We arrived to this beautiful property with awesome decoration and the place is enchanting. Registration was a problem as they tried to place us in the worst room which is in the extreme corner of the building in the back which is 1001, beware. I even gave the front desk guy a tip while they were getting the rooms done. So don't bother just make sure you get in the higher floors. The food at the main buffet is the best, as the so called restaurants, Italian, steak house and so on are not really that great. Service was very good and the staff is very friendly and helpful, The pools are very nice and the drinks are not bad at all. the place is really nice and the beach area is really nice also. Save your towels the day before in order to reserve your chairs early in the morning, the towel hut opens at 8:00 am, so after breakfast go to your reserved chairs and exchange the towels then.
Lunch was readily accessible and there is always some where to eat if you are hungry. Our family got very sick we don't know if from the water or the environment as many people was in the same situation. Drink bottle water as much as you can, since ice is the regular water.

We had the best time! I was a little worried about the food because of other reviews but the food was awesome. I am VERY picky and loved the a la carte restaurants. We had wonderful service at the pool for our drinks. Leo and Victor were amazing! We were never without a drink in our hands. The hotel is beautiful inside and out. Everyone we came across had smiles on their faces. We loved the beach. The sand was soft and white. I would go back tomorrow if I could. Don't listen to the bad reviews. Excellent vacation!

Absolutely beautiful hotel. The food is very good in the buffet restaurant and in all the "a la carte" restaurants we tried. We received an exceptionnal service everywhere in this hotel. The cleanliness is outstanding. I never hate a good steak like there in the Caraibes, as well as the lobster. We never look for a chair on the beach or aroud the pool. Good drinks and good shows at night.

We just arrived back from our vacation at the RIU Punta Cana and it was a great way to spend a week. The qualify we received there was what we expected from the RIU chain. It looked & felt a lot like the RIU in Cabos. Grounds are kept beautifully & clean, rooms were tided up daily, buffet provided an assortment of good food that enabled all tastes to enjoy a nice meal. The beach was probabbly one of the nicer ones along the stretch with lots of sandy beach area. Lots of chairs on the beach area for both sun & shade seekers. Pool water was warm as was the ocean! A few items I would put on my wish list for this RIU:

1. A snack bar near the pool/beach that offered small snacks all day long rather than always going to the buffet everytime you wanted a munchie but you could only go when the buffet was open.

2. For a resort that is a fair size, the one pool was a drawback. The swim up bar area was always filled with guests who camped out there pretty much all day, and getting a drink could prove difficult. Also, there was always a film of "guk" around the corners of the pool and it made us a little squeemish dipping into it - But we are beach lovers, so it was not really an issue for us.

3. While the Entertainment Staff at the RIU tried their best with the evening entertainment, this RIU needs to invest some money into their programs. Being limited to what you can do in the evening, better entertainment would be welcomed. The qualify is poor and gives off a cheap feeling.

4. Get rid of the Japonese & Italian Restaurant- horrible is the only way I can describe them- change the cooks or change the venue- the buffet was by far a superior choice

Overall, the RIU was quite good. I would go back and recommend it. Remember it is Dominican Repubic, and you should reset your expectations to what is considered in 5 star Caribbean Countries- if your really picky and fickle- find yourself a diamond resort!