Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10660 reviews

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  Extremely Disappointing Stay – Avoid if Possible

  This was one of the worst all-inclusive hotel experiences we’ve ever had. Despite being advertised as a brand-new resort, everything felt old, worn down, and poorly maintained. Our room had a strong, unpleasant odor and showed significant signs of wear and tear. The food was another major letdown — bland, repetitive, and of very poor quality. There were no specialty dining options available, and the main restaurant was chaotic. The staff appeared disinterested and untrained; service was slow and inattentive. One of the key amenities, the water park, was located at a completely different property. Getting there involved a long walk — nearly a mile — and required crossing another hotel. Incredibly, no towels were provided at the water park, so we had to carry everything ourselves. Overall, this hotel fell far below expectations and did not meet the basic standards of an all-inclusive resort. I strongly recommend looking elsewhere

  Jul 31, 2025
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  Not good for families

  If you have a family with kids look elsewhere. This resort is a joke for families. There is nothing family friendly to do besides the pool. After dinner, if you can even get a seat, all activities are catered to adults. Save your money and go elsewhere. So disappointed. The front staff even agreed that it isn’t family friendly and catered more towards adults. Also the rooms don’t look like the photos

  Jul 26, 2025
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  I think that the total resort is too big and the food that they serve is not that good tasting. I do not recommend this resort.

  Jul 23, 2025
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  Great for solos

  I really enjoyed this hotel as a solo female traveler I was put in a lovely room that was spacious and great views I’m a vegetarian and I had some great meals in the buffet room I didn’t used the specialized restaurants as I was on my own The weather was not that great but I managed a little boat trip that I booked through the hotel The pool area was nice but it did worry me that people drank all day at the pool bar and you never saw them leave the pool to use the bathroom Hope the pool cleaners have good cleaning fluid 😀 Well done to Rui and the staff for keeping the grounds pretty

  Jul 18, 2025
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  We had a positive experience.

  A week before our family trip we read a lot of reviews about this resort and were honestly about to cancel the trip. I’m glad we didn’t! The room was a little dated but we didn’t care because we only changed clothes and slept there. The A/C people complained about did great, even a little too cold at times. Staff were extremely nice and happy to serve you in any way. The restaurants were a little weird because you had to be there early or you may not get a seat. At that point, they essentially close the doors. We really enjoyed eating at the buffet anyways because of the food choices including International Night. The construction was on the other side of the resort so we didn’t get the dust and noise that many complained about. However, I can see how that would be a problem if you were directly across from it. The kids water park was awesome, nobody was really there so you didn’t have to wait for each slide. The beach vendors were a little annoying but very sociable and only trying to make a living. They were never disrespectful so I didn’t really mind them. Overall, The food was great, but not spectacular. The room did just what it needed to do, and the staff were great. I would return back!

  Jun 22, 2025