My husband and I stayed at the Riu Santa Fe from Nov 16-23. We enjoyed our stay and have no complaints to report. We stayed in building 7, which was fine as we preferred this pool to the other larger one with the activiites, as we found it more relaxng.

Food: We thought the food was just fine, better than the other five star resorts we've stayed at in Cuba and the D.R. We went to all four of the resturants and liked the Mexican and italian and Steakhouse where we were served, but found the Asian disappointing as it was all buffet. Make your reservations at the beginning of your trip...you're allowed to ake 2/day. We made them at th desk in building 7.

We had Lattes from the machine every morning and they were really good. It would have been nice if the restaurant at building 7 served breakfast as we didn't always feel like walking to the main buffet every a.m. We never had a problem finding something we enjoyed at the buffets.

Drinks/Wine:The wine at the resort was not that great, particularly the red, but we drank it anyway! We found all of the drinks at the bars to be good, except that they were sometimes served in plastic tumblers and I prefer a glass, especially for wine, which was served in plastic glasses at lunch time. Take thermal mugs for pool drinks to save yourself from running back and forth to the bar.

Entertainment: Very friendly, enthusiastic staff, especially "J Lu", who tired hard to do a good job (they work 15 hrs/day, 6 days/week and get paid $300 which works out to about $1.25/hr). We played bingo, did the pool exercises and went to most of the shows, which we thought were better than at other resorts we've been to.

Tours: we went on the Taste of Cabo tour which took us to Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo by bus and included a 45 min boat ride, a trip to the Glass blowing factory and lunch. It was good but a little pricey at $72 US each. I would have preferred to rent a car for $60 for 24 hrs. I think. We also took a bus to Costco (exactly the same as in the US and Canada) and took a cab back to the resort for $5. Walmart probably would have been a better choice and is the same distance away. We later heard the alcohol (to take home) is cheaper at Walmart.

Misc: no ATM machine at the resort so take US cash or pesos if you want to shop from the beach vendors. I bought a lot of silver jewellery on the beach which may not be .925 silver even though it is stamped and looks like it is sterling.

Spa: We both had massages which were good. $60 US each. Nice gym at the spa building and large hot tubs.

We went over to check out the Riu Palace next door for future reference and found that it is much more upscale but a bit of a snobby atmosphere. Definitely more of a 5 star than the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe has a more casual, relaxed atmosphere and compared to the Palace, it is more like a 4.5 star. (also, the Palace had much better wine and premium alcohol...Chivas Regal Scotch compared to J & B at the Santa Fe)

When we were about to check out, we found out that you can join the Riu Class club (for free) and get discounts in the stores and at the spa, etc. and collect points which can be used later toward purchases. It's thier loyalty program...sign up at the beginning of your trip if you want the discounts.

All in all, a great resort at a GREAT price (we paid $799 Cdn. plus tax each for a total of about $2100 for the two of us for the whole trip, including air fare). We definitely got our money's worth! We could have upgraded to an ocean view room for $100 more each, but didn't bother as we don't spend a lot of time in our room. The rooms, by the way, were nice and very clean, with a good sized safe at no extra charge.

My husband took 250 photos and he will add some later.

The company website claims this is a 5 star resort. The resort it's self is nice,,, maybe 4 star. The food is 3 at best!!!!!

Where do I start? Lots of things have been covered in other reviews, size etc. The beach is terrible,, period,,, no swimming or even walking on it as the sand is very course and the water KILLS people in the under tow.

So many of the things that were wrong with the this resort could have been fixed in no time,,,,,,,, BUT,,,, as is typical in Mexico,,,, nobody really gives a damn or really tries to go out of their way. Two pools,,, the center pool is nice and they have Palapas for shade if you need it. The problem with this pool is the CONSTANT VERY LOUD music from the entertainment staff,,,,, it is too loud and they don't stop all day long. Many people went to the other pool to get away from them, myself included. A couple of days they came to that pool and I told them they weren't welcome there and the people who came to this pool wanted peace and quiet. The Problem with this pool is the Umbrella's they use for shade. 90% of them don't have anything to put in the holes to hold them up. I could have gone down to the hardware store and for $20.00 bought a box of nails and a roll of fishing line and fixed this problem. I took 2 surveys for the hotel and told them both times about fixing this and how simple it would be. After 15 days nothing had changed.

The specialty resaurants,,,, these were a step up in the food,,, no doubt,,,,, but still needed help. The Steak house had a decent Ribsteak,,,, but the appetizers they bring you are un heard of,,, they were made 30 minutes before you show up so they are delivered cold,,,they are basicly DEEP FRIED vegtables,,,where in the world have you had gooey dough covered brocoli for an appetizer?????? (if you squeeze them the grease spills out ). The Italian had a nice filet for dinner,,, this was the best food in the whole place. BUT,,,,, the restaurant is inside but the restaurant was so hot the waiters were sweating like crazy,,,, it didn't have to be that way,,, the vents on the ceiling were facing the wrong direction,,, towards the wall and then the cold air would go down behind the curtains. I told the hotel TWICE about this,,, the problem could have been fixed by lossening 2 screws to turn them around,,,, again after 15 days it wasn't fixed.

THE BUFFET......I think the biggest problem with the buffet is the lack of new items,,, after 15 days you get tired of the same old stuff everyday. The fish was good, as was the Gaucamole and salsa,,,,,all very fresh and nice. MANY of the items available that were cooked had been FRIED in LOT"S of grease,,, you have never seen so much oil on an egg before. The sausages are deep fried as is the case in many hotels,,, it is much quicker for them. After a week my body was rejecting all the grease,, we had to change how we ate. One night I walked into the buffet and they had a rare veal roast,,,, I almost passed out with joy,,, rare meat on a buffet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!! The should have offerred more baked or grilled choices.

The BIGGEST PROBLEM with this resort is the managment,,, I blame them for the lack of training and such that made what could have been a nice resort into a crappy one that put a smear on what others that have stayed at other RIU resorts tells me is a good chain. MANY PEOPLE at the resort complained about the food and said they wouldn't come back. Customer service,,, they called twice to ask about our room,,,, I told them it smelled and they laughed and hung up,,,, we were upgraded to an ocean view room half way thru as the resort was only 30% full...but the room smelt moldy and when we got back all our clothing smelt the same way.

A word of caution for FAMILIES,,, the bars play thier own CD's for music and you can get all kinds of rap etc.....at one point my wife heard a song with the only lyrics being " I want to [----] you like an animal",, over and over again. Once again an other example of lousy management. Many staff members didn't speak english,,,I know it is a foreign country,,, but resort staff should speak the language of most of the guests!!!

All in all a very disapointing vacation,,,, I think we have finally figured something out. SEVEN days in Mexico is enough,,, 14 days in hawaii is not enough.

My fiance and I stayed at this hotel right after it opened. We were a bit apprehensive because of some negative reviews but were nothing but pleased with our experience. All of the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The food was about average - nothing great but I was able to find something to eat every evening. We had a non-ocean view room. It was a bit of a walk to the beach but we didn't mind. The room was a bit musty but that is not abnormal considering the climate. The beach was lovely. I would definitely go back to the hotel.

The Riu Santa Fe is a large hotel with beautiful grounds, comfortable rooms, and great pools. It is located in a good spot, only a mile from town and the marina. Walking to town is tough, as the sand on the beach is course and uneven. You can take the water taxi from the hotel or catch the bus or get a taxi. Lover 's Beach, which is a five minute boat ride from the hotel, is a must. The views of the Sea of Cortez on one side of the beach, and the Pacific Ocean on the other, make for breathtaking views and great pictures.

Our one complaint is the food. We were able to book all four a la carte restaurants, but they were pretty bad and not worth the bother. They rushed you through the meal and served everyone who is seated at a particular time in tandem. Also, the Asian and Italian served their appetizers and desserts buffet style.
The buffet offered more of a selection and was actually better than the restaurants. To break up the monotomy, we ate in town one night. We have been to many all inclusive resorts, and the food here was inferior. Talking to guests who stayed next door at the Riu Palace, it seems like the restaurants there were much better.

The Riu Santa Fe is a nice property in a great location. If it wasn't for the food and the poor service in the a la carte restaurants, I would have rated it higher.