Not a 5 star!!

We have travelled to Punta Cana multiple times. We’ve stayed at family resorts and also adults only resort. This resort was by far the worst. We booked this resort based on the fact that it was adults only and a 5 star. It is not a 5 star! The resort was dirty and not well maintained. The food at the main buffet was awful. We were looking forward to the restaurants until we arrived there and realized all the restaurants are also buffet style!! The food there was also terrible. The rooms were r [... read more]un down. The pillows were awful. We are extremely disappointed and feel as if we were fooled into booking this resort as trip central advertises it as a 5 star. We feel very disappointed.

Gone downhill

Here is what we put on facebook over 2 posts First post So we landed Tuesday. We were here back in 2019 and loved it. This time. Not so much. Here is my halfweek review: Restaurant: Food is not what we remember. I've never been to a resort where A la carts are first come first serve. The buffet is good but typical. Today my omlette was made with a huge chunk of cheese just in the middle. It was edible. But just laziness on the cooks part. Rooms: Sub par for a 5 star. Our toilet seat  [... read more]is not attached properly and if I had to guess has never been attached. Pic attached 3 small lumpy pillows that remind me of a half filled bag of chips. No cases on them yesterday. I've made 3 requests for extra pillows. Rooms are hot. 25 to 29 degrees all day. We have been back to the front to have cards reprogrammed as they stop working randomly. This is a theme I had seen on other posts. Three times so far Drinks We are experienced travelers so we brought bubba for beer and yeti for other drinks. I've had a few mudslides here but yesterday they made one with sour milk. I could tell on my first sip. This isn't one that sat out in the sun for hours. Freshly made. Could tell right away it was off. Poured it out myself in the bathroom. Chunky. I'm sure half cut I might not have noticed right away. Asked for a rye and Pepsi. In the yeti (35 ounce) and it was half rye half Pepsi. I watched the bartender open a new bottle and pour a third of it in and add Pepsi. I tried to get him to stop. I know the vibe of the resort is party. But this much alcohol is honestly dangerous. I did pour half out add Pepsi and had a great drink. But pay attention. I won't rate the beach as the water is choppy due to hurricane Lee and we have made the decision to be safe. The sunset was unreal and will be where we take our trip picture to put in our frame. It is truly beautiful and only slightly behind cuba and way better than anything in Mexico Be clear this is not a luxury adult 5 star resort. It is a party oriented 4 star and it does that wonderfully. We are having a great time but it will be our last time. It is very tired compared to 2019. At two years old it was great. Now they put the tiles falling off pool at the edge to be picked up by staff. They have installed "speedbumps" on the table in the party pool to prevent it being used as a slid as we saw in 2019. Maybe it was a safety issue. Again very inconsistent. Throughout. Tips are the only way to get service. I shouldn't have to bribe to get basics. I know there are a ton of people who will Disagree and say it's a great place. And for someone looking to party all week it's perfect. For me. It's a pass next time. Second post Just wanted to do a follow up to my midweek review. I am likely going to get a little more flack this time around. My midweek review is here https://m.facebook.com/groups/riurepublicapuntacana/permalink/3627539784190974/?mibextid=Nif5oz and I won't be repeating those concerns. The second half of the week went the same as the first half. Disappointing They did send someone to fix the toilet seat. But he left without fixing it. I did get 2 extra pillows on day 5 And we had our room cards recoded a total of 4 times. Twice both having to be done. But where things went downhill is when safety became a concern. When I say this I am one to be fearful but my partner does get a little sheepish during conflict. We were not involved but just in close proximity. Likely a love spat. But the crashing and banging drew the attention of more than one security and I believe ended someone's vacation early. Video from our balcony. I understand the resort can't be held accountable for someone's actions but they create an atmosphere that drives this. It's a party resort and not anything else. Lastly the general over demeanor of staff is miserable. We don't get smiles returned and tips are expected not welcomed. Overall my experience has stamped in to not come back and we are now having our friends bridal party of 9 look elsewhere. I do want to end this review on a positive so a huge shout out to Daniel at the activity/party pool Alejandro at the lobby bar Brian (female) at the second stage bar. (Furthest from the beach) And Edwar from the smaller buffet. That guy should have been in the NBA. These folks did make us feel great — with Delaney Hoage.

Was great‼️

Lots of fun partys, the jungle party along with the neon and a few other partys was lit. The music got kind of repetitive at the events but other than that i didnt even mind after a few shots. Lots nice & friendly people that just want to have fun..lots of nice & beatiful women... nice weather, great food, i enjoyed it🔥 riu republica‼️💗

Had fun

My boyfriend and I had a great time. The beach was beautiful and we took a walk on it each day. They had many different kinds of food that wasn’t too bad. I wish the restaurants that they has would serve you food, they were all buffet style, except for the steak house. The pool that has a swim up bar and music, the water was filthy. Our room key, probably six out of the seven days stopped working on us and we had to go to the front desk to get a new one that’s was frustrating. It also wouldâ [... read more]€™ve been nice if the entertainers played more games with the people staying at the resort and were more engaging with us. If you don’t go to the RIU parties there’s not much going on during the day at the resort I felt. It would be nice if more of the RIU parties were during the night and not during mid day and dinner time. Either way I still enjoyed myself.

Riu Republica

Great party resort, food not so good. Basic resort, good for the money if you get it at a discount. Lot's of young adults always looking to party. Food very basic, nothing in the late night. Room very basic, sometimes ac not good. Overall good for young adults with little finance available. Mexico better option.

Great times!

RIU Republica was great. Definitely a good party vibe if that is what you are looking for. There are quiet areas too. Food was pretty good. Recommend the Indian restaurant! Room was a bit run down but that is what you get in places like this. Otherwise clean.

Beautiful Resort

The rooms were clean, pools etc The staff stayed on top of everything and always made sure things stayed clean. I would 100% recommend anyone who asks me about vacation to go to this hotel and resort.

Not the greatest

Not the greatest This place is Definitely not a 5 star I would not recommend this place to anyone. The beach is the greatest except as a single woman being told by a local vendor walking on the beach to wake up and buy something from him, really irritated me

Great vacation

Overall, we’d rate this place 4 out of 5. We arrived at reception and Dennis asked if we’d prefer a room by the beach or the pool. That was a first. Very nice!! Rooms are a bit dated but they are large and kept very clean. Balconies are large too. We were on the 1st floor so easy to go up and down the stairs. Elevator wasn’t working so could have been difficult on others. Food was plentiful and diverse. Something great for everybody. Best thing is you never had to make reservations for an [... read more]y of the restaurants. My favourite part was that there were so many loungers whereever you wanted to go…beach or pools. No need to make that early morning walk to reserve…EVER. Loved that because we’ve never had that experience anywhere. The beach is beautiful but being on the Atlantic side, the waves/undercurrent are rough. We’re beach people so, for me, that was difficult. I got thrashed underneath a number of times so ended up settling for swimming in the pools. The resort is humongous with a massive slide area. Yep!! For adults. Quite fun. Staff are friendly and if there are any issues, they are quick to react. My hair dryer broke but within an hour, it was replaced. That’s pretty good. Housekeeping work hard, so bring toiletries and tip them well. Same with food and beverages…tip these folks well. They deserve it.

RIU Republica hotel DR

The hotel and the rooms looked OK. I would say about four stars. The food was three stars. The customer service was two stars. I never got coffee cups or glasses in my room. The coffee maker was broken. They never attended our needs and a room whenever we call, nobody picked up the phone people working there expected tips all the time there was no smile on their faces. Customer service and friendliness of the staff was at one star.

Great Resort in a wonderful Country, this place is party central

Riu Republica is a good resort which will meet the needs of most travellers. This resort is not on the glitzy side, rather on the practical side. The food is good in the main buffet and also good in the Specialty Restaurants. I had the Italian 5 nights in a row, because the lasagna and beef tenderloin were next level. The beach is good, and the seaweed is under control compared to other resorts along the stretch. The room is good and in practical. The tv had many options in English. The mini bar [... read more] is refilled daily if a tip is left. The place is constantly being cleaned, and mopped. The shaded pool lounges were comfortable enough and the Jerk Chicken near the beach is a nice touch for a pre lunch snack. Check In and Check Out are very efficient and the transportation to the airport is very reliable and stress free. I would return as the vacation cost was reasonable and the experience was desirable.

A great resort!

I love Dominica for starters. I enjoyed the Riu Republica. Let's start with positives...we were too far from the main pools/buffet, etc upon arrival and called to switch rooms...they switched us immediately. The rooms are bright and clean. The double sinks and huge shower were awesome. There are so many pools and we never had to fight for chairs or lounge tables. There were fresh towels until about 4:30...not a issue. The main buffet was excellent. Lots of choices and continual favorites daily.  [... read more]We loved our servers Jorge and Esmerelda. There are several Ala cartes however, they are all buffet as well which meant you didn't have to reserve but there was no real change from the buffet. We went to the Taj Mahal two times...I really enjoyed it as I love Indian food. The appies were buffet then they brought 5 dishes to sit on burners at your table. NOTE TO THE RIU CHEF....your food was very tasty HOWEVER, too spicy for most. There were people who left mid dinner. There was way too much waste as the portions were too big and then too hot for most. I hope they work on this as it really was lovely. Now, the cons...only the reception area staff had appropriate English language. The cleaning staff and most servers had very little which made it difficult at times for needs or requests to be understood. At the theatre bar, if you weren't holding money in your hands, you waited (and waited...), only to see a young man being served MULTIPLE tequila shots. He was brandishing money. The evening entertainment??? I say, what entertainment?! Having been in the DR many times, I guess I was expecting more. They had the same young dancers each night with a different theme, trying to lip sync. AND, the "show" didn't start until 9:30...ugh. The "Neon" party was lame...I kept waiting for more. We had to call several times for coffee packets and coffee mate and for my coffee needing friend, this didn't go over too well. The "Riu App" needs work and/or constant monitoring as it would say X restaurant was open and it wasn't. And the entertainment was incorrect so we missed the Circo show. I believe "adult only" needs to be at least 25 years and up. There were MANY very young teenagers being over served and wearing next to nothing. I dont feel teenagers are adults yet! We didn't see one security person and this is a fairly big resort. The beach was raked but the dried seaweed was in big piles. I'm not sure if they remove it weekly? The water was beautiful but rough...a girl we met was tossed about and strained her ankle. We're not beach people so we only went one afternoon for pictures. The vendors weren't a big bother...they took " no thank you" well. Spray your legs and feet as there are sand fleas at the beach. Take your shoes to the deck too as they can travel in your treads! We took a free ride to the flea market, right down the road...there, the vendors were quite insistent and we felt harrassed. We were 2 women so not sure if they're less so with men? Most shops carry similar stuff and you need to haggle. We didn't do any excursions. I felt our sunwing person "Little Sammy" was a bit harsh and a wee bit masonganistic...if he called my friend "mamacita" one more time, there might have been trouble! He told us if we were going to the Jungle or Pink party at the other Riu, we should expect cocaine and weed and craziness. Regardless to say, we didn't go. We did see a young girl returning, dressed in pink, passed out and in a wheelchair 😞 All in all it was a very good, relaxing trip at a beautiful, well maintained resort. The positives far outweighed the negatives. There were no COVID reminders at all. I saw very few masks.

A Great Time

I found the hotel varied and large, but not large enough that it was confusing. It was easy to find my way around, and I never ran out of options for places to enjoy a drink, swim, or food. Nightlife was excellent, there was always a party on. Only downside was being placed next to an ecological preserve which gave off a weird scent that wafted into my room. This led to it being hot and humid, and attracted a lot of mosquitoes into it. That's not a major issue, the room was clean, maintained o [... read more]ften, and had all the amenities I needed. I would definitely come back.

Amazing Resort

Awesome service, shows, food, ambiance! Would definitely recommend! All of the staff were very nice and welcoming, and there were a great variety of restaurants and activities. We spent most of our time on the beautiful beach, but we also really enjoyed the shows every night and especially the pink party on wednesday!

Riu Republica is a good resort for social activites and parties

We thought that the resort catered well to those who are looking to socialize and have fun with friends or strangers. There was plenty to do in the resort and there was something new everyday that the entertainment team had to offer. With that said, I don't think it is worth staying here for more than 7 days as things will get repetitive. The grounds were well kept, clean, and obviously taken cared of. The service is ok, some of the bartenders and waiters were rude, and some were happy [... read more] to be there. The food was ok. The a la carte meals were great and the buffet selection was diverse, if not spectacular. We would happily go again

Great getaway

The place was well staffed and the staff was all very friendly. The room was clean, cool and well stocked with amenities and beverages. The water pressure could have been better (but that's nitpicking) Pools were mostly well maintained, except the party pool which was foggy and had unknown objects floating (as to be expected.) However there is lots of other pools to choose from. The beach was well maintained and was an oasis, with lots of palm tree coverage. The food was good overall, howev [... read more]er make sure you eat a big dinner as the late night food in the sports bar is awful. Same items available elsewhere throughout the day were good, but it becomes inedible late at night. Also after 11pm/midnight - no good bar to just sit and have a quiet drink. Only options are sports bar and club, which was loud if your looking to just relax late at night. The entertainment was good overall, some hits and some misses . Don't bother going to the casino, it's terrible, small and a waste of an evening. Great vacation overall and thanks for the stay

Fun party resort

This place is a party resort, the food and amenities are 4 star not 5. We did have a great time but unfortunately my girlfriend got food poisoning and we both ended up getting COVID-19 after our stay (a real bummer). Also we had 3 days of no hot water, partially working shower head and bugs festering in the coffee machine.

Fantastic Experience

Great food, drinks, rooms, service, decent entertainment, beautiful beach, what more could you ask for? Also very happy they weren't playing COVID theatre. Not a mask in sight made it truly a vacation and not a stressful showcase of people playing 'pandemic'. Thank you Riu!

Excellent resort

The positive of Riu: good quality and quantity of food; good personnel; overall resort was very well maintained. The only negative is the overly loud music. Even though there are pools without music, the neighboring pools music was so loud that it permeated the quiet pools. It is an adult only resort, but young adults that like loud music. We are adult seniors.

Not 5 star resort!

Grounds very nice as where the pools,can't say the same for the room or food. It being called a PARTY HOTEL is very accurate. Just good for drinking and partying! A hotel for the younger crowd to let loose!!