Riu Palace Riviera Maya - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8658 reviews

• 

  Absolutely Perfect, Including the Food!

  We arrived from the UK for two weeks on 15 January with our friends. We were in room 2024 and our friends in 2022 next door. Check in was swift, the staff very friendly and helpful and soon we were upstairs unpacking. We have stayed in a lot of Riu hotels in Europe and like the service and standards they offer. The room was very large with two double beds pushed together (we only used one!), plenty of wardrobe and draw storge plus the bedside tables had a drawer – always a plus point!. The bath in the middle of the room took a bit of getting used to, even though we didn’t use it. Seemed strange not having a wash hand basin the WC but in the room instead, although the two sinks with a huge shelf underneath and plenty of room around them made up for it. Good size shower cubicle with plenty of towels and nice toiletries. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable and we slept well for the whole duration of our holiday. Loved the towel art every day. The food offered in the buffet was probably the best in terms of quality and choice we have ever experienced at an all-inclusive hotel, definitely something for everyone and the restaurant staff were very friendly and efficient, welcoming us at breakfast and dinner with a smile. We ate in most of the themed restaurants (some twice) and enjoyed the food and experience very much although we felt rushed in the Italian one. The wines, spirits and cocktails were lovely, although our husbands didn’t like the AI beers at all. We preferred the beach or the “quiet” pool which became the Elite pool on our last day, but we were still able to use it for a couple of hours before we left for the airport and always managed to find sunbeds there whatever time of day we arrived (we never reserve sunbeds with towels!). The beach is kept very clean although some days the sargassum was worse than others but it didn’t bother me particularly. The grounds are stunning, both during the day and the way they are lit up at night, and not a blade of grass or shrub out of place. The evening entertainment was very good, with professional acts from outside most nights, offering a wide assortment of acts and giving the Animation team a rest. We didn’t bother with the Neon or White parties at the other Riu hotel but we did walk into Playa de Carmen a couple of times, once via the road and the next along the beach, just for coffees during the day. If you turn left out the hotel there are some tourist shops just a 10 minute walk away, plus an outside bar that sold proper beers, including a great range of IPA (we’re English and love our ales) which made our husbands happy. We thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks at the Riu Palace and my husband said he could have easily stayed another week (a compliment from somebody who thinks 10 day holidays are long enough!). We would definitely recommend the Riu Playa Riviera Maya to anyone wanting a good quality hotel with fantastic service and staff.

  Mar 02, 2026
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  NICE RESORT, GREAT SERVICE, MEDIOCRE FOOD

  We enjoyed the Riu Palace Riviera Maya. We had a ground floor room about half-way between the lobby and the beach, facing the backside of the hotel next door instead of the courtyard so it was very quiet. The hotel was very easy to get around and great for anyone with mobility issues. The room was big, although we didn’t care for the open layout with the sinks, shower stall, and bathtub open to the room. The toilet was in a tiny room that was way too small, couldn’t even turn around in it. Don’t know how very tall or large people could use it. The bed was comfortable, but I think Riu buys cheap mattresses. When one of us moved, the whole mattress moved. A better-quality mattress would not do that. The shower was great, with lots of hot water and good pressure. Housekeeping did a great job taking care of the room and left a cute towel animal every day. The minibar was filled when we needed it, we never had to ask for it to be filled. Food was poor to fair, nothing was very good. We had a decent dinner at Krystal, also ate at the Italian and Asian, and the buffet. Unfortunately, I got very sick the day we arrived home, I think from something I ate at the buffet the night before, and it took a couple of days to recover. We’ve been going to Mexico for 40+ years, and this is the sickest I’ve been in many, many years. Service was always great. Our favorite servers were Enrique at the swim-up pool/beach and Noelia in the lobby bar. We also liked the “Drink of the Day” cart and the server there (sorry can’t remember his name). Would we return to this resort? Probably, it had more positives than negatives and, although we prefer adults-only resorts, the presence of children was not a big deal here at this time. The hotel staff did have to ask a couple of parents to remove children from the swim-up bar pool where they were not allowed, kudos to the resort for enforcing that policy. Overall, we had a good time at the Riu Place Riviera Maya and sincerely hope they can upgrade the quality of the food.

  Feb 28, 2026
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  Great January trip!

  First time visit and hopefully not our last. We were there with another couple and while it’s not an adults only it was largely adults. The resort is beautiful and really well cared for in all areas, including room cleanliness. Food and drinks were good; on par for what we have experienced at other RIU resorts. One of the best things was the location in Playacar. We liked the gate to get in/out of that area. Looking forward to going back again sometime!

  Feb 27, 2026
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  Excellent All inclusive

  After an initial issue with our room view (Elite Club advertised as “best views” but originally faced a roof/restroom area), hotel management handled the situation appropriately. That response significantly improved our overall experience. Strengths: Food: The best we have experienced at an all-inclusive. Consistently high quality, well-prepared, and varied. Service: First-rate across the board. Staff are professional, attentive, and genuinely pleasant. Cleanliness: The entire property is extremely well maintained. Elite Club: Provides the privacy and feel of a boutique resort while still giving access to the amenities of a larger property. This balance is a major advantage. Beach: Pristine, well-kept, and enjoyable. Safety: We felt very safe throughout our stay. Areas for Improvement: Gym: Small and under-equipped. The setup resembles a home-style multi-station unit rather than a true resort fitness center. Some equipment needs repair or updating. Views: There are no true oceanfront or direct ocean view rooms, which may be important for travelers prioritizing that experience. Overall, once the room issue was addressed, this was a very strong all-inclusive experience. The combination of exceptional food, cleanliness, service, and the Elite Club environment makes it a compelling option—just set expectations appropriately regarding room views and fitness facilities.

  Feb 22, 2026
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  It’s not what you do it’s the way that you do it

  Arrived at this hotel with tui Usually book the hotels direct off the riu app but this time booked with tui nvr realised booking with tui the hotel only want to give you a garden view any other riu would of give me a upgrade to decent view specially as I have a gold card but this hotel dug there heels in and refused not even just to keep me happy being a loyal customer they wouldn’t budge the only time they agreed to move me to a decent view was when I offered to pay I thought being a hold card holder it was a bit harsh as I’d like to keep my good customers happy but no not the staff on reception I agreed to pay £250 to be upgraded to a better view I wasn’t unhappy just disappointed with riu for mot caring about there loyal customers if you book with tui be prepared gold card holder or not you getting put in a room with a terrible view and getting charged to upgrade apart from that hotel was nice staff are lovely but all them years earning a gold card count for nothing

  Feb 18, 2026