Hotel Riu Palace Riviera Maya — Hotel in Playa del Carmen

Just got back after spending 16 nights at the RPRM, our first visit since the renovations. The resort has not lost any of its sparkle and although there were many changes it was still an unforgettable experience.||||Arrival and Check In – This was a quick and easy experience, the usual welcome cocktail, desk staff seemed so much friendlier this time – The young guy who lived in Sweden and visited London was amazing, a real asset to Riu, forgot his name unfortunately! Explained the resort well and gave us our cards and wristbands||||Rooms – We were in rooms 52 and 53 on the ground floor facing the fountains. Rooms are lovely, the beds are huge! The beds are very soft and like being on a water bed but we found them very comfy. The bath wasn’t an issue for us as we only used it once, the showers are brilliant and the water is hot and plentiful. The maids do an amazing job, fresh towels and towel animals each day and they keep it very clean. We had to ask a few times to have coffee and fridges restocked but not a problem. One tip is to leave shampoo and shower gel etc at home as the ones supplied are lovely.||||Restaurants and Bars – You will never go hungry here and some of the food is simply amazing, the chefs put in real effort at meal times and we were spoiled for choice! The breakfast buffet had everything you could want, we were looked after by Carlos every day who decorated the tables, he is another real asset to the hotel and cant imagine it without him! Chilis and Pepes for lunch, again a huge choice of meats, fruits, salads, pizzas and so much more. The Italian was very good, the mains are excellent but buffet starters and desserts lacked a bit and wasn’t really Italian, the lamb chops and pasta dishes were to die for. ||||Krystal was amazing, the fillet steak is the best I have ever had, so tasty and soft. Again the starters and desserts were a little lacking but you cant fault the mains. The steakhouse was OK, steak a little overcooked and the choice of 2 starters were both a little sub standard, maybe it needs a salad bar and a few extra choices. The Steakhouse also has very little atmosphere being situated in the lunch restaurant it was quite empty with lights turned off in half of it. The Japanese wasn’t to our taste with none of the food looking like it did on the menu, the noodle bowl had the chewiest duck ever and the tempura batter was far too thick and soggy. We didn’t use the Mexican as it was in the same location as the steakhouse and everything there you can get in the buffet anyway.||||The pool bar was amazing as usual, Fabian, Enrique, German and Jorge all amazing and work so hard, so many people being over demanding and rude to them which was a shame. Good choice of drinks and they go all out to make what you want. A couple of days the pool bar was full of drunken fools who spoil it for others but in the main we loved it.||||Main lobby bar was led by the amazing Claudia, drinks amazing and we tried so many different ones! Capuchino bar serves some lovely coffee and fresh roles and pastries. The 24hr bar is OK, can get a drink or snack at any time if you hungry!||||||Pools and Beach – We did prefer the old pool layout, the new ones are ok but they do get very warm by mid day. The ‘main pool’ is lovely in the morning but did get quite crowded, people sitting on the steps made it hard for some to get in the pool too. The party pool is ok, we didn’t go in other than for the Coco Bongo foam parties which are amazing fun. Someone decided to be sick in this pool one day after too much drink which the nclosed it and spoiled it for others. The Pool bar area is great in the morning but again in the afternoon gets busy and loud. Some groups ordering rounds of 10 drinks plus 20 shots etc made it hard to get drinks at times. The volleyball pool seems like a waste of space, although used it could have been made bigger and longer for serious swimmers to use, the net could be put on when needed.||||Entertainment – There was some good nights, the Latin and Mexican nights were great, the Abba, Diva and Queen nights a little poor, they do try hard but it was the same singers in all and to be honest they weren’t the best and their voices didn’t harmonise. The tall girl has a terrible voice but took the role of main singer while the shorter girl who sang lovely had a back seat. The small stage acts were good, Saxophonist and singers all good fun. The entertainment team would talk to you as long as you were 18-30 and in a thong bikini, outside of this you were pretty much ignored. Day activities were OK, couldn’t believe we were invited to go litter picking around the hotel for an activity!!! Seriously?!||||The Beach – We are serious beach people and had a great time, the seaweed was the worst we have ever seen it but that’s nature, not hotels fault, they tried very hard to clear it every day. The one thing that did spoil our stay is the constant stream of sellers peddling cigars, vapes, fake chains, hats etc its literally all day every day. What makes it worse is they form a line by the steps to the restaurants and pools at lunch so you have to walk though them which gets very annoying, they also offer ‘weed and blow’ all the time. I think the hotel needs to seriously look at this, they shouldn’t be allowed within the palm trees area to allow people to relax, if you want anything you can go on beach to buy. This one thing really spoils the luxury of the hotel.||||We did get engaged on the beach which was lovely and will hopefully return in 2027 for a ceremony and honeymoon.||||All in all a brilliant stay with just a few little niggly things that let it down-||||We miss the little touches, the ice sculptures, manned food stations in the buffet, the doorman all dressed in white etc they were what gave this hotel its opulence. The entertainment team need to speak to everyone and not just the younger generation and those wearing very little. The beach vendors are dragging this hotel down, there should be an exclusion zone and they certainly shouldn’t be allowed to gather at the steps to pester everyone. People leaving half eaten plates of food in the corridors at night was disgusting and probably the reason why for the first time in 5 visits we saw cockroaches. Plates should be left in rooms...

Excellent Option for Families. Highly Recommended for the Price-Quality

I am a travel agent based in Tampa, Florida. I stayed with my wife for 3 nights, last September 13 in room 2113 of the Riu Palace Riviera Maya Hotel. In addition to visiting the hotel to get to know it and enjoy it, we held a wedding at this hotel requested by a group of 18 clients. The first impression when we arrived at the hotel was very favorable, the air conditioning and the pleasant fragrance that predominates in the lobby, plus the welcome cocktail we received, made us relax our mind and body and instantly activated vacation mode.

Our Check-in was very quick.

The Wi-Fi is included and works very well, even on the beach.

Very good cleanliness throughout the hotel, all facilities are in good condition and there is no lack of maintenance.

It's available 24-hour room service with Snaks, for all guests.

The room is very clean and comfortable, with a small jacuzzi located between the bathroom and the king bed. Very well equipped with a liquor dispenser with 4 options: Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, and Gin, a minibar equipped with Beers, Sodas, and Juices with daily replacement, and a small balcony overlooking the hotel garden. It also has an expresso coffee maker and some snacks.

The food is very good with a variety of meats, seafood, salads, tacos, and desserts, at the Buffet for lunch.

Restaurant, Il Portico, with a salad buffet and several a la carte options, is very acceptable.

For dinner, we definitely recommend the Steak House and the Mexican restaurant, both of which stand out for the lobster and octopus dishes they serve respectively.

24-hour lounge for all guests, a very good option, with snacks and drinks, with several TVs to watch different sporting events, equipped with computers and a printer in case you need to work.

The family and adult pools are in good condition, although I did not feel the usual jets of water constantly entering them.

The beach was very clean, with a view of the Cozumel island, it has many palm trees to protect guests from the sun and decorate the environment. Lounge chairs are available at no additional cost and pool employees serve drinks and snacks on the beach.

Very good night's entertainment!! with varied options every day, live music, dance shows, theme shows, and participation games. Ideal for those who love to party non-stop, Riu Neon and Riu Pool Party, are both included in the Riu Tequila.

The guys at Belt Boys were very attentive and friendly with our luggage on our arrival and departure, in addition to assisting us every time we requested a taxi.

Another detail that is in favor of choosing this resort is its proximity to the 5th Avenue of Playa del Carmen, which is a very good option with abundant entertainment, restaurants, and nightlife, all of this about 10 minutes walk from the hotel, or 10 USD If you prefer to take a taxi.

During our stay, we want to highlight the work of several hotel employees who stood out for their attention, good service, and professionalism in their performance. We have some names and photos. Reception and Check-in: Fernanda Chilis Restaurant (Steak House): Erick, Damian, Paco, Mexican Restaurant: Eduardo Il Portico: Waitress Agustina

SPECIAL thanks to the team that coordinates the weddings, ESPECIALLY to the coordinator Diana Noriega who worked hard to make the event a success, and that the bride and groom and guests were super pleased, Diana was very patient and assisted us even before we arrived at the hotel for the preparations and all the details that this event entails. Both the ceremony on the beach with the minister, the reception with the mariachis, and the semi-private dinner with the cake were of a high standard thanks to Diana's efforts. The photographer Tofú was very attentive and kind, and also pampered and pleased our clients. Joint thanks to the wedding coordinator Ximena Sanchez and the sales department to Hans Vielman for the inspection they offered us at the Riu Playa Car...

This hotel is amazing! We had a wonderful 14 days here!||The staff at this hotel are so friendly and helpful, they really can't do enough for you. I hope the hotel management appreciate their dedication!||Patricia was the cleaner at the poolside bathrooms. She was a lovely lady who always had a smile on her face and greeted you with Hola! She took pride in her work, and the bathrooms and surrounding areas were always immaculate.||Don Rafael and Chilli's buffet restaurants were great - there was so much choice of good quality food. Again, staff here, including Estebhan, Carlos, and Nico, were only too eager to help you in any way. Nico was so funny he always made us laugh at lunch! Estebhan was the most happy man who assisted us most days in getting a table in the restaurant. We actually nick named him Mr Smiley as his whole face lit up with a smile when he greeted you! Carlos was super efficient in getting us our drinks at breakfast and dinner and even gave us a decorated table a few times! ||We ate in the Steakhouse a couple of times. Food was good although our steak, which we asked for well done, was more burnt so maybe order yours a level down than you like it! We had amazing food in the Mexican restaurant, with large portions. The only thing was it was quite warm as there's no air-conditioning there. We had a beautiful meal in the Japanese restaurant too. We did go to the Italian restaurant where you help yourself to starters and dessert. The waitress gave us our drinks, and even though I asked to place our main choices twice, no one came to take our order, so we walked out and went to Don Rafael instead! There was another couple who did the same thing!||We went to the swim up bar every day. The saff here were amazing. They worked so hard getting everyone's drinks prepared super quickly. They never stopped! Enrique was so funny he always had a joke or something funny to say! He worked super hard setting up both bars every day, getting them prepared for the customers. Great guy! Felippe made amazing margaritas and palomas - he remembered what your order was even though he serves hundreds of drinks each day! Jorge and Henri always served you promptly and with a smile. All the waiters in both pool bars worked so hard every day.||Entertainment in the evenings was ok, better some nights than others. There was always a group on before the main act on the smaller stage. There were a few different groups who played, and I would have been happy for them to play longer as they were all very good! Queen tribute act and Rock Night were very good. Aldo took your drink orders outside, and he was very efficient. He remembered what you drank too and always ensured you had a drink available! We also drank at Daiquiri bar.||Cleaners were amazing. Our bedroom was always left immaculate with clean towels and some cute animal towel decorations left on the bed! Outside areas were cleaned on a daily basis. There were a couple of young guys who kept the place looking great and worked very hard doing it which was amazing in that heat! Again, very dedicated staff.||The only negative thing I would have to say is that the swim up pool needs a bit of TLC. Some of the mosaic tiles have come off, and some of the grouting was a bit dirty. I think the hotel should address this.||Overall, we had an amazing time! We were there to celebrate my 60th birthday and the hotel didn't disappoint! Thanks to all the hard-working staff for making our...