We just returned from a week at a sister Riu property a bit down the beach because this property was closed for renovations. This resort will re-open the second week of December. It will have the new modern interior look of the other Riu properties nearby. They tore down the spa and exercise room and added 60 more guest rooms near the beach. They have built a permanent grill structure near the beach for burgers and hot dogs on the beach (like the other Riu properties). We will visit next year. We are not fans of the updated room decor and layout with no separation between bedroom and bathtub/bathroom. But we don't spend much time in the room. We will miss the Old World Spanish charm of the beautiful lobby, but we don't spend but a few minutes in the lobby. I hope they left the gazebo and all the courtyard architecture that makes the outdoor area so romantic and charming in the evenings. The staff here was top notch so I hope many of the same people return to make everyone's visit special. And the beach is just outstanding, which is why we return every year. We learned they put out nets to keep the seaweed offshore and we encountered very little to no seaweed in the water during our stay last week at Riu Palace Mexico just down the beach a bit. This is a great improvement as our last several trips we encountered so much seaweed we did not want to enter the water at all. Looking forward to hearing what snowbirds have to say about the renovations!

We stayed her with family. We had to book two rooms and as stated on their website the rooms we thought they would be adjoining but they weren’t. They were about 3 rooms away which wasn’t too bad because our kids were between 16 and 20 so we asked that in room alcohol be removed. The resort is a little dated but word is they were getting renovation in the fall of 2019. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The food and ambiance was wonderful as well as the nighttime entertainment. Staff was very helpful in setting up our excursions. Close enough to walk into Playa del Carmen to shop. This was our third stay at a Riu property in Mexico and we have already booked a stay at Riu in Aruba for 2020, Riu is that good!