After reading negative reviews and reports of theft, I was very skeptical about my decision to stay at Riu Palace.
I found the negative reviews to be inaccurate at least from my experience.
The staff was very friendly, helpful, and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. Also, met lots of great people (guests) from US and Canada.....had a great time at the pool and around the resort in the evening.
Riu Palace grounds are beautiful and well-kept. Food was excellent.
We were given a lock and key to the safe but never used it!
I cant wait to go back to this resort!!!

The Riu Palace at Cabo San Lucas is a very good hotel and certainly it was the best Riu of the 3 that we have visited over the last couple of years. It is not a "5 Star" hotel and anyone expecting it to be so should reach deeper into their pockets and go to the One and Only Pamillia or the Occidental Royal Hideaway. It provides great value for the money.
We were a little trepiditous about the Riu based upon the Reviews of the Hotel we had read in the Travel Advisor and we were relieved to find a well organized, safe, clean and hospitable facility. We most certainly will be returning next year!
Our junior suite had a wonderful view overlooking the pools and the the sunrises over the Sea of Cortez. It was well maintained and exceptionally clean. We had all of the amenities necessary to provide us more than adequate accomodation for our week, including the delivery of a birtday cake, card and mug on my birthday. Our only complaints were a daily struggle to get face clothes (we had the same problem at other Riu hotels) and the lack of English programs on the television (with so many visitors from the USA and Canada and satellite connections, it does seem a little strange). Forewarned by the numerous allegations of theft, we were careful about valuables and we did not experience any problems. We maintained our normal rules: not bringing anything we did not want stolen; having only a minimal amount of cash ("tip money"); locking all articles of value that we could not keep with us in the safe; and, keeping the safe key with us at all times. In a hotel of that size, theft is to be expected and therefore precautions are required just as we do in our home community.
The pools and the beech are outstanding. They met our every desire from quiet sunbathing to enjoying the more raucous entertainment areas. The service was great both at the pools and the beech. We really liked the fact that much of the beech is roped off and the vendors are required to stay outside of the area. One day we were close to the "rope" and overheard a great sales pitch, "You want to buy some Mexican junk!". Despite the warnings to the contrary, I swam in the Sea just about everyday. There is an relatively strong undertow but nothing like what I have encountered in Hawaii or even Nantucket. A moderately strong swimmer ought not to have any problems except on the roughest days. The pools are clean, the water was warm and not overly crowded (except in the areas of the pool bars).
The restaurants from the buffet to gourmet were all very good. The reservation system leaves a lot to be desired and should be changed because it is time consuming and nonsensical. It seems a little strange to be required to line up, take a number and wait only to find the particular restaurant only partially occupied at the appointed time! I encourage the "powers that be" to rethink and improve the system. All of the personnel of all of the restaurants from sous-chefs to waiters were very friendly and most helpful at all times.
Like all of the other Rius we have stayed at, the evening entertainment was "low end" and certainly is not an attraction. We much preferred "Fernando" the "M.C" in Peurto Vallarta to the chap at Cabo. Because the facility is so close to Los Cabos (half an hour walk on the beech or 5 minutes by taxi) much better entertainment of all kinds can be obtained at the diversity of bars and other establishments. One point, it does get cool in the evenings and sweaters and long pants were required for comfort (or sitting under the infared heaters at the back of the entertainment area).
As I have indicated in previous reviews, I am a runner and neophite golfer and will provide my thoughts and comments about those areas. The Riu has a well equipped fitness centre facing the beech which I did not use (treadmills are only for -25 or more) so I ran outside. The first day I ran along the service road to Cabos and back. It was dangerous, dirty and ugly! Then I found a route around the adjoining Sante Fe which is about a mile and ran laps each morning and it was adequate. We played golf several time at the Cabos Country Club (2 times) and Pamillia (once). With the Riu discount the Cabos Country Club at "twlight" rates is a good deal as it is a well maintained and interesting course (other than oderous water area and time share salespeople). Pamillia at twice the price, even for twilight, was outstanding. We particularly enjoyed the scenery and challenges of the "Ocean Course" and the air conditionned carts.
Our enjoyment of the Riu was maximum our complaints nominal. We will be back!

We just returned from the riu palace in los cabo. The staff was very friendly. We stayed for seven nights and had absolutly no problems with anything being stolen. We kept all our valuables in our safe and kept the safe key on us at all times. Our room was cleaned everyday and the bar was always restocked.
I didn't love the buffet it was alright but nothing to great about it. My husband hated all the desserts he just wanted brownies or cookies but they had none of that. The reservation system for the
restaurants was our biggest complaint wasted about three hours
of our vacation waiting to make reservations.
The lobby was so beautiful i absolutely loved it. The whole hotel
was just gorgeous and clean.
Pools were warm. Swim up bar was really warm and apparently nobody needed to use the washroom all day.
the beach is definely not swimmable at times there were like 20
foot waves. I thought the water was really warm. Just be careful
walking along the shore one of the waves came in closer than i
thought and knocked me over. There were vendors on the beach but they didn't really bug us at all. You can rent waverunners on the beach and book all sorts of excursions right at the hotel. I would definetly go back to this hotel. the Santa Fe was nice but nothing compared to the Palace.
There were not to many kids i think it is an older crowd probably 25 and up. Everybody who worked there was so nice. The shows were really corny but something to watch. This was our first resort that we stayed at usually we cruise or rent a villa, but i would definetly stay at a resort again.

Nothing prepared us for the superior service that we received at the Riu Palace. All the staff is amazingly attentive to your needs and they all maintain a magnificent attitude (despite working 12 hour days, 6 days a week). It started with a “Welcome Margarita” before our check in was completed (a very quick process) and it only got better from there.

The resort grounds are beautiful and very well maintained. There is a small army of groundskeepers and housekeepers constantly scurrying about clipping, cleaning and sweeping.

The room was clean and the mini-bar was restocked frequently. As stated in other reviews, the walls are thin and because of the openness of the entire resort, the sounds of merriment from the common areas can be heard well into the night. After the first night, I took an afternoon siesta and stayed up late with everyone else. The entertainment provided by the Riu was different every night we were there (6 nights) and it was all a lot of fun.

The food at the buffet (El Médano) was good and there was a wide variety of options to suit any tastes. Because we wanted to keep our days open, we frequently ate here because reservations were not needed. The other two restaurants we ate at were the Mexican restaurant (San Jose) and the Japanese restaurant (Misaki). The Mexican restaurant was fantastic, the Japanese food was the only disappointing dining experience during the stay.

El Medano beach is a short (15-20 minute) walk down the beach. Spend an afternoon at the Mango Deck….you won’t forget it. Don’t take kids there as the entertainment is “R” rated. Take them next door to The Office.

Take a water taxi to El Arco and Lovers Beach, but BEWARE when getting on and off. If you aren’t careful, you’ll get wetter than you may want!

We went snorkeling with Pez Gato and had a great time. The crew was friendly, the drinks were plenty and the sandwiches they served after the swim were spectacular (my wife said it’s the best sandwich she ever had).

The marina area is teaming with vendors and time-share representatives. A firm yet polite “no gracias” will do for 99% of them, just keep walking and even the most persistent of the vendors will give up. The shops around the marina are nice but seemingly overpriced. Check out the flea market near the main dock if you are looking for a bargain.