Riu Palace Bavaro Reviews

With my wife we came back to this hotel, we enjoyed our previous stay some of years ago. This time we came with our family.

My youngest son suffered an accident a few days before the trip, so he was in a "temporary disabled" condition, had to walk with crutches and an immobilizing boot/shoe. However, the Dr allowed him to get to the entrance of the pool with crutches, take off his immobilizing boot and go in the pool, but stepping inside the water only with one foot.

A group of over-excited guests were playing volley in the pool with a very arrogant attitude and bad manners. The ball fell near my son, but because of his condition he couldn't move to get to the ball and through it back. The arrogant volley-playing guests didn't like this, and one of them violently grabbed my son by the neck, while a stout woman repeatedly punched him in the stomach.

No security guards at the place, and the pool staff didn't call one. My son had to get out of the pool, and he had to walk on his own with crutches to the lobby, and after 30 minutes he got a guard and Mr Nelson (from the front desk) to walk back with him to the pool area.

But it was too late, the attackers had already left the place. Many other guests (from Argentina, Colombia, USA and Germany) complained to Mr Nelson about the coward attack and the arrogant volley-playing guests, but Mr Nelson just got angry with the guests and didn't listen at all.

Later that day we got to talk with one of the "subdirectors", Mr Guillermo de Cruz, who said it was our word againts the word of the attackers, he had a very ironic/mocking attitude with us. Mr Nelson had disregarded the guests that complained him, so for Mr Guillermo de la Cruz there were no witnesses. Unbelievable! An attack of a group to a disabled guest in the pool with no consequences or punishment. Mr Guillermo De Cruz didn't even apologize for the complete lack of security. No compensations of any kind offered.

The following day Mr De Cruz was more polite, but completely ineffective. Perhaps Mr Nelson and Mr Guillermo de Cruz are good employees, but the management of the hotel should forbid them to even talk to guests, they don't have a clue on how to deal with customers. I must say that another "subdirector" Mr Hector, had a much better attitude towards us, although he is very young he is a real proffesional.

The hotel is not guilty for the attack of a group of "brave" guests on a disabled guest, but the hotel is definitively guilty for the lack of effective security (specially in an hotel with no limits in serving alcohol that makes some guests more agressive), and the terrible attitude towards us that came from Mr Nelson (front desk) and Mr Guillermo de la Cruz.

Of course our vacation was completely ruined with this serious incident, and we didn't feel safe at the hotel the rest of our stay.

The hotel is a good one (terrible wifi)

Room Number:
3019

Room Block:
third floor main buinding

Arrival:
Fast

Rooms:
Somehow worn-out compared with our previous stay.

Restaurants and Bars:
Main buffet Montecristo quite good. Avoud the gourmet and Asian.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Very good

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Not much

Other Comments:
The lack of security completely ruined our vacations.

Very nice and modern place. Been to a lot of AI, but this was the nicest wrt buildings and the best service. Falls down in the food dept, and the entertainment was plain awful. The pool was too small for the number of rooms (there are 2 other smaller pools, but you have to poney up extra $$ to stay in smaller villas). IMO, up there with Club Med Punta Cana for a nice place. Been to over a dozen AI in the Caribbean.

Room Number:
2127

My boyfriend and I had the best trip ever! The people are so wonderful and kind.Words can not express how they made us feel! We met a worker named Jose who brought us to tears on our last day. The place was beautiful and the food was soooo good!

Room Number:
5015

Rooms:
Very clean and nice!

Restaurants and Bars:
Steak house awesome huge steak and 2 lobster tails. We ate there 3 nights.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pool bar was the best... Vip pool bar was nice but boring

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Deep sea fishing rocked!

I stayed with a group of eight people. It was my second vacation stay at a Riu Resort, my first was the Riu Palace Punta Cana. This resort was excellent in so many ways. The staff was exceptional, very friendly and courteous. The food was perfect, great variety. The rooms were just beautiful, always clean and there was never any waiting for anything. The pools were always kept very clean and inviting. There was nothing negative that I could say about this resort. I would definitely advise anyone to go and stay on this resort for an excellent experience.

We have been traveling yearly to the DR since 2000 and have always stayed at the Riu Palace Macao this year we deceided to stay at the new (opened Dec 2011) Riu Palace Bavaro. The lobby explodes with color and once we quit comparing the Palace Bavaro to the Macao we had a fanastic trip. The lobby bar and ice cream shop were perfect and a fun place to stop. The out side bar for nightly entertainment was fun. We did not visit the 24 hour sports bar but it was usually busy. A new equipped indoor gym and spa were also available. Besides the buffet resturant you had a choice of an Ala Carte, Fusion,Italian, Steak house and Japanese. We stayed with the main buffet and the food was amazing.

Arrival:
We were greeted with the same warmth that we have come to love from the Riu hotels. Our room was waiting and we were made to feel welcome and at home.

Rooms:
The rooms (we had 2) we upgraded using Riu points to a Villa Suite with a terrace and an out door jacuzzi were open and modern very colorful and beautiful.

Restaurants and Bars:
Besides the buffet resturant you had a choice of an Ala Carte, Fusion,Italian, Steak house and Japanese. We stayed with the main buffet and the food was amazing.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pools were beautiful with built in lounges, swim up bars and jacuzzi's. The grounds are sparse as it is a very new hotel but the staff was working daily to make them into the lush grounds I am sure they will be when we visit next year!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The hotel staff at the Riu is hands down the best anywhere. Pleasant and helpful. We have staff that remembers us from previous visits and treats us like royalty. The activites were fun my husband and I enjoyed Yoga/stretching each morning on the beach.

Other Comments:
I would highly recommed the Riu Hotels and this new one certainly lives up the the Palace name!!

We have been traveling yearly to the DR since 2000 and have always stayed at the Riu Palace Macao this year we deceided to stay at the new (opened Dec 2011) Riu Palace Bavaro. The lobby explodes with color and once we quit comparing the Palace Bavaro to the Macao we had a fanastic trip. The lobby bar and ice cream shop were perfect and a fun place to stop. The out side bar for nightly entertainment was fun. We did not visit the 24 hour sports bar but it was usually busy. A new equipped indoor gym and spa were also available. Besides the buffet resturant you had a choice of an Ala Carte, Fusion,Italian, Steak house and Japanese. We stayed with the main buffet and the food was amazing.

Arrival:
We were greeted with the same warmth that we have come to love from the Riu hotels. Our room was waiting and we were made to feel welcome and at home.

Rooms:
The rooms (we had 2) we upgraded using Riu points to a Villa Suite with a terrace and an out door jacuzzi were open and modern very colorful and beautiful.

Restaurants and Bars:
Besides the buffet resturant you had a choice of an Ala Carte, Fusion,Italian, Steak house and Japanese. We stayed with the main buffet and the food was amazing.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pools were beautiful with built in lounges, swim up bars and jacuzzi's. The grounds are sparse as it is a very new hotel but the staff was working daily to make them into the lush grounds I am sure they will be when we visit next year!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The hotel staff at the Riu is hands down the best anywhere. Pleasant and helpful. We have staff that remembers us from previous visits and treats us like royalty. The activites were fun my husband and I enjoyed Yoga/stretching each morning on the beach.

Other Comments:
I would highly recommed the Riu Hotels and this new one certainly lives up the the Palace name!!