I was somewhat hesitant about staying at the Sante Fe, when reading the previous reviews. Unfortunately, I should have listened and upgraded to the Riu Palace.

Although the resort was beautiful, our family encountered many problems. First of all the resort is way too big, if you want peace and quiet, it is not the place to be. We stayed at the resort from March 5 - 12, and it was totally booked. What really surprised us was the number of young people and I mean individuals under the age of 21 with out parental monitoring who were drunk everynight, yelling and acting out and keep us up until 4 am every night. I realize this was college break, however I was somewhat concerned about the resorts inability to keep these individuals under control. I felt like I was back in Fort Lauderdale on spring break. There were actually these young punks sitting in front of us smoking weed and selling drugs in front of my kids. We had to complain to security a number of times before anything was ever done.

The second thing that really bothered me was the poor service. I don't think there was one worker who could speak any English. I had a watch and sunglasses stolen, and was unable to speak to anyone who could understand the words lost and found. They all look at you like you are from another planet.

The pools were freezing and not the cleanest, we had to shy away from the pools along the beach because of all of drunks in the pools and hottubs acting like idiots. This really wasn't a resort to bring your family.

Then to top it off I am now on my fourth day of being very sick, stomach flu, even though I was pretty careful with what I ate and have travelled a number of time to Mexico without coming down with anything.

Trust me and listen to the other complaints, the majority of them were true, I really wouldn't recommend this resort!

Just got back from the Riu last night, and I pretty much cried my entire flight home because I had the most incredible vacation at this resort! Our group consisted of two families, kids aged 14-21, and our parents, and we all cannot speak highly enough of our experience.

I had been following the reviews of this hotel since before booking, and was extremely worried about the trip - I want every second I spent worrying back because there is really not one thing I can complain about aside from the fact we stayed only one week instead of 2!

I'll give you a run down of everything...

LOCATION - Perfect. The hotel is situated in an ideal location along the beach, with an incredible view of the ocean and Lands End. If you stay at any of the hotels down the coast in San Jose, you won't see any of this and you're looking at a 40 min cab ride into town, as opposed to 7 min.

CHECK IN - Went very smoothly. We had requested two adjoining rooms and there were no problems. Arrived with a few hours to kill before our room was ready, bring a bathing suit and enjoy some lunch for a bit and before you know it you're good to go.

ROOMS - One of the nicest I've stayed in. Stayed in 3rd floor of building #4. No elevators unless you are in complex 7, keep this in mind if you have trouble with mobility. The furniture and decor is all dark wood, with lovely granite bathroom. No problems with the a/c, just make sure you have the balcony door closed or it won't work. Stacked mini bar with pops, water, and Coronas was great, and let's not forget the liquor dispenser! Bed was a little hard for my liking, but you get used to it. Only watched it once but the tv has a couple english channels, but you're on vacation you shouldn't be watching tv!

GROUNDS - Gorgeous. And so well kept. Landscapers are always out working to keep the place looking great. Everything is very modern and tastefully decorated, really nice.

POOLS - Also, gorgeous. The main pool at the back is probably the most quiet, swim up bars by complex 7 were pretty rowdy if you're into that. You know what to expect with any swim up bar, just accept it and if you aren't ok with what could be going on in there, just stick with the infinity pools. Water was cool, but it's very refreshing in the hot sun!

SPA/GYM - Haha, only used the gym once. Good variety of equipment. Nice looking spa/salon services available, but did not use them. Hot tub, cold tub, saunas, steam baths were very relaxing aswell.

FOOD - No complaints here. Made a few reservations, Asian, Steakhouse, and Italian. I am a very picky, non adventurous eater, but I always found something to eat at dinner, usually in the form of salad, chicken, potatoes. Lunch and Breakfast were always buffet and I really liked it. Great salad bar, variety of meats and vegetables and sides, lots of desserts though we usually went with ice cream. And nachos with amazing salsa and guacamole for every meal was a must!! Just remember, its buffet, obviously after you walk around with food on your plate for 10 min it could be cold when you sit down. Variety was good, obviously there will always be salads, breads, but they do change up the entrees, you can find any kind of meat in a variety of formats every night.

STAFF - INCREDIBLE. I cannot tell you enough how helpful, and friendly every staff member I encountered was. No matter if they were a gardener, entertainment staff, cleaning lady, everyone is pleasant and says 'hola'. The bartenders were fantastic, especially the guys at the lobby bars at night I LOVED them. Everyone was just so friendly and really made every effort to go above and beyond to accommodate the guests.

ENTERTAINMENT - At night, everyone congregates in the main lobby area, drinking and watching the shows that go on. They were hit and miss, I liked some more than others. As a performer myself, am highly critical of any entertainment, and I was really impressed by many of the dance show. Some others were corny but fun to watch. They really try hard, and we did enjoy it.

BARS - Let's just say, I never went thirsty. Great service at the bars during the day, and an even better experience at night. Sometimes it could take a little bit to get a drink, but remember there's only so many bar tenders and lots of guests! I found them to be very efficient, and entertaining! Favorites of the group were mudslides, tequilla slammers, rainbow shooters, and strawberry banana daiquiris.

BEACH - Remember in Cabo many of the beaches you can't swim at because of the tide! But if you're brave enough on a clam day, it can be a lot of fun. Plenty of beach chairs. Lots of vendors trying to sell you bracelets, t shirts, jet skiing, drugs... just say 'no gracias' theyll go away. And pretend to be sleeping. The boys went jet skiings and had a blast. Also took a water taxi ($10 per person) over to Lovers Beach and had some fun taking in the sights.

IN TOWN - Cabs to the downtown area/marina are about $10. Good idea is to find a few other poeple going down and split one. We went into town 3 nights and went to Cabo Wabo and El Squid Roe. Loved it. Also did the marina/mall during the day and had lunch, nice change of scenery. Boys rented mopeds and had a lot of fun.

WEATHER - Fantastic. I don't think I saw a cloud the whole time. Days could be very hot in the sun but cooled right down at about 6, be sure to bring a jacket and pants it was really really chilly! Cabo is very dry, doesn't get much rain, and never humid, its really nice weather.

All in all, I'm seriously blown away by how incredible my vacation was. I was expecting pretty bad things thanks to you awesome complainers who post your horrible experience with far too high expectations, but I'm so happy you were wrong and my vacation was terrific. I truly hope you choose this hotel, and have as good a time as we did, I plan to return again next year for Spring Break!

We just returned from the Riu Santa Fe. We were a group of six. Three Moms, two 18 yr olds and one 26yr old. We all had a great time. There was always a place for all of us to be happy. The young adults spent all of their time on the beach. The moms spent the days either at the beach pools or the other beautiful, much more quiet pools. If you want peace and quiet, the pools away from the beach were perfect. Very beautiful, close to a buffet that serves breakfast and lunch. We were in building 3 and that pool was just outside our rooms. I enjoyed that pool, but preferred the pools by the beach. The view from the beach pools are incredible. The rock formations that include the Cabo Arch are right in front of you, along with the mountains and an occasional whale sighting! It was an awesome view! Yes, the beach pool areas were much more crowded and loud, especially with Spring Break college kids, but it did make for good people watching. They were never out of control. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't necessary to get up early to find a lounger at the pools. They were quite abundant. Even at the popular beach pool, there was one row that had the best view. We found if we got there by 8:30-9am, we could still find several unclaimed chairs. Weather is perfect, never humid but very warm. Nights are cool. A light sweater came in handy.
As for the rooms: They are good size, a little too dark for my taste, but that's just me. Maid service was great. No problems with theft for any of us. Use common sense and lock valuables in safe. No one I talked to had a problem with this. My only complaint about the rooms was that the noise from the hallways was quite loud at night. You can hear conversations clearly from halls while in your room. Bring earplugs if this will bother you.
As for the many reviews that complain of musty smells, it had a very faint musty smell, but after in the room for 5 min, we did not notice this. I have traveled many times to Mexico, Caribbean, and Hawaii and every place I have ever stayed has some degree of a musty smell. This is how tropical climates are. It was definitely no worse than any other place I've traveled. We also did not smell any bad odors around the resort as other reviewers have commented on. Nor did anyone else we spoke with, as this was something I was pretty concerned about. We were all thrilled that it smelled fine everywhere and as others have stated, the entire resort is immaculately kept. They are constantly cleaning everything!
The Food: This was another area I was expecting to be quite bad, based on many reviews. I was also pleasantly surprised, since our entire group liked the food quite a bit. It is not gourmet, but it was good and there is a large variety. Some of our group are very picky and they still found a lot that they liked. The dining room staff went out of their way to bring us what we requested. The cappuccino machine was not working in the dining room at breakfast, so a server went to another building to get us cappuccinos. She offered to do this without being asked! They were all so accommodating.
The Entertainment: We felt the nightly shows were very entertaining. The entertainment staff that works at the pool during the day also does the nightly shows. They are always very upbeat and are trying to make sure everyone is having a great time. No, they are not professional entertainers, but they are fabulous dancers and put on a very fun and funny show.
Hopefully this helps give you some insight before your trip. We could not think of anything that we had to complain about. One has to remember that you are in another country, and food and customs are not the same as where you come from. Relax, enjoy the hospitality of these people ,and remember that a little tipping goes a long way no matter where you are. Everyone is working very hard to make your stay very enjoyable. I would go back in a heartbeat! Our kids are already talking about returning there. Our 18 yr olds and 26 yr old went to the disco each night and had a great time. Maybe it was more crowded in there because it was Spring Break. It's true that many kids go into town at 10:30pm, but ours did not, as we didn't feel it was that safe in the bars in town. There were plenty of kids that stayed at the resort. We also felt that it seemed crazy to go to bars in town and pay for drinks when they were included at the resort. They had 3 bars in the lobby and one sports bar. There was also the disco, so there was plenty to do.
Have a great trip!

My Husband and I stayed at the Riu Santa Fe from March 1st- 8th 2008. When we first got there we could not believe how beautiful the lobby was. The art work, the displays, and the staff were incredible.
Our Room was beautiful and we only took a garden view. We have been to many resorts in our time - but nothing this beautiful or this clean. We did not see one bug during our stay.
We stayed in building 3 which is the best one as its central. The farthest one is building 7. Building 7 is located near the beech, We didn’t even get to go to the beech as the winds were to high and they had red flags everywhere advising you not to swim as the current is so high. The pool area near the beech is stunning. Over looking the ocean. What a view. Only thing its too cold in this area as its located on the beech,
We stayed at the pool near number 3 which is the main area. The pool was slightly heated but remained refreshing. The have music playing here which is a nice touch.
There are 4 restaurants to choose from. Asian, Mexican, Italian and Steak. They tell you in your brochure that you need to book a reservation at these restaurants the same day you want to go and between 8-11am near the Baja California. We wanted Italian and I went 3 days in a row and all the days they were booked up. IMPOSSIBLE as I was there before 8 most days. We paid a guy $10 US and he got us a table. BIG MISTAKE. I am Italian myself and I have no idea what this place was about. They didn’t even have a pasta dish. We didn’t try the Asian or Mexican as we were told they were terrible. We tired the steak and it was Alright, Nothing to get to excited about.
I read a lot of review before going here and alot of them said the food was terrible. I wish I would have listened in that aspect. The food was horrible and always cold. I ate a pork chop everyday with fries as this was the only thing that kept us going. DO NOT DRINK the water. They say its fine- but we didn’t drink it. But for some reason my husband and I were both sick. We got sick on the 3rd day being there until a week after we got home. Doesn’t matter if you don’t drink the water- they wash the food with it and the meat is left on the counter in the 90 degrees before its cooked. We don’t know what we got sick on but we would never go back to this resort - only because of the food. Every person we met there had the same complaint. The food. We have no doubt that they works o hard in cooking for all of the tourist – it’s just not good. All else is A1.