Riu Playacar - All Inclusive

Great Stay at Riu Playacar We enjoyed our stay at this clean, well-organized resort with spacious, quiet rooms (ours had no balcony, but it was fine). The minibar was a nice touch, and the bathroom was spotless. Highlights: ✔ Food variety – Multiple à-la-carte restaurants (dinner reservations not needed) and buffets with good lunch/breakfast options. ✔beach – Plenty of sunbeds but no umberalla so bring your sunscreen, though pools get crowded les sunbeds. ✔ Access to sister hotels – Party lovers can visit Riu Tequila’s club nearby. ✔ Convenient location – Mini-market across the street, and Playa del Carmen (5th Ave) is just a 150-peso taxi ride away. ✔ Easy airport transfer – ADO bus (250 pesos/person, 45-min ride + 5-min taxi 150 pesos next to ado turism station). Minor drawbacks: ✖ No elevators – Tough for guests with mobility issues. ✖ Entertainment hiccups – The host sometimes forgot to switch back to English after Spanish announcements. Perfect for: Travelers who want good value, variety, and proximity to Playa’s nightlife.

Questionable 5 Star - need fly catchers over food? Food was good, but you could get some of the same foods in other restaurants, it would have been better to introduce new foods rather than having the same foods. Bed was fine no issues. Internet was fine no issues. Hygiene with flies on food, they need fly catchers and repellents around the hotel. I saw loads of flies on the fruit which was a bad experience, the service staff didn’t care when I pointed it out. Hotel check-in was very poor! Not impressed I’m filing a complaint for this because we missed out on key activities.

The food was ok, mostly buffet style and a little repetitive. The service was good. The rooms need a little updating, and the AC didn't work well in one of our two rooms... they attempted to repair it, but it wouldn't get low enough to combat the humidity. The water in the sink is not drinkable, which is understandable in Mexico, but most of the places I've stayed before you don't need to worry about brushing your teeth with the sink water.