Riu Playacar - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8749 reviews

• 

  Relaxing stay right on the beachfront

  This was our fourth visit to the Playacar resort area since 2008. We tend to go back every 4-5 years because we love it there - the beach is stunning! It’s a relatively quiet and relaxing resort, within walking distance of Playa Del Carmen (about 30-40 minutes) along the road or the beach depending on tide times. There are a few taxes you need to pay before travel / at the hotel when visiting this area of Mexico. They are not particularly expensive or a problem but you just need to be aware of them in advance, that’s all. You can easily go on lots of great excursions from here too on bus or boat. We have visited the ancient Mayan ruins at Tulum, which was amazing and went to a lovely and relaxing beach there after. But we are quite lazy really so haven’t ever been on any of the other excursions as tempting as they sounded! We have stayed at Riu Lupita and Tequila previously, both of which were nice at the time. If staying at Riu Playacar, you can also use the restaurants, bars, pools, sun beds and other facilities (all inclusive) at Tequila and Yucatan (both a short walk) during the daytime, which is great. We have stayed at this hotel on our last 2 holidays there and loved it. The staff are welcoming and the service in bars and restaurants was always good. Everything in the rooms is included, with no hidden extras. On both occasions our room was cleaned daily, spacious and comfortable with a selection of different pillows. In the main it was quiet, with only some noise from other guests returning from the bars but not after midnight or anything like that. This time our shower wasn’t very powerful although still adequate. There didn’t seem to be a general problem with water pressure but the hose / head looked quite old, so could have done with being replaced. The food and drinks were lovely and fresh with good variety. We didn’t try any of the a la carte restaurants on site as we love a buffet! So can’t comment on those. This place is great for wildlife lovers - saw some colourful birds, iguanas and raccoons. There was also a little monkey walking through the reception area a couple of mornings and he even joined us for lunch one day in the outside restaurant! He was very cute but his table manners needed a bit of work. Everywhere in the grounds were these cute little Agouti creatures - saw some with baby ones a couple of days. Adorable! I didn’t use the gym because I’d accidentally forgotten to pack all my spandex and lycra but my partner did and said it was good. Although it does start to get busy after 6.30am and you may have to wait a little bit for the machine or pair of weights you want to use. There’s lots of sports activities here if you like that sort of thing - volleyball, soccer, jet ski etc. The entertainment team are good fun too! We loved this hotel and would definitely return again in the future. Very relaxing holiday with only 10 minutes of rain in 2 weeks! Land and sea temperature was just right at that time of year.

  Oct 20, 2025
• 

  Another fantastic holiday

  This was our 2nd time at the hotel and won't be the last, when we visited last time I travelled with my husband and this time there were a party of 6. On arriving at the hotel you are welcomed with a drink, check in was very easy and the bellman loaded our cases on his trolley and took them all to our rooms. We had 3 ground floor rooms next to each other which was great, the rooms were very clean, the air conditioning worked well, Wi-Fi great and had everything in them that what we needed. The staff work extremely hard all day and night, keep the hotel spotlessly clean and the bar staff keep the drinks flowing. The housekeeping team kept the room clean and the man who fills the fridge kept the fridges well stocked. All the restaurants had excellent food and a different variety of cuisines for everyone's taste, the staff in the restaurants clear your plates away as quick as possible and the waitress Anel deserves a mention as she was always happy to have a chat if she had time. During our holiday we had to visit urgencies due to a small incident. The reception staff, doctor at the Yucatan, the staff at the hospital and the TUI reps were brilliant and made sure we were all alright on the rest of the holiday. The pools are lovely and warm, the sea was clear and beautiful to swim in and whilst you are sat around the pool one of the bar staff come round clearing cups and taking orders for drinks to be delivered to your sunbed - great service. Finally the animation team were great with their entertainment and a shout out to Jesus he made our holiday as he tried to get us involved even though we weren't much good at the activities! the white and neon parties are great at the tequila. My parents went with us this time and found it quite loud as they enjoy very quiet and relaxing holidays now as they are in their seventies and they would not return. The rest of the party would definitely recommend and return back to this hotel and looking forward to booking again soon.

  Oct 17, 2025
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  Lovely Hotel

  This is a lovely, well-maintained Hotel. The grounds are kept very tidy and we enjoyed the local wildlife – agoutis, coatis and a couple of iguanas. The Hotel has an ideal location next to a beach with coconut palms and a lovely warm sea. WiFi around the Hotel and within the room is excellent, as is the air conditioning, which stays on even when the key is removed. As the Hotel is located within a gated community, we felt perfectly safe and had no problems. Food in the various restaurants is varied and excellent. The staff are friendly and they all work extremely hard, but always have time to say “Hola”. As a couple in our late seventies, with all the activities, entertainment and loud music, we found the Hotel lively and noisy and we didn’t have the quiet relaxing holiday, we now enjoy. However, if you like friendly staff, endless cocktails, good food, hot days and nights and plenty of things to do, this is the place for you.

  Oct 16, 2025
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  Lovely Hotel

  We stayed here in September and were pleasantly surprised. The whole hotel was very clean, and staff could be seen constantly cleaning throughout the day. All of the staff we encountered were friendly, patient, and accommodating – especially considering the language barrier. The food was generally good, with most dishes seasoned well. At times it did feel a little repetitive, and if I had one complaint it would be the labelling. Some dishes weren’t labelled clearly, or at all, which can be an issue for those with dietary restrictions. For example, I don’t eat pork, and although I check labels carefully, one time the potatoes didn’t list pork but did contain some once I had them on my plate. The beach is absolutely stunning, and the sunrises alone were worth getting up early for. The local wildlife was also plentiful and lovely to see during our stay. I didn’t catch many names, but I’d like to give a special mention to Gimer, who took great care of our room, and Tina from the entertainment team, who made the activities fun and welcoming. This was our first time in Mexico, and hopefully not our last. A big thank you as well to the TUI rep, who was very helpful throughout our stay.

  Oct 15, 2025
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  Brilliant hotel

  Went to Rui Playacar in May 2024, loved it so much when we got home we booked it again May 2025 for three weeks. Met up with loads of people who were repeater visitors from the previous year. Thought it wouldn’t be as good as last year but it was even better. So booked it again for May 2026! That’s says it all really as we are quite fussy to pleased. Our only complaint was that the swimming pool was too warm in the afternoon. Everything else brilliant. 😊😊 Cancum airport can be a bit of hit and miss though, but coming from England you should be used to that😂

  Oct 02, 2025