I recently spent three nights at the adults only all-inclusive  RIU Palace Antillas on Palm Beach in Aruba. Click here for the three things to know about vacationing in Aruba.

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Swim Up Bar and Beach at RIU Palace Antillas

Staying at an all-inclusive resort in Aruba is a little controversial since the island has so many amazing restaurants. We enjoyed the convenience of not having to worrying about a bill for drinks, breakfast or lunch.

Join me for a tour and a breakdown of the RIU Palace Antillas.



The Good
  • Food was very good at the buffet. The resort offered a lot of choices and had several stations where the food was prepared fresh in front of you. 
  • Beach is gorgeous. As you enter the water, it has that gorgeous white sand. One thing to know as you walk from the boardwalk to the water, the sand is a little rocky. I think they filled in the beach to make it wider. Once you get to the water, it's gorgeous.
  • Lots of shade - The pool attendants will bring an umbrella to you. The beach has a lot of umbrellas.
  • Strong WiFi
  • Good bartenders - the bartenders made good drinks. They weren't as chatty as we have found at other resorts, but that meant the service was efficient.
  • Spa - The Spa is operated by a different company so you won't be able to charge to the room.
  • Casino
  • Adults only with good mix of groups, girls' trips and honeymooners
  • Sheltered private balconies - The balcony is set into the building so you can avoid the wind. You also can't see anyone else on their balcony from yours.
  • Activities by the pool and on the beach - Bocci Ball, Beach volleyball, Water Aerobics, Yoga, and fun interactive games.
  • Every water sport imaginable right from the beach.
  • View of ocean from the pools - I like when I can in a lounge chair at the pool and see the ocean. This presents a bit of a challenge in windy Aruba as you will read about below in Potential Deal Breakers.
  • Nightly entertainment including Disco
 Circus Show


Needs improvement 
  • The Four a la carte restaurants require reservation, but you can only make reservations between 8 am - 11 am for that day or the next day. We heard guests complain they had to try for four days to get their choice of restaurant. Reviews of the restaurants were hit or miss.
  • Staffing in the buffet. It was difficult to get drink refills and plates cleared. 
  • Information about activities. The paper we got at check in was not correct and I never figured out where to find the correct schedule.
Potential deal breakers 

  • The rooms. The rooms are very simple. They are clean, but lack some style and functionality.

  • The pools have a lot of leaves and sand. The downside of being able to see the ocean is that a lot of leaves and sand blow into the pool. The resort should be skimming the pools a lot more - especially the swim up bar. We solved this deal breaker by using the exchange privileges at the next door RIU Palace Aruba. It's a family resort. The pool is blocked by a concrete wall so you lose the view, but gain a sparkling pool.
Pool at RIU Palace Aruba

  • It's really windy. Some of the guests complained that they didn't like getting pelted by sand as they relaxed on the beach or by the pool.  We liked how the breeze kept it cool.
If you'd like to explore if this resort is right for your vacation, email me or set up a time to chat. Remember, my vacation planning services are free when you book through me.