Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10667 reviews

• 

  Guests of newly renovated hotel.

  Stayed at the Riu Guanacaste. The hotel design was like a mile plus long with one or two doorways and one set of elevators. For a hotel this size, it is not user friendly, particularly for seniors and mobility challanged guests. Walkways around pools and beach long and windy. The staff work very hard cleaning, many times, too clean. One has to avoid wet mopped areas for fear of slipping. Entertain in Spanish only, and no side gigs.

  Oct 24, 2025
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  Disappointed.

  My family and I were excited to visit the newly opened RIU Guanacaste resort, but our experience was extremely disappointing and uncomfortable from start to finish. Room Issues On arrival, our first rooms (3085 & 3086) had a water leak from the bathroom ceiling vent and large ants near the minibar. We were moved to 3099 & 3100, where the door lock was damaged, hot water didn’t work for two days, and ants kept returning even after multiple housekeeping visits. Both my husband and daughter ended up with large red bites on their arms and legs. Discrimination by Staff The worst part was the treatment by certain bartenders. Two employees—Sharon (beach bar) and Aaron (American Country Bar)—laughed, spoke in Spanish, and ignored us simply because we didn’t speak Spanish fluently. I stood waiting while they served multiple other guests ahead of me. When I reported Sharon’s behavior, she somehow learned about it almost immediately and later walked past me with a very intimidating look, which made me feel unsafe. The front-desk manager, Jefferson, admitted she “must have put two and two together.” We were offered a steakhouse reservation as an apology, but it didn’t erase how humiliated and uncomfortable I felt. Not an Isolated Incident We also met two other Black families—one from Canada and another from Florida—who said they experienced the same discrimination from staff. It’s heartbreaking that a resort representing a global brand like RIU would allow this kind of treatment. Final Thoughts We came with patience, knowing the resort was only open a couple of weeks and might have early issues. But instead of improving, things got worse. Between the poor maintenance, cold showers, ant bites, and discriminatory service, our family vacation became a stressful experience. I sincerely hope RIU Guanacaste and RIU Corporate review how guests of color and non-Spanish-speaking visitors are treated. Until major changes are made, I cannot recommend this resort and would caution future guests to reconsider.

  Oct 23, 2025
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  RIU-ned Vacation

  RIU-ned Vacation I want to start by providing some background. I am a seasoned traveller having been to many countries - staying at many resorts - 3.5-5 stars. Thus, I feel I have a lot of experience with resorts of all kinds to be able to write this very honest review. This was my first and LAST time at a RIU property. I will start with the CONS as there were many issues with this resort. We booked this resort because of the MANY swim-up bars. We were travelling with two children. It is a very nice amenity to have a swim up bar, where we can fetch drinks without leaving the children unattended. Nowhere on the RIU website does it mention that ALL the swim-up bars are adults only. There is also no signage at the pools to indicate this. So, we used the swim-up bars, only to be told we could not use them as they are adult only. Upon questioning why - we are given many differing answers. The first day, we were told there was no life guard. Fine - we left. The next day, we are told we cannot be there as there are “drunk people”. Yet, we are allowed with the children at any other bar and so long as we stay on the other side of the swim up bar wall, we can be there. Makes no sense. They prefer families with kids to be in the deeper ends of the pool, even though the swim up bar areas are shallow - great for families. Lots of families would enter the pool to be there. It’s pretty standard for parents with kids to want to be near a bar, but have a shallow area for the kids. We called for a manager because I was given the run-around as to why we could not be there, and the manager threatened to kick us out of the hotel simply because I mentioned that the RIU has false advertising - stating that they have 5 pools for use - when in reality, families can only use 2 of them. Apparently, this is a rule for ALL RIU’s - or at least that is what the manager said. If that is the case - why is this information not readily available online? I would not have spent my money to stay here, if I could not use the swim up bar. I’ve stayed in many hotels in many countries and this is the only resort I was told I could not use the swim up bar. The ONLY ONE. If you are going to have a rule about children not being near a bar, this rule should apply to all their bars. Not only the swim up bar pools. The kids were fine to use the other side of the bar, the part not inside the pool. How does this make sense? I am fine with policies but you need to make sense and advertise correctly. The A’la Carte restaurants - all equally terrible. That being said, that’s normal at many destinations. My major issue is that there is really only ONE sit down restaurant. Everything else is buffet. To me, this feels very lazy on the part of the RIU. They did their best to make their lives easy - no service. The food, not good. However, the worst part is they don’t take reservations, and to make sure you get a spot, you are stuck lining up 1 hour to 1.5 hours before the restaurant opens. Who wants to do this on vacation? The one day, we lined up at 5:30, reached the door at 6:30 just to be told we would not be able to get in after all. What is this? This is supposed to be a 5 star resort and they can’t figure out their restaurants? The resort boasts as being family friendly. Is it? Not really. Sure they have a water park but it takes a lot more than a water park to be family friendly. We had a room facing the beach. They play loud music until 11:30pm every night. I like to have a good time. However, when the music is so loud you cannot chat and cannot sleep, and you have kids? Not family friendly. The kids shows are in Spanish. Not even an English subtitle. I could not attend most of the shows at 9pm because of how loud they were. We can HEAR YOU. No need to blast everything! I wanted to attend but because of how loud it was, I was worried for my infant son who is 5 months. The minibar - some days it was refilled properly. However, for parents who spend a lot of time in the room and enjoy the fact that the RIU has alcohol bottles for use in the room, I did not appreciate that once they were empty, they replaced them with QUARTER filled bottles. Then, if you requested a refill, once again - quarter full bottles. Food poisoning - I myself liked the food. My husband barely ate. However, I was on the CAN quite literally the entire 10 days. My husband was sick, and my mother who travelled with us too. I tried process of elimination, didn’t work. There are no fresh cook stations. Everything is pre-prepared. Sure they have people cooking but not for you. Just to put it out there to sit and grab. Staff - everyone is super unhelpful. Including the restaurant managers who acknowledge the no reservation policy makes problems but actively does not really try to rectify the situation without some form of argument. They blindly follow policies they say exist - but they don’t know WHY they exist nor can they give you valid reasons. Their approach is to talk over you. PROS unfortunately - few. Nice grounds, well maintained, comfortable rooms, nice beds, nice pools if you are allowed to use them, and good selection at the main buffet.

  Oct 20, 2025
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  Good and affordable all you can eat hotel.

  A really nice hotel, this month the hotel was renew and their new interior design is astonishing, it is worth the visit to see how beautiful the place has become. I recommend going to the hotel and have a nice time with your family and/or friends. In regards to the food, it was ok. Not bad at all but not memorable. In terms of variety, it have way too many options which were great and it was amazing but the flavors sometimes were not at point but not complaints about bad food. I enjoyed for the price of the stay (All you can eat style). Drinks in the pool bars were also ok, not very memorable and they does not seem to add a lot of alcohol unless you ask them. The staff was great, all of them were very nice and welcoming. I saw that some of them did not know a lot of the details of the Hotel like building locations or events, but I suppose it is because they were pretty new at their job. The more experience ones have more information at hand. In term of entertainment, they had a lot of events and a lot of staff members that did their best to include as many people as possible. Staff members from Rio Fit or the other departments were great, I loved joining the AquaFun or Pilates with the staff. In addition to this, the night events were great, they had kids shows in the early evening and after that every day they had a show with dance and other talents. Every night was different and the only thing missing is the visitors to be more joyful and have more participation of the events but that is not due to the Staff. Overall, I had a great time and I hope more local (Costa Rican) people get to enjoy the Hotel. I recommend the visit.

  Oct 16, 2025
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  What a great 50th birthday!

  BOOKED DIRECTLY THROUGH RIU We recently stayed at this RIU resort as a family of six to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday — and we had a fabulous time. I've been to other RIU's before and didn't think they could get any better, but this was the best vacation! FOOD & DINING - So much food! One of the absolute highlights of this resort is the abundance and quality of the food. There are so many places to eat — from themed restaurants to buffets and casual snack spots — and each one had something different and delicious to offer. My kids can be notoriously picky eaters, but they absolutely thrived here. Whether it was fresh fruit, made-to-order omelets, flavorful pastas, grilled meats, or decadent desserts, they ate like champs and kept going back for more. Having more then 1 place to eat and little food stations by the various pools was a hit for us. The buffet was always well-stocked and fresh, with rotating options that never felt repetitive. We also tried a few of the à la carte restaurants, and each one delivered top-notch service and cuisine. STAFF – The Heart of the RIU Experience The staff here deserve a standing ovation. Every single person we encountered was pleasant, professional, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their work. They were always happy to help, whether it was answering questions, bringing extra towels, or just sharing a friendly smile in the hallway. What really blew us away was how special they made my husband feel on his birthday. Not only did they surprise him with a cake and sing to him (which absolutely delighted our kids!), but several staff members made a point to wish him a happy birthday throughout dinner. That kind of attention to detail and personal touch meant the world to us. ️ ROOMS, POOLS, & BEACH Our rooms were clean, spacious, and very comfortable. The housekeeping team did an amazing job keeping them spotless and well-stocked every single day. We had everything we needed — from cold drinks in the mini fridge to fresh towels and a cozy bed to crash in after a long day in the sun. The pools were beautiful, with plenty of loungers and shaded areas. There was always music, good vibes, and activities happening without it feeling overcrowded. The beach was just steps away and absolutely stunning — soft white sand, clear turquoise water, and plenty of room to spread out and relax. Truly a postcard-perfect setting. ️ Resort Layout & Renovations – Exciting Changes Ahead This resort currently has both an older section and a newer one, and while everything was still in great shape, we learned that the older section will be closing for renovations soon. Honestly, even before the updates, the entire resort already feels fresh, clean, and well-maintained — so we are extremely excited to come back and see how they improve it even more! ️ FINAL THOUGHTS – The best 50th Birthday ever RIU might be categorized as a “budget” resort by some, but in our experience, it delivers a five-star experience through and through. From food and service to amenities and atmosphere, every aspect of our trip felt special. We’ve now stayed at two RIU properties in a matter of months, and both times have left us beyond impressed. We are all still talking about this trip and how great it was, the best vacation we have had so far.

  Oct 08, 2025