Riu Vallarta: Great week!!

Having stayed in Riu Hotels before, cleanliness was never an issue. The place was always kept spotless and our room was cleaned daily. The rooms are a little small, but we didn't spend a lot of time in them, so no issues with that for us. Bed was comfy enough, good A/C, mini bar, which is nice to have. A very cookie-cutter kind of place. Looks like a lot of the other Riu Hotels, but that's okay. I'm a sucker for Mexican food and this place didn't disappoint. Good variety in the buffet. We had ba [... read more]con every morning we ate there. A little chewier than I'm used to, but it tasted good. I had one of the best steaks while eating at the Italian Restaurant. You get unlimited a la cartes, no reservations, but you did sometimes have to wait with one of those vibrating/lighting pucks, even then, it wasn't so bad. The pools seemed to be kept clean, although we only spent time at one with our favorite poolside bartender Abel. He made a mean Mango Margarita! Drinks at this resort were always so tasty. The Sports Bar made really good coffee drinks and had non-dairy alternatives, which was nice. I loved their espresso martinis in late afternoon, too. Perfect pick-me-up! It's not a far walk to the beach and the beachside food bar was good if you wanted a lite snack or lunch. Burgers, hotdogs, fries, nachos and chili. Very tasty and spicy chili. Beach and poolside chairs do seem to get claimed early enough, but we always found a couple free ones. Beach was kept clean, even with the many horses trotting around. Some beach vendors, but we never had any pushy ones. They seemed to respect it when you said, "No, Gracias". Great location to walk the beach in either direction. We even rented bikes not far from the hotel and they have a great walking/biking path just out front of the Hotel. Bucerias isn't far either, if you wanna do some shopping at the little market they have there. You can also go to the Riu Jalisco for the day if you'd like. Have lunch, enjoy the pools. They host a Riu Party every Friday, which we enjoyed. It can be a bit of an older crowd, but there's enough of a mix of younger families and couples, so it's not so bad. One thing I'd say, is I wished they played more Spanish music. They seemed to play a lot of Rock 'N Roll, which is fine, but not what I wanna listen to on vacation. Hotel staff were always happy to help with anything, and you always got service with a smile. We had an amazing time and wouldn't hesitate to book here again.

Riu Emerald Bay: Pretty good with some flaws.

Grounds For the most part, the resort was very clean. There was always staff cleaning different areas of the resort. Rooms The rooms are a little bit older, but they were very clean. The beds were somewhat comfortable and the AC was strong. When being assigned room, you should hope that you get assigned to a room closer to the ground level as it takes a really long time to take an elevator down to the lobby. Every day, I just walked down from the 8th floor to the lobby. Food The [... read more] food gets quite receptive after a few days. The food tends to be overcooked and it tasted average at best. Nothing really blew me away. There are only two restaurants where you require a reservation to dine in (Asian and Mexican). In my opinion, the Mexican restaurant was quite horrible and the Asian restaurant had decent food. However, for both the Asian and Mexican restaurants, they either were fully buffet style (Asian) or the appetizers were buffet style (Mexican). The other 3 restaurants were buffets along with a grill near the pools. The non-alcoholic drinks tasted quite diluted. Pools They had an amazing waterpark that is fun for both children and adults. The resort has around 7 pools. The pool near the buffet was less popular and tend to attract a lot of seagulls and birds. As a result, it led to a lot of seagulls defecating in the pool. Otherwise, the other pools looked relatively clean. Service The service from the staff was amazing. Everybody was extremely friendly and polite. The RIU app was easy to use and enabled us to make reservations at restaurants, request a refill in our minibar, or request refills to amenities such as conditioner and shower gel.

Riu Santa Fe: Run, don't walk to this resort!!!!

Outstanding resort, excellent service, lovely staff, beautiful appointed rooms and really delicious food choices. Loved that we didn't have to book al a Carte restaurants, never felt rushed. We were the " grey haired people" and had a blast. Only down side is the noise at night when partiers return to rooms. Lots of echos in the hallway. Would return in a heartbeat.

Riu Palace Jamaica: Home away from home

This hotel is a perfect place to relax and unwind...the staff is so kind and do everything they can to get to know you...Natasha at the front desk was awesome and Jemar is a server for breakfast and lunch he was fantastic..Storm was a dinner server also great...Paul was a bartender at the pool bar he serves the best drinks. The grounds are extremely clean and the food is delicious...even the picky eaters will find something to eat

Riu Ocho Rios: Great Resort

The resort was clean, room clean, staff great. Reception at front desk when asking for help to reserve dinner was little rude to us. Not everyone uses a phone. Ordering through the application for extra stuff for the room (pop) very slow, like next day. Careful with the floor in the room, they were wet so had to be careful walking. (Condensation).

Riu Ocho Rios: Jan 31-Feb 2024

Myself and my wife stayed here from Jan 31-2024 to Feb 7th 2024. I will start with the positive first and then I will advise of the negative. Positive: The hotel itself was very clean, the food was amazing, the daily entertainment and the drinks we were all on point. The nightly entertainment was nice, with the exception of the Bob Marley night. I would have thought this was dedicated to Bob Marley and pure reggae music, but they played dancehall, RNB and Hip Hop which made absolutely no s [... read more]ense to me. They should have had a Bob Marley slide show, and played Bob Marley first and old school reggae nothing else!! The food on a daily was Blessed, especially having Ackee and Saltfish daily for breakfast and fried dumpling was a good look. The cocoa tea was nice or for some they may refer to it as hot chocolate. The plantain porridge was to die for that was absolutely amazing. The jerk hut for the most part was good. I did not however recall seeing any Oxtail at the buffet, but we did not eat at the buffet every day so we might have missed it. BUFFET: One thing I seriously believe needs to change and this is not just this resort it is ALL resorts, STOP asking us as visitors to wear shirts, buffet is a buffet it is NOT an A La Carte, we are visiting a foreign country in 30+ degree weather, nobody wants to have to sweat and wear shirts as men when you have all these women wearing sleeveless tops and next to nothing and you are concerned about a man in a tank top to go to the same buffet that we went to in the morning and afternoon in the same tank top. That makes no sense. A la carte I can understand. Negative: When we first arrived we were given a room that was not suitable. I do not blame the hotel completely for this, I blame sunwing. It was made clear to the travel agent that we both have mobility issues and requested to be put in a room close to the elevator and close to the buffet. They put us in a room that we had to go up 2 ramps which was unacceptable. We came back to the front to request a change in rooms, this was a bit of a tussle but we finally managed to change our rooms. The other issue we had was we booked according to trip central an Oceanview room. We got a partial ocean view room if you are 6ft tall and can see over the palm trees sure. We were advised by the hotel that this was no fault of theirs and that an ocean room view costs more. TBH this was a turn off because I have booked with red tag and other agencies and requested an ocean view room at Bahia Principe for example and I got just what I asked for... When we wanted to depart and had to leave our luggage, it was put into a room that had no lock on it and anyone could access it, this made no sense. Important things such as luggage that is not accompanied should not be put into a non locked storage room where anyone can access it, regardless of camera's. Just put a lock on the door and secure the items. Prevent is better than cure. OVERALL: The overall stay at the resort was good, the negative would not stop us from revisiting this hotel, I would however strongly suggest if you are to stay at this hotel to book for min 8-10 days. From start to finish we started our journey on the plane at 915am, and we did not arrive at the hotel till almost 6pm. We spent 3 hours just in the customs line, and another 2hrs waiting on the bus to leave, plus another 2hr + drive to get to the hotel. So if you book for 7 days your first day is a write off, and we left at 9am so again now the last day is a write off. So in essence a trip to this hotel means losing 2 out of 7 days technically.

Riu Yucatan: Fantastic stay!

This was the first time staying at a Riu resort and I can definitely say I will be booking them from now on. The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, fun and helpful. Special shout-out to Victor and Gustavo on the entertainment team and the pool bartending staff (Leo, Bryan and Santiago). Rooms were very clean and had no issues whatsoever. The air conditioning works great and it was a very comfortable sleep. The food was pretty good compared to other resorts we’ve been to. we absolu [... read more]tely loved the special lunches by the pool and the beach!! It’s not a super quiet resort so if you are looking for relaxation only then it may not be for you but we really appreciated how many things were always going on because it felt like there was something for everyone. Overall we were incredibly happy with our stay at Riu Yucatan!

Riu Negril: Wonderful vacation!

We just returned from 2 weeks at Riu Negril. We’ve been to several Riu Resorts in the Caribbean and this Riu was everything we expected from Riu. The resort is lovely. As other reviews have stated…there is a bit of wear and tear but it is minor—-it’s a seaside resort and that’s par for the course. Also…they are planning to renovate this fall. The resort is pristine. Always being cleaned and groomed. Our room was very, very clean! Spacious and comfortable! The food was very good as well. They [... read more] do a terrific job of providing authentic Jamaican cuisine! Star Apple and Jack fruit every morning! Bammy, festival and dumplings. Ackee and salt fish, calalloo to name a few! The staff—friendly, cheerful and engaging. The entertainment staff…Bravo! Pluto, Bryan, Trovis, Scotty, Miguel, Tantan, Maggie, Titi, Shanelle, Pineapple, Damien, thank you for your professionalism, talent, and dedication to your work. We appreciated it very much! So much fun! We are very happy with our choice to stay at Riu Negril for 2 weeks…we had considered going to a different resort to break it up….no regrets! We had a wonderful time. Even with that crazy weather that blew up all the seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean onto our beach lol. The resort was on it asap and worked hard to clean it up and stay ahead of it! Well done! If you want to experience Jamaica…within an all inclusive resort…this resort has a great Jamaican vibe. We are very comfortable off site, living in Jamaica…so we were a bit hesitant to stay at an all inclusive and miss out on ‘real’ Jamaica…Riu Negril didn’t disappoint…you know you’re in Jamaica at this resort.

Riu Flamingos: Can’t wait to go back!

Great stay in every way. The hotel itself was clean and well cared for. The grounds are so beautiful-especially at sunset! Food was good with lots of variety. We also enjoyed the entertainment every evening! The staff is our biggest rave as they all went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. They were so friendly and welcoming at every level! We truly can’t wait to go back!

Riu Caribe Cancun: Amazing resort

My group had a great time at Riu Caribe! The grounds were great, no complaints on the food and given the size of the resort, everything felt like a stone's throw away. There are 4 foam parties a week, so if you like dancing and having a good time, this is the place for you! The Riu does a great job separating kids areas from adult zones, so everyone can have a great time without any conflict. The beaches were raked every morning and there were plenty of chairs to sit on. I am definitely going ba [... read more]ck to the Riu Caribe!

Riu Lupita: Riu Lupita Playacar

A smaller scale hotel. Grounds were very nice and well kept. Our 4th Riu and everything one expects from them. Room was nice, Atmosphere was nice, service was very good. A more intimate setting which made for a relaxing getaway. Moises and the bar service was excellent. Buffet was first class with special mention to Marco and his crew in the mornings and Maria and her crew in the afternoon. It was easy to have fun with all the staff from Riga, who took care of our room to Olivia and others  [... read more]at the front desk. Activities group have a tougher task getting things going in a smaller venue but do a good job getting participation in spite of this. Special shoutout to José at the Beach Club. A bonus this time was the foreign exchange desk. Hassle free with great service taking away the headache of having to find a bank to get this done. Lastly the food and chef staff have not disappointed us yet at any Riu. Well done.

Riu Guanacaste: Awesome resort!

The Riu Guanacaste was an amazing resort with a great selection of restaurants with no limits on a la carte dinners. The buffet had a great variety of food at any time. Our room was clean and very spacious with a stocked mini fridge and bar! Our view from the balcony was beautiful. There were always lounge chairs available around the pool or beach. The service at the bars and restaurants was excellent. The nightly entertainment was great, especially the white party Friday night! We're certainly [... read more] planning on going back!

Riu Santa Fe: Beautiful but loud

This Riu was one of the nicest, well kept hotels we have ever stayed at. Clean, great restaurants, nice beach, great amenities. The downside is it was very loud almost everywhere on the resort. The pools were close together with competing music at almost all times, and the entertainment staff was a bit much. 4 days a week they hold a rave style party which is impossible to escape on the resort and most likely the neighbouring resorts as well. It was a bit much. And of course after parties like t [... read more]hat people are not going to be quiet in the hallways or outside your rooms. If you are looking to party this is the place to go. If you want to relax and rest maybe try another Cabo resort. Cabo was a wonderful destination though and I would consider returning for sure which isn’t something we tend to do. Overall a beautiful resort but loud.

Riu Negril: Jamaica ??

We stayed at the rui negril Feb 5 to 12 , 2024 There had been a storm just before we arrived. The was a lot a seaweed that had washed up on the beach which was a little disappointing but after a few days the resort had cleared it all up and the bay looked amazing. The staff was very friendly and helpful, food was delicious at the buffet and Al a cartes. The entertainment was very good especially the steel drum show. Rooms were clean and a good size. The whole entertainment crew were very perso [... read more]nable and had us joining in the fun and games.Even the bus driver that took us to and from the resort was very informative about the culture and history of Jamaica he made the long ride fly by I would definitely recommend this resort

Riu Palace Antillas: Great resort.

Great hotel with a great ocean view. We had a suite with a king bed. Nice firm mattress. Good housekeeping and fridge re stocked each day. Great buffet with lots of variety and different options each day. La Carte restaurants were all great with the Italian one being our favorite. Only negative about them is the same menu all week but still enough options. Do suggest to get there early as they do fill up. We never had a problem. Great service and lots of smiles. Lunch is buffet only an [... read more]d sane as breakfast. Pool and beach have the usual problem with guest claiming spots. We always went to the pool mid afternoon and never had a problem. Nightly entertainment ranged from good to excellent. Friendly staff and area is safe with lots to do in the immediate area. The lobby bar gets busy and noisy around dinner time.

Riu Montego Bay: Nice Resort

We thought this resort was extremily clean, well taken care of. The house keeping staff as well as all of the dinning staff were extremely friendly and very appreciative of the gratuities, but most of the bar staff were not that friendly and actually expected a .gratuity. We did not know this in advance but it you stay at the Riu Montego Bay you are not allowed to visit the Riu Ragae or the Riu Palace but both of those have free access to the Riu Montego Bay, You will not have to worry about  [... read more]getting a glow as your drinks are all ice. there is a bar in your room with four bottles Johnny Walkers red, Rum, Smirnoff Vodka, and Gordons Gin. none of the bottles were full when we arrived, the Johnny Walkers red was a quarter full after having a few drinks from it and into our second week we requested they replace it, their response was sorry we don't have any more. The rooms were very clean and nice but the mattress and the pillows were very uncomfortable. We thought the food in all of the restaurants was very good ! The Sunwing Rep was very difficult to find, they claim they are there all day long, but on two occasions there were four to eight of us waiting for over 40 mins. at there station and they never did show up, when we confronted them and explained that we could not find them to book a tour so took a taxi instead they told us that was impossible as they are there all the time ( so I assume that all 8 of us waiting for them must be wrong ) also we were told to see the sunwing rep a day prior to check out again there were six of us waiting for them and the sunwing reps were no where to be found. We asked the other two travel reps, if they new where they were and there response was they had not idea but seldom seen them. When we finally did find the sunwing rep they were extremely rude with all of us. We asked others on the trip home if they experienced any issues with the sunwing staff and their storries were far worse than ours. Very unorganized on the trip home as there were three planes one to Toronto, one to Ottawa and one to Montreal all leaving within five minutes of each other so it took us two and a half hours standing in line with no Air Conditioning waitng to check through Four swimming pools and a lot of people sitting around them, but three of the pools were empty as the water was very cold, the bar pool was full and I am sure it was warm as most of the people in there were drinking all day and I didn't see anyone get out to use the washrooms ! needless to say I did not go in that pool either. LOL To sum it up once again most of the staff were amazing and very pleasant, food was quite good, resort was well maintained and clean. Most of the aggravation was with the Sunwing Staff .

Riu Flamingos: Subpar at Best

I’ll just start by saying if you expect this to be even close to a 5 star resort you’ll be greatly disappointed. I knew it wouldn’t compare with the other resorts I’ve been to but did not expect the food to be so horrible. I work in Northern Alberta and stay in a camp where the food is better. The beds are terribly uncomfortable as well and didn’t get a full nights sleep once during my stay. If you want a budget friendly resort this will do you just fine. However if you want a quieter, comfortab [... read more]le resort with food that’ll leave you wanting more then this is not it. I guess you get what you pay for and this place has affirmed in me that I’ll never stay here or any other 4 star resort again.

Riu Bambu: Amazing resort especially for the price!

You could go here young, old, or inbetween. We stayed as a 25~ year old couple and had a blast at the Riu parties as we love to party. you can also stay on site and relax, they also have lots of activities. pool, beach, food, staff were all great. Do not expect 5 star room quality service, and you will have an amazing time.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Tired Resort

Took 4 room moves before we found one that would be suitable to stay in. Old tired beds and bedding along with TV’s not working or hanging off wall. Buffet was the best food offered as the unique restaurants were lacking in food quality during our stay. Torn canopies over loungers reduced opportunities to stay out of sun.

Riu Guanacaste: Great Resort

Extremely clean. Staff were cleaning everything all the time! Food was plentiful and great. Some items might have been overcooked but better than being undercooked. Staff very friendly and efficient. I would have liked to have had beverages available on the beach but that’s the only issue. Sunwing reps were terrific too-Always available. Lots of walking. It’s a large resort.