Riu Palace vs. Occidental Grand Aruba

[chie-chie]

Hi All,

I'm planning my destination wedding in Aruba and my fiance and I are down to two resorts. Has anyone been there? or had their wedding in either Rui or Occidental? Does anyone want to share their experiences and tell me if you liked the place or not and why.

Thanks in advance.

[JerseyGirl715]

I own a timeshare at the Occidental and I absolutely love love love it. The good part is that it is all inclusive. Just a thought, one drink is $8.00. The RIU is gorgeous but I have heard that it is on the expensive side. Both are very good choices. You will love either one. Just a note. I went to Aruba in 1982 on my honeymoon and it was gorgeous then and it is even better now. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy your stay in Aruba....

[purpleangel]

I'm in the minority on this board, but I love the Riu over the Occidental. I've stayed at both, and did the AI at both. While slightly more $$, the Riu AI is much better than Occidental and well worth the extra $$. The Riu was refurbished in 2007 and the balconies are spacious and private. If you're a pool person, the Riu pool has no shade. I also think the Riu housekeeping staff were outstanding - I never saw anyone, very discreet. The doors to the rooms aren't right in the hallway. There's a mini walkway shared by two rooms to get to the room (hope that makes sense!! ). The mini bar at the Riu (part of the AI) is phenomenal. In addition to providing full cans of Balashi, there is a wall mounted cabinet containing 4 liquors.

In the end, your decision will be based on personal preferences. Enjoy!!

[Arubalisa]

Occidental vs. Riu

[Angela Munzenhofer]

Congratulations on your wedding in Aruba.
I have mixed reviews on both.
My first choice is Occidental- Pro's- Everything and since you are getting married you should look at a few galleries of photographs and talk to the coordinator Kimberly Dammerman. Why I love it because it is all in all a wonderful relaxing experience if you are looking at All inclusive.
Riu is also nice- Gorgeous beyond compare but wedding wise I have heard from other brides that it did not go smoothly as planned. I am not one for discussing negative because it is a beautiful spacious resort with a big pool but if you are looking at a wedding than as I said previously you should talk to the coordinators and have your budget in mind and everything else that goes with it. Cons at Riu I heard are the beds are not so comfortable but Heck what do I know I never slept on them. I am pretty sure this thread will give you lots of comments but in actuality you need to decide $$$$ wise and coordinator wise who will take your once in a lifetime event.

Happy Planning,

[chie-chie]

Thanks everyone for all your responses. I will keep you posted on my upcoming nuptials!!

chie

[ArubaBound001]

Hubby and I stayed at the Riu last year. It was our first trip to Aruba and we had a great time. Yes, the beds are very firm; however, we requested a mattress pad and they took care of our request very quickly. The only complaint I had about the resort was the pool area - it seemed very crowded the week we were there (early June) and it was hard to find pool chairs. However, we didn't have a problem finding a palapa each day.

[chie-chie]

Does anyone know if kids under a certain age are free in either Riu or Occidental? I have quite a bit of children travelling with their parents and the age ranges from 6 months to 12-15 yrs old.

Thanks in advance!!

[angela.hill2006]

stayed at both but the riu is FAB

[hatteras]

Both are in Palm Beach, which is the most crowded part of the island. Have you thought about having your wedding at Eagle Beach? It has beautiful, wide beaches, great lodging and less crowds. There are some great restaurants, casinos, and is only a few minutes away from Palm Beach and downtown restaurants and nightlife. Bucuti and Manchebo both do weddings, and I think there are some more also. I've also heard that Rennasance does nice weddings. I've heard mixed reviews about the food at Occidental.