Riu Palace Mexico

[scrappygirl]

Hi -
Hubby and I will be at the RIU Palace Mexico March 8-12 - whoo-hoo! It will be our 2nd time; we were there in 2003. I wanted to go somewhere different (RPR) but it's his 40th birthday trip, so it is his choice. I know some things have changed since were were there last -can anyone provide information on the following (I did search the forums first):
Buffet at Don Julian's - Is Thursday still Gala Night? Also, I heard that you pick your own table each night (not assigned) Is that true?
New Japanese restaurant - Is it any good (saw bad reviews on Trip Advisor, but then again, you can't trust trip advisor)
Any hints on getting a courtyard room? We lucked out last time and got one - hope for the same to happen this year.
Anyone have experiences with Travelocity? We booked through them as they had a significantly better deal than our TA - now I am starting to get nervous about how to handle any problems (terrified that that RPM will be overbooked and they will try to put us at the RPRM w/ no beach - we are beach people, not pool people)
Thanks in advance!
Andrea

[Shammy]

I can't recall the Thurs. night meal but there are no assigned tables in the buffet, and you no longer have to choose the early or late seating. You go to the buffet when you want and sit where you want.

The Japanese restaurant wasn't open when I was last there, but I did eat at the one at the new Riu Palace Punta Cana. Since the Riu's tend to follow a predictable pattern with all their Palace properties, the fact that I thought the Japanese restaurant in PUJ was awesome might be a good sign.

Courtyard room upgrade - during high season - when booking with an online discounter (which the hotel will know about)...not likely. But nothing is ever a given so all you can do is ask - maybe they'll say you can be upgraded if you pay the upgrade fee. As far as bumping...sorry to say that IF they are oversold, people who book themselves with web based discounters ARE the first to go. Doesn't mean they WILL be oversold, doesn't mean that YOU will be the one to get bumped if they are. Just stating a fact.

[scrappygirl]

I didn't realize that there were no set seating times for Don Julian's - that's really nice for when 6:30 is too early but 9 pm is too late.

Thanks Shammy - I appreciate your candor - fingers crossed that we will be OK!

[jobob]

Welcome to the board scrappygirl. We just returned from the RPM, 4th time, last month. It's still as good as our first trip in '03. Can't remember the nights for specific dinners as they're always changing. But they still do have the Chef's Gala. The open seating for dinner in Don Julian is great, didn't think I'd like it, but our favourite waiters always held a specific table for us if they knew we were going to be there. If we were eating in one of the specialty restaurants we'd always tell them so they knew not to hold the table.
We love the Japanese restuarant, Miyagi, but they have so many special nights now at Don Julian that in 14 nights we only ate at the specialty restaurants 3 times including one at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya where we'd been invited to have dinner by their Assistant Manager. That night we ate in their Mexican restaurant but we found that food at Don Julian on Mexican night was far better and much more varied. But you have to get it yourself. Same for Asian night at D.J., was as good or better than Miyagi but again you have to get it yourself.
Some of the same staff that you probably saw in '03 are still there - Francisco who was training to be maitre'd then is now Manager Food and Beverages, Karima might have been in the Public Relations Dept and is now A/M; Santoyo and Del Toro in Don Julian; Javier and Super Sexy DeeJay Jimmy of the Animacion Team, Manuel the doorman are some. And they'll probably remember you.
Have fun

[scrappygirl]

Thanks Jobob! Can't wait to see everyone again! Only 51 sleeps!

[swami]

Just Back. Resort is still the same. This is a good thing. You can eat at the buffet at any time for dinner, no assigned seats. Two seatings for the other restaurants. Liked the beachfront steakhouse and japanese. Beach is still great. Enjoy. Jobob we had to be there at the same time. Next year hopefully we can meet.

[scrappygirl]

Thanks Swami!
What is the current procedure for booking the a la cartes? In 03, I think it was in the lobby at a certain time for the Brazilian and the 2 outdoor restaurants and then a different procedure entirely for Sir Edwards.

[Mr Cancun]

I cannot remember this girls name, but she sure helped me out with some of the restaurants that we wanted to eat in. I told her that we wanted to try Myagi and she said that a reservation slip would be put under my door that night. Sure enough, when we went to bed that night we had our reservation just as she promised. The entire staff of the RPM is all top notch, no wonder we keep heading back!!

[Shammy]

Yikes that is a big photo!
Mas pequeno por favor!

[swami]

Originally Posted by scrappygirl

Thanks Swami!
What is the current procedure for booking the a la cartes? In 03, I think it was in the lobby at a certain time for the Brazilian and the 2 outdoor restaurants and then a different procedure entirely for Sir Edwards.

You can book any restaurant at 9:30 every morning. I would double check on the time with the front desk when you check in.

[jobob]

Originally Posted by swami

Just Back. Resort is still the same. This is a good thing. You can eat at the buffet at any time for dinner, no assigned seats. Two seatings for the other restaurants. Liked the beachfront steakhouse and japanese. Beach is still great. Enjoy. Jobob we had to be there at the same time. Next year hopefully we can meet.

Sort of thought you were going after us. We were there Nov 25 to Dec 9. We have some expenditures this year (new heat pump and furnace) which would eat up our usual trip expenses but when I mentioned to my wife last night that maybe we wouldn't be going this year she quickly informed me that "we can afford it and we're going".
So this year I guess we'll be going either Nov 24 or Dec 1.
Mr. Cancun: I don't recognize the girl as being at the RPM and we have got to know so many of the staff really well that they greet us by name when they first see us. When were you there? We never booked specialty restaurants thru the usual reservation process as we had several Management folks who insisted we do it thru them.

[swami]

Originally Posted by jobob

Sort of thought you were going after us. We were there Nov 25 to Dec 9. We have some expenditures this year (new heat pump and furnace) which would eat up our usual trip expenses but when I mentioned to my wife last night that maybe we wouldn't be going this year she quickly informed me that "we can afford it and we're going".
So this year I guess we'll be going either Nov 24 or Dec 1.
Mr. Cancun: I don't recognize the girl as being at the RPM and we have got to know so many of the staff really well that they greet us by name when they first see us. When were you there? We never booked specialty restaurants thru the usual reservation process as we had several Management folks who insisted we do it thru them.

I was there 12/30 - 1/6. Same time this year.

[Mr Cancun]

Originally Posted by jobob

Sort of thought you were going after us. We were there Nov 25 to Dec 9. We have some expenditures this year (new heat pump and furnace) which would eat up our usual trip expenses but when I mentioned to my wife last night that maybe we wouldn't be going this year she quickly informed me that "we can afford it and we're going".
So this year I guess we'll be going either Nov 24 or Dec 1.
Mr. Cancun: I don't recognize the girl as being at the RPM and we have got to know so many of the staff really well that they greet us by name when they first see us. When were you there? We never booked specialty restaurants thru the usual reservation process as we had several Management folks who insisted we do it thru them.

We were there in August 2006. She pretty much was seen most nights near the restaurants & courtyard area. Really nice girl who helped us with reservations a few times. Dang, just cannot remember her name!!

[jobob]

Think she must have moved on, as so many do, as we never saw her during the two weeks we were there. And we were in the courtyard every evening, except for when it was raining