Riu Palace Tropical Bay

Loved it, we will be back. Fantastic location right on the beach. Rooms are large and so clean, they stock your fridge every day and there are even optics on the wall. Showers are large and unlimited hot water.
The sea is so clean and warm, lots of loungers no need for the early dash to secure them. Bar service on the beach was exceptional, Judith was so friendly and efficient. In fact all the staff were amazing bar one who was a little off but we all have a bad day! We couldn’t get the à la cartelrestaurant bookings, they open at midnight which does seem a bit unfair on those who like an earlier night. Julian the manager slbooked us in and all was good. We liked the steakhouse meal best followed by the Italian In the main buffet the food is extensive! Huge range for breakfast lunch and dinner. Food choice is superb if you are a meat eater, OK for veggies. Lots of the usual burgers chips pasta etc. a great salad bar. Four or 5 grilled meats, a roast which was fish once but meat every other night. Always some slow cooked stews and curries and a range of veg, some better than others. The desserts looked amazing but we found they often had a real chemical aftertaste so usually opted for ice cream although avoid the pistachio yuk. Crepes often available and a chocolate fountain. Plenty of fruit. You really couldn’t go hungry here. Service is attentive all of the time. Three pools are all smallish for dipping not swimming but you have the sea if you want to do lengths. Loads of entertainment with very enthusiastic hosts. One of the only things I would change is to turn down the volume on some of it. We used the very far end of the beach and could still hear every word of encouragement as people ran the carpet in the pool or answered quiz questions. My only other improvements would be pads and brollies for the beach loungers, the pool ones have them. Being September we had some magnificent thunderstorms in the late afternoon early evening. All the rooms have umbrellas and I love to watch lightning across the bay.
We used a local Uber driver for a trip out to Benta river falls saving ourselves around £100. Excursions are pricy as are the taxis from the hotel. We also had a great time with Henry scuba diving. He has a small boat and does fishing trips which we heard were amazing but not our thing. Henry took us out in his boat and dived with us showing us all sorts. He has all the equipment and is really knowledgeable. Also half the price of the main operators.
There are beach vendors for everything from braiding to hats, weed sellers offering gummies to make you smile but they weren’t hassley.
Along the beach from the hotel are small beach shops which all sell souvenirs and clothing. Morris has a stall 6 or 7 along the line and is very friendly. He had the best selection of hats. Do haggle, the next stall probably has it cheaper.
Didn’t see kids toys swim goggles or most of the beach paraphernalia that you get in Europe so best bring your own. There are free water sports at the far end of the beach. We took out the canoe but missed out on the catamaran because the red flag was flying every time we went. I think they are pretty cautious!
We have had a fantastic two weeks and can’t wait to return

Wonderful stay at Riu Palace Tropical Bay September 2026. Location is great, directly on to the beach. Rooms are good and comfortable. Exceptionally clean hotel with fantastic staff - Andre was a fantastic waiter all day on the beach making sure all our needs were met for all drinks. Bar staff, Demarie, Kerene, Romain and King Bevan were fantastic. If i had one criticism it would be the booking process for the a la carte restaurants - no matter how hard we tried to get bookings it always seemed they were always full, so i can only assume you need to stay awake all night to try and get a place as slots are released 2 days in advance, so i feel a better system should be in place. that said, the food in the buffet was generally ok so you wouldn't go hungry and the jerk chicken hut is fantastic. All in all we had a fantastic time and would not think twice about returning. Also, if you do visit, make sure to book a trip out on the Catamaran with Scuba Caribe where you get to Snorkel, swim through caves and visit Margaritaville on seven mile beach and Ricks Cafe, whilst being entertained by the most fantastic crew.

Great time at Riu. We arrived late in the evening and the concierge sent us to get food before the buffet closed and then come back to check in. We'd had such a long travel day and that gesture was so appreciated! The beach was beautiful and the water calm. Room was clean and comfortable. Dinner buffet was ok. Japanese, Italian, and Steakhouse were better. Service everywhere was fantastic. Pool bar employees were friendly and fun, along with entertainment crew. Shows were fun. The vibes at the spa were a little wierd, but I got the tropical experience with Kenesha and the massage was soo good. Shout outs to Shahanie and Raquish at the breakfast buffet for being so friendly and helpful, and Allison, Demarie, and Lyanna at the Daquari bar for being so engaging and fun.