Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico — Hotel in Nayarit

Do not go in July unless you love excessive heat and hot pools!

Booking the resort. We looked at packages from travel agents and knowing that the resort had a transportation shuttle to/from the airport we decided we would book direct through RIU. Riu has a resort/flight package option on their website. However when you book the resort/flight package from the Riu site it takes you to an undisclosed 3rd party for booking. it looked like everything was through Riu so we booked the flight and room thinking we could then add on the transportation. However their was no option to do so. So we had a chat and phone call with Riu, which were not helpful in any way as both said we cannot add transportation since we bought a package from the 3rd party(which by the way was what we were trying to avoid and was not disclosed on the RIU website at time of purchase. I was so frustrated I was on the verge of cancelling.

The Resort The resort grounds and beach were very nice. The resort grounds are small compared to other all inclusive resorts we have been to in Cancun, Punta Cana and Jamaica. There really is no where to walk around in the resort other to the beach and back.

The Room We had elite and our room was on the 7th floor(7043) direct center of the resort looking out over the grounds to the beach. The view was good. The room was very comfortable and well stocked. the only issue I had was with the shower. The overhead rain shower could barely be used because of the low water pressure. There was also no cold water. The only way to get cold water was a trickle through the hand held shower head and even then cold water was only for a minute.

The Pools Pools were too hot to be refreshing. Each day the pool water temp was 34 Celsius. The pool the afternoon we arrived felt suffocating and never got back in. Put a sun sail over at least one pool. There were a lot of lounge chairs around the pool.

The Beach The beach was clean and had a lot of lounge chairs. There were plenty of cabanas in the elite area. We were elite and had a front row cabana every day. Having the cabana was the best part of having elite since the feel like temperature was 110 Fahrenheit and the pool temps we in the mid to upper 90's.

The annoying parts of the beach There were multiple tents for massages and each one of the tents had someone representing them trying to get you to buy a massage. so we were asked multiple times each day. the worst part is when you come down the steps to the beach they run at you asking if you want a massage. Also the hawkers who are trying to sell their wares walk buy and ask if you want to buy their goods. We chose the front row so we accepted the fact that they would ask. when it was really annoying was when they crossed the rope into the elite area and started asking.

Restaurants Probably the best food we had at any all inclusive resort. We had the buffet every day for breakfast, most days for lunch and a few times for dinner. Coconut ice cream was one of our favorite things. Specialty restaurants ranked best to least favorite Krystal - fusion gourmet with lobster bisque , Lobster tartar, Red snapper and chicken tangine Guacamole -Buffet was great to try a few things, main course of Pozole rojo de Cerdo and Tacos de Birria Steak house- steak and lobster Kyoto - very disappointing Gyozo were very overcooked and dry. pad thai ,Boa KFC and Alitas Coreanas were just ok. La Toscana - we did not eat because the menu seemed to be small - 1 aperitif option and a few main course options. Elite restaurant did not seem very elite with the menu choices so we chose not to eat there Dinner buffet - a different theme every night but never matched what the Riu app stated. Sports bar - American country had decent choice of foods and we had lunch one day.

Bar service. Drinks were inconsistent in quality and taste. we never served the one afternoon by the pool. The elite beach servers only came around every hour.(not very elite in my opinion) Elite bar was nice and not crowded. The drink of the day in the lobby every...

Pools are too hot, no where to cool off or get refreshed, only hot water showers both by the pool and in the rooms. When I asked about cooler water in the shower at the front desk, I was told they didn’t have to ability to make cold water. The tiles surrounding the pool are so slippery I watched someone fall every single day of my trip. Even I slid and had to sit down hard on the stairs on my first morning. This was happening early in the morning before people even got too drunk. So dangerous! The pools also all close at 7pm, even though the sun is still up, for cleaning. This is too early for how many people there are at the resort and how many eat late dinners. Restaurants are small and don’t take reservations. You also cannot order liquor in any of the restaurants, only beer or wine. If you want a cocktail you have bring it with you or get up during your meal to go get it. While they say they are super allergen friendly, I didn’t have this experience and struggled to eat my entire trip. Only the steakhouse was accommodating but with no reservations available that meant standing outside waiting for a table every single night. We ended often standing outside for longer than we were at a table. Restaurants are also only open for maybe 3 hours per night (6-9) which is quite short for how many rooms there are and the fact that lots of people eat later at night. The room service menu is 7-8 items unless you are Elite club which is quite small considering it’s supposed to be 24 hour room service for an all inclusive resort. The only thing I could have from the menu was fruit with my gluten free restriction let alone other things. On my last full day, I went to the outdoor area connected to the Sports Bar and asked if I could order food to eat outside in my swim coverup and was told, “yes, there’s even a server outside to help you.” After ordering and waiting about 10 minutes for food I could actually eat most of, the server came over with my food and offered me another drink to which I asked for water. When he came back, he informed me I wasn’t allowed to be here without a shirt. I was about to take my first bite of my food and was told to leave and get a shirt. I asked why this was happening now instead of when I arrived and wasn’t given an answer other than, the manager said you need a shirt to sit out here. Which is why I asked when I arrived because I understand and want to follow the rules. Considering I asked, was given a positive answer and sat down outside for almost 10 minutes, I fully assumed this was ok. Irritated but hungry, I left (they wouldn’t let me take the food with me either) when asked to go get a shirt and when I came back they had taken away my food and utensils. With no one around to explain what had happened, I decided to leave because this was insane. I’m sitting outside at a beachside resort but I’m required to have a shirt on, but you waited until after I started to eat to tell me that! So incredibly rude. And when I let the front desk know about my situation, she asked me, “well where is the shirt you went to get?”, almost implying I needed one at all times. And I responded, “I took it off because I’m outside at a beachside where I’ve never been told a shirt was required.” She acted like I was required to wear a shirt to walk through the lobby but it doesn’t say that anywhere I could find. The sit down restaurants where the only spots with a posted dress code. And plenty of girls walked around the resort in way smaller swimwear than I was wearing. I was offered “anything” to make my trip better so I asked for a reservation or a table at the restaurant I could most easily eat at with my restrictions and was told no we don’t make reservations. Only elite parties can make reservations. So it became clear that they didn’t want to help me, aren’t friendly towards people with food allergies who have restrictions and need assistance. Will not be returning to this hotel which is too bad because the staff was mostly great and the beach/weather/grounds...

This is a beautiful resort!

We missed our 1st night due to flight issues 🙄 but the hotel was sure to have our room ready to go the moment we arrived! We'd contacted them to let them know. It was gorgeous! We were on the outside of the building facing south, and the sunrise every morning over the mountains was a perfect way to start the day. Look to the right and you'd see the wonderful beach! Room 7077.

Maids kept it clean and beautiful every day, and we made sure to tip daily as we noticed a rotation of maids in our wing.

The bartenders inside the reception area bar could use a bit of patience. I don't drink, and trying to find something other than virgin daiquiris and margaritas...essentially slurpees...got old. Just trying to get someone to think creatively was frustrating. Spent the week with sparkling and still water.

Naksely, at the steakhouse, was always wonderful with a smile and a warm welcome. This was our favorite, and we visited several times. Restaurants were good. However, some better than others. It could have been the time of day, as some restaurants had buffet stations with aps that were picked over. All the staff was wonderful though. We found that we craved salads by the 3rd day as none are really offered except the steakhouse and buffet, so we'd stop at the buffet for a salad appetizer. Then go to dinner. Breakfast was great in the buffet, and you're sure to find something you'll like. I did yogurt and fruit as heavy foods don't sit well for me in such humidity. The servers inside for breakfast were fantastic!

It was nice to hear the waves while sitting on the loungers at the quiet pool. Axel, the lifeguard, was very nice and did a great job. Even showing patience with the group of extremely loud, rude women with their speakers and foul language, calling him names because he'd tell them not to smoke around or in the pool. They were mad because it was 'their' vacation and didn't like being told what to do. I honestly wish the hotel would have followed up with the fines for smoking. 10 thousand Mexican pesos each incident. I mean, I smoke. The smoking area was literally 30 feet away. The way they treated Axel and Ale, the server, was heartbreaking. I apologized for the ladies and told them not all Americans act that way, I'm embarrassed by their behavior, and they so appreciated that.

It was easy to get a cab. The bellman have a price sheet, so you know what to expect. It's nice to know the price for return trips ahead of time, so you knew if it was a good price. The hotel is pretty conveniently located. 20 minutes from the South end of the Malecon and 10 to Bucerias.

This is an adults only property, so there's not a ton of nightlife. For us, the evening thunder and lightning storms were our entertainment! However, there was usually something fun going on in the theater. They did a silent disco, which was a kick. We liked that it wasn't too much of a party scene. The activity pool always had psomething fun going, but the best was the foam party!

Beach is beautiful, and they have lots of palms. It was easy to find a shady spot. It was late August. People watching, horses riding by, and of course, those beautiful sunsets! Those were jaw-dropping!

Overall, it was a wonderful vacation at a beautiful resort. Growing up with the Oregon coast as our backyard, I knew the surf would be heavy, but after watching a bunch of people get beat up and spat back out, I decided not to go in. I'm only 3 months out from a 3rd left knee replacement, so I thought better safe than sorry. I'm glad I did that, many people were bruised up and/or limping.

Beach massages were fantastic! Highly recommend. 35 US dollars an hour. They did a great job and had someone that could translate in case of language barriers. Just walk to the beach, turn left, and the tents are all right there. Only tell them when you are ready. Otherwise, they hound you.

We loved it, and we appreciate all of the wonderful staff that went out of their way to make it a...