Guest Review of Riu Palace

Guest review by Jay, visited 'October 2008

From Jay: This is the definitive review of the Riu Palace Aruba. Read this if going to Aruba! My girlfriend and I went to the RIU PALACE for a week in Oct. We are both 24, the youngest people of all we met. There were a lot of couples in 20's/30's range, very few kids (when we left, there were considerably more), and some elder groups. We also met quite a few honeymooners. Lots of people from NY/NJ.

We live in Brooklyn, work in NYC, and had high expectations. We know good service. We know good food. We know a good time. We knew what we wanted paradise to be like. This was as close as I have ever come to it.

However, since this is a review, and I am trying to inform you as to what to expect, I will be more scrupulous than Joe the plumber. Read all of this, and you will much better off.

SERVICE
Everyone was great, and immensely helpful. Absolutely no complaints on any of the service, anywhere, at anytime.

ROOMS
We had room 338. It was on the side of the hotel and had an awful frontal view of the Radisson next door, and a gorgeous partial view of the water. If you have a Jr. Suite reservation, and have a view of the pool area (this is a small partial balcony) you have a beautiful view, and might not want to change. However, if you are placed (like we were) in a room facing the side, request one of the rooms on the THIRD floor. This floor only has ENORMOUS balconies with lofted Jacuzzis. It made the lack of the view totally worth it. I felt bad for all those above us who had the same room price and missed out.

BEDS
Very firm. Request a mattress pad immediately. Doesn't do wonders, but it's the best you'll get.

ROOM SERVICE
Limited Menu, only a few choices, but overall good free (included) service for in-between meals. Mini bar in room isn't the greatest but did me well! It is always stocked-but only 4 bottles.

POOL
Beautiful! Get there early if you wan a lounge chair, and leave a towel on a good spot to reserve it. POOL BAR is great too. All the bars have almost anything you could want to drink, as far as mid and top shelf stuff...be sure to specify the up-serve (i.e., Absolute Tonic-not Vodka tonic-or they will give u the cheap bar vodka.

Also, for chairs on the beach, if you want a hut, GET THERE SUPER EARLY! Otherwise, if you're like us, just wander down whenever and you can find some good chairs and move them wherever if you like, and often they had someone from the hotel to set you up as you walked onto the beach.

RESTAURANTS
All were very good-No Complaints. I have worked in several nice restaurants as a server, and was happily impressed and surprised by each. If you are not impressed and more than satisfied, than you should probably be going to a Sandals or the like, b/c it doesn't get much better. Daytime food is all buffet style, and what I would compare to an upscale university cafeteria dining, with a few extras; a beer tap, sliced steak, a large variety of starters, salads, meats, few pastas, desserts...all you need for the day.

The worst facet of the dinner dining is the reservations. Just be sure to get to the desk (in main lobby, besides the concierge desk) and make a reservation for one of the two sittings; 6 and 9 PM. We went to 9 every night, and got to every restaurant. But the reservation line gets long quick, and spots fill quickly. Try and be there at 9 AM every day..even though you want to sleep in, use it as a good reason to rise and shine! Remember, you're in paradise and can sleep all day on the beach if u like!

I think that those that are dissing the food are being a tad snobby here. Almost everyone we met there in our age range was from NY/NJ (some Dutch, Canadians, English too.) and everybody seemed very happy with everything about the restaurants.

Dinner out on our last night-This was, in all honesty, one of the best restaurant experiences of my life-The Screaming Eagle. This is a MUST DO. Great local seafood, and get this---YOU EAT IN A BED! A beautiful, comfy bed, secluded by curtains, you are served on a wooden tray. It was kind of pricey, but DEF WORTH IT! Only a $10 taxi.

ACTIVITIES
Don't frustrate yourself with planning an itinerary before the trip. As for what we did:

ATV-Awesome-We took a tour, it rained like hell, and was still fun as hell!

HORSEBACK RIDING-Great! This was truly a nice and romantic-like adventure (MEN-be prepared to have sore ganooles :).

WAVE RUNNER---this I could've done without. Worth it if you got the extra money for some quickie fun.

Word to the wise, DON'T use the phone in the room. It was like $8.50 a minute! The ATM in the CASINO is awesome-NO FEE.

DOWNTOWN/ORANGESTED
Worth to see, maybe..just like you would expect. Tourists, Senor Frogs, all that mumbo.

While walking, look for Iguanas and lizards-they're everywhere! There's a big Mommy Iguana that lives under the large tree on the fenced border of the RIU/Radisson. Tell her Jay says hello! (She'll know :)

Sunsets are breathtaking, over the water. Be sure to be in a good position every night!

ALL IN ALL, this was amazing. Many we met said their conquest of tropical islands ended with their first trip to Aruba. This is not a dirty Jamaica spring break destination...This is class and relaxation. I would def return---and will be staying at other RIUs! Hope this helps and ENJOY PARADISE!

Read more reviews of the Riu Palace in Aruba, or see more guest hotel reviews.

Have you stayed at Riu Palace? Write your own review.