Riu Vallarta - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9551 reviews

• 

  Okay but not great

  The rooms were fine. The beds were okay but the pillows are terrible. The bathroom was fine but the water never really got hot for a shower and there’s no tub so it’s hard if you have littles. The food was fine, not great but fine. The drinks are pretty good but order an extra shot. The service at the buffet was great. The staff was fine but if you ask for things like extra waters or drinks for your mini fridge it does feel like you’re inconveniencing them. We tipped at all our meals, for all our drinks, daily housekeeping, bellhops etc but it really does feel like everyone is waiting for a tip which is a little off putting. Especially since technically you don’t “have” to tip for any of it. I wasn’t a huge fan of all the vendors on the beach but that’s not really on the resort. Our kids did really have a fun time until day 5.5 when both our kids and one of our kids ended up with hand foot and mouth…..most likely from a not chlorinated enough pool or from the common areas. And that has been HORRIBLE. I ended up with it too because my one son is 1.5 and I can’t keep him off me. Overall the experience was fine. But I do agree with other reviewers that this did NOT feel like a 5 star experience.

  Feb 09, 2026
• 

  Love the RIU

  We stayed twice and loved it. Hotel is clean, safe and well planned. Food is great with lots of selection.

  Feb 09, 2026
• 

  Great Vacation

  Very nice hotel. The only complaint would be that there should be more bathrooms by the pool and ocean area. Al

  Feb 08, 2026
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  Great Resort

  Great resort excellent food & service ,shout out to Alex & Veronica in customer service they made our stay more comfortable .Cleaning lady who managed our room was excellent .Only one peeved complaint Resort doesn't check email request before arrival rooms are given first come first serve Resort didn't repect that we were Gold members and never gave us a room with a decent view offered one in a few days after arrival .We spent more at RIU resorts over the last 10 years than occasional travellers.We have paid for over 106 nights for ourselves and 21 nights for family and expect more from Riu ,we became gold members a couple years ago and now are Diamond members and expect our emails read by staff before we checkin and respect the fact we have been returning to Riu resorts ?

  Feb 08, 2026
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  Book now, unless you’re a real karen, you will love it! Register as member for the best price!

  5 stars for its class! Do not let the negative nancies dissuade you, this resort is great for a mid-level family resort! I saw a complaint where a lady “noticed”people “peeing in the pool”. This was what I saw first when looking up this hotel, next to the Tripadvisor logo. First of all, lady, if this is the first time you “noticed” this, then maybe you should stay sober more often. Eye roll. I hope that comment gets dislodged soon because, first of all, that happens at ALL resorts. Secondly, this is why we never go in the swim-up bar pool. I mean, think about it. These folks rarely get out of the pool and they are drinking…. NOT the fault of the resort. We enjoy the beach. Flamingos beach is exceptional, we absolutely love it. The vendors are not pushy at all. A simple “no, gracias” and they smile and move on. If you do want to buy something, they love to negotiate and will give you a good deal. There is always a lot of free loungers at the beach. The many palm trees provide shade if you don’t want to sit nearer the waves. If, like us, you enjoy the waves, the vendors rent and will install umbrellas from the hut on the beach. If you want a chair near one of the four pools, get up early. Like everywhere. I notice there is a glass wall at the pool that overlooks the beach, and people like to turn their loungers around for the sea view. There are umbrellas in that row, courtesy of the hotel. That’s where I would sit if I wanted a sea view without paying for shade. There is music coming from the pool bar however, the pool closest to the hotel is quiet. Across the property, the pool nearest the kiddies spray park has a ramp and the resort is very good with folks with disabilities. There is a ramp from the elevated area to the beach. The food here is really very good! We judge it to be the best food we have had at an all-inclusive. Next to the GP on the cusp of Bahía Banderas to the north. Apart from being easily an hour away from the airport, the palladium happens to be three times the cost. Also GP is very hilly, not suitable for seniors or those in wheelchairs. We are very happy with the buffet, it’s large, with indoor and outdoor seating. Huge salad bar, loads of fresh fruit cut up, steamed and sautéed vegetables and lots of yummy desserts and ice creams, make yourself a cone. The fresh juices are real fruit, no corners cut. They are happy to make you a speciality coffee, and the servers are friendly and amazing at helping you out. Most nights there is a roast at the carving station, and fish choices as well. Manned sections surround the room, with Mexican, Italian and Indian food. We stayed at the KG (krystal grand) down the beach and while the prices went way up, the food went downhill there between our two stays. Mystery meat in sauces. Here, they grill cuts and carve slices. Yes, it’s a big deal. They say the steak bites are good at the Italian, but the three of our party eating steak at the steakhouse enjoyed it! The Italian restaurant was not as good as the pasta in the buffet, where we had it wok-tossed with toppings of our choice. So good! And nice and hot. The person at the Mexican section makes tortillas fresh if you don’t mind waiting. The “gourmet” place was a bit slow and not really worth going for. The Japanese was very good, but if you want tuna or beef tataki without sriracha you have to ask. Our meat-eaters loved the ribs. Sushi was good, but not very different from the wide array at the buffet daily. Honestly, we could have eaten at the buffet alone for our stay and enjoyed all of our meals thoroughly. We did walk to the RIU Jalisco for lunch, but although identical, their buffet is way smaller. As for our room, we did get an email after joining the rewards program that invited us to choose our room number, we had not been here before so just picked a partial sea view room. At the desk they confirmed that these rooms face the courtyard where the nightly entertainment is, so if we went to bed early then we may not want that. The young man then found us a similar room on the outside of the building, and it has been very quiet through to our stay. Much appreciated. King bed, very comfortable! The maid does an awesome job, we always return to a sparkling clean and cool room, with a light, clean scent. I believe they also call our room a junior suite. The hotel is full to capacity (Jan Feb), so getting us this room was no mean feat! Staff are all so kind and helpful. The gift shop is a godsend, btw! I forgot to pack flip flops and they have them there, good quality, decent price! They have dresses and swimsuits too, but only in s/m. Sadly. Thanks to this stay, we are absolutely sold on RIU resorts! We are Canadians who love Mexico so we don’t venture much further for vacation. But if the opportunity should arise, we won’t hesitate to choose RIU again!

  Feb 07, 2026