Riu Republica

We traveled at the end of July for my wife's birthday, this RIU was even better than expected with so many pools, the atmosphere at the bar by the beach. The grill by the beach was 10 out 10 with that grilled spicy chicken. The Michael Jackson show was unbelievable. We even had a change to take a class of Bachata and Merengue. The servers at the Altagracia were always above and beyond to offer a great service, especially Ignacio and Sandy....Too many great memories I can't wait to book my next vacations at RIU.. I almost forget that my room was decorated for my wife and even a gift was left in the room for her....I jut love RIU

Happy with hotel, but is very dated could do with an upgrade. Our room which we had to change as soon as we got here was better but had a leak in the shower and the fan didn’t work which we reported the first day was never repaired!! Very disappointed with the restaurants which was definitely not first come first served as was told by tui, could not get in most restaurants as was not spending my holiday queuing for an hour to book a table!! Used to have an app for this but was told it didn’t work anymore!! When complained some members of staff were very rude and didn’t want to help or address the issue and dismissed us!! We really had a lovely time, but maybe not come back to this hotel again as this was our 2nd time here which is a shame as it is a lovely island.

My fiancée and I recently stayed at RIU Republica for our engagement trip, and unfortunately it was one of the most disappointing resort experiences we’ve ever had. The problems started the moment we arrived. Check in took well over an hour while we stood in the heat waiting to get our room. During that time, hundreds of guests were leaving for what appeared to be a party excursion, filling the lobby with constant yelling, chanting, and screaming. It was chaotic and certainly not the relaxing atmosphere we expected from an adults only resort. Speaking of “adults only,” I think the marketing is very misleading. If your idea of an adults only vacation is a resort primarily filled with 18 to 25 year olds partying nonstop, then this may be exactly what you’re looking for. In our experience, nearly everyone on the property fell into that age group, and we saw very few guests over 30. The atmosphere felt much more like a spring break destination than a peaceful adults only getaway. Trash was frequently left around the resort, and the overall environment was loud from morning until late at night. The pools were another major disappointment. They were so overcrowded that they were almost unusable. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, constantly stepping over one another, making it difficult to relax or even move around. Every swim up bar was overwhelmed, and waiting 15 to 20 minutes for a drink was common, only to receive a cocktail that tasted heavily watered down. To make matters worse, there was a strong unpleasant odor around many of the pools and other water features throughout the resort, making it even less enjoyable to spend time there. This wasn’t limited to one pool or one bar. It was the experience throughout the resort. Our room was another major disappointment. The air conditioning never cooled the room below approximately 75 degrees. By the third day, we contacted maintenance. The technician told us he was aware these rooms simply do not get much colder and that there were no other rooms available. We ended up paying for taxis into town just to purchase fans so we could sleep comfortably for the rest of our vacation. No guest at an all inclusive resort should have to leave the property and buy fans just to make the room livable. The food was consistently poor. Buffet meals were mediocre at best, but the specialty restaurants were even more frustrating. Instead of serving tables individually, it seemed like everyone in the restaurant was served in waves, resulting in dinners that routinely lasted around two and a half hours from start to finish. Spending that much of your evening waiting for food is not how we wanted to spend our vacation. The drinks were equally disappointing. The liquor throughout the resort tasted heavily diluted, and bartenders generally would not make drinks that weren’t already listed on the menu. The bottles provided in the room were among the cheapest brands available. One of the biggest disappointments involved our engagement. We informed the resort in advance that we would be getting engaged during our stay and asked if they could help us do something small or special to celebrate. We were assured they would. After returning from our engagement, absolutely nothing had been arranged or acknowledged. It was an opportunity to create a memorable moment, and it was completely ignored. The only truly enjoyable part of our trip was leaving the resort for excursions. Ironically, we did not book them through the resort because the excursion prices being offered on site were dramatically higher than what we found by booking independently. Overall, this resort was not the relaxing, quality all inclusive experience we expected. Between the lengthy check in, overcrowded facilities, unpleasant odors, hot rooms, poor food, watered down drinks, party atmosphere, lack of customer service, and failure to follow through on even simple guest requests, we left extremely disappointed. We traveled here to celebrate one of the biggest moments of our lives. Instead, we spent much of the week wishing we had chosen another resort. We would not return, and based on our experience, we cannot recommend RIU Republica to anyone looking for a relaxing adults only vacation.

I was very disappointed with my stay at Hotel Riu República. Unfortunately, the room was not clean or properly maintained. We found roaches in the room, and there was a strong mildew smell throughout our stay. The shower was another issue. Hot water was inconsistent, and we often had to wait a long time before it would get warm enough to shower. When we checked into our room, the mini fridge contained someone else's partially consumed drinks, making it seem like the room had not been properly cleaned before our arrival. The most concerning issue was the bathroom door. We reported to the front desk that it was broken, but it was never repaired. It eventually locked me inside the bathroom, and I was only able to get out because my friend was there to help me. Had I been alone, it could have become a much more serious situation. The staff was polite, but these problems significantly affected our vacation. For the price we paid, I expected a clean, safe, and well-maintained room. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and improves housekeeping and maintenance for future guests.

Review of Riu Republica, Punta Cana We stayed at the Riu Republica in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from 24 June to 9 July. While there were some positives, overall the holiday did not meet the standard we expected, especially given that the hotel is advertised as a five-star resort. What went well The best parts of the holiday were the service from the bar staff, the general service we received from many staff members, the flight attendants, and the transfer arrangements. These parts of the trip were well organised and helped make the travel experience smoother. Overall impression of the hotel In our opinion, the hotel did not feel like a five-star resort. Based on our experience, it felt closer to a three-star hotel at best. The Riu Republica is very much a party hotel and seems better suited to younger adults who want a lively atmosphere throughout the day and night. This is also how it is marketed by TUI, which describes the hotel as having a lively, party atmosphere with pool parties, DJ sets, dance shows and a nightclub. The official RIU information also highlights its adults-only, 24-hour all-inclusive concept, day and night entertainment, Splash Water World and RIU Party events. However, the resort felt heavily focused on the party end of the hotel. If you were not staying near that area, it felt as though you were somewhat forgotten about. Most of the activities and entertainment appeared to be concentrated at one end of the resort, and the wider hotel experience did not feel evenly managed across the whole property. The hotel also seemed to be set up mainly for American and South American guests, rather than catering equally to all nationalities. This affected the atmosphere and the overall feeling of being included in the resort experience. Issues during our stay Our problems began at check-in after a full day of travelling. We were told that our room only had two beds, despite there being three adults in our party. We explained that our booking was for three adults in a double room, but we were told this was what we had booked and that it was not the hotel’s issue. We were then told we could have a “free” upgrade and were asked to sign a piece of paper for it. However, the pre-printed envelope containing our room details and key cards did not change, which made it appear as though we had always been allocated that room rather than being upgraded at all. Once in the room, the safe was locked. We asked for it to be opened and were told it would take around 20 minutes and that we should wait in the room. We ended up asking three times and waited around four hours over 3 days in total before this was resolved. We also found that the shower screen leaked and that the phone in the room did not work. We reported these issues to reception on two occasions, also raised them with the TUI representative, and submitted them through the hotel app. Despite this, they were never fixed during our stay. The on-site TUI representative was also not very helpful. In our experience at other hotels, the representative has usually made an effort to seek guests out and check how things are going, but on this occasion we had to find him ourselves. He also seemed more focused on selling trips than on dealing with guest welfare or helping resolve the issues we had raised. There were many smaller maintenance issues in the room as well, including plugs not working, plug sockets not being in practical places, cracks in the paintwork, and lights not working. We have photographs showing some of these issues. The pool signage stated that pools closed at 6pm, but guests were still using the pools until the early hours of the morning. The pools were also not cleaned regularly enough and at times had items floating in them and appeared very murky. This only improved after we complained to management, after which the pools were cleaned. The quieter bar area was generally pleasant, but the music could have had more variety. It also would have helped if staff had stopped other guests from using their own music players, as this affected the atmosphere for those trying to enjoy a quieter space. Overall verdict Overall, although some staff members provided good service and the travel elements of the holiday were positive, the hotel itself was disappointing. The standard of the room, the lack of maintenance, the poor handling of reported issues, the uneven focus across the resort, and the strong party atmosphere meant the holiday did not feel like the five-star experience we expected. I would only recommend this hotel to younger adults who are specifically looking for a party-focused holiday. For anyone expecting a more balanced, relaxing, five-star resort experience, I would suggest looking elsewhere.