Riu Palace Mauritius

We stayed as a family of 3 in a junior suite with a balcony, and the views were simply stunning. Our room (block 52xx) overlooked the waterfall pool and the magnificent beach with ocean views. The room itself was modern, with comfortable beds and a spacious bathroom. Room service (which we used once) was good, and the daily stocked mini bar plus complimentary toiletries were nice touches.

Food & Dining

The food was a bit hit‑and‑miss. The first 3 days were underwhelming, but once the hotel reached full capacity, the meals improved noticeably with more variety. To break up the repetition of the main buffet, I highly recommend booking the à la carte restaurants. While I expected more variety overall, we certainly didn’t go hungry.

Facilities & Atmosphere

• The RIU Palace is adults‑only, but its sister hotel, RIU Turquoise, is family‑oriented — meaning lots of children and noise next door. Palace guests can use Turquoise’s facilities and dining, but Turquoise guests cannot use Palace pools or reception area. Both hotels share the à la carte restaurants and sports bar. • The “Elite Club” concept felt disappointing. It offered a bar, restaurant, and small pool, but lacked atmosphere and no music, no vibe. • Entertainment by the adults’ waterfall pool was lively, with aqua aerobics, water games, and music creating a fun atmosphere.

Service & Grounds

The staff were outstanding hardworking, polite, and always helpful. The gardens were well maintained, and the hotel overall was kept in good condition.

Suggestions for Improvement

• Add small food huts (toasties, fruit stands, ice creams) around the Palace walking areas to give guests more variety beyond the buffet. • Improve Pepe’s food stand, which was cold and unappealing. Competing 4‑star+ hotels offer more creative options, and RIU Palace could benefit from this. • Replace outdated titanium bedroom irons, which were ineffective, and invest in better equipment. • Improve beach WiFi, which was unreliable. • Promote spa facilities with visitor deals, as the current price list felt overpriced. • Add privacy to the gym windows so passers‑by aren’t looking in this would help guests who are body‑conscious feel more comfortable.

Overall

We had a lovely time, but one week was enough. The hotel has many positives stunning views, modern rooms, amazing ocean access, hardworking staff, and lively entertainment but also areas that need attention to truly stand out in Mauritius’s competitive resort scene.

Tips for Future Guests:

• Tip the staff small gestures of gratitude go a long way. • Bring insect repellents (oils work faster). Expect the odd bite, and consider insect spray for the room at night, as flies can appear via the air conditioning and bathroom vents. • Remember the hotel charges a daily tourist fee of MUR 161.85 per person, per night. (Dogs and cats roaming around hotel grounds but very harmless and friendly).

What a stunning hotel. I've travelled the world over 20+ years and I have to say this is one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in.

It is kept spotlessly clean, the rooms are great and the food is incredible. The food in the main restaurant, yes it is your typical buffet food with pizza, chips, Asian section etc, however the standard of the food is amazing even down to having Lurpak butter. We managed to eat at the steakhouse once and I would have happily paid for the meal as it was that good. We did try and eat at the steakhouse again but unfortunately it was fully booked, not helped by the fact it is closed twice a week which was disappointing.

I have to give a massive shoutout to Odeel the pool towel lady who looked after us from day 1. She was always happy with a smile and was a pleasant addition to the day. Also Natacha in the coffee bar. We saw her nearly every day and she always remembered our order and gave us a giggle almost having it ready before we even got to her. The best laugh I had though was with Leo who I think was one of the grounds cleaners. I don't think they get enough recognition but he was so funny he was the highlight of our visit.

The only negative I can think of unless you are in the Elite Club, there is only 1 pool which as the pool bar in it which can get rowdy with nowhere else to go for a bit of piece.

The rooms were very comfy and the fridge was restocked daily with Coke, Sprite, Fanta, water and beer. Some days they even left you some milk although this wasn't given daily. The toiletries are lovely and smell gorgeous and surprisingly they are english plug sockets.

There is nowhere to wander for shopping etc but there is a small shop in the hotel which wasn't too badly priced/

Overall this was a gem of a hotel and I would go back in a heartbeat.