Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

I am writing to share my deep disappointment with the experience my group and I had during our stay at the Riu Palace Costa Rica, booked through Sunwing, from November 11–18, 2024. What was meant to be a memorable celebration for a 30th birthday was overshadowed by a series of preventable issues. On November 12 at 10:30 PM, the fire alarm in our room began flashing. Despite calling the front desk three times and emphasizing that this posed a serious health risk to a member of our group with health issues. The only response was someone dropping off batteries for a remote. The flashing light continued until 2:30 PM the following day, when a technician finally addressed the issue—only after we insisted on speaking to a manager. From November 16 onward, we reported excessive moisture in our room. The only advice offered was to keep the ceiling fan on, which we had already been doing. By November 19, mold had developed on the ceiling and walls. Unfortunately, personal belongings—including a backpack and stroller—were damaged beyond saving due to mold. When we reported this to the hotel manager, Melissa, the response was dismissive, and we were told no compensation could be offered because we booked through Sunwing rather than directly with the resort. Compounding these issues, our return was disrupted due to weather delays. Instead of flying out of Liberia as scheduled, we were forced to take a five-hour bus ride to San José for an alternate flight. The process was disorganized from the start. At the resort, the Sunwing representative, David, told us bus boarding was on a first-come, first-served basis. We were not picked up until 2:10 PM and didn’t arrive at Juan Santamaría International Airport until 8:00 PM. We were then provided a $25 meal voucher, which expired the same day and was valid at only one restaurant. With boarding scheduled at 9:00 PM, the timing was unreasonable. We received our food at 9:58 PM—just minutes before boarding—leaving no opportunity to eat properly or accommodate dietary needs. The flight, originally scheduled for 10:01 PM, was delayed until 10:45 PM. We ultimately landed at Toronto Pearson at 4:46 AM. This has been, without question, my worst travel experience with a Riu. The lack of urgency, accountability, and care from both the resort and Sunwing left us frustrated and extremely disappointed—especially given the cost of over $2,000 per person. I intend to share this review publicly to help others make informed decisions. I hope Sunwing and all Riu Resorts will take this feedback seriously to prevent future guests from enduring such an experience.

We had previously traveled to the Riu Guanacaste the year before the Palace was built. With the Riu currently under renovation, we booked the Palace for a family trip back to Costa Rica, one of our favorite places. I was concerned after reading many reviews complaining about the condition of the hotel. I can say that we did not experience the issues many have reported. Our rooms were on the garden side, facing the other hotel on the 2nd floor. I was disappointed by this, as I had requested a high floor on the other side. This turned out to not be an issue. We did not have bugs. The room did NOT smell horribly musty. The room was clean. The A/C worked- a little too well! The hotel could use a freshening. When it was built in the 2010s, the design was already dated in the 90s. There are some worn out hardware and cracked glass block, but it's not as horrible as some would suggest. We did have some issues with the keys/door locks in one room and the toilet ran constantly in the other room. The app was used to report the toilet and they were quick to repair it. They had problems fixing the lock, but got it to where it would work, we just had to get creative with the key. There was some construction noise from next door during the day, but it was not terrible. This is not a real 5-star hotel, nor do you pay like it. Please adjust expectations for this. The staff is friendly and always helpful. The food is meh. I was disappointed by this, as I enjoyed the ala carte dinners on our last trip. We only waited once for seating at dinner when we arrived at 730. Even though we had no problems, I do wish that Riu would change to a reservation system to alleviate the anxiety caused by the first come/served seating. The buffet has a lot of options, but most things I tried were bland. I did enjoy the omelet bar. The servers work hard, but need to be reminded about some requests. Our server at the steak house forgot to bring my lobster order. I tried for 25 minutes to get his attention. A different server assisted me with this, but returned to say that the chef said it was too late to bring the lobster. The Wifi leaves a lot to be desired. It continually disconnected and would forget the sign-on and password. We did have decent cell service (Verizon) except on the ground floor of the hotel. The pools are busy, but fun. In August, we had no problems getting chairs. Bar service was good and they had more brand name liquor options than I remember from my previous trip. I love the beach here. It has a beautiful view. The water is clear. There is plenty of room to spread out if you want space. The monkeys will visit and enjoy stealing bread and fruit. Put your stuff under towels! They are very entertaining. Bring insulated drinking containers to bring to the beach or pool. The bartenders will fill them with whatever you're drinking. This keeps your drinks cold longer. I get drinks from the pool bar and take to the beach myself. I did see that there was one server w

This was our 4th stay at Riu palace and was not disappointed. It was 13 of us and everything went well - we used to make reservations ahead of time, not the same anymore but it was not an issue. The buffet never disappoints but it’s basically the same all the time, few changes here and there but normally the same. The service however; folks will do what it takes to make sure you’re taken care of so do the right thing and tip if you can, I was happily tipping all 5 days due to the excellent service- ask for the chiliguaros and chilimangos at the bars and I felt that was my last stay for a bit - time to find new venues but I do highly recommend Palace

Very Clean rooms, good food, and excellent service. Good location. friendly staff. reasonable price.