Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico

My wife and i were just there March 22-29, sunday to sunday. Just a quick week away to recharge a bit. We go down to MX 2-3 times a year, but had been a while since in this area. We were here at the RPP prior to the reno's and def wanted to check it out since, and sure glad we did...what a great renovation and definitely a major upgrade. Walking in, the lobby is a beautiful as ever, and the reno'd lobby bar, though pretty simple, was really nice to have as a meeting spot prior to dinner or heading into town. Cappuchino coffee bar also very nicely updated and has some nice snack options...iced mocha coffee was delightful. Our room was 3073. When checking in we were told we were being given a partial ocean view upgrade. What we got was a room overlooking the new condo construction site next door, and yes you could see the ocean. The noise from the construction started pretty early each morning, but really it wasnt as bad as youd expect. We dont hang out in the room or on the balcony too much, so wasnt a huge concern.....just dont think i would label it as an 'upgrade' lol. I would say the resort was at about 60-70% capacity during our stay. We are used to getting up early to go get the 'good' seats around the pools, but we never found this to be the case this trip. always loungers available as long as you were down by 9am-ish, after that it started to fill up. One thing should be noted, and seen in other reviews, is the slippery tiles around the pools. They were doing a foam party thing on our first full day, and we were just standing watching, and one of the big beach balls came out of the pool....i went to give it a light kick back and ended up going for quite the slip and fall. landed on my upper back/neck/shoulders and hit my head really hard. my glasses and hat went flying about 20ft. not only painful but also a terrible start to our trip. they gave me a bag of ice for my head and ended up with a mild concussion for two days (dizzy, nausea, huge goose-egg, and what i would call mild whiplash in the back and neck...still not 100% back to normal and been two weeks almost). anyway, we said we'd make the best of the rest of our trip and we did, and here's what helped make it great: ROOM - clean, nice walk in shower, smart tv for those that require such. beds were quite soft/fluffy, and not a huge fan (prefer firm) but still very nice. pillows were decent but again quite soft. a/c worked well in conjunction with the ceiling fan. housekeeping did a great job, no complaints there. FOOD - Main Buffet - we went for breakfast and a dinner or two. always good. lots of fresh fruit and juices and the like. carving station rotates daily for dinner. nice for lunch also but found we may over eat a bit for lunch lol. either way everything was always quite good and no complaints, service very good also. STEAKHOUSE - we went once, no problem getting seated. wife had the surf and turf and said her steak was a bit overdone. i had the lobster tail, and it was huge. caribbean of course, and too much for me to finish. still a great meal. service was decent but not as good as we'd received at other a-la-cartes. KRYSTAL - the gourmet restaurant of the resort, and service and food were very good as expected. MEXICAN - again, really good food and service. wasnt as hungry that evening so i had the posole and was very good. we did NOT try the italian or the asian, but everyone we talked to said they were also quite good. and of course mid-day you have Pepe's and Tiki taco if you want a lighter bite around the pools without having to go sit inside...really good wings and ribs (and burgers and tacos and everything else). SPORTS BAR: this was a major part of the reno. real seating, real service, and real food...none of the prewrapped sandwiches and burgers of the past that youd have to microwave. def recommend the shrimp tacos, wings, mac-n-cheese, cobb salad to share....really nice and casual if coming from the pool and you can sit inside or outside (nice AC if you sit inside, and a great view if you sat outside) BAR SERVICE - always very good....interactive staff and decent drinks. one thing i truly found appealing was their beer selection....all the bars offered canned or bottled Tecate Lite or Coors Light.....a real nice break from the typical draft Dos Equis (not a fan, yuck). Beach was beautiful as always, great for long walks and getting some steps in. Go left and you can check out the RIU's down the beach...Jalisco and Vallarta (and we've been to those ones also over the years)....do a walk around, grab a pop for walking back. Go right and you can walk to Bucerias and get your steps. evening entertainment was pretty typical AI.....music themed shows and of course an MJ show. theatre is open air, and they really need to get the big fans moving sooner than later as gets pretty hot/humid. service in all aspects was very good. grounds were clean and felt safe, never any issues with theft whether in the room or by pools. did an afternoon/early evening with another couple in Bucerias (also where our rescue doggo is from)....great way to get off resort for a while, check out the flea market, lots of bars and restaurants (see separate reviews for Mariscos El Payo and Yo Yo Mo's) Clientele was quite the mix....lots of fellow Canadians, quite a few Americans, some locals/nationals....not as much European folks as we've met previously. Most people were quite respectful and having fun without overdoing it, though there were a few that seemed to be on a mission to drink the place dry lol....what did irk me a bit was the amount of people more concerned about taking selfies and never putting their phones down and actually enjoying their vacation....one case in point, in the mexican restaurant, one woman had her phone in her hand the entire time including getting her appetizers and whatnot....she was clumsy and dropped an entire plate of food all over herself and the floor in front of the appetizers and just laughed and kept filming herself while watching staff clean up after her. no apology to staff, just obnoxiously laughing and very ignorant and self-absorbed and walked thru the mess she created. if you want souveniers and the like, theres lots of options in Bucerias at the flea market (i got a decent hat for $13 CDN equiv). at the same time, if you head across the street and walk about 15-20mins, you can go to the La Comer and the Mega...both are like big grocery stores back home (think Superstore if youre CDN). i loaded up on coffee and oaxaca cheese to take home, and much more reasonable and greater variety. well, there is probably 100 things i'm forgetting, but at the end of the day we had a great trip, with great weather and a very nice resort. i can very easily recommend for location, quality of food and top notch service. yes, all these AI type resorts have their share of ups and downs, but focus on the good, be a bit flexible on the not so good, and certain youll have a great time. i can definitely see us going back and highly recommend this resort.

Our last trip was to this resort, and we absolutely loved it. It was the best resort we had ever been to. My son and his wife also chose it for their honeymoon, and they loved it just as much. It’s smaller than many other resorts, but that’s part of its charm — the quality was excellent. The à‑la‑carte restaurants were genuinely different from the main buffet, which was a first for us. Usually, the food is the same as the buffet, just plated nicely, but here it truly felt like a separate dining experience. We also had full access to the two neighbouring Riu resorts, so technically it was a 3‑in‑1 experience. But after visiting one of them, we decided not to bother with the remaining two since this one was higher‑ranked and clearly the best. It’s also located in the gated resort section of Nuevo Vallarta (Nuevo Nayarit), which made the whole area feel very safe and private. I’m not sure if the entire city is gated or just that part, but the resort itself is definitely within a secured zone.

Wonderful resort! The room was very spacious and clean! The beds are very soft! Food was amazing especially at the steak house! We ate lobster! No reservations, so first come first serve - recommend going 20 minutes early! We also loved the Mexican Restaurant and Krystal Restaurant! The beach is one of the best I've ever visited! We walked 8 miles to the pier and back. We saw a sea snake, an eagle ray, an eel, several puffer fish and lots of other fish.

Just got back from another amazing experience at the RIU Palace Pacifico. Although they are not likely near last year's capacity, things are as normal for the guests as they were last year. Steakhouse was open 5 of the 7 days we were there. The other restaurants were open on alternating schedules as I would have expected. All of the food and drinks were excellent. The bartenders were accommodating to any special requests. It was fun to see what other guests were having and to copy them if it sounded good. Favorite bar was the lobby, especially in the afternoon when it was calm. Cleaning is definitely nonstop. There is someone constantly mopping up any wet tracks from the pool area to keep guests from slipping, but you do need to be careful in the pool area as it tends to be slippery. The rooms and beds were comfortable with a well-stocked refrigerator. Every day the room was cleaned and organized. The refrigerator was restocked daily as needed. The maid would turn down the bed before the evening which was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. I understand some of the disappointment for travelers shortly after the incidents in February. But we need to understand that they were making adjustments for all of the people who decided to cancel their vacations, not knowing exactly when it would return to normal. I never felt unsafe anywhere. We walked the beach daily in both directions and saw nothing but happy people on vacation. The beach area is clean with a few vendors, but they are pleasant not relentless. The beach had a yellow and purple flag each day as there are waves, current and some sort of rays in the water. But I never saw anyone having a problem. This is our second time here and we plan on returning next year. Being an adult's only hotel is a plus for us. The mix is guests from their 20's to their 80's and everyone seems to be respectful. The staff does have someone constantly watching the swim up bar to make sure everyone is safe. Favorite restaurant was the steakhouse but be ready for a lot of food. We had steak and lobster one night and it was awesome. There is a different theme at the buffet each evening. I believe it was the Latin seafood night when there were three kinds of shrimp, huge crab legs, ribeye steaks, much more!

Amazing resort. Great for relaxing. Nice and quiet Close to the airport, but depending on traffic the time can vary. This was the first resort we've been to where the lobby and access to the rooms was all indoors. Which was fine, but it did mean if you had to walk through the lobby area to get to your room. The elevators were a bit small and slow. Also because its all indoors, they had the AC cranked. If you were wet walking from the pool to your room, it was a chilly walk. But because it was so cold in the hallways, we turned off the ac in the room and it was so comfortable. Food - the food was fantastic. it was first come first serve. the only time we had a wait was for the steak restaurant. We had to eat at 830pm. but another day we walked right in around 6pm, so it all depends. that was the busiest of the restaurants and the steak was amazing. For lunch we would just snack from the snack bar by the pool. The would also go the extra mile and have special snacks and treats. one day they had some walking tacos, and ice cream and popsicles. The buffet also did theme nights which added more variety. but everything was so good. bars- the bartenders were very quick. lots of alcohol to choose from. I do wish they had a better drink menu. I ordered an amaretto sour and it was orange pop with amaretto. But most of the other drinks were really good. they also had a drink cart in the lobby that would do 2-3 special drinks each night. there are 3 pools, one big pool that is very quiet. a smaller pool with a swim up bar and tables and benches in it. and another small pool where the activities would happened. The ground around the pools is tiles. which is so slippery. Quite a few people had some hard falls because of it. It was a poor design, but they were always trying to mop it up and kept it dry. The beach is great and very swimmable. No seaweed and the water was very warm. There is a little area on the beach near the volleyball court where you could buy some sunglasses and stuff. we found the prices were comparable to in the downtown markets. from the resort its about a 30 min walk to the outside of Bucerias. we walked along the beach which was an easy walk, there is a path close by as well. the town is very walkable, lots of little coffee shops and nice restaurants. Lots of condos being built and even some canadian owned businesses. There is a market for souvenirs as well. its pretty big. We didn't find them too pushy. Definitely the place to go for souvenirs. From the resort we took an uber to the Malecon. it was in the morning around 730am and we paid just under 400 pesos/ 30 cad, and it took about 35 mins as there wasnt too much traffic. The downtown PV is definitely worth the visit just to walk around. The guys on the malecon can feel a little pushy but just politely say no thanks and usually they leave you alone. Lots of english speaking people walking everywhere, but even most of the locals speak english incase you need directions or if you go into any of the stores. On the way back we stopped at the marina. they had an night(evening) market on thursdays. The main PV marina is nice, but unless you plan on going for dinner, or have a boat tour it can be skipped. You're not missing out on anything. the shows at night were good, similar to most resort shows. Its something to do at night. most people hung out in the lobby area in the evenings, or in the sports bar. overall a very relaxing place to spend time and eat great food. I believe you have access to the other two riu resorts, they are about a 10-15 min walk down the beach. one was being renovated. but this was the best of the 3, so didn't see the point of checking them out.

Umbrella Man USA Here. As in the past, I don't like to give flashy reviews for they fall short of travelers expectations. From the time of arrival with 46 of us, through checking in to getting to our rooms shortly after things were looking up. The Resort and ALL employees, from Buffet to specialty Restraunts were Polite and made the dinning experience Excellent. All the bars, swim area, towel personal to the constant cleaning of areas Bathrooms and grounds. I would like to Thank some of the workers that were in the areas that I enjoyed with friends the most. MIRELLA TOWELS JULIA also, ANDIA FRONT desk MIGUEL ALSO. LUISA the Steak house, Silvester pool Security and all the other workers so many to mention that excelled at making our Stay excellent. Also would Like to THANK Mr. SANTIAGO for our STAY ended with the Uprising by Persons not representing the normal community in Puerto Vallarta.

Grounds and Room: The Palace continues to be friendly property for seniors because of its smaller size is and beautiful grounds. Every square inch is impeccably kept, inside and out. For those who are smokers there were still a couple of small places left to smoke on the property plus corners of the beach. The beach is good, and the waves are relatively calm most days. but keep in mind when the ocean is mostly empty, there is usually a good reason. One of the younger and fit guys we went with got pounded by a set of waves that kept him out of commission for a few days as well as giving him sand / road rash on his face. There are 3 pools on property. The pool area is physically divided into 2 by a structure that incorporates a swim-up bar and activity pool on one side, and a large quiet pool, walk-up bar, and snack-bar / seating area. The food area that has taco station every day, along with burgers, hot dogs and fries, plus they add 3-4 other items each day on a rotating basis. The are overwhelmingly seniors, and looking for a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. (Three times during our visit, groups brought speakers to play their own music loudly and did ruin it for the others but they clearly didn't care. Overall the staff are good at telling people no music at all, and to go to the swim-up pool if they want to party.) The rooms are bright and very nice along with air conditioning, ceiling fan, and mini-bar. Housekeeping was usually done by 1:00 pm most days and the room spotless. The bathroom is bright, with a roomy walk-in shower. TV selection was standard fare with a few English-speaking channels. Nice balcony with 2 good chairs and a table. Food & Beverage: The buffet restaurant has a great food selection and all of it is excellent quality. You can always find something to eat in the buffet. If you can’t find enough to build a meal no matter when you go, then you’re just being too picky, or just looking to find an issue to gripe about. Each of the a-la-carte restaurants had good food and are very nicely designed. There is a wide selection of restaurant options including: Steakhouse, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Fusion, and a small restaurant for Elite Level guests only. The Sports Bar offers a much better range of food than the typical sports bar fare and is also very nice inside. All of the restaurants are first-come, first-serve basis, and offering beepers if you get there when full. The Steakhouse is by far the most popular, so arrive early if you want to eat early. (Note – at all the restaurants, you MUST have all your guests with you to be seated, otherwise you won’t get in. while it did happen a coupe times, we rarely saw the jerk move of 1 person holding a spot in line for 3 or 4 others to show up later.) The lobby is also the destination for drinks with a coffee bar that makes both hot and cold drinks and has small pastries and sandwiches for a quick bite on the go. The lobby also has the main bar for both regular guests and an enclosed separate bar for Elite class guests. almost every night there is also a special drink cart that offers different concoctions each evening. Staff: Without doubt, the staff is what makes all Riu trips so amazing. Without them, a hotel is just a hotel. Aside from food and beverage staff, every single staff member we encountered was quick to smile and say “Hola” when passing including grounds crew, housekeeping and maintenance personnel. We always acknowledge the outstanding people who make our trips great, so once again we really hope the hotel itself, and the Riu organization will recognize with the following Staff members: New General Manager David has been with Riu many years and transferred over from the Vallarta in 2025. David is very nice and continues to set an excellent example for the other Palace staff just as he he did at he Vallarta when we first met him years ago. The front desk team holds a very special place in our hearts and Manager Gabriel is without doubt one of our very favourite members of the Riu team. Gabriel is both extremely professional and very friendly, and he is always keen to ensure everything is perfect for us from check-in to check-out. Gabriel is always quick to come over and say hello even if we are just coming to the counter to get change, so he can ensure alll is well. The Riu is very lucky to have this fine gentleman, and we hope to see him on all our future visits. Luz, Sandra, Dennise, and Gabby, round out this kind, friendly and amazing team of professionals. We consider each of them a friend, not a staff member. We’d also like acknowledge the Bellmen Gerardo and Eduardo. Hard working gents always ready with a handshake, smile and a quick conversation if they are not too busy. Elite Beach Bar - Lalo and Polo Pool / Beach Servers – Adrianna, Ana, and Mirabel. Pool Bartenders – Reuben, Mini Mi, and Wilbur. Buffet server – Lucy and Paolo Lobby Bar - Nelson and Caesar / Elite Bar – Ervin and Luigi Coffee Bar - Kristel to close this review, we can't stress enough that this property has an older crowd who are very clearly not interested in hearing any loud obnoxious conversations, swearing, yelling, conversations from your phone's speaker, or music from personal speakers. Don’t be entitled jerks and wreck it for others also on vacation.

This was our 2nd time at this beautiful resort and we cannot wait to return! We loved every moment and do not have one complaint! The staff are extraordinary, the attention to hospitality and cleanliness is outstanding of this world! Special mention for Samael and Dalila who we so enjoyed being greeted by and cared for every morning for breakfast! The food was delicious! We loved having the Cobb Salad and Shrimp tacos at the American sports s bar enjoying the view of the ocean from the deck. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals at La Toscano (Italian), Guacamole (Mexican) and the Steak House - so much that we went twice to each. The aqua size, the nightly entertainment and the virgin pina coladas for me = delightful!! So looking forward to our return!!

First off, in March 2026 PVR is very safe and there are no lingering issues related to El Mencho, but this has really impacted tourism in the area. Overall we had a really nice stay at the Riu Palace Pacifico. This class of Riu allows you access to the neighboring property (Riu Jalisco) which is nice because this property is not very large. This side is an adults only resort and draws an older crowd which is nice for a more quiet, upscale experience. The hotel itself is very beautiful and very well maintained. It was incredibly clean throughout. Quite possibly the cleanest property I’ve ever been to. Very Art deco style and a lot of open spaces. We were really surprised that everything closed so early. Restaurants complete dinner service by 9:30, so for those on Pacific time, you need to be at dinner by 6:30 your time to have full time for a meal. They weren’t able to accommodate our group of 7 at the steakhouse, so we had to do the Italian restaurant because they only have a few restaurants open at a time. The food was decent for this level of all inclusive. As a note for vegans, I was able to find options here-and-there but after more the two days you may feel disappointed. I’ve eaten a ton of Beyond Burgers, which I appreciate they have, but you can only eat so many. You can ask at breakfast for a tofu scramble with silken tofu and they have soy/almond milk for cereal. They have a ton of pool areas and ample seating with lots of shade. You do need to use towel cards, which I find inconvenient. There is no designated bathroom for the pool which is strange. The swim up bar is nice and service at the pool is quick and consistent. The drinks were pretty good with mid-tier alcohol unless you upgrade to the Elite Club where they have Grey Goose and other comparable liquors. The property only has two bathrooms; one behind reception and one below ground near the pools and restaurants. This means you can be dressed nice for dinner sharing a bathroom with all the pool goers with wet bathing suits. It diminishes the experience a bit. The Elite Club has its own lounge, restaurant, and beach cabana area. It’s nice if your whole party upgrades, but they are strict about not allowing anyone without the wrist band in. When we arrived we had a nice bag, a tumbler, and a bottle of sparkling rose. Our room had really nice views of the full property and the ocean with a balcony for watching sunsets or having morning coffee. Standards rooms have a collection of liquors in the room and beers and sodas in the mini bar. Elite Club rooms are larger with better views and have upgraded liquors with some snacks (trail mix, pringles, and a Kit Kat). The double beds are comfortable, however the king beds are incredibly soft and you sink in like you’re being sandwiched which was uncomfortable for most of our party. The spa was very easy to get into and our services were really relaxing. The spa is basic with a steam room and a whirlpool. We got an 80-minute treatment and had a 25% discount making it really affordable. The activities staff were great and got people involved … lots of water aerobics and water volleyball attendees. We really loved the Tibetan singing bowl meditation by the beach!

We went to this Resort for our wedding. The timing of our trip turned out to be very unfortunate since we went 4 days after the drug cartel incident. However, even given this situation, we felt very safe and protected on the resort. The resort was only about 25% full so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, our room and the rest of the resort was very clean, the views were great, and the service was outstanding. The food was very good but not amazing. Some of the restaurants were closed throughout the week because of the incident from a few days before but we had no trouble getting into each of the restaurants. Our favorite was the steak restaurant where the service was outstanding and the stakes and other dishes we're very good. There are three pools with one of them having a swim up bar. Some of the best food was cooked on the outside grill near the pool. The food at the sports bar was also very tasty. One negative about our room is that we upgraded to an Oceanfront room and The View was somewhat obstructed by the roof overhang of the floor below us. This was the case for most of the ocean front rooms and I wish they had designed the hotel with narrower rooftops on the floors below. The view is still amazing but was just somewhat blocked by the roof. We will definitely consider going back to this Resort and I highly recommend it.

- Check In was a breeze. Rooms were not ready but enjoyed beverages while waiting for room which did not take long. (Junior Suite Partial Oceanview) - We were travelling with another couple and had requested rooms close together. Request was granted - Large Clean Room on 4th floor – large bathroom, dressing area and a sitting area with couch and table - Our room had good views of the ocean when on the deck. Looked down on the main walkway of Resort - Maid service – room cleaned each day and fridge refilled - Felt it was time to replace the mattress in our room as it had definite sags in the mattress - #4024 - Buffet – good variety each day – lots of fruit available all day - Buffet was decorated lovely for Valentines Day - A la Cartes – Enjoyed all of them – Asian, Steak House and Italian being the favorites – no need for reservations (the best!) - Steak House was a little difficult to get into as it filled fast but enjoyed the lobster offered - Dress code for A la Cartes was comfortable – No need for long pants and shoes for the men - Enjoyed the pools and the beach equally but beach was a little breezy (Our weather was fantastic) - Bar Service at the pool was a little sparse – (made no difference if we tipped or not) Found it was easier to just go the bar and get our own drinks sometimes - Lots of sun and shade at pools - Snack Bar at pool was good - Riu Entertainers were not real inviting to join activities. We had to keep track of the activities on the RIU App or we would miss an activity we wanted to join - Pool Towels were accessible all day long - Valentines Photo Booth was fun – and giving out Roses was very thoughtful - Bar Service at the Lobby Bar was good – enjoyed Lobby Bar before dinner – Kristel took very good care of us - “Drink of the Day” bartenders were also great - Nightly entertainment was good – great dancers and variety – especially enjoyed the “Silent Disco” and the “Michael Jackson” show - Was a little disappointed with the Sports Bar. No grab and go food available. Had to order off a menu and could not take out - Wanted to play pool in the Sports Bar one evening but the bartender did not have tokens for the pool table. Had to search out change (in the lobby) in order to play. - Not a large resort area. If you wanted to walk you had to go outside of the resort - Walked to the other nearby RIU’s many times - Could walk miles along the beach - About a 20 – 30 minute walk to Bucerias – on walkway or beach - Confectionary and Pharmacy stores just outside of resort - Found the overall resort and grounds to be very clean - Attended RIU Party at the nearby RIU resort - Communication was a bit of a problem sometimes as we speak English - Enjoyed our stay and would recommend - Felt the resort needed more bathrooms – Bathrooms were located under the Buffet/Lobby/Beach. Need a bathroom in the Sports Bar/Entertainment Building. Presently a very long walk to a bathroom. - Average age of guests was probably 50-60 years of age - Excursions – did City Tour which included the Boardwalk and Rhythms of the Night Dinner Show NOTE TO RIU PALACE PACIFICO: Enjoyed our stay February 1 – 15, 2026. Just a note for the wellness of the employees. “Drink of the Day” cart. Exceptional bartenders but feel the hotel needs to provide a Fatigue Mat for the bartenders to stand on during their shift. They have to stand in one spot for a great length of time. One evening we were sitting in the lobby and noticed the bartender was having leg pain. He kept bending his legs and could see the pain in his eyes. Please provide these bartenders a Fatigue Mat to stand on. Something very easy to fix for the wellness of these employees

Enjoyed our stay February 1 – 15, 2026. Just a note for the wellness of the employees. “Drink of the Day” cart. Exceptional bartenders but feel the hotel needs to provide a Fatigue Mat for the bartenders to stand on during their shift. They have to stand in one spot for a great length of time. One evening we were sitting in the lobby and noticed the bartender was having leg pain. He kept bending his legs and could see the pain in his eyes. Please provide these bartenders a Fatigue Mat to stand on. Something very easy to fix for the wellness of these employees.

We booked Playacar after finding out that our go-to Riviera Maya Palace / RMP did not have availability for our week. My husband and I were bringing our son and daughter in law for her 30th birthday. We all loved the layout of Playacar! The adult-only swim up bar infinity pool was in the sun all day and even though the water was cold, it was popular with the guests and we could always find a place to sit. Our room 6201 was perfect! 2nd floor with no one above us and we were on the corner. From the balcony we could see the ocean. We were close to the beach and not far from the lobby. Oscar who cleaned our room daily was friendly, thorough and left us the most delightful towel animals. It had a wonderful walk in shower (RMP had a tub, which we didn't miss). The walkable beach is stunning and the aqua blue water is beautiful! We would spend 2+ hours a day in the water bobbing around watching the fish swim by us. The weather in February was perfect, every.single.day.. Bars, buffets and restaurants were great, Italian ended up being our favorite. RMP has lobster at the steakhouse and we missed that. The only premium vodka was Smirnoff. RMP had a variety of flavored Absolute Vodkas. The Friday night Neon Party fell on our daughter in law's birthday, it was amazing!! Don't miss this, even if you go early and leave after a bit, still go! The free airport shuttle with Destination Services was terrible. After we arrived at Cancun Airport, the DS Rep played games with us regarding taxi rates $120, then $80, after 30 minutes of us refusing he said he could get us a shuttle if we gave him a tip? Then at the hotel we got a call in our room the first morning to come down right away to get our return shuttle voucher, which turned out to be a sales pitch for excursions, then told to come back the day before we leave to pick up the voucher. When we returned the day before we left she barked our pick up time at us which was 5 hours before our plane took off. Considering the travel time to the airport is 1 hour and the check in to gate takes about 20 mins we opted for a private transfer that picked us up at 3pm in lieu of noon. Rather spend our last few hours at the beach than 4 hours at the airport that doesn't have drinking water (only bottled for $5usd). We still made it to the airport 2.5 hours prior to our flight. We preferred the Playacar over RMP and RMP is usually about $600usd per week MORE than Playacar.

What a great time ! Gail at the specialty drink station was extremely friendly and always saying hi even when not at his station . Cesar and Luigi at the lobby bar were made a stay very enjoyable ( always had big smiles ) Maribel at the swim up bar was the fastest server I have ever seen . Amazing person. Janet at the buffet was absolutely amazing always asked how our previous day was and what plans we had for the day were . She has been there for 17 years and everyone we talked to that sat in her section said she was incredible. The food was spectacular especially Krystal and Guacamole. The beach was incredible. We did a swim with wild dolphins. Saw around 40 plus at least 15-20 humpback whales including a few baby whales.

We spent another delightful week at the RPP in early February. It has been renovated in recent years, is located on a wonderful beach, provides many varied drinking/dining options, is staffed by friendly professional folks, and is kept scrupulously clean and well maintained. Thanks to the Elite Club our room was centrally placed on the top floor, away from some of the ground-level noise and with a first-class view of the bay (and playing whales). As usual we sampled a number of the drinking and dining options - with our favorites being the Elite Club lounge, Elite Club beach service, Krystal restaurant, Elite Club restaurant, and La Peninsula for breakfast and lunch. We are "beach people" rather than "pool people" so we enjoyed the Bali beds in the Elite Club beach area for the extra shade and quieter location. (They are also closer to the $35 beach massage parlors.) We are not big entertainment folks so the most we can comment on the entertainment (RIU Party) offerings were that they were loud. Many staff are consistent from year to year and provide excellent service - provided you do some tipping. As you may have guessed, we are fond of the extra pampering we get due to the added cost of the Elite Club. A few suggestions for RPP management: 1) Provide more than one Elite Club desk clerk to expedite check-ins when several EC guests arrive at the same time. If regular guests have multiple staff to check them in after a long day of travel, why do you "penalize" Elite Club guests by making them wait?; 2) Just as the Elite Club offers some premium liquors, why can't there be some higher quality wines offered to Elite Club guests? And perhaps some anejo tequila?; 3) The resort provides minimal "rules" for guests. So please enforce those rules that do exist - enforce the dress code for ala-carte restaurants; keep wet bathing suits off of the lobby upholstered furniture; keep outside vendors off of the private section of the beach.

This is our second visit to this location and on both trips we’ve met the kindest folks and eaten WAY too much delicious food! I love to practice my Spanish and most employees (who speak English far better than I speak Español) were so patient and cheerful taking the time to help me. Judith who works the dining area near Daiquiri was especially friendly and attentive. She stopped by regularly both to take care of us and give me some of her valuable time to help me practice. I really hope that I get to see her again on a future visit to Riu! If you visit be sure you also try one of the morning RiuFit classes, then in the evening enjoy the complimentary freshly crafted artisan cocktails available in the the lobby. All the staff we encountered here were just lovely to chat with and I look forward to returning in the future.

We spent 16 days in total inclusion — wonderful people, delicious food, and endless fun. We have been coming to the Riu Palace Pacifico for many years, and each year is even better than the last. The senior staff, front desk team, and all the employees go above and beyond to accommodate every guest’s needs. The ELITE CLUB is a unique experience that we highly recommend. Coming to the Riu Palace Pacifico feels like coming home — actually, even better, because it’s all-inclusive. You simply relax at the beach or by the pools without a worry. The food is amazing: fresh, varied, and beautifully prepared — from breakfast to lunch to dinner. And we can’t forget the specialty restaurants, where you can savor different cultural dishes. Sixteen days felt perfect… and next year, we may stay even longer! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!!!

We stayed in room 7076. This faces south and is considered partial ocean view. There is construction going on below, but it is really only noticeable when on the balcony. The food was very good everywhere. We did not make it to the steakhouse or the fancy restaurant due to lines and preference. Julian at the breakfast buffet was fun each morning. They threw a nice superbowl party. The pools were good sizes and nice temperature. The larger one to the south has a ramp into the water. Room for improvement: Bathroom access requires a trip down stairs to the beach and down more stairs under the pool deck or back to the main building. This also requires stairs or trip down a ramp. The deck is also quite slippery, but staff are continually working on that with mops and squeegees. There were some falls. Overall it was great and we would be happy to go back.

This was our second time at the Riu PP. Very happy with cleanliness of room and across hotel. Food and food selection was pretty good for all inclusive dining. As my wife took exercise classes every day this was huge for her and she was very happy (thank you Jasmine!!). It’s often times the little extras and stand out service that makes the experience- the evening bar cart, Louisa at the steak restaurant, everyone at the front desk, etc. Evening entertainment varied (silent disco was fun) but hopefully they will mix it up a bit, particularly for those who return and enjoy seeing something new.

Excellent service from arrival to departure. Rooms, property in general, pools and dining options terrific. First time to PV area and a RIU property. Will definitely return. -met by Gerardo upon arrival and connected with him almost daily. Incredibly friendly and helpful. -Janet in La Peninsula was a daily excellent ambassador for breakfast. -Kiki in reception bar cart with whisky sours amazing. - we enjoyed the variety and food options at the various onsite eating locations, often ending up at sports bar for watching games. - the pool and beach areas and in fact entire property were always well maintained and clean in same way as Disney franchise. -walked numerous times to Bucerías to meet friends and also down beach. Dropped in to see RIU Jalisco newly renovated. Would be great for families. -really appreciated the adult only aspect of this property. Thanks you RIU team!