Riu Cancun, Riu Caribe, or GR Solaris?

Question

My boyfriend and I (mid-twenties) are looking for a fun but not crazy all-inclusive vacation spot in Cancun. We pretty much have it narrowed down to the Riu Caribe, Riu Cancun, and the GR Solaris. I've read reviews front and back, but I'm hoping to hear from someone who has been to more than one of these, for a comparison. This is the price range we're looking for, so as much as we'd love to go to Dreams or the Riu Palace, we can't afford it--so don't suggest it. =) Thanks!!

Answer 1

I am staying at the RIU Palace and right next door is the RIU Cancun. I hear that the Cancun has a lot of younger people at it and it is more of a party hotel then the Palace. I am your same age and am going with my boyfriend and two other couples. If your ok with sub-par food and a crazy party atmosphere then the RIU Cancun would suit you best. I think the RIU Caribe is nice too, but that isn't as close to the nightlife (dining, clubs, shopping, etc.)  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I stayed at the Riu Caribe last November and I really liked it.  We had lunch at the Riu Cancun one day (since you can eat at both hotels w/the all inclusive plan).  The Riu Cancun was well appointed and had a good location right in the heart of the tourist zone, but it seemed a little stuffy for my liking.  The Riu Caribe doesn't have a super location, but it was more spread out and relaxed than the Riu Cancun.  I would definitely go back to the Riu Caribe.  Also, the Gran Caribe Real is a nice hotel and is a good location.

Answer 3

We stayed at the Riu Cancun and had a blast.  I'm afraid that I can't make comparisons to the other hotels, but I can tell you what I liked about ours.

First, the service was amazing!  We had a mixup with our room when we checked in and they were very apologetic and quick to fix it.  All of the waiters/waitresses and bartenders are super friendly and very accomodating.  The acitivities staff were great - they always had something going on for people.  We loved the people at the hotel!

The bars were great - there were 3 out by the pools, one of them in a pool, and 2 more inside (I think).  You could bring your own giant cups and they'd mix up a drink for you to put in there.  This was great for going down to the beach, where they don't have a bar.

The pools were also great.  There were 2 general pools, with lounge chairs on a ledge in the pool, 1 activity pool, and 1 bar pool with jacuzzi areas.  You could easily find a pool for relaxing or a pool for partying.

The food was also really good.  There was a breakfast buffet in the morning, and it was huge!  There were 2 choices for lunch - a lunch buffet inside, or a smaller buffet with hot dogs, pizza, pasta, etc outside on a patio by the pools.  There were 4 choices for dinner - Mediterranean, Japanese, an outdoor patio steakhouse, and a buffet with a different theme each night (Mexican, Italian, etc).  We tried it all and it was all very good.

The rooms were nice, but nothing particularly special.  The beds were a little hard, but they would get you a mattress pad or blanket to put under it, and that helped a lot.  There was a bit of a musty smell, but we smelled that in every building in Cancun, so I don't know that it's a problem with the hotel.  It wasn't overwhelming by any means.  The room has a fridge stocked with beer, water, sodas, and juice, and it's included in the charge.  There was also a liquor dispenser in the room.

The hotel was also within walking distance of all the action in town - the clubs, restaurants, shopping, etc.

If we go back to Cancun, we're staying at the Riu Cancun again.  It was a wonderful vacation.

Answer 4

Sun palace got better reviews than any of those and is cheaper I always listen to the reviews the one time I didnt I paid for it havnt been to the ones you picked But check out the sun the link below has a resort review section that list hotels of past travelers favorites the link takes you straight to trip advisor  for the reviews The Caribe made it on their list.

Answer 5

I stayed at the Rui Palace in October and it was great not a wild party hotel but it had a great pool bar, outside bar, great variety of restaurants,nice nightly shows and a great staff of very helpful people. I have been to Cancun 6 times and the next time I go it would definitely be to the Rui Palace!