Hotel Riu Palace Oasis

Excellent hotel, but our final experience was not five-star We have just finished our stay at the Riu Palace Oasis and overall it is a very good hotel. The location near Maspalomas lighthouse, beach and promenade is excellent, although another entrance nearer the lighthouse would make a big difference. The hotel and grounds are immaculate, the pools are lovely and peaceful, and the staff have been excellent throughout — friendly, professional and helpful. The absolute standout, however, is the food. The quality and choice are outstanding and probably amongst the best we have experienced in a hotel. We had planned to eat out several evenings but genuinely didn’t see the point. It is a very quiet hotel. My wife and I are 58 and sometimes felt like we were amongst the youngest guests! That’s not necessarily a criticism — if you want peace and relaxation, it’s ideal. If you want a lively atmosphere and lots of entertainment, it probably isn’t for you. Drinks are also reasonably priced for a five-star hotel, and the ABBA tribute was excellent. Unfortunately, our experience on the final day seriously took the shine off an otherwise excellent stay. Checkout was 12 noon and our airport transfer wasn’t until 6:30pm. We asked about keeping the room and were offered it at €20 per hour, but only until 3pm. Paying €60 and then still having to sit around for another three and a half hours made little sense. We then asked for something very simple: could we have access to a room for just half an hour later in the day to shower and change before travelling home? The answer was no. Instead, we were directed to the gym changing room, where there was one shower. I had to wait for two gentlemen ahead of me, and the changing area was extremely hot. This is where I think a hotel claiming five-star standards should do considerably better. I completely understand that rooms need to be prepared for arriving guests. But a five-star hotel should have proper courtesy facilities for departing guests with evening flights. A dedicated room bookable for 20–30 minutes would solve the problem completely. We’ve travelled abroad for around 20 years and I genuinely can’t remember the last time we had to end a holiday like this — including at hotels that weren’t five-star. That’s particularly frustrating because everything was dealt with politely and with a smile, but good five-star service should be about finding a solution, not simply saying no politely. Would we recommend the hotel? Yes. The food, cleanliness, grounds and staff are excellent. But unfortunately, the final few hours matter. After a very enjoyable holiday, our last experience was sitting in reception waiting for a 6:30pm transfer after getting ready in a hot gym changing room. For a hotel of this standard, that simply isn’t good enough and needs addressing.

3rd time at this hotel and still love it, however there are a few things that still niggle me. Firstly for a 5* hotel, I really do think that free water should be available around the hotel as well at at dinner. Free water is provided at breakfast. This is not the first time I have mentioned this and considering the temperature this year reached in the late 30s early 40s, I think this would be a great touch for guests. Ive also noticed that the balconies do not have any outside lights. I think this needs to be considered for night time as sometimes after the entertainment its nice to chill out on your balcony with a drink or book etc but you cannot see anything and having the balcony door open stops the AC. Although there is a free ice machine within the hotel which is at times a god send, I did find that some of the days when I went to get ice, it was not working or only a little ice came out. I dont know if the machine was re filling etc but maybe another ice machine wouldn't go a miss. I really do think that this hotel may also benefit from an on site little shop. There is a boutique shop thats only open at certain times and I have never really seen anyone in there, but I mean a little grocery shop that sells water snacks etc, there are shops really close by but wouldn't go a miss having a small onsite one with monies going back into the hotel. Finally, although this hotel only caters for a bed and breakfast and half board basis, I think riu should consider adding all inclusive as an option. With the amount of guests at this hotel, I really think that they would benefit from this. As its such a great hotel I still think people would pay the extra and still come. I know we would. As I said, this was our 3rd time and although there are a few niggles which are really no major issues, we still love this hotel. The food is good and plentiful, food and the drinks are reasonably priced, the hotel and grounds are clean and tidy, the rooms are spacious, beds comfy, water pressure in shower is good, free pool towels to use, close to the beach shops another restaurants. Entertainment is good and noise levels at night after the entertainment has finished is slim to none - you hear the odd room door closing. We have stayed both car park and garden view and have never had a bad night sleep due to noise. The staff at the hotel are outstanding. From the moment you arrive, the conceirge, the reception staff , the waiters and waitresses, the cleaning and maintenance staff, they really make the hotel. All helpful polite and friendly. It was Raul in particular this year stood out for us. He was kind helpful attentive and friendly. If you are looking for a relaxing week or so away to rest relax and re charge with a little bit of entertainment then this is the hotel for you. So to all at this hotel, thankyou again and please keep up the great work and service that you provide and we shall see you soon.