Riu Palace Peninsula - All Inclusive

“New resort with plenty of potential - but not ready yet”

New resort with plenty of potential - but not ready yet I’m currently staying at the hotel and, having experienced it first-hand, I think it’s important to give a balanced review. The hotel has only recently opened and, to be fair, everything is very clean, fresh and new. However, it is clear that the property still has a considerable way to go before it can genuinely be considered fully operational. One of the biggest disappointments has been the swimming pools. With temperatures of 90°F+ (32°C+), the pool should be somewhere to cool down and escape the heat and direct sun. Unfortunately, the water is extremely warm and provides very little relief. In this climate, I would expect at least one properly temperature-controlled pool. There are also still a significant number of floors and rooms undergoing renovation, with loud remedial/construction work taking place daily from morning through to evening. This can be quite disruptive and is not what you would expect when paying for a relaxing resort holiday. The hotel itself has plenty of potential, and I’m sure that once the remaining works are completed and the operational issues are resolved, it could become a very good property. Based on my experience while currently staying here, my recommendation would be to wait at least another three months before booking. Give the hotel time to finish the renovation works, resolve the operational issues and get everything fully up and running. At the moment, it feels more like a new hotel still finding its feet than a fully operational resort.

“Bait and switch- find anywhere else to stay”

Save yourself a headache and find a different resort. I directly booked through the RIU app. 2 adults and 2 teens. Paid for 3 adults and a child ( ages 15 and 12). No flights just hotel. Flew in on Sunday. Double checked daily and even called ahead 48 hours prior to confirm our Oceanview jr suite with queen beds. Also pre-checked in and had copy of check in that was confirmed. At check in, we immediately received RIU palace bracelets, paid the hotel tax and confirmed the room. The man was about to give us room keys when the manager, Ira, walked over and denied us. We were heavily discrimined against. 2 other parities argued with staff at the same time we were. A party of 6 was yelling at staff because half their party was arriving on Tuesday and they separated them between caribe and peninsula. The person said they only had 3 rooms left. Ira the manager walked over and cancelled my reservation in front of us. I complained and said I have seen on the FB fan page that others were upgraded to villas. Why is my family being left out. I was just told "it is what it is". They then demanded I sign a release of liability for this issue. We said no we refuse. We then called customer service and they told us oh well go to caribe. We only asked for access to restraunts since my husband has severe garlic allergy. We were denied everything. No compensation. No upgrade at caribe. NO REDUCED RATE!!! Same price for lower level hotel. They told us they would have their RIU service drive us next door for free. As we were arguing, another party arrived. 5 people with a toddler. They gave them room keys, bracelets and signed them in immediately. I asked what a type of room and they said jr suite, same as us. I then argued about them getting in and well as the other man saying they had 3 rooms left. Split my kids and my husband up...2 to a room. They said no you need to leave now. We can confirm the discrimination. We then were called a public taxi and took a 1 min ride next door. At check in. I even called, texted and kept checking my riu app. I'm here now and my riu app still says I'm at the palace peninsula, when we are at caribe. Way smaller room. Full size beds, lower quality alcohol and not much for my teens to do. I would rebook ASAp instead of being told at the arrival reception desk

“Discriminatory and deceptive business practice.”

We were had an ocean view room booked months in advance and when we arrived at the hotel they began to check us in. we signed the paperwork, paid the taxes, received the bracelets for the all inclusive package. Then Ira walked up to who had just checked us in and whispered something to him in Spanish. He came back and all of a sudden they didn't have a room any longer and none were available. Another family with children walked in after we did and they received a room. We were 100% discriminated against and forced next door to a hotel with half the amenities and smaller beds we will not fit in. I have food allergies and needed a multitude of options and now have hardly anything I can eat. You are 100% taking a gamble booking with Riu and they should be ashamed of their deceptive business practices.

“DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ROOMS!”

I brought my family here for a vacation, and overall the resort offered a good variety of activities and entertainment. The rooms were nice, and we genuinely enjoyed our stay. However, our experience at checkout left a very bad impression. When we first arrived and entered our room, one of the curtains already had a noticeable tear in it. Keep in mind that the curtain was ripped before we even touched the room. At checkout, we were suddenly charged $80 for a ripped curtain that was there since the day we came to the resort. We explained that it had been damaged since the day we arrived, but the employee insisted that it was our fault because we had not reported it to the front desk sooner. That policy was never communicated to us, which made the situation incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, my son had been recording our vacation for a vlog and had filmed the room on the day we checked in. The video clearly showed the tear in the curtain, proving that the damage was already there. Thanks to that evidence, we avoided being unfairly charged. It's disappointing because we truly enjoyed many aspects of the resort, but being accused of causing damage we didn't create and having to defend ourselves with video proof left a sour ending to an otherwise pleasant family trip. The resort put up a fight just for a few extra bucks and had lost another customer because of it.