Just got back, we stayed from 2/2-2/9/13. We have been to a few all-inclusive in Mexico and this does not compare, our visit was just ok. We arrived and were greeted by the front desk with a long and slow check in. Not really what you want when you have been traveling all day. They did however let us see our room before we checked in which was nice. We upgraded for $80/day to a suite, which was well worth it.

The first night we had the buffet and it was ok. Not bad, but definitely not good. I got very ill after that for the next four days. I am not sure why because I know that I did not drink the water. As we talked to other people it seemed that they had been getting sick too. Maybe their food handling procedures were not what I was used to, but it was awful & I know 100% that I did not drink the water. We went to every al a carte restaurant and only liked the Japanese. Everything was prepared early then served, basically a variation of the buffet.

Anyway, all of the food was just ok. The drinks were awful. All syrups, and no real mixers, rail liquor besides Smirnoff and Stoli vodka, except a few select liquors at the lobby bar. Even the margaritas were bad, they all had a coconut flavor. We are eaters & drinkers and we could not really do either of these here.

Our agent told us with the price point it would be a younger crowd, my husband and I are 26 and we were the youngest people here. This place I for older people 50+. Tons of walkers and wheelchairs parked all around.

Overall, the hotel was clean, the housekeeping did a great job and the people were eager to serve you. The entertainment outside was cheap, not well executed, but the entertainment in the lobby bar got people involved and was more entertaining. The beach was crowded, but we never had a problem finding chairs. I would not go back to this resort, but I am glad that we had the experience.

Our vacation was everything we wanted it to be. The newly renovated Riu Palace Macao is beautiful and clean. The staff are all friendly and willing to go above and beyond all the time. It was nice that it offers an adult only theme. We are a married 50 year old couple and just wanted to have a vacation without children playing around the pool or listening to them in a restaurant while at dinner. We wanted to truly relax and enjoy a quiet atmosphere. The only negative thing I have to say was that when arrived they told us that we were being upgraded to the Riu Palace next door but we held our ground and said we purposely picked this resort for the above reason. The food was spectacular. They have a dinner buffet in addition to 4 restaurants (seafood, japanese, italian and steakhouse) There are 2 seatings for the restaurants... make your reservations early... you can reserve up to 3 days for the 6:30 or 9:00 seating. I would totally recommend this resort. It was a fantastic vacation.

Went with group of eight people in our 50's and would recommend this to anyone 35 and up as it's not exactly subdued but not too crazy with partiers (unless you go looking for it).
Food: Japanese was not good- seemed like they had two flavours but the sushi was delicious / Fusion (Krystal) was really good / Steakhouse surf and turf was good but ask for the steak a little less done than you usually would. The lobster was excellent. Buffets were terrific and that's what we preferred.
Liquour: quality isn't premium but there are some better selections like Barcelo Imperium Rum - find a better brand and ask for it - they'll oblige.
Check in: went smooth, rooms were ready and he gave us the information we needed, didn't try to upsell us and was funny.
Rooms: Two of us had unsuitable rooms but they switched us with no issues. Our first room was on ground floor and balcony was a foot away from a concrete white wall - not acceptable to us but they changed it with an understanding acknowledgement. Clean and comfortable. The showers were great and the glass block was fine - you just don't like to turn on the light in the middle of the night and disturb your partner. TIP: Big issue is the floor is very slippery when wet so wear your sandals or bring slippers. They replenish water everyday with large water bottles that are sealed unlike other reviews that state these bottles are refilled and unsealed. Pop and alcohol always kept up and even had a plate of fruit there everyday. No issue with theft - and I didn't always put away my money like I should've. The rooms are very humid so consider that extra weight when you leave.
Grounds: close to the beautiful sandy beach. Two pools and there is one with cement loungers which is away from pool bar also the water is separate from the pool bar. Pool bar gets a little rowdy (and icky warm) by about 2pm. The bars at the pools were busy but you don't have a long wait for a drink. Showers were everywhere to wash off sand or chlorine. Loungers were comfortable and are the kind that breath well - and I feel are more hygenic than cushions. As in the rooms - another problem is the slippery tiles. Don't walk from one place to another without sandals. If you stick right up to the pool there is more grip. There is a longer walk to the bathrooms than there should be - which would somewhat explain the swim up bar temperature.
Staff: This part was the most exceptional part of our stay. They only want you to have a good time and it is so very clear by their smiles and humourous banter. They never seem to tire from their long long day. We tipped because we wanted to - a dollar here and there - but it isn't an expectation. We fell in love with Alex - a genuine sincere young man who obviously loves his job. With our group of eight it isn't easy to get chairs together but we had someone help us out every morning and he never forgot us. I can't say enough about the wait staff and the games staff - you will love them because they love what they do.
Entertainment: Saw a couple of shows and they were pretty good. The Burlesque was my favourite. There is always something to do - Oliver makes sure you are either dancing, playing horseshoes, going for a kitchen tour etc....he says if you're not having fun-go to the bar.

My husband and I stayed here for a week with another couple. Most things were great--the room, the grounds, the beach. The food was definitely hit or miss. We had a great experience in the Japanese ala carte restaurant. The steakhouse and Italian ala cartes were okay. We did not eat at Krystal--menu didn't appeal to us. You could usually find something good in the buffet dining room also. They definitely need late night food choices. There is a TINY area that has super oily nacho chips/cheese, and sandwiches that barely looked edible. The room service menu is NOTHING to speak of, and the one time I tried ordering room service, no one would answer the phone-and I tried multiple times. There was a microwave in the tiny snack area that did not work. Even after we told several employees on our second day there that the microwave didn't work, they said "We know." But it remained there, unattended to. The MOST disappointing thing about this trip was the drinks. The alcohol they use is NOT any type of "call" liquor we are used to in the US. (No Bacardi, Jack Daniels, Absolute, etc...), which we KIND of expected. The bad part was though, that they fill the brand name bottles that they DID have (Stoli and Smirnoff) with the cheap stuff they carry. One of the guys in our group drinks only straight vodka, so at EVERY bar we went to, the bartender had to call a manager over and get permission to "Crack" a bottle of the real stuff open. It was VERY disappointing and evident that this is happening. You can easily smell the difference betwen the two. The coffee drinks at the coffee shop were very good. Overall, the hotel staff was attentive. Our room was always clean and service at meals was good. There are many shops on grounds where the owners will barter with you for a price. There are also many shops if you walk down the beach. If the rating system allowed, I would rate this hotel a 3.5.