| |
Holiday Reviews > Caribbean > Dominican Republic > Puerto Plata > Puerto Plata Hotels > Riu Bachata ClubHotel > Read Reviews
Riu Bachata ClubHotel ReviewsPage 1 2
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr G Jordan |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Excellent hotel, very friendly staff.
Food was excellent - with a good range everyday and "themed" foods on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The entertainment team were full of energy and very good at their jobs.
There were drinks dispensers (rum, vodka, whiskey and gin) in each room with a fridge for mixers and plenty of clean drinking water provided.
I'd recommend the malaria tablets, and plenty mosquito repellent as there was plenty flying around at night.
Word of warning - this hotel has quite a few reports of a mystery illness which causes an unpleasant day or so on the lavatory. There were 7 of us in our party and we all experienced this.
Not sure what caused it as the hotel had people cleaning constantly and all the food seemed to be cooked fine. Despite the illness, this was the best holiday I’ve ever had.
If you’re looking for somewhere to just sit back and relax for a couple of weeks then look no further.
Even if you’re the more active sort, there are plenty of trips to see the "real" Dom Rep.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss C Barton |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Riu Bachata was the most amazing hotel I have ever stayed in. It definitely deserved the 5 stars.
After an 8 and half hour flight and coach journey it was lovely to arrive at the hotel and be handed a cocktail.
Staff then gave you your room and key and a map of the complex. The porters then carry your suitcases to your room for you.
The rooms were so beautiful. The cleaners had scrubbed the rooms thoroughly and made designs with the towels. There was a minibar with four spirits in, 6 bottles of larger, coke and water. It was fantastic.
If your ran out all you had to do was call reception who would top them up. There was so much, you never would as the minibar were filled everyday. The view from every room was beautiful.
We never had a pool or sea view but our room was overlooking beautiful gardens.
The hotel in general was spotless. Wherever you looked there were staff cleaning. They even touched up the paintwork on a daily basis. The pool was also cleaned daily and pool area was spotless.
The food was delicious. There was a large variety of food everyday. In the main restaurant there was breakfast, lunch and dinner and the other restaurant next to the pool was open for snacks, such as burgers, pizzas, fruit and ice cream.
You have to book the steak house in the morning for the following evening, but there was never a problem getting a table.
It was well worth it as well. You get a four course meal and it was delicious.
There were two pools, both were lovely. You could also use the pool facilities at the sister hotels next door however the Riu Bachata definitely had the best ones.
One of the pools had a beautiful waterfall in and the other had a swim up bar. The pool had sun beds in the water so you could sunbathe and be cool at the same time. This pool also had a Jacuzzi.
There is no need to take your own pool towels as they provide them for you and if it gets damp they'll replace it. The towels are in little huts and the men working in them are the kindest men I've ever met.
They gave all the ladies flowers in the morning and are always smiling.
The beach was a bit stony but if you walk down a bit further towards the next hotel the water is less stony. The sea was lovely and warm.
This hotel was definitely all inclusive. They were giving you cocktails to try all the time. If you didn't like it they'd give you another. There is also a facility to get your own drinks in the bar and restaurants.
The bars are open 23 hours a day so there is always chance to get a drink. The bar staff are all very friendly. In fact all staff are really friendly, are always willing to help at anytime.
The entertainment was excellent. Throughout the day there is aerobics, water aerobics, and volleyball, dancing lessons, darts and loads more. They are always a lot of fun as well. The entertainment staff are there entertaining you all day everyday. At night there are shows on the stage.
There is always a show on first for the children and later for the adults. They were great. When the shows have finished there is also a disco, or if that’s not to your fancy there is the 23 hour bar.
The weather at Puerto Plata was brilliant. Even though we went in hurricane season, it was fabulous. It only rained once in the whole two weeks and it rained for about an hour.
Everyone stayed on there sun beds and went in the pool as usual as soon as the rain stopped it was cracking the flags once again.
There are many trips with Thomson you can go on. We went swimming with the dolphins which I highly recommend. It was well worth the money and definitely a chance of a lifetime.
You could go swimming with sharks as well, which I will definitely be doing next time I go. I was told the monster truck safari was brilliant as well.
Calling home can be a bit of a problem as no British mobile network can get reception anywhere in the complex. However buy the Riu phone cards from reception as they are cheaper than the Thomson ones!
I would definitely visit this hotel again. It was amazing and I'd definitely recommend it.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr M White |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
We had a great holiday at the Riu Bachata.
Second time to Puerto Plata but this hotel was far superior to the one we stayed in the year before (Jack Tar - now called Golden Beach Resort).
First of all the sickness. When we went to the Jack Tar in 2005 I was hit by stomach bug on day three. I had quite painful stomach cramps for about 3 days, but no vomiting or anything like that.
At the Riu Bachata, I got the same thing again and so did my Son. He started complaining of tummy ache at the end of day two and I had to take him back to the room. On the way back he collapsed and I had to pick him up off the floor and carry him the rest of the way. Quite scary. However, the next morning he was absolutely fine.
I don't know what the problem is, but I don't think it is anything to do with the hotels. Because of my experience at the Jack Tar I took things very easy for the first few days. No ice in drinks, no fruit, no smoothies, no salad etc. etc.. but it made no difference at all and the standard of cleanliness here was much, much higher than the Jack Tar.
I believe that the combination of Hot, hot weather, humidity, different food and drink, unusual stomach bacteria etc just upsets a lot of people. I think it's a chance you take when go to the Dom Rep (and probably lots of other similar destinations).
Anyway, back to the hotel.
Rooms - Very good. Quite a musty smell to the room but not bad enough to complain about. There was a fan and air con so that was great. We asked the hotel by email for a sea view prior to our visit and we got one. Just a few steps from the beach! Free mini-bar was ace, beer, coke, and water in the fridge and optics for spirits, refilled regularly. If you ran out you could ring reception and they would come and fill it up for you.
Food - Excellent. Something for everyone. The food was everywhere, all the time. The standard of cooking was excellent, in my opinion. Fish was cooked to perfection, never dry. Vegetables were soft but not mushy.
Breakfast bacon was the best I've ever had. Cooked for the American pallet I guess, nice and crispy. My daughter ate a plate full of the stuff almost every day, you just couldn't resist it!
You could take food or drink out of any of the restaurants without any complaints and take it wherever you liked. My partner is not a big fan of breakfast so she went straight down to the beach each day and after I had finished breakfast I would take her a cup of coffee and a pastry to the beach (you're never more than a few steps away from it).
When you've finished with your cups etc. you simply put them in the plastic bins provided on the beach and the waiters collect them...what a service! Coffee was served in thermos jugs and I often saw people taking a full jug out of the restaurant and down on to the beach. It seemed to be the norm.
Drinks - Excellent. Soft drinks and hot water were on tap at all of the bars, just pick up a cup and serve yourself, no need to queue. In the restaurants the beer and wine (yuk!) was also self service, which I have seen before, but you could be served drinks by the waiters if you preferred. There are a few "premium" drinks which are part of the AI package. Ballantyne whiskey was one of them, very nice!
Just ask for a drinks menu at the bar. The bar service was the best I've ever seen. In my opinion the bar was over manned. You very rarely had to wait more than a minute or 2. Often, whilst 1 person was serving me, I got asked 3 or 4 times if I was being served. This is most unusual for an AI place in my experience.
Entertainment - Poor. The animation team did try but I did not rate them. There are some good shows but we had seen them all before at the Jack Tar so we found it quite boring. The standard of the animation team was much better at the Jack Tar in my opinion, but if you haven't been to the Dom Rep before you will probably find it OK.
One night, a couple of guys sang songs while playing a guitar and keyboard and it was the best thing I'd seen all week but it only lasted for about half an hour and we never saw them again!
Trips - We spoke to a guy called Omar who arranged for us to go on a Jungle Safari and it was great. Cheaper than going through the rep. We got picked up in a shaded open back truck and taken up into the hills. We saw a fruit plantation, a local school (we took along some pens and pencils for the kids from Asda and they seemed to appreciate it), the obligatory stops for gift purchasing opportunities.
One of which had cock fighting to show us! There was a shop there where men were carving ornaments from stone and selling them. I saw a dragon which I liked and ending up buying it, even though I didn't want it, just because the guy kept dropping the price. He started at US$60 and ended up at US$20. He acted like I'd ripped him off but I didn't even want the bloody thing! We went to local zoo in somebody's back garden, a snake kept inside a chest freezer and taken out for photo opportunities! A small cigar factory (these are all over the place here) etc. etc.
The best part of trip was when at the end when we got out of trucks and walked into the country side to climb up a series of waterfalls and rock pools. Not for the faint hearted I can tell you! The guides were great though. I am a big guy but they managed to get me to the top! They certainly earn the $10 tip I gave them. After that we were taken into the local village to have lunch in a local cafe and to finish the 2L bottle of rum that they had been handing out during the trip. Overall a great trip.
Me and my son went on Quad Bike safari which was also great fun. Well worth the money. Booked it at the sports beach.
Overall the holiday was great and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel complex.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Feb 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs SC Radcliffe |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Me and My family stayed in the Riu Mambo in Feb 2006. The Hotel is fantastic.
STAFF: The staff are extremely friendly always saying 'hola' and try to get you to sign up for the darts tournament in which the winner usually scores about 20 out of 6 darts.
ROOMS: The accommodation was nice and clean with a good air conditioning system and a good sized balcony. The maid cleaned it daily and arranged the used towels into animal shapes such as Swans and Snakes. And the most important part...there is a minibar which is topped up each day. On the last day you will notice the maids coming in all the time with fresh towels and new bedding so it's nice to give them a good tip as they are very friendly and are on a low wage.
POOL: The pool area is fantastic and there is plenty of space to catch the rays or stay in the shade under the palm trees. Some days around the pool you might have a manager’s party or a BBQ on the beach. The pool was the nicest out of the three as it was not as lively as the Bachata and had a nice sea breeze that helped to cool down the air when it gets too hot.
BEACH: The beach is also excellent and the Animation team come around with drinks. If the sea is rough a lot of seaweed makes the sea look murky. At one o the beach there are some shops but you will be pestered to buy something so watch out.
FOOD AND DRINK: The food is excellent despite a lot of people saying that thy have had food related illnesses. The Mambo has took hygiene to the next level and everywhere you go somebody is cleaning up and when you enter the restaurant you are given a squirt of gel to make sure you have clean hands. Watch out when in the queue for food as some people from other countries like to take all the remaining food. Some people can be ill from the Coconut milk used in cocktails or Malaria tablets so if you are ill it's probably not the food!
MALARIA TABLETS: Although nobody in my party noticed any Mosquitoes and nobody was bitten, I would recommend the Malaria tablets and nobody in my family had any side effects from them.
THOMSON: Me and my family were disappointed by the service that the Thomson rep provided and found him/her to be unfriendly and not very helpful. We also found the phone cards very expensive and used the hotels phone service (which isn't cheap but was far less expensive than we expected.) Your mobile will not work in the resort but will around the airport.
FLIGHTS: Flying out with Thomsonfly was ok but nothing special and the crew were ok although they did not do much more than on a short-haul flight. The inbound flight was poor as the crew were not very friendly and provided little service. You did not want to ask the crew for anything as you felt to be putting them out. The cabin manager’s announcements were very boring and mundane like she had no interest in the job what so ever and she had a bad attitude with many of the passengers. After comparing airlines I have noticed that other airlines have much nicer aircraft and better seating. I certainly would not fly Tomsonfly again.
If I have missed anything else out it was excellent and I would certainly recommend the Riu Mambo hotel to anybody especially as you can use the facilities of all 3 hotels and there is a shopping street (Caribbean St.) Truly fantastic and certainly worth a visit!!
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs B Connolly |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
This holiday was perfect from start to finish. We went on a Thomson Riu selection from their price breaker brochure and was guaranteed any of the 3 5 star hotels in the complex which are all in a row and could use all facilities of all 3 resorts.
Food excellent variety would suit any tastes.
Swimming pools glorious and huge with a swim up pool bar
Very clean accommodation with 2 queen size beds. Full mini bar with optics in your room All pool and beach towels were provided daily so no need to take your own.
Staff extremely friendly nothing too much trouble. Bars open for 22 hours a day. Shows every night, Casino in resort.
We did the six wheeler amphibious vehicles trip great fun and you visit a local Dominican school take pens and notebooks for the kids they are so grateful for them. A great way to see the real Dominican and a great fun day out. Swim with dolphins another great day out.
I cannot fault the holiday at all one of the best holidays ever.
Do not hire a car though as driving out there is crazy and not recommended for tourists.
Thomson reps were fantastic and around daily if any problems.
Cant wait to visit again and will certainly book other Riu hotels in other parts of the world too.
Go and have a great time there are loads of excursions to try so you certainly wont be bored.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss E Picken |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
My overall thoughts about our two weeks in the Dominican were very good. However, Our feelings about Thomson were not.
My partner and I were on our first holiday together and wanted it to be special. The hotel was perfect. Clean with good food (although the special restaurants were not really worth the hype) were relaxed for a majority of our stay. Two days before our flight home, the hotel closed the one pool for essential maintenance.
The first we knew about this was when we arrived at the pool in the morning. There had been no warning before we left for our holiday (the travel agent actually checked) and the attitude of the reps was what upset us.
We decided to approach our reps to ask why we had not been notified. There attitude was very poor. They felt that because the sister hotels had pools we could easily use them. This was not why we had booked this hotel. If we wanted to use the pool in another hotel, we would have booked to stay there (they were slightly cheaper at the time).
The flight home did nothing to brighten our mood. For a long flight, we felt the service was very poor. The flight attendants came across as so everything was a hassle for them. food was just shoved in front of us and you didn't really like to ask for anything as it would be an inconvenience to them.
If you wanted to stay at this hotel I would recommend it highly. However, I WOULD HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT BOOKING THROUGH THOMSON.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss G Hamilton |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
The hotel was fantastic, very clean and tidy, cleaners came in every day and replaced towels etc. Optics/beer/water in room were also replaced every day. The hotel was definitely the best of the 3 Riu hotels located at Puerto Plata.
The staff were all very friendly and always made time to help and say hello.
The private beach was beautiful and well looked after and the sports beach and facilities were great.
All in all a great holiday and would highly recommend it!
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2003 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs HC Cullimore |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We stayed at the Clubhotel Riu Bachata in May 2003.
The hotel is fantastic. On 1st arrival you are greeted by the extremely friendly and welcoming hotel reception staff who book you in, give you a hotel guide so that you can locate your room and organise a bellboy to bring your luggage to your room.
The rooms are situated around the complex in separate blocks with approximately 20 rooms on two floors in each block. Some of the blocks have rooms with sea views. Our room was facing the swimming pool and the snack bar. Even if you do not have a view of the sea, you will have a view over the hotel gardens which are well kept and beautiful.
The room itself is very spacious with the biggest bed we have ever seen. Each room is kitted out in mahogany furniture (mahogany is the native tree of the Dominican republic) with loads of storage space. Don’t bother to pack your iron as your clothes don’t stay creased for long due to the humidity - great for us ladies!!! There is a fridge in your room with both alcoholic (beers etc) and non alcoholic drinks (club soda, coke, 2 litre bottle of water). There are also some optics containing rum, vodka, whisky and gin. All of the drinks are included in your all inclusive price and if you don’t like any of the drinks there, the reception staff will organise for you to have them exchanged. You get an ice bucket in your room. Each block has an ice-making machine just outside the main door so you can top your bucket up each day.
There is a safety deposit box in you room in the wardrobe which is very useful and large enough to keep in all you expensive belongings.
The bathroom was very clean with two sinks, toilet, and bath with shower.
The room was equipped with air-conditioning (and you really appreciate it) and a ceiling fan over the bed. If you prefer to sleep at night with your door open, you can do this without fear of getting bitten by the mosquitoes as there is a sliding mesh door with the patio doors. It does get quite windy at night so you may find your curtains fly around a bit if you do this.
The pool at the complex is lovely. We didn’t stay by the pool at the daytime as it was too hot. You do get quite a lot of noise when the entertainment team arrive at the pool for the activities e.g. aqua-aerobics and this noise can be heard throughout the complex which is a shame.
We spent our sunbathing time at the beach where you will find loads of sunny and shady spots among the palm trees. Be careful if you are right underneath the trees as there are a lot of birds in the trees and we did get droppings on us a few times - which was nice - not! They do say this is lucky though - which might come in handy at the casino!!
The only drawback of the beach is that you have to walk back to the hotel bar to get a drink. What we did, was to take some thermal-insulated cups with us and filled these with drinks and ice from the bar before going to the beach. The drinks stayed cold for about 3/4 if kept in the shade and because they had lids, the sand didn’t get in them which was great.
The sea was lovely and warm but beware of the currents. You will drift along as you swim and so keep an eye on the shore as you might have a bit of a walk back to your sunbathing spot. There is also a lot of coral in the sea around this area. We found that the best spot for less coral was at the end of the Caribbean street by the restaurant. A lot of people recommended wearing shoes in the sea but we didn’t bother and we were fine as we stayed away from the coral areas.
When you check in to the hotel you are given a towel card so that each day you can get beach towels at the hut by the swimming pool. You can exchange your towels during the day if you want to. We packed our own beach towels for the holiday and we didn’t use them once. So don’t pack yours ladies and save the luggage space for another outfit!!
The snack bar is fantastic with a wide range of foods on offer. On some days there were themed lunches. The most memorable for us was the Mexican theme when all the waiters were dressed in Mexican outfits including sombreros.
The evening meals can be taken in a few restaurants on the complex. We ate in the main restaurant every night as there were a wide variety of foods available. When we stayed at the hotel, it got crowded in the restaurant at weekends when the hotel seemed to be open to locals also. This was the only time when there were big queues for the food but it didn’t spoil the mealtimes for us. On your first night, you are allocated a table and you keep this table for the fortnight. This was quite nice as you get to know your neighbours and the waiting staff throughout your holiday. For breakfast you can sit where you like.
The casino is situated at the entrance to the bar. The roulette was very popular. There are also poker tables, blackjack tables and lots of slot machines. You buy chips from the little counter and get on and win / lose lots of lolly!!
The bar was great. The bar staff were all very friendly and good fun. We managed to try all the cocktails over the two-week period. When you’re not paying for them, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like them as you can just leave them and try another. If you’re feeling brave (or mad), try the 75% Jamaican rum. But beware, the floor got soft and sponge-like very quickly after this. By the main bar, is the entertainment stage where the entertainment team keep you amused all evening. Our only criticism of the entertainment team is that you hear their signature theme tune about 10 times a day and you do feel a bit brain washed by this after a fortnight.
We saw a few weddings during our stay. We went for a walk around the gardens and visited the wedding gazebo. It is beautiful, as it has views around the hotel and bay. It was extremely windy there. The wedding party we saw was very big and so the guests stood all around the gazebo, which would have acted as a windbreak for the bride and groom. I wouldn’t recommend a veil if you are to get married this hotel as you may do a Mary Poppins and end up in Florida!!!!
We did a couple of organised excursions during our stay.
Firstly we did the monster truck safari, which was fantastic. If you do this, make sure you get on the truck first so that you can ensure you sit together. We were out all day. We travelled into the sugar cane fields to see the rum production, then up into the hills (which are green and lush) to see the little villages where the locals live. You get to see a farm, a typical house and a school.
At each stop you are greeted by lots of little kids who are obviously quite poor and the whole trip is a bit humbling. We took lots of the soap, shampoo and other toiletry samples from the hotel room to give to the children and also some pens and pencils (which we’d taken from home) to give to the school as the children can’t attend the school if they do not have pen and pencil. You then stop in a lovely restaurant for lunch.
The restaurant is by the riverside and lots of people had a swim in the river. Whilst sat by the river, we were entertained by a local band playing salsa/merengue music. On the way back there was a water fight between our monster truck and the one behind. It was hilarious and the water was nice and cooling after a day in the sun. If you do this trip, make sure you wear a good hat (which can’t blow off in the breeze as you travel along), and also that you wear clothes that you don’t wish to wear again during your holiday as you get very dusty during the trip (which turns to dirty after the water fight).
Secondly, we did the Puerto Plata city tour. This trip was good but we did feel that they were very much trying to make you spend money. We were first taken up the mountain by cable car to see the gardens at the top. I can’t stand heights but it was worth the ride up to see the beautiful gardens at the top. We were then taken to the rum factory where you see the rum production and get a chance to sample and then buy the local produce.
Then were taken to the town fort and greeted by a rather eccentric local at the entrance who tells you the history of the place. We were taken to the amber museum in the town centre, which was great. You have chance here to buy amber, jewellery and local products. We also went to a jewellery shop to see how the local jewellery is made from the mined stones, and then you get a chance to buy the jewellery in the shop. Even though you can see that they desperately want you to spend money and boost the economy, this trip was worth it as it showed you the main sights of the city, which we certainly wouldn’t have seen if the trip wasn’t available. The Caribbean street in the complex is quite expensive and so by doing this trip, you can buy the same souvenirs at cheaper prices than at the hotel complex.
There were loads of other trips available from the hotel which could be booked via the reps. The reception staff could also organise a taxi for you to anywhere around the island and the prices are shown on a board in the reception area.
Overall, the holiday was fantastic and we would definitely recommend the country and this hotel to anyone. We have never felt so relaxed in our lives as we did when we came back from this holiday. We definitely will return one day and are keen to stay in more Riu hotels around the globe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riu Bachata ClubHotel ReviewsPage 1 2
|
|
|
