RIU Palace Mexico Fiasco (Riviera Maya). My husband and I booked a 6 Apple (Apple Vacations) Square Deal for Riviera Maya. We were assigned to the RIU Palace Mexico from 7 to 14 June 2008. We had stayed at RIU's previously and know them to be a decent hotel but nowhere near a 6 Apple (Highest category Apple Vacations assigns).

This particular RIU was worse than anything I have ever experienced in a hotel anywhere and we travel a good deal. Giving it a 3 Apple rating would be generous! The staff was in no way up to par. I can only recall running into two employees that made us feel we were on vacation.

The room situation was simply ridiculous. Upon check in we asked for an ocean view and were told they did not have ocean views. We were told we could get either a pool or courtyard view if we waited for an hour or so. We waited and returned to receive our room key. We got to the room (1125) to find we were facing the trees at the back of the resort and the back of the neighboring resort. We also found a well lived in room. When I called the front desk to ask for the room we were told we'd get I was told that rooms with view were $40 extra per person, per night. When I informed the young lady we were told we would get a room with a view if we waited the additional money was reiterated. After going back and forth a while I was told we could get a room with a view in two days, but I had to come to the front desk by 10 am on the day of the move to let them know we wanted to move. I still don't understand that, but we agreed.

Later we find we have a colony of ants parading up a bed side dresser and a ledge where my husband had clothes. We had to track down a housekeeper in the halls to come combat the bugs. We had to stick it out in this room until we could move. The next surprise was the realization that the neighboring hotel's night club was right on the other side of the fence we faced. It was a long and loud night.

Our next morning, Sunday, we found out we had to go to a designated location between 8:30 and 10:30 each morning to make a dinner reservation. This was horrible, what an unwelcome daily vacation activity. When I went to the front desk to complaint to a supervisor, I waited for about 15 minutes to talk to a woman who told me no one had ever complained about their system and, at least 4 times told me I could make the reservation anytime within the 2 hour window. This trip was off to a bad start!

The second day, Monday, I went to the desk early to confirm we want to take the room with a view. I asked more than once that they have some one check the new room for bugs before we moved. It seemed as though I was bother in the young lady, but she finally said she would. We returned to the desk later and receive the new key.

We entered the new room (1063) to find another well lived in room. I headed to the window and opened the darkening drapes to find bugs crawling up the drapes. I immediately called the desk to ask for help. It took 20 minutes or so before someone arrived. The man killed the bugs I pointed out plus some that he found in another place. He cleaned up and left us with the can of Raid. That was certainly not a comforting thing.

I began looking around the room and here is a list of what was found:
- BUGS
- A rusty safe
- Corroding handle on toilet
- Crude/mold at base of toilet lid
- Rusting wall connection/water cut off for toilet
- Broken bar for the handheld shower head
- Crude/mold around and above the shower curtain bar
- Crude abound the tub
- Crude in the bottom of the tub
- Broken bath gel dispenser and bath get sitting to the side
- Silver finish coming off of the assistance bar for the tub.
- Ill fitting cover for the Kleenex receptacle in the sink
- Green crude around facet handles of the sink and bidet
- Stained bed sheets
- Stained pillow cases
- Cushions that were too small for the love seat
- Chipped soap dish on the sink
- Corroding magnifying mirror
- Dirty vent and surround
- Dirty/molding room service menu
- Stains on the walls
- Paint chipping off of the handles to the patio

When the front desk was notified of the problems, I got no assistance.

Having book an Apple Vacation, I decided to see our representative when he returned the next morning. We went out to enjoy the grounds and have dinner. The maid had come while we were out. She left the light on and the bugs were having a great time flying around in the lighted room. I spent the next while chasing bugs with Raid bug spray. I was a basket case. Once I was finally able to wind down, the chase was on again. After not seeing anything move for a while I finally laid down. It was a horrible night of feeling like things were crawling all over us.

The next morning I got up to go see Luis, but first I saw bugs crawling on the 2nd bed and then a couple in the bed we were in. I felt sick!

I saw the Apple Rep, Luis, and told him of the unacceptable conditions in the room and the poor service around the hotel. He just gave me a blank look. I told him how we had bugs in the 1st room and even after asking the desk staff to check the second room we had bugs in it also. Luis told me that maybe this was just a "general" problem like that would make it okay. I explained that for what we paid and for what Apple said we were going to get, this was unacceptable. I had taken pictures with my cell phone and showed them to Luis. This did not cause Luis to be any more helpful.

Luis asked what I wanted him to do about it and I told him to move us to an actual top rated hotel. He acted as if I did not say anything to him. I told him that no one from the hotel management, nor he, had ever even asked to come see the room that housed these horrid conditions. Again there was no response.

I was furious and frustrated. I asked to speak to his supervisor. After a while he got a supervisor on the phone. He spoke with her and then gave the phone to me so I could repeat my plight. She apologized, saying she'd contact the hotel. Luis came back to say we could move back to the first room (1125) we were in. I explained to him that that was not an option, because that room had bugs. Why would we go back to that room?

Luis left and came back again to say he and a housekeeping supervisor would come see the room. Luis and I went to room 1063 and I showed him the laundry list of problems. Minutes later the housekeeping supervisor came. It was the same many who had sprayed the day before. Luis showed him the problems, during which two men appeared with industrial fumigation canisters.

Apple was not going to move us to a decent, top of the line hotel. Our offer was to move to our first bug infested room or let them work on the on new room. Having no recourse, we got things together exited the room and let them work on the room. We returned hours later to find a few things fixed and there were no bugs in plain sight. I tried to tell Luis but he was not around. He did call later.

After we returned from dinner that night, Tuesday, we did not see bugs. You do not know how relieved I was. I wish all of the problems had disappeared. Even so, we still could not enjoy the room and I was tense for the whole vacation. I never got rid of the felling that things were crawling on me. I still shutter when I think of it.

We feel like we were robbed. We paid too much to end up in a place that does not value it's customers and takes no pride in there service or their accommodations. We have yet to hear a response from Apple Vacations or the RIU Hotels.

We are thoroughly disgusted!