Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas

We stay at this delightful hotel every year, but it’s been a while since we provided a review to reflect our experience. The absolute best thing about the RIU Palace Maspolomas is the staff. From start to finish, they are engaging and helpful throughout. You are made to feel special and that nothing is too much. They make this place what it is, and are the reason we return each year. The main restaurant offers a wide variety of food but this changes each night of the week, so it’s never gets mundane. There is always an abundance of options and the quality is generally very high. Breakfast provides the same offering daily, but the choice is so wide that you are never short of something new to try. The only downside is the weight you put on through eating so much! The rooms are well appointed and cleaned daily. On this occasion, we were fortunate enough to be situated in one of our favourite rooms overlooking the Maspolomas dunes. The positioning of the room you are in can make a real difference to your experience, so bear this in mind. On this occasion, and as we normally do, we booked through RIU Class and had the free transfers. Previously, this was a good service and provided added value for money. However, this time there were problems both on arrival and departure. When we arrived at the airport we had to wait for quite a long period of time (over 2 hours) before finally being put in a shared taxi. Upon departure, when we were due to be picked-up from the hotel, and in spite of being ready and in the correct location 30 minutes before the stated pick-up time, the mini bus arrived an hour earlier than stated and left without us. We spoke with the RIU receptionist who was very helpful, but ultimately had to make our own way to the airport at our own expense. Once home, I had to send several emails and make multiple calls to different RIU departments to secure due reimbursement of expenses several weeks later. This could and should have been avoided by RIU simply covering the cost of the taxi from the hotel to the airport once it was clear that the failings were on the part of their chosen transfer partner. An area for improvement! In short, great hotel and amazing staff. Improvements could be made around the RIU group customer service provision to ensure you feel truly valued. That said, we’ll be going back again next year.

Faultless - wonderful discreet service from the moment we checked in to departure - Food was of good standard and amazing selection - loved fizz at breakfast !! The evening buffet can be complemented by visiting the two ‘fine dining ‘ restaurants during your stay - I wouldn’t say they were fine dining - but they were more than adequate and made a welcome change ! Pool side was quiet as low season - but the hotel seemed busy !! Thoroughly enjoyed the break!

Everything works perfect. The staff is friendly and service minded. There is a wonderful relaxing calmness everywhere.

This was our first visit back to the Riu Palace Maspalomas for a few years, and I have to say we still really enjoy staying here. The hotel is spotlessly clean, the pool area is lovely, and the staff are genuinely friendly and welcoming. We had requested the same room we stayed in on our previous visit, and we were delighted that this was accommodated. A special mention goes to Anna Rosa, our room attendant, who did an excellent job throughout our stay. The breakfast buffet was very good, with plenty of choice. The only disappointment was the tea and coffee. The coffee was much too strong for our taste, while the tea never seemed strong enough. We asked for a latte on a couple of occasions, but unfortunately never seemed to receive one. The evening buffet was probably the weakest part of the hotel. While there was a reasonable selection, we found some of the dishes lacked flavour and the menu became quite repetitive over our week stay. We also enjoyed a meal in the Oasis Restaurant. Daniel, the head waiter, was outstanding. He took the time to speak with guests and made everyone feel welcome. The young waitress working with him was also excellent. Unfortunately, another waiter appeared rather uninterested—a smile and a more welcoming attitude would have made a big difference. It was great to see the new sunbed cushions and parasols around the pool. However, it was disappointing that several of the parasol covers were already torn and didn’t appear to have been repaired or replaced. As with many hotels, there were the inevitable “sunbed reservers,” although thankfully there were always plenty of beds available. Personally, I think allocating sunbeds on arrival would be a fairer system. Overall, this is still a lovely hotel and one we enjoy returning to. However, I don’t quite feel it meets the standard of a true five-star hotel. There are a number of small details that, taken together, make a difference. The biggest disappointment was the lack of complimentary drinking water in the rooms. In my opinion, providing a couple of bottles of water each day should be standard in a five-star hotel. Alternatively, a water station on each floor with reusable carafes would be an excellent and environmentally friendly solution. Despite these points, we had a very enjoyable stay, and with a few small improvements, this hotel could easily live up to its five-star rating.

Excellent hotel, great food, always clean, lovely pools, great staff (especially wonderful Esther and Denisse in the restaurant). The only slight disappointment was the quality of the evening entertainment but overall excellent experience.