RIU Palace Maspalomas

Not new to the Riu Palace experience so most things in the stay were as expected. However there are areas that in common with other Riu Palaces we have stayed at - are simply at an acceptable level no matter how many stars and certainly not 5*. The area concerned is dining both breakfast and dinner where cooked foods are left under lamps for too long, dry out s a result and the dining experience is transformed but not in a good way. My other gripe is the breakfast offering where crepes and pancakes are offered - yet for reasons that I fail to understand it seems impossible to get a freshly cooked crepe, without any filling, for a client to add their own filling to. We have stayed at 4 (maybe 5) Riu Palace Hotels and in only one was this simlpe request fulfilled. All other failed miserably.

My other observation, to be really picky, is that the deserts (cakes) with the evening meal seem to all taste pretty much the same. Hot offerings are excellent and varied in contrast.

If staying here bear in mind that the views of the dunes are lovely but that means you have an 800m hike across soft sand - a workout for the legs and far harder than it sounds) or a 2km walk to Playa des Inglés where the beach is right in front of the usual seaside parade of mostly tacky shops and bars. One upside is that the boardwalk shops do include the best gelato shop in the area and that alone made the walk worthwhile. Also for those of a sensitive nature or with a young family it might be helpful to be forewarned that rules on beachwear seem to be absent and you shold expect to come across nudity as beachwear seems optional - on the beach not elsewhere to be clear.

Will we return to here - no.

Will be try another Riu Palace - yes as the food offering suits our preferred atyle of eating and the range provided is excellent. In all of our stays we have not felt the need to book a table at their in-house upmarket dining offerings as the buffets have provided copious choice.

Finally I have to end on a positive note and mention the staff all whom were friendly and very helpful without it feeling forced or false.

Having just returned from a break at the Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas, I found it very difficult to fault the hotel and would give it an overall rating of 9 out of 10.

The highlights were:

Friendly, polite and courteous staff.

Excellent food, particularly at the Krystal Restaurant, which is well worth visiting during your stay.

A clean and beautifully maintained hotel.

Although the hotel was busy, the pools and surrounding areas never felt overcrowded.

Clean, spacious rooms—ours had a fantastic view across the dunes towards the Faro de Maspalomas lighthouse. The bathroom was very clean and the shower amazing.

So, why not the perfect 10 out of 10? Primarily because of the hotel’s location. The area around the hotel is not what we expected and the beach is a reasonable walk away, with the shoreline approximately 800 metres from the hotel—around a 15-minute walk. We expected this, however, and it wasn’t a problem for us, as my wife and I regularly enjoy walking long distances.

Most of the guests during our stay were middle-aged or older couples. As a result, the few younger couples staying at the hotel did appear slightly out of place.

I used the hotel gym daily and it was usually very quiet, sometimes I was alone for the hour!

Overall, we had an excellent stay and would happily recommend the Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas.

This hotel is the bench mark that others should aspire to. The whole team from Directors Marisa Abalos all the way through to the housekeeping staff carry out their roles to the highest of standards. Can’t fault the hotel. My wife and I had yet another fabulous week. I imagine this is why they have so much repeat business. Keep up the great work.