Riu Playacar - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8739 reviews

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  Riu Playacar Great Experience

  Stayed at the Hotel Riu Playacar in July for 10 nights. On arrival to the hotel, we were amazed at the huge lobby and reception area. Our room was towards the end of the hotel, overlooking a beautiful sea and pool view. The only negative is that there are no lifts in this hotel, and our room was on the top floor (2nd) and had to walk around x8 separate flight of steps. It wasn't too bad as it was good exercise to burn off some of the all inclusive food! The room was huge and quite plain, i.e. white walls with no pictures of paintings, which I'm not bothered about. Toilet is separate to the bathroom. Shower is large, and we had two sinks (his and hers style). We had a king size bed and also a sofa bed, large dressing table with drawers for clothes and belongings, TV above this and a cupboard with plenty of hangers for clothes. Inside the cupboard there was also an iron and board + free safe. The balcony was big, with two chairs and a small table. The room also comes with a mini fridge fully stocked up with cans of beer, pepsi, 7up and water bottles, all included in your stay and topped up every second day. There is free WiFi across the resort and strong connection everywhere. There are many bars across the resort and selection of drinks + cocktails is very good. There were no physical drink menus, the hotel is very keen on guests scanning QR codes on their devices to access menus and using the RIU app for entertainment and all other things. Beer was XX lager, I was disappointed not to have Corona but the beer was still nice. Many branded spirits, for example Captain Morgan spiced rum. Make sure you try the spicy mango tequila shots and michealda. There are x2 swimming pools, both big sized. One of them is used for activities such as foam party, water polo and water aerobics. The other is general. There is also a small kids pool with small slides and fountains. Sunbeds are plenty around the pool area and beach which is a few steps away from the pool. There were guests reserving sunbeds especially around the pool from as early as 6/6:30am which was very annoying. There are a lot of choices for food. Breakfast is served in the main buffet and it's the same options everyday. Cereals, fruits, all types of eggs, bacon, sausages, pastries, even Mexican tacos with chicken and eggs which I tried and got addicted to. There is a snack bar beside the pool bar everyday which serves beef burgers, hot dogs and nachos. Lunch is served in the buffet beside the pool. The choice of food was the same most days, but they varied the pizza toppings and pasta dishes each day. The pizzas here were so good, very cheesy and deep pan. Some wild toppings which I've never thought of before but they all worked. Dinner is served in the main buffet (where breakfast is) but you also have the choice of the Al a carte restaurants. The hotel does not limit you on number of visits and no need to pre-book which is excellent. We tried the Asian but were not impressed. We also tried the steak house one night which was good, apart from my chicken ceaser salad where I found a live black beetle crawling inside. When I showed the waiter, he was quick to take it away but did not bring a replacement. The buffet at dinner was where we spent most of our dinners, plenty of choice for meat and vegetarian. Never a day went by where we were stuck for choice. The staff were incredible, very hard working. I was most impressed with the cleaning and maintenance staff. The hotel is immaculately clean, and this is a credit to the cleaning staff constantly making sure they keep this a clean 5* resort. The maintenance staff also, painting walls, trimming palm trees, watering the plants etc. The bar staff as well, with the amount of guests constantly ordering drinks, each making hundreds of drinks, cocktails fresh and not premade, all bar staff working with smiles, talking to guests and having a good time. The entertainment staff as well do not bother you if you don't want to participate in activities. We took part in the water aerobics and I played beach football most of the time. Be sure to download the RIU app where you can see a daily itinerary of entertainment. The evening entertainment was okay, couple of shows were very good, the rest were your usual holiday type shows. We particularly enjoyed the international night with dances from across the globe, being Indian we really enjoyed the Indian performance. There was also a silent disco which was great fun. We also went to the Tequila for the White Party and Neon Party which was full of fun vibes. The beach was really nice, soft white sand and plenty of sunbeds. Unfortunately there was a lot of sea weed and the start of our holiday which meant we couldn't get into the sea. But the staff work tirelessly to clear it and towards the end of our trip we got to spend a lot of time in the sea. Would I return here? Yes, 100%. Happy to answer any questions from guests interested.

  Sep 09, 2025
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  Great Holiday

  When we arrived at the hotel, I was initially taken aback. Having stayed in more visually striking and luxurious hotels before, the simplicity of the reception area felt a little underwhelming. It was modest and functional, lacking the grandeur or decorative flair you might expect from a high-end resort. However, my impression quickly changed. The location was absolutely perfect—just steps away from both the pool and the sea, making it incredibly easy to enjoy the water whenever we wanted. I had read several reviews mentioning seaweed along the shoreline, so I was a bit concerned before arriving. But we were extremely lucky—during our stay, the water was crystal clear for several days, with no seaweed in sight. It was beautiful, refreshing, and ideal for swimming. It really felt like we caught the best of the season. Dining was another highlight. The ability to walk into any of the hotel’s restaurants without needing a reservation added a wonderful sense of freedom and ease. The food was varied and enjoyable, and the relaxed atmosphere made every meal feel like part of the holiday. Our room was spotless—well-maintained, thoughtfully arranged, and equipped with everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The housekeeping team clearly takes pride in their work, and it showed in every detail. A huge thank-you to the entertainment team—Sexy Billy 😊, Jazmine, and Angel—who brought so much energy and joy to the resort. The bar staff were also fantastic: quick, friendly, and always smiling. I wish I could remember everyone’s names to thank them properly. Despite the simple first impression, the overall experience was outstanding. The combination of cleanliness, convenience, warm hospitality, and lively entertainment made for a truly enjoyable holiday. I left feeling very happy with my stay and would definitely consider returning.

  Sep 09, 2025
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  Returning happy guest

  5th stay in 2 years. Staff amazing, already missing our favourites although everyone is truly brilliant. Looking to book again for early next year. Highly recommend. Can’t fault the hotel, super layout, large clean rooms with wonderful housekeeping. All restaurants excellent.

  Sep 07, 2025
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  1st class stay

  From start to finish excellent on all levels. Room in block 8 overlooking the pool exceptional, service from all resultants great, especially the steak house, all bars were quick with the service, service on the beach/pools spot on. Entertainment/branded drinks are the only thing that seem to went a bit downhill but not enough to dampen this holiday. Recommend this to anyone.

  Sep 06, 2025
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  Love Riu

  Wow! Best all inclusive ever. What a beautiful hotel well laid out great ambiance very relaxing! The Rooms are beautiful very spacious and well equipped it was a nice bonus to have stocked mini bar with optics which you can have restocked via the excellent app. The food is great loads of choices which is 24 as is the drinks which are all branded never drank so many different cocktails. The entertainment is fantastic overall the entertainment do an awesome job getting everyone involved would totally recommend and would definitely book a Riu hotel as I never stayed in one before!

  Sep 01, 2025