Riu Palace Costa Rica: Palace in the jungle

Very nice and is worthy of 4 stars! Staff was eager to please and friendly. Rooms smelled a bit musty but thats to be expected as it is very humid there! Mostly ate at the buffet. Their omelets are amazing!! Great and big selection of foods and desserts! Buffet foods werent always the hottest, but still good! Dined at the steak house 1 night and all 3 of us loved it!! The resort is stunning!! All white with the green jungle surrounding it! Beach sand is darker as it is volcanic sand but not as b [... read more]lack as we expected. Room service is fabulous! Huge portions and delicious! Only complaints.. we found the fridge in our room not cold. We had to chill our drinks on ice. All the floors throughout the resort are very slippery. Nearing the end of our trip we were getting tired of always watching how we walked! The pools shut down every night at 6pm. This is when it gets dark but they have good lighting so not sure why they do this! The bar closes every night by midnight. We had a jungle view room and highly recommend it! In our opinion the ocean view would not be worth the extra expence as the ocean is a fair distance from the resort and you would be looking over the grounds and pools way more so then the ocean! If we returned to Costa Rica would we stay here again? Absolutly!

Palace St. Martin: Not a 5 *

Food was excellent. Grounds seemed to be under construction- lots of wasted space with grass, many lights were not working at night. Staff was friendly. It service was not stellar. Entertainment crew was amazing during the day but lacked in evening. Evening entertainment should not be volunteering from the audience. Hotel itself is secluded and for night entertainment outside resort is a 20 min cab ride. Only shuttle service to casino on Friday.

Riu Ocho Rios: Amazing

Thank you once again jessienewbigging@tripcentral.ca.....beautiful hotel, the grounds extremely well kept! The food was quite varied and the tastes and flavour was impeccable ! In anticipation of a hurricane, the hotel and staff were more than prepared to accommodate and take good care of the guests 😎

Riu Ocho Rios: Very Good Resort

I was totally impressed with the staff at the Riu Ocho Rios. To management I say your finest asset is your people. All were very friendly and professional. I totally enjoyed the Jamaican cuisine. The resort handled the looming hurricane so well that it made the entire experience a good one. Thank goodness the worst did not happen but if it had I was quite confident that everyone would have been taken care of the best way possible. thank you to everyone at the Riu Lori Widdup

Riu Republica: New Resort and Worth the Trip!

6 adult travelers; aged 27-38. We booked our trip to the Riu Republica before the resort construction had been completed. The hotel was being billed as a 5-Star resort, and at a cost of $1100 CAD per person, we thought that was a great deal. We read LOTS of reviews -- a lot negative -- before we left, and were a little hesitant as the days passed on toward our departure date. If you don't read any further, just take this away --- DO NOT LET THE BAD REVIEWS DETER YOU FROM TRAVELING TO THE R [... read more]IU REPUBLICA!!! We found a lot of them were unwarranted. CHECK IN went smoothly. Two couples in our party were roomed near each other, but one was placed on the other side of the hotel ... and was given two single beds. We arrived around 12:30pm and our rooms weren't to be ready until 3pm; we left our luggage and had lunch before returning to get our room keys. The ROOMS are modern, spacious and clean. There are showers only (no bathtubs) in the washrooms. Everyone we traveled with found the beds to be quite hard. The water pressure is fantastic. The TURN DOWN SERVICE in the rooms was great -- always done when requested, floors mopped, flowers left and adorable towel or blanket designs on the bed. There is a ROOM BAR on the wall, four locked bottles inclusive of rum, gin, vodka and rye. It was advertised that the BAR FRIDGE would be replenished every other day (water, soda, beer) -- we arrived on a Friday; our fridge was stocked Saturday and then again on Monday, but never again after that. That would be my only real complaint of our whole week -- not that you can't get soda or beer elsewhere, but the tap water is not potable, so in the heat it is important to always have fresh bottled water at the ready. I was able to get more from the front desk any time I asked, but I feel the hotel can improve in this area. RESTAURANTS are easily accessible and always have plenty of food. The main buffet always seemed to have a strong odor of seafood. We also ate at the Italian, Asian and Steakhouse restaurants. Reservations cannot be made days in advance to any of the specialty restaurants -- you have to go at 6 or 6:30pm the evening of and make a reservation for that day. They are all buffet-style, except for the Steakhouse. They do, however, serve different foods than at the buffet ... so it's worth the reservation if you're looking to switch things up! There were always ACTIVITIES available to participate in. Yoga, aqua fit, dancing, bar games (golf, discs, etc.) were always being initiated by the Riu FUN staff. These were inclusive of anyone who wanted to participate. There are two POOLS available to the Republica resort guests. A quiet pool, without swim up bar; and a more active pool, with activities and a swim up bar. We spent all of our time at the more active pool. We were still able to read and relax quite comfortably. There is a separate third pool, but that is only available to the European Sensimar guests. The glasses are sturdier and larger than any other resort we have been to. My only improvement for the pool bar would be a better clean up of the soiled drinking glasses, as they attract LOTS of bees ... half of our party was stung at one point or another. The BEACH is gorgeous. We were vacationing over the touch down of Hurricane Matthew and, still, everything was wonderful. With the exception of a day of rain and two days of a red/yellow flagged beach, you wouldn't have known what was happening on the other side of the island. We read lots of complaints in other reviews before we left about the "massive sand dune" blocking the beach --- to put this to rest, it is a mound of sand, yes. It obstructs the view of the ocean from the pool, yes. But is it something you have to climb to get to the beach? No. There is a completely manageable sand walkway from the resort to the beach. This is not unique -- we have been many places where this is the case. It also blocked some of the wind from the ocean during hurricane season. Zero complaints about the beach, or the "sand dune." There are lots of events thrown -- beach party and foam party were two of our favourites. The number of rooms at the resort seems like it has the potential to overwhelm the size of the actual resort -- that is, if it were filled to capacity, the amenities may seem overwhelmed. I utilized the SPA one day for a massage. There are credits available at the front desk for the Spa, so be sure to ask for them if you are going to use any of the facilities! This is an adults only resort. Again, we read reviews either citing this was a "young 20s party resort" or a "50+ relaxation resort" -- honestly, neither are true. Or, perhaps both are true ... we traveled during the first week of October and met people from their mid 20s all the way through to their 60s/70s. There was no-one group catered to -- and, those that seemed to be "partying like it was spring break" were in their mid 40s; not 19-year old kids on their first trip away from home. This is a resort you can let a little loose at as well as one you can relax at. YOU determine the vacation you will have ... Riu Republica lets you do that! STAFF were friendly, fun and accommodating. The reviews that said staff were unfriendly and miserable ... I'm not sure where they stayed, but it couldn't have been here! Most staff did speak reasonable-enough English. We always had a table waiting for us in the buffet thanks to Remy, and always received quick service at any bar or restaurant we attended. Overall, we had a great, relaxing, FUN vacation here. We'd recommend it to others wishing to travel to a modern, adults-only resort. I would NOT advertise this as a true, 5-Star resort, and only because of the lack of true a la carte restaurants, and some of the service that needs to be brought up to a 5-Star level. 4 to 4.5 Stars, sure. The only other disappointment was the lack of infinity pool that was advertised to us when booking, before construction had been completed.

Riu Republica: Fantastic hotel!

Just came from the resort, we loved it! Beautiful beach, great food, tons of entertainment options. The place is new, so everything is still in good shape. The rooms are lovely, big and bed is huge. Air conditioner works perfectly. Overall had a great time, value for the money.

Riu Santa Fe: Great resort good location

The resort is nice and clean. Food on the buffet is average buffet food...but be careful on the weekend while locals invade the resort...quality goes down (tougher steaks...more local foods) and lots of empty trays. Ala carte resaurants have amazing food...but good luck if they decide to open or if they will let you in. They are scheduled to open at 6:30 but some never open and when they do...it's usually 7. Rooms are nice and constantly cleaned...do not leave change laying out as they assume [... read more] it is a tip and it will be gone after they clean. I didn't mind since it was pocket change or small peso coins. It is on a beach that you can't swim in due to the undertow...but you can walk down a bit to a beach that is swimmable. It is a 15 min cab ride ($14 US) to town for 1-4 people...so split a cab if you can. All in all its a nice clean friendly resort.

Riu Palace Peninsula: It's all about shrimp and the view!!!

I'll make it short. Pros: The ocean view from the room!!! New, fancy and clean resort. Thursday Lobster night. Great choice of spirits (don julio, jack daniels, etc). Great service throughout the resort. Lots of jumbo shrimp every day for dinner and supper. Cons: Very uncomfortable bad and pillows. Same food every day. The food is just ok. Lame a la carte restaurants. Alcohol dispenser not renewed in the entire stay. No slippers or bathrobe in room. Dos xx beer on tap absolute [... read more]ly sucked. Snack/sport bar food is terrible Night shows are boring (no imagination, just parodies on pop stars). Snorkeling (almost no fish). Resort shops unreasonably expensive. AC temp. is not adjustable so it's either too hot or too cold in the room.

Riu Caribe Cancun: Great resort, wish I could have stayed longer!

I was looking for a 5 or 7 night trip, only got 3 nights 3 days unfortunately - I'd love to win ! The staff, room, food, ocean and trips were just great and that made my short stay a great one nevertheless. I would definitely return to the resort, but I do like to try new places each time.

Riu Republica: Great Hotel, Beach and Food!!

The beach was amazing, I could walk for a long time along the shore. The water was the most beautiful colour and clear. The selection and quality of the food was wonderful and the hotel was clean and beautiful. The staff are hardworking and friendly. Unfortunately I became very ill on vacation, possibly a parasite due to the symptoms. But these things can happen in a foreign country, a chance we take when vacationing in the caribbean.

Riu Palace Riviera Maya: Loved it!

The hotel is a bit dated but is still beautiful and immaculate. The grounds are very well manicured and the RIU standard is very apparent. The beach is lovely white sand and the water is warm and rock free. The food is wonderful and the staff are amazing.

Riu Republica: Wonderful resort!

Great staff, beautiful grounds and so many options! We spent a week there without leaving the hotel once and had a blast. The restaurants were much better than your typical resort with great food and friendly service. I've never gone to the same resort twice but might just have to come back some day!

Riu Republica: Riu Republica

This resort just opened in June, however, it already is starting to look worn. There is cracking and peeling pain, the tiles appear dirty - especially the grout. It is touted as a 5 star but, realistically, it is only a 4 star. The food is good but not spectacular. There is a nice variety of fish in the buffet but nothing really jumped out at us. The bread wasn't great as it was quite hard - usually if all else fails, the bread is usually quite good. The floors in the dining room were very [... read more] slippery, they should have had someone dry mopping the floors as we saw several guest slipping on the tiles. The Japanese was our favourite. The rooms were nice, however there were no chairs in the room. There was a perfect spot for a small table and a couple of chairs. When asked for an additional one or two chairs for the room but we were refused. The housekeeping was somewhat absent. We had the rooms cleaned twice in the week we were there. One day they arrived at 07:50 to clean the room - we hadn't even showered yet so we asked them to return later - they never did. Another day they arrived after 5:00 pm when we were getting ready for dinner - again we turned them away. They really need to work this out. The front desk staff were quite friendly - no complaints there, however, we had booked a courtyard view room but were assigned a room at the very back of the hotel - the farthest away from anything - beach, restaurants etc. When I inquired about obtaining the correct room we were advised, as expected, that they were full and to come back the next day. I suggested they have guests leaving each day so there should definitely be a room available. By the end of the day, the Sunwing rep was able to obtain a lovely courtyard view room for us. I'm sure they count on most guests just accepting what they are given because it is such a PIA to move rooms. The pools we used were fine. The one with the swim up bar was a bit murky - but still packed. The salt water pool we were in was too warm to be considered refreshing but it was clean. The beach was nice but because of the man-made sand dune, it was not visible from the resort. It was definitely not handicap accessible. Because of the hurricane passing through, the waves were incredible - possibly even dangerous at times. We had a blast in the ocean. The sandy beach, as always in Punta Cana, was great. If you walk to the left, the beach is much flatter for walking and you can walk for ages. All in all, the resort was nice but not a 5 star as advertised.

Riu Republica: Lovely Resort

We recently returned from a week at Riu Republica in Punta Cana. The hotel is huge, with lots of shady seating near the gorgeous pools. The trip to the beach is a bit of a hike over a sand dune, and there are no washrooms on or near the beach. There are very few washrooms period, which was a bit of an issue, as I was travelling with my mentally disabled brother. The elevators are also few and far between, and in out of the way areas. Hotel is built like a rounded W, so there is lots of walking t [... read more]o get to your room. Staff were lovely, but few spoke much English. Food was awesome, as were the drinks! The lobby area and bar are gorgeous, with tons of couches and chairs to relax in or meet with friends. The sports bar is 24 HR, and is usually hopping. Had a great week, and would recommend the hotel. My only complaints are too few bathrooms in public areas, and too small elevators in out of the way places.

Riu Republica: Fantastic vacation

we had a fantastic vacation, resort was beautiful, staff was fantastic, great food selections. Always something to do while we were there. daily entertainment at the pool was a lot of fun. Beach was beautiful

Riu Republica: Nice resort

Very modern, clean resort. Enjoyed the daily entertainment. Food was good but not great. The hotel staff was very accommodating and provided good service. Enjoyed the pool and bars. Sammy was great for booking day excursions.

Riu Republica: Riu Republica

Not a 5 star resort but a great place to enjoy! Beautiful beach, decent food and accommodations. Only a few small complaints. No room service and you had to pay $3.00 US for a game of pool in the sports bar. Overall, we had a great time!

Palace St. Martin: Riu? maybe not

When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted with a cocktail drink which was warm. The grounds were dark we arrived at night they could have used more lighting around the premises. This hotel is still undergoing renovations it was another hotel (I believe, Radisson, so I heard) and Riu acquired it 2 years ago. The pool is at the very end of the property right next to the ocean. There is no swim up bar, and it makes it inconvenient for those in the pool to get drinks. The ground were okay, n [... read more]ot that many flowers it could have been the time of year we went in late Sept.-early October. The service in the buffet restaurants was slow. We had to wait almost every day to get a drink; the food was great, the selection was good. The employees area all awesome people, very friendly and almost always happy. I would rate this hotel 3.5 to 4 star at max. No way it is a 5.

Riu Ocho Rios: Fantastic resort

Great......extremely accommodating...rooms clean, dinning room was fantastic, smaller eating areas were of great selection! Satisfying to all.🛫🛏🚿🛀☉🌫⛈🌞🏊🎶🍸🍷🍻🍞🧀🍖🍗🍔🍟🍲🍿🌯🌭🍕🍦🍨🍾🍳🌴🍌☕😎😉

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Fantastic Place!!

Service is excellent - people are nice. Food is good - can't think of a better place I wanted to be. So much to see and do. Coco Beach is absolutely wonderful!!! Second time round at the Riu Palace for me. I will go again in a minute. Weather is good - even in the rainy season (only rains at night).