Riu Reggae: Open too soon

I think that this resort was not ready and opened too soon. Many of the problems were a direct result of not having enough time to finish the details. Small things that in total resulted in a forgettable experience.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Awesome Resort!!

The RIU Palace Costa Rica is a beautiful resort. The grounds are always being cleaned, the rooms were wonderful....loved the rain shower. The food was amazing and there was a great selection. Loved the Italian restaurant selections and the Grill restaurant with the Lobster and steak. There was always something to do and the entertainment staff were such hard workers always making sure everyone was having a good time (thank you Kathy - you were GREAT!!). Bar service around all the pools was a  [... read more]wonderful plus. Marcos at the swim-up bar would always make us the Marcos specials haha. We will definitely go back to this resort again, and next time stay longer than a week.

Riu Merengue: Great place

Perfect place for a vacation plenty to do room was clean and well stocked grounds were kept clean even though the weather wasn't good The nexus rep was exceptional went above and beyond with us would like the hotel to stop pumping the water out from beside pool bar to the ocean the smell was not good at all

Riu Santa Fe: Excellent Resort

The stay at this resort was excellent enjoying 2 full weeks of super hot weather and fabulous fun. We stayed in building 3 which was nice and quiet at night. The room was nice, clean and the view from the balcony was beautiful. We had friends that stayed in building 7 which was close to the main pool where all the activities take place and they saw a lot of action late into the night - nice to be so close to the main pool and if you like a lot of action then that would be the building for you. T [... read more]he grounds and public areas surrounding the resort were beautifully kept. There was always a huge variety of food at the buffet and a lot of it was very tasty, the theme restaurants were also very good, had some delicious meals at the Mexican, Italian and Steakhouse restaurants. The serving staff at all of the restaurants including the buffet were super friendly, always welcoming with smiles on their faces. We spent a most of the time at the main pool and participated in water polo and tequila volleyball daily and participated in some of the planned daily activities. The entertainment staff were phenominal! So friendly, always remembered your name and made a 6-7 hour day in the pool exciting and full of fun. Have to give a shout out to our 2 favorites David and Yaelle and also Lucy and Anna!!! The drinks were always good, service fairly quickly when busy, found a handful of the liquor servers to be outgoing, friendly and happy but some of the staff serving were not overly friendly and they didn't seem very happy doing their job...All in all we had a great time and certainly would recommend this resort to anyone who wants a top notch resort for more than an affordable price!! Thanks to all that made our trip definitely one to remember!!

Riu Tequila: Lovely resort

Had a great time. The staff were all wonderful and efficient. My room seemed to be recently redone with nice furniture and a comfortable bed. I was close to the main building but it was quiet. The beach was awesome. White, powdery sand. Lots of palm trees for shade. The food was excellent in all the restaurants. Not much to complain about here.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Amazing resort

No complains I give it a10 in all categories food was great rooms well kept waitresses friendly and courteous pools very clean grounds well kept.all in all a great place for a vacation. It's a real palace

Riu Palace Las Americas: Cancun's Finest

Comparing the resorts I have stayed at in Cancun, I can say that this is one of my favorites. The beach was clean, the food excellent, the rooms very well kept, and that staff the friendliest I have ever seen. I will definitely tell my friends to stay at the RIU resorts and especially this RIU Palace Las Americas.

Riu Santa Fe: 2nd visit as good as the first

This Riu is very clean and well cared for which I believe sets it apart from other resorts, my last trip was in '09 and it looks like it hasnt aged a day. The food was ok but was disappointed that they didn't have themed dinners at the buffet or a employee manned pasta station. Staff were warm, welcoming, and helpful. The bar and fridge was adequately stocked our entire trip. Entertainment is typical of this type of resort. The WiFi was the most reliable I've had a resort. There are at least 5 d [... read more]ifferent pools 3 of which have swim up bars. Swimming out front of the resort is not recommended.

Riu Ocho Rios: Ok Resort....

The hotel is a little dated but clean, not what I had expected from the photos. Definitely wouldn't rate this higher than a 4 Star resort. The housekeeping and mini-bar staff, not very helpful or consistent. When we arrived the first day we had a one litre bottle of water which we had drank the second day we were there and we were there for 6 days. The bottle of water, the mini-bar and the glasses in the room were never replaced nor was the mini-bar restocked throughout the entire trip. I had [... read more] even left money and a note asking the housekeeping staff to please ensure the water was replaced. On day 3, I specifically spoke to the housekeeper on our floor who sent me to speak to a housekeeper on the 2nd floor, as she told me she was the one who would clean my room, who then told me it was not her job but the min-bar attendants job to replace the water and re-stock the mini-bar. On day 3 I just resorted to taking a bottle of water from the cart the mini bar attendant was pushing around on another floor. And on day 5 I resorted to doing the same. As I said the water, the glasses and the mini-bar were not restocked for our entire trip. Although they have bottles of liquor in the room as this is a RIU and what they are known for, its kind of hard to make a drink without glasses! Not at all what I am used to. We have travelled many times all-inclusive and I have never felt this frustrated! The beach was ok..not great but ok. I will say though, that the food and the rest of the staff were amazing! The restaurants and the servers were outstanding! Overall, if we were to go back to Jamaica we would stay at a different resort.

Riu Playa Blanca: Not amazing , but very acceptable , considering we travel to most .

This resort was very clean , staff were very respectable , knowledgeable and courteous . food was good , although the menu never changed while we were there. I would go there again , although my wife might not, and the reason she wouldn't would be the dirt , not so much at the resort , which was kept in pristine condition , but the beach which was ugly . very bad indeed . The beach had so much garbage , which was mostly washed up , tree limbs etc , it wasn't pretty and considering we a [... read more]re beach people , left a lot to be desired . and if you went on any outside trips , left one with a bad taste about the general garbage everywhere. The resort could have made SOME effort to clean up there portion of the beach , instead of nothing .

Riu Vallarta: Nice resort

This is a nice resort. Maids did a great job on cleaning the rooms. The food was ok but was basically the same every day. Always something to eat but became very tiresome after first couple of days. The steak house was the best at the resort. I have been to many Riu resorts and this is the first time had a complaint about the food. I also found the staff in restaurants not as friendly as other places but I could see they were just to busy to have the time to be. They always seemed to be sho [... read more]rt on staff. They working hard but it was just to much for the amount of people they had to take care of. We still enjoyed our trip because we do not get excited about small things. After going to the Riu in mazatlan many times it's hard to find another place that can compete. Thank you Jill at trip central for all your help on our booking.

Riu Ocho Rios: Not too impressed

The hotel was outdated, a few people from the front desk were rude and not very helpful. They did not decorate our room for our 15 yr anniversary even though it was mentioned at the time of booking and also 5 different times once we arrived. They gave us an oceanview room even though we payed for OceanFront. The kitchen staff was great, Kimarley from the buffet was very nice. They were not conscious of vegetarian food being separate from meat dishes, nor were the serving spoons separate. Being a [... read more] strict vegetarian, I cannot eat anything that gets contaminated with meat. I was very disappointed about this.

Riu Montego Bay: nice resort

clean and well maintained resort. Beds were nice, buffet was nice, pool was nice, staff were nice and the entertainment crew was good. Steak house was bad. average size resort. Nice resort but nothing over the top special about it except AMAZING FOOD.

Riu Merengue: Riu Merengue Dominican

On initial arrival to the resort I found the resort pleasant enough, room was clean and roomy for 2. As the week progressed we encountered several issues from late maid service (coming in from the beach and the maids just doing our room) to finding the room cleaned but no towels and having to literally chase down a maid to ask for towels. Each room had a stocked mini fridge and bar but the bottles were not refreshed when needed and phone calls had to be made to the front desk to have them replen [... read more]ished. The bar staff though working quickly to serve people were for the most part unfriendly to a couple of which were simply unpleasant and rude. As far as the food goes there was little change in the buffet daily. It became boring. The a la carte dinner offered was on a first come first serve basis and sat a limited number of people. One seating for a large number of people makes a very slow long dinner. It was about 45 minutes before we were offered a glass of wine. In general I was quite disappointed in the quality of the food. As I had heard very good reviews of other Riu resorts I was disappointed in this trip and will not be returning. I travel for this annual trip with a group of friends and although we do not demand 5 star resorts we do expect a pleasant atmosphere, clean accommodations and friendly staff which ensures a great vacation. There was an air of disenchantment among the staff. The main pool was often dirty and needed cleaning. This made me wonder if they were doing appropriate testing of the water. The entertainment was at times embarrassing for the people who agreed to participate in the on stage activities. Don't make you guests feel uncomfortable. Staff gyrating to music on the bridge over the pool is not entertainment. On the bus ride from the hotel on the way home the general consensus was that no one was returning to this resort and many stated they would not return to the Dominican at all. The week was quite rainy with only a couple sunny days, I think the hotel missed the opportunity to engage their guests by offering alternative activities to fill the rainy days. Not everyone wants to dance every day

Riu Flamingos: Riu Jalisco: Amazing resort

I found this resort to be great!!!! The staff were friendly and helped with anything whenever you needed it. The food was real good and a lot of variety. The activities were well run . The people that ran the activities were fun and friendly. I would recommend this resort to everyone. The rooms were clean .

Riu Republica: Horrible resort

I am writing to you to inform you that our honeymoon trip was a horrible experience. My wife and I were very sick from Wednesday and still sick from it. The hotel was dirty and there were lots of flies and ants in the hotel. The food was not cooked, like for example raw chicken. The pools were very dirty. The room was not what we were told. There were a lot of people sick that we spoke with there. Over all this place was horrible. Also the resort smelt very foul all the time. I would be ashamed  [... read more]to call this resort. Riu and a Five star resort, cause it is not even a 2 star resort.

Riu Flamingos: Bang for the buck!

This hotel is fantastic high end resort for a budget price! I have been 4 times and love it all. Fantastic foods....buffet has loads of seafood and salmon etc and something for everyone. Everything is close (small resort) short walk to pools, beach and restaurants. Great entertainment staff and lots of daily activities if wanted. Shows were excellent. Can't say enough for the money you spend. Cheap Cuba pricing at a quality 5 star resort.

Riu Merengue: Horrible from the start

Although i was not excited about going to peurto plata i was looking forward to going to another RIU. Trip began with a horrible flight with turbulence and a bumpy landing. Upon landing we were told we were in samana. We had circled and could not land due to weather. We had to refuel and develop "new plan". Ended up getting to resort at 3:30 AM. From then on trip got worse. Horrible service. Very unfriendly staff. Room didn't get cleaned for 2 days! And when they did come it was at 5pm. We had  [... read more]to call numerous times to get our liquor filled after being there 4 days. Woke up to a cockroach in a cup beside my bed. The next day there was another one in my suitcase. Beach was littered with garbage and had pails hanging on wood sticks as garbage cans. Rained every day. Weather can not be controlled but service can. Food was the same every day. Waiters did not clean off tables. 2 a la cartes. Although not open everynight. No champagne!!! Definitely not the quality or service I expected from a RIU.

Riu Flamingos: Puerto Vallarta Riu Jalisco

I have stayed at the Riu Palace previously, and am familiar with the Riu Santa Fe as well. The Riu Jalisco is similar to the Santa Fe in service, as in no Poolside or Beach Service, and no food allowed at the pool. and crowded. We were disappointed in the amenities in comparison to the Palace, and would rate the hotel as a 4 star for the rooms, and 3.5 stars for level of amenities including food. They gym equipment was old, and only had 2 treadmills, 2 elliptical, and 2 bikes for cardio, s [... read more]o that gets 2 stars They ran out of Barcardi Blanco daily, at the lobby, at the pool, and at the entertainment bars.. and since we only had no-name brand alcohol in the rooms, that was a fail. They had 3 main restaurants, and although the food was tasty, it was not spectacular. The steak house had steaks just over 1/4 inch thick, and although they were delicious, they were not worth the 2 hour wait in a super-hot and humid restaurant. The hotel filled up on Thursdays through the weekend, so if you you like waiting in lines for buffet and and hunting for free chairs at the pool, this may be your hotel. The adult pool was full of kids, so if you like splashing pool water in your drinks, enjoy! They had iguanas walking around the pool which I found amusing, I haven't seen that before. The gardeners also cut coconuts off the resident trees and provided them if you wanted one. The front desk always had plenty of pesos so changing larger bills for smaller 20's and 50's was never an issue. The rooms were kept nice and neat, and we had no issues with them. I would say if you don't mind providing your own service or waiting in lines for food, this hotel might be for you.

Riu Merengue: Not a happy experience

I traveled with a group of 10 people. The experience at this Hotel was not a good one. Just to mention, the pool was dirty, we ran out of water, you cannot drink their water. The rooms were not cleaned by 2 pm when we returned to are room. I did not find the service good, the people were not friendly. We called the front desk 6 times before are needs were attended to. We were told that because of the heavy rains, people's homes were flooded. The hotel needs to go to plan B when staffing becomes  [... read more]a problem. The guests need to be attended to. I have been told that the Rue is a great hotel chain. This one is not a five or four star in my opinion. I do not like to paint everyone with the same brush. The bartender Nana, And Samuel were very friendly and great at the job they do. They are an asset to your business. I found the attitude and mood of the staff in general not to be a happy one. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful Island. I was their 26 years ago when tourism in Pureto Platta was not very old. The experience then was very positive. The travel group, will not return.