Royal Palm Club at the RIU Palace Aruba

I recently returned from Aruba and stayed at the RIU. We are repeat customers and we love this hotel. The staff treats us wonderfully and they remember us every year we return. Even though we don't swim in the pool water, it is a gorgeous pool. Our room always has the most beautiful view of the Aruban ocean. I never slept better. We love the Japanese and Italian restaurant. The buffet is not your ordinary buffet. It is a ballroom filled with all types of foods/desserts/fruits/etc. Amazing! The maitre de at the buffet is Ale de Cuba. He is a wonderful man and makes sure we are pleased. Carlos is another A+ staff member. The ONLY problem I have is walking from my beach chair to the pool bar for a drink, but I can look past that for all the other positive aspects of this place. I couldn't say enough about it. All-inclusive is the way to go! Well worth it every year for us.

One of the grandest resorts on Palm Beach and with one of the best beach front areas. Yes, service is not always perfect due to the size of the resort, but as part of the Riu chain they are learning fast. Staying at the resort via a timeshare rental through the timeshare owners gives you a fantastic deal in Aruba.

IT'S TIME TO UP DATE THIS REVIEW BASED UPON EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR, INCLUDING OUR THREE WEEKS JUST ENDED. When we got there at the beginning of July, the air was off and the apartment was at least 102 F. They got it repaired within two days, but we had to sleep in the nude the first 2 nights it was so hot. We had 3 plates, 2 forks, 2 coffe cups, no microwave ready dish to use, the frame around the door number was missing one side, the hall carpet is filthy. Jelishka got the dishes straight as soon as we got a list to her, so she's doing her job. It is just that the unit was not ready for the 6 it is supposed to sleep. The windows along the hall for the beach-front units have been sealed closed, so there is no circulation in that hallway and it IS HOT. The furniture continues to deteriorate badly and there are no signs of improvement. The old TVs look like they are out of the 50s. Thus, our rating has dropped drastically! The old Aruba Grand is gone, along with staff. The new Riu Resort is spectacullar! New staff is still learning the ropes and timeshares are not their top priority--but for the money, it's now a steal. Our last two weeks were in October 2007. Plan to spend a month in the spring and again in the fall. This is a follow up--we went back for 4 wks June-July. The landscaping was done and the grounds beautiful. It's everything any family would want now. Staff has their act together and everyone was great. Ads say "tips included" but all expect tips for service, from bellmen to wait staff and we were happy to make their lives better in return for the exceptional service. Go and stay as long as you can. We'll be back in September.

My Husband spend the first 2 weeks in August at this hotel. The air conditioner was not working properly. Coming off the beach to a warm room was terrible. This Hotel had been sold while we were there, hopefully things will get fixed. They had construction going on, on 2 floors, the noise was terrible. When I spoke to management, night management, I was told that the air conditioner was old, and probably needed to be replaced,(that is for sure) Complaints had to be given to house cleaners to get the room cleaned properly. They finally got it right the 2nd week. We needed this vacation, I had an operation and lost both my parents 9 months apart. It was a relaxing vacation while on the beach or out to dinner, at other hotels not this one. i would hope the new owners will make changes. We stayed there 2 years ago and loved it, this time was very different, Giving it a 2 star rating is only because the chair people and towel people were the nicest you could meet. I do hope this helps some people in finding out if changes have been made since August.

I have been there 16 times and I enjoy it more every time. Location is excellent and the people are great