Riu Palace Bavaro - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

11614 reviews

• 

  September holiday

  My wife and I travelled in May for three weeks and in September for two weeks. We found that the staff seemed better organised and more helpful this time. rooms were very good; the food was excellent Did not use the entertainment, which looked ok The parties we did not use, as I found them to be attended by drunken people not caring how they act in the lounge areas Etc This would not put us off going back again

  Sep 13, 2026
• 

  It is 10 times better than the Riu Republica.

  We had an exceptional stay at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro. The service throughout the property was outstanding; the pool bar was well-stocked, and the new food court was a fantastic addition. We particularly enjoyed the quality of the à la carte restaurants. I would like to commend the staff for their professionalism and attentiveness. Special thanks to Gella at check-in for a seamless arrival, and to Alexas and Rodriguez at the top-level adult pool bar for their excellent service. The team at the lower adult pool bar was equally impressive. Finally, our breakfast service provided by Sr. Eduardo and Valentino was truly exemplary—they provided 11/10 service. We look forward to returning soon.

  Sep 07, 2026
• 

  Bad experience

  Our experience with this hotel started badly on our very first day, and unfortunately the incident that happened that day affected our mood throughout the entire vacation. What was supposed to be our honeymoon started with an extremely upsetting experience, and we never truly managed to shake that feeling for the rest of our stay. The first and most upsetting incident was with a coconut vendor. We agreed on €10 for two coconuts. When we said we would pay by card because we did not have Dominican pesos, the vendor charged us €100 instead. After realising that the money withdrawn from our bank account is nearly 100€ in extra,we went to reception to report what had happened, instead of initially trying to help us, we were accused of lying. We were told that this could not have been their worker and that the hotel could not take responsibility for what happened to us because of our “unawareness.” We then spoke to a manager and showed him the photograph we had taken of the coconut vendor,In the photograph, the person appeared to be wearing clothing identifying him with the Riu hotel. The manager told us that he would investigate the situation and let us know what happened. We waited five days without receiving any update. On our last day, we finally went back ourselves and asked what had happened. Only then were we given our €100 back. While handling the refund, the manager reassured us that consequences had been taken against the worker and told us that he had been fired. What makes this even more confusing is that we later spoke with the TUI representative who was present at the hotel during our stay, and we were told that the hotel had told TUI that this person was not their employee. I am writing this review knowing that the hotel’s response may be something along the lines of: “It was not our worker, but we returned your money.” (which is not the truth). Yes, you returned our money, and we appreciate that. But that does not change the fact that we were initially accused of lying, were left waiting for five days without an update, and were given a completely different explanation directly by the manager when our money was returned. During our stay, I became sick in the middle of the night with a very sore throat and completely blocked nose. The hotel information stated that there was a 24-hour doctor and a 24-hour pharmacy. I contacted the doctor because I simply needed something basic such as paracetamol so that I could sleep. I was told to come the following day with my health/travel insurance. I then went to reception and literally begged them for help. I was told that they did not have paracetamol and that they could order a pill for approximately $45 (it's another thing why we pay health insurance while booking). Since the hotel advertised a 24-hour pharmacy, my husband and I walked approximately 20 minutes at 3:00 in the morning to get medication ourselves. When we arrived, the pharmacy was closed. This is extremely concerning to us. Guests travel with children, elderly people and people who may suddenly need medical assistance. If a hotel advertises a 24-hour doctor and 24-hour pharmacy, guests should be able to rely on that information, especially during the night when they may genuinely need help. We also experienced housekeeping problems. Our bed sheets were not changed during our stay, even though they became sandy, and we slept on the same sandy sheets throughout the holiday. On our final night, I personally had to go to reception and ask them to change the sheets. Overall, we felt that when we needed basic assistance, we were repeatedly left to solve problems ourselves. The level of service and guest care was nowhere near what we expected from a hotel of this standard. We wanted to relax, enjoy our honeymoon and trust that we had chosen a good hotel. Instead, we spent part of our holiday dealing with situations that should never have happened in the first place. Returning the €100 was appreciated, but a refund does not erase the experience, the lack of assistance, or the other problems we encountered during our stay. P.S: You literally have to beg the personal if you want to ask,need help etc.,like not you but they have paid you for your vacation.

  Sep 06, 2026
• 

  Disgusted. Don't waste your money.

  Very disappointed with check-in timing and service. Resort website states it has a shuttle service as part of its perks, yet when a flight is changed or cancelled, tourists are left to fend for themselves. I have never felt more alone or scared in a foreign country before today. I've stayed at a Riu 6-7x in the past three years alone, but this experience will make me think twice when booking my next vacation abroad. It's almost comical how 'helpful' they are when taking your money but know nothing when you actually need help. I am disgusted by the service.

  Sep 05, 2026
• 

  HORRIBLE PEOPLE

  I will never spend my money with this resort I’m actually happy I didn’t go through with them . They don’t accept the LGBTQ community . And before I even knew I called them to set up a proposal and the lady took it personal like “ oh this is a catholic country so we don’t accept “ and then hung up on me . okay and what the hell does that have to do with the event planning ? Because other resorts accepts the lgbtq community in Punta Cana . You know how many gays are in Dominican Republic ? I’m Dominican myself & no one cares about that . They’re rude and nasty .

  Sep 04, 2026