Riu Playacar

This was our first time visiting this resort for starters it was the same food every day, breakfast lunch, and dinner and was borderline OK. pool area was clean and well taken care of the pool itself was totally disgusting on the bottom mold everywhere around the seats the bottom of the walking area had bugs fruit bird crap. My husband and I went to the front desk and asked them if we could have a bellboy come up in the morning and help us with our luggage, my husband is 72. I am 62 with multiple sclerosis and leukemia. They told us no they do not have anybody working that early in the morning since we have to be at the front of the resort at 6:50 for pick up so we then ask them if we could come up and get a cart to bring down to the room in the morning to load our luggage on and bring it back up mind you we are on the second floor and have to go down 31 steps to get to the landing both people we spoke to told us absolutely not. We could not use that under any circumstances. I do not recommend this place at all the bartenders at the pool bar were amazing Friendly the staff at the restaurants except for the Italian Restaurant were all very friendly and customer oriented, but we will not be back to this place. The people at the front desk desperately need customer service skills. They are very rude and very unacceptable.

We have just returned from an incredible 11-night stay at Riu Playacar, and we honestly couldn’t have had a better time.

When you walk into the hotel, you’re greeted by an airy open reception area with a backdrop of palm trees and a feature pool that immediately gives you that tropical holiday feeling.

The hotel itself is well kept. Everywhere is constantly being cleaned and maintained, from the reception and restaurants to the pool areas, decking, pathways and gardens. The grounds are beautifully pruned, with lush green lawns and palm trees with an array of wildlife basking and foraging about. The housekeeping team were friendly and thorough. Our room was cleaned to an exceptional standard every single day, and we loved returning each afternoon to find a different towel animal waiting on the bed. A thoughtful touch that always made us smile. With temperatures around 32°C every day, the air conditioned rooms and ceiling fan made returning to the room incredibly comfortable inclusive of a drinks fridge and mini bar to enjoy to your leisure alongside a tv with all access channels.

The three pools each have their own atmosphere, meaning there’s something for everyone. Whether you want a relaxing chill swim, to enjoy the swim-up bar, or join in with pool games and activities, there’s always somewhere to suit your mood. The direct access to the beach is fantastic too, with plentiful sun loungers if you want a quieter break away from the pool areas. There are water sports available such as kayaking. I highly recommended to do this in the mornings to get out and look into the turquoise waters where you can even do a bit of fish spotting if you sit still. Parasailing and jet skiing are also available however this is at additional cost. There are also outdoor showers available for when you want to rinse off after a swim in the warm ocean waters.

The food and drink options throughout the hotels were vast. With several restaurants to choose from, there was always plenty of variety, and every meal was enjoyable. Breakfast and lunch are both full buffet styles and while a buffet is also available each dinner time, you would want to try the fine dining restaurant options in the evening. There’s an array of different fine dining cuisines to choose from with Mexican, Asian, Italian and the classic steakhouse. Every server we encountered was warm, attentive and incredibly hardworking and professional, always making us feel welcome. The bartenders were equally hardworking and fantastic, happy to make any drink you could come up with, and it was a lovely treat to have drinks and water brought directly to us while relaxing around the pool or on the beach too.

The entertainment at Riu Playacar is on another level. There is always something happening. Daytime, the team put on a display/show for the guests each lunchtime and additionally host beach volleyball and games, bingo to parties and competitions, with prizes adding to the fun all throughout the day. The kids entertainment looked fun and collaborative with all little hands getting stuck in. There is a small child pool with a waterfall as well as RuiLand for kids entertainment. I don’t have kids myself but witnessed the team engaging in action throughout the day with treasure hunts, dancing, piñata smashing and painting.

The evening entertainment was outstanding, with something different every night. During our stay we enjoyed a night of karaoke, Mexican Night with an incredible mariachi band, Mayan cultural performances, Queen, ABBA and Michael Jackson tribute shows, along with many other fantastic performances. The weekly Neon Party and White Party at the nearby Riu Tequila were also brilliant and definitely worth attending, so pack outfits for these as they do put on a spectacular must see show!

I would especially like to recognise some members of the team who genuinely made our holiday unforgettable.

The charming Felix on the RuiFun team is absolutely exceptional. He is full of energy, constantly smiling, hilarious and has an incredible ability to get everyone involved. He has such a positive presence that he completely transforms the atmosphere whenever he is around. Whether he was hosting the hotel Mayan Tour (which I highly recommend for a really cool and interesting short tour around the grounds, accompanied with a small history lesson on how the Mayan people lived), bingo, daytime games, the foam party or the evening entertainment, his enthusiasm never dropped for a second. His passion for entertaining people is obvious, and he played a huge part in making every day exciting and memorable.

Bernie (“Sexy Bernie”) from the RiuFit team is an absolute gem. His enthusiasm, positivity and sense of humour are infectious. Whether it’s morning stretching and yoga, dance or AquaFit in the pool, I recommend you give it all a try and you will see yourself back the following day. He always encourages everyone to join in and made every session enjoyable, regardless of your fitness level. He creates such a welcoming atmosphere that you can’t help but smile, and his energy really adds to the experience

These are just singular members from each team however collectively they are a fantastic bunch of people who are incredibly friendly, sincere, hard working, committed and genuinely love and have fun in all they do. Claudia the team manager has an amazing team under her and she manages her duties to the tee and seamlessly. A big thank you, you are all noticed and appreciated for all you do to keep smiles and laughter on peoples faces everyday <3

Finally, thank you to every single member of staff at Riu Playacar. From reception, housekeeping, gardeners and maintenance teams to the servers, bartenders, chefs, everyone works incredibly hard to make guests feel comfortable and welcome. Their friendliness, professionalism and genuine care shine through in everything they do.

We made memories and met people that will stay with us for a lifetime, and without hesitation we would return to Riu Playacar again. If you’re looking for a beautiful beachfront resort with outstanding staff, lovely food, endless activities and an atmosphere that makes you feel at home from day one, I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough.

Our stay at the Riu Playacar was excellent. We were there for 2 weeks and could not have asked for a better experience.

The rooms were very nice with a well stocked mini bar, and were well cleaned everyday with fun, different towel creations!

All the staff were amazing, from the pool bar, especially Orlando, who was very on top of keeping our drinks full whilst around the pool, to the entire entertainment team, who were amazing. Bernie who carried out water aerobics everyday, was extremely enthusiastic and made the sessions lots of fun! “Sexy Felix” was great fun, from the 4pm bingo to after show dancing. He is extremely memorable for all the right reasons, with his high energy never fading. He will be remembered by his personalised badges which he gives out! Johnathon was lovely, very enthusiastic and helped us have as much fun as possible at all times. Both Felix and Johnathon were extremely attentive to my family throughout our stay, always taking the time to chat with us and make us feel welcome, going above and beyond. The entire entertainment team worked incredibly hard all day everyday, to create a fun, friendly atmosphere that made our holiday that much better.

The variety of restaurants were amazing, with extremely nice food, and incredibly attentive staff. They could not have been more friendly. It is hard to even pick a favourite restaurant, they were all so good.

Both the white and neon parties were so much fun. Again, showing how hard the entertainment staff at all the hotels work. It was very engaging and great to bring all hotels together.

Last but not least, Coco Bongo is definitely worth a visit. It was amazing - the performers and the atmosphere!

We would definitely return to Riu Playacar!