Riu Playa Blanca - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5811 reviews

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  Nice resort

  Bartenders are amazing! Overall great experience. Beds are average in terms of comfort. Would be a nice touch to add conditioner to toiletries. Food was fine. Nothing to wrote home about but pretty average for all inclusive. Sushi at Xian was amazing!!! Again staff in general was wonderful. Would have been nice to have some activities led at the adult pool and not just the family pool.

  Jun 05, 2026
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  Wonderful week in Panama

  Stayed at the Riu Playa Blanca from May 15-22. First trip to Panama. Arrived at the airport through Westjet/Sunwing. Airport very small. Cleared customs and was immediately loaded on a bus. There were 2 buses there waiting to take the entire plane to where they needed to go. Was exactly 6 minutes from the time the bus started to move until we were at the lobby of our hotel. Check in went very smooth. Requested a room close to pools and beach with 2 beds and that is exactly what we got. Room was large with everything that you would need for your stay. Lots of plug ins for chargers. Balcony with table and chairs. Coffee maker and liquor dispenser. Mini fridge with pop water and beer. It was suppertime when we arrived so we quickly changed and headed to the Steakhouse. There are 3 ala carte restaurants that you do NOT need reservations for. They open at 6pm and you just go when you are ready to whichever one and if seating is available at that time they take you right in. If its currently full they will give you a pager for the next table, or you can just try a different one. This was one of the things I enjoyed the most about this resort. No itinerary, just go with what you feel like at the time. In the restaurants they will come very quickly with water and wine or take drink orders. Then they will drop off appetizers. Each Restaurant had their own apps that they dropped off. You only needed to order your main and dessert. This is a nice touch as well. Pools, There are 4 of them The kids pool with water slides and water drops and about 1.5 feet deep . The activity pool where the water aerobics, volleyball and various games are played. The Adult pool where the swim up bar and music are played. Then a Family pool where children who can swim in deeper water can hang out with parents etc. There is only the one set of washroom facilities near the pools with only 3 stalls so they could get quite busy at times. Beach. Huge expanse of beach with tons of chairs, I would estimate at least 250 loungers were set up on the beach and I never saw more that 20-30 people there. Not sure if its like that all the time or just this time but I would consider re-doing this area and maybe putting a beach snack bar or bar there. It just seems to be overkill with loungers that are not being used. Also there are a few Beach vendors set up everyday from around 8-12 or 1pm. Prices are very fair and good selection of souvenirs, Horses to go for a 30 minute ride is $20 US. Bars. The lobby bar is a huge room open air overlooking the main part of the hotel grounds. Beautiful atmosphere to gather with groups or play cards etc. Pool Bar is completely crowded from open to close.10-6. Probably because you can sit there and be in the shade. You can usually slip between a couple of chairs to order a drink though. Just might take a little longer. The back side of the pool bar is the other bar that you can access without being in the water, It can be busy as well but bartenders are quick and paying attention to who has been served and who hasn't. I would like to say THANK-YOU to Jose and Giomar. They were always ready with my drinks as soon as they seen me coming. Great service !! Sports bar open 24 hours. It is not overly large but does have 2 pool tables, which you sign out by paying $5. US either in cash at the bar or at the front desk by card. I only played the one night but they did not seem to be overly busy. In the evening you can get snacks here as well, Tortilla chips with chili and cheese, Sandwiches or some salad options. Very nice touch. They also have coffee/espresso here. A huge shoutout to Johanna for her Amazing service. Always a smile and making drinks special. Overall I am very happy with my week in Panama, The weather was quite warm 30-35 daily, We got about an hour of rain one evening during our entire stay. My one complaint would be that there is NO air conditioning anywhere other than your room, All the restaurants and the main buffet are closed in and have fans going but are not very cool. You do feel a bit cooler inside than outside but it quickly feels warm again. It would be nice if there was one bar or lounge area that you could gather in and have a coffee or a drink that is comfortable to sit in. The lobby bar does have a breeze blowing through at times but other than that you are in the wonderful temperature of Panama. My Canadian body found it hard to keep up with the heat. Another plus that I had with this resort is there was no push for tips. I did tip everyday but this was first All Inclusive vacation that I have ever had where they didn't expect it. Service was the same with or without it. Makes you more willing to give it in my opinion. Thank You Riu Playa Blanca and the wonderful country of Panama! It was a greet week!

  May 29, 2026
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  Will go back!

  It was lovely. Service staff is friendly and the food is great. Special High Five to Mari Cruz at service at the buffet who anticipated our wishes with a luminois smile

  May 17, 2026
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  Birthday

  I stayed at the Riu Hotel in Panama from April 13–16 for my birthday trip. The hotel surprised me with a birthday cake 🎂 and fruit platter, which was a very thoughtful touch and truly appreciated. The breakfast was amazing with a huge variety of food to try every morning. The location is also excellent — everything is within about a 15-minute walk, and KFC, Starbucks, and McDonald’s are only 1 minute away, which was very convenient. Unfortunately, my room had a bad smell and the air conditioning did not work well during my stay. I was told to close the drapes to make the room colder, but that did not help. Someone also came to my room to try to fix the issue, but it still never got comfortable. Because of the room condition and AC problems, I don’t think I would stay here again, even though the staff was polite and the breakfast and location were great.

  May 12, 2026
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  Amazing resort and staff

  We loved just about everything. We did know beforehand that the beach was not going to be your typical white sand and turquoise water. And the gym is a little underwhelming and outdated equipment. Also be aware that all excursions are full days events. Don’t anticipate on being back early. Also be careful on slippery tiles on the resort pathways and general public bathrooms. Other than that this place is a gem. They lay out, the staff, the restaurants and buffets all five stars. Management always seemed to be present and helping out and checking in on how your stay has been. Highly recommended resort!!!!!

  May 03, 2026