Riu Palace Punta Cana - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3467 reviews

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  The Best Riu Resort We’ve Experienced – Unforgettable Honeymoon

  My wife and I stayed at Riu Palace Punta Cana in 2018 for our honeymoon. Of the four Riu resorts we’ve visited, this one stands out as truly exceptional. Everything was flawless from start to finish. What Made It Special: Service: Staff were attentive, kind, and made us feel valued. Food & Drinks: Diverse dining options with high-quality meals (especially the steakhouse and Japanese restaurant). Premium drinks available all day. Ambiance: Peaceful, elegant, and ideal for couples. The beautiful beach and well-maintained pools never felt crowded. Room: Spacious, clean, and comfortable with a balcony overlooking the ocean. Location: Direct beach access with soft sand and clear, calm water. Why It’s the Best Riu: Compared to other Riu properties, this resort offered superior attention to detail, a more refined atmosphere, and consistently excellent service. It was the perfect balance of relaxation and luxury. Final Thoughts: Six years later, we still remember our honeymoon here with joy. For a truly memorable, stress-free getaway, Riu Palace Punta Cana delivers excellence in every way. Highly recommended for couples and special occasions.

  Jul 31, 2025
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  Avoid this hotel at all costs

  This has been one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. From the moment we arrived, the service has been terrible — staff openly argue with each other in front of guests and even speak badly about guests within earshot, showing a complete lack of professionalism and respect. Throughout my entire stay, not once did I hear a “please” or “thank you.” I requested water to my room at 2:00 p.m., had to call two more times because no one brought it, and didn’t receive it until after 7:00 p.m. Tipping is treated as something mandatory rather than earned through kindness or quality service. The hotel itself is old and poorly maintained, the rooms are outdated, and the entire place feels neglected. The food is average at best, lacking variety and flavor, and the beach is full of sargassum with no real effort to clean or improve it. One of the worst moments was when I ordered a mimosa and saw the waiter take a used glass from the dirty area and serve my drink in it — absolutely unacceptable. This is not the first Riu I’ve stayed at, but it will definitely be the last. I expected a much better experience from a hotel that claims to be high-end — unfortunately, it was a complete waste of money and time.

  Jul 31, 2025
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  Great resort!

  Excellent service and resort. The staff was very attentive, knowledgeable and professional. There were multiple food options for restaurants.

  Jul 30, 2025
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  It is not the island. It’s this resort. You have been warned. Find another.

  Rui Palace We stayed at the Rui Palace for our friends wedding which was hosted on the property. We were so excited to celebrate them and for a 7 day all inclusive vacation in paradise. It is beautiful when you arrive, looks like a castle in the sky, stunning. The staff throughout our entire stay was kind and accommodating. Also if you tip $5 at breakfast on your first day and at the pool each day, you will get regal service. (Shout out to Emanuel who was OUTSTANDING) But once you pull back the curtain and look beyond the picture perfect lobby and stock photos on their website this resort has a different story. We checked in, were given our bracelets and room assignments. We take our luggage to our room (no bell hop, but that’s ok) and the room is filled with mold. I tried to get past it and chalk it up to being island life but once we also notice mold growing on the mattress we asked the front desk for a new room. They kindly and quickly assigned us a new room on the other side of the hotel. It was no longer with everyone else attending the wedding but that was okay. It was notably improved. The air smelled and felt better. (Many others attending the wedding said their room also had this awful smell.) Even our new room, which smelled better, was filled with mold. It was on the mattress and the walls. I slept every night with a throat on fire and woke every morning with significant sinus congestion. Within 30-45 minutes of leaving the room each morning I felt almost back to 100% and within 20 minutes of returning each night the congestion would return and the cycle would repeat. In the room itself the sheets had holes in the them, the mattress cover covered in yellow stains, 3 of the 5 electrical outlets did not work, the mini fridge leaked, the shower smelled like burnt hair, and the safe was broken. It is a well worn hotel in dire need of an overhaul. Meanwhile, the food at the resort is poor quality. The plates, utensils and glasses are not well cleaned and overall sanitation is questionable. This resulted in 5 of our 7 days with substantial gastro upset. No we did not drink the unfiltered water, no we did not brush our teeth with the water either. If you are going to stay here, I suggest bringing one or two reusable cups/bottles one for water and one for drinks. They reuse the plastic cups at the pool all day that are minimally cleaned between uses. They look and feel icky and smell of cleaner. The last day of our trip my husband was running a 101F, likely from the poor sanitation of the plates, cups and utensils. The swim up bar in the adults only section is fun. Be aware they do not consistently maintain the no kids allowed rule. The pool appears to be skimmed once in the morning but then as the day goes on no further cleanings so it’s filled with other peoples hair that sticks to you, random small bits of trash and as to be expected a few bugs floating around. By the afternoon there is also a film of sunscreen that turns to a froth coating the surface. It’s almost as if the filter doesn’t work as all this stuff should be caught in a normal pool filter. We went to the casino one night. We were greeting by an energetic female giving my husband and friends husband free chips and brought us to a table game to try. We had fun and quickly were on our way to winning big. Not quickly enough we learned it was a scam where it’s very easy for people to loose thousands of dollars. Do. Not. Go. To. The. Resort. Casino. (Or any casino in the DR for that matter). There is a lot of documentation about this scam and as four intelligent humans it is terrifying how easy it is to fall victim to it. So again, don’t go to the casino. As we were sitting in the lobby, waiting to leave the hotel after our 7-day stay, a cockroach decided to keep us company in the middle of the lobby. It just speaks to the cleanliness standard of this hotel. My husband and I do a lot of traveling. Not all of it is bougie, we have visited third world countries, we have backpacked, we have been fortunate to have seen a lot of different accommodations. So disappointing for what is claimed to be a 5 star hotel. This is my third time to the Dominican Republic, each prior time at a different resort and those were not 5 stars. This is the first time I have had a problem with anything on this beautiful island. It is not the island. It’s this resort. You have been warned. Find another.

  Jul 26, 2025
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  Can’t make this up - Luggae taken while checking in

  While checking in this resort my luggage was taken right by the front desk. What happened next was like a Laurel & Hardy skit. While they were doing there “investigation” I immediately asked to see the video from the cameras all over the front lobby. 3 hours later I finally got to watch the guy take my luggage. Come to find out he is shacking up with a lady that works front desk. Oh get this he works for an airlines. While going through all this to try get my Luggae returned to me, I buy clothes, medicines, and toiletries. Then towards the end I get sick and fly home early cause I didn’t want to be sick there. RIU won’t refund my 3 nights stay I didn’t use. They (the manager Angela) acted like I was the problem cause I kept pushing different ideas to get my luggage. Actually passed the responsibility off to the girl the guy shacks up with. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE at all. I have never seen a resort or been to a resort this classless. The response I got from corporate customer service was two pages long and just as aggressive. Upon returning I find out one of my business friends has had a similar issue same property. NOT making that up. If you check or Google this place check the news story that happened this year as well. Good Luck and SAFE travels!

  Jul 22, 2025