Riu Palace Riviera Maya Resort Playa del Carmen Mexico. Best Hotel Deals & Reviews

	Date of Stay: July, 2009
great experience and wonderful service along with plenty of relaxation!

Date of Stay: April, 2009

My wife and I visited this resort April 15th-20th. We are 30 years old and have no kids. We have been to a few all inclusive resorts before and this one compared favorably to our previous stays. Overall a very nice hotel for the money. We stayed in the Aventura Spa Palace last year and thought this one was every bit as nice for much less money. The things that seperated the Aventura were minor. The food here was great, room was really nice, grounds were great. Staff were friendly, however they didn't speak english very well for the most part which is understandable however the aventura didn't have this problem at all. Other drawbacks were minor as well, the "top shelf" liquor is fairly limited. For instance, Beefeater was their premium gin and Jim Beam was the premium bourbon, while both are decent liquor, not exactly "top shelf" in my book. Honestly though, I am not complaining, just stating facts. Trust me, I drank plenty of both. Another helpful thing would be if they labeled the food on the buffet, sometimes it was a bit of a leap of faith. Overall a very nice resort. Had a wonderful time and would definitely go back. Last thing, If you like laying by the pool, you need to get up early because people will lay their towels, books, hats, shirts, anything they can find down to try and reserve a chair. We layed by the pool from 8 a.m. til 2 p.m. and the chairs beside us had towels on them and not a single person came to lay on them. Pretty annoying, but we just moved towels off the chairs and sat down seeing as we were the first ones out. Anyway, if you go you will love it.

	Date of Stay: June, 2009
The hotel was very nice, but this is a place for couples and weddings not singles.

Date of Stay: March, 2009

I've never stayed at an all inclusive and read several hot, cold and mediocre reviews about this hotel so I really didn't know what to expect. Check in was easy and accommodating and everyone from the doorman to the cleaning staff were very pleasant and polite. The property is large, well maintained and nicely decorated. We had a junior suite with king bed which was fine considering we spent most of our time on the beach. We had fresh towels in the bathroom everyday. The room had a stocked minibar, safe (which broke the day we were leaving and the front desk promptly sent someone to fix it), recessed sitting area with love seat and flat screen tv. I have no complaints about the room at all. The bartenders were friendly and the drinks, while watered down a little, were great. The beach was gorgeous, naturally, and the hotel had plenty of lounge chairs at the pool and on the beach. No complaints there either. The hotel seemed family friendly and there were several entertainment activities during the day to keep everyone occupied. My two complaints were the food and the cleanliness of the pool. The buffet was, well, a buffet. Plenty to offer and not really that bad. The theme restaurants, we went to three of the them, left a lot to be desired. Our best meals of the trip were eaten outside the resort. The pool was cleaned at night but it was gross by the end of the day. It was cloudy and full of trash from the swim up bar including straws and fruit from the drinks. The responsibility for that lies a little with the hotel but more with the guests being respectful of the property.

Date of Stay: June, 2009

This is a first class property, with every attention given to detail -- from arrival to departure! The rooms and property are magnificent and, not to be taken for granted in the Cancun area, a beautiful beach that is very smooth with white sands and stunningly clear, seaweed-free, water. The staff at this property cannot do enough for their guests and every employee in which we came into contact with was pleasant and helpful in any way possible. The property is first-class all the way (even 24/7 room service available -- not typical in all-inclusives) in every respect and is only a five minute cab ride from the lively downtown Playa del Carmen.

Date of Stay: March, 2009

Just returned from 6 days at this wonderful resort. The grounds and rooms were immaculate! The food was wonderful ! The staff were friendly and went out tof their way to make us feel welcomed. There were many activities poolside; spanish lessons, water aerobics, salsa dancing lessions, bingo, if you wanted to participate, or you can just relax! There were plenty of lounge chairs and the pool as well as the beach, with areas of shade under the palm trees. We enjoyed every minute, and would certainly vacation here again!

Date of Stay: June, 2009

My husband and I stayed at Riu Palace Riviera Maya for my 30th birthday. we got a 4 night 5 day package from cleveland for 1227 through orbitz from june 18-22, but keep in mind the price was low mostly because of the whole swine-flu thing,which was totally not present to our knowledge anywhere we went in Riviera Maya! This hotel was much more gorgeous than we expected! It was in a gated community with other hotels and homes, we felt very safe. It had a classic look, I was suprised to find out the hotel was built in 06! I cannot say enough about the beauty of the landscaping, the old-world look of the hotel, and the beautiful beach and ocean. We had a room that had a king bed and a small sitting area with a couch, coffee table, and flat screen tv. King bed was a bit hard but we slept just fine. There is also a safe in the room which is free of charge. The only downside to the hotel room was that the bathroom had no ventilation fan, the shower had no light inside it, and the room had a bit of a musty smell. Not unpleasant, but if you are sensitive to that kind of smell, bring along a scented candle. I got used to it. Also there were a few small ants in the room but HELLO you are in the tropics and some of that is just impossible to avoid. I took them outside if I could catch them. We had a room that faced the large courtyard area and it was awesome, they had live music from about 7p-9p every night, and usually a show in the theatre nearby. It was cool to sit on the small patio and listen or walk to the pavilion area and sit at a table and get a drink. There is a small workout facility with some basic equipment, 2 treadmills and an elliptical trainer along with some other older machines. It has a beautiful view of the ocean and pool and right outside the gym there are hammocks tied to palm trees on the beach! Gorgeous. The food was better than expected. (We stayed at the Sun Palace all inclusive in Cancun for our honeymoon a few years ago and the food was very bland, i

Date of Stay: March, 2009

The Riu Palace Riviera is a wonderful resort. When we arrived to the resort I was so Impressed. Whe you walk in the front door, it is like WOW. We went to the front desk and were checking in and they gave us both a drink to welcome us to the resort. Check in was a breeze, gave us our key and they bought our luggage to the room. In other reviews, some people mentioned that the place smelled musty. I will say there is a different odor down here .It is called "TROPICAL WEATHER". This Resort is kept very clean. Where ever you go it is very clean. The food here is great. we ate at Don Manolo resturant for breakfast and supper. The food here is a buffet. Plenty of choices of food for everyone. For lunch we ate Chilis resturant. This is also a buffet style resurant with good food choices again. We did make reservations for the mexican resturant one night. I would recommend just going to Don Manolo"s. The Mexican place was OK, but not much choices of food and not much of it. We ate one night at Chilis steak house . Good food and plenty of it . Only thing is you just get a few choices of steak or chicken. Here again, it is a nice change of pace but next time I would just eat at Don Manolo's , so much food here from salads, fish, chicken, pasta, ect... Believe me you wont go away hungry. Another thing I really liked was the resort uses all Bottled water. In the drinks and also the ice. You dont have to worry about getting sick from the water. Entertainment at night is ok, but not great. Overall, Very wonderful---GO FOR IT

Date of Stay: June, 2009

Overall the hotel was very nice. The food and drinks were great as always. Good location. Decent pool (although got a little grungy with so many people though). The beach in front of the hotel is beautiful! We were able to take out one of the catamarans that they had there - what a blast. It was quite possibly the slowest catamaran that I have ever sailed, but there was no question how beautiful the coast line there is. For area attractions: We took a $5 USD cab ride into Playa Del Carmen - it is a fun afternoon to walk through the shopping district. Don't expect great bargains, but the area is a fun stroll. We did a whale shark snorkeling tour. It was a long, but fun day. And definitely a unique experience! I don't know if I'd do it again, but I'm really happy we did it! The highlight of the tour was a day trip to Chichen Itza (the big mayan pyramid in the middle of the Yucatan). The complex (includes pyrmid and a good number of other facinating buildings) is a can't miss! The day is realatively long, but it is so facinating that the day flies by. I'm definitely going to back again soon! We wanted to go diving in a cenote (freshwater cave). Unfortunately a case of Montezuma's revenge canceled that trip... But we will be back and will give that a try as the cenotes look beautiful! There are many different activities that you can do in the Cancun/PDC area, but if you are going to do one - make it a trip to Chichen Itza.

Date of Stay: February, 2009

Most everything was absolutely perfect about this resort...rooms were nice & comfortable, the food was superb, beach was gorgeous with plenty of lounge chairs, pool was beautiful, all extremely clean & well-maintained & upscale. The area in which the resort is located (Playacar) is affluent...multi-million dollar homes, quaint shops & police security check points upon entering or leaving. It was just us two girls on the trip, & we felt very safe on our jogs and shopping. Resort is an easy, scenic 15-20 minute walk from Playa del Carmen. Only complaints were the staff was not always friendly or helpful. Also, fitness center equipment is below average. **Be sure to make dinner reservations for all nights as soon as possible upon your arrival, as it fills up fast. Lastly, watch the locals when doing business, as I was ripped off couple of times. Make sure you become familiar with the exchange rate & watch closely! Overall, very fabulous trip! Highly recommend Riu Palace Riviera Maya!

Date of Stay: June, 2009

This fabulous resort is located in the Playacar exclusive resort area. It is described as the Beverly Hills of Mexico. The area is secure and within walking distance to the 5th Ave. "downtown" area. Although you won't want to leave the resort. The food was fantastic, the service amazing, the pool and beach were perfect - I cannot say enough good things about the resort layout, appearance, quality and value for your hard earned money. Best part - champagne is available at the resort 24/7 as part of the all inclusive. We were on our honeymoon and now want to be "snow birds" in Playa del Carmen when we retire. The area is beautiful and there is lots to do. Cannot go wrong with a vacation at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya!

Date of Stay: February, 2009

This hotel was very clean and beautiful! The room service lacked a bit, but otherwise, it was perfect! Very big rooms, big bathrooms with double sinks and whirlpool tub/shower. We traveled with 2 kids, ages 5 and 7. The only things that were missing was a childrens menu from the restaurants. But, they did ok on pizza and breakfast items. The pool was huge and never too crowded. Had a wonderful time!!

Date of Stay: June, 2009

Very good resort, but not great. Overall, worth staying here, very clean, nice beach. Many more positives than negatives, but the negatives are worth mentioning - 1. Ants: we had ants in our room in the bathroom. We'd wake up in the morning and find ants in the sink. If you'd leave a drink or something in the bathroom, there'd be a hundred ants when you came back. This is a hotel-wide problem because cleaning staff had "Raid" on their cleaning carts. 2. Old-people resort: like I said, we had a good time, but this resort is very oriented toward older people based on the times services are offered - pool is open 7am to 8pm (what kind of person on holidays would get up at 6am to be at the pool at 7am?). At about 5pm, there's hardly anyone at the beach and 8pm the pool is closed. Breakfast in the main restaurant (the good breakfast) is over at 10am!!! So you better wake up at the crack of dawn if you want to have breakfast. Entertainment is done at 10:30pm. Again, I got nothing against people who go to bed at 10:30pm, but then there should be something else for other people to do other than sleeping. The buffet restaurant is closed at 10pm, so if you go into town and come back later in the evening, you're likely not to have dinner. This is disappointing as several all inclusives have 24-hr buffets. Here, they have so-called "24hr room service" which is horrible (food is really bad and limited). So, again, if you're old and wake up at 6 and are dead exhausted by 8pm, you'll have a good time, eat good food, etc. But if you're like most people under 40, you'll find yourself missing everything. 4. TV service - as this is an old person resort, and "entertainment" is done at 10:30pm (usually an amateurish-type stage show) the only thing left is to go to your room and watch TV. Since this is a nice hotel, you'll find a Sony Bravia flat panel TV, but they don't get digital service, so picture quality is awful (!) and the sound quality even worse. Some channels have this buzzing

Date of Stay: February, 2009

Our experience with the Riu Palace Riviera was excellent. Great food, friendly service, front desk check in was quick. Very clean. We had a couple of cool days and lots of wind but still a great place to lay on the beach. The "whales" are not a problem. Close access to Playa del Carmen and ferry to Cozemel. The reservation restaurants were all great - Krystal and Yasimhi were favorites. The buffets were outstanding - too bad we do not eat as healthy at home - selection of vegetables and fruits was great. Bed was very firm but not a problem. The hotel does have a unique smell that seemed to permeate everything we brought home. Did not notice much until we unpacked our clothes. The vodka in the mini bar tasted weird but the rest of the liquor was okay and the drinks at all the bars were great. There is so much staff that tipping is confusing. Tipping is done discretely - not openingly - took a day to realize that. We would go back for a quick get away just because it was clean and the food was so good and we met so many great people.

	Date of Stay: June, 2009
For the Money it was Just Ok !

	Date of Stay: February, 2009
The is on of the best hotels I have ever been. The staff is awsome and rooms very clean. I can wait to come back.

	Date of Stay: June, 2009
Super friendly staff. Rooms are clean and comfortable. Great spa (look for the combo massage and a facial). Food is good and varied. Walking distance to town and great shopping.

Date of Stay: December, 2008

Friends of ours wanted to do something special for their fortieth anniversary and asked if we would help them make arrangements and accompany them, since we have been to Mexico several times. This was our first time at the Riu Palace so we were a little nervous that it would live up to their expectations. Not to worry! It was fabulous and everyone had a wonderful time. The staff was terrific and the place was spotless. We had no trouble satisfying any appetite, even though my wife is on a special gluten free diet. Our rooms (jr. suites) where very nice and the maid did a great job of keeping clean and stocked. We even found the firm beds comfortable. I think that is personal taste. Our friends were delighted with their experience. Wish we there right now.

	Date of Stay: June, 2009
Very nice location, the beach was beautiful, the pool was nice and cozy, the staff was very nice, friendly, and courteous.

Date of Stay: November, 2008

Took the whole family. 3 grown sons, one girlfriend and my husband and myself. Had such a good time, husband wanted to move to Mexico. Hotel is clean, food good and drinks plentiful. The only downfall was the hard mattress. Had trouble sleeping soundly. The beginning of November was the perfect time to go. Not real busy and the weather was great. 85 degrees. I guess they had just had 3 weeks of rain. Can't wait to go back.

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See 12 Photos	User Rating 4.0 out of 5 See 144 reviews Riu Palace Riviera Maya Resort Playa del Carmen [] Avenida Xaman-Ha, Manzana 9 Y 10, Lote 1 Playa del Carmen, Mexico
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Riu Palace Riviera Maya Resort Playa del Carmen

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