Riu Playa Blanca - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5735 reviews

• 

  Amazing family vacation over New Years!

  We spent a week over New Year’s at the Riu Playa Blanca and had a wonderful family vacation. The resort is conveniently located just minutes from Rio Hato Airport, making the transfer quick and easy. Private taxis are readily available and very affordable.Although the resort is on the smaller side, it has everything you need for a comfortable stay. It’s especially nice for families with children since the compact layout makes it easy to keep an eye on everyone without feeling overwhelmed by a large property.We booked a triple room, which I expected to include two beds and a sofa bed, but it came with a king and a double instead. After speaking with the front desk, they quickly added a comfortable single bed with no hassle at all—great service!The New Year’s Eve celebration was incredible, featuring plenty of delicious food, a lively beach party, and fireworks. RIU really went all out, and we truly appreciated the effort that went into the event.While the resort is a bit older compared to newer ones like Planet Hollywood, it is exceptionally clean. The staff are constantly tidying up, our room was always spotless, and everyone we interacted with was genuinely friendly. When my daughter scraped her knee playing volleyball, the lifeguard went above and beyond to clean and bandage it—it was such a caring gesture.The food was very good, and we always found something tasty to eat. The restaurant staff were kind, attentive, and welcoming.If I were to offer a suggestion, I’d say the entertainment could be more varied for non-Latino guests and younger children. There also aren’t many activities available for teenagers.The beach is beautiful, with unique black sand, although there are locals offering horseback rides, which means there’s sometimes horse manure around. It’s a bit unpleasant, and the horses did seem quite tired and overheated.The only real issue we encountered was with some guests rather than the resort itself. A few were inconsiderate—taking beach chairs or towels that weren’t theirs, cutting in lines, or ignoring basic etiquette. The staff did their best to manage it, but it can be frustrating, so it’s something to keep in mind.The tours and the Sunwing travel team were excellent. The excursions were reasonably priced and well organized.Overall, we had a fantastic week at Riu Playa Blanca. The warm hospitality, great food, and family-friendly environment made it a memorable vacation. We’ll definitely return to Panama in the future.Thank you to all the Riu Playa Blanca staff for making our stay so enjoyable!

  Jan 05, 2026
• 

  Pathetic Food Options for Vegetarians

  if you are a vegetarian or Vegan…. DO NOT STAY here. in 2025, they don’t know how to have enough hot food that can be made without meat!!! freaking beans are made with pork…. WTF…. really. As if there isn’t a load of meat people are gulping down from the rest of the meal. So the only food to eat is fruits, sorry as pizza and Sugar loaded desserts. Heart Disease galore!!! i’m gonna make sure the travel agent we worked with knows about this so he doesn’t send unsuspecting victims to this place.

  Dec 27, 2025
• 

  Great clean, family friendly experience

  Very close to the airport. Cleanliness of rooms, grounds and public washrooms was great. Everything is close and easy to get to. Noise level in the evenings was loud but usually not past 11 pm or so. The steakhouse a la carte was the best in terms of speed of service and food quality. It often opened earlier than the posted time. The buffet was good, but generally the same items were available other than on special occasions (ie. Christmas Eve). Good family atmosphere. Secure beach chairs early. Pool is very busy in the afternoon. We loved our family room which had 2 separate rooms and two bathrooms. The room itself needed a bit of TLC, as it was beginning to be some rundown. The water in the shower was always hot, and the pressure was good! The views from our 6th floor balcony and hallways were excellent.

  Dec 27, 2025
• 

  Terrible Experience

  Absolutely terrible experience from start to finish. The power outlets in the rooms were unusable, the televisions are extremely old and outdated, and the ceiling fan was covered in dust, barely worked, and made such a loud, awful noise that it was impossible to sleep. The towels not only smelled bad but also had an unpleasant brownish color, which was frankly disgusting. Although the common areas may look nice, the service is atrocious. The staff are rude, indifferent, and completely unprofessional. The food is bland, poorly prepared, and far below acceptable standards. Access to the Italian and steak restaurants is extremely limited and badly managed. To make matters worse, the hotel beach was dirty and covered with horse manure, making it unusable and unacceptable for guests. This place is not worth the money or the frustration. I strongly do not recommend this hotel.

  Dec 18, 2025
• 

  Don’t even think about it

  Terrible experience, specially the bad service of almost all the staff of the hotel, they’re very aggressive, mean. The only lady full of kind was the one in charge of the eggs at the breakfast. In the other side, the comun areas are good, such the pool and restaurants but the bedrooms, OMG, totally abandoned, they have brown towels, if the first time that I visit a hotel with brown towels inside the bedrooms, it seems dirty, smell damp, you don’t fell confortable cleaning your face with those. The hotel needs urgently an update. I will not recommend to anyone.

  Dec 18, 2025