Riu Palace Bavaro - All Inclusive

Great location and nice beach. Great amenities and good selection of food especially in the buffet area.

What a huge disappointment. Hate that I’m stuck here for the next 6 days! They checked us into the wrong room twice, Separated us from our kids, and our toilet and bathroom floor is covered is urine! Shame on our local high school for thinking this was a good place to send all the families and even worse our travel agent allowed it! Never stay at a Riu!!

This is my first time to the resort but my 5th time to the island and my first time in a damp and mouldy room. On arrival our room had a damp smell but we opened the patio doors for it to air as we assumed it may not have been used for a few days. However we also noticed the bedding was slightly damp to touch and the coffee table was warped with water damage. Over the coming days the room continued to feel damp and we began to notice small marks on the wallpaper. By day 4 this was much more noticeable and on day 5 the green mould took hold and many large patches appeared. I complained to reception and asked to move rooms only to be told the mould was in fact my fault as I hadn’t kept the air con on constantly! I found this response unbelievable and said that if the air con must be kept on constantly then why are there not notices in each room stating this and why on the hotel app does it suggest using doors/windows or the ceiling fan to conserve energy rather than the air con. I was eventually given the option to move rooms which we did but on returning the keys of the original room back to reception I was told I had to sign a disclaimer for the room upgrade. I argued this was not a room upgrade but merely a move to a habitable room but was told if I wanted to stay in the room, I must sign the form. I had no choice but to sign. This experience could have been handled so differently with courtesy, respect and honesty but instead soured our whole view of the hotel. This is not the standard of room or customer service I would expect from a hostel let alone a 5* resort. So my advice is on arrival if you have any doubts about your room do not unpack and demand a change.

The Hotel RIU Palace Bavaro is an incredible resort. Definitely something for everyone. The sea is beautiful. The beach is beautiful with lots of space and lounge chairs for everyone. There are 11 pools including a huge water park, kids area, kids pools, adult pools and areas. There are many dining options including a food court that has anything you want. The buffet is so good with many different options for everyone. The sushi at the buffet is delicious. There are several live cooking stations with any thing from hotdogs to steak. Francesca, Is a great server. Very friendly and she doesn’t let your wine glass stay empty for long. The à la carte restaurants are also great. The steakhouse serves steak and lobster as well as many other options. We were in villa 41 in the adult section. The room was very spacious, cool and had everything you need including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion and a coffee maker, hair dryer etc. the bed was very comfortable. They also have family rooms which is nice for people with small kids. We never had one bad experience and we will definitely go back. There is a store right on the resort within a 5 minute walk that has a small pharmacy, souvenirs, cigars etc.

The cleanliness of this resort is horrible. Food, garbage and dirty dishes remained in the hallway for days. Causing bug infestation and management did nothing. They were quick to charge for the room upgrade only that the location of upgrade to Elite ocean view room was worse than original location. Find another resort because there is no respect or loyalty to customers not even RIU members that have been faithful for years and this is the worse location I have experienced in my 15 years.