RIU Palace Maldivas

Fernando L Borges

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel. Everything was excellent, from the perfectly organized pickup service to the incredibly friendly and welcoming staff. We would like to give special recognition to the kitchen staff. They were exceptionally helpful in accommodating a relative's strict gluten- and lactose-intolerant diet, making our dining experiences completely seamless and stress-free. Thank you to the entire team for the outstanding hospitality. We highly recommend this hotel!

Sarah Bacon

Amazing! From start to finish, I cannot fault this place. Landing at the airport, we were greeted by a Riu staff member, who told us where to go and what to do, which made it easy. Once we got to the hotel the staff couldn’t go enough for you, every detail was covered and remained that way right until the end of the holiday. The staff were so friendly and helpful, the rooms were spotless and the views breathtaking. I highly recommend anyone who is thinking of going to the Maldives to go here. I would definitely go again!

Zina Glasgow

Pictures do not do this place justice. We have stayed in several RIUs in different countries but this one was the best with customer service. It began as soon as we arrived at Male airport. A RIU representative was there waiting for us and guided us through the airport to the local airlines. He made sure we were at ticketing for local plane to take us closer to our hotel. Once we landed another representative met us, guided us to a van with a short ride to the harbor for a boat ride to our island. Very impressed that we received the same aid as we left the island for Male until we boarded the plane back to Singapore. The resort itself was beautiful. We had an over water bungalow but traveled with others that had the ocean view beach walkout rooms, which were really nice and had their own beach area. We were on the palace side that was quieter but we enjoyed the vibe of the singers, guitar player and DJ on the beach. I had requested a song from DJ Isuru but he said he had to stop at that time. The next time he was there he played the song I requested. We had fun with the entertainment committee, we did water aerobics and attended most of the parties at the other RIU. We even had our face painted to glow for the white party. We ate more times at the buffet. The food was good but after a while it was very repetitive. We also made reservations at the Japanese restaurant, steak house and Asian fusion. Food was average at all but service was top notch. We enjoyed the water around our bungalow and hung out there most mornings. The bar staff was phenomenal. I guess we frequented so often they knew our drink choices but also would suggest other drinks knowing our preferences. My only complaint would be the electronic door lock. They offered one key card for my husband and I and suggested the other do the electronic locks instead of issuing another card. I did the electronic entry and from the beginning I had problems opening the door. We finally got it figured out on the second day. I still had problems connecting to the internet at times and of course the lock wouldn’t work. It would take several minutes at times to get a signal. I was so frustrated with it by the time we left. I get that technology is where it’s at but the connection just wasn’t making this easy for me.

Peter Csaszar

It’s hard to talk about this place without sounding like I’m gushing. This was our second visit to the Maldives, and so far, our vacation at the Riu Palace has been our favorite. We had the opportunity to spend two weeks in a water villa, for which we are especially grateful. The villa was simply wonderful; I couldn’t imagine a better place for a peaceful, quiet, yet completely nature-filled getaway. The ocean in front of us was perfectly calm and dazzlingly blue, perfect for swimming, with no annoying reefs or seaweed. If we wanted to see fish, we just had to go a little further out, and there was nothing stopping us from doing so. Every staff member on the island treated us with their usual Maldivian warmth and utmost attention; we never had to wait for anything. A few names I must mention—though by no means an exhaustive list—of those we spoke with the most and who were the most attentive to us: Thanuka, Dasy, Bharaat, Chamika, Edi the chef, Ani the other chef, Nilan... (sorry if i spelling their names wrong) Thank you to them for always chatting with us and making these two weeks unforgettable. :)) The food was outstanding throughout; we really enjoyed the special themes, such as the BBQ or the shawarma pop-up. The specialty restaurants were also very good; I particularly liked their slightly more exclusive, elegant atmosphere. It was nice to see that the guests here also adhere to the dress code. We enjoyed the evening parties as well, though we would have been much happier with far fewer unfamiliar Russian songs. :) On the other hand, we really, really enjoyed the sunset DJ sets and the evening live music performances. They were all really, really good and of a high standard every single day. Thank you so much for these wonderful two weeks, we’ll definitely go back to this dream island in the near future. :)

Dave

Hotel staff make this place worth a visit. Each area gives you exceptional service. Even down to the housekeeping & buggy service. The staff are always checking that you are happy or if there is anything more they can do for you. They remember your name & your drink of choice. They go above and beyond, nothing is too much trouble. Food is delicious and if there is something specific you would like they will endeavour to make it happen. We will definitely be visiting again.