Riu Palace Aruba

We had such a wonderful experience. We stayed there in January 2026. The staff was over the top. Junior felt like family. Linda was very good to us as well. All the staff were kind to us. They really care about making you happy. They personally greet you every day. The property is gorgeous. The beach is gorgeous. The rooms are beautiful. The food is good. I can’t say enough I can’t wait to go back especially to see them again. It was very clean. It’s very safe. The best and safest place I’ve ever been to in the Caribbean.

Beautiful location right on the beach. Food is good, but it is difficult to go to specialty restaurants as they don’t take reservations and the last thing we want to do on vacation is stand in a line for an hour to eat a little-better-than-decent food. Entertainment for children is not great. Even though the Palace is the family property, pool games included adults getting wasted on shots and loud raunchy music. The night entertainment was not appealing to kids either and the kids’ club didn’t have much going on. When you have an adult property and a family property right next to each other, I’d expect a lot more emphasis on children entertainment at the family property. Save the drinking games for the adult hotel. Staff is friendly and rooms are clean. We went when major construction was going on at the pool—workers jackhammering through cement outside at all hours of the day, so the vacation was not relaxing. We could hear construction even at the beach. The resort should not have booked anyone during this time. It really was awful. We stayed here the year prior though without construction so we know it is a good resort without the noise, which is why I gave a 4-star review. Just make sure you get confirmation there is no major construction going on before you book!

The staff is okay, I expected them to be more friendly and happy given it's the happy island. The food was mediocre at best, I would rate it 1.5/5. The room was very nice and clean, the staff did amazing cleaning everyday. The pools were nice but the entertainment got annoying all day everyday with the same stuff. You can't relax with the games going on. The drinks were good but way too small. I think it was a 4 oz glass so you're getting two at a time just for yourself. I understand it's hot and things melt fast but these the smallest glasses I've ever had in an all inclusive and it was annoying to make so many trips back and forth and wait for the bartender. I could not find the gym and no one was helpful in locating it for me. I don't understand why girls can wear strapless mini dresses but boys can't wear a tank top for dinner? It's hot! Reservations mean going there at 6PM everyday, not actually reserving ahead of time. Our room was right by the stage so it was loud every night until 10PM and there was no relaxing on the balcony. Overall it was okay but I wouldn't stay again.

We just had a lovely holiday at Riu Palace. The beach is amazing and the staff was great.

During our stay at RIU Palace Aruba, Carmen at the main buffet made our experience truly memorable. She greeted our family with a warm smile every day and often brought our drinks before we even had to ask. She was incredibly attentive, efficient, and kept her area spotless even when it was busy. Carmen’s service really stood out and made our stay special. She deserves recognition from management for the amazing job she does.