Riu Palace Aruba

The rooms were great. The staff was friendly and helpful. The pool area was nice. The food was good at the buffet. We had a good experience at all the restaurants though you need to get there early because they are on the smaller side and can only accommodate smaller numbers. This becomes an issue because of there 6-9pm hours. The pools were great. My granddaughter asked me to rate our stay and I said 8.5 when I asked her for her rating. She stated 8.0 because of the shows. It was not really geared for kids. The Elvis show, the Pirate show, The best thing was the karaoke. I hope they can work on improving that. We truly enjoyed our stay otherwise.

So we went on July 31, 2026 the very first day open after being closed a couple of months for renovations. They did a decent job with the renovations. The staff inside the hotel were friendly and accommodating. The pool and beach staff were ok some friendly some not. The entertainment at the pool was average on one day the had neither entertainment or any kind of music. The night entertainment was ok nothing memorable. The buffet was good. The steakhouse experience was not good at all…Our server Sandra R totally forgot our order we waited almost 2 hours and she disputed what was ordered terrible. I would not discourage anyone from staying at the Riu Palace Aruba but encourage they read the latest reviews before making a decision to stay there.

They have a crazy $250 wristband fee if you lose it. Has to be a better way around that. It’s disappointing that you can lose a plastic wristband doing any of their watersports and they have rules built in place to benefit each other and the company only not the guest for the resort.

Needs updating, needs food on the beach. We left the beach and because the kids were wet we weren’t allowed to eat in the restaurant but there were no beach options. Room service menu is extremely limited

We came here over spring break, which happened to fall on Easter. Our first day / night was not great - our room was in a part of the hotel that was not updated, there was no elevator access, the pullout bed's frame was literally rusting apart, and our room was so musty we felt we couldn't breath. I talked to the front desk that night and the next morning after check-in, they tried hard to move and accommodate us, THANKFULLY they found us another room that worked out perfectly. They were genuinely helpful and concerned about the situation. That room was a million times better. Updated, no smell, and clean. We LOVED it. The grounds and other areas of the hotel were a little shabby and in need of an update/ repairs - but we learned they were closing right after we left for a remodel, so I'm sure it's amazing now. The food - 10/10. The buffet was amazing every meal. We ate every meal there at the buffet - it was perfect for kids, so many selections. My husband and I ate once at a specialty restaurant and it was lovely and food was great. The burger grill was a huge hit with our kids, too - big burgers and nacho options. As far as food goes - 10/10. Drinks were fine - not my favorite but I'm picky. I learned fast that I could get a fresh made decaf espresso martini made at the lobby bar and that is pretty much what I drank and they were delicious. Service was always outstanding - no complaints! This is definitely a family friendly hotel - lots of activities everyday for kids and adults. They even had an Easter Egg hunt for the kiddos, too. I don't think I'd come here without kids, but it was amazing for our two boys (9&6). Great location to walk to other resorts (their adult resort is attached and easy to get to - spa and casino) and you can walk across the street and a block down is a great little shopping district with food, bars, etc. Overall a good experience and would recommend!