The All Inclusive 24h Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro is located on Arena Gorda beach, one of the most paradisiacal in Punta Cana. It offers a unique experience with rooms designed to guarantee a most pleasant stay with top-level amenities. There is nothing better than waking up in this paradise of white sand and crystal-clear waters. The hotel features 994 comfortable rooms and free WiFi. Relax in our spa or get in shape in our fully equipped gym. 11 pools, a children's pool with slides, a large Adults Only pool with sun loungers and parasols, and the Splash Water World water park, which will fill the days of the whole family with entertainment. Do you like going to top parties on your holidays? #RiuParty is made for you! A perfect combination of music, entertainment and fun. At the Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro, the gastronomic experience is unrivalled. The best buffet breakfasts with live cooking stations, specialty restaurants and the exclusive experience of the Elite Club restaurant.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
I arrived at the Riu Palace Bavaro on March 23, 2023 early in the in the afternoon. Staff was welcoming and my room was almost ready (room 0114). The room had a nice view of a garden and landscaped park and rest area with sand and cabanas.
The room was large and open but needed some refreshing. It was more upscale than usual for an all-inclusive resort. The decor was attractive and there was a large water jet bath between the bedroom and the bathroom. The room had a king size bed, a rest area, a flat screen TV, and was a junior suite, which was perfect.
Room service was perfect with rooms made up quickly after leaving in the morning and nice touches with a bed cover designs and flowers every day. The bar was always full with soft drinks, beer and other refreshments.
Restaurants were good. The main buffet restaurant was great at breakfast time. A la carte restaurants were nice at night and more quiet. The Italian restaurant was the best one.
The beach facing this resort was prefect as it full of palm tree and shade and it made the scenery incredible. There were many chairs available on the beach no matter what the time of the day. The pools chairs were more difficult to get though but arriving after breakfast and choosing one was no problem . Water was beautiful with turquoise color. The was some seaweed in the beginning but it was cleaned away after a few days.
This Riu resort also had beautiful pools, a nice bar near one of the pools where service was friendly and fun activities where held at the end of the day. The hotel architecture was beautiful with a Spanish touch and the grounds were perfect. The entire vacation experience was really nice and the hotel had an international mix of clients who were nice and friendly.
The trip went by quickly but many great pictures were taken. It was much fun and relaxing at the same time. Again, the staff was great.
Try to get a room in a quiet part of the hotel. Giving daily tips to maid and at restaurants is nice and I found that staff really appreciated it.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Try to get a room in a quiet part of the hotel. Giving daily tips to maid and at restaurants or...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded May 23, 2023
Dear Eastern Canada, It is fantastic to learn that our team could accommodate your needs and assist you in any way possible. We aim to please and your praise lets us know we are doing our job. Thank you very much! And we very much look forward to seeing you again. Warmest Regards, Hotel Riu Palace Bávaro Online Reputation Manager
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From the moment we arrived at the resort our every need was met. Anthony and Gabriel got us checked in and to our room quickly. Chilled Champagne and souvenirs were waiting in the room for us. THE VIEW... There are no words. We then met Hector at the VIP bar by the adult-only pool and he made our arrival amazing, each day we went to the pool Hector made us laugh, made amazing drinks and made sure we were enjoying our stay. The resort was all about fun, yet it was amazingly quiet and you could relax. Shopping right off the resort for souvenirs was convenient and affordable (try the chocolate shop). Eddy at the Buffett had our table ready as soon as he saw us coming, with fresh coffee on the table every morning and water each evening when we went for dinner. The buffet rotates so many types of food and desserts and drinks we could have had every meal there and note sampled everything there was offered. We also enjoyed the steak house for dinner a couple of times, the menu is limited, especially for someone with a shellfish allergy, but the food and service were still good. The beach was amazing, beautiful and clean. We spent time playing in the waves and going for walks. Even at night after dinner, we walked along the beach in the surf and never felt unsafe. Francis from Funjet set us up with amazing excursions and we had so much fun going ziplining, feeding monkeys, and spending the day on an Ocean spa. This Hotel is amazing... the service is top-notch, there was no need not met. The grounds were immaculate all the staff was friendly and helpful. We will be back.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:If you are not traveling with children, spend the extra for an ocean view in the Adult only...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Feb 20, 2020
Dear Drea814, Thank you for your five-star rating! We are delighted that you had a fabulous stay and that you enjoyed your time with us. Please rest assured that we will forward your comment with our team as they will be more than happy to read it. We hope you will choose to stay with us again on your next visit. Best regards, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro Online Reputation Manager
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Service was great from each and every staff member - front desk, bartenders, waiters, everyone was very nice and friendly. The food was very good, especially the lunch by the pool restaurant and the dinners at the buffet. There was something for everyone and the quality of the food was higher than I expected. There were different choices of main dishes almost every day from roasted pork/lamb, tacos, grilled steaks/fish and much more. The service was very good and the waiters will do their best to accommodate every request. Same goes to the bartenders that will fix you any drink you want, even if it's not on the menu and they have to ask other bartenders how to make it.
The pool was clean and beautiful, there was always a lot of space to lounge at any time during the day. Same thing goes for the beach, which was clean and there was plenty of room to find yourself a spot to lounge. The water was as amazing as you can expect from the Caribbean. What made it even better is that you can walk miles down the beach and use the amenities of the other Riu resorts. There was no drinks service on the beach but the pool bar is 20 feet away so there was no problem at all. They had volleyball and soccer on the beach which you could play anytime you wanted.
The rooms were clean and the minibar was restocked every other day. If you were out of anything you could call and they would bring it to you promptly. The room was cleaned everyday and if we needed extra towels or extra toiletries all we had to do is ask.
As far as entertainment goes they had a daily routine by the pool and then different shows in the evening. The best part were the Riu parties, shame they had them only four times a week. Would have been great if they had them everyday, but no complaints there.
Overall great resort and an amazing location.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Jan 27, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at our Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro. We are very pleased to see the five star review and that we were able to make your stay enjoyable. Please come by and see us again and do not forget to tell your friends. With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro Online Reputation Manager
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Convenient location to the picturesque beach. We enjoyed the possibility to stroll to the beach every morning to spend some calories after a full breakfast. Seaweeds are cleaned every morning, so you can enjoy swimming in the ocean. There are always free sun beds, so there is no need to wake up early in the morning. Rooms are cleaned daily, the minibar is filled up every other day. The staff is helpful and friendly, everybody sings and dances. The range of food is great, so everyone can find something interesting.
Recommended for families.
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Date of stay: March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Feb 20, 2020
Dear frau_folmer, Thank you for your five-star rating! We are delighted that you had a fabulous stay and that you enjoyed your time with us. Please rest assured that we will forward your comment with our team as they will be more than happy to read it. We hope you will choose to stay with us again on your next visit. Best regards, Hotel Riu Naiboa Online Reputation Manager
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In spite of living through a very scary Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isl-alas, we had a fabulous time. The usual long, line when entering the country to pay $20 pp tax was non-existent=really nice. With few people traveling, we felt like we had a billionaire's mansion and his staff at our private disposal. In some ways it was a little spooky but actually idealistic! There was maybe 15% occupancy. If you looked very closely, you could tell the resort had been closed a few months. Things here and there were in need of maintenance. Resorts on both sides were closed. We stayed Beachfront in the Villas. The most people we ever saw on the beach at one time was 6 and our pool 12. Not all restaurants open every day, but restaurants (except the steak house) allowed us to be served pretty much any time. Our favorite, the Steak House. All staff members were exceptionally friendly compared to other Punta Cana resorts where we have stayed, especially Arhas, the Adults Only Pool bartender. We normally stay at resorts along Bavaro beach, and this was the prettiest we have seen by far. Tons of palms and sea grapes. The room was spectacular, even minus the liquor dispensers, coffee pot and toiletries/robes, etc. Also, never had truly hot water, but warm enough. Spacious,clean . Never had a problem with Wi-Fi and even had TV reception while we waited out the horrible storm. Always staff members posted at all entrances taking temperatures, insuring masks and use of sanitizer gel. We felt very safe!
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Date of stay: July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I booked at Riu Republica (All Adults) but when I arrived I got the news that all the Riu Resort's were closed and that the only one that was opened was Riu Palace Bavaro ( I wasn’t notified by Riu of such news). I arrived and it was a great 5 days, hand sanitizers everywhere, mask required around food, temperature check before breakfast daily, social distance was great too, you needed to use gloves to get your food at the buffet! All that is great ways to avoid COVID 19 Virus. Now on the last 3 days of my vacations... that’s when things turned bad. No more gloves required at the buffet for the guest nor the employees, some of the waiters weren’t using the mask properly (nose out and some nose and mouth out), when someone got up from their table at the end of their dinner they won’t replace the table cover that and in the first 5 night they would. When I asked, the answer was “company policy”... which is an pretty much a no answer. I think that for a company to take care of their guess, they can’t be cutting corners to safe a few dollars when we are going through a pandemic. I recommend everyone doing their research and thinking twice at staying in RIU Palace Bavaro. Your safe comes first.
Love & Luck
Luis ❤️
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Riu Hotels and Resorts, Dueño at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Jul 13, 2020
Dear Luis, Many thanks for letting us be your host and sharing your review with us. We are truly sorry that the second half of your vacation was not what you expected. While we are glad to read that you really enjoyed the first half of your holidays due to our strict antic covid–19 protocols, it is very surprising to learn that although our staff go above and beyond to make sure that everybody follow our new rules, not everyone does so. Please accept our apology if this made your stay less enjoyable and rest assured that we will follow up on your comment in case our protocols have not been properly met on this occasion. It is our sincerest hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future, so that we can provide you with a better experience. Kind regards, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro Online Reputation Manager
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Punta Cana February 14 to 21, 2020: So here is a summary of our absolutely wonderful experience at HOTEL RIU NAIBOA. This trip was delicious in every way. For more than twenty years, we have been traveling, mainly in the Dominican Republic, so we have visited several complexes. This experience is, without a doubt, the best experience to date. Since we frequently refer to comments from other travelers to choose our piece of paradise, this is our turn to give you an overview. A complex of five different hotels that meet all needs. We opted for Naiboa, with a family tone. The welcome was impeccable, if not more than five minutes between arrival at the hotel and our entry into our room, clean, super pretty, with a splendid view. All the people who work there are friendly and helpful and seem to enjoy their work environment. Maintenance at all levels is meticulous. At the main buffet, the choices are limitless and absolutely delicious. In addition, the team is very attentive. At the beach there is a snack bar style restaurant with a variety of interesting choices. The shops are spread out along an absolutely charming little lane that leads to the sea, a much appreciated gap. There is very little solicitation and very reasonable items and prices. The sea is heavenly, turquoise of which one dreams and a subtle maintenance which is without reproach, without algae. The sun was there all week, sprinkled with little passing rain to cool off. The journey from start to finish was uneventful. Being a coffee lover, we tasted it all week. It was important for us to pass on this experience because we were delighted with the experience. I wish you to benefit from it. Darlène and François
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:La vue est beaucoup plus savoureuse en hauteur, voire 3è et 4è étages.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Mar 18, 2020
Dear Darlène and François, First of all, thank you so much for sharing your positive feedback and for the trust you have deposited in RIU. We really appreciate your excellent comments about our staff and gastronomical offer. We can assure you there is no better motivation for an employee than the recognition by a costumer. It was our pleasure to take care of you. Kind regards, Hotel Riu Naiboa Online Reputation Manager
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If you're worried about Covid, this resort is NOT for you. Buffet is self serve as usual, and everyone is crammed in and crowded together as at any other time. There is definitely no distancing at all. Crammed in like sardines. Tables are quickly wiped down with a damp cloth which is not cleaned between tables, as guests leave. Buffet staff including management are barely wearing masks. Most under noses and often hanging off the chin. Front desk staff seem the only ones actually wearing them. There are sanitizer stations around but you rarely see anyone cleaning tables or chairs in lounge areas, railings or the like. Even the nightly entertainment area was crammed.
Having been to Punta Cana over 20+ times, this is definitely not on par with other 5 stars. The name palace is deceiving at best. Looking at it from afar, it's quite stunning . The grounds are very impressive. But as you walk around you notice it's becoming rundown and need of much TLC. Given that we are in 'covid times' you can allow for acceptance of a few things slipping as they don't have as much staff. However ... You can see much of this is from a long time of inadequate care to detail.
Our experience was ok but not what we expected from other 5 stars. The food was ok. The staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help.
At half occupancy, the pool and buffet were like a theme park. I cannot imagine this place fully booked .
Highly suggest bringing face cloths and your own pillow
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Dec 22, 2020
Dear Heather, Thank you for your feedback on TripAdvisor. Your satisfaction is our top priority and according to your review, we unfortunately did not manage to satisfy you during your stay. At the same time we are very surprised to read your comments on our Covid-19 protocols. For us, there is nothing more important these days, and our strict anti covid-19 protocols have been developed in collaboration with Preverisk, a prestigious company specialized in health and safety of the tourism sector which guarantees the total reliable stay in our facilities. For this reason, on behalf of our entire team, we would like to apologise that you left our hotel with a different impression Please be assured that what you experienced is absolutely not up to our standards and we assure you that we will follow up your comment internally. Dear guest, thank you again for your feedback. We very much appreciate your time and opinion. We would be happy to count you among our guests in the future. Until then, please receive our warmest regards, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro Online Reputation Manager
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Hi , I’m very disappointed with this hotel , ok to start let me tell you that this is the first time that I come to Dominican Republic and I thought that the hotel was going to impress me as a Five Star Hotel, and the first thing was my girl loosing her sunglasses in the lobby , it wasn’t until I said that I wanted to review the cameras because I was sure it was someone from the staff that was working there, then the sunglasses appeared from nowhere. Second, I made 3 complaints in row because I was taking shower with “warm water “ never hot. Third, the room service the worst I’ve ever seen , i put 3 dollars as a tip for the housekeeping girl and they never did a good room service , they never cleaned the refrigerator until I put a note to do it( it was dirty once we arrived ). Let me tell you that we traveled with our little baby 9 months old, and we hoped having a good time since we live in USA and everything is so fast in America that the only thing we wanted it was to relax. On the other hand the service with the staff in the pool the best. I think this hotel should be closed ASAP since everything is old( 10 years without being renovated ) btw RIU costumer service by phone the worst too.
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Date of stay: September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Riu Hotels and Resorts, Dueño at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Sep 8, 2020
Dear guest, Thank you for reaching out to us with your feedback. We regret that your stay with us was not to your satisfaction due to the inconveniences that you mentioned. Moreover, we are disappointed that you did not feel well enough taken care of by our costumer service as we strive to provide a truly friendly and attentive service. It is a pity you left with a different impression. From your review we understand that we have not been able to meet your expectations in all aspects. We are particularly concerned about your comments on housekeeping as this does not reflect our standards at all. Your words are highly appreciated and we will share them with the management team so that they can follow up and continue to improve our services. To end on a positive note, your positive feedback about our staff at the pool area makes us so happy. With pleasure we will share your wonderful words with our team. We would be very pleased if you give us another chance to convince you on your next visit. Kind regards, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro Online Reputation Manager
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First day at the resort and I was already to turn around and fly back home. The room was extremely uncomfortable to sleep in there was no air condition they had that blocked when you tried to turn the air on in the room it would off. We called the front desk and they stated that only the fan portion on the unit will work. My husband and I had to literally sleep with the balcony door open to even catch a breeze to try to get any kind of sleep. Now on to the food. The food was not pleasing at all. There is only one restaurant open and the food is HORRIBLE and the snack bar is no better. You only have a choice of a cheeseburger, hot dog and fries oh then one day they ran out of buns and served us a cheeseburger on white bread. No wet bar in the room it was only supplied with 2 bottle of water and 2 pepsi. If you wanted a drink you would have to walk over by the pool during the day because the bar in the hotel didn't open until 6pm at night. Please invest a little more money and stay at another resort. This one will leave you disappointed
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Date of stay: February 2021
Value
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro
Responded Feb 23, 2021
Dear Regina, Thank you for taking the time to write a review about your recent stay at our hotel. We are sorry you were unhappy with your stay and that we did not provide you with the quality of service you deserve. It is never our intention to provide anything but a great experience to our guests, so that we apologize this was not your experience. Please be assured, this is not typical of our team, and your satisfaction is very important to us so we try hard to make sure all of our beloved guests have a rewarding stay. As we are committed an opportunity to win you back, we will take your comments under consideration in order to adjust where necessary so this does not happen again. Again, thank you for your feedback, and we hope you will consider staying with us again; We are confident we can provide a seamless and comfortable stay. With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Naiboa Online Reputation Manager
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