Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The 24-hour All Inclusive Hotel Riu Playacar opens all year round and is located on the beach of the Playacar residential estate, along with the Hotel Riu Palace Mexico, Riu Palace Riviera Maya, Riu Yucatan and the ClubHotel Riu Tequila. The RIU Classic Hotels offer comfortable rooms and excellent facilities with leisure and relaxation facilities, as well as international gastronomy. Enjoy a relaxing holiday - whether alone, with family, partner or friends! The location is ideal due to its proximity to Cancun Airport CUN (55 km) and Playa del Carmen (3 km) and invites you to explore the area. The hotel has 396 comfortably furnished rooms and offers many amenities. Relax in our spa or get in shape at the gym. 3 outdoor pools, 1 children's pool. Day and evening entertainment, as well as our Pacha Discotheque in the neighboring ClubHotel Riu Tequila. For lovers of gastronomy, we offer live cooking stations at our main restaurant, Asian, Mexican, Italian restaurants, Steakhouse, 4 bars. #RiuParty at the Hotel Riu Playacar Do you like to enjoy the best parties during your holidays? RiuParty is made for you! Dance to the rhythm of the best DJ's music and be transformed by the shows and performances that each party offers you. Take advantage of your All Inclusive and enjoy the best fun with RIU!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Avenida Xaman-Ha, Mza 6 Bis, Lt.1 Condominio Playacar, Playa del Carmen 77710 Mexico
Name/address in local language
Hotel Riu Playacar
4.3 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Hotel Riu Playacar boasts a prime spot close to beaches and local markets, with many guests applauding its location. While the resort's atmosphere is considered lively and engaging, opinions on entertainment quality and noise levels vary. The rooms are spacious, but some visitors suggest they could benefit from modern updates and better noise insulation.
Patrons are generally impressed with the cleanliness across the board. The service earns praise for staff friendliness, though some hiccups with room assignments have been noted. Amenities are well-regarded, though reviews indicate there's room for enhancement.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Noise level
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Abundant
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We booked into Riu Playacar at the last minute as the hotel we originally booked was unavailable. We are very grateful that we did. We have previously stayed at Riu‘s Palace hotels in the playacar area have always been impressed with themRiu Playacar is very similar without all the bells and whistles .
It is extremely well organized with eight blocks of rooms each three stories high organized in a European Avenue format leading to the beach.
At check-in we were given an upgrade an ocean front room in block seven The room was very well appointed with a fabulous view, overlooking the three pools and the poolside bar and restaurant The morning sunrise and the evening sunset was absolutely spectacular. The bird song in the mornings and views of the birds flying throughout the day were often mesmerizing. However, please note there are no elevators in the hotel and you should take this into consideration if you have mobility issues.
There are three buffet restaurants for dinner. One is an international theme, one is Italian and the other is Asian. In addition, there is a Mexican and a steak restaurant that are à la carte. For breakfast there is a single buffet restaurant and a poolside buffet restaurant for lunch. In addition, there is a poolside café that serves hotdogs, hamburgers, etc. The food while not at. New York or Montreal foodie levels, is very tasty well prepared and plentiful. There is no chance anyone would starve at this hotel! There are numerous bars here, but not top shelf alcohol, as I always say after the third drink, you don’t really notice 🤣
There were numerous pool activities and parties throughout the week, but none were overly boisterous
While we were at the hotel, we met many people from all over the world, including families with very young children
There are three excellent pools, one of which allows you to swim full length so for those people who swim for exercise this is possible first thing in the morning. For those who simply want to seat on the beach, the hotel has one of the best beaches in the area with excellent sand as well as trees for shade.
All of the staff were excellent! Very helpful and friendly throughout our stay especially Rosa, our housekeeper and Natalya our regular server
Based on our experience, we would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who enjoys a family friendly beachfront hotel. More than this we will certainly return to this hotel again.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Suggest you do not book during major holidays in the United States and Canada a family day,...
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 Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Playacar
Responded 6 days ago
Dear drqigong, Your kind comments are very welcome, thank you very much on behalf of our staff. It is wonderful to learn you had a good time. We hope you stop by again soon! Kindest Greetings, Hotel Riu Playacar Online Reputation Manager
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My partner and I went here in January/ February 2023 to celebrate my 50th birthday. We arrived around 17:30 and check in was very efficient. You get a welcome drink which was a nice gesture. The hotel has 8 buildings with 3 floors each and we got building 8.
A bellboy took us and our suitcases to our room which was big, nice and clean. The bathroom is huge with a big shower, two sinks, hair dryer, big mirror and there is soap, shower gel, shampoo. and plenty of towels. The room had a big bed, seats and table, a big tv, fridge + minibar, coffee machine, safe, iron board, and the wardrobe provided plenty of space and a lot of cloth hangers.
As we have been travelling for about 24 hours we were both excited and wanted to go to the beach which was a short walk from our building. Of course it was dark but we wanted to smell and feel the sand and ocean.
After we went for dinner and there are plenty of options. The main buffet and 4 á la carte, we decided to go for the buffet. We got a table outside and a waiter came straight away, introduced himself and asked what we wanted to drink. During our meal he came to us and asked if everything was ok and if we wanted something else to drink. The buffet was amazing! Soups, bread, salads, vegetarian corner, Mexican corner, live cooking, pasta and pizza station, desserts and ice cream. The variety was unbelievable. Even me as a picky eater could always find something. During our stay (14 days) we tried the Asian restaurant which was ok and the Mexican which we did not liked at all. The food was very bland, tasteless and cold. The Italian did not have any vegetarian dishes and therefore we did not eat there. Same with the Steak house. We were so happy with the main buffet so that was were we went every day.
There are 5 bars at this hotel and there are making the best cocktails ever. You can ask for whatever you want and they will make it. As we are no pool people we never went to the swim up bar but went to all the others.
We spent most of our days down at the beach which was amazing. The white sand, palm trees, turquoise water and sun, what more can you ask for. You will get free beach towels which can be changed daily. There are some vendors selling things and excursions, but if you are not interested a friendly "no, gracias" and they will leave you alone. Please bare in mind that they are just trying to earn some money and should be treated with respect. A waiter is coming now and then with a big tray of drinks, you can also order your special wish and they will bring it to you. It was quit windy when we were there, red flag almost every day but we are both very good swimmers, stayed close to the beach and did not take any risks. Life guards are there keeping an eye on things which felt safe. Unfortunately, some of the days the water and beach was covered in Sargassum seaweed, those days you had to walk a bit up or down to be able to enter the water. Workers are trying really hard to collect and get rid of it and the good thing it does not smell fishy like "normal" seaweed. There are always sunbeds available at the beach, no need to reserve any. Cannot say anything about the pools, only time we went there was for Aqua gym and the foam party on Wednesdays which is so funny.
Entertainment is ok, they have games during the day which is fun, if you do not want to participate the entertainment staff leaves you alone. I liked the dance with the staff in the evenings, and there are some shows... some are ok, some are really good and some are.... well, we all have a different taste. We really enjoyed the Silent disco, hilarious and such a laugh.
As it was my 50th birthday, there was a bottle of sparkling wine and chocolate strawberries waiting in the room, unfortunately a day early but who cares. When I came back from the beach on my birthday, the room was covered in flowers, petals and balloons as a complementary from the hotel. On my birthday, my partner surprisingly proposed to me on the beach, and of course I said yes. He had booked the "romantic dinner on the beach" and it was something really special. The way to the small hut was lightened by torches, rose petals and the light at the hut was romantic red. We had a personal waiter looking after us, some nice romantic music and the sea in the back ground. What an amazing birthday and engagement environment. The food was a 4 course meal, and unfortunately this was the first big disappointment. When my partner booked this, he had informed that I am allergic to seafood and I am vegetarian. The first course was a shrimp salad, I got the salad with no shrimps (as I am allergic) but there was no substitute, just a plate with some salad leaves. Second course was a soup, unfortunately it was the same pepper soup that we have had for lunch, but in addition it was very salty and cold. Then the main course was served, and when the waiter lifted the cloche, there were 3 big pieces of meat on my plate! I was disgusted but luckily my partner covered the plate again and talked to the waiter. He run away to get me something else and came back with a plate of mashed potatoes, cauliflower and some carrots. Nice gesture but honestly, there are som many nice vegetarian options. Then the waiter and another staff member came with a birthday cake and sang for me. All in all it was a really nice evening, but the error with the food took away the fun and enjoyment. I would definitely not say it is worth 2.700 MXN $.
So, here is my resume:
Positive:
Great hotel at an amazing location
The staff is incredible, every one from the bellboy, room maid, bar and restaurant staff, entertainers, garden maintainers, customer service, reception, just everyone. They are all so humble, friendly, smiling, And, no one is demanding or expecting tips! They are still doing their utmost to make your holiday perfect. This affects the customers who all are very friendly too. RIU Playacar should be so proud of their staff.
There is such a variety of food and drinks, 24 hours, and as mentioned we stayed here for 2 weeks and never got tired of the food. Creamy guacamole and vegetables to all meals, delicious drinks, it cannot get better.
Negatives:
Well, there are not really anything negative but some small improvements:
There are no hooks in the bath room to put the big towels on, only some for the small hand towel. We had to put our big towels over the door or over the seats.
The faux pax with the food error at the Romantic dinner, this should not happen.
I do not watch TV whilst on holiday, but sometimes I want to see the news or watch a music channel while getting ready for the evening. When turning on the TV for the first time, scrolling through the channels I really got shocked when I came to channel 55, Adrenalina! This channel should be removed from the TV list as it shows animal cruelty 24-7. Bullfighting is forbidden almost all over the world and it is a shame that RIU supports this cruelty in 2023.
All in all, we loved it here and are giving RIU Playacar 95 out of 100! And guess what? We have booked this hotel again and are going back next year in Januari/ Februari 2024, this time for 3 weeks
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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, Owner at Hotel Riu Playacar
Responded May 19, 2023
Dear Thuleslapper, We are very grateful for your wonderful feedback! It is very rewarding for our beautiful staff members to read your fantastic remarks. Thank you very much for choosing us. Nonetheless, we totally agree with you, in regards to banning anything that does not condemn any act of cruelty against any being. We wish our guests to be more conscious about the importance of respecting the place they choose to visit and the animals living in it. We hope this is applied in all destinations, since, even though it is not illegal by local laws, there are practices in different destinations, such as, bull cruelty in Spain or horse-drawn carriages in Mallorca, who live in appalling conditions, that will end when tourists make the conscious choice of practising an ethical visit. We wish this takes place sooner than later and we thank you for your wholehearted review. We hope we get more visitors who share the same life values as you, we need tourists like you. The management will be notified. Wishing to see you again. Kindest Regards, Hotel Riu Playacar Online Reputation Manager
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The hotel is very well located, close to small shops opposite and 30 minutes walk from 5th Avenue (several hundred small shops), in a very secure and residential area. No problem with deckchairs, they are very numerous. The structure is human-sized and practical. The bars are great and the waiters very friendly and amazingly fast, the drinks are fine. The pools are clean. Small downside: the lunch and evening catering that would need to be improved by its presentation that makes canteen (disappointing for a 5 star) and we constantly ate lukewarm. The room was spacious, in a quiet place and always well cleaned. You do not have slippers or individual toiletries in the room, only available 2 "rickshaws" of shampoo and liquid soap. We were about 2 h/2 h 30 from the sites to visit (Chichen Itza - Tulum - Coba...).
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
It is an excellent option for a quiet vacation, the location is perfect since the Playacar complex, in addition to being very beautiful, is quite safe (or at least that is what it conveys). The cleaning staff is excellent, the rooms are always impeccable, the minibars are on call, they are very kind and attentive people. The entertainment staff is also very well trained, they have experience and it shows, they are not annoying or cloying, they know who to talk to and make the odd joke, they give very good recommendations and consultations with the activities of the hotel and Playa del Carmen in general. The restaurants are good and varied, the best of the theme restaurants is the Japanese one (Xade) their sushi rolls and Niguiris are very good and fresh. The snack is excellent for what it is, a snack, quick, simple and quite delicious, especially to wash down the drinks. The only detail I could find is the attention of the bartenders, the preference in serving foreigners is very marked, perhaps it is something cultural but it is annoying when it happens a lot. The beach is the best thing about this hotel, its maintenance is perfect, every morning a tractor comes by to clean the sand and leave it soft, there is no sargassum in the sand or garbage. The hotel seems to take beach cleanliness very seriously and it is appreciated. I would definitely return.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We do not give a rating of 5* because of some small weak points but 4.5* We were two couples retreating from January 31 to February 7 Quick, courteous and friendly welcome at reception We were able to be located in neighboring rooms on the 2nd floor as desired, block #5 is quiet and well located far from the performance hall. For us it was perfect; housekeeping cleanliness never missing towels hot water as much as needed; fridge stocked every day with beers water liqueurs, very functional air conditioning (ask for an additional card to leave permanently for electricity); very suitable bedding, comfortable mattress. Four swimming pools; a family with romper and games next to it; a central one with pool bar (standing bars) for party-goers… and another quieter one for relaxing (less noisy) Deckchairs and towels galore. Attentive waiters wander around the pools and beach all day to offer you refreshments; special thanks to Sandos; Edgar and all the others :) Léo and his entertainment team :) offer several activities from morning to evening :)) Very beautiful beach, well cleaned every day, also little algae, palm trees and numerous deckchairs but be careful with lots of waves and sometimes strong. You can take long walks and also visit and dine at RIU Yucatan by the beach. We ate very well at the lunch buffet (Turquesa) near the swimming pools and in the evening (Palm) near the reception. The Traviata (Italian), The Jade (Asian buffet), The Mexican are very good and the Steak House EXCELENTEE everything is frankly delicious special thanks to Valentin, Mauricio, Luis for the excellent service and laughs :))))) and also Alfredo ;) The wine is very very decent and all the employees in the restaurants are helpful and courteous :) Important: no reservation is required for à la carte restaurants :) Lots of varied trees and therefore lots of birds. Small Agoutis (peaceful animals) live almost everywhere on the site, we saw only one coati.. Small resort 350 rooms and therefore from the beach to the reception less than 10 minutes walk, it's very practical :) The WIFi is very functional everywhere and even at the beach!! Opposite the hotel there is a small market to shop for lots of souvenirs and stroll along the avenue, it's very pleasant. The majority of people pay with US but many Americans pay with Mexican pesos.. The weak spots; The evening shows are very very ordinary.. Almost no one speaks French among the staff (in fact we encountered few Quebecers and a few more French people) Lack of shuttle service to go to the 5th.. The strong points: The kindness and courtesy of hard-working employees The cleanliness of the premises (toilets among others) The a la carte restaurants are all very good Very clean beach
This RIU lives up to our expectations because we know this channel well :) We recommend this hotel without hesitation! :) Happy Holidays !!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bloc #5 tranquille. Vue mer blocs 7 et 8
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.
I stayed at this property to celebrate my birthday in late February and it was an amazing experience. Every person on the staff I spoke to was always kind, helpful, courteous and smiling. The common areas are always clean and impeccable as well as the pools and pool bar. The animation is pleasant and never pressing, my boyfriend and I participated in several activities and we had a great time! We especially thank Jesus and April for the great yoga classes. During the morning there are several games on the beach and also several really beautiful shows (in our case we attended the Mariachi show and a pre-Hispanic Mayan show). we also participated in the foam party in the pool, super recommended. Every night there is a different show in the lobby and every Friday you can attend parties in the nearby resort (we can tequila) a few steps away. The week we stayed was scheduled for the White party and we had a great time. The room, was always impeccably clean and tidy and often the staff left us beautiful animals made with towels. The buffet food was always varied and really good and also the themed restaurants were really good. Also excellent is the small buffet on the beach for those who prefer not to miss even a second of sunshine or, like me, can not give up a bit of tortillas and guacamole as an aperitif. On my birthday, notifying the Asian restaurant in advance, I had not only the table decorations with balloons and special tablecloth, but also a fantastic birthday cake (I thank so much the staff who also sang me the song). The beach is magnificent, wide, equipped with lots of sunbeds so you always find a place to relax. The sea directly in front of the resort is an incredible blue. If during the night the sea brings a little sargasso to shore, they are all removed in the early hours of dawn making the beach always enchanting. Special mention also for Ivan, the photographer of the resort, who took magnificent photos to celebrate our engagement which took place right on the beach on the first day at dawn. We were also able to comfortably book some excursions directly to the hotel lobby (thank Alex who was super patient to explain everything in detail) that we loved. The resort is populated by cute animals! There is Valentin, a very nice monkey who every morning came to the buffet for breakfast to greet guests and eat a few pieces of fruit, there are also squirrels, coati, green parrots on the palm trees on the beach, possums and dasiproctids that run throughout the resort. On the last day, having the transfer to the airport at 6 pm, we were able to enjoy the whole day at the beach because courtesy showers are available that allow you to prepare even if you no longer have the room available. It was an unforgettable holiday and we highly recommend this resort, as always RIU is a guarantee.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
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Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
The hotel was amazing. All the facilities you could want, the rooms were very spacious and comfortable, and cleaned and changed every day. The hotel is kept very smart and cleaned daily, even the paths and pool areas are washed and dried before most guests were awake. The food was always tasty and beautiful, and you could have as much as you wanted, yet I did not really see anyone taking and leaving a lot of food. The staff were very attentive and friendly and could not do enough for you. Drinks were on constant supply, even to the point of having 4 optics in your room, and a fridge full of other drinks, with plenty of bottled water supplied. My husband used the gym every morning for his cycle ride, and there was a small gift shop and a spa. There was a Buffet with an incredible range of food, an Italian restaurant, Asian, Steak/ Mexican and a lunchtime snack bar by the pools, along with the swimup bar. You can eat in any of the restaurants at night, and are not limited. I would not hesitate to return to this first class hotel. The hotel was on a private area on the edge of Playa del Carmen, called Playacar, it was gated with guards, and the only people allowed in were guests of the hotels, workers, or they owned one of the beautiful properties. There was also a golf club in the centre of the circular road, the area was very safe to walk around day or night, and one entrance was straight into the end of 5th Avenue, where all the bars and shops were, and right by the ferry over to Cozumel.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
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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.
Arrived around 5.45pm after a long flight to cool well staffed reception area Nice cool welcome drinks fast check in given room 62222 2nd floor block 6 Of 8 Our friends given 6221 next door which was great ..but at our age would have preferred ground floor as no lifts ..not easy with baggage
Room was spotless bright airey Good air con additional fan over bed fully stocked fridge water beers cola plus optics rum vodka etc Large comfy bed loads of space table chars etc plenty storage and a very useful brolly......
I won't go into details on where to dine as many reviews cover this Other than the Staff ..who are all really good very helpful cheerful Who appreciate small tips of 20 or 50 pesos in dining areas and bars Certainly gets you noticed in very busy bars Food....fantastic ...Great choices daily so yeah 5 star buffet Italian restaurant ten star fabulous Food Great service went twice
1 star steakhouse ..poor staff and the meals were very disappointing Steak was very very fatty not hot Four of us returned plateful of leftovers no one asked us why
Pool areas very busy swim up bar was appalling too many people loud music very unhygienic Main pool very nice .but too close to extremely loud music
Beach kept very clean always plenty of beds up to around 9am Towels can be exchanged daily
SMOKING .....this is an area that hotel management Must get to grips with There are smoking areas BUT MANY guests were smoking in public areas which is not healthy for the Majority Of other guests
Special mention to our lovely room maid Natalie who kept us topped up and the room spotless every day A new towel animal placed daily also flowers ..
Only other issue was no air con bars Fans just don't help high humidity So sweaty cloths each evening ..perhaps a nudist bar would work ..ha ha
So having had two stays at the Riu Palace for comparison ..it still edges the Playacar ..mainly on air conditioning in bars and far better steakhouse....and quiet areas but obviously you will pay more for the palace
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Block 7 near the pools noisy
Get up early for pool zone beds
Be prepared for very warm bar areas...
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 Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Playacar
Responded Oct 14, 2024
Dear CBOYLE586, Thank you so much for your review! It was a pleasure to have you with us. We are happy to know how much you enjoyed your stay, in the Hotel Riu Playacar. It is our hope to be able to welcome you back for many stays to come! Best wishes, Hotel Riu Playacar Online Reputation Manager
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This didn’t warrant a five star status. Missing pool tiles, cracked hand basins. Beach area is lovely with a clear turquoise sea and golden/white sand. Forget about the speciality restaurants as the buffet restaurant caters for all tastes and is far superior to the Italian, Asian, Mexican and steakhouse restaurants and the staff there are better too. Daytime entertainment down by the pool/ beach area is good and the staff encourage everyone to join in. Evening entertainment is awful with some paid singers that can’t sing!! Several issues with room including a safe that we couldn’t open two nights in a row, a door that wouldn’t close or lock so we had to wait for maintenance before we could go to bed and key cards that failed on an almost daily basis. Plenty of sun Loungers by pool and on the beach so no struggle there. Grounds are generally clean and tidy but not luxurious. Four star maximum is how I would rate this hotel. Improvements needed in order to live up to a five star status. Very cute wildlife including iguanas and agoutis. No aircon in public areas.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:If you’re used to luxury this is not
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 Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Playacar
Responded Jun 12, 2024
Dear J P, Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. We are very happy to hear that we were able to provide you with a comfortable and memorable experience. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, and we look forward to welcoming you again on your next visit to our area. Best Regards, Hotel Riu Playacar Online Reputation Manager
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So firstly we didn’t have any huge delays in the airport despite what we previously read, the transfer was fine and didn’t take to long.
We arrived at the hotel it was clean and modern, check in process was easy.
We got to our room it was clean and spacious, the shower didn’t have a main door only a frosted glass door ok for a couple but offers no privacy if travelling with children, teenagers or friends.
The room was cleaned daily and can not fault the maids.
The mini bar was stocked regularly.
The aircon was loud and didn’t go below 23 however it was still cooler than outside the ceiling fan didn’t work either.
The food was boring and very repetitive most resorts have some form of rotation but it was the same every day, breakfast was good, lunch really poor and dinner there was something to eat but not fantastic choices.
The beach was beautiful watching the sunrise at 6am was stunning and would highly recommend.
The evening entertainment was horrendous, they tried but it really was poor. You can use the other hotels if you wish it may have been better.
The swim up bar the same adults were sat in it all day everyday without moving once - not sure how much pool water there is vs pee.
The pool areas are clean plenty of sun beds and shade activities going on through the day generally not to bad.
I was expecting a luxury holiday but I did describe this as just an expensive Benidorm other than the beaches it was the same atmosphere.
We booked some activities through Martin homys tours and could no fault in the slightest competitive pricing, extremely helpful, excellent service, private transfers etc. would 100% recommend.
Taxis are easy to use we went to Walmart and 5th avenue and it was absolutely fine felt perfectly safe. 5th avenue is your typical holiday venue lots of vendors trying to get you in their shops etc but a no Thankyou and keep walking works just fine. Don’t be surprised what they openly offer you. We has good out several days and the local food really is amazing and worth the trip off the resort.
The shopping plaza opposite the hotel is a complete rip off get a taxi to 5th avenue and you will pay less than half price even with paying for a taxi.
We had a nice holiday but wouldn’t go back.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Playacar
Responded Jun 13, 2024
Dear Hannahmarie89, We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us understand which aspects we can focus on and improve. As service is our absolute key value, we are sorry to read that you feel we did not get everything right. In regards to our food offer, it is unfortunate to learn, that regardless our chefs’ efforts, we could not meet your taste. In order to fulfil every guest expectations regarding food, our main buffet and theme restaurants offer a great selection of exquisitely presented local and international dishes which are prepared daily with the utmost care and using fresh ingredients. We regret that we failed to live up to your wishes and we do check daily our food offer, combining quality and variety catering for all tastes. We will be following this up further. Best Regards, Hotel Riu Playacar Online Reputation Manager
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All drinks and cocktails are included. I do not recall any cooking on the beach, but there are waiters that come out to the beach and bring drinks. There are entertainment shows daily (also included) and pool activities (exercise and foam parties) almost every day. The only thing I paid was tips.
There are more places to choose from in the Playa del Carmen area.
PRICE RANGE
C$372 - C$523 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
riu playacar hotel playa del carmen, riu playacar playa del carmen, riu playacar reviews, playacar hotels, riu playacar mexico
LOCATION
MexicoYucatan PeninsulaQuintana RooRiviera MayaPlaya del Carmen
NUMBER OF ROOMS
396
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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