Just came back from a week at the Riu Palace Las Americas - it was myself and 2 16 year olds. We arrived at around 12:30 pm and could not check in because our room wasn't ready. That in and of itself was not an issue except that the person at the front desk was not friendly, courteous or helpful - just told us "check in is at 3:00 come back then". We sat around for a bit, had lunch and tried to make dinner reservations which were mostly already booked. We were able to get into our room by 2:00 and although it was an ocean view, we were facing another hotel which was not very nice - you could see the ocean if you looked to the right of the ugly hotel but certainly more of a (noisy) city view. We were told by our driver from the airport to see Alex from Olympus tours so that he could set us up with transportation back to the airport after our trip. He took care of that but also proceeded to do the hard sell on excursions that once you book are almost impossible to cancel. In addition, you are not given a full explanation of what is included and what is not. For instance, he told us that lunch was included in the Dolphin Discovery only to find out that not only it wasn't included but they wanted to charge $30 per person for a barely edible buffet lunch. I was able to talk to a manager there and he let me pay $27 in total which was more in line with what it was worth. I spoke to Alex afterwards and he denied that he told me lunch was included and gave me 3 $10 certificates for Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe which we did not use. I'm usually a very easy person to please but this was not acceptable by any standards. Getting around from place to place is not easy by bus unless you have a good command of Spanish so whatever you have to pay for the taxi is worth every penny. We were let off the bus at the wrong place two times and opted for taxis from that point on. As others have written, the beach is narrow and rocky but you could find spots to get into the water that weren't too bad. The beach is quite beautiful and so much nicer than at the pool in my opinion. Even though you're not supposed to reserve lounge chairs at the pool no one obeys that rule so it's impossible to get a spot unless you get up very early. The pools are very beautiful if you're lucky enough to be able to get near them. The hotel grounds are immaculately kept and there is always cleaning going on - and I mean serious cleaning! I was not impressed with the breakfast buffet at all - the omelets were mediocre at best. The lunch and dinner buffets were good and there was always a decent selection to choose from. We were able to get reservations at the Brazilian restaurant which was good. I now understand what someone meant when they said it was a lot of meat. It is literally several types of meat cut from skewers a course at a time. The Spanish and Steak restaurants were also quite good. The wait staff in all restaurants were helpful and friendly and worked very hard. The entertainment was ok - I was expecting it to be better based on the reviews but in my opinion it was amateurish. We stayed at the Riu Ocho Rios in Jamaica last year and even though it was not a "Palace" hotel it was better overall. Actually Jamaica is a more friendly place to visit than Cancun in my opinion. Bottom line - very nice hotel, decent food and very good service.

We just returned from a trip to Cancun and the most awesome stay at the Riu Palace Las Americas. We were there from June 18-26th. We were married at the hotel on the recommendation from my travel agent. Pamela was my wedding coordinator and she did an awesome job. My wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Check in: When we arrived at the hotel I couldn't believe my eyes the RIU Palace was the most beautiful hotel. The check in was very easy and went very quickly. When we checked in they had all the information about my wedding and when I would meet with Pamela. (the wedding coordinator) The front desk was very helpful. We arrived at 10am and our room was ready. We were upgraded to a Suite (room 325) the room was beautiful and it had a beautiful view of the pool and the ocean. We went to our room and changed and went to the pool to meet some of our guests and wait for others to arrive. Both the pools are beautiful. Julian and Concha were the best bartenders at the swim up bar. The bartenders and the waiters were constantly bringing drinks so you never had to wait. Julian made all kinds of specialty drinks, ask him to make you a Dirty Monkey it is so good. Even though it says you don't have to tip a few dollars will get you a long way. The waiters and bartenders work very hard and when you tip you never have to wait for a drink. The staff was very friendly at the hotel and there were always people cleaning the hotel. I didn't have a problem with any smells at all I think the people who complain about this hotel cannot be pleased. I met Laura who is in public relations at the hotel and she was very nice and friendly I spoke to her at least 2 times a day. She was always asking if everything was ok and if I needed anything. it was kind of neat that everyone knew we were getting married on Saturday. The staff and front desk were always saying oh your the one getting married. The Wedding: I met with Pamela on Thursday before the wedding to tie up the last minute details of the wedding. She was awesome all you have to do is show up to get married and she does the rest. I picked native tropical flowers and the bouquet she made me, the flowers on the gazebo and my matron of honor's flowers were absolutely beautiful My wedding was more than I could have ever asked for. We got married in the gazebo. I watched her set up for the wedding from the balcony in my room. She made sure all the guests were seated and came up to my room to get me and my matron of honor. The walk from the hotel to the gazebo is beautiful. WE got married at 6 pm which was the best time of day because the gazebo is in the shade by that time. Even though you don't realize it because you are focused on the wedding there are people all around the hotel, on their balcony and in the pool watching your wedding. The photographer was wonderful. She took 184 pictures. They had a lot of different ideas for the pictures so we got some shots that are not traditional shots. She took us down on the beach to have pictures made after the wedding and took some breathtaking pictures on the sand with the sun setting in the back ground. If you are planning on getting married at this wonderful hotel don't worry because Pamela will take care of everything. On our wedding night there were rose petels leading fromthe door to the bed and then the bed was covered with them. It was a really nice touch Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the wedding. Food: The food was great at the buffet we ate there most of the time. We did get reservations the first day we were there for the first 3 days and the wedding day. Luckly I went early and didnt have to wait in line very long to get reservations.The food at the Brazilian restraunt was just ok for me if you live in Texas we have a restraunt named Texas de Brazil and the food doesn't even compare. We ate at the Rio and the food was good and we ate at the steak house on Saturday after the wedding. The steak house was very good and they did a wonderful job of sitting up for my wedding party. They served the champaigne and the cake. We ate at the buffett most of the time because the food was so good. There was a wide variety of food on the buffet so the pickest of eaters should find something to eat. They have a differnet theme every night Spa: The spa services were wonderful and everyone in the spa is very nice. My matron of honor and i had the moonlight massage. It is great they take you down on the beach to do the massage, It is so relaxing listening to the waves. I booked at 7pm but suggest you book at 8 because it is completely dark by then and they put tiki torches out so the bugs dont bite. If your getting married there I would do my makeup yourself because I went back to the room and redid it. So it was an added expense. I could have done it myself and done a better job. The girl at the Spa did a good job on my hair. My husband and I had a body exfoliation and it felt so good. Room: The room was beautiful and the suite was nice to have but your never in your room that much but it was awesome being able to stay in a suite. There was a walk in closet a bath tub and shower a toilet and a bidet. Since we were there for 8 days it was nice to have the extra room. We had no problems at all there was plenty of hot water and the air conditionier was cold as ice. The pools were beautiful and there were days when the pool would get cloudy later in the afternoon but it would be impossible to keep those pools clean with all the people gettng in and out and all that tanning lotion. The pool was always clear the next morning.The entertainment staff was great there. There were activities at the pool enough to keep you busy if you wanted to join in. We met some of the nicest people at the pool. We spent alot of time at the resort and didnt venture out too much. We went parasailing and it was ok if you have never done it before. We had a bad experience at Coco Bongo .if you dont like being shoved in a place like a bunch of sardines then dont go. I think the show would have been great if we could have found a place to sit down. The croud was pretty wild alot of really young kids drunk off their you know what. All in all I will give this hotel a 5. we had a beautiful wedding and honeymoon there. Some of the reviews that I read seem they are from people who stayed at a different hotel. We never had 1 minute of trouble. I cant say enough about the staff and how accommodaiting they are. We will go back.

After booking travel for our 10th Anniversary Getaway to the Riu Palace Las Americas, RPLA, I found this site in searching for reviews on what to do in Cancun. My husband and I visited in our 20's about 12 years ago. The Riu Palace was a beautiful hotel with dark wood trim, marble floors, and stained glass ceilings. Almost all rooms have balconies that are Ocean View. We stayed on the 6th Floor and had a fabulous ocean view. I read all the reviews and took in all the negative comments and have to say that overall, you have to expect a few negative things, but we are not finicky travelers and don't expect the world just because we are on vacation. The service staff was extremely attentive, checked us in early, helped us with area sights, and even provided an anniversary gift for our stay. The beach is clean...in fact they do it every day! they rid the beaches of seaweed and rake them flat everyday...never heard or saw any of it being done...just woke up to beautiful beach. The pools were clean...really warm. We did not have alot of kids there either. There were more families on the beach. The poolside service was great for us. They asked all the time if we wanted refills. The beach watercraft staff gets alittle overwhelmed. They offer 15% off if paying by credit card, but were extremely confused giving a crad to the wrong person and a credit to someone who wasn't supposed to get one. I chose cash. The Spa was awesome. My husband and I had a 45 minute couples massage for 150.00. They did a fantastic job! The All-Inclusive meals were not our style. We had lunch upon arrival and dinner the first night at the Brazilian restaurant. I made reservations by email for the first night and on the verranda for the other nights, but cancelled later. Be prepared that at the Brazilian restaurant, you are shown a menu, but it only shows you what they are giving you and not what you can choose to have as a single meal. It was like a buffet brought to your table. My husband and I went out for every meal after that. The lunch we ate upon arrival was not fresh and yes, part of it is outside in the heat. The halls do smell musty and every piece of clothing worn or not in your suitcase has to be cleaned because it comes home with you...but what can you expect of a resort where it is 100 degrees. That did not bother me. The room floors do get slippery if you have had the air on and open the door. Condensation builds up on the floor and gets slick. Not a big deal. The only thing I would change in the rooms would be new towels. The towels are scratchy...especially after sun and sand. I would have loved to dry off with a soft plush towel, but maybe most people don't care. Overall, if I were going to Cancun again, I would love to stay at the Riu...without meals if possible...visit Coco Bongo...wake up to Starbucks across the street and eat dinner at Ruth's Chris a short cab ride away!

This hotel makes for a great getaway! For the money, this place is fantastic! Paticularly if you enjoy trying the various daquiris and drinks by the pool all day. The staff is so helpful and so nice. The pool and beach are beautiful. The lobby is beautiful. The food was good. Plenty of variety. Is it 5-star like a Ruth Chris steak house?No. But the vegetable are very fresh, the meat is good quality. Overall a much better spread than the buffets at Sandals or on Carnaval or RC cruises. They were constantly refreshing the buffets too. One night, they even have an infused tequila tasting at the dinner buffet with different fruit-infused tequilas. You can always get salad, cheese, pasta, tortilla chips, beans, chili, pizza etc and then the main dishes vary from night to night. There was always a good selection of cooked veggie dishes. Chocolate fondue fountain for dessert along with ice cream and other treats. Breakfast had different egg dishes, waffles, omelette stations, a bunch of different yogurts, fresh fruit, nachos, quesadillas, bloody marys. Room service wasn't spectacular, but its fast and free. The club sandwich was a good snack. As to the liquor, they have Bacardi Anejo, Bacardi 8 Anos, Havana Club Reserve, Chivas, Finlandia Crandberry, Southern Comfort, Smirnoff, Corona etc. But no Grey Goose, no 10 Cane etc. The wine is OK (mostly from Chile) but the champagne is pretty good. No light beers in the room and I don't remember any at the bars (although maybe they had some domestic light beers). Probably 10-15 different types of daquiris at the pool bars. They will make shots for you. Mimosas at breakfast. They don't have redbull, but they sell it (including sugar free) across the street at a little mini mart so you can make a drink in your room with the in-room vodka and rum dispensers. They have plenty of bottled water. As to people's complaints about getting sick - remember, this is Mexico and you can't drink the water. This also means that you have to be smart - brush your teeth with the bottled water, don't open your mouth in the shower etc. If you leave the hotel, be careful with fresh fruits and veggies. The hotel drinking water at the pool and restaurants and water for cooking is purified - just not the water in the room. But they give you so much bottled water, that it is not an issue. If you're worried about getting sick, just bring some Cipro from American. It costs like $10 and your Dr. will easily write you a Rx for it. As to the crowd, I would say mostly couples and families. Not too many groups of singles. Adults were mostly 25-45 from America or England. The hotel is next door to the Riu Cancun, a sister hotel. The RPLA guests can use the Riu Cancun but not vice versa. The Riu Cancun was more of a younger party crowd and a fun place to go for a night. From the hotel, it is about a 1/2 mile walk to the main Cancun clubs (Carlos and Charlies, the City, Hooters, Dady O, Bulldgogs etc). Senor Frogs is farther. The hotel does excursions to the clubs where they took you there for free and you could buy a wristband at the hotel so you didn't have to wait in line at the club. Yes, the bed was a little hard and the pillows weren't the best ever but the bed wasn't terrible. It's just not a Westin Heavenly bed. But the room is clean, the towels were decent quality, the water pressure in the shower was good. Overall, we were impressed how well-maintained and clean the hotel was, how well-staffed it was and how nice the grounds are. Is this the Rtiz Carlton? No. Of course not. But look at the price difference - how you can you possible compare the 2. This hotel costs comparable to the Marriot or the Westin except this one includes food and alcohol. So it's a great resort and a good deal but don't expect Frette linens and lobster tail. It's very relaxing, gorgeous views and a great time. We would definitely go back!!

Our 5th time to Cancun and our first to the Riu.....the best trip so far! We stayed at the resort over the July 4th holiday. We have stayed at other all-inclusives but this one surpassed them all! The food was good, the service was exceptional! None of the previous resorts came close to the level of service we received at the Riu. We went with two other couples, who also had nothing but great things to say. We will all definately be back to the Riu next year.