Riu Palace Baja California: Beauty Resort!

This was our first time ever in Mexico and we are seasoned travellers... what else can I say but AMAZING! Staff, food, rooms, pools, the view...unreal! We will go back for sure. The Riu got this one right for sure!

Riu Reggae: Great compact resort!

I would give this resort a 5* rating IF they had had in room coffee and the halls had been more sound proofed! The food overall was excellent with the specialty restaurants being the preferred night time dining option. Entertainment crew was enthusiastic and excellent. Good water aerobics. However we found the gym sparse. No leg equipment. Yes there were some free weights but minimal upper body machines. A 5* IMHO should have a better equipped gym. Even though we are technically seniors we love [... read more] to work out so a gym is important to us. We cruise a lot and have been to dozens of resorts so not having coffee in the room and a so so gym made this not quite a 5*. The beach is not very wide but it is clean. The water was sometimes murky. We did have privileges st RIU Montego Bay but not RIU Palace. We chose RIU Reggae for its Adults Only vibe. It was fine. There was nothing we considered risqué. If you want risqué go to a Hedonism resort!😜 Hubs was able to get Chivas Regal but no really top notch Scotch here. The vodkas and rums were also middle of the road. House white wine was not good but more expensive bottles were available for purchase. House red was passable for lunch. Beer was excellent. There were a lot of mixed drinks we saw being had by others. However neither of us were sweet drink fans so have no idea of their worth. Pools were hip deep. That’s it. Two pools and both had swim up bars. There was volleyball on the beach and in one pool daily. Lots of 20, 30 and 40 something couples at this resort. They were very active at the bars and in the pools. We are young seniors😜 but we were in the minority. We just mostly chilled. So all in all a good 12 days spent here.

Riu Ocho Rios: Riu Ocho Rios

We enjoyed our vacation at the Riu Ocho Rios...we had a room situation upon check in; the room was very clearly not cleaned properly (no glasses, open beers and sodas in fridge, sand in the bed, no freah towels) BUT the hotel staff provided excellent customer service which we appreciated. We had a new clean room the next afternoon. Personally i found the resort quite outdated but its not a big deal but something they could consider renovationg. Food was decent, drinks were yummy, excusrion was n [... read more]ice! Sunwing is awesome! But i probably wouldnt go to that resort again. Would prefer something newer.

Riu Palace Aruba: Great Resort/Good value!

This our second time at the RIU Palace, first time in 2011 and second time Jan 2019. We have been back to Aruba 8 times...best place to visit in Caribbean. The hotel has been renovated very nicely since our first stay. All 5 restaurants, outdoor theatre, sports bar and main lobby have been totally redone in modern decor. Most importantly the rooms in the left tower when facing the beach have also been totally renovated. We stayed in room 854 which was on the top floor last unit which had a Julie [... read more]t balcony facing pool and ocean, then also a huge picture window facing the ocean. What a view and breeze! All new bathrooms and tiles, coiffured ceilings...no carpeting what’s so ever...no musty smell whatsoever! The food was very good for an all inclusive, service was very good. Specialty restaurants were unlimited and no reservation required. The Tapas restaurant only required men to wear long pants. Entertainment had a good variety and was well appointed with professional dancers and entertainers. Plenty of new beach and pool chairs. I also had a chance to go over to the RIU Antilles and requested to view a standard room. Rooms are older and hallways are musty and not renovated..the view from balcony is also not a clear view to the ocean. Spend the extra money and stay at the Palace. Only negatives are pillows are very small for king size beds and not comfortable. Also hairdryer is a wall mount and not very sufficient.

Riu Palace Antillas: Wow factor

Kudos to the hotel management and staff who put the wow factor to use from front desk staff to al la cart restaurants to the buffet to the house keeping the pool staff towel and bar staff and beach staff. I have never been more impressed with service

Riu Palace Baja California: Amazing views.

The resort is brand new. Had some issues with water sound in the ceiling. Called maintence and problem was said to be fixed. I had to follow up with them. They did not call me. Resort does not feel like you are in Mexico. No music anywhere besides at the pool, and not mexican. Entertainment in the evening needs help. Rooms need more privacy. When someone comes to the door you need to hide if you are not clothed. Overall buffet food was good some a la cartes where also good. Grounds are kept ver [... read more]y clean.

Riu Palace Baja California: Beautiful resort, but still not 100%

Rooms and grounds were extremely appealing. It was very well decorated and very well built and designed. The view and Cabo itself was also beautiful, a must see. However, service was slow or non responsive, nightly shows were boring and repetitive. Singing and dancing. Every night. Was in bed by 9:30pm because of this. The shows also last until 11pm which I think is too late for people who want to get to bed earlier. If they pushed shows back an hour it would be perfect. The rooms also have i [... read more]ssues. Overflowing shower, and very thin walls. You can hear people above you and water pipes very easily. Elevators also have the wrong floor numbers, so it was confusing. Food decent, at best. A la carte's were more disappointing than the buffet. Only some are open at specific times of the week so if you don't arrive at the door 15 minutes before they open you may be looking at a 45 min+ wait time. Also, staff in the A La Carte's was horrible 90% of the time. They did not know what they were doing, never explained the menu's once in the 4 restaurants I dined at during my week, they were extremely rushing and felt like they were trying to get us out of there as quickly as possible so people didn't have to wait. Pool area was gorgeous and well designed. Just enough pools, bars, and spots to eat lunch very close to the pool area. The entertainment during the day was very lack luster. Music playing only at one pool bar, and pool games started late (3pm or so), sometimes none at all. Riu Fun staff wasn't around as much as I'd like. However, I noticed at this adults only it was mainly people 50+ years old. Maybe try the Sante Fe if you are young because you will get bored. Overall, the place was very clean and beautiful to look at, however things do need work starting with staff and service. I can't imagine this place at 100% capacity during these times. It will be a mess.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: January 2018 Rui Palace

Juat got back from a week at the Rui Palace. Resort was super clean and all staff were very friendly and helpfull. Buffet was as good as I have had. I travel 2 - 3 times a year. A la Carte resturants were average. Lunch bbq shack was excellent. Solid 5 star resort

Riu Republica: Awesome trip

We enjoyed everything right from check in to check out! The resort although very large is set up well with lots of pools,restaurants and bars! It was great that you could find chairs all throughout the day! We enjoyed the steak house as well as the Italian restaurant , buffets were both excellent as well! The entertainment both during the day around the pools and evening shows was standard ! We really enjoyed the drink service around the pools!

Riu Emerald Bay: good resort

Paid for an ocean view room … was assigned a room that was just partial ocean view to make matters worse it was facing a major construction area with heavy duty equipment that was going non stop all day (an extension was being built to the existing riu complex). Had to wait 2 days to switch rooms. Have to tip continuously or else the word gets around and you are treated accordingly … on 2 occasions I failed to tip because 1) did not walk with my wallet and 2) ran out of $1 and when I encount [... read more]ered the same waiters again I got the "treatment"....so much for the negatives.... enjoyed walks on the long sandy, clean, beach. had better food at other resorts but it was fairly good. ground were well kept.. public washrooms were clean ran into a few rude, obnoxious younger Canadian tourists. the sunwing rep on site (WG561)...Alejandro was just the greatest … hands down.... a remarkable young man … kind, caring, thoughtful....the best rep I have encountered in my travels.

Riu Guanacaste: Fun Time

I would give overall a 4 star review. The grounds were kept in extraordinary condition, the food was good with much variety to choose form everyday, drinks were great and overall service was great. The bedrooms are a little outdated and long elevator wait times. There are nicer beaches in Costa Rica compare to the resort that you can visit by leaving for an excursion during the day. The beach resort was very rocky but you are also located on Pacific waters. Overall, I would definitely ret [... read more]urn.

Riu Republica: Great Resort!

Great resort with a wide range of age groups!. Many pools, great beach and fun nightly entertainment. we found the food to be just adequate with lots of repetition of the same foods in most of the restaurants. The snack bar foods were very sub standard for a Riu and this should be looked at to improve as there is very little to eat later in the evening. Rooms were spacious and updated, beds were comfortable Resort was very clean except for the party pools, those areas were very dirty and I wou [... read more]ld not step foot in any of those pools plus music was way too loud in these areas but I am sure it was a lot of fun for the younger crowds! There were many other pools to enjoy so this was not an issue for us. Beach is very crowded so get there early to get a spot. beach area was well maintained and patrolled so not too many vendors bugging you all day.

Riu Playa Blanca: Clean well maintained resort.

The public grounds are kept very clean. The food was fantastic, the staff was very helpful and pleasant, the rooms for the most part kept clean, the entertainment was good, it needs a bit of improvement. The weather was fantastic. A great place to be if your looking for time to relax.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great Resort

I have stayed at a few Riu resorts in different countries, and although I did not find this one to be as fancy as most, it was still a great place to stay. It was a more modern look, but still elegant. Food and service were excellent, The resort was clean and easy to get around. Everything was conveniently located. Beach was really nice closer to the hotel, but near the shore it was dark and not as warm as I like. Very close to the airport. Overall great hotel. I would definitely recomme [... read more]nd it.

Riu Bambu: Consistantly good resort

All the rooms, lobby, buffet restaurant, a la carte restaurants and bars have been refurbished. The bar pool has been fitted with in water tables and seats as well as in water beds. There are two large new pools with in water beds and wheel chair access and the seating around the pools has been increased dramatically. The beach is excellent.

Riu Emerald Bay: We really enjoyed Riu Emerald Bay resort

Check in was incredibly smooth. Room was very nice. We loved the view from the balcony. We could see and hear the waves crashing on the shore. Front desk people were exceptional. Very helpful in every way. Any questions we had were answered politely and thoroughly. They were wonderful. They even changed our larger denomination Peso bills to smaller denominations. Food was very good. There are quite a number of employees whose work is to keep the place clean and tidy. They can be seen at wor [... read more]k everywhere. Pools are nice. Beach is gorgeous. You can walk a long ways. Beach is clean. The entertainment started off really weak but got better as the week went along. The last couple of nights had excellent shows. The Mexican one was fabulous. Brenda Melo recommended the Riu Emerald Bay resort to us. We are glad we accepted her suggestion.

Riu Emerald Bay: Beautiful Resort

This was our second all-inclusive trip and our second RIU resort. RIU did not disappoint. We arrived at 5:30pm. The checkin process went very smoothly and were just in time to see the Pacific Ocean sunset from our 17th floor room. We had a wonderful vacation. The weather was perfect. Not humid like it was on the Gulf of Mexico side at Playa del Carmen. The Amazing Mazatlan city tour was fantastic. We saw several whales on the whale watching excursion. It was very exciting and a fanta [... read more]stic crew on the boat. The only downside was that we were seated at the back, right in front of the motors and were breathing fumes for four hours. Headache, nausea and so exhausted we were in bed at 8:45pm, sitting out the entertainment on our last night there. We had heard about complaints regarding long waits for the elevators, but we didn't have a problem with that. The swim-up bar was closed for renovations, but it didn't really affect us. Food was great, entertainment thoroughly enjoyable. It was over too soon!

Riu Playa Blanca: Beautiful resort

The Riu Playa Blanca was a beautiful resort with awesome weather. The food was amazing with always something to eat. Rooms and showers very nice and clean. Beach was ok it’s panama. Depending on where your room is it’s a lot of walking up and down the stairs for they only have elevators in the lobby and that could be a problem for someone who has a room on the 5th and 6th floor. Airport is nice and close but I’d never fly out of that airport again. It’s very small once you went through c [... read more]ustoms there wasn’t enough seats or chairs for people to sit so people were sitting all over on the dirty floor it was super hot in there where it was at the point people passing out from the heat for there was no water in the vending machine it was empty of course and our plane was delayed people were sweating and starting to smell from the heat. Hundreds of people packed into a little space sitting on the floor and they were not happy. I’m sure there will be a lot of complaints and disappointment from this airport it’s not set up for 2 flights going out. It was ridiculous.

Riu Palace Baja California: Good times in Cabo

The Riu Baja California only opened in December so we were expecting some "hiccups" but were pleasantly surprised at how well everything was running. The service was excellent and anytime we had any questions or needed anything they were happy to help and responded quickly to our requests. The rooms were beautiful and we loved the infinity pool. We had no complaints with the food at the buffet and all the a la carte restaurants were great. You couldn't make reservations as it was a first co [... read more]me first serve which meant you had to get to the restaurants right when they opened which was a little bit of a downfall. However, we managed to get into all the the restaurants and loved the food and service. Brandon and Carlos were great bartenders at the pool and Carlos (head waiter/manager) at the Sofia was awesome. Also Susanna who was a waitress at the buffet was great. We also did some tours with Cabo Adventures which was booked through our Sunwing agent at the resort and they were all fabulous. All in all we would recommend the Riu Baja California and we would love to go back to Los Cabos.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Great holiday

The holiday was great. The rooms were good and the grounds were well kept and enjoyable. The service was great throughout. The food overall was good. We were disappointed in the steak house as the steaks were not up to quality north American standards whenever we had them. We eventually stayed away from them. The food at the buffet was always good, especially the breakfasts. We did wonder that given you are selling to Americans and Canadians to a large extent why the television channels had onl [... read more]y English CNN and Fox with no major US network exposure. ESPN would have been nice to turn on in the evening after the day was done.