This hotel is lovely, check in was quick and easy and after a 4 hour delay from Manchester this was a good start to our holiday at the Tequila, we were given our room key, towel cards and stickers with our room number on to put on our cases.

We made our way to our room and made use of the mini bar, which consisted of soft drinks, beer, water and 4 optics of Gin, Vodka, Rum and Tequila, our cases arrived very quickly and we unpacked, it was now nearly 9pm so we went for some dinner.

Our room was very nice with 2 very large comfy beds, lots of draw space and a large wardrobe, with an ironing board and iron and even an umbrella if needed. A TV and a table and 2 chairs near the patio door, with a further 2 chairs on the balcony. There is a safe in the wardrobe too for keeping your valuables in. The cleaning staff do a great job and our room was cleaned every day and we had a towel art left on the bed most days, we had elephants and allsorts.

The buffet restaurant was nice and the food was fantastic with lots of choice, we never struggled to find a table at breakfast, lunch or dinner. The speciality restaurants (Asian, Steak House and Mexican) can be booked outside the main restaurant at breakfast time for that evening. We always managed to get the one we wanted.

The pool area is very nice with the lunch time buffet restaurant (steak house in the evening) in the middle of the 2 pools, 1 has a swim up bar, but it always seems to be in the shade. Lots of sunbeds but never any free in the sun, these are taken (with towels on) very early in the morning, but not always in use until mid-morning, very annoying. After 3 days in the shade we decided to make use of the other Riu hotels we could use (Yucatan and Playacar), there is a little buggy that takes you to the Yucatan beach, or walk for about 10 minutes.

We much preferred the pool and beach area at the Playacar hotel, always managed to get a sun bed in the sun and the swim up bar is not in the shade. The Riu entertainment staff work very hard and there is lots to do during the day and the evening entertainment is good.

Lots of bars to choose from day and night, with the sports bar open 24 hours.

The little Coatis that roam around the hotel never bothered us one bit, and they are fun to watch.

There are lots of trips on offer with the Thomson reps or you can book them yourself with the guys in Playacar, 5 mins walk from the hotel, Playacar is a little shopping area, the people are nice and friendly, we visited Chichen Itza, swam in a Cenote (underground lake) and went swimming with the dolphins.

The staff are lovely and very pleasant, we had a great time.

We have just come back from this wonderful Hotel in Playa Del Carmen, absolutely wonderful hotel no worries here, food is fantastic with a number of very good eating venues, Asian, steak and Mexican plus a very good main restaurant.

There are 2 big pools and a number of other facilities can be used as the hotel chain have a number along the same coast line.

Couple of smaller things to list as ever, A number of people got ear infection from the pool and the animals that wonder the hotel grounds can be a nuisance around food consumed by the pool but that is because some people feed them and have made them that way.

Go and be worry free, you will have a great worry free time! Oh, another important thing is that all inclusive really is here with leading brands being used behind the bar so you can enjoy your tipple using branded quality products. All inclusive food is all food 24 hours including meals,Ice Cream,Popcorn,tortillas,sandwiches,fruit and much more.

This is our third visit in five years but our first since the refurbishment was done.

The food is still first class but the dining room is slightly smaller now (but you would not know)as the Asian restaurant has been added. The beach restaurant has improved to give even more choice (just like having a main meal all day long).

The entertainment is still non-stop whether it is on the beach, by the pool or in the evening at show time, plus the disco for the late nighters.

One thing that has not changed that could be improved on is the queue for the buggie ride to the beach. When it arrives there is stampede for the 7 seats on it so if you are in a queue forget it, it is only a five minute walk down a nice private walkway.

There is not much we can say about this hotel that we have not said before but if you want a spotlessly clean hotel that is very friendly and action packed then this is for you!

Third time to the Tequila and it keeps getting better. The recent refurbishment has gone down well, the tiled pools are much nicer than the old painted ones, the seperate toilet block and the extended restaurant are all add to making the holiday that little bit better. The food is still varied and i enjoyed each meal, lunch can be a little repetitive but there is still plenty to choose from. We ate in the steakhouse and the Asian and enjoyed both as a change from the main restaurant.

The rooms are good, dark wood furniture and 2 big beds cleaned everyday with little towel animals left each time. Four optics and a mini fridge which were topped up every other day (or when you asked if needed).

The ents were there all day everyday water games, beach games, and all the rest that you would want. Close enough to the beach a 5 min stroll or jump in the buggy. They have got pretty much everything you could need on site for a wicked holiday!

Upon arrival at the hotel hubby and I were very impressed. The entrance lobby was beautiful and very welcoming.
The hotel itself was immaculate and the gardens well tended.
The food was fantastic, best food options we have ever experienced. (well this was our first time in Mexico). From breakfast, lunch and evening dinner there were amples of variety for all taste buds.
Breakfast: any type of egg you wished for, cereals, bacon and sausages, lots of fresh fruit and the smoothies were gorgeous (especially the beetroot).
Lunch: again amples of variety, lovely salads, burgers and chips etc, pasta dishes and freshly made sandwiches.
Evening dinner: well dont know where to start? carvery every evening, mexican, salads and barbecues on the terrace.
Restaurants:
named Bamboo this was lovely, in the main it was sushi and chinese food.
Steak and grill, the food was superb here, wow steaks were gorgeous, rib eye, fillet etc. This was very difficult to get in at times but well worth getting up early in the morning to book it.
Mexican was ok, this was situated accross the road at the hotel Yucatan, the setting was nice as it overlooked the beach.
The location of the hotel was great, out of the Rui hotels the Tequila is the one not situated on the beach. It is however,only a 10 min stroll down the promenade at the side of the Yucatan hotel. Out of the Rui hotels our seemed to be the one that had the most going on, especially for teenagers due to the disco.
The staff were lovely and would go out of their way to please you, the bell boys were also friendly. Could not fault the staff at all and the gardeners and maids work extremely hard.
The entertainment staff were friendly, their days appeared very long. The shows of an evening were good, the ABBA and Michael Jackson shows were the best.
Would I go to this hotel again, yes in a few years time, but Mexico as alot more to offer.

My first impressions of the hotel from the moment we arrived were excellent. The hotel operates a very effecient system of recieving guests, the porters unload your luggage, all you have to do is drink your welcome cocktail while you are waiting for an envelope to be handed to you which contains your room keys, towel cards, hotel info and room number stickers which you stick to your suitcases, the staff show you to your room and your luggage follows very quickly.

The hotel room itself is by far the best I have ever stayed in, beautiful shower and toilet area, aircon, plus a ceiling fan, minibar, two large double beds, a balcony, TV with some decent channels, loads of space and storage, a free safe, iron and ironing board, an umbrella just in cast and all spotlessly clean.

The hotel is located behind Rui Yucatan which is the beach hotel, it is a lovely walk to the beach area where you can meet an abundance of wildlife including large iguana type creatures and friendly monkeys, or you can ride to the beach in the complimentary Club Car vehicle.

The staff at the hotel are absolutely superb, from the head chefs through to the cleaners and gardeners, all working hard while appearing immaculately dressed in their respective uniforms, all being happy, friendly and polite.

The food at the hotel is fresh with lots of choice, the selection does seem repetitive although there is a huge choice, what I mean is you see almost the same things everyday though there is enough to ensure you don't eat the same things too often.

Here is my first complaint, I hate to say it but the whole point of these reviews are to give potential visitors an idea of what to expect, by the time you have selected your various items of food and got back to your table, it is nearly always almost cold, I hate eating food which is not hot. Despite this the food is lovely and the main restaurant is very impressive.

Here is my second and main complaint, in my opinion the entertainment is rubbish. The entertainers themselves are all very talented, very nice people, who during the day are out and about doing all sorts of things, shooting, aerobics, volleyball etc, but it was the shows at night which were a let down. The ABBA Night was just a group of people miming and dancing, the Grease Night was the same people dressed up as the charecters from the film over exaggerating the roles and so it went on, some people enjoyed it although to me it was like watching a series of amateur school plays. With some guidance and a decent program of events the performances could be superb.
In contrast some of the staff were such good fun they provided natural entertainment, like the lads Donas, Jose and Isreal at the Yucatan pool/beach bar, I really enjoyed sitting there having a few drinks while enjoying their banter.

If I were to visit this region again I would definately go back to this hotel, although I would take a travel kettle, the hotel truly is 24 hours all inclusive, the minbar came in very handy, though if you wake during the night or in the morning fancying a cuppa youve got a job on your hands getting one, it involves getting dressed and going on a long walk.

Update on the Riu Tequila refurb.

We have just returned from our 3rd visit here. I have previously reviewed the hotel so this is just an update on the refurbishment.

Extras:-
New external toilet block around the pool area (they used to be inside the restaurant)
New Asian restaurant - Excellent food and service. You need to book as this is a speciality restaurant
Kids club area is now walled in instead of being open.

Refurbishments:-
Pools are now tiled instead of painted
Rooms all redecorated and new furniture
New seating in the Theatre area and restaurants

Overall, the refurbishments haven't made a great deal of difference to the holiday experience as it was a superb hotel before and it still is a superb hotel. It seems that, apart from the room redecoration, they have listened to peoples suggestions and fine tuned the resort.

Again, a superb holiday was had by all with no complaints

arrival at hotel was a breeze as the staff were waiting for you with cocktails and room keys, your luggage is taken to your room by a bellboy for you and you are shown to your room by a very friendly member of staff. i was impressed by the hotel straight away, after we sorted our selves out and walked around the hotel we made our way to the beach a five minute walk down a private covered walkway as i have never been to the caribbean before i was so impressed by the sea i burst into tears, much to the amusement of my family, it was stunning!
the food is absolutely great and anyone who says anything other than that must be very very hard to please!the entertainment day and night was brilliant, i havnt got words to describe how great my holiday was and i would like to thank all the entertainment team for a superb holiday(sergio,emilio and all the rest). anybody going on hliday should definately do some trips as they are all worth the money we did the dolphin swim(cried again!)went to xcarat which was a great day out and did captain hooks night ouy which is the best night out on holiday i have ever had, its a definate must!definately going back next year!

Check in was a breeze no messing about, had upper floor room which is better here as the ceilings are higher so it feels roomier. The large 2 pools are divided by a restaurant and only one side is used for games leaving the other side with the swim bar quieter. The 6 bars on site are all staffed by friendly bartenders and all serve excellent cocktails, most of the staff remember faces and drinks after a few visits, not bad considering the size of the hotel!

The food is good, breakfast has a great selection including made to order omlettes and very very nice hotcake/pancakes mmmmmmm. Lunch in the pool restaurant was goo too, if a little repetitive but not too mind there is still an xcellent selection. And Dinner was great, lots of variety even the OH who is VERY fussy found plenty to eat! Wasnt keen on Asian night on the Saturday though!

The Animacion time are fantastic from first thing in the day to last thing at night (hi pablo) there is always something to do or see, join in with something be it the dancing or shooting or shuffleboard. Night time shows varied in quality but all were still enjoyable but truth being i was ready for bed by 11!!

All the staff from the maids to maintainance always had a friendly Hola nothing was too much trouble.

Having been here before i new what to expect and wasnt dissappointed and now am looking forward to 2009!

We stayed for 2 weeks here on an A/I basis.

The rooms are basic and could do with some redecoration work,but they are extremely clean.

We found the food to be plentiful with a good choice for breakfast,lunch and dinner but it was way oversalted especially the meat.

We liked the location about a 5-10 min stroll to the beach a bit further to get to the better part.A 30 min walk took you into Playa Del Carmen and 5th avenue where there is an abundance of shops bars and restuarants,although we found them to be fairly expensive.

Entertainment was dissapointing for us anyway although they always had a good turnout for their evening shows and the staff did work very hard.Plenty going on during the day-volleyball,darts,table tennis water polo and much more.

The staff were the best part of the holiday always smiling and the bar staff are so fast and always smiling and they are never looking for tips unlike people outwith the resort.