Go somewhere else...

We went to a Riu resort in Aruba in September of 2019 and absolutely loved everything about it, service, food absolutely amazing. When booking Bahamas, we thought, its a Riu will be amazing! Especially considering price. Nope. We had a late flight with Sunwing, arrived at the hotel Sunday, February 9th around 11:30 pm. Our flight back home was the following Sunday at 9:45PM. When we got to the hotel we were told late check out was on first come first serve basis. On Tuesday morning we asked  [... read more]about late check-out, we were told "Sorry nothing is available"..we asked again every day and got the same robotic response, all the while, we met another couple who got late checkout for 2PM vs 12PM only because they had a complaint every single day about service, cleanliness and other issues. After lots of complaining the resort gave them a 5PM checkout and we actually used their room to shower before leaving for our flight. The frustrating part about this is that there was no way the resort was full, they simply chose to not provide late check out to their guests and Sunwing is also to blame for not making these arrangements to begin with knowing that guests have a late flight. They expect you to check out at noon and then what? Go to the beach and get on a plane full of sand and sunscreen? Or the alternative is to waste the day lying around in which case you're better off with an early flight anyway! We expressed our concern to the Sunwing rep at the resort, they did not give a s**t. The hotel also mentioned our luggage would be locked in a room and we would have access during the day, well the luggages were out in the lobby anyone could go and say oh yeah that's my luggage and then gone! Moving along, the food at the buffet, let's just say I ate better in Cuba than here. There is no variety, every single day you're presented with the same dishes, rice, some kind of meat stew, pizza, bruschetta, burgers and hot dogs. There are no live pasta stations or grill stations like other resorts, this was a first for me, I've been to about 10 different resorts and they ALL provide grilling and pasta stations or some sort of daily dish that is the "feature" for that day. The jerk chicken they make by the pool was the best option, but you get sick of it, because again, same thing every single day. I am not a picky eater at all but the food was really really disappointing. The A La Cartes are a freaking disaster. They don't take reservations. People line up for the Steak house at 4:45/5pm!!!!!! They open at 6PM! Now here's the fun part. We managed to get a spot for the Steak house one of the days, actually happened to be Valentines Day, and while we were in there, we saw multiple people get turned down. The restaurant was literally half empty so we thought maybe there's guests with buzzers waiting to get called down. Didn't happen. We had dinner and left and the restaurant remained half empty (we got there for dinner at 7:30 pm). They turned people who wanted to enjoy a nice dinner away just because, saying "Sorry we're fully booked", meanwhile the place is empty, what the hell??? Entertainment at this resort is by far the worst I've ever seen. The Michael Jackson show had people leaving 10 minutes in. No offence to the performers/staff but 1) he looked nothing like Michael Jackson, which in comparison to other resorts was "interesting" and 2) he could not dance...they had a different guy come on stage to do the moonwalk to "Billie Jean"...Another night they had what they called a "White Party"...well nobody was wearing white because 1) it was not advertised and 2) it was INDOORS! All white parties I've been to in resorts are always either on the beach or by the pool. So yeah there was maybe 10 people wearing white and also it was not a party, nobody was dancing except for the entertainers, everyone was just at the bar and most people leave to go to the Atlantis, which is the only good thing about staying at this resort as you're a 5 minute walk from that amazing resort. After the "show" there is literally nothing to do at the resort so we would always walk over to the casino at Atlantis and tour around there and the premises. Staff - most of them are nice people I didn't really have any terrible experience, but not an exceptional one either. However, one of the couples that flew back with us went to breakfast at the buffet one morning, asked a lady for cutlery for their table, she pointed over at a different table and said "there's some there, get it yourself"...WOW! Talk about the audacity. This is the same couple that was awarded with the late check out, they really had a terrible experience this is just one of the things that happened to them. Another couple we met, also went for breakfast and asked to be seated outside in the small patio. One of the servers said, "Sorry we don't have enough staff to clean a table outside right now"...I was literally astonished. Beach - the beach is beautiful and water is amazing, however it does get rough, the first and last day we were there it was a red flag but other days was really nice its crystal clear, and very clean. I loved the Bahamas, but I absolutely disliked and was extremely disappointed with my experience at the Riu. I will not be returning to this resort. We met at least 20 other people coming back on the same flight as us that had the same and worst complaints, every person expressing their disappointment towards the hotel. When you pay so much money to be somewhere and get this kind of service, its really frustrating. And shame on Riu for not caring enough to make their guests experience more enjoyable. I would go back to the Bahamas, but surely would not stay here.

Fantastic resort!

This hotel was amazing, staff was friendly and extremely helpful. The grounds were clean and beautiful. The restaurants were first class and the atmosphere was superb. I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone looking for a relaxing holiday or a piece of paradise.

Wonderful resort

Great hotel service very good .Good choices of food and drink.Room was good could use a little work like new furniture but was comfortable.Maid service very good did great job cleaning room daily .Staff very helpful and pleasant.Would travel there again .

Good trip!

Overall it was a good trip. Good food. Good service. Good night club. Close to Atlantis for the casino and more nightlife. No complaints other than the lack of any substantial late night food. It’s an adult resort geared towards night time fun but doesn’t give any late night food, other than stale burgers and hotdogs that need to be microwaved.

Good value

The service was exceptional and everybody was so nice. The hotel room was clean. There was a big selection of food. The a la carte was first come first serve and often at 6 o’clock, there was no more seating left. The buffet was better than the restaurants with the exception of the steakhouse. The lobster was great. The bar/night club is 24 hours but on Saturday night the DJ left at 11:30 pm and there was no entertainment at all that night. There is not much in respect to entertainment [... read more] at all. The beach was lovely but super packed and crowded.

Wonderful Stay!

This was a fantastic resort to escape to. My husband and I had a great time. The staff are friendly and so accommodating. The hotel is so clean And the beach was beautiful. The only negative feedback is the smell of the lobby. It is not because the lobby is not clean ,they are constantly scrubbing and polishing and visually it is beautiful. I do believe it is the water that they are using to clean with that has a sewage smell to it. There is no doubt about it that there is an odour when you en [... read more]ter the lobby and I believe it’s just what their unfiltered water smells like. The odour sometimes comes up the drain as well in the room. I think that if they were to put a deodorizer of some sort in the water that the cleaning with it would certainly make a difference. Overall a wonderful place to stay with this exception.

Beautiful clean resort!

Four of us travelled to Bahamas for the first time and absolutely fell in love. the resort, rooms, food areas etc. were all super clean....thumbs up to the staff. The food was INCREDIBLE!!! We just couldn't eat enough of it.....eat eat eat:) The beach was breath taking, the water a perfect blue. We would all stay at the Riu Palace Paradise Island again....just longer next time. 3 nights definitely was not long enough. We fell in love with this resort and Paradise Island!

Loved it

Second time here- food is great and awesome drinks and service! Really good for a large or small group trip. The rooms are perfect - clean, well stocked with all amenities and a great view both times.

Very nice hotel!!!

Hotel was very nice n food is AMAZING!!! Service is good! Rooms r nice n clean!!! Location is very good as its beside Atlantis and shares a beach with Atlantis and is only 12min walk to Atlantis and Marine Village.

Good

Clean hotel with friendly and helpful staff. Located right by the beach, one side facing Atlantis. Good variety of food, most of them are not warm enough. Room is clean and well maintained, but small in size. Pool and gym are very good.

The value you receive for the money you pay is not worth it!!

We just got back from our 1 week stay and I have to say, I'm super disappointed. We were first in shock with the lack of value in our room we received when we paid more for a Junior Suite Superior Oceanview, hoax.... we were informed we were supposed to pay for a "Oceanfront" and were given a balcony that faced the pool, nowhere did we see an upgrade to "Oceanfront" when we booked. The hotel property is wide enough to fit a building and a pool, that is it. The beachfront is littered with locals  [... read more]trying to sell you drugs which was a huge shock. No privacy whatsoever. I decided to put a complaint in after the 100th time being asked if we wanted "smokie smokie or cocaine" and given attitude because we kept saying NO by the individual. We were being asked in front of RIU hotel staff no less. The female manager I spoke to appeared to be interested in getting the certain person off of the beach by calling the police, the male manager just stood there and said nothing. The police came and stood around for 20 minutes by the beach and left. We went back down soon after and guess who immediately met us on the beach.... "smokie smokie"!! Unbelievable. We found a cockroach in our bathroom the last day which was pretty much the final straw. I will never go back to this hotel. What a shame, the food was a little repetitive but great tasting, the staff for the most part were top notch, sooooo friendly and genuinely wanted to make sure your meal time was enjoyed. Jacky was the best hostess we came across by far so if you decide to chance this hotel, at least let her take care of you during your meals. Our trip was pretty much summed up when my girlfriend said she wished we just went back to Cuba this time. Now no offence to Cuba, because I love that place. But Cuba and the Bahamas should never compare, especially when you're paying close to double the cost for your Bahama experience. The value you receive here is simply not worth the money you spend..... PERIOD!!!

Awesome trip

Hotel and all areas were in excellent shape. Staff were awesome and always polite. Food was first class and they made sure you were happy. Service was fantastic. Friendliest staff I have ever experienced.

Beautiful hotel

Clean. Beautiful rooms. Heated pools. Amazing staff..good food.beautiful beach. What more could you ask for? Enjoyed the location and the little things like the coffee bar and fridge in our room. Will be back. Check in and check out were easy.

Very mediocre resort but nice beach

The riu here has been renovated but is still pretty dated and is nothing spectacular. Rooms are clean, highly recommend an ocean FRONT room on a high floor. The food is pretty standard buffet all inclusive, wouldn’t recommend if you’re looking for high end luxury but a good choice if you want a cheap short getaway with all meals included.

Meh

We had higher expectations of this hotel. We’ve stayed at other Riu hotels and found this one had no warmth. The service was brutal at the buffet. Constantly waiting for coffee refills. We couldn’t get a reservation for any of the a-la-carte restaurants, and our room smelled musty. The thermostat didn’t work and our room was constantly cold. The safe had to be repaired twice. Our maid was great and made sure we had extra towels and extra water, but that was about the only positive  [... read more]experience we had. We spent most of our time at Atlantis and ended up eating there too.

Wonderful

The hotel was clean, the staff were friendly and helpful. We were very impressed with the food. The only thing was that the music was very loud coming from the swim up bar. We loved the 24 hour room service!

Amazing resort

Hotel was beautiful Water was too wavy didn’t get to go into the ocean , the wheather was bad though only one day of sunshine when we were there . Food and staff were great ! What was great though was that the Atlantis was right next door so we walked over there every night for the casino and the bars . One thing that can be improved was that you should be able to make a reservation for the restaurant the night before . All the restaurants will be booked up if your don’t line starting a [... read more]t 5:30 pm . The buffet for dinner was out of this world amazing ! Good Heaven ! Lots of variety in the food !

Hopefully you have a better experience

The resort itself is a decent size. The heated pool made up for the cooler weather we experienced during our stay. We had a few problems with our room, the in room safe didn’t work, the TV remote wasn’t responsive and finally a problem with the door to our room, where the access card would not work and we had to be relocated to a different room on our second night. The second room had a ceiling vent that was uneven and exposed all the pipes and wires. Even though we got a new room, we still  [... read more]had to get our cards reprogrammed 3-4 times per day, which was quite annoying. The worst was that we had complained and requested to speak with the manager, who did not have the decency to come speak with us regarding the inconvenience. The staff seemed unenthusiastic, and not very friendly. The room service menu was disappointed along with the late night food options and availability. It would have been nice if the manager made themselves available for a chat rather than avoiding us, I’m sure we would have a better experience if the manager acknowledged the issues and offered a simple apology. Compared to other resorts we have visited in the Caribbean, we didn’t feel the staff was hospitable.

Great Beach Resort!

Hotel wasn't as bigged as it looked like in the pictures. Beach is very clean and the water is amazing. The pool is also really great. The alcohol is amazing but the night life is not. Very close to Atlantis which does have great nightlife. Fun activities happening everyday throughout the day at the resort. The staff is amazing and food is pretty good. Spa treatments are way too expensive.

Amazing resort

Loved everything about the resort. Great food, amazing staff and clean resort. I would definitely recommend this resort to others and I would definitely come back to the same resort. We had lots of fun.