ClubHotel Riu Tequila

I just returned from a 6 day stay at the RIU Tequila and the hotel grounds are simply beautiful. I was ready to start my vacation as soon as I arrived. Check in was quick, after a .25 mile walk I arrived at my room on the first floor when i specifically requested anything but the first floor. I loved everything about the hotel except the rooms. They seem as if the were built in 1978 rather that 1998. The dampness in the room is terrible the sheets felt clammy when you got in bed and you felt gross whn you woke up. There is not exhaust fan in the room so being that damp when you shower everything fogs up. I had read before I left that bath towels were a scarce commodity and you were right. I had a room for five people and got only 2 towels everyday. The pillows are worse than airplane pillows and on the last day the maids make so much noise that it seems they purposely try to wake you to get out. The rooms echo quite a bit, you can hear everything your neighbor says that is above a whisper. All that aside the food is great the service is good and the beach is super crowded but beautiful nontheless. Our tour agent was Lomas travel, they are wonderful especially Norma, Raul, Nathan on the Chitchen-Itza tour, It was our 2nd time but still great. You can no longer swim in the Ik-Kil Cenote due to the hurricane but you can go look at it. Avenue 5 is just a larger version of the little shops in Plaza playacar.

I can only echo the comments made by the vast majority of the other reviewers - The Riu Tequila is a fantastic place to stay. Everything about the place was great, the accommodation, food and facilities with all of the staff being particularly friendly and helpful. The only minor criticism we would have is the amount of noise along our corridor and with our next door neighbours. The walls were paper-thin and the open, tiled corridor seemed to amplify the sound of people closing their doors. One tip is to have plenty of tequila to ensure a good night's sleep - it certainly worked for us. The only other criticism I have relates to the flight with Airtours (My Travel). The leg room was appalling! As a six-footer I was unable to sit properly and as the flight was 10.5 hours I consider myself lucky not to have contracted DVT. Anyone over six foot travelling with Airtours - You have been warned! Apart from this, I would thoroughly recommend the Riu Tequila especially considering how little we paid for the trip.

You will be hardpressed to find a better place for a better price than the RIU Tequila. However, that said, it would be the ideal place to go for three or four days, but not a full week. If you think your time is more valuable than your money, this is NOT the place to go. I just returned from my first full-week's vacation in years, with a horrible respiratory infection, which I got half way through the trip, as did my boyfriend. We both stayed in first-floor rooms, which had been painted over for all the mold a couple of times. We got a kick out of the plastic covering over the mattresses...it was amusing to speculate what THAT might be for...I stayed at the RIU Playacar before, and never experienced or noticed any mold...nor did we have plastic-covered mattresses...even if this infection was something we picked up on the plane, a moldy room was not much of a help. On the way home, a doctor advised us always to do second-floor rooms...they're not nearly as moldy, he explained. So keep that in mind while booking at trip at Tequila. The buffets were awesome. Loved the cheese selection, and my boyfriend, a huge wine buff, was impressed with the house red. However, I got very, very weary of the so-so service. Now, granted, we paid next to nothing for this trip, so you get what you pay for...the wonderful buffets made up for the crappy service. THAT SAID, I learned a hard lesson: as I mentioned above, this was my first trip in years where I've taken a full week off (oh, I envy the Europeans with their weeks of holiday). In retrospect, I realize my time is more valuable than money, and should have chosen a more upscale resort, i.e. Royal Hideaway or Aventura Spa. However, for a quick getaway, a long weekend perhaps, I think the RIU resorts would be absolutely perfect. Just don't book a room on the first floor.

My boyfriend and I travel once per year to a warm-weather destination to get away from the MN winters. This was our first trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, (Jan 4th - 11th) and we will definitely be back!! After extensive research, we chose Riu Tequila based on reviews, location, price, and the fact that if it didn't meet our expectations, we could simply visit the other 2 Riu resorts within walking distance (Playacar and Yucatan) and merely sleep at the Tequila. The Tequila, however, surpassed our expectations. The landscaping at this resort, unlike others right on the beach, is beautifully done in lush green trees and plants, and colorful flowers bloom all around. Winding paths beautifully lit at night lead you to your room, the pool, the lobby, etc. The architecture is grand and luxurious with mile-high ceilings and ceramic floors. The rooms are spacious. (I recommend a top-floor room. The ceilings are vaulted and the rooms are less noisy) The minibar is well stocked with beer, sodas, and water. And yes- there are 4 bottles of liquor (rum, tequila, vodka, gin) at your dispense attached to the wall - all included! The cleaning staff does an immaculate job - even if you leave clothes on the floor they'll hang them up for you. We always anticipated our return to our room at the end of the day because there, on our bed, would be ordinary towels cleverly folded into cute little animals or hearts, with rose petals all around. Now that's service!! The staff there is exceptionally friendly and extremely hard-working - tip these people PLEASE!! They deserve it!! The main cafeteria-style buffet, "Jalisco" is a beautiful dining hall with ice and fruit sculptures for decoration. The food is standard for mass-produced fare. . .Tasty, with wide-variety of selections, but just not like home-cookin'. You may, as we did, get a bit tired of the food and head into town for a change of pace. I can't say much for the entertainment at Riu, as we didn't spend much time at the resort at night. It had a more family feel to it - we saw a bit of "Grease" one night and got a kick out of the lip synching. Be adventurous and travel outside the resort to wander the streets of Playa del Carmen - a quaint town with both an L.A. trendy and old-Mexico feel - very fun at night! The beach was the highlight of our trip. Never before have we seen such beautiful turqouise water and white, sandy beaches. (We've also traveled to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic). Your best bet is to get to the beach early (by 9am) to get a beach-front chair. Chairs fill up quickly and it is quite crowded. We took a couple of day trips to beaches further down the coast (amazing!!) to get away from the crowds and enjoy our own private paradise. Well worth it, if you're interested. Don't forget to take advantage of the watersports offered as well. Paddleboating and kayaking are a blast! You can see the ocean floor even in the deepest of water. On a side note: we visited Riu Playacar and ate there as well. The rooms, staff, food, entertainment etc. are all exactly the same. This resort, however, is right on the beach, has less lush vegetation, and is about half the size of the Tequila for those looking for a smaller, beachfront resort. Final words of advice: pack light sweaters and long-sleeved shirts (the nights can be cool), bring lots of US $1's for tipping, don't make calls from your room ($1/min even for local), get to the buffet EARLY or the lines are LONG, order champagne and wine even at the bar (it's supposedly only for dinner), DON'T drink the tap water, and be prepared to gain 5 lbs from never-ending eating and drinking binges!!

Spent a week at Riu Tequila 1-7 to 1-13-03. When we arrived they told us the Tequlia was all booked up and that they had no rooms available. They offered us a room at the Yucatan, which they said was an up-grade. From this web site we got the impression that it was not an up-grade. We expressed how unhappy we were with the situation, but they just stood there and apologized. We asked if they could give us a room at the Playacar, and they said that it was full there also. Well I then proceeded to tell them how I was going to get on the web and trash Riu for the better part of a year and then the clerk went to talk with the manager, and low and behold they had one room left. As we were waiting for our bags, we overheard the clerk in action with the next group of people checking in. He offered them a room at the Playacar, which they accepted. Aside from the shifty dealings at check in, the rest of the trip was seamless. The food was excellent. I love seafood and they offered fresh selctions with a great variety every day, including sushi. I am not big on the all-inclusive nature, but I feel we saved money in the long run. We awoke early every morning, which was nice because the breakfast area was empty as opposed to 8-9am. After breakfast we would take a cab into Playa Del Carmen ($40.00 pesos) and have them drop us at the bus depot. We would then catch a bus southbound and have a blast. It cost us $30.00 pesos= $3.00 US to go to Tulum. The hotels offer all-inclusive tours to Tulum for $500.00 pesos= $50 US - don't do it. We bought a travel book and read up on some areas we thought might be cool. They were more than cool, they were beautiful. My favorite was the town of Paamul, it cost $12.00 pesos= $1.20 US to get there. The bus pulls over, it is about 1/2 mile walk and then you are on a beautiful bay without all the crowds. There is a snorkel shop there that rents gear for $60.00 pesos. The reef there is awesome. There is a restaurant there that serves $25.00 pesos Coronas. Another great town is Akumal - great snorkeling. The possibilites are endless. We took as bus to Coba, which was nice, but it was 2 hrs. each way. that is just too long to spend in a bus.

Awesome vacation! If the Mayan Riveria is calling your name...go! Stay at the RIU Tequila! My husband and I stayed at the RIU Tequila at the end of November early December 2002. We paid $963CAN before taxes through ... We had an awesome time! We chose the Tequila after extensive researching. We definitely made the right choice. It is a beautiful property in a great location. We went to the ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza. Sightseeing downtown Playa del Carmen, snorkelling at Xel-Ha and on a Jungle Crossing Tour! Check out: ... and ... for great information and excellent photos of the hotel! The taxi cost $4US each way to Playa del Carmen -up to 4 people sharing the cab. Just ask the driver PRIOR to getting in the cab "$4US to Senor Frogs?", and away you will go! They will drop you off at the cobblestone path closest to the Ferry Terminal that goes to Cozumel. It is located at the back of the Hotel Continental in Playa del Carmen. Only a few steps and you will be on the beach and one of the mainstreets. (10 minute ride by taxi from the hotel) Ave 5 is only a 5 minute walk. Easy to find. If you want to go on tours but want to save money: I suggest that on your first day at the Tequila walk down to the Playacar Mall. A 5 minute walk from the hotel lobby. Just walk left from the entrance. In the far end of the mall you will see a small sign in a window that advertises Chichen Itza for $45US. We went in expecting to pay the $45US each since the hotel representative charges $90US per person. We ended up getting to go to Coba and Chichen Itza "FREE"! We went to the Spa Palace, ate lunch, toured the beautiful property and listened to a few people tell us about their hotel promotion. Approximately 90 minutes. It was wonderful and not a high pressure sales pitch. They wanted us to purchase a private club ownership plan. We didn't but it was lovely time all the same. We really enjoyed our time there. Every thing was paid for. Including our taxi both ways, both charter tours (we chose Coba and Chichen Itza), lunch and fancy drinks. We figured that we saved about $520 CAN by spending our first afternoon relaxing, being pampered, and given a good time! Our week was adventure packed since we went back the store at the Playacar Mall and booked Tulum/Xel-Ha $70US pp. Still less then the hotel. Then after meeting other Canadians that took the $90US pp Jungle Crossing Tour we decided to book it at the Tequial by a representative in the lobby. This tour is a private company that the Playacar Mall reps do not have discounts for. Just make note that the tour company was late picking us up in the lobby ( perhaps by 20 minutes)Relax. It was worth every dollar! It was an awesome day like no other! After a 7am breakfast. We rode in a Meredes Benz Unimog through the jungle, swam in a cenote, snorkelled in underground rivers and caves, ( by the way, they will take a picture of you and put it on a disk with about 14 other pictures of the jungle tour for $10US) We bought the disk. Ours was worth it! We ate in a small mayan village of 16. Relaxed in a hammock for a while. I picked and eat a fresh tangerines off a tree. Then we kayaked out to a coral reef and snorkelled around it. Just before sunset we kayaked back to shore and ate some fresh fruit and drank sodas. After a short ride in the Unimog we stopped to have a tequila shot at a small street market and then returned to our hotel. Just make sure you bring warm and dry clothing to ride home in. The wind can be chilly at night. This was an amazing day for us! Just do it! You will enjoy it! Xel-ha was wonderful. We snorkelled most the way up the river banks. Rode a small tram (train) to the end and floated back down the river to the open ocean. It was really beautiful floating down the river in a jungle on a inner tube for built for two! Then we ate seafood and drank pina colodas at one of the restaurants before heading home. It was great! I would have stayed a whole day no if I had known how quaint and beautiful it was. The first part of this particular day was spent at Tulum. It was wonderful! The only part was the intense heat, the walk up the lane (take the trolley for $2US)and the shortness of the stay. Simply put- too short! Coba however, was my ABSOULTE favorite mayan ruin. Another must do! It was filled with lots of educational material and intriguing mystery. It still remains rough, rugged and mostly untouched. Chichen Itza on the other hand was impressive! A must see too. We purchased the litho-graphs of Tulum and Chichen Itza in the lobby of the Mayaland Hotel. Breathtaking pencil etchings. We are still looking for them to be framed. My husband was completey enthralled by the expanse of the place. Most of the city has been restored and the size is most definetly huge. It really was a fascinating place to visit. Go you must to all three mayan ruins. Then you will see how diverse each one is! Ice cold pop on bus 1US and beer $2US. Back at the hotel. If you are anything like my husband. Book your a la carte restuarants before 6am and ask for doubles at the bars, try a Tequila Bomb Bomb, participate in the evening shows, eat to your delight, enjoy the beach across the street. If you are like me embrace the beauty, romance, adventure and culture. Immerse yourself with these unsurpassable pleasures that awaits you on your vacation. Savor every minute and have fun! Don't think about any longer. Just do it! We just did!

My husband and I just returned from a weeks stay at the Riu Tequila resort (jan. 10), and we had a wonderful time! My main reason for giving a review, is to off set the terrible remarks made by miss Vicki....grow up! Yes the rooms had a little musty smell, duh! it's Mexico! It's also no secret laundry is done for an additional charge. The service was great, our room was cleaned every day; and restocked every other day....maybe they stayed away from hers for a reason! It was a walk to the beach, but there was a cart that ran every 10 minutes to take you there if you wished. This is a good resort for someone looking for a little less excitement than they have in Cancun. The other guests were of varied ages and nationalities, lots of families. You could drink and cut up and have fun and not worry about anyone getting too upset. The food was great, always something available. We loved having the same table for dinner, being surrounded by so many different people. You also have the option to eat at one of the other restuarants if you want a change from the main eating set up. We would recommend this place to anyone, and would go back in a heartbeat! As for being mugged, I don't see how! People are everywhere in this area, it's like one long strip with hotels and little shopping areas...maybe vicki and her husband got abducted by aliens, the little green ones!

Wonderful Resort! Very large, beautiful grounds, excellent staff. The entertainment staff was fantastic day and night. Very clean and surprising it semed very peaceful and sure was relaxing. Went to the beach alot, it was a nice walk, didnt mind it one bit or you could have taken the shuttle. Lots of extra's to do-we did 2 side trips, Snorkling Adventure and Captain Hook dinner cruise( choice of steak or lobster )- both excellent and very well organized, picked up right at hotel and dropped off, would recomend definatly. Over all I would go back in a minute!!

Visitors will discover that the Riu hotel group in PDC consists of 4 hotels. The Tequila is categorized by Riu as a Club hotel meaning it is a step down from the Palace properties. This doesn't mean it isn't nice, it just means fewer dining choices and fewer amenities. If you are a beach person, pick the Yukatan or the Playacar hotels since both are right at the beach. The tequila is great for pool people like myself because it has the best pool of all four properties. You still have beach access and a dedicated beach restraurant, but it is a hike. Another way to look at it is this. In early Feb 2003, a stay at the Palace is about $1500pp US and the Tequila is about $875pp via Apple. Great deal and great place!

I'm motivated to make a few comments by the acid spewed by Ms. Vicki in the direction of the Riu Tequila. Unless things have changed a great deal in the last 12 mths I believe the problem is with the couple and their behaviour/expectations. We (two couples, 50's, widely travelled) are returning to the Tequila for one reason, incredible value coupled with excellent amenities. Is that two reasons? O well! At any rate this is the first time I've done a return trip to any resort. Believe me we tried, Pacific coast, Dominican Republic, Cuba and others. The wall we kept butting our heads against was the great location and good service at the Riu triad of Hotels. It is just consistently good, I believe, for all ages. One must remember you are in Mexico. It's not the FourSeasons or some other swank hotel. No snotty doormen or desk staff, just a group of individuals who have been trained to give good service to spoiled clientele. Come away disappointed and the problem is yours alone. We'll be back in January playing tennis at 8 every morning before we head off to the beach with our good looking wives. Can't wait