Great Trip to Aruba!

Although we had an exceptional time in Aruba and the food was phenomenal at the Riu Palace Antillas resort, we feel as though the price was a little steep for what you get. considering the resort was adult only, there wasn’t much to do, barely any activities or entertainment, swim up bar was extremely small and the rooms were mediocre. There was always a longer than normal wait to get on the elevators as well! The food at the buffet and a la carte restaurants were outstanding!

Excellent Resort!

This hotel is very nice. Very clean, fantastic beach, staff very friendly and courteous. The food was excellent. The buffet was also very good...fresh and tons of variety. Bathrooms on resort were always clean wherever you went. I would highly recommend this resort and give it 5 stars!

Riu Palace Antillas

Went for 9 days Sunwing Flight Delayed 1.5 hrs going down, 15 minutes coming home - not the 1st time with Sunwing Upon entering hotel room noticed a "musty" smell - complained to Front Desk who sent Housekeeping up who in turn sprayed air freshener Next morning examined room thoroughly - back of curtains covered in black mold, back of bed runner covered in black mold, furniture and ledges dusty, fire system horn covered in dust, bathroom floor and tub was disgusting Front Desk moved us to [... read more] another room within 2 hours - that room had issues. Toilet not working, safe not working, lamp shade had mold. 2nd room was much cleaner then 1st room was. Hallway was dirty - did not look like the carpet was vacuumed the entire time we were there No quality control on cleanliness of rooms and hallways Rooms and hallways need upgrading Other areas of the resort were clean and well kept. Grounds were kept nice. Outside staff always sweeping/mopping. Pool/Beach Bathroom cleaned up constantly. Staff was overall not friendly or inviting Paola, at the beach towel booth, was so friendly and fun. Keep this staff member happy!!! Food was excellent, buffet was amazing Best Restaurant we found was seafood restaurant Beach was nice; however, debris/cups/etc were not cleaned up from beach on daily basis Resort close to airport This place is all about numbers - fill the place up.

Beautiful beach!

The hotel was alright, nothing spectacular.Food was good, whatever people didn’t eat I found the food got “recycled” into another dish the following day. Hotel staff was amazing, although the room was really outdated, it was extremely clean and the fridge was restocked 1-2 times a day. The beach was beautiful. A lot of room and staff made it easy to locate an ideal spot. No comment regarding the pool as we spent everyday on the beach. FYI - STEAK HOUSE A++++

Great Experience overall!

My husband and I really liked the unbeatable location and most beautiful sandy beach. Also, all restaurants, pool and beach were within a couple of minutes from the main elevators. Rooms were very clean and well maintained. The food was extraordinary. The daily buffet was amongst the best we have ever experienced. The service staff was very attentive and pleasant. The specialty restaurants were also nice. The pool and beach staff went out of their way to find us lounge chairs and shade [... read more]. The two issues that were not very positive were that the entertainment was not at the same standard as other resorts that we have visited in the past. Secondly, the pillows were horrendous. This is not just our observation but many other guests had the same comments. Trust the above will assist you. Best, John and Liliana Moller

Outstanding!

An incredible resort, Spacious, clean, great facilities, perfect location. Food and beverage service was amazing, high quality meals. Above everything else was the employees at the resort, housekeeping, servers in all the dining rooms and bars went out of their way to ensure our holiday was the best. Front desk staff and outdoor recreation activity employees were proffessional and helpful. Our tour representative (Brian) went above and beyond. I cant say enough good things about this resort and [... read more] its employees. We would love to go again.

Very nice resort

The Riu Palace Antillas lived up to our expectations. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and always willing to help out. The food was excellent., fresh fish and a large selection of salads etc... The managers were always willing to assist their staff and were helping out when needed. The room was great... we got upgraded because we were on our honeymoon. The beaches were fantastic, the pools spotless., and the towel lady was always there with a smile. The bar tende [... read more]rs were great and quite funny., always joking around but getting their job done. We will be back! George and Debbie Gelinas, Windsor, Ontario Canada

We would go back.

The hotel , while old and in need of some updating , was comfortable and clean. The staff was amazing , especially Jonathan and Freddie at one of the outdoor bars. They were just wonderful people. The restaurants we’re mediocre, the room where the buffet was was institutional , but the food was good. Pools were clean. Beach was beautiful. Drinks were generous on the alcohol, but served in cups so small you could finish them in 4-5 sips. So all in all we enjoyed our time but may try another hot [... read more]el that is less dated and has full services. While we were there not all restaurants were open and one very ideally located bar by the beach was closed 3 of the 7 days. On a scale of 1-10 , we would rate the resort a 7

Total relax and chill.

The hotel and grounds were immaculately clean and well kept. Beach and pool were great, your beach being much nicer than the surrounding hotels.Staff were plentiful at all hours, smiling,helpful and courteous. Food was excellent, especially the Atlantis buffet for breakfast and dinner.The room was , I think, one that had yet to be updated, but was fine and regularly cleaned and stocked. I just hung by the pool and chilled out in the heat and breeze the whole week, it was a great recharge.

WOW Aruba! WOW Riu Antillas!

I read dozens of reviews before going to Riu Antillas. Glowing reviews, Ok reviews and very bad reviews, to get an over all picture of what we could expect. Honestly I do not know what the ok reviews and bad reviews were talking about. Riu Antillas was amazing and the staff spectacular. Our 13 floor room was on the supposed loud side of the building over looking the sister resorts night venue. There was minimum noise and all was quiet by 11 pm. I have been to other resorts where the party kept  [... read more]everyone up till 1-2 am so this was a relief. Yes the towel/beach chair game here is strong as with other resorts however we never had a problem getting a nice area even when sleeping late and we did not look like greedy fools running to claim a beach spot at 6 am. The bad reviews talk about bad smells and bad service and the noise. We did not experience any of that! What we did experience was very friendly staff, a beautiful beach and a great time. Oh and the food... THE FOOD! WOW. There was a couple meals where all I had was desserts. Just go and tell Paola, the beach towel lady I said hi. She is an absolute delight.

Pleasant Surprise

The hotel was kept clean, the grounds were well cared for with lots of shade, staff was very pleasant, hats off too FREDIE, and JUSTIN. The beach area is fabulous, very convenient to bar and bathrooms.The buffet was probably the best we have ever eaten at. Will be visiting again next year, thank you

Great Vacation

We got the upgraded suite ocean view- and stayed at the Riu Antillas. Th room was nice, had two balconies and a spacious bathroom and walk in closet. The staff was polite and helpful, the rooms were clean- the beach was great and the food took me by surprise. For a buffet they had a lot of variety as well as flavor options. If you don’t want to be too adventurous with food all the normal stuff was their (prime rib, chicken etc) but there was a lot of other options like lamb, sword fish, fresh [... read more] cerviche- I will say there are parts of it that were dated- BUT we took a walk into the the Riu Palace and though they had some fancier renovations, both my husband and I felt quality wise for food, view, and serenity we lucked out staying at the antillas adults only side. I will be a returning customer!

Great Service!

My sister and I were very impressed by the service and friendliness of the staff. The resort was very clean as the buffet had different items everyday. Many have mentioned that the rooms are getting a bit dated which is true but the level of service makes up for any cosmetic shortfalls. I would definitely go back to this resort.

Awesome resort

Great place to enjoy excellent varieties of food and beverages. The grounds were immaculately kept as were the accommodations . A place to relax or if inclined, there are numerous activities for everyone to choose. The beach is outstanding. Definitely looking forward to returning.

Best Holiday Ever

Two items stand out in making our recent holiday the best ever. Firstly the food was incredible and far better than any other 5 star inclusive we have stayed at in Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Domincan Republic. too many great dishes to individually rave about but the beef from Argentina makes Alberta beef a far 2nd in taste and tenderness. The Beef Wellington was incredible! Secondly, the beach was amazing. We had no trouble finding shaded lounge chairs even at 9 am. The white sandy beach wa [... read more]s long and clean. You could run out into the water without the fear of landing on stone and the medium sized waves were fun when using the resort supplied flotation mats. Another great aspect of the beach was the that the south section had calm waters, while the north section had the rolling waves. The water was very warm but also refreshing. My wife and I literally walked for miles during our stay. The hotel was clean and we had no complaints. Elevators were fast, Staff really friendly. Entertainment was average for an all inclusive resort. Our room was clean, though the bathroom could use refreshing down the road. The resort is slowly refreshing rooms, which are upgrades noted as "Superior" when you book your trip. Our next vacation will be back to this resort, hopefully in March. We'd like to stay for at least 10 days. Oh how great it would be to retire in Aruba!!!

Great beach

The hotel is really outdated, on our first night I called for housekeeping thinking the floor was dirty it was pitted and chipped and our dresser was missing a handle. Overall we really enjoyed the food and variety of the Restaurants but the entertainment is very amateurish. The beach was outstanding we were able to get wifi even on the beach. overall we would definitely come back but would go to palace instead.

Amazing resort!

This hotel is spotless - the grounds are constantly being cleaned. The beach is beautiful but if you want a palapa you have to reserve one really early, ie by 7am at the latest. All the food at the buffet restaurant is amazing - so much to choose from that you don’t know where to start. All staff is very helpful. The rooms are spotless but dated - could use a facelift. We would recommend this resort and would absolutely go back.

Great people, fantastic beach

Overall an ok hotel. Pros Great, friendly staff Great beach Food ok Comfy bed Cons Rooms dated and worn, but clean Pool did not seem very clean and was not very big. Too busy with activities for my taste.

Nice Resort

Nice resort! Extremely friendly and helpful staff. We heard some rooms had been updated, but unfortunately didn’t receive one. Although the rooms could use some updates, they are still very nice. A lovely place for a honeymoon!

Very friendly people

No complaints about this resort. Drinks and food were fantastic! Always lounge chairs available any time. People extremely friendly and will do anything to make your stay enjoyable; managers walk around and ask if there is anything they can do to help. Wide age group of people here. Entertainment around the pool is great and lots of different activities. Highly recommend this place!