Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro

Lovely hotel, very clean, we ate mainly in the buffet, lots of food choices and variety. Ate in Mexican restaurant once which was good but you can get much the same food in buffet. We like the casual vibe wearing short and t shirts anytime but thought they were too relaxed accepting people in buffet in swimwear. Food court was ok for a snack but fast food isn’t my thing. The taco and pizza options were best for us. The evening entertainment was poor but we are happy to be early risers and early bed! Very young vibe around the swim up adult bar in afternoons. I felt the poolside bars shut very early, 6pm and they were gone!! Lack of a sunset bar to sit at and have drinks. Rooms were huge, we were in a standard room, and had 2 double beds and a pull out sofa just for the 2 of us. Very clean and no damp smell that you sometimes get in these hotels due to humidity. Overall I would return, but it’s a big hotel and next time I think I’d prefer the RIU Palace Macao where I’ve stayed before. It’s adults only and a bit quieter.

This place is a sleeper. The check in was fairly quick. I found the resort rather large as compared to other resorts that ii have stayed in the DR. but was manageable. The room was spacious and clean. Plenty of pools with no lack of seating. The beach area was nice and maintained. The food was decent and a wide variety. Even though the buffet hit the spot every time for me. The entertainment was good and Plenty of seating. No lack of drink flow. I enjoyed the sports and cafe bar . English language was a little lacking with the staff but we made it work. (I am in another county) Over all, to me a great place to stay for the value. I definitely recommend.

This hotel was just an average one.|The rooms were big and the beds comfortable. The AC was a bit noisy, but did its job. The bathrooms were spacious too, but there were no toiletries such as: razors, toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. |The towels were an embarrassment to the hotel management. Over the years we’ve been to many hotels in the Caribbean (Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, and actually D.R. (Iberostar)) and we’ve never seen such overused towels. Please, please, get new ones pronto!||The Wi-Fi works well in the rooms and hotel premises, but simply doesn’t work on the beach.||The music during the shows is obnoxiously loud and it lasts until close to midnight. Not everyone is interested in this kind of “entertainment “||The restaurants and the buffet are generally OK; it seems that the food served during the lunch is then served for the dinner as well. The flies are your constant companions during eating. It’s understandable, but annoying and nothing is done to at least mitigate the issue. ||The personnel at the bars pretends you are invisible unless you put some effort to be noticed. ||Surprisingly, hotel staff is not that good with English. Knowing some Spanish (we do) helps a little. ||Properties are kept clean and maintained well which is a plus. ||Overall, our experience was good, but certainly there’s a lot of room for improvement

So after being moved from the dangerous, run-down hell hole that is Riu Republica after cutting my foot and needing 5 stitches, we were moved here to Riu palace, and what a difference. The Riu palace is so much nicer. It is a world apart from Riu Republica.. The staff here are amazing. The rooms are top-notch and really clean. There's plenty to do. The pools are clean and well maintained. The food court near the pool has a great selection from Italian, fried chicken, Asian, ice-cream and more, all the food tastes great and staff are there with drinks straight away. The rooms are a great size, and the mini bar is stocked daily with plenty of different drinks. The dining is amazing as you can choose almost anything you want to eat.. this is definitely the hotel of choice I would highly recommend. ps my daughter just returned to her room to find they decorated it with balloons, etc. as it's her birthday 🎂.. another fabulous touch as we didn't notify them it was her birthday.. this is where quality stands out.. |I would definitely recommend and would be more than happy to stay again 😍

from a 7 day trip here. Food was great! Good entertainment (riu party, club and waterpark) for all ages. Nice ocean/pool water and good service staff. Slow house keeping services (neighbouring friends had a dirty bed). Our room and towels occasionally smelt like cheese but it was a very nice room. Overall amazing trip! Definitely recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Stay, But the Dining Fell Short I recently stayed at this hotel and had a generally pleasant experience, though it didn’t quite live up to the full five stars. The highlights were definitely the staff and service — truly top-notch. Everyone was incredibly professional, attentive, and welcoming(specially Lisa and Juan). From the front desk to housekeeping, every interaction felt polished and sincere. The ambiance of the hotel was elegant and upscale, with beautiful decor and a relaxing atmosphere that made the stay feel special. However, the food was a letdown. Given the hotel’s high-end image, I expected the dining experience to match — but the meals were underwhelming. The presentation was nice, but the flavors didn’t deliver. Whether it was breakfast, room service, or dinner at the on-site restaurant, the dishes lacked the depth and quality you’d expect at this price point. Unfortunately, we ran into several frustrating problems that really took away from the overall enjoyment. We paid for water activities but even after showing proof of payment, we were constantly approached by hotel staff asking us to verify again. It felt invasive and confusing, especially since we already had everything sorted. We were even told to leave or go with certain staff because they were “certified” — which made us feel uncomfortable and interrupted our family time. To make matters worse, we had reserved pick-up and drop-off transportation from Airport to hotel and back , but neither was provided. There was a lot of finger-pointing and no one seemed to take responsibility or offer a clear solution. Overall, it’s a solid place to stay if you value comfort and service.

Our girl's trip was fabulous! Check in was smooth and efficient. We booked a family suite (3 ladies) with the 1 king room and 2 queens. We managed well with only 1 bathroom. Maid service was consistent, with the exception of not getting face cloths replaced. Food was very plentiful. Loved the food courts and the steak house. Drinks were always cool and delicious. Wait staff was very friendly attentive and made each meal fun! We are already talking about booking again in the future.

Third time hare, this time after renovation… First time experience was excellent, second time they let everyone from cheaper resorts come use all facilities here… what was the point of paying the premium then? This time the food quality has gone up, but quantity down, the alcohol selection has improved, having bottled beers. The ENTERTAINMENT is atrocious, it is all aimed at little kids leaving adults with no entertainment at night