This was a great spot, the staff was great. The food was awesome, my favorite was the steak and lobster at the nautalis. It is a great location, if want to go to the casino you are better off going to the radisson next door. The only complaint is that the mattress is like sleeping on stone, but you get use to it and my neck and shoulder actually got better from sleeping on it. Definitely a redo. This is my second time in Aruba, I like it because it so safe to go off the resort and there is lots to do. I went by myself and found that everybody was a couple and ther were no singles, but everybody was friendly and ther was no shortage of people to hang with.

I have been staying with the RIU chain for years so when I read some of the negative feed back on hear I was a bit taken back. I see now why some of the reviews had negativity in them, I will break it down for you and hope it helps. ( December 14-21)

RESORT: Yes you get the musky smell in the lobby but definitely not a deal breaker. The resort is huge with three different sections. We had a junior suite in the C building, beds are hard but all RIU beds are. The rooms were spacious and very clean. Our phone didn't work for 3 days and we had requested a mattress pad multiple times that never came. This is a family and couples type of atmosphere so if you're looking for singles or a party you have chosen the wrong place. I personally was happy with it since it was myself and my 13 year old daughter.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Customer service lacked extremely here, very rude and there were multiple times we were at the pool bar and the servers would just look at us, talk amongst themselves and ignore us. The servers in the restaurants are the same, never a smile on their faces just there to clear your plates and get you your drinks.

FOOD; Food was generally good, breakfast was the same everyday, eggs, meats pancake, French toast ect .Lunch was horrible all greasy burgers and pizza. Dinner was definitely the best and changed every night. Room service is slow, we would wait over an hour for it to come. They have a snack bar in the sports bar with pastries, sandwich's, hotdogs, popcorn and fruit.

ARUBA: Just breath taking and beautiful. The beach at the resort is amazing, very clean, no seaweed in the ocean, no rocks and the water is to die for. You do have to get out there early if you want shaded area's but lounge chairs were never an issue. The sun is intense and gets VERY hot really early in the day. I tan and get dark very easily BUT we had a 50 SPF on until the last 2 days. Use a ton of sunscreen and keep yourself very hydrated.

POOL: Big, clean, and cold but you warm up within a few minutes. YOU MUST get your lounge chairs by 9am or they are all gone.

CLEANING STAFF: So friendly, our room was done every morning and additional towels were dropped off every night. They are extremely friendly and leave cute towel animals everyday. Tip them and your room will be well stocked with additional toiletries and pop.

Overall I don't think I would return back to the RIU in Aruba, the resort is dated, the customer service is lacking and when you have stayed at a RIU Palace in Los Cabo, it gives it a lot to live up to. We paid a lot of money for our trip so I guess my expectations may have been high. Aruba is beautiful, stores are very expensive and it is a little boring, So if you are looking for beauty and pure relaxation Aruba is the place for you.

We stayed from Dec 15-22. We booked a room saver room, which is a standard room. The first room we had was dark and had a view of a parking lot. We asked to move immediately, we spoke to three different people before we moved to room 246 overlooking the pool with a huge balcony, we wanted a higher view, but this was all that was available. After reading all the reviews, I really did not want building C as it is not as modern as the other buildings, it was very clean, but had outdated floral comforter with matching drapes and an old big tv. We knew wouldn't be in the room a lot so it wasn't the biggest deal, but for a hotel thAt claims to be 5 stAr, they neglect to tell you that only some of the rooms are modern and 5 star calibre.

The bed was very low, and not the most comfortable, so glad to be home to my pillow top mattress. The cleaning staff do a great job with keeping your room clean.

We loved the buffet, great food, so many choices and really yummy. We went to the Japanese and Italian a l carte restaurants, both very good, but we liked the buffet better.

All in all, it was a beautiful resort, great location, stunning ocean, we had a fabulous time. Web learned from our mistakes and would book a junior suite next time.

Just returned from a 6 night stay at the RIU and am still feeling the effects of the hardest bed I have ever slept on. Even with a mattress topper, it was impossible to get a good night sleep. Even though I had read this complaint from other reviewers, I chose to dismiss it, thinking they were being picky. If you suffer from any kind of back problems, this is not the place for you. But I have to say other than that, we really enjoyed our stay. Our family stayed in rooms 812 and 813 and the views were fantastic. We overlooked the pool with the Ocean directly in the back ground. The service from all the employees was the best we have ever encountered at any all inclusive we have ever stayed at. Our room was cleaned twice daily, the restaurant servers were efficient and very friendly and the bartenders were fantastic. We never had to wait for any kind of service and were asked frequently how our stay was going. The only complaint I had, was that by 10:30am the cabana was out of pool towels, so I would suggest you bring your own. Also would highly suggest that you bring your own insulated cups for drinks at the bar since the ones they give you are very small and light weight. Our drinks kept blowing over in the wind. The Palm beach area is very beautiful with lots of shopping and dining options. Their is also a large, new grocery store which is only a 20 minute walk from the hotel. Would love to return to Aruba but will probably stay at another hotel nearby and go out for our meals. But if you don't mind a rock hard bed and want an all inclusive, the RIU is a good option.