Riu Palace Paradise Island All-Inclusive, Paradise Island

I can't say anything good about our experience in this HOtel. The staff are rude and not helpful at all and seem like they just don't want to be working at all. The food was horrible and there was NEVER enough for everyone. The fun jet agency never mentioned that the RIU is selling day passes to anyone who will spend the 100 dollars. THis translates to CROWDS . To hell with the guests who have spent thouusands to be there and are staying for days at a time. The buffet is so overcrowded that it is actually hazardous to be around. The pool is so filthy and unkept with it's holes and skummy bacteria floating around and loaded with sand. We never went in the pool because it was so gross. The beach is the real NIGHTMARE! It is a PUblic beachand the solicitors are waiting to pounce on you as you come off the riu steps onto the beach. They hustle and actually bully you into renting a broken down jet ski. The locals just are Relentless in hustling and peddling their crap for some ridiculous price. THey DON"t leave you alone. WE had such a dirty room and the maid service was non existant. Oh, and don't even think about complaining because it falls on deaf and angry ears. The hotel manager is a complete bone head . The Cruise ships come in and there are people everywhere trying to get into the RIU to scavenge free food and use the facilities while you (the paid guest), are forced into a crowded environment. It's just Disgusting and so Shady. My husband and daughter rented a jetski and paid alot of money for a half hour only for the gas light to go after 9 minutes. The guy wh rented it to them left them standing on the hot beach waiting for his return for over an hour. We were livid. As we were standing there 3 men walked up and grabbed another local and started screaming that they were left on a small island after money was jpaid for them to be picked up and they were left starnaded. The outdoor shower for rinsing off is broken like everything else in this Dump. NOthing works and it's run down and dirty. The staff are lazy oafs and one ight a waiter was so high he was laughing it up with a guest who was snuck in and all the guests in the dining room had to sit and hear the loud screams of this . It is such a let down and there is no way it is even a 3 star. A 5 star is not possible as this is a Circus and a filthy one at that. The customer service is a zero. Our toilet would run all day and night and the shower in our room had either scalding hot water or freezing cold. The water pressure was also an issue as there was no water pressure. My garden hose was more powerful on low. Just HORRIBLE and would NEVER return. This hotel would be shut down in the U.S, for biohazard issues. THe pool is so rancid and not safe to go near. Also, the employees are in the mindset of not wanting to work. That's aproblem because without tourism this island would be nothing. Just a nightmare and wish we could get a full refund. GRoss

My husband and I went to Riu for our honeymoon and it was very pleasant. We went through a travel agency and our 7 day trip plus airfare was about $3800 from the states. When we walked through the doors we were immediately offered an non-alcoholic refreshing beverage. The staff in particular made the trip as enjoyable as it was. They were so friendly and eager to please. The buffets were great and not boring at all. There were various options and being that we stayed there 7 days I can say that the only way it was boring is if you got the same meal over and over again. The specialty restaurants were EXCELLENT. The Fushion one was our favorite. We liked the change up from the buffet. It's all inclusive so we never had to worry about carrying money besides some cash to tip the staff. The rooms were damp yes, but it was on a beach! It's almost impossible to keep a place like that climate controlled. The pool was clean, and yes by the end of the day it was a little cloudy by the bar but every evening the pool closed to be chemically treated, so it was sanitary. Atlantis was just a walk away and it was nice to visit in the evening for their comedy club, dinner, and casino. The entertainment at the Riu was great. They had a stand up night and other comedy shows that were interactive with the audience. It seems to me that anyone who seriously claims it was dreadful is just haughty and aloof. I don't feel like it was too "kid friendly" seeing as that most people were drunk 24/7 but they did have activities for children. Also commenting on the taxis is ridiculous. Obviously the negative reviews come from people who have never been to an underdeveloped country which The Bahamas is hardly that. You cannot expect NYC taxis with a TV in the back. It's all part of the experience. It's an island atmosphere which we thoroughly enjoyed, simple and fun. They also had a help desk so that we could book tours and other activities and it made our stay a lot less complicated. My husband and I would definitely stay at another Riu and go back to this one. We highly recommend this trip.

Dont waste your money going to this resort! front desk people are rude and dont want anything to do with helping you on your vacation. house keeping is terrible, bathrooms have mold and mildew and had to call daily to get towels delivered to rooms. food is nothing to brag about either. pool was dirty. only good thing was the beach and ocean which the Riu have no control over. This was suppose to be a trip of a life time and was not at all what we expected..I hope we can save someone the pain and money from going to this so called five star resort..I give it a negative three stars

it's a dump!! I made a res and on the day we showed up there., for over an hour they couldnt' find out res. Then the supervisor came and he was worse than the workers. I would never recommend this place. They asked me for a copy of the res. and that's on my work e-mail which I couldn't access. Not friendly at all. Very unprofessional!! Horrible Service!! ValueServiceLiked: Disliked: Value, Service

The food was So So nothing special. Carpet in room old and musty, air not working properly and mold in room. stayed Nov 13 -17 2011

I love this place, I dont understand why people complain about it, it was always clean, they cleaned the pool every single day and they even waxed the floors. Service was awesome, staff are all friendly. The food was tasty, my only complain was the food at the Japanese restaurant, it was not good. The buffet was so good, and drinks were delish. I feel bad for people who had bad experiences at this hotel, or maybe they are way too picky and like to exaggerate. Anyways, this place is beautiful, small but beautiful.

The hotel itself was beautiful, but the air conditioning was broke! The bar in our room was not stocked until well after 6 p.m. (and it took three phone calls). No bottled water would be given out at the bars, and when I tried to complain (to the bar manager) I was told the last person who complained to higher management was "thrown out of the hotel". Staff was boarder-line hostile (unless you tipped them). You had to pay for umbrellas at the beach front and forget about getting a poolside umbrella unless you tipped someone or got up at before 7:30 am to "save' one by putting towels down (and tipping someone to watch your stuff). The food was good, if you got up early enough to stand in line for a reservation for dinner, and then could only make the reservation for that night and the next night? Over all, not a good value for the money and would NOT recommend and will NOT go back!

Check in at 3PM we arrived at 2:45 checked in at front desk and although all inclusive gave the desk person a nice tip. She said room would be ready in 10 minutes, then again 10 minutes so we sat for an hour waiting for our room, they called it an ocean view jr suite. Just a room over looking a roof top and the pool with a stretch you might see the ocean. They tell you reserving chairs at the pool will not be tolerated how ever every one seems to do it and get away with it.One day it was impossible to get a chair at the pool or the beach at 1 30 pm. The food was terrible the coffee worse. Had to get up early and wait on line by 8 am to make reservations for the restaurant. We had a choice of two one worse than the other. Breakfast not bad but other meals in the buffet were the same old same old. They advertise limited 24/7 room service this actually consists of a sandwich machine the Sports Bar. It was like pulling teeth to get an extra bottle of water in the room even though I only drank one coke ,saved them a lot. Takes them all day to do the room. What ever you do don't lose your towel card; My wife actually misplaced mine and I was able to get another one from a beach attendent. Did not use I just bought a towel but at check out the girl wanted the cards and if I did not have one would be fined. I gave here three cards and she demanded to know where I got the third card. When I would not tell her she called a cop. He of course heard the story and walked away. Good thing the Atlantis is next door that s where to go. I have never publicly complained but it was so bad I would hate to see others get used by these people.

Wonderful...........................Easy.....................Relaxing..................Perfect.........................I'm going back in November of this year, Counting the seconds......................... Special thanks to Sherlanka who got me the best room ever....1425........................................

This was our 4th stay at a Riu in three different countries and words cannot describe how awful this hotel is on Paradise Island. Would you believe mold growing in the shower stall, dirty floors, scratched walls and the worst tasting coffee in the hotel room I ever tasted. The property is way too small for the number of guest. Consequently, the lobby with the only bar can be so crowded you can wait up to 30 minutes to order a drink. The beach is small and wall to wall with people. Would you believe waiting 45 minutes in line to make restaurant reservations. Lastly, the hotel encourages college students and it was close to half full with college kids. One decided to throw the fire alarm and the hotel had to be evacuated. Fun Anyways, Riu repeat customers should avoid this hotel at all costsand Riu should take their name off . We will definitely stay at the Atlantis the next time in the Bahamas. It is a party hotel for American college students! Nothing more.