Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro

Had an amazing experience and would definitely come back again. The staff was so nice especially Stephany she worked every day we were there and treated us like royalty. Tables were always set and ready for my family to sit and enjoy breakfast and lunch. Had a nice set up for our granny's birthday with a cake and balloons all set up. So many pools and things to do. Food courts were really nice too. Very kid friendly. The gyms were nice as well

My recent stay at Bavaro Riu in Punta Cana was, for the most part, absolutely fantastic! The resort itself is truly excellent, offering a great service experience from start to finish. I was particularly impressed by how incredibly clean everything was – a huge commendation to the staff for their meticulous attention to detail. The absolute highlight of my dining experience was the buffet. Normally, buffets at this type of resort are just "okay," but this one was truly outstanding. It offered an incredible variety and quality of food that made it the standout among all the restaurants. The Kristal restaurant was also quite good. However, the only significant disappointment during my stay was the Italian restaurant, "Bambola." I honestly feel that this restaurant simply does not belong to the resort, as it completely fails to meet the high standards set by the rest of the property. The food quality was, frankly, terrible, and it felt like the chef had no understanding of what Italian food should be. It was, without a doubt, one of the worst Italian meals I've ever had. Despite this one issue, I would highly recommend the The Resort anyone looking for a clean, well-serviced, and overall excellent resort experience in Punta Cana, especially if you appreciate a truly exceptional buffet. Just be prepared to skip the Italian restaurant entirely.

Stayed 7/4-7/9. Really beautiful property. Booked an elite club room with the swim up pool. Well worth the money. This also includes an elite club only pool which was hardly full and access to the elite club restaurant which had an incredible cowboy steak. The bed was really comfortable and the room was immaculate and clean. The food overall was great and the staff always friendly. Minus 1 star for the internet, constantly dropped even in the middle of the property. Kind of annoying when you are trying to organize your excursion or talking to family at home. Also, because of the sargassum, the property smelled like sewer the first couple days. Later, the smell would hit you as you got closer to the beach. The beach, to me, is largely unusable due to the sargassum. They could invest in some barriers, that could help.

I was really looking forward to my stay here and had high expectations given the hotel’s reputation and premium pricing. Unfortunately, the service was disappointing, especially considering I had requested a table in advance for a birthday celebration — and it simply wasn’t ready when we arrived. What was meant to be a special and memorable moment turned into an awkward and frustrating experience. There was no clear communication or apology, and we were left waiting without much assistance. For a hotel in this price range, I expected much better organization and attention to detail. The buffet at Riu Palace Bavaro was a complete mess. We had to find our own table because nobody was around to seat us, which was frustrating right from the start. We ordered drinks, and they never arrived. After waiting for ages, I had to go up and remind the staff, but nothing ever came. The lack of service was unbelievable. No one seemed to care about guests, and the whole experience felt chaotic and unorganized. For the price of this hotel, I expected much better. The facilities themselves are nice, but service is a major part of the experience — and in this case, it let us down. I truly hope management takes feedback like this seriously and improves the level of guest care, especially when it involves special occasions. The experience was frustrating and not at all what I expected from a hotel in this price range. I do not recommend staying here unless major changes are made to how they treat guests.

Really good resort overall. The rooms were nice and the views were nice as well from the balcony. Plenty of pools and the water park was a great highlight! Also the additional activities that were available at the resort helped make it even better. The food was okay.

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.

DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER. From a family of 3 all family members suffered stomach and vomiting problems. As a pointer, one member who is 20 years old experienced the worst symptoms due to the fact that he only drinks water. Some water tastes fine and some locations have very irregular taste compared to others. Off the top of my head the water at food court tasted very strange and toxic compared to other sources. I have very low suspicion that the food is bad. This also includes drinks and concentrates that are diluted with tap water — such as orange juice, natural fruit drinks at the buffet (which are clearly watered down), and anything else like melted ice in your drink. Assume that nearly every juice or soft drink is mixed with water by default because that’s how it is in most places. I REPEAT, do NOT DRINK TAP WATER. Rui before you reply I want you to know that we have been Dominican Republic at least 10 times alone in the past 20 years and never had a sickening experience like this. We also go to Mexico, Jamaica and other tropical places when it’s not DR. And also before you say that you have “strict food inspection/regulations” I would get a real inspector because something is obviously not right. We have met friends here that are also suffering from this.

We stayed here last week and from the moment we arrived until we left everything was perfect. Our room had a private pool and the service we received exceeded our expectations. Every meal we had was cooked to perfection and delicious, and the selection was amazing. We were greeted every day by very friendly Manuel and Cristian at the Taino restaurant , who also happened to have an excellent memory, they somehow remembered what we like to drink and made sure to keep our glasses filled. We highly recommend Riu Bavaro and can’t wait to go back again and have a delicious iced coffee.