We stayed at the Riu Santa Fe from 4/10-18. I will try to give some new info. Upon arrival and for the next day we were overwhelmed, it is huge. The resort is immaculate, beautiful grounds, fantastic service and yes, the food is very good.The staff works VERY hard to please. Bring $150 in singles it will take you far. After agonizing for weeks before our trip because of all the bad reviews, I can tell you to relax and enjoy. I am very picky.
Check in was a breeze, then, my only complaint began. We booked a FULL ocean view room through our travel agent and needless to say it was hardly a partial view. My brother and sis-in-law had the same problem. Their view was of a vacant sandy lot and if you hung out over the balcony you could see ocean. After a LOT of arguing about the definition of full ocean view and the fact that they claim not to book full views at all, not true,(look at riu.com,I was put on a list to change rooms. I overheard many people complaining about the same problem.
We changed rooms the next day and the view was breathtaking... #7488. Joel cleaned our room perfectly every day. CLEAN!!!!!
This is our 2nd trip to Cabo, we stayed in San Jose last time and like the convience of Cabo far more. The marina is great.
Traveling with our 2 girls, 8 and 5, they had a blast. The swim up bars are fun for the kids although after 4 p.m. the crowd gets rowdy. Jullian was so nice to our girls and waited on them like they were roylaty. Miami vice is the best drink and tequilla cold, of course. The kids club is pratically non-existent, walked by every morning and it never even tempted them. If you want to be together as a family this is the place for you. If your kids need to be entertained 24/7and don't travel often, rethink the Riu. The animation team works tirelessly, I don't think they sleep.Nightly shows are okay, something to do while having an after dinner drink. The main buffet for dinner was our favorite, so much food and variety. The steak house for lunch by the infinity pool great also.Guacamole and salsa are a must. Breakfast was always great, so much variety, from Mexican to pancakes and eggs to fabulous fruit and yogurt, cappucino. Tried some of the speciatly restaurants, aside from the steakhouse, do not waste your precious vacation time.Reservation process is not that bad.
Horseback riding was good, cheap enough to not be a disappointment. ATV was fun for my husband and 8 year old. Glass bottom boats a must. Go to the beach in front of the hotel, ask for Jose. He has 2 boats the Jose and Maria I and II. Rubin was our driver, he took us to see the fish twice for the kids and picked us up at the marina after shopping right on time. Do not pay full price for anything, haggle if you must. Massages on the beach were the best. A 10 min walk toward the marina, Hubby went twice $50. incl. tip for 1 hour!!! I had a facial at the spa that was mediocre at best. Well trained estheticians but they speak little English and it was interrupted twice by staff opening the door to talk. Also 20 mins. late.The only place at the hotel that I encountered bad service.A total waste of $132. Oh well.
Over all it was a great stay. The Riu is rising to the rating of a 4 star hotel, slowly but surely. Enjoy!!!

The Riu is a beautiful resort...Keep this in mind if you are only looking for a "picture perfect" vacation. Now the food situation on the other hand is a different story. The process at the Riu is different from any I have seen before. You will need to get up and stand in line no later than 7 am...While standing in line you will need to wait until your number is called. Only then can you make your dinner reservation for that night. This process is no less then 2 hours...So be prepared to wait...

My husband and I recently stayed at the Riu Santa Fe along with another couple. I was very impressed. When I walked into our room there was a beautiful swan made from towels placed in the middle of our king size bed. I thought it was very pretty. Each day there was a different kind of bird that decorated our bed.

Food, drinks and service was excellent. I enjoyed the variety of dishes both hot and cold served buffet sytle. However, there were times when the carne asada was overcooked and dry. Perhaps from staying on the heat for too long. Each time we were finished with a plate there was someone to take it away and ask if we needed anything else. Would highly recommend a stay at the Riu Santa Fe.The steak house was also excellent. Order it they way you like it and they will make sure it is right for your taste. Any addition to the steak such as mushroon/onion you can get them right from the buffet and give it to the chef, he will cook it up just the way you want. Lots of desserts to choose from. We had no complaints.

Sightseeing an adventure. We took the boat ride to Lovers beach on the Sea of Cortez side, got off and walked to the other side. The water was very rough but amazing to see how high the wave can get. We saw 2 whales and lots of sea lion laying around and basking in the sun. A must see. Over all we really enjoy our stay in Cabo at the Riu and would return in a hearbeat.

We just returned from a week stay at the santa fe, traveling as a family of 5, with 3 kids age 6, 9, and 12. and had an awesome time. I was nervous after reading many of the trip advisor comments complaining about theft and poor service and we experienced none of that. We went with a group of 52 and 16 of them relatives and not one person had a complaint. My absent minded son left his wallet on the back of a toilet near one of the shops and when we went to the front desk they had the wallet with his $25.00 STILL IN IT. Also, my kids brought a personal dvd player and psp game which were left out and never touched by the staff while cleaning the room. There is a room safe which you enter your own code to and should use to put your valuables in. The food was good, but it is buffet and usually has the same/similar foods every day. You can make reservations at the 4 speciality restaurants, in which we tried the steak and the Italian, and both were great. There were always plenty of lounge chairs by the pools and not over crowded. There was also plenty of activities for my kids to do, however there were some teenagers in our group that complained of being bored, probably out of touch with their friends too long was more like it. We usually go on one nice vacation per year and we would definately stay at another riu resort, and would also come back to cabo in a minute. We did go to town numerous times and ate at the hard rock cafe a few times for something different.