Royalton Splash Punta Cana Resort & Spa

We stayed here for 8 days, and unfortunately, this has been by far the worst Royalton property we’ve stayed at. First, be aware that if you book at Royalton Splash, not all of the restaurants are included in your stay, which was disappointing. The food overall was average at best and definitely not what we expected from a Royalton resort. The beach was another major disappointment. There was a significant amount of seaweed, and it was not cleaned frequently enough. We’ve stayed at other Marriott-affiliated properties where trucks and staff are constantly working to keep the beach clean, so the difference here was very noticeable. Unfortunately, don’t expect that same level of maintenance at this property. If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum member, don’t expect your status to mean very much here either. We were disappointed with the lack of recognition and benefits compared with our experiences at other Marriott properties. Transportation between Royalton Splash and the main Royalton resort is also frustrating, especially around lunchtime. The shuttle gets extremely packed, and getting a seat honestly feels like a game of musical chairs—you have to rush to sit down before someone else takes the spot. The only reason I’m giving this property 3 stars is because of Maritza. She is truly the reason this resort received a 3-star rating. Rafael from the dining room was also wonderful, but Maritza was the highlight of our entire stay. Maritza has truly been a blessing during our stay. She made sure our mornings were filled with laughter, warmth, and kindness. She is absolutely lovely and one of those people who genuinely makes a difference in your vacation. If you’re already staying at the property—or if you decide to book despite the issues I mentioned—I’m sure Maritza will find a way to make your day a little brighter. Thank you, Maritza and Rafael, for being the highlight of our stay. ❤️

We all got sick from the food. The staff was not polite or helpful. The room was just ok. We did have a very large roach in there once, my kid was flipping out. I have a bunch of mosquito bites on my legs because they don't spray for bugs. There were always flys landing all over the food in the buffet. I could keep going, but you get the drift by now. Just don't go!

⭐️ 1 STAR – Absolutely Not a 5-Star Experience | Family of Four – Think Twice Before Booking We stayed at Royalton Splash Punta Cana as a family of four with two young children, ages 8 and 2. We paid approximately $6,000 for this vacation, expecting a five-star all-inclusive experience. Instead, our experience was one of the most disappointing vacations we have had. The biggest issue — and the issue that affected us every single day — was the buffet situation. THE BUFFET SITUATION IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE The main buffet at Royalton Splash is closed until October. I understand that the closure was mentioned in the booking information. That is not the issue I am raising. The problem is that what was NOT made clear was the actual experience Splash guests would have to endure as a result: the only buffet available to us was Grazie Trattoria at the opposite end of the connecting Royalton Punta Cana resort, near the beach. For a family with an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old, this was an absolute nightmare. Every time we wanted breakfast, lunch or dinner, we had to: • Leave our resort • Wait for a buggy • Deal with buggies that were constantly full • Wait again or compete with other guests to get a spot • Travel to the other resort • Get dropped off • Walk a LONG distance to the buffet • Then repeat the entire process to get back And this wasn’t once a day. This was breakfast, lunch AND dinner throughout our stay. In Punta Cana’s heat, doing this repeatedly with two young children is ridiculous. The buggy service was a disaster. The buggies were frequently full, the waits were excessive, and there was genuine chaos among guests trying to get on. We saw people pushing and scrambling for places because there simply weren’t enough buggies available. AND THEN YOU FINALLY GET TO THE BUFFET… You would think that after going through all of that, at least the buffet would be a pleasant experience. It wasn’t. Grazie Trattoria was extremely hot and poorly ventilated. There are fans throughout the buffet, but more than half of them were not working. Breakfast and lunch were particularly uncomfortable because of the heat. The service at the buffet was also poor. So our family was forced to spend our vacation travelling across to another resort, waiting for unreliable transportation, walking through the heat with two children, and then sitting in an extremely hot buffet with inadequate ventilation. This is not what we expected when paying approximately $6,000 for a five-star all-inclusive resort. WE ASKED FOR A SIMPLE SOLUTION — AND WERE REFUSED We asked if we could use Gourmet Marche, which is at Royalton Punta Cana and has proper air conditioning. We were refused because we were told it was exclusive to Royalton Punta Cana guests. So apparently we were good enough to travel all the way across the resort to use Grazie Trattoria, but not good enough to use the more convenient buffet. And then comes the most frustrating part. After making us deal with this for essentially our entire vacation, the resort finally switched our bracelets when we had ONLY ONE DAY LEFT, allowing us to use Gourmet Marche. One day. After all that time, waiting, walking, heat and frustration, we finally got access to the solution we had asked for — when our vacation was basically over. ISSUE AFTER ISSUE AFTER ISSUE The buffet situation would already have been enough to seriously affect our vacation, but it wasn’t the only problem. From the moment we checked in, it was one issue after another. Our room safe didn’t work and eventually had to be completely replaced. We spent valuable vacation time waiting for staff to deal with it. We also had to change rooms because the AC wasn’t working properly in the children’s area. Again, instead of enjoying our vacation with our kids, we were spending time dealing with room problems and waiting for staff. Then we had the power outage, which added another problem to an already frustrating stay. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS EQUALLY BAD What really shocked us was the overall attitude and level of service throughout the resort. There was very little warmth or genuine hospitality. Smiles were rare. We constantly felt like we were bothering staff by asking for basic service or assistance. This was particularly noticeable with some of the waiters and bar staff. Instead of making guests feel welcome, the attitude often came across as though they were doing us some enormous favour by serving us. At times, it genuinely felt like they had paid for our vacation and we owed them something. That is how bad the attitude felt. We have stayed at many resorts and understand that not every employee will have the same personality. This wasn’t about one or two employees having a bad day. It was the overall feeling throughout the resort. The lack of warmth, friendliness, attentiveness and hospitality was extremely disappointing. THIS WAS NOT ONE BAD INCIDENT That is the most important thing for potential guests to understand. This wasn’t one bad meal. It wasn’t just the power outage. It wasn’t just a broken safe. It wasn’t just a room change. It wasn’t just the buffet being closed. It was the combination of all of these problems, happening throughout our stay, while we were spending a significant amount of money expecting a five-star family vacation. We spent far too much of our vacation: Waiting. Walking. Complaining. Following up. Changing rooms. Waiting for buggies. Trying to get basic service. Trying to get problems fixed. That’s not a vacation. FINAL VERDICT Royalton Splash may market itself as a five-star all-inclusive resort, but our experience was absolutely not five-star. The buffet situation alone is something families with young children need to seriously consider before booking while the Splash buffet remains closed. If you’re going to advertise a five-star family resort, guests shouldn’t have to spend every meal waiting for overcrowded transportation, walking across another resort in extreme heat and then eating in an excessively hot buffet with broken fans. And the fact that we were finally given access to Gourmet Marche with only one day remaining made the entire situation even more frustrating. We paid approximately $6,000 for a family of four. For that price, we expected much more — much better organization, much better hospitality, much better service and, frankly, a much better overall experience. Would we return? Absolutely not. Would we recommend Royalton Splash Punta Cana? No. If you’re considering booking this resort, especially with young children, do your research and understand exactly what the buffet situation means in practice before spending your money. Our family came here expecting a relaxing five-star vacation. Instead, we spent our vacation dealing with issue after issue after issue. That is our honest experience, and potential guests deserve to know about it.

An Absolute Disaster — Deceptive, Uncomfortable, and Not Worth the Money After taking two flights and nearly 12 hours of travel, we arrived expecting a relaxing resort stay. What followed was one of the most disappointing and poorly managed hotel experiences I have ever had. The problems started the moment we entered the room. The bathroom door locked me inside. Once that was finally fixed, we discovered that the shower handle literally fell off when we tried to use it. So, instead of settling in after a long day of travel, we were already calling maintenance. Then came the issue of food and accessibility. Apparently, the only restaurant available that evening was the buffet — except by the time we arrived, it was closed. We were told to use the buffet at the other resort, which required taking a shuttle and then walking another 8–10 minutes. This was not an isolated inconvenience. That same buffet was also the only place available for lunch, meaning guests were expected to make that trek repeatedly, in the heat, just to get a meal. And when you finally get there? Good luck. The buffet was open-air, uncomfortable, full of flies, and served cold food. The desserts were an embarrassment — essentially flavored or colored gelatin masquerading as pie. The coffee was genuinely disgusting. We also encountered chipped and broken utensils being used for guests. On one occasion, we arrived for lunch at 12:30 p.m. only to discover that the restaurant was closed, with absolutely no prior notice. Apparently, guests are expected to simply figure out when and where they are allowed to eat. The resort's infrastructure was just as bad. Electricity went out repeatedly throughout our stay. Water also went out, including once while I was actually in the shower. These are not minor inconveniences at a resort that is charging people for a supposedly comfortable vacation. The theater was another disappointment. It had no air conditioning and numerous broken seats, making it incredibly uncomfortable to sit through the shows. Then there was the constant push to join their VIP program. We were being aggressively solicited despite clearly being on vacation — including someone knocking on our door at 8:00 a.m. to sell us on the program. Nothing says "relaxing getaway" quite like being woken up early to be sold another package. The resort also advertises children's facilities and activities, but what we experienced was laughable. One of the activities was video games, where a group of children were left waiting for their turn on a single controller while the internet repeatedly cut out. The playground wasn't even accessible until after 4:00 p.m. So much for the advertised kids' amenities. There is also an app supposedly designed to make restaurant reservations. Unfortunately, it was slow, unreliable, and frequently displayed incorrect information. Another unnecessary headache in a place that should be making things easier for guests. At Bella Cucina, we found tables with peeling laminate and exposed sharp edges. Again, completely unacceptable for a resort charging guests the prices they do. And then there was the service — or rather, the complete lack of hospitality. From check-in onward, staff provided very little useful information. Service throughout the resort was consistently cold, dismissive, and unhelpful. There were also very few English-speaking staff, which made an already frustrating experience even more difficult. I also personally observed what appeared to be noticeably better attitudes and treatment toward white guests than toward others. I cannot speak for anyone else's experience, but it was something I observed repeatedly enough that it left a very bad impression. By the second day, I was already trying to get my money back because the experience was so unacceptable. Unfortunately, Expedia was unable to do anything. Perhaps guests in the Diamond Club receive a completely different level of treatment. If that's the case, then perhaps the resort should be honest about what level of service guests are actually paying for. This place markets itself as a resort, but our experience was anything but a vacation. Broken facilities, unreliable electricity and water, terrible food, flies, uncomfortable dining areas, misleading amenities, poor communication, aggressive sales tactics, and consistently poor service. The entire experience was deceptive, disgusting, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. A resort should make you feel welcomed, cared for, and relaxed. This one managed to make us feel like an inconvenience while simultaneously charging us for the privilege. Entirely a waste of time and money. Absolute disappointment. I would not recommend this resort to anyone.

We came as a family of 4 booked through TUI with the 'upgrade' to diamond club. The hotel is really nice but the staff are so rude! A few staff like the cleaner and mini bar guy were kind but the restaurant staff and the coffee shop ladies on the Royalton side are so rude and bitchy. If your English they are really rude and shout things in spanish to the other staff calling English people names. I even recorded one to translate! They are so miserable and grumpy it really makes you feel uncomfortable. I did read a few reviews while we have been here saying most of the staff are racist and it is so true! If your Black American or Spanish they are so kind and accommodating.