Hotel Riu Palace Aruba
Right on Aruba's lively Palm Beach, this Riu is the dependable, great-value option, a 24-hour all-inclusive, the Splash Water World for kids, and Aruba's reliable sunshine (it sits below the hurricane belt, so any month works).
Last verified July 2026. Value is the weakest mark at 7.0. No resort can pay to change a score. See the full Palmprint file
About This Resort
Right on Aruba's lively Palm Beach, this Riu is the dependable, great-value option — a 24-hour all-inclusive, the Splash Water World for kids, and Aruba's reliable sunshine (it sits below the hurricane belt, so any month works). Straightforward fun for families and groups. No frills, no surprises.
Dining, pools and the beach
Dining & bars
A few venues take reservations, the rest are walk-in
RIU official page lists eight restaurants and five bars. Tripadvisor property description highlights buffet, Japanese, Italian, Fusion, steakhouse, Capuchino patisserie and bars.
Pools & waterplay
Tripadvisor property description lists two outdoor pools and one children's pool; RIU official page confirms outdoor pool with swim-up bar.
The beach itself
Palm Beach is a major strength: white sand, calm turquoise water, beach loungers and walkable high-rise-area location.
- Calm water, swimmable straight off the sand
- Gradual entry, shallow a long way out
- Sargassum is rare here
Counts come from the resort's own published information; the scores are ours, from the Palmprint file below.
Who fits where at Hotel Riu Palace Aruba
All 6 categories, from the resort's own accommodations pages. The figures are the comparison: how many the room takes, against the most this property puts in any one key. Where a category carries no figures, the resort does not publish an occupancy for it, which at villa tier usually means it is set when you book.
| Suite | Occupancy | Size | Bedrooms | Aspect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Suite with Partial Sea View | Sleeps 4 | 377 ft²35 m² | 1 bedroom | Partial sea |
| Junior Suite with Frontal Sea View | Sleeps 4 | 420 ft²39 m² | 1 bedroom | Frontal sea |
| Suite Ocean View | Sleeps 2 | 657 ft²61 m² | 1 bedroom | Ocean |
| Double Standard | Not published | Not published | 1 bedroom | Not published |
| Junior Suite Ocean View - 2 Bedrooms | Sleeps 8 | Not published | 2 bedrooms | Ocean |
| Junior Suite Ocean View Elite Club | Sleeps 2 | Not published | 1 bedroom | Ocean |
Occupancy is the maximum published occupancy including rollaways, not comfortable occupancy. Categories and occupancy change with renovations, and connecting rooms are usually request-only, so confirm when you book.
= sleeps 2 of 8 max
Before you book
Ten things the research turned up about Hotel Riu Palace Aruba that the brochure does not say, from 5,894 guest reviews read end to end.
Hotel Riu Palace Aruba is a true 24-hour all-inclusive resort on Palm Beach.
The beach and walkable high-rise location are the main reasons to book.
Food, room condition and value are more mixed than the beach and location.
Aruba has a strong off-resort dining scene, so all-inclusive value depends on how much time guests plan to spend on property.
Hidden tips
Choose a frontal sea-view or Elite Club category only if the room/view upgrade matters.
Plan some meals off-resort if Aruba restaurants are part of the trip.
Get beach shade early in peak season.
Things guests wish they had known
Palm Beach location is stronger than the resort's food reputation.
Elite Club may matter if upgraded drinks, views and exclusive areas are important.
Aruba is one of the Caribbean islands where dining off-property can be a major part of the experience.
Most loved
4 themes- Palm Beach location
- Walkability to restaurants, casinos and shopping
- Beach and ocean access
- Friendly staff
Most complained about
4 themes- Food quality and repetitiveness
- Room condition or cleanliness variability
- Construction or renovation noise
- All-inclusive value in a destination with strong restaurants
Recent Reddit discussion confirms Riu Palace Aruba as a true all-inclusive option but is mixed: travelers praise Palm Beach convenience while raising food, room, construction and value concerns.
The rate, and where to check it
Our tracker samples real rates for a two-adult, 7-night stay on a rotating schedule, so the number below is a checked price with a date on it, not a teaser. The channels underneath price the same stay; a few minutes across them is routinely worth a night's rate.
Per-person figures assume two sharing. Taxes and fees vary by channel, so compare the final screen, not the first one.
Where else to look
- Resort website (opens in a new tab)
- Booking.com (opens in a new tab)
- Expedia (opens in a new tab)
- Tripadvisor reviews (opens in a new tab)
Same stay on every channel. Book wherever it comes out cheapest, whether or not we earn on it. Some of these are affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.
We check this rate on a rotating schedule. Leave an email and we'll flag a real drop, not a countdown timer.
Year-round
Temperature barely moves here across the year, so rain is the whole decision: the wet months run Oct to Jan. Hurricane season is real here: about 1 in 8 Septembers sees one pass within 100 miles, most recently Melissa in 2025.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best |
| High °F | 88 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 93 | 93 | 91 | 90 | 88 |
| Rain days | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| hurricane odds | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | 1 in 8 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 | under 1 in 10 |
Odds count the complete years, 1980 to 2025, in which a hurricane passed within about 100 nautical miles of Aruba, the nearest point in the NOAA and IBTrACS records to this resort. Two storms in one month still count that year once. How the hurricane belt works
Getting there
20 minutes from AUA
- Nearest airport
- AUA · Queen Beatrix International Airport
- Transfer
- 20 min
- Address
- J.E. Irausquin Blvd 79, Noord, Aruba
- Phone
- +297 586 3900
Aruba
- Language
- Dutch & Papiamento (English universal)
- Currency
- Aruban florin; USD universally accepted
- Power
- 120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)
- Driving
- On the right
- Main airport
- Oranjestad (AUA)
- Flight time
- ~4–4.5h from the US East Coast
Who it suits
Three of the 14 categories we score in the Palmprint file for Hotel Riu Palace Aruba; the full set is above.
What we'd book around it
Affiliate · commission at no cost to youFlights
Fly into AUA, 20 minutes from the gate; round trips from about $381.
Search fares (opens in a new tab)Insurance
Storms move flights in season, and the cheapest rates are usually non-refundable.
Compare cover (opens in a new tab)Data
An eSIM for the flight and the beach; Wi-Fi is included on the resort but stops at the gate.
Get an eSIM (opens in a new tab)How we scored Hotel Riu Palace Aruba
14 categories, scored from official sources and read against what guests actually report. Verified 19 July 2026 under Palmprint methodology 1.0.
The six that set the score
And 8 more we track
Confidence is high across the board except value, service, dining, rooms, pools & spa, family and romance, where the evidence is thinner.
Open a category
Value7.0Medium confidence
- Beach Score
- 9.2
- Food Penalty
- 7.2
- All Inclusive 24h Support
- 1.0
- Aruba Off Resort Dining Tradeoff
- 6.5
Service8.0Medium confidence
- Friendly Staff Signal
- 8.2
- Expedia Score 10 Scale
- 8.2
- Room Service Limit Penalty
- 6.8
Beach9.2High confidence
- Swimmability
- 9.2
- Beachfront Support
- 1.0
- White Sand Support
- 1.0
- Shade Pressure Penalty
- 7.4
Dining7.2Medium confidence
- Bar Count
- 5.0
- Guest Food Mixed Signal
- 7.0
- Official Restaurant Count
- 8.0
- Aruba Off Resort Dining Pressure
- 6.5
Rooms7.4Medium confidence
- Room Count
- 450.0
- Suite Ocean View Sqft
- 657.0
- Condition Variability Penalty
- 6.4
- Junior Suite Partial Sea Sqft
- 377.0
Pools & Spa7.8Medium confidence
- Kids Pool Support
- 1.0
- Outdoor Pool Count
- 2.0
- Swim Up Bar Support
- 1.0
- Pool Depth Variety Penalty
- 6.8
Nightlife8.4High confidence
- Bar Count
- 5.0
- Nightclub Support
- 1.0
- Riu Party Support
- 1.0
- Walkable Palm Beach Support
- 1.0
Family7.8Medium confidence
- Kids Club Support
- 0.0
- Kids Pool Support
- 1.0
- Connecting Room Support
- 1.0
- Children Allowed Support
- 1.0
Romance7.7Medium confidence
- Food Score
- 7.2
- Beach Score
- 9.2
- Family Resort Penalty
- 7.0
- Ocean View Suite Support
- 1.0
Wellness7.7
- Sauna
- 7.5
- Whirlpool
- 7.5
- Renova Spa
- 8.0
- Steam Room
- 7.5
- Cold Plunge
- 7.5
- Fitness Center
- 7.5
- Treatment Rooms
- 8.0
- Ocean Gazebo Massage
- 8.0
Luxury7.6
- Casino
- 7.0
- Dining Variety
- 7.5
- Riu Palace Tier
- 8.0
- Renovation Status
- 7.5
- Room Quality Mixed
- 7.0
- Palm Beach Location
- 8.0
- Pool And Swim Up Bar
- 8.0
Quiet6.8
- Balcony Noise
- 5.5
- Nightclub Casino
- 6.0
- Palm Beach Strip
- 5.5
- Stage Music Nightly
- 5.5
- Higher Floor Quieter
- 7.5
- High Energy Atmosphere
- 6.0
- Construction Renovation
- 6.0
What it does best
- Prime Palm Beach beachfront location.
- True 24-hour RIU all-inclusive model.
- Walkable to casinos, restaurants and shops.
- Good room options for families and groups.
Where it costs you
- Food quality is mixed by guest consensus.
- Room condition and cleanliness comments are inconsistent.
- Pools are not the strongest feature compared with the beach.
- Coordinates are not verified as exact main entrance.
Room intelligence
- Rooms To Avoid
- Older or non-updated sections if renovation status mattersRecent guest snippets mention mixed room condition and construction/renovation noise; exact building status should be verified.
- Best Value Room
- Junior Suite with Partial Sea ViewBest value if guests plan to spend most time on Palm Beach, at pools or off-resort.
- Best Room Category
- Junior Suite with Frontal Sea ViewBest broad-fit upgrade for travelers prioritizing Palm Beach views without needing Elite Club.
All-inclusive, except the good stuff
That is where trips get expensive: the plan covers the week, then the things you actually wanted are quietly a la carte. Here is the line at Hotel Riu Palace Aruba, item by item, with what we checked it against.
| What you'd expect to pay for | Status |
|---|---|
| Premium & à la carte diningRIU official page and Expedia confirm 24-hour all-inclusive food and beverage coverage. | Included |
| Top-shelf liquorElite Club rooms advertise premium brand drinks; standard package beverage quality receives mixed guest commentary. | Partly included |
| Room serviceRoom service exists but guest reports describe it as limited compared with dining venues. | Partly included |
| Wi-FiOfficial RIU FAQ states free Wi-Fi is available in rooms and public areas. | Included |
| In-room minibarRIU room amenities include minibar and beverage dispensers. | Included |
| Non-motorized water sportsExpedia lists snorkeling and kayaking activities, but exact included-provider rules should be confirmed. | Partly included |
| Spa treatmentsRenova Spa is available, but treatments are not evidenced as included. | Costs extra |
| Tipping & gratuitiesExpedia states all food and beverages are included; RIU all-inclusive gratuity handling should be confirmed by rate for Aruba. | Tips included |
Inclusions change and vary by room category and season, so confirm with the resort before booking. How we verify this
Bringing the kids to Hotel Riu Palace Aruba
What decides whether a resort works with children in tow, answered from what the resort publishes rather than from the brochure.
- Kids' club
- No kids' club
- Teen program
- Not offered
- Rooms that fit a family
- 3 categories, incl. Junior Suite with Partial Sea View, Junior Suite with Frontal Sea View
- Beach for young swimmers
- Gradual, calm entry: toddler-friendly
- Dinner reservations
- Needed at some restaurants
- Can a family of 5 stay in one room at Hotel Riu Palace Aruba?
- Yes. Hotel Riu Palace Aruba has room categories that sleep 5 or more in one key: Junior Suite Ocean View - 2 Bedrooms. The largest stated occupancy is 8. Occupancy rules count most children (and sometimes infants) toward the limit, so confirm your exact ages with the resort when you book.
- Does Hotel Riu Palace Aruba have a kids' club, and from what age?
- No. Hotel Riu Palace Aruba doesn't run a supervised kids' club. Plan on parent-supervised play.
Taking a group
Palm Beach location, RIU Party events, neighboring Antillas disco access and connecting/two-bedroom room categories support social groups.
- Private dining & events
- Bookable
- Connecting rooms
- Limited, book early
- Nightlife
- Lively, bars running late
Tell us the trip, we'll tell you the resort
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Kids' club hours, teen programs and group availability all move with the season. Confirm the specifics with the resort for your dates.
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