Riu Palace Kukulkan Adults Only - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1318 reviews

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  Relax and enjoy the view.

  This is a nice hotel. I say 4.5 out of five starts. This is due to the food and limited pool entertainment/activities. The ocean and the hotel are beautiful and clean—a bunch of hard-working people day and night. The food was just okay. There are not many activities going on in the pool. Bingo every day gets old. All the fun is at the Riu Caribe. They take you and bring you back on a bus the hotel provides. I disagree with paying 200 extra a night to be treated as a VIP. Because we are all VIPs. You get an oceanfront, one pool, and a restaurant dedicated to VIPs. I would pay extra for oceanfront, but not 200+ a night. All rooms are ocean views. Our lady server in the middle pool was excellent! Our cleaning lady was on top of her game. Landy gets 5******* for sure. Ernesto was super attentive at the main buffet. Antonio at the steak house was on point. Recommend if you are coming down to relax. This resort caters to the middle-aged to older crowd. And we love it!

  Mar 13, 2025
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  Never Again, I used to promote RIU, I guess I was wrong with this one

  I booked this trip through Cheapcaribbean, having used the site for several previous trips with no issues. Unfortunately, this experience was not as smooth. The Arrival: The flight was perfect (Delta always delivers), and the pickup from the airport went as expected, thanks to the transport company (AMSTAR). However, the check-in process was confusing. I had booked the "Elite Club" room through Cheapcaribbean, but upon arrival, I was told I needed to pay an additional $900 for the upgrade. The receptionist explained that websites sell these rooms, but there's always an additional charge at the hotel. This was news to me, as I’ve never encountered such a situation with other hotels booked through this site. The receptionist also suggested that if I gave him $500 in cash (directly to him), he might be able to get me the room I originally booked. I refused, and was instead placed in a street-side room that lacked the ocean view I had requested. As a result, we were kept awake by traffic noise all night, with no ocean sounds or view. It seems I should’ve just bribed the desk clerk after all. Room Issues: Upon entering the room, I immediately noticed the sheets hadn’t been changed. A feces stain was visible when I pulled down the blanket. The bed was made, but we always pull back the top sheet, which revealed this disturbing mark. I called the front desk, and while they delivered fresh sheets, we had to make the bed ourselves. They didn’t bring blankets and informed me there was an additional charge of $10 cash per blanket. Dining and Reservations: The only restaurant open for lunch was the beach grill, where we had burgers, which were standard for a beach bar. Later, we wanted to go to dinner, but found out we had to make restaurant reservations. Unfortunately, none of the restaurants were available for us that night, so we had to eat at the buffet. The buffet was decent and service was quick, but the food was nothing special. When asking about restaurant reservations, we were told we had to be at the restaurant at 5 PM to make a reservation in person; no way to call ahead. The next few days, things went smoother, although I did suffer a small cut on my leg after brushing against the hallway wall in my shorts. The cut bled a lot, but I was able to treat it with medical supplies I brought. That evening, there was blood on the bed, which I notified the front desk about. We finally managed to eat at one of the restaurants after standing in line for 15 minutes right at 5 PM. The Asian restaurant, steakhouse, and Italian restaurant were decent, though we didn’t get into the others since they took reservations through another system, and by the time I showed up, they were full. Later I thought I should have given them $20 to get a spot. The ambiance was pleasant, especially for those in the 40-60 age range, and it was nice not to have spring breakers around until later in the stay. Service and Overall Experience: The bartenders were decent once tipped well, and drinks at the pool were generally good. The beach service was also excellent, with waitstaff coming around regularly to deliver drinks. We spent most of our time relaxing near the ocean, enjoying the good weather and service. The nightly entertainment at the theater was fun, and the crowd was lively. The resort did close early in the evening, but given how much sun everyone had been exposed to, it wasn’t an issue for many of us. We also enjoyed the coffee shop with its good coffee and snacks. Checkout Drama: However, things took a turn when we went to check out. We arrived at the lobby at 10 AM, as instructed, but were hit with a surprise $2400 charge. First, they claimed I was in an upgraded room (which I was never informed about), even though it wasn’t the “Elite Club” room I had booked. Then, they added a $1000 charge for bloodstains on the sheets. I explained that the blood came from a minor cut on my leg, and even showed them the bandaged wound. They insisted on charging me $1000, claiming they needed to replace the sheets and that a "special Hazmat Crew" had to handle it. I refused to pay such an outrageous charge and was surrounded by bellhops, who informed me I could not leave the property until I paid. After raising my voice and attracting the attention of many other guests, I was finally allowed to leave. Because of the delay, we missed our Amstar shuttle. I had to arrange for a taxi, which would have cost $145 as the bellhops talked to the taxi drivers, compared to the $12 Uber ride I eventually took. The bellhops even told me that Ubers weren’t allowed on the property, So my wife I walked off property, dragging our luggage and met the driver offsite. Billing Disputes: I contacted American Express to contest the charges, including the $1000 charge for the bloodstain, the $950 resort fee (which was never mentioned beforehand), and an additional $450 in taxes and fees, which I also disputed. Having traveled to Cancun 18 times and stayed at other RIU properties many times, I can confidently say I won’t be returning to this one. The lack of transparency, questionable charges, and poor customer service have completely turned me off. I strongly advise against booking this resort.

  Mar 12, 2025
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  Wonderful first experience of an all inclusive RIU vacay!

  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at RIU Kukulkan. The room, food and amenities were all great! The service was top notch and friendly. We especially appreciated the kindness and assistance of Osmar and Jesus who made our beach time so much fun. We were so happy to meet them both! Thank you!

  Mar 09, 2025
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  Excellent first experience with RIU

  Excellent stay at a wonderful resort. Food was fantastic, service was excellent. The staff was friendly and helpful. Osmar and Jesus went out of their way to help and make our beach time exceptional. We will be back.

  Mar 09, 2025
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  A Very Nice RIU

  Booked this resort after going to the Riu Palace Punta Cana last year which was disappointing. The Riu Kukulkan was so much better. We had a great time. The only negative is the traffic noise from the main boulevard which is in front of the resort.

  Mar 09, 2025