Rio Caribe was a very nice resort. The staff was extraordinary very helpful friendly and kind the restaurants and the buffet food was very tasty fulfilling and enjoyable. The cleaning staff did such a thorough and detailed cleaning job maintaining our rooms when we needed service at all times. I would definitely recommend this Resort to a friend. We had a great stay.

I paid more for this resort than I did for my vacation in Sept 2025 staying at a villa. In most resorts the restaurants are a dining experience but here the restaurants are buffet with a served entree. I didn't have eat at Kulinarium because they gave me a pager and told me that it would be a 15 min wait but when I came back 30 min later to see what was going on, the restaurant was all set up and empty. The bad part was I proceeded to the buffet and it was closed so I had to settle for a sandwich at the sports bar. I don't think the buffet lives up to RIU standards. I would categorize it to be weak. The rooms seemed to have been renovated and very nice. As a single traveler I paid a $500 surcharge and was given a room that overlooked a back alley with a Taxi waiting zone. I didn't complain or ask to be moved. Room service was very thorough. I didn't find the pool bar staff to be overly friendly until they were tipped. I must say in general I didn't see a lot of tipping. I DO TIP!!. The Lobby Bar & Sports Bar were very friendly and efficient, popcorn & peanuts a great touch. I didn't experience any problem for a lounge chair and I didn't come out before 8:30am. The stretch of beach is only the width of the resort. I like to walk past many resorts. Property is in good condition. Check in and out was good. I wasn't to impressed that on departure, I wasn't allowed to take my duffle bag on wheels into the buffet because it was considered a carry-on. but inflated back packs were allowed. I've been travelling twice a year to Mexico for 35 years and never experienced this.

We just returned from an unforgettable stay at Riu Caribe in Cancun, and I can confidently say this resort exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, everything was smooth, relaxing, and downright enjoyable. The Grounds & Rooms: The property is absolutely immaculate — meticulously maintained with lush landscaping and clean, open walkways. The rooms are modern, spacious, and thoughtfully designed, with beautiful full or side ocean views from every room. Housekeeping did an outstanding job daily, keeping everything spotless and refreshed. Dining Experience: The food was a highlight, and one of the best surprises was that no dinner reservations were needed. You can simply walk into any restaurant with no lineups, which made evenings stress-free. While all the dining options were excellent, the Coral buffet stood out — the variety, freshness, and flavor were top-notch. Whether you’re a foodie or just looking for something comforting and satisfying, Coral won’t disappoint. Beach & Ocean: Now for the best part — the beach and ocean. Unlike many areas in the Caribbean affected by sargassum, the beach at Riu Caribe is practically sargassum-free. On the rare occasion a patch drifted in, it was small, washed up quickly, and was swiftly cleaned by the hardworking staff. It never interfered with swimming. The ocean is calm, clear, swimmable, and absolutely stunning. No mosquitoes, no jellyfish — just paradise. Safety & Service: The entire resort feels very safe, and the staff goes out of their way to ensure every guest is comfortable and well taken care of. From dining staff to housekeeping to beach maintenance crews, the service was consistently friendly, professional, and efficient. Final Thoughts: Riu Caribe hits the sweet spot between luxury and laid-back comfort. With the beautiful beach, amazing food, zero hassle dining, and a sargassum-free ocean, it’s easily a 10/10 experience. Highly recommended for couples, families, or anyone looking to truly relax in Cancun.

We just returned from an unforgettable stay at Riu Caribe in Cancun, and I can confidently say this resort exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, everything was smooth, relaxing, and downright enjoyable. The Grounds & Rooms: The property is absolutely immaculate — meticulously maintained with lush landscaping and clean, open walkways. The rooms are modern, spacious, and thoughtfully designed, with beautiful full or side ocean views from every room. Housekeeping did an outstanding job daily, keeping everything spotless and refreshed. Dining Experience: The food was a highlight, and one of the best surprises was that no dinner reservations were needed. You can simply walk into any restaurant with no lineups, which made evenings stress-free. While all the dining options were excellent, the Coral buffet stood out — the variety, freshness, and flavor were top-notch. Whether you’re a foodie or just looking for something comforting and satisfying, Coral won’t disappoint. Beach & Ocean: Now for the best part — the beach and ocean. Unlike many areas in the Caribbean affected by sargassum, the beach at Riu Caribe is practically sargassum-free. On the rare occasion a patch drifted in, it was small, washed up quickly, and was swiftly cleaned by the hardworking staff. It never interfered with swimming. The ocean is calm, clear, swimmable, and absolutely stunning. No mosquitoes, no jellyfish — just paradise. Safety & Service: The entire resort feels very safe, and the staff goes out of their way to ensure every guest is comfortable and well taken care of. From dining staff to housekeeping to beach maintenance crews, the service was consistently friendly, professional, and efficient. Final Thoughts: Riu Caribe hits the sweet spot between luxury and laid-back comfort. With the beautiful beach, amazing food, zero hassle dining, and a sargassum-free ocean, it’s easily a 10/10 experience. Highly recommended for couples, families, or anyone looking to truly relax in Cancun.

Many aspects of this hotel are world class. Newly renovated with contemporary design, and maintained in spotless condition. RIU do this kind of vacation experience very, very well and have brought a 'Euro vibe' with the 'RIU Party' themes held at this hotel, in a purpose-build area. These are very lively, wonderfully organised, and very well managed security-wise etc. Food was excellent for this kind of '5 star' all-inclusive experience. Buffets were well stocked with a wide variety of high-quality, well-cooked dishes. Breakfast service, with the table staff was a bit sparce and slow, and having water glasses at the table would have been good. Lunch and dinner had better service; dinner service had water glasses. Wine quality was decent and typical of these hotels. The 'a-la-carte' restaurants, whilst I think these are never of the standard of actual external high-end restaurants were, nonetheless, very good; the food was delicious and the service excellent. The bar staff were attentive and friendly; the swim-up-bar the best I have experienced, with the staff having a wonderful, fun-loving attitude and keeping the drinks flowing. The sports bar is well air-conditioned and a welcome break from the heat. The reception moved my room as I didn't get my booking when I arrived. They were extremely helpful. The rooms, again newly renovated, were the best I have experienced on these vacations - well equipped, comfortable beds, very clean - housekeeping is excellent. Beach was very good - beautiful sand, not much seaweed (cleared every morning). Seawater quality was excellent. The adjoining RIU hotel seemed to permit beach access which made the beach seem a bit longer, although, disappointingly, access to this RIU hotel was not permitted. I did walk one day 4km to another RIU hotel to which I had access. Again, it was very good but not as good as this one. In this area of Cancun, hotels are closer together and the whole experience is more intense than, say, Playa del carmen. That's the kind of holiday this is - more lively and a terrific hotel for groups and parties. It is somewhat child-friendly, but not significantly so. I was very impressed with and thoroughly recommend this hotel. If I go back to Cancun, I would want to stay here. Well done RIU!

Excellent service. They have the menus setup with QR codes which makes it way easier for people who don’t speak Spanish. Bring your own stuff as it is very expensive buying there. The buffet was amazing. 8/10

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 back to the Riu Caribe!

I'm not sure why this resort has any bad reviews. We spent a week with our teenage daughters and they had an amazing time. The beach is absolutely beautiful, the resort is clean, nicely decorated and the food is so diversified. Yes, there are some food items that are repeating, but when you have over 100 types of food, I'm sure even the pickiest person can find something delicious. The only thing I wish they will change is the timing for RIU Party. Because that's adults only, our kids lost 3-4 evenings with no shows because of this party. Riu, please keep in mind that the shows are nice in the evening and some people prefer a show instead of the party. Maybe find a way to offer both? The rooms are spacious, fridge is always full with beverages, we will go back to Riu Caribe.

The beach was fantastic!!! Entertainment was really good - rooms clean, facilities clean. Friendly staff. The salad bar was yummy, omelets were good, fresh fruit yea great… however, the rest of the food was not great. The most disappointing was the Mexican restaurant… it was horrible and we were in Mexico ( how embarrassing). The drinks were good. If you want a real cappuccino go to the sports bar. If I go back it would be for the beach. I stayed at NYX in cancun three months prior. The food there was incredible- the best I have ever had a resort. But the beach was super wavy and hard to swim. Too bad a high end name like Riu can’t up the food quality and a small place like NYX is able to provide gourmet food.

The resort was good. Room cleanliness was good. Location was amazing. We had good time at the resort, except the food was very very bad, no taste. Four restaurants were available. Asian , Mexican, buffet and steakhouse. Service was great, the staff was very good, friendly and accommodating.

The service in the location was great except the maintenance department didn't shown up even after so many call requests while the toilet was blocked in room 631 (feb 6 to 13), i had to use the toilet brush to pump the water and finally the water gone through. The rest all the services was amazing. The food needs to be improve

The cleanliness of the resort wasn’t the best. This isn’t my first time in Mexico and I had high expectations considering my visits at other Riu resorts in the past. The food wasn’t good at all... and the pools were dirty. Someone was throwing up almost every day. and staff made no effort to clean up… people swam in the vomit. Most disappointed I have been at a Riu resort. Also the front desk staff are very rude and not helpful either. Will not recommend again to anyone!

Older hotel but very clean. Staff was great - was greeted by name by the waiters in the restaurant. Beach was kept clear of seaweed. Never any long lines at the front desk or at the bars. Room was cleaned daily. A great experience and would love to come back!

The hotel was a very clean, but the staff was not very nice. We found them very rude and VERY disorganized. A lot of Amenities were not available for usage either. Our room was on the first floor, and very loud at night time as well it seemed that construction was happening and started around 7am. Room change was not available as per the staff, the hotel was booked solid. Restaurant booking's were very hard to get and found ourselves having to eat at the buffet all the time. The 24hr sports bar had only pre-made sandwiches that were picked through by other guests and no alcoholic beverages were served past 12pm. No premium alcohol selection. The beach was clean, but there was no entertainment. Would not go back to this resort, very disappointed.

My boyfriend and I were here the first week of December 2021. I think we got a much better room than we paid for because it was huge so that was a bonus. Pros: -Good COVID protocols (all staff masked at all times, mandatory masking for guests in public areas, high touch areas were wiped often) -Clean property -Not very noisy -A+ staff who were all very friendly and helpful, especially the serving staff at the pool and beach -Decent daytime and nighttime entertainment on the property (again, their entertainment staff were great) -no matter what time of day, we were able to find loungers both poolside and on the beach -huge pool Cons: -food quality and selection, while serviceable, was disappointingly mediocre at best (avoid the Asian themed restaurant in particular) -the built in liquor dispensers in room were never refilled during our week -water in the mini bar was not refilled automatically each day. The tap water here is not potable so clean drinking water is very important and we had to ask for more water twice. Luckily they were generous when we asked and provided 4L at a time but it's not ideal to return to your room after a day in the sun and discover you have no drinking water.

We stayed at the RIU Caribe for a week in March 2020. The staff here were incredible as well as the food - excellent in all restaurants and the buffet. The only downfall was the extremely hard beds. We usually stay in the Mayan riviera but wanted to try it right in Cancun for a change..... it was a great place but too much of a party vibe for us - which we were aware of but prefer the more laid back quiet of the Mayan.

Stayed January 30-february 6 Staff 10/10 Food 7/10 Room 7/10 Pool area 8/10 Beach 8/10 Location 7/10 We really enjoyed this resort. The staff was very attentive and professional any problems were taking care of.

Here's the good, the bad and the ugly: The Good - pleasant and (sometimes) helpful staff. Can't say much about the front desk staff though. Very clean hotel but disappointed there are no in-room coffee makers for our morning coffee. Drinks were ok. Only 2 specialty restaraunts open - the Steak house served a great hamburger but their steak and chicken were absolutely horrible - dried out tasteless steak and under-done chicken that was like chewing rubber. The Pizza place by the beach served awesome pizza. The Mexican place was also open but we'd heard bad things from other patrons so didn't go. Needless to say we are sick of hamburgers and pizza. The beach and pools were beautiful and clean - no seaweed. Wait service on the beach was sometimes there and when it was it was good. The Bad - the food was horrible. Buffet consisted mostly of fish (we're not big fans). The beef and chicken at the buffet were consistently dried out and very blah tasting. Often there would be empty trays at the buffet that never seemed to be refilled (who knows what they were). We are not late diners and the buffet was open for 1-1.5 hours after we left so why trays weren't refilled is anyone's guess. Lunch was always the same boring stuff and often consisted of leftovers from the buffet dinner the night before. The Ugly - Our room was on the 3rd floor near the only set of elevators in that wing. On a nightly basis there was entertainment in the main lobby which was open to all wings right to the ceiling. The music was SO loud that we couldn't even hear our TV in our room with the volume cranked to 25. In addition, there was a beach party with booming music hitting us from the opposite direction as well as tour ships that would cruise about 1/2 mile off the beach and absolutely blast their entertainment. Most nights things would quiet down to a reasonable level around midnite but then there's always the drunk stragglers whooping it up in the hallways until 3 or 4 am. Needless to say - don't count on getting much in the way of rest during your stay. Upon complaining we were offered another room on the first floor and only a few feet further from the lobby. Sorry but I did not see the value in packing up and moving just to be a few feet further away - we needed to be higher and in a different wing altogether but they wouldn't accomodate. Can't say that I'd return or even recommend this resort - very disappointed.

we had a great time at the Riu couldn't ask for anything better the rooms were very spacious and the whole resort was spotless the food was outstanding and the beach was beautiful the only disappointment was the balcony we had an oceanview room and the balconies are very small triangular shaped, but the outstanding view made up for it would I come back to this resort? any time

It’s a relaxing resort to go to if you like to spend time on the beach. Very calm vibes. Not a lot going on at the resort. After the 3rd day you get bored if you only want to spend time in the resort only. The food isn’t the best. I highly recommend going right when the buffet opens. We ended up going out to eat on the strip and to Riu Cancun. The last few days my eye got infected from the sheets. I woke up to itchy puffy eyes. I asked one of the cleaners to change my sheets. They didn’t bother changing it. It was really hard to communicate with some of the staff. We tried to make the best out of it. Some days we went to Riu Cancun to have enjoy the vibes there.

One week stay mid April 2019, all the staff was very helpful and friendly. The resort was very clean our room was more than we expected very clean, king bed and fully stocked fridge and refilled every day also had a huge balcony with 2 lounges, table and 2 regular chairs. Fantastic views cost a little extra for the ocean front upper floor but was well worth it. The restaurants were in my opinion ok, the buffet had a good variety of food. Spent most of our days in the ocean, beach had white sand and no rocks when wading in the surf would book their again.

We actually paid more money to leave early - the resort was clean but the service was poor, we were stuck in a basement room, food was awful - I was sick twice and curled up in pain every time I ate here.

The Riu Caribe was an absolutely beautiful resort. We stayed there from March 2-9/19. The hotel was just the right size, with excellent service, food, pools and beach Breathtaking views from our balcony. The room was very clean with lots of room. Loved the fact that you could get on any local bus just steps out front of the resort and go down the hotel zone to do some shopping in some great Brand Name Stores. 20 pesos to ride the bus one way - it only too 8-10 min to get to a huge outlet mall. Felt very safe in this area. Would definitely recommend this resort to anyone and we home to return to this resort again next year!!

The hotel was very clean, food was good and the staff was very nice. It was my second time at this resort and I will go back for sure. The beach is beautiful and the Riu staff always keep it clean!!!!

The resort was beautiful, the he beach was amazing and the staff all around the hotel made yiu feel so right at home! You never waited for a drink, or a table! So many amazing food options to choose from!

I really enjoy this resort, however the mini fridge service for beverages was never changed in our 8 day visit, which it states it will be filled every two days. This is mainly a concern because of the water. The staff is usually very thoughtful, so the no water refill was odd.

This was our first visit to a Riu and we loved it! Not only was it an amazing place to spend our honeymoon the staff were very accommodating the grounds and fascility were beautiful!!! Will visit again

Hotel was very good. The food was excellent and staff very good. The only disappoint was lack of entertainment The odd show didn’t start until 9.45 pm to late for us over 70s. I think this hotel is geared for young people. A comment on Sunwing. The transfer bus back to Airport had some really drunk people aboard. Bad language and very loud music was in my opinion and others not safe for driver and other passengers. Most people agreed that the Sunwing Rep should have dealt with it as some very scared. I was tempted but decided not to interfere as I didn’t wand major confrontation.

Took our first trip to a RIU resort last week- April 2018- Previous posted reviews are accurate the resort is quite nice, clean and centrally located in Cancun- The food was awful over salted etc. little day to day variety. The staff were the very friendly, helpful and engaging.. Rated as a 4 star likely more of high 3. All problems that did exist were easily overlooked. Improvements to the food would benefit the resort..

Our family of 8 just returned from an incredible trip to the Riu Palace Penninsula Cancun. We travel often and have experienced many different hotels in Mexico but this hotel is now our most favourable! The hotel was immaculately kept clean and all staff were exceptional and very professional. All staff truly went above and beyond to help make our vacation unforgettable. My son and I have gluten and dairy allergies and upon speaking the chef on the first day, they prepared special gluten free pancakes and pasta for us each day! We plan on visiting again soon! Thank your Riu for another amazing vacation!

The beach does not get any better. Very swimmable and clean. The service was impeccable from all aspects. Food was great. Drinks were great. Nothing of note to say anything negative about this resort.

resort was nice and clean food was bland and drinks was watered down i guess that crowd control sunwing was 1 hour late leaving each way other then that it was good outside shops was nagging and taxi drivers rip you off

We had an excellent time in this hotel, the only thing missing is that we didn’t know we need to book seat for Christmas dinner. It was a long time waiting and we even didn’t get to go to the restaurant we wanted

We stayed here from Nov 22 to Nov 29 and it was absolutely amazing. The Resort itself was very clean inside and out. Great pools and the beach was fantastic. Not huge by any means but very beautiful with incredible sand and water.. The food selection was fantastic and the staff were just as incredible. I would definitely recommend this resort.

Amazing food, nice resort, room had everything we needed and was kept clean daily. Staff was friendly and helpful. Daytime entertainment wasn't bad. The night time entertainment needs work. Nothing to do after 11pm on the resort. Would be nice if the resort had a mini club at night for people to be able to continue having fun.

This resort is up to the standards of all the other Riu resorts in areas of service accommodation, etc but fell short of our requirements. If you are fair skinned or dealing with someone in a wheelchair it would be best not to go to this resort. There is very little coverage available at the pool and makes it necessary to either book your place at 5am or shuffle your chairs to "chase the shade". More importantly, the resort is in several levels both inside and out of the main building. There are ramps which are sufficient for strollers but they are WAY TOO STEEP for wheelchairs. Especially if the adult in the chair is heavier than the helper. Particularly dangerous is the ramp leading to the main dining room and the bottom of this ramp is only a couple of feet from the plate glass wall of the restaurant. One slip could be disastrous. The staff are wonderful and will help whenever they are there but you can't get to the pool without using ramps and they are not always handy when outside. One other thing I didn't like was the square glass dinette table with 2 wooden slat-back chairs in the room instead of comfortable chairs. This was really a problem when we wanted to relax in the room. Needless to say if you don't have any problems in these areas you will enjoy the resort. It has many thing going for it and if you've already been to a Riu resort you will not be disappointed.

The Riu Caribe Cancun lived up to our expectations. The staff were wonderful, so helpful especially Karen on reception. The food choice was excellent and first class. We were really spoilt with drinks being served all day, on the beach or by the pool by happy waiters. Cassandra from Trip Central CA looked after our booking and we were more than pleased with her assistance and choice of resort.

This was our second stay this year (2016) at this hotel. Its very central and safe location is what has appealed to us very much. It is a medium size resort, located right on a very nice beach with the easiest possible access to public or private transportation. We have used public buses often and have very positive experience. We also found the food and service of an excellent quality. Best Regards, Anna and Jerry

I was looking for a 5 or 7 night trip, only got 3 nights 3 days unfortunately - I'd love to win ! The staff, room, food, ocean and trips were just great and that made my short stay a great one nevertheless. I would definitely return to the resort, but I do like to try new places each time.

Resort was great. The beach was amazing and the food was good. Pools got loud and rowdy some days but it is Cancun... Service was great and rooms were clean and spacious. Overall good resort and would go back again.

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.

We had to change rooms , musty smell and fixtures broken in the bathroom,the front desk was good to deal with and we received a different room the next day, the staff was excellent, food was excellent. We would stay again

Service was excellent. Grounds and beach beautiful. All public areas and public washrooms very clean. Pools a little chilly in February and difficult to get in and out of. Rooms comfortable, beds good and decent pillows. Staff wonderful and accommodating. Food was plentiful and very good.

From check in to check out staff were amazing!!! Rooms were wonderful and very clean!! Food was excellent!! Tons of options!! Would we book at this resort again?? Most definitely!!! Drinks were always plentiful and powerful!!

Was very nice resort , good food , the people work there friendly , my room was real nice , everything was good .easy take the bus cheap ,,town real nice,, beach and the pool real nice ,, we have a good time .will go back

Nice hotel very good services, pools, restaurants, huge selection of food. Friendly staff. Good location. Nice view of the ocean. Close to downtown. Great selection of trips around and activities. Worth the money.

the resort is very well kept. The rooms very clean, no issues at all. Food was very good, always a great selection. Staff was very friendly and helpful if you had questions. Beach was beautiful. Would go back to this resort again.

Been to the Cancun area three times and this was the absolute best, perfect resort for 20-30 year olds (I went with my boyfriend, early 20s) who want to party in a more sophisticated than spring break kind of way. The a la cartes were really great (especially the steakhouse), the decor was amazing and really well kept and by far the best service I've received anywhere (including Canada). Trip of a lifetime, will be returning.

Riu resorts have a good standard and would recommend. The room, food, service, beach was all great. I had to wait much to long to be transported to the hotel because we had to wait for another not organizes couple

The hotel was very modern, friendly staff and good service. The buffet was amazing. The steakhouse was not that good and the mexican was so so. Besides being very windy everyday the end of Oct the seaweed on the beach is an everyday occurrance and a nonstop cleaning process. We were there for 10 days, would I go there again, probably not. I prefer the Riu Cancun, the buffet seems a lot larger there. All and all it was very good.

I bought this as a gift for my son and his girlfriend. She has travelled the world and this was his first trip outside of Canada or the U.S.A....they had a great time. The resort was clean with lots of food options. The staff was all very nice and helpful with information for off the resort. It was such a good experience that they can't wait to start planning their next trip.

I love staying at RIU hotels and RIU Caribe met my standards! The jospitLity was impeccable and the staff was sooooo accommodating . The food had plentiful choices , the day and nightly entertainment was super fun and the hotel was extremely clean!!! Highly recommend this hotel!!