Riu Cancun

The hotel was constantly cleaned it was spotless the staff were friendly all of them and helpful.the bar staff were attentive and very polite,it was a dream to be there. The shows were really good ,the pools clean and the area was tidy ...Thank you to everyone . I feel I made friends with them all. Xxx

I’m not sure why it’s got 5 stars, I’ll concede that the waitresses in the bar area are extra attentive, but in an “intrusive like a mosquito” kind of way. We popped our heads in the equally 5* Riu Palace next door for a nosy and got a sense of the ‘here’s what you could have won’ as even the concierge admitted that Rui 5 star hotels are not all created created equally.

The rooms are clean, with daily fresh towels and mini fridge restock and optics on the wall, but decor wise, our 8th floor accommodation was a hob away from being a budget self catering apartment.

The food selection in the buffet is excellent. Gluten free is a bit dodgy, though there is a cabinet with dry GF bread, muffins and cake. I looked at it hopefully on a daily basis waiting for something different, so avoid disappointment and don’t get your hopes up.

Maximum A.C can be found in the sports bar, a welcome artic blast from the Mexican heat and humidity (who’s stupid idea was it to come here from the UK in July? 🙄), but you’ll be ready to leave before the end of your drink thanks to the echoing acoustics which have been given ZERO consideration throughout the hotel. Luckily bedrooms have an inner door, so rooms are pretty quiet other than street noises that sneak past the balcony doors, but lobby bar, Dining Hall and Sports Bar area have been designed to amplify every drunk person like an echo chamber. There’s a respite from the heavy party vibe four times a week when free buses ship the ravers to the nearby Riu Caribe far various themed parties, allowing the urine levels in the swim up bar to neutralise slightly.

Cleanliness gets 100%, you’re never more than 5ft away from someone with a mop or cloth and the toilets are well maintained, but despite staff’s best efforts, the floors around the pool area can be extremely slippery, which may or may not have something to do with my next observation.

We saw plenty of people in wheelchairs, on crutches or wrapped in bandaged, so the place is pretty wheelchair friendly and staff are very supportive of those who’s legs give out after a day on the all inclusive bar.

The sea shore was the highlight of the hotel. Yes, it gets a bit swampy with seaweed, but you can’t stop nature and they come and clean it up regularly. Snorkel gear is a free activity in the all inclusive package, but they omit information on the app about the $20 cash deposit you’ll need- so take your wallet to save you having to traipse back to the room, navigating the long wait for the lifts. Once I made the return journey, turns out I could only get a mask with no snorkel that day. My 350 peso investment in a complete snorkel set from the nearby supermarket was 100% worth it to see the full diversity of marine life swimming around people’s feet as they paddled around the shore.

Good hotel, great for 20 somethings, the 40+ somethings like me may be better off elsewhere