Riu Bambu - All Inclusive

I am a 50+ man who has worked at Hilton and Marriott (Director of Marketing). Over the years, I have stayed at hotels ranging from Red Roof Inn to JW Marriott & Ritz Carlton. In the past 3 years I have stayed at All-Inclusive resorts in the Caribbean that carry the Hilton and Marriott brand names. With that said, I seriously don’t understand all of the negative reviews for Rio Bambu. I am here now (3rd day). I’ve had good dining experiences (both Specialty & buffet). I had a great steak cooked exactly how I asked (medium) last night along with a decent red wine. The buffet lunch I had exceeded expectations. The only disappoint was the pizza , which didn’t have any flavor and crust was not cooked enough. My made-to-order omelette yesterday and fried plantain was delicious. The two Rui parties (Friday Pink Party & Saturday Neon Party) were both lit, even for an old dude like me. Regarding my room, I was expecting an old, out-dated room but my room was renovated, clean, and had a comfy king bed. Only complaint is the tv, which had fuzzy reception, like some of the reviews stated. But I did not come here to watch tv. The drinks, while served with lesser-proof alcohol (probably a good think considering the level of drunkenness I witnessed), is probably a good thing. Just ask your bartender to add more alcohol, if you want a stronger drink. So to wrap it up, don’t believe all of the negative reviews; not sure what’s behind that because it’s ridiculous! I’m not saying this is the best AI resort at which I’ve stayed. But the value you get for $170/night is strong. I’m used to paying $350 MINIMUM per night.

My husband and I travelled to this resort March 2-16, 2025. We have stayed at 4 other RIU resorts in DR, Jamaica & Mexico over the past 7 years and this one is the absolute worst. If first impressions are important than it was no wonder my heart sank when our bus transfer pulled into RIU Bambu. From the small parking area where drop off occurs to the dark entrance and lack of anything beautiful (like flowers) the first impression is of a dark, dingy and out dated resort. I did the RIU check in on- line and yet I had to go through the whole process again at check in. Two weeks prior to arrival I made some special requests, the most important one being that due to heart disease for my husband and myself could our room be located in close proximity to all amenities. I have made this request many times in our years of travel and this is the first it seemed to be perfectly ignored. We were placed in building 50 which is “in the back 40”, one of the furthest buildings from the lobby, theatre, restaurants, and beach. The room we had was the smallest we have ever had at a RIU resort. The air conditioning runs constantly - you have no real control over the temperature. Our shower barely spit out enough water to rinse the shampoo & conditioner out of my hair and the toilet squealed every time it was flushed. Plus side: issue with the in room hair blower and safe were quickly dealt with problem resolved by friendly hard working staff. Restaurants are below average by far. People will say “you can find something to eat”, well, I don’t want to spend that much money to have to “find” something to eat nor do I want to eat pizza, burgers, or hot dogs for 14 days. I found it strange that the menu found outside the main buffet was showing the same menu every day BUT in our 14 days that meal was only on the buffet once - and quite the coincidence that it was the day that evaluation cards were passed out around the restaurant. The Italian ala carte is exactly the same as the food found at the buffet every evening. The Steak ala carte is good, but difficult to get into, and very rushed once you are seated. We were also at one ala carte that was open til 9pm, but at 8:30 the host would not seat people saying they were closed. The food especially in the buffet is cold, lucky if you get anything lukewarm warm. Heat lamps are not cutting it, why no hot water serving stations??? With the amount of $ being spent turning some very nice RIU resorts into Palaces one would think some money could be spent to up grade other resorts. Most people receiving excellent service in the restaurants speak Spanish. Some rules/codes need to be put in place, I saw people with no shoes in the restaurants and men with no shirts, women with a short tshirt trying to pass that off as a cover up - not appropriate, either is a see through cover up with a thong on underneath. If you are going out for dinner at least dress appropriately or management should refuse service. Even though th

Please be aware if you book a stay at riu bambu we had a bad experience with noisy neighbours shouting and constant slamming there room doors during the night .Call the reception no answer what so ever very rude so we paid £3000 to have this lame show

Pros • Friendly staff – Overall, the staff were kind and helpful when approached. • Steakhouse restaurant – Probably the best dining experience at the resort. The food here stood out compared to the other options. • Something for everyone at meals – While variety was limited, there was always at least something to eat, even if it wasn’t gourmet. • Good hot water showers – Consistently reliable water temperature. • Sports bar A/C – The sports bar had the best air conditioning on the property, offering a cool break from the heat. • Fun parties – The entertainment team and parties were enjoyable. Cons • Outdated rooms – My “deluxe” room did not feel like a deluxe at all: two twin beds pushed together, dated furniture, a small table with two chairs, and a non-functional TV and hair dryer. • Unfair downgrade – I had booked and paid for a deluxe king room, but after asking to be near my friend and her kids, I was reassigned to what was essentially a downgraded twin room without being clearly informed this would happen. Note- they told me at the front if you make a room request such as mine you’re asking to be downgraded? This was surprising. • Cleanliness issues – Cockroach spotted beside the fridge (went under and couldn’t be removed), stained linens on arrival, and ants on the terrace. Pools often had visible dead skin buildup. • Room maintenance problems – Broken screen door, weak air conditioning, phone that didn’t work, and a random rusty metal rod left on the dresser. • Mini bar concerns – The liquor dispensers had black residue, making the alcohol questionable; beer was only replenished twice during a 7-day stay. • Housekeeping hassles – Room cleaning had to be requested through the app, sometimes more than once, rather than being consistent. • Food quality hit-or-miss – Hibachi tasted off; sports bar food was heavily outdated and ultimately led to food poisoning (hot dogs on my last night). • Facility upkeep needed – The resort as a whole feels like it hasn’t been renovated in years (sports bar and rooms especially). • Towel return location – Inconvenient to have only one towel return spot despite multiple pools spread across the resort. • Security concerns – My shoes were stolen at the pool and never returned, which left a bad impression. Overall, the resort has potential with friendly staff, decent hot showers, and a fun atmosphere at times, but it’s in serious need of renovations and better communication with guests. Between the outdated rooms, cleanliness issues, maintenance problems, and an incident of theft, I can only give this stay 3 stars. If you’re considering this resort, just go in with tempered expectations and know that what’s advertised as “deluxe” may not match what you actually get. This is the third resort I’ve been to, and not the best one for sure.