Riu Emerald Bay - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5894 reviews

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  Very good value

  I have stayed at this resort twice with my family of 5 and I have a lot of good things to say. PROS: -The resort is very clean. They are constantly cleaning, and it shows. -The two bedroom suites are great and so reasonably priced for family's, which is what got us to book twice. - You never have to worry about spots by the pool! There are so many spots and spaces. Zero waking up at the crack of dawn to save your spots. We had zero issues constantly changing chairs based off where we wanted to be at that moment - The beach is great. Unlike the cancun side, you will not deal with seaweed. Yes, you miss out on the white sand but it is a great beach to walk up and down. The most beautiful sunsets. - The kid pool area is great and the indoor play area is a huge pro to escape mid day heat. - No issues waiting for food, you are always able to get through the meal smoothly and the wait staff is attentive throughout the meal (of course this is also hugely because everything is buffet) CONS: - Basically all the restaurants are buffets. Even the "a la carte" restaurants you make reservations at, are just a smaller buffet. Pretty sure you could even find most of the food at the main large buffet anyway. That being said, we always found things at the buffet we were happy with. Of course sometimes items were misses, but there are always hits to find. - We basically never had pool side drink service. On both of our stays, I wasn't ever approached by someone asking if I would like anything. This may be different at the adult only pool. I personally don't think it is a big deal to walk up to the bar to ask for a drink though. -I struggled with this one the most... aside from black coffee served at breakfast there is no coffee shop or espresso anywhere on the resort. We ended up doing a 15-20 minute walk down the beach to get a latte at a cafe, but didn't discover this place till the last few days - Inconsistencies in how well the hotel app works - This resort is far from mazatlan, which is no problem if you are planning on staying at the resort the whole time. But it is a nice city to explore. Your mileage may vary depending on at what price you book this resort at, but for us it was definitely great for the value.

  Jul 06, 2025
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  Vacation at RIU

  Very clean establishment. The food at the buffets were great - especially at Tres Islas and Malicone. Very convenient having a sports bar open late at night for a snack or a drink. Multiple pool bars was a nice to have. The waterslides were even fun for adults. Staff was very friendly. The waiters were always keeping our refreshments filled up during meals. The beach setting was amazing.

  Jul 03, 2025
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  Riu Emerald Bay

  We had a great time with our kids on our vacation! The only issue we had was about every couple of days a bus load of people would show up for 2-3 days and it seemed like a frat party. When we went last time in Nov it was not like that and much calmer. Overall the service from the staff and the options for our kids was great! The kids said it was the best week of their life - even better than Disneyland!

  Jul 01, 2025
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  Very disappointing and unsafe experience

  I stayed at Riu Emerald Bay – All Inclusive in Mazatlán with my family from June 14 to June 17, and unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing — especially regarding safety, medical attention, and the overall treatment by the staff during an emergency. On June 17 at around 11:47 a.m., my sister and I were walking along the shore when she was stung by a jellyfish. The sting injected a high amount of venom, causing her severe pain, difficulty breathing, and loss of movement in her leg. We immediately looked for help, but the lifeguard was not at his post. I had to yell for assistance, and with the help of other guests, we eventually found him — chatting with beach vendors, completely unaware of the situation. When I explained what was happening, his response was shockingly unprofessional and insensitive. He dismissed the situation, saying jellyfish sting him all the time and the pain would go away in 30 minutes. Despite my sister clearly being in distress, he refused to provide any help and told us to go to the front desk. At reception, they told us not to worry about check-out and to focus on getting my sister medical attention, which we appreciated in the moment. However, all they offered us was a bag of ice, which the doctor at the hospital later confirmed worsened the condition. We had to call an ambulance, and my mom and I accompanied my sister to the hospital. My grandparents stayed in the hotel lobby, waiting for our return. Later that day, when I returned to the hotel to hand in the wristbands and towel cards, I was told I had a pending charge because my grandparents remained at the hotel. This was completely inhumane. They stayed behind out of necessity during a medical emergency, and could not travel in the ambulance. Charging me for this showed a total lack of empathy. Even worse, the hotel has no access to basic medications or trained medical staff for emergencies — something that should be standard at a beachfront resort. When I spoke to the shift supervisor, Juan, to explain what happened, his only response was that the hotel was not responsible for anything that happens on the beach, despite having a lifeguard there. I also mentioned that there were no warning signs about jellyfish. Several other guests — including children — were also stung that same day. Only after multiple complaints did the hotel decide to close the beach. This was a situation that could have been prevented if the lifeguard had taken immediate action after my sister was stung, warning others and escalating it appropriately. His negligence put more guests in danger. What’s most disappointing is that my family and I have previously stayed at other Riu properties — Riu Punta Cana, Riu Los Cabos, and Riu Cancun — and we never expected this level of unprofessionalism and lack of basic care. After this experience, we will never stay at another Riu hotel again. This was a traumatic and unacceptable experience. The lack of empathy, medical support, professionalism, and human decency from the staff was alarming. I do not recommend this hotel to anyone who values safety and proper emergency response.

  Jun 20, 2025
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  Great time during our family trip!

  This is our second time at the Riu Emerald Bay. Our family loves the hotel and location. It has everything for the kids to enjoy: beach, a lot of pools, water park, and a kids club.

  Jun 10, 2025