Riu Republica: Good Time

The resort was good for me and my vacation needs. There was a common complaint from many people about food, non- English speaking staff and cleanliness. I have been to 4 Riu Resorts in Cancun Mexico and this one doesn't live up to that standard. My room wasn't cleaned 3 days of my stay. When I went down to the front desk I was told to put the blue sign which states "clean my room" ... there was no sign other than the red do not disturb. On my last breakfast, my elbows stuck to the placemat. Whi [... read more]le having that same breakfast a server spilled coffee on the floor. Staff and guests were walking over the coffee so I took some napkins and started to clean it up as I'm a hospitality foodservice manager on the health and safety committee. Soon as started to clean up the coffee captains and servers all rushed to stop me and take over the task. Lady servers are the best staff they have. Male servers, in general, are mediocre at best, especially for breakfast. Yawning at the station, not paying attention and forgetful. Cancun Mexico when you enter and restaurant the servers are escorting you to there station, coffee, juice, and water are offered and served in a flash. Males servers, for the most part, don't make an effort to speak English where all woks of life coming to the resort making an effort to speak the language. Resort grounds should be cleaned through the night. I came down at 6:30 am and walked across a dirty theatre which was always cleaned in the morning along with the walkways leading to pools and beach. Many a morning I walked from my room passed numerous glasses, nachos spilled on the floor and beverages spill. There is no beach view from the resort like 99% resorts rather a pathway leading to the beach. Could it be intentional? The front desk by day doesn't reflect the rest of the resort as when its all lit up at night. The Jerk chicken kiosk is a good idea but they need to change up the hot dogs every day. I wouldn't change the chicken but you may want to consider some plain chicken for those who don't eat spicy. The jerk chicken gets dry as the day goes on but if you eat before noon its juicy and good. The daily hot dogs are not fully cooked on a regular basis. I think it should be changed up especially if you eat there daily. They should consider alternating hot dogs burgers and possibly a chorizo sausage. There was no relish available for the hot dogs. Bar service was great along with the selection of alcohol. Peanuts were good and a nice touch. Sports Bar was good but someone should be monitoring it as when its busy its hard to get a drink. I would reccomend but not all.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Great Hotel

My wife and I did a quick 4 night stay in late July. The resort was perfect. The rooms, service, food, and facilities are exactly what we expected. If you go on trip advisor and look at some of the well written, and well thought out reviews they will be bang on. Check in and out was very quick. The location was perfect along with the pools and beach.

Riu Playa Blanca: Fantastic Resort

Everything was lovely, from the time we checked in til the time we checked out. We received the free upgrade upon presenting our marriage license and were very happy with the room. Great food options, nice pools. Fantastic view of the ocean from our balcony. Enough staff spoke english so we were able to have all our questions answered quickly. Would highly recommend.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Truly an Amazing place

Absolutely amazing place, went for the first weekend of August and had a great time!!! Any negative reviews you read about this resort are from people who are expecting too much, or from those who have had the occasional bad experience. We have travelled to many places throughout the Caribbean, always 4.5* or better and the Riu Palace holds up to all of them. Here's a honest rundown of what to expect on key items; Beach - Nicest beach I've ever seen in the world,truly amazing to walk on [... read more] that sand with the clearest water at your feet. Sure there's guys asking about jet skis, but before you can say "no thanks" they've already moved to the next person. DO NOT make any promises if you don't mean them,"maybe later" or "tomorrow" is a reason for them to come back to see. Just say no thanks and go back to enjoying the sun. Pools - Main pool is great and has a lot of shade and tons of seats. At 11am we could find a seat in the shade any day, so there's no need to run down at 6am to reserve a spot. The infinity pool is beautiful and has a swim-up bar, but its also where the party groups tend to migrate too and there is a lot of them. Everyday it seems to have another bridal party showing up, but it also offers great people watching opportunities. Bartenders are top shelf, and they don't go easy on the alcohol. Bring your own cups if needed, but the small 8onz one allow you to try more drinks and god did you 2 hands for a reason. Food - BEST buffet we've ever seen, food way always hot and plentiful. If you can't find something of your liking at this buffet then you really need to revaluate your expectations in travel. The restaurants are also nice, but don't stress trying to get into them as its really not worth it. The Indian was great and was not too exotic. Trust me, it was actually enjoyable. Jerk chicken was really good, but for anyone whose been to Jamaica, this doesn't compare. Its more of Charcoal chicken but its great and with the rice and a cold drink looking over the beach its probably a better lunch then you've had today.... Staff - They work really hard for your enjoyment and were great to deal with. Sway at the from Desk, LG from the Pool side and all the bar tenders need to thanked for their hard work ever single day, but you will not meet anyone who works harder then the older guys who does the beach chairs and umbrellas... Rooms - Their GREAT!!!! yes the mattresses are firm, but its cause their new. Great views, fabulous rainforest showers and a fully stocked bar fridge with Jim Beam, Smirnoff, Gin & Johnny Walker. And a fridge full of coke, ginger ale and Heineken. If you ever had any thoughts of going here, stop thinking and book it. The place is fabulous, and at the price you'll not find anything better!!

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Great resort!

The hotel was extremely well maintained. Lobby and grounds were continually cleaned and the staff was very friendly. The rooms are spacious and well kept. The dining options were very good. The only drawback for the à la carte restaurants was that you could not book seating in advance. Otherwise, a beautiful facility that I highly recommend!

Riu Palace Pacifico: Great hotel

The hotel is clean, beautiful. with a relaxing environment. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. The foods are very good. We enjoyed the food and service in Krystal 's during our stay. It was excellent!

Riu Palace Aruba: Outstanding!! A resort that won't disappoint!!

My husband and I returned here to Aruba after 25 yrs to celebrate our anniversary and the Riu Palace was absolutely breathtaking. The people in Aruba are so friendly, happy and always willing to make your stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. The food is very good, very clean, and if you choose to go off resort to eat, the convenience of restaurants are nearby. I loved the way the hotels along the strip connected with a lovely walkway. We visited all the resorts along the strip and we  [... read more]could not believe how much has changed. We will definitely return next yr to the Riu!!! Thank you Riu Palace for making our anniversary unforgettable!!!!

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Riu Palace now NEW paradise

WOW!!! Great renos great staff great service. Hardwood floors in the rooms brilliant Idea. Two pools one to relax one to PARTY!!! fantastic. Breakfast Lunch dinner Buffet has everything you need. But, if you want more there are few more restaurants to eat dinner in. Jerk Chicken bar amazing! New calypso Bar great shows great dancers.... Micheal Jackson show was a real treat thank you thank you Thank you!!!!

Riu Flamingos: Good resort hotel , good beach , restaurants service good

In July , the hotel had many Mexicans families vacationing 4 to 7 days with their family. Beach is clean and good for enjoying the warm water. Service at restaurants good. Some front desk staff is not responsive on arrival: Upon finding out that the room was to the very far end on the 6th floor , we have asked to transfer to a room closer to the elevator , because walking six floors up and down multiple time will be tiring after one week , one young front desk fellow ( Josie) keeps telling  [... read more]excuses that the systems is not working , and telling us that will have to come back next day or next two days to change rooms..SunWing rep was Alex was very helpful later afternoon for request to change to a room closer to elevator..from the third day ..but by then it took too much time to repack all personal items..so we stay as is ...but it is too much tiring up an down the stairs on foot .. on another occasion, loss the room access card , and ask for a replacement room access card , again the same young front desk fellow keeps finding excuses that the systems is not working forcing us to go scurring the restaurants for the misplaced card in the full hot sun heat ..and was told that may have to pay for a replacement card ( which has no room no , takes a few minutes to enable digitally ) , ..upon hearing that will complain on tripadvisor and to the general manager about this outrageous card replacement cost , that if there is an intention to charge customer it should be spelled out , like beach towel, the manager Alfonso come out and gave a replacement card, so we can get in our room..later evening found the old card and brought back the card ...and specifically told the manager Alfonso that front desk staff should not tell untruth stories that system is not working, when customer can see that it is , straight face to customer because it outrages people . Yet the front is what create first and lasting impression to people. Aside from this item, everything else are good , buffer & restaurants' waiter and host are attentive and excellent. General bar service also good and gave sufficient attention to non locals. Overall was pleased with the trip. Access to the next door Riu Vallarta was also appreciated and provide value.

Riu Guanacaste: Amazing Resort!

My husband and I took our 2 boys (ages 10 and 14) to this resort for a week and LOVED it!! It's a beautuful hotel right on the beach, and offers clean swimming pools. The buffet offers a wide variety of foods to choose from, and there are 4 restaurants. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We plan on going back!!

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Perfect 4-day getaway less than 3 hours from Toronto!

If you're looking for a quick all-inclusive getaway at a perfect beach, look no further than the RIU at Paradise Island. This RIU did not disappoint! Hotel: The hotel itself was remodeled in 2017 and is modern looking and clean. The lobby was beautiful and everything is very close. This is not a sprawling grounds, it is a hotel on a beach. The hotel has an infinity pool bar (gross) that was nice to look at. It also has a large pool that is separate from the pool bar. I really thought [... read more] the views from the hotel and grounds were really nice. I noticed that everything was very pristine no matter where you went on the grounds. Rooms are basic but nice/modern looking. You get the signature liquor dispenser and Heineken in the fridge everyday. We took advantage of room service (complimentary) breakfast brought to the room and setup by the balcony which overlooked the ocean. Life is good! Restaurants: I think there are 3 a la carte restaurants that I knew of. We only went to the steakhouse. It was good but not great. I seriously thing all hotels should scrap the a la carte idea as people expect it to be so much better than the buffet....but it never really is. The buffet was great. Sidenote: This hotel makes great PIZZA (and I'm Italian). I was shocked by this. One of the best surprises is the Jerk Chicken BBQ place beside the pool bar. You can smell the Chicken being broiled on the grill just before noon. You can get rice, veggies, and all the FRESH jerk chicken and pork until around 3 or 4 o' clock. This was such a clean eating option that we went back to every single day. Try the hot sauce if you dare. Make sure you try the Conch at the buffet. It's the national specialty and you gotta try it. Staff: The staff was amazing!! We had an issue with our first room that required a change. The next morning I only communicated my room number when they collected our bags and told us we would have a room right away. Considering the staff changed over, the communication amongst them was great. They were kind and accommodating. Beach: The beach is public but the RIU has a designated area for its guests and you will have locals asking you if you would like to Jet Ski or buy something but if you aren't interested, a simple 'no thank you' is enough for them to move on their way. Don't be rude or stuck up, the Bahamian people are very nice. After watching the jet ski (sea doo) operation for a few days, I decided it was safe enough to give it a try. It was alot of fun. The beach itself is GORGEOUS. White sand and CLEAR TURQUOISE water. Absolutely breathtaking and hard to believe you're a shade under 3 hours by flight to Toronto. We booked through Trip Central Hamilton and they ensured we got a full 4 days. On our last day we left the beach at 4:30pm. Note: If you are looking at older reviews you will see people talking about renting chairs and umbrellas. The RIU provides it's guests complimentary umbrellas and chairs (which provide partial shade). The people who wrote these reviews are talking about the PUBLIC BEACH where the cruise ship people come to. Here you can rent a full shade umbrella/chairs. BAR: Premium drinks. So happy to see Canadian Club Whiskey and Gingerale being offered. Made my vacation. Word to the wise, they pour some stiff drinks here, so if you're a lightweight, sip slowly. ENTERTAINMENT: There is only one bar in the hotel open 24 hours and the entertainment was cheese. They were pumping dance beats into the night and nobody was dancing....couldn't talk and have drinks. Nobody there which is good or bad depending on what you like. IF you want something to do ATLANTIS is a MASSIVE resort right next door. You can walk through and shop the boutiques or go to the casino which is las vegas style. We didn't get past the Casino to see the resort itself but as a visitor you have to pay in the daytime. RIU guests are allowed in Atlantis after 5pm. I suppose Nassau would have been good to visit as well but we only had 3 nights. DOWNSIDE: 4 day vacations are now the new trend for bachelor parties/bridal parties. If you are going with your wife, the few groups of guys getting drunk can be annoying at times. But at least the place is big enough to move somewhere else.

Riu Reggae: Amazing resort!

This hotel was the best one I’ve stayed at in Jamaica so far. The hotel was kept very clean in all areas including the rooms, public areas and restaurants. Staff is extremely friendly and attentive. Food at the buffet was great!! Good variety everyday, with lots of flavourful cuisine. The a la cartel restaurants weren’t the best but since the buffet had such good food, there was no need to go to the other restaurants. The jerk hut on the beach was amazing!! No complaints about this resort! T [... read more]he pools aren’t very deep, and beach is a bit small but still very nice.

Riu Playa Blanca: Friendly and clean

The Riu is definitely a good option for families. The staff are friendly and helpful and speak English. The grounds and the rooms are clean and well maintained. The hotel has some age on it and there is some wear and tear on the hotel room furniture but nothing significant. The hot water in the showers was also only warm not hot which wasn’t great even though water pressure was good. They need to upgrade their bed pillows as they are too small and flat for my liking. The wi-fi should also be m [... read more]ade available in rooms not just in main areas of the hotel. The food is fine but not great but I realize needs to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Great flight not so great hotel

As you know we recently just came back from our one week vacation to the Riu Paradise island from. The sun wing flight was good. No complaints as it was on time and a smooth flight to The Bahamas. The bus ride to the resort was also smooth. Our issue started when we arrived to the hotel. When we arrived we were greeted and told to leave our bags in the lobby and proceed to one line to receive our wristbands and envelope with our towel cards for the week. After that line, we were [... read more] told to go wait in the check in line to see if our rooms were ready. Some people on our flight had rooms ready some did not. Ours was not ready so we just waited in the lobby as they would not put our bags in a secure room and we didn't like the idea of leaving our things out in the open. We were understanding because check in wasn't for a bit and since we were upgraded to a specific room category I understood there maybe a wait. We met another couple in the lobby and chatted with them. They had booked the night before on a whim for a 5 day with sunquest they got a room about 45 min before us. Because we were celebrating our anniversary I had emailed the hotel to confirm things when I didn't get a response I thought nothing of it as we had paid to upgrade the trip from a $1535 base price (standard room) by passed the ocean view room $1675 and booked the top room available on your site Superior Ocean View Junior suite costing us $1955 each. "What could go wrong?" I thought we paid for the upgrade. When booking, as you might recall I was confused about the room as there were big differences on the riu site and the sunquest one had no room photos so we worked together at making the requests and I paid the extra to make sure my husband was happy. We were looking for a suite,(no carpet as I have bad allergies) a larger room with a sitting area an ocean view and a balcony. Three hours later we received our room keys. When getting the room keys I thought it was strange when the lady at the desk had said proudly to us we have ''upgraded you " but my understanding is we had the top room category available (which we had purposely paid extra for). I think it's because we waited and I had nicely mentioned emailing the resort with no response. When we got to the room, it was nothing like the room on the website or description that we had booked. It was just a standard hotel room (comfort inn style) with a tiny balcony that could fit one person. The view was of the pool and if you walked to the corner you could kind of see the ocean. The room had an extra chair but no couch or living room space as shown in the picture. Room was on the 6th floor I knew it was a mistake so I went down to speak them. Thought maybe it was an oversight. When I got there the front and they said that was the room we ordered and it was an upgrade. (Hardly an upgrade). She said they did me a favor to upgrade me and put me above the 5th floor ?!! So no suite no ocean view ... why did we pay extra ? We were getting no where and were advised and decided to go to the Sun Wing representative and the man was very rude. Not even sure why they are located there. (I guess to make sure you get too and from the airport). They said they have no part in our room process its what we booked and that we should contact who we booked with. We asked to use the phone. The man said no, u may call using your credit card in your room. So I left very annoyed. I went back to the front desk and the lady could tell i was upset and frustrated. I showed her the room I thought I was getting and she said that was another upgrade. I asked her why I paid extra and she said only my travel agent could explain that. I said I refuse to pay more I had already paid an extra $840 more to get a better room and I'm stuck with this motel room. Mean while my first day of my trip is coming to an end. I walked away. She came after me and offered to show me another room. My husband was waiting in the lobby all day so I went to look at this other room it was bigger but no balcony. We saw it and it was much better than our previous room but no balcony. The window faced the parking lot and what I think is the back of the hotel. I asked if there was a room like it with a balcony “ocean view” liked we booked. She said yes but it would be $85USD more a night plus tax. So we had three options. Take shoebox room one, take the bigger room with the fantastic view of the asphalt or three, pay almost $780+ Canadian more to get the room we thought we had already paid for. We settled at option 2. The room was ok and the space was what we wanted. There were a few things not up to par. One was the shower unit(pic attached) popped right out of the wall the first time we used it and we had to wait awhile for them to come and fix it. My husband was lucky not to be HURT. It came out of the wall just from turning it on. When maintenance came up he said this happens alot from the pressure and was nonchalant about it. The bathroom did have a shower and bath tub which was nice. However I am not sure why they had the bathtub. I honestly don’t think a child could get inside the tub and we are not big people at all. Who knows maybe it was just for decoration. Later that night we saw the couple we met in the lobby earlier, they were happy to receive an upgrade to an ocean view room on the 10th floor for no additional cost ? This is the same couple that was placed on thier room before us. The room was very very musty my suit from the first day was not dry to be pack the last day after being hung all week . The sheets were damp and towels were very hard to get. We had robs that we used as a cover to sleep but they kept taking them. We would leave our room at 10am and go back at 4 pm and the room was just being cleaned. This happened a few times. A lot of people at this hotel were upgraded with out a cost and we were causally told this in the pool or in line at dinner. That being said many guests we met were return guest (3-4 times) and they were not happy with the resort. Most told us they will never go back. The food and drinks were good at the resort and it appeared clean in the main area. The lobby though has a sewage problem that they are apparently trying to fix. It smells like rotten fish especially in the morning and late at night. This info is also on trip advisor and fb groups for this hotel as complaints people have with the resort so even though I heard about I wasn't quite prepared for that smell. The number one issue with this resort is dinner at the restaurant. If you look at all review sites this is the most negative review about the resort. They have 4 sit down restaurants and the buffet. All the restaurants open at 6:30pm on the nose. They do not let you make reservations at all. Their marvelous system is go down at 5:30, wait in line in the hallway which the Air condition is terrible. A host hears the bell and comes out at 6:30 to greet a massive line for all 4 restaurants. They go down the line an fill the restaurant. If you did not make the first seating, you get a fancy pager to let you know when you may eat dinner. If you try to come to any of the restaurants at say 7-7:30 they will tell you they are full and you should head to the buffet. There were nights where we saw empty tables and asked to go in. There famous line is sorry we are full. Who on vacation wants to line up at 5:30 to get greeted at 6:30 for dinner when the restaurants are not very good at all. Certainly not for an hour wait. The bottom line, we would not return to this resort and would not recommend it to anyone. We met a lot of people at the resort and most were happy to be going home. My husband and I saw the general manager with his wife and new born (apparently they live there) and almost spoke with him but felt bad because he was off duty.I wish I spoke up.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Beautiful Resort

The food was excellent Our Trip Central Representative, Eliana Anton was amazing. Sunwing Flight attendants were Superb, they always had smiles on their faces and were courteous. The outward appearance of the hotel is very attractive and groundsmen did a great job maintaining the place.All the food was delicious but they could have done a better job providing Premium Rum. all they had was 3 and 5 years old rum. Sunwing representative Gerry was great. Thank you to everyone

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Awesome Resort

Great resort! I would recommend this to anyone looking to get away for a few nights or a week. The beach was incredible and water was stunning!!! the vendors on the beach are always asking to do water sports but are friendly when you say no to them. The food was fantastic, breakfast was always good, lots of assortment, the jerk chicken lunch was so delicious and dinners were good. You have to wait in line to go to dinner, but if you play your cards right you can get a buzzer and go back to your  [... read more]room to get ready, they will buzz you down when the table is ready. The rooms were very nicely updated and the staff at the resort was always friendly. We only went in the infinity pool with the bar, it was always busy but we could get drinks within minutes and don't mind party goers. The resort was right beside the Atlantis, so if you wanted to go to the casino at night, you could be there in minutes. I saw some reviews that were negative but you get what you pay for, this isn't the Atlantis you aren't paying $2000 a night. With the prices at this resort you definitely get your moneys worth and more with the food and beach. All in all if you are looking to get a few days of sun and hit the beach this is the place to be.

Riu Montego Bay: Amazing trip

The hotel was great. Everything was close by so you didn't have to walk far. The buffet was great. Lots of options. The dining staff were great especially Superman and the entertainment staff were very talented and great with kids. Styles was fantastic with my kids. The front desk was also very friendly and accommodating. We had a wonderful trip.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Terrific Long Weekend Getaway!!

We originally visited this resort 6 years ago and have to say that the recent renovations on the hotel/grounds are amazing. I couldn’t believe it was the same resort!! Only negative I have to say about the hotel is that there is a not so nice odour in the hotel lobby..somedays are better than others!! But definitely wouldn’t stop me from returning. Beach is very nice soft white sand...the water is crystal clear. You do get jet ski vendors and some other vendors selling their wares but they [... read more] are not bothersome at all. Pool bar is very well stocked..only sad part is that the bar closes at 6 pm??? A lot of people thought that closing time was way too early. Food was excellent, lots of variety and plenty of it. As for the service in the dining room..the breakfast service has a lot to be desired..no one seated us..and once we found a set table we waited quite a LONG time before a waiter/waitress approached us to see if we would like coffee, tea or juice. Once drink order was placed the drinks may arrive before you are finished your food...most days not!! Dinner service was always spot on..so not sure why there is such a lack of service in the mornings. But really all in all it was a fabulous 4 day break and would highly recommend. Great proximity to Atlantis for nightlife/casino/marina/shops.

Riu Republica: Awesome Resort

The hotel was fantastic with beautiful landscape and colourful flowers.The restaurants were fabulous with so much variety .The culture and people were fabulous.I would recommend this resort to fellow family and colleagues.

Riu Reggae: Quite disappointed with my stay!

The resort itself is beautiful enjoyed the pool bar, the ENT crew members and my favourite guy Desmond a waiter for dinner at the Ackee. The part that really ruined it for me is the fact that I left the resort one day to bury my great grandmother and came back to my room to realize that I was unable to get back into my safe. When a front desk employee came up to reset it and get it opened I realized that some money that I had in there was missing! while I was gone I had put the Do Not Disturb si [... read more]gn on my door but despite that being there the cleaning lady and the guy to restock my fridge had entered into the room. That was discovered after the manager did a door reading. The disturbing thing was our room was not even cleaned it was actually very messy as if someone was scrimmaging through it. To make matters worst the security that came to do an investigation told me that I had to walk over to the police station myself if I wanted to file a report. After emailing the head office of Riu resorts, Sunwing and Trip central all I got was an apology. My advice to everyone who visits there is to not put anything in the safe and to keep all your money and valuables with you or secure and locked in your suitcase. Besides that horrible experience my friends and I made the best of the rest of the trip and had a blast. Yes I do recommend the resort but I also recommend that you be on your P's and Q's when leaving he resort for the day because at the end of the day your word means nothing to them because they all look out for each other.