Home Sweet Hotel: The Riu Palace
I took four years of Spanish in high school, and I mostly came away with “Viva Mexico,” “caliente,” and “tequila,” so I was clearly prepared for a weekend in Cabo when February weather was getting to me. Riu Hotels welcomed myself and two gal pals, Mallory and Lizz, for six days in the sun. It was one of those trips that I packed two books to read while we lounged on the beach, but all three of us were so focused on relaxing that I never even touched a cover.
The Riu in Cabo is divided in two: the Riu Palace and the Riu Santa Fe. Although we were out well before spring breakers showed up, we could tell the vibes at our home, the Palace, were quite a bit calmer than the Santa Fe. The entire campus is tastefully decorated and beautifully kept. I’d never seen a place with so many open-air hallways, and it made me want to live in a climate where such a notion is possible. Even though they’re continents and cultures literally on the other side of the world, I couldn’t help that I was strolling the halls of Pemberley with the high ceilings and grand staircases around me. Maybe more like Mr. Darcy’s vacation home in Aruba or the British Virgin Islands.
Still, we could tell the Palace was a popular place from the time I posted my first photo from the property on Instagram. Tens of people commented right away with nothing but positive things to say, so we knew we were in for a good time.
We were placed in a beautiful corner suite facing the ocean, which wasn’t a bad view when we woke up with the sun each morning. There’s nothing I love more about being on vacation than not having to set an alarm. The only thing here is lack of privacy. The bathroom is wide open next to the bedroom, so unless you’re using it as a honeymoon suite, don’t forget to announce your shower plans to your roommates!
The dining situation is super flexible, much like any other all-inclusive you’ll run into, with snacks available all hours of the day (have you ever dipped French fries in guacamole? A pile of bliss), divine mimosa brunches you can eat on the sun-soaked patio, and much better coffee than they serve in Cancun. My only complaint was that they didn’t serve goat cheese at every meal.
The entertainment staff was hilarious and always on point with their timing and teasing. As a big show tunes fan, my favorite performance was Broadway night, where they showcased a few numbers from the musical Chicago and it was practically like I was watching Richard Gere give us the ol’ razzle-dazzle in the flesh.
This was my first tropical vacation after the cruise I took in January, which I was missing fiercely, but luckily for me, there were even a couple of days that a Princess cruise ship was anchored in the Cabo San Lucas harbor. But after a few days of exploring, sunbathing, pool dipping and mango daiquiri sipping, I had just about forgotten all about it. The Riu Palace is just one of those places you can’t help showering praise on, recommending to all of your friends and family, and be planning a return trip to before you’ve even left.
Thank you to Riu Hotels for hosting us!