Donna >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jul, 2010 | Leisure | With friend
2 people found this review helpful
Beautiful hotel, awsome food, friendly people. They are very cheap with air conditioning. Every place in hoted was so hot you couldn't breath. I'm 5ft. 4in. 130-135 lbs. ,rarley sweat, but I was constantly burning up. Had to get up at night and change clothing (soaked from sweat). All guests in same situation. Later found out guests three weeks prior went through same thing.
we paid for a 5 star all inclusive hotel. You don't get what you paid for. And one more thing FYI of course the spa costs extra as it should and guess what? AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!!!Only cool place we found in the hotel. Imagine that.
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Pool and Jacuzzi freezing cold not heated
RIU Paradise Island
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Becky >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | Family
2 people found this review helpful
Just got back and first time ever out of US. Good to get away but very dissappointed at ice cold pool and no Jacuzzi = Could go into Spa and use but they were both broken. Could not get Room Bar to work, but always at other bars though. Would have loved to use the swim up bar but cold, and weather was 70's, rain a whole day and people on beach very pushy (vendors)
Your Arrival
Took motel shuttle and it took hour through streets of towns, dirty and littered. Airports very nice and timely.
Rooms
nice rooms, service was little lacking with coffee refills and shower refills, toilet broke, door hard to open but nice
Restaurants and Bars
very good food everywhere, sometimes staff were more into each other than guests, social hour
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Cold, Cold, beach very nice except for vendors hounding for sales, grounds kept nice
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
so,so
Other Comments
Jacuzzi attached to pool, was not heated, dissappointed
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It was a pretty good deal for the money
RIU Paradise Island
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SharonTorontoCanada >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Aug, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: August 11, 2009 - Aug 16, 2009
My husband and I went for five nights. It was overall not a bad experience - this was our first time in the Bahamas.
Rooms:
When we arrived they had just completed cleaning our room. However, the smell of the bed indicated that the linen and pillows were not fresh. The bath was a great disappointment for me as it was not very clean.
Restaurants and Bars:
The buffets were great. The food was plentiful and tasty. You could always get something fresh to eat throughout the day. I did not utilize the bar much except for a couple fruit drinks and wine.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
We did not use the pool but the beach is awesome! That was definitely the highlight of our stay. Nothing special about the grounds lots of birds that keep pecking at your food if you eat out on the deck.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Except for a couple night of really bad Karaokes there was not much activities.
Other Comments:
Compared to the Atlantis and other hotels in the vicinity, it was a pretty good deal for the money. However, they need to pay closer attention to housekeeping and ensure that the rooms are kept in better condition.
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They expect tips all the time.
RIU Paradise Island
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DenyCanada >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jul, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: July 12 to July 26,2009
Myself and my wife along with my brother and his wife stayed at the Riu Paradise island for two weeks. The problems that we had were expired water,pop and empty liqure bottles in the rooms. Other problems were mold in the bathrooms with rust along the sink and cracked sinks which leaked also elevators broke down and we were forced to take services elevators.Mold in the swimming pool and another problem was the bartenders didn't look at you if you didn't give them a tip. When it rained the lobby was full of towels because the roof would leek. My wife's sandals were stolen.They also were saying that they were closing down at the end of July for 4 months to renovate i heared they are still booking. I stayed at other Riu hotels I will never go here again. Don't get married there it is a disaster.
Restaurants and Bars:
Ok other than they expect tips all the time.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beaches are nice. Pool in terrible shape with mold
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
No good
Other Comments:
Don't go here until they renovate, apparently they will be amazing when complete.
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The pool was closed 2 days during our trip
RIU Paradise Island
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KristiHoustonTX >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
May, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: May 26 - May 30
We arrived on Tuesday May 26 a little early, so our room was not ready yet. No problem, we ate at the buffet and had a few drinks while we waited. Of course, took in the view of the beach. This was the only day I actually enjoyed my stay at the RIU.
Rooms:
We were very upset with our room. First, our refrigerator in our room did not work. For an all-inclusive resort that offers a minibar, this was upsetting. All of our drinks were hot and we did not have any bottled water. Our sink in our bathroom would not drain either. We called several times to complain about these items and we never did get either fixed. Also, our balcony door would not close all the way, so we had to keep our A/C down at 60 degrees just to keep our room somewhat cool. It rained every afternoon and since the balcony door would not close, our carpet was wet.
Restaurants and Bars:
Surprisely, the buffet was the best way to go when we wanted a meal. The restaurants only accepted you by reservation only and the steakhouse and japanese restaurant were only "ok."
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The pool was closed 2 days during our trip. It was disgusting! The water in the pool was very cloudy and dirty and we never saw one maintenance person out there cleaning. Also, the website stated that there were 2 pools at this resort . . .there is only one! The pool bar was only open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Completely unacceptable for an all-inclusive resort.
Other Comments:
We experienced heavy rain several afternoons that we were there and the lobby of the hotel was soaked. It was like a maze getting through the lobby because the ceiling was leaking and they had "wet floor" signs everywhere. For parents bringing their kids to this resort, I would not recommend staying on the beach too long. The Bahamian solicitors were annoying, loud and very flavorful with their choice of language. I am surprised the RIU allows them on their beachfront.
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We spent 7 days at the Riu Paradise Island in May 08 and loved every day! The beach was great! (however can be real wavy some days)-but it didn't stop me from enjoying the clear blue water.) when the red flags are out, stay out! the waves will kick yer butt.
Arrival
We spent 7 days at the Riu Paradise Island in May 08 and loved every day! The beach was great! (however can be real wavy some days)-but it didn't stop me from enjoying the clear blue water.) when the red flags are out, stay out! the waves will kick yer butt.
Nice white sand and blue water. Best beach in the Bahamas! There a jet skis to rent there, you can talk them down to $80 for the hr.
Food
The food was excellent wherever we ate. The steak is very good and the buffet had plenty of decent food every day! Specialty restaurants were all great! book all of them for different atmospheres. Excellent food! and service is worth tips. Try the Kalik beer on tap (even in the buffet) it's quite good! The food is way better than Cuba, DR or Mexico. Lunchtime, the pizza is great! eat on the outside tables and risk being attacked by the gulls :-)
This isn't the Atlantis folks! you want to spend $1,300 for three days and spend $300-$400 for dinner everyday? why would you?
Drinks
If you want a reasonable vacation on the nicest beach in the Bahamas, with great drinks, great food and fun times, the Riu is it! The drinks will be made as strong as you want them. They use Smirnoff vodka and other premium brands. If you just want a drink from the smoothy machines, they are weak. You want more booze in them just ask. Tipping goes a long way also. We brought insulated mugs, get 2 cold bud cans and pour into them to take to the breach. Stays colder longer.
Activities
Take a ferry or taxi into Nassau and enjoy the straw market and main street, great deals there. Best deals on booze is in town at the duty free shops. Don't buy at the airport! Clothes shopping? do in town at the nice shops. Cheaper than even the straw market. Banana Cay is the best prices for T's, clothing etc, anywhere. You can buy a beer in a bag at the duty free's and walk the streets with it legally. Kalik "strong" is a great tasting beer and packs a punch at 7% The ferry ride is only $3 each way and is great. You go right past all the cruise ships and houses along the shore owned by the lucky ones.
We have been to Cuba, Mexico, Dominican and now the Bahamas....we will not be going back to the first 3, it's Bahamas, baby from now on and the Riu is the best bang for your buck right next door to Snobworld Atlantis Bahamas. Go there in the daytime and you'll see it's Disney world- bratty kids everywhere! You want to go check out the Atlantis and all it's underwater aquarium greatness? go after 6PM It's FREE as the ticket takers go home. Look for The Dig and go below the water, is very cool down there! and the casino's great too! we came out ahead playing Keno slots, almost paid for our vacation :-) The marina is great also, huge yachts seeing how the rich and famous live. The shops there are real pricey tho! The grounds of the resort are also very nice, high class all the way. To get to the casino, just walk out the front doors of the Riu, down the driveway and into the Atlantis Beach Towers, follow the signs....only about a 5 min walk
Rooms
Back to the Riu,The rooms are dated yes, that's a given. (They are doing a revamp this summer or in 09.) How much time do you spend in your room anyways???? Ours was always clean and nice, no problems. They have 4-40oz bottles in your room, Vodka,Rum.Gin and Brandy. It's DR liquor, not the highest quality but it's ok. A tip every couple of days to the fridge stocker got me extra Buds in the fridge and extra soda's. You want an odd numbered room for a pool/ocean view, preferably. They other side had some duct work to be viewed as well as the ocean, but it is quieter up on the higher floors. We never had a problem waiting for the elevators? 2 minutes tops. The lobby is very nice as is the bar there. They make the best drinks. Nightime bartenders make a drink called a Tsunami (151 Rum) be careful. LOL They are also open all night if you want a drink coming back from the casino. There are many tours available if you want them.
Conclusion
Enjoy the Riu! and don't believe the bad reviews, it's a great resort! 7 days was not enough for us! we want to go back real soon! remember it's your vacation and it's what YOU make it! Have FUN!!!
any info needed? feel free to ask moontan101@hotmail.com
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The beach had beautiful white sand and the water was clean and clear
RIU Paradise Island
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William08 >
1 contribution(s)
Jan, 2008 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Contrary to many of the negative reports, the Riu Paradise Island provided a wonderful setting for a relaxing vacation.
Check in: Our room was not ready at 3:45 PM so we were told to go and have a bite to eat or have a drink and check back. When I checked back later the room was ready. Very friendly staff a front desk.
Hotel
The hotel is 15 stories. Just one building. The pool is situated so that by 3 pm the pool area is beginning to be shaded by neighboring hotel. In the morning it takes til about 10 AM for the sun to hit the pool area. So for the sun lover, it is take a walk on the beach to catch the early rays.
The workers were busy painting while we were there. The outside area by the restaurants were being painted.
Lobby
The lobby was beautiful. Crystal Chandeliers and the dark woods that the Riu’s are known for. Always clean.
Elevators
This I will agree, they were a bit slow and made some weird noises.
Bars
There were several bars on the property. And usually more than one seemed to be open. There was a bar at the pool but none down by the beach.
Beach
There were lounge chairs on the beach but no shade from trees, if you wanted an umbrella on the beach; it was $25 per day. I believe this was offered by a private vendor. When they said $25 we went back up the stairs to the pool area. Note there are stairs down to the beach area or a winding ramp for handicapped people.
The beach had beautiful white sand and the water was clean and clear. The most beautiful turquoise color. Waves were a bit rough when we were there so not many ventured in the water.
Meals
Good variety on the buffet. They were always very quick to clean the tables so there were always tables available. The one thing is that the food was never really hot, it always seemed lukewarm by the time you got to your table. Even the coffee was always a lukewarm temperature.
The gourmet restaurant, Sir Alexander’s offered excellent food. Dress code allowed men to wear dress shorts.
The steakhouse served as the noon lunch buffet, there was no snack bar at the pool or by the beach.
One of the very annoying things was the reservation system for the restaurants. Sign up was between 5 pm and 6 pm. The line started forming in the lobby at 4:30PM You could only reserve for the next day, so that meant coming back more than one day if that is how you choose to dine. Very poor planning. Early AM reservations when you go to breakfast would be preferable
Rooms
Digital safe in closet, no additional charge. Our room (501) was huge and very clean. Abundant drawer space and plenty of hangers. The bed was comfortable. The mini bar had a gallon of water in it and was replenished every other day. The bathroom offered ample space and everything was in working condition. Note that you had to think about the shower ahead of time and turn the hot water on as it took quite some time to get hot water. We had a small balcony and there was a partial ocean view. The odd number rooms overlooked the pool. The bathroom had a handheld hair dryer on the counter top. They also provided the foil packs of shampoo and bath gel. We were always provided with washcloths.
Activities
Pretty much non existent. They said they were going to play bingo at a certain time and then nothing. There were no pool activities at all. The pool was so cold you would never have been able to stand it anyway.
The nighttime shows were pretty good. They had various trivia contests prior to the show starting.
There just didn’t seem to be a big activities staff as at other Riu’s. The music at the pool was not loud as some have written. The one day they did try some activities, they didn’t start til well into the afternoon when guest were already heading to their rooms to prepare for the dinner hour.
Airport
Arrival went smooth, luggage arrived about the same time we got to baggage claim, showed the personnel our paperwork and we were on the way to the taxi. $32 to the hotel. About a 40 min ride because of the heavy traffic on Bay Street.
When we left the Bahamas we went through American Customs there so we did not have to when we arrived in U.S
Other
There is a water taxi available to take you back and forth from Paradise Island to Nassau. It docks right by the Straw Market. They say it runs every 30 minute, but they forget to tell you it really doesn’t leave until the boat is full, and believe me they want if full!. $6.00 round trip. The main shopping area is Bay Street, but there are many shops down the side streets.
Atlantis is definitely a must see. No problems with anyone checking us, we just walked everywhere on the property.
Weather was very comfortable-low 80’s No rain the entire week
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The only thing I found not to be good was the entertainment
Hi Debbie
just been to the Riu Paradise Island hotel in the Bahamas and had a great time. This is despite the reviews I had read before going of how the pool was dirty, food repetitive, people being ill.
The only thing I found not to be good was the entertainment, the 4 people can't string a note together between them and relied upon the guests to entertain each other. Example of this was the Karaoke, this take guts to get up in front of people and try and sing without the entertainment crew larking about whilst the guest is singing.
The hotel was very clean and the pool area was constantly being cleaned with bleach to kill any germs etc.Our room on the 6th floor was done immaculately every day by the maid, bed linen changed every other day and towels as and when we decided to save on water.
All in all a good time was had.
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Six of us stayed at the Riu Oct 1-8 and found:
Airline: Skyservice is a flying sardine can. They should really do away with the rock hard bun in a box lunch and maybe more leg room. I am under six feet and I was so cramped in, it was unbelievable. Also, they were late getting back into Toronto (3 am) and with the baggage carousel breaking down 5 times, we didn't get home until 5 am. Not the Riu's fault, of course, but it does put a damper on a GREAT VACATION
Hotel
Lobby is spacious, beautiful, well lit. The people, both on and off the resort are some of the nicest, gracious people I have ever met (taxis, wait staff, servers, etc.) We went over to Atlantis (which is right next door) a few times and found the people very stuck up and, quite frankly, irritating. We were happy not to have booked rooms there.
Rooms
Clean, though a little tired (the washrooms need an update, though they are clean) and the balconies are small, though good to sit out and have a smoke or a drink while watching the waves come in. We had rooms on both the pool and "air conditioner" side, and while both were nice, a word of advice, avoid rooms with even numbers on the 2nd and 3rd floors (you will be directly over the AC units) and try to get higher numbers if you want beautiful ocean views (we had 428 which was near the ocean end of the hotel and it was spectacular) The minibar was funny (a fridge, which was well stocked and a little "medicine chest" above with a dispenser of brandy, vodka, gin and rum, which is something I've never seen before)
One interesting note, the hotel is a smoking hotel, but the rooms (except for the Calipso room downstairs) were not stale and did not smell of smoke at all.
Food
Six of us, seven days, three meals a day, we had about 120 meals over the course of the vacation and we had one meal that was...suspect. Breakfast on Thursday was not the greatest and the coffee was a little strong that day. Other than that - excellent. We went to the steakhouse one night and the Japanese another, buffets the rest. The steaks were good, though you have to be very specific with the order (medium rare is almost blue, so you may have to bump it up a bit). My father-in-law and sister-in-law had never had sushi before and were unwilling to try, though I managed to coerce them into it. "Absolutely marvelous" was his response and the entire meal was spectacular - you must try it if you can.
We all found it amusing that the hotel manager comes out right at 6:30 to ring the dinner bell - lterally, as he yells DINNERTIME at the top of his lungs. Everyone found that hilarious.
Drink
Premium brands, well made (heavy on the booze, so ask them to put only a little in if you're not a drinker) and good selection
Outside stuff
We tried the moonlight dinner cruise (quaint, food was mediocre, ambiance was good if you go to the top deck). The dolphin experience was good, worth the $85. We golfed at Ocean Club ($200 +$70 for clubs) which, if you are a golfer, is an amazing experience. Shopping was not bad, especially if you like jewellry. We went downtown to the Straw Market, which is like an industrial sized flea market, good bargains.
Overall, no complaints, nice place, we plan to go back.
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Their indoor aquarium was amazing!
RIU Paradise Island
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BethNewJersey >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jun, 2006 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
My boyfriend & I stayed at the Riu on Paradise Island in June 2006 from the 2nd-8th. Our goal was to relax on the beach and maybe take an excursion or 2. It was our first vacation together after almost 5 yrs and we had an amazing time. We loved the RIU hotel chain and are basing our next trip on where RIU hotels are located!
Positives
The hotel was very clean and the staff was very helpful with all of our needs. The beach was gorgeous! We spent almost every day on the beach. We did go during their rainy season so there were 2 days we didn’t get any sun, but the rest of the time was very sunny & hot. We went on a jet ski right off the beach for an hr & it was so much fun! The guy said we could go all the way out to the island we could see from the hotel & past all of these gorgeous homes on the water. My boyfriend talked him down a little bit so we only spent 90$ instead of 120$ for the both of us. The little island was great & there were lots of little shells & a little beaky place to dock your jet ski. The food was great in all of the restaurants. Our favorite was the Japanese one; Tengoku. We went there twice and on my boyfriend’s birthday, the chef came out & sang happy birthday to him. He had a great voice. We loved and took advantage of the location of the hotel right next to Atlantis. It was like nothing we’ve ever seen. Because the RIU was all inclusive, many nights we would eat dinner & have some drinks, then walk over to the Atlantis and walk around their grounds. Their indoor aquarium was amazing! They charge 30$ during the day to walk through it but at night its free, and personally I think its better at night. Essentially, we were able to experience the Atlantis without paying Atlantis prices. Our room was very clean and they brought us fruit a few days before we left. The room was big with a decent size balcony as well. We were not allowed to bring food up to our room from the buffet because of bugs (according to hotel staff), so we brought some snacks with us from home to munch on. I liked that our room had a hairdryer in it- & it was a decent one too. I packed my own just in case but when I go to another RIU resort, I wont. The hotel wasn’t huge like some of the others but very nice. The shows at night were fun-they had a Mr. RIU pageant, BINGO, karaoke, Miss. RIU pageant and music afterwards for dancing. The drinks were very good-also strong! We loved the idea of having soda & alcohol in our room so we could have drinks on our balcony & relax. The balcony was great as well, an amenity that is a must in the Bahamas! I loved how natives of the island came to the hotel lobby to sell jewelry. A few different women came all with different items to offer. Also sarongs, bathing suits & towels were sold by an outside vendor in the lobby. No one badgered you to buy, but the convenience was nice-I took advantage!
Negatives
We only had a few problems one of which was when one of our liquor bottles was empty in our room we called to have someone come & replace it-which took about a day to be accomplished. We happened to call the front desk again numerous times for a replacement bottle later in the evening-11 or so- and we didn’t get any answer. This was a little scary if you really needed something & no one answered. Also, on the day we were leaving one of the 3 elevators broke & bc we had to get out early & others were up for breakfast, the elevators were packed & we couldn’t get in with our luggage. When I was ready to take the stairs down 8 flights with my suitcase, my boyfriend suggested we go up in order to go down, so with 2 elevators working it probably took us an additional 20 minutes to get down to the lobby-something we clearly didn’t budget into our time that morning. The elevator situation may have been something no one could control so we don’t blame the hotel, it was just an inconvenience that’s all. The beach towels were constantly running out, so my suggestion is that even though they tell you to turn your towels in at the end of each day, bring them up to your room & bring them back down the next day that way you will already have a towel if they are in the process of washing them. We booked our trip through liberty travel so all of our transportation was scheduled to and from the airport. The driver of our bus took us a completely different way then other drivers we later found out from others, because we drove through the ghetto. The area was so bad-the roads were wide enough for only one car & there were bars on business windows. Not only was it a bad side of town, but we were driving through a bad residential area for a long time- about 25 minutes. It was like he was taking short cuts through neighborhoods. We started to wonder where that guy was taking us. Our ride back to the airport was much better. The natives were allowed to go on the beach to try to solicit services for hair braiding, jet ski rides, banana boat rides, cocktails in coconuts, jewelry, etc. But if you ignored them they didn’t bother you or if you said “no thank you,” that was the end of it. Keep in mind many of these were minor annoyances but we learned to get around them the longer we stayed. I would definitely go back, the trip was worth our money.
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