Riu Palace Riviera Maya

Just returned from two weeks at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya. Firstly, the place was immaculately clean and the staff work their socks off to keep it that way. Secondly , this place is truly All Inclusive. No need to spend anything unless you want souvenirs or excursions. However, tipping helps with the staff wages and you would feel guilty for not tipping given how friendly and hard working they are. Nothing is too much trouble. Only the fussiest of eaters wouldn’t be able to find something to eat from the wide selection available 24/7. Cocktails, beer, spirits (all premium brands) coffee, tea, juice, water is always available and if you are feeling lazy just use the room service or the mini bar in your room. This consists of four premium brand optics, beer, pop, and water. The entertainment Staff lay on regular activities with highlights being the pool foam party, and the weekly Riu Party over at the Riu Tequila (warning drinks over there aren’t premium brand, but are all inclusive). As a Riu Palace guest you can also use the other Riu Hotels which are a short walk away but they cannot use yours. Away from the hotel the craziest night out is Coco Bongos but be warned it is a late night ( we got to bed at 3) so do not plan on a busy day afterwards. This time of year is nearing the rainy season so we did get some rain but never enough to spoil the holiday and mostly at night. Also we never struggled for sun loungers so no need to dash down in the morning!!! A few tips- all rooms have shampoo, conditioner, body wash, daily fresh towels, bath robes, hairdryer, iron, ironing board and a digital safe. Pool towels are also provided so no need to pack those either. Our first Riu Palace and if this one is anything to go by it definitely will not be our last.

I would potentially stay again because of its location. Most staff were great. The elite experience has a number of touches that if you value these than it’s worth the upgrade. I would not say that the service in the speciality restaurant is a plus point. It’s very cold in more ways than one. The AC is up high and the staff in there including the regular supervisor wearing black uniform is only friendly to selected guests. The hosting was unfriendly and unprofessional and so was the vibe. Riu, this is suppose to be Elite, put your best staff in the elite restaurant please. I’m not the only one with this opinion. The staff were better in the buffet service . It’s almost like they don’t want you in elite restaurant. The elite breakfast is very good. Same food but a nice presentation. The pool beds in Elite get very hot. I did not get that comfortable here due to other elite guests playing music on phones and speaking very loudly. As elite, this should be controlled as a quiet area . Overall it’s the breakfast and snacks in room that make elite worthwhile for us until they improve the behaviour amongst guest in pool and staff in elite restaurant. Animation team weee nice overall. Not the best I’ve experienced from Riu. Cappuccino bar is the best service and best feature of this hotel. There was no visible management around as I have seen in other Riu’s. If there was I would have mentioned this in person. Fernanda on reception is the best welcome with a lovely smile. Some reception staff look like they don’t want to be there. Getting the welcome right is so important to first impressions of stay.

A few things I think that were done very poorly. 1. Cannot use the website or the app to add a room under the same Riu class member #. 2. Cannot use the help center to add a room under the same Riu class member #. 3. Cannot call the hotel because it is closed. 4. Cannot leave a message, or even hear a pre-recorded message describing how to contact the hotel staff. 5. Cannot get help from another Riu property or speak to a manager without some shift supervisor blocking the efforts. 6. Cannot get a name from the front desk agents to hold them accountable for terrible customer service. This is not a well run system. The management of the Riu Palace Mexico & the Riu Palace Riviera Maya should be ashamed of the poor experience and having a staff that is unfriendly and hostile to Riu guests from other properties. If what they said is true, and Xavier Sáez & Claudia Álvarez really dont care and have assistant managers who dont care about these guests is true then I cant bring my family. This whole process should be an embarrassment.

We returned to RIU Palace Riviera Maya because we had such a wonderful experience here last year. Unfortunately, this time we left feeling disappointed. There were definitely some highlights, especially the amazing staff, but there were also several issues that significantly affected our vacation. The Staff Deserves 5 Stars ❤️ I want to start with the positives because there are employees at this resort who truly go above and beyond. Axel at RiuLand is AMAZING! He was friendly, energetic, helpful, and genuinely made the experience better. He is exactly the kind of employee who represents what great hospitality should be. Cielo at the restaurant was the BEST! She was incredibly attentive, kind, and welcoming. Her service really stood out to us, and she deserves to be recognized for making guests feel special. The coffee shop in the lobby was also excellent. It was always clean, the employees were wonderful, and the service was consistently good. We really enjoyed stopping there. These employees are a big reason why I still have positive things to say about the resort. Housekeeping Was Just Average Unfortunately, the room cleaning was only okay. Even though we were leaving tips, our room still wasn't being cleaned as thoroughly as we expected. I don't expect perfection, but for a resort at this level, I expected better attention to detail. Leaving a tip should be a way of showing appreciation for good service — it shouldn't be necessary to receive proper housekeeping. Unfortunately, even with tipping, the room wasn't consistently cleaned to the standard I would expect from a five-star property. The Elite Club Pool Situation Was VERY Disappointing This was probably our biggest complaint. We came back this year without realizing that the resort had closed an entire pool for the Elite Club. We were very disappointed when we discovered this. I understand that RIU wants to offer premium upgrades and generate additional revenue. That's completely understandable. What I don't understand is putting an adults-only Elite Club pool right in the middle of a family resort and taking that entire pool away from everyone else. The result was that everyone who wasn't using the Elite Club ( you can see in the photo that the Elite Club pool was completely empty) was squeezed into the remaining two pools. And let me tell you — they were CROWDED. If you don't wake up early enough to reserve your pool chairs, good luck finding a spot. We are on vacation. We shouldn't have to set an alarm early in the morning just to put a towel on a chair so we can actually enjoy the pool later in the day. This setup really changed the atmosphere compared with our visit last year. If RIU wants to make money from Elite Club upgrades, I completely understand that. But I think there are better ways to do it. Why not offer guests an Elite Club upgrade with additional perks while still allowing families to enjoy the resort's pools with their children? Taking an entire pool away from the general guests at a family resort creates overcrowding and frustration for everyone else. The Mattress Needs a SERIOUS Upgrade The mattress was another major disappointment. Honestly, for a resort claiming a five-star level, I expected much better. You can actually feel the springs in the mattress. And if you are traveling with a spouse or partner who moves around during the night, be prepared to feel every movement. When one person moves, the other person feels it and gets bounced around as well. A good night's sleep is extremely important on vacation. After spending the entire day swimming, walking, traveling, and enjoying the resort, you want to come back to a comfortable bed. The mattress simply wasn't comfortable. In my opinion, if RIU wants to maintain a five-star reputation, investing in better mattresses should be a priority. Would We Return? This is the difficult part. We came back because we had such a great experience last year. That's why the changes were especially disappointing. The employees we interacted with were wonderful, and people like Axel and Cielo deserve recognition. The lobby coffee shop was also a highlight. However, the overcrowding caused by the Elite Club pool, average housekeeping, and especially the uncomfortable mattress made this stay much less enjoyable than our previous visit. I really hope management reads these reviews and takes the feedback seriously. RIU Palace Riviera Maya has a lot going for it, especially its staff, but some of the recent changes seem to be taking away from the overall guest experience. If this is supposed to be a family resort, I really hope RIU reconsiders how the Elite Club pool is handled. And please — replace those mattresses! We loved this resort enough to come back a second time. I just hope that on our next visit, if we return, it feels more like the wonderful experience we had last year. Great people, but some important things need improvement.

Facilities are NOT 5 star. Pool that is open to children is tiny for a hotel this size and resembles a bath tub which is horrible when it’s warm anyway with no way to feel fresh or cool down. Food is average, lunch buffet not good. Entertainment schedule is good when they bother to turn up. It’s a 4 star all day long. Disappointing.