RIU Hotels Reviews

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About RIU Hotels

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RIU Hotels & Resorts manages a portfolio of all-inclusive resorts. These resorts are primarily beach destinations, featuring multiple dining options, entertainment programs and water activities. Established in 1953, RIU offers comprehensive packages that cover meals, drinks and activities.

Pros
  • Clean and well-maintained rooms
  • Variety of dining options available
  • Good entertainment and activities
Cons
  • Poor food quality and safety
  • Inadequate customer service response
  • Security issues with theft incidents

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RIU Hotels Reviews

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    PriceStaffTransparencyHonesty & Transparency

    Reviewed April 6, 2026

    Travelers with disabilities, be warned: RIU’s 'direct booking' process is not transparent regarding accessible transportation. Despite booking directly on their site, there was zero mention of extra costs for wheelchair-accessible transfers. After the fact, their partner (Nexus) demanded an additional $400 for a lift-equipped vehicle. When I contacted RIU reservations, they refused to take responsibility or help resolve the issue with their own partner. Don’t be misled by the fine print—expect significant hidden fees if you require an accessible transfer. #TravelAccessibility #RIUHotels #NexusTours #DisabilityRights

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    Refunds & Payouts

    Reviewed March 20, 2026

    I spent my vacation dealing with a major construction project that included toxic welding, toxic metal grinding and high VOC treatment at the RIU Vallarta resort. I had to move three times to get away from noise and toxic fumes. RIU was very apologetic, however, they were less willing to reimburse me for the stay or even credit my stay. I was surprised at the total disregard for their customers health and safety.

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      Customer ServiceCoveragePricePunctuality & SpeedRefunds & PayoutsMaintenanceStaffTimeliness

      Reviewed March 11, 2026

      True Story: Spent the week of Feb 28-Mar 7/26 at the Riu Santa Fe. Checked out around 11:00 am. Later when it's time to pickup our luggage to leave the resort, we find out the manager and his assistant have been holding our luggage hostage. They claim the TV in the room is broken, which they repeat over and over. We tell them that to our knowledge it was NOT. He shows us a picture on his phone of a black tv screen with a small white box shape in lower right hand corner; no other context so we don't know for sure which room it is from. We deny we broke it because we did not. They ask why the broken tv was not reported, to which we reply "No one reports a problem they are unaware of to maintenance."

      When we asked to go to the room with management so that they could show us the broken television, they said they had already removed and replaced it. So now Because we are pressed for time and we have to leave soon, we are forced to pay for a NEW TV, (CDN. $1,000.00 +) . I did ask for a receipt for this charge and when I stepped away from the desk I realized that the invoice was for a different room, so I had the personal information of those guests that had already checked out; a total breach of privacy - not acceptable from such a "renowned" company.

      Next day, back at home I search the internet for a fix on the problem he accused us of and I found it to most likely a signal feed issue, but with an easy solution to correct the problem: put simply, only a few steps: disconnect power and signal feed, while unplugged press and hold power button on tv for 30 - 60 seconds, wait 60 seconds or up to 30 minutes, then reconnect (thus creating a system reset of the tv).

      The fact that the manager and his assistant were not performing their jobs properly and having a qualified technician do a thorough troubleshoot/and a reset on that tv; was a poor management decision. This episode was unnecessarily disappointing and costly for me as a guest. That tv should have been reset and no charges to us at all. (Wonder where that tv is now?) As it stands I should be reimbursed in full, I did nothing wrong. This incident has shown a lack of good management, poor problem solving, and obtuse decision making. Should you consider staying at this resort BEWARE, or simply book elsewhere. Please share our story with others to avoid this situation happening to someone else; or quite possibly it already has.

      See below for the instructions I found online: A black screen with a small white square (sometimes described as a white box, 'X', or prompt) in the bottom right corner usually indicates a stuck UI element from a connected streaming device (like a Firestick), a malfunctioning application, or a system overlay error. Perform a Full System Power Cycle (The Most Effective). This will clear the memory and forces the operating system to reload, which often removes stuck UI elements.

      Unplug the TV from the wall outlet while it is turned on. Unplug any connected devices (Firestick, Roku, Cable Box, etc.). Wait at least for 60 seconds (or even up to 30 minutes for a full power drain). While it is unplugged, press and hold the physical power button on the tv for 30–60 seconds. Plug everything back in and then turn it on.

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      TechStaffHonesty & Transparency

      Reviewed Dec. 31, 2025

      My family of 4 and other extended family and friends (17 total) stayed at the Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana from Dec. 19-23 2025 to celebrate my 50th birthday.

      Pros:

      The grounds were very clean aside from the beach which the staff tried to keep up with the seaweed removal to no avail.
      The staff were mostly friendly unless you went to one of the restaurants closer to closing time then they were rather annoyed and didn’t hide their annoyance.

      The housekeeping staff were wonderful and always did a great job refreshing towels and re stocking the mini fridge with plenty of water.

      Cons:
      The resort itself is very outdated and in need of renovations.
      Our room was ok however the fire alarm system must be faulty because the alarms went off multiple times each day between 2am-6am with flashing red lights in the room and a siren that woke us up every day. We didn’t get much sleep.

      Hotel staff basically lied about the cause of the alarms claiming it was due to people smoking, or the kitchen issues or even saying it was a gas leak! The problem was never fixed.

      Food was ok but caused some digestive issues with everyone in our group so obviously the quality was not very good.
      Way too many vendors on the beach trying to sell things and harassing you constantly while trying to relax on the loungers.

      Everyone expecting a tip every single time you order a drink or sit to eat.

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      Staff

      Reviewed Dec. 22, 2025

      Riu is owned by a Eurotrash family. They do NOT care about their customers. They care about doing the minimum to line their own pockets. Their buffet made me gravely ill and unable to travel home. They refused to accept responsibility. Treated me like trash when I was sick. Riu owner and complaint department literally didn’t care. Don’t waste your hard earned money on this garbage hotel chain.

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      Punctuality & SpeedStaff

      Reviewed Oct. 22, 2025

      My husband and I went to RIU palace in Costa Rica (Guanacaste) for our honeymoon. We went in October, which most would consider their “off season” and we loved it. We made a note before going that it was our honeymoon, and they left balloons and wine for us. The hotel staff was VERY friendly and helpful! The people who stood out to us the most at the bars were Gustavo, Warren, Bryan, and Kenneth! With a special shoutout to Julio being amazing with entertainment!

      The hotel was kept exceptionally clean and well taken care of, the restaurants had good food, and the pools were amazing! We did wish there was a weekly schedule for the restaurants, as all of them were closed on certain days and we didn’t know until we would go to dinner. Overall, we are so happy with our stay, and we cannot wait to go back!

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      Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaffTimeliness

      Reviewed Oct. 22, 2025

      The hotel is clean. People are always working, cleaning the public places. See many senior aged workers cleaning. My experience is that at all inclusive hotels, workers are nice for tips. Tips get you service. Went to Riu Aruba with my wife, October 2025 for a week. Second Rui trip this year. Some construction and upgrading is going on. The Asian restaurant is undergoing renovations so they rotated every other day at the Krystal restaurant.

      We went there on a Friday night around 7:15, they open at 6:00 pm. There was one other couple before us. There were vacant tables. The couple before us were told they had to wait. The woman asked if they gave pagers, they said no. She looked at me and said 30 minutes. When we got to the front, the person working there, said they're not taking anymore customers that night. They close at 9. Strange, we went to the cafeteria to eat.

      When we were leaving, we sat outside the Krystal restaurant and saw people going in and getting seated. They did not have a pager. I went back in the restaurant and said to the same person who said they were not taking anymore customers, how is that they can get a seat at 8:30 pm? He said they had a pager. When I told him, they didn't, I was right behind the couple that entered. He had a stack of pagers over to the side. He had no excuse. I said I came here at 7:15 and you said you were not accepting anymore customers. He had nothing to say, asked how many? I said I already ate, shame on you, you're not letting ** people in. He had no response.

      We sat outside for a bit, watched as he turned two other ** couples away, while there were available tables inside. Who do you complain to? Not the Customer representative, they will deny and say I must be mistaken. I noticed after I took it at face value. Look at the demographics and see who is serving and cleaning, look at who are the people dealing with customers directly. It would give you an idea.

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      Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaffRates

      Reviewed Oct. 20, 2025

      During my stay at Riu Palace Macao (Sept 22–29, 2025), I experienced one of the most shocking service incidents I’ve ever encountered at a hotel. While dining at one of the resort’s restaurants, I was served water poured from a wine bottle by two waiters — as if it were wine. When I confronted them, both admitted they had poured it from a bottle left in a sink, and the hotel’s sub-director later confirmed this in writing. This is a serious breach of hygiene and food safety standards. Serving an unknown liquid from an unverified bottle is unacceptable anywhere, especially at a resort that calls itself “5-star.”

      What made things worse was the management’s complete lack of follow-up. No one from hotel management or Riu’s corporate office ever spoke to me about it during the rest of my stay. I later filed a formal complaint (**) to Riu headquarters in Mallorca, but their reply was vague — basically saying there’s nothing they can do. Throughout the rest of the trip, my family and I felt anxious and uncomfortable, worried that staff might retaliate or tamper with our food or drinks after I complained. That’s not the kind of fear you should ever feel on vacation.

      This incident shows how Riu Palace Macao and Riu corporate management do not take guest safety or accountability seriously. For the price and reputation of this resort, the way they handled this was deeply disappointing. If you care about safety, professionalism, and accountability, I strongly suggest choosing another resort. — Cristian V. Room 3057 – Stay: Sept 22–29, 2025 ✅ Where to post it:

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      Customer ServiceStaffBilling

      Reviewed Oct. 7, 2025

      Hotel billed me for a no-show even though I cancelled correctly. Have email confirmation and provided that to RIU but they still won't assist. They've had my money for 2 months and couldn't care less. Awful company! Keep your money safe and don't interact with RIU.

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      Customer ServiceStaff

      Reviewed Sept. 13, 2025

      My family and I had a brief stay at the Riu Ocho Rios and upon checking in was met with a horrendous odor in our room. After reporting this to client services their response lacked responsive customer service. I was deeply troubled by their hotel’s inadequate response, which dismissed my family’s experience as mere “disappointment” and suggested that forwarding my concerns to the hotel management constitutes meaningful action. I had already engaged directly with their PR manager—and their redundant gesture added insult to injury. Their expressed “disappointment” in my declining an alternative room demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of customer service and accountability.

      Displacing my family for several hours during a brief 2.5-day stay was unacceptable, and not a reasonable accommodation. That their organization viewed this disruption as an appropriate solution for paying guests revealed a concerning disregard for customer experience and basic hospitality. I have never encountered such dismissive and inadequate service recovery. Their response compounded the original failure and reflected poorly on their brand’s commitment to guest satisfaction. I expected accountability, not deflection, and genuine resolution, not inconvenience disguised as accommodation. I will never stay at another Riu resort.

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      RIU Hotels Company Information

      Company Name:
      RIU Hotels
      Website:
      www.riu.com