RIU Palace Riviera Maya All Inclusive

My husband and I stayed at the Riu Palace in May, as a break from work, kids, etc. What an amazing resort! The rooms were gorgeous, the staff was friendly, helpful, and well organized. Bar was Top Shelf, and the food was outstanding....from the mimosas at the breakfast buffet (and the chocolate croissants) to the steaks and seafood, every restaurant was classy, served different menus choices, and was never pushy. We're headed to the Palace again in November, and we're taking friends with us this time!

This hotel had everything you could ever want. Plenty of restaurants to eat, lovely rooms, spa, pool, beach and much more. They even provided entertainment to keep you active and having fun every day. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend this to anyone. It was our honeymoon and it couldn't have been better.

My husband and I stayed at this resort for our 5 year anniversary. It was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time. We loved the pool area, you have your choice of the smaller infinity pool or the larger pool with the swim up bar and lounge chairs. The beach is incredible and the resort offers a ton to do right there at the shore. They have an entertainment team which provide things like water aerobics, beach volleyball, stuff for the kids, etc. which gave us some things to do. The location is great, there are a few other Riu hotels within walking distance that you can go check out and the town is only a $5 cab ride and they have over 14 blocks of shopping. We went parasailing and also did the Tulum Extreme Adventure package which we highly recommend! The only things we were a little disappointed in were the beds (kind of hard), the shower (really low water pressure and a touchy thermostat) and the fitness center (not air conditioned enough). This hotel is an awesome value for the money-we will be going back!

We had a very quick check in and they took us directly to our room. All staff were helpful and friendly. Many great food choices, especially the buffet. Pool servers were friendly and quick. The mattress was a little stiff, however if you ask for a mattress pad, they put in on right away and it is very comfy. Close to town also. We will go back.

The Riu Palace was beautiful! Our room was comfortable and we loved the balconey and sitting area. Our view overlooked gardens, fountains, and the pool and ocean. The staff was friendly and always willing to help or provide any kind of service. The dining was wonderful wether at the buffet or in restaurants at the resort. We especially enjoyed Asian night when sushi was served. We also enjoyed the steak and lobster tail. They have made many repairs to the beach area that was destroyed by huricanes. So walking the beach was relaxing and enjoyable. The only disruption to our relaxation was teenagers on spring break. However, the hotel management made accomodations for our disruption. We will definately return to this hotel!

Very nice hotel, the dinner options superb.

The hotel is VERY nice... one of the most beautiful properties I've ever visited. We went around taking pictures - not a bad shot anywhere. We were very late arriving for our checkin, as our flight was more than 4 hours delayed. Given the hour (> 11pm their time) we were tired and just wanted to get to the room. The check-in was very quick and we were on our way within a few minutes. The hotel staff reminded us of the 24-hour room service, if we wanted anything. The 24-hour room service menu is pretty limited so we never used it. The mini-fridge was partially stocked upon our arrival (mostly bottled water and a few soft drinks) but as there was a bar open, we could get a night cap without any problem. The next day, the mini-fridge was stocked with beer and lots of bottled water. As a wine drinker, we went to the bar and asked for a bottle for the room, which they provided without much hesitation. Their wine selection is not terribly extensive, but everything I had was good - I had Spanish white wine most of the time, but my husband tried many of the reds. The food was great. For the specialty restaurants, we ate at the steak house and the brazilian restaurant. Both were excellent. The rest of the time we did the buffet since we weren't positive about our schedules. They were very good. My only disappointment was the desserts at the buffet. They looked gorgeous but didn't taste very good. The mousse cakes were spongy and the chocolate cakes tasted like they'd been frozen and thawed too fast so were like eatting a sponge. I don't know if this was a result of the humidity or something else. After that, I stopped trying. However, since they had ice cream and sherbet every night, I stuck with that. As an aside, the dessert at the Steak house was wonderful - flaming dessert the night we were there. The speciality restaurants require reservation in advance. We didn't have any problems getting in - but you need to know how it worked. The hotel materials tell you what you need to do so sign up. Here's the skinny - you line up a little before noon each day in the lobby bar and can make reservations for a restaurants for 2 different days. There are 2 seatings at each restaurant each night. You generally can't get a reservation for that day, so go one day in advance. However, if there is an opening, you might get in. They limit the number of persons per each seating to about ~50-60 people, so it's good to go early. A few people in the line said the had come later one day and the places were fully booked by 2. Given the line I saw the day I went, I'd say 1. Every restaurant has a menu outside in many languages, so you have ample opportunity to find out if it's your cup of tea before making the reservation. I'd read some about the beaches. The one here is great! However, there is a lot of beach refurbishment from Hurricane Wilma still going on down the way. We took a walk and it was interesting to see how they do it. However, being from Florida, the same thing happens along our shores periodically as well. There were ample chairs - although if you want to sit by the pool and in the sun - you might have limited options. There are umbrellas just about everywhere. The lounge chairs at the beach are really nice. We never had any problems with towels that I'd read some people had. I visited the Spa while I was there. I recommend the Renova massage. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO relaxing. The drinks at all the bars were great - top notch liquor. We've been to some all inclusives where they used really cheap stuff. Not here. The hydro tubs are nice and large. As a tall person, I was amazed I could stretch my legs out in it. The staff is always working on the property - so it's always nice. Our only downside was the night we checked in - I couldn't open the slider door as it was off the track. Since the same thing happens at home with ours, my husband was able to put it back on in about 5...

The Palace Riviera Maya hotel was like living in a beautiful palace. The room was always clean. Their hospitality and friendliness was above 100%. The food in their various restaurants was also delicious and adequate for all appetites.

Overall I thought this was a really good place to vacation. Only draw back was very few ocean front views.

We were more than impressed with the staff, service, food, room & other amenities. Would return in a heart beat!