Riu Palace Macao - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

6840 reviews

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  RIU Palace Macao – Bottom of the RIU League Table

  We stayed at RIU Palace Macao from 29 December to 12 January, and as a long-standing RIU member, I can honestly say this has been the most disappointing RIU experience we’ve ever had. We have previously stayed at: RIU Palace Mexico (twice) RIU Palace Riviera Maya RIU Palace Peninsula RIU Palace Pacifico RIU Palace Jamaica RIU Chiclana We are also booked for RIU Palace Maldives in 2026, which we are now seriously considering cancelling as a direct result of this stay. First impressions: On arrival, my wife and I were given one welcome drink to share — not the start you expect from a “Palace” resort. The only consistently positive aspect of this hotel was the bar and waiting staff. Their work ethic, enthusiasm, and friendliness were excellent. They worked extremely hard and genuinely deserved tips. Accommodation: Room 3002 Shower leaked badly, flooding the bathroom floor Cockroaches present in the bathroom (reported; cleaners attempted to resolve but the issue continued) Balcony overlooked the gym and car park — far from ideal Prior to travel, I emailed requesting a paid upgrade. I was told availability would be checked on arrival. At check-in, we were then told this could only be reviewed during our final 7 days. Meanwhile, we were informed by others that other guests had received upgrades by paying cash at reception, which was frustrating and inconsistent. Housekeeping was also unreliable — coffee sachets were often not replenished, and we had to chase the cleaner multiple times. Score: 4/10 Food: Initially, I thought some negative reviews were exaggerated — they were not. Buffet food was lukewarm at best. Multiple guests reported upset stomachs, particularly after eating Red Snapper at the Krystal restaurant. Overall quality was well below RIU Palace standards The Asian restaurant was the best option but still not exceptional Score: 5/10 Entertainment: We attended one event and chose not to return. Based on that experience, it was not appealing enough to comment further. Drinks: Drinks were up to RIU standard, with good service from bar staff. Score: 8/10 Service: Staff worked hard throughout the resort, but there was a clear lack of visible management. Stronger leadership is needed to ensure consistent standards. Score: 6/10 Pools: Pools are in serious need of refurbishment. Missing mosaic tiles, cracked concrete around pool areas, Generally dirty, particularly in the pool bar Score: 4/10 Overall Summary: This hotel is not a Palace. It does not meet 5-star standards. At best, it is a 3.5-star resort. For loyal RIU guests, this property is a major disappointment and falls well short of what the brand usually represents.

  Jan 14, 2026
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  We will NOT be going back!!!!

  TUI All Inclusive 9th December 2025 to 23rd December 2025 Location fabulous - close to airport and great beach. We went for the run up to Christmas - absolutely no Christmas atmosphere (unlike other hotels we have stayed in at the Dominican Republic, at the same time of year) Only place there was “any atmosphere” was at the swim up pool bar - unfortunately it was so intimidating with very drunk, very loud guests so we never went in there. This was so disappointing as we always liked to have a quick drink on the way back from the beach, unfortunately we didn’t feel comfortable at this hotel! Rooms and house keeping teams were excellent. Unfortunately we had some really noisey guests next door who fought loudly both in their room and at the door of their room for the first two nights and then partied on the 3rd night with other people in their room until 4.30AM. It took 3 calls to reception over a 2 hour period on the third night to quieten the room down. Apparently there was NO security staff available. We reported this to customer services who said they would send them a note, they looked to see how long they were staying and found that they were checking out the next morning, so they said let’s see how it goes (no offer to move us to another room after 3 nights of hell) Food: first 2 nights the food was ok, then it deteriated drastically after that! Very repetitive food even on the themed nights and always cold and overcooked. Lots of casserole type dishes, obviously using up yesterdays left overs! Most of the Ala carte restaurants had limit menus which were the same as the normal buffet with the exception of the steakhouse, only advantage being was table service. I went to the buffet one night and had a burger, supposedly the same as I had eaten previously only to find it was certainly not the same as previous, it was the same as we used to have in the 1970’s out of a tin - absolutely disgusting, so we got up and went to the steakhouse. In there I ordered an Aberdeen Angus burger only to find it was exactly the same as the one I’d got in the buffet - rubbery outside and processed meat inside! My wife had food poisoning on day 5 of our holiday, after which see could only eat bread, toast and bananas and drink only bottled water. We understand my wife wasn’t the only guest to go down with food poisoning!! Service staff in the restaurants and bar were very much hit and miss. Entertainment was at best indifferent (4 decent nights out of 13, coinciding with the non RIU PARTY events. Overall the weather made the holiday acceptable. That was our last visit to the Dominican, due how we feel about the quality and the diminishing customer service standards. Certainly deteriated since our previous visits. It no longer caters for our type of winter holiday. In my mind the hotel seems to be managed by generally inexperienced staff, basically needs a shake up from top to bottom. The only staff who really shined were the housekeeping staff who did a great job!!

  Jan 09, 2026
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  The music and the staff's attention are the best

  Very good hotel, very clean, everything seemed excellent to me. Good food, good drinks, the staff was excellent. Bermudez, the bartender, was very friendly and made good drinks, as did Juan. The entertainment was wonderful. The animation team was very friendly and accommodating. The manager, Sammy, was very friendly and sociable. The nightly shows were very good and varied. DJ Pedro was very good and knew how to control the microphone and sound. He also speaks very good English and is very accommodating with music requests both at the Pacha nightclub and in the hotel. He's a very good DJ, as is the other DJ; both are very good. It's an excellent hotel, there's no noise. Thanks to everyone, especially DJ Pedro... pacha disco excellent...

  Jan 05, 2026
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  Would go again.

  Easy check in process. Friendly and helpful staff. Rooms were clean. It’s a humid environment so the rooms felt initially musty but with fan and AC it went away quick. Food, beach, entertainment, and service was good. I would go there again. I do think the entertainment crew could do a better job with the pool/aquatic exercise daily group. Other places I’ve been to have better/more lively music and instructors for these daily pool exercise groups.

  Jan 03, 2026
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  Outdated and musty - avoid

  We stayed at Riu Palace Macao and honestly it was the most disappointing resort experience I’ve ever had. We're at the resort right now and can't wait to leave. From the moment we checked into our Junior Suite, the musty smell hit us hard. It wasn’t just unpleasant, it felt like a genuine health concern. There were no dehumidifiers, no effort to mask or fix it, just a damp, moldy odor amplified by an ancient, noisy AC unit. The room itself looked like it hadn’t been renovated in decades: depressing gray walls with visible wear and tear, rust on the bedside lamps, bathroom doors with gaps showing old construction material. Also, both TVs in the suite didn’t work at all. The whole vibe was more prison hospital than Caribbean getaway, and definitely not recommended for a romantic trip. Friends in our group stayed in the Elite Club section and said it was basically the same thing, just more expensive, with the same musty smell. When we arrived hungry around 4 p.m., every restaurant was closed except the sports bar, and the food there was awful: mushy burgers that didn’t taste like meat, over-fried nuggets, and processed cheese that felt straight out of a cafeteria. Staff was showing little interest or care. Amenities were mediocre, nothing memorable, and the only thing that was remotely decent was the beach. Overall, this resort is outdated, unhealthy, and not worth the money.

  Dec 31, 2025