Riu Palace Paradise Island - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2921 reviews

• 

  Disappointed

  The location wasn’t bad. The atmosphere in the lobby and checking in was nice . The rooms are very dated and had an ordor. They need new furniture , curtains and walls painted. The speciality restaurants were booked up our entire stay . The elevator wasn’t working properly on the 15th floor. And the food could have been better!

  Feb 18, 2026
• 

  Too small of a resort. Minimal beach access.

  Very small beach area, too loud right next to Jet Ski rentals, strong gas fumes blowing right into the area where the guests sunbath. Constant locals selling items, very persistent and extremely annoying when you're trying to relax and enjoy time. Some food was good, though very hard to get a reservation in the nicer restaurants. We will not be staying at this resort again.

  Jan 28, 2026
• 

  Not “Palace” calibre

  A ten day stay at this property left us confused as to why it is rated a “palace” level Riu property. We’ve stayed at several Riu properties, some palace level and this typically means five star service and amenities. We understood going in that this was a smaller property than the typical larger Rius we were familiar with but there were just so many things lacking making it an average experience. Rooms: Tired decor but clean and housekeeping did a great job tending to it daily. Fridge was stocked. Air con worked but was old and very loud - sounded like it was struggling at times. Note when requesting rooms, even numbered rooms face the quiet side, odd face the pool. Restaurant: Reservation system two days ahead but we managed to hit all four. All were good but our favourite was Krystal and least favourite was the Bahamas steakhouse. Decor was nice and service good but would’ve been great to have a little background music to drown out the voices and rattle of cutlery. There was not fine dining atmosphere and they have you through all the courses and out in less than an hour. The buffet was very good. Lots of delicious selections such as grilled lobster, beef Wellington. The jerk chicken poolside at lunch was good but got monotonous. Plus, the seagulls are very aggressive and would swoop down on people’s plates. Entertainment: poor. Your typical stage MJ stage show, some karaoke, dancers on stage with whatever DJ music. One central and only bar open 24 hours. The wall opens to the stage show and then closes afterwards. It’s dark, no opening to outside and very loud and difficult to have a conversation. Servers are hit and miss - usually we lined up at the bar and got our own drink. Note there is no other drink service in the evening except this bar. There is a large lobby with a lot of seating but no lobby bar or drink cart. You can walk to the main bar and carry your drink to the lobby but again, where’s the five star service? There’s a coffee bar but nowhere to have a nice pre-dinner or evening cocktail. A piano, Some quiet music would make all the difference. The only outdoor area to sit in the evening is the front area outside set up for smokers. We have never experienced an all inclusive anywhere at any level (have stayed at at least 20 world wide) that didn’t have an outdoor area where you could sit out and order a cocktail in the evening. Pools: one swim up bar and one large pool both heated crazily warm like bath water. Not refreshing at all - sort of a people soup. This wasn’t the Sun — it was set that way and was too warm by noon. Again, poor poolside service and yes,we tip. One day we were out until three o’clock and never did see a server in our area. There seems to be an assumption you’ll line up for your drink which we should not have to do paying for a palace level resort. Beach: beautiful. They will set up chair and an umbrella. However, no drink service on the beach which is typically is a perk when staying at a Palace.. You have to go up a set of stairs and line up for a drink at the bar. Recommend bringing large insulated cups. Location is good. Easy walk to Atlantis and Margarita ville which we were thankful as it gave us somewhere to go. Taxi to Bay Street and straw market about $20. In summary, I’m not advising not to stay here but lower your expectations significantly if you thinks you are buying a five star experience.

  Jan 23, 2026
• 

  Very nice Hotel

  One of the things that stood out to us was how nice the staff were. From check in, to house cleaning, restaurant staff and bartenders. Always a pleasant greeting and willingness to assist. The room was cleaned well every day and well stocked. The buffet was very good, particularly for breakfast and lunch. Lots of selections for every taste and good quality. Our favorite specialty restaurant was Krystal. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal. The gym was good, but could use an upgrade to some of the equipment. Nevertheless, it was clean and usable for most exercises. Pool was great and we were pleasantly surprised it was heated. Pool area was well maintained with enough seating for everyone. The beach was also very nice. There are attendants available to set up lounge chairs and umbrellas. Never a shortage of chairs. Overall our experience at the RIU Palace was positive. I would not hesitate to recommend a visit to friends and family.

  Jan 18, 2026
• 

  Paradise Lost

  Pros: Perfect White Sand Soft Beach Beautiful Turquoise Blue Ocean Water Most Delicious Buffet and Fine Dining Food Recommend “Bahamas Steak House” forget the steak just order the Lobster Dinner. Horrible Fine Dining Experience. Servers were careless and disengaged and knew nothing about serving fine dining. “Kulinarium” for the Lamb and Lobster Combination. Superior Fine Dining Experience. The Staff was Highly Trained and Delivered a Perfect Fine Dining Experience. Front Desk Staff: Cheers to “DELPHINE” who went above and beyond to secure a room after being relocated 3X to different rooms. Cons: Bar Service Staff: Loud and Obnoxious Totally Disinterested in Serving Guests. Life Guard Staff: Regularly seen with backs to water and socializing amongst themselves instead of watching for the safety of swimmer’s. Spa Staff: Completely Disengaged and Not Attentive to Spa Guests. Overall there were only a few servers that performed the duties of wait staff worthy of receiving a tip. The rest were completely disengaged and felt inconvenienced if you asked for anything. Hotel Property: Desperately in need of upgrade and maintenance. Tons of Rust and wooden surfaces needing paint. One of the rooms was so badly rusted that the heavy balcony door broke off its metal hinges. The maintenance crew determined that the room was completely uninhabitable and needed to relocate to another room that was far less appointed than the Superior Junior Suite originally booked.

  Jan 09, 2026