Riu Palace Macao

We are a couple in our late 20s And early 30s in the medical profession. So, we like luxury resorts but are still in the point of our lives where we want to have fun and dance. We enjoy good food, music, but also peace and sleep. This is our feedback for Riu Macao. There’s 5 Riu hotels within walking distance of each other, and the Macao is one of them. So, Macao is the Adult only resort. Next to it is Bambu, a resort that’s more lively with music and entertainment, and a younger crowd so it’s better for 20-30s. In the surrounding area is palace punta Cana and palace Bavaro, which are family-oriented. Last is Naiboa, which was the worst one I saw as it didn’t have a nice pool or beach. Now that you can visualize the layout, here’s my feedback on Macao and which resort you should choose for your needs. Age group: Macao is adults only, but elderly adults. Your average hotel guest is 50+, and often even retired 70+ folks. So, it’s a quiet resort with not much going on. Certainly nothing exciting happens past 10PM, which is not ideal when under 30 years of age and don’t have a 10PM bed time. Rooms: We had an ocean view room. Beautiful view but the rooms are old school and not updated. There’s a large mirror on the ceiling that’s creepy, but I know the elderly folks liked that architecture back in the day so this was most likely to please them. Maids are very efficient in cleaning the rooms and replacing towels. Toilets barley flush and you have to press down several times. In the one week we were there, the electricity went out in the resort at least twice a day, but would quickly come back on again. Pool/Beach: The pools are clean and empty since the elderly folks don’t often swim in it. The beach of Macao is kept clean and the water is beautiful and refreshing. The employees are very friendly and try hard to make guests happy. They host weekly pool parties as well, so no matter which Riu you’re staying in within the vicinity, you can go to the pool parties where drinks are included. Food: The restaurants are absolutely gross. Japanese restaurant inedible, steak and Italian were questionable and a 2 star at best. The Fusion restaurant was good but it took 2 hours for our entrees to come out on a busy night so it wasn’t worth it. This is the first all inclusive I’ve been to (out of 10 + I’ve been to) where the A La Carte is worst off than the buffet restaurants. The buffer however was delicious! Especially for breakfast and lunch. Ultimately, we often found ourselves at Bambu to enjoy the music and parties. We liked swimming in the Macao pools more because of how clean they are. The food is inedible in the A la carte restaurants and not worth how much you pay for this hotel (we paid $350/night). If you’re in the younger crowd, avoid Macao because even though it’s adults only, they really mean senior and elderly adults. I’d recommend staying in Palace Bavaro or Palace Punta Cana for the luxurious amenities, but walking over to Bambu for fun. I wouldn’t actually stay at the Bambu though because it can get a bit trashy and loud and I wouldn’t my whole vacation to be like that. Overall, a good week, but wouldn’t recommend the hotel because of how quiet it is and how bland the restaurants are. But if you’re 40+, you’d love this resort!

Just returned having spent 21 nights here. Firstly met at reception by the Duty Manager who told us about hotel and also stated that his staff were there to ensure you have a great stay and any problems just tell them. The room was lower floor overlooking the courtyard, very clean and well presented. The maid everyday kept us well stocked with toiletries and clean towels and the fridge always updated with stock. The main buffet restaurant was again keep very clean and I personally thought the selection of food for breakfast and evening meal was very good, well presented and tasted great, hence we did not visit the specialty restaurants. The laid back theme thought the hotel sprinkled with some input by the entertainment team made this a great break, along with the adult only policy. The pool and beach area was also very good with waiter service for drinks if required. The beach is public and has a lot of sellers, but just say no and they don’t bother you. Beach and sea superb. The best of the hotel is the staff, they are brilliant and ensure you feel welcome and ensure you enjoy your holiday, would like to mention more but will say that Johan with his team on the patio seat area was exceptional in keeping it tidy and ensured you had brilliant service for drinks. Thank you and would definitely recommend this hotel. Look forward to coming back in the future