"A Great Holiday with Just a Few Areas for Improvement"
We recently stayed at RIU Cabo Verde and overall had a lovely holiday. We would happily return, especially if a few of the points below were addressed.
Check-in was quick, friendly and efficient. The staff were welcoming and helpful, making for a great start to our holiday.
We arrived on a Friday evening, and for anyone else arriving then, you'll be greeted by the hotel's White/Neon Party. It gave us real Ibiza club night vibes, and we absolutely loved the atmosphere! It was such a fun first impression that it set our expectations very high for the evening entertainment.
The entertainment team work incredibly hard throughout the day and evening. They're always friendly, approachable and never overbearing, which was really appreciated. Unfortunately, the evening entertainment itself didn't quite live up to our expectations. At first, we wondered if it just wasn't our kind of thing, but after chatting with several other guests, it seemed many felt the same.
It was also during the evening entertainment that it became apparent it was shared with the neighbouring RIU Funana. This meant there were children attending the evening shows. It's not a huge issue, but it did come as a surprise given RIU Cabo Verde is advertised as an adults-only hotel. It seems the adults-only aspect mainly applies to the Cabo Verde pools and restaurants rather than entertainment and facilities, such as the Sports Bar which was shared.
The pools were lovely – perfect for cooling off without being uncomfortably cold. The in-pool loungers were a particular highlight and made it incredibly easy to relax. We never struggled to find sun loungers, regardless of the time of day. Yes, some of the lounger cushions are looking a little tired and could do with being replaced, but putting a towel over them solved the problem for us.
Speaking of towels, you're given towel cards at check-in which can be exchanged at the towel hut by the pool between 9am and 5pm. We'd read reviews saying the towels needed replacing, but we found them to be clean, soft and in a fair condition. Some were a little faded, but there were no tears.
Overall cleanliness throughout the hotel was good, although attention to detail could occasionally have been better. Most staff were friendly and welcoming, although, as with most hotels, there were a few who really made your day and others who made you feel more like an inconvenience.
Before travelling, our biggest concern was the food after reading some recent reviews and news reports. Thankfully, we found the food to be consistently good, and the buffet was always clean and well maintained. The buffet was thoughtfully laid out into different sections, including pasta and pizza, fish, meats, a carvery and Asian cuisine, making it easy to find something different each day.
The only issue we experienced was that my husband was served a piece of pork that wasn't fully cooked. Thankfully, he noticed before eating it. I also think guests with allergies or intolerances may struggle, as food labelling was sometimes limited or missing altogether. To be fair, this did seem to improve towards the end of our stay, so I imagine guest feedback had been taken on board.
Overall, we had a really enjoyable holiday. The hotel has plenty of positives, and we'd definitely consider returning. With some improvements to the evening entertainment, more consistent food labelling and a little more attention to detail in certain areas, it could be an excellent all-round experience.
