Hotel Riu Palace Maldivas

The rooms were spotless, and the views were breathtaking. The staff kept every detail taken care of and were friendly and helpful all the way through our holiday. At the airport, a Riu staff member met us and explained where to go, which made getting started easy. I couldn’t fault the place from beginning to end. I’d definitely return, and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking about visiting the Maldives.

We spent most mornings enjoying the water by our bungalow, and the bar staff quickly learned what we liked to drink. They also suggested other drinks that suited our tastes. We stayed on the quieter palace side, though we still enjoyed the singers, guitar player, and DJ on the beach. DJ Isuru couldn’t play my request the first time, but played it when he was there again. We joined the entertainment committee’s water aerobics and most of the parties at the other RIU, including getting our faces painted for the white party. Our over water bungalow was lovely. We traveled with people staying in ocean view beach walkout rooms, which looked really nice and had their own beach area. The resort itself was beautiful, though the pictures don’t do it justice. We’ve stayed at several RIUs in different countries, and this one had the best customer service. On arrival at Male airport, a RIU representative waited for us and guided us through to the local airlines, making sure we reached ticketing for the local flight closer to the hotel. Another representative met us after landing and showed us to a van for the short ride to the harbor, then the boat to the island. We got the same help leaving for Male and right up to boarding our flight back to Singapore. We ate at the buffet most often. The food was good, but became repetitive after a while. We also booked the Japanese restaurant, steak house, and Asian fusion. The food was average at all three, while the service was top notch. My one complaint was the electronic door lock. They gave my husband and me one key card and suggested the other person use the electronic lock instead of giving us another card. I tried that, but had trouble opening the door from the start. We eventually figured it out on day two. I still sometimes had trouble connecting to the internet, and then the lock wouldn’t work either. Getting a signal could take several minutes, and by the time we left I was frustrated with it. I understand the move toward technology, but the connection made this difficult for me.

The food was outstanding, and we especially liked the BBQ and shawarma pop-up themes. We also enjoyed the specialty restaurants, particularly their more elegant, slightly exclusive atmosphere. It was nice that guests followed the dress code. The evening parties were fun too, although we’d have preferred far fewer unfamiliar Russian songs. The sunset DJ sets and live music, on the other hand, were really good every night and consistently high quality. This was our second trip to the Maldives, and our two weeks at the Riu Palace have been our favorite vacation so far. We’re especially grateful we got to stay in a water villa. It was a wonderful place for a quiet, peaceful break surrounded by nature. The sea in front was calm and dazzling blue, with no bothersome reefs or seaweed, so swimming was easy. To see fish, we only had to go a little farther out, and there was nothing in the way. The staff treated us with Maldivian warmth and a lot of care. We never had to wait for anything. I want to mention Thanuka, Dasy, Bharaat, Chamika, Edi the chef, Ani the other chef, and Nilan, though there were many others. They chatted with us and helped make the two weeks unforgettable. Sorry if I’ve spelled any of their names wrong. It’s hard to talk about this place without gushing. Thank you for such a lovely stay. We’ll definitely return to this dream island in the near future.

The food was delicious, and if you asked for something specific, the staff would try to make it happen. Service was thoughtful everywhere, right down to housekeeping and the buggy. They checked that we were happy and asked if they could do anything else, and even remembered our names and usual drinks. Nothing seemed like too much trouble. The staff are what make this place worth visiting, and we’ll definitely be back.