Riu Palace Kukulkan - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1636 reviews

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  Great stay at RIU Kukulkan

  Stayed February 2-9, 2026. Had an AWESOME time. The grounds, the pools, the rooms, the restaurants/bars, the common areas are all kept very clean. Seemed to be an older crowd so it wasn't too noisy or rowdy. Buffet had large variety of choices. Also ate at Asian restaurant and Steak House (2x) and the food was great. The snack shack near the pools offered good food and service. The staff was amazing. Maids and cleaning staff kept everything spotless. Bartenders and waitstaff always busy, but always provided great service (especially Jose at the lobby bar!). We took walks on the beach and on the main street outside resort and always felt safe, even at night. We did not go inside any off-resort shops or restaurants. The only negative I have is the resort does nothing to stop people from reserving the best poolside chairs early in the morning (by putting towels on them) and then not actually occupying the chairs until much later in the day. The information book in the room clearly and specifically states this is NOT ALLOWED, but they do nothing to stop it. VERY IRRITATING for people who actually follow the rules. I complained about it a couple times and management still did nothing. Other than that, our week was near perfect.

  Feb 11, 2026
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  Just OK. One and done.

  I have been to 5 all inclusive resorts in Mexico and this is my least favorite. Check-in was fast, but not in a good way. It felt rushed like they were in a hurry and they did not provide us with any information on the resort. They basically told us to scan the QR code to get info regarding restaurants, events, etc. We went with 2 other couples and two of us received the same room number upon check-in. The front desk quickly sorted that out -but that shouldn’t have happened. They also asked if we would be ok with two twin beds?? No, we booked a king. The front desk guy seemed flustered and did eventually find us a room with a king. The food. Mediocre at best. I made several rounds at the buffet because nothing really caught my eye, and eventually just grabbed a little of this and that. We did not do elite club so I can’t speak on the specialty restaurant. The other restaurants were just ok, but the Asian Restaurant was NOT good. I’m Asian so my review comes with personal experience. Also, the food at the beach bar, lounge bar and “after hours” by the coffee shop is all the same selections of burgers, hot dogs and nachos. The entertainment. Very sad and lacking in all areas. We found ourselves hanging out in the hotel lobby because there was nothing else to do or see. Casino night is lead by a beginner duo who can barely shuffle a deck of cards. Sax player is a one man “show” inside the buffet. The live band lacked energy. They had a few other performances that just didn’t seem like much effort was put into it. Crowd was also dead, lots of people came and went because none of it was very entertaining. Pool staff and bartenders were very attentive. Beach was great! Nice and clean.

  Feb 09, 2026
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  5 stars

  This Resort is Lovely, Clean, good food, Good people. I definitely will go back! My husband is in love with it. Highly recommended.

  Feb 09, 2026
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  CHEESEHEAD REVIEW

  My wife and I spent a week at the resort in late January. It was our third trip to the resort. The weather was a little cool but much better than northern Wisconsin. We like everything about the place. The Elite pool added a ladder and a new outdoor bar. Addie and Jesus took good care of us. The Elite status allows you to make reservations and we took advantage of that. We ate at Elite Restaurant three times. It's hard to beat the steak and lobster. One negative is a need for more restrooms by the pools. It is next to the Elite pool. We highly recommend.

  Feb 09, 2026
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  Pretty Good for the money

  My wife and I wanted to get away for a couples only trip without kids. We settled on Riu Kukulkan as it was Adults only and seemed fairly priced. We walked away fairly satisfied and would return. As with most places, a few hiccups here and there but overall a good experience. The Good: -Check in was a breeze. We paid a little extra for the Elite club and it was well worth it. I'll have more on this below. -Pools were very nice. Heated and close to bars and food. Good variety as well. Swim Up pool was fairly lively with most fairly inebriated (in a good way, not obnoxious) by the afternoon. Two other quieter pools and the Elite club pool for a more laid back experience. -The beach was large and there was plenty of seating. The attendants were very responsive to needs like umbrellas for shade. Drink service was fairly slow though. No sargassum to speak of thought I think that has to do with the season. -The food was good. Don't think we had a bad meal. Elite Club helped here too. The steakhouse was Very Good and the Elite Club restaurant the same. The Bad: -The entertainment was loud and lacking. Didn't really care as it's not what we are there for but some nights it didn't start until 10:30 and we aren't night owls. -Free transport is great but they require you leave for the airport (return) a good 4 hours in advance. We decided we'd just pay for an Uber. -The power in our room went out numerous times. Breakers kept tripping. We found the box and fixed ourselves but happened at least 4 times during our 5 night stay. -Not really the resorts fault but the beachfront outside of the chair area is public. The resort is adults only but the beach had many children (some obnoxious with a severe lack of parenting) during the weekend. Elite Club: In my opinion well worth it. It wasn't that much more and you got a private pool with available daybeds. We never had a day where we couldn't find one available while at the other pools the chairs filled very quickly. The service in the pool area was a nice touch as well and the Elite club breakfast and restaurant were both very good. Free bottle of champagne in the room helped as well. We would definitely go back however I've seen that where the hotel is situated in Cancun, there is a ton of seaweed in the spring through Fall. The winter was perfect. No seaweed, the water was still warm and the weather was great.

  Feb 08, 2026