Could use improvement

Upon walking in the hotel the views were great. The room also looked great minus the minor panelling chips however, there were many mosquitoes as I don’t think there are any systems in place to deter them. Every night I killed at least 6. In addition to that our tissue box never got refilled once it was empty and I noticed that the soaps both in the room and public bathrooms did not get replaced either. A lot of my family ended up not feeling well by the end of our stay so I am not entirely sure [... read more] if it was the food or the bars but it was very unusual for all of us to experience similar symptoms. The pools/beach and entertainment were great

The Best

Had a great time , The resort was very clean , friendly staff, food and drinks were great. No problem at the pools always chairs available. Lots of bench loungers . The beach was clean , no garbage … Will be back

February birthday visit

We had an excellent time at the Riu Palace Bavaro. Our biggest concern is that they do not have a designated smoking area. We are non smokers and to see people smoking and vaping in the swim-up bar was disgusting to us. Also upsetting is seeing children in the swim-up bar that is clearly for adults. The Riu hotels we have visited in Panama and Costa Rica had clearly marked designated smoking areas and we would like to see that at the Riu Palace Bavaro. Those hotels do not allow children in the s [... read more]wim-bars either. The disco is much too loud and can be clearly heard from the surrounding blocks of rooms. Needs to be turned down. We would highly recommend this hotel to friends, but we have already told them about the smoking issue and loud music.

Beautiful Resort

Absolutely stunning property. Grounds impeccable, rooms beautiful and immaculately clean. Really good food selection in the buffet and a la carte restaurants. Top of the line liquors with excellent service in all areas. Good selection of pools, one for families and one for adults only and a separate pool bar which could be very loud on occasions. Lots of shade on the beach and around the pools, so no necessity to save seats. Very good shows in the evening and we were there 14 days and shows not  [... read more]repeated. Separate section of the hotel geared to families and Riu parties at the Riu just down the street. All in all very good resort. Also only 30 minute drive from the airport.

Paradise

I miss this place already. Two weeks of paradise. Hotel was very beautiful. Christian from Elite was amazing person. He made us feel very special. Big thanks to Christian. Food was very good, room was always clean. There were a lot to do and two weeks was not enough. The beach did have a lot of seaweed and some areas did really smell bad. Beside that I cant wait to go back.

Great resort!

Returned from a week's vacation at RIU Palace Bavaro where we had an amazing time. The resort is super clean and spread out nicely. The staff is very friendly and helpful, even fighting to have you sit in their section at breakfast haha! The food was good with lots of choice, I especially liked the meals at Krystal and Zen. We had a great time sitting at the tables in the pool meeting people from other places. The rooms were nicely decorated and laid out well. Of course the beach was specta [... read more]cular with lots of loungers and plenty of trees to grab shade. I would highly recommend this resort!

Riu Palace: All around great resort.

Just came back from 5 days at Riu Palace: Elite Club, Swimout room. Before listing the items, I have travelled to many all inclusive in the Caribbean, last year staying at the Royalton Bavaro. I'm providing my objective review and you can decide what is ' good for you'. General Hotel Grounds and Lobby: Nicely kept. Beautiful upscale lobby with marble floors, and sculptures. Looks like a nice hotel in a big city rather than a Caribbean hotel. Beautiful. Lobby had a coffee shop and  [... read more]a bar. Hotel is not excessively big and everything seems to be within a reasonable short walk. NOTE: the kids area and waterpark is at the very front of the hotel. We only knew it was there because we passed it while on the bus-ride in. This could be good or bad depending on if you have kids or not. But, it's not close to the rest of the resort. Pools: There are 5 main pools (excluding the waterpark section). Elite Club and Adults only: VERY quiet. only a handful of people at these pools on any day at any time. Great if you want COMPLETE quiet. Activity Pool: Basic rectangular pool. Empty 90% of the day with the exception of water aerobics once a day. Drinking Pool: There is a separate pool with in-pool tables and bar. This is only for those who want to sit drink and chat all day. No swimming. Main Pool: Given the above, the main pool is very busy. As with most resorts, people reserve their chairs. if you want a seat in the 'front row', then you will have to do the same. But, if you don't mind being a row behind, then there are seats available. These back 'rows' also have a lot of shade. This pool can also be loud with kids. Given how far the waterpark is, I guess most parents just bring them to this pool. Surprising, no music or entertainment group throughout the day. They have some games a little later on (4pm), but nothing other than that. I would have at least expected some music playing on the speakers. Pool Service: There are waiters coming by taking orders, and a bar cart there during the day. I never had to wait for a drink. Room: Elite Swim-out: Swim out was kind of a waste (Royalton is 100% better). There are stairs, going into the 3ft pool. So, there is nothing you can do with it... if you go in, you are basically standing there. Royalton, had a shallow platform and had the two loungers partially submitted in the water. This has a patio area with loungers, but they couldn't be in the pool. Main benefit was you are on the main floor. Room was large and clean. Separate 'room' for the toilette (water closet), huge shower and restroom with double sink. No complaints. Elite Club: Your room will be closer to the pools. Separate loungers on the beach. These were at the back of the beach, so you couldn't even see the ocean. Not sure why they would have them so far back. Separate Pool: very quiet if you want that. Only Elite can make reservations at the restaurants for either 6pm or 8pm. This is helpful, but others just walk in since they don't see to be overly busy. Overall: My opinion, there isn't much benefit for paying for Elite. The only benefit is that you know you will have a room in a good location. Other than that, I don't see much use for it. Beach: When you walk down from the pool to the beach, it is VERY crowded. BUT... if you walk to the left for 30 seconds, you are still infront of the resort and the beach is almost empty! Huge beach area (length and depth), many chairs, and a lot of palm trees for shade. No seaweed, no rocks. We walked along the beach in front of other resorts (Grand Bahia to the left and Iberostar to the right). Riu had the best beach area (for size, flatness, and seaweed). Restaurants: Buffet: Large with a lot of selection. Lunch is the same everyday with little change, but there are many options. Dinner is mostly the same, with some variances for 'theme' nights. Nothing amazing, but always something good to eat. Food Court: There is a food court closer to the main pool. About 8-10 small restaurants, with Fried Chicken, Wok bowls, ice cream/crepes, hamburgers and Tacos. Fresh made tacos were great. Nice place to grab some quick eats without having to go into the buffet. AlaCarte: They were all good. If you are Elite, there is an Elite Cub restaurant which was the best. Service is top notch and food is excellent. American: Ribs, wings, etc Italian: good with antipasto buffet Elite: Great Krystal: High end. Very good. Japanese and Mexican: did not try Menus are outside the restaurants, so you can decide accordingly. Overall, the resort was very good and I would definitely go back. Everything was good with nothing to complain about. Nice hotel, good rooms, good service, no lines, and great beach area. I would put it inline with Royalton Bavaro, but Royalton would have a slight edge due to better SwimOut Room, slightly better restaurants and Diamond club amenities (ie beach loungers). But, you will not be disappointed with this hotel.

Great Resort

Clean, newly renovated. Service was quite good (some above and beyond, and some mediocre moments - but mostly good). Riu's overall do not have enough washrooms - quite a long hike to find toilets from the buffet/restaurants. But lovely resort overall.

Nice resort

The resort was very well layed out and well maintained. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The beach was beautiful. Unfortunately the food was terrible. Most of the food was cold and deep fried.

Very nice resort

Well layed out resort. Staff are very friendly. Beach is beautiful and well maintained. The food however, is much to be desired. We have stayed at Riu's in other countries where the food was excellent and this one did not stand up to those standards.

Great vacation

Beautiful resort! Beach was where we spent the majority of our time. Food was good and lots of options for my vegetarian wife! Room was clean but the elevator was problematic. Manuel and Jesus were incredible service people.

Beautiful Beach and a good time

The Riu Palace Bavaro is a bit dated colour wise but it was clean and comfortable . I thought it's layout and various pool configurations were better than the other attached Riu resorts that we had privileges at. Staff were friendly , food good and drinks all depended on your bartender but mostly good. There is construction going on behind the main hotel building . It didn't bother us and was somewhat entertaining to watch before we headed out for the day. The best rooms are the Villa rooms alt [... read more]hough ours was just fine in the main building looking out to the central square . Best to have the upgraded room so you have privileges at all pools and not just the main noisier pool. The sandy beach and ocean water was gorgeous. You can walk forever down the beach.

Beautiful Beach and a good time

The Riu Palace Bavaro is a bit dated colour wise but it was clean and comfortable . I thought it's layout and various pool configurations were better than the other attached Riu resorts that we had privileges at. Staff were friendly , food good and drinks all depended on your bartender but mostly good. There is construction going on behind the main hotel building . It didn't bother us and was somewhat entertaining to watch before we headed out for the day. The best rooms are the Villa rooms alt [... read more]hough ours was just fine in the main building looking out to the central square . Best to have the upgraded room so you have privileges at all pools and not just the main noisier pool. The sandy beach and ocean water was gorgeous. You can walk forever down the beach.

Great Family Vacation

The hotel and the gardens were beautiful, well kept, and clean. We were satisfied with the size of our room as well as the view from the balcony. The best part of our stay is the service we got from everyone working there. They were friendly, courteous, and always willing to please. However there was one thing that was most annoying during the week and that was the fact that the elevators were out of commission most of the time. This proved to be a hardship since I had surgery on my ankle rec [... read more]ently. We were also disappointed that although we booked as a group we were all in different sections on different floors. We travelled with our children and grandchildren. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Riu Palace Bávaro and wouldn’t hesitate to return for another vacation.

Riu Palace Bavaro

Grounds are neatly maintained, shrubs & greenery are well preserved. The hotel structure & decor are outdated, elevators sometimes doesn’t work, common comfort rooms are far from dining areas, beaches & are on disarray, broken lounge chairs are common, beach are not maintained regularly, empty plastic glass, bottles, coconut husks & shells. No one practices CoVid protocol, staff, cooks, servers.

Great Resort, Beautiful Beach and Friendly Staff!

My boyfriend and I stayed here from October 15th-22nd 2022 for our first trip. We appreciated the intake process where the lounge offered food and drinks while we waited to be checked into our room. After a long flight the snacks were much appreciated. We were introduced to our butler Victor Alexis upon arrival and given his contact information once we checked in. Having the ability to contact him with our questions, reservation requests, and seeing his daily messages about the schedules and men [... read more]us of the day made our stay very comfortable. He was very attentive and friendly when seeing him on resort. Room: We booked the Mirage Club Sky View Suite with Rooftop Jacuzzi and were not disappointed. Being part of the Mirage Club meant we were in the adult only section with just a 2 minute walk from the beach. Our rooftop looked out over the Seaside restaurant and bar, the pool and the beach. The room had air conditioning and our mini fridge was constantly stocked. We were also left extra waters beside on our bedside tables which were much appreciated after late nights. Housekeeping was amazing and kept everything very clean. We never ran out of towels or cleaning products. Our club access also included access to the adults only lounge which stocked drinks, alcohol, a variety of snacks and fruit all day. It was a great addition to the regular food offerings this resort had. Food: The food options were endless. The buffet was great for breakfast offering variations of eggs, pancakes, crepes, meats, etc. They had lots of fresh fruit and fruit juices along with yogurt and other dairy products. As someone with celiac disease navigating buffets can be difficult. They had clearly marked gluten free muffins, sourdough, and croissants as well as an omelette station that was great for avoiding cross contamination. For the most part the buffet is very straight forward regarding what is and isn't gluten free. Most of the staff that was knowledgeable about gluten free food worked in the restaurants not the buffet. The staff in the French and Italian restaurants were great with recommending gluten free options during both of our first dinner visits. There was some confusion at the Italian (lunch) and French restaurants (2nd dinner visit) so just make sure you double check with a knowledgeable staff member. It can help to have a spanish description of gluten free food saved on your phone. The Kabuki restaurant was awesome for making sure the food was gluten free! They used gluten free soy sauce and made sure to keep the cooking area and food separate from the usual food they had cooking. It was a great experience. We typically went to the Seaside buffet for lunch which offered both traditional dishes from the Dominican as well as fresh salads, fruit, and seafood. This buffet was a bit harder to navigate so be sure to find an employee that knows gluten free food to guide you through it. There was also a coffee shop open most of the days that offered great food and speciality drinks. Entertainment: There was always something going on during the day or at night to keep you busy. There were lots of activities in some of the pools as well as beach activities. The nightly shows featured popular music and impressive acrobatics. I recommend getting a seat early if you're looking forward to a particular show. They also had entertainment in the courtyard area that was easier to drop in on before or after dinner. We even picked up a painting from one of the performers. Beach: The beach was great! There were some days with seaweed and some days without. They did make an effort to keep it clean as best they could. There are a lot of people trying to sell things on the beach which can be helpful if you're looking for souvenirs but is a bit overwhelming. Most of the sellers are polite and move on if you are not interested. There were lots of chairs but be sure to try and to get a bali bed early in the day if you want to spend any time on one. The drink service on the beach was a plus. Bars: The piano bar is a perfect place to go for fancy drinks. Antony at the lobby bar was amazing! He always had drinks ready when he saw us coming and had his own speciality drinks when we weren't sure what to order. The seaside bar is the best place to grab drinks when you are on the beach. The ladies there are very friendly. Rafi was also awesome at the Tiki bar if you're spending the day in the pool. If you're part of the Mirage Club make sure to visit the exclusive bars beside your lounge or in your pools which are less busy. Check out: Check out process was quick an easy. Our bags were picked up while we went to breakfast and loaded onto the shuttle for us as we left. Overall we had a great experience and will be returning hopefully to see the same staff members that made the trip memorable.

Excellent Resort

Hotel staff, restaurants, grounds and rooms were all very nice. We were upgraded to the Villa after a small incident. I would highly recommend the Villa for a more quieter vacation. Sunwing representative communication was great. The only issue was a huge delay at the Toronto airport upon departure to Dominican Republic.

Amazing resort. Third visit in 5 yeara

Everything great except the main courses in the buffet. Extremely salty compared to previous visits. There was constant confusion whether or not a la carte restaurants were open or closed. For example the restaurant staff said that the Taino Steakhouse would be open Wednesday and Thursday but they were closed. The local Sunwing rep was so so. We had to figure out things ourselves

Amazing..Beautiful..Resort

Lovely hotel Very clean Amazing staff Delicious food Lovely beach and pool Music and entertainment Lovely Riu partys Wow Reception area Lovely Each and every corner of the resort was detailed and beautifully designed

Should be 3 star

I would not recommend this resort. It should be 3 star at best. Very outdated. Beds are terrible. I didn't sleep for a week. Needs an entire update. If you can book the Riu Punta Cana would be a better resort for the same price. We were supposed to be in the Riu Punta Cana but our terrible agents at Tripcentral stuck us in the Bavaro and then would not answer or return phone calls!!!!!! Never deal with trip central again. I travel every year and they were the worst customer service I have ev [... read more]er experienced!! Good thing I didn't have to get ahold of them for anything really important. They only take your money then never take your calls. Although the hotel is dated and the booking company sucks there were lots of good things. Staff at hotel was amazing. Food was amazing. Beach was amazing. Very clean.