RIU opened its first Thai hotel on September 7, 2026: the 504-room, all-inclusive Riu Palace Phuket on Mai Khao Beach, with six restaurants, seven bars and opening rates near $156 a night.
Cover image: A tropical resort swimming pool lined with palms and loungers, representative of Phuket's luxury beach resorts (Paradisus Bali, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) — photo by Paradisus Bali, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Spanish chain RIU Hotels and Resorts opened its first ever Thai property on September 7, 2026: the 5-star, 504-room Riu Palace Phuket on Mai Khao Beach. It is the brand's debut in Thailand and its first 24-hour all-inclusive resort in the country, a format still rare in Phuket's luxury market.
The property sits on the northwest coast of Phuket island, directly on Mai Khao Beach and beside Sirinat National Park, about 16 kilometres (a 20-minute drive) from Phuket International Airport and 40 kilometres from the island's historic centre. Rooms are spread across interconnected buildings of up to four floors linked by covered walkways.
What does Riu Palace Phuket offer?
Dining is the centrepiece: six restaurants and seven bars. The main buffet Chantra has live cooking stations, joined by Thai restaurant Ruen Siam, Italian outlet Il Gusto, a Steakhouse, the Pepe's Food grill, and an exclusive restaurant for Elite Club guests. Bars range from the Mai Khao lobby bar and Sabai swim-up pool bar to a sports bar and a coffee and ice-cream parlour.
There are six swimming pools, two for children and one reserved for Elite Club guests. The top-tier Elite Club by RIU category covers 49 rooms, including swim-up rooms with private pools on the terrace, with perks such as a dedicated reception, upgraded minibar and aromatherapy service. Elsewhere the resort offers the Renova Spa, a fitness area, a RiuLand children's club and RiuFit sports activities.
How much does it cost?
Opening rates spotted on Expedia came in at around $156 a night based on double occupancy, or about $78 per person per night for an all-inclusive beachfront stay. That undercuts most of Phuket's established luxury names and signals that RIU intends to compete on value as well as scale.
Sustainability features include solar panels on two buildings and a rainwater harvesting system that feeds garden irrigation. The resort also includes a meditation, prayer and offerings point plus a wooden palapa for open-air massages, a nod to local practice.
The location choice is deliberate. Travel Off Path notes that Mai Khao offers space Patong cannot: the southern party hub is crowded with no room left for sprawling new builds, while the northwest coast pairs a long quiet beach with a protected national park next door. For RIU, whose model is the self-contained mega-resort, that combination matters more than walkable nightlife.
Why does this opening matter?
Phuket's luxury pipeline keeps growing even as Thailand's overall arrivals wobble: the island continues to pull big-brand debuts while Bangkok lines up openings such as the 25hours Hotel in Siam Square. Across the region, midscale and upscale supply is expanding too, from Hilton Garden Inn's Batam signing to a wave of 2028 openings.
RIU's bet is that Mai Khao's preserved, national-park-backed coastline can support a self-contained mega-resort away from Patong's crowds. With 504 rooms to fill in its first high season, the industry will be watching forward occupancy as closely as the opening-week reviews.
Riu Palace Phuket in numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening date | September 7, 2026 |
| Rooms | 504, including 49 Elite Club rooms |
| Restaurants / bars | 6 restaurants, 7 bars |
| Pools | 6, including 2 children's pools and 1 Elite Club pool |
| Service model | 24-hour all-inclusive |
| Location | Mai Khao Beach, beside Sirinat National Park |
| Distance to airport | 16 km, about 20 minutes |
| Opening rate spotted | About $156 a night for two guests |
Frequently asked questions
When did Riu Palace Phuket open?
Hotel Riu Palace Phuket officially opened on September 7, 2026. It is the first hotel of the Spanish RIU Hotels and Resorts chain in Thailand, located on Mai Khao Beach in northwest Phuket, about 20 minutes from Phuket International Airport.
How many rooms does Riu Palace Phuket have?
The resort has 504 rooms, including 49 in the exclusive Elite Club by RIU category. Elite Club rooms include swim-up options with private pools on the terrace, plus a dedicated reception, restaurant, pool and lounge.
Is Riu Palace Phuket all-inclusive?
Yes. It operates RIU's 24-hour all-inclusive model with six restaurants, seven bars, six pools, the Renova Spa, a children's club and sports activities included. Opening rates were spotted at about $156 per night for two guests.
What is near Riu Palace Phuket?
The resort borders Sirinat National Park on Mai Khao Beach, one of Phuket's quietest stretches. Phuket airport is 16 km away; the island's historic old town is about 40 km south. The location suits travellers who want beach and nature over Patong-style nightlife.
