Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria - All Inclusive

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazing Holiday at Riu Santa Maria We had an amazing, completely stress-free holiday at Riu Santa Maria, booked through TUI. From start to finish, everything was perfect. The hotel was beautiful, our room was clean and comfortable, and the staff were absolutely amazing. Our room was serviced every day, and there was a fantastic variety of food and drinks with the all-inclusive package. The entertainment, pools and beach were all brilliant. One thing we really appreciated was that even after checking out, we were told we could still use the hotel facilities, enjoy the food and drinks and relax around the resort while waiting for our TUI transfer. This was perfect as I was worried about having to wait after checkout. Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better holiday. Amazing hotel, amazing service and amazing TUI experience. We will definitely be booking Riu Santa Maria and TUI again! ❤️🌴☀️”

“Massive hotel (1001 runs). Strangely it never really felt busy. Could always get a sunbed wether that be round the pool or at the beach. Staff forever cleaning. Would we return, absolutely we would. 2 things of note though. All UK flights as it stands return between 2 & 5 in the morning. Also you've to be out of your room by noon. To keep a room on is 20 euros per person per hour !!!. Ladies/gents toilets near reception have 2 shower rooms in each in them. Not bookable but towels are provided (take your own shower gel etc). Be aware you could have to queue to use. Make sure you use the safe provided in your rooms for valuables especially if you have a ground floor room.”

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Riu Palace Santa Maria - Honest Review Given the recent news about Cape Verde, I want to be upfront, I went into this holiday cautiously and came home absolutely fine. The incidents reported in the news involved a completely different hotel on a different island. This is not that hotel. The Riu Palace Santa Maria is spotlessly clean throughout, with hand sanitiser stations everywhere and food safety measures clearly in place. The buffet offers an incredible variety at every meal, and the speciality restaurants - particularly the Dorayaki Japanese restaurant - are outstanding. Table service, attentive staff, and very generous with the wine! 🍷 The staff here are genuinely exceptional - warm, hardworking and dedicated. Please tip them if you can. Practical tips: download the RIU app before you travel, request a ground floor room if needed as there are no lifts, use bottled water rather than tap water, and book the speciality restaurants on day one as they fill up very quickly. One thousand and one rooms, six pools, a stunning beach, and TripAdvisor's Best of the Best for two consecutive years. Thoroughly deserved. Would absolutely return. Highly, highly recommended!🌴”

“⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 – Beautiful hotel with a few areas that could be improved We have just returned from a fantastic holiday at RIU Palace Santa Maria. Overall, we had a wonderful time and would happily return, but there are a few things that stopped this from being a 5-star experience. The hotel itself is beautiful. We were lucky enough to have a second-floor room overlooking the palm trees, with stunning sea views from our balcony. Waking up to that view every morning was incredible. The grounds are immaculate. The pools are spotless and very well maintained, and there are always plenty of sunbeds available, so there's really no need to get up early to reserve one. The beach is absolutely stunning too—wide, clean and with plenty of space to relax. You'll occasionally see a cigarette butt, but that's down to some guests rather than the hardworking staff, who are constantly keeping the area tidy. The food was very good, with plenty of choice at every meal. We mainly used the main buffet restaurant, as the restaurant closer to the pools had quite a few birds inside, which put us off eating there. We didn't visit the speciality restaurants simply because my daughter wasn't interested in them. The Cappuccino coffee shop is popular and often busy, but if you're only after a coffee or latte, you can get one from the bars or sports bar without the queues. I also used the gym during our stay. It's not huge, but it has everything needed for a decent workout, and I never had to wait for equipment. The location is another plus—Santa Maria is only about a 15-minute walk away along the beach, making it easy to explore the town. The only area where the hotel really let itself down was housekeeping and maintenance. Housekeeping was inconsistent. Fresh towels arrived every day, but used towels weren't always collected, glasses and bowls sometimes stayed in the room, and the floor was only occasionally mopped. More disappointingly, we had a strong sewage smell coming from our bathroom. We reported it after our first night, but despite mentioning it several times during the week, it was never properly resolved. We were eventually offered another room near the end of our holiday, but it would have meant giving up our amazing sea view, so we decided to stay where we were. For a hotel of this standard, I expected the issue to be dealt with much sooner. The entertainment was enjoyable, although not spectacular—it really depends on what you're looking for. Despite the bathroom issue, we had an amazing holiday. The beautiful setting, friendly staff, excellent pools, lovely beach and good food meant we left with some fantastic memories. If the hotel improves the consistency of housekeeping and responds more quickly to maintenance issues, it would easily deserve five stars.”

“Very nice hotel with incredibly friendly, helpful staff who really make the stay feel easy and relaxed. Our room was excellent. We had a swim-up pool which was definitely worth it, along with in-room spirits that were refilled when needed. The bed was very comfortable, the shower was spacious, and all the amenities you’d expect were there. The resort itself is large and spread out, so it never feels overcrowded. There are around five or six pools, plus a similar number of bars and restaurants, so you’re never far from food or drinks. There’s also a small waterpark that’s fun for both adults and kids. The beach is beautiful with soft sand and plenty of sun-beds. It’s generally quiet and felt safe, though there are a few local sellers and some stray dogs around. The sea can be a bit rough at times, so something to keep in mind if you’re not a confident swimmer. We came purely to relax and switch off, and that’s exactly what this place delivers. If you’re after a no stress break, this hotel is perfect. We’d highly recommend getting a room with your own pool as it really adds to the privacy and calm. Food is what you’d expect from an all-inclusive, with plenty of choice, and drinks are always available. The coffee shop in reception does great “adult coffees” which quickly became a favourite during our stay. Overall, a great place to unwind and recharge.”