Omg, those huge passion fruits, the tortilla chip salsa for breakfast, the lemurs, optics in your room!!!, cocktails in the pool. Sensational.
The people here are the happiest and friendliest I've ever encountered around the world. It's the perfect place to chill out and feel good. One thing though, don't ever book when it's Spring break in the US as you'll find the place full of very noisy Americans.
stayed at riu tequila 19 july 2013 for 2 weeks.hotel and gardens very good but getting ready for a revamp.the riu youcatan reopened after revamp on our 2nd week spent quite a lot of time at youcatan as its directly on beachfront.but the tequila was only a short walk from beech,you walked past the youcatan to get there.we found the entertainment team better at the tequila than the youcatan.in general the tequila was very good.we had no problems with the food and the ala carts was very good.the playacar resort is very secure.we walked into playa del Carmen about 30 minute walk.it was very busy and you have to be very patient with street sellers they are a bit pushy but always a no thanks normally does the trick.i would return to the tequila but probally after its revamp.we was told this would be 2015 as the riu playacar was next for revamp in 2014.ps. don't feed the roaming type dogs they are protected but if you leave them alone they don't bother yoy
first impressions of this hotel was AWWW LOVELY, very mexican looking, compared to some we saw on the way (which looked to modern, that you could be anywhere). I was travelling with my husband and we are 50 and 58 so thought we would be the oldies at the hotel but there is a very mixed age group so that was great (met some lovely people). Check in was smooth and swift and we even got a welcoming cool cocktail. when we reached the room the staff had decorated it with ballons etc as it was my birthday, i thought that was very thoughtful .... the staff are friendly and work hard all day (especially the cleaning staff) and night, (tipping is not expected but if you tip now and again you do get better service especially at the bars) the animation staff are good and they put on some great shows in the evening. the hotel grounds are well kept and spacious, the pool area okay but shaded with lots of trees so we went to the beach most days which is stunning, its a five minute walk through a lovely shaded walkway or you can wait for the beach shuttle which is every 10 mins or so. the food in main restaurant okay nothing special but plenty of choice, we went to steak house twice which was a bit rushed and we went to asian restaurant twice which we thought was much better enjoyed this the most, wished we gone more. we went on a trip to chitchen itza (booked with thomson) and it was brilliant, although its a 5.25am start in the morning as its 3hours away, the english speaking guide was very good and the service on the coach was good, we also went for a swim in a cenote and visited a colonial town all in the same day (lunch included and drinks) so good value for around £70 each. take plenty of sun screen as its boiling and take plenty of mosquito spray cos the hotels in the jungle. i would certainly go back to mexico albeit the flights long but well worth it had a great holiday, riu hotels and thomson airways are brands you can trust....... and one last thing -the hotel manager is FIT ......
Just returned from 2 weeks at the Riu Tequila, can't fault it at all. We went to all 3 of the hotels on the resort and feel that we made the right choice in terms of which one we chose to stay at as the Tequila is much more of an authentic Mexican style than the others.
The room was spotlessly clean and the mini bar was kept well stocked. The choice of food in the restaurant was fantastic and we were never short of something to eat. Entertainment was also good with something going on all the time if you chose to take part, if you didn't want to that was also fine.
The staff worked exceptionally hard and were always friendly.
The animals were a bit of a shock at first but once you got used to them they were fine although there were SOME STUPID PEOPLE WHO FED THEM even though there were signs saying not to do it and we were asked not to at the welcome meeting, they thought it was funny to see them swarming round them for food.
Overall a fantastic hotel and holiday
Our favourite hol ever! I can't really fault it as the staff were not only lovely, but also worked tirelessly: Everywhere was spotless and lovely, the food was amazing and the hotel has maintained a real Mexican feel.
HOWEVER, as an animal lover, I must offer an important tip...DON'T FEED THE COATIS or THE FRIENDLY WILD CATs, (cats are the favoured recipients) or any of the wildlife for that matter..! While we were there, 2 wild kittens were killed and an adult cat was mauled, no doubt during a scramble for food given out by misguided guests. These animals are losing their natural foraging/hunting instincts and this could be the ruin of this wonderful hotel as the coatis are in danger of becoming pests: It could also mean the death of the lovely cats as guests ignore the notices and staff pleas and continue to feed them! These guests are literally killing the wildlife they love with misguided kindness.
ALSO, and most importantly....most of the staff earn only about £3.50 a day basic and live in in extremely basic accommodation, some without water and electricity... It would be would be great if you can afford it, to give some money at the end of your stay as they have a union so it goes into a shared pool...(We probably gave out tips near £150 and even some clothes and shoes..., it's not expected, but it certainly eased our conscience).
Lastly, I'm not usually keen on in hotel entertainment, but the sheer effort these wonderful people put into their performance is absolutely amazing...don't forget to check them out either!!!
This hotel was great from start to finish. We could not fault a thing. Food was great and lots of choice.Room was spotlessly cleaned everyday(did not smell damp), Fridge restocked every 2 days. The animation team work so hard to entertain from morning till night and they do a dam good job in our opinion and they certainly can make you laugh. The critters did not bother us at all. In 2 weeks the coatis only managed to get 1 lemonade , we actually got a lot of enjoyment watching them. At the end of the day they live there and if people feed them ,they they will become tamer and you cant blame the animals for that . Acumal beach is worth a visit if you want to swim with the turtles. Get cab from the hotel and the driver will wait for you and take you to the caves ect if you wish. This is a fraction of the price to what the thompson reps charge. All in all, this was a lovely hotel, if you need or want anything all you have to do is ask and its as simple as that.. The room safe is free and the specialities restaurants you can use as much as you like. The asian was lovely and the deep fried icecream was worth a try. The departure tax on the way home was £45.00 or 800 pesos per person(cash) . One thing to be aware of is, there is a limit on tobacco products that you can take into the country. 200 cigarettes or 5 pouches of tobbaco.Many people where caught out on this as you are not aware until you fill out a form which states your allowance.At this point you may have already purchased it, so its too late and the officals in the airport will charge you tax on them. This is one of the best hotels we have stayed in, yes all hotels have good and bad and will not please everyone , but this certainly exceeded all expectations. The dream liner was lovely and had more room, but the food was poor on both journeys. we will definately be going to this hotel again.
