Riu Palace Aruba

Returned from a girls 5 night trip to the Rui. The hotel is large and clean. We arrived late at night so check in was non existent. All the restaurants were closed so we could only order from room service which was just ok at best with a sandwich with only 1 piece of meat and sad salad. C- Pros: Breakfast Buffett is outstanding with numerous choices and everything you could think of to eat or drink. The service from most wait staff is outstanding. Service is always with a smile and a kind word. Staff is very friendly and efficient. We never missed breakfast and staff should be applauded for breakfast service. Dinner service at all restaurants was excellent as well. There was a nice variety of meals and we tried all the dinner restaurants.A Pool service and entertainment was always outstanding. It was usually busy at the pool bar so at times it took time to get a drive. Entertainment staff were fun and friendly and kept vacationers involved in exercise and games.A Cons: Too many children unaccompanied at the buffet as well as running around in the big restaurant. I saw quite a few children doing very nasty things at meal stations with some things being downright unsanitary and disgusting. Parents showed little or no concern about the behavior of their children and or consideration for other diners. The hotel management is at fault for not making parents watch their children. Our only option was not sitting to close to the good stations and hoping for the best in terms of cleanliness and not getting run into by an unruly child. D Housekeeping never changed the sheets on the bed the entire time we were there. I know because I spilled lotion on the sheet and the same stain was there the entire time. The bed looked neat and fresh however the sheets were never changed which is unacceptable at this price point. I usually leave money for the housekeeper but for this reason I didn't. The room was always clean with lots of nice towels.C- The bed was broken and had to be repaired. The beds seem to be old and need to be replaced. Overall Rating: C

Dear CheapCaribbean.com, How was my vacation? Let me ask you this? If you ordered steak in a luxury restaurant and the waitress brought you a hamburger instead, without your consent, how would you feel? We were booked by your company in the Riu Palace Aruba, however when we arrived we were told they overbooked and we'd have to stay at the sister hotel, Riu Palace Antilles. Just like that. We saved for this trip, researched hotels and when it came time to relax, we were not able to enjoy the hotel we chose. Your company seemed quite disinterested in our plight when I called to complain -- the rep offered us a $100 credit toward our next booking. That will never happen.

I am a single father of 3 boys (24, 22 & 16). We typically take an all-inclusive vacation every other year - we've been to Cancun, Jamaica, Bahamas, Puerto Vallarta and the Dominican Republic (twice), and now Aruba. I would classify us as experienced all-inclusive travelers. The Riu Palace Aruba was, without question, the finest resort we have ever stayed stayed in. - The rooms were spacious and clean. - The pool area was phenomenal - clean, energetic and well-covered by multiple pool-side servers (not the case everywhere we've been). - The beach was also beautiful. Every morning we would head out to the beach first and were greeted by a beach attendant asking us if we'd like him to move lounge chairs for us (say yes - the chairs are taken off the beach every night and stacked in high piles that are difficult to reach on your own, and then you'd have to drag each chair 40-50 yards to be close to the water. And bring $2 every day to tip them - it's hard work in soft sand and they will notice you the next day). - Beach sand was white as a cloud, and the water was deep aqua. An amazing setting. FYI, unlike other resorts, no on-beach servers for drinks, which we didn't mind. - Food was outstanding. Most all-inclusives tend to leave you a little bored with the daily fare by day 3 or 4. Not at the Riu Palace Aruba - every meal was terrific, including the main buffet dining room where they had theme nights 6 of 7 nights of the week. - I drink Chardonnay. While I wouldn't consider myself a wine snob, I can tell the difference between a good glass vs. a bad glass of chardonnay. At EVERY all-inclusive we've been to so far the chardonnay has been very below average. At the Riu Palace Aruba, it was the very first time I thoroughly enjoyed the chardonnay - at the pool bar, the buffet restaurants, and all the other bars. - Service, from the front desk to the pool side servers to the maids, was top shelf. Every time we passed a staff member on the resort we were greeted with 'good morning/afternoon/evening" in a very sincere and friendly manner. Again, not the case at all resorts. -Finally, I would simply add that this resort is beyond perfect. I'm not paid to write this, and I'm a fairly critical traveler. You will not regret staying at the Riu Palace Aruba.

So my wife and I are on our honeymoon. We stayed 5 nights 6 days at the riu palace in Aruba. The hotel is a little dated but all in all we've had a great time. The dining options are great, especially Krystal and the Japanese restaurant. The main complaints we have are the room. The pillows and beds are not comfortable. The king bed is just two beds pushed together. The mattress is hard and the pillows are all down pillows but not fluffy and comfortable. Also the elevators in this place take forever. I got a look at the inside of their black jack feeder and the cards are indeed forced together and grouped specifically for the houses edge. Do not expect to walk away from the casino a winner haha. The water sports offerings on the beach are fantastic. We jet skied, and we also did a private snorkeling adventure. We also received massages at the hotel. All in all with airfare the trip was about $4100. I would come back because the positives outweighed the negatives.