- Mexico Holidays
- Cancun
- Riu Palace Peninsula
The hotel is in the heart of one of the most touristic areas of Cancun, right in front of a white sand beach with turquoise water. Wonderful amenities await guests: swimming pools, hot tub, sun terrace, spa, gym, steam bath and a long beach with warm waters. There are several themed restaurants and a buffet restaurant in the premises. There is a long list of activities for guests. Daytime entertainment for all ages (mini club for the kids), golf, and tennis courts, water sports, evening entertainment (shows and live music) for adults.
Save yourself a headache and find a different resort. I directly booked through the RIU app. 2 adults and 2 teens. Paid for 3 adults and a child ( ages 15 and 12). No flights just hotel. Flew in on Sunday. Double checked daily and even called ahead 48 hours prior to confirm our Oceanview jr suite with queen beds. Also pre-checked in and had copy of check in that was confirmed. At check in, we immediately received RIU palace bracelets, paid the hotel tax and confirmed the room. The man was about to give us room keys when the manager, Ira, walked over and denied us. We were heavily discrimined against. 2 other parities argued with staff at the same time we were. A party of 6 was yelling at staff because half their party was arriving on Tuesday and they separated them between caribe and peninsula. The person said they only had 3 rooms left. Ira the manager walked over and cancelled my reservation in front of us. I complained and said I have seen on the FB fan page that others were upgraded to villas. Why is my family being left out. I was just told "it is what it is". They then demanded I sign a release of liability for this issue. We said no we refuse. We then called customer service and they told us oh well go to caribe. We only asked for access to restraunts since my husband has severe garlic allergy. We were denied everything. No compensation. No upgrade at caribe. NO REDUCED RATE!!! Same price for lower level hotel. They told us they would have their RIU service drive us next door for free. As we were arguing, another party arrived. 5 people with a toddler. They gave them room keys, bracelets and signed them in immediately. I asked what a type of room and they said jr suite, same as us. I then argued about them getting in and well as the other man saying they had 3 rooms left. Split my kids and my husband up...2 to a room. They said no you need to leave now. We can confirm the discrimination. We then were called a public taxi and took a 1 min ride next door. At check in. I even called, texted and kept checking my riu app. I'm here now and my riu app still says I'm at the palace peninsula, when we are at caribe. Way smaller room. Full size beds, lower quality alcohol and not much for my teens to do. I would rebook ASAp instead of being told at the arrival reception desk
New resort with plenty of potential - but not ready yet
I’m currently staying at the hotel and, having experienced it first-hand, I think it’s important to give a balanced review.
The hotel has only recently opened and, to be fair, everything is very clean, fresh and new. However, it is clear that the property still has a considerable way to go before it can genuinely be considered fully operational.
One of the biggest disappointments has been the swimming pools. With temperatures of 90°F+ (32°C+), the pool should be somewhere to cool down and escape the heat and direct sun. Unfortunately, the water is extremely warm and provides very little relief. In this climate, I would expect at least one properly temperature-controlled pool.
There are also still a significant number of floors and rooms undergoing renovation, with loud remedial/construction work taking place daily from morning through to evening. This can be quite disruptive and is not what you would expect when paying for a relaxing resort holiday.
The hotel itself has plenty of potential, and I’m sure that once the remaining works are completed and the operational issues are resolved, it could become a very good property.
Based on my experience while currently staying here, my recommendation would be to wait at least another three months before booking. Give the hotel time to finish the renovation works, resolve the operational issues and get everything fully up and running.
At the moment, it feels more like a new hotel still finding its feet than a fully operational resort.
What a horrible experience! We’re only on day 2 of our trip with our family of four, including a 5-year-old and a 13-year-old, and both kids are already terribly bored.
The hotel itself is nice and recently renovated, but unfortunately, there’s very little to do besides the pools—which are absolutely scorching hot. The staff has been just okay, and the food is nothing exciting either.
I even asked the Riu manager if there was any possibility of transferring to another Riu that might be more fun and family-friendly for the rest of our week. His response was, “All RIUs are the same,” unless you stay at an adults-only property. 😳
You know a hotel is boring when it’s only 8 PM and the entire lobby is packed with kids sitting around on their iPads and phones. I’ve honestly never seen a hotel lobby this full at this time of night!
If you’re traveling with kids, I would seriously think twice before booking this resort. STAY AWAY if you’re looking for entertainment and activities for the whole family—your kids will be bored!
We have just arrived home to the UK after 2 weeks here with our 2 teenage girls. It has been the best holiday we have ever had! The location is perfect, the staff are always willing to go above and beyond. The rooms are lovely and fresh and clean with maid service every day and mini bar refilled everyday. We are a family of all vegetarians and had no issues with finding g something to eat. The waiter service around the pool was fab, drinks were delivered without asking. The girls loved all of the day time entertainment delivered by the entertainment team and were never bored. The shop In the hotel was ridiculously priced with 10USD for a packet of crisps!! There is a chemist within a 5 minute walk and an oxxo store just a short walk further.
I would go back here in a heartbeat 💗
⭐ 1 Star – Extremely Disappointing Experience
I regret choosing Riu Palace Peninsula for my daughter’s 22nd birthday celebration. We stayed August 21–24, and several issues significantly affected our experience.
Construction continued throughout our stay, with noise from early in the day through the evening. While I understood that renovations were underway, the level of noise made it difficult to sleep and enjoy the resort.
My daughter’s room also developed a leak that affected the restaurant below. The night before checkout, she was required to change rooms while her belongings were still unpacked. We had to pack and relocate everything with only a few hours remaining in our stay, which was highly inconvenient.
The cleanliness was also disappointing. The lobby bathroom had tissue on the floor and visibly dirty toilets. At a resort of this price and reputation, the public facilities should be maintained to a much higher standard.
When I raised these concerns, the staff response lacked empathy; I was essentially told to “file a complaint.” That was particularly disappointing given that we were celebrating an important family occasion.
As an Riu Elite Club member who has stayed at three Riu properties, I expected a better experience. Unfortunately, the construction, maintenance issues, cleanliness concerns, and customer service fell well below expectations.
I will not stay at Riu Palace Peninsula again. I hope Riu addresses these issues so future guests receive the quality of experience associated with the brand.
