Riu Vallarta - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9551 reviews

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  Mexican vacation

  The staff, meals and service were great. Everyone from housekeeping, servers, bartenders, etc. were efficient and professional. The beach was well maintained and inviting. We enjoyed many walks on the beach and felt very safe throughout the resort and beach. I had wonderful yoga experiences with Mimi as an instructor. The evening entertainment at the resort was just okay. The excursions to Puerto Vallarta and Rhythms of the Night that we set up with Lorenzo from Delta Vacations was well organized and well worth it. We would visit this resort company again.

  Feb 10, 2026
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  Construction ruined my stay and Riu didn't give a damn

  beware of this hotel and other Riu properties. The experience we had in RIU puerto vallarta was badly impaired by heavy construction work in hallways for 4 out of my 5 days there. The work involved installing fire doors. Worse, the hotel showed a total disregard for how badly I and others were affected. The staff did not care. The management gave no advance warning of the work and the desk staff played dumb, giving out little or no info... When my friend complained to Riu HQ, they said he should talk to Expedia. The hotel made NO sincere effort to make up for noise, painting fumes, obstacles and dust (and danger, as men were welding and using power tools as guests tried to come and go. I have never encountered a hotel that was so bad at providing a relaxing beach experience as Riu .... or so apathetic about my experience as a guest. I have no idea how much construction the chain plans but be warned; they won't warn you it's coming and they won't care if you are inconvenieced by it. you take a big chance with Riu. if their other hotels were built without fire doors, as was the case in PV, they may have lots of work to do. Be sure to insist that RIU tell you aabout planned construction. Don't let them spring it on you by surprise after you cannot make other hotel booking.

  Feb 10, 2026
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  Deeply Disappointing, Unsafe, and Discriminatory Experience

  My stay at RIU Vallarta from February 4–8 was one of the most disappointing resort experiences I’ve had. I paid $250 to upgrade to a suite (Room 7066), which was visually nice but immediately compromised by active construction that began the day we checked in—directly outside our door. From 9am to 6pm daily, the hallways were filled with workers, dust, drilling, sanding, and constant traffic. Dust entered our room repeatedly, triggering my allergies and asthma. Newly installed doors had wet paint on the handles, were not cleaned, and there were no warning signs anywhere. As a result, my expensive designer shirt was permanently damaged after brushing against a freshly painted wall. None of this construction was disclosed in advance—no notice in the app, no signage, nothing. Moving rooms was not a solution, as we were told construction would continue throughout the hallway and floors below. Other guests later told us they were offered relocation to RIU Jalisco due to construction disruptions—we were not. Food quality was consistently poor. The buffet was largely inedible and poorly maintained. At the steakhouse, wilted salad, soggy croutons, and overcooked meats were served. A manager named Christian was professional and invited us back to try again—but that evening ended with an extremely uncomfortable interaction. The hostess told us the restaurant was “completely full” with “190 people ahead of us,” despite the restaurant being visibly empty. After being seated, she returned to say she “wasn’t even supposed to seat us” because my partner was wearing a tank top and that we “should be happy.” This was humiliating. The stated dress code was not enforced on any other guests, and we have photos to confirm this. We were the only Black guests at the resort during our stay, and after multiple incidents—including unequal treatment, dismissive responses, and selective rule enforcement—we left feeling unwelcome and discriminated against. Management was the final attempt to resolve this. While polite on the surface, accountability was lacking, and only a partial refund of the room upgrade was offered—completely inadequate given the circumstances. This experience ruined what was meant to be a celebratory vacation. I have extensive photographic documentation of everything described above. I cannot recommend RIU Vallarta.

  Feb 10, 2026
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  Okay but not great

  The rooms were fine. The beds were okay but the pillows are terrible. The bathroom was fine but the water never really got hot for a shower and there’s no tub so it’s hard if you have littles. The food was fine, not great but fine. The drinks are pretty good but order an extra shot. The service at the buffet was great. The staff was fine but if you ask for things like extra waters or drinks for your mini fridge it does feel like you’re inconveniencing them. We tipped at all our meals, for all our drinks, daily housekeeping, bellhops etc but it really does feel like everyone is waiting for a tip which is a little off putting. Especially since technically you don’t “have” to tip for any of it. I wasn’t a huge fan of all the vendors on the beach but that’s not really on the resort. Our kids did really have a fun time until day 5.5 when both our kids and one of our kids ended up with hand foot and mouth…..most likely from a not chlorinated enough pool or from the common areas. And that has been HORRIBLE. I ended up with it too because my one son is 1.5 and I can’t keep him off me. Overall the experience was fine. But I do agree with other reviewers that this did NOT feel like a 5 star experience.

  Feb 09, 2026
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  Love the RIU

  We stayed twice and loved it. Hotel is clean, safe and well planned. Food is great with lots of selection.

  Feb 09, 2026