Resort Details
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
5062 reviews
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Nov 19, 2025My Review of Hotel Riu Bambu – Punta Cana
1. Room, Hotel & Lobby From the outside, the hotel looks impressive, but the inside tells a different story. The lobby is very big, but nothing special or memorable. The entertainment on the Riu Stage is extremely limited and honestly quite boring – mostly bingo every night, with a few other shows that are not engaging or exciting. The room itself was a major disappointment. It felt very old, worn out and generally dirty. When we first arrived, the bed sheets were stained and unclean. Even though housekeeping came every day, the sheets still remained dirty throughout our stay. Overall, the room condition was far below what you would expect from a resort of this brand. ⸻ 2. Swimming Pool The pool area is decent and looks good, but we barely used it because we preferred the beach. The towels provided for the pool were stained as well. Even when exchanging for a “new” towel, many of them were still visibly dirty. ⸻ 3. Beach The beach is the highlight of the entire stay. The water is a beautiful blue, and the sand is soft and clean. Even though the weather can affect the water, the beach itself is stunning. ⭐ I would give the beach a solid 5 stars. ⸻ 4. Staff Some of the staff members are genuinely kind and helpful. However, those in higher-level positions were rude and unapproachable. When we asked for bottled water to take on an excursion, we were told they didn’t have any—even though they clearly did. It was also upsetting to see how the workers such as cleaners and bar staff were treated. They work over 10 hours a day without proper breaks and earn around $300 per month. They appeared overworked and treated poorly. ⸻ 5. Excursions Be cautious when booking excursions. People on the beach will try to overcharge you significantly. Do NOT book through beach vendors. Always book excursions directly from the hotel. Prices may be a bit higher, but you can negotiate safely and avoid scams. Bring cash whenever possible—card payments come with additional taxes and make negotiating harder. If you want to buy cigarettes, book a taxi through the hotel. They will take you to a petrol station and bring you back for free. Prices per pack are around $7–$9. ⸻ 6. Food The food was extremely disappointing—cold, unappetising and, in some cases, unhygienic. On several occasions, I even found bugs in the dishes. It was honestly the worst food experience I have ever had at a hotel. ⸻ ⭐ Overall Rating Although the beach and excursions were amazing, the hotel itself—rooms, food, cleanliness, entertainment and management—was extremely poor. 👉 My overall score for Hotel Riu Bambu is: 0/5
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Nov 11, 2025Good cheap hotel, Foam party a must!!
What works well Check out the vlogs on Taits Travels on YouTube Beach & location * It’s right on a beautiful stretch of white‐sand beach at Playa Arena Gorda — genuinely a good spot for beach time. * The resort is large and offers multiple pools and decent grounds to wander. * For a budget‐friendly all‐inclusive, you do get good value in terms of “what you’re paying for” (especially compared with ultra luxury). Fun / lively atmosphere * If you’re after a more active, social, party‐friendly resort, this one delivers. The swim‐up bar and daily entertainment cater to people who want more than just “quiet and calm.” * Staff are frequently praised for friendliness (though consistency varies). * Foam parts are a must do!! What could be better Rooms & maintenance * The rooms are described as dated, with decor that hasn’t been modernised in many cases. * Maintenance issues have been flagged: outlets not working, furniture worn, some complaints about cleanliness and upkeep. Food & drink * Many guests say the buffet food is average at best. The à‐la‐carte restaurants and speciality options don’t always deliver. * Drinks are included (all‐inclusive) but often bottom‐shelf liquor — which may not match what you could expect at a higher‐tier resort. Cleanliness & service consistency * Multiple reviews cite issues with cleanliness (pools not cleaned thoroughly, public areas messy) and inconsistent service levels. * Some serious complaints too — for example bed‐bugs, hygiene issues raised on forums. > “I woke up covered in bed bug bites … They moved us to another room … new bites even in the second room.” Reddit Crowd & noise * If you prefer a very quiet, upscale, “tranquil resort” feel, this might not be ideal. There’s a more energetic, party‐vibe side. The noise level can be higher. Who is this resort good for, and who might want to look elsewhere Good for: * Groups of friends or couples looking for fun, beach time + social atmosphere, who are okay with a resort that isn’t ultra‐luxury. * Travellers with a moderate budget who want “all inclusive” convenience and plan to spend most time enjoying the beach/pool rather than scrutinising every hotel detail. * Families with children — there are kid‐friendly amenities as well. riu.com Maybe skip or upgrade if you: * Expect five‐star luxury, pristine boutique accommodation, gourmet dining and ultra high service standards. * Are looking for peace and quiet rather than a party‐oriented, lively resort. * Have very high expectations for room modernity, maintenance, top‐tier food and drink brands. Bottom line Riu Bambu delivers a solid if not spectacular all‐inclusive beach resort experience in Punta Cana. If you go in with realistic expectations — good beach, fun vibe, moderate luxury — you’ll likely enjoy yourself. But if your standards are very high (boutique lodging, exceptional gourmet food, flawless service) then you might find it falls short in certain areas. If I were giving it a score (out of 10) for a typical stay: around 6.5-7/10, maybe higher if you prioritise fun + beach over luxury.
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Nov 10, 2025
Disgusting hotel!
where do I start. Was originally booked to go to Jamaica but our holiday was cancelled due to hurricane Melissa so was rebooked and was told Riu Bambu would be a like 4 like what we had originally booked in Jamaica….what a scam. This is the lowest budget Riu I have everrr stayed at and I’ve stayed at a few! Now I been to Benidorm many times so I’m not necessarily fussy, but this hotel was absolutely disgusting! Rooms were old and outdated with your bath room sink in the the bedroom, as this was apparently their upgraded room lol. Pretty much no1 spoke English in the hotel, I understand I’m in another country but being one of the only English speaking in hotel with specific rist bands for “English speakers” you were 100% looked at differently by staff and guests. Basic level drinks I’ve never heard off. Food was disgusting. People having s*x in the swim up pool. The pools were the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed! Skin, split flies hair floating everywhere (I have a video!)and to top it all off on the second night after coming back from the club at 2am we were greeted with cockroaches in the room! Enough was enough. Went to the TUI rep first thing in morning. He offered us a transfer to another hotel at a cost to us. The other hotel (Hotel Baávaro) was an absolutely amazing and was the level of holiday I would have expected from the start! Riu Bambu needs to be demolished. I wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy!
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Nov 06, 2025Disappointed
I’ve booked through TUI and upgraded to a family room which is an absolute samples. The first room they showed us to already add guests in it. Our current room is not a family room. It’s a standard room with a sofa bed pulled out I had to pay extra for this. The sofa bed is very uncomfortable. I asked to move hotel and we told I would have to pay almost US$2000 which is ridiculous and this or a Spanish speaker the staff don’t serve you food itself in comparison to other real hotels is pretty poor standard of the room is dire pass saving grace is our lovely cleaning lady i’ve been staying at Riu hotels for a number of years and I’m a member of Riu class however there was no riu class checkin available on my arrival. I was completely ignored. I had to stand for almost 20 minutes before someone decided to take that they wanted to check me in. This is the worst example of a riu hotel that I’ve ever stayed iny husband is celebrating his 60tj and we have decided that we have to do this outside of the hotel as a close relative has come to celebrate with us and we are informed that we would be charged $190 for him to come and visit us here The moral Of the story is do NOT upgrade to a family room as they don’t meet the standard And don’t bother to come to this hotel if you are not a native Spanish speaker as you do do not get the same level of service Do not come to this RIU of you are used to the amazing other hotels eg Senegal and Cape Verde where the service is as it should be I am in room 203 and I have compared the room to a standard room and all they have done is pull the sofa bed down And for that I had to pay an upgrade fee
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Nov 05, 2025Honest reviews
Hello all we are a family of 4 my husband, myself , and my 2 daughters. We will be arriving on the 16th of nov 25. Wow next week weve been waiting for this moment for 165 days counting down the days till we get there. We are very excited to be there. The hotel looks so beautiful. We picked this hotel as its our birthdays out there mine is the 17 of nov my daughter will be celebrating her 18th birthday on the 19 of nov and my husband the 24th of nov. My daughter will offically be an adult and shes so excited to party and order her first drink. I have been reading reviews on this hotel and to be honest its not looking to good with some exceptional excellent reviews thats what ive been focusing on. Im going to give my own honest review We will be reviewing the hotel, beach, pool, food. Staff front of house we have heard the people from dominican republic are very friendly. We used to go to cuba every year and yes it is a poor country but the people is what made it . Yes that hotel was a little dated too but we didnt spend a lot of time in the room we enjoyed the cuban culture and music and the staff is what made it. So friendly and helpful in understanding my daughter needs. Thats why we keeped going back every year for 7 years. So tine for a change this is why we picked riu bambu as my girls are getting older now. We will also review the the room as we can see from pictures people have posted thats its a little dated but thats not what makes the hoilday there just minor things and over time things go like this we have our 15 year old daughter with us who is autistic so we have asked for interconnecting rooms. So she next door to us with my other dughter ive put in a request for this and on the top floor. My job is a house cleaner and hotel cleaner i see the photos of the standered of cleaning people put up ànd i know these poor cleaners have such a quick turn around to get the room cleaned and in the heat i know they try there best so people try to understand.. cant wait to meet you all and have the best time at the riu bambu. See you soon.