We have just come back iff staying plz be aware no hairdryer or fridge in room and only 1plug in bathroom u can rent a extension and hair dryer for 10 euro each but u must ask also when we said not many english at hotel but it is a nice hotel very handy
For going out it was a shame they didnt reconise my silver wedding anervisary but did leave wine and stuff at the dining table for other countries if they were celerbrating anything
But i would go back well i am in septt
Having stayed at a few RIU Hotels in Europe now and read reviews of the Waikiki we half new what to expect, Thomson rate this place as a 3* plus, I am not sure where they get the "plus" from, I would say the hotel lives up to its official rating of 3*.
Check in was fine, we arrived much later than expected but that was down to Thomson! we arrived about 11pm or just after and check in took about 5 minutes or so, we were in Tower D, floor 8 over looking the road, the room was quiet if much smaller than I imagined it would be from the photo's. No idea where they would put a 3rd bed in the room if you took any kids with you, you do get a free safe and there was enough hanging space for my self and wife for all our stuff, however there was no fridge in the room or any hair dryer in the bathroom, not sure whether you can get one or hire one from reception as we did not ask, also got a small TV in the room with a few English TV channels if you like to watch anything when getting ready to go out at night.
The hotel grounds/pool area was also much than I thought it looked in the pictures, if you like lots of space round the pool and grounds to wander about in this is definitely not the place for you, sunbeds were the standard hard white plastic type, perfectly fine for us.
The out side bar area with the help your self section is similar to the other RIU's we have stayed in, however in some RIU's we have stayed in you could get nuts in the evening from behind the bar, the Waikiki does not offer this, also if you have the late sitting for your evening meal and do not like the cakes they offer you will not be able to get anything to eat from about 4pm till you can go for your meal at 8:30pm, the snacks they offer out side are the usual burgers, pizza, hot dogs, chips and various salad, and 3 or 4 types of ice cream.
The restaurant is hard to sum up in some ways, split in to 2 sections, and while the food for the main part if nice it is very limited compared to other RIU's we have stayed in, for example, breakfast, 1 day you will get bacon, another day we got what seems to be warmed up spam cut in to chunks that had gone a little soggy, not good! for me anyway, but never both on the same day, fried eggs every day and every other day the option of scrambled egg.
Lunch seems to be almost the same as evening meal, but seeing as we only ate at night in there, you get various salad options, 2 types of soup, grilled fish, chicken and either veal/beef/pork, on to of this you will get maybe a chicken curry or maybe a beef goulash, rice, chips some 2 or 3 types of veg, pasta option and twice in 6 days they served some sort of meat fish combo paella out side the main door. As i said the food was nice enough, always find something to eat but virtually the same thing everyday.
Various entertainment through out the day rifle shooting etc but the evening entertainment is with out question the worst I have ever seen yes they try, some more than others but that does not excuse it, I have been to pontins, butlins, haven etc we have seen some poor shows in other RIU's but nothing can prepare you for some of this, the worst of the lot was on out last full night, i believe the show was called "a meal for one".
To sum up I would say its nice enough if you can get it cheap enough, its clean and the staff are friendly enough, would we go back ? No, not to this RIU, but then we were not to impressed with Gran Canaria either.
One last thing, if you have walking/mobility problems then again think twice as all the toilets are down stairs as is the evening entertainment, yes there were lifts how convenient they are might be another issue though.
We booked the hotel for one week but near the end of our stay my wife and I agreed that next time we are coming at least for two weeks. It's really so good.
First the location is great. Near to almost everything on a walk distance. The food was excellent. We found the booking system for dinner a great way to avoid hustle and you know your table for the rest of the stay. People at the bar work really quick and we never waited long for our drinks. The rooms are cleaned daily. The entertainment staff are real fun and the night show didn't disappoint. This is a highly recommended hotel.
Hotel immaculate clean and in v good condition. Rooms comfortable and roomy maids leaving extra pillows on request. Bar busy but staff really quick. No queues. Drinks v alcoholic if thats what you want lol. Alcohol free cocktails AND beer on request. Food varied and tasty. One of the better buffet restaurants I've been too and I've been doing all inclusive hols for years! Water available at the bar and restaurant. Flasks of coffee with hot milk at breakfast which i loved. Choice of teas and hot water flasks for others. Busy at lunch but always managed to get a table. Usual choice of wines and beer and juice self service. Dinner time sittings are 6.30pm or 8.30pm. This wasn't a problem for us but didn't know about this before I booked. Also worth noting is the shared tables at dinner with you being given a set table at dinner. Lunch and breakfast you can sit where you want. Daytime you can eat partially covered with nice gardens to view however smoking allowed here so you can be eating while others smoke. Its non smoking just inside the restaurant. I personally think smoking should only be permitted outside in the bar which it is also. Staff ask you if you would prefer table for two. What happened to us was that we sat a table for 6 with another couple with space between us which was fine. Staff from security to cooks to bar staff all really nice and professional. Due to shape of room blocks noise can carry. I slept really well. My husband heard the cleaners most mornings shouting at each other. Maybe they were having a stressful week! No air con but room fan was fine for us. July/Aug might be hotter though. Free safe in your room which was easy to use. We were on 6th floor facing poolside. Fab. I emailed beforehand and though didn't get a reply I got what I requested. Reception staff lovely. Check in quick. Hotel situ perfect only 5 mins walk from promenade for us. Really don't know how slow others must walk reading other reviews. Bus available from the hotel though. Thomson rep great with info being left under the door of your room.
We booked this as a bit of a last minute, (6 weeks), but booked 2 rooms, as have 3 children (15,13& 7 ) at brilliant price. Have stayed with RIU before and never been disapointed, and once again the service was excellent, the cleanliness was second to none, room was a little dated and the bed creaked every time you moved but clean and functional. Food was excellent and always something available, my partner is very fussy about food but managed to eat every night, maybe in 2 weeks would have got a bit repatative, evening entertainment was normal lots of effort by the staff, but poor, during the day the kids got involved in things and really enjoyed themselves. The pool was great, the sunbeds were very close together and often lots were reserved by breakfast, but there were a lot of german guests! JUST A TIP we booked direct with RIU on line for the hotel deferred the payment and paid the balance a week before arrival none of this paying the travel agent 10 weeks in advance total hotel cost 2 rooms 5 people £1028.00 !!! paid direct for ryan air flights on line from luton booked insurance and transfers with them total return cost just under £500.00 --- so total holiday 5 people all inc £1528.00 bargin :)) would def stay again
We stayed at ClubHotel Riu Waikiki for 10 nights in June 2014.
On arrival at Club Hotel Riu Waikiki we were impressed immediately by the welcome from the staff and the lovely reception area. Our luggage was brought from the transfer bus to reception and afterwards to our room by a very polite porter.
The room was fresh and clean with new furniture and a new flat screen tv (Ch7- Sky News, Ch18 English Films 24/7, Ch25 English /US TV series 24/7), the bed was a bit on the hard side but extra pillows were delivered promptly.
Free Safe in the room, but no air con just a ceiling fan, Found extra plugs behind sideboard.
The Pool and Pool Bar area were a very good size, clean and tidy and we never had a problem getting a sunbed or seat at anytime of the day, although you still get the saddos putting out towels before the sun even came up in the morning.
Pool Bar open from 10.00 to Midnight with plenty of choices of drinks from Cocktails to Soft Drinks and Hot Drinks, mainly self-service and hardly a queue in sight. Bar Staff and Cleaning Personnel were always friendly and polite.
Food was very good with plenty of choice. You are allocated a Table and sitting time for dinner, either 18.30 or 20.30 which you can change by giving the head waiter notice the day before you want to change.
Entertainments team were very good, always doing something and put on a show at 21.30 in the show bar most nights with the odd professional act in between. Their shows were sometimes a bit cheesy but they do their best and have plenty of time for you if you want a chat. They were all STARS.
We went with Thomson's and met the rep Matt who was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area and the Island, it was a pity that he left to undertake other company duties after a week and was replaced with a girl who seemed to forget her timetable and was as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel.
We did the Island Delights Premium trip with Thomson's and it was a brilliant day with Alan, there were 4 people carriers winding up through the mountains (Excellent Drivers) and the views were breath-taking, we had a Canarian Lunch which was very nice and ended back at the hotel around 17.00. I would not really recommend this trip for children, they would probably find it a bit boring but it is very interesting and educational for adults.
Local Market at San Fernando on Wed and Sat, only a €4 taxi ride from outside the hotel.
Hotel has a Courtesy Coach that takes you to and from Playas Del Ingles beach, times are on your hotel information sheet.
Local Bus Service is very good, there is a Bus-Stop if you turn left out of the Hotel about 100yds. Displayed on the Bus shelter in English are the bus numbers for the various destinations and also how much they cost.
You can also walk the Sand Dunes from Playas Del Ingles beach to the Lighthouse at Playa de Maspalomas, it will take you about 2 Hours and is a lovely walk in the surf for most of the way but it is a little bit pebbly in the middle for about half a mile so take something for your feet. we went about 11 ish before the sun got too hot and it was very pleasant with the breeze at your back. A short walk from the Playa de Maspalomas beach is the Bus Station where you can catch a bus back to the hotel for €1.40 each.
You must visit the Yumbo Center, loads of shops and bars, and in the nightime it comes to life with many discos etc. You must visit Sparkles Showbar, it has a world famous drag artiste show, very funny and its free, main show is about 23.00hrs but there is other bits like Karaoke and stand-up before.
You can also catch a Bus to Puerto Rico for €2.75 or Puerto De Mogan for €4.15
We caught a Bus to Puerto Rico and the caught the ferry to Puerto De Mogan for €11. If you catch the 10.30 or 12.30 ferry with The Salmon Line ferries they will take you on an hour long loop out to sea to do some dolphin and whale watching at no extra cost. (We saw a school of Pilot Whales)
These are just a few of the things you can do from this hotel, so if anyone says its boring out there I can tell you its not and I'm almost 60.
We had 8 hours to wait for our transfer after checking out (1200) But food was still available to us until 17.30 and drinks until we left. when you check out you can book the use of a courtesy room to shower and freshen up before you leave.
I think we will definitely return to this Hotel in the future as we had a wonderful time and made many new friends here.
