Riu Palace Maldivas

Just returned from an amazing 10 day Holliday, We choose to upgrade to the seaplane arrival as I read reviews about some guests having a long wait for the domestic plane so for us this was the best option it wasn’t cheap and I was told that over last few months it’s gone up a lot in price I think we paid about $700 but was worth it! We took the speedboat and domestic flight on return and waited for over 5 hours at male airport for our flight as we were picked up from hotel so early but I think this is normal as the domestic flights only run certain times a day! On arrival we were warmly welcomed check in was smooth and fast and taken straight to our room , we were in a downstairs beachfront room on the sunset side room 116 was spacious and clean, bed was huge shower was lovely and AC worked very well you had to leave patio door closed else everything would become damp very quickly! Mini bar stocked daily and the optix were a great touch! Food at this resort was probably some of the best we had all restaurants were amazing and never had a issue booking in the only thing we would say negative is the better restaurants are in the Atoll side and you can’t book them so if you like to eat early you have a queue outside to get a table which wasn’t great or they give you a buzzer and you can go get a drink and they buzz you when table ready! The buffet amazing selection everyday the service is spot on constantly refilling drinks and take your plate as soon as you finish. Bar staff were amazing , drinks were very good could get absolut vodka here but not available on atoll side! big shout out to Peri, Puja, sammy, Ryo,Sanju you made our trip truly unforgettable with your kindness by far the best service we have had at a resort and we have been to many 5* every staff member no matter what there job role was were friendly smiled and just made a lovely holiday! Entertainment was great we knew it would be chilled so wasn’t expecting major nightlife the parties at the Atoll side were great for us as we do like to party! So the world night the white night and flower power were so much fun on the beach, one night the white party was taken inside due to strong wind which wasn’t as good but still enjoyable, the band on the place side were amazing did get a bit samey after 10 days and the dj playing was very good but finished at 6.15 so would have been good if he played more nights! Pool was great it was quiet when we arrived and never had no issues getting a lounger the only thing for me a lot of the loungers are in the shade there is only certain areas which have the sun even though you can slide across the cover above you I do like laying in sun so these were limited and prob first to go especially as the holiday went on it got busier ! Beach was amazing we went snorkelling on the Atoll side as were told it’s better and didn’t disappoint we seen sharks, rays, so many fish but also walking the bridge we seen so much! Seeing the hermit crabs and watching the fruit bats in trees also was brilliant! Weather was amazing we did worry as we booked from 29th May - 8th June but had a few showers and mainly beautiful sunshine the whole holiday, was quite windy but sometimes glad of this! So if your thinking of booking Rui place I would say do it! It’s been the best holiday we’ve ever had and would not have no issues going back I would definitely stick to palace side as for us it was quieter, better drink selection and table service which you don’t get at the atoll, but truly a dream destination.

We have spent wonderfull time at riu palacealdives.everything was perfect.specially bar team doing a great job there. I would like to give special thanks to them. Sanju Thanuka chamika poonum samee puja chamara outstanding ❤️

Our recent stay at RIU Palace Maldives in an overwater villa was truly unforgettable. We visited for our honeymoon, and it was made even more special because my birthday happened to fall during our stay as well. From the breathtaking scenery to the warmth of the staff, it was an experience we will cherish forever. The property itself is absolutely stunning — crystal clear beaches, beautiful coral reefs full of marine life, gorgeous overwater villas, and consistently fresh, delicious food. But what really made this trip so special was the incredible staff who went above and beyond every single day to make us feel welcomed, cared for, and at home. A very special thank you to: • Desy at Paradise Bar, who learnt our names from day one and always remembered our drinks and favourite snacks. She made us feel genuinely welcomed every day. • Saleem at dinner service, who was always kind and friendly. • Musab, who helped set up the private birthday dinner my husband planned and paid for. Even though the weather didn’t allow it to happen on the beach due to rain, he still made the evening feel incredibly special. • Mujeeb, the pastry chef, who was always smiling while making fresh donuts in the mornings. • Ryo from Paradise Bar and the beach team — always smiling, so humble and kind. Truly one of the highlights of our trip and genuinely such a gem of a human being. • Anu from Paradise Bar, who was always sweet and incredibly attentive with cocktails. • Amin Gihon, Executive Sous Chef, whose warmth and hospitality elevated our dining experience every single day. • Puja from Paradise Bar, who was lovely and friendly throughout our stay. • Chamara from Paradise Bar, who was always pleasant. • Suvina at dinner service, the sweetest girl — always humble, helpful, and welcoming. • Nilan from lunch and dinner service, who went out of his way to get us mangosteen because we had never tried it before. His service was exceptional and always delivered with a smile. • Nathalie at dinner, who remembered our drinks order as soon as we walked in and was always polite and friendly. • Ray, one of the cart drivers, who was consistently friendly and kind. • Sameera from Paradise Bar, who was lovely and welcoming. • Edi Surya, Sous Chef, who was absolutely top class. His dish recommendations, personal touches, and genuine passion made dinner service memorable every night. • Sandra, who specially prepared a pasta dish for my husband that he absolutely loved. • Shifaz at lunch service, who always made time to stop and chat with us and check in on how we were doing. • Mechielle at the Japanese restaurant, who kindly brought my husband extra gyoza after seeing how much he loved them. • Jihad from the main dining cleaning team, who always kept the buffet spotless with such friendliness and humility. • Zaain, our room attendant, whose cleaning was exceptional and whose daily towel art always made us smile. • Nithu, one of the drivers, who always chatted with us during rides and made us feel completely at home. • Jason at reception, who was very professional and friendly throughout our stay. • Mord, one of the drivers, who made our rides between the atolls so interesting by showing us stingrays, sharks, and teaching us about the fish and Maldivian lifestyle. • Nashid from the transfer department, who handled an issue we experienced during checkout with professionalism, patience, and care. He truly prevented what could have ended our holiday on a stressful note. The level of warmth and hospitality from the staff at RIU Palace Maldives is honestly what sets this resort apart. Every interaction felt personal and genuine, and they played such a huge part in making both our honeymoon and birthday celebration so memorable. A few areas we do feel could be improved to better match a true 5-star experience: • The room service menu is extremely limited and the absence of hot drinks on the menu was disappointing. • The waiting times and frequency of the carts can sometimes be quite long. • Spa treatment prices felt excessively high. • Evening turndown service in the villas would be a lovely addition. Despite those small areas for improvement, we had a beautiful stay and made memories we will cherish forever. Thank you to the entire RIU Palace Maldives team for such a special honeymoon and birthday experience.

Fantastic hotel and fantastic staff. We very much enjoyed everything apart from the DJ. He was always playing songs from the 70s and 80s even though the crowd was young in their 20s and 30th. We asked him several times to play new songs but he refused. Except the DJ, everything was perfect. Thank you.

It’s hard to talk about this place without sounding like I’m gushing. This was our second visit to the Maldives, and so far, our vacation at the Riu Palace has been our favorite. We had the opportunity to spend two weeks in a water villa, for which we are especially grateful. The villa was simply wonderful; I couldn’t imagine a better place for a peaceful, quiet, yet completely nature-filled getaway. The ocean in front of us was perfectly calm and dazzlingly blue, perfect for swimming, with no annoying reefs or seaweed. If we wanted to see fish, we just had to go a little further out, and there was nothing stopping us from doing so. Every staff member on the island treated us with their usual Maldivian warmth and utmost attention; we never had to wait for anything. A few names I must mention—though by no means an exhaustive list—of those we spoke with the most and who were the most attentive to us: Thanuka, Dasy, Bharaat, Chamika, Edi the chef, Ani the other chef, Nilan... (sorry if i spelling their names wrong) Thank you to them for always chatting with us and making these two weeks unforgettable. :)) The food was outstanding throughout; we really enjoyed the special themes, such as the BBQ or the shawarma pop-up. The specialty restaurants were also very good; I particularly liked their slightly more exclusive, elegant atmosphere. It was nice to see that the guests here also adhere to the dress code. We enjoyed the evening parties as well, though we would have been much happier with far fewer unfamiliar Russian songs. :) On the other hand, we really, really enjoyed the sunset DJ sets and the evening live music performances. They were all really, really good and of a high standard every single day. Thank you so much for these wonderful two weeks, we’ll definitely go back to this dream island in the near future. :)