My husband and I have not stayed at an all inclusive for over 10 years so we weren't sure how much we would enjoy it. The great price made it pretty hard to resist and we had never been to Cabo so thought we would try it for a first visit.
The hotel is really nice and very well kept. We always saw people cleaning and glasses and plates didn't sit around for very long. Our room was in building #5 which we thought was a pretty good central location, not that we were concerned about the walking because with all the eating and drinking you NEED to definitely do some walking. In our first room we noticed that the bathroom counter was wet and then on further inspection realized that water was coming from behind the vanity mirror. We told the front desk about it and then the next day water was dripping from the light fixture above the vanity so enough was enough. Maintenance came and looked, said they didn't know what the problem was but suggested we ask for another room which we did and they quickly and efficiently moved our belongings. We were on the top floor but it was no problem and gave us a nice view from the balcony. There was a fairly pervasive sewer odor a lot of the time but you kind of got used to it.
I had booked a body treatment and pedicure at the Renova Spa prior to my arrival as it was recommended to prebook. However when I showed up they had no record of my appointment and the printout of my confirmation didn't mean a thing. The attitude of the girls in the spa was annoying too, they just laughed about the error and didn't think it was a big deal to book me for another day. The thing is when you've planned your day around the appointment you don't really feel like scheduling another day so I told them to just forget it. I was so glad I did because when we were walking back from Cabo San Lucas there were lovely beachfront cabanas offering 40 minute massages for $20. It was an easy walk down the beach from riu santa fe to Renaces massage and I don't think I've ever had a better massage and having it oceanfront listening to the waves is fantastic! I went twice!!
One day we booked a glass bottom boat to Lover's Beach and since we booked it through the kiosk at our hotel we didn't think it would be problem with them coming back to pick us up. Wrong - after waiting two extra hours we finally had to admit they weren't coming back for us. The problem was that we didn't bring any money with us because we had paid for a round trip........don't ever do that. We finally got a guy to bring us back but he wanted $20 to do it. As soon as we got back, I left my hubby hostage with him (cause I wasn't staying!) and ran up to the Scuba Caribe kiosk. I brought the guy down that we had booked through and he had an argument with the other guy and ended up giving him $15. In future I would only pay $5 each to get there and then just find another boat to bring you back for $5 each. Oh yeah, be careful if you take your kids to Lover's Beach, my husband was walking around and he saw a couple completely nude and getting it on right there on the beach. It was only about 1:00 in the afternoon and they were by no means in a secluded area.
On Valentine's day we booked a Rhino Safari with Carisuvo and it was fantastic! It was about 35 km and you have to be prepared to get really dusty but it was very informative and lots of fun!
On two different days we hopped on the bus just outside the gates and went to Cabo San Lucas for less than a dollar each. Gordo Lele's makes a fantastic taco but if you didn't know about the place you would probably not stop there because it does not look great. We enjoyed a delicious taco and his rendition of "Let it Be" before walking back along the beach. I wasn't sure just how doable the walk is because there are differing opinions but my husband and I are definitely not power walkers or anything and we had no problem at all. We just kicked off our sandals and walked in the surf stopping at the beach bars when we felt like it. Mango Deck was a great place to stop, delicious margaritas and we got to watch the guys that work there shake it on the stage-hilarious!
Back to Riu Santa Fe, some people think the evening shows are kind of cheesy and I suppose they can be. We really enjoyed the Animacion crew (Frosty, Jesse, Isabel...) and all the effort they put into making sure people had fun. The Ideal Couple show on Valentines Day was so funny we couldn't stop laughing. They had lots of decorations for V day, served champage and gave flowers to the ladies.
On to the food, it was really okay. It was not gourmet but you can't expect that from an all inclusive, there was always plenty of food though. We went to the Asian, Steakhouse and Mexican restaurants and didn't find them to be all that different from the buffet. The Asian had zero ambiance and no music, it rated the lowest for us. The main buffet had a big variety although it got to be really repetitive after a week and can't imagine how people could handle it for two weeks. The salsa and guacamole were my favorites and sometimes you could find the makings of a really good fish taco, mmmm. What really bothers me about buffets though is the sheer quantity of food that people will take and then just push aside. Often they go back for another plate and waste most of that too. Wasting a bunch of food just because you can is rude in my opinion.
All in all I would have to say that we did enjoy our stay here, found the people very friendly and helpful (nothing was taken from our room but we also didn't bring anything valuable), the grounds are pretty and well maintained but we wouldn't stay here again just because we are not big fans of crowded, noisy resorts and prefer a laid back quiet vacation. The value of this trip was unbeatable though and now we know that we would like to visit Cabo again.

My husband and I stayed at the RIU Santa Fe along with another couple during the week of Feb 10-15th. We really enjoyed it.

The food is pretty awful but still edible. Breakfast was the best of all three. We never wanted to get up early and stand in line to make dinner reservations at the themed restaurants, so we ate at the buffet. There is something for everyone, but its the same every night. We thought the mexican food could be better, and also more of! We're in Mexico people, if I wanted a burger or a hot dog I would have stayed home!!! And be aware if you miss breakfast which ends at 10:30, lunch does't start until 12:30. And if you miss lunch which ends at 3:30 dinner doesn't start until 6:30. There is nothing else to eat between these times! And the late night food was horrible, stale sandwiches and nachos with cold cheese! The Food was really the only bad part of the resort.

Landscaping was beautiful! The grounds are kept very clean. Pool areas were very clean. Sometimes by the pool bars there were some bees but they didn't bother us. Pools were chilly but not too bad. That didn't stop us from getting in there. The weather was warm during the day, the sun was intense but there was a breeze so it was nice. Probably 75-80 F in the day and 65-70 F in the evening. All you need is a light jacket or a little sweater in the evening.

We were in building 7 which is by the infinity pools. Our room was ok, the floor was always cold. It was very noisy, maybe because we were in the larger building and our room was right by the elevator. All hours of the day it was very loud, people yelling and there was this ball downstairs that people would spin as they were walking by and it sounded like a train coming through there! That was alittle annoying! Mini bar was always stocked. No complaints there!

There were alot of bars! We hung out in the sports bar every night. Its open 24 hours! We had a blast there! The bartenders were awsome! Isreal and Emmanuel are the best! We met alot of really fun people there! We never watched any of the shows but eveyone that did really enjoyed them. We never made it to the disco neither, we were too busy partyin in the sports bar.

We went into town the last two nights for dinner and drinks. We ate dinner at Panchos which was very good and cheap. And we also ate at Mi Casa which was also good but not cheap. We got the lobster yummmmmm! Both had good atmospheres. We went to Cabo Wabo which was fun, definately a MUST! And we went to El Squid Roe too. That was Fun too! We wish we had more time in Cabo! It was a Blast!

We did an ATV excursion on Migrino Beach! Awsome! You could see the whales from the shore! They give you an hour free time to ride where ever you want most tours don't do that. Very Cool!

We also went on a Jungle whale watching tour. It was a booze cruise, whale watching, and snorkel tour! It was alot of fun! probably the highlight of our trip! We seen tons of whales really close up. They took us to see the el archo and the sea lions on pelican rock. And they took us snorkeling in santa marina bay. And they feed us breakfast and lunch and all the drinks you could want!!! Then to top it off we all did a beer bong with tequila in it!! It was CRAZY!


I would go back in a heartbeat! It was our 1st time in Cabo and our 1st time on the Pacific Coast. Sooooo beautiful! The pacific Ocean is sooo pretty! I probably would not stay at the Riu santa fe again just because I would like to see something different, But I would recomend staying in Cabo San Lucas near the town. All in all it was a great trip!

We stayed a the Riu Santa Fe from Feb 8 -11. It was actually a pretty nice place. Very large, but the walking is good, because you're always eating and drinking alcohol. You need to burn those calories.

The rooms are nice, if you have trouble walking or have strollers etc take a bottom floor. Otherwise pretty spacious and clean.

The food was actually very tasty. They do an amazing job with the seafood dishes. Remeber this is all inclusive, so don't expect gourmet. Most of the Riu's have the same set up, but lots of variety. I like the buffet more than the resturants. ( We travel all over the world, and see people that have nothing, so the amount of food that was in front of us was good enough, no complaints here )


The drinks were unbelievable and just kept on coming. All the bartenders are friendly at all the bars. We were up till 6am the first night.

We got the place for dirt cheap, so we had a GREAT time, lots of food, drink, pools, sand...........what else do you need??

It's not the best resort, but not the worst either. I wouldn't go back, I actually prefer the Riu in Cancun...........but if you want to go, go for it. Just don't pay an over the top price.

Cabo San Lucas is a very Americanized town, doesn't even feel like you're in Mexico. Cab ride into town $10.

2 things that I would like to pick on is the price for the cab ride to the airport. $60. Outrageous!!!! The shuttle from the airport to the resort was only $12 per person. But they don't have a shuttle that takes you back. Also on a bad note, we were sitting in the sports bar one night, and a girl's purse went missing, a guy's wallet and someone's pack of smokes. So hold onto your stuff.

Hope this helps. Remember everyone experiences everything differently, go in with a clean heart and you'll have a good time. You have to make your good time............we did, met some nice people and partied it up. Go in and be picking on everything, you're time won't be that great.

Enjoy!!!

We stayed at the Riu Santa Fe 2/2 - 2/9 and I will echo all of the recent reviews I have read in saying that we had a great stay. No incidents at all. The room was great and maintained perfectly. We stayed in Building 7 and had a great ocean view. As many have commented the resort is large and there is a walk from this building to the front of the resort where the food is. It was never an issue for us but be advised to try and get in a different building if walking is an issue for you.

Food was as I expected, my only issue is that the buffet served mostly the same food every night. There was a lot of variety but it was the same every night. Quality was good (all-inclusive good, not gourmet restaurant good) and we had no issues the entire week.

We found the resourt staff to be excellent and quite friendly and helpful.

For comparison purposes, I thought I would highlight differences between the Santa Fe and the Riu Palace Riveria Maya that we stayed in last year. It looked almost exactly like the Riu Palace in Cabo that is next door to the Santa Fe and costs a little more than the Santa Fe

Rooms: Bathrooms are exactly the same. Decor is exactly the same. Our room at the Palace was a little bigger and had a couch.

Food: Buffets were all layed out exactly the same at both. Food items were also very similar. The only difference I noticed was that the buffet at the Palace had a theme section every night and the Santa Fe did not. Basically no difference here.

Bars: Same at both.

Service: I could discern no difference

Bottom line: My opinion is that there is no difference between the two and if you want to save a little money stay at the Santa Fe. If the walking is an issue stay at the Cabo Palace. If you think of the hotels as rectangles, the Cabo Palace has a long side parallel to the beach and the Santa Fe has a short side parallel to the beach, hence more walking within the resort (hopefully that makes sense)

As I noticed in a previous recent review, we also recommend the Whale Riders whale watching tour, it is really fun and the best way to get close to whales. We had one 40 feet from the boat at one point.

Off resort, we ate at Cabo Wabo and it was pretty good Tex-Mex. We also ate at Restaurant C at the Palmilla which was pricey but incredible. The Palmilla resort's grounds are incredible to see as well.