Riu Latino

This was easily the worst beach and swimming experience I’ve had at a Mexican or any resort. If your main reason for booking is to enjoy the ocean, I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere. The designated swimming area is already very small, yet jet skis constantly operate right along the buoy line, forcing swimmers to deal with gasoline fumes, noise, and splashing. I complained about this on my third day, but whether management simply didn’t care or the water sports staff decided to make a point afterward, a few days later one of the jet ski operators made two sharp U-turns right beside me while I was swimming near the buoys, deliberately splashing me in the face and laughing about it with his coworker on shore. The water sports operation feels completely unchecked. They’ll rent a jet ski to practically anyone willing to pay $80 — sober or not — without properly explaining how to operate it safely. Meanwhile, they make excuses when guests want to use the free non-motorized equipment. There was also animal poop in the water almost every time I went swimming. Not necessarily the resort’s fault, but definitely something I wish I’d known beforehand. And no Wi-Fi at the beach. The property itself is relatively new, so there’s very little natural shade overall. The beach has umbrellas, but most walkways are fully exposed, and the palm trees are still too small to provide meaningful cover. If you’re fair-skinned, expect to constantly reapply sunscreen and wear a wide-brim hat, otherwise you'll get burned just from walking around. The service at the bars and restaurants was excellent, and most of the food was very good. A few dishes were over-fried to the point of burnt, and the vegetable dishes had too much onion for my taste. Also, good luck finding a clean plate — they simply don’t seem to be washed properly. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and clean. However, there was no robe despite it being listed as an amenity, and no body lotion either — strange omissions for a supposedly five-star resort.

This was our fourth time at the Riu Latino, and we love it! The location, service, and food are amazing. The Latino is relatively new and kept immaculate. Many choices for food and beverages were great! I want to personally thank Samantha A (Public Relations Manager) who made my retirement trip truly amazing. Samantha, you are simply the best, and the Riu Corporation is lucky to have you. Your energy, smile, and willingness to make this trip special will never be forgotten. Special shout to our favorite server Nelly and the amazing bartenders; Bryan and Ozuna. Thank you so very much and we looking forward to coming "home" for a fifth visit.

This is the second time my husband and I have come to Riu Latino and both experiences were great. Beach - There was a very very small amount of sargassum this time, but we could still walk the beaches and swim in the ocean with no issue. It's not anything like the Riviera Maya is currently. Sand is beautiful and there were ample lounge chairs available. We spent most of our time poolside though. Pools/Waterslide - There are two bar pools with stools/tables in the water. One large "activity pool". A medium sized pool with volleyball net, and another medium sized pool that is a bit quieter. Waterslides are a lot of fun but sometimes the seams between the tubes can be rough on your back. Heard the same complaint from others. There were lots of lounge chairs available even with the early people rushing to reserve. The more difficult thing to get is was an umbrella. We usually came down around 9am and found a spot with shade Food - Buffet was great compared to most of the other all inclusives we've stayed at. We always found something to eat there and often chose the buffet over a-la-carte restaurants. We sat in Teresita's section for breakfast & lunch every day. She always greeted us with a big smile and wave. All the staff were excellent but Teresita definitely left a lasting impression! Gave her a big hug on our last day. We only went to one restaurant this time (Asian) and it was fantastic. The other menus didn't interest us that much so we stuck to the buffet as mentioned above. The great thing about the restaurants is there are no reservations, so you don't have to worry about them getting all booked before you arrive like other resorts. We eat early (5:30ish) and never had to wait, but if you go a bit later you might have to wait 10/15 minutes. Entertainment - Honestly this was the only disappointment during our stay. There really wasn't much going on during the day. They have a few games around the pool, but they repeated during the week. They advertised parties at other nearby resorts... so you get on a bus and go to one of their sister resorts up the road to party around the pool but those resorts are family friendly sooo kids... no thanks!! We didn't go but a couple we became friends with did and would not recommend. Not much lively happening during the day at this actual resort though. They have nightly shows at the theater at 9pm. Club/Disco opens at 11pm. Rooms - Clean & new. Most 5 star resorts need a lot of updates but this place is only a few years old. Overall we loved our stay and would recommend to others. Good value for your money. It's pretty far away from any excursions but it's also far away from the sargassum, so it depends what you're looking for.

This is the kind of resort you don't want to go. I've gone and the music is awful, i am still at the hotel but i want my money back and go to any other resort like bahia principe ir any cheaper and with better service. This resort is supposed to be a "party" hotel but the save guard at tequila bar only focuses on the way you may have the worst vacation of your life instead of working in what really matters. Of course I will charge back my purchase on my credit card. I am very disappointed of this resort, i have gone to better resorts for half this price of this one. You RIU have to better your service at once, this is my first night, I still have 3 more, so you better prepare for this.

The resort is stunning, very well kept and the staff are lovely. The buffet was endless, with plenty of options. The restaurants on site were awesome, and the staff are incredible. I had better service at this resort than at home dining out. The rooms were kept very clean, and we never ran out of anything as the maids were on top of it. The elevator was down on the 2nd floor but we were close to the stairs so we had no issues with that. We visited the markets 23&28, we took an uber through the app. Highly recommend, and you’ll meet some amazing locals. My only complaint was the beach… it was filthy. With garbage, debris, and lastly yes… feces. They had the entertainment team doing sign up for garbage collection off the beach… which my husband did participate. Respectfully for a 5 star I definitely expected a better maintained beach. That is our only complaint that we didn’t spend our time at the beach like we would have liked due to the filth. We walked past 4 resorts down the beach and all of it was just covered. I would highly recommend this resort for the staff, the food, the rooms, and overall the atmosphere is a vibe. If you don’t mind being poolside and don’t care much for the beach I’d say this is your spot, however we won’t be returning as we love the beach, and unfortunately this was a deal breaker for us. First time at a RIU and a first time visit to Mexico as we are used to the bare minimum in Cuba, however we would rather return to Cuba for the beaches. Also… avoid wearing white swimwear in the pools as they will turn green.