What We Love
- The resort is tucked away inland with four swimming pools, day and night entertainment, several restaurants and bars.
Things to Know
- The resort includes a diverse collection of essential and entertaining amenities.
- Your centralized location will allow you to get out and explore Playa del Carmen whenever you like.
Location
Playa del Carmen - Off BeachProperty Information
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Resort Details
Dining
Amenities
Activities
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy - At least one person 21 years or older is required in every room February through April. Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any RIU property, at any time during the year. RIU Hotels & Resorts, reserves the right to withhold admission to any Spring Breaker. The hotel reserves the right of admission and may request clients to show passport or official ID to prove full identification. Guests can and will be removed from the property at their own expense in case of any disturbance or complaint from other guests or hotel staff. Parties in rooms are not allowed. Spring break groups or unruly behavior is not allowed all year round at any property.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
One person of 18 years or over in every room. No student groups under 21 all year long.
Minimum check in age is 18 (Jan. - Feb.) (May - Dec.) Minimum check in age is 21 (Mar. - Apr.)
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
9900 reviews
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May 29, 2020A fine busy but friendly hotel which I would recommend
My wife and I spent 2 weeks at the Riu Tequila from late February to mid March 2020. This was our first time visiting Mexico and the 3rd occasion staying in a RIU hotel. The hotel together with its sister hotels Yucatan, Lupita and Playacar are all on a private estate just south of Playa Del Carmen and around an hour from Cancun airport. Hotel RIU Tequila is set back from the beach by about ¼ mile but there is a lovely footpath which you can use which runs between the RIU Palace and the RIU Yucatan. There is also an extended golf buggy which runs regularly between the beach and the hotel. When we arrived the room allocation was quick and efficient. We had a room in block 17 which was in a quieter part of the grounds and ideal for us. Essentially the villa blocks are set around the outside of the hotel grounds surrounding the pools and gardens. Our double room was clean and very comfortable. The air conditioning was excellent and very welcome at the end of the day. Wi-Fi reception in the room was very good and you could watch Netflix etc which was a bonus. The bathroom area is open with a double sink. The shower and toilet have their own doors for privacy. The shower was piping hot and quite powerful. The mini bar fridge was stocked with soft drinks, water and beer and there were four bottles of spirits (Brandy, vodka, gin and rum) in an optics dispensing cabinet. A man visited the room every two days to restock whatever drinks you wanted. There were no tea or coffee making facilities in the room so we took our own kettle, coffee etc. The Sports Bar which was open 24 hours also served coffee and snack food. The room was cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis by the maids. The main restaurant served an excellent variety of food at all meal times. I don’t understand how some people can complain about the quality of the food, it was great. Most of the waiters and waitresses were very attentive and polite. We also visited the Steak, the Italian and the Asian restaurants within the complex and they were mainly excellent, although the steak restaurant was top of our list closely followed by the Italian. The Asian restaurant was a little disappointing compared to the others but still reasonably good, so after one visit there we didn’t go back. There are three bars open in the evening around the main entertainment area. The evening entertainment was a bit mixed with some performances being good and others not so. They have parties on Friday nights called the ‘neon night’ and an ‘all white night’ which alternate week by week. The patrons of some of the other RIU hotels could also attend these and as a result the atmosphere was buzzing and they were good fun. The swimming pools were clean, with plenty of sun beds to go round. The pools never seemed to be crowded, although the one closest to the swim up bar was definitely busier and noisier than the others. The beach was also very clean and again sun beds were in plentiful supply, although you are crammed together like sardines and it seemed a bit too artificial and clinical in the way it’s laid out. Although the beach didn’t have any parasols, the palm trees provide some cover from the sun if that is what you want (which we did.) Although it was late February/early March the temperatures were typically around 26 to 28 degrees (early 80f.) We had a few cloudy days with the odd heavy shower which according to regular Mexican tourists was unusual for this time of year. The beach bar service was from the nearby Hotel RIU Yucatan and was well staffed and service was generally quick. The beer isn’t particularly good but the cocktails were great. The poolside and public area toilets were kept very clean although the main pool/beach bar toilet did sometimes get a little messy but then again it was very well used. If you want to visit Playa Del Carmen you can either choose to walk for around 20 to 30 minutes to get there or you can catch a taxi from outside the hotel. The taxis have set prices and cost around 120 Mexican Pesos to get you to 5th Avenue, the main shopping street in Playa Del Carmen. In my opinion it was well worth a visit, there's a huge choice of shops, cafe bars and restaurants. In summary the hotel was very clean and comfortable, the staff were polite and helpful and I wouldn’t hesitate to book again
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May 13, 2020
Wedding anniversary
This was our first time in Mexico and all I can say is wow! We arrived at the RIU Tequila on March 9th 2020 for our 4th wedding anniversary. We traveled with TUI from Manchester and after a ten and half hour flight I was jet lagged to say the least. On arriving at the hotel there was a welcome drink which was great and check in was quick and pleasant, after a ten hour flight this was much appreciated. The bell boy brought our luggage to the room quickly as well, while we settled in. As it was a late flight I went to sleep and re adjusted the next day. The room we had was spacious, cleaned well and had optics in the room and a mini bar filled every two days. The bathroom was kind of open plan such as the shower door was not frosted, which was fine for us been a couple but maybe not for families. The hotel grounds were lovely it had four pools one of which was a swim up bar. You can also use the two other hotels the playa car and the Yucatan which have beaches. I always got a sun lounger whether it be at the pool or the beach, and the beach Is the most amazing beach I’ve ever seen. You get a towel card on arrival and hand it in at the beach hut for your towels daily. You can use your wrist bands at the other hotels to eat lunch and get drinks also included in the all inclusive, so you don’t need to come back from the beach for drinks or food. The walk to the beach is about 5 mins over the road through a nice greenery walkway, but if you don’t feel like walking a golf buggy stops outside the hotel every 10 mins and will take you. The hotel is on a gated community which is great and safe. There’s a small little shopping centre down the road we’re we got massages, which were great and a lot cheaper than the hotel we’re going to charge. It also sold excursions, souvenirs, clothing, had a pharmacy and a 7 eleven store. The entertainment In the hotel was fantastic we went for 10 nights and they had a neon party which was great. They also have a night club onsite, we went once and it was ok. The hotel has five restaurants one a buffet with plenty of choice and I’m a fussy eater. An Asian which we didn’t try, a Mexican at the Yucatan which you need to book at breakfast with the manager in the buffet restaurant, but we didn’t bother. The Italian was fantastic, the best for us we ate here nearly every night. The steak restaurant was also good but the Italian was my favourite. You never have to queue if the restaurant are busy they will give you a buzzer that will tell you when a table is free, so you never miss out. After the restaurants close the sports bar is open 24 hours and has food to warm up like hot dogs etc.. so if your having a late night you can always grab something to eat. The drinks were lovely anything you wanted cocktails, spirits, beer and the coffee from the sport bar was great. The TUI reps were brilliant we booked 2 excursions with TUI, one to coco bongo gold member ticket, OMG best night ever it’s a must if your in Mexico. The next to xplor fuego one of the x parks and that was amazing if your an adrenaline junky. I also booked chitzen itza through Viator which was cancun tours which was ok, but think TUI trip may have been better as it was all about selling. The staff were lovely all polite, I took 1 dollar bills for tips and the cleaning ladies always made towel animals everyday. The wildlife of coatis were cute but make sure your drinks are up high as they will try to pinch them, as there cheeky. I don’t usually return to the same place or hotel as I usually like to travel to different places, I don’t usually write reviews either but had to with this hotel, but this is one place I will definitely return to. Even with the Covid 19 crisis this hotel the staff and the TUI reps never faulted with their service. Thank you so much the RIU Tequila and the TUI reps for making our anniversary magical. We will be returning after this crisis is over.
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Apr 29, 2020
Perfect
We visited the tequila in March for our 10th wedding anniversary and from arrival to leaving our holiday was spectacular. The staff are just amazing, every single member of staff go above and beyond to make sure your needs are met and you enjoy your stay. Jeremiah in the restaurant and the lovely Brenda in the towel hut were a highlight of our stay. Tips are really appreciated, even if it’s only a few pesos. Our room was modern and spotless, Karen our cleaner came every day and our mini bar filled every other day. The facilities were good, we spent the majority of our time at the pool with the swim up bar. The food was lovely, we tried all of the a la carte restaurants my favourite being the Mexican, my husband preferred the Italian restaurant. There really is something for everyone, even a gluten free section. Breakfast was a real treat, we really were spoilt for choice but I did like the freshly made omelettes. The Friday night parties are fabulous, A real highlight of our stay! The rest of the entertainment was a bit hit and miss but we enjoyed the Mayan night. I couldn’t leave a review without mentioning the wildlife, the coaties and the agouti are adorable. We had an agouti slept by our room each night. There were a few friendly cats around too. We also had a visit from a cheeky spider to our room that reception came and evicted for us! We enjoyed every minute of our visit to the tequila, we can’t wait to return..... we’ll be back soon!!
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Apr 12, 2020Not as good since makeover
Fifth time back to this hotel, we were so looking forward to it. Went to room which was very nice except were surprised to find no tea or coffee facilities anymore, not the usual toiletries in the bathroom. Shower gel dispenser in shower didn’t work. Food in main restaurant didn’t seem to be as hot as we had been used to, neither did it seem to have as much choice. Some things overcooked. Staff were still as helpful and friendly, pool area kept beautifully clean, cleaned down early every morning. Missed having the outside bar in the evenings, Told Manager had also had the books removed from the foyer, we were used to being able to exchange books there. Had to go over to the Yucatan to change and leave books as their manager still allows it. Not sure if we will return as all these little things enhanced our holiday.
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Apr 12, 2020
So sad
Beautiful setting, lovely hotel, very helpful friendly staff. Weather was amazing. Our 2nd week was a bit of a let down due to the corona virus. No neon/white or foam parties. All excursions cancelled luckily we got to experience xcaret. The food went downhill rapidly with all the restaurants closing and guests leaving every day. It wasn't the experience we paid for however we understand this was no fault of the hotel. Flight home was horrendous though, being made to feel like you had the plauge! We will return to this hotel as we met many who return year after year and had nothing but nice things to say and we would love to see it in full swing.