Vacation to Aruba - Riu Palace Antillas

We were very pleased with the hotel services and the food was excellent. Staff was also very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the daily pool entertainments. I would not hesitate to go back again or recommend it to friends and family. This was recommended to me by my sister and very happy that we went.

Good resort

We thought the hotel was good. It is in need of some updates. The elevators were troublesome most days only two or three out of five were working. The carpeting is wearing and the lobby area had a leak from the ceiling.

Great Resort

Hotel was great. Clean, up-to-date, great staff, beautiful beach front, great food. Seven minute walk from town where there's additional restaurants, shops, and bars. No solicitors on the beach or in town. Very safe island. Beautiful soft sand beaches and ocean water with no seaweed etc. I'd recommend it.

Beach and ocean incredible

Review of Riu Antillas Adult only(February 3 – February 11, 2025) I recently spent a week at the Riu Antillas adult Aruba, and overall, it was a very enjoyable stay with some standout positives and a few areas that could use improvement. Here’s a breakdown of my experience: Food & Dining Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ The buffet was impressive, offering a great selection of food that exceeded the standard for most all-inclusive resorts I’ve been to. There was a variety of options to satisfy differen [... read more]t tastes, and aside from one off-night, the quality and selection were consistently good. However, the à la carte restaurants were a hassle. They operated on a first-come, first-serve basis, meaning long wait times and the possibility of standing in line for an hour just to get a reservation. We found this frustrating and ultimately chose to stick with the buffet, which turned out to be a solid choice. Hotel & Grounds: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ The hotel itself has a bit of wear and tear, but nothing that significantly impacted our stay. While I tend to be detail-oriented and noticed small deficiencies here and there, the staff was incredibly attentive and worked hard to maintain the property. The grounds were spotless, which speaks to their dedication. Beach & Pool Area: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ The beach is one of the biggest draws of the resort, and while the ocean was beautiful, the beach itself was very crowded. If you wanted a palapa (shade hut), you had to wake up at 5:30 AM to reserve one, which was frustrating. Unfortunately, beach cleanliness wasn’t great, not due to staff negligence but simply because of how busy the area was. The staff was constantly working hard to maintain things, but with the high volume of guests, keeping the beach pristine was a challenge. Service & Staff: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If there’s one thing that truly stood out, it was the service. The staff was exceptionally hardworking and attentive. From housekeeping to the restaurant staff, everyone went above and beyond to ensure guests were comfortable and well taken care of. Overall Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Would I return? Possibly, but I would mentally prepare for the beach crowding and the restaurant reservation challenges. The food, service, and cleanliness were all positives, while the crowded beach and dated areas of the hotel were the main drawbacks. Final Verdict: If you’re looking for a good all-inclusive with great food, excellent service, and a prime location in Aruba, this is a solid option. Just be ready to wake up early for a palapa and stick to the buffet unless you’re willing to wait for à la carte dining.

Awesome Time!

We had an awesome two weeks time!!!! Saw and did everything, plus had LOTS of time to relax. VERY clean and GREAT a la carts. Would we go back, no. We have other places to explore, but this is another check off our bucket list.

5 star amazing!

We decided to try the elite club and it was worth it in our opinion, even though it was quite a bit extra We loved our room on the 16th floor. It had three sliding glass doors to a corner balcony. You could see from one end to the beach to the other. The sunsets were amazing. I think the best part of the elite was that you were able to make reservations at the specialty restaurants. We saw people lining up as early as 5 PM for the specialty restaurants that open at 6 PM. That’s not my kind of  [... read more]vacation. The specialty restaurants are definitely worth it. You can get lobster tail and fillet mignon or just a massive lobster tail among other wonderful dishes. The Arubian, steakhouse, and Krystal restaurants were fantastic. We didn’t try the Italian. You definitely have to get up BEFORE 6 AM to get a shaded sun lounger closest to the water on the beach. If you’re not picky to be close to the water, you can get there around 7:30 no later. The pool loungers also are taken very early The food at the buffet is fantastic breakfast lunch, and dinner At lunch, there’s usually three different types of fish. They also have hamburgers and hotdogs. The staff are so friendly and attentive special shout out to our elite bartender at the pool ( yismel) and Davidson at the elite lounge The staff are constantly cleaning everything!

RIU Palace Antillas Aruba

Antillas resort was quite nice and well kept. Staff were constantly cleaning the floors whether inside or outside. I didn't venture over to the Palace at all as I didn't need to. Rooms were well kept, however, I had to call the front desk to have housekeeping change the glass in the washroom and change all the towels, not just one set for one person. There was no ironing board in the room and when I asked for one, I was given a second iron. The beds were comfortable and there was always ho [... read more]t water. The AC always worked. The shower gel, shampoo and conditioner was a welcomed treat. The food at the buffet was amazing. Breakfast for royalty, including non-dairy and gluten free options. The a la carte restaurants: Rimini (Italian) and the Steakhouse served delicious food. The lunch buffet at Malmok was always full of interesting options. Waking up at 5:15 a.m. every day to reserve chairs by the ocean front was a bit much. There were more chairs available by the pool up until around 9 a.m. I would suggest that the resort allow for online reservations instead of having to leave a towel on a chair to mark your territory. I didn't find the water by the beach to be particularly clear. It was quite murky with sand at times but not much seaweed. I went snorkelling to see sea turtles and fish at Tres Trapi. It was a fantastic trip. The evening entertainment was fairly subdued and ended around 9:45 p.m. except for the white party on Friday night. That was fantastic, if you like dancing. The entertainment team worked hard to keep clients involved and amused. Overall, I would return to this resort for the food, sun, cleanliness and atmosphere.

Our vacation

I would recommend this hotel … it’s very clean the hotel staff exceptional .. I recommend queen size beds … do away with the double a must … the pool beautiful but way too many reserve seats and never use them very frustrating as a hotel that size only has one pool … doesn’t give everyone the opportunity to enjoy all aspects of the outdoor area … the pool for me brings rating down & dbl beds

Very good

Everything was good or excellent................................................................................................................................................................................

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING

After 2 travel disappointments (CUBA & PUNTA CANA) this was an amazing trip. Excellent service, staff were nice all smiles and seemed happy, food exceptional, premium quality and tasty with a lot of variety. The beach unbelievable... white soft sand, calm ocean waters, SWIMMABLE, fantastic weather, quality drinks, the list goes on and on. We are planning our return vacation already. I would recommend Riu Palace Antillas anytime.

Never Disappoints

We stayed at the Riu Antillas 5 years ago and it was one of the best Carribbean vacations we have ever had so we decided to go back this year. It has been renovated and I can tell you, we never had an issue the first time. This time we were so very Impressed. Our room was lovely .. clean, well stocked with towels, drinks, alcohol, beautifully comfortable bed and extra blankets. The patio was nice. Out of our room, the entire hotel did not disappoint. Well taken care of, clean, staff were all h [... read more]elpful. There was always a Sunwing rep there to help us when we needed advice. The pool area was awesome. We have no complaints. The beach was clean. The water very blue and clear. The restaurants were amazing. The food was great. The buffets had lots for everyone. I loved my stay there. Everyone was attentive. I hope one day we can return

Resort is beautiful

First time to Aruba and was everything I've read about it,the resort was amazing, clean rooms,awesome food,friendly staff and great nightly shows,will definitely return to this resort, Went off the resort to Baby beach and it was great,water is crystal clear and clean,also went snorkeling and saw an octopus and many tropical fish and sea turtles.

Pretty Good

My wife and I spent a week in April at the Riu Palace Antillas and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The resort is in a great location with amazing oceanfront views and the town right out the front entrance. The room was immaculate and I can’t say enough about the service. From the maids to the waiters to the bartenders everyone was phenomenal, very impressed. My only negative would be that the food isn’t up to par in my opinion. There’s a lot of it but it’s average at best with some of it being dow [... read more]nright inedible.

Amazing Resort !!!

Everything was second to none. The grounds were immaculate. The service was outstanding. They were always on top of everything. The food was so good at the buffet that we went there most of the week instead of the a la carte. The beach , what can I say , perfect !! Thanks Riu for everything. You truly are worth coming back for. Thank you tripcentral for organizing everything perfect.

Will be looking elsewhere for next year’s vacation

We spent 1 week at Riu Antilles in 2023 and just returned from a 2 week stay there this year. Pros: - STAFF EXCELLENT! Everyone goes out of their way to make guests happy! - Overall the food is good (4 restaurants, 1 Buffet) - Numerous bars with quick and friendly service - We feel very safe here - Hotel, rooms, restaurants, grounds, washrooms and pool areas are kept very clean - Adults only, which is strictly enforced. Cons: Beach area - Not well maintained - many cigarette an [... read more]d cigar butts - Palapas require maintenance or replacing - many are in poor condition - Guests that reserve Palapas at 6 AM then leave chairs vacant for hours (rules are not enforced) - Loud telephone calls on speaker phone - Numerous speakers playing various music genres - Smoking - cigarettes, cigars and occasionally marijuana Pool area: - Pool area does not have enough umbrellas to provide shade for all the chairs - Cigar smoking in the swim up pool - Washrooms need updating Misc: - Loud guests in the hallways late at night (after disco closes) We will be looking at alternative resorts for next year. Our main concerns are the inability to secure a Palapas without waking up before the sun rises and the lack of umbrellas around the pool. We head south for beach and pool enjoyment but consider shade to be an essential element that Riu Antilles does not adequately provide. While the staff are phenomenal, we have witnessed, on both visits, a number of guests that are totally inconsiderate of the enjoyment of others.

Magical place

We loved this resort. The staff was amazing, the food great and the rooms very clean. The highlight was all the live music. We loved the boardwalk for morning walks. A market place is only a five minute walk from the Riu with lots of fun restaurants. We had a great vacation.

Amazing resort

Everything was wonderful, very good from the housekeeping, front desk staff, towel lady, pool staff (drinks, beach, pool). The steakhouse food was dellicious. Staff very courteous. Like a manager coming by at our table, to make sure everything was good. Really enjoyed the AV tour around the island. Highly recommend. Aruba is very expensive, but it is worth it. Planning to come back next year - will be our 3rd time to the island. The only complaint is when we went shopping in town and ord [... read more]ered a small beer and a diet coke...she charged us $15.00 US.....the only sour thing that stayed in our mouth. We felf ripped off. But that has nothing to do with the hotel. Next time when we are away from the hotel we will ask first the price, before we order. We are very happy, all in all with the resort.

Wonderful vacation

Riu is top notch. Staff very friendly and helpful. Food is excellent, best we’ve had at any resort. Immaculate rooms and grounds. Close to airport. Weather perfect. Expect and prepare for wind. Not a drop of rain. Highly recommend.

Excellent!

Beach ?Food ? / Service ? / Room? Entertainment ? and safety of Aruba outside the resort ? Water and sand was beautiful , You can take a long walk on the beach or there’s a cement walk way that runs along the other resorts next to the beach. Aruba is Fabulous!! Not a drop of rain the week we were there! ?

Amazing time

The entire place was amazing. The alacarte restaurant system was crap but the choices at the buffet made up for it. The people and service were outstanding and make this place a 5 star. Trying to find a seat at the ocean or poolside is hard because people mark their spots early but the staff are quick to find you a spot.