Riu Palace Pacifico - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

7445 reviews

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  Nice clean adults only

  Pros: This hotel was very clean. Ice cold AC. Well Stocked mini bars. Endless hot water. Good WiFi. Snacks and coffees available all day. Lots of seating at the beach and pool. The beach food places always had the best fresh food. Workers were all well dressed and friendly. Cons: the food was terrible. We have been to many RIUs and they are mid level food at best. So I did not have high expectations on the food. Even eggs and whites were over cooked. My bf got NY strip and it was cold and raw we told the waiter so they could take it off. The restaurants u have to line up for the steakhouse was always too busy to get in so we could not go. The gym is very small and doesn’t open until 0700 and there were people waiting to get in every morning. This gym should open earlier or be 24/7 like other RIUs. Many excursions had me leaving the hotel at 0715 so I couldn’t get in before. There are no umbrellas on the beach so if you want some shade you have to rent them for $300 pesos or $15 USD daily… there are lots of beach hustlers that come up on the property despite the area being marked not to. That includes also several horses standing close by and people operating parasailing. The elite side was roped off so those people were not bothered. So if you want to rest… it is difficult at this beach with the constant bothering. Overall a good experience. We ubered to most places and there are miles to walk in both directions. You can see rays in the AM on the shorelines. The NYE food selections were vast and much better than the usual buffet.

  Dec 31, 2025
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  December in Puerto Vallarta at Riu Pacifico

  December in Puerto Vallarta has never disappointed. The weather was picture perfect every day of our trip, the beach is fantastic, the views of the mountains around the bay are wonderful. A small school of rays swimming around the shallow water every day was a nice surprise. This was our first stay at the Riu Palace Pacifico; we have stayed multiple times down the beach at the Riu Vallarta. The resort is clean, and even the beach restrooms were clean. The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. We had no issues getting chairs each morning by the pools, the beach or even the bar pool, although I was up before 8 AM each morning to find a spot. Our perception of the food was good. We found it above average for resort fare. The buffet had an abundance of options, and the fresh fruit variety was great. We tried a few of the restaurants with mixed results: you have to be in line early for the steak house, but in the end, I didn't feel it was worth the hype and the wait. In the US, we are spoiled with good steakhouses, so it is hard to impress us with steak. The meal was good and had good flavor, but the cuts were all overcooked. The Asia restaurant was just OK. The Mexican restaurant was the best in our opinion with good ceviche, and the tacos and fajitas were really good. We had no wait getting into any of the restaurants except the steakhouse. A few of the employees really stood out during our week. Janet at the breakfast buffet was so pleasant and cheerful. Milton and Andrea and Sebastian with the entertainment staff, were fun without being intrusive. Check-in and Check-out was smooth and fast, and the bellmen were available but not pushy about taking our bags. The crowd was definitely on the older side so the resort was a bit quiet in the evenings, and I think they could use a little better entertainment at night. The Michael Jackson show was fun for sure. Most of the bands are backing track bands that get a little stale. The sports bar is the best we have experienced in Mexico, with a wide selection of beer and spirits, and food that surpasses some of the restaurant fare. The wait staff was also great. There is plenty of room to have a quiet conversation or tables inside for a more raucous group watching a game. The elevators are fast, so we didnt have to spend a lot of time waiting as our room was on floor 7. We will definitely consider staying at the Palace Pacifico again soon.

  Dec 31, 2025
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  Perfect holiday retreat

  The staff here is top notch, Lalo, Luis and Fernando around the swim up bar, Alejandra, bringing drinks to people sitting around the pool, Milton with bingo, Pablo as our breakfast server, there are just too many to mention. We’ve stayed at a handful of our IU properties across Mexico and this one by far has the best food.. and I don’t know who’s in charge of the desserts now, but they certainly stepped up their game, kudos. I wish I could remember the name of the ladies that cleaned our rooms and made sure we had all of the items we needed. They were top-notch and on top of everything . And we saw lots of wildlife too large iguanas, stingrays in the shallow part of the ocean and a couple of ocean snakes . Other guests reported seeing whales, but we did not see any.. there’s also horseback riding right at the beach for $30 a person and one hour massage right at the beach for $35 a person. Both great deals, but not affiliated with the resort.

  Dec 29, 2025
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  Another excellent RIU vacation!

  Excellent resort. Food was amazing. Steakhouse was delicious. Pool was heated so no hesitation getting in. Nice to walk on the beach when the tide goes out.

  Dec 29, 2025
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  Lovely place to spend Christmas 2025

  This resort is absolutely beautiful! I traveled alone and had a truly lovely experience. The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful. I went on two excursions, but there is truly no need to leave the property. It is sparkling clean, has a ton of food options, and the pools and beach are beautiful. Aside from the buffet and cappucino cafe in the lobby, I ate at the specialty Italian restaurant, which was good and easy to get into. The buffet had lots of choices and was beautifully presented. The Christmas Eve buffet was spectacular. The food is similar to food on a cruise ship. For the amount of people they serve, they do an incredible job. It is not the best food I've ever had, but it's well-prepared, and best of all, I wasn't cooking it! From mimosas each day with breakfast, to lounging at the pool and having drinks delivered to me, I felt very pampered. The mini bar in my room was included in the charge, but I never used it. My phone only charged at night, but that was probably a user error. All in all, a great trip and worth your time. You will not be disappointed here.

  Dec 28, 2025