Riu Playa Blanca - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5788 reviews

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  Good food, would not return

  I attended this resort April 2026 with family. My overall experience was poor. Beach: the hotel does not own the beach, men on horses are constantly approaching guests and leaving manure behind. Gross. Not the hotels fault the men are there but they could hire someone to keep it clean for guests. No bar on the beach and no waitstaff to take drink or food orders from the beach. Pool: Decent, but they are small. Cleaned well and maintained properly. Some areas that quickly dip with no tile markings myself and others fell. Multiple times the pool was shut down because of someone puking in it. I’ve never been to a resort where this happens so much. Saw children in the adults only section multiple times- not enforced. Dining: excellent food quality. I really liked the choices. Did not like that you are unable to reserve for à la carte. Drinks were very good quality. Room amenities: Dirty. Our room was only cleaned 3 times. For whatever reason they kept skipping us for cleaning and fridge stocking. When we complained instead of giving us bottles of water we were met with attitude from the staff accusing us of not answering our door. I went to the front desk to get water they said they can’t give it to me I need to call. I had to call 4 times to get water. It took me 16 hours to get some. Tap water is not drinkable. Bar tenders are not allowed to give you bottled water? Weird policies. Bring a water bottle to refill if you plan on going. Also often the hotel will run out of hot water. Staff: unfriendly and unpleasant. Don’t expect anyone to help you. Waitstaff at the Asian restaurant and pool bar we the only nice people on the whole resort. Room: dirty and dated. Furniture paint chipping, damp smells, no garbage bags in bins. Not clean. Overall cleanliness: gardens were immaculate. However, in the lobby on 3 occasions I saw HAIR? extensions, hairballs in the lobby…. Gross. Upon checkout they cut off your bracelet and don’t let you eat or drink anything more until they inspect your room. Really weird policy and not 5 star. I have never experienced this before. Not classy. Absolutely NOT a 5 star resort. I have had better service and experiences at a 3 star. Save your money.

  Apr 13, 2026
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  Birthday trip

  It was my 5th visit at the resort. It was my favorite solo trip. It was my birthday trip and everyone at the resort made it very special. The management and employees make it feel like they're my 2nd family. They always go the extra mile to make me feel like a princess. All the employees are so friendly, the food on the buffet is excellent and the bartenders always make me some new and delicious cocktails. The servers at the buffet always put a smile on my face and always have my beer waiting at my table for me.

  Apr 12, 2026
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  Great First Time in Panama! We will be back!

  We stayed March 28-April 4, 2026 with my husband and my 6 year old daughter. We traveled with Sunwing and flew into the Rio Hato airport where we were met with the Nexus reps and boarded our shuttle for our 7 minute drive to the resort. Our check in was seamless, they had a specific area set up for sunwing guests and had everyone checked in quickly and greeted you with a wet towel for your hands and cold drinks. The grounds were kept very clean. Employees worked day and night to keep the grounds in tip top shape. Room Our room was a "garden view", our daughter stayed free minus taxes for the week. Our room was dated and had a view of the construction site of the villas being built next door, room 1009. Luckily, the construction was not loud and, tobe honest, we expected a less than desirable view given that our child was free. The room was very clean, stocked every other day with drinks and had alcohol dispenser of various liquors. Pool I can only speak for the family side pools as we did not spend any time on the adults only side; however, the activities and games started pool side every morning at 930am. People do go down before 6am to save chairs in the shade. Shade is a bit limited by the pool and the sun is very hot. The pool was clean. My daughter didn't spend much time in the child water play area, she said it was really cold. The closest bar is by the adult pool. They also had a coconut bar open at times throughout the week. Beach Black sand beach with a mix of white sand. Super hot to walk on, would recommend water shoes. Lots of shells when the tide was low. The water can be very rough with big waves. Lots of chairs available in the shade on the beach. No bar services on the beach but a short walk to the pool bar. We bought yetis to limit the back and forth travel for drinks. The red flag was up for the whole week. Apparently jellyfish and sting rays are known to the area. I did see a dead jelly fish on the beach while walking. They say to exercise caution. Food Main buffet was great, always lots of variety and always had a theme night. Chefs were behind each area keeping the food fresh and stocked. Amazing salad bar and fresh fruit. A la cartes are first come first served. There is no option to reserve online. We had no issues with this as our daughter was ready to eat by 6pm, however, by the sounds of it, others who enjoy eating a bit later had some troubles. The steakhouse, Japanese restaurant and Italian restaurant were great. We tried each one once. Drinks were great in my opinion, no complaints. Ruben in the lobby bar is amazing! We took a taxi to the super99 up the road. It was $10 usd round trip and we booked it at the taxi desk at the front entrance of the resort in the lobby. The taxi waited for us in the parking lot. We brought our daughter's booster seat from home incase we decided to rent a car or take a taxi somewhere. We did one excursion to anton valley through nexus and highly recommend! We would love to go back and explore on our own. Overall, a solid 4 star resort experience! We would go back in a second!

  Apr 06, 2026
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  Riu Playa Blanca

  Overall we really enjoyed this hotel. The people were so friendly and the food was very good. Their buffet and a la carte restaurants had a great assortment of foods for everyone. The resort is very clean as they work very hard to keep it looking pristine. The destination itself is very hot. You need to wear shoes/sandals by the pool area and beach where there's black sand . The areas that they need to improve in are the following: - Must get more umbrellas and canapés by the pool. It was impossible to get a chair with an umbrella after 7am... -They should consider having an extra bar area in the lobby (which is huge- maybe a piano bar for travellers) -They should offer service on the beach and pool area during the day. Food: Buffet Open 7-10am. 1230-3pm and 6-1030pm Breakfast- Delicious hot coffee, eggs, fruit , vegetables, salads, donuts, meats , cheese etc. Lunch- Pizza, burgers, salads, fruits, vegetables, fish, rice etc. (you can also have lunch at the Steakhouse daily open 12-3) Dinner- Themed nights offered an abundance of foods. Roasted meats, fish, vegetables, rice, tasty desserts Rooms very very basic but clean. Mini fridge was stocked every 2 days. Beautiful Oceanview view. The regular gardenveiw room category faced the construction next door which was noisy for many at 7am.

  Apr 05, 2026
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  Much Improvement needed

  This is by far the worst all-inclusive resort I have ever stayed at. I typically vacation at resorts like Sandals, Dreams, and Finest, so I had certain expectations regarding quality, service, and overall experience—none of which were met here. Upon arrival, there was no welcome or hospitality—no greeting, no introduction, nothing. No welcome glass of champagne. We simply walked up to check in. It became clear very quickly that not all Riu properties are created equal, yet there is no clear way to distinguish quality levels when booking online. The website showcases polished, high-end imagery, but the actual property was nowhere near what was advertised. In reality, the hotel is extremely run-down. The lobby was decent but nothing special. During check-in, the focus was more on rules and penalties (like charges for lost towel or key cards) than welcoming guests. We were required to wear cheap plastic wristbands at all times—something I’ve never experienced at other all-inclusive resorts. The room was the most disappointing part. It was dirty, with stained walls, chipped paint, and broken fixtures. There was no décor or effort to create a pleasant atmosphere—it felt like a budget motel room. Everything was outdated and poorly maintained, from plastic hangers to cheap patio furniture. The sliding door barely worked. The mini fridge was minimally stocked (a few sodas, beers, and water) and only replenished every two days—even though our room accommodated seven people. The towel system was equally frustrating. You must exchange a card for a towel, and if you lose the card, you’re charged $20. Towels frequently run out, so guests end up holding onto them all day just to avoid being without one. Food quality throughout the resort was extremely poor. The buffet looked appealing but consisted mostly of frozen, mass-produced items with little flavor or freshness. The sit-down restaurants were only slightly better, with very limited menus. Food seemed pre-made and quickly plated rather than cooked to order. Service felt rushed, with food arriving almost immediately after ordering as it was already made they just had to plate it after ordering.. The poolside dining experience was also disappointing. The food was again low quality and mass-produced. Even worse, you cannot enter the restaurant if you are wet or wearing a swimsuit—even if covered. This makes it nearly impossible to eat conveniently while enjoying the pool, unlike other resorts that offer poolside service or casual walk-up options. Drinks were another major letdown. The alcohol was low quality, and bartenders prioritized speed over consistency. Ordering the same drink twice often resulted in completely different versions—sometimes even made with different liquor. There were very limited higher-quality options available in the evenings. There was also no inviting indoor bar space—the only one available (the sports bar) was unappealing and uncomfortable. Entertainment was underwhelming. The kids’ shows were repetitive, and the adult shows mainly consisted of basic dance performances—nothing particularly engaging or memorable. Overall, this resort does not compare at all to other all-inclusive experiences I’ve had. It is run-down, poorly maintained, and lacks quality across the board—from food and drinks to service and accommodations. The staff appeared disengaged and uninterested in guest experience. Absolutely no luxury and felt hard to relax at this hotel. It did not feel as thought I was on vacation at this place. For the same price, there are far better options available that offer true quality, comfort, and service. This was a complete disappointment, and I would strongly recommend choosing another resort.

  Mar 27, 2026