Riu Palace Antillas: Great Experience overall!

My husband and I really liked the unbeatable location and most beautiful sandy beach. Also, all restaurants, pool and beach were within a couple of minutes from the main elevators. Rooms were very clean and well maintained. The food was extraordinary. The daily buffet was amongst the best we have ever experienced. The service staff was very attentive and pleasant. The specialty restaurants were also nice. The pool and beach staff went out of their way to find us lounge chairs and shade [... read more]. The two issues that were not very positive were that the entertainment was not at the same standard as other resorts that we have visited in the past. Secondly, the pillows were horrendous. This is not just our observation but many other guests had the same comments. Trust the above will assist you. Best, John and Liliana Moller

Riu Yucatan: Disappointed

Upon arrival to the Riu Yucatan we were told there was no staff to assist with luggage. We had 2 rooms for our family of 6 on the second level. There are no elevators so we had to carry the suitcases up the stairs. We expect more from a 5 star resort. The fridge in one of our rooms did not work. We tried using the phone in our room many times to inform staff but no one answered calls. We told staff throughout the week but it was never fixed. So the fridge was filled with all inclusive beve [... read more]rages but we never drank the warm beer and sodas. The liquid soap in the shower was only partially full. It ran out after a couple of days and was never refilled. Tried calling to have it refilled but no one answered. The air conditioning was extremely loud and set to a very cold setting in both rooms. We could not adjust it. Again, tried to call for someone to adjust it but no one answered. Throughout the night we would alternate opening the patio doors to warm the rooms up and closing them to cool the rooms back up. We booked one night at the Mexican restaurant. It was a disaster. There are 2 seatings. We were only able to get the late seating. We have 4 kids and yet were the last table served. By the time we received our main course, other parties were already done their desserts and had left. Our kids became very grumpy, they were tired. We ended up cancelling our dessert order because it was so late. We ate one night at the Italian restaurant. The menu was very limited and the portions were small. We all preferred the buffets. The weather was perfect, the beach was beautiful. The pools were great. The staff at the buffets and bars were friendly and helpful. The buffet food was very good. Unfortunately 5 out of the 6 family members got diarrhea. We suspect it was due to exposure to the water .... brushing teeth? Ice cubes? On our final day, the kids and I had cleared out of our rooms by 11:30 and waited in the lobby for my husband. He had a tough time leaving the room due to the diarrhea. When we got to the front desk to check out we were told that we had to pay an additional hour for each room for being late. My husband and I travel regularly with work and stay at 5 star hotels across North America. We have never physically had to check out, an electronic bill is always sent. I realize now that going to the desk is a procedure to have wrist bands cut off at all inclusive resorts. As first timers however, I would expect some leniency. And I would expect the front desk staff to be very clear upon check in of the late charge policies. For customer satisfaction, a charge for one late room charge instead of two, especially considering the one room was empty before check out time, would have been reasonable. The front desk staff member was very stern and dismissive about our situation. Very unfriendly. A very disappointing way to end our weeks stay. Our shuttle was not picking us up till 6pm so we asked if there was luggage storage. There was. Of course we had to take it to the room ourselves. The room was an unlocked room down a low traffic hallway. No lock on the door. Anyone could walk in and out of the room. A courtesy room was available to shower and change but closed at 3pm. Again, our shuttle was at 6pm. So we did not use the courtesy room. We loved México, really enjoyed our excursions off site. Sunwing staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The Cancun airport was effortless. We will definitely return to Mexico but will not be returning to the Riu Yucatan.

Riu Palace Costa Mujeres: Loved it. :)

Perfect beach lined with palm trees. Beautiful property. Great food every night. Even the nightly shows were way above expectations! 10 days was not enough of a stay... and I would definitely recommend the resort to others and will make a return trip in the future.

Riu Flamingos: Relaxing Vacation

The weather was beautiful everyday. The sunwing flight was delayed both ways of the trip. The resort had amazing and friendly staff all over. It was clean everywhere except for some cigarette butts on the beach. Fitness room was well equipped but the hot tub was closed the whole time. Overall good experience.

Riu Negril: Amazing resort

all areas well maintained , our rooms were well looked after and the food was great we never were without , met a lot of other great people , the staff was most curtious and accommodating , We would recommend to all our friends , and make a return trip

Riu Emerald Bay: Exceellent

Can't say enough good things about this amazing resort. The weather was windy and raining but the staff made the best of it with games and 'little'shows. The food was good, New Years Eve dinner was beyond reproach and the champagne just kept on flowing!!

Riu Flamingos: Wonderful place !

Our 3rd Rui we had the pleasure of staying at.. great bang for your buck ! We stayed 2wks and had absolutely no complaints! Clean rooms, clean public bathrooms, clean restaurants.Would recommend to couples & to a family.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Meh

We had higher expectations of this hotel. We’ve stayed at other Riu hotels and found this one had no warmth. The service was brutal at the buffet. Constantly waiting for coffee refills. We couldn’t get a reservation for any of the a-la-carte restaurants, and our room smelled musty. The thermostat didn’t work and our room was constantly cold. The safe had to be repaired twice. Our maid was great and made sure we had extra towels and extra water, but that was about the only positive  [... read more]experience we had. We spent most of our time at Atlantis and ended up eating there too.

Riu Negril: Amazing vacation spot

We stayed at the Riu Club over the Christmas break. We had perfect weather and a memorable trip/stay. Room: well maintained and cleaned daily. When we requested something we needed it was delivered. Food: excellent. We had buffet everyday, food was plentiful and never cold (if it was supposed to be hot). The jerk-chicken on the beach during lunch time was delicious. We ate at the Steakhouse and Italiano a la carts and both were pretty tasty, a nice change from the buffet. Staff: friendly, a [... read more]lways willing to help and be hospitable, generally enjoyed working there. Entertainment: terrific entertainment staff, the evening programs were enjoyable; Beach Party and Dancers were my favourite evenings. Beach: was cleaned every morning and ready to use for the guests. Within the water it was muddy (not sandy) which made it murky. Everyday we walked the Bay and the beach water by the other resorts was much cleaner and wasn’t as muddy. The water was always warm and refreshing though. We still went in the beach water everyday in front of the Riu Club, no problems. There are sting rays, fish, sea stars, and sea urchins there which was amazing to see so close to the shore. Bar Service: friendly, we tipped but didn’t feel an obligation to do so. Excursion 1: Sunset Catarman to Ricks Cafe (Sunwing) amazing. We spent time at Seven Mile beach at Margaritaville before getting on the cat., we enjoyed the wait with the white sand. Our first stop was snorkelling, where we saw fish and coral. After we cruised to Ricks Cafe. We didn’t jump off the cliffs, but many did. The atmosphere there was pumping with a DJ spinning tunes and people dancing. The cruise back was awesome, lots of dancing and music blaring from the DJ on board. Excursion 2 (Tropial Tours): YS Falls, Black River Safari, and Appleton Estate. The tour guide, Karen, was informative teaching us about the history of Jamaica. All three stops were amazing and memorable. First stopped at Appleton, your guide thoroughly explained the process with tasting throughout, and then taste of three types of Rum at the end. Ate lunch at YS before heading up to the falls. A guide escorted my husband and I only through the falls, he took our camera and took pics and we navigated our way up to the top of the cascading falls, so awesome! The tour guide at Black River was fantastic and witty, he kept us laughing as we toured through the river. We saw many different crocs. We are going back tomorrow, haha! No we will be returning in the future.

Riu Negril: Amazing resort

I would definitely recommend this resort. The staff was fantastic especially the entertainment group. Food was very good and lots of it. I would suggest you take water shoes if you plan on spending time at the beach. My only complaint was how uneven the sand was in the water (I didn't feel safe walking) A shout out to some of the staff Kevan who checked us in at 12:30 am Kevin who served us our first drinks in the sports bar. Phoenix, Tiny and Bones made every day so much fun. The re [... read more]st of the entertainment group was great too - emoji, stretch, famous, paradise and t-payne. All the bartenders were amazing and remembered our drinks. Thanks to O'Neil, Paul, Maurice, Veneisha and Ruin.r /> Servers in the restaurants were wonderful. We ate most meals at the buffet but did eat at the steak House twice. I highly recommend the jerk chicken hut on the beach. Can't wait to go back Also a shout out to our travel agent Kathleen Emmans from trip central, who booked our Christmas vacation way back in June and was always available for my many questions. Please tell the above mentioned staff the Sparrow's plan on returning

Riu Palace Costa Mujeres: Excellent Brand new Hotel

Great hotel, this is brand new one year hotel. Not very far from city but very calm and quiet place. amazing food and clean beach and variety of pools. Love the place, would love to go back there again. Very friendly staff and fast service.

Riu Guanacaste: Lots of character

This resort has lots of character. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The meals were absolutely delicious and offered a great variety of choices . There was something for everyone. The beach wa long and spacious. Some shade structures and a close washroom facility would be a nice addition.

Riu Palace Antillas: outstanding!

An incredible resort, Spacious, clean, great facilities, perfect location. Food and beverage service was amazing, high quality meals. Above everything else was the employees at the resort, housekeeping, servers in all the dining rooms and bars went out of their way to ensure our holiday was the best. Front desk staff and outdoor recreation activity employees were proffessional and helpful. Our tour representative (Brian) went above and beyond. I cant say enough good things about this resort and [... read more] its employees. We would love to go again.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Wonderful

The hotel was clean, the staff were friendly and helpful. We were very impressed with the food. The only thing was that the music was very loud coming from the swim up bar. We loved the 24 hour room service!

Riu Dunamar: Disappointing, not a 5 star

I am sad to say Riu Dunamar was a big disappointment. The hotel is woefully understaffed and over worked but they aimed to please, here is a quick run through of our family vacation. We are traveling as a family but had our rooms on different wings of the hotel and different floors, this should have been a no brainer as i requested adjoining rooms. The elevator location and the limited number of them is awful, I have back issues and walk with a cane and had specifically asked to be close to an  [... read more]elevator but was over 100 yards away, I guess i should be grateful that i wasn't at the end of the hallway which would of doubled my walk. The hallways to your room are dark and dingy , long wide hallways with only a occasional fire extinguisher for decoration, reminded me of school not a 5 star hotel. The rooms we were given were nothing to write home about, however they were clean and the bed was comfortable, mini bar stocked. This hotel is new (2 years) so everything is in great condition. The buffet is extremely repetitive and after 3 days just down right boring. You do not need a reservation at the 4 restaurants but that doesn't mean your getting in , you will have to line up and hope your one of the lucky ones as they are small and only open 3 hours. None of the restaurants are full service and you will have to go to a mini buffet to get some portion if not all of your meal. They do not restock the buffet or the restaurant buffets in a timely fashion and we experienced that if your not there when it opens you could be out of luck of your favorite dish. There is no coffee bar or room service, premium cocktails are non existent, pool service consists of one guy with a push cart covering 4 pool areas. This hotel would appear to cater to families whose parents neglect and let their children run wild throughout the resort, when we were there the hotel was full, i would say about 1/3 if not more of the guest were children. There is absolutely no quiet or adult areas in this resort except for your room. Our experience was the main buffet was as noisy a school cafeteria, the so called restaurants not much better, very few people dressed for dinner and I believe this sets the tone for the evening. The evening entertainment was varied from boring to ok but after 9:00 your on your own. My entire family had some sort of illness from mild to severe, we did not leave the resort or eat elsewhere which makes me question food quality and hygiene. From my experience here i will have reservations about booking any Riu Hotel in the future, I am a seasoned traveler and have stayed at many 4 star hotels and some 3 1/2 stars in mexico that would put this so call Riu 5 star to shame. So would i return ? No for the following reasons, this hotel is not handicapped friendly, food was 3 star boring, no adult or quiet areas. I have always felt that a 5 star resort should have a wow factor, all you'll find here is a yawn!

Riu Palace Antillas: Very nice resort

The Riu Palace Antillas lived up to our expectations. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and always willing to help out. The food was excellent., fresh fish and a large selection of salads etc... The managers were always willing to assist their staff and were helping out when needed. The room was great... we got upgraded because we were on our honeymoon. The beaches were fantastic, the pools spotless., and the towel lady was always there with a smile. The bar tende [... read more]rs were great and quite funny., always joking around but getting their job done. We will be back! George and Debbie Gelinas, Windsor, Ontario Canada

Riu Republica: Very nice resort

The property is very clean and still looks very new. The rooms are clean and in good condition. The beach is fantastic. The coffee served in the resort is horrible. The best things to do is to get it from the machines. Also the Hard Rock Hotel next to the Riu Republica burns garbage late at night. This smoke get into the ventilation system and makes your room smell like a ash tray. We have been at the Riu República 3 times. We know to get a room close to the beach to avoid the smell.

Riu Palace Baja California: Amazing Resort would definitely return

Everyone was friendly the resort was kept clean at all times. It was more than I was hoping for beautiful scenery and gorgeous resort. We were very well taken care of and felt comfortable at all times.

Riu Republica: Nice resort with amazing food

The rooms were okay, nothing too fancy. The food was amazing. A lot of variety every meal and very savoury. The beaches were nice. There was staff always cleaning and picking up the cups. The entertainment team was very energetic and fun. Although not all shows were fun to watch.

Riu Flamingos: Wonderful resort!

The resort was beautifully kept and the rooms were updated and clean. The restaurants had delicious food with lots of variety. They could use more servers as you had to wait long for drinks and food. The beach was gorgeous with lovely palm trees providing plentiful shade.