Riu Palace Boavista

Arrival & First Impressions
We arrived via a 2-minute TUI bus transfer from the airport around noon. Our check-in at the reception was smooth and welcoming, complete with a welcome drink. The hotel staff is incredibly friendly, ensuring the entire resort runs like a well-oiled machine from the moment you step foot on the property. Because we arrived early, our room was not ready until 1:00 PM...

Arrival & First Impressions
We arrived via a 2-minute TUI bus transfer from the airport around noon. Our check-in at the reception was smooth and welcoming, complete with a welcome drink. The hotel staff is incredibly friendly, ensuring the entire resort runs like a well-oiled machine from the moment you step foot on the property. Because we arrived early, our room was not ready until 1:00 PM, but we were invited to leave our luggage in a designated area and enjoy lunch. When we returned, the room was ready exactly as promised. We appreciated the familiar Riu setup—from the Cappuccino Cafe to the long central path leading to the beach—which provided an immediate level of comfort.

Room Comfort & Amenities (Room #1010)
Contrary to some other reviews, we found the bed and pillows to be exceptionally comfortable, and our room was extremely quiet. We experienced zero noise from the hallway, balcony, or evening entertainment. We had a partial ocean view overlooking the adjacent Riu property, and the room’s location was excellent, with all amenities just a 2 to 3-minute walk away.

A massive "pro" for this hotel: the climate control system works without needing the room key card inserted in the wall! It is fantastic to return to a perfectly cooled room. The showers are nice and large, feature great water pressure, offer steady temperatures, and they don't clog. The in-room minibar and liquor dispensers are reliably refilled every two days, and the housekeeping staff does a wonderful job, always respecting the Do-Not-Disturb signs.

Pools, Beaches & Safety
The notorious "towel game" of waking up at 5:30 AM is completely unnecessary here (and signs note it is formally forbidden by the hotel). We never went without a lounger in our desired area at any time of day. While there are lovely adult-only pools and swim-up bars that guests thoroughly enjoyed, we preferred to spend all our time on the expansive main beach under the natural shade of the palm trees, swimming in the incredibly warm July ocean.

We always felt incredibly safe during our entire stay, both on the resort grounds and near the beaches. Walkability here is excellent; there is a wonderful variety of beaches to explore, and beaches of various sorts are all within easy walking distance if you want a change of scenery.

Evening Entertainment & Atmosphere
The evening atmosphere here is wonderfully low-key and relaxing. The shows aren't Broadway, but they are very entertaining and absolutely do their job. For those wanting a higher-energy night, guests here are permitted to walk next door to attend the famous "Riu Party" events held at the adjacent Riu property, which is a fantastic perk. We frequented all the bars at night; service directly at the bar was always fast, and if you prefer table service, someone will happily fetch your order with a minimal wait of about 8 minutes.

Food & Drink Highlights
The food is a major highlight. We found the main buffet to be much better compared to other all-inclusive resorts, as the food choices rotate for both lunch and supper, keeping things interesting. A fun surprise: the pizza here was actually better than the pizza we had at the Riu in Mexico!

A tip for early birds: If you drink decaf and want it made from real beans, you have to go to the Cafe, which doesn't open until 10:30 AM. The 24-hour sports bar is an option for early mornings, but they only serve powdered decaf. It would be amazing if the Cafe opened at 06:00 AM instead!

Constructive Suggestions for Management
While our stay was easily a 5-star experience, a few minor tweaks would elevate this property to flawless:

The Riu App: The app is quite buggy and needs a technical overhaul. The "room #, name, checkout date" login method frequently failed, and booked restaurant reservations often didn't show up properly.

Dining Ambiance & Menu Tweaks: Playing ambient music in the dining rooms would improve the atmosphere. In the specialty restaurants, serving the bread hot would feel a bit fancier. At the Matsuki Japanese restaurant, it was surprising that Sake wasn't even on the menu. Lastly, serving sparkling wine in the restaurants and the buffet would be a wonderful touch.

Eco-Friendly Upgrades: It would be great to see the resort invest in more solar panels and hot water solar heating (appropriately disguised from guests' view). This would be a brilliant way for the hotel to save money while being eco-friendly.

Overall, a brilliant holiday with fantastic staff and great facilities. We can't wait to come back!

TIPS:

1: The Currency Tip
No need to scramble for local Escudos! Euros are widely accepted everywhere in Boa Vista for everything from hotel tips to taxis.

2: The Dress Code Warning
Men, pack smart! Long trousers and shirts with sleeves are strictly required for men dining in the specialty à la carte restaurants.

3: The Airport Tax (TSA)
Skip the long airport lines! Pre-pay your €31 Cape Verde Airport Security Tax (TSA) online via the EASE portal before you fly out.

4: The Wind Factor
Boa Vista is famously windy! Bring a light jacket or windbreaker for evening strolls, and hair ties are an absolute must for the beach.

5: The Adapter Reality
Leave your bulky universal adapters at home! The hotel rooms use standard two-pin European (Type C/F) plug sockets for your devices.

Hotel Riu palace is een fantastische hotel, mooie locatie alles aanwezig, personeel heel vriendelijk, volgende keer zeker weer een keer hier heen

Hotel Riu palace is een fantastische hotel, mooie locatie alles aanwezig, personeel heel vriendelijk, volgende keer zeker weer een keer hier heen

Fijne en schone accomodatie. Zeer vriendelijk personeel. Prima eten. In een woord; relaxte top vakantie gehad. Voor de 2e keer dit hotel geboekt en we sluiten een derde keer niet uit.

Fijne en schone accomodatie. Zeer vriendelijk personeel. Prima eten. In een woord; relaxte top vakantie gehad. Voor de 2e keer dit hotel geboekt en we sluiten een derde keer niet uit.

GENOTEN☀️🍹🏝️

GENOTEN☀️🍹🏝️

Het hotel is geweldig en de medewerkers erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam.
Het eten is echt top,Er wordt veel met verse producten gewerkt en de portionering is afgestemd op de gebruikers.

Er is veel variatie (perfectie bestaat niet) vooral de versevis en vlees buffetten.
De medewerkers zijn zeer behulpzaam en erg vriendelijk.
Het enige minpuntje zijn de kamers die zijn ged...

Het hotel is geweldig en de medewerkers erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam.
Het eten is echt top,Er wordt veel met verse producten gewerkt en de portionering is afgestemd op de gebruikers.

Er is veel variatie (perfectie bestaat niet) vooral de versevis en vlees buffetten.
De medewerkers zijn zeer behulpzaam en erg vriendelijk.
Het enige minpuntje zijn de kamers die zijn gedateerd.
Maar het is een top hotel.
Terug komen waard.