RIU Palace - adults only, 18+ Hotel in Sunny Beach

Honest Review! My partner and I booked what was meant to be a relaxing, premium holiday, but it turned into a deeply distressing and unsafe experience that we feel was entirely unacceptable for a five-star resort and a Jet2 package holiday. Critical Issues 1. End of Season Closure & Misleading Location We were moved from the central Alua Soul to the remote Secrets Hotel. Upon arrival, we were informed that it was the end of the season, and the entire surrounding resort/strip was closed. The hotel felt completely isolated, with no nearby shops, bars, or restaurants operating. * No Warning: At no point during booking or before travel were we warned that the area would be completely shut down. Had we known, we would never have chosen this destination or travel date. * Early Closures: Critical facilities began shutting down while we were still there. The indoor pool heating was turned off on September 30th, and heating in public areas was switched off from October 6th as part of the hotel’s seasonal closure. The on-site shop was packing up and running out of supplies days before our departure. We paid for a full holiday experience; this is unacceptable. 2. Severe Flooding, Unsafe Conditions, and Illness During our stay, the area experienced severe flash floods. While the weather is uncontrollable, the hotel’s response was dangerous and wholly inadequate. * Unsanitary Conditions: The basement level, including the gym, spa, shop, and indoor pool, was flooded with raw sewage for over 48 hours. * Safety Hazards: The lifts were out of service for over 24 hours. Stairways were soaked and unsafe. Guests with mobility issues, including myself, were effectively confined to our rooms. * No Welfare Check: Throughout this time, no hotel staff checked on guests—especially those trapped in their rooms—to see if we needed food, water, or assistance. Guests were left completely on their own. * Widespread Illness: After the indoor pool reopened, my partner used it and became severely unwell. We heard from other guests who also became ill, with concerns raised about sewage contamination in the pool water following the flood. The high number of doctor visits to the hotel confirmed how widespread the illness was. We confined ourselves to our room for the rest of the stay out of fear for our health. * Neglected Debris: After the water receded, thick mud and debris remained around the hotel, creating significant additional safety hazards that were not promptly addressed. 3. Security and Noise Issues The hotel failed to maintain a safe and peaceful environment. * Brawls: On our second night, a violent brawl involving multiple guests broke out in the reception area. The same individuals fought again multiple times over the next two days, and no police were called, suggesting a serious lack of security protocol. * Domestic Violence: We experienced loud and deeply disturbing domestic violence incidents in the room above us during the last two nights of our stay, whi

After waiting a year for our holiday we were extremely excited to arrive. The hotel is lovely but should be warned not to go in late September, everything had closed and the hotel was obviously windeing down also. A few restaurants were closed and this is something that you should be made aware of before booking. Food was a good variety but cold!! So I hardly ate. We also witnessed fights which wasn’t a good experience although it was quickly dealt with. The weather was horrendous and there’s literally nothing to do other than play cards drink and sit in silence. Very disappointed.