Hotel Riu Palace Mexico - All Inclusive

The beach was cleaned every morning, and drinks were brought out to us often. We loved the cozy hammocks and the little animals wandering around. The entertainment was a lot of fun too, from the foam party to the bachata and salsa classes, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. When I got sick, reception were attentive and helpful. This was my first visit to Mexico, though I’ve stayed at Riu hotels before. The food was incredible, fresh and tasty, with lots of variety. Dinner and bar service was very fast and kind, and our rooms were spotless each day. It’s the only place I want to return to. Such an amazing hotel, and I loved the whole holiday experience.

We’d stayed at the RIU Riviera Maya palace before and wanted to try RIU Palace Mexico before its refurbishment. Since we love Playacar and both hotels are in that area, we chose to come back. Francisco gave us a great welcome. He’s a credit to the hotel, with excellent customer service. Check-in went smoothly, and we got ground-floor rooms facing the main courtyard, with excellent views. The hotel was spotless throughout, and the food and drinks were very good in all the restaurants. Crystal and the steak house were our favorites. We also booked dinner on the beach, which was fantastic, with excellent food, wine, and personal waiter service. Back in our room, the bed had been beautifully arranged and balloons were waiting for us, a lovely end to the evening. The entertainment felt short on professional polish this time. The foam party and coconuts on the beach were both very disappointing this year. Even so, everything else was fabulous, and we look forward to returning when the refurbishment is finished.

The wedding was for more than 85 people, and we were told it was the biggest they’d ever hosted. Still, there was only one coordinator and a dance floor of maybe 10 by 10. That wasn’t much for our group. The resort itself was beautiful, with amazing staff who were responsive and genuinely polite. Food was pretty good at most places, and we appreciated that staff were willing to accommodate some requests. Drinks were great too, though the blenders could probably be upgraded. There were some broken features in the room. The open shower and bathroom layout wasn’t ideal for a family, even though the resort is advertised as family friendly. It’s huge, but there are only two elevators at the front, so accessibility isn’t the best. My biggest complaint was the room keys. I lost count of how often I had to get a new one or have it reprogrammed, even though we followed the request to keep them away from our phones.

The room was a little weathered, but everything in it worked as it should, and we loved the shower. The food has improved since our last visit, and the staff were as hospitable and hardworking as ever. Our nephews, who are 10 and 15, had a great time. They especially liked Maria in the cafe/coffee shop and stopped by several times a day for milkshakes and cinnamon rolls. I know the resort is due for refurbishment in the coming months and is expected to reopen in Sept 2026 as Adults only. Our nephews are sad they won’t be able to come back, but we adults are looking forward to the change. We had an amazing time.