Riu Palace Punta Cana Hotel

My husband and I just got back from 7 nights at this resort. To give you some context on my review, we have been to Cancun Mexico, Mayan Riviera, Costa Rica, Bahamas and 2 Royal Caribbean cruises to the Caribbean. We have both been to a number of all inclusive hotels, and I will be making some comparisons in my review. Flight - we flew down with Canjet charter airline. There is leg room in this airplane which is a nice change from some other charter flights you can be on. It's 4 1/2 hours direct from Toronto. Arrival - the Punta Cana airport is open-air and is a thatched roof palapa. You can see the poverty and the difference in the standard of living from home. They will take a picture of you as soon as you arrive and you can buy them as you leave the airport. The porters will fight over your bags and try and remove them from you. I understand that they are all trying to make a living and they live through the tips that the tourists give them. If you're not interested in having someone take your bags, hold onto them and keep walking straight. They will yell out the name of your tour company and make it seem as though you must give them your bags. If you're not interested, then ignore them. We were transported to our property in a large air conditioned bus with other travellers going to various resorts. It took about an hour to get from the airport to the resort. Checkin - this was relatively painless. We were given the room keys, information on the resort and other pertinent information. A porter took our luggage to the room and we tipped him $5. Not sure what others normally do. It is supposed to be all inclusive, but the staff do appreciate tips. Room - this is where we had a number of problems/complaints with this resort. The rooms are all beautiful as noted by many other reviewers and are just as nice as the rooms we had in Cancun or Costa Rica. I have not seen anything on the issue of noise in any of the reviews of this property. The rooms are inter-connected through open-air walkways/courtyards. Some of the rooms have open courtyards, others have enclosed open-air walkways. Stay away from those rooms, since there is a load echo that is created by the enclosed walkways. My husband and I were put into room 00036 and couldn't sleep at all the first night we were there. Every sound is amplified and sounds like your neighbours are being rude by being extra loud. We discovered it was the echo created in the hallways. We complained the next day and got moved to another room where noise was no longer an issue. Unfortunately we had problems with the new room as well. The toilet got stopped up and over-flowed twice. It's not fun telling the maid to disinfect the floors from the raw sewage that got spilled on it. The toilets are American Standard but seem to stop up easily. Don't put too much toilet paper in there at once. Flush more than once as you are doing your business. Sorry to be so graphic, but this is what you need to do. The phone didn't work at all and we couldn't place any long distance calls for 2-3 days until they got it fixed for us. The cable was broken on the TV and they had to come 3 times to "fix" it. Each time, it just kept coming apart. We were without water for 3 hours one afternoon (no explanation from the hotel). On the day of departure, our water inexplicably stopped in the room. Unfortunately I had shampoo in my hair and was in the middle of a shower. Thank God it started up again, since we had 20 minutes left to our airport pickup time. Food - the buffet was adequate, with plenty of choices. I didn't think the food was great and was quite substandard when I compare it to the Riu Paradise Island in the Bahamas or the Paradisus Riviera Cancun. There was a lot of food and variety, but everything had an "off" taste. I had traveller's diarrhea the entire trip and had to take Pepto Bismol and Immodium the whole time we were there. I was careful about not drinking the tap water and had 1-2 alcoholic beverages per day. I was not over-doing it, and it was either non-potable water contamination or the staff did not handle the food properly in the heat. I'm not sure what it was. My husband had the same problem. I never got sick in any of the other all-inclusives I have stayed at. This issue alone will prevent me from coming back to this resort and likely Punta Cana until they completely purify their water as they do in the Cancun hotel zone. The Mexican government setup separate water treatment facilities for all of their hotels in the Cancun hotel zone to ensure that none of the tourists get sick. The DR should do the same thing or people will go, get sick and never return. We tried all of the a-la-carte restaurants - the best ones were the gourmet and the italian. If you have had good japanese food/sushi, you will not like this japanese place. The food is not authentic and the sushi was sub-standard. The steakhouse steak's are too think and fried (not grilled). The sides were awful. The brazalian was okay - they served a lot of meat and it was just too much for me. One hint - they tell you that they start taking reservations at 10:00 am - it's more like 9:30 since people start lining up early. Get there at 9:30 and you will be able to make a reservation for the italian and the gourmet - otherwise these fill up and you will be stuck with the other choices. Restaurants - just a note to those that may find this information useful. All of the restaurants have air conditioning in them - BUT there is a big BUT here. They keep the doors to the main buffet open at all times, so all of the air conditioned air goes outside and never properly cools the room. I would therefore classify the buffet as open-air. There's no point in air conditioning if you keep the doors open. The other restaurants are air conditioned, but not terribly cool. I make this point, since men cannot wear short-sleeved shirts or short for dinner. This is the first resort I have been to where a beach cover-up was inadequate wear for the beachside/open-air grill. I was asked to leave the Altagracia poolside grill because my beach cover-up only covered up 3/4 of my bottom half. You cannot have a bikini top on without a shirt over top if it. The same thing goes for men. You must have a t-shirt with you. I found all of these rules quite annoying and the staff rude in enforcing the rules. Beach - this is truly beautiful and one of the best beaches I have ever been on. The palm trees are absolutely beautiful and it's truly breathtaking. I loved walking up and down the soft white sand and you can walk in both directions for miles and go from resort to resort and seemingly never run out of gorgeous beach. In my view, this is the highlight of being in Punta Cana. Language Barrier - unfortunately very few of the staff speak English. I do understand some Spanish since I speak Italian and some words sound similar. It was still an issue and when you had a problem (e.g. toilet overflowing, needing a room change), you didn't get what you needed from the staff. I understand that it's a Spanish speaking country but the hotel told me that more than 50% of their guests are from the USA. I found that Mexico has a more developed tourist industry and most of the staff speak English with only some not speaking it (e.g. your maid). Again this can make your stay more enjoyable and less frustrating. Overall - it was a break from work which is always good. Would I go back - NO. I won't go back to a place that made me sick on vacation. For the same price you can stay in downtown Cancun (which has a beautiful beach as well) and not get ill. The resort was also more spread out than I liked. It's a 10 minute walk from the beach to your room. It's too bad, since the beach is so beautiful.

Just arrived July 28. We were a party of 5, ranging all ages and here are my experiences. Advice: - Take a long pant with you. You need to wear long pants to eat in all restaurants including the buffet. - Rooms have king or 2 double beds. Please consider this if you have a party of 3. - Riu is not driven by quality but by relative low price for massive tourism and over 80% capacity. Do not expect fine wines or drinks. Most of all-inclusive programs are like that. The good... - Like anywhere you will find good and bad people, but in general they are always smiling and helpful, they appreciate your tip - Beautiful hotel, nice lobby with a/c. It is the best hotel in town from the architectural point of view. - Great rooms with very good air conditioning. - Excellent breakfast. The bad... - Be prepared to make long lines to reserve at the restaurants (everyday 10 am) if you want to eat at 7.30pm. We find out that the restaurants are not a big deal. - Not enough elevators and if you are near the beach on the right side the only one elevator is out of service most of the time. - From 6-8 is very hard to take a shower as the hot water pressure goes down and the shower doesn’t work. - Water sports. You need to reserve 2 days in advance. - Not enough pool for so many people. The pools get crowded and you will find them very dirty (oily, hairs, band-aid and too warm for me) by the end of the afternoon, specially the larger one. - The night shows are horrible specially the one for kids. They should spend a bit more on the customs. The best shows are when the people are actually acting. - We find out many people with stomach troubles, none knows the cause but we suspect the salads. - We got some rash maybe from the pool. -Room cleaning service staff might open your room at any moment be prepared since there is no lock from inside. - I am not a very good shopper but I can tell you that anything is 4-6 times the prices in the US. - there is no disco at the hotel, there is a disco about half a mile away in another Riu place which is shared between all the hotels. Lots of teenagers and the drinks are not included. - I heard lots of complains about the functioning of the spa, too expensive, too crowded, too many restrictions and so on. After some years visiting DR and we suggest: 1)Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus in Bayiahibe (near la Romana) 2)Colonial Majestic in Punta Cana 3)Riu Palace Punta Cana 4)I would not recommend the Barcelo Resorts in Bavaro. I hope this serves to someone out there. We will not come back to this hotel.

Our small family (myself, wife and son - 46, 46 and 14 years old) traveled from Cincinnati via Vacation Express to the Dominican Republic for 8 days/7nights. After negotiating the DR's immigration process we were directed to an air conditioned motorcoach operated by CoCo Tours. Our representative, Lina, provided us with the island information during our trip from the airport to the resort. We arrived at the Riu Palace Punta Cana on July 7 at approximately 4:00pm. We were greeted by a bellman who handled our luggage carefully and directed us inside. The lobby was beautifully decorated and we were greeted by the reception staff warmly. Wellington processed our check-in and told us that we were staying in one of the preferred suites on the first floor which we had requested. We were escorted to Room 0060 in the eastern wing. The room was spotless, the air conditioning was on when we entered, humidity under control and the fresh aroma from hibiscus blossoms and fresh linens filled the air. Only a few minutes had passed before the bellman arrived with our luggage. We unpacked and were ready to explore the resort by 6:00 pm. Before leaving our suite, our housekeeper, Santa, arrived to prepare our room for the evening, along with a young man, whose name I don't recall, inquired as to our beverage needs. Within the first two hours of our arrival we were treated with remarkable courtesy and professionalism. The staff at the RIU Palace Punta Cana understands the importance of first impressions. We appreciate good service and before I go any further I want you to know that we recognized this by tipping each and every staff member who had provided this level of service. The employees were gracious in accepting the tips, some seemed surprised. Our first meal was obviously in the buffet restaurant, Don Manuel. We were greeted upon entering and offered our choice of tables whether inside or outside on the patio. We chose the patio and were fortunate to be served by Thomas, Juan and Pedro. They attended to our drink request and directed us to the buffet - the selection was varied and tasty. We're not hard to please, nor are we picky eaters. Another good first impression. We enjoyed exploring the resort complex after dinner and looked forward to the next seven days. Our first full day just happened to be my wife's birthday and our travel agent had made the staff aware of that fact. Throughout the day a staff member would do something special - an unusual drink, flowers, balloons, champagne, wine, rum, birthday card, a "Dominican Picasso" and decorating our suite. Truely a day to remember. Throughout the week we enjoyed top level service everywhere - we enjoyed the pool (silly games and animation crew included), took Spanish lessons, snorkling, windsurfing, evening entertainment, fitness center, the torquoise ocean, walks on the beach and through the complex. The alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were refreshing. A good selection of topshelf labels were always available. We met some remarkable people and made some new friends from around the world. We dined at Don Manuel every evening except for one, choosing to make reservations at the Italian restaurant - Luigi one evening. The reservations were simple and we heard no complaints by any guests of problems obtaining the reservation they wanted. In summary - We had a remarkable vacation. If you have the opportunity to vacation here look for Wellington, Santa, Thomas, Juan and Pedro . We will return to the RIU Palace Punta Cana soon.

I went to the riu palace with 19 people. We were treated like gold.The people can't do enough to make you happy. The food was not the best but everything else makes up for it. We sat on the beach everyday the waiters are constantly bringing drinks and anything else you want. There always activities going on, on the beach and at the pool. At night the shows are nice and there was dancing after. The grounds are lush and sparkling. The rooms are spaciousand cold. I would definitely go back.

A large group of family members, a party of 15, stayed at the Punta Cana Riu Palace from July 12-17. This is our 3rd family vacation at a Riu property. The 1st was at the Riu Cancun in July/2004--no complaints. The 2nd was at the Riu Palace Mexico in July/2005 which was 3 days after one of last summer's major hurricanes-- no complaints with circumstances considered. This year we chose the Punta Cana Riu Palace. As we found at the other 2 Riu properties--the hotel was spotless and beautiful; the beach was picture perfect. The food was not as good here as it was at the other 2 Riu's, but there was always something that we could find to eat. We missed the salsa and chips! Breakfest was the best meal of all! Our major complaint was the people and the service in Punta Cana. For the most part they were RUDE. The women were much worse than the men. No matter where we were--the people were just plain old RUDE. It was NOT just an isolated incident. They were rude in the airport, in the hotel, in the shops, in the restaurants and ESPECIALLY in the casino which is located within the Riu complex. We knew something was up with the casino the very 1st night we arrived. EVERYONE seemed to be having a BAD night. Eventially, we decided to count cards. Just as we suspected--the decks were shy of 10's and face cards and stacked heavily with Ace's and two's. We counted several complete shoe's of cards and came up with the exact same percentages each time. Not only were they rude in the casino, they were cheaters too. Noone likes CHEATERS. Overall we all had a good time but by the end of 5 nights, we were ready to go home. We had enough of the Punta Cana "attitude". We all agreed that we will NEVER return to this island. Maybe Cabo next year.....

W spent two weeks at this hotel. This is the second Riu Palace that I have stayed at and I was not disappointed. The rooms were very nice and clean. and set up the same as the Riu Palace Los Cabos. The food was excellent, room service for breakfast, which is included, was nicer than getting up to go to the buffet. The beach was beautiful with plenty of shaded areas to lounge on. There were always available lounge chairs at the pool no matter what time one went down. The only complaint that I had was that the beds were as hard as a rock. I took the cushions off of the patio furniture and slept on them. I wouild recomend bringing an aerobed mattress to put on top as everyohe that I spoke with at the resort had the same complaint. I would go back in a heartbeat with an air mattress to put on the bed.

We stayed at the Riu Palace Punta Cana from July 7-14th, and loved it!! The resort could not be more appropriately named because it is truly a Palace. The most classy, upscale resorts that I've seen, including on T.V.!!! Background- We have stayed at the Riu Bambu 3 times, Riu Taino, Riu Tequila, Iberostar Tucan, and Dreams Tulum (formerly Sunscape Tulum), and this place by far surpassed all of these. Having been to these resorts previously, we felt we had a good idea of what to expect from an all-inclusive resort, or so we thought. We were wrong!! This place went above and beyond our expectations. As previously noted, this resort has a huge "Wow Factor" from the time you step off of the bus. Food- Having been to the other all-inclusive resorts, I usually find myself craving US food on about the third day. Not the case here at all, nothing had that "off" taste that we've experienced elsewhere. All of the food was great and we never felt like we were eating the same foods as in the past. Having been on several other all-inclusive vacations, I was a bit worried to return due to previous experiences with getting sick for a couple of days. This was not the case here at all, neither of us felt sick at all, which was a huge relief. We actually heard others talking about how they were surprised that nobody had gotten sick as in previous vacations. They had so many different foods, you could easily go all week without eating the same thing. Service- Without a doubt, the best service we have ever experienced, anywhere. The Riu employees work so unbelievably hard to satisfy everyone. You will never see your glass less than 1/2 full. Even if you are sitting on the beach or at the pool, the drinks are endless, and the pool/beach waiters are happy to bring them to you. On the second day all I had to do was look at the pool waiter and nod my head, and 2 minutes later, I had a drink in hand for me and one for my wife-never had to ask, or tell him what I wanted because he remembered from the first day I was there. Very motivated and always in a good mood. Although tips are supposed to be included, I don't know how you could go here and not tip these people, I literally felt bad taking anything without tipping b/c of the superior service they gave us. PLEASE TIP THEM!! A few dollars is nothing to you and I, but makes a difference for them. Hotel- This place is truly a Palace. You really have to see it to believe it. It must be one of the classiest most upscale places in the DR. We were at the Riu Bambu a year ago, and they were just breaking ground for this place. We were shocked at the detail and work that went in to this place and still they were able to build it in about a year. From fountains inside and outside throughout the courtyard , to the detailed paintings on the ceilings, to the granite staircases and beautiful tiled walkways, this place is truly remarkable. To further prove this, the President of the Domincan Repulblic stayed here on our last night along with 300 guests for a reception!! This must be one of the nicest resorts in the DR. They played Enya on the beach every morning, and Bob Marley in the afternoons at the pool. Each night there was a live Caribbean Steel Drum band and a live pianist who was great (and I'm not really in to that kind of entertainment). I could go on and on, but you really have to experience this for yourself to appreciate it. For those of you who complained about this place, please e-mail me and let me know where you went that was better, I'd love to go- SERIOUSLY!! sailgreg26@yahoo.com Also, I have tons of photos, so if you would like them, please e-mail me.

We got to the hotel and was greeted by one of the front desk managers named Rosemary. She spoke very good english and was very accommodating. We were assigned to a first floor room after we had specifically requested top floor. However, without any hassle Rosemary took care of the situation immediately. Supposedly every room in the resort is supposed to be oceanview. Technically, due to the layout of the rooms if you stick your head out of the balcony, no matter which room you have (besides the ground floor) you "should" be able to see the ocean. This was told to us after I had complained about having a garden view room. So my suggestion, ask for the pool view and request anything above the second level and you are guaranteed an amazing view of both the resort and the ocean. Rooms - The rooms are nice and large. There is a liquor dispenser right above your fridge, which they keep stocked with beer, soda, tonic,club soda and water. The water comes in a large gallon jug. My husband and I including everyone we spoke to drank the water and didn't have any stomach problems. Unfortunately there is no coffee makers in the room, however, they served coffee everywhere, and we didn't have a hard time getting a cup when we wanted one. There is a safe, blow dryer, iron, ironing board, and a T.V. equipped in every room. The beds were VERY firm. I personally like firm beds, but these were REALLY firm. Some of the people that we spoke with laid out their "blue blanket" (cushy blanket in the closet) on top of the mattress to make it a little softer. Pool - There are two pools, one large pool and one infinity pool. I am not a morning person and was pleasantly surprised when I got to the pool at eleven to find plenty of chairs. We went in a group of four and never once the whole week had a hard time finding four loungers in a row. You receive a towel card when you check in and will need those to get a towel every day. You are technically only allowed one towel a day, but they always changed my towel whenever I wanted. They don't have any "floaties" but there were a few people that brought their own, some were actually obnoxiously large. There are however a row of loungers made of tile in the pool that you can lay on which were perfect for sunbathing seeing that your body is half submerged in the water and kept cool from the hot sun. I never had a hard time getting to lay on one either. People weren't hogging them like I thought they would. The water was really warm and nice, at times it did get a little warmer then I would have liked. The swim up bar was nice and large with more then enough bartenders. I never waited more then a minute for a drink. They also have these little niches off to the side of the pool that you can walk directly into from inside the pool that have Jacuzzi jets, seats and a little table for drinks. We saw people playing waterproof cards on them which was really fun. They had a few activities during the day but it never got too loud. Beach - The water was beautiful!! There were about four different shades of blue with silky white sand. PLENTY of loungers and PLENTY of shade. Even after walking into the water neck high all you feel in your toes are the soft sands. The waves were very big at all. I was able to swim in it with ease. I've seen clearer waters, but none the less, it was still very nice. Drinks were not as easy to come by on the beach, however, I never wet longer then 30 minutes without a drink in my hand. Alcohol - They only offer two kinds of beers. They weren't bad, it was very comparable to Bud. I always asked for mine with a lime, which I would highly recommend. They don't have any premium liquors and don't have the best wine list. They had one good bottle of Merlot and that was about it. But then again, I'm picky when it comes to liquor. I do have to say though, they are not stingy with their liquor. Restaurants - They have five to choose from and yes you do have to get in line at 10 in the morning to make reservations. My husband thought it was ridiculous to stand in line during a vacation, and so did everyone else. We did discover though when we got to the line at 10:30 or even 11, they still had reservations available. They have 2 seatings, one at 6:30 and another at 9:00. To tell you the truth, all the specialty restaurants were not good. Actually, the food in general was just not good. After the third day I just got sick of eating. I don't think it's was only this resort, it seems to be the same for most of the resorts in D.R. I've stayed at three other resorts in Punta Cana, having stayed in the same resorts in Riviera Maya, and the food in D.R. in general was not very good. If you decide not to stay at this resort for this reason, don't let that deter you. Entertainment - The nightly entertainment was actually pretty good. I was very surprised. The M.C. Mr. Boom Boom is a very funny and entertaining man. It was definitely one of the better ones that Ive seen. Service - GREAT!!! They really cater to you and hand and feet, with or without a tip. I have been to resorts as well as all inclusives in Punta Cana, Santa Domingo, St. Marten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, St. Thomas, Oahu, big island, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, and Cancun. Honestly for an all inclusive for what you pay, it really isn't a bad deal. Yeah, the food isn't that great but look at how much your paying. It's a beautiful place. You get to go to the adjoining Riu's and drink and eat as you please. Yeah it's not a Secrets or a Dreams resort, but your not paying 3-4 thousand either, so go and enjoy it if this is what fits your budget. Yes there were a lot of Europeans, but there were also a lot of Americans. You wouldn't now the difference anyways. Everyone there was very nice and courteous. I do have to say though the age groups were all over the place. There were lots of children, honeymooners, teenagers, elderly, name it and they were there. None stood out more then another. Go have a good time, you get a good bang for your buck. Enjoy!!

My boyfriend and I (ages 44 and 48), along with my two kids, (ages 17 and 20) just returned from 8 days at the newest Riu Palace, Punta Cana. I'll give you my observations and will happily answer any questions anyone may have. This all inclusive 'palace' is nothing short of luxurious on every level possible. The staff, from management to the constant parade of houskeeping/utility staff are there for no other reason than to see to your contentment. The appropriations are so far above par that my adjectives and adverbs will pale the truth. From the moment you enter the lobby you will have a feeling of being both in the past and present simultaneously. We landed on Tuesday, 6/27. Yes, the airport, privately owned is quaint, and quite warm. Big deal...wait till you get outside in the sun. It is appropriate to remember you are not in 'your country' and should embrace the things that will make this a more memorable trip. The parking lot outside the airport is an effort in futility. Finding your conveyance is easy enough. Pulling out is something else, altogether. The scenery you pass from the airport to the hotel is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Checking in at the Palace was painless. My boyfriend and I were in room 1157 and my kids were in room 1164. Our rooms were nearer to the lobby rather than the beach. We both had ocean views, to the right. We also overlooked what we referred to as the jurassic jungle. Nothing but foliage. It was lovely. Our balcony afforded us the most spectacular sunsets on 6 out of 7 nights. The bed is a bit stiff. I likened it, at first, to a sort of Dante's level of hell, as punishment for the glutonous lifestyle you will languish in at the Palace. However, by the second night, I, and my boyfriend, found a harmony in the rather unyielding mattress and slept soundly every other night. The bathroom was large, equipped with two sinks, vanity mirror, jacuzzi bath, hand held shower head (or stationary, as you desire). The hair dryer is powerful, but the humidity makes that tool another effort in futility. I got my entire head braided early wednesday morning. There is also an iron and ironing board. The humidity takes care of all but the most stubborn wrinkles. We had many televison channels to choose from. Honestly, we kept the 'menu' channel on because it played bachatta music and we loved it. There are two pools. One is enourmous, complete with swim up bar, built in tables and stools, and built in loungers. If you truly enjoy swimming, as I do, you'll find the pool, lovely as it is, disappointing. The water is quite warm, to the point of not being truly refreshing. At the bar area, it is little more than thigh high, and only waist high at it deepest. It is fun to have your drink in the pool, but most who drink also smoke, and I really don't care to smell that while I'm trying to enjoy my space. Have your footwear available as soon as you exit the pool. The lovely bricks that surround the entire pool area are hot enough to fry eggs. You will get burned after a few steps. You will be furnished with pool towel cards for each member of your party. You exchange that, daily for a very large and thick towel. You can refresh your towel as often as you like throughout the day. When you retire from the pool or beach, return your towel for your card. There are many loungers around the pool on several levels, and a large umbrella every third lounger. I am an ocean swimmer. I'm a jersey girl, and have been going "down the shore" since I could walk. This water is truly the place of neptune. It's easy to dive right in and the waves are never so high as to knock you over. The sand is like silk. This, too, gets extremely hot, but you can still manage to walk barefoot from poolside to ocean barefoot. There are plenty of loungers out here, as well, and a good many palm trees to offer breezy shade. My boyfriend and I lazed by the wedding gazebo almost every day. You'll know where we were because we hung a great many pieces of aquatic plant life from the leaves of a small palm tree, creating a pagan's tree to sun and sea. On the beach and around the pool, waitstaff will bring trays of assorted drinks, available for any who desire. We usually got to the beach by 9:30 and stayed till about 5pm. The sun is unrelenting, be prepared. Before I offer my observations and experiences on the food, let me preface that by saying I am a chef. I've been in the hospitality industry since the early 90's. I am certified in food safety and sanitation. The CDC does not recognize the term 'food poisoning'. It recognizes food borne illness and food borne intoxication. You get the first by consuming food that has 'gone bad' either from improper handling or storage. The second you get from the bacteria or virus that multiplies and is hazardous to humans. At the Riu Palace the kitchens are immaculate. The chefs, cooks, prep cooks, servers, utility people all follow above standard food handling/storage techniques. The serving areas are spotless, as are all the utensils, drinkware and plates. I never saw one flying insect anywhere near any food at any meal period. Never, not one. The hot food at the buffets is always hot because it moves so quickly. I am confident it is being held in a proper temperature zone. The cold food doesn't always move as quickly, and I observed the waitstaff removing items from the displays and replacing them when it looked like they might be reaching a dangerous temperature. They are not wasting that food. I observed half cakes returned to the display when they had been properly rechilled. Hopefully, I have reassured those who fear stomach maladies. People do get intestinal disorders when traveling. It is almost always a result of overindulgence rather than improperly handled food products. Now, about the quality and taste of the food.... There are 5 a la carte restaurants and two buffet restaurants. Breakfast is buffet at Don Manuel every day and is delightful. All manner of breads, pastries, fruits, side dishes (no unimaginitive USA homefries here) meats, eggs, omelets to order, smoothies, spreads, cereals are available. The coffee is strong but the leche is steamed so feel free to take it light, because it stays warm. A personal note: I absolutely loved the butternut squash they serve, near the eggs. You should also try the mashed plantains, they are an excellent accompaniment to the sausage. Lunch is also served as a buffet in the same restaurant that doubles as the steakhouse restaurant at night. Here you can find daily paella, roasted meats, fish, burgers, franks, pasta, fries, more of the wonderful vegetable sides, heros to order, pizzas, soups, fruits, charcuterie, and cakes and pasteries. You have to have dinner the first night at Don Manuel because you will have missed your opportunity to reserve space at one of the restaurants. This is by no means a slight to your appetites, either. If I described breakfast and lunch adequately, you can be assured that the buffet dinner is even grander, with carved turkeys or roasts, stews, fish fillets, vegetables, (hot and cold), soups, breads, desserts, etc. If you desire, you may reserve a table at one of the restaurants each day between 9:30ish and noonish. A word of advice: the restaurants are charmingly small and fill up quickly. A small line begins forming about 9:20 and it is wise to wait in it if you truly desire to try one of the restaurants. We dined in all of the restaurants and found them all to be very nice, some more than others. In my opinion, the steakhouse was adequate with some work needed on the accompaniments. Sir Oscar was superb with the sauces done to perfection. The pumpkin soup was silky with a slight hint of cardamom. Have a brandy at the table after dinner. The presentation is lovely. Luigi's is the italian restaurant and your humble author is of italian decent. The beef marsala was nice but lacked enough marsala for my taste. The meat itselt was extremely tender. The antipasto bar could feed most people I know without further need for an entree. The tiramisu was redolent with brandy and espresso, very nice, indeed. The rodizio is what I refer to as a fleshfest. My daughter, a vegetarian, was given the opportunity to have a plate from Don Manuels instead of the meat that keeps coming...but she succumbed to the aromas of the pit and though I violate an oathe of secrecy, I tell you that girl loved the place. Very good flavour , although some portions were smaller than we would have liked. The turkey is moist and delicious. Yokohama is the japanese restaurant. The sushi quality is the same as any I'd find in NYC. The tempura was crisp, no small feat given the humidity. The sake is served appropriately. The fried tempura ice cream is disappointing in that it is premade. The green tea ice cream is a much better choice. Now, a bit about tipping. I have read here for two months before this trip that everyone tips, even at an all inclusive. Like anything else, I take it with a grain of salt. I instructed my kids to leave a few dollars each day for housekeeping. I also instructed them to leave a dollar or two after ever couple of drinks. My boyfriend and I left $5 after each meal, as well. In my opinion this was adequate. It's an appropriate gesture and not more than the wallet can withstand, especially given the large pricetag associated with the entire venture. I never felt like I was being shaken down for a tip. On the contrary, I got that opinion from some of the posters here, before I went down there. I don't like someone telling me I have to tip at a place where I already paid them, in advance. Sometimes we tipped after a drink, and sometimes we didn't. Service was impeccable each time, regardless. If you sit in the plaza of an evening, having a few cocktails, it is nice to leave a couple of bucks before you retire. I firmly believe it is not necessary, however. Do what makes you feel comfortable. My boyfriend and I went horseback riding through the surf and jungle. It was great. I got about 50 mosquito bites. Cover your skin and spray yourself. The guide sprayed us all, but I think I needed a whole can for myself. My kids and I also rode the banana boat, getting summarily tossed into the drink twice. It was a riot and I'd do it again if I got the chance. It rained briefly on two evenings for about 30 minutes. Did I mention the sun was relentless? Do get up for the sunrise at least once. When you see it, you'll understand why I suggest you do. Wear cool clothing for the trip home. Remember you leave from the same airport you discovered island humidiy in. They asked to see our ID about 7 times before you finally board the plane. So, now we're back home, and sad of it too. It was a wonderful vacation.

I decided to give this an overall of above average, but that was solely influenced by the hotel and how beautiful it and the beaches were. Unfortunately, the food and service were sub-par at times, but more on that in a moment. When you arrive at the hotel, the lobby is absolutely gorgeous with a huge chandelier backed by beautiful stained glass on the ceiling. The decor of the specialty restaurants was fun and in sync with the themes of each such as Japanese or Italian, etc. The outdoor fountains and landscaping leading to the pool and beach area were beautiful. The rooms were very nice with a seating area, mini-bar and dual sinks in the bathroom. The tiled floors were decorative and nice and cool in the warm weather. Unfortunately, the beds were rather hard and not avery comfortable. On multiple occassions the power would go out for up to 15 minutes or so during the day. This was slightly annoying when it happened as were showering for dinner. Overall, they did a wonderful job in keeping the hotel remarkably clean and inviting and it was probably one of the most beautiful we've ever stayed in. The beaches were stunning and the water was crystal clear. The breeze coming off the water was awesome and there was plenty of palm trees providing shade if needed. The pool area is nice with ample lounge chairs to go around. The swim-up bar was nice and made it easy to get a drink without having to go far. The pool also had seating areas in the water similar to booths at a restaraunt, but those went fast. The main pool was a little crowded at times and the water was almost too hot - not very refreshing. The infinity pool was really nice and not nearly as crowded or warm. There's a pathway leading to the other RIU hotels along the beach and you're allowed to use their restaurants, etc. as a guest of the resort, but guests of the other RIU resorts could not use ours. We used the spa and got a massage. It was only $60 and overall the massage was relaxing but slightly awkward. They spoke no English and there were no robes, etc. to cover you up as normal but you're on vacation so you just go with the flow. This leads me into the service at the hotel. Specifically, the fact that the staff speaks minimal English. I read a review that stated there weren't many Americans, but I would disagree with that. This was frustrating for many guests and we heard several comments on this. We often were brought the wrong food or drinks b/c they couldn't understand the English-speaking guests. You'd ask for white wine and get red or ask for a drink off their menu (in English mind you) and get something totally different. It was evident that the staff seemed more relunctant to wait on non-Spanish speaking guests and didn't seem as enthused to help. The maid service was irritating. First, they don't really knock and often before you could even attempt to open the door they were unlocking it and barging on in. In addition, the maid would come at all times of the day sometimes as early as 8:15am to close to 11:00pm to drop off towels. It was difficult to plan when to expect your room to be cleaned. We'd often come back from the pool around 4-5pm and the maid would still be cleaning when we were needing to get ready for dinner. It didn't seem to matter that we tipped $3-4 daily, there was no urgency and she really didn't leave any special "surprise" that apparently others guest received. The one night we had a heavy downpour the rain from the balcony came pouring in through the sliding doors b/c it wasn't draining properly. We had to call twice to the front desk to ask them for towels to soak up the water because they couldn't understand us. Finally a maid showed up to clean it up. Lastly, the food. It was terrible. I've been to resorts and on cruises and this was awful in comparison to anywhere I've ever been. First you have to wait in line just to sign up for the specialty restaurants that often get booked up quickly b/c seating is so limited. We ate at the steak house and Japanese restaurants. The steak was thin and dry - it didn't have much flavor. The Japanese restaurant was good, but we both got sick after eating it. The buffet has a lot of food, but the choices are still slim. The salad bar doesn't have the typical trimmings you'd expect and the dressing is watery and bland. They'd often have chicken or beef but it didn't have much flavor and was dry. The seafood wasn't fresh as you'd expect. You'd look forward to having dessert, but were disappointed everytime. It was all obviously frozen and was often soggy or dry. Overall, on a scale of 1-10 I'd give the following: Hotel: 9 Service: 6 Food: 5 The staff simply must learn better English and accomodate it's non-Spanish speaking guests. I'm on vacation for one week, they're servicing guests every day. Also, I appreciate that they're making food for the masses, but it was like eating bad wedding food 7 days straight...