Riu Palace Aruba: Beautiful hotel!

Great resort. The hotel is breathtaking and very elegant. The rooms are a little outdated but I understand they are beginning renovations soon. The food is amazing and plenty of options to choose from. The hotel is kept very clean and staff are very friendly and helpful. Would definitely return here again.

Riu Palace Punta Cana: Grand Old Dame!!

We were there in Feb 2015 for two weeks. This is a wonderful old resort, getting a bit long in the tooth but that is it`s charm. The staff are absolutely wonderful and attentive and treated us with great respect. The grounds are beautifully kept and the rooms and public areas are very clean. The rooms and dining room need an update but it would be a shame to redo the the whole resort. The beach is one of the best and the service at the beach and pool was wonderful. Great place to relax and peopl [... read more]e watch. No complaints about the food or drink. Would definitely go again.

Grand Memories Varadero: Far from a 5 star resort

On arrival the room was full of mosquitoes , air conditioner was not working. This was looked after the next day. Received beach towels 1 day, no facecloths ( I did bring my own) received fresh towels 2 days and had to request these. most washrooms had no locks on the doors. The grounds and rooms were clean and well kept. The pools were awesome as was beach area. Very friendly staff. They were always out of something, whether it be french fries, ketchup, pizza, towels, ice. This was my first tim [... read more]e at a resort and not what I expected from a 5 Star. I would recommend this resort but not as a 5 Star

Riu Playa Blanca: Very nice but obvious growing pais

First off, I was shocked and dismayed to learn that there was no coffee maker in the room as my husband and I are huge morning coffee drinkers. The only place to get caffeine prior to the buffet opening at 7:00 was the sports bar, where you could wait in line for half a hour to get a latte. That was our biggest complaint, oh and the way you have to make reservations for the a la carte restaurants. Although IMO the a la cartes were not worth getting up stupid early to stand in line to make a rese [... read more]rvation. Hubby did this once and we got steak house. Went to buffet afterwards. Food was good and for the food complainers, I don't know whats wrong with you as there was always an extremely wide variety to please every palate. Shade is at a premium and the search for umbrellas is always a game. We never had a problem, but we're early risers. Yes, contrary to the "rules" people save chairs, etc. We never saved but always got shade and an umbrella. Rooms were sterile, but who's there for the room? They were functional and I must say the shower was great. Staff were awesome, never found any problems communicating and they were all very friendly. The one thing about Panama that disappointed me was the garbage all along the road. So much garbage. Glad to have experienced Panama and this resort, but time to move on.

Riu Bambu: Perfect holiday

This was my very first time travelling and all I can say is that I was blown away. The resort was BEAUTIFUL, all of the staff and guests were all super friendly. It was exactly what I wanted and exactly what I inagined it to be. Great value too!

Riu Tequila: Great choice!

Large pools, many activities, great service and AMAZING restaurants! Good entertainment, nice staff, relaxing spa right on site. Every restaurant offered a variety of really good dishes. Bars were a little cheap with the alcohol

Riu Palace Punta Cana: Not the best....

Just returned from Riu Palace PC. Flights going and coming with Sunwing were both delayed on departure and arrival. Arrived at resort, had reserved a superior junior suite (absolutely no difference from the junior suite inside the room). I would have assumed the location in the resort made the difference re: superior, but no. Had to negotiate/$$ to get a better location closer to the beach. There are no views of the ocean from any room so if that is a priority, not the place for you. Excited so [... read more] we immediately went from the room to the beach. Last minute decided to put valuables in the safe in both rooms (had 2 rooms). Good thing we did!! Came back about 2 hrs later and luggage in both rooms had been rifled through. I reported this to the front desk. They said the manager would call. Waited. Called again and they put me through to security. Security said they would have the manager call. Still waiting for that..... Bad start! Food- A la cartes no good. Buffet excellent and they change it up each day. Steak house (restaurant by the ocean) serves lunch buffet which is nice. One of us became quite ill, both ends and thought it was likely the food. Who knows, could be a combination of sun, food, alcohol. Clientele in the 70's or families with young children. Very few if any university age group. Even not too many 30, 40, 50 year olds. Riu Bambu next door a much more exciting group and better shows. Beach staff were very good and entertaining. A big shout out to Franklin, Gasolina and the yeyeyeye girl!! You guys are great! The beach is beautiful. We went on an afternoon snorkeling trip through the beach guys related to the Riu, $39 per person and well worth it! The bathroom in one of our rooms was flooded twice by the room above. The water came pouring in both times through the bathroom roof. When we got angry with them they fixed it properly the second time. Just a hassle. The front desk staff are less than helpful, don't really care. They make promises but don't follow through. This is not in the best interest of the resort and wanting people to return. If you have not travelled much or been to all inclusive, you would likely think this hotel is great. We have traveled a fair bit and I would not rate this hotel as a 5 star. There are much better places to go and get your mney's worth. We will not return.

Riu Palace Tropical Bay: Great resort. Will come back again

The resort was great. Rooms were clean spacious and nice. Food was fantastic. Great selection and always a Jamaican section which we loved to have choice of eating local foods! Entertainment was good. Liked how they showed you a bit about Jamaican culture. Beach was amazing. Water so beautiful clear and warm. Staff were friendly.

Riu Guanacaste: Amazing Resort

Everything was wonderful. m Everything was clean. Staff was very pleasant. Enjoyed our excursion. Had a great time. Getting to and from the airport was very easy. The manor of getting together in the lodge etc was great.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Love it here!!

This was our second trip to the Palace. This time we were here with our whole family including 3 kids. The food is amazing at the buffet something for everyone. Don't love the alacartes. The whole resort is extremely clean and impeccably maintained. Staff are very friendly. My son cut his toe in the pool our second day there and a manager phoned us every night to check in see how he was doing. We also received regular calls just to make sure we had everything we needed to make our stay the best  [... read more]it could be.The only complaint I have which has nothing to do with the hotel was some very cranky people that seemed very perturbed with kids being around. Not sure why they wouldn't stay in an adult only resort. I plan to go back! Wish I was still there.

Riu Flamingos: Great trip to PV!

The staff was very helpful and generally spoke English quite well. The resort was very well kept from the grass/shrubs to the pools to the beach to the lobby to the dining areas to the rooms. Felt very secure at the resort with security at the gate. Movies on the beach were a nice touch. Food was plentiful with lots of selection. Quality was quite good as well. The only complaint I have was that in 7 days we were only able to book 1 A La Carte for the early sitting as you could only book up to 2 [... read more] days in advance. And the Asian one was just a buffet and didn't have to dress up as expected so that was a bit of a let down. There were some items that couldn't be had in the main buffet and as a buffet goes it was well done. Although the wifi had to be 90 consecutive minutes once you logged on each day, I didn't find it to be too much of a problem once you scheduled it. After all, you are on holidays and shouldn't need internet access at all times in my opinion. The resort is quite a distance from downtown PV so by bus is usually an hour or more including wait times and one transfer. All in all, can't complain too much as we had perfect weather and had an awesome time!

Riu Santa Fe: Great Value Resort!!

First time in an all-inclusive resort. I have to admit it was great, the resort was clean and modern. The staff were great, all speaking English and always happy and respectful of the visitors. The 3 buffet restaurants offered quality food and a great variety, it would be impossible to not find anything you like. There was a good mix of age groups and also many yong families but the resort offered something for everybody so you never felt anyone was out of place. Evening entertainment was just O [... read more]K in my opinion but the bars did offer a wide selection of drinks. Overall this was a great vacation and real value for money.

Grand Memories Varadero: Okay resort

Nothing outstanding. Rooms clean, water pressure great, beds comfortable will meet your basic needs plus - stayed in superior room tv older everyone looked like Martian and radio did't work - great job keeping bar fridge stocked. Rm 22320. Not enough cover at beach- be there by 6:30 - no exaggeration to reserve a covered spot. Lounge chairs uncomfortable - plates matt was a great idea a few guests had. Many loungers broken few huts in disrepair - need new leaf parts. Beach well groomed. Beach ba [... read more]r a pain - long lines for drinks and most often single bartender - bring big cup or walk 10 minutes to pool bar. Restaurant near Beach not great and again too few staff and lots of waiting. Buffet food at the beach restaurant just ok. Pool bar well staffed and great service. Same issue reserving seats - sleep in and nothing till mid pm. Buffets (2) always something too eat no issues at all. Great breakfast omletes and cooks. Some exceptional staff reserved kind of indifferent. Ladies running capichino bar exceptional as we're main bar staff. All a carte - booking them a disaster such a pain. To do with huge lines and unhelpful staff why waste your time. Did go to cuban or creole - 5 times to cuba worse than my only 3* experience. Huge black mold water stain on ceiling. Been there a while as lights had been removed. Bottom line - want a serviceable place to stay and don't expect the moon fine. I spent most of my time at the beach or pool, filled 3 big bubba cups to avoid the line and had a great time. Recommend if can get it around a grand.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: First Riu Inclusive

Our biggest decision was to stay at the Atlantis without an all inclusive or the Riu with all meals and drinks. The overall package for one week for two was almost 4000 with flights. The Junior suite ocean view was what we picked based on the website pics. The actual view from our room was a side view and the only thing negative was that we were looking at existing next door roof that was a home for seagulls. Our room was clean and the service was excellent at the front desk. We had to change ro [... read more]oms after the ceiling in the shower started leaking and we were move to the 14th floor. Our stay at the RIU was great. We are not big drinkers but the room was stocked with great selections. The Buffet for breakfast was excellent. The dining facilities were very courteous and the staff went out of their way to make your stay special. The quality of the food was good and the biggest disappointment was that the buffet didn't have much in the seafood area. The Majestic Tours were great in getting us back and forth from the airport. I understand that the RIU is going to be renovated next year. The lobby looks great but the whole idea of an ocean view with no obstructions is my biggest disappointment. Some of the main rooms need a facelift but generally the trip was great and the staff was amazing. The use of the hospitality room was good considering they wanted 100 to extend the check out time. The beaches were beautiful and the overall island experience was a great way to celebrate our 40th....

Riu Palace Tropical Bay: amazing beach, average resort

I've been to different resorts and this one didn't measure up to others. The restaurants we're average, the entertainment was average at best, only one washroom on resort, not very close to anything, rooms didn't get cleaned very well and way to much staff trying to sell you "stuff", but the beach was extremely nice.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Subpar

Old but pretty, only one key per room, am have to wake at 7 to sign up for a la cartes, terrible beach & HORRIBLE customer service. Reception staff lied to us and were overall rude & lazy. Great pool.

Riu Vallarta: Staff Make this Resort

The hotel was very clean and the staff were extremely friendly. The beds were uncomfortable (hard & lumpy) but the pillows were great. Bed toppers (2" foamy) were available upon request (only found out at check out). The food was good and definitely worth going to the specialty restaurants - having to get up at 7:00 am to stand in line to make a dinner reservation was not fun but the cappuccino from the 24 hour sports bar made the wait tollerable. Lovely beach area. The pool bar attracts a lot o [... read more]f people and the service is great but a few patrons don't know enough to leave the pool to use the restrooms (this is not a reflection of the hotel but rather some of the guests)

Riu Palace Aruba: Beautiful Resort

........Tripcentral recommended this resort and we werent disapointed. The rooms wrre very clean abd the staff was friendly. The beaches were awesone and the weather was perfect. We are going back next year with the whole family.........

Riu Santa Fe: ok resort

rooms an buffet resteraunts where clean quit a few people had gotten sick from some of the cooking weather was great no bathrooms anywhere close to pools wich was inconvienate resort overall was clean in lobby area pool loungers where very poor in condition around pool and of course the saving seat thing with the towels people judt move your towels if yhey want your seat anyway

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Would def go back again

Pros: Beautiful hotel. Rooms were quiet, (couldn't hear people in the hallways at nighttime), never heard our neighbours (we were on the 2nd floor). Room was beautiful, enough space, clean, smelt good, nice size bathrooms. I felt that the beds were firm (which I liked) Staff were super friendly, most spoke English very well, and not once did they make us feel like we needed to tip them / tip them more "because they have families to feed" like you find in some other countries Lots of food options [... read more] Drinks were excellent Grounds were kept very clean (staff was always cleaning) ie. no bird poop, no cigarette butts in the sand, etc Unlimited soft serve ice cream at the lunch buffet by the pools... always a plus :) The public washrooms were very clean, and sound proof (TMI I know, sorry, but its true), which makes it comfortable for those who are already uncomfortable using public washrooms Lots of public bathrooms (great for ladies 6 months pregnant like I was) Pools were perfect temp and large Dinning room staff were superb Cons: Not enough chairs pool side I felt that the food was never hot enough * not that this is Riu's problem* but the sand hurts your feet because its not soft sand. If you're looking for a resort where you spend most of your time on the beach, this is not likely the place for you. However, pool side (if you could find a chair) was great. Lots of stairs *not recommended for women six months pregnant ;) **Pro: Not a lot of cons :)** If you have an opportunity, go into town. Took a taxi from the lobby to the marina. *side note* our tour operator with Nexus tours told us it would cost $25USD, I thought this was high, so I asked the front desk and the gentleman that calls the taxi for you and they both told us $14USD. However, on our way home in the airport, a fellow passenger that stayed at the Riu Santa Fe told us that they only had to pay $3USD each way..... I was a little miffed by this. But lesson learned, ask around before getting into a taxi. All in all, I would definitely go back again.