Riu Palace Kukulkan - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1622 reviews

• 

  Relaxing week in the Hotel Zone

  Riu Palace Kukulkan – Cancun | Stayed Jan 13–20, 2026 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ My wife and I stayed at Riu Palace Kukulkan from Jan 13–20, 2026 🇲🇽🌴 and it was a great trip for what we wanted: relaxation and a whole lot of nothing 😎☀️ Our typical day 🗓️ • I’m up early for a morning walk 🚶‍♂️🌅 • Then we’re all about buffet breakfast 🥐☕️ and buffet lunch 🍔🥗 • The toughest decision of the day was usually: sit by the pool or sit by the beach? 🏊‍♂️🌊😄 • And here’s a huge win: we did NOT have to play the “chair game” at this resort at all 🙌🪑 • No racing down at sunrise to claim chairs with towels • No stress, no drama • Especially with Elite, finding chairs was easy and it stayed relaxing 😌✅ • Dinner was either buffet or à la carte 🍽️ depending on the mood Food & service 🍽️🙌 The buffet was honestly better than other resorts we’ve stayed at. The theme nights were fun 🎉 and the food quality felt like a step up 🥩🥗🍰. Staff was excellent overall, and a special shoutout to Andrea 🙌 — we had her several nights and she consistently took great care of us 😊⭐️ Arrival & first impressions 🛎️ Check-in was smooth and Alex at the front desk was friendly and welcoming right away 🙂👏 Elite upgrade 🏊‍♂️🌊😌 We upgraded to Elite on our second day. For us, the biggest perks were: • Quieter pool vibe 🏖️😌 (worth it alone) • Room upgrade with an oceanfront view 🌊🌅 — huge plus and we loved it We didn’t really use the upgraded alcohol 🍸 or reservation perks because we eat early and it was never that busy. Beach & pools 🌊☀️ The beach and weather were beautiful during our stay. One personal disappointment: no Bali beds on the beach 😩 — if you love those, you’ll miss them here. Biggest drawbacks 🚩 1. Towel cards / towel limits 🧾 — only two towels at a time is frustrating when you want one to lay on and one as a pillow towel 🧺 2. No Bali beds on the beach 😩 (yep, I’m saying it twice because I was salty about it 🙃) 3. Gluten-free options (celiac) 🍞🚫 — My wife has celiac and she felt the gluten-free selection/station could be expanded. We’ve stayed at other resorts that had a better dedicated gluten-free station/area, and here it felt more limited. HUGE plus 🙌🚫 One of the best parts of this resort: no vacation club / timeshare sales pressure. None. Zero. 🎉 It truly felt like a hotel-style stay — you just arrive, enjoy the property, eat, relax, and go about your vacation without anyone trying to rope you into a “quick presentation” 😄🏝️ Location 📍🔥 (one of the best parts) Location is definitely one of the best things about this hotel. It’s right in the heart of the Hotel Zone and is very walkable 👟🌴. Having a mall 🛍️ and pharmacy 💊 right across the street was super convenient. It’s also a very different vibe than Riviera Maya, so just know that going in — more “in the mix” compared to the more isolated resort feel down south. Quick note about nightlife 🌙🎶 We’re not nightlife people. After dinner, we’re done ✅😴 So I can’t fairly review shows, late bars, clubs, or anything after dark. Would we return? ✅ Yes. Overall, I’d rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½. We would return, and for the money, I think it’s a really good value. 🇲🇽👍 Final note: This is strictly my wife and my opinion based on our one-week stay. Other guests may have different experiences, but this was ours. 🙂

  Jan 21, 2026
• 

  just don’t go find another place

  The place smells like sewage, especially the lobby in the bathrooms. The restaurants have a minimum one hour wait in the food is horrible when they tell you you have a resort credit it’s a scam you don’t you just have a $15 coupon even though we confirmed with them about the credit the companies they use for excursions or scams. The staff at the beach and pool are very nice, but the manager absolutely not helpful. The beds are uncomfortable and you can hear the sound of traffic all day and all night because this is not a resort. It’s a hotel by the side of the road with a pool on the back. JUST DON’T GO IT’S NOT WORTH IT

  Jan 21, 2026
• 

  Best bachelorette/30th birthday trip!

  I had my combined 30th birthday/bachelorette party combined trip on a long weekend (MLK weekend) at Riu Kukulkan with 12 girls total. All of the expectations I had going into the trip were far exceeded because of how amazing the resort and staff were from the moment that we checked in to when we departed the resort. When we checked in, the staff immediately took our bags to sent them directly to our room and welcomed us with champagne. The resort is easy to navigate and was perfect for a four-day trip because there were just enough bars and restaurants to keep us busy but was not too big and overwhelming. The rooms were clean and spacious, allowing for our group of 12 to easily gather and pregame. The hotel lobby was a really fun spot whether it was during the day or at night. They have a menu of unique drinks which we tried a bunch of throughout the trip (my favorite was the blue coral). On my birthday, we did a boat excursion and upon returning the staff left a bottle of champagne with a birthday note in my room. I thought this was a really sweet and special touch. Being that we visited over a long weekend, I was concerned about space on the resort as well as restaurant reservations. In terms of space there are chairs by the pool and the beach. One day there weren't enough chairs at the pool so we all went to the beach and had no issues. Also, when you are on the beach, the staff comes over to take drink orders and checks on you while you are relaxing, which was really nice. In terms of restaurant reservations, we weren't able to make any but the restaurants let us take a buzzer with us while we waited so we ended up hanging out at either the lobby bar or lounge bar and when the buzzer buzzed we all went to dinner, so even though reservations weren’t allowed that didn’t make a huge difference for us with the organized system they have. The food and drinks were good and unlike most all-inclusive resorts I have stayed at, the drinks were strong. The Friday and Saturday night we were at the resort they even had a cocktail cart with different cocktails each night (old fashioneds the first night and mezcalitas the second night) made individually by a bartender at the cart. I would strongly recommend this resort whether you have a big group trip or even a couples getaway. While there were a couple other groups when we were at the resort, we also noticed couples as well so overall a good mix. The other guests and staff at the resort were very friendly and would always congratulate me when seeing me in my bride outfits. When we checked out on the last day, even though checkout is 12 PM, they give you a card and let you eat, drink, and utilize the resort facilities until you leave the resort. Overall, 10/10 trip and would love to go back!

  Jan 20, 2026
• 

  Great resort, even better staff

  What a great resort. We've stayed at Riu's very often, but this was our first stay at a Palace property. The rooms, grounds, pools, and beach were perfection. I couldn't find anything to complain about if I tried. The restaurants were very good as well. Steakhouse and Italian were our favorites. It is the staff at this location that makes it worthy of the Excellent rating. Here are some of our favorites...First, the gentleman who freshened our room. On about our 3rd day, we headed to the pool for the morning. About 4 hours later, I realized I had left my wedding rings and anniversary ring in the room, on the counter. I raced back to the room, and there they were, still on the counter, where I left them. The room had been cleaned and the fridge restocked. While I had no reason to feel valuables were unsafe at any Riu, I was so grateful at that moment of the level of staff employed. (We left a thank you note and $$$ at the front desk for the gentleman.) Secondly, Armando at pool service was just the BEST. We missed him when he had his day off! Also, Rubi at the lobby bar, was so quick to take care of us before dinner each evening. The lobby bar would be busy and the bar tenders there would be harried...she would save the day. Lastly, Alexander at the Italian Restaurant. What a fun guy! We actually went back a second night for dinner just to see him! We would definitely go back!

  Jan 20, 2026
• 

  Great time!

  My experience here was excellent! From the time I walked in the door until I left everything was great! The hotel staff greeted me with such kindness and smiling faces and of course the champagne. The hotel was clean and smelled good! I loved my room and thanks to Mafer my family and I were well taken care of! I can’t say anything bad about my experience here during my stay. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Very clean, courteous and helpful!

  Jan 20, 2026