Riu Emerald Bay: Definitely a place id go back to

I felt the service was impecable, food was pretty good but I'm an amazing cook so I'm hard to impress. Grounds were well kept, beautiful. It was an easy place to get around with the beach being just a short walk out the front main pool areas. Cleanliness was spot on. Again the service 5 star and the staff well they make you feel like family. I thoroughly ENJOYED MY STAY THERE and would reccomend The Riu to other.

Riu Reggae: Fantastic Resort

This hotel and property were immaculate. Buffet was fantastic, only did 1 al a carte, which was very good. Rooms were very clean and well stocked with anything we needed. Lots of staff on all fronts. We always seem to see somebody cleaning, from walls to doors to floors. Jerk chicken on the beach is a must, it was so good.Entertainment group were alot of fun and very talented. Most seemed to be there day and night and friendly. Only wish we could have stayed longer.

Riu Guanacaste: Wonderful Vacation!

Except for one disappointment we were extremely pleased with our stay at the Riu Guanacaste. Registration was quick and we were given a room we requested on a middle floor. Room was nicely appointed and the view lovely. The hotel grounds were lush and tidy..lots of huge swaying palm trees. The beach is large with sufficient trees to lounge in shaded areas and lengthy enough to go for nice walks. All of our meals were great with a wide variety of choices and locations to dine. Service in these [... read more] areas was very good too..staff quick to clear away dishes, reset tables and keep foods replenished. Evening entertainment was typical but still lively and fun to watch. We quite enjoyed all the wildlife in and around this resort..lots of iguanas of many colours and sizes, birds, 2 types of monkeys, sea turtles and even a sea snake! Now for the one downfall..there is only one pool. There is a pool bar. People sit there all day..which begs the question..where are they eliminating those drinks? It was a big turn off for us. Other than the pool this resort is perfect!

Riu Playa Blanca: Great place to enjoy the sun

Food was very good and weather was great. Swim up bar staff were awesome.. you can take long walks on the beach at low tide . Beach vendors very friendly and no pressure to buy. You can rent Seg-Ways on the beach for $20 per hr......

Riu Republica: Riu Republica

I would highly recommend this resort for a relaxing adults only vacation. Very clean resort with easy access to restaurants, pools and the beach. Always easy to find a lounge chair by the pool or beach. Great food and excellent service.

Riu Reggae: Awesome vacation

Resort was so clean, workers were constantly cleaning the grounds. I didn’t see one bug during my visit! Food was good, people were friendly and very helpful. Entertainment crew were so awesome! Lots of fun activities during the day around the pool and then they put on the best shows every night! Shout out to Short Boss and Barbie Girl.....so friendly and Jaguar....such a beautiful dancer! Had a great time!! Thanks Riu Reggae!

Riu Ocho Rios: Adequate

Dated, needs work. Power issues and 2 mornings in a row no hot water. Entertainment not up to snuff. If all you care about is never ending drinks and an abundance of just ok food served buffet style this is the place for you. If you are looking for consistent delicious hot food that is served to you go somewhere else.

Riu Bambu: Very nice resort

I would give this resort a 5 star food was great we gain 5 pounds, ground well kept lot's of place to sit in the sun or shade to have a drink and our room very clean staff amazing if we needed anything there was no problem for them to accommodate. We travel alot and this resort was great 2 thumbs up

Riu Republica: Great Resort

This resort is beautiful, the beach is beautiful and can walk along it for a long time. It is very big, several bars, pools and restaurants. The food is amazing but there was only 1 small store to shop, which was a little odd because it is so large. They labelled the pools which I thought was a great idea so you could choose your pool atmosphere. Rooms were nice, however, only restocked the bar and coffee stuff every 2 days. I would have preferred every day. All in all, a great experience a [... read more]nd would recommend it absolutely.

Riu Santa Fe: amazing trip

this was such a beautiful resort. the view of the ocean is breath taking! the workers are soo friendly and helpful. I personally loved the food as well. i highly recommend this resort to people 18 and older! they have great parties for adults. it was a great resort for spring break!

Riu Republica: Mixed Feelings

The good: the place was relatively new, well maintained and clean. The rooms are good sized with a nice walk-in shower. Our bed was a king and comfortable. Room service was good. It helps to leave a daily tip. The food at the buffet was varied, lots to choose from, well prepared and tasty. There were several cooking stations -pasta meat fish etc. We enjoyed the buffets. The beach is one of the best at Punta Cana. Many others have eroded beach fronts that have narrowed due to storms. On  [... read more]the whole the staff were excellent. Many of the resorts have staff who have little or no command of the English language. Although there was a bit of hand waving and gesturing on our part we never ran into a complete barrier. Knowing a few words in Spanish always helps. There was no sewage smell like some resorts dependent on wind direction. The evening entertainment varied. Some good - some very amateurish. The mini cirque de soleil was enjoyable. They had a talented band as well The hucksters did not make a pest of themselves like some resorts. There was no night set aside where the sellers set up stalls and stop the passerby trying to sell you some baubles. Once you get your bearings you can easily find your way around . see below re size. The pools were plentiful, clean and large and not busy. However, the pools attached to the swim-up bars were jammed with partying and drinking folks all day long. Not everyone bothered with the bathroom. you get the idea At the same time there is no difficulty getting a drink. The bars are well staffed with good service in spite of the crowds. The bad: The place is huge. You have to find your own way to your room and at night that can be tricky. The attached picture does not do the place justice as to its actual size. Somebody said there were 1375 rooms. It is really noisy with only the beach area free from the PA system playing loud music, the entertainment staff shouting all day long and the party goers trying to yell above the din. Impossible to find a quiet spot to sit and talk save for one evenings only bar that was reasonably quiet. Keep in mind this is an adults-only resort. The specialty restaurants were a disaster. Here's what we experienced at several of them. The appetizers arrived after the entre and only because we asked. The bread never arrived. The pasta was raw. We had to ask for water at one place. At another we asked twice for wine. You couldn't hear yourself think due to the noise and acoustics. Only the sushi was edible at the Asian restaurant. The pasta at the Italian was simply wasn't. The place caters to the twenties age group who tend to get loaded every day. If that is your idea of a good time, you'll make lot's of friends. The liquor and wine were big disappointments. Tried the white and red wines. They were simply bad. We finally found the rose passable. the liquor gave me heartburn. Premium liquors are not available even at a cost. If you are looking at a price point, there are the above mentioned trade offs. If some of the listed negatives don't bother you, then by all means go. Although there were some major disappointments,we're not a bunch of fusspots and made the best of it. Being in the sun and surf with a bit of laissez faire made it all worthwhile. On the other hand if some of the negatives really concern you, then look elsewhere. Please don't base your decision to go on the star ratings below due to the many pluses and negatives.

Riu Republica: Not a good experiencr - will NEVER return

Good: The beach is fabulous, the sand so fine it is like icing sugar, no seaweed, waves, and did I say the beach is gorgeous! For good food stay in the buffet, the large buffet serves fabulous food. The food variety is very good and tasty. Coffee was great. Buffet staff were very accommodating, pleasant, remembered their diners and their drink preferences. Kudos to them. Especially enjoyed Angel and Valentine in the large buffet. The bad: Staff need to be trained in the special [... read more]ty restaurants, not only do they not understand the language of their tourists, but many do not understand the dining process. Horsd’oevres, before appetizer, then main course and then dessert, do not forget that order or worse yet, to bring one of the servings. The French restaurant staff did not understand the difference between setting a table, serving the clients or clearing a table. The process was very hap hazard and frustrating. The Italian restaurant was gross. The spinach and cheese lasagna was not cooked, pasta still raw. The rest of the so called Italian specialty dishes were empty, with no refill in sight. Staff were clearing the dirty dishes right next to a dining table,... Move that, it should not be next to a table. The Asian, only good thing to say was the Sushi was good, forget the rest. Rooms, Cleaning staff wiped out the dirt glasses and put them back on the vanity. Wasn’t sure the first time so I “x” the bottom of the mugs and glasses. Yup, the markings were still there. They even put a wet and dirty tub mat back, neatly folded of course. Ugly: Noise, everything needs to be super loud, the pools, the entertainment and there is NO capability to absorb the noise,... concrete walls don’t do that. There was no place to escape the incessant noise, no quiet corner to play cards in the evening. NO Place except your room. The drinks. Red wine was undrinkable, the Rose was tolerable. Any liquor was very low end. We could not buy a preMium liquor anywhere.

Riu Bambu: ok resort

The rooms were fine as I upgraded to deluxe. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. only difference is that the sewers make some areas smell awful. the house keepers were very noisy. the food was horrible at times. the sports bar was a joke. No food is available after 10pm. The disco you have to pay for drinks and food,which is ridiculous. The employees needs to learn English.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Amazing Staff, Gorgeous Beach, Good times!

My wife and I had a great time at this resort. Our experience was that Staff attitude always positive, service solid, the food was great for an all-inclusive, beach and water was just amazing, we didn’t use the pool much since its warm water pool and the beach is just awesome. The outside technically has only one bar and at times it could be very busy and hard to get a drink. It’s an adult only resort, smoking is allowed on the premise outside, as in everywhere around the pool, the bar, et [... read more]c. The restaurants are first come first server so guests may need to plan ahead to get a spot, as some of the restaurants may sell out for a night after meeting a quota.

Riu Ocho Rios: On the fence but still enjoyed Jamaica

Just arrived home from a week at the RIU Ocho Rios. Pros - The beach is amazing. Entertainment staff is top notch. Hired a driver from the front desk to show us Jamaica....amazing! Cons - 2 hour bus ride from the airport to the resort. The hotel is huge, needs massive Reno’s (starting in April). Service was terrible. Was not served a single drink at the pool or the beach. Staff were not that friendly. Food was hit and miss. 2 “a la cart” restaurants were buffet. Felt like we were e [... read more]ating buffet meals all the time. Oceanfront room compared to ocean view room was no different except a jump in price (we had both rooms in our group).

Riu Republica: Great resort

Great food, great service. However we booked this resort for couple reasons which are: adults only, beach and hot tubs. Before booking we checked out the website. Once we arrived, we found out the hot tubs were out of service for the week or more.

Riu Republica: Great holiday

The Resort was very clean and well maintained. The staff was fantastic. Very friendly and accommodating. Our room was very well appointed. The cleaning staff was friendly and did a great job. The buffets were plentiful and offered many different options. My only complaint was that all of the specialty restaurants except one seemed to have buffets as well. I would have preferred table service for dinner. That was our only complaint other than that this resort was amazing.

Riu Negril: Riu Nigril Jamiaca

A good 3.5 star resort. Could easily be a 4.5 star with some small changes. Good staff rooms are very clean. Supposed to be non smoking but not enforced at all, so butts are everywhere. The beach is beautiful but muddy as you walk out further in the water. The Riu Palace is a butter choice.

Riu Palace Antillas: Best Vacation ever!

This hotel has everything you could want and more! Beautiful facility, amazing staff, wonderful pool and grounds! The beach is amazing and great to visit somewhere that has sites to see. The rooms are a little outdated but in great shape, just need more updated decor. Great selection of food in the buffet. We did not use the a l carte restaurants as buffet was good for us. We will definately return if we get the opportunity again.

Riu Palace Antillas: Rui Palace Antillas is awesome

Our room was 527. in hindsite I would pick a room higher up to get a better view. the 5th floor was the first floor with rooms on it. When we got our room we found that the safe didn't work (wouldn't lock) and the patio door didn't lock and the thermostat kept reverting to 17 degrees even after you changed it to 20 degrees. So we called the front desk and they did send someone right way (within 20 min) and he fixed the safe. We figured out the thermostat and were never quite sure about th [... read more]e patio door but at that point didn't care. The rooms were nice and clean and the staff did a great job of fixing up the room each day. the grounds were lovely and the staff very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed watching the iguana scurrying on the grass. I would say that the grounds and lobby of the Rui Palace Aruba next door were more glamourous than ours but both were really nice. The location on the beach was perfect. the beach sand is beautiful and white and not hot on your feet. There is a walking path down the beach at the edge of the resorts so it is nice for checking out all the other resorts.The Rui end of the beach is less crowded than the other end of the beach which we really liked. Yes, it Is very windy in Aruba but it didn't distract us from having a great time (and kept us cool) The beach area always had areas to lounge and the staff would pull out loungers and put them wherever you wanted. Very courteous. The pool areas were awesome as well. Even though people would reserve there loungers with towels there were always spots available. there was entertainment by the pool and music during most of the day. There are 4 a la carte restaurants at the resort at opened at 6:30. You could line up prior to that if you wanted to get in for the first seating. We chose to go down at 6:35 pick up a beeper for the second seating. The food at the a la carts was very good (tasty) The buffet restaurant was way better than I expected. The food was really great and the selection was wonderful. there was an omlet station in the morning and at dinner time it was usually a stirfry station, lots of salad stations and a variety of foods for different tastes. All fantastic. Over all would give the food and A+. There was entertainment each evening at the resort but I have to admit that we didn't go see any of it (too tired at the end of the day) We booked 2 excursions with our Sunwing rep. A catamaran snorkel trip and a UTV excursion across the island. Both were excellent and worth the money in my opinion. We really enjoyed our time at Rui Palace and would recommend to others.