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The All Inclusive 24h Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria will open its doors in February 2021 and is situated on an idyllic white sand beach on the island of Sal. RIU Palace is the most elegant category in the RIU hotel chain, with hotels that meet the highest standards in terms of luxury, excellence and sophistication, creating a unique experience. The location is ideal due to its proximity to Santa Maria (2 km)and airport (16 km). The hotel has 1001 comfortably furnished rooms with free Wi-Fi and offers many amenities. Relax in our Wellness Center and on our sunterrace, or get in shape in the gym. 5 outdoor pools, 1 indoor pool, 1children's pool and the “Splash Water World” water park. Day and evening entertainment. For gastronomy lovers, live cooking stations at our main buffet as well as Italian, Fusion, Japanese and Steakhouse specialty restaurants; 6 bars
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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The Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria garners compliments for its prime beachfront location and extensive amenities, including multiple pools and dining options. Guests have called out the hotel's cleanliness and the staff's commendable service. However, some travelers encounter noise disturbances within their rooms and throughout the hotel.
While the rooms are celebrated for their modern touches and spaciousness, issues with maintenance and dampness are occasionally brought up. The hotel's value receives mixed reviews, with some guests questioning the balance between the quality of amenities and dining experiences.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Modern
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Spotless
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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Have just returned from a wonderful week at Riu Palace, missing it already! I have stayed at other Riu properties at other locations before which have always been great, and this being my first time at a Riu Palace I have still been blown away! Firstly, The hotel is super clean. The staff clearly work very hard as you will always see them around cleaning and tidying. Yes there are birds by the pool buffet however this cannot be helped by the hotel, and the staff were always on the ball at clearing tables as quickly as they could. We had no issues with cockroaches or any illnesses, however I was very mindful of constantly hand sanitizing. The facilities are fantastic, pools are lovely and big, lots of sunbeds and plenty of entertainment going on throughout the day and evening. We stayed in Block 6 and stayed around the pool closest to this block for the week, perfectly located for the swim up bar, access to the beach and the pool buffet restaurant. The food was possibly the best I have had at an all inclusive hotel. The buffets had loads of tasty choices breakfast, lunch and dinner. We managed to get into 3 of the speciality restaurants (Steakhouse, Japanese and Fusion), which were nice, however not much to rave about compared to the buffet which everyone in our group preferred. We booked our private island tour with one of the local guys on the beach, considerably cheaper than the TUI (£20pp for private minibus, compared to £180pp for a big TUI coach tour!). Our tour guide, John, was really friendly and knowledgeable, and allowed us to spend as much time at the stops as we wanted. Overall, we had a fantastic time at Riu Palace, the perfect balance of exploring the island as well as relaxing and indulging, wish we could have stayed for longer! Definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Sal.
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Date of stay: February 2025
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria is a very spacious, modern and well-kept 24/7 all-inclusive resort directly on the beautiful and very wide beach with a private section. Due to the waves, swimming in the sea is not always possible, especially for children. Alternatively, 8 pools, an attractive children pool area with slides and the "Splash Water World" water park are also available for adults. There are enough loungers and parasols available at all times of the day on the beach and the pools. An subtle animation during the day as well as evening shows and live music with a delicious cocktail from one of the bars completed the day. WiFi is available in all hotel areas and is free of charge.
The staff is very friendly and accommodating everywhere. The gastronomy is very good with a wide selection of dishes for every taste, especially in the buffet restaurant with some live cooking stations. It does not require a reservation and it was never a problem getting a seat there during our stay. Reservations in the 4 a-la-carte restaurants (Italian, Japanese, steak house and fusion kitchen) can be easily made via app. Likewise, the reservations in the highly recommended spa, which is not included in the price.
The sea view rooms are very spacious, comfortable and clean. The bathroom has a large rain shower and a separate toilet. The minibar and the drinks dispenser on the wall with various alcoholic beverages were regularly refilled. If something was missing in our room, a short phone call or information via the app was enough and a few minutes later everything was taken care of. Since the two-storey building complexes are spread over the large area and don't have an elevator, I recommend booking a room on the ground floor for families with buggies and people with mobility problems.
We can also recommend this hotel for its proximity to the slightly larger village of Santa Maria with some good restaurants, bars and shopping opportunities, which is easily accessible by taxi for € 4-5 or a 20 minute walk along the beach. If you want to unwind and let yourself be pampered in a great hotel with a pleasant atmosphere, you've come to this place. Sal is also very famous for kite surfing.
Please don't forget medicines for stomach and intestinal problems as we have been aware of some of these cases!!
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Rooms with sea view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Other at Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria
Responded 21 Apr 2023
Dear 3010ChristinaR, Thank you very much for sharing your comments, It has been a pleasure to serve you and we look forward to welcoming you back. We are proud to know that you had an unforgettable stay thanks to our beautiful facilities and the excellent and professional service provided. See you soon! Yours faithfully, Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria Online Reputation Manager
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We returned from a 14 night stay at this beautiful hotel, on the beach on Sal, Cape Verde a week ago. This is our 2nd time to Sal and we also stayed in a Riu hotel last time, but not at the Palace. As far as I’m concerned the Riu Palace is faultless. The rooms are luxurious and have everything that you could possibly want, including beautiful toiletries, kettle, iron and ironing board, selection of teas, coffee, etc, mini bar with water, beer and soft drinks, as well as in room optics for vodka, gin, Bacardi and whisky. Rooms were cleaned daily to a very high standard. The grounds are immaculate and are constantly being maintained. Never any sign of rubbish or overflowing bins. Sun loungers and shaded areas are plentiful and it certainly isn’t necessary to rush to put towels out by the pool in the morning. Some people did, but I have no idea why! You’re on holiday, so relax. The buffet restaurant offered a fantastic choice of food for every nationality and palate. I’m a very picky eater and I certainly never went hungry. We tried the Steakhouse restaurant, but honestly preferred the buffet restaurant. Some people are really embarrassing when faced with a buffet restaurant. We did see a great deal of wastage because people pile up their plates and don’t eat what they’ve taken. You can go back as many times as you like, but some people just don’t get the concept! The staff in the restaurant work so hard and a special shout out to Maria, who worked in the evenings in the far side outside. She was funny and made the experience very enjoyable. I would also like to mention Rhianna who worked breakfast and lunch. She was always efficient and helpful. Sadly the downside is guests not using hand sanitisers that are available in various places within the restaurant. I can’t understand why it’s not used. I also found it unacceptable for a lady who used the chocolate fountain and instead of using the skewers provided, decided to use her fingers to put fruit on the skewers and then put it in the chocolate. It put me off having anything from there! If people become ill with stomach issues, then they need to look at their own hygiene practices. You really can eat and drink 24 hours a day at the Riu Palace, if you want to.
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: January 2025
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First trip to Cape Verde and we had a great time. I must start by saying how impressed I’ve been with TUI - ease of booking, their comms via the App - on time flights, well looked after - could not fault them. The RIU Palace is fantastic - we stayed in a family room 4001 - hotel is spotless and cleaning always going on - rooms, toilets, restaurants. The rooms were comfortable, AC good with fresh towels everyday. For me the food was exceptional - morning, lunch and evening meals - great choice, food always hot , fruit very fresh - and the desserts ‘wow’. Something for everyone. We ate at the Steakhouse and the Italian - for us the Italian was the better - sadly were not quick enough to get bookings at the Japanese or Fusion. Pools greats again very clean - and the vast beaches are stunning - quite windy when we were there so there were red flags regarding swimming in the sea. Good walk into Santa Maria - took me around 35 /40 minutes to walk there along the beach into the wind - a lot quicker coming back though with the wind behind - I would recommend walking the beach and then getting on the promenade / path just past the Robinsons hotel and then walk back along the beach. Overall, great 11 days and will definitely return
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Quite a few mossy bites last couple of days so take some protection if you attract them. Also...
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Lovely clean hotel next to a beautiful beach. The beach was red flagged most days, so was unable to swim in the sea, however, was beautiful to walk next to the water and listen to the waves crashing. The hotel is huge, but easy to navigate. Food was good in the main buffet restaurant. We ate at 3 of the a la carte restaurants, the fusion one was excellent, the other 2 (steakhouse and Italian) were good but not outstanding. We had to change room as our initial room felt damp/smelt of bug spray, however, the new room we were placed in was great and kept very clean by housekeeping. There was entertainment daily and some entertainment at night. We felt that there was a gap between 7.30 -9.30 where there wasn't much to do. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend.
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Date of stay: January 2025
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
From arrival to checking out i cannot fault this hotel and staff . The grounds are immaculate, tendered by staff every day. Rooms are very spacious and cleaned every day. We opted for a sea view room which was a delight to wake up to every morning. The mini fridge was replenished every day and optics of whiskey, gin, vodka & rum was a very convenient addition !! Bathroom is beautifully designed, huge shower with rain fall shower head as well as normal shower head . Complimentary shower gel , shampoo and hair conditioner fragrances with bergamot, jasmine & sandalwood are a nice touch too. Dual hand basins with hand lotion and hand wash also available . Towels were changed every day also. Safe is located within the spacious wardrobe and there is also an iron and ironing board located in the wardrobe as well. There is a plentiful supply of restaurants . The main buffet restaurant offers a wide variety of options . The snack restaurant by the main pool also offers a good selection and the specialty restaurants are well worth a visit . I have to say all staff we encountered went above and beyond . If you look around they are constantly working hard . I enjoyed every minute of my 10 days here and cannot wait to go back.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Then we are back at one of our favorite hotels, RIU Palace Santa Maria, built in 2020, which is located approx. 2 km outside Santa Maria town. The hotel is a 24 hour All Inclusive hotel. Hotel has 1001 rooms, but you don't feel it, the hotel is very spacious. The hotel is located next to the large south-facing beach, where there are free sunbeds and umbrellas/palm trees. There are lifeguards on the beach, but watch out for the big waves.
The green areas and pool areas appear neat and clean, and there are always staff cleaning and maintaining the areas. There is also a water park “Splash Water World” There are free pool towels, and there is a towel exchange from 0900-1800 at the pool area.
In "Renova Spa" there are both manicures, pedicures, hairdressers, masseurs, a spa and a fitness centre
The Internet gets 4.5 out of 5 stars. There is good bandwidth and it works fine in most of the hotel
The main restaurant (Palmeira) has a sumptuous selection, if you go here hungry it's your own fault. There is also a Pool restaurant (Praia), where breakfast and lunch are also served, this serves as a restaurant in the evening. The hotel also has 4 restaurants, where reservations must be made. La Pappardella (Italian) Dorayaki (Japanese) Praia Steakhouse (Grill) Krystal (Fusion Gourmet) Unfortunately, we only made it to Krystal, as there was a scramble for places, but it was also worth it.
In the hotel's foyer, there is a barista who makes all kinds of coffee, in good quality. There are 5 bars in the hotel, of which 2 of them are pool bars, they all have an exquisite drinks menu, with ordinary spirits. If your drink is not on the menu, it will be made anyway, very skilled bar staff everywhere in the hotel.
At the hotel in the evening there is entertainment for both young and old on the 2 stages in the hotel, and on Fridays there is the RIU Party at the neighboring hotel RIU Funana.
A standard room is 29 m2, with nice big beds (110 cm), but just on the hard side. There is good wardrobe space, both for hanging and lying clothes, and there is an iron in the room. The bathroom is nicely large with a double sink and a large shower cubicle with soaps/creams. There is a minibar in the hotel, with 4 liters of spirits on the wall (whiskey, rum, gin and vodka) and in the fridge there is water, soda and beer, plus an ice cube machine in the hallway. Cleaning in the room is extremely satisfactory and towels are changed every day. The room has air conditioning and a safe.
In general, the staff at the hotel are very happy, smiling and helpful.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yesterday we did the most amazing Island day tour, which we booked through Edgar a very fun filled, knowledgeable man who many many, guests use. He offers quality transportation & lots of WhatsApp messages over 350 to introduce his services and info on the Riu Palace hotel Santa Maria. He was courteous & paid attention to every small detail to make the booking process and pick up easy and fun. Including a photo of us all before we departed.
Our guide for the day Daniel & Marcio our photographer were without doubt exceptional.
We like many others read reviews and decided to book our island tour through Edgar.
There are however a number of other vendors situated on the beach outside our hotel. Offering the same half day or full day trips around Sal.
We booked a horse ride along the beach with with one of these other vendors. I rode with 2 others, they were guest who work with horses in the uk. She said she was impressed how healthy the horses were.
Our 1hr horse ride along the beach which was awesome, a dream come true, which we booked through Anthony, one of the other vendors on the beach.
He always has his bike with him & his falling apart chairs, under his umbrella.
I so wish I'd of had access to new files for all the gentleman on the beach & new chairs but "hey" my case was already over weight on my way out.
If anyone reading this review feels they can bring presentation files with plastic sleeves inside, out with them on your flight, you would make this ladies heart very happy.
All the guys on the beach would be encouraged Im sure.
If this message touches your heart, maybe together we can bring about a little change in this corner of paradise.
Many guests also enjoyed a VIP coach tour through Tui. Which you can get from €115 per person and includes lunch.
The main differences for us between a full days island coach tour (Tui) & The 4x4 full day island tour (vendors on the beach) are you can opt for a private tour for 2 - 8 people this way you can, as a smaller group, decide how long you stay at each place of interest & if you need an extra loo break. On occasions you can end up waiting for stragglers when on a larger coach tour.
My sister & I choose a 4x4 option and buddied up with 2 other ladies. Cost of a private tour was €150÷4= €37.50 each. With entrance fees per person of: €6 to float in the salt lake €3 for crocs & entrance to the lemon sharks €3 entrance fee into the Blue Eye. Lunch if you want it was aprox €15 depending on what you choose.
Many take up the cheaper way of doing the fabulous Island tours through a beach vendor.
We followed suit & booked through Edgar. But any one of the beach vendors can give you the same deals.
The choice is yours as everyone looks for something different.
I hope this helps.
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:I have travelled widely this hotel is in my top 2. thank you to gardeners, entertainments team,...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I see that quite a few people had tummy issues at this hotel. 3 out of our party of 8 suffered over Christmas. I am well aware that different climate, food etc can cause problems, and may not be caused by contaminated food. However, I firmly believe that the problem lays with the tourists who do not clean their hands before entering the restaurants. Though there are plenty of tongs available to pick up food, dirty hands still have to work these tongs leaving their germs all over them. Children were not supervised and often did not bother/couldn’t use the tongs. There were plenty of hand sanitising stations - they just weren’t used. Another issue was shortage of toilet cubicles in the female toilets. Queues were awful and very difficult for people with an unstable stomach. Also, no toilets in the main buffet restaurant, necessitating a long uncomfortable walk to reception, or parents taking little ones behind a bush. My husband mentioned that one small boy in the gents could not reach the soap container and then when he pressed the hand drier, it blasted home in the face. These facilities should be at a lower level for children. We brought these issues up with the customer relation manager, and also the TUI rep (who was about as helpful as a chocolate fireguard). Though customer relations listened and made the appropriate noises in response, she promised to get back to us. She didn’t. I expect we will get the same placatory response from whoever writes the responses saying they are very sorry and they hope that next time we go they will meet our expectations. However, I suspect that nothing with be done to address these issues.
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Date of stay: December 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Massive hotel. 1000 rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Online Reputation Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria
Responded 7 Jan 2025
Dear Christine R, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with regards to your recent stay. Health is Hotels & Resorts priority. We wish to explain that in accordance with our high standards, we guarantee our guests the highest quality service, which goes far beyond the legal requirements, especially when it comes to food safety. Therefore, we follow a food safety protocol, ensuring product safety and quality, in all our F&B processing, preparation and service processes. We can guarantee that our regular H&S inspections show optimal results in this area. Travelling to different countries with different climates may lead to gastrointestinal problems, which may not necessarily be related to food. We follow strict procedures while handling our food products, in order to prevent and avoid any kind of alimentary risks or hazards. However, we wish to underline this is a public platform where opinions and experiences are responded, no name nor proof of the statements in the reviews are required, by no means, this is a platform where formal complaints are placed and assisted. If you wish you may place a formal complaint in order to be assisted. Needless to say, we are deeply sorry to read some members of your party felt sick. Sincerely, Hotel Riu Palace Santa María Online Reputation Manager
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Very well placed at the tip of the island with a huge beach. For a 5* It would be nice to add in the rooms: bathrobes and slippers For deckchairs, the mattress would be welcome, because not very comfortable! For deckchairs at the pool, as in many hotels, systematically booked very early, lines of towels laid and nobody on It didn't bother us, because there is plenty of room on the beach and There are beautiful sunsets! Very satisfied also with the restaurants and the variety of food offered The staff is very friendly and customer service. Do not hesitate to take taxis if you want to go out (not much to visit on the island), we found that the price of a race was not given anyway (counting 5 euros to go to Santa Maria: 10 euros round trip), it is easy to walk by the beach also. We rented electric bikes in santa maria, it allowed us to visit quietly Overall we are very satisfied with our stay
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Santa Maria area.
PRICE RANGE
$587 - $668 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Cape VerdeIlha do SalSanta Maria
NUMBER OF ROOMS
1,001
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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