Hotel Riu Yucatan 5*

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 We have just returned from a wonderful week at the Riu Yucatan for our wedding anniversary, and what a fantastic holiday it was! I'll try & sum it up without boring you all! Hotel: The hotel itself is beautiful, clean, and exceptionally well maintained. The lush tropical gardens are stunning and full of wildlife, which really adds to the experience. During our stay we regularly saw coatis, raccoons, those little capybara-looking animals (can't remember what they're called), lizards, and a variety of birds. The hotel is perfectly located within Playa del Carmen's gated resort area and located right on the beach. Rooms: The rooms are perhaps a little dated in places, but they are spotlessly clean and have everything you need for a comfortable stay. The air con worked perfectly (thank god!), the minibar was kept well stocked, and the housekeeping team did an amazing job throughout our stay. Staff: Without a doubt, the friendliest hotel staff we've encountered in Mexico! Everyone works incredibly hard and nothing ever seemed too much trouble. We'd love to thank every member of staff personally, but special mentions must go to Maria in the main restaurant, Moshan at the pool bar, and my personal fave, Santos at the swim-up bar..... "Hasta la vista, baby!" Food: The food was wonderful. There is such a huge variety on offer that even the fussiest eater would easily find something to eat! The buffet food was consistently fresh, hot, and regularly replenished, and the service was excellent. Of the à la carte restaurants, I loved the Italian the most, but all were nice. Overall: This has genuinely been one of the best beach holidays we've ever had. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Riu Yucatan and will definitely be returning in the future.

This is our fifth time in Mexico, and third time in a Riu resort. It’s tough to make an extremely critical review, as it acknowledges that what you paid did not equal what you believed you were getting. I will break down my review into components. Hotel grounds: The grounds were clean, and natural areas beautiful. The kids thought that the large rodent and raccoon like animals throughout were neat. The pools were small, overcrowded, missing tiles and in a poor state of repair. Swim up bar was small and not connected to other pools. The beach was absolutely amazing and well kept. The grounds in general were overpopulated without enough common space, pools, or loungers for the number of guests. Rooms: We’re small, and run down. Paint chipped off all furniture, sink cracked, vent hanging down in shower. The doors between adjacent rooms faced each other in a small access hall. The doors slammed whenever closed and were very noisy. Food: The food was by far the worst we have ever had at a resort in Mexico. The specialty restaurants were bland, meals weren’t anything more than plated cafeteria food, and service was poor in general. The exception to poor service was the Italian restaurant, where we got good service, but still bland food. After trying each specialty restaurant, we decided to only go to the buffet, as you could see what you were getting before committing to it. Drinks: Drinks at the bar were fine, with reasonable wait times. Entertainment: This is where our family opinion differs. I think that the entertainment was good, and I enjoyed the shows at night. Mid day entertainment and activities lacked compared to other resorts. Kids club was very friendly and welcoming. Safety: The resort, location in Playacar and area of Mexico seemed safe to us. We happily walked from the resort to Playa Del Carmen, stopping to take in some of the archeological ruins along the way. Overall: If you are looking for a resort to unwind on the beach and have a bunch of drinks, this might be for you. Don’t expect nice rooms, or food beyond basic cafeteria quality. This resort is not luxurious at all.