Riu Tequila - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

12623 reviews

• 

  Another comfortable stay at this excellent value hotel

  My wife and I have now been to the RIU Tequila on 4 occasions since 2020 with the most recent being in November/December 2025, for 2 weeks. Suffice to say we enjoy the hotel. A few things have changed over the past 5 years but not much. The hotel is spotlessly clean in all areas and the staff are very polite, invariably cheerful and work very hard. We have always requested a quiet room which usually gets us a place in one of the back rooms of the villas set back from the pool complex but that suits us as we enjoy a good night’s sleep. The rooms are clean, air conditioned and are well presented. They are tended to every day. We had 2 queen sized beds alongside each other which were very comfortable. Each room has sufficient clothes storage, a coffee machine, hair dryer, an iron and ironing board, an umbrella, spare blankets, a digital security deposit box and a well stocked fridge with soft drinks, beers, tonic and still water. There is also a wall mounted case with 4 optics. Ours had Tequila, Spiced rum, Vodka and Gin. The drinks get replenished every 2 days. The bathroom area has twin sinks with liquid hand soap and shower gel. Each room also has either an outside terrace or balcony with 2 chairs and a small table but no outside light. There are 5 swimming pools – 1 large, two smaller ones used for volley ball, water polo etc, a swim up pool served by a bar and a children’s paddling pool. Again, very clean and the bar in the centre of the complex also offers snacks such as burgers, chips etc, from midday onwards. The beach is around 400 metres away and is accessible along a shaded footpath. If you have mobility issues or don’t fancy the walk, there is a complimentary long wheel base golf buggy that can ferry around 8 people at a time from the hotel to the beach. The beach is very clean and although the sun beds are laid out very close to each other, there is generally enough to go round. The beach bar can be found by the Hotel RIU Yucatan, whose facilities you can also use. There are two lounge bars and a 24 hour sports bar, all of which seem to handle large volumes of guests quite well. If you enjoy international labelled drinks you’ll probably be disappointed as they just seem to serve those that are locally branded. That said, we have never had cause for complaint and the bar staff are excellent. There are 4 al a carte restaurants on the hotel complex, in addition to the main restaurant. The Mexican one is down by the beach and is part of the Riu Yucatan, but is open to Tequila guests. Our favourites were the steak and the Italian restaurants. An observation over the past 5 years is that the menu hasn’t changed at all in these restaurants and in my opinion could do with an overhaul. The food is generally great but you tend to feel that you’re being rushed through your meal. The waiters and waitresses work very hard but we found on a fair number of occasions that we were left waiting for quite some time before having our menu choice taken or being offered a drink or having our wine topped up. We hadn’t really experienced waiting like that on previous holiday visits but there simply weren’t enough staff and because they are busy restaurants with a quick turnover, they just couldn’t cope. Therefore, it didn’t quite live up to our previous visits and took some of the enjoyment away, which was disappointing. We found that general dining in the main restaurant was fine and offered something for everyone at all three meal times, so, if you couldn’t find something that you would enjoy, then I’d suggest that you’re being too fussy. The evening entertainment was a bit hit and miss but I suppose that’s to be expected, catering to such a diverse audience. Of note, the silent disco, circus night and Michael Jackson shows were great but the Abba show was truly awful. We particularly enjoyed the 2 party nights (White night and Neon night) which alternated on each Friday. The other 5 RIU hotels on the Playacar estate are all invited to go along to these party nights so the numbers can end up being 3,000+, making for a great atmosphere. We often tipped the waiters, bar staff and cleaners and they accept both the Mexican peso and US dollars, although their preference was for the pesos. To summarise, the RIU Tequila is a lovely hotel set back from the beach and has a great party vibe. The staff and facilities are great. There are plenty of activities going on all the time so you can be as busy or as lazy as you like. We chose the latter and my wife and I wouldn’t hesitate to book here again.

  Dec 08, 2025
• 

  Lovely, Lively and Luxurious

  Firstly, every member of the team we encountered were friendly, cheerful and intent on providing excellent service. The transfer from Cancun airport took about an hour with most people on our coach going to Riu Tequila. This caused a short queue for check-in, but there were plenty of staff who worked efficiently to minimise the wait. The reception area was large, comfortable and cool. Our room was modern, clean, comfortable and well equipped, including USB sockets, optics, minibar and coffee machine. No kettle, but I'm sure they would provide one if you asked, it felt like the hotel had every eventuality covered. Our room was on the ground floor with a small balcony type area and drying rail. We faced on to the main path so occasionally got disturbed by the shouty drunks heading home at all hours. The food in the main buffet was wide ranging and varied by different themes. Some of the dishes on display were not quite hot enough, but there was always freshly cooked dishes being put out. Once again the table service was fast and attentive. The a la carte restaurants were great! We didn't get to the Italian, but only because we got distracted by our favourite - the Asian. From sushi starters to freshly cooked mains, the food was wonderful, and again matched by the service. It may be a peculiarity of the weather on the day, but with the air conditioning we found the steakhouse cold and saw other guests going back for jumpers, so might be worth taking one with you if you are prone to feeling the cold. The pool areas were great, with plenty of beds, although still many towels out reserving peoples favourites. The water temperature was just right, cold enough to cool you down but not too cold that you couldn't stay in all day if you wanted to. The drinks trolley appeared round the main pool at 10am on the dot as the pool and swim up bars opened. It was nice to have a choice of joining the throng in the adult only pool with the swim up bar or having a quiet drink on your sunbed. The adult pool could get very loud late in the afternoon, and whilst we enjoyed the people watching, it wouldn't have been everyone's choice. Guests becoming so incapable that they had to be taken away in wheelchairs by security could make some uncomfortable. The animation team were cheerful, chatty and very busy. There was always something to join in with, but no pressure if that wasn't your thing. We went to the beach at neighbouring Riu Yukatan on the regular shuttle, which was easy and convenient, but also walkable. The beach was stunning and again there were plenty of beds with an efficient bar service. The evening entertainment was varied and professional. We loved sitting by the main bar watching before dinner, but rarely made it back after we had eaten. The Friday party nights (White or Neon) were a highlight with additional pop-up bars, face painting and really high production standards on the entertainment. The only real negative for us was that the on-site shop was stupidly expensive - £9 for a packet of crisps. However there is a small shopping area a short walk turning left out of the hotel. In summary, this was a great place to go for a lively vibrant holiday. If you crave peace and tranquility you might have seek out a quiet corner.

  Dec 02, 2025
• 

  Good all-inclusive with basic pools, decent food and drinks, nice beach, and fine (but noisy) rooms. Entertainment solid

  Medium-sized all-inclusive resort set back from the beach, surrounded by similar large hotels in a tourist-only zone (easy taxi or walk into town). There are four pools plus a kids’ pool. All are basic rectangular pools; one has a swim-up bar but looked a bit rough, so I avoided it. One pool is used for water activities (water polo, etc.), and the others are standard. Plenty of sunbeds, though people do reserve them for hours. Drinks service to your lounger is a nice touch. Daytime entertainment team is decent with lots going on. Evening entertainment is fine after a couple of drinks. RIU’s usual Friday party takes place here. Main restaurant is good with a solid variety, though like any all-inclusive it gets repetitive. Steakhouse is poor; Italian is mediocre. Asian is the best of the three but still nothing special. The beach is lovely — aim to get down there between 9–10am if you want a sunbed. You can use the beach club bar, which is really handy, and there are toilets available too. The sand is great, but avoid buying vapes on the beach as they’re fake. There’s a shuttle to the beach, though I always seemed to miss it by a few minutes and rarely saw it running. They could probably do with adding one or two more. A quick note on the rooms: the rooms themselves are absolutely fine, and the stocked mini-bar is a nice all-inclusive touch. However, the sound does travel. I happened to be next to a family who argued late into the night, and you can hear doors closing and people returning to their rooms throughout the night. It’s not really anyone’s fault, it’s just how the place is built — so I’d genuinely recommend bringing earplugs The 24-hour sports bar is handy if you want to catch a game, though personally, if the sun’s out I prefer to be outside. The lobby bar is decent, and to be fair all the bars around the resort are good. Drinks are solid too — if you’re into cocktails, they do a surprisingly good job for an all-inclusive.

  Nov 30, 2025
• 

  This hotel could be amazing

  My friend and I stayed at Riu Tequila at the beginning of November for 2 weeks, We enjoyed our stay, the rooms were really clean and all the staff in and around the hotel were so hard working. My main disappointment was the food. The main buffet was very varied but the meat and fish were always overcooked and the pizza/pasta didn't taste nice at all. We also disliked the Mexican restaurant and the Italian restaurant as we didn't enjoy the flavour/quality of the food. The best restaurant in the hotel is the Steak house, the steak, burgers and ribs were delicious. The best things about this hotel are the staff, the evening entertainment and the location as it is a very short walk to the beach. The pool areas were well looked after, I was impressed that the security guards were always watching what was going on. The TV in the room had loads of good film channels - the only thing I didn't like in our room was the open shower area as there is no privacy!! It's ok if you are in a relationship but not if it's your sibling or friend! Whilst on holiday we did 4 trips which were all amazing. The Xel-Ha park was very impressive - it's definitely worth paying for all inclusive as the food and drink were some of the best we had the whole holiday,! Also worth going to Coco Bongos, Chichen Itza and exploring the cenotes.

  Nov 27, 2025
• 

  Brilliant stay, would come back for sure!

  Stayed here for 2 weeks with my husband, I felt sceptical at first reading reviews and the Facebook group but we certainly didn’t need to worry. The hotel is kept immaculate 24/7, cleaners, gardeners and grounds men constantly on the go. The room was cleaned daily exceptionally well. Food was very good, from the buffet to the al a cartes, service everywhere was second to none no matter if you tipped. Plenty of drinks to choose from whether you’re into cocktails, spirits or soft drinks. The staff work incredibly hard and will go out of their way to help in any way possible. Entertainment we saw was good but in bed early most evenings so can’t comment too much, even still they work extremely hard. Had read some negative comments regarding the adult pool etc but we just sat at a different pool or went to the beach, which is beautiful. Plenty of activities/entertainment for both adults and children, although never felt pestered to join in. We requested a quiet room on the app before check in and that’s exactly what we got, a room facing the trees with lovely coati to watch on a morning. We would come back in a heartbeat.

  Nov 25, 2025