Riu Palace Pacifico

Rui Palace Pacifico.

We are seniors and have been on many all inclusive holidays, particularly in this area and we had a very enjoyable week long stay at the Rui Palace Pacifico. Our overall impressions were similar to many of the reviews here. Beautiful facility which is kept scrupulously clean, very pleasant, hardworking staff. No shortage of places to sit by the pools or on the beach, though they were, as a result, very tightly packed. Overall high standard of food, both in specialty restaurants and buffet. Constant stream of peddlers, and massage providers on the beach, who were not aggressive, but numerous. Hard to escape from the noise of activities during the day or the entertainment at night, which seemed to concentrate more on volume than quality.
I will concentrate on our impressions in two areas, the Elite Club and provisions for the mobility challenged.

Elite Club.
This began badly for us on arrival. Arriving on a bus from the airport, we were greeted by a bellboy who put our luggage in a central area with that of the other arrivals and took us the Elite Check in Station which was a desk in the Elite Bar. Unfortunately, it was unmanned. We sat there for about 15mins, watching our fellow bus riders being checked in at the front desk. Eventually, a gentleman came and proceeded to check us in and go through the privileges afforded Elite guests. We returned to our luggage which were by now the only bags left in the middle of the lobby with no bellman present. We waited for about 15 min. finally taking our luggage and searching successfully for our room on our own. This has never happened to us at any other resort/hotel we have visited over the years and started our stay on a downer.
That said, all the other privileges and experiences that came with Elite were first class and enjoyable. The room was beautiful with a full ocean view, the liquor dispenser had upgraded brands. We enjoyed using the Bali beds provided on the beach for elite guests and they were always available, though you had to be there early for one in the front row. The drink service was extremely good, particularly on days when Fernando was the designated server. Elite guests also had a special breakfast area on the balcony of the Steak House which had a small a la carte menu or you could go make your selection at the buffet nearby and bring it to your table. We found this a very pleasant and relaxing way to start our day, particularly if Hugo was the server. The Rui app allowed Elite guests to book restaurant reservations and this worked very well. The steak house seemed the only restaurant that had a significant lineup, so it was convenient to be able to make a reservation there. It was however a little uncomfortable when we showed up for our 6 pm reservation to wind our way through and past the lineup of about forty people to claim our reservation.
Perhaps due to this demand, we were startled when, halfway through our starter, our main course was placed on our table. It made the whole experience feel rushed rather than relaxed. This did not occur at the other restaurants which delivered a relaxing, fine dining experience. Is Elite Club worth the extra cost? Yes, in our case. We were there for sun and sand and the Bali beds provided that in spades and though we did enjoy the other perks, we wouldn't have paid the extra cost just for them.

Mobility.
My wife is mobility challenged and finds stairs very difficult, so we were on the look out for ramps and elevators to give us access to areas. The Pacifico is conscious of this need, as we found 4 ramps in the design. However, it would seem that little thought was given to how a person could use them efficiently. The only ramp, that is available to leave the main building to access the pools, beach and other facilities, is on the tip of the east wing. That forces anyone in the west wing to walk the length of that wing, across the lobby and up the length of the east wing, doable, but annoying. Just as annoying is, if you are in the steak house or buffet and you want to use the washroom, you cannot access the one directly below you unless you can negotiate two flights of stairs. If not, you have to walk back down the wing across the lobby to the nearest one of the only 3 public washrooms in the resort. The ramp access to the main pool however, is exceptionally good, a long slow slope with a railing suitable for wheelchairs or those needing just a little support. Accessing the beach is a little confusing. The main access is by two large sets of stairs. We were told at registration that that there was a ramp at the west side of the property, but the hotel didn't like guests using it as it was for access for the hotel's vehicles for beach supply and servicing. However, as it was the only way for us to access the beach and the Bali beds, which were, to us, the main plus of paying for Elite Club, we used it anyway and it was perfect. Access is just by the hotel side of the activity pool. Coming back, you just had to ignore the large sign saying it was only for the use of hotel staff. We loved the Bali beds, but were disappointed to find that the new beach washrooms were not designed for mobility access, requiring users to go down two sets of stairs, one with a rail and one without. If you couldn't manage these stairs, the nearest bathroom required a trek across the width of the beach, up the ramp, through the pool areas and finally down the ramp giving access to the bathroom in the main building by the gym. This required some prior planning. Once we were aware of all the factors involved, we were able to access everywhere on the resort, however, not conveniently. It was surprising that the recent renovations had not thought through how to make the resort conveniently accessible to those that need assistance.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and may return, though not for a long stay. [Details]

The Riu Palace Pacifico is a wonderful Resort. We are looking forward to our next stay! The Staff were wonderful, front desk very helpful. Luz who worked at the Reception desk was sweet and helpful. [Details]

Love this hotel!Food was great, beds and pillows were comfy, plenty of hot water and large fluffy towels. No problem getting a lounger at the pool. Staff and service were great. We will be back! [Details]

The hotel was amazing and so clean. The room and view was terrific. Absolutely love the Adults Only. Pools are clean and just the right temperature. Food was phenomenal! [Details]

Requested room higher floor. 3-4. Put on 1 st 0 view. Very disappointing even after speaking with them several times [Details]

I've always loved the Riu chain and have had amazing stays, however, this resort wasn't up to the regular Riu standards in my opinion. [Details]

I am sorry i did not know about this property sooner as it is due to be renovated. I found the decore old style opulant and charming. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly, the food quality, quantity and choices were excellent. My room was on the second floor and i still had an ocean view (partial only because of the trees), lovely. Rooms are kept very clean and the hallway to my room looked like you eat off of it. the entire hotel and grounds were constantly being cleaned and tidied. Wonderful, wonderful place. [Details]

Having stayed many times in the past and we were not disappointed with this 2 week stay. We really enjoyed the room, food and staff all excellent. Nightly music in the lobby bar was very good as was the nightly entertainment. We mostly go to the buffet and it was great. The Mexican entertainment show was terrific. [Details]

Food could of been a lot better. Music around pool way to loud. Night show never went to late and it was way- way to loud. Couldn't sleep because of it. Staff is great and hotel very clean but won't be back to Mexico any time soon. [Details]

You get to know the Riu staff, including the waiters. Friendly service, and they can speak English if you're not fluent in Spanish. Charly was our favourite - he suggested a 'sexy coffee,' which was so good, we ordered it every day! [Details]

It was our first visit to RIU Palace and I'd give an overall three out of five.
Some upgrades are needed in rooms definitely and bathroom I'd say can be dangerous as bath is very narrow and slippery.
Food is good no complains. We visited two restaurants and I'd say no need to go there as in Peninsula you'd get better food.
Very disappointed with the beach as it's deep and rarely accessible with large waves.
Staff is friendly and they try to do everything they can, thank you.
Would I go there again? Probably not as we'd visited other location that are more convenient.
One more thing I wanted to mention, at the time we arrived at the airport we had to wait almost an hour for the bus and it'd never happened before in Mexico and it was disappointing. At least 10 Nexus representatives were there and it was quite chaotic and nobody could say anything, just wait. [Details]

Very clean. Excellent service and good food. [Details]

Had a great time in this lovely resort. Even though I had an accident on the pool stairs and needed medical attention the staff were very accommodating. [Details]

We went twice this winter. Both times were amazing. The hotel was always clean and the food was wonderful. Never disappointed. Would go again and again. [Details]

Overall we liked the riu palace and would probably return. Ill start with complaints... Our room had a plug in cover for missing/broken and one of the jet apparatuses in the tub fell out while my kids were bathing. There was a half frozen bottle of water that wasnt the hotels brand of water in our fridge when we first entered the room which i found gross, also a plastic shaver blade cover was also on edge of tub which wasnt ours so it makes you wonder how well they clean after checkout. The staff were all very nice and friendly and many of them went out of their way to talk to my kids and make them feel special. We walked down to the riu jalisco and it had 2 out of the 3 slides in the pool taped off with caution tape as they were in need of repair, the lobby is quite dated and 80s feeling, but the kids pool was great there and my kids asked to go to that pool a few times throughout the week. The riu vallarta seemed modern and hip near pool, we didnt go into lobby at all but ive heard it was recently redone. We didnt eat at the jalisco or Vallarta just had drinks while we were there. We were glad we booked the palace as we were originally going to stay at the jalisco. The palace pool is nice and big and there was always food available, waiter service on the beach and by pool too. The entertainment was good every evening and we did a kitchen tour while we were there and a towel animal making activity. [Details]

Great place to spend a week [Details]

My family , my boyfriend and I , a 21 year old and 19 year old had a great time.
I only put a low rating on the staff and crew because of the poor breakfast service that puts you at a negative place to start your day. [Details]

Excellent. Room cleaning was not consistent but was adequate.
All other areas, administration, service, bar, food beach ext was excellent [Details]

Over all we had a great holiday. Cleanliness was exceptional. Will likely return another time. [Details]

Hotel is beautiful as is the beach, water and pool. [Details]

This hotel came highly recommended by our travel agent. We had a wonderful stay and our only complaint was that we had to come home. The facility is beautiful and clean and the staff friendly and to some visitors like family. It's a safe area and we felt comfortable walking outside of the resort day or night. [Details]

This was more than expected, the room was excellent. The cleanliness and room service was awesome, the food was a small slice of heaven for one week and staff were friendly but yet very professional. We are very grateful for the RIU experience and to the Mexican government for allowing us to be guests in your country. [Details]

This hotel is beautiful! Very clean the staff does an amazing job of keeping it pristine! Food was very good, they have 4 a la carte restaurants we went to 3 of them and they were very good. You don't require a reservation but it is advisable to get down by 7-7:30 as they hand out a restaurant buzzer so it's 1st come 1st serve and they only take so many seatings.

We expected this to be more of an adults clientele we knew it wasn't adults only. (this resort has no disco the other Rius down the road have Discos) It was however filled with rowdy senior year students from the states, let just say they were having a very good time! At night it was loud with yelling in the hallways and running up and down the halls. During the day they yelled at each other from there balconies. It was disappointing as we thought we would have a quite holiday.
Non the less the resort is beautiful.
The bathrooms are limited near the pool only 1 by the buffet restaurant so it's a hike from the beach. [Details]

The hotel is BEAUTIFUL and clean.
The service was more than excellent, everywhere, on the restaurants, rooms, beach, every employee gave their best to attend us, always with a big smile in the face. Location is nice and calm but far from downtown.
Food and drinks were excellent, really good variety and quality for an All inclusive.
The only thing that we didn't like is that there's just 1 pool for the whole hotel, really busy, lots of people, with entertainers talking with mic and making games, etc. We were looking to relax and we couldn't find that on the pool area, so we stayed most of the time on the beach. [Details]

Nice property, great location, incredible staff, food was good. Very good drink service. Best Wi-Fi coverage I've had in 21 trips to Mexico. [Details]

Firstly I am a travel agent, so I travel a lot and visit a lot of places. This hotel is by far the best that I have been to in some time. Nothing but top notch accommodations, service, food etc. from this place. All the staff were extremely friendly and happy and it did not matter if you tipped them or not, they were always quick to serve you with a smile. From the check in at the front desk that took about 2 mins, till the very end, I was constantly impressed. The main lobby is absolutely breathtaking.. You feel like you are truly in a Palace. We had a partial ocean view room, which was perfect...if you want to see the amazing sunsets over the ocean you need to ask for the north wing, as that faces west... Rooms were cleaned twice a day, tons of fresh towels and minibar was always full with lots of drinking options as well as water. Beds were comfy, AC worked well and very quietly and once patio door was closed, rooms were very soundproof. No noise from the hallways as room doors are set in a ways. Lots of chairs and trees on the beach, so no early morning rush to get a spot on the beach... always room even at 1:00 in the pm. Shade if you want it, or sun... No straw umbrellas, which is perfect, avoids the towel/chair reservation hassle. Tons of shade and chairs around the pool as well, no matter what time. Things in PVR are slow in the mornings as the sun is not up high over the resort till after 9:00 so no one jumps out of bed early, very relaxing. Oh, and the food, some of the best buffet food I have ever eaten... daily piles of large shrimp cooked various ways, lots of good beef, port, chicken, fish etc... its definitely one of those "gain weight type of holidays". Tried one A la carte, good but we ate too late to enjoy it... food was so good at buffet we stayed there. Can't say enough good about this place, OH, and so clean and so well maintained. Could not find a speck of dirt anywhere if you tried or anything that needed to be repaired.
Lots of live music during the supper buffet and each evening in the entertainment lounge, great drinks with premium liquor, fancy coffees made at every bar, 24 hour sports bar with snacks, free room service and free wifi (good wifi) anywhere in the resort. Pack your bags and go now, great beach, you can walk for miles, beautiful sand... only a couple of resort approved vendors near the beach, but will politely walk away with a nice No Thank you. Oh.. and as a guest at the Palace, you get to walk down to the other 2 Riu Hotels on the Beach and use their facilities and food any time... but they can not come up to the Palace. FYI, not really a kid place... more of a mature crowd, but still lively enough. Lots of Canadians and Brits there.
The only BAD point that I can comment on is the lack of bathroom facilities if you are on the beach or the far side of the pool. They have none. You must walk back up to the main building and use the bathrooms down by the SPA. Timing is everything... They are gorgeous bathrooms kept spotless and dry by the amazing ladies that work down there 24-7, but if you are a beach person... it's a good 5 min walk. But good exercise and then a stop at the heavily staffed pool bar on your way back makes it all worth it. They have tons of staff everywhere, poolside, on the beach, lounges , bars... just amazing and they are all smiling and happy. Great place for a holiday... I am already planning my return.. [Details]

This place would be a 5 star had it not been for the rudest server/manager that I have ever come across. "Victor" Your buzzers for line ups in a restaurant only work if they are used. Your rudeness is very sad!
Otherwise ...wow what a wonderful place to holiday [Details]

Aloa, Beautiful place we had a wonderful time, the staff very friendly, the room very nice, every morning she would make animal made with a towel, I took pictures. The food was amazing, the night shows amazing [Details]

We arrived to check in, on our own. There were no other guests.We were happy to be given an upgrade to ocean view but saddened to be told come back between 3&4. Returned at 3:30 to be told come back at 4PM. returned at 4:20 and finally got our key. Room is typical of Riu. This is our 4th in 15 months. Very clean. Nice welcome waiting. Service was good. Food was good. Property very well maintained. Maintenace was in pool scrubbing the "lounges" and walls continually.Not sure if the bubble reside left behind was harmful or not. One huge pool. Lots of chairs and shady spots around the pool. Beach was nice and clean,lots of chairs. Got very windy in the PM. Washrooms a little far. I don't understand why Riu properties are so "frugal" with their washrooms. The main restaurant has some amazing wait staff. We enjoyed Bruno who would show us to a table and, after the 2nd morning, knew to have mimosas and coffee ready. Victor in the Sports Bar. Best margarita ever. Happy to share his knowledge and explain the differences in beverages from tequila to lattes.Turn down service, twice in 7 days and not really what I would call turn down service. Shows were OK. Liked that they were at 9PM rather than 930 or 10. There are a lot of stairs here. I would not suggest it as a great place for people with with mobility issues. And not really for children, either. The BUT? On our first full day, I returned to our room. Housekeeping was finished. Imagine my surprise to find the door to our room WIDE OPEN. No one there, or even close by. With a great deal of concern, I closed and made sure the door was locked and went to front desk to voice my concern. The staff made like it was no big deal. Really? Do you leave your house door wide open when you leave for the day. Of course, the result was a bottle of lotion was taken from the bedside table. Very visible from the WIDE OPEN door. Like an invitation, almost. When I reported the loss, I was told we will investigate. Sure, whatever. Needless to say, everyday, for the next 6, periodically throughout the day, I would venture up to the fourth floor to ensure that our door was secured. Most concerning and frustrating. And the staff was not the least concerned...Guess that was because it was our personal belonging and privacy that were invaded not theirs. Like I said mostly good BUT... [Details]

Riu Palace Pacifico [Details]