Hotel Riu Palace Maldivas

Just returned from an amazing 10 day Holliday, We choose to upgrade to the seaplane arrival as I read reviews about some guests having a long wait for the domestic plane so for us this was the best option it wasn’t cheap and I was told that over last few months it’s gone up a lot in price I think we paid about $700 but was worth it! We took the speedboat and domestic flight on return and waited for over 5 hours at male airport for our flight as we were picked up from hotel so early but I think this is normal as the domestic flights only run certain times a day! On arrival we were warmly welcomed check in was smooth and fast and taken straight to our room , we were in a downstairs beachfront room on the sunset side room 116 was spacious and clean, bed was huge shower was lovely and AC worked very well you had to leave patio door closed else everything would become damp very quickly! Mini bar stocked daily and the optix were a great touch! Food at this resort was probably some of the best we had all restaurants were amazing and never had a issue booking in the only thing we would say negative is the better restaurants are in the Atoll side and you can’t book them so if you like to eat early you have a queue outside to get a table which wasn’t great or they give you a buzzer and you can go get a drink and they buzz you when table ready! The buffet amazing selection everyday the service is spot on constantly refilling drinks and take your plate as soon as you finish. Bar staff were amazing , drinks were very good could get absolut vodka here but not available on atoll side! big shout out to Peri, Puja, sammy, Ryo,Sanju you made our trip truly unforgettable with your kindness by far the best service we have had at a resort and we have been to many 5* every staff member no matter what there job role was were friendly smiled and just made a lovely holiday! Entertainment was great we knew it would be chilled so wasn’t expecting major nightlife the parties at the Atoll side were great for us as we do like to party! So the world night the white night and flower power were so much fun on the beach, one night the white party was taken inside due to strong wind which wasn’t as good but still enjoyable, the band on the place side were amazing did get a bit samey after 10 days and the dj playing was very good but finished at 6.15 so would have been good if he played more nights! Pool was great it was quiet when we arrived and never had no issues getting a lounger the only thing for me a lot of the loungers are in the shade there is only certain areas which have the sun even though you can slide across the cover above you I do like laying in sun so these were limited and prob first to go especially as the holiday went on it got busier ! Beach was amazing we went snorkelling on the Atoll side as were told it’s better and didn’t disappoint we seen sharks, rays, so many fish but also walking the bridge we seen so much! Seeing the hermit crabs and watching the fruit bats in trees also was brilliant! Weather was amazing we did worry as we booked from 29th May - 8th June but had a few showers and mainly beautiful sunshine the whole holiday, was quite windy but sometimes glad of this! So if your thinking of booking Rui place I would say do it! It’s been the best holiday we’ve ever had and would not have no issues going back I would definitely stick to palace side as for us it was quieter, better drink selection and table service which you don’t get at the atoll, but truly a dream destination.

Wow where to start ..... 1st time to the Maldives for a 2 week holiday 6th June 2026 with my husband who is 60 , daughter and (son in law who is 40) celebrating their 60th & 40th Birthdays.

We stayed in (2) separate water villas with a private pool and the extra cost was was so worth every penny. Villas 58 and 52 (Sunset Side which we requested ) and the hotel provided us villas next to each other. My daughter also arranged for individual birthday cakes for the boys which were scummy and at no extra cost.

We flew direct with BA from Heathrow landed in Male then a domestic flight and speed boat to the resort. Transfers were seamless there and back and they run everything like a tight ship faultless an excellent.

We were blown away with our room (apart from the private pool) the ambience, comfortable bed, excellent air conditioning and the fan, with hygiene and cleaning standards absolutely amazing. Oh and a mini bar and optics. Our regular housekeeper/cleaner did an excellent job every day so we tipped well.

The main buffet restaurant oh my days the variety of food was obscene nicely prepared and so much to choose from. Amin and Eddy excellent chefs who keep eyes on everything ensuring everything is spot on. Travelled around a far bit Mexico Dominican, Cuba, France, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, etc. etc. and the Rui Place has the best food quality and variety hands down absolutely superb. Good variety available for vegetarians too.

We also tried the fusion and the Japanese restaurants 4 times and both were amazing as was the service provided to us by Michelle.

Tried the steak house at the Atoll side and didn't go mad on it to be honest. Had the 1 breakfast at Atoll which was not good at all and 1 lunch and that was pretty good but not as good as Rui Palace. Very very busy over the Atoll side with lots of children and families. Palace is more suited to adults although there were some children there but very few and they were lovely.

We went to White Night, World Night at the Atoll and did not enjoy the music at all geared to the younger generations there was no mixture provided for all ages so we left and didn't bother with Flower Night either ( daughter and Son 24 years younger left so it wasn't us being old!)

The Bar at Palace is brilliant it has a lovely chilled out vibe and the entertainers were great especially the guitar band and they played varied music to suit everyone. Other singers and acts were also very good.

The bar staff Sanjay, Sammy and Puyah amazing fabulous service with Sanjay being our favorite. They remember your drinks and had then ready as soon as we sat down didn't even need to ask and yes we did tip because they gave us such a wonderful service.

Never been anywhere where the toilets are so clean everywhere and they smell nice. The whole resort is spotless and we ate and drank all sorts and never had an upset tummy and didn't hear of anyone else suffering either.

Buggies run regularly and stop and offer you a lift.

Spa facilities were excellent and not too steep in price we had a hot stone couples massage - lovely.

Improvements that could be made; Change the chair seat covers in the evenings to comfy fabric ones the plastic seats make you feel extra hot when your eating in the outdoor restaurant (indoor are air conditioned ) and leave you sweaty all down your back and bottom. All 4 of us felt the same.

Main pool needs greater flirtation its waist heigh and gets warm as the day goes on and that's where our own super cool pool was an absolute blessing. Walked past the beach Villas / rooms and they looked nice.

Provide a varied selection of music to all the themed party nights at the Atoll mostly reminded of the center of Ayia napa geared for 20 year old's.

Provide some form of hot food in the late evenings and improve the room service section provided . Such as wedges, burgers, hot dogs, pizza etc. which should be simple enough. After you have had a few beers there is no hot food available at all just cold burgers and sandwiches at the Atoll and nothing hot for room service either at each side of the resort. If you fancy a night in a few drinks around your pool there is nothing but pre made cold sandwiches therefore you have to get dressed and go to the restaurant and hot service should be provided especially for the extra amount paid for a water villa.

Provide more Paneer curry only available twice during our 2 week stay yet vegetable curries x 2 was provided twice daily.

Having said all this the Rui Palace is absolute paradise and what one would expect from the Maldives and a whole lot more .We would go back in a heartbeat and are looking at retuning next year just waiting for pricing to come out. We did a hell of a lot of research before we chose this hotel and it exceeded our expectations with all inclusive being exactly that. On the last evening after the 1 drink (had to out by 4.30 am) all 4 of us walking back to our Villas cried where we were overcome with emotion of this fantastic resort and a lot of this goes out to the staff who made our holiday so special . Thank you Rui Palace you so deserve 5*