This Riu in Aruba Has a New Resort-Within-a-Resort With Late Check-Out and a Private Pool Area

If you’ve traveled to all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, you’ve encountered the concept. It goes by many names: things like Preferred Club or Diamond Club. It gives you special amenities and perks, from special check-in lounges to dedicated breakfast restaurants. And in our experience, it’s always worth it. Always. 

For all intents and purposes, when you choose one of these “elevated” options, you’re basically staying in a different resort entirely. Or, as we like to call it, a “resort within a resort.” 

Just two years ago, all-inclusive brand Riu got into the game with its own spin on the concept: the Elite Club, first at one of its Cancun-area resort and then expanding to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. 

Now, the Riu Elite Club is in Aruba, making its debut at the Riu Palace Antillas resort. 

The Elite Club comprises 66 rooms of the 482 you find at the Palm Beach-area property. 

So what do you get? 

For starters, there’s late check-out and “personalized” check-in; special gifts when you arrive, higher-level beverages and even options like aromatherapy in your room. 

There is also a private pool area, a bar with its own elevated drinks menu in the lobby just for Elite Club guests, and a special Elite Club restaurant. 

Wherever we’ve stayed in the Caribbean, when it comes to the all-inclusive experience, this is a splurge worth making. 

While Aruba is decidedly not a typical all-inclusive destination, if you really want to enjoy the Dutch Caribbean island with an all-inclusive, wallet-free experience, this is probably the best way to do it. Just make sure you get out and explore everything Aruba has to offer, from its “wild East” to its jaw-dropping collection of beaches. 

For more, visit Riu.