Hotel Riu Palace Aruba

My husband and I visited Riu palace Aruba March 2–9…… just got home yesterday ! What a wonderful place! The workers ( front desk, maids, bartenders, servers, everyone were extremely friendly! ☺️. Beautiful beach, pools, food, a definite 5 ✨

Restaurants were terrible! Slow service and the food was sub-par. Very disappointing. The buffet was decent. Would not go back. Bar staff was nice. Nice beach. Hard to get a covered spot out of the sun. Decent but small pool. Needed to give more information at check in regarding the...

Restaurants were terrible! Slow service and the food was sub-par. Very disappointing. The buffet was decent. Would not go back. Bar staff was nice. Nice beach. Hard to get a covered spot out of the sun. Decent but small pool. Needed to give more information at check in regarding the amenities of the resort.

We had an amazing stay here! The location was perfect, right on the beach with stunning views. The staff was friendly and attentive, making sure all our needs were met. The rooms were comfortable and well-equipped, and the dining options were fantastic, especially the buffet !! The pools were beautiful...

We had an amazing stay here! The location was perfect, right on the beach with stunning views. The staff was friendly and attentive, making sure all our needs were met. The rooms were comfortable and well-equipped, and the dining options were fantastic, especially the buffet !! The pools were beautiful and well staff to provide drinks, entertainment and conversation . Overall, it was a relaxing and memorable experience. I highly recommend this resort for anyone looking to unwind in paradise! We will definitely revisit.

This was our first time in Aruba but not our first time at a Riu resort. I will say that we travel a lot and admit that one becomes more picky when they have different experience they can compare to. This Riu is not as nice as ones we previously...

This was our first time in Aruba but not our first time at a Riu resort. I will say that we travel a lot and admit that one becomes more picky when they have different experience they can compare to. This Riu is not as nice as ones we previously went to, the Palace side is more dated. We also we travelled in Nov and I meant to write the review then but didn’t get around to it until now that we are travelling again. I made notes of everything as to not forget. I personally find that certain things are more important than others to everyone so I’ve listed the “pros” and cons” from my experience: Pros: - food is generally very good, high quality, steak and fish is very good, buffet has lots of options and are tasty - Beach is amazing, clear water, white sand , no rocks, the nicest beach we have been to! We didn’t go off the resort to other beaches but were told they are to die for, we’re definitely going to go back to Aruba and explore the other beaches - Rooms are clean no complaints - The Palace is the cheaper side, and it’s not as nice overall as the amenities are dated, but you can get access to the Riu Antilles pool, bars and buffet, night club and casino- this side is a bit nicer - only for adults. It was no issue as we didn’t travel with our kids. You can’t go to the a la carte restaurants on the Antilles side however if you stay at the Palace - Top tier alcohol, they have champagne from France, good wines and the real label liquors. I only drink wine or sparkling/mimosa so this was a nice treat that the wines were actually good! - Servers are generally nice and want to make your experience a good one. Marlon at the buffet was a sweetheart and always remembered our drink order for breakfast - Pools are decent, no real adult only pool on the palace side, while the pool bar is supposed to be adults only people had their kids with them and it wasn’t enforced - Maria and Mimi at the lobby bar were lovely and funny, a good time Cons: - The Lobby at the palace has a strong smell like pesticide / insecticide it’s quite overwhelming and off putting. Most hotels have a signature scent but this was not that. It literally smelled like chemicals. Because of this we never hung out at the lobby bar inside. - the steak house has limited availability with only 2 seating times and even though the restaurant is not full. They had lots of open tables, but we got turned away twice at 6:15pm they were already full for the night when they open at 6pm! No app for reservations so you have to go early and line up. Sometimes resorts try to make an area premium and have limitations which is really annoying when you’re at an all inclusive. This was the experience at the steakhouse.not enough servers as only 1/4 of the restaurant was actually full. The person at the front was not helpful at all seemed bored and uninterested in serving. Also here they made an issue about giving us 2 mains they said one per person, we wanted the steak and lobster which were 2 separate options. They eventually obliged but said they had to speak to a supervisor which is ridiculous in an all inclusive. We’ve been to lots of places where you can always modify your dish or add something extra, the steakhouse gave us issues for this. It was however very good once we finally got in and got served, just an annoying process to go through. - All Restaurants close at 9 which is early and many turn people away starting at 8pm. When the pool is open until 7, it’s unreasonable to close last seating at 8pm. Again it feels like a restrictive experience instead of all inclusive. the buffet is open until 10pm but unless you want buffet for dinner every night you need to be out early and line up. - there were limited washrooms at palace only one in a building quite a bit away from the the pool or in the main lobby which was inconvenient. It’s like they didn’t plan the amenities properly but made up for it when they built the Antilles which has several by the pool. Something to note for people who might have trouble getting around or with kids. We steered clear of the pool in the afternoons as it was obvious people/kids weren’t getting out enough so likely peeing in the pool (eew) - While there is a snack bar it’s all the way inside the main lobby, nothing by the pool, and it has limited options just nachos and hot dogs. They didn’t refill the quesadillas or sandwiches often enough and were always empty. For lunch you had to go to the buffet which isn’t always what you want to do. - Small coffee bar in the lobby, no ice cream bar - The room service menu is very limited only a couple of options, a sandwich, salad , fruit - - No drink service on the beach - this is a miss for sure. No one comes around to serve on the beach so you need to go into the pool area to get a drink. Also no beach bar. - Entertainment is subpar - we don’t usually care about this but for people that do, there wasn’t anything great at night. The Antilles had a white party we went to which was fun. - No grill by the pool as mentioned but one day they brought out some hamburgers however that was not consistent so I would recommend doing it daily, it was only one day in the full week we were there - People are allowed to smoke everywhere, even in the pool which is disgusting Overall the food quality and drink quality along with a gorgeous beach are what stood out for us, however this is not a 5 start quality resort. I’d rate it a 3.5 at max. We will return to Aruba but not the Riu, it was one of the most affordable options so it’s clear that they miss on a few elements to make it a real 5 star

Where to begin…this resort and country is like being in a different world!!!! I have never experienced such amazing service anywhere that I have traveled!! The resort is safe, clean, very friendly staff! Food was incredible!!! Lots of variety! Going in March is supposedly the best time to go since...

Where to begin…this resort and country is like being in a different world!!!! I have never experienced such amazing service anywhere that I have traveled!! The resort is safe, clean, very friendly staff! Food was incredible!!! Lots of variety! Going in March is supposedly the best time to go since there is a constant breeze and humidity is hardly felt! Very very highly recommend Riu Palace!!!

We were put in a room right next to a construction site. Our room was not cleaned for 2 days in a row. Our air conditioning was stuck on 25 c. We had different people try to fix it on 4 different days. No luck. They finally moved us to...

We were put in a room right next to a construction site. Our room was not cleaned for 2 days in a row. Our air conditioning was stuck on 25 c. We had different people try to fix it on 4 different days. No luck. They finally moved us to an upgraded room but it was next to the Rio Stage where there is loud music and shows every night until 11pm. I will say the food is excellent. If you want to sit on the beach, you need to mark a chair by 6 or 7 am. We are still here for 2 more days so fingers crossed.

This was our second stay at RIU Palace Aruba....there for our wedding anniversary. Once again, the RIU Palace did not disappoint. Facility is clean and well maintained. ALL of the staff....cleaning staff....maintenance staff...reception, waiters....SO FRIENDLY....they all greet you make sure your needs are being met. The room was perfect....the food...

This was our second stay at RIU Palace Aruba....there for our wedding anniversary. Once again, the RIU Palace did not disappoint. Facility is clean and well maintained. ALL of the staff....cleaning staff....maintenance staff...reception, waiters....SO FRIENDLY....they all greet you make sure your needs are being met. The room was perfect....the food amazing...the pools and beach and entertainment do not disappoint. This is a tremendous value...and we will visit again

Today is my last day at RIU Palace Aruba. Me and my wife chose to celebrate our wedding in Aruba and selected RIU. I wanted to provide our experience . I wish I could say it was amazing. Unfortunately, it was the worst resort I have stayed in. The staff...

Today is my last day at RIU Palace Aruba. Me and my wife chose to celebrate our wedding in Aruba and selected RIU. I wanted to provide our experience . I wish I could say it was amazing. Unfortunately, it was the worst resort I have stayed in. The staff were not friendly, not helpful. Spent more time talking to eachother than guests. It started at check in with an issue between Apple Vacations and the hotel. The problem was your staff seemed disinterested in assisting. Issues with room cleaning. The buffet was constantly dirty, no clean tables, empty food trays. The gift sent by our travel agent as well as the complimentary Champaign and gift we had to almost beg to get. Should have been in our room when checked in. Lack of interested in guest, for no hotel directions at checking or even a map, just a photo copy piece of paper with limited info. No info on events, entertainment. Left to find our own way. The dining experience forced us to eat off site. The staff at the specialty restaurants were also not helpful. Was told first come first serve...yet show up to eat, told no seating available, yet several empty tables. Would not recommend RIU. I could have received notably better service, food options, and over all experience, for half the price on a nice cruise. Rooms are outdated, hotel needs and overhaul

Review Hotel Riu Palace Aruba April 2025 This all inclusive resort is a mixed bag but perhaps knowing what is good and what to avoid will help others have a wonderful vacation as we did. There are many many people working here, most of whom appear to love their jobs...

Review Hotel Riu Palace Aruba April 2025 This all inclusive resort is a mixed bag but perhaps knowing what is good and what to avoid will help others have a wonderful vacation as we did. There are many many people working here, most of whom appear to love their jobs and really want to provide amazing service from Maritza, a waitress at the main restaurant and buffet, to our lovely, sweet housekeeper Luisa, to our friend Johnson at the coffee bar, to Jack and Clemence at the pool bar and grill, to the maintenance folks, and Santana, the front desk manager. Rooms: To my understanding the Hotel is looking to do some major renovations in the future and these are definitely needed. Avoid the first floor ‘alley view’ rooms. Request to see and inspect your room before moving in to avoid having to use your vacation time to repack and unpack etc. We found our first room to be infested with some sort of flying bug coming from the drains and the room smelled like a sewer. And the liquor in the minibar is definitely watered down until you rid the bottle of the water which falls to the bottom. Food: The main buffet has a lot of choices so even the most picky (like me) can find a (not amazing) meal. Although room service offers a very limited menu, they are quite quick with delivery!! We appreciated our morning coffee in our room everyday! Skip the Speciality restaurants- they really do not have quality anything. If you want a nice meal walk down the road ¼ mile to some very nice restaurants and pay for them or take a cab into town for some amazing other ones. Bars: All bars and the coffee bar serve very nice beverages. The coffee bar has some delicious snacks as well. Entertainment: There is always something going on! In the morning beach aerobics, in the afternoon pool games, in the evening singers- a very nice assortment. Caution: you absolutely will hear the nighttime entertainment from your room so if you are an early to bed sort like me- bring your sound machine or whatever.

This is our 4th year here. Every year has been wonderful except this one. We will not go back. We booked elite for the first time. Room was nice, staff accommodating and kind, the food has gone way downhill. The Thursday we were there (stayed 9 days) I was very...

This is our 4th year here. Every year has been wonderful except this one. We will not go back. We booked elite for the first time. Room was nice, staff accommodating and kind, the food has gone way downhill. The Thursday we were there (stayed 9 days) I was very sick with nausea, diarrhea, and headaches. I stayed in bed all day long after spending $26 on 20 pepto bismal tablets in the store downstairs. We left the following Tuesday. Wednesday evening, I started with explosive diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. I ate nothing Tuesday evening and only toast Wednesday morning. After 16 days of this, unable to eat anything but toast and then having to go to the bathroom within the hour I had some testing done. Turns out I had severe salmonella food poisoning which also cause colitis. I had lost 17 pounds by now. I work in the medical field, so did everything I knew for gastroenteritis etc before doing testing. I now realize I had food poisoning twice, which is why my body couldn't fight it off the second time. We received a raw steak at the elite restaurant which we sent back even though the waitress argued a bit that it was fine, the food at the buffet was mostly cold and sitting under heat lamps for who knows how long, and some things just didn't taste right. I think they have so many people they are just hurrying to get people in and out. I have honestly never been so sick with fever, chills, night sweats, diarrhea, and vomiting for so long. Unfortunately, for almost $10,000 I won't be returning. Very disappointed.