Riu Palace Paradise Island - Adults Only - All Inclusive

This hotel has some good spots and some horrible ones. The buffet restaurant is actually quite good with dozens of food options. The restaurants that you have to make reservations for are just okay (same kitchen so I don't understand that). The staff ranges from very nice to indifferent, but mostly very nice. The biggest problem is they allow the cruise lines (or maybe just the notorious one) with the trashiest, nastiest, ill-mannered people guzzling drinks non-stop to come with a day pass. More than one of those people caused fights and were extremely offensive to the dismay of overnight guests. Either the hotel needs to police the day guests better or stop allowing them to come. Fortunately they were gone by 3pm on the days they were there...

Overall the stay was outstanding. If u don’t tip your room attendant then they short you towels and such. Rooms are avg but clean and comfortable. Resort is outstanding with an awesome beach and waters. Pools are great with 1 swim up bar. Entertainment was great. Food was great in buffet and Japanese restaurant. The other special ones could use some touch up dish menu….overall for the price will definitely be return trips with enjoyment…

My first room was filthy, turned my feet and pant hems black, tv remote caked with crud, door to balcony didn’t work properly risking our getting stuck outside. DJ at pool played raunchy music at such a high volume (despite complaints from other guests) we couldn’t use the pool. The bar pool (supposedly infinity) is just a bar in water. Tables and stools in water, not swim-able at all. It reeked of beer and blasted canned music right next to the other pool with a DJ meaning simultaneous bad music. They took away beach umbrellas if at all windy leaving zero shade (not a tree or shrub or any greenery in sight). We fried without shade. And it was hot. Cups of coolish water could be had if you walked back from your beach spot, walked up the stairs and over to the pool bar to get it yourself and then walked it back down the steps and traveled over the sand back to your frying spot on the beach. Finding enough water for the room was difficult. And you can’t drink the tap water. That info is buried in a thick booklet. Buffet food was good, the restaurants were average. Broth with “scallops” should contain more than one tiny bite-sized scallop. (Plural implies at least 2.) No snacks available in the room. Room service food was awful. Only one beach towel per person and you have to use a towel card. And you have to wear an all-inclusive bright yellow bracelet for your entire stay. I was told if you lose it you have to pay $250 for a replacement. It was impossible to find a single quiet location outside of the room. The lobby was loud, the table bussing stations were painfully loud, the pool, the people blasting their own devices on the cramped beach, so incredibly irritating. The elevators were packed and it took forever to get up and down. There was not a moment of tropical peacefulness. This place was such a disappointment. It isn’t a Bahamian resort. It’s a hotel kegger. If that’s what you want, have at it, but we’ll never see this place again. (Adria in the spa was lovely.)

The Riu was our first experience with all inclusive and adults only. We loved it and will search for these options in the future as well.

Disappointed and Deceived – Not Worth the Hype I rarely leave reviews, but I felt compelled to share my experience to help future travelers avoid the same disappointment. We stayed at the Riu Hotel in the Bahamas, and unfortunately, it fell far below expectations in almost every category. Let’s start with the rooms: dated, worn-out furniture, uncomfortable felt blankets, and a weak air conditioning system that barely works in the Bahamian heat. The phones in the room don’t work, and room service is practically nonexistent—it took over an hour just to get a simple request like an extra pillow. There is zero ambiance when you arrive—no welcome drink, no cold towel, no music, no visual appeal in the lobby, and worst of all, no gift shop or spa. The entire entrance experience feels like an afterthought. The hallways and overall decor are visibly tired and lack any charm or elegance. There’s no energy or character that you’d expect from a Caribbean resort. Even the staff, while somewhat friendly, didn’t go above and beyond in any way to make guests feel special or seen. The pool area is cramped and small, with no umbrellas for shade, and guests are practically sitting on top of each other. The beach is no better—also small, crowded, and lacking atmosphere. If you’re hoping for nighttime entertainment or a lively resort vibe, prepare to be underwhelmed. There is only one small area with live music or any type of scene, and unless you grab a chair hours in advance, you’re out of luck. Finally, let’s talk about the food—bland, repetitive, and uninspiring. Not what you’d expect at an all-inclusive resort that’s marketed as upscale. Worst of all, the online photos are completely misleading. What you see is not what you get. Everything appears luxurious in the pictures, but in person, it’s clear that the resort is in serious need of updates and better service standards. Sadly, this was a major letdown. If you’re considering the Riu in the Bahamas, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere unless drastic changes are made. We checked out after day one into a new resort

The staff was extremely friendly, helpful, and professional. The rooms were nice and clean but didn’t have many plugs to charge cell phones/devices. The only negative we had was trying to get reservations at the restaurants, but at least we were able to eat at the buffet restaurant which was very good and had a variety of food to choose from.