Riu Negril: Great place

The food was fantastic, not bland like cuba. The beaches and country are beautiful! I would recommend this place to everyone. On my birthday, I got a cake and a banner on my door. Mostly older couples at the resort.

Grand Memories Varadero: Needs Improvement

Workers not very friendly, when food at buffet was done did not seem to be replenished with the same food. Gardeners were not around until 3 days into our trip. My toilet would not flush complained twice never got it fixed. Had to use my garbage pail to flush the water down. Long line ups at buffet and not enough staff to support the lineups. All and all I think for the size of this resort they were well under staffed. Could not get coffee after my meal in the buffet area had to have dessert the [... read more]n leave and find an outside bar for a cup of coffe or tea. Definately not a 5 star as advertised.

Grand Memories Varadero: The Worst Vacation I have ever been on

I dont have enough room to express how terrible our vacation has been . There was 6 of us (all adults). It took 45 minutes to get a coffee int he lobby. Our toilet did not flush and we asked them to fix it. No music throughout the resort. Ran out of food at the buffet. Meat was raw. There is only 3 tables set for 6 people so we had to make one up. Had to wait 1 hour in line to book an a la carte??? only can book 2 days in advance?? strange place, I will never go back to a RIU ever.

Grand Memories Varadero: Average in comparison to others

This is a simple resort with excellent staff, but poorly managed. We are well travelled in Cuba and for your money, there are better resorts to go to. Staffing in busy areas needs improvemnet, set up of resort is poor, and money exchange should be more than just one window - line ups all the time!!!

Riu Vallarta: Great Time

Check in was a breeze. We were in our rooms with luggage, interrupted by a trip to the lounge bar, all in 15 minutes while never having to go to the front desk. The jr suite was spacious and well appointed.,Ocean view 8th floor with great sight lines. Had a true king size bed (not mattresses pushed together). Resturants and buffets were excellent. Grounds well groomed, Huge beach area. Get up early and reserve loungers.Entertainment was typical resort style while live music in the courtyard ma [... read more]de it very interesting people watching.. Staff and pool areas very nice... Make sure you check your safe is working as a couple in our group had their safe comprimised and someone from the hotel staff stole all their money the second day we were there. Hotel management tried their best to make our holiday as good as could be under the circumstances while having no help from Sun Wing staff at the hotel the tour operator. Hotel Management actions will certainly gave us a reason that we may consider on returning for future holidays with the Riu hotel chain..

Riu Santa Fe: Excellent resort

This resort exceeded my expectations. Staff were friendly, excellent food and drinks, hotel room was spotless and great having bar fridge. Great resort for families. Walking distance to great shopping and food.

Sol Turquesa Beach: nice resort, too many stairs

Grounds were clean and well kept Rooms were clean and maid service was great Food was quite good ( beef not so much) Beds were old and very uncomfortable Staff were very helpful and willing to help to make sure your stay was top knotch. Beach could have been cleaner, beach lounge chairs were clean and plentiful.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Cuban Memories

This is a large resort in a quiet area of Cuba. We had a very nice room was in a great location (500's) between the pools & the beach. The beach was ok with some seaweed. The pools were very nice & clean. The food was typical cuban food...not great but we didn't starve. We swam with the dolphins...a fabulous experience. We also rented scooters to go to Guardalavaca...a lot of fun.

Riu Santa Fe: Fantastic place to stay!

This resort was extremely clean. The rooms were great. Room service made fantastic towel creatures. Dining room staff were quick and professional. Drinks and food were outstanding. The buffet was so good I don't know why anyone would be disappointed if they didn't get into one of the a la cartes. The ocean pools had a great view of lands end. The interior pool was a little quieter, which was perfect for us. It's a 20 minute walk into San Lucas on the beach. We loved it! We would recommend this p [... read more]lace to anyone and come back without hesitation.

Riu Palace Punta Cana: A very beautiful resort

Anywhere along the Punta Cana beach is outstanding. The rooms are very clean, modern, colourful, made of local stone material and show very little wear. The maids were very hard working. Mosquitos seemed to like the bathrooms. Plumbing in the bathroom tubs and showers is poorly done. The grounds and gardens are picturesque. The building itself - bars, restaurants, patios and walk ways are very well cared for and impressive. The pool is very large and made of very colourful mosaic tiles, but some [... read more] tiles have come off creating a sharp edges that could cut your feet. The workers are very friendly and become even more friendly with a $1 tip. The buffet is very standard with other Riu hotels. There is tremendous variety but there is the constant problem of keeping things warm yet not dry the food out ie fish, beef, pork, shrimp. Careful of the sushi as a number of people were sick after eating this. The a la carte restaurants are good but seem to be more concerned with the presentation. The quality of the a la carte food is good but the quantity is lacking a bit if you are hungry. The steak house steak was very large but sadly very under cooked. Although not the hotel's problem or doing, transfer to and from the hotel to the airport was very frustrating and time consuming far beyond what it needs to be. A $40 taxi ride is well worth the price. The transfer agents certainly run on Dominican time. The Riu Bambu next door is a better bang for your buck. The rooms are not as nicely appointed, but how long are you in your room?

Riu Santa Fe: One of the better ones

Have never been to a Riu resort before,but would consider trying other ones elsewhere.However at Los cabos the employees are all very nice,,very good food and plenty of drink.Rooms are well kept,and every area is exceptionally clean.We rarely visit same resort twice,but would certainly return to this one..

Sol Turquesa Beach: nice

public ares are good, rooms are ok but I would like to see the Ocean from my room. Room clean . The balcony door could not be locked ! service is nice, beach was nice. However, on the side , furher from the main beach there are too many plastic bootles plastic small containers that are probably appear from the ovean (ships? catamarans ? etc)

Riu Vallarta: Beautiful resort

This was a beautiful resort and definitely lived up to the Riu reputation. We were a group of 8 regulars to the Riu Jalisco and decided to change it up and stay at the Vallarta this time. We booked suites for the first time as this was to be a milestone anniversary celebration for each couple and overall we were very satisfied with the rooms and the amazing views. The restaurants and service were excellent. Most of the staff is hardworking and dedicated to making your stay all it can be. However [... read more], we did have an unfortunate incident which did put a damper on our holiday but we worked through it and tried not to let it ruin the entire holiday. Our safe was compromised on our second day and all our money was stolen. Every penny. Thank goodness they left the passports. So our one big complaint is that the safes are not actually safe. The hotel tells you they are not responsible even though they admit it being a staff member. And Sunwing was absolutely no help what so ever. And our so called travel insurance basically covers us for an amount comparable to what the insurance initially cost us! A pittance compared to what was stolen. Even so, we are trying not to let it taint our view of this amazing place as this incident was a first for us after 5 visits to Puerto Vallarta. The internet is full of similar complaints at other resorts so I guess the lesson here is just because it's called a safe does not mean it can't be accessed by someone other then yourself. We will return but will now insist on keeping our cash and valuables in the hotel safe instead of the room safe. We would like to however thank Martina and Graciella - two assistant managers at the resort, who took this incident to heart and tried to help us out as much as they were allowed to. It was because of them that we will return.

Riu Playa Blanca: Riu Playa Blanca

It was very organized, service was excellent, the resort was kept extremely clean at all times Evening entertainment was great Food was excellent The only thing I would complain about was that the Internet should be a minimal charge with a certain time limit, instead of USD5.00/half hour also computers were in a sports bar, where it is noisy. We had a great time and I would recommend the resort to others.

Riu Palace Aruba: Beautiful Resort

Excellent, the staff very helpful and the happiest people ever, cleanness was excellent , rooms cleaned and towels changed twice a day, food there was a lot of variety and well prepared and presented, I had a wonderful vacation and like to visit different places and would most likely return in to Aruba and RIU Palace

Riu Palace Pacifico: Great Vacation

We visited the resort last week and were very happy with our stay. Food & service at the buffets were awesome. We could always find chairs around the pool. Weather was perfect as usual. Great beach. We really had no complaints.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Average

First, they did as requested and gave us room in section 900 on first floor and with king size bed. Also, they waited for us for transport so no problem about that. Good things: Beach is big and you can find place even at 9AM. There is sun and shade, as you wish. They clean room ok. Not so good things: Swiming is not nice as sand become sharp rocks as you enter water and there was a lot of dirt in the water. Swiming pool was very, very cold. Food was not good at all. No taste at all. A la carte  [... read more]restoraunts were joke as they serve same food as in regular restorant. Other stupid thing is that you have to come morning at 7 to book restorant for that same evening and you can not do it for next day. Internet was also veru stupid as you can log in once a day and use it for 90 minutes. Once you log out you are done for that day. So we paid US$35 per week to have internet all the time. Our water in the sink was spraying all around and remote for TV did not work. Also, we did not have any blankets in the room. After several requests, we got blanket next day, remote was fixed after 5 days and water was never fixed. All together, Gran Vantana from last year was chipper and better and would recommend it over this one any time. Real rating for this hotel is 3+*. But still, we had good time as it's more important with who you are then where you are :) One more thing, there are sand bags so everybodys lower part of legs were bitten a lot. There were some mosquitos but not so bad. We had only two days of rain so we were lucky.

Riu Vallarta: Best Riu experience yet

Almost every year, we stay at a Riu hotel as we love this chain. This Riu was outstanding in terms of service specifically at the restaurants. We were super impressed. The other outstanding service item was the drink service on the beach. Servers would be walking around all day with trays of drinks so we didn't even have to go to the bar, it was delivered right to our beach chairs. The Riu food is always delicious and this was no exception. This hotel is probably very noisy if you are on a lower [... read more] floor but we were at the top so everything was fine. I recommend a higher floor for noise issues as well as better views. It was lively in the evening with bands playing and people actually hung out and partied later into the evening which you sometimes don't see at other resorts. It was a great ambiance and I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Riu Flamingos: Great Vacation

We have just returned from an all inclusive vacation at the Riu Jalisco and want to say that it was a wonderful resort. Anything we needed they were willing to accommodate. We found the resort to be very clean, no garbage lying around etc. the staff all were very friendly. The food was top quality and with 400+ guests on site no one could go hungry. We were never able to book an early seating for the steak dinner as the La Botina restaurant catered to wedding parties first. We could not believe  [... read more]the quality of the prawns- bigger and better than those we catch ourselves here on the coast of B.C. Lots of variety in the drinks too...great Mojitos! There were plenty of beach loungers but many will need repair by the end of this season for sure. We walked the beach for an hour each day and judging by what we saw the Jalisco has the best beach. The sand was soft and clean, waves were big and beautiful, and lots of palm trees for shade. We came for the sun, sand and good company and were not disappointed. The only improvement would be to have outside elevators installed at the west ends of the buildings for easier access to the rooms from the beach. It is a long walk from the beach to the lobby elevators. 4+ flights of stairs is challenging for some of us "oldies". We will definitely recommend the Jalisco to others and will return again one day.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Good Value Resort

Stayed at the Riu Palace January 15-22 and had booked through Signature Vacations. Check-in/out was quick and easy. You get an envelope with a resort map, two towel cards and two room cards. The envelope has a wifi code. We requested a specific room a few weeks in advance by emailing the resort, and were lucky enough to get it- Room #3030. Room- we booked the Jacuzzi Suite with the two-storey balcony. It was oceanfront and it was beautiful. There was no alarm clock in the room and our room als [... read more]o had no face cloths and when I asked the maid, I was often told they didn't have any. The beer in the mini-fridge was Tecate not Dos Equis. There is no light in the shower and it is very dark. There are no fans in the bathroom either. There room service menu is very limited. Overall, the room amenities need improvements. Pool/beach- there are two main pools (quiet and loud). During our stay the quiet pool was often invaded by obnoxious wedding parties making their own entertainment. It always seemed busy and you couldn't get a chair after Noon. The actual sitting area on the beach is small. The beach itself is wide but walking in the sand is like walking in a foot of snow. There are many vendors. Swimming is not recommended. Hotel facilities- lobby is nice. There is a huge lobby/piano bar that overlooks the ocean with beautiful views. Off the bar is a room called the snack bar with liquor, computers and snacks. There are two gift shops in the lobby also and two more by the pools. Below the lobby is the theatre and another bar. The front desk will only exchange Canadian $$ and Mexican $$. Food- food was good and plentiful but the breakfast and lunch buffet is the same daily. Dinner buffet has themes each night. You need reservations for the Krystal Restaurant (same day only); the Steakhouse and Mexican Restaurants also require reservations. The Japanese does not require reservations. At our Signature Vacations briefing meeting, the customer service staff let us book as many reservations as we wanted and it was a good thing we did because you couldn't get into the steakhouse otherwise. As many have mentioned (and we stayed a Riu before) you have to get up really early to wait in a line. Riu needs to improve this process. Also, at the a la cartes, they only let you order one appetizer and entree each (at other resorts we could order as much as we wanted). Portions are small. Entertainment- there are many daytime activities at the loud pool. Shows each night--we watched same shows we saw 8 years ago--Riu needs to change things up! Other Info: -Bar service can be slow at times -the wine is poor; they have Canadian Club for Rye; Absolut and other vodka brands. Beefeater for Gin. There are many other good brands of liquor as well (better than at the Sante Fe) -this resort is big and there are staircases everywhere--bring practical footwear -this resort was REALLY busy--not the place if you want a relaxed atmosphere -it is $14USD or 160 pesos one-way to the marina in a taxi -Taxi prices are posted at the entrance (as the hotel pre-negotiated prices for the year-- this is good if your Canadian because otherwise everything is priced in USD$ and they are converting 14.5 pesos or 15 pesos to 1$USD. Be mindful of this outside of the resort because you could pay more coming back in a taxi Overall, we would recommend this resort to people who want a nice hotel close to downtown Cabo and for people who like to party. We wouldn't stay here again because it was way too busy. We would have preferred to stay in San Jose del Cabo but many resorts there are still closed from the hurricane damage. Also, other resorts we've stayed at do not require wristbands, no dinner reservations, towel cards, etc.. These are all minor inconveniences that can be avoided at other high-end resort chains. Cabo was a tourist-trap and party-central and San Jose is picturesque and more laid-back.