I recently stayed a few days at the RIU Palace Aruba with a few friends some of which have never been to the Caribbean. Those first timers, not knowing any better, thought everything was fine. Those of us who were experienced Caribbean vacationers recognized that the RIU Palace was run as a second class resort.

As I read the good reviews again I realized that the honeymooners see everything with a silver lining. The first timers, for the most part, are so impressed with Aruba, the large ornate hotel, the unlimited food and drinks, the beach and pool that they don’t notice what they are not getting. However a veteran Caribbean vacationer like me (I go two to three times a year) and others that I met and talked to, saw through the glitz and realized the shortcomings of this resort.

First the positive:
 Aruba is wonderful vacation island.
 The RIU Palace is a beautiful hotel - you would find this grandeur on the Las Vegas strip.
 The beach is beautiful.
 A good variety of choices at the buffet.
 The sports bar open 24 hours a day.
 Plenty of lounge chairs on the beach and pool area.

The negative:
 The Resort management is not up to standards (I refrain from saying incompetent) when it comes to health:
>Infants were allowed in the pool without waterproof diapers, in fact there were some without anything at all.
>One day we were told not wash or drink the water between 10am and 3pm as they were chemically cleaning out the tanks and pipes. Yet they made no accommodations in the public bathrooms for sanitizing your hands. The ice cream scoops were being soaked in the running water they told us not to drink.

 Don’t expect to sleep late if you want shade or to eat in a restaurant. Be on the beach or pool by 6:30am if you expect to get an umbrella (there are 450 rooms and less than120 umbrellas). Then be on line in the lobby by 8:40am to get a reservation in one of the restaurants.
 Make sure you are not in the old building. The mildew smell is a problem, as two of my friends found out.
 The AC in my room and that of my friends in the new buildings was inadequate, the humidity was not removed. Our clothes and the beds were damp all week. Cough drops, in their wrappers, began to melt on the end table.
 Although the staff worked hard very few smiled, they had no personality.
 The restaurants were slow, two nights we waited ninety minutes for our main course.
 Eat early at the buffets, later they run out of rolls, pastries, waffles, pancakes, deserts, etc.
 During lunch at the Nautilus poolside restaurant, on multiple days, I stood with people waiting for drinking glasses, silverware and napkins.
 At the front desk knowledge about shopping, local events, airport procedures,etc were inconsistent.

I could go on, but I think you got the picture. We were there at the RIU Palace’s 50% off grand opening sale. For those who are about to pay full price see which group you fit into, and book your vacation accordingly. There are many Four Star, Major League resorts in Aruba to choose from.
Good luck.

We just returned from the Riu Palace Aruba and thought it was awesome. The beach is beautiful; the water is warm. As for a beach hut, we got one because we got up early, but you need to be there by 6:45 a.m. if you want one.

The pool was also beautiful and we never had a problem getting a lounge chair at the pool. We thought the pool bartenders were great, along with all of the staff at the Riu. They went out of their way to be nice, they work very hard and we don't have a bad word to say about any of them.

During the day, they had water aerobics in the pool, volleyball on the beach, bingo by the pool area, etc. There was always music playing at the pool area, which was nice.

At night there was music and shows. We got up early, so we didn't stay up very late at night, so we were okay with what they had. As far as the casino goes, we usually went next door to the Westin's casino. It was bigger and for some reason, we were luckier there. I won $251 on my last night on a penny machine at the Westin. The food was also very good. We went to the Steakhouse one night for dinner and didn't have any problems making reservations. It only took about 5 minutes once the girl arrived at 9:00. Besides that, we went to El Gaucho's, which is in town, one evening for dinner. That was also very good. We went to Flying Fishbones another evening. That is also away from the resort. It was dinner on the beach. It was nice and the
food was good, but there were too many bugs once it started to get dark. Besides the steakhouse and our two nights away, we at dinner at
the buffet. The food was really good at the buffet too and this way we could stay at the beach/pool until whatever time we wanted to and didn't have to worry about leaving early to get ready for dinner reservations.

Also, our room was in the middle building; we were facing the ocean and the pool. It was a great view. I will post some pictures when I get them developed. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me.

My husband and I just returned from 9 days in Aruba and we had a fabulous time at the Rui. It's truly spectacular. I can't understand how it only has a 3 star rating. I would give it at least 4 1/2. Our room was in bldg. B and I don't think I've ever been in a nicer room. In order to get a hut you need to be on the beach no later than 6:45 a.m. You pick out your hut and wait until the chairs are unlocked at 7 and towels are available at 8. The swimming pool is something else. You have to see this to believe it. The staff could not be nicer...everyone goes out of their way to make you feel welcomed and special. The food was very good. The buffets have anything you can imagine and at breakfast you could get mimosas and bloody marys. At lunch/dinner, wine and beer are available. No hard liquor at the restaurants. It's easy enough to get a drink at one of the bars and bring it in. I also saw people ordering bottles of wine/champagne. Drinks were plentiful and delicious...top brands. There are 4 specialty restaurants and we waited about 5-10 minutes on line to make a res. The hotel was amazing and we got a great deal. It's worth full price. If you are lucky enough to have an upcoming res, just know that you will have a wonderful time. Any questions, please let me know.

My husband and I just returned from a fantastic stay at the Riu. The resort is beautfiul, the service is the best we've had at a carribean resort and the food is delicious with lot's of variety. We had dinner at three of the gourmet restaurants, the japanese, italian and the steakhouse and they were all excellent. Our check in was fine, we were greeted with a welcome drink and then had lunch while they got our room ready. Although we were in the older building the room was very nice, we had nothing to complain about. The beach and pool area are gorgeous but it can be hard to get a lounger or palapa sometimes. All in all we had a great vacation and I would definately recommend the Riu to anyone planning a vacation in Aruba!