Aruba - Riu Palace Aruba

I stayed at the RIU at the end of April 2013. The hotel is very nice. The pool was very clean. It was easy to find a seat every day. I've been to Aruba before, and it is always windy, but there seemed to be an extra breeze at the RIU. I really enjoyed that. The buffet is excellent, but the ot .. More>

I stayed at the RIU at the end of April 2013. The hotel is very nice. The pool was very clean. It was easy to find a seat every day. I've been to Aruba before, and it is always windy, but there seemed to be an extra breeze at the RIU. I really enjoyed that. The buffet is excellent, but the other restaurants are average. They only serve food at the other restauarants at 6:30 and 9:00. They provide you with appetizers, but you only have 2 main course to choose from. I like to enjoy a few ;-) adult beverages while I am on vacation. If you are not partial to a particular brand of alcohol (Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan) you will enjoy the bar. I prefer Mr. Daniels, and it was not available, but I survived. They only have 1 beer selection on tap, but there is plenty of it. The mini bar in your room is nice. The hotel is clean, great location, but I will probably look for a different hotel the next time (I did not like dinner only being severed at two times and the alcohol selection...you can go to the buffet at any time).

Hotel staff was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The view from the room was breathtaking. Room was clean and fresh towels brought in twice a day. Buffett had a large variety of tasty food. Restaurant food was good, not great. Restaurant staff was attentative. .. More>

Hotel staff was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The view from the room was breathtaking. Room was clean and fresh towels brought in twice a day. Buffett had a large variety of tasty food. Restaurant food was good, not great. Restaurant staff was attentative.

Excellent experience, will do it again .. More>

Excellent experience, will do it again

I feel that this was so excellent a stay at the Riu. The staff was very accommodating and polite, from the check-in to the departure, everyone treated us like royalty. The food was out of this world and the entertainment was also excellent. The only thing I found a little discomforting, and I mean .. More>

I feel that this was so excellent a stay at the Riu. The staff was very accommodating and polite, from the check-in to the departure, everyone treated us like royalty. The food was out of this world and the entertainment was also excellent. The only thing I found a little discomforting, and I mean a little and it might just be me, was that the mattresses were a little too hard, but that is being picky. I recommend that you go and enjoy, you won't be disappointed.

Beautiful location on Palm Beach, Aruba. The Riu and local area seemed very safe. Would always recommend traveling with someone, never alone. All hotel staff were friendly and helpful. The dining was average with a good variety of food, however, the dining room staffs were less than par, not as fri .. More>

Beautiful location on Palm Beach, Aruba. The Riu and local area seemed very safe. Would always recommend traveling with someone, never alone. All hotel staff were friendly and helpful. The dining was average with a good variety of food, however, the dining room staffs were less than par, not as friendly or helpful. You have to specifically ask for what you want, and timeliness and responsiveness was not good as could be. Room service did not have a good variety to select from. Outstanding Jr Suite room with sea view. Rooms could add more modern televisons...but very clean and neat.

I went here for my birthday. It was a fantastic visit. Very clean. Very polite staff and visitors. I definetly will go again. .. More>

I went here for my birthday. It was a fantastic visit. Very clean. Very polite staff and visitors. I definetly will go again.

We were thoroughly amazed at our room and its amenities. Our balcony was huge. The view from our room and balcony was perfect. The Vacation was very energized for the first few days (jeep tour to Natural Pool and Kuku Kanukoo Bar hopping Bus. Then it became very restfull!!!! Great, awesome vac .. More>

We were thoroughly amazed at our room and its amenities. Our balcony was huge. The view from our room and balcony was perfect. The Vacation was very energized for the first few days (jeep tour to Natural Pool and Kuku Kanukoo Bar hopping Bus. Then it became very restfull!!!! Great, awesome vacation. We're looking at vacationing through Apple Vacation in Cost Rica next year!!!

We have never been disappointed in this vacation or this hotel It is a true paradise for my wife and me Will be going again and again to this island and this hotel .. More>

We have never been disappointed in this vacation or this hotel It is a true paradise for my wife and me Will be going again and again to this island and this hotel

Food was much better than expected. Reservation restaurants were top notch and waiters etc were very accommodating. Hotel rooms were older but nicely maintained and the room was straightened and cleaned very well daily. Gym equipment needed repair and updating but was barely usable. .. More>

Food was much better than expected. Reservation restaurants were top notch and waiters etc were very accommodating. Hotel rooms were older but nicely maintained and the room was straightened and cleaned very well daily. Gym equipment needed repair and updating but was barely usable.

Great place to visit. Food was fantastic, beautiful beach however seasonally windy. Nightly entertainment could be improved. Activities at pool. Overall a great place - would definitely go back. .. More>

Great place to visit. Food was fantastic, beautiful beach however seasonally windy. Nightly entertainment could be improved. Activities at pool. Overall a great place - would definitely go back.

This is a wonderful hotel, however this is NOT a 6 golden apple. Its is the nicest All Inclusive resort in Aruba. This is a nice hotel but a 4 star, not 5 star. The beds truly are horrible to sleep on and I can sleep any where. The RIU we stayed at last year in Costa Rica was a lot nicer than this .. More>

This is a wonderful hotel, however this is NOT a 6 golden apple. Its is the nicest All Inclusive resort in Aruba. This is a nice hotel but a 4 star, not 5 star. The beds truly are horrible to sleep on and I can sleep any where. The RIU we stayed at last year in Costa Rica was a lot nicer than this facility. The staff was awesome and the food was good, but it seems dated and needs a makeover

We stayed at RIU May 12-18 2013. We had an ocean view suite (room 536 at the end of the building) in building B. The room was amazing. The view was incredible. There is a king size bed (it was... More>

We stayed at RIU May 12-18 2013. We had an ocean view suite (room 536 at the end of the building) in building B. The room was amazing. The view was incredible. There is a king size bed (it was pretty firm but I like it that way), jacuzzi tub, dual sinks, standalone shower, sitting area with a flat screen, bar (bacardi, johnny walker, smirnoff, and a brandy) and mini-fridge. The balcony is quite large compared to the other rooms and had a great view. I read a lot of reviews on this site and was somewhat concerned by some of the negative comments. That turned out to be for nothing because the hotel was fantastic. I will definitely go back. The staff was very friendly throughout our stay and easily met all of our expectations. Checking in was easy. We took a cab from the airport for $28 and there was no wait to check-in. They have you eat at the Don Nicholas buffet the first night. Any other night you can choose from any of the sit down restaurants or the buffet. You have to make reservations for the restaurants the morning of and choose between a 6:30 or 9:00 dining time. They start taking reservations at 8am. If you go at that time you'll have to wait in line. I would go around 10am because there was no line and I didn't have trouble making a reservation for 6:30. All the food was very good at the restaurants and buffet. I would have been happy at the buffet every night. There is a very large selection and they do different themes every night. The pool is great. The swim up bar is pretty cool. The drinks are a little weak but I didn't want to get trashed at 10am and wanted to stay hydrated because the sun is very strong. People get up at the crack of dawn to reserve chairs with towels. I wasn't about to get up that early on vacation. My wife and I never had a problem finding two chairs together when we went down around 9-10am. Towels can be hard to come by later in the day because some people are constantly getting new ones. I highly recommend boca towel clips. The wind is constant here and will blow the towel away. The beach is paradise. The wind blows a lot and sometimes pelts you with sand. That can be a little annoying but I'd take that over bugs any day. It also makes it feel cooler and much more comfortable. There are some huts for shade but they get taken very early in the morning. I was happy in the sun anyway. Make sure to bring plenty of sun screen because it is much more expensive than at home. The water is crystal clear and the bottom is almost completely sand. It is very warm too. The sand doesn't get hot so you can walk around barefoot comfortably. There are a number of huts set up where the locals sell water sports, chairs, umbrellas, etc. By De Palm pier, next to RIU, there is a hut where we rented jet skis. It was a blast and they take you to an area down the beach where it is pretty quite so you don't have to worry about other boats. I recommend the Palm Pleasure sunset cruise. It runs every night and you can make reservations in the hotel lobby. We also did the off-road safari through De Palm tours. You drive a two seat utv (yamaha rhino) through the north side of the island. It was great. Fabio was an awesome guide, he was very funny and interesting. I highly recommend RIU and I can't wait to go back.

We landed at the airport around 2 pm (earlier than expected due to the favorable wind direction on the flight). The taxi ride cost $22 (we had originally signed up for a bus to take us to the Riu for... More>

We landed at the airport around 2 pm (earlier than expected due to the favorable wind direction on the flight). The taxi ride cost $22 (we had originally signed up for a bus to take us to the Riu for about $100, what a mistake that would have been!). Upon arrival, the check-in clerk mentioned that our room was not yet ready (check-in time is 3, so we were early). She happily snapped our all-inclusive bracelets on our wrists and directed us right to the buffet while we waited for our room to be ready. We got a bite to eat, and were extremely pleased with the buffet options. They literally have everything - fish, pork, chicken, potatoes in all forms, ice cream bar, extensive dessert section, pastas, hotdogs, hamburgers, mimosas, beer, wine, EVERYTHING. You can also eat indoors at the buffet, or you can grab a table outside on the balcony that overlooks the gorgeous pool. When we finally made it into our room (we got the Jacuzzi suite -- Jacuzzi in room and one on the oversized enormous balcony - worth spending the extra money for this), we were blown away. There is a four bottle liquor dispenser in the room intact with all mixers in the below refrigerator. There were huge bottles of water as well. Inside the liquor dispenser was vodka, rum, a French brandy, and Johnny Walker red label scotch. What more could you ask for? A few other notables from the room were the towel animals that the housekeepers created and decorated with bright flowers, a flat screen TV, a beautiful view of both the ocean and the pool, a bathroom with a gigantic, beautifully modern shower (removable shower head and in-shower shelves for towels and toilette trees. The bed. The reviews were accurate, the bed is indeed very firm, however, we found it pleasantly comfortable as your partner will not feel a thing if you roll around in your sleep or get up and sit down frequently. It is not as bad as you would think after reading some of the reviews on here. There is a blanket in the walk in closet that you can also use which is very comfortable and will keep you warm if you like to sleep with the air conditioner cranked up as we do. The casino was great. I will add though, if you like to play blackjack, you have to venture out to the Crystal casino. Here, the dealer only initially deals himself one face-up card, then deals the rest of the cards to the players. The second card is dealt to the dealer after the players play their hands. This is an enormous player advantage, and we benefitted greatly from this. Also, they use only 6 decks, not 8 as the casino at the Riu and all casinos in the US use. We went to the Crystal casino twice, and we won both times. We even brought some new friends that we met at the hotel with us the second time and they won big as well. Check this place out! Cab rides into the downtown area where the casino is costs $11. Taxis were very easy to obtain. The pool was where we spent most of our time. The swim up bar and bartenders made the trip extra special by their extremely friendly demeanors and drink suggestions. All drinks are fresh - I suggest the banana daiquiris. Miami vices are another favorite of ours and were deliciously refreshing. We traveled in May, so there were not many children around which was nice. The beach - BEAUTIFUL. If you do not wake up around 5:30, you will not be able to reserve a "hut' that they have sections of on the beach. You can sit under a palm tree though, as this blocks some of the sand from blowing into your face when the winds pick up. The wind wasn't a bad thing, it was soothing and made it possible to take a comfortable nap instead of melting in the sun. Also, we rented rafts from one of the water activity booths on the beach. They cost $5 each per day, and were totally worth it. The ocean is very calm, so laying on a float and sipping on a daiquiri was a dream come true. The beach and pool contain everything imaginable to make your sun and sand experience at the Riu exceed expectations. Restaurants - You will need to go to the reservation booth in the lobby between 8 & 11 to make a reservation if you plan on eating at one of the non-buffet restaurants. Our favorite restaurant was the least popular one; Steak House. We both got the surf and turf and almost wanted to go back again the following night to eat the same meal. Delicious food here. Krystal, the "fusion" themed restaurant was our least favorite, but it was nice to try foods such as caviar or beet gazpacho that we would never normally order. Tasty foods, but definitely acquired tastes and meal combinations. Definitely try the potato leek soup here. The Italian restaurant was also delicious, but heavy. Don't snack before you eat here! The room service menu is nice. They have chicken Caesar salads, nachos, sandwiches, three deserts (the chocolate cake is yummy!) and the room service is available 24/7. Anything that you want, you can get at any time though. The staff here will really go out of their way to supply you with kindness and any services that you may need. The surrounding area of the hotel is very safe as well. We were not approached once to be haggled or coerced into buying anything. People will leave you alone here, but they are also talkative and informative if you need them to be. You will not regret your decision to stay at the Riu. The aforementioned "outdating" of the interior of the building is slightly exadderated on this site. The hotel was only built about a decade ago, so I think they had a vision of what they wanted the hotel to be - a complimentary setting to the beauty that is the beach and pool - they compliment each other very nicely and we did not find it to be outdated at all.

I travelled to Riu Aruba with my husband and 11 year old son. It was our first time in Aruba and we had a fabulous time! We always stay at Riu resorts and we find them all to be five star, no... More>

I travelled to Riu Aruba with my husband and 11 year old son. It was our first time in Aruba and we had a fabulous time! We always stay at Riu resorts and we find them all to be five star, no complaints at all. Clean hotel, delicious food, great service. The beach is beautiful, the sand is soft and white and the water is clear and beautiful shades of blue. We enjoyed walking the beach every day for exercise, you can walk at least 40 minutes in one direction (north). You can walk about 25 minutes south. There are lots of activities right at Riu's doorstep, such as jet skis, parasailing, etc. There is always something to do. We found that the people of Aruba are warm and friendly and truly want you to fall in love with their island. They are proud of their home and proud to share it with tourists. I would recommend the jeep tour to the north end of the island, which is beautiful, rugged and desert like (lots of cacti), in stark contrast to the lush, tropical feel of the south end, where all the resorts are. We also loved the Palm Pleasure catamaran tour, which stops at three snorkelling destinations. These tours can be booked at the Signature desk in the front lobby of the Riu Palace. The operators of these tours are funny and very outgoing, and they made it feel like we were the first group to take these tours, from their level of excitement! I would also recommend bringing a lot of very high SPF sunscreen, as the sun is super hot and strong, and if you spend half a day in the sun and half in the shade you will have a nice tan and no burn. Do not underestimate the sun. I tan easily but did get a sunburn, first one in years. We truly loved our trip to Aruba and we are planning to return. I would highly recommend this hotel and this island to couples or families. There were lots of children at the resort, but it was not overun or overcrowded, just a perfect mix of couples and families. Aruba's slogan is "One Happy Island!", and that is exactly what it is.

My husband and I were looking for a special place to travel for our 25th anniversary. I am so happy we chose the RIU palace in Aruba. We are not seasoned travelers, but we knew what we wanted. A... More>

My husband and I were looking for a special place to travel for our 25th anniversary. I am so happy we chose the RIU palace in Aruba. We are not seasoned travelers, but we knew what we wanted. A beautiful resort, with a great beach, where we could just RELAX. We got exactly what we wanted and so much more. My husband is a big eater but rather picky, so food was a concern for him. I am not so particular about food, but cleanliness is a priority of mine. We had no need to be concerned. The food at the main buffet was simply excellent. Wonderful variety. So much to choose from. There was nothing that we would've liked to have that wasn't there. We ate breakfast and dinner there. We ate so much at breakfast that we were never hungry at lunch time and just stayed at the pool and the beach. At breakfast there is a make your own Bloody Mary station and mamosa station. There was a caesar salad station one evening at dinner, and a crepe' station another night. Both were just outstanding. We did make reservations and ate dinner one evening at the Nautilus Steak House, and it was good, but both of us preferred the buffet, (as many others did also according to the reviews I've read,) so we just continued to eat there. One thing worth mentioning is that their milk and coffee cream were room temperature, not cold. Just something that we weren't accustomed to. I had read some negative reviews about room service, but we did order it late one evening. We each had a club sandwich, nachos and a piece of cheesecake. It was delicious. We have absolutely no complaints. In the lobby, there is an attendant at a little station set up with what seemed to be a different drink every day. For example, rum fruit punch, martinis, bloody marys just to name a few. I think you were able to get most of the drinks with or without alcohol. The sports bar is open 24 hours. There was hotdogs, popcorn, nachos, fresh fruit and sandwiches there. The sports bar is also where the computers are if you would like to use them. The pool was just so much fun. Very clean. Ample room. We never "reserved" a chair and we never had trouble finding one. When we were at the pool we would sit on the sun terrace for a bit, or usually you could find us at one of the tables in the pool. There is a pool waitress named Valentina, and it is a good idea to sit where she is waitressing. She is just outstanding and has an incredible memory as to what you like to drink. She introduced us to some new drinks also. Such a pleasant person, always smiling and just makes you feel so welcome. We really enjoyed her. Bring a travel mug of some type and you won't need so many refills. There was water aerobics and games done by the activity staff every morning and afternoon, but at 4 pm there is a gentleman who does zumba. Definitely alot of fun whether you are participating or just watching. My husband was a little disappointed in the beer selection. They had Polar Beer and Amstell. No light beers which is what he drinks. The selection didn't stop him from drinking beer, he just stuck with Amstell. He did say he would have preferred a lighter beer. We loved the beach. How could you not? Beautiful water, so many shades of blue. Soft, powdery white sand. It was pretty breezy there, but we never got sandblasted. It would be a good idea to take some clips for your towels. The resort gift shop sold Boca towel clips. I think they were $13 or $15, something like that. We stayed in Building B, 4th floor. Pool view and partial ocean view and it was perfect. We had a Jr. Suite. The room was completely tiled and beautiful. It was very clean, and kept very clean all week. We had assumed the mini fridge would be stocked daily. We had to call twice during the week to have our water restocked, (we drink alot of water and wanted to have two bottles cold,) no big deal at all. We didn't visit the casino at all since we aren't really gamblers. We were going to look into excursions, but we decided to opt for a couples massage at the spa instead and we were very happy that we did. We took a bus into town to look around and shop a little. The front desk told us a cab ride would be about $12.00 and the bus was $2.30 a person. You can catch the bus right outside the resort to the right. One problem for us worth mentioning is that we had trouble getting clothes to dry. For example, the swimming suit I wore the first day was still damp when we left to come home. There was a drying rack in the bathroom, and we would even tie somethings outside on our terrace chair to see if that would help it them to dry, but nothing really ever did. Maybe it is the humidity,?? There is a laundry service at the resort if you would need it, but we didn't feel that was necessary for this issue. My husband had flip flops with padded soles that he wore to the beach one day. Big mistake. The foam padding never dried while we were there. No matter what we tried. Just felt that was worth mentioning. We found the staff at the front desk very helpful, but we didn't need them for very much. Upon our arrival, they asked us the reason for our trip. We told them it was for our 25th anniversary. They made a note of it, but I'm not sure why. I was hopeful maybe we would find a towel shaped into something fancy or romantic, or rose petals on the bed, something like that but, ....nope. Nothing. Again, this was not a big deal to us. I was just wondering why they asked and made a note of our special occasion? They made change for us whenever we needed it and also printed our boarding passes for us when we were getting ready to leave. We enjoyed ourselves more than we expected to. The RIU was beautiful and we can't say enough about the pool, beach, and food. We met a couple there from our area who say that for the past 8 years they have stayed at this resort every year. It was very easy to see why. We are excited to go back!

We just returned from the Riu having rented a timeshare unit. Having read good and bad reviews we took the chance. The bottom line is timeshare units are great deals at the Riu. You have to rent... More>

We just returned from the Riu having rented a timeshare unit. Having read good and bad reviews we took the chance. The bottom line is timeshare units are great deals at the Riu. You have to rent through an owner and there are only 35 units. The units are a little older and a little dated. They are clean and vary spacious. They have comfortable beds, clean linen, living rooms, dining areas and balconies or patios. Most amazing is the price of a weekly rental. You can rent a timeshare unit at the Riu for a week for about the price of one night in the hotel. We had a 2 bedroom unit which would accommodate a family of 6. You can also purchase all inclusive for $75 a day. Older and slightly dated-yes but the price for a week is unbelievable. You have access to all of the Riu amenities. You are not treated like second class guest. Yes-there is a separate check in desk for timeshare and the timeshare representative could not be more accommodating.