Riu Palace Paradise Island

Wonderful hotel...clean and spacious and a nice size for walking. The area is also safe for walking as we walked through the Atlantis on the beach and also via the streets with no issues. We preferred the buffet over the a la carts, as the food was plentiful and very very tasty. The pools were decent, nothing special, but the swim up bar side pool was fun while the larger pool was quieter. The spa was simple but relaxing...anyone can use the spa pool and it is really quiet and private which was nice (we have actually been to the hotel before and didn't know it was there LOL). The large pool was unusually warm but no complaints and better than cold. The beach was amazing...just amazing. No weeds or rocks and perfect for floating. We brought floaties and were in the ocean for hours.
Room was fine-not fancy and a little dated, but clean and comfortable and no annoying noises to deal with. Bar was always well stocked and water pressure was good.
I travelled with my friend and we had a great time. Nothing to complain about except we missed our first flight because of the Bahamas covid screen barcode not loading despite doing it several hours ahead...however West Jet helped us get on a flight, and Sunwing remedied upon our return. I'd say this is a 4* hotel all around.
p.s. Coffee shop in lobby was nice for teas, milkshakes and treats, a really nice touch. Go and enjoy! :) [Details]

I had a very enjoyable time. The hotel was spotless, the staff was friendly and the food in the buffet was incredible. [Details]

Pros: We were in room 1525 - Penthouse suite - worth every penny. Very nice room overlooking the pool and ocean. Room very clean - king bed very comfy. Great food in buffet and the Steakhouse restaurant is mighty fine. We dined there 5 times. Highly recommend ordering the Surf and Turf steak and lobster. Delicious. If you get Courtney for a waiter - you are in good hands - remember to stay for dessert cuz he will not forget it if you don't. He deserved all the tips we gave him. In fact all the workers at the hotel work hard to ensure you enjoy your stay - tip all of them if you can afford to. Beautiful pool and beach We had massages in the spa - i would suggest getting the relaxation massage and not deep tissue cuz it was a bit rough. The drinks are tasty and huge selection.

Cons: The Japanese restaurant was ok but not our favorite. We went two times and it was ok but not really what we expected. It would be better to have cooks making food in front of you.

Another thing was there's only two bathroom locations. one in the pool area and one by lobby. So if you have to go while at the buffet / be prepared to walk fast from there. I think there's a need for more bathrooms Big hotel / so why not? The entertainment staff seem to love playing rap music more than other genres of music. They gear most activities to the younger crowd - ages 18 - 30ish We are in our sixties. It's highly noticeable. We like dancing to country music so we can jive and two step. We had two nites only where this was possible. The wind is so crazy - so we never got to go snorkeling/ which is what we wanted to do. Waves were rough most days. I believe January is not the time to go to Bahamas. End of January or February probably hotter weather. We had about four good sun days in the 10 days there. No store in the hotel - had to go across street to store. Very expensive there.

What we found out: Taxis are expensive. It's a 15 min walk to Atlantis. Costs about 15 in the taxi We spent a lot in that casino. Not many seem to win. There's a straw market behind the Dunking Donut place and we had a beer at Anthony's bar and it's a restaurant too. Friendly there. There's a bigger selection of stores downtown but then you have to get a taxi to go over the bridge and it's about 30 bucks and two bucks for the toll on way back. Bigger straw market downtown. Can negotiate prices with the venders. [Details]

The lobby is great and we were always welcomed by friendly staff. The place is kept clean including the rooms when you need it. I wasn't as impressed with the restaurants and oddly enough, the buffet had some of the best food. It had all sorts of great stuff to choose from as well so could cater to your diet. The “king” bed we had was actually two beds put together which was not comfortable. There is no fan in the bathroom so the whole room would sometimes feel wet/humid. Aside from that it was a nice experience at the pools and beach. Great wifi access in rooms and to the beach. I would recommend as a place to stay on Paradise Island. [Details]

It was ok. We were a group of 8 traveling for a 50th bday. Sadly they would not take any dinner reservations so we had to line up each night for an hour to get seated.
The swimup bar being closed was also a real disappointment. Having to mask up and walk to the bar with a long line for drinks was crap. They should have servers on the beach for drinks [Details]

Great overall experience! Loved our time at the Riu Paradise Island [Details]

Overall good stay. [Details]

Classy Hotel style resort, nicely located on one of the nicest beaches in Nassau. Staff are pleasant, and helpful, and do a good job of keeping the guests engaged in the daily activities.
Rooms are elegant, and kept clean and in good maintenance, with a small balcony that is on diagonal towards the sea.
Food variety is good, with 4 restaurants and a good-sized buffet.
The two bars have a good selection of drinks, however on almost a daily basis (3 out of 4 days we were there), the bars run out of one, or both kinds of the beer on tap, and don't have canned beer at the time to offer as an alternative. This is a significant draw-back for an ALL-INCLUSIVE resort.
The beach is gorgeous, with crystal clear, turquoise water, and no seaweed whatsoever. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for guests. This is a public beach, so keep in mind that there are local vendors trying to sell their goods, and sell their excursions as well as rent their sea doos to the guests. The beach stretches for at least a kilometer each way, and is great for walks or runs on the beach.
Both the swimming pools are heated, and kept very clean. Pool towels can always be changed for fresh ones by the pool-side.
We've enjoyed our mini-vacation very much at the Riu Palace, and recommend it for couples and singles alike. [Details]

Hotel did not have much to offer as entertainment,,pools were small and beach area was ridiculous because of weddings and the beach had to be shortened by space [Details]

Myself and 13 other women(38-40yrs old) stayed at the Riu Palace for 4 days. The resort is very nice and had all the amenities we needed. It is accessible as well which was a huge plus since one of our friends uses a wheelchair.
The rooms are nice but you can not adjust the temperature of the A/C which makes the room freezing. We had to sleep with it off for the duration. Our room keys stopped working 3 times which was a major inconvienence. Everytime it happened I had to go to the front desk and get a new key. It kept happening to most of the women in our group. RIU needs to fix this
The large pool is nice but feels like a bath so not very refreshing but still fun to hang around. The infinty pool with swim up bar is crazy! lol By 1pm it's a party. Lots of booze and lots of loud music. When we weren't in the mood for that we hung out on the beach. Beach is very beautiful. Water was rough so it was hard to swim in but you could still walk in for a second and cool off. We rented jetskis for $50 a person and went parasailing for $60 for 14 minutes.
Buffet and A la Cartes were delicious. So much variety in both and we didn't have a problem getting in to either even with our large group.
The people at the front desk were amazing. Service was awesome and they helped us with evrything we needed. They even went into my friends room for her Birthday and left her a card, balloons and chocolate covered strawberries.
There is lots to do in the area. Little markets, the marina and the fish fry in Nassau is tons of fun.
Make sure to head to Atlantis and do the aquarium($45) and casino. We went to the club in Atlantis before 11pm and it was free to get in BUT once you're there each drink costs $20 so be prepared for that.
All in all we had a great trip! [Details]

Great staff, great location, good value for the money especially in the Bahamas. Rooms are comfortable great ocean views. Returants were good for an all inclusive in the category. Had a great time at the pool, beach was busy but you can always find a spot. All in all this is a good place to get away for a 4 day trip. [Details]

I honestly couldn't have asked for a better vacation. To begin, the check in was fast and made sure you were on the beach in no time, the staff was extremely nice and helpful. The rooms are clean and the views are beautiful. The hotel was beautiful and spotless. The staff were SO NICE they honestly felt like family by the end of the trip. They went out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcomed. The food was delicious and the drinks were great. I can not say one bad thing about this vacation, I have travelled to several Carribean locations and I look forward to going back to the Riu Paradise Island soon. Thank you to all the wonderful staff for the wonderful experience! [Details]

Our airline has horrible arrival and departure times from toronto, so we arrived late sunday night, and they made it seem like we were sooo lucky they kept the buffet open late that day. If you know you have a plane full of people coming, it should be open much later than just 1 hour after we arrive. The selection of buffet food was picked over and sad looking.

Our room's air conditioning was broken and it took 4 calls and 3 times leaving notes for the housekeeping staff and two trips to the front desk to get an answer. The only solution was to move rooms, which we didn't want to do because our friends were all on the same floor. We just turned it off at night. We also found a cockroach in our room (alive) and then saw one in the buffet dining room as well. The rooms were decent, the bathrooms needed more shelf or drawers or storage space, as its just a counter, sinks and toilet. Not a lot of place to put your toiletries, brushes, make up ect...

It rained for a day and all the main hallways were leaking rain into the building. There were sheets all over the floor to catch the water.

You have to line up an hour before dinner to get into any of the a la carte restaurants, which seems a little silly to me. I didn't go on vacation to stand in lines for hours. literally 4 hours of our trip spent standing in line. The japanese restaurant was terrible, nothing was fresh and the tempura was not tempura, but rather a beer batter.

The buffet was ok - but very repetitive. The theme nights were a little weak. We aren't big drinkers, so food is a big draw for us. The best thing at lunch was the grill cheese. The crystal and steakhouse were fantastic though, we even went back to the steakhouse twice.

We asked for a late checkout, since our flight was not until 9PM, but no one was given one. we even offered to share with our friends and were still denied. They do not have any courtesy rooms to shower after you are out of your room at noon. so we had to kill 5 hours int he afternoon before we left for the airport.

We had an overpriced couples massage on valentines day, and it was rushed and didn't feel like the spa staff was very experienced. Would not recommend.

The BEACH is amazing. The pools get shade for parts of the day, but the beach gets sun almost all day. The main pool is nice, but the pool bar is a terrifying germpool toilet I wouldn't go in, if you paid me. That being said, the umbrellas and chairs on the beach were old, the staff was constantly trying to assemble pieces of broken umbrellas together to make working ones. You'd think working umbrellas would be a priority for a beach resort.

On the last day my husbands wristband broke off, and we asked if they would tape it together for us. they told us no, not to worry. and then an hour later he was stopped and questioned by the same staff member for not having a bracelet. Sigh

Would I go back to bahamas - yes. Would i go back to the Riu? NAH. [Details]

Check in was efficient
Needed to change rooms and this was done easily
Mini Bar was re-stocked daily
Maid service was excellent
Buffet Restaurant was repetitive and didn't live up to expectations of this hotel brand
Not really a resort, more of a hotel
Lots of options at the bar(s)
Close to Atlantis and water taxi to Nassau
Closer to a 3 star than a 5 star [Details]

I like the small size of the resort because it's only a 4 night stay so it didn't take long to find our way around. Long line up to check-in because everyone arrived in buses from the same Sunwing flight. Rooms are nice. Buffet had lots of delicious choices. Steak restaurant was good. Surf was quite big so very few people ventured out in the ocean but lovely to walk to either end! [Details]

Food not as good as usual, we especially disliked the Krystal restaurant, not good at all and service was not great. [Details]

I really liked the staff especially Samantha C she is a supervisor there. She gave me special attention and went above and beyond to make me happy and I was satisfied with the services. The bar was run smoothly with her around. She even assisted her staff. Real team player. Wonderful person always smiling and friendly. The rest of staff were wonderful also!! They made the experience at the restaurants and the activities!! Thanks everyone [Details]

I had an amazing time at this resort. All the staff were amazing and helpful. As a single person traveling they also seemed to make sure that I was having a good time and was well taken care of. [Details]

Took 4 hrs to get our room once we arrived.
The bed was very uncomfortable and pillows were tiny and nothing to them.
The staff were very nice.
We you were on a island ,if you wanted to go to the mainland ( Nassau ) it cost $15 dollars plus tip, then on the way back it cost the same and then you have to pay $2dollars for the toll.
The beach was impossible to walk on as the the sand felt like quicksand, so very hard to walk on.
The specialty restaurants, you had to be there way before the time to get in.
The one huge bar when you walked down to it smelled like dead fish, so we basically stayed away from there. [Details]

Amazing location, service, cleanliness, security, food and drink. Just a few steps down to the beach. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Toilet flushing system was weak, not just in our room. Water on the floor after shower. Careful not to slip and fall. Entertainment not so good, but only 10 minute walk to Atlantis. Problem with restaurants not taking reservations. We waited once, for 45 minutes for one restaurant. It was very good. Jerk chicken at pool area is amazing. [Details]

I have been to the Riu on Paradise Island approximately10 times. My most recent visit July 1- July 8, 2018 was a little disappointing. The ocean of course is the most beautiful anywhere....the hotel has had a facelift and cosmetically looks very nice. However, there is a very strong sewage smell in the hotel and the cleaning supplies are extremely strong. The rooms seem much smaller than they were before. The fact that the cruise ship day pass folks seem to take over and now I'm hearing screaming children is disconcerting when I'm supposed to be at an "adults only" result. Overall - I enjoyed my trip but would have to think about whether I would return - previously the Riu Palace in Nassau was my favourite place in the world. [Details]

Riu Palace in the Bahamas Paradise Island was the best vacation we had in a long time. When my wife and I arrived we had a free room upgrade and adjoining rooms to my mother and daughter. The rooms were quite spacious and very clean. The a la carte restaurants had a delicious menu and the buffet had a wonderful variety. The staff were very pleasant and greeted us whenever we passed by them. The dessert/coffee bar was a nice treat whenever we wanted a beverage, sandwich or dessert. The staff are amazing!! We saw 2 special incidents. We made friends with an 85 year old lady who was traveling on her own. She wanted to go into the ocean but the flag was yellow. The aquafit instructor personally took her time to take her to the beach so she could enjoy the ocean. Another time we saw one of the pool entertainers stop and eat with a single person and genuinely cared to spend time with this person. I have never seen a staff take that much interest in the people at the resort. It was touching to see such caring towards others. [Details]

Food was good and the grounds are clean.
It would be nice if there was a little store to purchase small items.
In general the people are very very nice compared to other Islands.
This hotel needs to put in elevators that can take the traffic, constantly waiting. There seems to be no service elevator and the room service is using them as well. [Details]

Beautiful renovations done on entire main floor. Staff at hotel were amazing, every last one of them. [Details]

THE STAFF IS VERY FRIENDLY AND ACCOMODATING. THE ROOMS DIDN'T HAVE A RADIO/ALARM. VERY CLEAN THROUGHOUT. NEEDED DEFINITE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT. SOME NIGHTS IT WAS A DANCE PARTY, ADVERTISED A "SHOW". [Details]

Our first time to Bahamas- will not be our last. We enjoyed our stay greatly. [Details]

The hotel was nice and clean. The staff was very kind. The food at Krystal was nice. [Details]

As a group of 3 couples we travelled to Riu Palace Paradise Island March 30- April 2, 2017. We were a bit skeptical after reading other reviews but gave it a try. We knew in advance the hotel is to be renovated this summer. We arrived at 10:30 am and two of our rooms were ready. While we waited for ours we went to the pool and spent the day swimming, sunning and enjoying the high quality alcohol. Our room was ready at 3:00 and had a beautiful ocean view room on the 14th floor. It was clean and the bed was comfy. No complaints. Fridge was restocked daily and housekeeping was always early and did a great job!

The food was excellent! We tried the Steakhouse and the Japanese a la cartes. Both were superb only drawback is no reservations, just line up and hope you make the seating. We actually did reserve for the 8:15 setting but we had to line up at 6:30 to do it.

Pool wasn't huge but was always full and lots of shade and loungers. Activity staff were really fun and tried to engage everyone.

Beach was stunning and again lots of loungers brought to your spot by staff. Even umbrellas for shade.

A few vendors on the beach. They were completely respectful and moved on with a polite 'no thanks'.

We went to Atlantis Casino to see that resort and gamble a few dollars. Enjoyed it.

Our hotel seemed quite hot in the lobby area. Hard to spend time after dinner or watch evening shows as it was just too humid. Maybe air conditioning will be part of the renos. We loved our trip to Bahamas! Riu Palace Paradise Island was perfect for our 4 day get away. Can't wait to see what they do with renovations. Would definitely return. [Details]

We had a great week. 30-40 min bus ride from the airport, check-in was quick. The food at the buffets was great for us, we didn't try the ala carte restaurants. The room was clean. Chairs and umbrellas always available on the beach. Not much evening entertainment but you can find things to do if you want. Warm weather and not humid. Great place at a surprising price! We loved it, would return. [Details]

Old and boring. Nothing to do. Only good food is the steak house! But line up an hour early to get it. No entertainment. Definitely not the RIUs I used to know.
But close to the Atlantis so just go there all day [Details]