Riu Palace Bavaro

We stayed at RIU Palace Bavaro for 7 nights in July as a family of five (2 adults and 3 teenagers). Overall, our experience was mixed. The positives first: airport transfers were excellent, reception staff were outstanding (especially Christian,), the rooms were modern with great air conditioning, the beach was beautiful, and the food was consistently excellent with plenty of variety. Unfortunately, that's where the positives mostly ended. Housekeeping repeatedly failed to leave enough towels for five guests staying in two connecting rooms. We had to call reception multiple times just to receive the correct number of towels, often waiting 30–45 minutes. We also found bottled water in the rooms to be inconsistent and there were no snacks available. Our biggest disappointment was the service. Whether at the restaurants, bars, or pool, most staff seemed disengaged and unwelcoming. We visited several resorts in Punta Cana before, and this was by far the weakest service we've experienced. I was speaking Spanish, so language wasn't the issue. Friendly service was simply hard to find. The entertainment was another major letdown. The animation team seemed focused almost entirely on promoting RIU's famous parties, but what isn't made clear is that they're Adults Only. Since we were traveling with teenagers, they couldn't attend, leaving very little entertainment for families with teens. On party nights, there weren't even evening shows at the hotel, making the resort feel quite quiet for families. The pool setup was also disappointing. Although there appear to be several pools, one is Elite-only, one is Adults Only, and the swim-up bar is also Adults Only. That left essentially one main family pool, which had no music and no pool bar. We often ended up visiting neighboring RIU resorts just to enjoy a livelier atmosphere. While the food at the specialty restaurants was excellent, I wasn't a fan of the first-come, first-served system. A reservation system would make much more sense for a resort of this size. One final observation: on several occasions I noticed staff leaving the washroom without washing their hands. Hopefully this is something management addresses through better training. In the end, RIU Palace Bavaro has excellent food, beautiful rooms, and a great beach. However, inconsistent service and the lack of activities for families with teenagers kept it from feeling like the five-star experience we expected. If you're traveling as a couple looking for adult-oriented entertainment, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're traveling with teenagers, I'd recommend doing a bit more research first. I wish I had.

First time to DR but not my first time to the Bahamas. Resort was great. Staff was incredible, our family loved Adarlin, he was a server in the buffet area. Plenty of restaurant choices. Our rooms were clean. Pools were great. Beach was wonderful. We did go during sargassum season so the beach wasn't perfect. Though they did a good job clearing off the beach every day. We would definitely go back. As always in any vacation area the beach vendors were ruthless, lol.

JUST UPDATING. We checked out today, and went to front desk to for a complaing for the 3th time, MY SHOES WERE TAKING FROM MY ROOM. ME ROBARON MISS ZAPATOS, GOING BACK HOME ON SANDALS. they kept giving me excuses so there was not complait filled. SO DISAPPOINTED. Food is good, not fantastic, but good. Service is not that good, it takes for ever to get drinks from the servers at the buffet or specialty restaurants. The pool liquor stand is good but some time you can see the servers drinking, for me it's like it's hot, but they should have their water bottle and not serving themselves liquor while you have to wait for your drink. Looks not so good.

We had an amazing stay at this hotel! The beach was absolutely stunning, with soft white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. The hotel itself was beautiful, clean, and well maintained, and the staff were always friendly and helpful. Another great advantage is that there are plenty of small shops just outside the hotel where you can buy souvenirs, clothes, local products, and other useful things. It was very convenient to take a walk and pick up a few gifts to bring home. I would definitely recommend this hotel and would love to come back again!