Riu Caribe Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

Let me just say if you haven’t booked this hotel, do it now! And if you have, what a fantastic choice!
Me, my sister and my mom and dad stayed for 2 weeks (from 2nd April – 16th) at the Riu Caribe and after looking forward to it for several months we were not disappointed!
God knows where to start – we were all very tired after our 10hr flight so it was great that check-in didn’t take too long.
We were greeted with some fruit punch and all the women were given a rose each – lovely!
After being given our all-inclusive wristbands (with the wristbands you get access to the sister hotel – Riu Cancun where you can also eat and drink for free, the Riu Caribe is a nicer place in my opinion though) and key cards etc we headed up to our room (433).
The views are stunning!! I think everyone has a balcony facing over the pool and beach. Shame our balcony was very small, the rooms below us had huge balconies but it cost quite a bit extra for a larger balcony from what I heard.
The rooms were very clean and the bathroom was beautiful, also very clean. Sadly the room wasn’t really big enough for 4 people and we were very pushed for space, meaning we had no room for half a suitcase of clothes.
Despite this it didn’t cause too much of a problem ‘because we only needed the room to sleep, the rest of our time was spent around the pool!
Ooo and also the bed linen and towels were changed every day – fabulous and so was the mini bar, offering water, sprite, Pepsi and Corona.
The pool was fantastic, there were three main parts but it was sort of all joined up with two bridges across it. There was a higher edge leading all the way along the pool where you could place your sun beds which was very cooling under the hot sun.
There was also a swim-up bar with someone always ready at your service. As before it was mainly kept very clean, except the odd occasions when there was some scum from suntan lotion around the edges.
With free unlimited food and drink it was no wonder we put on a few pounds! The food was amazing!!
You eat at the buffet (Albatros) for breakfast, lunch and dinner unless you pre-book the steak-house, Asian or Mexican restaurants beforehand. You should aim to book these before 9:00 am and the steak-house before 8:00am.
We weren’t very impressed with the Mexican, the Steak-House was nice and the Asian was delicious. Not as delicious as the buffet though, hmmm I miss that food it was scrummy!!
You can also eat at the restaurant around the pool for breakfast and lunch too, and the pizza place is scrumdiddlyumptious… yum yum!
Ooo there were also wonderful sculptures made from fruit and veg and things, made in the shapes of boats, flowers and fish etc in the Albatros restaurant.
The waiters were lovely too! I had a couple of photos with some of my favourites, they were just amazing people!
Talking about amazing people where shall I begin with the sports and entertainment team? These people are incredible, all worth their weight in gold!
Christian, Rene, Alan, Arrian, Liz, Linda, Ahmed, Victor, Lileney and all the rest were just fantastic. I could write this whole review about them!!
They were so funny and worked solidly all day long. From about 10:00 am in the morning to like 3:00 am the next morning, they were always there to brighten up your day!
Starting with stretches on the beach to volleyball, salsa dancing, beer drinking contests and darts these guys made us feel so welcome and special. They were always trying to get people up and join in, as they say ‘Nobody Knows You And Nobody Cares’! I miss them so much. Love ‘em all to bits.
We hardly spent any time at all on the beach as we were always around the pool but it was picturesque with turquoise waters and golden sand that had the ability to stay cool all year round.
The sea was safe to swim in and body board, just a shame it was sectioned off so we couldn’t walk any further down the resort.
Most of the sun beds were snatched up on the beach by 10:00 am and you probably wouldn’t be able to get two or more sun beds together by 8:30 around the pool, so reserve them quite early especially if you want some close to the pool.
There’s no need to take any of your own towels as many other people have said, they’re free and you can change them whenever you want.
As well as the entertainment at the pool and beaches being fantastic the entertainment at night in the theatre was amazing too. The sports and entertainment team put on a show each week too where they train and practise very hard producing some wonderful performances.
Whilst we were there they did a ‘Michael Jackson’ show and a ‘Dreams’ show, both incredible, they put so much effort into them. For the rest of the nights they have other people in such as Folklore dancing etc, all very good as well.
All the shows begin at 9:30 pm, with the pre-show beginning at 9:00 pm.
The sports bar is open 24hr, for drinks, internet access etc and the main lobby bar closes at midnight. The service is excellent, we couldn’t fault it except there were a couple of times where I asked for non-alcoholic versions of drinks and still ended up with alcohol in them!
Going into town is an experience with buses arriving every 3 minutes (more like every 3 seconds!) with tickets costing 6.5 pesos each. I would recommend taking the bus as it gets far too hot to walk in. There are some very big American style malls and some nick-knack type market stalls too.
The shopping facilities are quite good but as were leaving we noticed some even better shops further out. Shame we hadn’t seem these before. If wanting to buy alcohol buy it at the airport not at the resort, it’s cheaper there.
There is also a nice little shop inside of the hotel, where sweets and chocolate are very expensive but there are some nice gifts.
Trip-wise there is so much to do. We swam with dolphins at Dolphinus at Xcaret which was out of this world. What an experience, I definitely recommend this trip – it’s a must.
We also went on the captain hook adventure. This is awesome too. They take you out on a pirate boat where they make you feel very welcome, play some very funny games and just generally have a laugh. The food was quite nice and the staff aboard were fantastic here too.
After dinner there is a mock fight between the two pirate ships, such good fun and we won :) He he we had some very fun times in Cancun.
That’s about it really. Ooo except when we were coming through customs, once entering Mexico it was such a palaver, many suitcases were checked, ours included which was very inconvenient and stressful but I don’t want to dwell on the airport because this was such an amazing holiday.
It’s such a shame there’re so many other places in the world to visit but I would definitely go back to the Riu Caribe again if given the chance.
I highly recommend this hotel to anyone and everyone you will have a fantastic time, hey maybe even see you there!
Other great things:
If tipped, some maids leave towel animals in your room, we tipped ours but it didn’t look like she could make them, so on the morning of our last day we acquired a couple of towel bunnies from another maid.
There is always some member of staff cleaning this or that; the hotel is spotless – very very good.
You must try the paragliding at the Aqua Caribe sport beach hut located on the beach. Me and my dad tried it and even though it was a hefty cost it was a brilliant experience (do not try if scared of heights!!)
There is a photo shop and daily a man brings either a monkey (so sweet!) an iguana or some parrots to the hotel with him, where you have free photos which are uploaded onto the computer at the Photoshop, so you can buy, but they’re fairly expensive. We got a couple with the monkey and parrots – very nice!
All in all I think I have now covered all of the points of this superb hotel and as I said above you must book the Riu Caribe, you won’t regret it!

1 reader found this review helpful

On arrival here we were impressed by the clean, airy lobby and the efficient check-in process.
Our room was lovely and clean with a very large bed and walk-in shower, but the best part was the fantastic view! There was a safe(no charge) and a mini-bar with Corona beer, Pepsi, lemonade and water which was replaced every 2 days.
There was also optics of spirits. (no charge). The sheets and towels were replaced every day and even the balcony doors were cleaned daily.
The food was so good here we both had put on 5lbs by the end of a week! The buffet was great at breakfast, lunch or dinner with enough choices to please everyone. The speciality restaurants you have to book on the morning of the day you want to eat there. We booked at about 8-9am and there was not any queues to do this.
The Steak restaurant was ok but a bit breezy so the food went cold too quickly, the Mexican was good and the Asian excellent. There was also a pizza place near the beach and a Sports bar which was 24hrs and had snacks too.
The Lobby bar staff were always working so hard to get everyone served quickly and enjoyed making all sorts of cocktails!
The entertainment staff were really great - they worked so hard and put on really good shows every night and had all sorts of fun and games in the daytime - this was welcome as the weather wasn't great.
They also had a free bus to the Clubs at night - you just paid the normal cover charge and got VIP access, reserved table and open bar. They had a shopping trip to the malls too with bus included both ways.
The hotel is situated between downtown and the main club/restaurant area but it is so easy to get to either by taking a bus outside the hotel for downtown or across the road for shopping malls and the other Riu hotels.
The fare is 6.5 pesos (about 30p). You can also eat and drink in the Riu Cancun which is lovely and again great food.
This hotel is really well run and kept very clean. All staff are excellent and we would have no hesitation in returning here.

1 reader found this review helpful

My husband and I have just got back from 2 weeks at the Riu Caribe in Mexico and we had the best holiday we have ever had.
Our flight with First Choice was great, no delays and the 10 hours went quickly thanks to all the movies, games, etc available.
When we arrived at the Riu Caribe we were greeted with a welcome cocktail and as check in had been sorted on the coach we met our bags in our room.
Our room was ideal, a perfect sea and pool view the only small comment I would make is that we had 2 slightly smaller than average double beds as appose to one big bed, but the room and balcony were always clean and the mini bar/optics always full.
The hotel itself is slightly out of the main club and bar area but the buses run from outside every 3 minutes and cost about 30p, within 10 minutes you're in the heart of Cancun. The hotel is great, the pool is big and the lobby, bars and beach area have everything you could wish for. The sun goes down at about 4pm which means everyone seems to be up early in the morning, so it's worth getting up early to get a good spot.
The entertainment team are fantastic, they run activities such as beach volley, water aerobics, dance lessons, etc all day and are a great laugh. If you want to be a part of that they will get you involved, but are not in anyway pushy which is nice.
The hotel food is nice but not great, we had some lovely meals and some average but nothing to complain about by any means, the food and drink is available all day and the staff are great. Think of a cocktail and they'll make it!!
The hotel is mainly full of Americans and Canadians who all make for a great party, it's a lively place so don’t expect a quiet romantic holiday, there's too much going on and too many people to meet.
Cancun itself wasn’t really what I expected, there is a lot of building work going on (however no where near the Riu Caribe) the shopping malls are good, but are all the same so don’t expect to buy too much. The locals are very friendly, and it felt a very safe and friendly place, we didn’t hear of any trouble.
We did 2 excursions - swam with dolphins at the aquarium which is a must and the jungle tour which my husband loved but I was terrified of the speed of the boat! There's plenty to do and loads to see.
Everyone wants a tip, but if you do tip they generally look after you a lot better i.e. tip the waiters in the hotel bar and you'll get branded drinks rather than the local stuff.
Coco Bongo and Senior Frogs are 2 clubs we went to with a group of English people and we had a fantastic time, you have to do both these clubs no matter what your age I promise you will love it.
The hotel have a coach which leaves from the lobby each night, so go on this, it's about £20 per person and is a free bar once you're in.
We also visited the Riu Cancun which you can use the facilities of, the restaurants were similar and the hotel seemed a bit quieter than the Caribe, although they had a disco which was a laugh!
The weather wasn’t brilliant although we have a good tan, it wasn’t too hot but we had about 9 sunny, hot days and the rest overcast or rainy, although that was a good chance to catch up on some sleep.
We will definitely be going back, it was a fantastic hotel, resort and holiday.

1 reader found this review helpful

I travelled to the RIU Caribe Sept. 30-Oct. 7/2006 with my family (4 adults - two of us in our 20's & 2 in their 50's). We were very happy with the hotel, the reasonable price we paid & the excellent service received from the hotel staff. We are frequent travellers, who have stayed a wide variety of hotels over the years from 2 stars up to 5 stars + . At the end of the day your vacation is what you make of it & there are some really picky, critical people who post negative reviews here - if you want the Ritz Carlton, please just stay there (I believe in Cancun it's about $599 USD per night + tax, no food/drinks included). We paid about the same for a week all inclusive at the Caribe and it was great - I would give it a 4-star + rating.
Our room was an oceanview deluxe (#435), very close to elevators & high enough up to have a great view of the pool areas & the ocean. It had 2 double beds - yes they are hard as mentioned in past reviews - I took the comforter off of my bed , folded it into 4, & laid it under my bottom sheet - problem solved! Our maid continued to make up my bed this way each day, which was nice. The A/C was cold, we also had a fan, telephone, cable tv, hot and cold shower and tub, mini refrigerator with coronas, pop & water (ask for Diet pop if you want it, they will provide it), liqour dispenser cabinet w/ vodka, rum, whiskey & tequila, safe , a balcony & marbled floor. The rooms was great although we did find the magnetic door keys were problematic at times - we had them re-programmed at least twice during our stay. Also our maid was very nice and did a great job cleaning. Tips are a good idea, they really appreciate it.
The beach was fabulous outside of this hotel, much nicer than the beaches in front of some of the other hotels we walked to. You can usually get a palapa (sun umbrella) if you are out there by 11am. This time of year there is some rain but when it hits it usually doesn't last more than 30 mins, so go grab a drink at the beach bar & wait it out - you'll be back in the pool or ocean soon.
One point, the waves can be great at this beach location especially later in the afternoon so if you want to bring a blow-up innertube or raft I'd highly recommend it. You can buy them at the mini-mart adjacent to the hotel but they are expensive ($25 approx). We used the free snorkelling equipment as well as the sea kayaks during our stay - lots of fun!
We ate at all 3 a la carte restaurants during our stay, Japanese, Mexican & the Steakhouse (which is the beachside buffet during the daytime hrs). They were all good and worth trying. There is also a pizzeria at the bar near the amphitheatre - pretty tasty for lunch! Overall we enjoyed the main buffet, Albatross the most. The buffet is extensive at all meals - I like the breakfast spread the most: smoothies/fresh juice bar, omlettes, fruit, nachos, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage etc. There are self serve juice, pop, Corona & water dispensers as well as cappuccino/espresso machines - LOVED THAT - we like our coffees so we usually aimed to get a table near the expresso machines. The main courses at lunch & dinner always included a variety of options, fish, chicken, beef, local specialties etc. The desserts were good, & they have a good variety of ice creams.
The bar we frequented the most was the beach/pool bar. They make pretty much anything you want but there are no cocktail menus so you have to know what to order on your own. We drank a lot of Miami Vices (strawberry daquri/pina colada mixed - but asked them to add the coconut rum or it will be virgin. Also good were the mudslides, Mai Tais, margaritas, Riu Caribe, banana daiquiris etc. Tips are appreciated. Also if you want extra booze in your drink ask for it, they do not mind.
The gym/spa area opens up early in the morning. There are elliptical trainers, treadmills, Stairmaster, bikes, which are all new-ish and in good condition. The weight machines are older & they are those combo machines - not very clear on the directions to adjust the equipment to do different exercises but we made do. They also had a good variety of free weights & benches. There is one mat for stretching or abs - you're better off asking for a towel & using that instead. All in all it's a pretty good hotel gym and yes there is A/C in there. Others in my party bought tennis balls at Walmart and played a few games during our stay - they said the courts were good.
Internet access is available in the Sports Bar. It's pretty smoky in there at night so be forewarned if that bothers you. It cost $3 USD for 15 minutes - if you sign up for a RIU class card (a points card) at the front desk you will get double the time on your internet time purchase. You also have the option to just pay $8 for one hr, with this purchase you get a time code & can use your time over the week instead of all at once if you go the $3 route. The guy there at night is nice enough, pretty happy go lucky - he plays video games all night long & gets paid for it, I guess I'd be happy too :)
The nightly shows were enjoyed by everyone we spoke to although we skipped out on them all week as we were more interested in relaxing on this trip. We did head to the nearby Isla Mujeres which was a great day trip. The cheapest way to go (& so easy) is to take the bus from out front of the hotel to Puerto Juarez (the oldest port in Cancun). The bus is labeled clearly in the front window to where it goes & it costs only 65 pesos (65 cents approx). From there they have high speed ferries that only cost about $7 round-trip (it is $15 rt from other more touristy areas & the ferries are run-down - stick with Puerto Juarez ). On the island you can rent a golf cart for the day for about $40 and ride around the island stopping where you please to swim, shop & site see. Near a small ruin/Caribbean village site there is a walking tour you can take down near the water for about $3 pp - it is so worth it - spectacular views of the ocean & the waves breaking against the rocks - make a point of doing this.
Buses are only 65 pesos pretty much anywhere you want to go & they run 24/7. This is the best way to go anywhere. We visited Market 28 (downtown flea market shopping), the club zone (Coco Bongo, Big Daddy O, Senoir Frogs), La Isla Shopping Mall (higher end mall, stores like Zara, Lacoste etc.) all by taking the buses that come right outside of the hotel.
If you forgot to pack anything, i.e. toiletries, sunscreen, over the counter drugs or such, take the bus that says "Walmart" on the window, downtown and it will drop you right there - at least the prices are reasonable (unlike the hotel store) and it's only a 10 min ride. This is also a good place to buy liquor to take home if you want to.
Our tour company reps from Signature Vacations were friendly & helpful - they are the guys in the lobby wearing the hot pink t-shirts. If you miss you "welcome meeting" - we did - it is not hard to find them to ask questions. We did not book any excursions however you can arrange those through them - the club hopping tour & Chichen Itza seemed to be popular ones.
One final tip, don't wear your watch when paddling a raft in the ocean....I lost mine.
Have a great trip!

The hotel was amazing met the standard that we have become accustomed to with a Riu. Absolutely superb. Excellent food with a vast choice, beautiful accommodation, the cleanliness was astounding and surpassed the previous Riu we stayed in Jamaica.
The staff, and waiters, and people in general in Mexico are so friendly and accommodating it only highlighted the absolute appalling behaviour of the minority of Americans who stayed at the hotels who were rude and had no idea how to dress for dinner in a 5 star hotel. A towel was quite normal attire for them backed up with arrogance and rudeness when told to change. They had no problems with hollering at all hours in the morning with no consideration for those of us who have paid for luxury. Shocking, disturbing amount of arrogance. Unfortunate that the minority have tarred Americans with the same stereotype of being loud, arrogant and rude.
I would definitely go again, the hotel was fantastic and Cancun itself had plenty to offer, lots of executions, nightlife was amazing and you have to get on the buses! for 13.5 pence they’ll take you anywhere and at break-neck speed. If you can ignore the minority of Americans who were loud, brash, rude, and arrogant and had no idea of how to behave everyone would love it. I would have given the overall rating a 10 but the minority of Americans have forced me to make it a 9