Riu Playacar

absolutely fantastic hotel. staff are so obliging. spotless rooms and throughout hotel. food is good and in plentiful supply. all types of drinks available throughout hotel and on beach. It can be a little difficult to get a sun bed around the pool area if you leave it too late as you have the usual beds being reserved with towels but no one comes near them. plenty of sun beds available on the beach. The biggest negative was the seaweed coming ashore on the beach it can be 2 to 3 feet deep and you have to wade through it to get into the sea which is not very pleasant. there are half a dozen men and 3 tracktors who are there to clear it but they are very like our council workers who work for 2 hours then vanish with the job only half completed. otherwise we had a great time and came home to Scotland nearly a stone heavier. There are 5 Rui hotels all within walking distance which can all be used so is another big bonus. We will not be going back to Mexico because of the seaweed problem but will visit Rui hotels in other parts of the world.

Calm, sophisticated resort. Children that were around behaved. No party scene. Food was good. Being a vegetarian, I had ample food to choose from and it was all delicious. If I wanted something special, let’s say an avocado with lunch and it wasn’t out in the buffet, someone went to get it. Every where I went was clean super clean I mean! My room faced the courtyard and some sea view. I was really happy. Maid service was outstanding . I’ll go back in an instant!

Theres a lot to like about this hotel but theres a lot to not like too, let me explain... We initially booked the Tequila however we "upgraded" to the Playacar as we wanted a quieter location and batter accommodation, it wasnt worth it.... On arrival the check in was fine and quick, room was spacious and fairly well appointed. Main room has a large queen bed with cabinets on both sides, power socket on each side too, flat screen TV with a lot of channels plus a few English speaking ones if thats what you need. Tables and a couple of chairs near the balcony doors, table and two seats on the balcony. Off the main room to the left is the mini bar, 4 spirits in a cabinet/optics, coffee facilities below and a mini fridge with Pepsi, XX beer and 7 Up, plus a few bottles of water. To your right is a double sink with mirrors, hair dryer, under sink shelves, shaver sockets etc . In the wardrobe is a safe ( free ) ironing board, iron, blankets and space to store your clothes ( extra pillows can be requested from reception ) Rooms are quiet due to the rooms being off the main corridors via a vestibule layout, this works really well. The hotel itself is quite small, the accommodation blocks are set either side of a main strip leading to the beach, pools and pool bar, well appointed gardens with wildlife wandering about. One of the strangest issues is that other hotels, of a lower rating, are allowed to use the facilities of the Playacar during the day, they must have breakfast and dinner at their own hotel however are free to use the facilities, bars, snack bars and beach area during the day without limit.....now i thought that if you pay for the better hotel you can use lesser rated/costing hotels facilities but not the other way round, why would you pay for the better Playacar if the facilities are available to the other lower rated and lower costing hotels, it doesnt make sense and the other hotels' guest certainly did use the Playacar... and it wasnt pretty! The Playacar gets overrun with guests from the other RIU hotels, screaming kids, loud obnoxious "adults" and ignorant/arrogant sunbed blockers abound, smoking and vaping is never challenged by staff, this spoils the whole experience of the pool.... Having upgraded and paid for a better experience at the Playacar i have to say its not worth the money and i wouldnt recommend it... The staff are great, very helpful and always smiling, service is good, drinks are good and the food at all the eateries is good too, i liked the fact that you didnt have to book the "speciality "restaurants too, the beach did look nice despite a little seaweed. We did enjoy our stay, who doesnt like a holiday, however the fact that the hotel is basically used by all and sundry when youve paid this price is just a weird way to operate, you could just pay for the much cheaper Tequila or Lupita and spend all day using the Playacars superior facilities, like a lot did, and its that that spoilt the hotel and holiday a little.....

we travelled as a group of 7 to mexico for the first time. and right of the coach we was greeted with warmth and friendliness. the hotel, grounds and beach was beautiful, clean and well maintained at all times. staff was amazing and couldnt do enough to meet our needs if needed anything. our room was very nice and very clean and was close enough to everything, there wasnt much noise from the evening entertainment unless you open the balony door. overall we had an amazing experience at this hotel and would like to go back.

This was our second visit to the RIU Playacar and, quite simply, it won't be our last. It's already earmarked for another visit May 2027, and that tells you everything you need to know. What makes this resort special isn't just the facilities, it's the people. Walking back in and having staff remember us from our last visit genuinely moved us. That kind of warmth isn't something you can train; it's a culture, and the hotel has it in abundance. Special mentions absolutely must go to Froy, Kristel, Mauricio, Dany, Uli, Jorge, Eduardo, Rafa, Marian, Neyba, Mayra and so many more. These people are a credit to the resort and to RIU as a brand. Seeing so many of the same faces still there says a lot about how the hotel treats its team. The food across the resort is consistently good and the team keep the buffet fresh and varied throughout the stay. We do try to eat Mexican food as much as possible when we're here, so it says a lot that our standout al la carte experience was actually the Italian. Brilliant every time, and not something we'd usually gravitate towards on a trip to Mexico. The beach is stunning. We never once struggled for a sunbed anywhere on the resort. Yes, the seaweed can be an issue in this part of the Caribbean coast, but the beach team work tirelessly - and we mean tirelessly - to keep it looking beautiful. It's a constant battle against nature and they fight it every single day. One gentle observation: the team leader on beach clean-up might want to pick up a rake alongside his crew now and then. Our room was spotless throughout, and on my birthday I returned to find a cake made entirely from towels waiting for me, which was a nice touch. Away from the resort, taxis are easy to find with fixed pricing to the different areas of Playa del Carmen, no haggling, no stress. The city itself is wonderful and well worth exploring beyond 5th Avenue. The food out there is something else entirely, from the taco carts to the sit-down restaurants. Playa has real depth if you're willing to wander. If you're considering the RIU Playacar, stop considering and just book it. Consistently brilliant, genuinely warm, and already our favourite place on earth to recharge. See you in 2027.