Authentic Mexican Experience

The Riu Tequila is a great resort that is designed in the old school hacienda style, which I really enjoyed. The grounds are kept in a clean and immaculate state by a really dedicated staff. The resort does show it's age in some areas but I prefer that to a brand new resort that has no flaws but is styled like a downtown condo. The best part about the resort has to be the staff, they are so welcoming and professional. Additionally, the food and drinks are also top notch. The buffet offers so ma [... read more]ny choices and has a different theme each night. Our family travelled with a teething toddler so we chose not to try the a la cartes as we wanted to be able to eat as soon as we sat down. Our room was clean and stocked with lots of water, pop and beer every other day. The resort has two storey haciendas and is flat, so great for people with mobility issues. The clientele was a mix of Europeans and Canadians for the most part and everybody was friendly.

Great service - well maintained grounds.

Spent a week at Riu Tequila, our second time in Playacar Gated community. Its walking distance the downtown Playa del Carmen, we did the jaunt to 5th ave twice this week. Overall impression of the Riu Tequila was very good. Ill touch on a few key points; The food was amazing- there was something for everyone- there was only one day throughout the trip where is was less than par- everything overcooked; but overall no complaints about food. The drinks were fabulous! Premium spirits and they were n [... read more]ot shy with them- they learned quickly what you liked and how you liked it and never let you go without a drink in your hand. The staff was SUPERB! By far the best customer service we have received yet in Mexico - even the staff that did not have great English communicated themselves in other ways very well and understood what you asked- though could not always give a great verbal response. The staff definitely made up for any downfalls. The entertainment was slightly disappointing at times, but we did see 3 spectacular night shows- Moulin Rouge, Michael Jackson and Mammia Mia were great make sure you see them- props and costumes were spectacular I thought. The rest of the shows- and the day entertainment- not overly great- we enjoyed it more down by the beach pool at the Riu Yucatan. The Tequila is a walk from the beach but a manageable one- there is also a shuttle that runs every 10 min- they stop for lunch between 1-3. The beach itself if beautiful- and even though you share it with all the other Riu's and the Wyndam is tucked in there too there were lots of loungers. Once you are down there there are 2 "snack bars" at which you can eat, one at Riu Yucatan and one at Riu Palaycar. This was not a downfall for us but would be for many- the resort feels more in the "jungle" your surrounded by lush greenery so If your looking for a great "beach vacation" I would encourage the Riu Yucatan or Riu Playacar. The rooms were very clean and well kept, the grounds were meticulously maintained- its not a new resort but definitely does not feel old. All in all- good resort:)

Overall exelent value

Even if its an older hotel, it was in excellent shape, very clean, spacious room with a well stock bar. Buffet restaurant was amazing so we did not bother to wait in line to get in at one of the 3 restaurants. Small walk to the beach and if you don't or cant the have a shuttle. once there plenty of chairs, bar. superb pool and restaurant at our disposal. Best feature for us, you can walk 2km either by the beach or street to playa del Carmen.

Best vacation ever!

We really couldn't find much to complain about with this resort except that the tea could have been hotter and the oatmeal should have been served unsweetened. (Better to allow people to sweeten their own oatmeal.) The resort is beautiful, the grounds clean and nicely landscaped, and we loved the Spanish style of architecture. (We hope the resort doesn't undergo a renovation to a modern hotel look with chrome, shiny white marble floors and pink decor similar to that of a resort across the stree [... read more]t). Our vacation at the resort was all-inclusive. We did not feel nickel and dimed or unpleasantly surprised by hidden charges. We didn't have to pay for drinks at the bar or for the safe in the room. The food was great - plenty of choices and variety. We had breakfasts and suppers in the gorgeous dining hall. (One evening, we were musically entertained by the Romantic Trio, adding to our dining enjoyment.) For lunch and afternoon snack, we liked going to the outdoor restaurant. For a nice change some evenings, we took advantage of dining by reservation . The staff were friendly and helpful and always greeted us with "Ola" whenever they saw us. We were never asked or harassed for tips. The staff really made our stay enjoyable!! Our room was clean and comfortable and kept well stocked with water, towels, etc. We liked how the bed consisted of 2 double beds pushed together. Taxis and excursion vehicles were clean and new. Taxi fares were consistent. The drivers were neatly dressed and polite. The beach was clean, not crowded, and was well stocked with lounge chairs. There were more than enough lounge chairs for everyone and, therefore, no problem with folks claiming chairs for the day while others had to do without (as we had previously experienced on resorts in other countries and on cruises). The resort is across the street and a nice 5 minute walk away from the beach. We liked that there was often a driven motorized cart to take us to and from the beach if we didn't feel like walking. We were also permitted to use another Riu beach club for lunches - very convenient on days when we would spend time on the beach. We didn't use the pools on our resort, as we preferred the beach. Excursions were well-organized and went above and beyond our expectations. The tour guides were very friendly, knowledgeable, approachable, spoke English well. I would have liked to have had more spa services (like facials, makeup application, hair cutting/styling, as well as products to purchase), at our resort. These services were available at another resort but not convenient to access. On our last day and after checking out, we were able to go for a swim and then we were allowed to use the resort's showers, which were stocked with clean towels and hair dryer. We were so pleased with this. This had been a problem for us on a previous vacation in another country. Overall, we had a wonderful vacation at this resort!

Amazing resort

The hotel was very clean. Food was great. Service great atmosphere was great plan on going back. Great location great beach just a short walk away Lots to do in playa Del Carmen if you get a chance do some of the excursions

Best overall resort

We stayed at the Riu Tequila January 11-18, 2016. Of all of the resorts that we have stayed at, 5+ and 3, this one has the best of all the properties that we look for in a vacation. First off I will say that if you go looking for problems, you will find them. Some reviewers complain about age and wear and distance of beach. The positives outweigh these very very insignificant and minor aesthetics. The staff is friendly, helpful and exceptionally interested in comfort. We were a party of 11, so s [... read more]ocial convenience was an asset. The entrance/foyer/ check in was a dream. The restaurants to the left, the outdoor bar, entertainment, sports bar and disco to te right it wasn't loud, it was buzzing with excitement, activity and everyone was smiling. I loved the Mexican feel of the resort, the quaint, greenery covered pathways and a 5 min walk or 2 minute shuttle to the beach was a great way to burn off the excellent food at the buffet. The resort was so close to downtown playa del Carmen and 5th avenue which were great walking and cheap taxi. The beach was fantastic. Well groomed and the sea weed problem was very well taken care of. Not a big deal because we are so lucky to swim in the ocean on a warm day in January! The nexxus tour guide was fantastic. We worked with Alejandra and she suited us to all of our excursions. The only thing we did not enjoy was the coffee. Lucky that there was a Starbucks right around the corner from the entrance. And the resort cat was there to greet us every day!! This resort is reasonably priced, jairus our trip central agent paired us well to this location and we couldn't be happier (even with two solid days of rain-go to rio secreto and xel ha). Go!!

It was okay

Room service was good food was ok got sick on the last night from it. Front desk was not very helpful. Pools were nice! Lots of walking but beach was nice ten minute walk from resort to the beach. Very clean

Beautiful quiet Resort

We travelled to this resort December 28-January 4/16. This was are second time here in 4 years. I have stayed at the viva azeteca in Playacar as well. And also have stayed at the Bahia in akumel as well as many other resorts in the Dominican Cuba and puerta Vallarta. The food is the best I have had anywhere. The buffet is the best. Al le cartes are ok but don't compare to the buffet. The rooms are clean spotless yes a little bit dated but nothing like Cuba rooms. The grounds are emaculate. So lu [... read more]sh beautifully kept. Great location you can walk bike or taxi into playa Del Carmen. Very safe area to be out in. Playacar is a gated comunity. All in all it was a great holiday and I would foresure return. Like this resort better than the other Riui resorts. This is like a mexican hacienda the others like Vegas. We will be back some day.

RIU Tequila

The resort is fabulous. Starting from when you first arrive, you'll notice RIU tequila's unique lobby. The villa style rooms, the layout of the resort and the customer service received there are all fantastic. Playacar is a very safe district with gated security. A must go for the much needed mid winter rest and relaxation.

RIU Tequila

No major complains. Beach has lots of sea weeds this year. Came to Iberostar 3 years ago beach was awesome. Other than that it is strong 4 star hotel. Majority tourists speak Spanish. Don’t go to city especially to big malls like for example Walmart. You will be targeted by salesmen who sell excursions in a very aggressive way. Hide you bracelet somehow.

Riu Tequila

Beach is good, but far away. You have use your feet. Walking way to the beach is 1km approx. The sea water is dirty. No shadow on the beach. The service is excellent. A lots of music shows and other entertainments. Overall, it was a good vacation for 7 days.

Wonderful Vacation

We stayed at the Riu Tequila May 9th to 16th. My husband and I travelled with out 15 and 19 year old children. I must say that the resort exceeded our expectations on many levels. I was worried there may not be enough activities for the teenagers to do, but the entertainment throughout the day kept them busy. The entertainment staff should get a huge pat on the back for their knack at engaging everyone in the activities. They played a huge part in making our trip memorable. The food was excellen [... read more]t. We never got tired of it because there was so much variety. The list goes on of everything we enjoyed. Riu Tequila has it all figured out and we will definitely be back some day!

Great time

Hotel was nice. Pool could be better but use if other facilities is a plus. The beach was amazing. The food was great lots of variety buy could use more variety in the drink menus. Entertainment and music very good to.

Great choice!

Large pools, many activities, great service and AMAZING restaurants! Good entertainment, nice staff, relaxing spa right on site. Every restaurant offered a variety of really good dishes. Bars were a little cheap with the alcohol

Perfect holiday at the Riu Tequila

This hotel is everything you want, it's amazing! Not one bad thing to say about this place. The food, the drinks, the staff And it is ery clean. Would go back in a heartbeat!!! Excellent resort!! We loved it!

Nice resort

Rooms are very Clean and good service on site , Lots of good selection for the food, but no Italian Restaurant on site. Please note that they need to have sharper knifes for the BBQ night at the Buffet.

Good value resort with some limitations.

Clean, efficient resort with charming Mexican decor. It has great food, attentive staff and good overall value. It is co-located with a few other Riu resorts where you have limited use of facilities. The pool area is somewhat small and not very deep but is fine if you just want to cool down after lounging in the sun for a while. The beach is probably 400 to 500 metres away, which means a hike of 10 mins or more. This was a bit of a stretch for senior citizens like ourselves. Although, there is a [... read more] small golf cart "trolly" to ferry people back and forth at selected times during the day we never used it once over a 9 day stay because it never seemed to fit our schedule. One irritant for us was the WIFI set up which only allowed access for 90 continuous minutes once a day in the (at times) very noisy lobby. This was very inconvenient, so to keep contact with our family we many times had to walk minutes down the street and sit outside the Starbuck to use there WIFI signal.. In contrast the Riu Playacar and Riu Yucatan which were close by allowed their guests 24 hour WIFI from several areas on their property

Our preferred RIU resort in Maya Rivera

The RIU Tequila is one of several RIU resorts in the area and while it is not the most grandiose compared to others, at least if feels like you are still in Mexico. The Tequila was exceptionally clean, the staff very friendly, the food excellent and the pool area with adjoining dining very nice. It is a good value also as you pay a bit less because it is a 5 minute walk to the beach or 2 minutes by shuttle but no big deal. We also liked that there were guest privileges at 2 beachfront RIU resort [... read more]s for breakfast and lunch and bar service. Our first time in the area but if we go back, it will be to the Tequila.

Really beautiful resort

My husband and I went there for our honeymoon in November. There was a little mix up from our booking and they didn't know it was our honeymoon though. Our first room ended up being by the street and so we had headlights shining in our room. We asked to be moved and they accommodated us right away. The food was amazing but at ter 2 weeks it gets a little boring as it does everywhere.. but you can always find something no matter what. We didn't spend much time ON the resort as the beach was a 5 m [... read more]inute walk down a pathway away and we preferred beach to pool. It was nice because we could still eat and drink at the beach using Riu Yucatan. The only small complaint is that the staff really enjoy tipping and will cater to your every need IF you tip them. But when you're there for 2 weeks you can't tip the whole time. So by the end we were slightly ignored mostly in the restaurant Jalisco. Our maid also would only make you 2 towel animals before she would expect a tip. Still we loved the resort and the front desk people were absolutely amazing so we would definitely go back.

Outstanding Hotel

Having stayed in many resort hotels over the years, this is the best that we have come across so far. The rooms were spotless, the facilities were excellent, and the food was phenomenal. The variety and quality were outstanding. The nightly entertainment too was excellent. When we stayed there, the occupancy rate was 100%. The maximum number of guests is 1,800,. The staff total was 335. If there is one drawback, it is located a 10 minutes walk from the beach, but this is made up for by the many  [... read more]pluses. The hotel does provide a shuttle service. This hotel is scheduled to be renovated in about three years. Some of the nearby other Rius have already had a makeover, and the results are terrible.All metal and glass. This hotel has thus far retained its Mexican spirit. MAY IT NEVER LOSE THAT SPIRIT!