Riu Palace Macao

Riu Palace Macao – Punta Cana | 14-Night Stay (23 July 2026) We recently returned from a 14-night stay at the Riu Palace Macao, booked as part of a TUI package holiday, and overall we had a very enjoyable experience. There are many positives to highlight, along with a few areas that future guests should be aware of. The Good: One of the standout highlights of our stay was the evening entertainment. The rock show, in particular, was absolutely fantastic – by far the best show we saw during our entire holiday. The Michael Jackson show was also brilliant; the performer truly had the moves like MJ and it made for a great sing-along atmosphere. Food throughout the hotel was consistently good, with plenty of choice available at every meal. The steakhouse restaurant deserves special mention – it was exceptional. We enjoyed it so much that we dined there four times during our stay, and each visit was excellent. The hotel itself is very clean and well maintained. The grounds are beautifully kept, and everything felt tidy and looked after at all times. Our room was also well cared for, with a lovely turn-down service provided every evening. The minibar was restocked daily, which was a great touch. Around the pool area, there was no need to rush out early to reserve sun loungers – there were always plenty available, which made for a much more relaxed holiday experience. Similarly, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of queues throughout the hotel, whether at restaurants, bars, or activities. The Splash World area was also very clean and clearly well maintained, making it a great addition for guests looking for extra activities. The beach was also well looked after. The sargassum seaweed was not excessive during our stay, and tractors came every morning to clear it, which kept the area tidy and usable. The Not-So-Good: While the entertainment was enjoyable overall, there was a significant issue that needs to be addressed. Many of the shows included flashing lights and strobe effects, which can be very problematic for guests with epilepsy or light sensitivity. As someone with epilepsy, I found this particularly difficult, and on some nights I had to either close my eyes for much of the performance or leave entirely. There were no warnings or announcements before the shows to inform guests of this, which is something the hotel should urgently improve. Another disappointing experience was the lack of customer service when we needed assistance. Unfortunately, my partner’s Crocs were stolen from the pool area. They were very distinctive (mint green with personalised jibbitz), so it was highly unlikely they were taken by mistake. We also spoke to several other guests during our stay who reported items being taken, including sliders, flip flops, and even iPhones, which was concerning. We did receive some support from the TUI representative, who arranged for us to take a shuttle to purchase replacement footwear, with the understanding that we could be reimbursed up to $50 USD. While this was appreciated, the shop we were directed to only sold imitation Crocs that did not resemble the original product and were not suitable replacements. Despite following the advice given, the outcome did not resolve the issue. When we raised this further with the hotel, the response was extremely poor. We spoke to a member of staff who identified herself as “Loose” and initially claimed to be the hotel manager. She was neither friendly nor understanding and offered no meaningful support. Later, she stated that someone else (Roni) was actually the general manager, but told us we were unable to speak with him. The only solution offered was a pair of slippers to wear by the pool, which was not appropriate or practical, as they are not waterproof and not suitable for walking on sand. Overall, the handling of this situation felt dismissive and lacked basic customer care. We also experienced issues with our room on arrival. The rainfall shower was not working and only the handheld shower could be used. Although maintenance attempted to fix this, the problem was never resolved. In addition, there were faults with the electrical points next to the bed. Maintenance attended multiple times but were unable to fix this issue either. As a result, we had to move rooms three days into our holiday, which was inconvenient and disruptive at the start of our stay. Overall The Riu Palace Macao has many strengths – great food, excellent cleanliness, relaxing pool areas, and some fantastic entertainment. However, improvements are needed in guest communication (particularly around accessibility and safety during shows), room maintenance, security, and the level of customer service when issues arise. We did enjoy our holiday overall, but these negative experiences did impact our stay. With a few improvements, this hotel could offer an even better experience for future guests.

Excellent staff, especially Rodolfo whose kindness and professionalism made our stay more pleasant. Room was comfortable. Food was good. Place was cleaned and attractive.

This is a beautiful hotel on the same site as 3 other Riu Hotels and you can use their facilities. The site has Riu Party , a casino and water park. The rooms are large, clean and luxurious. The sea and beach are covered in seaweed and so swimming is not really possible. There are no sun umbrellas on the beach. There is a good variety of restaurants and bars and regular entertainment. The hotel has overpriced taxis at the reception. If you want your own taxi to pick you up you have to ask for permission for the driver to enter the site and come to the reception. Otherwise, the customer service is good .

We had an amazing stay at Macao, staff very friendly and welcoming, hotel clean, some evening entertainment a little bit repetitive. Room very clean and attended daily. Mini bar in room well stocked. Karla, Danny and the rest of the Day Entertainment Staff are awesome and work hard to get everyone involved. The restaurants were good, but our favourite had to be Krystal’s, beef rib is utterly mouth watering. We will definitely be returning here again in the future. One of the best RIU Hotels we have stayed at.

location-- hotel is 4 star; not 5; on the atlantic side, we just came back- July tons of seaweed. Water was not blue, no one was in the ocean. Need to go on a tour to get to clear water, rooms- we stayed in 3rd floor, side ocean view. Room was fine but considering they post the hotel has been updated, feels worn. We had to get our room changed twice when we first got here because the first two had moldy smell and rust. Staff - people who work here are amazing and friendly. Hotel employees sre 5 star, hotel not so much. No Conceierge, Pools-3 pools, but one is the small swim up bar pool; which made the best drinks. Big pool is nice and we personally had no issues getting loungers in covered spaces. Pools were all way to warm. Not refreshing. - Atmosphere- the hotel grounds are beautiful, palms, pretty lights, lit pools, Open air lobby is updated, pretty statue. Disappointing the are no tropical birds, no water features with fish, like in other islands we have been to, - Rui entertainment- at night at the open air theatre there were some very good shows. Note, there is theme days; white party, etc. If you like that check Rui itinerary. - Food - so being this is an all inclusive at a modest price I think it was good. Krystal was by far the best; very upscale but outside so go late when its cooler. The buffet was hit or miss. Breakfast was always Amazing! Omelette making stations. - Trips - we only did the 2 hour Scuba Caribe snorkel for $50, it was well worth it. Boat left from in front of hotel. The staff super safe and professional. Snorkeling is amazing. - Water park - if you are over 40 would not recommend. I hurt my back on the water slide. Only 3 slides, no sitting, no tubes. Its not safe; do not go. For little kids and teens. - Spa - very nice spa, I did get a massage and was. fairly priced and good. Gym is in Spa and again very nice. Our first time ever in DR, Punta Cana. If we did it again we would not stay here snd gind a hotel on or near the caribbean side.