Riu Palace Riviera Maya

We stayed here with our family, including two grown-up kids, and had a great time. The location is perfect — you can easily walk to 5th Avenue. The hotel has a chill atmosphere, and the rooms are clean, spacious, with good showers and plenty of closet space. Just note that the elevators are only on the lobby side, so if you’re on the pool side on the second floor, you’ll need to take some stairs. The other services team is excellent — truly the best we’ve experienced, with activities that are fun for adults too, like dance lessons and aqua fitness. The hotel is very clean, and the Riu Party is super fun. Overall, a great stay for families with adult children who enjoy a relaxed vibe, good entertainment, and a top location.

Great food and good quality cocktails. Amazing service and great pool. Entertainment all day. Don’t expect go swimming in the ocean. It’s not possible anywhere in the area. However the hotel makes up for it with all they have going on. The kids show in the evening could be better but they have a kids club and a kids pool so i guess it’s ok. I would come back here with the family again.

Stayed at the Riu Palace Mexico (smaller property along the road) last year and loved it. This year that hotel is being renovated and turned into an Adults only, so we stayed in the Riu Palace Playa del Carmen which is bigger but very similar. I have to say both are excellent hotels. I stayed with my Husband and two teenager daughters and we've had many conversations regarding which is better. I like both the palaces as they both have fully air conditioned lobbies, rooms and restaurants ( apart from the open air restaurant near the beach) having stayed in the Grand Bahia Akumal for many years open air was never an issue, but I would say age has made me appreciate air-conditioned lobbies hugely! Rooms were clean and kept beautifully, food, drinks and bathrooms all excellent. The staff work hard and remember us from last year which was unexpected, I assume some staff have moved with the renovations. I would recommend spending a morning or afternoon at the other hotels, they are all in walking g distance or if you prefer just jump in a taxi its 150 pesos. The Riu Playacar, Tequila and Yucatan do not have air conditioned lobbies, however, there is an air-conditioned sports bar in the Tequila, just go left past the stage area right to the very end, the doors will be facing you. Its a welcome little haven if you've walked it from anywhere! The only negative I have is if you go to another Riu you have to take towels from the hotel you are in, which is just stuff you dont need to be lugging about in the heat. Anyway we had a fantastic time, the pool is lively with activies and fun for children and adults, the staff just genuinely have really good humour, the adult pool we never used and is more for the party people, but it was just people having a kid free good time, no issues that I saw which I was actually surprised at given the world cup is on, security however are quietly around the complex which is reassuring too. Favourite meal was steakhouse on the beach and italian. The Yashima food and Krystal is also absolutely worth visiting, food is great. I would highly recommend this hotel for families or couples and look very forward to returning next year.

I’m a big fan of the Riu’s and this was my first stay at a Palace. They honestly are all the same and for the price difference, I wish I stayed somewhere cheaper. Having direct beach access was important to me but I didn’t end up swimming because of the seaweed. There is better options for the price point. However I very much enjoyed the food, drinks, spacious and clean rooms, helpful staff, live entertainment, and beautiful grounds. You also have access to the other Riu’s including the Tequila for the parties if you are there on a party day.

We stayed at this resort for 5 nights, June 26-July 1. Everything was absolutely wonderful; service was amazing, rooms were cleaned twice daily, the property was carefully maintained and spotless. The staff work so hard to keep everything clean, constantly mopping and wiping down tables and chairs. Everyone at the restaurants, bars, and coffee shop were always so kind and friendly, taking such good care of us - three adults and one 9 month old. I cannot say enough good things about the staff. We always tip, but they never made us feel like it was expected. I did notice that a lot of other travelers do not tip, which is a shame. You don’t have to, but you should for their wonderful service. Service at a major resort is a demanding job and they all do it with such grace. Now onto the food. There are plenty of options. Some restaurants were better than others, and some dishes were better than others. But overall everything was amazing. Just try it all….you’re on vacation! The Don Rafael buffet was excellent; great options for breakfast and dinner. Exceptional items were the lamb chops and the stone crab claws. For my less adventurous travelers - their pizzas, burgers and hot dogs were great too. If you’re an American keep in mind that foods in other countries are clean and healthier than what we have at home. So breads and meats don’t make you feel sick. It’s clean! The lunch buffet by the pool (Chilis) is very good with tons of salad options, grilled fish, meats and more! There was a taco station and steaks too. Now the beach - the water was great. Yes there was seaweed but unfortunately that’s nature so you just need to make the best of it. Just go past the seaweed then you’ll get to clear waters. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m sure seaweed will do your skin good. The hotel has people on it every day to help clear the area. Lovely resort. We look forward to checking out their other locations. Muchos gracias!