My boyfriend (24) and I (23) traveled to the Riu Cancun from 12/39/12-1/5/13. We showed up earlier than expected and were able to get into our room right away. We were on the second floor with a great view and nice sized room. Despite the complaints I'm about to mention, the big thing we kept saying was "it's hard to complain when you're in such a beautiful place." It was hard not to remember the reviews we read; however, I think the positives (and negatives) I saw would have been seen regardless.

1- the service and entertainment crews were great. Unless you're that lazy and can't get up to grab a drink at one of the numerous bars, you'll be fine. Entertainment started at the pool around 10 every day and had something for everyone-- kid activities, water polo, volleyball, Olympics, soccer, water aerobics, etc. Despite your age, they make everyone feel comfortable.
* the sun isn't as big of a deal as people write about. Because of the time of year the sun goes away by 530 anyway, so when it's gone by 4 from the beach no one cares. We were always up early and made sure to grab seats along the white balcony at the pool level and/or at the beach for later.

2 - things to do - having been to cancun before, my boyfriend wanted to go out and show me the night life. Because we passed out early mostly every night, we didnt make it out until the last night. We went w the entertainment staff to a club called the city... It was great and we felt safe on our 5 min walk home at 230 am. Some of the other 6 nights were filled w either the disco, shows at the resort or sitting outside playing cards. ...During the day we checked out the shops (and Starbucks) directly across the street.

3- Food- as a picky eater I was worried about what I would eat once I arrived, and to be honest the first few days were fine. However, after a few days it does get old. Again, hard to complain but all I wanted by day 3 was a bag of chips!
Breakfast- best meal- eggs and omelettes made how you want :-)
Lunch- good options but repeated frequently
Dinner- had dinner at the steak house and Japanese restaurant - not as great as you would think. My bf liked them, but I'm not a big meat eater so we stuck to the buffets so we could eat whenever we wanted
* I was surprised to read the recent reviews (about the food) from the dates we traveled. I also got sick on Thursday night after eating lunch. It was absolutely horrible! I don't think it was just the food, rather a mix of it, the drinks, sun and lack of water.

4- cleanliness- everything was clean. Yes, the rooms are a little outdated, but that wasnt a big deal to us. We liked the way it had a Mexican feel!
* The damp feeling in the room does exist. Our floors always felt slick, the sheets always felt wet and our clothes damp. Not the greatest feeling, but it is what it is.

Overall, we had a great time. We woke up early each day, had great encounters w the staff, and enjoyed our time at the Riu Cancun. My two biggest issues were the food and damp feeling of the room. All in all, those two things aren't enough to say don't visit this resort. The other negative reviews don't seem possible and instead seem like the people themselves could be the problem. If you treat the staff nice, even when you're unhappy, they do what they can to assist you.

Stay tuned for the male version of this review from my boyfriend.....

On arrival you are greeted with a refreshing non alcoholic drink, the booking in procedure is quick and efficient.
The rooms are a little dated but provide everything you could possibly need including optics of whiskey, brandy, vodka and tequila, the fridge is also fully stocked with beer, coke and water all of which are replenished every 2 days.
The food is lovely but can be a bit repetitive, there are 3 restaurants to try all of which are worth a visit.
The entertainment staff do a good job trying to include all age groups and most of it is worth a watch.
Down side is that the beach is rocky but if you walk further down there is a nice sandy beach.
The pools are good with choice quiet or a little noisier around the swim up bar.

Stopped in this hotel July/August 2011! Best holiday I have had in my life!! Cocktails were amazing, and the night club on site was good fun. Coco bongos in the most amazing night ever for all ages- a show with unlimited drinks! Fantastic! The pool bar was brill, and spent most days laid around it. No problem in getting a sunbed.
Went swimming with dolphins at dolphin discovery in their natural environment. well worth the money and got a CD with hundred photos to print at home.
No holiday now compares- every year the price goes up or I would go every summer.
Weather red hot, got a lovely tan. rained one day for 30 seconds- still hot and just stayed in pool nothing to worry about!!
10/10
Entertainment staff were excellent!!! I went with my bf and another couple. the second time the other couple have been and enjoyed it just as much as the first.

We had read previous reviews of this hotel so therefore decided to spend New Years here. Our experience started off bad as we checked in only to find our room made of 2 single beds when we had booked a queen bed room. They said we had to sleep in it that night then they would move us the next day. The apparent "5 star hotel" was more like a beach shack with the rooms being very average. Rooms were fitted out very cheaply, the 'all you can drink mini bar' was water and Pepsi and no snacks. The bathrooms were mediocre with the toilet barely flushing. They gave you one thin blanket which was nowhere near enough given they control the AC (not you). We bought the all inclusive package for a New Years 4 day retreat ( for my partner and I-both 25) and the all inclusive was awful- cheap alcohol that was barely drinkable (plus we caught them not putting tequila in the 'margheritas'), restaurants inside the hotel were worse than the buffet and you had to book 2 days in advance which was a joke when you arrive and don't know this! My girlfriend and I both got tummy bugs (potentially from the food?) and ended up having to eat at the buffet because we couldn't get into the restaurants that were included! The customer service woman taking bookings was so rude and unaccommodating and when we turned up to 'see if we could get in anywhere' the restaurants were empty! I don't recommend this hotel to anyone it may have been good in the 70's but not now. We also bonded with other guests on how ridiculous this was.