My husband and I along with my sister and her husband spent a wonderful week at the Riu Palace in Cabo San Lucas from May 9, 2005 to May 16, 2005. The weather was perfect, the resort is beautiful, the view is magnificent and the staff were very accomodating and friendly. I do agree that they don't have enough staff in the buffet restaurant, especially during breakfast (when more people tend to eat at the same time)...they work very hard but they need more staff (service was acceptable but not 5*+). A special thanks to Marco at the front desk. If you don't mind having dinner late, you will not have to wait long in line for reservations. The buffet was also very good and the selection plentiful. Our fridge was stocked regularly, and our rooms were always clean..clean towels and sheets every day. If you like to swim in the ocean, you will be a little dissappointed as undertow is very strong in front of the hotel, however, if you walk down the beach approximately 20 minutes you will be able to swim in the ocean. Take the water taxi to "lover's beach" it is worth the $10 U.S. per person. All in all, we had a wonderful relaxing holiday. It was our first time in Cabos and we will definitely go back.

Both myself (A Travel Consultant)and one of my employees visited the RIU in April and May. She stayed April 23-30, 2005 and came back with RAVE reviews. The service was excellent, the food was great, clean, beautiful property, etc.

I couldn't wait to go myself. I stayed May 21-28th.

Our reviews couldn't have been more different. You would have thought we stayed at two totally different resorts.

The drive was about 40minutes.
When we arrived at the RIU at 1030pm it was FREEZING!! The wind blowing off the Sea of Cortez made for a very chilly greeting. Everyone was walking around in long pants and sweatshirts. We were booked with Apple Vacations out of Chicago with some of the nicest group of people I've had the opportunity to vacation with(hello fellow vacationers!) We were greeted by a rep at the hotel (Only 1 check-in person for our group of two motorcoaches). For some reason we weren't allowed to check in at the main desk where there were plenty of individuals that could have helped. (?).

The positives:
The front desk people were very friendly and accommodating. Upon arrival we realized that we were missing a piece of our luggage and they were very prompt in resolving the situation.

The hotel is GORGEOUS. They didn't skimp when they designed/decorated this resort. It is very elegant and luxurious. And it couldn't be set in a more spectacular location. The view is breathtaking. The grounds are immaculate. There was always someone cleaning and straightening up.

We were in room 2040-a corner room overlooking the pool with an oceanview on the right side of the resort. Our room was very nice (and large). Fully stocked minibar(Corona, soda & water) and liquor dispensors (Tequila, Whisky, Brandy and Rum).
FYI-No coffemakers (tho' you can order room service via a tag on your door for next morning service). No ice-makers in the vicinity.

The maid service was incredible-The BEST I've had at any hotel.
They straightened everything in your room right down to organizing your toiletries on the counter and matching your shoes.

One of our favorite places to relax before dinner was the open-air bar upstairs at lobby level. It was never very busy and the waiters/waitresses were outstanding.

The shows were very good. (Though the couple singing prior to the shows sang the same songs every night). The talent was very friendly and mixed well with the guests even outside of show times.

The spa was excellent. I took advantage of three treatments and all of the appointments were handled in an efficient and friendly manner. The individuals who provided the treatments were very good. Some of the best I've had. The whirlpool in the spa, (which anyone can use)overlooks the Sea of Cortez and the Arch as does the (average) health club.

The pools are gorgeous (2 of them)both with a swim-up bar and infinity pool. The hotel is split into two sides. The lobby and public areas are stacked in the middle with one pool and set of guest rooms on each side. As you are facing the ocean, the quiet side is on the right, the more upbeast side is to your left. If you want music, activities, etc. you will want to visit that pool. If you'd prefer to read, nap and relax go to pool on the right.
We never had a problem finding a lounge chair...a typical problem at most beach resorts.

The selection of restaurants, lounges, activities were very good for the size of hotel (642 rooms).

Dive and watersport center onsite. Glass bottom boat rides, boat rental, parasailing, jet ski, etc. all available right on your beach.

The salads, fresh fruit, fish and chocolate fountain were amazing.

Now the negatives...and, I wish there weren't any because this resort could have been one of my favorites!!
Let me start by saying that for most of our stay the hotel was at 50-60% capacity.

Service was nonexistant:
Pool service: On our first afternoon at the pool we ordered drinks twice and never rcvd. them. We gave up after 45 minutes and went to the pool bar for our own. The third time we ordered it took an hour for the waiter to return with the drinks.

Restaurants: Where do I start...We dined at the main buffet restaurant most of the time-(lunch at the pool restaurant) which is very elegant and beautiful. However, no one greets or seats you when you come in. You are left to search for your own table-most of which were dirty. The moment you find a clean spot you get immediate attention from the waitstaff who chases you to another table (a dirty table) tells you to go to the buffet line and your table will be set when you get back. The tablecloths are not changed and you are forced to eat at a table with food dropping from all of the previous guests. This happened at almost every meal.

We were never offered coffee at breakfast (had to practically tackle a waiter for service). At dinner we were offered wine about 50% of the time, never offered anything other than wine and coffee after dinner didn't seem to be an option.

There were beverage coolers in the restaurant but I rarely saw any waitstaff offering or serving anything from them.

The food trays never seemed to be filled and they regurgitated the seafood wok during every meal in various forms.

The drinks were ridiculously watered down. A normal person could not possibly consume 5 triple shot rum and cokes in two hours without feeling the affects!

We visited the Mexican restaurant one evening and were told to help ourselves to the appetizers. Every pan/container was empty-so, no appetizers for us because they only prepare a certain number based on how many people will be dining.

We asked for Mayan Coffee (a listed item on their menu) and boy were they unhappy! They begrudgingly prepared it tableside (not well) and then every table around us ordered it too (heehee).

Unswimmable beach.

And of course, lest I forget, the infamous dinner reservation line.
You get in line between 5-530 for your dinner rez for the next evening.
Your wait will be somewhere between 1/2 hour and 1 hour. The upside is that you will meet a lot of people and chat. The downside (the obvious): 1). Your on vacation.
2). It's nap time!
3). How do I know where I'm going to be for dinner the following evening.
We stood in line for 3 reservations and only actually took advantage of 1.
We slept thru 1 (naptime as previously mentioned) and were still in town for the other.
My question would be-why can't you call or make a rez anytime during the day at a reservation table like most all-inclusives?.

Cabo itself is a lovely destination. Beautiful shorelines, great fishing, friendly locals, attractive marina, etc. BEWARE of the time share people-they are everywhere. In the airport when you arrive, at the marina and even as waiters in the downtown restaurants.

All in all I would visit Cabo again but, would probably try to stay at Dreams.
Good service is paramount to a good vacation.
For whatever reason, there seem to be some service related inconsistancies from week to week that need to be addressed.

My niece and I recently stayed at the Riu in Cabo. We found the staff and the hotel itself absolutely wonderful. Everything was immaculate. Enjoyed all the amenities, from the swim up pool bars, beach, restaurants, and even the nightly entertainment. We are already planning our next visit.
It is wasn't for TripAdvisor and it's many reviews, we would never have found this grand hotel.

Stay at the Riu palace May 25-29 and a great time...went with my husband and another couple.

Check In: The Riu is a very beautiful resort. We checked in and received key cards to room 4055. However, they said they did not have two rooms next to each other with king beds, so our travel companions went to a room in another wing. The first thing we did was check out the view. It was decent enough...set back pretty far with a close view of the pool. We noticed a large pile of concrete and tiles on the floor of the bathroom. And, in one of the sinks, the pipe was laying in the sink with large holes in the wall where the pipe was. They said the room was not ready yet, but we were pretty sure it wasn't going to be ready in a half an hour. So, we returned to the lobby to get another room. Magically, two rooms appeared right next to each other with king beds...rooms 4085 and 4086. The rooms had gorgeous views and we had a veranda instead of a small patio. However, it was directly on top of the disco! It actually wasn't that bad. I guess it was a trade off, great view, a little rumble at night! Overall, I was pleased with the room.

Food: I think the food was just okay. Breakfast is really good, but service isn't very good. We tried the breakfast room service and it was okay. We liked the breakfast buffet better.

Lunch was uneventful, mostly greasy food. But, they keep food pretty full, so it usually isn't sitting out too long.

We tried the buffet dinner once and it was good. We also stood in line the first night we were there and got reservations for the Japanese restaurant, Misaki. I got in line at 5:30 and over 100 people were already in line. Once they opened reservation, the line moved quickly. But, options were limited by the time we were up. We made a reservation for 6:45.

Misaki: When we got there, the restaurant was not very busy. The service was poor an the food was okay. The sushi was good and so was the soup and tempura. The main courses were not very good. And, service was very slow, we would ask for something and not get it for 20 minutes...and there was only three other tables full. We only made reservations for Misaki, the rest of the time we ate the buffet at dinner or went into town. Also, a lady from the hotel came up to us quickly after we sat down at Misaki and asked us to fill out a questionnaire about the resort. Of course, this was a good opportunity to write down my comments. Later, I saw her talking to another and they were inputting data, etc. It was annoying that she disrupted our dinner and I did not see any improvements made regarding our suggestions while we were there.

Service: The bar service is awesome! So many great waiters and waitresses! Geraldo, Mario, Jossy, Ana Paolo...all very great. Our room bar was stocked very well, every day. The maid service was good. Some days we got fresh towels, others not. It was pretty inconsistent, but always clean. We kept our valuables in the safe, so we didn't have a problem. Pool service was pretty good. We had to flag waiters down occasionally, but the pool was pretty packed, so they were working hard!

Pools: Pools are very nice. We never had a problem finding a place to sit at the pools. The Riu activities people are great! My husband and bro-in-law did riffle shooting, ping pong and the beer drinking contest. Lots of fun! The swim up bar pools are not connected to the main pools, So, they are pretty small. They get really dirty and reek of beer. The water is cloudy by the afternoon and gross stuff is floating in there.

Night: The entertainment was good. Didn't really watch very much of it. We were told there would be karaoke, but it never happened. We were disappointed. The shows are cheesy, but they sort of make them that way...the talent works really hard and they do it 6 days a week and work long hours. I think it was good.

Cabo: We loved Cabo! Our favorite was going to The Office...we ordered two buckets of beer, ate and mingled for over 3 hours! Not many people leave in a short period of time, either. It is really a cool hang out.

We also went to Enriques the first night for dinner. It was awesome! The food and atmosphere are really good. Plus, you can't beat $9.95 steak and lobster!

We went to Mi Casa on Saturday night to celebrate our 1-year anniversary dinner. After we were seated, they didn't give us enough menus. We asked 3 times for menus and didn't get them. We ordered 3 blended margaritas and received top-shelf on the rocks. They were not good. We decided to leave and try our luck walking down the street...be spontaneous! We got the checks for the margaritas and it was over $30! But, we found a great place a few blocks away called Panchos Tequila Restaurant. They had mariachi's that sang us a special song and another couple who was also celebrating their anniversary...we danced among the tables...it was really cool. I was so glad we left Mi Casa!

All in all, we had a great time. We really want to go back. I'm not sure if we'll go to the Riu next time, but just because I like to try different places. Also, it's not really a 5 star resort, which was disappointing. But, I think so far Cabo is our favorite destination. We plan on returning as often as we can.