26/09
Review: RIU Palace Riviera Maya
The Experience at the Riu Palace starts as you pull up to the entrance. As we unloaded our luggage from our rental we were greeted by the door man. While we started our check in he showed up with a cool refreshing drink.
Check-in was quick and efficient. We where given a quick run through of what amenities were available at the Riu. We were given a print-out of the weeks’ events, shows and themed nights at the buffet and were taken to our room by a bellhop.
Our room was 2057. This is actually the third floor. Upon entry the familiar sight of a Palace Junior Suite greeted us. The room had a full bath with hydromassage tub. We had a king bed, a living area that had a couch and coffee table and our balcony had a great view of the courtyard and fountains of the Riu. Of course our room had the famous Liquor dispenser and mini fridge.
This Palace Resort had a total of 6 Restaurants. 1 Main Buffet, 1 buffet for lunch that becomes the a la carte Steak House for dinner and 4 other a-la-carte options available for dinner with reservations.
During the 6 nights we were there we ended up at only one a la carte – the Rodizio Brazilian restaurant. It was no Red Violin but it was very good. They offer buffet salad to start and then bring a hot plate with vegetables, potatoes and corn bread, followed by different meats cut from a skewer at your table.
The other nights we enjoyed the main buffet and two nights we went off property. Our first dinner in Playa Del Carmen was at Alux. This restaurant has been created in a cenote that no longer contains ground water. The atmosphere is fantastic, with live music, and the food was very good if not a tad over-priced. We were given an escorted tour of the cenote after dinner.
Our second dinner out, we met friends in Playa for a birthday celebration and ate at Playasia which is Asian Fusion. The tables are all laid out no decking above a coy pond and if you are ever on 5th in Playa I recommend giving it a try.
The pool area was fantastic and there were always chairs and umbrellas to be had. For guests lounging by the pool, you will be waited on by very friendly and eager to please staff. The animation staff does a great job entertaining while not being to intrusive to those that just want to relax. There is a swim up bar and an infinity pool at this resort which all flow into the main pool. My one piece of advice, make sure you wear flip flops or something around the pool. The tiles gets super hot.
The beach was in great shape. Lots of loungers amongst the palms. Lots of hammocks as well if you just want to relax. There are still protective barriers off-shore that look like beached whales but I’d rather deal with that than no beach – Todd Janzen.
