Playa Arena Gorda, Punta Cana 23000 Dominican Republic
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About
#87 of 197 hotels in Punta Cana
Location
4.5
Cleanliness
4.3
Service
4.1
Value
4.1
The All Inclusive 24h Hotel Riu Bambu opens all year round and is located on the beautiful Playa Arena Gorda beach, in the holiday area of Punta Cana, on the Dominican Republic's eastern coast. The RIU Classic Hotels offer comfortable rooms and excellent facilities with great leisure and relaxation facilities, as well as international gastronomy. Enjoy a relaxing holiday - whether alone, with family, partner or friends! The location is ideal because of its proximity to El Cortecito (10 km), Higüey (40 km) and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) (25 km) and invites you to explore the area. The hotel has 1000 comfortably furnished rooms with free WiFi and offers many amenities. Relax in the spa or get in shape at the gym. 5 outdoor pools, 2 of them with swim up bar, 2 children’s pools and the “Splash Water World” water park. For the youngest guests, RiuLand kids’ club (4-7 & 8-12 years old) and Riu4U activities (13-17 years old). For adults, daytime and evening entertainment, discotheque and Riu Pool Parties. For lovers of gastronomy, live cooking stations at our main buffet, as well as Italian, Asian, Mexican, Steakhouse, Gourmet and Spanish specialty restaurants; 6 bars.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Beach
Boating
Babysitting
Parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Fitness / spa locker rooms
Fitness classes
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Swimup bar
Poolside bar
Canoeing
Game room
Tennis court
Water park
Water sport equipment rentals
Windsurfing
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Waterslide
Nightclub / DJ
Children's playground
Indoor play area for children
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Kids pool
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Highchairs available
Car hire
Taxi service
Spa
Head massage
Massage
Salon
Currency exchange
Outdoor furniture
Shops
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
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Room features
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Safe
Sofa
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Sofa bed
Bidet
Telephone
Wardrobe / closet
Iron
Private bathrooms
Bath / shower
Hair dryer
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Room types
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Family Resort
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, German
Location
54Somewhat walkable
Grade: 54 out of 100
10Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
6Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Contact
Playa Arena Gorda, Punta Cana 23000 Dominican Republic
Getting there
Rental CarsSee rental cars from $50/day
3324Reviews1142Q+A100Room tips
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My family and I had a great time here. The resort was lovely and the staff were very friendly. Many only spoke Spanish but there were more than enough who spoke English. Food and choices were good and the entertainment was also good. Will come back 😊
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded today
Dear R2 Cee Dee, We are very pleased to read you kind remarks about our hotel. Knowing that your family and you had a wonderful time, makes everything worthwhile. We very much look forward to hosting you again! Wishing you a very nice day. Kindest Regards, Hotel Riu Bambú Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Hotel's Favorite
I travelled to this resort from Dec 18-25. Rooms – nice, bright, and spacious. The rooms were a bit run down, but I didn’t mind. Our AC wasn’t working. I had downloaded the RIU app and requested maintenance for the AC. Later that evening while we were in our room, someone showed up to fix it. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with the AC, it does not work if the patio/sliding door is open. None of our outlets were working except the one in the bathroom. That’s were I ended up charging my phone. The USB port by the bedside were both broken. We didn’t use the liquor dispenser, but the bottles were full. In the fridge they had bottles of flat water (2), sparkling water (2), diet Pepsi (2), Pepsi (2), 7 up (2) and beer (2). They refill every other day. I ordered more by using the RIU app. I also requested more towels and blankets. The beds only had the top sheet. Our shower leaked a bit. I slipped on a small puddle in the bathroom and fell hard. After that I made sure I had an extra towel on the floor to soak up the water after my shower. The maids did a great job cleaning our rooms. I travelled with my 4 kids ranging from 16-22 years old. I had gotten 3 standard rooms. The boys had their own room, the girls had their own room and the last room for my husband and me. I had emailed the resort a week before our arrival to request the rooms be next to each other. They were. In the girl’s room there was only 3 out of the 4 liquor bottles there, I think 1 of the dispensers was broken. In the boy’s room, 1 bottle was siting near the dispenser because the dispenser was broken but then they took it away, so both rooms only had 3 bottles. Our rooms was in building 6 on the second floor. I think it was near the septic tank cause it smelt like sulfur in the hallways and outside. Thankfully not in the rooms. Buffet/restaurants – The main buffet had a large selection of food. I really liked the fresh avocado that they had but unfortunately it wasn’t available at breakfast. Most of the food I found to be too salty, but my family liked it. To each their own. The worker did their best to keep the food area clean and replenish. Unfortunately, the guests are messy and don’t care about keeping things clean for other people. What I didn’t like about the buffet was that it was busy and took a while to get your food as there are line ups, by the time you get back to your table, your food is not hot anymore. That’s not the resort’s fault, it’s just something I notice which is why I prefer eating at the a-la-carte restaurants for dinner. I also notice a lot of unsupervised kids in the buffet area, helping themselves to the food by climbing on top of the ledge and being very unsanitary. Grabbing food with their hands and sneezing. Again, it’s not the resort’s fault but the parents. Mama Juana restaurant by the pool was open for breakfast and lunch. It a smaller scale then the main buffet but less busy. I notice that when you enter any of the buffets, you should wait for them to notice you and be seated. You will get your drinks served to you and plates removed faster. If you seat yourself, you will not get any service. I think it’s because if your seated by the waiter, they know to serve you. If you seat yourself, without any waiters noticing, the waiters will assume someone else is taking care of you. We only went to 2 a-la-carte restaurants, the Steak house and the Gourmet. The Steak house is busy and very popular. It open at 6pm. If you show up at that time ready to dine, you will be allowed in. If you want to dine later, you will have to line up by 5pm. At 6pm, someone will come out with a pad asking how many people are in your group and if you would like a 7:30 or 8:30 sitting. The first time I got in the line up at 5:15. There was about 15 people ahead of me in line. Thankfully I got a ticket for 7:30. The next time we got there for 6pm, ready to dine and was let in. The 3rd time I tried to get in line @ 5:30, only to be told that they were filled for the night. Usually around 5:30, someone from the restaurant goes down the line asking how many people are in your group to get an idea of how many people are expected to dine. Once they hit their limit, they will turn people away to help them avoid standing in line for nothing. You can see their menu by downloading the RIU app and clicking on the restaurant. The Gourmet restaurant opens at 6:30. There is usually a line up for that too. They will start to let people in when they open but only if everyone in your group is there. If there is someone missing, you would have to stand aside till they arrive. After the restaurant is full, they will issue pagers for you to come back when they have a table ready. Usually in an hour. I did not try the other restaurants. I got the impression from the reviews I’ve read that they were mini buffet style. On Christmas Eve, you had to book your dinner reservations ahead of time at any restaurant or the buffet from the maître’d standing outside the main buffet. I tried to book at the steakhouse, but it was full, so we went to the Gourmet again. They serve champagne, had an extra seafood appetizer for the occasion. They also had a special that night in addition to their menu which was a lobster tail. The snack bar near the beach offers, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, nacho chips, fruits, and salad options. You need to be wearing shoes and a cover up to go in. No bikini tops or shirtless. The beach was full of seaweed our first night there. There were piles of them. The next day, a clean up crew went down the beach picking up the piles. The waves were big at times full of seaweed and garbage. I was surprised at how much garbage was in the ocean. A lot of plastic bags. There was this one guy who was in the ocean grabbing every plastic bag he came across. It didn’t take long for him to accumulate a huge pile. My husband started to follow too every time he went into the ocean, grabbing at the garbage and throwing it in the garbage cans on the beach. Even though it’s Dec, it’s not seaweed season, there was quite a bit. The beach is long with lots of palm trees for shade. They had a volleyball court and soccer on the beach. My kids spent everyday playing volleyball and made friends. There are a lot of vendors on the beach. If you’re not interested, you just say, ‘no thank you’ and they move on. The beach towels were thin and stained. I kept returning the dirty stain ones until I got one without stains. I would send my kids otherwise the towel attendant would get suspicious. There is a older guy that works there that's not very friendly. I only got towels in the morning so I am not sure if they were available later in the day. I would keep my towels at the end of the day to exchange them for fresh ones in the morning. The pools looked nice. We didn’t spend any time there since my kids preferred the beach. They are opened 24 hours. Our travel rep told us that they do put chemicals in the pools to clean them @ 9pm. You can still swim in them but it’s at your own risk. It should be fine by 5am. I went to the RIU ‘Jungle’ party in the afternoon with my son. We went in, no problem. We were there ½ an hour after they opened. It wasn’t very busy. I guess we were early. My son had a drink, then we left. I went back to the ‘White’ party at night with 3 of my kids. They were stopped at the door and asked to show ID. They didn’t have any with them, so we had to go back to the room to get them. At least the RIU party is close to the Bambu. We didn’t have to walk far like at the other resorts. It was busier at night. They had face painting and VIP areas, plus pools with foam. There was a younger crowd but also plenty of older adults. We did not try the water slides. My kids were not interested. We usually book at the Gran Bahia resorts, but my travel agent recommended the RIU. We had a great time and would return to the resorts again.…
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Date of stay: December 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
4 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded Jan 19, 2023
Dear Li-Nei F, It is wonderful to learn that you found it of your liking and you enjoyed your stay. Our lovely staff will be very pleased to learn that all their efforts paid off. Thank you very much! We will be thrilled to host you again! Loving Regards! Hotel RIU Bambú Online Reputation Management
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I loved my stay at Riu Bambu. The room was good and the food was great. The staff was so nice. I will be back very soon. i was so easy to find my way around. This was one of the best trips I've been on.
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded yesterday
Dear Tiffany Y, Thank you for your feedback, We are happy to hear that you left with such a good feeling about our facilities and we are sincerely glad that you appreciated our work so positively. For our part, we hope that you will come back to visit us again soon, so that we can offer you a 100% wonderful experience. Yours faithfully, Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We always go to RIU for Hollidays and this one was really disappointing. Compare to previous RIU around the World that’s one is for us the worst. Food , services, cleaning is not standard what’s we have before. Cocktails , drinks poor. Evening shows …. Not recommend this one .
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 3 days ago
Dear 493marcinw, Thank you very much for staying with us and for letting us know about your stay. We would like to sincerely apologize for the issues you describe in your review, for the inconvenience it might have caused you. The relevant department will be notified, in order to make the necessary arrangements. Best Regards, Hotel Riu Bambú Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Overall a good stay. Service was great. Employees were friendly and helpful. Buffet needs more variety, it was the same food every day. The steakhouse was fantastic! Biggest complaint was I reserved a room with 2 double beds and pullout couch and when we checked in they gave us a king bed and twin pullout. That is not appropriate when traveling with teenage children. When asked for the room we reserved we were told there were no 2 bed rooms available. Overall resort was clean, not sure how sanitized it was. Pool decks need to be hosed down daily, they were sandy and dirty.
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 2 days ago
Dear Maps687695, Thank you for your words. It is great to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. Please note, bed and room requests are always subject to availability. However, our Front Desk team does its bests to satisfy and accommodate all requests from our valued guests. We sincerely hope that soon you will visit us again and thus we can offer you another very pleasant stay. All the best! Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I would start off by mentioning that this resort feels more like a 4 star to me. However, that being said, the service is on point. Very courteous and smiling staff, always willing to help. There are many different pools and bars , you never have to wait. Try the Mexican à la carte, we loved it. The rooms are comfy and always well cleaned. We called for extra blankets and they were on our bed within 30 mins. The food at the buffet is well presented and clean. There is always a wide selection. The riu parties are just amazing, very intricate. You can leave the kids at the kids club oh party nights as well. The beach was amazing as always. The shows and animation team were always great! I would come back here in a heartbeat. Riu Bambu team : keep shinning and being amazing. You are doing a wonderful job. ♥️…
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Try the Mexican à la carte ( must get there at 6:15 pm )and steak house (5:30 pm)
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 6 days ago
Dear Mel C, We appreciate this fantastic feedback! We are very happy to hear that you had a lovely time at our hotel! We look forward to hosting you again in the near future. Greetings, Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Everything was excellent. The only thing is when I put the red tag on the door for the room to be made up.. the floor was not cleaned, we had no kleenex the whole stay, and waters were not replaced .9 Other than that everything was excellent
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 1 week ago
Dear Kkoshman, Thank you very much for your fabulous feedback. The best compliment is reading that you enjoyed it. Nevertheless, please accept our apologies for not getting everthing right, the management will be notified. Thank you very much for choosing us. Warmest Regards, Hotel Riu Bambú Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rooms average, food below average, drinks below average, beach very windy, lots of locals trying to sell things so had to avoid the beach, service below average, resort is large and gardens well kept. Previous comment about smell of burning is correct. The only thing above average was the RIU party. Would not return.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 1 week ago
Dear Cassandra, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Having read your feedback we are really disappointed that you did not enjoy your stay. Our number one priority is to ensure your stay is as enjoyable as possible, which we succeed in doing with the vast majority of our guests, as you can see from the guest reviews. Therefore, we are very sorry to hear of any inconvenience. This is definitely not our usual standard. Overall, we are obviously disappointed with your rating, and you can be assured we took the necessary steps to ensure our management gets to read your post and be discussed with all concerned staff. As we mentioned before, we are always on the lookout for ways to make your experience memorable. Notwithstanding your disappointment we hope that your experience on this occasion will not deter you from visiting us again so we can prove this was an exception! With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Although the rooms are starting to show a little flawed around the edges, the hotel and the staff continue to make your holiday everything you want it to be. Like many in the hospitality world they’ve been impacted by the pandemic, but are doing everything they can to make your holiday a special one. Shout out to AyJay and the entertainment team who continue to make your day a fulfilled one and Augustine in the Sports Bar
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 1 week ago
Dear Topjambo, Thank you for your kind words, We are very pleased to hear that your needs were met during your holiday and that you had a wonderful stay with us. It is very important for us to know how our guests felt when they left us. That is why, reading your words, we are very satisfied and are looking forward to your return so that we can offer you another wonderful experience with us. Yours faithfully, Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Overall this was a great experience the rooms were decent bed and pillows were hard. However for price it was well worth it! Beaches were beautiful pool was excellent! Food average. With that being said we will be back
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Bambu
Responded 1 week ago
Dear Mikaaaa13, Thank you very much for your kind words and positive feedback. We are very happy to have received your visit, and, above all, we are pleased to know that you left with those pleasant feelings. We look forward to welcoming you back soon and hope to be able to offer you a very pleasant experience. Yours faithfully, Hotel Riu Bambu Online Reputation Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
$152 - $231 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
riu bambu punta cana, riu bambu dominican republic
LOCATION
CaribbeanDominican RepublicLa Altagracia ProvincePunta Cana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
1000
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Claim Your ListingHOTEL RIU BAMBU - Updated 2023 Prices & Resort (All-Inclusive) Reviews (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic)
Frequently Asked Questions about Hotel Riu Bambu
Which popular attractions are close to Hotel Riu Bambu?
Nearby attractions include Arena Gorda Beach (0.4 miles), Splash Water Park (0.3 miles), and Escape Room Dominican Republic (0.6 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Hotel Riu Bambu?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a swimup bar, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Hotel Riu Bambu?
Top room amenities include a flat screen TV, a bidet, and a sofa.
What food & drink options are available at Hotel Riu Bambu?
Guests can enjoy a swimup bar, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Hotel Riu Bambu?
Conveniently located restaurants include Kukua Beach Club & Restaurant, Restaurant Maiko, and Restaurant Garden Grill.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Hotel Riu Bambu?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness center, and fitness classes during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Hotel Riu Bambu?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German.
Is Hotel Riu Bambu accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.