Riu Palace Aquarelle

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1525 reviews

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  Spring break

  It was our first time staying at RIU Palace despite staying at multiple RIU hotels in different destinations. Hotel is beautiful. Service was top notch. Food excellent; from breakfast buffet to room service. My daughter loved the slides in water park and RiuLand. Entertainment at evening time was fun. The little coffee shop on the lobby had excellent cappuccinos. Check in and check out process was a breeze. Our room was excellent. We were in room 344 and my friend was in room 333. Loved the morning coffee from room service on my balcony.

  Apr 13, 2026
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  Perfect for families

  Don't hesitate to book, we had the holiday of a lifetime here! Beautiful location, excellent facilities, delicious food, but what really made it was the wonderful staff. They were so attentive, kind and fun and worked hard to ensure the whole family had a brilliant holiday. We stayed as a family of 8 ranging from age 68 to 11 years. The entertainment staff made the children (aged 11 and 13) feel special and entertained them with a variety of fun activities every day. It was lively and there was plenty to keep the whole family entertained, but relaxing and peaceful enough even for my husband who hates noise and 'organised fun'! Rooms overlooking the pool meant you could listen to the bands and music in the evening from your balcony but we requested a quiet room on the other side. Quiet side was overlooking a slightly more industrial part of the hotel but still had a beautiful view of the sea, hills and the gorgeous sunsets. I would definitely return to Riu Aquarelle and recommend it to anyone.

  Apr 12, 2026
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  Save Money on Taxi

  The service was excellent—staff were friendly, attentive, and made the stay very comfortable. Entertainment was enjoyable, though there’s a bit of room for variety. Food was decent with good options, but not quite at a full 5-star level, I gave it 3 1/2 star Impotant tip save money on Taxi- If you’re staying at Hotel Riu Palace Aquarelle in Jamaica or in Montego Bay, I want to share a tip that could save you a lot of money and give you a much better experience. I’ve been here since April 6 and will be leaving April 13, 2026. During my stay, I realized that taxis arranged directly through the hotel can be quite expensive. Instead, I highly recommend reaching out to Ricardo. 📞 1-658-206-2006 📧 adinfinitumtour@gmail.com Ricardo was actually introduced to me by one of the security guards at the gate, who knew him personally. At first, I was a bit skeptical, so I made sure to check his taxi license and plate. After using his service for a couple of days, I felt completely comfortable—and now I can confidently recommend him to other travelers. His prices were significantly lower than the hotel’s—sometimes up to 50% cheaper—and they’re even negotiable. On top of that, he doesn’t just drop you off; he actually walks with you and makes sure you’re taken care of wherever you go. He’s super friendly, down-to-earth, and makes you feel safe right away. You’ll feel like you’ve made a real connection, not just hired a driver. If you’re in Falmouth or Montego Bay, give Ricardo a call. 5-star service at a much better price.

  Apr 10, 2026
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  Fantastic service

  We stayed at the Riu Aquarelle as a family of 3 for 7 days over the Easter break. We stayed in a sea view room. The hotel was clearly at capacity but we felt it coped well. I would say that the majority of what I have read about this hotel is accurate but we will highlight what we saw as the positives and negatives with the hotel and hopefully help others. Positives Staff so friendly and engaging- it is clear to see that the staff take pride in what they do and work extremely hard Special mention to Vanessa in buffet restaurant- a real credit to the resort Sound proofing- yes, you can hear the activities in the evening but I noticed the doors to the rooms have ‘soft close’ so no slamming of doors. Nice touch Quality of the food- the food is superb. We managed to book into all the restaurants. Steakhouse was the best in our opinion. Cleanliness- with the hotel being so new it has an advantage with this but the place really was spotless. Negatives Sunbed shortages- you do have to get up early if you want to be sure of a sunbed around the pools. They go quickly. The beach not so bad. Compact hotel- this isn’t really a criticism but my husband and I enjoy walks whilst on our holidays. This wasn’t possible here. The hotel grounds are not large enough and unfortunately due to the influx of sargassum during our stay, beach walks were not pleasant. Beach- now this is important and I notice many other reviews have mentioned this- if you love the beach and wading in clear waters, then go to Negril. The beach at Riu is fine but the water can be rough, rocky and can make swimming tricky. In fairness to the hotel they clean the beach every day and make it as nice as possible but no comparison to Negril. Overall impression- lively, fun filled hotel with caring, friendly staff. Would we go again- yes I think we would, if only for the fantastic service and staff. They make it special for you.

  Apr 09, 2026
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  Nice beach, nice people, newish resort!

  My teenage daughters and I had a good experience overall. Everything was clean, and the service was good. I’m a tipper, though, so I had a server looking out for us literally and figuratively in the large breakfast/lunch restaurant. I’d say the food was just… fine. Kyoto was the best of the smaller restaurants. The physical plant was new in Spring of 2024, so it’s in good shape. The elevators are small, and there’s only one cluster of 4 of them to access 800+ rooms; you end up waiting for the elevator quite a bit, cueing even, in the lobby. The in-house airport shuttle contractor was awful. After arriving in Montego Bay, they loaded us up, told us nothing, and then left us sitting there 45 minutes before leaving for the resort. It’s a bad way to start serving your customers.

  Apr 06, 2026