We started our vacation with the hassle of pushing time share agents at the gate. Just remember to keep walking out of the airport directly to the transportation companies which there are several.
Once we got to the hotel we found it beautiful and well kept. The lobby was amazing and the staff at the front desk was first rate. We checked in 2 hours early and were given our room right away.
The room was a magnificent junior suite on the fifth floor with a wrap around balcony. We had an amazing view of the ocean from every corner of our room.
The weather was bad two out of the seven days. This was just fine because we needed to get out the sun.
The water was fantastic both at the pool and most importantly the beach. For people who enjoy floating and just sitting in the ocean, it was a great place.
There are ample lounge chairs for all to enjoy and on the beach, we had no trouble finding a shaded umbrella.
The bar staff were also quite attentive, more so if you gave a tip every now and then. I know it is not expected at an all inclusive location, but it makes things really easy when you want your drink just right.
The food was bland and very middle of the road and also very American. It was tough to find Mexican food even at the Mexican restaurant Maria Margaritas. Also if you want to eat at the steak house, make your reservations by 7:00 AM on the day you want to eat because it fills up by 7:30 AM. I’m not kidding I watched this with my own eyes.
The steak house is fantastic and is worth going to at least three times.
Finally I must say there were hundreds of newly graduated high school and college kids at the resort the same time we were there. The staff never seemed to let anyone get out of hand and I applaud them for that as well.
The RIU really made our stay wonderful and I really recommend staying ther

We were recommended to Riu Caribe by a friend of my husband's, for our honeymoon. I booked directly through the hotel, they were very helpful and wonderful to work with. When I received a promotional email after we had booked, they were more than happy to reflect our pricing to that promotion.

A tip to others, when you arrive in the Cancun airport, go directly outside past the people who are offering stuff after you get your luggage and are ready to go - it's timeshares - and man are they pushy!!! Nothing that couldn't be overlooked though. However, don't waste your time. I believe that the taxi service that we used was Blue Line or Gray Line or something like that (there was a round kiosk right by the airport exit, past the timeshare people), there were 6 of us led through the hotel zone to our hotels.

The hotel was wonderful. There's no concept of time, don't even think about grabbing your watch. I saw 3 clocks the whole week - one in our room, one by the pool, and one at the front desk. We were there for the beach, booze, and relaxation. And we did partake in all three. At one point we were convinced that it was going on 4pm...it was 1:45.

Room - we were checked into room 711 which was amazing. We kept the doorwalls open every night to listen to the ocean. We actually didn't even utilize the in room liquor that much! There was no need to when you could go anywhere in the hotel and drink! The beds were a little hard but by our second night, who cared? We were so whooped out from the sun that we just fell right asleep each night.

Entertainment - The first night, there was a mariachi band playing, which really put us detroiters into a new place with the Spanish culture. Every night there was something different to do. The entertainment staff is wonderful, I have no idea how they do it but they are moving constantly. Poolside shows, evening shows, water aerobics, volleyball, stretching, dance lessons, they even had a belly flop contest. Michael & Ariana provided eye candy to my husband and I all week! Rene is hilarious, we were bummed we didn't get to say goodbye to him before we left.

Food - we had absolutely not one complaint. We ate at Albatros every morning by 9am, and made it to the pool super early. Mid afternoon (or what we thought was afternoon by that time), we'd make our way over to the food stations by the swim up bar. Their mexican rice and chicken are fantastic!!! We didn't make any reservations at any of the other restaurants, we're saving that for next years trip. Breakfast and dinner at Albatros were great - if you couldn't find something you liked you had problems!! There was beef, chicken, oysters, fajitas, pasta, pizza, pork, everything you could think of!!! I actually miss the chicken drumsticks!!!

Cleanliness - there's not one speck of hotel that we saw that had dirt on it. We saw someone scrubbing one of the poolside signs down in the middle of the afternoon, with a sponge and bucket! There was always someone around with a broom, mop, whatever. Housekeeping was great, we had petals and towel swans left on our bed which was such a nice surprise! Bring your own hair conditioner - the hotel supplys shampoo, but no conditioner. You can go to the market adjacent to the hotel and get some there if you forget.

If you can't find a beach chair by the pool or the beach, you're getting up too late. We were down by the pool or beach every day by 9:00-9:30. Ended up with lounges within 9 feet of the bar, and the only two things that I needed to say were Cerveza and Margarita. Corona on tap the whole week - my husband couldn't ask for more!!!

We went to Isla Mujeres and went swimming with the dolphins - truly the experience of a lifetime!!! I completely recommend it. True, a little expensive but it was our honeymoon and totally worth it. As for the shopping, I was a little intimidated by the vendors so we didn't stick around there too much...I was just as happy sitting by the swing bar at Dolphin Discovery.

We booked through Best Day for deep sea fishing. Awesome, but we went on the 6hr package, and the last hour or so before we headed back, we didn't see too much land (until then we could see the hotel zone, which was comforting). Very large waves out there - got a little intimidating. Take plenty of dramamine with you, I don't get seasick and I felt a tad bit queasy when I was inside the cabin.

We went with the Riu sponsored trip to Coco Bongo's one night (they hit a different club every night), and for the $40/pp I totally recommend going with them. We had our own section and all the drinks you want, and the entertainment staff from the Riu made sure that we were having fun. It wasn't just them going to the bar - they were working. It was unlike any bar I've ever been to. Absolutely amazing. Getting back, we just took a cab, there's a T-O-N of them around at all hours of the day. Expect to pay around $7usd for a one way trip into the club/shopping zone, well actually everywhere.

On our second to last night, we got an 80-minute massage 10 feet from the ocean at dusk. That was amazing, intimate, and an experience I will never forget. This was booked directly through the hotel spa.

One more note - sports bar is fully air conditioned. Around midnight, on our way back up to our room, we'd stop there and get sandwiches or hotdogs and heat them up there and eat in our room, out on our balcony. Internet cafe is there, too, I think it was $8 for an hour of prepaid internet - plenty of time to log into email and let everyone back home know we were ok. Also, a nice place to cool down.

All in all, we had a fantastic honeymoon. Planning on going down there next year for our one year anniversary, for 10 days. 7 was too short!!!

This resort is one of the most beautiful places I've seen; the staff are wonderful and keep the entire property immaculate!

The food was very good, although I recommend staying away from the steak, as it was poor quality both times I tried it. The chicken and seafood dishes were excellent. We were particularly impressed with the quality of the buffet service; the food was always presented attractively and in small portions, so it was constantly being replenished with fresh supply.

The food service staff were always warm and friendly and treated us like royalty. We tipped off and on, and didn't notice any difference in the quality of service we received. (I say this to point out that the staff are genuine in their effort to provide excellent service.)

Both the pool and the beach were absolutely gorgeous. Just perfect!

Before I say anything negative about our stay, let me put my feedback in perspective:

My husband and I stayed for one week to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. We are not smokers and drink moderately, so the purpose of our trip was to enjoy each other and enjoy the luxury of an all-inclusive resort.

I wouldn't recommend this hotel as a honeymoon, family vacation, or place for elderly people. Although I saw a lot of couples and several families with children, the guests who came to party hard did not have much respect for more reserved guests.

Also these guests tended to trash the place, taking advantage of the hospitable staff cleaning up after them. At one point we had to file a complaint about a loud party of guests across the hall and next to us who were extremely noisy and offensive on several occasions. (front desk moved us to a nicer room)

To buffer that last paragraph, I noticed on one occasion when a group at the pool bar became extremely rowdy, the pool staff organized an "on-the-spot" activity that seemed to take control of situation. Very professional. :)

Overall we had a wonderful time. Sadly, I'm not sure we would return to this particular hotel due to the party crowd it seems to attract.

My husband and I stayed at the Riu Caribe May 19-26. We are in our late 20's and were looking for a hotel with a great pool. We researched the hotel for many months and found very few unhappy guests, some people are just really picky!
The hotel is very nice, we had a room on the 8th floor-rm881. It was in the corner with a small balcony-but big enough for the 2 of us to sit and enjoy the view. We had a wonderful view of the pool and the ocean. Our maid was fantastic, the staff really works hard. My only complaint about the room was our mini fridge never worked. We asked 3 times to have it fixed and nothing ever happened. Not a huge deal though, we would just go get ice from the machine and use it for drinks.
The pool area was great. We never had a hard time finding chairs. The pool didn't really get crowded until after 10 am. We were usually out at the pool before 8! The food was okay. The bufffet was good, lots of choices and the pizza place was the best!
The beach and water were beautiful. We went parasailing and rode the jet skis. We also had a snorkeling trip planned but it got cancelled because the water was too rough!
We enjoyed the hotel and would recommend it to people looking for more of a party atmosphere. We were under the impression it was a little more laid back. There was a lot of noise in the hallways at 5 am from people coming in from the bars. We like to drink and have a good time but not until 5 am! So next time we will stay somewhere else. But 7 years ago we would have been in heaven!