Riu Palace Baja California - Adults Only - AI

We first came for a week last year and enjoyed it enough to return for ten days this year, from 2/9 to 2/19/26. We love the Riu resorts and plan to come back again. The food, drinks, entertainment, and cleanliness were all fabulous. Special thanks to Aldo at the breakfast buffet, Gladys at several bars, Fernando at Gold bar, and Joan for drinks by the pool and afternoon food at Pepe’s. The cleaning staff also kept everything spotless. It was windy for a couple of days, and the nights were cool. Our room felt cold, but we worked out how to turn off the A/C and ceiling fan and found an extra blanket in the closet inside a pillowcase. The pool chairs were always full, though we could find somewhere to sit and move later when people left. I’d suggest adding more chairs in the couple of smoking areas.

The beach sand is rough, and the ocean isn’t swimmable because of the rip tide. I also wish more activities had been included in the price. Even so, we had a wonderful stay: the staff were lovely, the food was great, and the hotel was incredibly clean. The air conditioning was hard to adjust to the right temperature at night. We’d definitely come back.

The rooms stayed clean, room service was quick and dependable, and the food was better than we expected. Everyone on staff was welcoming throughout the trip. Special kudos to Alvaro by the pool for his great service and upbeat attitude. He always had a smile. We met several people who return every year and sometimes stay as long as three weeks, which says a lot. It’s a very good all-inclusive option for a quick Los Angeles getaway, with convenient airport access.

The pools were a highlight, and this was the first all-inclusive we’ve visited with so much variety for different kinds of eaters. We mostly ate at the buffet, which had a new theme each night, and really liked Krystal, the Italian restaurant. Rene was kind to us at dinner every day. Most staff were friendly, though the pool bartenders had an attitude we didn’t appreciate. The hotel is a good size, well laid out, with amazing views. It’s a bit farther from the airport, but the location is hard to beat. We stayed seven nights and got a free courtyard-view upgrade at check-in. The room was conveniently close to the elevator and stairs, but it had several problems. The safe battery needed changing, and it took nearly five hours after we called. There was a slight bathroom smell that never went away. The A/C sounded like an MRI machine, and the springy mattress left us with back pain all week. There was no comforter, just two thin sheets, though we found a light fleece blanket in the closet. The pillows were soft, the large shower had great pressure and got hot right away, and the balcony got nice afternoon sun. The double sinks were useful too. We also couldn’t connect our iPhone 16s to the TV for Netflix, and maintenance said the problem was our phone.