Riu Caribe - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1042 reviews

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  Nice Clean Resort - We Had Fun!

  Vacation Dates: 2/16/26 - 2/21/26 - Room 790 The Good: Our 12:00 noon check-in was quick and efficient - at 3:30 we received an email that our room was ready - the room was an oceanfront jr suite on the northeast side of the building - the room was clean and spacious with a huge balcony - the bed was comfortable and the AC worked well - also had a ceiling fan which was nice - housekeeping did a great job each day while we were out - there was no excessive late night noise in the hallways either - we ate in the buffet for breakfast each morning and dinner twice - the buffet has dozens of options and was always delicious and the servers were friendly and attentive - we also ate in the steakhouse, Mexican and Asian restaurants - they were also very good and staff were friendly - no complaints about the food, even the snack bar by the pools was good - at the pools Israel would come around with his cart of drinks (this guy is hilarious! "Shot, Shot") - the bars were all well stocked with some top-shelf liquors, but mostly well drinks (ask for the name brands when you order) - the beach was seaweed free each morning and there are lots of lounge chairs if you go down before noon. The Not So Good: When we were notified our room was ready it took 40 minutes to get our room key cards because of all the people checking in - there should be a separate desk just for collecting your room key cards - this resort gives you a towel card for each guest and if you lose it you have to pay a fee - the towel shack guys were not very friendly - the 2 pool bathrooms were nasty in the afternoons, especially the women's (the staff try to keep up but with only those two outside bathrooms and hundreds of people, dripping wet from the pools, you can just imagine how bad it gets) - the drinks tend to be watered down and made with cheap well liquor if you don't specify one of the top shelf brands - the amount of liquor in the drinks varies wildly - some might be just a shot, others nearly all liquor with virtually no mixer - there is no pool drink service except for Israel and you might see him 2-3 times the entire day at your lounge chair - the small center pool with the swim up bar is disgusting after about 1 pm - you can imagine about 60 drunk people sweating and doing what drunks do when they don't want to get out to go to the bathroom - the other pools are ok but the main pool gets noisy from daily entertainment - someone took one of our towels from the beach one morning before we got down there but the towel guy just gave us another one after explaining what happened - this is a large resort that obviously caters more to the 18-30 crowd - be prepared to hear foul language and see females in barely there swimsuits everywhere you go, even the lobby - I would not bring children to this resort even though some people choose to. It is a nice resort overall - there are some things Riu could do better - if you're younger and into partying all day and night, this will be perfect for you - we probably would not come back to this property as we prefer a smaller footprint with mostly older people and no children.

  Feb 23, 2026
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  Incredible beach Less windy. Crystal Blue waters

  8 days 7 nights Not enough!! Incredible beach!! Rooms are very nice. Great for couples and family’s. Pools (3) were very nice. Several restaurants to pick from. Loved the Mexican restaurant and the filet of fresh fish. Very entertaining night life. No need to leave the property.

  Feb 17, 2026
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  Not a great experience

  My family had recently stayed at the Riu Caribe. Upon check in we were told that they were over booked and they would be giving us an “upgrade” and moving us to the Ventura on the opposite side of the hotel zone. We told them that this was unacceptable as we had booked this place in August and we had friends staying at the palace peninsula next door and that we had already booked excursions leaving from this hotel and that is why we booked this hotel. Seems like they were over booking so that when people get there they can give them a line that they are getting an upgrade and sending them to the Ventura to help fill that place up. We finally agreed to go over and spend 1 night at the Ventura and move back in the morning. We ended up canceling 1 excursion because of this and lost an entire day of vacation because of this move. When we went to check in at the Caribe they told us our room wasn’t ready yet which was fine it was still before 12 and figured it wouldn’t be ready anyways. The lady at the desk said to come back in an hour and she would make sure that the room was ready. We asked about compensation for the inconvenience this had caused and they said that they would be able to give us a couples massage, which we thought ok cool that’s nice, until we found out that we couldn’t pick the coupon up until a certain day and that we would only have 1 day to use it causing us to cancel more plans with our friends. We went for lunch and came back an hour later and talked to somebody different at the front desk, because our lady was busy, and they told us the room still wasn’t ready. So annoyed we walked away and went and got a drink at the lobby bar. We sat in the lobby watching people get checked in and receiving key cards for another hour before finally my wife went and talked to the original lady that we had talked to. She said he never gave you your room and shook her head and gave us our keys. We got up to our room, and we had booked a room with 2 beds and a pull out couch because we had our teenagers travelling with us, and it was 2 beds no pull out couch. My wife went down to the front desk and they told her that they could get her a room with a pull out couch but it would be till the following day and that we would have to check out and check back in again. My wife said no that isn’t happening and then they offered us a roll in cot. Service here was better than the one night we stayed at the Ventura. Our breakfast and lunch server Letchia was amazing. Remembered our order after the first day and made sure we were well taken care of. She was definitely the ray of sunshine on this vacation. Dinner service was ok but nothing to really write home about. Service around the pool was hit or miss sometimes you had a server sometimes you did not. Entertainment here has really slipped as well seems like they are only focused on the RIU parties. If one is going on there is nothing happening at the pool. The shows in the evening have went down to 4 days a week. We went down to check out the neon party for an hour and it was ok but we were expecting a lot more. Also whatever they used in the foam cannons smelled like sewer. Don’t get us wrong we love staying at the RIU hotels we have stayed at the palace peninsula and los americas, the cancun 4+ times, RIU emerald bay and the Riu Jamaica, as well as looking at the Riu republica for the next vacation but this one has definitely left a sour taste in our mouth. If this is the new direction that Riu resorts are going we will be looking for another resort chain

  Feb 06, 2026
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  Another great stay

  We spent 16 days at this wonderful hotel. This is our 3rd time back since they remodeled. We stay a few times before the remodel and felt it was getting old. We love what they did, and everything is always clean. Shout out to Israel who brings the drink cart around at 9am to get our day started with a screwdriver. The food has improved since the remodel and like Steak house and the Asian restaurant. Another shout out to Israel (another one) in the main dining room who has taken care of us for many years. The 2 things we miss from the old place was the Pizza by the pool and that they have taken out the hot tub. But we will be back next December.

  Feb 01, 2026
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  A truly special holiday to remember

  Once we arrived at RUI Caribe in Cancun, I was shocked to see how big the hotel was and was so excited to be staying there for 7 nights. All the staff were absolutely amazing and went beyond my expectations in customer service. The room was really clean and they stocked your minifridge everyday. The pools were amazing, the beach was great and the food crazy good! Please try the cheesecakes if u stay there, that's perfection! Thank you RIU Caribe for the most special vacation, it was one to remember!

  Jan 22, 2026