Great stay in Aruba

We recently stayed at the Riu Palace in Aruba and overall had a very enjoyable experience. We were in the newly renovated building, and the room was absolutely stunning — modern, spacious, and beautifully designed. Because one of the resort’s buildings was closed for remodeling, the property felt relaxed and never overly crowded, which we really appreciated. The beach area is one of the highlights — wide, pristine, and perfect for long walks. We loved the boardwalk that runs along the strip,  [... read more]making it easy to stroll and take in the scenery. The location is also fantastic, with plenty of restaurants and shops just a few minutes’ walk away. We also walked to Eagle Beach, which also has beautiful views. While the resort itself was lovely, the food at the à la carte restaurants was somewhat underwhelming and a bit bland for our taste. By the end of our trip, we found ourselves sticking mostly to the buffet, which had more consistent options. That said, the staff were excellent — always friendly, attentive, and eager to help, which really added to our overall stay.

Solid Resort

It is hard to go wrong at the Riu Palace Aruba. It has a great location on Palm Beach, close to the friendly restaurant-lined street outside, and we found the food and rooms typical of the Riu Palace franchise. The lobby does look tired and I hope Riu uses a different interior designer in the upcoming remodel instead of the purple Miami Vice situation that currently exists. Staff were very accommodating and overall we had one of our best vacations ever!

Great hotel

Grounds well kept, pool was very clean as well as all outdoor patios and etc. Food was good, hotel was clean and staff friendly and attentive. Walking distance to Noord.Not far from Orangestad and the market at the port.

Incredible Resort

First time at a Riu ??? fabulous time. Food was incredible at every meal. Buffet outstanding. Massive pool. Staff beyond friendly and helpful. Awesome sports bar. Great evening entertainment. Beach and water the best. White sand clear wonderful salt waters with staff constantly cleaning and attentive. One safe happy island for sure ??. We will be back ✈️

Aruba is awesome!

Rooms were clean. The food was top notch! The air-conditioning was great. We went during Halloween and the decoration of the main buffet was over the top! If you have trouble with stairs, this is not the resort for you! One wing of the resort is finished being renovated. The middle section was under construction while we were there. The third wing will be addressed in the new year.

Love Love Love

Aruba Ariba! I could go on and on but the highlights - the place was spotless.. the one staff member laughed at me every morning because as much as I tried I couldn’t avoid always catching her mopping and walking on her wet floors.. IYKYK lol Our room was spotless and well serviced every day. The food was good but with only 2 A la carte a night they were pressed for spaces (off season maybe), staff in the Buffet seemed a little light - they looked to be run off their feet but always were polite  [... read more]and had smiles on. Perfect beach - one gentleman raked and picked up after people all day. My husband started cleaning the beach because it was hard to watch - that was a criticism of the guests not the staff. Pool life was hoppin’ and they didn’t hold back on the liquor either! My husband had a bit of a medical emergency and the front desk handled it great - had a doctor to our room in 2 hours. The entertainment staff were amazing too. Lovely Island filled with lovely people!

Really nice spot

Very nice resort. The service was exceptional. Our room was spacious and clean, although a bit tired. The construction noise was a bit much at times. The daytime music was blasting, im guessing to compensate making it less than restful. I would have like some food service closer to the pool and beach. And would have preferred to make dinner reservations at the a la carte rather then first come, first served.

Excellent restaurant and room staff

The whole experience was excellent. 4th time there. Only one bad experience . We left behind an item in the hotel by accident. The Nexus agent at the airport told us that they located it and it would be delivered to the airport within the hour. Unfortunately 3 hours later ( due to a plane delay) the item was never delivered. Riu hotel and Nexus staff never contacted us . Sad.

Never a disappointment!!

The Riu Palace is never a disappointment!!! However it is under partial construction but overall, the service, people were amazing and super friendly. Most importantly, a very very clean hotel. Third time visiting and definitely NOT MY LAST!!!?

The bar at the pool , room .

at our pool bar ask for a mix drink no machine to mix , i go next door at the pool bar they had all the drinks that i ask for, all the mixers and great service so i tip them , we had our 10 year old with us so we had to stay at the palace, next door the food was better the resort was cleaner it had washrooms at the pool area not at the palace we have been to Aruba 4 times now all we have stay at both one more the kids rui land had times on monday and tuesday not open it was open on wed thur a [... read more]nd fri only Riu i think it time to change.

Somewhat enjoyable week

We've been to Aruba many times but this was our first time at the Riu Palace. The accommodations were somewhat disappointing. We had booked a junior suite and the first one we were given was on the ground floor with a 'garden view' which turned out to be a construction site for the neighboring resort. We asked to be moved and the following day we had a suite on the 7th floor overlooking the pool. It was just okay - very dated and extremely noisy. Turns out one of the Riu Palace towers was also u [... read more]nder construction and they played the music at a volume loud enough to drown out the jackhammering all day. It would have been nice to have somewhere quiet to relax. Most resorts I've been to have had quiet pools and/or library areas for reading. Even the lobby was very noisy. On the positive side, the meals in the buffet and the alacarte restaurants were outstanding as was the service. Aruba is still our favorite island.

Under Construction!

40% of the resort is closed. A major building is under construction and all we heard was jack hammering all day. We ended up leaving the resort and going to Joia Iberostar. We should have been notified of this when booking. Horrible experience and what a hassle to switch resorts! One elevator was closed down, and on our first day there the other elevator also wasn’t working. We walked from the seventh floor just to leave to get breakfast. Food selection was also very limited. Brutal!

Living like royals at the Riu Palace

We had a fantastic week! The hotel grounds and interior are very well taken care of and staff were friendly! Beautiful pools and gorgeous beach property with beach chairs and palapas. The hotel activities were fun for the whole family and included some activity rentals such as kayaking. The food quality and choices were amazing! Great location for walking to other hotels/shops and taking the bus to downtown.

Very Good Resort

My wife and I stayed at this resort Feb. 9 to 16, 2025 This hotel is located on Palm Beach. Palm Beach is a 5 out of 5. The food and beverage options and quality are very good 4.5 out of 5 The steakhouse was a 3.5, the Japanese and Italian was a 4, Krystal (fusion) was a 4.5 and the Buffet was a 4.5. The rooms are functional but dated. The could use an uplift/reno. The rooms in the main building had a musty odour. Overall I would rate the rooms 3.5 out of 5 The hotel was generally kept  [... read more]very clean. The rooms were generally clean. I would rate cleanliness 4 out of 5. The entertainment at night was good. I would rate that a 4 out of 5. The entertainment by the pool was good. I would rate that 4 out of 5. The grounds were very nice. I would rate them 4.5 out of 5. The service was very good. 4 out of 5. We would go back to this hotel

Food Top Notch

Check in was short but confusing. Room was stocked well and clean. Beach was close, beautiful sand and warm waters. Staff was most helpful and pleasant. Can not say enough about the restaurants, staff and quality of food. Entertainment was pleasantly exciting.

Good Resort

I have been to the RIU in Bahamas, and the Catalonia in Costa Mujeres. The food at Aruba Palace is similar to the Bahamas, very good. But the service falls short. It appears that the Palace, restaurants and buffet areas are understaffed. Beach papayas are difficult to secure, you need to be up at 7 AM to secure one.

Riu Palace

The staff were very friendly and gracious. The hotel rooms are dated and the north building is not in good shape. Daniel was incredibly helpful in accommodating our room needs and making our stay enjoyable.

Great resort!

The hotel staff was great. The rooms are a bit outdated. The dinner dining options need an upgrade. The buffet dining restaurant was great. Love that the beach area is so close. The hotel needs more beach palapas to service the hotel guests.

Paradise

I don't even know where to begin on what I have to say about this resort. Pure paradise. I have never been away to any resort where I did not find something to give feedback on. Not now. There is nothing I can say that is negative nor can I say that improvement is needed. The people are amazing and friendly and genuinely care about their guests. I have been recommending this resort to everyone I work with and my family. Thank you for making my stay absolutely enjoyable.

Absolutely #1 Choice !

If you are looking for a beach holiday the hotel rooms / staff are great with great food and drink ! The beach and water are also most accommodating. Also a very safe resort to vacation too ! A true 5 star resort !