Lovely hotel. No eleveators in most buildings, only in the ones down by the beach. The weather in January was sunny, but warm only from 11 am until 2:00 in afternoon. The average temp. is supposed to be 77 F. Even staff were complaining of the cold. Very cool in the morning and cold at night. Water was so cold and pools not heated, no one went in them. You can't go in water at the beach because of rip tides. Must take sweaters,long pants and jackets expecially for morning and evening. Food was below average.Staff were very pleasant. Sorry, but I would not go back. In winter, I want sunny and hot with pleasant food especially in the specialty restaurants.

I agree with the person who said don't believe the whiners. Some people just like to gripe or expect everything to be perfect when on vacation. It's almost like they oversell themselves or have such unattainable expectations prior to going that just about anything will be disappointing.

Our family had a fabulous time and we have been vacationing in Mexico and the Caribbean for years. We have stayed at many of the top "chains" (Iberostar, Melia, Barcelo, etc...) and we all agreed this was our favorite resort. The hotel is spotless and there is always someone cleaning. The rooms were far larger and nicer than most we have stayed at. The food offerings were plentiful with solid service and high quality. The pools and the property were as beautiful as I've ever seen. It was unseasonably cold when we arrived, but things warmed up to almost perfect weather. Transfers were on time, room was ready (of course we came in at the right time - not before noon and then were disappointed that nothing was open - hello!!), and the front desk service was great. We booked this through the RIU website which offered the best price. Was everything perfect - of course not. A few too many college kids, the hallway floors are all tile which tend to echo in the wee hours of the morning, and the beach was good, but not great. I would go back again in a heartbeat and I would not be surprised if our next trip is at a different RIU resort.

We were in Cabo at the Santa Fe from Mar 15-22/08. We have travelled to many all inclusives in different Caribbean destinations and also have stayed at two other Riu hotels - Riu Paradise Island and Riu Palace Riviera Maya. I'll try to identify the pro's and cons.

Pros:

As always - this Riu hotel is immaculately clean. Grounds, restaurants, rooms, everywhere. First thing in the morning, the staff had to work hard to clean up the mess made by the spring breakers overnight. By 10 a.m. everything seemed to be sparkling clean again.

Pools are beautiful, especially those that overlook the ocean. What a spectacular view!! I would have liked warmer water, but it was fine for cooling off. The days are very hot and dry, which was nice!!

Food was decent, not great. If you want better food - pay more money and stay at the Palace - you get what you pay for. Breakfast was the best - lots of choice. Always a fresh fish selection at lunch and dinner, which is my favorite. Never went hungry and no one in our group of 5 had any stomach problems.

Bar selection and service were great. This includes the mini bar and liquor in the rooms. Trademark Riu and a real treat.

Beach is beautiful! So rugged and the waves are amazing!! Walked both ways as far as we could - good work out and spectacular scenery. Swimming is difficult because of the undertow and the water temperature, but we certainly spent time getting wet. (The vendors are everywhere - although not rude).

Had a massage on the beach for $20 - amazing!! Deep tissue for 40 minutes - best I've had in a long time and definately the cheapest!!

Went parasailing. A bit of a process and very cold/ wet while you wait your turn - but worth it in the end.

We were going to do some other water activities, but all water sports shut down by law on the Thursday before Easter all the way through the Easter weekend. That was a bummer - we never got to Lover's Beach.

Gym - nice and clean. New equipment. Didn't check out the spa.

Cons

Normally these are minimal for me - I'm generally pretty happy just to be on vacay and tend not to sweat the small stuff. However, here are a few of my comments which may help you prepare for your own vacation.

Weather - for me the day times were great, but it was too cold at night. Sweater and pants and I was still cool sitting outside. Given the climate, I am suprised that Riu would design a hotel with so much open air public space - bars, evening entertainment and a few restaurants. One night the temperature was 11C (52F) - the sports bar was overflowing as it was the only indoor space available to stay warm. Generally the temp was around 16C (60F) at night.

Activites - we were travelling with our 14 year old son and he was a bit bored at times. Other resorts that we have taken him to have activities included, which Riu doesn't - sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, banana boat and sometimes waterskiing - trapeze, shuffelboard, volleyball, etc (eg. Club Med and Almond resorts). In hindsight, we shouldn't have booked a Riu with a child his age - too young to hang with the spring breakers and too old for the kids program. Don't get me wrong - he made the best of it in the waves etc and trowing the ball around and doing the things we paid for, but it wasn't the "best" vacation he's had. We met another family on the last day who was having the same experience with their 14 year old boy. On the other hand, the two older teenagers with us had a blast meeting all the college kids which essentially took over the resort while we were there. Didn't see much of them.

Got into Cabo one night for dinner. The food was great - very expensive. It's quite North Americanized. Nothing particularly Mexican about it. Which is great for some people - but I like to experience a bit of local culture and there really is not much of that at all. Very much a party atmosphere, however, for those who want to drink and dance into the wee hours!!

Airport leaving - was the worst airport experience I've ever had!! First of all we waited in line forever to check our baggage - they open every suitcase and inspect it - no xray machines. not very secure. Then we had to wait in another long line to get through security. In the meantime they charged us for being slightly overweight (which we were in toronto but they didn't charge us). Make sure you have cash - $10 a kilo - they don't take credit cards.

Overall - I'm glad I've been to Cabo - geographically a spectacular location. Climate is too cool for me at night, although super hot and sunny during the day. I'm sure that some will love the cool nights - I prefer it warmer. Definitely the place to be in March if you are in grade 12 or college - tons of young people who want to party and catch some sun.

As for the Riu Santa Fe - I wouldn't return because there are no activities for younger teens. We would stay at the Palace or a different hotel if we were travelling without our kids. Quite certain our teenage daughter would return in a heartbeat - she had a blast and met tons of kids from everwhere!!

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves, as usual. Hope this helps you decide on and/or prepare for your trip to Cabo/ Santa Fe.

Do not listen to the bad reviews. Some people just like to complain
no matter what. Myself, husband and two daughters stayed at the
Riu Santa Fe from March 1st to 8th nothing bad to say. The rooms
were clean and bathrooms were large enough to get in and out of.
The resort is huge so many pools, bars and loungers in all the
pools. The scenery from the pools and beach are breath taking, every day there was a new cruise ship. I enjoyed the buffets.
I found that there was a large variety of hot & cold foods such as meats, fish, veggies, salads, fruit, deserts, guacamole and nachos
which were to die for. Oh yes lets not forget the ice cream machine
definitely something for everyone to eat. The days were definitely hot and the evenings got a little cool. They have a great spa with hot and cold hot tubs, a sauna, steam room and fitness center. The staff was always helpful & nice. The shows were good they really try there best. When you go on holiday you should always go with an open mind. I would definitely go back to Cabo it is beautiful.