Aruba hotels, side by side

Holiday Inn or Riu Palace?

Set side by side on what can be checked: Agoda's price for the same week at both, guest ratings on Google, the official taxi fares, and what our own reviews say.

Holiday InnRiu Palace

970 m apart, in a straight line

Each hotel is pinned at the position Google returns for its own name. The faint dots are the other hotels we have reviewed.

Holiday Inn

$384 a night

on Agoda, Dec 5 to 12

See dates

Riu Palace

No rate returned

Agoda listed no room for Dec 5 to 12

See dates

Lowest nightly rate Agoda listed for two adults, read November 14, 2026. Both buttons open the same week, Dec 5 to 12, unless you have given us your dates. See the full table

The short version

Both stand on the Palm Beach high-rise strip, about 970 m (0.6 miles) apart in a straight line.
The Holiday Inn is room only with an optional all-inclusive plan; the Riu Palace is all-inclusive.
Both take all ages.
For Dec 5 to 12, Agoda listed the Holiday Inn from $384 a night for two adults. Its live feed returned no rate for the Riu Palace that week, so there is no number to set beside it.
On Google, guests rate the Holiday Inn 4.1 of 5 from 4,574 reviews and the Riu Palace 4.3 from 5,291.
The official airport taxi fare is $41 to the Holiday Inn and $40 to the Riu Palace, for up to four passengers.

Row by row

Every figure names its source and its date. Where our review does not cover something, the cell says so.

Where it stands

Beachfront on Palm BeachPalm Beach: lively, high-rise

On Palm Beach, in the middle of the stripPalm Beach: lively, high-rise

Board

Room only, all-inclusive plan optional

All-inclusive, 24 hours

Who it takes

All ages, family-forward

All ages, with an adults-only Elite Club

Size

590-plus rooms

450 rooms

Guests on Google

4.1 of 54,574 reviews on Google

4.3 of 55,291 reviews on Google

A night on Agoda

$384 a nightlowest rate, 2 adults, Dec 5 to 12

No rate returned for Dec 5 to 12Agoda's live feed listed no room here that week. Check your own dates.

Airport taxi

$41official daytime fare, up to 4

$40official daytime fare, up to 4

Between the two: about 970 m (0.6 miles) in a straight lineA taxi from one to the other: $10, official fare

Agoda rates: the lowest nightly rate its live feed listed for two adults, Dec 5 to 12, read November 14, 2026; taxes or fees may be extra, and a hotel with few rooms left that week shows a higher lowest rate. Google ratings read November 14, 2026. Taxi fares from the Government of Aruba tariff published May 27, 2026. Board, age policy and size are from our own reviews.

What our reviews say

The verdict and the catch are our own words from each review: a local team's assessment, never a claimed stay.

Holiday Inn Resort Aruba

Palm Beach. Palm Beach: lively, high-rise.

Our verdict

590+ rooms, three pools, a kids club, five restaurants, and IHG loyalty points in a family-forward Palm Beach package.

The catch

The most accessible price point here, and the experience reflects it. Comfortable but not luxurious.

Near the door, from our guide

Palm Beach (80 m), Eduardo's Beach Shack (220 m), Scott's Brats (260 m). Straight-line distances.

Booked direct nearby

Parasailing, $70 per person, on Palm Beach.

See dates on Agoda Our review

Opens the sample week, Dec 5 to 12. Change the dates on the next screen.

Riu Palace Aruba All Inclusive

Palm Beach. Palm Beach: lively, high-rise.

Our verdict

450 rooms, all renovated in 2026, on a 24-hour plan that covers local and imported spirits, eight restaurants and room service, with a new adults-only Elite Club section.

The catch

Palm Beach is the island's busiest tourist corridor. Guests wanting a quieter scene should look at Eagle Beach resorts.

Near the door, from our guide

Bugaloe Beach Bar & Grill (250 m), Scott's Brats (720 m), Eduardo's Beach Shack (760 m). Straight-line distances.

Booked direct nearby

Parasailing, $70 per person, on Palm Beach.

See dates on Agoda Our review

Opens the sample week, Dec 5 to 12. Change the dates on the next screen.

Try another pairing

First hotelSecond hotel

14 hotels we have reviewed. Every pairing has its own page.

Keep Holiday Inn, change the other

Keep Riu Palace, change the other

Questions about these two

Which is cheaper, the Holiday Inn or the Riu Palace?

We do not guess prices. For Dec 5 to 12, Agoda listed the Holiday Inn from $384 a night for two adults. Its live feed returned no rate for the Riu Palace that week, so there is no number to set beside it. Open both on Agoda with your own dates to see the real numbers side by side.

How far apart are the Holiday Inn and the Riu Palace?

Both stand on the Palm Beach high-rise strip, about 970 m (0.6 miles) apart in a straight line. The official taxi fare from one to the other is $10 for up to four passengers.

Is the Holiday Inn or the Riu Palace all-inclusive?

The Holiday Inn is room only with an optional all-inclusive plan; the Riu Palace is all-inclusive.

How much is a taxi from the airport to the Holiday Inn and the Riu Palace?

The official airport taxi fare is $41 to the Holiday Inn and $40 to the Riu Palace, for up to four passengers. Fares are fixed by the Government of Aruba's tariff, published May 27, 2026; there are no meters, and $5 is added on Sundays, holidays and at night.