Riu Palace Bavaro - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10718 reviews

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  Mixed Feelings

  We just returned from a 5-night stay at the Riu Palace Bavaro. We were a family of 5 - husband, wife, 15 yr old daughter, 13 yr old son, and 10 yr old daughter. We had a "2 bedroom junior suite with tropical view" but in reality it is adjoining rooms. It was perfect for us - one room had 2 queen beds and the other room had a king bed. The sofas that are in the rooms are two-seaters and are not pull out beds. However, because my kids are spoiled little people and didn't want to share a bed with each other, we pulled the sofa in from our room and pushed it together with the sofa in their room and it made a perfect little bed for a small-medium size child :) The beds were comfy and room temperature was great. The rooms and bathrooms were very clean. The linens were clean. Housekeeping was great. A previous review complained about towel quality and I am not sure why. The room towels were what I would expect - not super plush and luxurious but they were nice and they were a good size. The pool/beach towels are slightly less in quality than the bathroom towels, but they are perfectly fine and a great size. I have zero complaints about them. The physical resort and grounds are beautiful and very well kept. It is a lovely and aesthetically pleasing resort! When I go to an all-inclusive, I do not expect top quality food. I feel like my expectations are reasonable. I would say the food quality was the worst that I've experienced at an all-inclusive resort or cruise ship. That being said, I would rate it as fine. We could all find something we wanted to eat and it was fine. We only went to the Italian, steak, and Asian restaurants. I was not impressed by Italian or steak (although my husband did enjoy his steak) but I thought the Asian (Zen) was very good. The restaurants do not take reservations and open and 6pm. You pretty much need to put your name down about an hour before you would like to eat unless you would like to eat at 6 - then I think if you got there 5-10 minutes before 6 you wouldn't have a problem getting seated. We saw several large groups (10-15) each night so accommodating large groups didn't seem to be a problem. I never had trouble getting drinks at any of the bars and I was pleased with them. I didn't feel like they were too watered down. This next comment is neither good nor bad, just observation. English as a native language was definitely in the minority. Some of the servers did not speak much English as well (i.e. she didn't understand when my husband ordered a whiskey on the rocks). However, a quick use of google translate and we were good to go. That didn't bother me but I think it's important to note. Here's where my review turns a little negative. Other reviews I read talked about workers being unfriendly, and I have to agree. It was more common to encounter a server or worker who came across as grumpy or disinterested, some even seemed annoyed by a question/normal request, than to encounter a pleasant, upbeat, and happy worker. We did bring small bills and tipped as much as we could and the staff were appreciative. There were plenty of pools and we didn't have trouble finding chairs at any of them. Some pools were definitely more crowded than others, but the resort is huge so I would expect that to be the case. I'll note the pools that were more crowded were also much hazier - whether that's urine, sunscreen, drinks spilling in them, or not enough chemicals... I have not experienced that at other resorts. The beach... I fully admit I am a beach snob. I like pretty water and I want to be able to get in it. I love the ocean. Personally, I would not return to Punta Cana in June or high seaweed (sargassum) season. It was really bad. Fortunately, it didn't bother my kids as much as it did me and they still had fun. The seaweed collects along the beach and for the first 3 days it was just all piled up - it wasn't cleaned up like I have experienced at other resorts. I am sure it is just lovely when the current shifts and the seaweed is pulled out instead of brought in. However, the seaweed issue has NOTHING to do with the resort itself (other than the lack of cleaning it up) and it just seasonal/part of ocean life. Overall I would say I have mixed feelings. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't great and I feel badly saying it, but I'm not sure I would recommend this resort to friends.

  Jun 13, 2025
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  Loved

  This was my first time at an all inclusive resort! It was great! Staff were all nice and friendly! Everyone was very well informed. They were all welcoming as well.

  Jun 12, 2025
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  Great getaway

  We had a lovely time. Definitely would revisit, the food, the staff everything was great only downside was, our accommodation had no lifts had to walk up and down 3 flights of stairs.

  Jun 11, 2025
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  Moldy Mess-Ruined Our Stay

  My family and I recently stayed at the RIU Bavaro, and it was the worst hotel experience I've ever had. Upon entering our room, we detected a mildew odor. I called the front desk and was told someone would take a look and sanitize the room. No one ever arrived in the room, despite our repeated calls. On day three, my family and I were congested, with watery eyes and itchy skin. We immediately noticed mold on the walls. I immediately went to the front desk and requested to speak to a manager. A man at the front desk, claiming to be a manager, asked me if I had turned the air off, saying that would cause mold. He told me to wait for the General Manager, who refused to switch my room. Moments later, a young lady who identified herself as the manager had me inspect three rooms, two of which were comparable to the one we had paid for, and both had mold. The third room was not similar inside; it had a distinct smell but no visible signs of mold. The RIU claims to be a 5-star resort, but it is not. The hotel was disgusting, the rooms were not clean. The bed and pillows were uncomfortable, and the sheets were stained. Thankfully, we bring our sheets and towels. I will never stay in an RIU ever again based on my experience.

  Jun 10, 2025
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  Excellent Place to Stay!

  Hotel Riu Palace BAVARO was amazing!! Everything was perfect at this location! We will definitely be returning! Staff were amazing, location was perfect, rooms were clean, overall presence was great!!

  Jun 10, 2025