Riu Palace Peninsula - All Inclusive

Our ocean-view room had a fantastic view, and the room was cleaned daily just how we like it. The hotel frequently cleared seaweed from the water, and most of the time you couldn’t even see it. Buffet food was excellent, with more variety at dinner than breakfast, though breakfast was still delicious. Poolside food had plenty of options, either burgers made by a chef or a small plate from the lunch buffet. The pool service was excellent, with staff checking often if we wanted more drinks. The entertainment team gave everything to make sure visitors had a good time, and their games and activities got lots of participation. The Riu parties, Jungle & White, were fun, well organized, and had a few pleasant surprises. They’re a must if you’re staying there. It wasn’t our first Riu, and this was by far one of our best experiences. Those are just a few of the positives. Fabulous stay, and a must if you’re in Cancun.

We stayed in an adults only villa with a beautiful view and a jacuzzi on the terrace. There was a damp smell when we first arrived, as some reviews mention, but it disappeared after we opened the balcony door and unpacked. The food and drinks were good quality and plentiful, probably among the best we’ve had. We ate at most restaurants, which were first come first serve with no booking. The steak and Japanese places were good, the buffet and Italian were excellent, and Kulinarium was exceptional. The entertainment was great day and night, and the Riu Parties next door at the caribe were spectacular. Staff were fantastic, friendly and always ready to help with drinks, sunbeds or groundskeeping. The grounds were immaculate. The one downside was some other guests. Especially after the Riu Parties, loud American voices carried on until the early hours and beyond. They were adults, not youngsters on spring break, and showed no consideration. Shame, because otherwise the hotel was perfect, and the staff are an absolute credit to Riu.

The bed was too hard for me, but the staff went above and beyond and brought a mattress topper. They were really amazing. (They are remodeling the whole place in April 2026.) There’s a lot of good food. At the Japanese restaurant, I loved the beef and vegetables, then had delicious mango ice cream with some kind of crumble for dessert. The Italian restaurant’s mini lasagna's and cheese crisps with salad were a hit. Before our steaks, we had crab cakes at the steakhouse that were better than any I’d had before. And high five to the older man at the pool grill feeding all the hungry people 🍔 who’d been drinking all day. Try the fries 🍟 with guacamole 🥑 and Pico 😋 Resorts have so many choices, so there’s no way you’ll love everything. The staff work so hard to make the experience the best they can. If there’s an issue, speak up. And please tip them!

The nightlife was crazy fun. There’s a shared area between the RIu Peninsula Palace and the next door RIU Caribe, with an outstanding outdoor party venue. We went to three rocking parties there, and there’s a walkway between the two locations. My wife and I came with another couple for five days. We’ve visited multiple.RIU resorts in tropical locations and have never been dissatisfied. Staff were attentive, everything was clean, and the food here was better than at the other ones we’ve tried. While we were there, we heard the RIU Peninsula Palace would close for most of the summer for a complete revamp. I was surprised because the hotel and grounds already look to be in pretty good shape, though apparently some infrastructure needs redoing. It’ll be interesting to see the redesign.