Riu Yucatan

We spent 6 days at this hotel, and we had a great time. The food was great with great service. Paola at the breakfast was amazing. Memo at the Lobby bar was very helpful with coffee early in the morning. The bar tenders at the pool were fantastic and they remembered you by name and drink. The rooms were very clean and the AC worked amazing. The entertainment staff were great and engaging. They had activities throughout the day that were entertaining for my teenage son. It was great to meet so many people from other countries. The beach was large and clean. The Sargassum was heavy the last two days there, but the staff worked hard to make the beach very nice. Kudos to those guys. Overall, very pleased with this resort.

Our first visit to RIU Yucatan and Mexico was truly unforgettable, and we can't wait to return. The hotel was not only clean and well-maintained, but we also enjoyed the convenience of a joining room, allowing our kids to have their own space while still being close by. The staff were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to accommodate our son with special needs, encouraging him to participate in various activities like the Silent Disco, face painting, and themed parties.

The food was consistently good, with plenty of options available at any time, and we appreciated that we could dine at the à la carte restaurants without needing reservations. The beach was warm and calm, making it easy to spend our days by the water instead of the pool. Our clean room featured a mini bar that was replenished daily, adding to our comfort. We also took several excursions, including visits to cenotes, Chichen Itza, and Holbox, which made for a lifetime of memories. Overall, this trip was absolutely amazing, and we are definitely looking forward to our next visit.

Hello fellow Riu'ers,

Review of RIU Yucatán, Riviera Maya

We recently visited the Riviera Maya as a family and stayed at the RIU Palace just up the road (2 adults and 1 baby).

As part of our stay, we were able to visit the other RIU resorts, with the exception of Lupita, so we decided to give them a try.

I have to say that our visit to RIU Yucatán was by far the most disappointing. Below are the reasons why. It's definitely worth reading before booking if you want to avoid disappointment.

1. The staff were by far the least friendly of any of the RIU resorts we visited. Probably any RIU’s we have visited.
2. The main pools are in desperate need of refurbishment. There are missing tiles everywhere (some with sharp edges), rust stains, and they generally feel grubby.
3. The whole resort is in need of refurbishment. Overall, it feels tired and poorly maintained.
4. All of the pools had a horrible yellow, slimy tide mark around the waterline and around the in-pool loungers. There appeared to have been no attempt to clean it, and the pool water even stained our swimwear green.
5. Towels: I've never experienced a resort where the towel attendants were so rude. They seemed to treat guests like army recruits. One day they ran out of towels, and when I asked about it, I was told they had "used their quota"—it was only just after lunchtime! 🤦‍♂️ On other occasions, they either refused to issue or exchange our towels because we were staying at a different RIU resort, saying it would affect their "quota." It's three towels, mate!?!?
6. I'm not convinced Brits tip as much as Americans, but if you flash a dollar bill of some sort, towels suddenly became available! 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Whilst we were there we also noticed an uptick in cleaning and staff appearance. We assume this is due to the recent reports of illness in the area but it was clear that hair nets and uniforms become more prevalent.

On a positive note, it was lovely to see the natural wildlife, and the pool by the lobby was by far the best—cleaner, quieter, and much more enjoyable.

Hope this was useful. Good luck if you book here.. you will need it 🤞