Riu Palace Punta Cana

This place was awesome, we checked in the front desk had everything ready. Got to room, it was great. Not muggy or musty. Don't know what some viewers were speaking of. We also had a great view. Food was good, I'm not picky. We made resverations at restaurants, my fav was Krystals. Nice place for family, being from the US, the topless thing was a little much, but to each his own. Had internet service in the lobby. Please use your manners and tip, you can see how many live in DR, they are so greatful and you have so much more...Would I go back, I think so, I have been to many all inclusive resorts and this one is like the others. This is what you get. Just relax and enjoy .

Please do not take the negative reviews too seriously.... I really wish I hadn't read every review before we went. We spent a lot of our time laughing at what people had complained about on this. Not what I want to be doing though on holiday.

The hotel is gorgeous and it is true the beach is gorgeous also. Its nothing like the Benidorm beach (lol), its slightly busier than sands in front of the other hotels - why? because its the nicest part of the beach - hardly any seaweed in the sea and the sand is very soft. The shipwreck is such a nice view to have.

We came prepared with air freshner and scentled candles as everyone mentioned the musty smell - we never used either of these, the room smelled fine and we had no musty smell maybe we were lucky or we just expected high levels of humidity because we were going to the Carribean so any smell (if one) was nothing we didnt expect!!!

Do the Tropical Storm boat excursion especially if you are up for a laugh and enjoy a bit random fun!

The food is good, different things to choose from! The Italian restaurant was our fave!

Staff are friendly & the entertainment is entertaining lol Not bad enough to complain about as we were entertained but its not exactly broadway!

We got delayed for 24 hours - we were delighted with this as we loved our holiday so much we didn't want to leave (even after 14 nights) and to top it the reception upgraded us to one of the jaccuzi suites for our last night (we didnt even ask!)- Try and get one they are so nice!

Enjoy you will love it!

We have travelled several times to All Inclusives in Mexico but this was our first time to Punta Cana. We found this resort to be among the best we have been to. The staff were all very friendly and accomodating. The resort itself is majestic .. the lounges, lobby, restaurants, everything.

The rooms were very clean and roomy and the fridge always well stocked. The cleaning staff did a very good job, and we always had plenty of towels etc.

The food at the buffets was the best we have had at a resort. There was always good selection, always very clean and well presented, and eveything tasted great. Anyone who does not enjoy the food here should not be going to AI resorts. The staff went out of their way to please you at both the buffets and the A La Cartes. We tried the Brazilian and Steak House and both were good , but we enjoyed the buffet so much we kept going back to it .

The beaches were excellent here, white sand, sandy shores..no rocks in the water . They were kept clean and there were always staff picking up glasses and trash , and delivering drinks. There are plenty of trees for those who want shade.

There were 2 pools at the palace, plenty big enough for the amount of people. The larger one was warm as others mentioned , but not overly so. We were in it a lot. The smaller deeper one was cooler if you prefered that. Once again the pool was kept clean and someone was around every few minutes to bring you a beverage. If you went to the pool bar you there was very little wait , and the staff were always smiling and singing.

The shopping was plentiful. Each resort had shops plus there was Caribean street and a strip mall type of shopping between the Bambu and the Palace. The vendors would easily convert the price to US dollars if asked.

The animation staff were lots of fun..especially Orlando. They had events going all day...dancing lessons, games etc. and were out mingling and dancing in the evenings.

The nightly entertainment was not as good as others we have been too, but thats a very small part of your vacation as far as we are concerned. There were beautiful lounges inside and outside , and once again you were always served promptly. We never had to wait for a drink, unlike the ones in the Mayan Riviera. Before you had finished your drink your server was back again. There were plenty of places to walk, shop, or drink in the evenings.

The weather was perfect...nice and hot , very humid. We only had rain a few evenings for a short period of time, and once during the day for about 1/2 hour.

We tried the hobie cats and paddle boats and liked both. The boys tried the scuba lessons as well. There are plenty of excursions offered as well , though we didn't take any..there was more than enough to do on the resort.

I would highly recommend this resort to anyone with a family, or couples. Our kids ranged from 18-22 and loved it. There isnt a lot of night life for those who want to party hardy.. this is more of a pampering resort, which is what we look for, not a big party atmosphere. We loved everything about the RIU Palace and will definitely return.

let me just say that for months prior to our trip I read every conceivable review of the resort. i read how people thought that the art was rude, how they thought the employees were rude, they complained the pool was to warm, they complained the entertainment was boring and redundant, and that the food was marginal.

all i have to say is that they probably had this resort confused with another. from the time we pulled up to the front door to the time we left I was confused about the complaints.

as far as the art goes,(topless/naked women), i actually had to make a concious effort to find and look at the paintings to see what the problem was. NO problem. first of all they should not have spent so much time inside and tried to have a relaxing time on the beach. If they were to complain about anything they could have complained about all of the live topless women. learn how to relax people.

as far as the service and people being rude; spend some time to try to get to know the people who are helpng you out, the people who live on the island and are getting paid a pittance of what the people who are staying there make and some times treat them as less than deserving. you would have found out that they all live hours away from the resort work 11 days on then 3 days off all to hope you have a good vacation. of course there will be people that have a bad day and seem to be short with you. they all are learning the langauge and get frustrated at times. understandable. they truly were a joy and i think tried to help as much as possible.....with the exception of the slot machine ladies......just dont ask them any questions.

of course the pool is warm. it is 87degrees every day and sunny. the pool is shallow and there are many people in it contributing to the warmth. use your common sense.

the entertainment was just that. mind numbing and relaxing. every night was something different. now for those that complain of redundancy, dont take 3 week holidays and take 1 week vacations and you will be just fine.

how people complain about the food is bayond me. you have to remember that there are 800 people from around the globe with many different tastes staying at this resort. try something new for a change, go outside your comfort zone and you just might find something good. i tried a little of just about everything, found what i like then dug in. i felt the food was very good and the area was clean.

the rooms are muggy even with the air on 24/7. once agin you are in a jungle people you should expect some degree of humidity. they did not smell, but i was only in my room, which was on the first floor. they are well kept and large.

overall this resort is one of my favorites. the people were kind and the service was great. saul at the pool bar was our favorite. the only complaint i had the entire trip was that the choices of liqour were limited, but i quickly adjusted and drank my monies worth.

the beach is second to none.....but no one complains about the beach here.

When reading some of the reviews, we have difficulty in comprehending what people are expecting!

We read about a terrible transfer from the airport to the resort - and this is the resort's fault? We read about the musty smell in the rooms - Spend a bit more, get a suite, enjoy your holiday without smells and restrictions! We read about people not being able to speak English well - in a foreign country? - what a surprise! We read about it being hot in areas that are not air conditioned - in a sub tropical climate? -again, what a surprise!

Come on people! You get what you pay for and what you make of your holiday! We were there for our anniversary. We took a private transfer to the resort and got there quickly. At reception, because it was after 9:30 at night, they quickly put on our ID bracelet and sent us to the buffet before it closed so that we could eat. Then we went back to reception where they had everything ready for our sign in. They were extremely friendly and knowledgeable.

Our suite was beautiful. Large - non musty - room, huge balcony overlooking the pools and gardens with an oceanview. Well decorated and set up. And no, the airconditioning was not turned off every night.

Restaurants were well laid out with many food choices. Because we sat in the same area each meal, the servers knew us and remembered what we wanted, without having to ask. They brought refills without being asked and were extremely friendly. We had no problems getting reservations at the specialty restaurants for our choice of time. Of course we didn't sleep in till noon - but each to his own!

The beach was beautiful and we never had a problem finding seats where we wanted. Even the peddlers on the beach were very friendly, and took a no thank you with a smile in return.

This was our 3rd trip to Punta Cana. We have been to Jamaica, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cuba, Barbados, Mayan Riviera, St. Thomas etc on many trips. So this is not our first trip nor will it be our last.

We would not hesitate to return here or to recommend this resort to anyone. Don't expect Las Vegas style entertainment. This is not Vegas! Don't expect gourmet food - this is not something you will find in these countries. Do expect a good time, good food and excellent service. This is what you get. Remember, if you are looking for a cheap holiday in the cheapest room you can get, even though this is a 5 star resort, you won't be getting their best rooms and have no one to blame but yourselves.

Our outbound trip to the Riu Palace was totally ruined by the disorganised arrangements made by our tour operator<thomson holidays>however on arrival at Punta Cana we had to put all that behind us and get on with enjoying our holiday.

The driveway up to the hotel.and the entrance/foyer area is very impressive,we were checked in,no problem at all,and our suitcases delivered to our juniour suite,within minitues of arrival.

We had no isues with the musty smell,others go on about, and during our stay,we did have a maintainance issue,which was delt with,promptly and efficiently,and a follow up call was made from front desk later on in the evening,to ensure everything was repaired to our satisfaction.

I think front desk called about 3 times during our stay,to check up that everything was satisfactory regarding our stay. Our room 2001 was a corner room,and a great tip if you are going to the Riu Palace is to request a corner room,as the balconies are huge,about three times as large as some of the others.

Breakfast and dinner every day was taken in the buffett resteraunt,and we had lunch every day in la altigracia down at the beach.

The food did not exceed our expectations,however it was always hot and tasty,and we think that by Dominician standards it was just about as good as you would get,but we do agree with other reviews that lunch was very repetative and a more varied menu would have been welcome.

We did not use any of the 5 a la carte resteraunts that were on offer only because we did not like the seating times,first sitting was 6.30,too early for us,and the second sitting was 9pm,too late for us,however we heard good and not so good reports about most of them,and dont think we missed out all that much,by not visiting them.

All the staff we came accross were very friendly and very helpful,and their english,was certainly a great deal better than our spanish.

We sunbathed on the beach every day,and the sands and the water were beautiful.We have been to the Dominician on three previous occassions,however this was by far the best beach and sea we have come accross.

If you walk down to the sea,face the sea,and turn right,and walk for around 20/30 minutes you will come accross some local Dominician shops,where you can buy locally produced goods,however be prepared to haggle,our 60 dollar purchase was eventually bought for 20 dollars,so be prepared to walk away if you do not think the price is what you want to pay.

There are 4 other Riu hotels you can visit,however we were always glad to get back to the Palace.We did go to the casino at the Riu Palace Macao,however at a minimum of 10 dollars a hand,for black jack,the stakes were too high for us and we left after a short stay.

There was a full days animation programme,and you could join in with the activities,the evening entertainment,could only be described as very average<sorry guys>but when you put on shows as old as Grease,I think you could do much better.They also had Mr Riu,Miss Riu,and Karaoke as other evening shows.

Overall,this is a good standard holiday hotel.If you go with the impression you are going to stay in a palace,and be treated like a king and queen,then you may be a little disappointed.If you go with the impresion that you are going to a good standard holiday accommodation,then I think you will enjoy it that much better.

I dont know how a hotel is rated by stars in the Dominician,however I think this hotel does merit its star rating,and we would have no hesitation about going back.

As always if I can be of any help to anyone please do not hesitate to contact me on the usual e mail address alfiebear1950@hotmail.com

Happy holidaying.

Alistair.

Tips:

Good Food overall. Of the Gourmet Restaurants Krystal is the one outstanding. I ate preferably in the main restaurant regularly, and avoided the inconvenient lines to get seatings in any other Gourmet Restaurant which were undestandably not a great deal.

For luchtime I ate at La Alameda beside the pool with sea view. Perfect

Avoid tap water, there is enough service everywhere to drink at your will.

Evening dressing for dinner is not casual, ladies were always very well dressed.

Beach is superb, super for walking. Somewhat hard to get beach chairs after 10 AM ( I am not an early riser, I was on vacation !!! )

Poolside perfect, always foud place and towels. Excellent beverage service.

Tours, only the Samoa Island is worth if weather is perfect. A trip to Santo Domingo is only worth if you are a history fan.

Hobbycat sailing is free at the Hotel beach. Enjoy !!

Visit the Other Riu Hotels all side by side, some have tea service and Pizzas 24 hs. !! All included.

There is perfect Wi-Fi and space in the Lobby.

Tip at leisure, 1U$S is adequate and will go far.

Service at the Front desk is excellent and cordial. Lobby is a beauty.

Avoid ground floor rooms, this is the Caribean and moisture is smelly.

Nearby small towns are not worth visiting, and do not offer much.

After reading most of the Tripadvisor comments, never saw a bedbug, mosquito, or other unbecoming situations. This is the Caribean, not Paris !!!!!

Enjoy it, probably is one of the nicest beaches around in the Caribean I visited .

Nightlige, zero, but there are nightly shows at the Hotel worth the distraction.

The casino is not much to brag about. Poor.

So far, this is the best Hotel I know in Punta Cana.

Lots of Europeans and topless !!

Went to Riu Palace after trip to Riu Tequila in Mexico was cancelled, bit apprehensive but was pleasantly suprised, the hotel is beautiful, the beach is just heavenly, the staff excellent, the weather was fine, few days we had rain and one magic thunderstorm. If you want a beach holiday and are happy to stay in the hotel at night, and the facilities are good, then this has to rate highly,

We just returned from a wonderful week long stay at the Riu Palace Punta Cana and can’t say enough good things about it. This was my first all inclusive trip and my stay here was a perfect one to introduce me to AI vacations! My boyfriend has done a few in the past but said this one was by far superior. Just a few things to point out:

Resort: The hotel and grounds are absolutely beautiful. You can’t help but have a wonderful first impression of the resort as you drive up the long driveway and enter the grand and majestic hotel lobby to be greeted with drinks while checking in! We had a great room overlooking the fountains with marble everywhere, a king size bed, double sinks, Jacuzzi tub… We found everything to be very clean (there was no musty smell or mold as mentioned in some previous posts) and have no complaints.

Food: I have to say I was a little concerned about what to expect since I’ve never traveled to Punta Cana before, but the food was wonderful!! We had breakfast at Don Manuel each day and alternated lunches between Don Manuel and La Altagracia and were very pleased with both. There was a great assortment of food each day and plenty of variety. I am not a picky eater and am open to trying most things, but even for those who are, I can’t imagine having a problem finding something to enjoy. We had dinner at the buffet our first night, then ate at each al a carte restaurant the rest of the week and all were very impressive. You do have to be up early to make dinner reservations each day, but we never had a problem getting into a restaurant of our choice with our preferred seating time.

Staff/Service: I cannot say enough about the people here. The resort was more than adequately staffed with extremely hard working and attentive people all around. Not only did they do a great job but they were very pleasant and sincere. I never felt like they were “working for tips” and when we did tip (they really deserved it), they were gracious. Everyone from the groundskeepers, housekeeping staff, food servers/bartenders and front desk staff was very helpful and pleasant and really helped make this a wonderful vacation.

Beach: There is nothing to say about the beach except that it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The water truly glows here! We got up early each day and went to the beach early so never had a problem getting chairs but even for those who don’t get up as early, it didn’t seem like there was a problem finding empty chairs later in the day. We were not bothered by vendors either. There were some passing along the beach but a simple “no thank you” was all you needed to say and they left you alone. Not badgering or anything…

Pool: We spent most days at the pool in the late afternoon. Again, plenty of chairs and room for all. The pool bar has a great atmosphere too. There was usually music playing and various activities going on around the pool (aerobics, bag toss, ping pong, etc). We met a lot of really great people and the bartenders were always entertaining and having a good time with the guests!

Overall, there is nothing I would change about this vacation. It was all I was hoping it would be and more. If you’ve booked this hotel, you won’t be disappointed and if you haven’t, definitely keep it in mind for the future!

i enjoyed this hotel very much,i think the negative reviews are from picky people that you can never make happy. hotel was beautiful,staff was pleasant,especially animation team,made trip fun.beach is beautiful.english is a little sparse,but did not find this to be a negative.i would definitley recommend to everyone.

i just got back from the riu and had to write a review because i loved it and have no idea why people would write such bad reviews! first, the only time i smelled the 'moldy' (you're in a humid tropical place) smell was when we walked in our room the first day.. but we turned the fan and AC on and didn't notice the smell at all the rest of the trip. ALL of the staff were so nice and friendly... they took great care of us! the maids cleaned the room everyday and returned later in the day to give us more towels if we wanted. the wait staff in the restaurants was great... they noticed as soon as you needed a refill and they were there in seconds. the restaurants were better than i expected. we ate at rodizio, japanese, italian and krystal... all were very good! most important, the beach is absolutely beautiful! we were lucky to have nice weather and were able to be on the beach everyday. overall, i had a great time... i normally don't write reviews but i felt like i had to because it was wonderful and shouldn't be getting bad reviews.. if you don't have a great time at this place then you are very picky! also, we took a day trip to catalina island... long day but very very fun if you like to have a good time and enjoy open bars!

My husband and I spent another two wonderful weeks at the Riu Palace Punta Cana, returning May 8. This was our third vacation at this resort and previously, we spent 5 consecutive yearly holidays at the Riu Palace Macao.

As for the complaints from other reviewers, if you have major problems with this resort, stay home since you're obviously not flexible travellers and don't want to enjoy a vacation. Remember, a vacation is what you make of it and if you focus on the odd negative you may experience, you'll never have a good time anywhere.

The food is excellent and if you can't find something palatable to your taste, you are either on a hunger strike or have a serious eating disorder and should check in with a dietician upon your return back home. Perhaps you're just not used to healthy, unprocessed food, the innumerable choices of the most delicious and juicy tropical fruit and the freshest variety of vegetables. The choices are unlimited and excellent whether you eat at the buffets or in speciality restaurants.

The staff do a wonderful job at the entire resort and there are always people in the reception area who speak English. My husband and I are unilingual English and never had any problems in our 19 trips to the Dominican. The staff try their best to accommodate everyone's requests, no matter how outlandish some may be. We've witnessed some tourists to be extremely demanding, rude and unreasonable. It would be hard to placate such individuals no matter how hard the staff try.

As for the humidity in the rooms; Punta Cana, being in a tropical climate, is humid to begin with and of course, humidity is unavoidable since the hotels are right by the ocean.

The beach is spectacular and you can walk for miles and miles and not run out of beach. The ocean is lovely and warm and a truly marvellous experience.

Having the other four sister Rius to check out and visit is also great and there are lots of things to see and do, if you're so inclined. Otherwise, just lounging around the pool or at the beach and watching the activities or looking at the turquoise hues of the ocean, set against the blue sky and swaying palm trees is also a pleasant way to pass the time. The air is fragrant with lush, colorful tropical plants and flowers and it's so nice to get away from our own very polluted cities and enjoy some fresh and delightful ocean air for a week or two.

We're looking forward to booking another two weeks at the Riu Palace Punta Cana - same time next year!

I am not sure why there are so many complaints...the staff is outstanding...they catered to our every whim...no matter the time, day or night....the food is different but I was always find something enjoyable to eat . The room was beautiful...I can only imagine the people whom are complaining about a "moldy smell" must have never lived or spent time near a tropical beach where its always humid. That never goes away and its not overwhelming...you barely notice it. The room was cleaned everyday and the bed turned down. I felt like a princess. and unlike other vacation spots you are not constantly being hassled to buy something on the beach.....there are very few vendors and they only ask once...then they go away.

The pools are incredible!! and the bar staff in the pool is friendly and fast!! I spent every evening having drinks in the pool!!

I cannot say enough good things about the Riu Palace in Punta Cana and look forward to going back again!!

M wife and I went to the DR for the first time this past March (vacation) and after some research on line, we decided on the RUI Palace in Punta Cana. Beautiful grounds, beautiful building, a GREAT beach (clean white sand, good quality chairs, palm trees around for shade as needed) which is what I was looking for. While we had to call room service for a few things (soap refills apparently are hard to come by!), they staff kept the in-room refrigerator stocked and except for a musty type of smell (my wife says it is the Carribean, I say it was musty), the room was, well, roomy. We had a view in the back of the hotel, which whil not providing much of a view, was quiet and relaxing after a day at the beach or pool. my only complaint was, the a/c was only adequate, and the ceiling fan was very noisy and maintenance could not seem to fix it!

Restaraunts: we ate almost exclusively at Don Miguels, had the buffet for breakfast and dinner for five of our six nights and were never dissappointed with the selection and quality!. The service was great--afterf the second night, we never had to tell our waiter that we wanted a 7-Up with dinner, they just brought two bottles to our table (we got luck and had the same person for most of the time--she received an appropriate tip for great service each night and at the end of our stay!). One night we ate at the Italian REstaraunt--NOT recommended. The staff made us feel like we needed to hurry and eat so our table would be ready for the next shift! The food was not that much different from Don Miguels and the wine was the exact same kind that they serve at DM's as well! Very dissappointing!

The staff was friendly overall, with the bar inside (off the lobby area) being the best--great staff making great drinks! As far as the hotel gift shop, make sure if you use dollars to have plenty of change--twice they could not break a $20 for us when we purchased soft drinks! The front desk broke the bill for us, but we had to wait a while until they had "enough ones from the staff." Our excursion was the snorkeling experience and since my wife and I are not great (but adequate) swimmers, we were a little hesitant to go out since it was very windy that day and the water was VERY choppy. No instruction from the staff whatsoever--the beginners were told to "put on your masks, put the preserver belt around your middle, and jump i!" That's it! Sandwiches were served on the way back (real sandwiches--like you make at home!), and beer and soft drinks were served as well. Not bad but hard to recommend unless you are an experienced "snorkeler".

Overall, a great, relaxing resort--fantastic beach, where the beach and pool service was quite good, but their glasses are very small (they are literally those small juice glasses you get at restaraunts--about 6-oz. Dissapointing for an all inclusive hotel!). Very engaging staff as well, friendly and helpful, and they helped make it a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Oh yeah, my wife had a massage, a maincure and pedicure at the spa (which included the fitness center) and said that the her female attendant was very good!

If your looking for beautiful beaches, warm friendly people,excellent food....can't say enough good things. Already made plans to go back in July..

I spent my honeymoon at this resort and it was the best hotel ever.

Both my husband and I are picky with food, and we lovedddddddddddddd the food. All resturants were great including the buffet with large variety and options.

The hotel is beautiful inside and out and the pool is nice, its not that big but its perfect.

They had shows every night which is great.

Not many young people and its very relaxing and calm resort.

The service was great from all staff and never experienced any problems.

Our check out was late, so they gave us a different room to leave our luggage in and shower before we leave.

It was really nice to have the option of visiting other Rui resorts and there is a nightclub inside one the riu resorts which was great.

RIU PALACE is by far my favorite resort by far.

This was our fourth vacation as guest of a Riu Resort. We found the Riu Resorts on internet five years ago and couldn't be happier. We first stayed at Riu Palace in the Bahamas. Following year Riu Palace Macao, DR (Riu Palace Dominican Republic was being built at this time) Last year we stayed at Riu Palace Aruba. This anniversary we stayed at Riu Palace Punta Cana. First let me start by saying the most of the negative reviews you read are probably by negative people who are very hard to please anyway. There are probably inconveniences of some kind on most vacations. A Riu representative met our flight on time as they said they would. We arrived for check in at 1:30 PM. Surprise. Our room was ready. We reserved a Superior Jr. Suite, which was wonderful. 1st floor right off the pool area, as requested. We did inquire as to why we were not given the option to book a suite on Riu.com. We were told that was not an option on the Riu website as yet. I asked if a suite became available it would be appreciated as it was our anniversary. We were informed that they would try

to accomodate our request the next day. Sure enough the next day they showed us a jacuzzi suite that was unbelievable. Full living room, step up bedroom, jacuzzi, walk in closet. A bathroom area the size of the bedroom. We were in heaven. Since we joined the Riu Class club we were given a nice discount on the room. They quickly moved us in 35 minutes. This room was also close to the pool area. Since we had stayed at Riu Resorts in the past, we knew what to expect with food. Each night we called room service and ordered a pot of coffee, juice and danish for the next morning. We usually got this at 7:30AM. After the morning ritual we went and set up our preferred location by the pool. By now it was 9:00 AM. We proceeded to breakfast. To say their breakfast buffet is second to none is putting it mildly. There is anything and everything one would want for breakfast. Most everything was made to order. Eggs, pancakes,french toast and omlette sections. ham, bacon, sausage and more. A full breakfast salad bar. Hot and cold cereals. Bagels, danish, croissants, etc. Fresh juice station. Hot coffee, tea, cappaccino, expresso and more. I'm sure you get the message. Service was always quick and superb. Now it was time for a day at the pool and beach. My wife did water aroebics in the morning. I watched and took pictures. Entertainment team was great. Always something to do. volleyball, horseshoes, dance lessons, challenging fun games. Choose to join in or just relax. We enjoy being sociable, so talking to other guest was alway a pleasure. Enjoyed trying to converse with people from other countries, even though we didn't spreak there language. When you want to enjoy, fun and good times seem to be universal. There were always children at the pool area, but they were never intrusive. The staff always had something for them to do. Time for lunch. The buffet was set up steps away from the pool area. Once again. another feast. You name it, they had it. I'm a seafood lover. They were always cooking a fresh assortment of seafoods daily. Many variations of fish, calamari, mussels, octypus, clams and more. A large variety of meats. Turkey, chicken, steaks, pork. They also had burgers, hot dogs, pizza and and two full salad bars and a dessert bar. If you want something else, just ask nicely. Once again service great. After lunch went to beach for an hour. Fun in the waves. Back to pool for fun in the sun and cocktails. If you want top shelf liquour in your drink, ask. No problem if they have your brand, which they usually did. Go to the swim up bar or order from the servers, who are always there to serve you. Usually stayed at the pool till 5:00 PM. Now back to our wonderfull room. Every room has a full bar set up. We now enjoyed cocktails on the balcony and watched the sun go down. What a life. Relaxed for a couple of hours, got the jacuzzi ready and enjoyed ourselves (I'm sure you get the message). By now it was time for dinner. We did the Italian restaurant one night. Great italian salad bar. Did Krystal (gourmet). Wonderfull being catered to. The other five nights we enjoyed the gourment buffet. Yes, gourmet buffet. I won't describe all the foods once again, but believe us, there was something for every pallet. One night I filled myself on appetizeers. Alaskan smoked salmon, crab legs, mussels, calamari in marinara sauce, red and black caviar, shrimp and more. Fantastic salad bars. Cooking stations with seafoods and meats for all. A pasta station cooked to order. There is so much you can't remember it all. A dessert station to die for. A Ice cream station. Make your own sundae. Hot bannanas in sauce, strawberries, hot fudge. You get the idea. One theme night three troubadors sang love songs at all tables. What a great treat for my wife and I when they sang a special love song for our anniversary. Other guest joined in on the song. Next, on to the shows. No, they are not broadway shows, but they are good, they are entertaining, and they get better every year. They are proffessionally done. The cabaret setting is great while being served cocktails, cappaccino, expresso, or whatever. We also danced outside under the stars to a live band. After the show we took the shuttle to the Riu Macao Casino. Nothing special. but had fun for an hour or so on three nights. Casino was friendly. I played blackjack while my wife played slots for a bit. Back to the room for a good nights sleep. Ordered coffee for the next morning. watched some tv and off to slumberland, to get ready for the same thing the next day. We did take one day to swim with the dolphins. It was a great experience. Staff very proffessional. Very safe. Proffessional camera people followed guest while in the dolphin pool. DVDs were ready when back in port. It was optional to purchase, but well worth the extra $30. for a DVD of us with the dolphins. Now we have the memories on a dvd. You can book any extras in the beautiful hotel lobby, made of beautiful marble and mahoghany, with high back chairs. Oh yes, we did enjoy cocktails at the martini bar and lounge area, right off the lobby, before dinner nightly.

Little tidbits - Yes we did tip a little extra for cocktails, room service etc. This was our choice. It is not necessary. The all inclusive truly means that. We felt when the staff took care of our every needs, a little extra went a long way. We also left a little something for the wonderful people who cleaned our room. Our feeling is that we are on vacation, and if a little extra gets you a little extra, why not. The only area that was a concern was the musty smell of all the rooms. We were not sure if it was the newness of the hotel (all cement, maybe not cured) of something else. The air conditioner worked fine. Maybe there is no dehumidificatin in the ac. We did take candles and air freshner for the room, which did help. We noticed the odor more so in our clothes when we got home. Minor incovenience. We did write Riu when we got home about this problem. They did send a letter of apology.

In any case, if your thinking of going to the Riu, DO SO!! Forget the negative reviews. Most of those people can't be pleased anywhere. A vacation is what you make of it. If there is something your need at the Riu, ASK. The staff will go out of there way to make your vacation a memorable one.

Tony & Pinky

Waterford, Ct

USA

I am not too sure about how and why people write negative reviews about this place. We have stayed on several other islands in the caribbean and found this place to be great. We were a party of 6 with two rooms for one week. First off the rooms are small compared to other places we have stayed, but got use to it. We did have the electricty go out two mornings for less than a minute, but that was it.

Food-We did eat at all restaurants and felt that other than the Italian the others were ok. Did not care for the way you had to get up and wait with the rude people to get a reservation. I think some sort of number ticket machine would work rather than watch people argue about who was there at 7:00 am to be first in line. We felt that there was plenty of variety to choose from at the buffets if you wanted to go that route.

Beach-We did have people try to sell us items everyday, but found that if you told them you already bought or just a simple smile and no thank you - they would leave you alone. Never once saw a dog on the hotel beach area or people who did not belong.

Shows-Probably their down fall. Grease Show was the worse but Michael Jackson and Mr. Riu were amusing. It is very hard to understand what they are saying at times but we must remember we are in a Spanish speaking country as I am sure if they were visiting the US, they would have a problem understanding us.

Staff-All the staff that we encounted spoke enough english to understand us and all were very helpful.

We would definately visit again.

I must say that those who I saw complain the most while we were there most likely are people who you can never make happy. I witnessed a few people who were down right rude to the staff for really no reason but I do believe most people I saw did enjoy themselves.

I wanted to say that we just got back from this resort on Sunday the 16th of March. I was really worried about going, after reading some of the previous bad reviews. In fact I took along some clean sheets and a bottle of Febreeze. To our surprise everything was really nice. Our sheets were clean and white and crisp every night. We were pleasantly surprised y the extra turn down service each night. One night they even made the clothes on our bed look like people. It’s amazing what $1.00 will do. Our room was cleaned 2 times per day. We always had clean towels, and plenty of bathroom supplies, like soaps, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, sewing kit, ect. I have to say that the room do smell a bit mouldy because of all the humidity. The sheets seem a little wet each night when you first get in them for the same reason. We chose to sleep with the patio door open (we were on the 3rd floor) and then keep the fan on. It was very nice. I found the staff very friendly for the most part. We especially loved Melissa (hostess at the Don Manuel buffet, and Leo, bar waiter on the beach. We aren’t too picky about fancy foods, so we found the choices plentiful. It’s convenient to eat lunch at the beach restaurant. Plenty of choices and you can go in your bathing suit. We didn’t care too much for the Italian restaurant, but Krystal was pretty good. I preferred to eat at the buffet with no time restrictions. If you book, you will have to be there at either 6:30 PM or 9PM. We usually sat at the beach til 3PM and then moved to the pool. One thing that was very nice was the bar service right from your beach chair, on the beach. Waiters constantly come around with drinks for you. The entertainers try very hard to provide fun. They do a very good job. We went parasailing and this cost $85.00 US and we rode tandem. We were in the air for about 10-15 min. I had a massage in the beach. My complaint there was that the massage therapist was also looking after her 2 young children, and was constantly talking to them and disciplining them, so it wasn’t as relaxing as it could have been. This cost $60.00 for 50 min full body massage. I have to agree that the entertainment at night is sometimes a little boring, but other nights there was some really good entertainment, especially Circus and the African show. We kept our room another 6 hours to accommodate the plane ride home. They will gladly do this for you, if there are rooms available for other guests, but you have to pay $10.00 US per hour. We found it was worth it. I would definitely go back again. I did speak to other guests who went there 4 years ago, when it first opened and they say it has gone downhill quite a bit since opening. I can’t imagine what it was like back then, as I found it was nice now. The place is beautiful; everyone works very hard for little pay. Average person works about 9 hrs, 6 days per week and they make $100.00 US equivalent every 2 weeks. Now you can see why $1.00 tip goes a long way. I would definitely come back.

I must start by saying, I do not understand how anyone can possibly write a negative review on this resort. Prior to booking, I did read all the reviews and was trying to determine whether or not to stay here, or at other resorts in Punta Cana (ie. Dreams/Bahia Prinicipe), prices for other hotels were cheaper, however the pictures of this resort ( Riu Palace Punta Cana) took my breathe away, and decided we should stay here regardless of the prices. Once we booked, I got a bid worried since there were many negative reviews about this place... we both read the reviews and said to eachother, "how can these be true, when the pictures of this place are absolutely stunning".. Let's start with my comments and experience:

Check In/Service:

Check in was fast, detailed and quick. The girl who checked us in spoke compleet English, and we also were welcomed with a Cocktail.

Rooms:

We stayed in a Superior Suite, which I must say, I do recommend because you are guranteed a King Size bed, along with a full CourtYard View. If you choose the regular suite, you will have a view of either the Riu Bambu if you stay on the right side of the hotel, or if you stay at the left side, you will have a view of the contruction sight next door ( which isn't so plush). So for the extra bucks, I suggest you gurantee yourself, and get the Superior Suite, which will have a king bed, and a view of the Courtyard, which is beautiful. We started on the first floor, which was perfect, not a far walk for the restaurants, lobby, beach or anything. Also, because we were right next to the buffet, we were able to see the stage and plaza area right from our room! Oh and about those negative reviews that the rooms smell and are musty and moldy- That is 100% not true. I was worried, and brought air freshners, however did not need them. The room smelled fine, and you have a ceiling fan which can be turned on anytime, and also have youre own air conditioning in you're room which you control youself, along with a screen door and balcony, so if you do smell something, turn up the AC, or open the door! One last adition, the rooms are very spacious, and very clean! I noticed, the more you tip, the more towels you get. So be generous and leave the maid some dollars, remember a dollar goes a long way!

Resuarants:

The a La Carte restaurants are all great, the only downfall is that you have to wake up early and make reservations at 8am ( which I had to wait in line of about 10 people at that time) and you will either get 6:30pm reservations or 9pm reservations. If you go right at 8am, you will be able to choose from most of all the restaurants, if you wait to go later, you will most likely only be able to choose from whatever if left. Yokohoma ( Japense) was very good, I really liked it, and was my top two favorite. My next favorite would be Luigi, which is Italian. They are both great, the Italian has a great Anti Pasto bar prior to you're entree which is outstanding. The SteakHouse was also good, steak is very good, and service is fantastic. The Brazlian and French are both good, and different. The Brazilian is alot of meat, so be prepared to eat all meat, and if you are a vegan, do not go there. The Break fast buffet is amazing, and everything is delcious and fresh, and such a wide variety of food, definetly go there every morning. The buffet for dinner is also fabulous, great variety, great service, and is a great place to go if you don't get reservations for anything else. The lunch buffet is also very good, my favoirte is the chicken, fired chicken... tastes like KFC.

Room Service:

Not much of a selection on the menu, however you can ask if they have anything more to offer, and they usualy do. I asked for alternate items, and they always had them. The room service comes within 5-10minutes in you're room, and is fresh and hot, with all necessary utensils. If you get hungry, I really suggest this.

Casino Room/Sports Bar:

The Casino room is quite small, there are only about 10 slots, which are still fun. We played the Roulette almost every night, and won some cash, which was very nice. The Sports Bar is not very large, but does have a some major english sports games on at times, and also has a small section of to-go food items, which include fresh fruite, nachoes with cheese, hamburgers and hot dogs.

Shows/Entertainment:

The shows during our week were very well put together and very fun! I really enjoyed them, and thought they were much better then I expected. We saw The Circus, which was amazing, and also watched a funny game show put together with real guests called Ideal Couple, which was very fun to watch. There was a man from Santo Domingo, who sang some popular songs, which was also very fun. All together, I think the shows were great, and the animation team were very nice, friendly and did a great job!

Beach/Pool:

The Beach is stunning, absolutely gorgeous, this beach does not compare to many other destinations, it is perfect temperature, perfect sand, perfect waves, and is just great. The pool is also beautiful, very clean and sim up bar is very quick. The loungers by the pool are hard to get, if you are not down by 8:30am, otherwise you won't find a chair. Towels are usually availible, however after 11am, there is usually a wait for towels, so get them early! The beach has a breeze/wind all day every day, and will keep you nice and warm, but not too too hot. If you prefer no wind/breeze and like the scorching hot ( as we do), then the pool is the place for you. Very sun soaking, no wind, no breeze and hot hot!!

Nightlife:

The resort is very quite after the shows, which end around 11:00am-11:30pm, there are not many people out and basically not much to do, unless you go play some slots or roulette, or walk over to the Pacha Disco. We did try out the Disco, and to be honest it's pretty small, and nothing special. But if you want to get out for a bit, then why not grab grab a drink, it's about a 1-2minute walk from the resort anyway. However, I must say, Punta Cana is not a place to party, it is a couples/family destination, a very romantic getaway. So, if you are looking to party, this is not the place!

Excusrions:

There is a Company called Scruba Caribe which has a hut in beside the Riu Palace and the Riu Bambu, they are a legitimate company, and have many nice people working for them. We booked Horse Back riding on the beach our first day, which went very well, and was so much fun. If you like relaxation and horses, I recommend it, I truly loved this one, it was great! We then booked another excursion with one of the staff members who asked us for a deposit ( as opposed for payment in full) so we though, why not pay a deposit and pay the rest later, so we did that. However he told us to meet in the lobby for the bus at 2pm, and we did, and he was not there, nor was a bus. Luckily he was from the Scruba Caribe team, and I just went to the beach hut where the manager of the company works and knew us from previously booking the Horse Back riding excursion. I told her what happend, gave her the receipt he gave us, which had his name on it, and she called him to come to hut, which he did. He of course pretended that he was looking for us, and was going to take us on the excursion, but was clearly lying. I was upset because we were all ready to go, and did give him partial payment ( $50.00 US). He told me he was going to get fired if I asked for the money back, and he promised he would take us tomorrow. ( haha) his boss yelled at him, screaming and telling him that he had to give us the money back, and she told me that their company does not even take desposits, they require full payment, in which he was clearly trying to scam us for the quick money, in hopes that we woulnd't go to his boss. But sorry, I would not let our money get away that fast. Long story short, his boss gave me the money back, as he said he didn't have the money on him ( Ya Right), she spoligized, and said that they are a reputable company, and they give everyone a receipt and require payment in full, he was trying to make some money off the tourists and did not follow procedure, which resulted in him getting fired. I don't want you to think that the excursions are all a scam, beacuse they are not, they are actually very legitimate, I would just like to warn you not to give any type of deposit to anyone, ALWAYS go to the Scruba Caribe hut with the staff member and pay the women that works there, which she will give you a full reciept from the register. They have plenty of excursions to go on, many different things to do!

After my stay here and my visit to Punta Cana, I really and highly recommend the Riu Palace Punta Cana. The Riu Palace Macao also was very nice, we took a walk around there. The Bambu and Naiboa I didn't really like, however if you are willing to spend the extra bit of cash, I highly recommend the Riu Palace Punta Cana, it is truly a palace, and you will get more then you expect! Highly recommended A+ Resort! I also recommend to visit Punta Cana, it's a great place, and it's absoutlety beautiful!

After reading all the negative reviews just before we left , i was very worried., so i emailed and faxed my concernes to the manager at the resort and told him to read trip advisor and all the negative comments to hopefully fix any problems. i dont know if it worked but i have to tell you.... it was really great, there are a few things you should know before you go:

The Main House

where you enter the hotel ,- has the lobby -to the right and gift shop and game room and casino ( 11 crappy slots) to the left . there is a bar and lounge that leads down to ground level. Then from left to right is all the resturants except one, the steak house is on the beach on the left.

Note ..there is contruction going on ,to the left of the hotel. that was not a problem for me i was on the right side.

Food:

we ate at buffet every night except one, my only complaint the dessert was the same every night .."oh poor me". they have theme nights like Mexican and Domincan etc... it was pretty good ,got to try some different things .One night we ate at La Altagracia { the steak house }and was not dissapointed. i had the chicken and wow it was good ,my husband had the land and sea. his steak was fab and lobster was small - it had a different density but was tastey. they also have SIR OSCAR { gourmet} , LA BODEGA {brazilian} , YOKAHAMA { japanese } , and LUIGI {itailan}

POOL:

was awesome .. always the perfect temperature, service better on the right side, and always use your towel ,NOTE the cushions gold color comes off when wet or sweat. There is always enough chairs, no worries ,and towels there are enough and the towel hut is located on the right side of the pool.

SPA:

very nice , open to all Riu guests, they have a warm pool spa and a cool pool with a great view. NOTE .. get a massage -ask for eva - ,just for the experience alone!! not for the shy of hearts, she's the best ( i have had many but she stands alone)

SHOPPING CENTER:

is located to the right of the spa, it is small, but it has quite a few things, dont bother going to Carribean Street its a disapointment. But if you have it in you,**NOTE** walk to the beach , turn right ..walk down very far until you are close to hotel Ocean Blue ,there is flea market on the beach, they dont like to give prices- they say" cheapy cheapy walmart prices" try to figure out a far price for the item and offer that, be prepared to walk away they will follow you to try to deal , stick with your price . or they will give you a price ,then you start bargaining at 1/3 the price they just gave you. ..NOTE ... some people come to the hotel to sell there goods they set up before dinner, they bargain too.

they start at $65.00 for a necklace, they light it on fire to show you its real not plastic, i got them for $20.00 and $25.00 US

THE BEACH:

Awesome , no rocks ,no shells just light brown sand, lots of room very big, feel free to drag your chair anywhere you want. ..NOTE.. there is a side walk on the beach to take you between Riu's - if you like, you can find it where the shopping centre meets the beach. ..NOTE.. if you think about it , bring some dog treats, alot of skinny homeless dogs roaming the beach, they are ok around people as long as you dont try to pet them, you can walk up and offer food they gently take it ,but don't try to pet

ROOMS:

This is the best room i ever had but... our room was 3070 we were on the right , the first corner jacuzzi suite. we had a LARGE king size bed , a HUGE sunken living room, a walk in closet , nice size jacuzzi between bedroom and bathroom sinks and shower . our main balcony was huge and wrapped aroung the building,it had a view of the pool and ocean and then there was a spiral stair case taking us up to another private balcony with 2 lounge chairs and a hot tub. it was amazing. BUT the room smelt very very moldy ,i am so glad i brought FEBREEZE, i doused the bed ,pillows, furniture and our clothes every day. i did ask for more pillows they did not smell at first, i think it is just the room because room 3077 did not smell at all. and there are micro bugs in the walk in closet, i think they were spiders? i sprayed the deet all over them and our suit cases.

ROOM SERVICE

Takes forever, get them to give you a time ,expect them to be late, if you order towels or pillows etc.. just leave they have a key to get in and they will leave it in your room

NOTE*** take paper and pen they never seem to have any, and a couple key spanish phrases, like... extra towel or face cloth etc.. what ever your needs because no one speaks english

PHONE CARDS

you can buy a $20.00 us card that you can use in your room at a $2.00 service charge every time you call out even if you dont connect or you can have front desk do it @ $2.00 till they get out

EXCURSIONS

We swam with sea lions at Dolphin Island. they are very un orgainzed there. there is a little place to the right on the beach called CARIB SCUBA- ask for LUICIEN he is the best, we waited with us , when the tour company claimed they came and we were not there Lucien stepped up and said he was there the whole time and the they better send a cab at there expense right away. Sea Lions are $75.00 and Dolphins are $120.00. they take a bunch of pictures of the group and they sell you all the pictures on one CD $30.00 for dolphin pictures and $40.00 for sea lion pictures. they take visa / mastercard. swimming with stingrays and nurse sharks are included ,but be fast they don't allow for along time in there.

This was the first DR and all-inclusive trip for me and 3 girlfriends. We're in our late-twenties and primarily went for fun, sun and relaxation. I was so pleased with my stay at the Riu Palace.

LESS THAN POSITIVES: obviously, as an all-inclusive, the food is not gourmet, but it was certainly enjoyable for 5 days. Room service took at least 30 minutes and one time I had to call back and found they had not processed my order. You have to make reservations for the 5 restaurants between 8-11 in the morning. If you don't make it in that time, you'll have to eat at the buffet. However, having dined at the buffet one night and the restaurants the other nights (French, Brazilian and Steak), I don't think you're missing out on that much by eating at the buffet.

POSITIVES: #1 by far was the staff. They were all so friendly, helpful and INCREDIBLY hard-working. Within a just a few days, we got to know so many who always remembered our names. I think it helped that we all spoke more than a fair amount of spanish, so if you're able, try. We did a combo pack at the spa which was great and well worth the extra money. The rooms were very clean. Riu palace is definitely the highest end of the Riu complex and had very pretty decor and grounds. Despite commenting on the food in the section above, it definitely surpassed my expectations. The variety and quality at the buffet was impressive. There is a lot of recreation and entertainment all day long which would make it an ideal destination for families (two beach volleyball courts, poolside aerobics and games like bocce, horseshoes, bean bag toss, nonmotorized water sports).

Have to say a special thanks to all our friends at the Palace: Judith (desk), Orlando (entertainment), Pedro #2/cafe, Juan #1 (buffet), Super Negro (pool bar), Guido (dinner reservations)

I definitely would recommend Riu Palace Punta Cana!

I travelled with a large group of people (25+) from Canada and met up with many more from other parts of the world. The Riu was extremely welcoming to all of the guests. Whenever a staff member of the resort sees you, they will say hello!

Here is a summary of our stay at the Riu Palace Punta Cana:

Check-in: It seemed simple enough! As usual the entire bus gets off and everyone wants to check in. The Riu had everyone’s keys ready and waiting. As soon as we checked in, a bell-hop quickly took us and our luggage to our room.

Rooms: The rooms are quite spacious with a large bathroom. As many have mentioned before, the sheets do seem a little damp, but it is the Caribbean and it is HUMID! We found it most comfortable when we turned the AC to above 20 degrees and had the ceiling fan on all day. At night, the fan would go off and we were not cold, hot, or damp! The view that we had was nothing special – we are not one to complain since we do not spend our trip in the room. They are doing construction on one side of the resort but that did not bother us at all.

Pool: The pool itself is on the smaller side – compared to other resorts that I have stayed at. Although, many do go to the beach so that did not bother us. Like all resorts, you do have to get up at a decent hour and ‘reserve’ your chairs by the pool. Since we were with a large group, we always tried to get at least 5 chairs so that we could alternate and that wasn’t too much of a problem. The pool bar has amazing service with waiters that walk around the pool as well. Antonio and Francisco were the best! They always were sure to bring us fresh drinks, even if we didn’t finish our previous!!

Beach: The beach is amazing! Beautiful and many, many, many, chairs! Since there are 5 Riu’s in the same area, you can go for a very long walk without leaving the Riu resort. Immediately to the left is the Gran Bahia Principe (which is another great resort). There are also waiters that bring you drinks to the beach!

Food and Restaurants: The buffet was mediocre for a Caribbean buffet. Breakfast was always good but dinner seemed to be the same very often. The ‘meat of the day’ was always appetizing. That was the one thing that we wished the Riu would improve on. The gourmet restaurants are quite good, but the reservations are horrible to make! They start booking at 9am I believe, and you have to be there MUCH EARLIER or the restaurant will book up! This has to be done on a daily basis. We ended up dining at the Japanese, Steakhouse, and Italian. All were quite good. The snack bar by the beach/pool seemed to be the same daily, but it was all edible.

Spa: I booked a massage for the day that we departed and wished that I could have another! Fabiola did an amazing job! My friend and her mother both went twice during our one week stay. We all enjoyed the Spa services.

Overall, we all had an amazing time at the Riu Palace Punta Cana. Would I return? Most definitely! I might try out another section of the Riu, but we did have a great time with great service. Our group of approximately 50 people went for a friend’s wedding and it was absolutely stunning. We all HIGHLY recommend the photographer and videographer that the Riu has. They did an amazing job with the video and album. Looking forward to staying at the Riu again!

Just got married here on 6/6 and the coordinators Magnolia and Julianna were great to work with. Maria did my hair and makeup and she did a SUPERIOR job..love you for that Maria :o) They upgraded our room on the wedding night and the room was out of this world wonderful! The resort looks exactly as it shows online and this definately exceeded my expectations. Food was decent..who can complain if you're getting food and drinks all day long with quality service. Non-spanish speaking guests be patient(this is where you'll regret no taking all your spanish courses in high school)..spanish is the country's first language. Didn't see a lot of children..a few though so if you plan on brining them, beware that some folks walk around topless. Overall, it was great.!

A friend and i decided to stay at the RPPC after seeing the Riu Palace in Mexico. The resort was beautiful and the service was excellent. All you had to do is ask and they would do it for you. When I arrived the overhead fan was loud. I called the front desk and they sent someone right away to fix it. They called me the next day to make sure that it was fixed. The beds were a little hard so the cleaning lady added pading to two beds to make them more comfortable for us. The food was average. There was a lot of variety. I ate at the Italian and at krystal's restaurant. They were also just average. The service was great in both places. I spend most of my time lounging on the beach and at the pool. I had no problems getting a loungers in either place. Great location on the beach. I came with an open mind, a few American ones and a desire to get some rest from the fast pace of life. I turned my cell phone off. I took in two excursions and spend the rest of the time at the resort. There is a moldly odor in the rooms probably related to the humidity. I bought along some febreeze. It helped some. The sun rises are breath-taking and i got up early for each one and then went back to sleep. Nice place to get some rest. However,I was not a total isolationist . i did meet 4 young beautiful sisters and had nice conversations with them. My server named Yonathan at the buffet knew that i wanted to sit outside for each meal and he made sure that I had a prime spot for each meal. i never had to ask for drinks because he knew exactly what i wanted. I call that excellent service. i would go again.

My husband and I stayed at the RIU Palace for our honeymoon and had a wonderful time. We met some great people from our hometown as well as from all over the world.

Here are some things I wish others had posted before I left for vacation and things I observed:

1. Bring your own towel with you! The RIU provides clean towels every day, but they were not quite long enough to cover the chair, either my head or my feet were resting on the beach chair pad. I'm glad I threw in a beach towel at the last minute!

2. Even though you will be told that he line for restaurant reservations opens at 8 a.m., it opens about 15 minutes early....so if you want reservations for the day, get down there around 7:40 to get a place in line.

3. The gentleman in the RIU Jewelry shop was trying to tell us that Visa charges him an 20% service charge to run a credit/debit card. He wanted us to pay in cash (most vendors want you to, they say they will get a better deal that way). We told him that we were not born yesterday and that 2% goes to Visa and 18% goes into his pocket. What a scammer. We walked away and did not look back.

4. We brought Febreeze with us and used it daily. I also used the towels from our room as an extra barrier on the loveseat in the room. It was kind of mildew-y and I did not want to sit directly on it.

5. Every day I banged my knee getting into the shower! The bathroom was nice, but they have granite on the outside of the tub opening (and the tub/shower opening is small). If you are staying there and have difficulties with your knees/hips, ask about getting a different room with a different tub configuration. It was tough for me and I'm in my late 20's!

6. The cleaning staff comes early to the rooms to clean and returns in the evening to turn-down you room. We usually had the Do Not Disturb sign up in the evenings.

7. If you eat or drink in the room DO NOT leave your empty glass or plate sitting out. We made that mistake the first night and had bugs all over the place. That was dumb on our part, but something to keep in mind.

8. The RIU must refill liquor bottles with call liquor. We were excited to see some top shelf selections in the sports bar, but when we ordered a Jack and Sprite we realized that it was rum! Also, the Smirnoff Vodka bottle looked as if it had been refilled numerous times, the label was worn and coming off!

9. While I was in the pool I noticed a 'code brown' and alerted the staff. They simply laughed it off. That made me stick with swimming in the ocean! I also heard that someone vomited in the pool and the staff did nothing about it. That is something that I will not tolerate. There was not a RIU rep. outside at the pool/resort at any time, outside of the servers.

10. While we did not go to the nightclub, we heard stories from other folks who went. My recommendation is NOT to go. Enough said?

All in all, we had a great time. The food was o.k., I was surprised that there was not more 'Dominican Cuisine' to eat. The drinks were good, the entertainment not so great.

We had a wonderful experience here. As we began our vacation we decided to dine

in Abraham's section of the outdoor dining buffet. As Abraham got to know us, each time he had drinks prepared for us without requesting them. Ahhh the capacanico was sooo good. The buffet was very good and a great variety. But, I would have to say it would be great to enjoy dining at any restaurant without the males having to wear long pants, nice shorts would be great. Also not have to make required dinner reservation between the required 8:00-10:00AM window.

To end our trip it was great to fly 1st class on US Airways!

Before i get to my review, I just want to say this, everyone has different opinions on everything. My Mona Lisa, might be your 3rd graders finger painting. My point is, what i think is beautiful, is not what you think is beautiful and vice versa. That being said, its all about perspective folks. If you are used to paying $100 a plate for your dinner, the Riu's food will not suffice. If you have a butler, then you will be upset by the service. And if your biggest decision of the day is wether to have a bloody mary or a mimosa for breakfast, then you need to relax and enjoy your time on a beautiful island. On to my review...

Wedding: We had a destination wedding with a group of about 25 and they did an amazing job. My wife and i couldnt have been happier. So stress free. Thank you Riu.

Room: Our room was fine, sure there was a slight musty smell, but we were only in our room from about 11pm to 7 am. The beds are rock hard. Didn't suit me, but others in our wedding enjoyed them. Maid service was always done. Bar was always stocked. no complaints from me.

Food: I have eaten at restaurants that cost $200 just to walk through the door and i have eaten at applebees. The breakfast buffet was good. The lunch buffet was not. Dinner buffet was OK. We ate at all the restaurants except for the Japanese. They were all about like Applebees except for Krystal. That place was not good.

Drinks: the wine is very watered down. the beer was fine. mixed drinks were decent. the frozen drinks were pretty good, but remember to ask for alcohol in them. Service was never an issue when it came to getting drinks. if you expect a full drink while on the beach all the time, you are crazy. there are 1,000 people out there and a handful of waiters. they will come around when they can. tipping these guys is needed as they are busting tail to get people drinks and its hot out there. they really appreciate it.

Pool: was very fun and a little rowdy. if you are looking for quiet, go to the beach.

Beach: AMAZING, you have seen the pictures and its probably why you are going here. you will not be disappointed.

Watersports: this was my biggest concern. they were only open 1 out of 6 days. the rest they said it was too windy, yet every other resort was letting their guests do the same things???? whats crazy is all the resorts watersports are run by the same company. not sure why they wouldnt let our resort use the equipment.

Nightlife: pretty dead after 1130. there is a disco but my freinds said it was ok.

The Resort: immaculate. very Palatial. hence the palace.

We had no issues with the service whatsoever. As i said earlier, youre on vacation, enjoy yourself and smile. you will be fine.

We travelled to the Dominican Republic whith Thomson between the 27th April and 10th May 2009.We upgraded to the premium cabin for the flight and were greeted with a glass of champagne when we boarded the aircraft. Drinks were in constant supply and nothing was too much trouble for the cabin crew. Do be aware though that some cuples were not sitting together due to the seating plan in the plane which is a 2 then a 3 then a 2 so if you want to sit with your other half I would advise you to reserve the seats before you go as some couples were not happy about this at all!

When we arrived at the airport we were taken in a private taxi to the hotel. Be aware of the luggage gandlers in the airport who try to take your cases from you as you leave arrivals as they will carry your cases but expect you to pay for it! The trip to the hotel was an eye opener. They don't seem to have any highway code and travelling through the villages was quite interesting however do not let this put you off!

When we got to the hotel we were given a drink and were checked in quite quickly. The staff do speak English and we had no problems communicating with them at all. You do have to wear an annoying wristband throughout the length of your stay but this is so you can go to all the other RIU resorts on the complex.

When we got to the room we were greeted by the "musty smell" other people have complained about however we believe it is just the smell of the Caribbean in general and you soom get used to it. It is a hot humid country and does smell different to the UK. The room was a standard room and was very spacious and clean. There are a few English speaking channels on the TV including Satanta Sports and BBC America where you can watch The Apprentice and Gordon Ramsay if you are feeling homesick!!

The bathroom was a good size with two sinks and a large bath with a shower over it. The maids come in to change the towels twice a day, once in the daytime and once when you are out in the evening as they also run a turn down service. We left a tip of one dollar per day for the maid and found towel art in the room after doing this.She also left us a packet of cigars, bottle of room and a Dominican doll one day so it was worth leaving the tip!

The beach at the hotel is gorgeous! It is the best beach I have ever been to! Very clean white sands and crystal clear blue sea! There are plenty of sunbeds underneath the palm trees however we didn't go down to the beach one day until after midday and struggled to find a sunbed. There did tend to be sunbeds around the pool that were free most days but these were the ones in direct sunlight and the unbrellas usually got taken quite quickly.

The meals were OK. At breakfast you could have anything and everything!! Toast, bacon, sausages, fruit, yoghurts, cold meats, croissants, all sorts of freshly squeezed juices and we also noticed brussell sprouts?!?!?!?

For lunch you can eat in the main restaurant or if you are down by the beach or the pool there is also the restaurant down there. The main restaurant tend to do roast meat of some sort whereas the restaurant down on the beach has allsorts of seafood, hotdogs, burgers, chips, salads, etc.

If you are staying at the Riu Palace Punta Cana you can eat lunch in any of the other hotels. We went to the Riu Palace Macao and ate lunch in the restaurant at the side of the pool a few times. The pizzas are so much better in there as they cook them in a stone baked oven and they seemed to have a different variety of food to that in the Riu Palace so if you fancy a change I would reccomenf eating there.

We found it easy to book into the other restaurants in the evening and did not have a problem getting into any of the restaurants we wanted to try at the time we wanted to go.

We tried the Italian restauarnt "Luigis" on the first night. This was a good meal. It was a buffet for starters with lots of salad and pasta dishes and then we jhad filet steak for our main which was excellent. We also ate in the Krystal restaurant where we found the food too rich and the L'Altagracia where you get seafood and a ceaser salad for starters then we chose roast chicken for the main course which came with chips covered in parmasan cheese which was OK. We did not eat in the Japanese restaurant as we are not keen on raw fish or the La Bodega restaurant as on their menu everything came with pig fat or was cooked in pig fat!?!?!?!?

The main buffet restaurant was OK. The food was a bit repetative but if you wanted your classic, meat, veg and potato meal they always had a choice of a different roast meat everyday and also had gravy!! There was also a large variety of other food to choose from.

WHilst we were there we booked two trips through our Thomson Rep. The first was the Outback Safari which we throghouly enjoyed and would definitley reccommend. They pick you up from the hotel and take you out in a large safari truck.It is very safe and you have to wear seatbelts. They take you into the Dominican countryside where you get to see how they live and the Dominican lifestyle. Our guide, Alex, was very good and answered any questions we had about the Country. He explained how the Dominican Republic was fomed and also had a lot of knowledge about the vegetation that grows their. During this tour you do see a lot of kids who run up tp the truck when it stops. Alex told us that they do not encourahe begging in the Dom Rep but if you do want to contribute something you can take pens and colouring books, etc and donate them at the end of the trip. By going on thid trip some of the money you pay goes back into helping them build schools for the kids so it is for a good cause too!

We also went to Saona Island for the day. This was also an excellent trip however it is an early start and we got picked up from the hotel at 6.55am in the morning and didn't return back until about 7.00pm that evening. It is a very long day out but well worth it! You travel down on a bus and then have to get onto a speedboat to travel to the island. You do have to walk into the sea and climb onto the back of the boat. Whilst travelling along the coastline we saw dolphins jumping in the water which was out of this world! We then stopped in the sea and got off the boat into a natural swimming pool where you could hold a starfish. We then got back on the speedboat and travelled to the island. There are a lot of people on the island at the same time and there is a free bar and free barbecue and you spend a couple of hours there exploring or sunbathing before returning on a catamaran. There is free alcohol on the catamaran and the staff onboard like you to get up and dance with them!!

We also did parasailing which we booked with Scuba Caribe at their beach hut which is just past the spa at the Riu Palace Punta Cana. There are people on the beach which try to sell you the watersports. They will take your money and you will never see them again. The Scuba Caribe team also walk around the pool at the hotel to try and sell you their watersports. If you aren't interested just tell them no and they will leave you alone.

We also had a pedicure and massage at the spa whilst we were there. I was not very impressed with the pedicure but the massage was excellent!!

One more thing to mention that not many people seemed to know about is that there is a courtesy bus which runs daily which takes you to a shopping mall about 30 minutes away. At the shopping mall is the Hard Rock Cafe and plenty of other designer shops. The bus runs from the meeting point at the top of the Caribbean Street at 10.00am, 12.00pm and 2.00pm every day. We were told this by our Rep after we asked her if there was any way we could get out of the hotel as we fancied a change of scenery. We got on the bus OK (which is were all the taxis are waiting at the top of the Caribbean Street which is located at the side of the Riu Palace Macao). The bus stopped at a few other hotels to pick people up along the way. When we got off the bus at the shopping mall we asked the driver what time he would be picking us up and he told us 2.00pm. This made sense to us as the Rep had told us they pick you up an hour and a half later and we got there at 12.30pm. However we went to get back on the bus at 2.00pm and were approached by a security guard who kindly informed us that the bus would not be returning until 5.30pm. We sat and waited until about 3.00pm but then gave up and had to get a taxi back at a cost of $20.

Just to be aware that there is also a new hotel being constructed at the side of the Riu Palace Punta Cana and we had a view of this construction site from our balcony. If you close your patio door you cannot hear the noise though!!

All in all this is a very nice hotel, everywhere is clean and well kept and we could not fault any of the staff at all. They are all very kind and polite and everyone says "Hola" to you when they see you. A "Hola" back and a smile is all they expect. We also found no problems communicating with anybody during our stay.

If you have booked this hotel and are being put off by the negative comments then all I can say is DON'T BE!! It is a 5 star hotel and you will not be disappointed!

Just got back from a trip with the girls we had a great time. Last time we stayed at the Riu Taino. Definately worth the small cost to upgrade to the Palace as the food was much better and you get better alcohol. The beach at the Taino was a little less crowded, but we were lazy and stayed in front of the Palce for the most part! Still is a beautiful beach. I see a lot of complaints (mostly from americans) about the food, service and cleanliness. There were 6 of us and we were all quite pleased - we realize what a bargain the DR still is. Are there better places? I'm sure, but at a higher cost. Our room was clean, the beach was clean, the pool even though crowded (and way too warm for me) was clean. Try one or two fo the reservation only restaurants, but they were not our favorite - the buffets had nice selections - fruit is awesome as well as the local fare. If you only want a variety of "american" food - stay home! If you want the staff to speak english - stay home!

Just returned from a 5 night stay at the Riu Palace Punta Cana. My wife and I went with another couple and our 17 years old sons. We booked this only a couple of weeks prior to the trip after another trip was cancelled at the last minute. I've come to trust and rely on Tripadvisor for most of my hotel choices whenever I travel, so the numerous frequent bad reviews (especially after I booked) had me very concerned. The resort was much nicer than I had imagined and I believe many of the bad reviews are misleading.

Here are my positives: very clean and well kept new facility, the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, a nice variety of decent food options, extremely friendly and accommodating staff, good value for the money, reliable free WIFI in the lobby

Some negatives: silly system for booking ala carte restaurants (read other reviews), , inconsistent bar tending, limited entertainment, musty smell in some of the rooms (bring febreeze), crowded beach and pool area, limited activities off the resort

More importantly, I'd like to address some of the criticism that is frequent on this board, and why I don't think it makes a difference (at least to me): more Europeans than Americans (who cares?), some staff members don't speak English as well as some reviewers would like (you are in a Spanish speaking country!), not enough normal american food at buffet ( the buffett choices were endless. I can't imagine anyone would go hungry), restaurants aren't 5 star ( I'm not sure I know what 5 star is, but what do you expect for an all-inclusive)

Here's my summary. This is a very nice all-inclusive for the money. Who should go? Families with kids, extended families, wedding partys. If you want a romantic vacation as a couple, go to an adults only resort. If you want high end dining, go to a Four Seasons or a Ritz (and pay triple the price). If you don't like to sit on the beach, eat and drink, go somewhere with more potential activities ( for example, Costa Rica, my favorite)

My Wife and I just returned from 6 nights at the RIU Palace Punta Cana. I won’t bore you with a long winded response just the facts as I would lie to see them in review:

Arrival – Great First impression as you drive up. Lobby area is very spacious and ornate.

Front Desk – Not the best experience I have had but efficient and pleasant. We were greeted with a nice tropical drink.

Bellman Service for Bags – Slow but with a simple call the bags arrived.

Hotel Grounds – Beautiful, well kept and clean.

Room – Large, Spacious, Fridge worked pretty well, Beer, Soda and water always stocked. A/C was OK a little musty but nothing a small can of air Freshener wouldn’t resolve. Room also was always a little humid for my liking but not a major concern. One of only two real negatives was that the Beds were extremely hard and uncomfortable. Stay active during the day and night so your so tired it won’t make a difference.

Pools – Wonderful. Clean plenty of chairs could use a few more umbrellas for those of us who are fair skinned and can’t take a full day of the sun.

Beach – Best part of Punta Cana. Soft white sand, a beach that goes on for Miles plenty of lounge chairs and plenty of Palm trees for shade.

Warning if you are going with Kids the Beach is Top optional and some people even go top optional at the pool.

$1 tips go a long way to getting good service. Especially around the pool and the beach. Once that waiter knows your going to Tip he will be back periodically to make sure that you have what you need. Same for the Buffet wait staff. Find someone you like and tip them a couple of bucks for good service. the Next time you walk in they great you find you a table in their section. IF they are really good they will bring you your beverage of choice for Dinner.

Food – I have been to four All Inclusive resorts and on at least 6 or 7 cruises. Folks this food is made in bulk for large number of people. I never expect 5 star quality food so my expectations are reasonable. The food was OK to Good. In 6 days I never went Hungry. The Ala Carte Restaurants are a nice change as a sit down dinner rather than a buffet.

Ala Carte Reservations – You do need to be up a little early to have your choice of first or second sitting. My choice was to get up early to be one of the first on line. Stop at the Breakfast buffet pick up some fruit, muffin and coffee pull a chair up from the patio and have a light breakfast snack while you wait. Instead of going back to the room get a chair by the pool or on the beach sit down with a good book or some music and enjoy the cool breeze and the scenery.

Daily Entertainment – Entertainment staff works hard but you need to go find out what’s going on. The only place we found the daily activity schedule was on a sign just to the left of the Italian Restaurant.

Nightly Entertainment – Not the greatest but at least they try. Spend time with your significant other. Isn’t that what you’re here for anyway?

The RIU resort has two streets with various shops. Basically they are way overpriced but hey are nice for an evening walk. The Caribbean street looks like it might be a long walk on the map but it really is not. The Colonial Shops are on the property.

Water Sports – Run by Scuba Carribe are around but you really need to flag them down or visit there building (at the end of the Colonial Street).

Fitness Center – Mostly Bikes and treadmills OK

Think I covered everything. Turned out a bit longer then expected but it gives you on honest assessment of the property

My wife and I just returned from a two week vacation at this Hotel. Overall we liked the Hotel. The building is beautiful (definately 5 Star), Rooms very fairly nice and overall we found the complex well kept (It should be it's only 3 years old) The other 4 RIU hotels that are part of this huge complex are not very nice and I would not recomend any of them to anyone). The disappointing thing was the quality of the food in the Al a Carte restaurants. The only decent restauant was the Krystal. The Italian and Steak house were average - certainly nothing special. The Japanese restaurant was poor quality and the Brazilian was just awful. The buffet (Don Manual) was good. The alcohol is all watered down and the two red wine choices are both awful. (My brother in law makes better home made wine in two weeks).

We paid alot of money for this package and I didn't like the fact that you have to pay for using internet ( $6.00 Amercian for 30 minutes). The computers are fairly slow - you'll burn up 5 minutes just trying to connect

Entertainment not worth attending. Most of the staff don't speak English and you will get conflicting information. Example I phoned the front desk to enquiry about the prices for in house laundry and was told it was in Dominican pesos. Imagine my surprise on checking out to find out it was in Amercan dollars.

Just to put a nice ending on our vacation - our camera was stolen from our room. The front desk manager promised to investigate - yeah sure!!!

The Palace was a beautiful building with gorgeous chandeliers, paintings, seating, etc. The room was okay, just a regular room with two queen beds pushed together. They were very firm which I liked but my husband didn't. The pool area was phenomenal. Loved the whirlpools within the pool, swim up bar was great, fast, friendly service. Get up by 8 to reserve a chair at the pool. No problem getting chair on beach but might be back in the shade if you dont' get there early. Staff was friendly, we didn't really make friends with any of them though. If you're American you learn quickly that you are outnumbered by Europeans and there is quite a language barrier so we kept to ourselves for the most part. Everything is negotiable, don't ever pay full price. I wish the resort didn't allow the vendors who came on the property to be so pushy, it was kind of a turn off. We booked through Expedia and had a Club Caribe representative who was knowlegable and spoke English well. Make sure you visit the other RIU resorts, Bambu seems to make stronger drinks and has a larger entertainment venue. Casino down at Macao was okay and loved shopping on Caribbean Street. Did not do any excursions, just preferred to sit back and relax each day. Rodizio restaurant was great, did not like Luigi's or Yokohama. Stuck with the buffet a lot as there were many options. Overall, great relaxing vacation with one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been on.

We arrived on Sunday. The rooms were muggy due to the humidity, and not having dehumidifyeir in the room caused the clothes to smell mildewy, and 2 of the 6 rooms rented had bed bugs. Beds are hard. Service, besides the pool bar and lounge bar, and the scuba caribe, was a non existent word until 3rd party surveys were conducted on Tuesday. We discovered that restaurant managers and servers were throwing away surveys that said anything but excellent, and informed the Quality Assurance group what had happened.

After the survey night, service and quality of food was 100% better. Do not waste time at the steakhouse or the Japanese restaurant (food was below avg at both). Italian, American Fusion, and Brazilian Rodizio were excellent dinners and service.

Scuba Caribe for the most part was great in helping line up activities. Negotiate on price!

-Snorkle and sunset cruise - Good time, decent snorkeling

-Scuba - Decent excursion

-Horseback Riding - Great time, actually was able to run the horses on the beach

-Zip Lining- The activity itself was alright (not worth the money). The best part was the drive to and from the place, as we were able to see how the residents lived and were able to interact with them.

-Fishing- Do not waste your time or money (unless you pay 1/2 up front and 1/2 if it was a good time) unprofessional guide that did not know how to get the boat to the fishing grounds. Kept getting stuck in the sand, then the prop got stuck in the resort rope and swim bouyes, not to mention getting stuck on a coral reef! The boat broke down 3 times, and we asked to bring us back, but the guide would not. We ended up wasting 8 hours, $500 (they would not refund our money or a portion of it).

Overall, if you get the flight and stay cheap enough, it is worth the trip. The most beautiful beaches I have seen. Dont let your initial expectations be too high, and you will love the trip. There is not much nightlife past 10:30, unless you brave going out of the resort past midnight. The hotel casino is 10 slot machines and an automatic roulette wheel. Not much of a fitness center. Given that this is one of the nicer hotels on the island, if you are to go to the Dominican, it would be a safe choice to choose this hotel

The only reason we went was to attend a wedding. I read the reviews and most of which is written is true. The down side to the Riu Palace is the moldy smell and humidity in the rooms. When people said the bed feels wet it is and there is no getting away from it. What helped a bit was if you leave the porch screen door open in the day time but then they have an automatic sensor that turns off the AC when you do this. The couch in the room smelled like someone sat on it after sweating a lot. I simply placed one of the blankets from the closet over it.

The ride to the resort was a pain and I didn't feel safe. The bus driver drove fast as possible and went around any slow moving vehicle which I assume was to avoid any

chance of being stopped.

The food was good I thought. I am not a picky eater. Hey some of the stuff tasted funky to me so the next time I avoided it. We all seemed to get a moderate to mild case of stomach indigestion but it passed. Of course we didn't purposly drink the tap water but I am sure this is what caused it at some point.

They are not stingy with the drinks and the service was good. The staff for the most part was very friendly. Our vacation agent Applevacations had a wonderful rep at the Palace and was very helpful and accomodating.

From my opinion if you classify yourself as a 5 start resort and cater to an International crowd then you should have servers who can speak English and Spanish. Most of the cocktail servers, waiters and waitress did not speak english enough to communicate effectively.

It was a nice place aside from the things mentioned above but for me I wouldn't go back, the entertainment ( aside for the Band Raymundo Rosario we hired for the wedding who were excellent singers) was not very entertaining.

After expressing to friends who were travelling with us how important it was to book a good 4/5 star hotel in the domincan we were very disappointed with the Riu Palace Punta Cana. Having travelled around the caribbean we thought we would try the Riu hotel as the brochure highlighted how grand and impressive this place was. We can honestly say the hotel itself is very grand but the food and accomodation were very poor. The bedrooms as mentioned by many other people smelt of mold and made the bedding and our clothes smell, infact our suitcases still smelt after we returned home!!!!

The food in some of the restaurant was ok but nothing special you can eat in as good restaurants in a 3 star hotel!!! My husband was ill with diahorrea for most of the holiday and dare not eat a great deal as the food in the buffets never quite tasted right, the sports bar was also a dissapointment as this was supposed to be airconditioned, i dont think so!!!!

The actual location of the hotel on the beach is great but everyting else was very disappointing. We fortunately went with some great friends so made the holiday as great as we could it is just a shame about the hotel we stayed in!!!!

My advice is try the Melia Caribe Tropical, Dominican Republic, this hotel is more like it!!!! The hotel, rooms, food and service are far superior

We just returned from the Riu Palace Punta Cana yesterday. We were there for 10 days. When you pull up to the front of the resort you will be very excited. It is so beautiful. When entering the lobby you will be amazed. They obviously put all their time and money constructing this building to be above and beyond gorgeous.

I had e mailed the resort in advance requesting a room close to the ocean and did receive one back saying that it would be no problem. When we arrived to the front desk to check in there was an unfriendly man who said he did not no about any e mail and there is no ocean view and $150 per night to upgrade to a suite or $35 fee per night for a pool view. We had a garden view and our room was not ready yet.

We went to get some lunch down by the beach. The food here put nicely is crap. Compared to other all inclusive resorts we have stayed in (8 in the last five years) this was the worst in the food department. Not much variety, no quality. They had these cold meat, chicken or fish patties . It was last nights dinner ground up into a cold jelled cake.

Ok so next we went to find the kids club for my daughter. It was first of all next to a construction site,( as we realized so were the garden view rooms) but that really didn't matter because it was closed. There were not enough kids at this resort to have any activities planned for them. So the few kids in the resort had nothing for them. So now I am thinking if we don't have a pool view we will have this construction view, the food sucks and there is no kids club, I don't want to stay here.

We went to our cheap Caribbean rep. who was of no help what so ever and after about 2 hours of getting no where they said our room was ready. They did give us a room with a pool view no extra charge and we could also see the ocean which took some of the stress away.

We went down to the beach, witch was rough. The waves were huge and the water was cold. I don't mean to sound like a a complainer but it was. It's not like most of the beaches in the Caribbean which are small with coves and choral. It is a huge long stretch with thousands of people.

The next 5 days it was cloudy and rained poured down every night starting around 6pm. Saturday it poured all day, lightning and thunder, power outage the whole shabang. The last 5 day the sun came out and it was HOT!

The food really never was good. we walked out of 2 restaurants and went to the buffet. The deserts and the drinks we good.

The shows varied. One group of dancers were very good, and the other group, not so good. The animation team was good. There are two ladies that made an effort to play with my daughter and night , but there was nothing for kids at all during the day.

The bad smells were all over the hotel. The beds were the worst. The pillows and the mattress smelled from mold. We stripped the bed every day and left money for the maid to change the sheets. The roll away bed they brought in for my daughter was more comfortable then the king size. We all took turns sleeping on it.

The shower was terrible. It make a jack hammering sound. The bath tub was small and when we filled it up the water smelled. There were strange sewage smells all over the hotel as well. One by the ice machine at the beach buffet and one by the deserts in the main buffet.

The pool was warm. It was not big enough for a hotel of this size. It looked like spring break in Cancun by the pool bar every day by 12pm. The bathroom is a good distance from the pool. They wash the cups in tap water which is not potable ( so don't brush your teeth with it). But we did all get diarrhea at some point. I think it was from the wet glasses, they also rinse the blender out with tap water.

There are 3 other Riu resorts to the right of the Palace. Thank god we did not stay in one of those. They are pretty bad. We did manage to find a lot of shopping throughout. There is a shuttle bus that will drive you to them at night . There is a big casino at the Macco which is second from this hotel.

Over all I would rate the looks of the hotel 5 star, but the food is 3 at best. We did try to make the most of the trip. We are somewhat disappointed. If you are on the fence about staying here I would go elsewhere like the Majestic or the Iberostar Grand. Or just go to Jamaica. We like it much better then Punta Cana.

We found the people to be very annoying and pushy.

Not enough activities for young children. Adults wanting to drink and relax this is your choice. My family and I just got back from here. We were not impressed with the Riu, staff is friendly and food was okay. Rooms had ants all over even after cleaned by staff. Beds hard and too small. The day before we left someone vomitted in the pool and it was still there when we checked out!! Entertainment staff Ms. Denaly is the best for young kids!!! My girls will miss her greatly.

Having been to Riu Palace in Cabo, Mexico, we were very excited to come stay at the Riu Palace in Punta Cana. We especially had high expectation for the food, considering that at Riu Cabo we were served shrimps, lobsters and crab every night. What can I say? We were very dissapointed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The service staff are very slow to respond to your requests - I had to ask 3-4 times for a pot of coffee or a glass of wine. Its almost an inconvenience for them to service your needs - this is very annoying!! The food is aweful!!! There is no variety, and everything tastes bland. We were extremely dissapointed with the food, in the main dining room and the specialty restaurants. The rooms are very musty! and the beds are very uncomfortable and extremely firm. Now to the positives - the property is gorgeous, the beach is very nice, on our stay the hotel was empty due to the recession and we had no problems with beach chairs, towels, reservations. The entertainment crew is excellent and they do a great job. There is no nighlife on the Riu Palace property, and after 12 - its totally dead. You have to walk to Pacha which is at the Riu Macau. Dont bother with the casino - they're all scammers! Read other reviews to learn about how people get scammed - its TOTALLY true. We tried it out and can confirm that they try to scam you as if you're totally clueless! There were crazy jellyfish in the water - google Man O War jellyfish. My bf got stung really bad - and nobody even bothered warning us that its a hazard!!! Overall - great property - terrible food, slow service, and musty rooms. I would not go back EVER!!

Ok... so we just came back...Literally off the plane 10 hours ago. So you get the idea how strongly I felt a need to write this review. My wife's a teacher so this was her spring break trip. We have traveled the Carribean often enough to do the comparisons. We did the research and saw the hotel and was totally amazed. It's beautiful. It's rated a star hotel, according to the brochures you pick up from the travel agent and the web, but who ever does the ratings, needs to visit these hotels more often to get an accurate rating. So, yes, the hotel is beautiful. My wife and I walked the beach which is out of this world, and saw the beach fronts of other hotels, and the Palace Definitely is the most beautiful. The set up is great. In regards to the rooms, I read the other review before we traveled and I disregarded the statements about the musty and mildew rooms. The Carribean itself is tropical and can be very humid, and I figured that's what they were talking about... but NO WAY!... These rooms are VERY MUSTY AND MILDEWY!. A/C works fine but does not help the smell at all, and the fan does just that... fans. We discovered that the couch in the room contributed to the mildew smell in the room. IT SMELLED LIKE ROTTED MIDLEW! The food at best was ok. The best food was served at the breadfast buffet, and the mimosas were nice. Dinner was so so. Make sure you're up and down by 8am to make reservations at the restaurants. They fill up fast and that was annoying. Long pants are required at the restaurants. We have stayed at other hotels in the Carribean, and it doesnt matter whether its a 3, 4, or 5 star, service will make a trip memorable. And the service here stinks. They make you feel as if they're doing you a favor. I am usually am a tipper, tipping on arrival, and making sure the bartender, especially is taken care of. They don't even notice. I felt they were very unappreciative. It was always difficult to get their attention. And in this case it has nothing to do with the language barrier, I'm hispanic and speak the language ... and I have a VERY HOT WIFE!! So we just enjoyed the beach and had the fun we would normally have and made the best of it. I would not recommend this hotel. Not for what is expected from a 4 or 5 star.

My husband and I came here on our honeymoon in the end of March 2009. And we really did have a fantastic time.

THE GROUNDS:

Gorgeous grounds and hotel. Nice clean rooms. 1 huge pool at the perfect water temperature that was connected to a smaller one and a swim up bar. Plenty of pool chairs to lounge on for everyone. The beach is right there and is beautiful. Plenty of beach chairs and towels. There's a great background of a super cool ship that was wrecked by the shallow waters way out in the distance. Casual laid back atmosphere. Sorry no hot tub / jacuzzi.

SERVICE:

The service here is amazing. Although very few bartenders, waiters, and cleaning people speak English, they always have a smile on their face, say hello, and make sure you are well attended to. The people working in the lobby speak fluent English and are super helpful.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Entertainment was great here. There are so many daily activities to choose from, there's something for everyone, and they're REALLY fun. The entertainment staff is always happy, friendly and just want to have a good time. By the end of 5 days, they all knew our names by heart and we knew theirs. Activities always take place in a shaded area so you won't get sun burned. If there's music involved it's never so loud as to keep you from relaxing. Paddle boats and kayaking are included and if you want to do it, just go the day before to reserve your spot. The nightly entertainment is enjoyable. They start out with dancing and live music in the courtyard, then on to their theater they award all the daily activity winners with certificates and gifts, and then there's a show usually some sort of a theme....very simple, nothing spectacular, but nevertheless amusing.

TOURS:

There are usually people walking around the pool and the beach telling you about tours and activities at an extra charge such as snorkeling, parasailing, horse back riding, swimming with dolpins/sharks, spa treatments, and photo sessions. None of them are pushy, they're very laid back, and if you're not interested, a simple "no gracias" is all it takes. We actually went on "The Funny Monster Safari" and had a FABULOUS time. We visited peoples' homes who made fresh coffee, chocolate from cacao beans, chewed on real sugar canes, swam in a lake, went horseback riding, saw an alligator, ate real Dominican food, swam at an amazing beach with water so beautiful you could just die right there, and met some kids at a school. We highly recommend this. It's really fun, good for any age, and you get to see the real DR landscapes and meet actual people and see how they live. If you do this, bring cash with you, trust me. You'll want to buy the coffee beans and chocolate beans, and you'll definitely want to tip your amazing tour guide, driver, and videographer. Plus, when you visit the school, just bring some pencils, crayons, coloring books, or even candy for the kids.

FOOD:

To be honest with you, the food was the only thing we didn't like. It's really not that good. Hence the title "Awesome Hotel...just bring a bagged lunch." Regardless of whether we ate at the buffett or one of the 4 or 5 restaurants that you had to reserve at 8 in the morning...the food was the same everywhere....plenty of options to choose from but very bland tasting, not freshly prepared, mostly sitting under heat lamps, either over-cooked or under-cooked, and you although it's an all-inclusive and you want to get your money's worth, you only eat enough to not be hungry anymore because the quality just isn't all that good. Most people seemed to be ok with it and enjoy the food and go back for seconds, but to us, this was honestly the down-fall of the hotel. If great food is important to you, this is not your spot.

ADVICE:

1) Leave a $1 tip for everyone (cleaning service, waiters, bartenders, etc)...although it's not a big deal to you, it goes a LONG way for the people in this impoverished country and definitely makes them want to serve you better.

2) Brush up on a few key spanish words and phrases. Even making an attempt to say please, hello, yes, no, thank you....they really appreciate and they also enjoy teaching you the language.

3) Definitely participate in the daily activities. It'll open you up to new experiences and people and could even get you a fun prize.

4) If you get a room that faces the outside of the hotel where all you see is roads and jungle, spend the extra $100 to request a room change to face the pool and fountains...it's worth it.

We spent 5 nights at the RIU Palace and have mixed emotions about the experience. The hotel is truly beautiful. The entrance way and lobby are gorgeous. We had reserved a Jacuzzi suite. The room was beautiful. The marble bathroom is huge with a large jetted tub surrounded by pillars, double sinks, separate toilet area with bidet and a glass shower. Outside on the balcony is a spiral staircase that takes you up to an outside jacuzzi tub with two lounge chairs. Wow!

We were at this gorgeous resort with a fabulous room that smelled moldy and mildewy. We turned on the air conditioner but it really didn't help much with the smell. We opened the slider and turned on the ceiling fan (which turns off the air conditioner) and that did help make the room smell better but there was always a lingering moldy smell. I also saw mold inside the cabinet section of the dresser.

The pool area and beach at the RIU are wonderful. There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas by the pool. We set up a spot under the palm trees on the beach. The palm trees were your umbrella. I can't rave enough about the beach, the sand and the water. It was fantastic!

The food at the RIU was so-so. We had dinner at Krystal one night and while the food was good, the atmosphere was lacking. The restaurant is pretty inside but the candle holders on the table contained un-lit dead tea lights and the electric lighting was way too bright. The food was good but not great. The steak house was very nice and the rack of lamb was delicious.

Although we were there for 5 nights, I can't really comment much on the meals. Our third night there my husband got deathly ill during dinner at the Japanese restaurant and we ended up fleeing to our room. He felt better the next day and ate very carefully - mostly just bread. The following afternoon I also got sick. I spent what was supposed to be my husband's birthday evening in the W.C. clutching the wastebasket for dear life. You get the picture... I never really felt well again. We saw several Pepto Bismal bottles at breakfast the next day. We also ran into some ladies who asked us if we had gotten sick. Two of their party had gotten ill and one woman's husband had actually been hospitalized. We went to the front desk to ask if they knew how many people were sick and they told us they didn't know there was a problem. They also said that they did not know that anyone had been hospitalized. On the shelf behind the front desk was a bottle of Pepto Bismal. Who it was intended for I do not know.

Although the resort is beautiful and the beach and water are fantastic I would never return to this hotel.

hotel was beautiful and it's great to have drinks in the room and whenever you want but be ready to be on a schedule for dinner. you have to wake up really early just to make dinner reservations. each restaurant only has a few options on the menu and they are not all worth it. all inclusive does not mean fine dining. if you are from new york or a big city, you will be very disappointed in the food. lots of canadians and people from small towns were pleased. if you are stuck without dinner reservations, you are forced to eat at the buffet which has many options but it's a buffet so it's not the best food. the italian abd brazilian restaurants were the best. the japanese and steakhouse were very poor excuses for japanese and steakhouse. the room was nice but smelled very musty even when we opened the door and left the fan on. lots of ants and bugs and such but it's expected for carribean. the hotel had a black out ,sometimes 2 or 3 almost every night without anyone from the staff apologizing or giving more info probably bec most of the staff knows no english whatsoever so if you ever have a complaint or problem, good luck receiving help. bring lots of cash as there is no atm anywhere. casino sucks and the dealers were extremely rude and nasty and also spoke no english. they are also hesitant to bring u drinks unless they see u spending money. towels at the pool as well as seats at the pool and beach also run out so get them early. dont trust the wake up as we had a few mornings where they forgot to wake us up and we then missed dinner reservations and had to eat at the buffet. besides all those negatives it was still a great vacation luckily it rained in the middle of the night not so much in the morning and it poured our last day. dont fly american, we waited 7 hours in the airport bec of their delays!

This was my first trip to the DR, and I'm fairly certain that my impressions were partially colored by the nature of the host country and the staffing.

** I've read and have been told by several folks that the Dominican Republic is a good 10 years or so behind other notable tourist destination countries (like Jamaica, Cancun area of Mexico, etc), and as a result the staff and management just quite "doesn't get it" yet **

Food was OK - not terrible but certainly not the best I've had at other comparable resorts.

Housekeeping was terribly inconsistent in that some days things were in tip-top shape, and others not so much - for instance washcloths would disappear and then reappear. I also had a moldy/mildewy comforter top blanket on the bed, and I asked twice to have it changed. Both times the blanket was folded and put in the closet and the bed was left turned-down for me with a rough blanket (almost like a horse stable blanket) left folded on the bed. The next day it would re-appear magically without being laundered or switched out.

On-site shops are pretty nice. The vendors that come onsite at night to sell their wares are VERY pushy (think of a Jamaican market). Nightlife is pretty thin. There is a late seating for dinner at 9PM or so, and they pace the meal pretty slowly (which is fine, because one shouldn't rush). We just ordered coffee and desert one night and then they turned off the dining room fans in order to give us the hint that we should be leaving. We asked the manager to restart the fans, and he made a big display of sighing and glancing at his wristwatch...

I was also disappointed at the fitness facilities. Some cardio equipment but not much in the way of resistance or weights.

On the positive side - the environments are beautiful. The beach is gorgeous. The layout of the property is excellent, and the grounds are well cared for. Bars were pretty fast in service, unlike some of the other reviews I read.

The Hotel is very beautiful but has many,many flaws.

The good things:

1.Super- Friendly Staff

2.Very Beautiful Lobby

3.Good Service

4.Great Beach

5.Big Pool

The Bad:

1.They turn off Air Conditioning in the Middle of the night and in the middle of the day. Therefore its very hot usually.

2.Rooms have moldy and humid smell. Sheets and pillows reek from mold and feel wet even when recently changed.

3.Poor Entertainment. They have a couple of beach games during the day but thats it. At night the shows are more 18+ than anything. Not very proffesional shows and very adult based comedy not family appropriate.

4.Food is very European-International. This can be good or bad. The staff does all possible to please you and find what you want to eat.. but lacks variety and much quality.

5.Lobby although with A/C it is turned off nightly along with all lights.

6.There are MANY TOPLESS EUROPEAN BATHERS, Hard to take a picture without having a topless woman appear in the picture.

Overall pick a different hotel for a more pleasant stay in Punta Cana.

The room was nice. The view from the room and the construction noise were not so nice. The food was good. The flies were awful. The lobby was beautiful. The nude portraits of women in the lobby were totally distasteful.

We just came back from Riu Palace Punta Cana. Ocean is beautiful as usually, but

hotel is definitely overrated. I read all the reviews before going there and could

not believe that this new hotel is so bad kept. Now, I totally agreed

with the negative reviews. We stayed in different Riu Palaces in Mexico

and at Palace Macao for over 8 years and have enough experience to

compare. Our biggest complains are the rooms and staff. These rooms (at least at the first floor) are

VERY MUSTY AND MILDEWY! IT SMELLED LIKE ROTTED MILDEW! First, we've got

the room which was very vet: floor, couch (it was covered with the dirty

spots), beds. The air conditioner was not working properly. The shower

and phone were not working at all. We immediately requested another

room. It looked like the the personal at the check in did not care at

all. Only next day after sleeping in the vet bed we were transferred to

a different room - still had bad smell, but a little bit better then first one. One and a half days of vacation is

gone, ruined. Some waiters ( not all, but even a few could spoil your mood for long period) are not well

trained. They make you feel as if they're doing you a big favor. It's

actually very unpleasant. I can not complain about food. Although the

beach is very crowded. That is the shame for Riu.

**this is a copy of the letter that we sent to the CEO of RIU 2 weeks ago with no reply, so we have decided to post it on tripadvisor...please do not go here!!**

My wife and I have recently returned from a 1-week All-Inclusive vacation at your Riu Palace Punta Cana Resort (February 12-19th, 2009). We regretfully have to inform you that this was the worst vacation we have ever been on. Please note that we are world-class travelers – we have visited over 15 Caribbean islands, been to East and North Africa, all over India, toured through Europe and America. Also note that this is the very first time that I have ever felt compelled to write a letter of this nature. The detailed accounts that follow will help you to further understand why our first Riu experience was very upsetting and disappointing, especially since we were expecting the 5-star plus experience outlined in the brochure, which was unfortunately not the case.

Firstly, when we arrived on the evening of February 12th, we were the first in line at the reception desk, but we were the last to receive our room.

Secondly, since we had arrived after 10pm, we were informed that our only option for food was to order room service, but the person receiving the order spoke English very poorly, and after many attempts he finally was able to take the order with the assistance of one of his colleagues. Our suggestion would be for you to ensure that anyone answering the phones at your resort be able to communicate effectively with your guests.

Thirdly, half the time our shower wouldn’t work and my wife and I had to take turns holding the button. This was quite frustrating.

Fourthly, our room was situated above the nightly entertainment stage/disco. The noise carried quite late into the night, forcing us to stay awake tossing and turning as we tried desperately to fall asleep. On three occasions, my wife went downstairs to the front desk asking them to stop this disturbance, but she was rudely brushed off. She even asked to speak to the Manager at which they told her that we can speak to him the next day, but that never happened. What is most disappointing about this issue is the fact that in the resort information book in our room, it clearly states that silence should take place in the hallways after 11pm to respect other guests who are trying to get rest, but the resort itself clearly was not interested in obeying such a policy. Our suggestion would be for you to ask your guests on check-in if they plan on sleeping before 11pm, and if so, then should be placed in a room that is far from the entertainment area.

Fifthly, after staying up so late, we found it quite frustrating to be required to wake up very early the next morning to make dinner reservations at one of the restaurants. Our suggestion would be for you to increase the capacity at the restaurant (by adding a third seating, so the timing could be 6pm, 7:30pm and 9pm instead of the existing 6:30pm and 9pm), and also allow for guests to make restaurant reservations for the entire week on check-in; this happens at some of the nicer 5-star resorts, and is a very much appreciated feature.

Sixthly, the Buffet restaurants did not always have labels above the food. This was especially a problem for my wife, who is vegetarian. In fact, she asked one of the chefs if the pasta had meat in it and he said no, but unfortunately when she took a bite it was full of meat. This was very upsetting. Our suggestion would be for the consistent use of signs above each dish at all meals to respect the dietary restrictions of your guests.

Seventhly, this resort did not appropriately cater to non-smokers. My wife and I had more 2nd hand-smoke inhalation in that one week than we have had in our entire lifetime. As a physician, this was very disturbing.

Eighthly, on the last day when we were leaving, we finally got a hold of the manager, Marcus who did apologize after we mentioned some of the issues we encountered during our vacation. Our flight pick-up time was 6pm, and he made a kind gesture by offering us a complimentary room for a few hours. However, when we got to the room, it had just been vacated and the room was filthy with garbage everywhere, the washroom tub and floor were very dirty. He expected us to freshen up there; this was absolutely ridiculous and humiliating.

Ninthly, the general level of service was not of 5-star caliber. To be honest, it is closer to the level of a 3.5- or 4-star.

To top off this vacation, when we arrived home and unpacked our bags we were angered to find out that all of my wife’s jewelry was stolen. It is unclear if it was stolen from the complimentary room that we kept our bag in for a few hours, or at the airport.

This was the worst experience I have ever had at a resort.

We have been to Bahamas, Aruba, numerous destinations in the US and this was by far the worst. If all you care about is the nice beach you might like it, If you care about what you eat, if it is clean, or how your room smells then you will be extremely disenchanted.

There were 2 couples. We arrived on midday Wednesday. Check in was very quick and uninformative. One of the rooms was ready minus the TV remote, and the other room had no sheets, iron, or ironing board. Both rooms had a terrible moldy and musty smell. Mold is visable on the ceilings of the rooms. We never recieved an iron or board and the sheets we were given didn't fit the bed and you ended up sleeping most of the night on the rock hard mattress with no bottom sheet. When they finally brought a TV remote the channel buttons were missing.

The food is the worst I have ever had. I would of rather eaten at McDonalds for five days than anything at this place. All buffets were dirty and very disorganized. Everyone in our group and others we spoke to were ill from the food on this trip. We actually stopped eating the last couple days besides chips we bought at the gift store. We ate at the Japanese ala carte restaurant and would of prefered the local chinese buffet at home. Suprisingly enough everyone on our vacations lost weight.

Our GOGO vacation representative sent us to a local restaurant off the resort for "Great Food" This place was a tourist trap if i ever saw one. CAPTAIN COOK is aweful do not go. I am sure he recieved some sort of kick back as he told us he would take care of the reservation and kept telling us about how great it was.

You are constantly being harassed by people selling cigars, jewelry, trinkets and junk on the resort. This starts to get annoying.

The staff speaks very little if any english. The shows, announcements, and pretty much everything was in spanish. We don't speak spanish so we never had a clue what was going on. I am not saying this is the resorts fault, but I do feel our travel agent should of advised us of this.

I never complain at restaurants if I have a bad meal. I always just chock it up as oh well, the next one will be better. Not in this case. Everything was terrible. I actually have a meeting with my travel agent today to make sure they know how bad it is and never send anyone here again.

The only positive is the beach and ocean. It is gorgeous. But lets be honest here God made that part of the resort so they cant take credit for it.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. We came back from lunch one day and there was a stray dog sleeping under one of our lounge chairs.

I have read alot of the other reviews and dont understand how someone could recomend this place.

Also, we all got bites from bed bugs all over. We have pics on the camera I will try to upload later.