Royalton CHIC Punta Cana Resort & Spa

Likes- Clean room Staff- very friendly Price- over priced Drink quality- poor/drinks were mixed with local liquor only! top shelf liquor as basic as absolute vodka needed extra payment. Service- upon arrival no welcome drinks or even assistance with luggage. Upon checkout, no one assisted with luggage likewise! Room- basic telephone line was not functioning, steamer malfunctioned, replacement took too long. Choice of room comes with additional payment. Online room app is disconnected from your room at the day of checkout by 8:00 am! Expedia- butler service was never provided as stated Spa- its a must/ not cheap either Entertainment-lively In house boutique- wide asst very nice Food-assortment was good Breakfast area- birds flying overhead/ bird droppings and even come nearby table to eat your food if you should leave unwatched. Beach- sargassum most of the time Coffee house- atmosphere very nice/ some days variety in drinks are not available due to not sufficient stock. Restaurants- if you're lucky you will be able to try all. So reserve on-time Airport transfers- comes with an extra cost Overall rating-we have been to better places for a 4- night stay

Everything was written in the surveys. Opening hours for buffet was horrible. The food wasn’t even hot unless it came off the grill when ordered. Making reservations for every restaurant should be deleted. Stop the harassment of trying to get folks to buy or go somewhere; if they want to do certain things, I’m sure they’ll ask.

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana, Dominican Republic My stay at Royalton CHIC Punta Cana has been one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. From the moment I stepped into the check-in line, I felt singled out for being a solo traveler. It honestly seemed as though the staff had been trained to overlook guests traveling alone. While waiting, I watched two employees greet and assist the group in front of me and the two groups behind me, taking the time to explain the resort’s amenities and answer their questions. I was never acknowledged or offered the same welcome or information. The problems continued when I got to my room. I had booked a room with a king-size bed, but that was not what I received. I was also greeted by old, yellowed towels that I refused to use. After speaking with Ingrid, she advised me to call the front desk to request clean towels, which I did. Unfortunately, I then discovered that my room didn’t have any shower gel or even a bar of soap. I had no choice but to shower using shampoo. The following morning, I called reception again to request shower gel. After waiting over an hour with nothing delivered, I once again had to shower with shampoo. As I was leaving my room, I noticed a housekeeper cleaning the room next door and asked if she had any soap. She told me she didn’t have any extra supplies, but she kindly took the nearly empty bottle from the room she was cleaning and gave it to me so I could at least have something to use. This level of service is unacceptable for a resort that promotes itself as a luxury, all-inclusive destination. Basic necessities like soap, shower gel, clean towels, and accurate room assignments should never be an issue. More importantly, every guest deserves to feel welcomed and valued, whether they are traveling alone or with a group. Sadly, my experience at Royalton CHIC Punta Cana has been nothing but disappointing, and I cannot recommend this resort based on the level of service I received.

We stayed at Royalton CHIC Punta Cana for five nights in July, and unfortunately it was the worst all-inclusive resort experience our group has ever had. We’ve stayed at several all-inclusive resorts in multiple countries, many costing less than this one, and every one of them delivered a noticeably better experience. By the end of the trip, every person in our group agreed we would never return. To be fair, there were a few bright spots. Our Diamond Club butler, Teudi (“T”), was outstanding. He responded quickly to every request, whether it was dinner reservations, room issues, or restocking the minibar. Without him, we would have spent far more time dealing with Guest Services. The spa was also excellent. It was clean, modern, smelled wonderful, and the massages and hydrotherapy circuit were fantastic. We also enjoyed our swim-out suite and the quieter Diamond Club pool. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended. Diamond Club Wasn’t Worth It We paid extra for Diamond Club expecting a noticeably elevated experience. Outside of our butler and one quieter pool, it simply wasn’t worth the additional cost. The exclusive areas were limited, and even there, getting drink service was often difficult. Even more frustrating was that one of our first interactions after arriving wasn’t hospitality. It was pressure to attend a Vacation Club presentation. We received repeated phone calls to our room, multiple WhatsApp messages, and continued invitations to what was essentially a timeshare presentation. When we politely declined, the representative tried to guilt us into attending anyway. It made the resort feel far more interested in selling memberships than making guests feel welcome. Room Problems Immediately The problems started as soon as we checked in. Two of the rooms in our group had dirty sheets on the beds, and paint was dripping from condensation around the air conditioning vent onto the floor. Not exactly what you’d expect from a resort that advertises itself as luxury. Loud, Out-of-Control Guests For the first two days, a large group completely took over the atmosphere of the resort. People should absolutely enjoy themselves on vacation, but this went far beyond that. They blew whistles, screamed throughout the day, blasted music through portable speakers, confronted members of our group and accused us of calling security, smoked marijuana throughout the shared pool area, and left behind bottles, cans, cigar wrappers, food, and other trash in the water. Several members of our group also witnessed overt sexual activity taking place in the shared pool in full view of other guests. The first night, staff briefly intervened, but the group returned after dinner. The second night, no one attempted to control the situation or enforce any quiet hours. Relaxing or getting a good night’s sleep was nearly impossible. A Bucket List Excursion Ruined The single biggest disappointment happened on the morning of our shark and stingray snorkeling excursion, something that had been on my bucket list for most of my life. After breakfast we returned to our room only to discover the electronic door lock system had failed. Housekeeping couldn’t get in. Staff couldn’t get in. Maintenance spent nearly three hours trying to open the door. By the time they finally forced it open, our transportation had already left. Because of a problem that was entirely the resort’s fault, we missed our $360 excursion. Management’s response was an apology and a 10% discount at the spa, even though we had already planned to use the spa. There was no reimbursement for the excursion, no meaningful compensation, and no follow-up afterward. That experience perfectly summed up how the resort handled problems. The Food Without exaggeration, this was the worst food we’ve experienced at any all-inclusive resort. The buffet rarely had fresh or appetizing options, and the dining area was uncomfortably hot. The specialty restaurants looked great online, but many menu items weren’t actually available, even when arriving right as they opened. Every chicken dish was dry and overcooked. Dinner service routinely exceeded an hour, with one meal taking nearly 90 minutes. One meal arrived so cold it honestly tasted like it had come out of a refrigerator. Even the pizza somehow tasted like cardboard covered in cheese. Every restaurant disappointed us. Slow Service Everywhere Outside of our butler, service throughout the resort was consistently slow. Drink service was slow. Meals took forever. Servers disappeared for long stretches without checking on tables. Room service regularly exceeded 90 minutes. Everything seemed to move at an incredibly slow pace. Safety & Maintenance One member of our group cut her hand badly enough on broken pool tiles that she required medical attention. When we reported it, both the medic and resort staff largely dismissed the incident. Rather than showing concern or apologizing, we were simply told the pool had been renovated six months earlier. No follow-up. No concern. No accountability. Activities & Resort Layout Compared to other all-inclusive resorts we’ve visited, the entertainment staff lacked energy and enthusiasm. Activities weren’t promoted well, there was little effort to get guests involved, and it was often unclear where or when events were happening. The resort also lacked adequate signage, making it surprisingly difficult to find restaurants, amenities, and other areas without asking other guests for directions. Final Thoughts Luxury isn’t defined by marketing photos or upgraded room categories. It’s defined by how guests are treated when things don’t go according to plan. Royalton CHIC Punta Cana failed us in nearly every category that mattered: room quality, food, service, maintenance, organization, and customer service. The only things that prevented this trip from being a complete disaster were our butler, Teudi (“T”), the excellent spa, and making the best of it with our friends. For the price we paid, especially after upgrading to Diamond Club, we expected a completely different level of quality and service. We left feeling like the resort cared far more about selling Diamond Club upgrades and Vacation Club memberships than delivering the experience guests had already paid for. None of us would ever return, and unfortunately we cannot recommend Royalton CHIC Punta Cana to anyone looking for a relaxing, high-quality all-inclusive vacation. Pros * Outstanding butler (Teudi) * Excellent spa * Nice swim-out suite * Quiet Diamond Club pool Cons * Terrible food * Extremely slow service * Dirty rooms on arrival * Aggressive Vacation Club sales tactics * Missed a $360 excursion due to a resort lock failure * Broken pool tiles causing injury * Poor management response to multiple issues * Diamond Club not worth the extra cost * Loud, disruptive atmosphere with little staff intervention

Food wasn't good, Drinks weren't good, entertainment wasn't good, resort wasn't good. Breakfast was the same stuff everyday. Lunch was either buffet or the same two snack shacks. They list the sports club for lunch but it's not open for food even though it's listed as open. The snack shacks were often out of the items that you want ie chicken wings and mozzarella sticks. Dinner food was a hit and miss. Nothing great about it. Drinks - the bars were out of most of the items that our group wanted. Even being a diamond club guest they didn't have things like Malibu, Titos and some other whiskeys. One day they would have the alcohol then the next two days they wouldn't. I don't feel like the bartenders knew how to make drinks. We asked for a Mexican Martini and they had no idea what to do and said they couldn't make it. Diamond Club - This is a joke. You pay extra money to have to go and get your own drinks. We were told that the waitresses around the pool could NOT go to the diamond club bars to get drinks for us...We had to. So we had to get out of our swim up pools to get drinks. NOT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY. Resort - don't even get me started. We were hounded the entire time. First by the painting guys to buy a painting or tell them which one is our favorite. Then by the jewelry place begging us to come in to buy. Then the up sale... the resort wants you to buy into this travelers club. EVERY DAY Multi people asking us to go to an hour presentation so they can get credit and we can get a free massage or cabana. It was not a relaxing time. No one in our group would go back and we would never recommend this place. It was a waste of our vacation time.