Riu Palace Punta Cana - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3670 reviews

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  Not a Palace RIU

  This is not the standard of a RUI Palace. Start with the positives, the rooms are spacious with lots of storage space. You can log on to Netflix on your TV. There is lots going on for all ages so not a dull moment. Requests on the App for maintenance, housekeeping and the in bar refill all completed quickly. The specialised restaurants you don’t have to book and can arrive between 18;00 and 21:00 and get a table. We went to all restaurants and did not have a problem getting a table. It was nice to be waited on and served wine, it felt special. We requested a late check out as Gold Members and that was honoured. As Gold Members you are supposed to get a gift, I had to go to customer service to request this. I was told it’s different in Dominican Republic but to be fair a bottle of wine was sent on two separate days and some little souvenir dolls. It’s just a shame I had to ask! We emailed hotel in advance and also requested on the App to have rooms near our friends, we were on the same floor but a different block, we went straight back to reception and thanks to Michael he put us together. Thank you Michael as the other receptionist was not so helpful. This proves to me being Gold Members is not necessarily advantageous as RUI say you can choose your rooms! The rooms are tired, which also makes them seem not as clean as other RUI Hotels. In general the hotel is definitely not as clean as others we have been to including RUI hotels that are not Palace standard. We have stayed in the Palace in Cape Verde, Sal and Boa Vista and also in Mexico Cancun, Morocco and these hotels are far superior. They have more choice in the buffet restaurant, the fruit was disappointing as serving frozen berries every morning and waiting for them to defrost is not something I would expect! There are a lot of families and where we have been before there is a member of staff as you go into the restaurant giving you sanitiser for your hands, I suggest you start to do this as I lost count of the amount of times children picked up biscuits and bread then put them back in the pile for someone else to take! There are all ages here from families, to young groups to older generation. There is no one going around making sure people stick to the rules, people jumping in the fountains that are display only, going into the lunch buffet with bikini on and a man with just small swimmers. People in the specialised looking as though they have just come off the beach. This was only the Japanese to be fair. Towels hanging over the balconies, although the rules are clearly not to do this. You have a line or chairs you could use. This hotel definitely needs to look at upping its game to be classed as a Palace. I suggest you also come with plenty of money for tipping as this seems standard practice. If this hotel was of the standard of the Palace hotels in Cape Verde we would have definitely been back, but unfortunately until this happens we will not be taking the 9 hour flight back to this one.

  Dec 05, 2025
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  HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!! They will only take your money

  My first all inclusive, man was I excited. Arrive 11/5/25. I was part of a larger party celebrating a friends birthday. Check in was dirty, stunk like cigarettes and mold and the safe did not work. They also did not tell us how the lights worked, you have to put your hotel key into the slot by the door for all electricity to work in your room. The bathroom sinks were clogged, somebody did come up and unclog them, but left the mess and never cleaned the sink. We were 3 people in a room for 3, with only 2 towels for a shower, after many requests for extra towels, we never received them. Bathroom mirros were chipped and looked very old. The pull out couch (which we needed to use) had mold and mildew over it and full of rust. There were also old sheets on it when we opened it. There were no extra sheets in the room at all. When I went to the front desk and advised, I was told there was nothing they could do. I was able to get my travel agent involved and was finally put into a new room at 10:30 at night. (we got there and checked in about 2pm) Once I got the travel agent involved, I was directed to speak to a Carlos, who was not there, and began dealing with Rene. At this point it was dinner and had not eaten, so he advised come back in an hour and the room would be ready. When I got back there, Rene was not there, nor was he answering his phone from co-worker Emelio. Emelio was very helpful and got us into a new room, which again the safe did not work in the new room. At least we were traveling with friends, and were able to put our valuables into their safe. Thursday morning (2nd day there) Advised the front desk that the safe did not work, they advised me I had to make an apt for maintenance to come fix it, picked 11am. Maintenance came and advised the safe needed a battery. Waited, nobody came with a battery. Waited about an hour for him to come back, then went to enjoy the pool sun and beach, afterall I was on vacation. Later when I complained to the front desk, I again was told to make an apt, so Friday morning 11am, waited until 12:30 and left to enjoy the sun. Later Friday afternoon, we were not able to get into our new room. The mainenence guy had to climb from the balcony, remove the sliding door to the room, come in that way and open our door, they did fix the door and the safe at that time. Friday 5pm, we were now able to enjoy the last 1.5 days left of vacation. We were also advised that we did not need to make reservations at the front desk for our dinners. We had an issue each night, until we showed them money. Our travel agent contacted Riu Palace Hotel in Punta Cana for our troubles, we wanted some kind of refund for part of our trip with all the problems we had. We were basically told they didn't care. They gave us a $50 voucher for a future stay. I WILL NEVER STAY AT ANOTHER RIU HOTEL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. I have been told to not let this experience ruin all inclusives, as this is not the norm. RIU Palance, PUNTA CANA, you failed big time. DO NOT GO THERE!!! They do not care about anything but taking your money.

  Dec 04, 2025
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  Great family resort!

  My experience at the Rio Resort was amazing. The property is beautiful, everything was clean, and the staff overall was super attentive. I loved everything about my stay, from the atmosphere to the amenities and honestly felt sad to leave. The only downside was at one of the restaurants where two of the servers had a bit of an attitude, but that was the only negative moment during the entire trip. Besides that, everyone else was friendly and welcoming, and the service everywhere else was great. I would absolutely come back. Highly recommend! 🌴✨

  Dec 03, 2025
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  RIU is always nice

  The all inclusive resort is such a dream. We traveled with our baby and it was just perfect. The room was nice. Yessica at the desk was outstanding. Jorge in the main restaurant was kind. We really enjoyed all the different pools and options. Food was good and a large variety. Drinks were tasty. Staff was great and attentive. We won’t be back but it was a good experience.

  Nov 29, 2025
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  Riu Palace Punta Cana

  My family stayed the week before Thanksgiving. The weather was beautiful, staff was amazing, and we did an excursion to Saona Island. It was a great time to relax.

  Nov 28, 2025