The Riu Caribe was definitely not the most luxurious but it was nice.
Arrival:
Arrival to Cancun was long and muggy. ***Tip*** Be sure you have a black or blue pen on you to fill out the forms you’re given on the plane and as you’re getting off the plane. Arrival at the hotel was smooth and easy. We got our room key, towel card, lock for the safe, a hotel map, and instructions for the different restaurants etc…
Rooms:
Typical rooms. Nothing fancy. Toilet plugged up twice while we were there but a quick call to the front desk and it was looked after right away. The cleaning ladies do an excellent job of cleaning. One day I walked in and she had the bed pulled right out from the wall and was cleaning under it. Our fridge was restocked every day with booze, pop, and water. A/C worked like a charm and was good to dry out the room a bit when it got too humid. It did get very cold though and there didn’t seem to be a happy medium with it.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was nothing to write home about, but wasn’t horrible either. The Steakhouse which is the poolside restaurant, had horrible steak but the setting is very nice with the water crashing. The 24hr Sports Bar claims to have snacks 24hrs, but I only saw snacks in the fridge on two separate occasions and never after midnight. Those snacks were pre-cooked hamburgers and hot dogs that needed to be microwaved. They did have taco chips but the cheese was ALWAYS cold. The pizza shack was ok, but you had to ask for your pizza WELL DONE or it was still doughy when it came out of the oven.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Ok, this hotel had THE NICEST beach by far. We did visit the Riu Cancun and some other hotels along the strip and the beaches there were half the size. When it storms over night, it does bring a lot of seaweed in, but the workers are out there with their shovels and wheel barrels cleaning it up at the crack of dawn. We went down to the beach at various times and never once had a problem finding a chair. The main pool was a different story though. You had to be there before 9 am to get a chair close to the bar and bathrooms. There were people reserving their chairs the night before.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
At the resort, the entertainment staff did a wonderful job. They were entertaining all day at the main pool and then did the evening shows at the theatre as well. Off the resort, we did the Corona Rally which is put on by the Salvatica Tour Company. I HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone. It was a series of 12 zip lines, then a half hour drive through trails in a dune buggy, then a swim in a beautiful, clean cenote, and finally a great mexican fajita lunch. The guys that did the tour were the best guides I’ve ever experienced. They were fun, got to know you by name and made the whole experience that much better. It was only $119 per person and they pick you up from your hotel and drop you off at your hotel. You are gone for a good 6 hours. We also did the wave runners which were ok, but the snorkeling you do once you’re out there is very nice. We did the Captain Hook Pirate Cruise which was a complete blast! The crew is GREAT! Make sure you have extra money for tips and to buy pictures and other things while on board. I should note that this is very much a party cruise and I would not recommend it for young children or people that aren’t big on drinking and partying.
Other Comments:
I would not recommend this hotel for people travelling with children. (There is a good hotel for children called Crown Paradise in Cancun) It’s a party hotel for sure. The staff were a hit and miss, but all in all, for what you pay to stay here, it’s really not too bad. I would go back when we’re looking at a cheap, quick week away. Oh, the drinks are VERY VERY watered down. We would drink all the bottled beer out of our fridge to get a bit of a buzz before heading out!