The Hotel Riu Palace Baja California is located in front of the heavenly El Medano beach, on the south of the Baja California peninsula. This adults-only hotel in Cabo San Lucas offers an All-Inclusive 24-hour service, free Wi-Fi, an extensive culinary selection and the best relaxation and entertainment options for you to enjoy an unforgettable holiday at RIU Hotels & Resorts.

Property information

Year built: 2018
Total rooms and suites: 602

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Resort details

Amenities

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Activities

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Hotel advisories

Advisory Student Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.
Advisory Please be informed that, as of November 13th, 2023, the "Taj Mahal" Indian restaurant at Riu Palace Baja California will no longer be available.
Advisory The state of Baja California Sur will be charging a sanitation tax of a minimum $38.00 Mexican Pesos (approx. $3.00 USD), per room per night. This amount is not included in your vacation price and will be collected at your hotel. This fee is subject to change at any time without notice by the hotel.

General policies & fine print

Check in: 3:00 PM
Check out: 11:00 AM
Minimum check-in age: 18
General policies:

Check-in Policy - Deposits or credit/debit card hold authorizations are not requested at check-in. "Minimum age of 18 is required for check-in, an ID/Passport will be requested upon arrival.

Convention Policy : Groups traveling together can book this property for their stay taking advantage of group benefits such as 6th or 11th complimentary guest, Group dinner reservation, One complimentary cocktail hour with a selection of appetizers, One complimentary massage for the group leader, Complimentary room upgrades to the next category, Fruit plate and bottle of wine for the VIP, Private check-in when arriving together,  Welcome sign. Applicable with Wedding Collections and Social Packages. Consult terms & conditions.

Spring Break Policy - Student / Spring Breaker Groups (21 years of age or older) will be accepted ONLY at Riu Santa Fe hotel.  

Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.

General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price. Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.

Early departure policy:
  • Early departure penalty: 1 night Applies: Sunday - Saturday 04Jul24 - 23Dec26
  • Early departure penalty: 2 nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec24 - 30Apr25
  • Early departure penalty: 2 nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec25 - 30Apr26

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_4.0 2347 reviews
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Great Adult Vacation Spot

    This was our second time staying at Riu Baja California and most likely will be the only place we stay when we visit Cabo. From the moment we arrived the stay was so amazing and friendly. We were welcomed with a wonderful welcome drink as we checked in. The staff member checking us is was the cutest and was very accommodating with our requests. The entire resort was spotless, every time we turned around there was a staff member scrubbing down something, whether it was the chairs and tables, the stairs or the pool, there was always someone making sure the resort was clean. The rooms were spacious and clean. The housekeeping staff were so friendly. The food at the buffet was so amazing that we did not even try any of the specialty restaurants. We had Aldo as our server at the buffet area both times we stayed and highly recommend him! He was so amazing, always had a table ready for us and was so attentive. The pool parties at Riu Santa Fe were so fun, the music was a little hit or miss but all in all a great time. The resort is in a great location that is close enough to the marina should you want to go into town but far enough away that you are not right in the middle of the chaos. I have recommended this resort to my friends and family over and over again. Can't wait to go back next year.

    Nov 19, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Amazing customer service!

    The customer service was phenomenal. Everyone was so welcoming, kind and inviting. The food was incredible and my husband and I have no complaints. We came for our honeymoon and left so refreshed. We didn't want to leave!

    Nov 18, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    First Time, But Not The Last…

    This was my first time in Cabo and first time at a RIU property. My experience was overwhelmingly positive and I would highly recommend!

    Nov 18, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Low class, nothing luxurious, poor quality..

    Expect to pay 1500mxn pesos ( 75USD) Uber to the hotel. At check in you are given 2 key cards if you loose one you have to pay for a replacement. 1 card = 1 beach towel- no more. No wash clothes in the rooms, no room attendant to help carry your luggage to the rooms, one key card has to be inserted into a key slot in order for the lights and switches to work. Can’t charge your devices at night unless you leave a card in the card slot by the entry door. No dinner reservations are allowed - first come , first served. Your wait times for a la cart restaurants are 30 to 45 mins. Multiple pools but be prepared for very loud thumping music and falling down drunks. No airport shuttle to the airport from the hotel. Ubers are not allowed to pick you up from the hotel, you have to walk down a hill to the end of drive at the security gate to catch an Uber. They have taxi service to the airport but be prepared to pay over 100.00 USD. When asked at the check in desk about transportation to the hotel you get told you should have made your own transportation arrangements 7 days in advance. Employees were not the friendliest and lack customer service. Food is mediocre at best. A very low class clientele.

    Nov 17, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    High End RIU Property

    Check in: We were at the hotel about 11:15 am and were able to check in even though check in was technically at 3:00 pm and our room was not ready. No big deal, we received our wrist bands, changed into swimsuits and stowed our luggage with the bell captain and were at the pools by noon. Yes, we found lounge chairs (see more below). We were told we would receive an email when our room was ready which happened early at 1:30. Awesome start to the vacation and gave us the travel day as a bonus vacation day. Pools: There are two infinity pools and two swim up bar pools. The water temperature is generally nice although the first swim up bar pool we used on day one was just slightly chilly and then became too warm 3 days later. The pools get a lot of use because overall they are at temperatures that make people want to get in. There are plenty of lounge chairs around the pool deck and for every two chairs most have a table and an umbrella. At other RIU’s we have stayed at over the years they didn’t have many tables out which caused a lot of stealing between guests. Not all RIU’s have a good amount of umbrella’s At this resort If an umbrella has an issue there is a worker quick on site to fix or replace. I have read reviews elsewhere saying one had to get a lounger between 6:30-7:00. This is only true if you have a specific area you want to sit. During my stay (Nov 5-15), the time that most of the poolside loungers were taken varied. I went out about 7:45 on one day I couldn’t get one poolside and settled for one in the second row away from the pool but all the others days there were loungers available at 7:45. There are also areas away from the pools that always had lounge chairs available. Beach: There is an area roped off that appears be either owned or leased for exclusive use by the RIU and there are a good amount of lounge chairs that go unused. The problem is all the beach vendors. They set up at the rope barrier but constantly cross over and walk along the wall yelling up to guests in the infinity pools peddling their wares. Security: We saw a guy sit down in front of us one day and rifle thru two purses. He was wearing blue shorts and a white shirt similar to a style a couple entertainment people wear and he did have a gold resort wrist band. He was not either of the guys with the two ladies that were sitting there all day so we reported it to security who was standing close by. Security’s initial response was we should file a report to which we said that was what we were doing since he is security. He did appear to radio someone but didn’t move to go do anything and we were on our way to our room so never saw what, if anything, became of it. Restaurants: They don’t really administer a dress code but most guests were decently dressed. Unlike our early stays at RIU’s which required reservations, this resort was first come first serve. The food was very good and the portions large. Krystal is highly recommended. Bars: This RIU doesn’t have a 24 hour sports bar. They do list Lounge 24 as a bar but all I saw inside were some bottles of wine and the liquor dispenser with the same liquors found in guest rooms. Might as well claim every guest room is a bar. I saw a couple of signs on the property pointing to both Lounge 24 and an alleged sports bar but there is not the latter. One has to walk over to The RIU Sante Fe for their sports bar. Entertainment: Something seems to have changed in recent years, maybe with Covid. The evening entertainment was hit or miss. The best entertainment for me was the karaoke. The audience was large and engaged in the songs being performed. The problem… it only lasted 47 minutes and was followed by 3-4 music videos to fill the gap until the next show. All of the Kahoot nights had the same quiz items. Day time activities by the entertainment staff are low key compared to what I’ve seen in the past and the staff doesn’t work to get guests involved in games they did have compared to other RIU’s. They must not have any RIU songs that RIU entertainment staff use to perform during the day and at the nightly shows. If you are unfamiliar, look for them on YouTube. Alejandro (Alex) gets a huge shout out for his personality and work to get first engaged in various activities. He and Arturo were the only ones consistently doing this. —- Access to other RIU properties: This adults-only palace means the guests here can visit the other 2 properties but their guests cannot come over to this property. As adults-only, guests must be at least 18 years old. The last full day I was here, there were 3 kids playing in the pools and at least two of them were not 18. It went unchecked by pool staff much like security seemed to want to deflect the person going thru purses mentioned above. I reported it to the front desk and all they wanted to do was have me stop by the front desk to discuss. A few hours later these 3 boys were eating in the steakhouse restaurant. Made me think someone took money under the table to let the underage boys stay here. Workers keeping the property in order: The people maintaining the properties appearance deserve to be recognized for their hard work. This includes the guys maintain the landscaping, those moping floors and wiping down other surfaces and those repairing and replacing chairs, umbrellas and tables.

    Nov 16, 2024