Our 25th wedding anniversary at RIU Madeira was a huge disappointment. The hotel completely lacks staff service—finding anyone to help was nearly impossible. No decent shows or entertainment at night left the atmosphere dull and lifeless.
As vegetarians, we struggled to find anything to eat. Almost every dish had meat or fish, and there were zero real vegetarian options. The menu never changes, and the ice cream has the same boring three flavors daily. The chef or manager did not bother to make any effort to prepare a single dish for us!
There’s no jacuzzi! The pool hours are ridiculous: it is only open from 10 to 5, and there are no lifeguards on duty. The sauna and steam bath are also only open during those hours, so if you want to relax after a day out, forget it—everything is closed.
The staff didn’t bother to do anything special for our anniversary, which made us feel ignored and unvalued. Overall, there was no service, nothing memorable, and absolutely nothing to celebrate. I wouldn’t recommend RIU Madeira to anyone, and I certainly won’t be coming back.