Riu Negril: Great Resort

Everything at the Riu Negril was very good. Food , rooms, grounds, pools were all very good. The staff were very friendly and did everything they could to make your stay there enjoyable. The entertainment was ok, nothing spectactular. The beach with the merky water,made it difficult to see the rocks and grass. There were sea urchants on some of the rocks. One man we talked to had stepped on 2 of them. That was our only disappointment. We go for 100% beach, so would not return for that reason onl [... read more]y, everything else was very good.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Restful Week!!

I got back yesterday from Riu Bachata. We had a great time! We never left the resort - we ate, slept, swam, drank, beached and sunbathed - then did the whole thing again the next day. The food was good. The steakhouse is not great, and we did not like the menu so did not try the caribbean a la carte. But we DID eat at the Italian restaurant 3 times - it was by far the best! Their steak was better than the steakhouse. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfasts at the Bachata, always ate on the patio an [... read more]d the coffee was excellent! Lunches can be had at any of the 3 resorts, but breaky and dinner only at your own property. Mambo had the best lunches. The beach is beautiful, but the swimming is only so-so as the only posted swimable beach is at the far end of the 3 hotels (in front of the Riu Village or what was before known as the Mambo. The ocean floor is quite uneven and weedy even in the posted area. There are also a couple of quite visible rip-tides which are not well signed and we felt were quite dangerous. There is NO lifeguard on this beach, and it's more than a kilometer long. Winds were very high all week, redflagged. And there is no catamaran to borrow, only windsurfing, paddleboats and kayaks. They only let those into the water Sunday afternoon. We tried to go diving, but the weather was not in our favour. One of the nicest things is that there are no palapas on the beach - all of the shade is natural from the existing trees. And there is PLENTY of shade, even very close to the water. It made for a very beautiful landscape. The trees and gardens all over the resort are mature and impeccably maintained. Only a couple of glitchy bits - in order to book an ala carte, you had to be at the desk by 7 am or it would fill up before you got a chance to reserve. Reservations were almost always done before 8am for both sittings in all restaurants. Makes for a very early morning while on holiday. The other glitch was that there was no available porter service for the morning we left as the porters didn't start till after we had to be checked out of the room. Safes and rooms were both key-locked, not coded or carded. Meant we had to carry both with us always. We had room 1219 - on the 2nd of 3 floors, facing the beach and Cruiseship port next door to the Bachata. The view was great and private and quiet. We also had a nice real kingsized bed (not two doubles pushed together). Rooms also come with a fully functional self-dispensing bar which they keep filled, as well as water well stocked in the bar fridge. We would return, though I think we'd prefer a more swim-friendly beach next time. If swimming isn't a priority, we would highly recommend this property.

Riu Negril: Another great vacation with the Riu!

We stayed at the recently renovated Riu Club Hotel Negril. Our room was excellent! We cannot say enough about the food! Staff were very friendly and helpful. Our friends room safe was locked when we first arrived. The maintenance staff showed up very quickly to rectify the situation. The beach was very clean and there were always plenty of chairs available. The swimming at the end of the beach in front of building 2, 3 and 4 had some seaweed and mucky sections. It was better at the area in front [... read more] of the pool bar. There was a bonus of having a bit of reef and marine life at our beach for snorkeling. Swimmers need to be cautious in the ocean as there are a fair amount of sea urchins in the water. We also encountered a few sting rays entering our swim area. Building 1 and 2 are the best location but in all, everything is close and within walking distance. Entertainment was very good. We especially enjoyed the steel band performance on Sunday evening. We would recommend this hotel and do plan on returning in the future!

Riu Palace Antillas: Wonderful trip

Overall I would rate this resort 9/10. The only constructive feedback is that our room wasn't thoroughly cleaned, there was stuff in the bathroom that was not ours on arrival. Second, we paid to be in an adults only resort and due to issues at the RIU next to us there were children at our resort. Otherwise the staff was wonderful and so was the food.

Grand Memories Varadero: Cuba!

Our first trip to Cuba was fantastic. The weather was great and very relaxing atmosphere. I wouldn't say the resort was 4.5 stars but it wasn't a 2 either. If buying duty free at the airport, DO NOT use Canadian cash..62% exchange!!

Riu Playa Blanca: Riu Playa Blanca

Great people, extremely hot weather. Lack of washrooms around the resort. Knives are not sharp enough !! the food was great at all restaurants. Very clean on the resort. Not enough places to shop for souvenirs. Vendors on the beach are great to deal with. Not enough shade, with the palm trees being so young. Not enough umbrellas. Great drinks thru out.(alcohol mixed). Very safe. Airport is 5 minutes from new airport. Pools get very warm very quickly. Pacific ocean was warm too !!

Riu Palace Costa Rica: AWESOME RESORT!

EVERYTHING WAS FABULOUS AT THIS RESORT! ROOMS, SERVICE, WEATHER WAS EXCELLENT. TRAVEL A LOT AND THE RIU IS ONE OF THE NICEST PLACES WE HAVE STAYED...NOT TO MENTION THE AMAZING FOOD! WOULD RETURN TO THIS RESORT AGAIN.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Had a great time!

This RIU is a bit dated but boy was it clean! Not only the rooms but the premises and the landscaping were immaculate. We enjoyed the food and they had a bbq on the beach on our second day. Having one swim up bar which is actually really large, helped everyone to get together each day and meet new people.

Riu Santa Fe: Great resort and city!

My girlfriend and I had a great time at the Riu Santa Fe. The weather was perfect, food was sufficiently varied, and the staff were always happy and helpful. Beach was a little rough but it was worth it!

Sol Turquesa Beach: good spot too go i think

it was good little smelly in spots out walking but could,ve been the overcast weather,pools were good,beach was good and the buffet was good,over all it was nice but weather but thats not the resorts fault

Riu Palace Antillas: pretty good organization

check in/out was well organized but special restaurants required lining up every two days to book, a bit much for the money. very warm which was nice but there weren't enough umbrellas for shade around pools

Riu Playa Blanca: Great resort

Beautiful resort kept very clean by friendly staff. Food was excellent. Room was nice and spacious with clear view of grounds and beach. Couldn't have ordered better weather with not a drop of rain. Hot, hot, hot!

Grand Memories Varadero: Great Resort

Grand Memories is a nice resort but the rooms are a little tired. We liked the variety of a la carte restaurants, the entertainment and staff were all very good. You have to remember it is Cuba and standards are not the same as Canada but we enjoyed the food and services, paying for the Diamond Club upgrade was worthwhile. The beach is lovely.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Fun times at Memories

Well after reading the reviews I was worried about going to this resort. Turns out alot of the reviews are greatly exagerrated! We had a great expierence! We travelled March 2-9 family of 4. kids 14 and 9 Its about a 1 hour drive from the airport you get a real reality check of how they live. Check in: Was a breeze both our rooms were ready when we arrived! Diamond Club Did not offer the same as Memories Flamenco which was a bit disapointing I would suggest not doing it at this resort Althou [... read more]gh the diamond club had a great dinner and the entertainment was good great singers! Rooms Ours was very clean. We were in the 500's close to everything. Hot water everyday and the maid was amazing they work very hard and make little money so please appreciate what they do for you!! We tipped her and gave her little things which she appreciated very much. Our fridge was stocked full daily!! Towels are in the room if your diamond club if your not you get a ticket. So not lose your towels you will have to pay! Buffet ITS CUBA!! We didnt mind the food yes they could have kept some things warmer but they was a variety of eveything when we were there. Fresh pasta bar which in a previous review stated there was no pasta bar so maybe they just didnt have that week. Lots of salads to choose from etc. Service was great they were always asking us what we needed etc. There is ketchup,mustard salt and pepper so no need to bring it. The Cuban restaurant does breakfast as well which is good they dont say they do not sure why. Beach Beach is good yes there is seaweed but not bad when we were there. Snorkling is not great which we really missed. Took hobbie cat out really nice. There are no sand fleas! Pools Gorgeous very clean and well taken care of. Good entertainment daily Aqua bar is great bartenders were superb. Alacart's were good Italian was our fav. Stairs Yes there are stairs you are on the side of a mountain. Your travel agent should tell you this. If you have mobility issues there are Golf carts that are available at all times. We didnt mind them at all. Nightly Shows Not bad Lobby Bar Really nice we went every night had a drink and relaxed. Bugs There are no seeums that bite. We only got two bites some were bitten bad I have to admit. Grounds Beautiful and the gardeners work very hard to keep it that way Check out Smooth golf cart picked us up with our luggage on time. Call 10 mins prior All the people that work there are very kind and very respectful. They always helped us when we asked all with a smile on their face! I would probably not go back to Holguin again only because we like to try different places.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: great time!

The hotel itself is a little outdated, but other than that the Riu Bachata had great entertainment every night, the staff are very friendly and helpful.The food was good! We would recommend this hotel to others.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Nice resort.

Gorgeous beach & pools,at this resort. Older resort which could use some updates for sure. Very friendly staff,food was okay. Good value for the price we paid,but not a 4.5 star rating as advertised..

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand memories varadero

Short of staff, not enough towels, same food everyday no room service internet connection suck got the diamond club but no diamond club treatment had to carry my own baggage no welcome one got there no hot water this is not a 4 1/2 star hotel

Riu Guanacaste: Set your expectations before booking

The resort: The resort looks beautiful and the grounds are well kept. However there are bad smells coming from the pool bar area and in some of the restaurants. I think it's a fertilizer they use on the plants but it smells like sewage at some points in the day, it's unbearable to even sit there. The beach area is a bit rocky but you can walk 5 minutes down the beach and have softer sand. There's also a place called the monkey bar 10 minutes down the beach and early morning between 7-8am you can [... read more] feed the monkeys, they are all over the place. They like watermelon and mango is their favorite. Don't bring bananas it makes the pregnant monkeys abort their babies. Entertainment: The evening shows are fantastic, you can tell the entertainers love what they do. There is usually some form of activity you can take part in from pool/beach volleyball, dance lessons, beer pong (if you are into that) etc. Overall they have a lot of activities for people to take part in. The Rooms: I typically don't care about the rooms, you are on vacation get outside! there is no English channels other then CNN and the rooms don't come with any toiletries other then hand soap which gave me a rash. I typically bring my own shampoo and conditioner but if you are expecting a shower cap or something, they are only available if you purchase a suite. Our toilet over flowed when we got there (we hadn't even used it yet) but when we called the front desk the maintenance crew was there in literally 1 minute taking care of the issue. Another night water started coming through our ceiling vents so I have a feeling we weren't the only people with this toilet issue. If you flushed the toilet it would run constantly. I don't know if this was just our room or an ongoing problem with the resort. The beds were fine, not extremely comfortable but not horrible either. Towels were always available if needed. They were good about filling our fridge and there are liquor dispensers in the room and variety of sodas and couple beers. The Food: the buffet was good, it was often the same food but there was lots of variety so you could eat a different meal each time. The service (for us) at the buffet was really great too. Always someone offering coffee, water, and drinks. At Breakfast they had fresh juices which was great because the rest of the day they just had sugar filled juices. One morning we watched someone run to get a juice before they took them away and the cook said no more and took it away from them. It was ridiculous. We started going to the buffet and getting a cup of fruit and bringing it to the bar so they could blend a smoothie for us. We only got to eat at the steakhouse and Asian restaurant because we had so many excursions booked that we couldn't make a reservation from 8am until noon. The steak at the steakhouse was awful! It was a huge piece of steak that was pure fat and the rest was rare and bleeding all over my plate, I asked to put it back on the grille and they never came back. No one around us ate it, they all complained but I heard that other nights people enjoyed it so maybe it was just a bad night, who knows. I really liked the sushi at the Asian restaurant and the service was good there. Front desk: Awful. We had a ton of excursions booked where we would leave early morning. I asked if they would leave a note for person making the dinner reservations to book is one at any restaurant for any time and we would check with each restaurant when we got back. They said absolutely not, I would have to wait in line to make the reservations or go to the buffet. I lost my wifi password and asked if they could give it to me again and they acted as if I was annoying them. We were going to miss our bus for the airport when leaving, I came down and asked about where I pay the exit fee tax and they said "if you are leaving you must hand in your towel cards and keys (which we left in the room on the night table) or else we wouldn't be able to get on the bus. An elderly couple asked about a shower cap and they said "if you aren't staying in a suite, you don't get one." There were lots of little things like this that added up. Overall a Motel 6 is more accommodating. Other things to note: -we asked about mimosas and they said they didn't do those, but then they appeared on the last night - they are lots of excursion companies in the lobby charging double the price as the other companies on the beach. -wifi in the lobby is free but if you want it for the rest of the resort its $15 USD a day, $39 USD for 3 days, or $70 USD for the week. -if you are a smoker, you can only smoke in a designated area, on the beach or in the parking lot. -there's a disco but you have to pay for drinks there (I thought this was all inclusive but apparently not) Overall - The hospitality that comes with booking any other 5 star resort in DR, Cuba or Mexico isn't the same here but Costa Rica is beautiful and the excursions are all great. I would definitely go back to Costa Rica but not this resort.

Riu Yucatan: Amazing resor

Riu Yucatan. Excellent, out standing resort. Modern, spotless clean, wonderful service. Will definitely go back..Thankyou to Sunwing representative, very helpful and informative..The beach was beautiful. pools were so clean and night entertainment was amazing. Had an amazing vacation. Thankyou for everything...

Riu Caribe Cancun: Great fun

The room, staff ,beach , food , entertainment were all great. The access to the ferry was very close to get to isla mujeres . The activity on the beach and pool got everyone involved. I would recommend trip central to everyone . This was my girlfriends first trip and looking forward to go again.