all good, service excellent round the pool and at night. Little bit of waiting necessary but nothing major. Unfortunately I had a bad tummy for a few days but I still left the room, just stayed close by. Entertainment à good standard. Usual Riu standard. The entertainment staff are very good they put in 100% at all times. À good location as in you can walk to Playacar the little shopping plaza and then venture further out on foot to 5th Avenue but we took a taxi being hot and lazy of course. I didn’t like the area at Playa Del Carmen. Smelt of sargassum and was scruffy in my opinion. I don’t like it as much as Cancun and my personal favorite is Puerta Vallarta but this is of no consequence if you like to stay in resort. Pools clean as can be. Beach nice and picturesque. Rooms spotless, very comfortable and a lovely cool little haven when it’s hot outside. Cleaning staff work tirelessly and if you ask for the mini bar to be re filled they're there within 10 mins. All staff à credit to Riu. No complaints. If you’re booked to go you will enjoy for sure!

Me and my husband celebrated our 29th wedd8ng anniversary. The resort is amazing. Jahier and Joe were great with the water aerobics. The alcohol served is premium. The bartenders at all bars were great. We loved the steakhouse and the Italian specialty restaurants. The breakfast and lunch buffets offered something for everyone. The only bad parts was the pool water was too warm before 12pm and the beach had alotbof seaweed. I would go back but during our winter months.

This is never a 5* hotel rooms grubby. The beach full of seaweed never cleared so you could access the sea and stunk! Room service poor ice machines always empty! Many people in bed days ill! Never again!

3rd visit to this hotel and most enjoyable as usual. The staff work extremely hard to ensure you have a great holiday experience. We didn't bother with any of the speciality restaurants and just ate in the buffets plenty of choice and well cooked. Rooms were kept spotless by the cleaning staff and service in the bars was very good. It was a bit stifling around the pools but you got a nice breeze on the beach, like all the hotels in this resort a boardwalk on the sand would help families with pushchairs or people with mobility issues enjoy better beach access. We didn't pay for the elite status as we felt it was not worth the outlay and from a personal point of view I do not agree with it. We already pay a premium to stay at the Palace and feel that this is a step too far, pay extra for a penthouse suite by all means but not for a standard room with a few extras. Having tried all the riu hotels in playacar this is my favourite by far and will be returning next year.

Excellent stay!!! VERY CLEAN and the staff were so attentive!

Any invasion and they got all inside my purse. They didn’t advise that the door has to be closed in order for the air to work properly and my back door had been left open!

This was our first time at this hotel but not the first time in Mexico and we have been to all the Riu Hotels in the Playacar area, we did not originally pick this hotel as we normally stay in the Riu Palace Mexico but dur refurbishment we were moved here. The hotel itself is nice, clean, fresh I cannot fault the appearance of the hotel, from booking in at the hotel the process was fast but what was missing was the extra touches that we have had previously, no offer to upgrade was presented to us although they did wish my Mum and Nephew a belated happy birthday which was a nice touch. The hotel room was not looking into the garden area and was looking onto the back of the hotel, not an issue really for us the room was clean quiet and worked for us as a family as the rooms were joined by another private door, this was something that we had requested. The grounds as expected were clean and very well maintained, the staff were always busy Pools: No issues with getting sunbeds, although later in the day it did get very busy around the pool, although because one of the pools had been taken away for Elite club it did seem to be a lot more cramped. The main issue with the pools was the yellow substance that appears around the edges of the pool during the day and although the staff were cleaning it they did miss is loads and it caused people clothing to become stained and looked rather disgusting when bits were floating there, very off putting. Elite Club: We did not try the Elite Club, but from what I have seen it was not worth the extra money, yes they had a private pool area, a private restaurant, posh sunbeds, but we found that they missed out on all the entertainment during the day as the main fun was around the main pools and the elite club were missed out, a lot of elite people would come over to the main pools just for the entertainment. I cannot see the advantage of the elite process and it seems that you are not getting value for money, yes you are getting some extras in the room and some aromatherapy (which most people have requested to be turned off) but again not worth the money, no WOW factor that makes this stan out more Restaurants: We never had any issues with any of the restaurants, they were all amazing the staff were great and the food was excellent, there do have buzzers so if you come down and its busy, they will give you a buzzer and you just wait a bit longer, good and fair process in place for this. Beach: The seaweed is terrible, the staff are great at trying to clear it away, some people were complaining about this, lets be clear this a nature not the hotel staffs issue, so if you come to Mexico expect to have some seaweed on the beach, yes it does smell, but again your next to the coast so that's what the beach and coast smells like, we never had any issues with the smell, and when we went in the water after walking out about 2m it was clear water. It seemed to be better cleared at the Riu hotels further down the beach, the Riu Yuctan had the beach cleared every day, not sure why this never happened at the Riu Palace. Entertainment: I was not that impressed with the entertainment at this hotel in comparison to the other Riu hotels, this was tame, the staff never really got dressed up, in comparison to the Riu Playcar, the entertainment was not what it has been at other hotels so don't expect much. Some top bits that was great: - Cocktail Cart- Amazing- Great selection of different drinks each day - Beds in the room- Matrasses were very comfy, showers were powerful in the rooms - Coffee Shop- in the main lobby this was great to cool down and get a milkshake - Hotel was very clean -Main buffet- The staff in the main buffet were amazing Areas not so good: -Yellow substance in the pools- cause clothing to be stained and not cleaner up as much -Steak restaurant- food was tasty but we have had better steaks at other Riu Palace hotels - Seaweed on the beach- not being cleared as much as other hotels further along the beach Overall, while the hotel had some great aspects especially the cleanliness, friendly staff, and food it simply didn’t reach the standard we’ve experienced at other Riu properties in Playacar. The issues with the pools, weaker entertainment, and lack of the usual Riu “wow factor” made this stay feel below expectations. I’ve stayed at better Riu hotels, and I wouldn’t consider returning to this one anytime soon, especially when the Riu Palace Mexico continues to offer a far superior experience.

Lovely place to stay. Accommodating, entertaining, comfortable, exceptionally clean, beautiful location and beach, including friendly, helpful staff. The food is excellent and varied, something for everyone.

Arrived on April 6 for 5 days of fun in the sun. Going through the airport in Cancun was very smooth and easy A. Our transportation for Riu was clearly marked. We only waited for about 10 mins and we were on our way . It took about 40 mins to arrive at our resort and when we did we were already impressed. We were welcomed with some drinks and easy check in we only waited a couple hours for our room which was fine because we were ready for lunch and the pool. We did the buffet by the beach Chilis for lunch and we loved the food everything was so good. We got our room at around 2 pm and we loved our rooms. Everything was very clean and the rooms were beautiful. The balcony was great. We overlooked the main courtyard and it was perfect. The housekeeping always made sure everything was cleaned and we never had to ask to fill towels, the minibar was always full. We did leave a tip at the beginning of the week. The food Both buffets. Don Rafael’s and Chili’s were both incredible. We are ate at Dons for breakfast and Chili’s for lunch and everything was always fresh and there was so much variety. Never had a bad meal there. They also had Pepe’s which was applause grill. They would have tortilla chips with guacamole. Burgers, French fries. Chili, hot dogs and make your own salads. great variety. We did 4 À la Carte’s. We did the Asian one, steakhouse, Italian and Mexican. Our favorites were the Italian and steakhouse. Food was so good and they have something for everyone. The Italian was has an antipasto bar before your main meal and it was fantastic. The pools They have a few pools but we spent all of our time in the swim up bar pool as that one was adult only. They were always cleaning out the pool as sand would build up in the bottom and some people threw food in the pool one of the days which is not the resorts fault that some people are inconsiderate. Bartenders at the swim up were always great even when the bar was packed. The drinks were so good they made them perfect. So many flavours of mojitos, margaritas, and even the gin and tonics. My favourite was the mango and passion fruit gin and tonics. The beach The sargassum was there but the workers were up early to clean it up. There was only one day where is was really bad but it’s because it was a holiday Monday and they didn’t work. But the other days it was always cleaned up and the beach was beautiful and water was so clear. The lobby was absolutely beautiful. It looked so fancy. The staff were all so friendly walking by and they were so welcoming. We met so many amazing people from all different places. It was an amazing vacation. I would definitely come back to this resort as in my eyes everything was absolutely perfect. We didn’t have one complaint about this resort and we would recommend it over and over again.

beautiful place, clean, good service, excellent!