Hotel Riu Santa Fe

Our trip was from Monday, June 20^th through Thursday, June 23^rd. In this review I will share our experiences at this hotel and clear up any of the negative reviews previously made about this hotel.
CHECK IN
The lobby was beautiful, clean and well organized. There are two restrooms to the left and right of the check in counters. There is a transportation staff member who will help get you the transportation you need. A one way shuttle ride to the airport is $ 70. A one way trip to the Marina for up to 4 people is $ 14. This is regulated by the Mexican government.
As we checked in, the receptionist assigned us our room in building 6. This building was a distance away from the party building #7. She gave us an envelop that contained the login info for the WIFI, a map of the hotel, the weeks activities and shows, keys to the room and pool towel cards. The entire check in was quick and easy.
ROOM
We entered our room. The room was clean. The restroom had sufficient towels, toiletries, and hand soap. There is a shampoo dispenser in the shower. We never were without towels or any toiletries. Everything was stocked whenever we need something. The safe was in the closet and we did not have any issues with theft of any kind. The room was nice and modern. Yes, the TV was the older boob-​tube style and not a flat screen. The room has a mini frig stocked with beer, soda, and water. All this is completely free. The AC worked perfectly and the room was cool all day and night.
We are a family of four and our bed sizes were full and not king or queen sized. We weren’t very comfortable because the lack of space. The beds were comfortable and we requested extra pillows with no issues at all.
POOLS
They are clean and warm. Several activities take place at the pools for the enjoyment of the guests. I loved the swim up bars in the pool. They can pretty much make any drink you can think of. The even can make virgin drinks for your minor children. The «party pool» near building 7 has a breath-​taking view of the ocean and the rock formations in the middle of the sea.
The NIGHTLY SHOWS
There is a different nightly show every night. There is much hype over the Michael Jackson Show. It really wasn’t all that great. The Monday night show «Superstars» was amazing and far better than the Michael Jackson show.
MEALS/​RESTAURANTS
I do have to agree with many of the reviewers that the food was not all that it was cracked up to be. The fancy restaurants have changed their rules. They no longer take reservations and its a first come first serve process. They are now easygoing with the dress code. I saw people wearing sandals, slippers, shorts, and various types of shirts.
Breakfast
In the main square near the lobby are most of the restaurants. For a great and plentiful breakfast eat at the Baja California Buffet. Do NOT eat lunch or dinner at this place. I don’t know why, but the breakfast is far better than lunch and dinner. The lunches and dinners here contain uncovered food with many flies. Some of the food is under cooked or over cooked. The selection would not be acceptable to many young children with families.
Lunch
Next to the «quiet pool» is a restaurant called the The Mission. Eat lunch here. The selection is much better, and the food is cooked fine. It is properly covered from flies. We ate lunch here during the duration of our trip.
Dinner
Pick any one of the fancy restaurants to eat dinner. The 2^nd night we did the Japanese restaurant and the 3^rd night we did the Italian restaurant. The food in these restaurants is top quality. You wont be disappointed.
RESTROOMS
There are several restrooms in the lobby and one in every restaurant. They are all clean and well stocked.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
We had absolutely no issues with poor customer service from anyone. They were happy to help us and they smiled and interacted with us as if we were VIP members.
IN CONCLUSION
All in all we enjoyed our time here. We were treated well above what is required. Other than the food, I think this place is great. The entire family enjoyed the whole experience. We definitely will be back in the near future. Great price… great service… great experience.

Nice pool hotel for all-inclusive.food wasn’t great they recycle the food all day at the buffet. drinks low on alcohol. Some staff at check was rude. if u want real food get out of resort to find good stuff. Mexican food that suppose to taste like one doesn’t in the resort. 2 stars cause house keepers were good. Number they have for u to call if u need anything doesn’t work no one answer it.

Beautiful views, a beautiful hotel. Eat at La Mision! The chefs there are always making delicious food that is fresh.

If you are thinking of visiting cabo San Lucas and want to have the time of your life and be stress free this is not the place for you
By far the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at. Where to begin, for one the so called front desk manager Daniel lacks basic customer service skills. I witnessed him being rude to one of the guests when checking in not knowing that I would be in that guests shoes 4 days later. Excuse me Riu Santa Fe but your «manager» should never tell guests to get out now or pay a fee upon checking out. We were given false information on what time we had to check out so no, I will not pay your ridiculous fee because of your staffs negligence.
Secondly, we called multiple times to ask for someone to check the fridge in the room because the sodas and water was hot and no one ever showed up. We must’ve called 10 times. Always got the run around.
The one star is solely for the nice people working at the buffet and restaurants.
Please please avoid this place at all costs and if you decide to still come here, good luck to you because you’re going to need it.

**Theft, Theft & More Theft** I wish I had seen these reviews before the vacation was booked, but as for many… It was too late. Our Iphone 6 was left in the room for a 2 hour window, which in that time it had been stolen by Hotel Staff. They give you a constant run-​around routine that they have perfected over the years of theft. Don’t even waste your time dealing with the Hotel staff, management and public relations manager as it is assumed they are involved in some form.
There was two other groups that were reporting theft at the same time as us, which appears to be the regular. Reading the reviews by others all over the internet was like re-​living the horror/​experience that happened to our group. Once they steal from you, there is basically nothing you can do. Our group witnessed another group that was getting «loud» towards the hotel staff, while reporting theft. They were walked to the main gates, which I assume they were also kicked out of the resort. Much like you read about in other peoples reviews.
When we told management that we did not feel safe at their resort. They reiterated that nothing would happen to us as a person… I assume this means that your belongings may be stolen, but they won’t hurt or abduct you (which i guess is comforting).
If you are going to stay here. keep your important belongings on you at all times… You have been warned!

The hotel is nice, way too big. If you get stuck in building 1 you are too far away from the beach, if you’re in building 7 you’re too far away from the night life. The food is something to be discussed. I’ve stayed at all inclusives before and this is BY FAR the worst food I have ever had. This is the reason I am writing this review. It was so bad it made me use my data to tell you how awful it was. It was hard to find anything I liked. If your have a sweet tooth, forget it, my family and I have yet to find a dessert we enjoyed in the slightest bit. I honestly would never come back here.

The only reason Riu has 1 star instead of 0 is their great view of the ocean and pool set up. Everything else during our stay was awful. I say it is 100% worth staying somewhere else and paying more $$.
Pros: pool, views, some nice staff (at the restaurants)
Cons: awful food, alcohol was bad and watered down, rooms were clean but severely outdated, front desk staff wasn’t helpful at all but rather rude, transportation situation was awful– they don’t offer anything besides their 1 way $ 70 taxi to the airport
I could go on and on. All I can say is I’ve been to cabo 5+ times. Don’t stay here

So far so good !!! I don’t know why all the one star reviews. Yes, the food sucks but if you only come on vacation for food you have problems. For me I wanted a nice getaway from life and I’m having a great time. Everyone is so friendly, it’s clean, the drinks are great, music is pumping, room is spotless and I am learning so much Spanish from watching Spanish soap operas on my ancient tv lollllll. At least I know I won’t be gaining any weight being on vacation since I am living off of bread and butter. But seriously it’s my second trip with Riu resorts and it’s been a great adventure.
Also the beach is beautiful just be prepared that you cannot go in the water at all because of the high tides.
FYI bring your own liquor !!! I brought a big bottle of grey goose because IM SMART! The vodka tastes like gasoline and I have seen many nasty hangovers in the morning from other people. Do not tell people you brought your own or else it will finish quicker. Sharing is not caring in Cabo !!!

We did it got married 5.14.16 in Carson Ca and decided to come here for our honeymoon… having a blast… great hotel… bed is not as comfy… shower is AMAZING… view was great… something to do every day… love love the free drinks and food… lol

I Dont Recommend for anyone to stay at this place if you dont mind:
* people stealing your money, phone, driver license or etc
* having on bland diet all the time
* poor management
I gave 1 star just because of the nice infinity pool and for the few smiley staff.

Best part of it was that i was there with my friends at family. So they are the ones that made it fun.
Pool:
Probably the best part of all it. Really clean. Lost of places to sit around the pool.
There is no service at the pool, which if i worked there i would love to do so i could get tips
NO MUSIC at the pool. If it wasnt for these one dudes that brought there own speakers it would have been silent.
Bartenders:
Pretty Depressing. Low Energy.
Drinks:
Dos XX beer amber and lager always on tap
Cheap liquor… you get what you pay for
WiFi:
NO WIFI in the rooms. Only in the lobby
Buffet:
Cold food, Shady looking meat paddies
Hard to find the clean plates, forks, knives, napkins.
Lost of birds eating off the floor
ICE where the hell was the ICE for my drink
Management:
Lost keys for towels and room keys will cost you
Very minimal staffing. You will not see many people to help out.
No shuttles.
Shuttles to the airport are going cost you about $ 75
Super thin walls you can hear everything… EVERYTHING
Not all restaurants are open all the time. The good ones are by reservation only and they book fast.
They do not accept American Express. And not too many places in down did either. So plan ahead.

If you’re looking for a get away trip with a large group this is a great place! I would not recommend this hotel for a romantic get away trip with your spouse though. The drinks here are great! Especially the margaritas. They are strong for being an all inclusive resort. You would expect places like this to lighten the liquor amount, but they do not do this here.
The room — we stayed in a garden view room and it was everything we needed. They have 4 liquor options and mixers in the fridge. They also give you large bottles of water. They restock the fridge daily when cleaning your room. The beds were full size which being an American was not as comfortable to share with a friend as a queen, but we survived!
The food — our group could never manage to plan ahead in time enough to book a reservation at one of the sit down restaurants they offer so we ate all of our meals at the buffet. I don’t recommend eating every meal at the buffet. We were so sick of the food by the second night. They mass produce the food and it doesn’t taste very well. They try to Americanize the food as well to cater to their guests. If I was only rating the resort on its food it would get 2 stars. Their breakfast was the only good food in my opinion. That’s not to say the same for the other restaurants though since we never had a chance to eat there. The all inclusive drinks managed to distract us from reserving in time. I’d recommend making your reservation the night before or early in the morning.
The staff — everyone in the resort was very friendly and helpful. They were willing to give you any type of local tips. All of the servers and employees at the lobby spoke English well so you don’t have to worry about needing to speak Spanish to communicate.
Overall, our groups of 7 girls enjoyed our stay at this resort and would be willing to stay here again if ever in Cabo. However, I would not stay here with my husband. It’s not romantic and definitely not kid friendly.

The pros:
1. Beautiful pools, beach and views of the arch
2. Lots of lounge chairs at the pool with lots of space.
3. Breakfast buffet is great –lots of fresh fruit and juice, omelette bar, etc
The cons, or the reasons why you shouldn’t stay here:
1. The room. Terrible. One of the worst beds I’ve slept in in a hotel. Plastic cover underneath the sheet, two rinky-​dink twins pushed together, and minimal blankets. Shower is broken. Towels smell like vinegar and coarse to the point that they scratch your skin.
2. The food. Dear god the food is so bad for lunch and dinner. I mean, yes it’s all inclusive. But my goodness the quality of the food is so bad. Ended up going into town for most meals.
3. The alcohol is so low quality it’s not drinkable for anyone that actually likes to taste what they are drinking.
4. Loud. Paper thin walls and tons of construction starting at 7 am.
5. The gym. Great, there’s a gym. Downside: the equipment is nearly falling apart and the hours are kind of frustrating (7a-​8pm).
6. Taxis are $ 14 each way to get into town. Bummer.
I’d opt for another place in the future.

My stay here was great! I came for a girls trip with 3 friends for a bachelorette party last week (March 2016) for 3 nights and we all had such a blast! First of all the ride from the airport wasn’t too bad, I would say it took about 40 minutes, not an hour like I was expecting, and we brought drinks with us for the ride. Check in was easy, we got a welcome drink at the hotel and then 2 of us went to make dinner reservations while the other 2 girls went with our luggage that was brought to our rooms. The dinner reservation situation was not great, the woman was not friendly at all and not very helpful, we knew we might have a hard time getting in to the restaurants we wanted but we weren’t too worried about it either way. So we couldn’t get in anywhere for the first night but we did get reservations for the second and third nights at the Mexican and Steak restaurants, both at 9pm. Unfortunately we never ended up making either of our dinner reservations because we spent both of the next days drinking at the pool and were hungry by the end of the day so we had to eat after that at the buffet at like 6pm. Anyway, our rooms were honestly much better than I was expecting. The only super weird thing was that the beds were pushed together in the middle of the room… what? But we had adjoining rooms which was perfect for our party of 4, and they were totally clean, had balconies, the beds were completely comfortable, and there were mini fridges with beer, water, and soda, and 4 weird bottles of liquor lol. The major disappointment was that there were no snacks in the room AT ALL. This ended up being a problem for us because they don’t have any 24 hour buffets, NO ROOM SERVICE and not even a store on site to purchase snacks! I’ve never been to an all-​inclusive that didn’t have 24 hour room service or at least stock the room with plenty of snacks, so this was the reason I took a big fat star away, for not being able to eat at any time. The «Sport Bar» did have food 24 hours but it was literally the worst food ever and I am so NOT a picky eater. Options there were the most watered down cheez wiz with salty chips, awful refrigerated burgers, hot dogs, and the strangest thing that I can only describe as cole slaw sandwiches! Anyway, back to the good stuff. So after getting settled we were hungry so decided to go to the buffet, luckily we didn’t have to wait long because it opens at 6 (again so strange that you can’t eat at any time), but the food was ok. There were a lot of options, unfortunately for me though no sushi, which is my favorite and what I was totally hoping for. The standout for me at the Riu buffets was for sure their homemade guacamole, I ate it for pretty much every meal at the buffet because it is one of the best guacs I have ever had. Other than that the buffet food was just ok, not great but not bad either. So the first night we went to the club on the resort called Pacha and we had a blast! Drank A LOT and danced and mingled. The rainbow shots are really cool-​looking, but after the first night our motto was «no mas rainbow» because they are literally made from like grenadine, peach schnapps, and blue curacao, yuck. We’re all bartenders though so I guess we can be snobby in that way lol. I actually didn’t feel horrible the next day so I got up and went to the gym which was really close to our building, we were in building 4. The gym was nice looking but the equipment could use some updating. There were 2 ellipticals and one didn’t work at all so I used the other one but that one didn’t change resistance so it wasn’t the best workout, but at least I got up and moving. So the second and third days of our trip we hung out at the «party pool» which was so much fun and perhaps the highlight of the trip for me. We met some really cool people and made friends and actually ended up going out with our new friends the second night downtown Cabo to the «club» El Squid Roe which was the best time ever! You should definitely have a table (which we did) because it gets super crowded, but it was so much fun and we were out til like I don’t know 4 or 5am. The last night we went back to Pacha but we were all so beat from drinking all day and night for 3 days straight that we only stayed out like an hour or 2 and then got some rest for our flights the next morning. All in all I really enjoyed this trip and would definitely come back to the Riu Santa Fe. But I think would like to stay a few more days so I could have some time to relax as well and not just party the whole time, maybe lol.

Like some of the reviewers here, I also stayed at the Palace and ventured over to the Santa Fe. Our wristband was good at both resorts, but the Santa Fe was not at the Palace. We walked from the sand and first thing we noticed was there are more vendors by the beach selling their services/​crafts. Upon entering, we noticed it’s actually considering smaller than that of the Riu Palace, about ½. The views of the ocean are more limited. The only good thing I saw was the buffet area was conveniently close to the pool.
I didn’t stay here because I read all the reviews about loud drunk people. I didn’t see any of experience any of that but my brother in law did get heckled by one of the activity people for having a gold wristband. I did see a whole bunch of families here as well, so this place is not just limited to party goers.

Me hospede 4 dias en el Santa Fe y es increible, el ambiente de jovenes de todas partes del mundo se siente aun mas cuando vas al antro que hay adentro que se llama Pacha, fui en año nuevo y montaron una variedad de espectaculos increibles en el teatro que hasta sentias una especie de sensacion como si estuvieras en Coco Bongo, todo perfecto solo que la seccion de la playa es un poco estrecha a lo que te ofrece el otro Riu que se llama Palace. Pero lo recomiendo para unas vacaciones juveniles y llenas de emocion

I actually stayed at the Palace but I was able to come to the Santa fe also. I’m glad I stayed at the Palace because just about anywhere you go there is an ocean view. The Santa fe was alright but it sits behind the Palace so there’s no full ocean view from the resort. There is a pool that is right on the beach like the Palace but the Santa fe only has a small section on the beach.
The feel of the Santa fe seems like an apartment complex versus a resort. It also seemed like a Spanish mission which is cool if that’s what you’re looking for. They do have several souvenir shops unlike the Palace which only had one that I saw. I also thought it was strange that if you stayed at the Santa fe you weren’t allowed to go to the Palace. If you stayed at the Palace you could go to the Santa fe.
The Santa fe is nice but I would stay at the Palace again. The Santa fe seemed to have a young rowdy crowd so keep that in mind.

Ventured to this all-​inclusive in April of this year — so long ago!
This was my first experience outside of Puerto Vallarta, which I’ve been to about a half-​dozen times, so I knew I was in for something different. It wasn’t as bad as Cancun, but…
It didn’t take long to make an impression. Before we’d even stepped off the bus at the resort we saw a guy pissing himself. That was pretty special (!!!) and I’m thankful that our experience improved from that point on.
The check-​in process was pretty easy, and there was a nice welcome drink awaiting us. We had booked with Transat through Itravel2000 I believe — and did not have any hiccups. As per usual the day after you arrive there is a group meeting to discuss the essentials — where and when to swim, how to walk/​bus into town, food/​water safety and of course their add-​on excursions.
Compared to the other resorts we’ve visited in Vallarta, this one was massive. Six or seven huge blocks of rooms and quite some space in between. We were in a quieter block closer to the main pools and lobby area which meant that our walk to the beach was about four or five long blocks. Ditto for the nicer pools which offered a view of the ocean and had swim-​up bars.
Speaking of the swim-​up bars with the ocean view, we did not get a good chance to experience them. On almost every occasion that we walked by, even mid-​morning, it was full of drunken college students and adults that should know better. So much so that even a block away we could smell the booze wafting up from the pool. Safe to say we kept our distance from that area, and can only imagine the sort of interrupted sleep that people staying in the blocks of rooms surrounding them had.
Drinks at the bars were given out in plastic cups, which was fine by me. Were they the best quality alcohol? No. Lots of ice, lots of sugary mixes, but at the end of the day they tasted good and the bartenders — most of them anyway — were eager to please. It never hurts to smile, strike up a conversation and tip. So many people are thankless!
Most of our meals were at the buffet. For breakfast they had a pretty good selection of fruits, eggs presented several different ways, smoothies, donuts and other pastries, bread, cereals and some veggies. I enjoyed most of what was on offer for breakfast, though there was too much sugary stuff for someone like me who can’t say no!
In order to reserve a time for the specialty restaurants, you had to wake up quite early to go make a booking. Transat allowed us to make a few bookings through a hotel representative earlier which we appreciated. The specialty restaurants themselves were a bit hit or miss. I liked the sushi restaurant for their assortment and presentation. The steakhouse was a big letdown — food and service-​wise, and we were seated next to a rowdy wedding party which kept it too noisy for my liking. The Santa Fe has a Mariachi band that goes from one restaurant and buffet to the next, and we really enjoyed their renditions of some of the Gypsy Kings’ hits. Well worth the tips.
They keep the resort in tip-​top shape. If there was litter left it was never there for long, and they were constantly watering the grounds and cleaning up. Table-​side service for coffee, tea and other drinks and plate clearing was usually timely and accompanied by friendly service. We made a point to leave tips when the service was good, and would recommend doing the same. We also left a few dollars each day for housekeeping who also do a tremendous job. They come at different times of the day so don’t expect it to be consistent through your stay. Some bartenders were a bit more welcoming than others, though I can’t blame them as they tended to get overwhelmed.
Our room was quite spacious and comfortable. We had a mini-​bar stocked with soda and beer and our own in-​room liquor dispenser with two kinds of rum, vodka and tequila. The air conditioning kept us cool during the heat of the day and overnight. TV was about average — they had some sports channels which kept me occupied.
We stopped by the sports bar a few times but were less than impressed. Although they have a lot of TVs, they are small in size. The snack food area has hamburgers, nachos etc that don’t look very appealing. Bar area is a good option when quiet, but filled up for NFL/​college football games. Ambiance is a bit lacking I found.
I can’t really blame the resort for their guests. We were grateful that for the most part they stayed in their area and we stayed in ours. For the most part, people were pretty well behaved in the common areas outside of what I’ve noted above. The buffets filled up quickly, and lineups could test your patience, but if you picked your moments you’d be just fine.
We ventured across the way to the Riu Palace to see what we were missing. Definitely swankier. Higher class of guests? Perhaps. I’d venture to say they’re probably paying double or close to it to the Sante Fe.

All inclusive 5-​star resort. This resort has about 5 pools (3 infinity). Pools for the kiddos, and pools for the adult entertainment. The pools by the beach front had a cook every afternoon, cooking burgers, hot dogs and tacos. It also has its own private beach where you can play beach volleyball. The resort also has a theater that has nightly shows and dancing, A sports bar that is open 24 hours with T.V.‘s, table games and snacks. The best part is the open bar each room has to offer. They have a fridge with beer, sodas and water. Then a table top with Vodka, Tequila and Rum.
Those are the PRO’s of the resort, now for the CON’s:
No elevators
Towels that felt like sandpaper
Hard bed
Sucky pillows
No wifi (except the lobby & the signal sucked)
The daily buffet was okay. They had about 3 different restaurants offering the same things: eggs, bacon, omelet’s, chilaquiles, beans, cereal, toast & donuts. For drinks they had coffee, orange juice, beer on tap and smoothies. For dinner I would HIGHLY recommend making reservations the minute you arrive as their on-​site restaurants fill-​up very quickly! We were not able to partake at their steakhouse or Asian fusion restaurants, as they were full for the remaining days of the week we were there.
If you are trying to decide between the RIU Santa Fe or RIU Palace (next door), here is a word of advise. For the young crowd (party crowd) I would select the Santa Fe. The pools are full of music and great ambiance all day. If you are part of the «older crowd» or just want to relax with the sound of the ocean waves, «The Palace» is for you. Younger crowds were constantly trying to jump over the fence to the «Santa Fe» in order to partake in the festivities. They were quickly turned around.
P. S. The hotel offers all the off-​site activities (snorkeling, sunset tours, horse back riding, etc.) in the theater. No need to buy it at the airport, or from some of the Mexicans on the beach.

Oh what to say… My stay here for 4^th
Of July weekend was ok. I was so excited to stay at an all inclusive resort but I wish my first all inclusive experience was better.
My first impression of this resort was that it was so big!!! The lobby is humongous! Theres a mini bar right in front of the lobby where you can get unlimited margaritas, shots, tequila sunsets and juice. The sports bar is open 24 hours and there’s snacks in there for the late night munchers. The sucky part about the lobby is that it’s quite a walk to the rooms.
The food at the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner was basically same sh*t, different day. Everything seemed like they sprinkle loads of salt on. Honestly, the best part of the buffets are the fruits and the fresh juice they have for breakfast in the morning. I honestly thought that there would be 24 hour room service but there’s no such thing.
Trying to contact the front desk is ridiculous. It takes them literally 10 years to pick up the phone. In the front lobby, there are men who caters to your transportation needs. It literally takes them no more then 5 minutes to get a taxi there right away.
Riu has complimentary wifi in their lobby but requires username and password which is provided when you check in. Don’t get too excited because their internet connection sucks!!! If you have T-​Mobile, good luck with your service in Mexico. FYI, T-​Mobile internet works spectacular in the mornings!
The best part about this resort is their pools and the beach!!! The beach is about a 5 minute or less walk from the lobby (depending how fast or slow you walk lol). Don’t forget your towel cards or else no towel for you. The beach is so beautiful!!! The soft sand, blue waters and the heat is all I need. I would love for my feet to touch the ocean but the waves are so hectic there! Horse back riding and jet skiing is also available for purchase. There’s also people on the beach who sells cool souvenirs. But be careful! Don’t let them get you for all your pesos!
Housekeeping was a hit or miss! My girls and I were in the room while housekeeping was starting to clean so we decided to tip her before she finished and I think that was a mistake. I think she got too excited because she barely cleaned! She didn’t refill toilet paper or changed the sheets. Also, housekeeping stole my friends baby only swaddle! Don’t know if she stole it or accidentally threw it away. Who knows. A BIG BIG CON was that my friend forgot her iPhone on the bed and she didn’t realize it until we were on the plane. Her iPhone was in a wallet case which includes her picture identification and credit cards. She emailed riu and tried to contact them but no response still until this day.
I honestly wouldn’t take a visit at this resort ever again. 2 stars for the pools and beach. That’s all.

A wonderful time was had by all during our week long vacation in Cabo.
Hotel Riu Santa Fe is the All-​Inclusive and slightly more affordable option next to its gigantic sister hotel, the Riu Palace Hotel. This place is «Santa Fe» to it’s core from it’s adobe themed buildings to to the desert themed landscape interior which was clean and always well landscaped. Despite that theme, there are some aspects that remain very old school for a hotel/​resort complex that is supposed to be modern.
Among the drawbacks, from still using actual keys to the lack of a strong WiFi signal throughout the complex. Riu Santa Fe could sure use some sprucing up if they want to succeed into the next decade. The rooms are okay, nothing that luxurious, the bathrooms are updated with marble finishes (with an unbelievably high bathtub making it hard to get into). This being a All-​Inclusive Hotel, the minibar was stocked with all you drink sodas, water, and beer. And above that, there was all you can drink tequila and whiskey, and they were refilled every two days! Also, if you have cash it better be in pesos or your cleared credit card, as a «newish» Mexican law forbids currency exchanges located in hotel lobbies.
All in all our family of four did enjoy ourselves thanks to all of the amenities that Riu Santa Fe offers. From all-​you-​can eat buffets, to all-​you-​can drink liquor and sodas to theme restaurants It actually helps that they have five restaurants to chose from when dining from Asian to Italian to Mexican to a Steak House to the full service all you can eat buffet you can have your pick. And many of those places have all you eat appetizers and desserts (except for Mexican which has a pre-​fix appetizers and soup they automatically serve you, which was the best thing about the meal!).
But when dining at Hotel Riu Santa Fe, I have two caveats: if you want to eat dinner at the themed restaurants you have to get reservations in the hotel lobby ASAP because they fill up fast! We were told the were all filled up for Italian and the Steak House, but we could try to get a late entry into one of those places, which one evening which we did, but who needs that kind of stress when on vacation?
Also be careful certain restaurants are open at certain times. For example, the La Baja California Restaurant is best for breakfast and dinner buffet only, and closed the rest of the day. The best lunch we had was at the Mexican food themed La Mision, but be forewarned one day it was great with tostadas, a quesadilla bar, and a very random teppanyaki bar. The next day we went back and there was only a quesadilla bar. Like I said random. We also enjoyed the dinner at the Asian themed Zashila which has average all you can eat appetizers but a much better dinner menu to chose from.
We stayed in the beach side part of the hotel known as «Building Number 7.» That was the best place to stay, as it was close to the beach and the infinity pool and two swim up bars. Speaking of which although the place is geared towards families, the energy in those areas is clearly for singles. There are no warm jacuzzis on site, just colder ones that everyone gets to use. But the pool does seem to get heated (Or is that just the weather or all of the bodies in the pool?)
We still had a great time at the Hotel Riu Santa Fe. The staff was amazing, very friendly and the activities crew was also entertaining. The place although far from perfect, was affordable and made our stay in Cabo all the more enjoyable. The only times we left the property were by a shuttle for our fun excursions, which thanks to the people who were allowed to hang out in the stage area in the daytime, were booked right at the Riu Santa Fe! We felt safe and welcomed every time we returned each day. Just in time for some fun action at the pool and secluded beach. For the right price, I definitely would consider staying at the Riu Santa Fe again!