8.2/10 Very Good! (1,831 reviews)
The Riu Palace was recommended by two family members who visited in the past. I traveled with my husband and toddler this October. Upon arrival we were confused as to why there was not a working elevator in the Lobby. We later found out that the hotel is doing renovations. Although we were not disturbed by any loud construction, the layout of the hotel is extremely inconvenient with a child. Service is slow. Buffet is great. A la carte restaurants were ok but repetitive, they need more variety. We stayed in the “old” building and it is fair to say the rooms were a 2 to 3 star at most. NO samples for soap, shampoo etc, were provided. Getting a hold of the lobby for missing towels took several attempts and the service is super delayed. Not only is decor very outdated but the rooms have a really strange card detection system and horrible AC ventilation. The room felt very damp and cold the entire trip. This hotel claims to be family friendly but the music from a private wedding events AND their shows every night was extremely loud. I had to complain many times to notice a slight improvement. This made it impossible for my child to sleep. The cribs are OLD, hard and tiny. There are just two showers on the beach for hundreds of tourists visiting this resort. They are going to have to make MAJOR improvements for us to return. Management pretends to ask you how your experience is going, but it seems very rehearsed. This was no where near a 5 star experience but Aruba is beautiful!!
Reviewed on Nov 3, 2025
