Riu Palace Aruba All Inclusive

I can't say enough great things about this place--from the ease of check-in to laying on the beach, this resort was great. The staff went out of their way to make sure you were having the vacation of a lifetime. Whether it was on the beach, at the pool, in the casino or at any of the many restaurants, the staff was always right there offering any assistance you might need. At the beach, pool and multiple bars, there was always something going on. This is not the hotel for someone wanting a quiet and serene vacation, although it quieted down at the appropriate times and no one lost any sleep, unless you wanted to. Interestingly, I did see many young couples with small children who were having as much fun as the single ones. There was always something to do. The food was great, and you could eat and drink to your heart's content. We had so much fun and ate so much food that we were astonished at the all-inclusive price we paid for this vacation. We will definitely be back next year. One thing to remember--the beds are HORRIBLE. The mattresses are outdated and desperately need to be replaced. I asked for a mattress topper because the morning after our first night's stay, I couldn't move because of the state of the mattress. Management put a piece of foam rubber on the bed and called it a mattress topper!!! It did the trick, but come on.......invest in new mattresses!!!! The bedspreads were also in a state of badly needing to be replaced and we took ours off.

We have stayed at 4 Riu Resorts and all (including this one) are top shelf. Good food, plenty of food, clean and very well trained wait staff. We have also stayed at the Holiday Inn Sunspree and Hyatt..this is the best resort on Aruba. For all who don't like hard beds...ask for a topper...we did and it was there within the hour.

This was our honeymoon and overall it was fantastic! It was extremely clean and well maintained, the staff was constantly cleaning up and very attentive. The restaurants and bars were great and we had an awesome week. The food was great and we had some fabulous meals. We were comparing this resort to the Divi and we're glad we picked it. We heard great things about the Divi as well, but we were thrilled to be at the Riu!

I enjoyed my stay at the Riu. The room was a good size and clean. The bed needed a new comforter, mattress and pillows. The buffet food was above average. The fruit and salads were always fresh. The food at the restaurants was again above average. I did not find making a reservation between 8am and 11am a problem. The wine and beer were below average in quality. The service was above average as well. I would recommend a room higher than the 4th floor so you have a better view of the beach and pool. i would also make sure that your balcony has seating. We had to drag our seats from the sitting area to the balcony. Come on Riu your a hotel in Aruba make sure every room has balcony seats. Our room and another couple did not have the seats. Small complaints but overall a good experience. I would probably not do all-inclusive the next trip to Aruba just because there are so many good restaurants on the island and the prices are reasonable.

The hotel restaurants were excellent. The pool area was great as well. The upkeep of the public areas were fantastic. Well what's left? THE ROOMS. We moved to three different rooms. The first one was a vew with an inch or so of the ocean and the room had a smell. The second room 319, was damp, old furniture, old television, and smelled awful. The third room was 606 in the main building. Finally a flat screen TV, but the lamp shade was rusty. The thermostat had to be replaced. But overall the location is great and I would think very hard about returning to this Riu. Riu representatives need to come and look at these rooms because they do not represent the quality of other Rui Properties. Looking on the outside and surrounding area it looks like it's the best hotel on the strip, and it is until you go to the room. The next time I will consider the Hyatt a few hotels down the strip.

More umbrellas on the beach and better quality lounges would be the only suggestions.

The internet didn't work in the rooms for any of the 5 days I stayed in there. They turn the air conditioning off in the rooms at night (I guess to save money in energy), turning it back on in the morning. Food is just okay at the buffet and pretty good in the other restaurants. Beer is terrible (Polar) and the staff is not that nice. Overall, I do not reccomend this Hotel and would not stay there again.

My husband, myself and 3 grown children spent 5 nights at the Riu. We had an excellent vacation. Everything was perfect. The staff was very friendly, food was great, pool beach were like being in paradise. My one and only complaint would be the beds! But that's it and we managed. Would definitely like to go back to Aruba and the Riu!!

Room was clean and bed comfortable. Food was very good and staff very nice. They ran out of towels at the pool and took 45 minutes to get fresh ones. Overall I thought it was good but would have rated it better had the gym been up dated. Equipment was real old as was the room itself and seemed dirty. Otherwise a good trip!!

Excellent service we enjoyed our stay and will return soon.