Not sure what to do...anyone with regrets who stayed at Santa Fe?

I really want to have my wedding at the Riu palace, and have all my guests stay there. However, I am the first to be married out of my friends and some are still students at University. Needless to say they are on a budget. I am working hard to find a good deal in Cabo, a place I want to visit. I see that the Santa Fe is cheaper and am considering it. I do not want to get there though and wish I had stayed at the palace or have my guests who do have money to look at it and wish they had stayed there. Has anyone been to the santa fe for their wedding and felt regret? Or does it feel like the inferior of the two. Also, can you use any of the services at the palace? Or if you stay at the palace can you use the santa fe? Or are they completely seperate just on the same property? Thank you.

I satyed at the Palace a few years ago and during that time, they were building the Santa Fe. I have never actually been to the Santa Fe but it is my understanding that now, people who stay at the Palace can use the Santa Fe however, people at the Santa Fe cannot use the Palace.

Also, both places have the rule that 80% of the guests for your wedding must be staying at the resort that you are married at. And the Palace and Santa Fe are considered separate resorts.

I stayed and got married at the Sante Fe. We had a suite and it was fabulous. All of our guest enjoyed themselves. I was nice enough for our parents and fun enough for our friends. I think it was a good mix. I have heard that the Palace is more upscale and people that stayed at the palace came over to hang out because it was more fun. Its really about what you want. THe 80% rule does apply and the people at the palace can come over but if you stay at the sante fe your not supposed to go to the palace. Hope it helps.

I have stayed at the Santa Fe twice, loved it both times. I was going to have my wedding at the Palace though, as I wanted "the best". After a visit to the Palace, I realized it just wanst the right hotel for my crowd. You said that you have a lot of friends in Uni? the Palace is great, it is stuffy, its very quiet, i was very concerned the other guests would not be fond of my young friends. I also know that a lot of ppl came over to the Santa Fe from the Palace because they liked the atmosphere better. The food is basically the same, the ala cartes at the Palace are better though.

Also, I knew I would have over 50ppl, which ment I would need the most expensive package. With taxes, and chnaging to the Canadian Dollar, it was going to be over $3000 - The Santa Fe wedding package is Free.

The price for Palace was also a lot more, it was about 1800 taxes in, I managed to get the Santa Fe for $1370.(sunquest) That includes flight, tranfers and hotel. I rcvd one in every 11 ppl free. I just got to 55 booked - im getting back $6000!!! At the palace they were only offering one in every 16. You do have to book by June 30 to get that deal. My wedding is in November. With that money im doing lots of cool stuff for my guests - like booking a private sunset cruise.

I did see a wedding at the Santa Fe, it was really nice, so long story short, i figured why ruin a good thing, i love the santa fe, the reviews are better at the santa fe, it was going to cost me about $5000 less to have it there, Santa Fe it is!

At first I also thought the Palace was the better hotel, once i visited it, i realized it maybe the better hotel for some ppl, but for me, my wallet and my guests, the Santa Fe was the obvious shoice

Palace can use the Santa Fe, Santa Fe cannot use the Palace (you must pay $25 for a day pass).

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hello,

I went for a site visit to the Palace and they operate as two separate hotels. If you have your wedding at Santa Fe they do want 80% of your guests to stay at the Santa Fe. If you have guests that want to stay at the Palace that is not included in your 80%. At least that is how the wedding planner explained it to me. Also if you want any outside vendors or guests to come they charge you 100.00 per vendor/guest and that can add up. I thought both the Santa Fe and the Palace were nice.

Shani

HI,

I am getting married at the Santa Fe April 10, 2010. We have stayed at both the palace and the santa fe and loved both. However, the santa fe is better if you have a mixed crowd...more going on and not so stuffy. We are staying 6nights at the santa fe and then after the wedding moving over to the palace for our honeymoon portion.

Does anyone know if you can have a private reception on the beach at the RIU Santa Fe?