What to Do at RIU Hotels and Nearby: Inside the Resort and Beyond
RIU operates two very different kinds of hotels: all-inclusive beach resorts across Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and Spain, and Riu Plaza hotels in city centers for travellers who want to explore on their own terms. Knowing which type suits your trip, and what's actually around each property, makes the difference between a resort that feels like a self-contained world and one that's a comfortable base for day trips. This guide covers what's typically inside a RIU all-inclusive, what to do outside the gates at the main beach destinations, and how the city-based Riu Plaza concept differs.
Inside the Resort: What All-Inclusive Actually Means
Most RIU properties in this list operate on an all-inclusive basis, which generally covers meals, drinks, and access to pools, beach areas, and some form of daytime and evening entertainment. The exact inclusions vary by property and by room category, so it's worth checking the specific policy of the hotel you're considering before booking.
Several of these hotels are adults-only, including Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico in Puerto Vallarta, Hotel Riu Palace Jamaica in Montego Bay, Hotel Riu Palace Macao in Punta Cana, Hotel Riu Palace Baja California in Cabo San Lucas, Hotel Riu Palace Kukulkan and Hotel Riu Latino in Cancun, Hotel Riu Palace Paradise Island in Nassau, and Hotel Riu Cancun. These tend to appeal to couples and groups of friends looking for a quieter pool scene and later-night entertainment options.
Family-oriented options such as Hotel Riu Jalisco, Hotel Riu Bambu, Hotel Riu Caribe, Hotel Riu Emerald Bay, Hotel Riu Guanacaste, and Hotel Riu Lupita typically add kids' pools, activity programs for children, and a broader range of dining hours. If you're traveling with children, this distinction matters more than the star rating.
Within the resort itself, expect multiple pools (often one quieter, one livelier), direct beach access where the property is beachfront, a selection of restaurants beyond the main buffet, and a nightly entertainment schedule. The scale of these facilities tends to scale with the size of the hotel - properties with 500+ rooms, like Hotel Riu Gran Canaria or Hotel Riu Costa del Sol, usually have more restaurant variety than smaller properties.
Excursions at the Beach Destinations
Mexico's Pacific and Caribbean coasts cover several distinct regions in this catalogue. Puerto Vallarta (Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico, Hotel Riu Jalisco) is a good base for exploring the Malecón boardwalk and the Zona Romántica in town, plus boat trips into Banderas Bay. Cancun (Hotel Riu Palace Kukulkan, Hotel Riu Cancun, Hotel Riu Caribe, Hotel Riu Latino) sits close to the Hotel Zone's shopping and nightlife strip and is a common jumping-off point for day trips to Maya archaeological sites and cenotes further inland. Costa Mujeres (Hotel Riu Dunamar) and Playa del Carmen (Hotel Riu Palace Riviera Maya, Hotel Riu Lupita) are quieter alternatives on the same coastline, with Playa del Carmen offering easier access to Fifth Avenue's shops and restaurants and ferries toward Cozumel. Mazatlan (Hotel Riu Emerald Bay) and Cabo San Lucas (Hotel Riu Palace Baja California) are on the Pacific side and tend to suit travellers interested in sportfishing, whale-watching season, or the historic centers of each city.
In the Caribbean beyond Mexico, Punta Cana (Hotel Riu Palace Macao, Hotel Riu Bambu) is known for long stretches of beach and excursions such as catamaran trips and visits to Saona Island. Montego Bay (Hotel Riu Palace Jamaica) gives access to Jamaica's north coast attractions, while Nassau (Hotel Riu Palace Paradise Island) puts you close to downtown shopping and boat excursions around New Providence. Aruba (Hotel Riu Palace Aruba) is compact enough that renting a car or booking a half-day tour covers most of the island's beaches and the Arikok National Park area.
Central America offers a different pace. Guanacaste in Costa Rica (Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica, Hotel Riu Guanacaste in El Ocotal) is a base for rainforest and volcano day trips as well as beach-hopping along the Pacific coast. Rio Hato in Panama (Hotel Riu Playa Blanca) is a quieter stretch of coastline, generally chosen by travellers who want beach time with the option of a day trip into Panama City.
Spain's RIU properties sit in established resort towns rather than remote beaches. Gran Canaria (Hotel Riu Gran Canaria) and Tenerife (Hotel Riu Buenavista, Hotel Riu Arecas) are good bases for exploring the Canary Islands' varied landscapes, from volcanic terrain to dune beaches. Mallorca (Hotel Riu Concordia, Hotel Riu Festival, both near Playa de Palma) and Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol (Hotel Riu Costa del Sol) are set up for easy access to local promenades, nightlife, and short trips into nearby towns like Palma or Málaga.
Riu Plaza: The City Hotel Alternative
RIU also runs a separate line of city-center hotels under the Riu Plaza name, built for travellers who want to be based in a downtown location rather than a beach resort. These properties are generally not all-inclusive and work more like standard city hotels, with breakfast often available but meals otherwise left to the surrounding restaurant scene.
If your trip is about sightseeing, museums, or business rather than pool time, a city-center hotel is the better fit than any of the beach resorts listed above. Check the current RIU portfolio on the booking site for which cities have a Riu Plaza property open, since this changes over time and none of the beach-focused hotels above operate on this model.
Planning How Long to Stay
For most of the beach destinations above, four to seven nights is a common length of stay - enough time to settle into the resort's rhythm and still fit in one or two excursions without feeling rushed. Shorter stays of two or three nights tend to suit stopovers or add-ons to a longer trip, particularly in destinations like Cancun or Punta Cana that have frequent direct flights.
Airport transfer times vary widely by destination - some resorts, like those in Cancun's Hotel Zone, are a short drive from the airport, while others, such as properties in Guanacaste or along Mexico's Pacific coast, can involve a longer transfer. Check the specific distance and transfer options for your chosen hotel before booking ground transportation.