Riu Palace Riviera Maya

My wife and me enjoyed our stay a lot, even in these pandemic times. The health meassures taken by the hotel were good and gave us the safety thinking we required to enjoy our vacation. The personnel is really awesome, including bell boys, waiters and cleaning staff. We had a request at the begining of our stay to get more hangers for our clothes and it was completed promptly.

I stayed from August 23rd to the 30th and miss it already. (I have been to Cancun five times and while I had visited Playa, this was my first stay there.) Many people have written here recently regarding the staff, and I agree completely that the service is OUTSTANDING in every conceivable way, and this isn't just because of the lower capacity as it remains "orange" in the state a little longer. This is a friendly, well-trained staff. I already miss my daily greeting from Maidali at the coffee shop, who is excellent, but I honestly could list every employee I encountered and thank them for their hard work. Don't be fooled by my lack of posts. I'm a seasoned traveler to say the least, and my stay was so good that I was compelled to write a review in case anyone out there was debating whether or not to roll the dice on Riu Palace Riviera Maya. My advice is roll those dice! I have never been the biggest fan of all-inclusives, but Riu Palace was the best AI experience I've had. I always like to try new places, but I am literally re-booking for April the second I finish writing this. The pools are clean and great, the beach is great, the food ...now, this is where I see a lot of people nit-picking. Get over yourselves, people! The food was more than fine. If you're looking for "five -star best meals of your life" cuisine, then I can suggest a few restaurants for you to visit in the tri-state area. You're going to a paradise in the Caribbean! Just enjoy! But that being said, the food there was VERY good as well. I was quite pleased with the meals. The bartenders at the pool and the wait staff? Better than any AI I've been to. If you want details on covid precautions, taxis, shopping, rooms, etc feel free to message me. But let me say this emphatically. You can't go wrong choosing this resort.

I am 31/female/single/went solo. I went o heal from a longterm breakup. I stayed for 9 days and 8 nights (Aug 14-23). I never left the facility and never felt the need to because ALL bars and clubs are closed in PDC. My purpose of this vacation was to ONLY eat, sleep, drinkkkk, and go to the beach. I bought my ticket on Tuesday and flew out Thursday. Check-in only took 10 mins. I was greeted with a drink & my room was cool once I entered. I loved the room set up and the bathroom in the middle of the floor. ROOM: I would not recommend sharing a room with someone you just met because there is a lack of privacy in the bathroom. If you are married or with your boo thang it is sexy! LOLS There is an extra blanket in the closet if you get cold at night. Bathroom only offers shower gel and hand soap, so bring your toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, brush, etc FOOD: ALL buffets were great! They have everything and a GREAT VARIETY. Fresh guac every meal. Fresh Mexican soft tortilla tacos at lunch were to die for!!!!! I am a foodie and gained 10lbs in 9 days- No regrets! All restaurants were open every other day. I would HIGHLY recommend going to the Steakhouse -Great lobster, ribs, and salmon. You can see the menu on the RIU app before leaving your room. You can bring food from the lunch buffet to your room using their disposable plates. I would bring desserts to my room from the dinner buffet. STAFF: You are spoiled by their kindness and attentiveness. Bring USD in singles to tip. I strongly encourage tipping because they work hard! Just bring USD, no need to convert to pesos in the RIU. COVID TIPS: - GO! JUST DO IT! - Felt 100% protected from COVID - Yes, there are no liquor dispensers, but that didn't bother me. Liquor is everywhere else. You can bring and stock on drinks from the bar to your room. I would just bring a glass a wine from dinner to my room for a nightcap in the bathtub. - I LOVED that the hotel wasn't full. It meant that there was no need to make reservations for dinner. I felt like I had the beach to myself, and plenty of available seats at any time of the day. NEGATIVES: 1. The cocktail bar closed at 6pm. No cocktails offered at dinner. 2. Venders and drug dealers at the beach can become annoying after a while because they come every 5mins even if you are reading a book or talking to your friends. Some just hang around for hours to rest. ( FYI-I felt 100% safe with leaving my things on the beach.) Great for honeymoon, couples, and single adults. Not too kid friendly. I wouldddddd 100% come back again!