Riu Emerald Bay: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Rooms were terrible and we were in a superior room. Specifically the beds were bricks and the most uncomfortable mattress we have ever slept on at a hotel. It matters for a two week trip. Maid service was fantastic and it was clean. Only English channels were news channels. It’s nice to have some variety especially when the hotel caters to visitors from Canada or the USA. Food was very good but no variety. Very repetitive to have the same meal selection every single day for two weeks. The à la c [... read more]arte restaurants were not à la carte - they were buffets and not very interesting. The beach was spectacular and one of the best features of the resort. Very accessible for explorers because the green bus is right out front and well worth 13 pesos. Staff were very nice and professional. Pools were filthy. Very disappointing. Birds were everywhere eating scraps and bees were swarming the adult pool. Entertainment was very nice but the chairs were uncomfortable most having holes in them with a flat cushion to cover up. Gym was absolutely terrible. For a resort with 1100 rooms there should be a premium gym. People do workout on vacation especially younger people and fitness should be taken seriously by hotels. One jacuzzi for thousands of people is just inadequate. Wifi service was spotty and inadequate. We would not recommend this resort.

Riu Playa Blanca: Clean resort, good food but the nightly entertainment not impressive

The rooms, service and food was amazing however the nightly entertainment was lacking. Every night they had the same dancers with different costumes lip sincing and dancing. They could do with some local musicians playing live music to allow the guests to see some culture and msic of the Panama people where we could dance and sing to the music. The tours were 2 hours away in Panama City. A long bus ride which was only offered on certain days. According to the people who went to the Panama C [... read more]anal tour, there was no room to sit or stand to see the boats or the canal and they only had access to the movie theater. This hotel due to its location to all of tours ONLY available 2 hours away needs to find local activies, tours to local towns where there are bars and restarauntswe could visit. Maybe a local catermaran boat ride to snorkling, maybe para sailing from the beach. In summary a wonderful hotel close to the airport but nothing to do locally unless you are willing to give up 4 hours of your day to be on a long bus ride.

Riu Reggae: Zero Privacy in a “Luxury” Suite – Felt Unsafe the Entire Stay

We booked what was supposed to be the most luxurious option available — the Junior Suite Oceanview — and instead spent the entire stay feeling exposed and unsafe. Housekeeping and hotel staff has this weird habit of opening the door after only two knocks, without waiting for a response. The bed is directly visible from the entrance, so this felt like a blatant invasion of privacy. It happened more than once and left us constantly on edge. Yes, there are red/green door tags — but if you for [... read more]get to place one, staff still attempt to enter. Shockingly, there is no interior safety latch on the door. In any well-run hotel, especially at this price point, a physical latch is a basic, non-negotiable security feature. This room had none. The result? If you don’t hear the knock — or are asleep, showering, or changing — anyone can walk straight in. That is not luxury. That is unacceptable. We didn’t complain during the stay because this didn’t feel like a one-off mistake — it felt structural and cultural, something baked into how the property operates and not easily fixed in the moment. Instead of relaxing, we were constantly alert, listening for knocks, and double-checking the door. For a so-called top-tier room, this lack of basic privacy and security is a deal-breaker. If personal space, dignity, or feeling safe in your room matters to you, do not book this hotel. Credit where it’s due: TripCentral and Sunwing did offer a good deal for the busy Christmas season — but no discount is worth feeling exposed in your own room.

Riu Santa Fe: Front Desk- Horrible service

The face of the hotel was nothing short of horrible. The food was mid. Not family friendly. Rooms horrible. way over priced for the stay. The only good thing were the bar tenders and house keepers. Never again

Riu Playa Blanca: Amazing all inclusive resort

This is our second time at this location. The hotel itself was very clean and beautifully decorated for Christmas. The staff was very pleasant and accommodating. The food selection was great. We definitely enjoyed our week stay. The only issue we had was that the floors were very slippery, it had a high gloss. In this case a porcelain tile with a Matt finish would have been more practical. We will definitely be back again.

Riu Ocho Rios: Outstanding Resort

Amazing hotel! True 5 star resort! A 10 for outstanding performance. Room, clean, resort clean, amenities amazing, staff amazing except at the customer service desk, needs some work on attitude. Overall amazing

Riu Emerald Bay: Great resort!

Awesome food and service! Loved the Ocean view rooms.Great set up for a larger family. Our family has been to this resort twice and would definitely go back for a third time! Our travel agent was Saskia who was very helpful with attention to detail.

Riu Palace Antillas: Another Great Time at the RIU Palace Antillas Aruba

Fun, Sun and a Constant Ocean Breeze...everywhere on Palm Beach. However, It is most definitely all the staff that keeps everyone wanting to come back again. The awesome STAFF who make the vib, drinks, pool activities and the fantastic food call happy, fulfilled folks back for a "Cant wait for a RE-DO at the RIU Palace Antillas Aruba!"

Riu Santa Fe: An excellent resort

I recently stayed at this hotel during my vacation and had a wonderful experience. The room was exceptionally clean and well maintained, which made it feel very comfortable and welcoming. The mattress was incredibly supportive and cozy, allowing for a great night’s sleep after long days of exploring. I was also impressed with the updated washrooms — modern, fresh, and spotless. The beach was also very clean, with no seaweeds, which made it perfect for relaxing walks along the shore. The ocean [... read more] was a little wavy during my stay, unfortunately, but still beautiful to enjoy. The food at the hotel was excellent, with a few restaurants to choose from, although even one would have been more than enough because the quality was good. The major areas of the resort were sometimes crowded, but it was always possible to find a quiet spot to relax. Overall, it was a relaxing and pleasant stay, and I would happily return.

Riu Guanacaste: RIU Guanacaste in Costa Rica

The hotel is big and spread out over a wide area. Getting around is easy if you don't have mobility issues. It could do with more elevators in certain secretions. The lobby is clean and well kept, however I saw empty plates left beside elevators for 2 or 3 days. The food in the main buffet (Liberia) was okay but not up to RIU standards. There was ample selection (fish, Italian, Pizza, hamburgers, roast, pastas, salads, and a large selection of desserts). The Steak house was popular as were [... read more] the Japanese and Italian a la carte restaurants. Service was good for the most part. There are four swimming pools, two with swim up bars. The beach was nice and sandy, not crowded and safe for non-swimmers. Lots a lounge chairs, but shade was limited so you need to get there before 9am. Lots of water sports ($) to keep you busy. There are howler monkeys further down the beach that you could feed bananas and grapes. They are friendly and will take food out of your hand.Best time to see them is in the morning between 8 and 9am. The nightly entertainment was mostly in Spanish and geared towards children.

Riu Palace Aruba: 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!

Riu Palace Aruba: 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.

Riu Palace Pacifico: Great time, will be back

We look forward to meeting up with repeat guests/friends every year. Beach is awesome, we even got to watch a turtle release our last night. Awesome sunsets. Food is good, especially 3 of the a la carte restaurants. Breakfast and lunch buffet is plentiful, you never go hungry. Sports bar is 24 hours but limited meal menu. All of the bars make tasty drinks, whatever you ask for. Cappuccino bar in the lobby has line ups every morning, but is great all day. Such a nice addition to the hotel. Shou [... read more]ld be a whistle every hour to get people out of the “pee pool” (swim up bar). We only use the big pool. Entertainment is a little late for those of us who get 8 hours of sun per day. Love the walking trail to Bucerias, we go every morning. Overall a great hotel. No one should be complaining.

Riu Negril: Great resort.

We recently spent seven wonderful days at Rui Negril. I would highly recommend this resort. The grounds were beautiful. Our room was clean and the cleaning lady did a great job. The fridge was always stocked and we made coffee in our room every morning and sat on the balcony to start each day. The staff were very friendly and the entertainment staff were awesome. They would interact with the guests and let you know what was up that day. The steak house was great The food was ve [... read more]ry good and there was a good variety. The grounds were clean as was the beach.

Riu Latino: Best resort we’ve been to !

I was pleasantly surprised with how clean it was, all hallways, all bathrooms, the resort was cleaned and stocked at all times ! (Been to resorts in the past which bathrooms were trashed and not cleaned often enough or toilet paper ran out) never here at Riu Latino ! The staff had excellent customer service, and worked quick. Bar service was quick and I always felt acknowledged (again, was not always the case at other resorts I would sometimes be flat out ignored) at Riu Latino always served eve [... read more]rywhere you go. People wrote poor reviews about there not being a bar/ bathroom building on the Beach- though I do agree I wish there was a bathroom building on the beach as the walk to get back to the bathroom feels like a 3 minute walk, the lack of bar doesn’t matter really because there is constantly 1-2 servers going around the beach with a large tray of like 30 different drinks (margaritas, mojitos, bahama mama, pina colada, beer) and they come around like every 10 minutes offering variety of drinks. I would suggest better entertainment however in the Theater it was everyday just music/ dancing. Would be nice to see actual theater shows such as plays/ musicals- actual shows rather than just dancing every night. Food was good I always found lots of options to fill my plate with at the breakfast/lunch/dinner buffets The resort is small and once you make a loop of it it’s easy to remember where everything is and finding your way around is easy ! but it has everything you need (5 swimming pools, 24/hour sports bar, spa, theater, store, 5 restaurants etc) overall a great experience !

Riu Latino: Amazing Resort

The resort was everything we wanted and more. From the amazing service, great food options, rooms that were clean, spacious and comfortable. It is a smaller resort with everything conveniently located. I would definitely recommend.

Riu Palace Peninsula: Perfect Vacation

The hotel staff were very welcoming. They were always available to make sure we were getting the most out of our trip. This resort has a great selection of restaurants, along with a fantastic buffet area. We came with a large group and there was plenty of room at the beach or around the pool. This trip had a great balance of rest and relaxation along with some fun parties. Whatever you are looking for I think you will find at this resort.

Riu Playa Blanca: First visit to a Riu property.

Grounds were beautiful, manicured every day and beach was raked daily. Abundant staff. We had a ground level room, which we requested for easier mobility, and easy access to all amenities. The room could use a refresh, however, it was very spacious, full bar, and a/c worked well. We did however encounter a cockroach twice in the 2 weeks we were there. Big plus is proximity to airport..15 min.

Riu Palace Antillas: my opinion about the hotel

I am satisfied with everything, we had a nice week of rest. We are planning our next visit to the RIU Antillas. I regret that we cannot make reservations in the restaurants and it is inconvenient when you want to relax and have to stand in line for at least 1 hour. I have been to several similar resorts and you could make reservations in advance. I think this caused problems for several guests.

Riu Montego Bay: Enjoyed ourselves

The bartenders were absolutely amazing especially Kemar, Gaverick, Phillicia, Antoinette and Saiqa. We enjoyed most of the shows that riu puts on in the evenings and other things they do during the day. The riu entertainment team was great at their jobs and made sure everyone was having a good time. Depending on the day the restaurants were good but we went to a couple around the end of our stay which happened to be my birthday and unfortunately the dinner was so salty I couldn't have more than [... read more] two spoonfuls. Overall we enjoyed ourselves. Thank you riu