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4.5
#10 of 14 hotels in Playa Mujeres
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The Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres, 24hours, located on the beach, belongs to RIU Palace, the most elegant category of the RIU hotel chain, with hotels that meet the highest standards in terms of luxury, excellence & sophistication, creating a unique experience. Relax in the spa or get fit in the gym. 5 outdoor swimming pools, 2 with swim-up bar. Day and night entertainment, Pacha nightclub and "Splash Water World" in our neighbouring hotel. For foodies, live cooking stations in our main restaurant; world speciality restaurants, Steakhouse, and, 6 bars, as well as Patisserie&ice cream parlor, plus Pepe's Food Grill at lunchtime.
#RiuParty at the Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres. Do you like to enjoy the best parties during your holidays? RiuParty is made for you! Dance to the music of the best DJ's and be transformed by the shows and performances offered at each party.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
My wife, our two daughters (aged 16 and 18), and I were extremely satisfied with our recent stay at Riu Palace. Despite having stayed at a significantly larger resort previously, we found the size of Riu Palace to be ideal. Our stay spanned 12 nights, and although I initially had concerns about potential boredom, our experience exceeded expectations.
TL:DR - Initially hesitant due to its perceived lack of 'luxury' compared to other all-inclusive hotels in the newly developed Costa Mujeres strip, I found Riu Palace to offer exceptional service across the board. The front of house, cleaning, landscaping, food/bar service staff, and party teams contributed to a fantastic vacation. I would strongly consider returning, primarily to be served once again by the outstanding staff, including Franco, Agusto, and Augustin. It may sound like a love-fest, but it's my honest opinion.
A piece of advice: for dining, I recommend visiting the restaurants/buffets earlier, as they tend to become picked over later during service. You have been warned.
Detailed Review:
Pros:
Food: We primarily dined at the main buffet, which consistently impressed us. The large covered patio provided stunning views of the pool area and the ocean. Zarape, offering Mexican specialties exclusive to that restaurant, and Roma, with its variety of salads and antipasti, were also noteworthy. Embracing local foods is a highlight in a Mexican resort.
Restaurant Service: Stand-out service and food were experienced at Zarape (Mexican restaurant) and the main buffet. Our family's preferences were quickly learned by Franco and Agusto, who always welcomed us with great seating and our preferred drinks.
Drinks: While the wine was drinkable, the tequila/mezcal and hard liquor were impressive. The bar adjacent to the pool offered fantastic service, a warm atmosphere, and a remarkable selection of beers.
Rooms: Well-maintained, good-sized rooms with coordinated furniture and decor. Opting for an ocean view provided spectacular sunrise views. The room cleaning service was excellent, even going the extra mile for special occasions.
Pools/Beach: The beach was fantastic, with rows of palm trees adding to the tropical atmosphere. Daily raking kept the beach clean, and the beach volleyball court was well-utilized.
Cons:
Food: Themed restaurants like the Steakhouse and 'Japan' fell short. Suggesting management invest in training for the cooks and possibly adjust the price point. Late in the service, Pepe's and the main buffet became messy, with picked-over food and neglected stations.
Drinks: Limited scotch selection compared to tequila and mezcal. The focus is on quantity rather than craft cocktails.
Pools: The pool area was good, but larger swim-up bar pools are desired. Cleaning up empty cups during the day would help avoid wasp issues.
Lounges: The lounges offered very limited activities for middle-aged guests (like me) post-dinner. Essentially you needed to want to go to a proper dance club, or to bed. The pool lounge and Caribic lounge lacked the desired ambiance for lounging. A lobby cocktail lounge similar to those in other hotels would be a welcome addition.
Rooms: The beds weren't great and the pillows were bordering on awful.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Skip the Japanese & Steakhouse theme restaurants. When eating at the buffet, go early to avoid...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Online Reputation Manager, Owner at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Jan 17, 2024
Dear Daniel, Feedback from our guests is always greatly appreciated as a valuable contribution to our continuous improvement process. Thank you very much for your brilliant review! We will continue to work in order to improve, your comment will be taken into consideration. And we wish you a lovely day. Kindest wishes, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The grounds and facilities at this resort are simply magnificent. When you walk onto the property the lobby is welcoming and designed well. The staff at the front desk are attentive and were quick to assist us with a request to decorate a member of our groups room. The employees servicing our room did an excellent job of keeping it clean and appropriately filled with clean towels and fresh supplies to our minibar. The resort offers a number of food options and all were about what you would expect for an all inclusive property. Nothing tasted fantastic, but most food was palatable and was prepared OK. There was plenty of space around the multiple pools and they also had a sister property next door with a water park. FUN The beach was nice and maintained well.
Overall I would recommend this resort to anyone who wants to relax on beautiful grounds and to be cared for by WONDERFUL staff.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Rooms with their on swim up pool are fantastic.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Feb 11, 2020
Dear Ken F, Thank you so much for your outstanding review! We are glad to learn that you had a fantastic holiday during your stay at our Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres. We appreciate your kind words! It was our pleasure taking great care of you! We look forward to sharing another amazing experience with you soon. Have a lovely day. King regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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Arrived at hotel after a nightmare at the airport a bit stressed. Check in was initially straightforward until we were asked for payment for a conservation tax which we had not been made aware of, 808 Mexican Peso's. When we queried this we felt the desk clerk was quite condescending toward us when he stated it was only $40 as if it was nothing. This raised our stress levels even more, however the manager came across and was much more tactful and explained the tax to us and completed our check in. Next to the room, it was cleaned to a very high standard but the layout was a bit strange. We knew the bath was in the bedroom but thought the sinks and toilet should have been together for hygiene purposes ie. washing hands after using toilet. We had daily towels despite hanging them up to re-use and there were always at least 4 bathe towels despite there being only two of us in the room. Toiletries were topped up as needed and the rooms were always done early. The cleaner was a lovely little lady but unfortunately did not get her name. The toilet broke twice with the flush not working, the first time it was fixed quickly however the second occasion we had to chase up the repair. Room service was a problem the first night as we were told we had to order through the app and no menu in the room. (not everyone uses a smart phone). We eventually got this resolved and they provided a club sandwich and crisps which was very nice. The food in the buffet restaurant was excellent with lots of choice. As we were there for 14 nights we were able to try out all the speciality restaurants with Krystal topping them all. The Italian was a let down in both menu and service. (waiting times not the staff). The gardens were well maintained and the palm trees were pruned after a storm which left a lot of the branches hanging loose the following morning. The gardeners were really pleasant and always had a greeting for us. Location of all 5 pools was well planned with easy access to the beach which was also cleaned daily with a tractor collecting washed up sea weed. The pool side service was particularly good the first week when Jerry was on duty, 2nd week not so good. The Lobby Bar and the Cafe area were again very clean and the service excellent, a special mention to Fillipo and Roger who did not need to ask what our order was, and Ilce from the cafe who was always ready with a smile and made a tasty latte'. We thought the entertainment was poor compared to other Palace hotels we have stayed at. We spent more time in the 24 hour bar. Gave the hotel spa a miss due do the really high prices $141 for a massage! The shop on site was also expensive, we thought our crisps were going to be gold plated after paying a whopping $8 for 1 packet. $80 round trip taxi fare to Cancun. No bus on the route, nothing outside the hotel apart from a walk along the beach, which was very nice. A lovely hotel but not one we would return to.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
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Service
Room Tip:Â Ground Floor Garden rooms very nice.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Marketing at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Jun 1, 2022
Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us! We are glad to find that you enjoyed most parts of your stay and that you appreciated the hotel´s cleanliness, our great beach location, and beautifully maintained grounds. however, as we are committed to provide excellent services to our guests, we are sorry to hear that we did not manage to fully live up to your expectations this time and that you encountered the mentioned maintenance issues in your room. We will of course share your impressions with corresponding team for an adequate follow up as we are looking forward to having the opportunity to welcome you back in the future, so that we can provide a better experience. We remain with warm regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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While it is a clean, new and visually pleasing resort it was unfortunately designed by someone who thought form visuals were more important than practical and realistic use of a place. The pool and landscaping were gorgeously back-lit, and looked great from up high. The beach itself was not great, as is common with any newly built resorts, as all the best ones are taken already by the older resorts. The food was satisfying, but in order to get to any of the restaurants or clubs one had to maneuver a crazy labyrinth of interior corridors, and pass through other restaurants or bars, which made the places very crowded and uncomfortable. There was sort of several above ground "garage" rooms, where activities were taking place like yoga, stretching, etc. Felt like it was a cheap version of a home business starter. The worst were the design of the rooms. The bathrooms provided zero privacy, with not even a closet to change in. We were staying in a large, comfortable and luxurious room with a shower being a part of the room sites, with only a semi-transparent door separating it. So sorry, we were expecting something better from Riu. We were there with two families, and we shared the same sentiment.
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Date of stay: April 2019
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Jan 13, 2020
Dear jacek101, Thank you so much for taking your time. We regret to know that in general you did not enjoy your vacation at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres and that the layout of the room was not very convenient for you. We would like to inform you that the design has been thought out in order to make the rooms brighter and more modern. Please accept our apologies for the difficulties encouraged and we can assure you that we will take them into consideration. We would love to have the chance to serve you again and show you the experience that you should have had. Best regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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We finally found our perfect all inclusive vacation at Riu Palace Costa Mujeres. Everything and I mean everything about this resort was fantastic. The front desk personel were courteous and accommodating to all our requests. The hotel was extremely clean with housekeeping staff continually scrubbing floors, stairs, walls, windows and glass balconies. Our room was beautiful and faced the courtyard, which again was well manicured everyday. A special mention to the entertainment crew who worked very hard all day long. There was a variety of activities and they all started on time and were a lot of fun. Thank you to Linda and her crew of Anita, Danny, Allan, Alda, Kayla, Miguel, Melissa and all the others that we missed getting their names. Entertainment at night was quite enjoyable, the bands were excellent and we really liked the shows. Bartenders and serving staff around the pool and the ocean were also excellent. Special mention to our waiter Ivan as he was very attentive to our needs. All specialty restaurants had delicious food and a variety on the menus. At the Italian Restaurant, our waiter Uriel was fantastic and at the Steak House, Yenny was wonderful. Both of these waiters made sure my wife had a gluten free meal. The buffet had a huge selection of food. All waiters and waitresses were extremely friendly, but special mention to Arnold and Franco as they were our waiters all week. Something to note, we were offered a kitchen tour which we took. The facilities were immaculate, food preparation was divided into separate areas so there could be no cross contamination. Definitely recommend this tour. We always stay at 5 star all inclusives, but this is the first one that we would come back to. Thank you for or an excellent vacation.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Mar 20, 2020
Dear boldtthebuilderguy, Thank you very much for your excellent score and for sharing such a fantastic review with us! First of all, we would like to say that it's great to read you experienced so much fun in our hotel. The team is committed to provide the best holidays, and reviews like yours help us keep 100% motivated, therefore your kind and lovely words will be received by all our staff, since our entertainment companions to our waiters and waitresses! Finally, it brings such a great joy you enjoyed our wide and tasty gastronomic offer! We will be looking forward to your next visit! All the best until then, Best regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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My sister and I stayed at the Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Nov 12-16 2020. The food was average, service was wonderful. The pools were great. They took temperatures upon entering any restaurant and required hand sanitizer to be used and masks to be worn. Our room was very comfortable. The A/C worked great and there was a ceiling fan. Shower in the room was amazing. We went on the adult waterslides, played corn hole and took a water aerobics class. On the beach (separate from the hotel) they were offering 40 dollar 1 hour massages which were incredible. Overall, we had a fabulous time. I'd definitely go back.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort is always spotless. The staff works so hard and is constantly moving. Everywhere we went there were staff sweeping and moping, painting the buildings, grooming the trees, repairing tiles, grooming the grass, washing windows, treating the pools and fountains, cleaning the beach, wiping down the trash cans, and so much more. The entertainment staff here is outstanding. The daily Aqua Aerobics was my favorite. I also loved the classes offered in the Riu Fit Gym. Great shows in the evening. My favorite was the rock show, the White Party, and Fire Show. They were so much fun. The beach is gorgeous and not overcrowded. Plenty of chairs for everyone and space so groups of people are not right next to each other. The sand felt like cake batter on my feet. So soft and smooth. The bar tenders at every bar are fun, friendly, personable, and they work at lightning speed, constantly moving. The food is excellent but some of the restaurants do not have any vegetarian options. We had a wonderful time and I would happily stay here again. I would even bring my kids who are 3 and 7 because this place had a great family atmosphere with good entertainment and activity options for young kids.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Feb 21, 2020
Dear Lauren, Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for your five-star rating! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a nice time with us at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres! It was our pleasure to take care of you and we do hope to have the opportunity to host you again someday soon! Kind regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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I’d first say choose where you want to stay based on CURRENT covid parameters. I understand businesses are in a bind but to market this as a normal experience and charge the same price is almost criminal.
I’ll also say I’ve stayed at other Riu locations and this was an abysmal experience. Our room didn’t have a working output call ability, just can answer and I assume that’s due to covid and wanting people to use the app. My co traveler broke their phone the first day though so this method really hindered us even looking up dinner if my phone was dead. You make all your requests on the app. But apparently I needed to call housekeeping each day I was there to tend to the rooms to even make the bed or pick up towels to replace them. This wasn’t ideal since we had no phone to simply call down! I was frustrated with the lack of service. Our room didn’t have a remote…everything felt very half done.
There is no room service or liquor in the rooms as was the case before covid. Again I understand but there’s no discount that reflects any of these amenities being down. I only knew to expect that because of reviews I’d read about other Riu locations. The food they offer 24 hours a day is also pretty low level. The hot dogs literally tasted like they were pulled from the pool water.
The restaurants were good, Spaces and the steakhouse were the best meals by far. Red meat is plentiful here so if that is your thing, you’ll definitely find quality tasting meat here. The staff was nice, but there was nothing really exciting about this location. They also don’t tell you that you need a covid test TWO days before departure so I hope someone reading this avoids the stress I had in finding out the day before. The resort could do so much more to put signs up to let guests know that - there is literally no way for anyone to know in this updated health crisis.
Overall, I wish maybe I had shopped around more for another place, even for a few dollars more, because I think I’d have felt more taken care of somewhere else. In the future I’m going to check which Riu locations are highly rated vs the ones that you can do without. This is one.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Check all reviews for how the location is handling covid. I’d find another Riu if you like Riu...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Marketing at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres
Responded Jul 6, 2021
Dear Kk941, Thank you for being such a loyal guest of RIU Hotels & Resorts. We are very glad to know you enjoyed our selection of meat at the restaurants and the service of our staff. However, we are really disappointed to know about the aspects you mentioned. Although we have been forced to implement certain restrictions in order to preserve the health and well-being of all our guests, as the limitation of certain services in the room, our team works hard to provide with a high level of service to our guests throughout their stay. In any case, please note that, as it is currently a requisite by law following the anti-covid protocols, room cleaning is available upon request and the use of the app is requested whenever is necessary. We strive to provide all of our guests with the characteristic quality of RIU Hotels & Resorts from beginning to end. Please rest assured we will take note of your post and will share it with the corresponding departments for a follow up. It would be great to have another opportunity to host you again soon. Best regards, Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Online Reputation Manager
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I stayed at this resort April 2nd- April 7th for my birthday. I decided to take a solo trip and this resort DID NOT DISAPOINT! I arrived 2 hours before the check in time and I was still able to check in. I went to eat lunch at their buffet before going to the room since I was informed that it was currently being disinfected. Custodians were constantly cleaning at early hours in the morning and throughout the day. The rooms are very modern and high tech! I recommend to get the "Ocean view" room because the views are worth it! All of the employees were so friendly and really took the time to get to know people. On my birthday, several employees and bartenders remembered and gifted me tiny gifts, like handmade yarn bracelets that were so beautify and colorful. Really made my day. My room was decorated on my birthday after it was cleaned and a large bottle of champagne was left in my room! I took several excursions and on my way back to the resort after an excursion, I left a large bag of things I had purchased in the van. I did not realize until I was finishing dinner and immediately went to the front desk to see if they could get in contact with the driver. Since it was after hours, they suggested to come back in the morning, so I did. They called several times and no luck with my bag. It was a little sad, but it was my fault for forgetting my things and luckily it was nothing import like personal documents. However, on my last night there, I got back to the resort after a tour in Chichen Itza at around 9:45pm. I went to the front desk to ask about my Negative Covid test since I had not received an email and needed it for my flight back home. As the receptionist was looking for my test results, he went back and came back with my bag!!!! I was in happy tears because I had already accepted the fact that I was no longer going to find it. He informed me that they called the company several times a day until it was located. They really went above and beyond!!! I highly recommend this resort!
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Date of stay: April 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Best views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was my 1st time staying at the RPCM, went off of others reviews and pictures. 2 years ago I went with family and we stayed at the Dreams Riviera Maya, and the biggest thing I noticed when we stayed there, me being a single guy, didn't really get the service as the rest of the family did, and felt kind of overlooked.
So needless to say, I went totally solo to RPCM this time around for 7 nights (03/05 through 03/12). What a complete difference! They made you feel welcome from the time arriving as you got out of the van at the front door. Property is amazing, love the variety of palm trees planted through out along with the birds of paradise flowering through out. Extremely clean, seemed like there was always someone cleaning or wiping.
Food was amazing, mainly stuck with the Buffet which had plenty of selections, with a mix of variety and staple items. Steakhouse & Mexican restaurants where great as well. I must say though.. I want to give a special thanks to (3) of the waiters at the Buffet. Franco, Niane, & Marquinne where awesome! From day 1, made me feel welcome, and great service and attention to detail. They where social, and you can tell they enjoyed everyone they served as I watched them interact not only with myself, but other guests as well.
The Square Bar was a great place to hangout as well, god drinks. I tended to visit when not as full. George was amazing serving, knew what I liked and quick. You can tell he as well liked to interact with the guests.
Overall I had a great week. Weather was amazing, beach was awesome, able to walk long distances either direction. Resort itself was spotless, and they where doing everything they could to make guests feel confident and safe with Covid. They made the testing for my return flight a breeze, results faster than here at home in the States.
Room was great, love the decor & modern theme. Only minor complaints I have is the rooms need more sound absorbing materials. They seem to echo, and you tend to hear the rooms around you. I will admit, the beds are kind of hard, and that has been mentioned in other reviews, but that will not stop me from returning.
In all I was concerned with being at limited capacity that would affect the overall service. But not the case.. I think they were only at 30 -40% capacity during my stay, but they did not skip a beat on anything from service, food, activities, and cleanliness.
Cannot wait to come back!
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Date of stay: March 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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