Riu Palace Baja California

This all inclusive adults-only resort was great! My husband and I stayed to celebrate BOTH of our birthdays and from the beginning until the end we had a wonderful time. We had a package through Southwest so it included someone who picked us up from the airport when we landed. When you land at the airport after getting your bags and as you leave the airport arrivals area walk straight through the people trying to sell you transport, excursions, etc. The shuttles to the hotel are outside under numbered stations (next to the outdoor bars). Our driver was nice and took us to the hotel. The lobby is open, large, and airy. Check in was easy and the room had a special treat for us on arrival to celebrate the event. So very kind of them! Rooms: We had a partial ocean view suite. Clean throughout, water was hot, a nice sized bathtub in the room also. Bed slightly firm but overall happy with the room inside. The walls are thin and you can easily hear people in the hallway as things echo. Service: Excellent! Everyone was nice and friendly, attentive, and responsive to all our needs and questions. We had no issues with our cleaning staff for our room, and everything was great. Room service the one night we ordered it was prompt. The drink servers by the pool came by frequently and our drinks were never empty. Food and Drinks: They have a buffet that’s open for most of the day through the night, and we ate there daily for breakfast which was a massive selection of great choices. Different breads, eggs, veggies, fruit, meat, cheese, and drinks. Really can’t go wrong as there was something for everyone. We were always seated quick and tables were always open at the buffet. For the “theme” restaurants like Krystal, Taj Mahal, Guacamole, etc, check the sign outside because they’re not all open daily. This way you can plan ahead. We ate at one theme restaurant each night for dinner. Our favorite was the Indian Taj Mahal restaurant. The beef tenderloin at Krystal was great too. Ask for drinks to be made stronger if you order poolside if that’s your jam. They were more than happy to accommodate us. There’s a coffee and dessert bar, regular bars throughout, and a lounge open 24 hours with refreshments Pool/Beach: There was generally a place to sit if you got there early in the day. No problem with theft, we felt safe and everything was fine. They had 2 poolside games. Several swim up bars and the pools were heated. Just an overall relaxed vibe by the pool. There were staff leading water aerobics and got the crowd to participate in games too during certain hours. At the beach the water was too cold for us (January), but some people were in it. Lots of vendors selling things on the beach too. We just told them no thank you and they weren’t too pushy at all. On some nights they have themed pool parties next door at their sister resort the Riu Santa Fe. Next time we plan to go to one. This was our first time at a Riu resort and definitely won’t be our last. We had a fantastic time and wish we had more days to spend here. It was a great time for the price and we thank the Riu staff for making our stay pleasant.

The resort was awesome, very new and clean. True to the rooms you could hear the parties next door if you are on that side but they end right at 11 so for us we didn't have any issues. Shout out to the amazing staff! They were thoughtful, speedy, and so kind. We would definitely stay at this resort again.