Riu Palace Bavaro

We’ve just returned from our second visit to Riu Palace Bavaro, and once again, we had an absolutely fantastic holiday! Having enjoyed our first stay so much, we decided to return, and we’re delighted to say the hotel was every bit as good as we remembered. The hotel is beautiful, with stunning grounds, fantastic pools and direct access to the gorgeous Bavaro Beach. The refurbishment has really made a difference, and everything feels modern, fresh and well maintained. The food was excellent, with plenty of choice throughout our stay, and the drinks were equally good. Whether relaxing by the pool with a cocktail, enjoying the beautiful beach or spending the evenings around the resort, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute. What really makes this hotel special is the staff. Everyone works incredibly hard, always with a smile, and the service throughout our stay was excellent. The resort is kept spotlessly clean, and there’s a lovely, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We’ve visited Punta Cana several times and stayed at different resorts, but Riu Palace Bavaro remains one of our favourites. There’s something special about returning somewhere and finding it just as enjoyable the second time around. Our 11 nights flew by, which is always the sign of a great holiday. We wouldn’t hesitate to return for a third visit! Another fantastic Caribbean holiday and a well-deserved 5 stars. Highly recommended!

Specialty restaurants in my opinion were not good. The buffet was the best option. We had Helen & Cristian who were very good. Overall I found the workers not friendly. Many never smiled. Great place for families. My grandchildren loved it! Pools were clean and seemed to be well maintained. The resort is massive but not beautiful. Room was adequate. Bed and pillows comfy. Would recommend for families as it is affordable.

Beautifully Renovated Hotel, but Poorly Managed and Let Down by Its Staff It’s such a shame to see a beautifully renovated hotel being let down by poor management, unprofessional staff, and a clear lack of attention to detail. Reception: The staff at reception are often rude, unhelpful, and seem more interested in shouting at each other than looking after guests. There is very little sense of professionalism or genuine customer service. Cleanliness: Housekeeping and general cleanliness are well below acceptable standards. On several days, empty cans and glasses were left scattered around the main pool, with nobody bothering to collect them. The water in the main pool had a yellowish appearance, and there was a considerable amount of sand on the bottom. During our entire seven-day stay, we never saw the pool being properly cleaned. Food and Restaurant Service: The food itself is decent, but the restaurant service is extremely disappointing. Staff frequently stand around doing very little while guests wait for attention. Tables are not cleared or prepared promptly for the next guests, resulting in an unnecessary shortage of available tables. This is particularly frustrating when there are clearly enough staff members around to do the job. Entertainment and Activities: The animation team is practically nonexistent. Nobody approaches guests or invites them to participate in activities. On a few occasions, we saw staff bring out some games or equipment, leave them by the pool, and disappear. When approached about activities, some staff members responded rudely or simply pretended not to understand the questions. There is no enthusiasm, engagement, or effort to create an enjoyable atmosphere. Poolside Drinks Service: Unfortunately, this was the worst part of our experience. Three male staff members regularly brought a trolley stocked with alcoholic drinks to serve guests around the main pool. However, while serving drinks, they also appeared to be consuming considerable amounts of alcohol themselves. Their behaviour became increasingly loud and unprofessional, with arguments and shouting between them in front of guests. It was unpleasant to watch and completely inappropriate for a hotel that is supposed to provide a relaxing holiday experience. Management: Ultimately, I believe the responsibility lies with the hotel management. Staff performance is a reflection of leadership, supervision, and the standards that management is willing to accept. What makes this situation particularly disappointing is that the hotel itself has clearly benefited from significant investment and renovation. The facilities have great potential, but there appears to be a serious lack of supervision, accountability, and pride in maintaining them. Throughout our stay, we rarely saw any evidence of effective management or staff genuinely taking ownership of their responsibilities. Instead, the overall impression was that many employees simply did not care. Would I return? Unfortunately, not in its current state. I sincerely hope that someone from the hotel’s senior management takes the time to read this review and, more importantly, acts on it. The problems are not particularly complicated to identify, but they require proper leadership, staff training, accountability, and a genuine commitment to guest satisfaction. This hotel has the potential to be an excellent holiday destination. However, unless management takes these issues seriously, all the money spent on renovation will be wasted. A beautiful hotel deserves much better management and a team that actually cares.

Food was very disgusting especially since that’s usually why u get all inclusive They have u download an app to request room service, maintenance etc But my son an daughter both got food poisoning an this place does not serve 24 hours for help to clean room like its 3 am an no one available to help me with extra towels or mop to clean room I have no problem with cleaning it myself but they are using bathroom an throwing up at same time so difficult to keep clean ugh I requested bottles of water two days ago an still have yet to receive the room service food was warm an chips stale only had warm salad an nachos available This is all inclusive have restaurants on resort but no seasoning at all very very bland very disappointing because I’ve been to resorts all inclusive in different countries and this has been the worst experience on a resort that I paid a pretty good price for I’ve seen many cockroaches in the room and now telling my kids to make sure an shake all clothing before we leave because I do not want to bring back to the states with me Yes I understand that’s part of island life but I still shouldn’t see them in the room at least I do not recall seeing them at the three other counties Bahamas Mexico and then Puerto Rico (state)

I write this review with very much disappointment that no one from Riu has reached out when we have reported this incident to multiple levels. I have waited over a week for a response and heard nothing. October 28, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM, an unauthorized male employee utilized a master key to enter our room unannounced. I had just stepped out of the shower and my husband was in bed. Despite being confronted, the employee ignored my questions and advanced entirely into our room to the edge of the bed. It was only when my husband confronted him in Spanish that the individual mumbled an excuse about leaving a flyer and fled. He was wearing an entertainment team uniform and carrying a large satchel—not housekeeping attire, and he carried no cleaning supplies. We immediately reported this to front desk management. A manager promised a full investigation. No one ever followed up with us. Upon checkout the following day we asked for an update. The front desk representative reviewed the system and informed us that a manager named Christian closed the incident by logging that it was "just housekeeping." This is a demonstrable lie and a cover-up of a severe security breach. We have never requested financial compensation. Our sole objective was to ensure that an employee who is actively abusing a master key to enter occupied rooms had their access revoked for guest safety. Instead, local management chose to falsify records to protect a rogue employee. I posted the incident to a Facebook group dedicated to this hotel and another female said this incident happened to her and her husband in July. This is a huge safety concern and should be dealt with as such, not covered up. Its unfortunate because the hotel itself is beautiful. The pools were very nice. The food was great especially the elite restaurant and Zen- which cooked the best pad Thai I have ever had. The bars were nice, however the elite bar needs to play some kind of music. It is rarely busy and sitting it in dead silence gets awkward. The beach was beautiful. Be aware of individuals trying to sell fake cigars. Also the hotel next door we watched collect seaweed from their beach and then dump it right in the water at the property line. Due to the current flowing towards riu all that seaweed landed in our area. Also there was a man who was dressed like security for the hotel on the beach. He tried to get my husband to walk behind the food court, he said to take his photo and showed my husband a bag. My husband obviously knew he was trying to sell him drugs so declined. The man kept insisting so he had to firmly tell him to get lost. The rooms were beautiful, the bed was comfortable and the swim up was fun. Room service was also great. However also be aware if you are ground floor ypur room can flood. We had a storm go through and pur room flooded. We called and asked for towels which were brought, and just cleaned it up ourselves. I recommend going elite as the pool is nice and not as busy and has great liquor. Also you get a bigger roomservice menu. As well as the ability to book dinner reservations so you do not have to wait in line. However i would not suggest anyone book this hotel until they have done something about this alarming security breach.