Hola!
Unfortunately due to this crazy thing called life, we only had one international trip planned in 2024 so we decided to give Mexico one more shot and visited RIU Dunamar for the first time (our 2nd RIU property). However, this time we went with approximately 7 or 8 other families!
Getting There
In late 2023, we relocated from Tampa, Florida to Charlotte, North Carolina so for this trip we flew out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We flew with American Airlines which had a direct route from Charlotte to Cancún (CUN). We always prefer direct flights as it’s far more convenient but sometimes can be cost prohibitive. In this case it was not much of a difference flying from Charlotte than driving to Atlanta, a few hours away.
The flight itself was non-eventful (good) and we landed in Cancún just about 2hrs later.
We arrived at the same time as five or six different flights but were able to get through customs pretty quickly and headed outside to wait for our transfer to RIU Dunamar. For this trip, at the advice of other members of our group, we booked our transfer with USA Transfers and although we had to wait a 15-20 minutes for the two private busses to arrive, it was largely a seamless experience.
Checking In
After arriving at the main entrance of the resort, we were greeted by RIU staff who pleasantly got our bags checked with the bellhop and took us to reception to the right of the main entrance. The check-in was smooth, we were given our room key cards and towel cards. However, our room was not ready yet because we arrived at around noon. Not to worry! We changed into our swim wear and headed to lunch at the Isla Mujeres Restaurant (the main restaurant) and the pool then checked into our room a bit later. We did end up taking the bags up ourselves as they were still sitting in a large group of bags with the bellhop once we knew our rooms were available.
The Room
When I booked this room, I did not expect all that much and was more concerned with the rest of the resort in terms of what it had to offer. We did request a room away from the entertainment center as we aren’t ‘partiers’ and RIU Dunamar did their best to accommodate. The room we had booked during our reservation process was the Suite but once we got to our room, 4159, we were in for a surprise!
The suite was pristine when we entered. There was plenty of space and it was well appointed. However, what really blew our minds was the view that we got. It was spectacular! You could see the majority of the resort with the massive partial-wrap-around balcony as well as the absolutely stunning blue water of the Caribbean.
The room was not perfect, but it was pretty close. We did find out that the elevator on the other side of the wall was quite loud each time the cable was engaged with a very loud ‘click clack’ sound which got to be quite annoying. Luckily, it was not constant and only when people used the elevator which usually dropped off significantly around midnight so we were still able to get plenty of sleep.
We also had to use one of our suitcases as a door stop due to the breezy hallway (one negative to the open air concept of the hallways). The breeze resulted in the door moving ever so slightly and effectively rattled against the door frame. Not the end of the world though, the view certainly made up for all of this!
The Pool
Do you like to swim? Because RIU Dunamar has options. Four options to be exact.
The number of pools at the resort made it easy to find one to relax in far away from others and enjoy some quite relaxation in the water. If you wanted something livelier, the main pool was always ready. The pool water, unlike other resorts we’ve stayed at such as Paradisus Cancún, was the perfect temperature. We spent a lot of time by pool this trip with our family and had a great time. Next to the main walkway to the beach between the first and second pool is where you will find the ‘towel dispensary’ where you can exchange towels for fresh ones.
I will add that it’s VERY important you do not lose your towel card as you will be charged during checkout if you do not return the number of towel cards you were given. We did not have this issue but we did overhear other guests trying to get out of paying whatever fees they were being charged for not returning the right number.
The Property
RIU Dunamar is a well kept resort. All of the walkways, lawns, gardens, etc. are well manicured and taken care of. There was no issue getting around and there is multiple ways to get to each area of the resort. The first time going to our room was a bit of a maze as the resort is quite large, but once we figured out where exactly our room was we were quickly able to find the most efficient routes to all of the main areas we needed to visit.
Beach
Fortunately, unlike the beach at Paradisus Cancún which was a huge let down, the beach at RIU Dunamar was absolutely perfect. The water temperature and color were exactly what we had hoped, the sand was fine like powder and most days the seaweed was minimal. There was absolutely ZERO rocks anywhere near or in the water, unlike Paradisus Cancún.
The beach chairs do fill up quite quickly, so it’s best to get to the beach early after breakfast if you require a lounger!
We weren’t sure about giving Cancún another chance due to our previous visit, but RIU Dunamar changed our perception and now we know that the northern part of Cancún is worth visiting! Definitely avoid the Hotel Zone further south.
One little pro-tip: if you are looking to get a massage while on vacation, I strongly recommend heading north along the beach where you will find two different (at least at the time of our trip in April 2024) off-resort massage places which have great prices and give you a massage right next to the ocean. We ended up going to get massages twice (we usually do a massage once per trip).
RIU Dunamar Dining Options
RIU Dunamar offers many choices for food on the all-inclusive plan. We tried a few of them but liked the Isla Mujeres (the main buffet) the most. The other restaurant options at the resort that were available to us were:
- Bamboo (Asian)
- Pompeya (Italian)
- Kulinarium (Fusion)
- Las Brasas (Steakhouse)
Overall, the food was decent. However, some restaurants (like Isla Mujeres and Bamboo) were far better than others (Pompeya). I had the lasagna at Pompeya and I ended up taking only two bites. It was that awful. Don’t know if the regular chef had a day off or what, but it was truly awful. I’ve been eating lasagna my whole life and that was not lasagna.
If you wish to enjoy truly great food, RIU Dunamar may not be for you. If you are okay with decent food you can’t get at home, RIU Dunamar is definitely a resort I’d recommend!
Service at RIU Dunamar
The service of staff at RIU Dunamar was very good. The staff was very friendly, recognized us and knew what we were going to order before we even told them. I find that leaving them $2 USD each meal helps ensure great service. They were always polite and eager to be of service. This was an improvement from Paradisus Grand Cana where staff was nice, but sparse.
RIU Dunamar does not to employ the concierge model so you are on your own with planning. However, the entire staff is willing to help with anything you may need.
Excursions
On our previous visit to Mexico we had an excellent excursion experience. We visited Chichen Itza, Valladolid and a cenote. For this trip, we visited the ruins at Tulum and another cenote. After that, we visited an open air cenote where the fresh water meets salty water from the sea.
You can view some of the excursion highlight in the videos below!
RIU Dunamar Video Highlights
Overall Thoughts on RIU Dunamar
Having been to Mexico previously, I’d say that RIU Dunamar was a very good experience overall. It restored some desire to visit Mexico again as our trip to Paradisus Cancún was less than great. We would consider coming back to the country and RIU Dunamar again!
Have you stayed at RIU Dunamar? What did you think? If you were to go again, would you do anything differently? Tell me in the comments below and let me know if my review of RIU Dunamar helped.