Riu Palace Antillas

We paid a significant amount of money for four rooms for a party of 11, and a substantial portion of the experience we paid for was negatively affected by conditions and service failures that were outside of our control. We chose Riu Palace Aruba because we expected a certain level of quality, service and comfort. Unfortunately, the reality was very different. THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE The problem is not simply that one thing went wrong. We had: * An unbearable sewage/cesspool odor affecting our accommodations. * An odor so strong that it made it difficult to breathe comfortably. * A cesspool truck pumping the system, yet the odor ultimately became significantly worse. * Clothing and personal belongings that absorbed the sewage odor. * Multiple maintenance problems across four rooms. * Two rooms with non-functioning fans. * A broken coffee table. * A broken and leaking showerhead. * Two rooms with an unusual and inconvenient configuration of full-size beds pushed together that could not be separated. * Major difficulties obtaining restaurant reservations for our party of 11. * A lack of clear information about the restaurant reservation process. * Management promising reservations that were not actually made. * Hours of our vacation wasted trying to find places to eat. * A disappointing buffet that became our only reliable dining option at times. * Drinks that tasted as though they contained little to no alcohol. * Repeated problems and inconsistent rules regarding pool towels.

Travelled with my wife and older kids (19 and 24) to the Riu Palace Antilles in July 2026. The best part is the location. Perfect location on the beach and walking distance to the restaurants, bars, and shops. Beach was awesome. Has a floating dock to swim out to and jump off which was something to do as a nice change of pace. There was a small rock reef off the beach that you could swim out to and snorkel around and see pretty decent variety of fish and sea creatures. Food was decent. Pools were fine but we are beach people so spent most our time I. The ocean which was beautiful and calm all week. There was some entertainment around the pools but that is not our cup of tea. The constant breeze makes it feel like it is never too hot out. Beach is great for taking long walks also. Plenty of palapas but need to get down early to reserve the best ones which is not an issue for us. Buffet food is not exciting but was actually pretty good for a buffet. Restaurants were good, especially the steak house. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was they do not have reservations. You have to wait in line for restaurants to open as first come first serve system. If you come down after the initial waive then they will give you a beeper and a time to come back to be seated. Bars were good and most bar tenders were really good. We enjoyed hanging out at the lobby bar before and after dinner for drinks. My son went to the gym everyday and said it was adequate, The 24 hour cafe and coffee shop were nice to have and convenient. Staff was very friendly and polite. Check in was relatively quick with no issues. Rooms were updated and nice and we had a decent view of the ocean even though it was not an ocean front room. Only other knock is the elevators, as they can take quite some time during peak hours. There were fire exit stairs you could use but depending on your floor it could be quite a workout. I will say the Riu Palace next door that allows kids was under renovation and was not open. So we had less restaurants and pools to choose from but no young kids on the beach or running around either so not sure if that would have changed my ratings up or down. Overall we enjoyed our stay at this Riu. We have been to Riu's in Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico and I can say this one is one of my favorites and love Aruba in general.

Terrible Experience If you’re considering Hotel Riu Palace Antillas in Aruba, save your money and consider your options carefully. For what you pay, there are much better all-inclusive experiences available. Here are the biggest issues we experienced: 1. Room service is misleading. After 11 p.m., the menu is extremely limited, but there is nothing on the app’s room-service ordering site that clearly tells you this. You only find out if you ask. 2. RIU Elite benefits? Still trying to figure them out. The main noticeable benefit seemed to be that you aren’t drinking well liquor. The Elite pool does not offer poolside service, and there is no option to order food. That hardly feels like an elevated experience. 3. One towel per person per day. Yes, one. If you like to spend time at the pool or beach, I strongly suggest bringing your own towel. 4. Elite check-in was a joke. There was only one person working the Elite check-in desk while several employees were working the regular check-in area. We waited while wondering exactly what the benefit of Elite status was supposed to be. 5. The food was extremely disappointing. Bland, bland, bland. Very little seasoning and not much variety that impressed us. After the first two days, we were eating off-property for most of our meals. 6. Not ideal for large groups. If you’re traveling with more than 10 people, be prepared for challenges. The restaurants only allow reservations for parties of up to 10, which makes coordinating meals for a larger group difficult. The frustrating part is that I brought every one of these concerns to the Elite concierge and the manager on duty during our stay. Unfortunately, I’m not very confident that anything will change. For the amount of money you spend, you have plenty of better all-inclusive options. We came to Aruba to relax and enjoy ourselves, but this resort left us feeling like we paid a premium for an experience that simply didn’t deliver. Do not waste your money. There are better choices.

All around great experience! Room was nice and clean . Bars were welcoming. Beach and water was beyond beautiful. The only downfall I found on this whole trip was the shower water smelled bad and it wasn’t very hard to get into the steakhouse if you didn’t line up really early but it wasn’t a deal breaker. 9/10 I would go again . Location close to airport 10-15 min drive . Value was mid for this resort .

We absolutely love the RIU Palace Antillas Aruba! This was our second visit, we first stayed in 2019, and this time we returned to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. Once again, the resort did not disappoint. One of the things that stands out most is the consistently good food, exceptional cleanliness, and wonderful staff. I was especially impressed to see that many of the employees we met during our 2019 visit are still there. To me, that speaks volumes about employee satisfaction and how the resort is managed. The resort manager was also extremely visible throughout our stay. We saw him everywhere, throughout the day, personally checking different areas of the property and making sure everything was just right for the guests. He even took a few minutes to ask us how is our stay and what we thought of the food. That level of hands-on leadership was impressive and did not go unnoticed. To my surprise and absolute delight, Manuel, the best omelette maker in the world, was still at his omelette station! Every morning, he made my omelette perfectly. He would see me coming and immediately start smiling because he knows I will not let anyone else make my omelette! Manuel, if you are reading this, you better not retire before we come back!! John was another standout. He was an excellent table server, attentive, friendly, and genuinely interested in making sure we were enjoying our stay. We would see him at breakfast and lunch, and every day he made a point of checking on us and asking how we were doing. According to my husband, Sebastian makes the best lemon drops in Aruba! Beyond making great drinks, he was incredibly personable and so much fun to spend time with at the bar. He helped make his days even more enjoyable. Then there was Jose, who made sure our beach days started perfectly. Each morning when we came down to secure our spot, he would ask, “Sun or shade today?” and then make sure we had the best spot based on our preference. Those seemingly small touches are what make a vacation feel special. Finally, we have to recognize Owen and Brian at the steakhouse.They are the absolute definition of people who genuinely enjoy what they do. They made everyone feel as though they were the only guests in the restaurant. I remembered Owen from our 2019 visit because he provided that same wonderful experience then. Six years later, his warmth and commitment to excellent service have not changed. What makes RIU Palace Antillas special is not simply the beautiful location, good food, or cleanliness, it is the people. When you return years later and recognize the same smiling faces, receive the same exceptional service, and feel genuinely welcomed back, it says something very special about a resort. Thank you to Manuel, John, Sebastian, Jose, Owen, Brian, the Resort manager (he told me his name but I forgot), and the entire RIU Palace Antillas team for helping make our 27th anniversary celebration so memorable. We love this place, and we will absolutely be back