Riu Palace Kukulkan - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1618 reviews

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  Great for a last-minute trip!

  I booked a last minute solo trip to Cancun and chose this hotel due to 5-star rating, price, and availability. Since I rely heavily on reviews, I wanted to provide my assessment. Pros - The venue is extremely well maintained. Rooms, pool, beach, bathrooms, spa, are very clean and nothing is in poor condition. I never had problems finding a chair at the beach or pool. I noticed it started to get busy the day I left (12/31) but still saw plenty of chairs. They don't provide food service at the pool but I love how they set out grab and go food at the pools, bars, etc - good in a pinch. Housekeeping is extremely efficient. And as you would hope for, staff is amazing. Johnny and Armando at the pool/beach and Jose at the lobby bar were great (the evening bar cart is so fun!). The spa was also a lovely experience. Finally, I appreciated the proximity to the airport at only 30 minutes away. Cons - I've stayed at over 20 adults-only, all-inclusive and I prefer the ones that either do not require a wristband or have upgraded ones. If it's adults only, all inclusive, why are wristbands needed? Or as they're probably less "elite" members total, make them wear the wristbands. I'm also not a fan of towel cards. I understand it's a way to ensure towels are returned but each guest should be allowed at least two towels. I asked politely and received another card but I witnessed another couple that wasn't as fortunate. The buffet is great for breakfast and lunch but overall, I was very disappointed in the food at the resort, especially the specialty restaurants. Seafood and steak were decent but nothing great, Italian and Asian were mediocre and ironically, Mexican was my least favorite. I love that it wasn't a party hotel but a late night hangout with DJ, karoake, music, or something would have been nice. Additionally, while they had water/beach volleyball, RIU fit, and bingo, I've been other places with many more activities (e.g., dance lessons, tequila tastings, salsa making, water and board games, etc.) which would have been nice. Knowing what I know, I would consider staying here again if my other preferred brands are not available. Or, I would try one of their other locations based on the overall experience (hotel cleanliness and maintenance is a big deal and this location was top tier). But it would be tough to recommend, primarily because of the food.

  Jan 01, 2026
• 

  Just what we needed!

  We are avid Secrets, and Sandals Resort people. We also visited Excellence Playa Mujeres once. We chose this resort because we booked this trip two weeks prior to Christmas as a gift to ourselves and really needed an affordable quick option. We did not expect to LOVE this resort as much as we did. When we got there, we upgraded our last three nights out of four to elite club for $250 ish dollars. The first night was unavailable. The views from that room were breathtaking. The views from all around the resort are what really make this resort worth it. The sports bar was probably the highlight of the entire experience so make sure if you check it out. All of the pools and bars were top-notch. Bartenders were great and they would make any drink strong or not. We love that we were able to get a better room service menu with the elite club. During four nights we were there, we ate at the Italian restaurant which we really enjoyed in the steakhouse which was OK. We also enjoyed two nights of room service dinners. The shrimp Alfredo on the elite room service menu was very good. The beach was gorgeous and there was no sargasso in December. It was a little rough but we got in the water for a few minutes. We like a quiet chill vacation so we spent most of our time in a beach chair but we did find the pool bar to be lots of fun. We plan on visiting again and are actually looking to go back in the next two months. I love that we have found an affordable resort option that was just perfect for us

  Dec 31, 2025
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  Not what was to be expected for my first time to Cancun

  Nacho was very rude upon my checking out and talked profanities about me while performing his duties. I was very much disappointed in the way Nacho treated me!

  Dec 28, 2025
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  Christmas 2025

  Fantastic stay. The staff, pools, restaurants were all 5 star. Brenda, one of the managers, is by far the nicest person there. We will definitely return.

  Dec 26, 2025
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  Hotel Riu Party Kukulkan - a great disappointment

  Pros: Bedrooms were modern and nice. No issues with the noise level outside the room. No issues with the AC. Xmas dinner = huge range of food Friendly staff (servers) Clean Beautiful beach Negatives: Advertise yourself as a party hotel!!!!! I wanted a relaxing break. It felt like an 18-30 club hotel (a party hotel). Signage all over the hotel about RIU party. The pools were overcrowded, saw somebody throw up in pool 2 (bar pool). There were no quiet pools (apart from the Elite Club pool). So I paid over $2000 but do not get to have a quiet pool. Witnessed two different near fights, one of which woke me up as the guys started shoving each other around my sunbed. The staff have had no training in dealing with this as they stood and watched all this unfold. There seems to be no moderation on drinks given out to customers. One guy could hardly walk but was still able to order more drinks. If this was a pub/bar, they would be told to leave. The rooms: Only 1 outlet in the bedroom. I had asked for an extension cord - I was told "no". I was told by reception that most hotels in Mexico have the same situation. I had stayed now at 4 different hotels, and this was the first that had this challenge. This is a brand new hotel also! The bathtub in the room was great, however there was no soap. If you wished to have a bath instead of a shower, you would have to get into the bathtub, then leave, then go to the shower to get the soap attached to the wall, then back into the bath you go. When I raised my issues with customer services, I was told to write an email!!! Surely the person listening to me could have quite easily dealt with the issue then and there, or passed on my concerns to their manager. I wasn't even asked for my room number when I raised the issue. The food: Great range of food, but had massive stomach cramps throughout my stay. I am sure the hotel will respond in the comments stating that it is because I am in Mexico (different bacteria)... This is my 4th trip to Mexico at an all inclusive, and had no issues prior. The check-in: Got a glass of champagne. Felt the hotel cold (not temperature) but atmosphere. It felt that I was just a number rather than customer. I was tired off my flight, and had to sit and listen to the receptionist try and up-sale me a more expensive room. This hotel has the physical infrastructure to be a 5-star hotel. It is extremely clean. However the above in my opinion makes it far inferior to rival hotels like Haven Riviera, which I spent the same $$, but I was treated like an important guest at a 5-star hotel. This hotel made me feel important. Hotel managers constantly asking if things were okay etc, acting on feedback immediately and so forth.

  Dec 26, 2025