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Riu Lupita Hotel: Traveler Reviews

Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating:
  • A summary score based on quality, quantity and age of traveler ratings.
4 of 5 stars 242 reviews
242 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
81
4.0 of 5 stars
93
3.0 of 5 stars
36
2.0 of 5 stars
18
1.0 of 5 stars
14
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#45 of 157 hotels in Playa del Carmen
Show Hotel DetailsHide Hotel Details
  • Hotel class: 3 of 5
  • Rooms: 300
Description: Located near the charming village of Playa del Carmen; 40 miles south of Cancun and the airport; near the Mayan ruins. This description is based on information provided by the hotel.
Address:
Manzana 20, Lote Hotelero No. 1
Playa del Carmen 77710
Mexico
Check Rates: $272 Avg. Price
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TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of Riu Lupita Hotel

( 4-8 of 242 )
“Another Wonderful RIU Experiance”

Riu Lupita Hotel

Jun 16, 2008
4/4 found this review helpful

Well let me start by saying I am a loyal RIU client. I have stayed at many of the other RIU Resorts and the Lupita lived up to what I normally find to be the best.

FLIGHT: Our flight from Vancover via Air Transat left on time and
took 5hours 30 minutes. No frills with this airline but it
works.
HOTEL: Yes the Lupita is the smaller in the RIU chain in the
area but, it was clean, well maintained, and in my
opinion well managed.

ROOMS: Good clean room, stalked mini bar, clean towels, but
sorry to say very poor water pressure for the shower.

STAFF: The staff at the RIU Lupita were excellent, very friendly
took pride in everything they did for us. Always a smile
Very good entertainment crew and excellend shows.

FOOD: Excellent buffett with good choices, one thing I did
notice is that if you dont like 1000 island dressing you
are out of luck it was the only choice. But all in all very
good.

POOLS: The pools were very nice, no swim up bar but that
not real difference. Bar is so close if required. Clean
pools, lots of chairs, and lots of fun.

The RIU Lupita is NOT ON THE BEACH.....This to sum may make a difference but I assure you its so easy to get to the beach it made little difference to me or my son. A shuttle runs every thirty minutes and it takes five minutes to get there so dont panic . We did have a theft of a camera from our room, we made a report to the front desk and the matter was treated quickly and to our satisfaction within 24 hours with real RIU Class. Very please on how the Manager Fernanda treated the matter and resolved it. I would return to the Lupita in a heartbeat with no hesitation at all. If your planning a trip to Playa del Carmen I highly recommend the RIU Lupita resort, its staff, managment.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Not as busy as the others
    • Disliked — Not much
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
ajsturgeon's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2008
Traveled with: Family with teenagers
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 50-64
Member since: March 29, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Great food / Wine, Shopping, Golf
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $272 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“oh my god loved the riu lupita”

Riu Lupita Hotel

Jun 13, 2008
3/3 found this review helpful

On arriving at the lupita we wasn,t sure what to expect as i,ve stayed at the larger riu tequilla which i loved an thought i,d be comparin reception was prompt gave us the info we needed with a complimentary drink then straight on to our room which was perfect comfy beds fridge well stocked an nice an clean.as soon as we walked to the room we were greeted by geraldo who turned out to be head of animation an oh my god what a team they were from morning to night they entertained my boys aged 8 an 13 zak my younest loved them all so much he even sat with them for lunch nothin was to much trouble,an they get the mums an dads involved to,i even found him 1 day in the dj booth with dj carlos playing black jack,the complex is very safe no one can just walk in as theres a guard on the gate.we went to the riu tequilla 1 night an couldn,t wait to get back to the lupita its so much more personal.LALO,SERGIO,MEMO,TADEO,RAMSES,GERALDO,FABIOLA,NICKY,AN LORENZO,DJ CARLOS we think your the BEST ANIMATION TEAM IN THE WORLD XXX we cried yesterday when we had to leave. The restaurante staff an bar staff also work so hard an are always smiling there were a lot of different nationallity,s,some a bit ignorant but most were lovely , we met some great dutch girls a lot can speak good english all in all i would definatly go back an recommend the lupita anyone who doesn,t like must be really really fussy.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — the animation team they were a class
    • Disliked — theres isnt a thing i didn,t like only saying goodbye that was sad
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
princess47's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Family (extended)
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 25-34
Member since: June 13, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Older travelers, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Other
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $272 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Great little resort hotel”

Riu Lupita Hotel

Save Review
3 of 5 stars
Portland, Oregon
Jun 9, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful

Overall our stay was great . We stayed in the 2400 block of buildings, no view (except for the dense vegetation) loud AC unit , hard/firm bed but very clean and comfortable room on the 3rd floor. This hotel is much smaller than other Riu's but it has a very nice atmosphere. In-room refrigerator failed on the 3rd day but they replaced the entire unit. The AC made a squeaking noise which they could never fix (thank god for ear plugs)

Buffet and the bar are great. We were very happy with the selection of the food and liked most of it.The staff is very helpful.Beach club is very nice and lunch over there is very good as well. We were using the shuttle every day and it was always on time.

We liked the neighborhood the hotel is located at however we do not recommend to take a walk to the downtown area due to the heat and distance.It is quite far and there is barely any shade. We have done it only once and we were both sun burned.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Food was better than expected
    • Disliked — Did not feel secure about the front desk safe deposit box (sealed envelope was opened)
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kochanie's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 25-34
Member since: February 03, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $272 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Pay a little more and stay at one of the other Riu's”

Riu Lupita Hotel

Save Review
2 of 5 stars
Washington, DC
May 29, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful

My husband and I booked this trip through Expedia for our one year anniversary. We selected this Riu hotel because we could not figure out if there was a huge difference between this resort and the other Riu resorts right around that area, so we figured to save the money and go with this resort.

This was a major let down and the only time we spent at Lupita was to sleep. We were let down because we were under the assumption that there would be more options for food, bars and activities on this resort. There is only one pool that is actually utilized by guest because there is only one bar and one restaurant, so the pool near these is the only one really utilized. We also were told there was a gym on site. There was not. There is one other restaurant than the buffet one and you needed reservations for this restaurant. Multiple times we went to make reservations for the 9PM seating (there was only 2 seatings--7PM and 9PM) and it was booked. We were up and trying to book these by 7:45AM and it was already booked!!!

The outdoor "food" area that serves fries, ice cream and fruit when the buffet restaurant is closed is GROSS. No one maintains the area and there are birds every where eating the food.

We finally learned to wake up every morning and go to one of the other Riu's, which you had to get to by bus which ran every 30 minutes. The bus ride was only about 10 minutes and it dropped you off at one spot where you could walk to the other resorts (10 minute walk to the furthest). We loved Riu Yucatan for their beach and multiple swim up bars. The pool was massive and enjoyable. The biggest problem is getting chairs. People reserve them with towels beginning at around 7:00AM.

The best Riu for night life is definitely Tequila. They had great shows, a sports bar with pool tables, a bar, etc, and just an overall great night life vibe. But the bus to Lupita stops running at 6:30PM, so if you decide to stay here for their night lift, you need to get a taxi back to the hotel.

Also--when you check in you are told that you cannot eat dinner at any of the other resorts. This REALLY let my husband and I down because we assumed that we could still access all the other resorts restaurants for dinner. No. We did end up eating at some of the other resorts buffets for dinner and just did not tell anyone we were from Lupita. Their food was 100% better!! Just need to take a taxi back to Lupita.

Lastly, the service at Lupita is a step down from the other resorts. The entertainment staff is mediocre. And the bar tenders/ wait staff are not nearly as engaging and friendly as they are at the other Riu resorts.

The room was nice. It was cleaned every day and we never had an issue with the room at all. If the room hadn't been as enjoyable as it was, this potentially could have been a horrible vacation.

I just compared rates and for 4 nights, it would cost $75 more per person to stay at Riu Tequila, $87 per person at Riu Playacar, $86 per person at Riu Yucatan. So only about $20USD per night per person. This would DEFINITELY be worth it!!!! The entire trip we wish we had paid a little more for a huge increase in ammenities and service!

We never went into either of the Riu palace resorts (because we were not allowed to) but they look STUNNING!!!

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Our room
    • Disliked — The location, food, service and selection
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
fcgorman's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: May 29, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
probably not
I recommend this hotel for:
Families with young children
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $272 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“nice hotel...smallest of the riu's here but..worth the money”

Riu Lupita Hotel

May 24, 2008

well...after an amazing holiday in the domincan our holidays had alot to live up to..it turned out to be nothin on the dominican but it was a very nice hotel - staff were great and food was of a very high standard.

the riu lupita is the smallest of the rui's, there are 3 others thaat you can use. we preffered the rui tequila - only because it was bigger and therefore had much more going on..the disco was a laugh and full of a variety of people..whereas on the lupita it was rarely full. had nice nights at both hotels and there is plenty to get involved in - activites all day long...or feel free to lay in the heat till the sun set..there was no pressure to join in..but if you did..and WON there was a presentation each evening. a great place for the kids!

the rooms were very basic, but clean, the maids work very hard for their money and we were encouraed to leave tips which we did! we got the hotel and flight at almost half price - around £650 as it was a very last minute deal - therefore it was definitley worth the money - it was however to basic for the price of 1164 - which was the original price.

there is a show every night and the food was delicious, fresh and alot of the time cooked in front of you at cooking stations - yum!

the layout of the hotel is well thought out and everything is within easy reach, it is not as grand as the riu's but very homely and the staff are friendly...

overall i'd say definately worth a visit, my only complaint would be was the hotel was not on the beach - but if you dont mind the short free bus ride its ideal...

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — sun- was hot hot hot!
    • Disliked — not being on the beach...
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jungle_queen's Summary
Date of Stay: April 2008
Traveled with: Friends
Visit was for: Quality time with friends
Age group: 18-24
Member since: December 29, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Pet owners
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $272 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com

Reviews of Riu Lupita Hotel

( 4-8 of 242 )
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Riu Lupita Hotel Address

Manzana 20, Lote Hotelero No. 1, Playa del Carmen 77710, Mexico