Location
Punta Cana - BeachProperty Information
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Resort Details
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Check-in Policy - Deposits or credit/debit card hold authorizations are not requested at check-in. Minimum age of 18 is required for check-in, an ID/Passport will be requested upon arrival.
Convention Policy : Groups traveling together can book this property for their stay taking advantage of group benefits such as 6th or 11th complimentary guest, Group dinner reservation, One complimentary cocktail hour with a selection of appetizers, One complimentary massage for the group leader, Complimentary room upgrades to the next category, Fruit plate and bottle of wine for the VIP, Private check-in when arriving together, Welcome sign. Applicable with Wedding Collections and Social Packages. Consult terms & conditions.
Hotel Spring Break Policies: Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any RIU property, at any time during the year. RIU Hotels & Resorts, reserves the right to withhold admission to any Spring Breaker. The hotel reserves the right of admission and may request clients to show passport or official ID to prove full identification. Guests can and will be removed from the property at their own expense in case of any disturbance or complaint from other guests or hotel staff. Parties in rooms are not allowed. Spring break groups or unruly behavior is not allowed all year round at any property.
The connecting Junior Suites has a minimum occupancy of 4 in each room booked.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
5505 reviews
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Aug 28, 2023Terrible experience
Terrible, poor service I'm a Riu costumer several countries but this hotel wasn't a very good place to stay with my family. I don't recommend it. At all. Is a 4 star hotel, but I will give 3, service is poor, food and drinks poor quality, unfortunately customer service at the hotel was zero. We made the complaint in the hotel, however they didn't give much attention. What we can expect!!!!! I did it as well when I got back home, red tag, sunwing no one give a damn. Well they loose a Riu customer and we might think to move to another hotels really care about customer service!!!
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Aug 26, 20233 star at best
First, here are some things to remember before you go. Check your international plan if you need to use your phone. Wifi is NOT the best it was out 2 of the. 5/days we were there. Pack Mosquito spray! This is a must Bring your own drink container for the pool bar. Take a towel to the splash park. Bring extra soap and shampoo Day 1 Check-in: We arrived approx 5pm, our rooms were ready. We booked a 2 BEDROOM JUNIOR SUITE GARDEN VIEW because we had 5 children. If you are used to a 2bedroom suite this is not what you are used to. This is just a conjoining room not a 2bedroom suite, they don’t have them at this resort, Rooms: The rooms were OK-decent until we noticed an ant infestation running along the walls. Ants and little slim bugs were everywhere. I used the phone to contact front desk and when I put the receiver down they scattered. GROSS! We immediately moved all kids and suitcases to our conjoining room as we saw ants getting on their stuff. The front desk said they would fix it. Housekeeping brought a can of raid and that DID NOT fix the problem. The hotel was booked and had no more conjoining rooms so we were separated from our elementary and middle school age children with guaranteed to move into the room next to them the following day (day 2). Day 2: went to check in the conjoining room at 11 and the said room is not ready, come back after 3. Went at 4:30 and they apologized they gave the room away, and said wait until tomorrow. UNACCEPTABLE. Room 3142 and 3091 are not close enough.their room did not have a door handle on the shower door and it sound like it was going to fall off. They hotel sprayed WD40 and installed a shower door handle since it was a safety issue. They offered the ant infested 3143 room back. No thank you! Then someone moved into the room and the conjoining room door was still unlocked even after we requested it to be locked several times. We just dealt with it for 5 days. The kids ended up enjoying their freedom but as a worried mom, this did not help. Thank goodness I had family and friends traveling with us. My sisters room had a roach she discovered when she turned on the bathroom light at night. Note: get an extra key to keep in the key holder when you open the door. This key is for power. If you don’t have a key in there the outlets will not work = your phones won’t charge. Pool We spent the day at the pool, which was nice. The chairs were infested with ants but there are areas that were fine.the family pool clean and warm. The adult pool was dirty. Bring your own water bottle or drink container to the bar, the cups are only quickly rinsed from one person to another. You will get towel card to exchange for a clean towel each day. Just make sure you get a towel before they close if you like to swim about 4 or 5. The pool is near the beach. There are ample chairs on the beach. Food the cafes have a variety but after the first day you will learn what you like and don’t like and will probably stick with that for remainder of the trip. The main cafe has areas where you are constantly swishing flies. Outside is ok as long as the birds don’t eat off your plate. The cafe near the pool was good. The kids enjoyed going to lunch on their own and getting their own seats. You have to add your names to the restaurant lists early about 5. They only take same day reservations. We enjoyed the Italian restaurant the best. Entertainment: Theater is ok, entertaining for the kids. If you stay at the palace Bavaro you get access to the other riu resorts. They are walking distance. I recommend going to the other hotels. We tried the other pools and beach areas. Walk the shops on the property. Riu party was fun, they provide transportation and you can walk. They have theme nights so check before you travel.. Splash park: something to do. It’s free. Plenty of chairs available. Pack like you are going to an offsite splash park when you leave your room. the kids said the water slides were fun. There is a brink bar there, no food. Game room : the kids can play pool this area is air conditioned and has a bar. The kids enjoyed ordering their own virgin drinks, It’s connected to the lobby. cleaning service: my cleaning staff was great. She was very helpful. If you do not speak Spanish show them what you need and they can help. They did not have enough wash clothes for the first few nights. In 3 of 5 rooms we had only 2 has a washcloth. On Day 3 we had wash clothes not hand towels. There was a wall bottle of soap in the shower but I think it was hand soap. It will dry your skin out. Most of our rooms didn’t have soap or shampoo. bring extra. Wifi Make sure to get your wifi username and password for wifi when u check in. This wasn’t explained to us when we arrived. We found out on Day 2. It goes in and out. Check your international plan before you go. Overall The hotel has potential but is overdue for updating. We stayed here but it was accommodating for families. This was my first Riu stay and I won’t be back unless they offer me to try a different Riu all expense paid. I don’t believe when the staff responds to this email they will look into it or try to accommodate based on the responses and assistance while I was there. If they do, I’ll let you know! My reviews as always are for future travels.
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Aug 21, 2023
DO NOT STAY here ! IT was a nightmare staying there !
We just came from RIU Palace Bavaro. 1.Caution to those who are sensitive to sounds. Rooms are NOT sound proof ! 2nd night i and my daughter couldn't sleep bec we can hear the ff. in the middle of the night : banging of doors / banging of sliding doors in the verandas/ room upstairs we could hear beds or furnitures rearranged or moved at 3:00 am &people talking and taking showers ( maybe they just arrived from RIU party ) / bathroom keeps flushing automatically every few hours even mid night without anyone using it. Can smell cigarette smoke inside out room at night . was a nightmare ! I NEVER experienced UNABLE to sleep in any of the hotels i stayed in my whole life . 2.) Smoking place is located in the lobby on your way to restaurants . Also in the night programs in the auditorium, cigarette smoke everywhere. Everyday , expect to smell cigarette smoke . 3.)the general pool is full packed . Very small for a crowd. There are 2 other pools BUT you hav to upgrade initially upon check in to use these pools But nobody offered nor told us that. 4.) The restaurant Tiano next to the pool has good food BUT has flies on the fruits & dessert all over. 5.) after you shower, condensation takes place in your room . Mirrors , walls and floors are wet .This is bec . Your shower room has open wall on top. I will show pics .Be careful not to slip on floor. This is the only hotel that we experienced that. I never complained like this as we always do our annual family vaca in the USA and other countries. ALL IN ALL , this is the WORST we have ever stayed in a hotel !!!Never will return !
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Aug 21, 2023Restored our faith in the DR!
We first visited Punta Cana 8 years ago and stayed at an AMR property. After many trips to Mexico, this one was very disappointing and we vowed to never go back. Last year we stayed at a RIU in Playacar MX and it was great so we took a chance and booked the Bavaro to see if it would be similar to our experience in MX. I am happy to report that it was! None of the issues from our previous experience were there. We were lucky enough to have a room right next to the VIP adults-only pool where we spent most of our time. There are good restaurant choices and the buffet was always a good alternative with a variety of options. Excellent cleanliness and service. It is a little dated and I heard it is getting renovated in 2024. Our room was the Villa Jacuzzi Suite Ocean and the bed was the worst part, very hard and uncomfortable to sleep on. I hope this gets addressed with the remodel. When we go on vacation, we NEED a good night's sleep to help us relax and enjoy our stay. Looking forward to booking our next trip to another RIU soon.
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Aug 20, 2023
Keep looking
Upon arriving at Hotel RIU, I was filled with anticipation, having heard mixed reviews about the place. However, it didn't take long for the realization to set in that this particular stay would be far from the ideal vacation I had imagined. Room & Amenities: The room layout was rather peculiar with only a shower curtain separating the bathtub from the sleeping area, although there was a separate door for the toilet. I found the room's interiors to be dated, and to my dismay, I discovered blood stains on the bed sheet. Regrettably, this wasn't a one-off incident as I had to call almost daily to have it changed. Food & Dining: The dining experience was another letdown. I over heard a guest said the omelette station resorting to liquid egg instead of fresh shell eggs. The breakfast selection was rather limited, with repetitive offerings daily. Consequently, I resorted to having a bagel each morning, which isn't a staple in my usual diet. The restaurants lacked air conditioning, making the dining experience somewhat uncomfortable. The staff's service pace was agonizingly sloooow. Additionally, the fresh fruit offered was unripe, and I noticed flies crawling over food items at the buffet, raising concerns about hygiene. Moreover, birds eating at the fruit bar by the pool restaurant only added to the health concerns. Unfortunately, the hotel doesn’t offer a poolside grill, a feature I’ve come to expect from resorts of this caliber. Entertainment & Activities: One of the significant downsides was the lack of daily entertainment. While most resorts have daily shows and parties, Hotel RIU only hosted shows five days a week. During our stay, we went to bed early for the day when there is no show. Although they do have parties, they are strictly for adults and require a walk outside the hotel. The journey felt rather unsafe after dark. Shooting pool at the sports bar but it’s not free. Facilities: The gym's lack of air conditioning was perplexing. Another inconvenience was the cafe shop's opening time. Unlike other resorts where one can enjoy an early morning cappuccino or espresso from 7 am, the cafe here opens only at 10 am. Furthermore, water bottles were strangely not available at the restaurants or bars and could only be obtained from the main lobby. Dress Code & Restaurants: I noticed a lack of enforcement of the stated dress code, with guests wearing casual shorts even in upscale places like the Steakhouse. The Geisha restaurant was a major disappointment, especially the mochi which was hard and unpalatably tiny. Beach & Pool: The beach, usually a highlight of any resort stay, was marred by seaweed. The pools, on the other hand, like bath water…not refreshing at all. I was given beach towels that were damp and musty. When asked why they were damp, I was told the machine was broken. More likely they were not washed. Health Concerns: A worrying observation was that my family and another we met, suffered from diarrhea during their stay. Positives: Despite these grievances, there were some saving graces. The palm trees added a touch of tropical charm to the resort. Playing volleyball with fellow tourists was genuinely enjoyable and became the highlight of our stay. There is a water park but they don’t serve food at the park. It’s closed on Tuesday for maintenance. Conclusion: While I admit I maintain relatively high standards, Hotel RIU fell short in numerous areas. Would I return? I’m inclined to say no.