Discussion Forum – Trip Reports from Baja Mexico

RIU Hotel Cabo San Lucas

Trip Reports from Baja Mexico

RIU Hotel Cabo San Lucas

Posted by boe4fun on December 2, 2022 at 9:24 am

Spent most of Thanksgiving week with our family at the RIU Palace Hotel in CSL. We decided to have our 50th anniversary a month early as all of our kids/grandkids had (or could) get the week off. Our son Lucas, his wife Jessica, and their daughters Lilly and Penelope flew into San Diego airport from Memphis. We all spent the first two nights at our daughter’s house. Courtney, her husband Jonathan, and their two boys William and Jon Jr. live near San Diego.

We all crossed the CBX bridge Sunday morning and caught our Volaris flight to Los Cabo’s airport where a bus picked a number of passengers up and took us to the hotel. We all checked in, got our wristbands, our room keys and towel cards and began our stay at this all inclusive resort.

We spent 6 nights total at the hotel which included all meals, drinks, and entertainment. Every night started with a show where the grandkids got to participate, followed by a show geared to the entire family. Much time was also spent at the pool with the entire family. On Thanksgiving Day I took my son and son in law fishing out of San Jose del Cabo with Gordo Banks Pangas. We managed 1 wahoo, 6 dodos, and 1 skipjack (cut up for additional bait). I brought back the wahoo and the biggest dorado to the hotel where we had the hotel prepare ~1/3 of the catch for Thanksgiving dinner. Fish was prepared al la plancha, blackened, fried in batter, made into fish fingers, and 2 grades of ceviche (mild and spicy). We had so much ceviche we ended up sharing with 2 family groups who had tables near ours, and still had leftovers. I had packed a collapsible insulated bag to bring back the rest of the fish which had been hard frozen for us by the hotel, so we’re looking forward to smoking some and having another fish dinner with our daughter’s family when they visit us at Christmastime.

So all in all I would say if you’re looking for a great place to stay, the 3 different RIU Hotels in Cabo San Lucas would be a great choice.

cabodream replied 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Members · 9 Replies
9 Replies

mikel

Member
December 13, 2022 at 6:23 am
Sounds like you guys had a great time. We’ve considered the all-inclusives before but never had any feedback from people we knew personally on what it’s really like. In your opinion, was it as good as they hype? Anything disappoint you or anything better than expected?

Any photos you’d be willing to share?

Thanks @boe4fun
- This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by mikel.
- cabodream
  
  Member
  December 14, 2022 at 4:42 pm
  
  Here you go @mikel
  - mikel
    
    Member
    December 15, 2022 at 11:21 am
    
    Thanks! Have you stayed there?
- boe4fun
  
  Member
  December 15, 2022 at 2:55 pm
  This is the second time staying at a RIU resort, last year it was the RIU Santa Fe which has a great water park with about 7 slides. Our grand sons loved it, and we’d have gone back this year, but they were closed for renovations.
  
  I’m waiting for my kids to send some pics as me and my wife didn’t take any.
  - This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by boe4fun.
  - mikel
    
    Member
    December 16, 2022 at 10:51 am
    
    Thanks for the feedback. Do you believe it is overall cheaper than just paying for a hotel, food and entertainment separately or is the value in the simplicity of the package format?
    - boe4fun
      
      Member
      December 16, 2022 at 11:57 am
      
      I’d have to say it’s a real bargain, especially if you like to eat and drink booze. The bar in each room was stocked with tequila, rum, vodka, and (I think) gin, or maybe whiskey. The small fridge was stocked with Dos Equis (regular or Amber) and mixers for the booze every day. The palace has I think 4 themed restaurants along with rotating buffets. Food was pretty good. They prepared our fresh caught wahoo and dorado Thanksgiving evening, we had so much we shared some with 2 neighboring tables. Fish fingers, blackened Cajun style, a la plancha (grilled), fried in batter, and ceviche. Still had enough to bring home a collapsable ice chest with about 20 pounds of wahoo and dodo fillets!
      
      So I would highly recommend.
      - mikel
        
        Member
        December 16, 2022 at 4:47 pm
        
        Great info, we have been talking about this for awhile but never had any first hand feedback. Thanks for sharing!
enchirito

Member
January 6, 2023 at 9:11 am

My younger sister and brother-in-law stayed there in 2021 with a group of friends from their church. It was their first time trying the “all included” concept and they admitted to feeling surprised at how much they really liked their stay there – they are usually more of the remote camping / roughing it types.
cabodream

Member
January 12, 2023 at 3:00 pm

We have friends who love to stay there. They are both physicians in LA and mainly come down just to check out, lay in the sun and drink / eat all they want with as few questions as possible. They come down stressed out, have dinner with us the night before they leave and go back refreshed – it works for them.