Here’s a short video about what Riu resorts are doing to help protect guests who decide to visit during the pandemic.  Part of the video highlights the Riu Palace Peninsula (one of the resorts I will be visiting this August) and shows what both guests and staff need to do to help protect the safety of each other.  From reading reviews of current guests at Riu Palace Peninsula and seeing videos like this, here’s what I gather to be the primary safety mandates at Riu resorts:

• mask wearing for guests appears to be mandatory in the following settings–lobby, ordering drinks at bars, restaurants (going in/out, getting food put on your plate at the buffet stations, and while seated when not eating or drinking); guests are strongly encouraged to wear their mask when in the elevator with strangers.
• no more self-serve buffet stations–staff will put on your plate what you tell them to
• there are only three people allowed in elevators at any given time
• temperature-taking of guests on multiple occasions (staff also gets their temperatures taken several times during the day)
• disinfecting of luggage and guests’ shoes upon arrival
• disinfecting of in-room common surfaces during routine daily cleaning
• thorough disinfecting of the room upon check-out (my guess is that this may delay room availability for new guests when resort occupancy rates increase)
• no room service
• no in-room liquor bottles (some people call them “optics”), just the beer in the mini-bar.
• social distancing required in all settings including all lines, theater, and pool/ beach loungers (there are two loungers set together then another pair is set six feet from there).
• no pool foam parties or beach parties
• swim-up bars are CLOSED

If you are familiar with the Riu brand and you don’t like these temporary changes, best to wait it out and take your vacation later or choose another resort which may have less stringent safety measures in place.

Take a quick look at the video; what do you think?