- Mexico Holidays
- Playa del Carmen
- RIU Palace Riviera Maya
Situated directly at Playa del Carmen, this hotel is in a prime location. In the area, guests can appreciate the Mayan legacy, with spectacular pyramids and the popular ruins of Tulum, or the ruins of Cobá, or visit the reservation of the Sian Ka'an biosphere, where guests can find an untouched jungle. The club resort offers six restaurants and room service is available. There are also bars, a nightclub, a hairdressing salon, Internet access, a newsstand, boutiques, a laundry service and a concierge. The hotel also has a children's playground and a kids' club for younger guests to enjoy.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
We’ve been coming to the Riu hotels for at least 15 years. We’ve been to many all inclusive resorts in different countries to include Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Jamaica and The Dominican Republic. The Riu Palace has always been our choice, combined we’ve visited different locations at least twenty times. The resorts are always clean and the staff is friendly in Mexico and Costa Rica. As for Jamaica and The Dominican Republic, the staff was not friendly or well trained. The servers ignored guests and some didn’t even acknowledge us, tipping generously didn’t help. I will say this trip to the Riu Palace Riviera Maya we were disappointed in the menu changes. Our favorite beef selections were taken off the menu in some restaurants and the cuts of meat weren’t what you’d expect in the Palace. The buffet has gotten smaller with less choices over the years too. The new “ Elite Club” has probably taken the place of what was the standard for a 5 star resort. We realize inflation has affected the world and cuts are inevitable to stay competitive. Unfortunately our family realized it’s time to try another resort.
This was our second time staying at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya (first visit in september 2023)
We checked in online before arriving using the Riu App - something which I find makes the process a lot smoother, we were checked in and brought to our room very quickly. We were delighted that our request for a room close to where we were last time was accommodated.
The service was absolutely impeccable always. A few shout outs need to be made here. Lorenzo at Breakfast - he was always there to greet us, knew exactly what we wanted to drink and would always pop by to see if we needed anything else. We occasionally saw him at lunch too which was really nice. Mariluz at Lunch - what a wonderful woman, and always had a smile for everyone. Her attention to detail was amazing. Gustavo & Cielo at Dinner - We saw them most nights and knew exactly what we wanted without asking for it. Cielo especially is the most lovely person, a real joy to talk to. Erick at the Steakhouse - The amount of times we ate here because the food was amazing! And Erick was especially fantastic.
Special mentions need to be made for Fabian and Elias at the Pool Bar, these guys work HARD. These guys were already making my drink for me before I even had a chance to ask for it. Really really nice guys and a credit to you.
Even if I’ve only named a few - every single staff member from reception to maintenance to housekeeping would always greet you with a smile and everyone works especially hard to keep the resort beautiful.
Staying at this hotel means you can use the other Riu’s in the area (except Riu Lupita) in my opinion not really worth it - we had lunch in the newly reopened Riu Palace Mexico but we preferred it here.
Food & Drink - I honestly did not have a bad meal at all in any of the restaurants, in fact Yashima really redeemed itself this time around as on our last visit I was really unwell afterwards. The steakhouse was 100% our favourite as we probably visited 4 times over 12 days. The lobster is amazing. Even the buffet was fantastic. Drinks were ALWAYS good, infact if you ask them nicely they’ll even be happy to make you something off-menu. Claudia in the reception bar is lovely. And the coffee bar is also exceptional, was nice to head up for a tea during a rainy spell.
Just something to note: Now, we were aware of the Elite Club before coming as when we were booking we saw a new room type - were prepared for the changes.
It’s a bit sad that our favourite pool from last time is now part of the Elite Club. Especially as I love to relax by the pool. As a result of the Elite Club the other pools are now a lot more crowded, and to be honest I don’t want to be around a pool where the music is blaring constantly or the entertainment is happening. I did go down to the beach a lot, but this was also annoying due to the constant speech from the beach sellers. The Elite Club in my opinion is a very big price hike and it’s a shame you can’t upgrade for a smaller price for certain elements (such as pool access). As the price difference vs. all the elements is just simply not worth it.
Aside from this, the resort is still worth a 5 star review - as that is just a personal expectation.
Just returned from two weeks at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya. Firstly, the place was immaculately clean and the staff work their socks off to keep it that way. Secondly , this place is truly All Inclusive. No need to spend anything unless you want souvenirs or excursions. However, tipping helps with the staff wages and you would feel guilty for not tipping given how friendly and hard working they are. Nothing is too much trouble. Only the fussiest of eaters wouldn’t be able to find something to eat from the wide selection available 24/7. Cocktails, beer, spirits (all premium brands) coffee, tea, juice, water is always available and if you are feeling lazy just use the room service or the mini bar in your room. This consists of four premium brand optics, beer, pop, and water. The entertainment Staff lay on regular activities with highlights being the pool foam party, and the weekly Riu Party over at the Riu Tequila (warning drinks over there aren’t premium brand, but are all inclusive). As a Riu Palace guest you can also use the other Riu Hotels which are a short walk away but they cannot use yours.
Away from the hotel the craziest night out is Coco Bongos but be warned it is a late night ( we got to bed at 3) so do not plan on a busy day afterwards.
This time of year is nearing the rainy season so we did get some rain but never enough to spoil the holiday and mostly at night. Also we never struggled for sun loungers so no need to dash down in the morning!!!
A few tips- all rooms have shampoo, conditioner, body wash, daily fresh towels, bath robes, hairdryer, iron, ironing board and a digital safe. Pool towels are also provided so no need to pack those either.
Our first Riu Palace and if this one is anything to go by it definitely will not be our last.
I would potentially stay again because of its location. Most staff were great. The elite experience has a number of touches that if you value these than it’s worth the upgrade. I would not say that the service in the speciality restaurant is a plus point. It’s very cold in more ways than one. The AC is up high and the staff in there including the regular supervisor wearing black uniform is only friendly to selected guests. The hosting was unfriendly and unprofessional and so was the vibe. Riu, this is suppose to be Elite, put your best staff in the elite restaurant please. I’m not the only one with this opinion. The staff were better in the buffet service . It’s almost like they don’t want you in elite restaurant. The elite breakfast is very good. Same food but a nice presentation. The pool beds in Elite get very hot. I did not get that comfortable here due to other elite guests playing music on phones and speaking very loudly. As elite, this should be controlled as a quiet area . Overall it’s the breakfast and snacks in room that make elite worthwhile for us until they improve the behaviour amongst guest in pool and staff in elite restaurant. Animation team weee nice overall. Not the best I’ve experienced from Riu. Cappuccino bar is the best service and best feature of this hotel. There was no visible management around as I have seen in other Riu’s. If there was I would have mentioned this in person. Fernanda on reception is the best welcome with a lovely smile. Some reception staff look like they don’t want to be there. Getting the welcome right is so important to first impressions of stay.
A few things I think that were done very poorly.
This is not a well run system. The management of the Riu Palace Mexico & the Riu Palace Riviera Maya should be ashamed of the poor experience and having a staff that is unfriendly and hostile to Riu guests from other properties.
If what they said is true, and Xavier Sáez & Claudia Álvarez really dont care and have assistant managers who dont care about these guests is true then I cant bring my family.
This whole process should be an embarrassment.
