Riu Palace Punta Cana

Staff were not friendly, especially the front desk, no one even smiles, it's like we're doing them a favour by being there, terrible. Problems with trying to get the door to our room open twice, and the plugs in the room would not charge our electronics unless we played with the plugs. I have rechargeable hearing aids that would not charge, never stay at this resort again. [Details]

Beautiful hotel and grounds. Immaculately clean and soft sandy beach. Staff all amazing and buffet staff especially attentive. Ask for Edwin and Frank as your buffet servers. Drink service at the pools and on the beach. Sellers on the beach not aggressive or intrusive Overall rating 4/5. Points lost for food quality and cooking - often cold and overcooked with no labels for those with allergies [Details]

Everything was great, except for our toilet. It over flooded our hotel room and
it took 3 hours before some one came to fix it. There was water on the floor in the room all the way to the bed. So we could not get to the washroom or shower because we put the towels on the floor to soak up some of the water.This happened at 6am - I called the front desk & they said there was nobody available at this time to come fix the problem. Somebody finally came to fix the problem at 8:45am. My other main concern is that the room cleaning ladies spray the room everyday with the
pesticide "RAID" I understand it is to keep bugs out of the room but for people that have respiratory conditions like myself these chemicals can be
very harmful. Maybe use a spray that has less harmful chemicals [Details]

Beautiful premises,architecture and location.
Access to long and shallow beach.
Food is average, bacon fried in lumps
Meat is not fully cooked at times
No made to order omelettes or international food theme nights as in other riu properties.
Plenty of liquor available, nice lobby area with good capuchhino. Communication between housekeeping and management is poor.repeated reminders to provide towels, bathmats,pillowcases, were ignored. Night time entertainment was good effort by entertainers. [Details]

The hotel is beautiful , Front desk is fantastic . The buffet is good . The room is nice and clean . [Details]

This was my first all inclusive resort, it was very good. [Details]

we just got back 2 days ago, and I want to return...staff at check in were awesome, most of not all speak english.. The lobby was large and beautiful, very clean and inviting.. took the elevator up to our room on the third floor, it was huge (all rooms are jr. suites), massive clean bathroom with a jacuzzi tub, (which was a little dated).. had a very comfortable king size bed, large closet, 2 dressers for storage, a safe and an awesome balcony.. the rooms have a well stocked fridge and a fully stocked bar on the wall just inside the door... if I had any complaints at all it would be our view... if we looked to the left, we could see the beach, (straight and to the right) we could see the resort be side us, and trucks delivering to their kitchen.. not a big deal, but if I went back I would ask for a room facing the fountains...they would be nosier because that is the centre of the resort and that is where the nightly entertainment is....they have 5 Al La Carte restaurants , hear good things about all of them, but only tried out the Krastal.. it was way to fancy for us, but lots of people seemed to love it... the 2 buffets were awesome.. lots of choices, different food every day... the place was immaculate and the staff second to none... a very compact resort, but has everything you need in close proximity.... the beach is awesome with waves every day, the only down fall to that is couldn't snorkel because you could see anything but beautiful anyway, cleaned daily (even had someone with a machete chopping little sticks and roots from the beach)..lots of shade for those of us who burn easy, but lots of sun for those who love it... plenty of chairs and tables, and always waiters looking to fill our bubbas, also had a few venders selling their wares, but same as anywhere.. they weren't too pushy.. one week in definately not enough on that beach.. with a bar and steakhouse close by (buffet by day, al la carte by night)..wifi was strong all over the resort, even the beach
now the down side (if we can call it that).. the pool.. had a small front row access to the pool and the rest of the seats were behind hedges so you couldn't see the pool from the back rows, there were rumors of the staff saving seats for the regulars.. and others being left out because towels were on chairs to save them at 6 am.. then the rain would blow through and the towels would get wet and they would change them out.. and then there were not towels for the rest
they are closing this resort for 3 and 1/2 months starting in April.. apparently they are going to upgrade the a/c unit, some of the furniture, redo some of the rooms and the pool area... just hope they don't interfere with the cosiness for the resort [Details]

Clean, nice, generous, ... [Details]

Fantastic all inclusive - one of the best beach areas and crystal clear ocean. Food was wonderful - and staff were great. [Details]

Was not too happy about having to pay a fee at the airport upon arrival and departure. We paid 90$ all together for a family of 3. Beautiful hotel but needs some TLC. Grounds, pool and beach were great. Well kept. Beach had a lot of the seaweed from ocean that washed up, needed to be cleaned up. Plenty of beach chairs to select from. waves are pretty big and can be a bit rough sometimes but still had its nice moments and water was warm and a gorgeous blue/green. food was good, lots of variety. snack bar can be better. Most times, not enough food out or what was out was not fresh. lots of people approach selling souveniers but just say no and they are good about it. Most staff are friendly, can be friendlier though as there is a language barrier. NOT enough music during the day around pool or beach at all. Seemed a little too quiet sometimes. turn down service in the a.m and p.m and if you do NOT wish for service then you better put the sign on the door. They tap the door then just waltz in and scare the bejeeges out of you. Was not impressed with that as we had a 2 and a half yr old and it was past 9pm. Room service menu can definitely be better, more options. At the moment they have 4 options. Towards end of trip Phone in our hotel room stopped working. Elevator in the hotel was always out of service and we had a stroller. Walk to the waterpark was about 10 Min's. Wasn't bad, but more for adults who love the big water slides. The kids toddler area was nice but adults can't do much with the little ones as they are not allowed to go down the slides with the toddlers or infants. PRO: beautiful and very grand hotel. CON: seaweed at the beach by water. Enjoyable, Relaxing and a good place for family vacation. [Details]

My boyfriend and i stayed at Riu Palace PC end of May 2015. The grounds were beautiful and very clean. The room we first got smelled of mold so i asked to be moved and they moved us to another room that was a lot better. the beach wasnt what i was used to because i have been spoiled by Cuban beaches, but it was good. the waves were strong and there was a lot of seaweed but it was a nice bright blue. the food was delicious but both me and my bopyfriend ended up getting sick. The service was best i ever had in any hotel, very nice people , attentive and such. Pool was fun and had good entertainment. [Details]

Transferred over from next door Riu Bambu, best decision ever. All was great, beach,pool,food,rooms and especially staff.Even the night shows were entertaining.Lots of laughs with Gazoline,Tekila, Joselito and rest of entertainment team.Every day was enjoyable.Lots of shade under the many palm trees on beach, pool spacious and clean...can go on and on, will definitely go back. [Details]

This is the 2nd time we have found a very musty smell at a RIU resort room. Our first room given was very bad for this smell. When i complained the next morning they seemed to expect it. They knew that room has a problem but it was the last one they had available when we arrived late at night. They did quickly get us a new room on the top floor on the other side of the building which gets they sun and still Ocean/pool view. This was satisfactory although the new room also had a slight musty smell in the entrance/washroom area only. We decided that we could deal with it. Apparently this is impossible to eliminate in the tropics in rooms with such frequent usage.
Other than that the resort is nice. Food is good though repetitive. The wine offered was horrible i must say. If you are going to have such poor quality house wine at least offer some better wines for purchase at the tables. The hotel store had a few wines that were ok for sale but at a price 3 x what I would be willing to pay. $31 for a bottle of Chilean Cab/Sav. I know this type is sold for about $6-7 in the USA. Anyway they had great Espresso and poured good liquor at the bars. Jose Quervo, Ron Barcelo aged, Stoli vodka, Beefeater Gin. Ask for the better stuff or they may pour you the national brand :/ One other thing the resort has 3 or 4 huge decoration pools. If anyone out there in management is listening, dig up a few of these wasted spaces and add more swimming areas and atleast one more pool bar. They have only one bar for the entire beach and pool area. Mind you they service to your chair for drinks was fairly prompt. The servers are eager to get you drinks. They insist that they go for you even if you haven't been tipping much. Overall a nice beautiful location but some needed improvement. [Details]

Excellent hotel, beautiful beach, baby friendly. Very disappointed in medical center service. Do not get sick on vacation! Medical center charged us for a visit without providing any help. They told us go to the hospital. We needed simple prescription for infection. For a tourist it is not ideal to go to the city to local hospital. [Details]

This hotel is beautiful, however the guest rooms could use some updating. The food & service was excellent and the staff were great. [Details]

All I can say is it was a fabulous and beautiful resort. Very nice staff and wonderful food and service. Great nightly entertainment too! I will be booking there again! [Details]

The grounds and location of the resort was very good. The beach was nice and wasn't over crowded; however the water was quite rough. Rooms were average, beds were uncomfortable. Buffet food was good, al a carte menu was average but still good. Drink menu was average but full selection of back bar liquor was available which was nice. Over all I would recommend someone to stay at the Riu Palace Punta Cana. The staff were accomodating, food and drinks were good (just not phenomenal) beach and water were nice. Entertainment was lacking at night but over all a nice place and I would go there again. [Details]

Amazing, would recommend anyone to this resort. You truly get what you pay for, and are treated like a king/queen. Amazing food, entertainment, staff, service, and the beach is spectacular! Totally worth the price. I will be returning! [Details]

This is a beautiful hotel and the staff are fantastic but it gets repeatative after one week. The food in the second week is the same and the entire routine of the resort does not change at all. [Details]

Would recommend (and have) to others. Beautiful hotel and beach. Could improve on the wine selection. Great buffet and specialty restaurants. All staff extremely friendly and helpful. [Details]

Just came back from a 10 day stay at this resort. It's was our third time there!
The premises are very clean everywhere.
The service was excellent with the exception of the pool bar where the service and quality of drinks was very inconsistent from one time to the next.
The food at the buffet was enjoyable and very well presented. Nothing special about the a la carte restaurants.
The beach is very wide, clean with lots of palm trees to provide shade. The ocean can be a little rough at times.
The pool, although we did not use, was well frequented with lots of loungers and parasols.
Free WiFi everywhere is appreciated.
The lobby, lobby bar, buffet and restaurants are all non-smoking.
Live band on the Plaza after supper and before the nightly show.
Overall very enjoyable. [Details]

Good one but not the best [Details]

Over-all, we would like to go back. Over-all, we felt we had been treated very well & had a wonderful time. We do highly recommend this property to anyone. [Details]

Clean Room, nightly turn down service, main buffet was fantastic better that the a la cartes except for Krystal, staff was amazing all over the resort except for the Reception which were unfriendly and seemed bothered if you asked for information or assistance. Keys for the door and safe were annoying to carry around and especially since we only had one and my husband and I would do separate activities became annoying to wait for each other. Night club big disappointment, no entrance fee but the paid bar was ridiculous since it serves 5 all inclusive Riu resorts which all supply alcohol. The DJ was terrible. Entertainment at the theatre was satisfactory but the entertainers themselves were very friendly. Ernestina at the Krystal restaurant and Suero the bartender/waiter were the staff members that impressed us the most with their modest sophistication and eagerness to please. The beach and weather were very nice. We ate well large variety in the buffet, we drank well, we were well served and slept easy in a clean room. It was overall a lovely vacation. Note: Many complaints of musty smell and wet clothes and bed sheets in rooms close to the beach the view may be nicer but don't risk your comfort any room near the beach will be damp.Free Wi-Fi was appreciated. Enjoyed the dancing at the gazebo every night with the live music but the overall ambiance was dull every night. They should suggest turning the theatre into a lounge after hours and adding a beach party one night a week. [Details]

Very pleased with this hotel and would go back there next year. 1/2 hr from the Airport, very pleased with the reception, room was very cool amd comfortable, great food, beautiful beach and well kept grounds. [Details]

This is the first time to Punta Cana, and we like it very much, especially the outdoor patio with life band, sit down and have a couple drinks, do a little dance, it's so enjoyable after dinner, next time I'll choose Riu Punta cana again. [Details]

Lovely spot and very nice staff. We especially liked the ambience of outdoor courtyard at night. [Details]

Riu Palace Punta Cana is a great place to vacation. The rooms are comfortable, large and the view was fantastic overlooking the fountains and also the superb ocean! Upon arrival, reception treated us promptly, courteously and with a great smile. We were given all we needed and a bellman helped us with our luggage to our room. Nemen at reception is a pleasure to deal with and ensures to make your stay as pleasurable/enjoyable as he can.
The pool doesn't look very big from the pictures or at first glance however it has proven to be a fair size. I love the ocean so most of my time was spent on the beach which is phenomenal. The service staff on the beach is wonderful as they continuously bring "refreshments" to you on the beach. Around the pool, Leo is a breath of fresh air. So kind and such a wonderful smile. He is definitely in his element as you can tell that he loves what he does. Francisco, Chino and Juan Carlos are all excellent servers at Don Manuel buffet restaurant and the filet mignon was excellent at Krystal. The food choices are plentiful and there's something for everyone. The "Animacion" group is also fantastic. They are such talented individuals and make the experience even better.
Overall, it was an great experience with above average service from the staff at reception, to the bartenders, servers, pool boys, towel cabana boys, gardeners, animation group and the cleaning staff (very clean resort, rooms , lobby and washrooms around the resort). I will definitely visit Riu Palace Punta Cana again in the future!! [Details]

It was a great holiday, the staff and the resort was amazing. I would go back to a Riu Palace in another country again. [Details]

The beach and the staff at this hotel make it a 5 star. The rooms are getting a little dated and do have an odor. We also found the pool for this size resort to be small. We wondered when they cleaned it - we saw scum on the surface more than one occasion. It really didn't bother us because we're beach people and Bavaro Beach is one of the best. Food at the resort was also very good. We ate mostly at the buffet and once at the steak house which we found good as well. I would consider this resort to be a 4 star. [Details]