Cancun Reviews

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REVIEWS

7/08 The RIU Cancun is not all what it is looks to be. In the main part of the hotel there are only 4 elevators to accomodate guests for all 15 floors and they are very slow, small, and extremely stuffy. The room doors are hard to open and the rooms had a bad odor of smoke/must. The beds were like boards unless you request a bed pad from housekeeping. If you eventually do end up falling asleep it's never for long because of the continuous slamming of doors and people yelling in the halls. The mini-fridge made a lot of noise during the night. The employees aren't the friendliest and are always looking for a tip in anything they do. The food was okay but ended up getting old very fast. The speciality Brazilian restaurant was very good only if you enjoy meat though. The breakfasts were very crowded and difficult to find a table. The mexican food isn't very good at all. The beach and pools were both VERY crowded and if you don't go out before the sun rises to reserve your chairs then you won't have a seat. The pools are nice and the beach is alright too. There is no poolside service so you have to go up and get your own drinks. The front desk is rude and aren't looking out for the guests best interests at all. If you want to use the internet you have to go to the sports bar and pay $8 per hour. The gym is very, very small. If you've never been to Cancun it is very much a city. Across the street from the resort is a mall filled with stores including a Starbucks. Overall, I would not recommend or return to RIU Cancun. It seems like it once was a nice place but it is definately getting run down. Monica, Ohio

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4/08 We originally booked at the Riu Caribe. Upon arrival we learned they had overbooked and needed to send us to their sister hotel, the Riu Cancun. We could not have been happier!! The hotel is immaculate. The staff goes above and beyond to serve your every need. The drinks are perfect for a day at the pool where too much alcohol in the Caribbean sun can be a bad thing. The food was excellent but grew monotonous after a week. It was well prepared and plentiful. The cooks went out of their way to make sure the guests were satisfied. The shows were excellent with top notch performers. The dancers in the Tropical Show could easily work in Vegas. The entertainment staff around the pool and beach area worked hard to keep the guests entertained and active. The girls doing water aerobics were fun to watch. The three sadistic staffers that recruited me for the Olympic Games need to be mindful that they have some fat, old out of shape guests. The only downside to this hotel is the beach area. There are huge slabs of concrete about ten feet off shore. Some have rebar sticking out. There is about a 20 foot area where you can swim in the sea without running into the rocks. While this is troubling, it would not affect my decision to stay at this hotel again. Dan, CO

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3/08 March 22-28 was our first vacation away in the 11 years my wife and I have been together. We are in our early 30s. Overall the hotel was beautiful and clean. The health club was small but adequate. The water sports were great. In fact, another couple paid to go snorkeling somewhere else and said that the snorkeling just off the Riu's beach was better. Bring some bread from one of your meals and sprinkle it into the water; it will attract lots of fish. The Hobie Cats were great fun. The pools were beautiful and. At times there were a few drunk people by the swim up bar (not rude, just entertaining). Plenty of lounge chairs by the pool and beach at all times of day. Other activities like shooting, bingo, water aerobics, volleyball, ping-pong, dance lessons were fun too. The nightly shows were very good. Michael Jackson show was great, but too much smoke from smoke machine made it hard to see. (By the way, sit in front at the shows, not the sides-its hard to see from there) The Saturday night show, which was like skits with guests and staff, was really bad. The staff was so friendly and fun!
Request a room above the 7th floor for a better view. Mini-bar always stocked with Corona, Pepsi, 7-up, and bottled water. There was a musty smell in our room, I thought nothing of it (it really bothered my wife though.) You only notice it when you enter the room, then you get used to it. The food was excellent. We never ate at the Corazone (restaurant that requires reservations) because we spoke to people who ate there and they weren't overly impressed enough to eat there again during their stay. Apparently it took a long time to go through all the different courses (like 4 courses of meat--filet mignon, sausage, pork, and something else). I loved all the food, but I will say that by the 5th day the lack of variety got a little old. Desserts and coffee were great! Beer in the hotel was all Corona. Yes, the (non-beer) drinks were weak, BUT personally I liked the fact that I could drink all day and not get wasted. I saw lots of people who got wasted and it ruined their day. Plus, you could always ask for a double! A couple of people I met during our stay got a little sick (diarrhea), but the Amodium I brought along helped. If that doesnt work, go to the pharmacia and buy stuff called Lomotil, I hear it works great and fast!
We didnt go on any tours. They seemed a little expensive to me and you give up an entire day (Chichen-Itza is a 3-hour ride in a bus each way). We spoke to some people who took the tour, who said it was great, but they were totally exhausted at the end of the day. We just preferred relaxing at the beach and pools, playing water sports, and drinking tropical drinks.
Overall, the hotel was an exceptional value. I could not have been more pleased with our week there.
Go to the flea market by Wal-Mart and you will save about 50% on souvenirs. You have to haggle, but they were friendly and I enjoyed it. Take the bus to Wal-Mart, when you get off the bus turn right on the first street and go about 2 blocks, the market will be on your right.
When you go out, always ask for the 2-hour drink specials at the bars. They all have them, BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK! You get 2 hours of (house) drinks for like $11.00. If they tell you that they dont have anything like that, leave and go elsewhere. Also, negotiate your drink prices at the bars and at the market. They may try to charge you 2.50-5.00 per drink when you should have no trouble getting Coronas for about $1.00 per bottle. The vendors at the market accept U.S. dollars, but heres some advice. If you are paying in dollars, negotiate in dollars. If you are paying in pesos, negotiate in pesos. This may avoid getting taken by a poor exchange rate when they convert.
I hope this review helps you plan and enjoy your trip.  We loved the Riu Cancun! John, Chicago,IL

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2/07 We just got back from staying at the Cancun Riu. Marvelous Place. This was our first time in Cancun and we plan on going back next year. We would definitely consider staying at the Riu again. This place had everything to offer and the staff went well beyond the call of duty to do anything for us. The food was out of this world for an all inclusive hotel. This hotel was in the heart of everything you need to be by in Cancun. The bars and shopping are right across the street. My complaints are thin because of all the good at this hotel but the beach was very small and there are too many rocks. My wife slashed her elbow on a rock while swimming in the ocean. The pool bar really needs to be heated but on the other hand, I would rather drink a cocktail in a cold pool in February instead shoveling snow at home. Sam, MI

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2/07 I just spent 7 days at the Riu and have nothing but good things to say about this beautiful hotel. Excellent service, great food, beautiful beach (don't pay for a snorkeling trip you can do this right off the beach at the Riu), delicous food. We hardly left the resort because there is no reason to leave. Worth every penny paid and more! We got an excellent deal thru our travel agent (cherie@vacationagent.net). Note on the tours: Skip Excaret...you are stuck at the park from 9am until 9pm. Just imagine Marine World times 10. Lots of things to do and see but too long of a day. If they cut the tour in half maybe it would be better. Spend your money on the Lobster cruise instead...evening cruise with show and all inclusive bar and food...had a blast! Absolutely loved Riu Cancun. JP, MI

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1/08 Our family just returned from the Riu Cancun with our two sons ages 12 and 15. The hotel is very pretty but not beautiful. The first night we had two rooms on the 12th floor that smelled terribly. I literally had to sleep with the blanket over my face. They moved us the next day to the 10th floor facing the ocean. (Rooms ending with 19-30 have the best view). The service was excellent and the staff was extremely friendly. The location was wonderful since you could walk across the street to the shopping center and it was close to a lot of bars. The food was very good but not outstanding. We ate at the hotel 3 nights and went out the other 3 nights. Although the variety and quality were good, we became bored with the food and sitting in the same room to eat. I got sick on the 4th day and was ill for 24 hours (I had only eaten hotel food at this point). Everyone is right about the beach. If you have small children or just want to walk the beach, it is fine. However, if you have older children who want to boogie board it is somewhat dangerous because of the large rocks in the water. My 12 year old still had fun riding the waves but we were very cautious. The kids had a lot of fun on the Jungle tour, the jet skis, and banana boat (all these at an extra charge, of course). My older son even took out one of the sailboats. If I had not gotten sick, we might have gone back. Maybe it was just a virus? All things considered, the Riu Cancun is a nice hotel. JHH, Ohio

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12/07 I spent a little over a week at the Riu Cancun and I enjoyed every minute of it. The service was amazing. I felt safe at all times. Everything was well prepared, and I got to begin my trip the moment I walked in the doors. The wait staff was amazing and the entertainment staff really did a nice job.. EVERYTHING was just more than I expected and I can't wait to go again!! Sue, MI

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12/07 The staff was amazing. Lying by the pool or on the beach was a pleasure with cocktail servers taking orders frequently. The rooms had liquor dispensers and stocked refrigerators that were all free to guests. The service was all fantastic from the front desk to the bartenders to the water sport equipment rentals. The location was spectacular. All rooms have a gorgeous ocean view. There is a "party pool" and a "quiet pool" to suit your mood for each day. We will definitely stay there on our next trip to Cancun! Shelly, MI

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10/07 My husband and I went to Cancun in October for our 30th wedding anniversary. We could not believe the Riu Cancun. We got the all-inclusive and were a little unsure about the hotel. When the bus driver let us off we could not believe this was our hotel! The Riu is the most beautiful hotel on the strip. The staff was great, the food was great, the service was great. All rooms are oceanfront and we can't say anything bad about the hotel. We did 3 tours, Chichen-Itza, a day at the coral reefs snorkeling and then the Dinner Cruise. Chichen-Itza was a very long day, but my husband is a history buff, so he loved it. I was exhaused at the end of the day. We're going back as soon as we can, and we plan to stay at the Riu again.

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10/07 Riu Cancun has it all. I have been to Cancun every year for the last few years and I have stayed at the Moon Palace, Crown Paradise and most recently the Riu Cancun. By far the best overall resort was the Riu Cancun. The other two were superb, but OVERALL the Riu was the best. It was with in walking distance to "the city" where all of the clubs and stores are at. It is right across the street from a huge mall. The resort is beautifully decorated. They spared no expense. Another wonderful amenity is the disco they have there. It was just as fun as Coco Bongo.....just not as busy. The wait staff and bartenders are great. they really make your vacation special. These bartenders are so good when they see you walk up they already remember what you want, if you don't know what you want they will suprise you with a good drink. So if your planning a trip to Cancun consider the RIU CANCUN, you won't be dissapointed. Ed, MN

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