BookIt.com Verified Traveler Nick from Boulder, Co

"1st Review ever. Compelled by this hotel. Been going to Cancun and vicinity since 1983. 1) is the beautiful 'palatial' hotel; 2) is the service staff; they are eager to make your stay the best; 3) the beach and shade (palm trees, not umbrellas or jalapas) 4) entertainment Proximity to Playa del Carmen (downtown $7 by cab) Special thanks to the staff. You can not go wrong."

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler Steve from Denver, Co

"'I stayed at Rui Playacar .
The Staff, What can I say...they were nice ,polite,helful, I plan on going back soon .....
"

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler Linda Hertel

"HAD A GREAT TIME!! Loved the resort and the people there."

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler Evelyn Reyes from Bronx, New York

"We were looking for a place that we offer us a relaxing vacation and we found it in the Riu Playacar. The stretch of beach available to the guests was totally AWESOME. The best beach I've ever experienced. It was sandy and clean. The water was so clear and warm. The pool was great as well. Take advantage of the Water Aerobics Class that is offered every day at 11:15AM.There are lots of activities that are made available to the guests with the all inclusive plan. The food was great and a wonderful mix of Mexican and regular cuisine. The staff was courteous and very willing to make you stay a pleasant one. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation with options for touring and seeing the sites don't look any further."

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"This was about 12th time to the Riu Palyacar anad as always it was great. the staff are all helpful and pleasant. The bar staff are all excellent and just great to talk with along with the entertainment guys and girls. Would highly recommend going there.
Just got back and will be going back again soon."

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler Brian Evans from Breckenridge, CO

"We had an exceptional time at this hotel. Having done many all-inclusive resorts across the Caribbean, this was my favorite. I say this mostly for 2 reasons: 1. Quality of the beach (white sand, aquamarine blue waters and crystal clear water) 2. Access to the town of Playa del Carmen (walk or cheap cab) which is a really cool town of shops, restaurants and clubs. The rooms were very clean and sufficient and the staff was very friendly. The only slight disappointment were the 3 dinner establishments included. Not bad, but not great. Most people attended the breakfast and dinner buffets instead and I agree. But make sure you have a lunch or dinner in town. We upgraded to the suite for a nominal fee and it was worth it. We will go back. Enjoy!"

Report as Inappropriate

BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kate from West Kelowna, BC

"This resort was great! Friendly staff, good food, fantastic beach and beautiful amenities. The only thing that was unpleasant the first night was how hard the beds were, but it is possible to request a mattress pad and then it was great."

Report as Inappropriate

"My friends and I stayed at the Riu Playacar in July 2012. The hotel is actually 3 star not 5 star. But, the pool, beach and food are great. The staff and guests are very nice also. I especially liked that there were palm trees on the beach instead of beach umbrellas. The hotel's alcaholic drinks are not watered-down like the disco's in town. The air conditioning in the room is not so great. The chamber maids are cheap with the soap. They want you to use your old soap from previous days. Its not fun to go out and beg them for more soap. The thing to look out for is that the scuba diving company wants to be fully pre-paid in advance, before they train you for it. They will not give a refund if you can not actually go on the scuba diving trip for medical reasons, or if you don't like the starter class. They do their best to avoid a refund. They are not like American companies that give refunds to maintain customer satisfaction. Before the scuba diving is paid for, they are so nice and friendly. But, if you want a legitimite refund, suddenly, they become all about the money and not so friendly. So, as far as the scuba diving is concerned in this hotel, its 'Buyer beware!'"

Report as Inappropriate

"Best ever place to stay!!! This was my second time and I can't wait to go back. It is awesome!!! It is much smaller than other places and that is the best thing about it. Has all of the amenities that one needs. never have to fight over a lounger, great pools, right on the beach."

Report as Inappropriate

"Went with 3 families. Had a fantastic time. The staff is great, the activies staff is awesome. They treat you like they are your best friends. We all exchanged email address and facebook. Night shows are so much fun. Beach is amazing. We wanted to stay 2 more days but couldnt get a flight out. The kids wanted to move there. They enjoyed the activites and the staff."

Report as Inappropriate

"This was our first--and last-- time at an all inclusive resort. Perhaps this resort is at the bottom end of the Riu food chain. Beds were like sleeping on an ironing board--hard, hard, hard! Although the food at the buffet was just fine, it wasn't really anything special. The food at the reservation only steakhouse was a big disappointment. The emphasis seemed to be on alcohol consumption--great for the college aged or those on a budget but certainly not in the same category as other 5-star resorts we have enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Lack of parking, and less than perfect property maintenance were also an issue. Beach and pool were beautiful but no beach wait service."

Report as Inappropriate

"My family traveled to Playacar for a family event and stayed 8 nights. We found their kids programs were a nice break for the kids when they wanted to unwind and activities varied from making Black Magic paper and sand balloon faces. They also played football and enjoyed the kids show in the evening. The food was fairly good however after a few days there was not enough variety. The restaurants were not better than the buffet that they offer nightly. It was disappointing that there was only one location for both breakfast and lunch. Our room had a problem with the A/C which was never really fixed and I was told repeatedly that it was working. One night the A/C leaked into our room after I had complained it was very humid in our room. We also did not have a screen on our sliding patio doors and were told repeatedly that room on the third floor did not have screens. After being told this twice I asked one of the front desk staff to walk with me and showed him that rooms on the third floor of the building near the lobby had screens. They finally acknowledge their error but I had to call back several time to have a screen made and brought to our room. I also had issue with the fact that the ice machine in our building did work for the entire length of our stay - 8 nights. I had called on the second night and was told it would be fixed in a few days. It never was. Seems to me that once your there they are happy to smile and keep your happy enough but not really make improvements in their status quo. The entertainment staff was very friendly and did a great job of engaging the guests. I would not visit again but enjoyed my stay none the less. Beware of their spa credits which are a bit of scam as the spa was running a special for a massage for $45 for 45 minutes but when I asked about applying my $25 credit they said I could not and that the normal rate was $75 for 60 minutes which I could then use my credit towards. Apparently in town ($7 cab ride), you could get an hour massage for under $30. I felt like the spa credit was a scam."

Report as Inappropriate

"My wife Graciela and me had a great time in this Riu Playacar Hotel, we been in other RIU hotels around the world and this is one of the best. The entertainment guys and girls were pretty good. I just have one little complaint. The people attending the restaurants are kind of quiet and unfriendly, since we like more comunication with everybody. Wish they talked a little more to us.

The beach is wonderful, really enjoyed. Strongly recomend."

Report as Inappropriate

"All I can say is WOW!! This vacation was the best we've had in ages. From the moment we arrived to our departure the Riu Playacar staff was very attentive to our needs. We've never been so spoiled rotten like this before. The whole resort is great, the daily activities are optional and you are never pressured to participate in these if you don't want to. The night variety shows were great if you are not a party person. It was a great place to go and relax our troubles away. The all inclusive deal is a great value for your money. "

Report as Inappropriate

"My girlfriend and I just got back from our stay at Riu Playacar in Playa Del Carmen and we wish we could have stayed forever. The beach was gorgeous, the staff was very friendly and highly efficient, and the room was wonderful. As for the food, the buffets were fantastic, Mexican restaurant was out-of-this-world, and Steakhouse restaurant was top-quality. Only the Asian cuisine restaurant was a hit-or-miss dinner. The drinks were very very tasty, though I suspected the booze was watered down. Since there was no limit to how much we drank, that hardly mattered.



We also spent time at the Riu Tequila and Riu Yucatan (very closeby resorts which still fell under our all-inclusive benefits) and had a very nice time.



Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful resort that we would return to over and over and over again. The staff made it so easy!"

Report as Inappropriate

"My husband and i went to Mexico for out 50 wedding anniversary the staff were great they made us feel very welcome i would go there againl "

Report as Inappropriate