I am extremely disappointed with my recent stay at Riu Palace Aruba. I booked and paid for a Junior Suite with Ocean View, but the accommodations and overall experience fell far below what is expected from a resort of this caliber.
Upon check-in, we were assigned Room 305, which was in unacceptable condition. The air conditioning did not work, there was no internet access, and the television was nonfunctional. The room also had a strong moldy odor, and the sofa was visibly torn and covered in mildew. We contacted the front desk around 11:00 AM to request assistance. Despite four follow-up calls throughout the day, no one came to address the issues until around 8:00 PM, only after we had already decided to change rooms due to the lack of response.
For the second night, we were moved to Room 295, where the situation worsened. We encountered cockroaches on two consecutive nights. When we requested to be moved again, we were told no other rooms were available, forcing us to remain in a room with an active pest issue. We even had to place towels along the bottom of the door to prevent insects from entering. This was unacceptable, especially at a resort advertised as luxury.
Room 295 also presented additional problems. There was no elevator servicing that area, making it difficult to transport luggage. The room was located close to ground level, resulting in excessive nighttime noise, and once again, the television did not work. None of this aligned with what we paid for.
