BookIt.com Verified Traveler Cody from Findlay, Ohio

"For anyone who has never been to Aruba The beaches are prob some of the most beautiful in the world, but the island is ugly, and the winds are insane non-stop 30-40 mph probably. By day 3 or 4 you get used to it. The sun is super hot of course. The riu was nice, but way to many children and old people for our liking. Sandals is much better cleaner and more relaxing. You do not have to fight for amenities. The food was the best weve probably ever had though."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Diane from Mount Airy, Maryland

"The Riu is a beautiful hotel that is cheap with it's liquor and entertainment. The food was very good at the buffet, but the restaurants were lacking. The bed was hard, but the rooms were clean and nicely done. I had hot water when I needed it and the shower pressure was ok. If you like a nice drink with upper level alcohol, do not go here. The drinks were ok, but the liquor selection was horrible. The offer one beer, the islands brand and no others. If you wanted to pay for a non-domestic beer you can get one in the casino, but pay you will. The entertainment is horrible. If you want to lay on the beach and do nothing at night, this is the hotel for you. If you would like some sort of entertainment after dinner, then do not go here. You have to go off the hotel grounds for anything to do. They also close all but their 'sports bar' at midnight, no matter how many people are at the bar. Having been at quite a few all inclusives I found the food very good, the rooms very nice, but everything else including the drinks, the pool, and the entertainment sub par. By the way, the wind is really strong at this place! It sounded like I was staying in a haunted house in my room with the wind howling, but that is not the fault of the hotel."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Delcid from Allentown, Nj

"The resort was ok. Certainly not worth what we paid. The bedroom furniture was beat up. The lobby wasn't well maintained. Cracks in the ceiling. The staff wasn't very friendly. The pool was not heated and with the wind in Aruba, it was too cold to enjoy. They advertise a jacuzzi tub in the rooms and show many pics. I was disappointed that we had a regular sized tub with no water pressure. It did have jets in it that did not work. Room service is awful."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Morin from Laval, Qyebec / Canada

"We stayed at RIU Palace from January 4th to January 9th 2013, it was our first visit to Aruba for me and my two teenagers ( 17th and 19th ). We visited Mexico last year and even if the resort was very nice and huge I preferred Aruba ten times. The temperature was so nice, the hotel location and staff were extraordinary .... and the beach was so beautiful, no rocks ... turkoise water and so much to do. We felt very secure at night to go out and take a walk outside where we found shopping, restaurants and bar and everything else 5 minutes around. We were not stuck at the hotel and that's what we really appreciated, especially with teenagers, they could see other guests from other hotel and have fun without having to take a taxi all the time.
The food was very good and I had such a nice BIG room, where we could all sleep confortably ( we liked the bed that were a little hard as we're used to that).
I really don't have anything wrong to say and for sure I'll come back .... there is no doubts about it !
See you soon,"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler from New York, New York

"This was my first time in Aruba. I was satisfied with the hotel but not impressed. The housekeeping staff was excellent but the front desk staff was just good. I started with a bad impression when, on checkin, the entire lobby witnessed a guest in a yelling match with one of the staff members.

I requested a high floor but was put on the third floor. The electronic lock malfunctioned twice and the old-fashioned tv had to be re-programmed once. There were only 20 channels.

The restaurants required reservations by noon (not 12:05, when the hostess left for the day). The room service was pretty bad.

Once in a while, I'd ask for something and would be redirected elsewhere. At other hotels, the staff would just handle the request."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"All in all, no real complaints. There were some used towels in our bathtub upon arrival, but other than that, no real complaints."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Raquel from Elizabeth, Nj

"This was the most beautiful hotel i have ever been to. The food, the music, the atmosphere...I can keep going. I have nothing bad to say about this hotel. It has been my favorite vacation so far. The people are so friendly here and will assist you if you have any problems. The only thing i will say is that the beds were a little hard but who cares when your not spending any time in the room. It was worth every penny and would do it again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Edyta from New York, NY

"It was very good stay for me and my friends overthere, we did enjoy it a lot and for sure we will go back."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Teresa from Nanuet, Ny

"It was a great trip the only bad thing is that the bed are horrible really is like sleeping on the floor....The hotel is great and the entertainment staff are great and food is excellent...great location for trip...would do it again"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler DAVID LANCASTER from ROSCOE, IL

"EXCELLENT PLACE TO SPEND A WEEK. POOL AND BEACH WERE BETTER THAN ONE COULD IMAGINE. ROOMS WERE CLEAN AND VERY NICELY ACCOMODATED. ONLY ISSUE WE HAD ALL WEEK WAS GETTING TOWELS TO OUR ROOM IN A TIMELY MANNER."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"We loved the resort! It was all we had hoped it would be and the perfect place to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. The Hotel was very clean, the staff was super friendly and the food was great! There was nothing that we did not enjoy about our vacation!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Chuck And Lauren from Philadelphia, Pa

"We stayed from 4/26-4/30. The weather was perfect! Hotel was beautiful and the people were all so nice there. The pool was awesome, had a swim up bar and was right on the beach so you had the option of relaxing at either since they both are right there. Food was awesome. Had to make reservations every morning for that night but only took a few minutes and was worth it because all the restaurants had very good food. The buffet was good for breakfast lunch and dinner also. Wouldn't say this is much of a kid spot. Theres bars everywhere. Yea they have a little kid area and a small pool for them but wouldn't reccommend this as a family place more of a couples resort. Very Americanized. Felt very comfortable - everyone spoke fluent English and didn't seem as if it was inconvenient to switch to English if we walked up so ask a question. The beds were hard as expressed in other reviews but who really cares your not there to sleep all day and the room was so nice and had a great view so the bed wasn't a huge deal for us. The mini bar in the room was stocked and there was bottles of liquor as well so that was nice. Not sure what people were complaining about on other reviews this was a beautiful resort and was a great price- we paid 1400 per person and that included shuttle to and from the airport and was US airways which is pricey sometimes. If you don't want to have your dinners and events planned out for you then the simple solution is to not go to an all inclusive resort but we both thought it was well worth it. We will definitely visit Aruba again and most likely come back here! Don't listen to all the babies that complained it was awesome there :)"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Denise DeLuca from Rayland, Ohio

"I love Aruba. This was my 3rd time in Aruba and I previously stayed next door. The resort is beautiful and the staff great. The shopping across from the hi-rise hotels has really been built up since my last visit - great. Plan on returning next year. Love the all-inclusive option."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Chad from Hollister, Missouri

"My girlfriend and I wanted to go somewhere to get away for spring break. Seemed like Aruba would be far enough. Upon arrival, the service was immediate and very polite and I had a drink placed in my hand almost immediately. Which, after several hours on an airplane was just what I needed. The resort itself was absolutely phenomenal. We had a room on the 9th floor which had an amazing view of the pool and the beach/ocean. The rooms were very clean and very well stocked with everything from the towels to the minibar (also included) very well taken care of. The food was very amazing. We mostly stayed with the Don Nicolas buffet which had tons of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner no matter what your taste preference or craving. I actually managed to catch them on a night where they were serving ox. Never tried it before but absolutely loved it. We also went to the Milano Italian restaurant and enjoyed the food there as well. There were also great choices for my girlfriend, who is vegetarian, and she greatly enjoyed all of them. The hotel has 5 bars that are open at various times including a swim-up bar at the pool. They were all very good, very experienced bartenders. Our favorite was the Sports Bar which was open 24 hours and also had snacks, sandwiches, nachos, hot dogs, etc. pretty much anything one would need in between meals. The bartender there was especially nice and very talented behind the bar. Make sure to get a drink from her whenever you get the chance. Everything we needed was right there when we needed it. Wi-fi was available in the lobby for free (90 mins/day) or in rooms for a small charge. Fresh towels and toiletries, 24-hour room service (also included for no extra charge), and simply put, tons of fun and relaxation for anyone and everyone who stays there. My one complaint is not about the resort itself but the round-trip transportation to and from the airport. It was with DePalm Tours and offered transportation for $40. Seemed like a good idea at the time but it took them an hour before we finally left and another half hour to drive the 7 miles from the airport to the resort. Plus their shuttle for the return trip was leaving at 5:15am. Since our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 9am we decided to just get a cab instead, which was much more direct. It cost $25 but it was a much better deal. All in all, the hotel is a great place to stay and I will definitely be coming back."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler David Stillitano from Greensburg, PA

"Communication upon arrival was not the best. We were not told of hotel services or where to eat when lunch/dinner is over (Sports Bar). Staff was hit and miss, some were rude when asked questions others were very friendly. At one restaurant we wanted to try another item on the menu but were told no. Rooms were very clean and services for extra towels, etc. was very good. Food was plentiful and delicious.Would stay here again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler David Stillitano from Greensburg, Pennsylvania

"Hotel was beautiful; but communication upon arrival should be better. There was no explanation of what the hotel could or would do if you have questions. We were not told about the sports bar or where to eat if lunch/dinner is over. We had to inquire by asking other guests. Some hotel staff was super friendly and nice while others were very rude when asking questions. While at one restaurant we wanted to try another item on the menu but were told no - only one meal per quest. This being all inclusive it should be no problem to let you try another item. Rooms were very clean and the service for towels etc. was very good. They should just let you keep your wrist bracelet on the day you leave. It is not like you can give it to someone else. The paper ticket they give you is flimsy and can easily be blown out of your hand or wet and destroyed. Overall was a very good trip and the food was plentiful and delicious."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Patricia Dickey from Randolph, New Jersey

"We just got back yesterday for our 5 night stay at Riu Palace in Aruba. What a fabulous time we had. "

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"Wonderful dinning, we faced the pool and enjoyed our balcony"

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