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 Riu Taino - Punta Cana —  Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 35 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 360 rooms - 1-storey bungalows Description from resort website: Year Built - 1994 - Year Renovated - 2000 - The first-class Riu Taino nestles in the midst of a spectacular palm grove and exuberant tropical vegetation. The 360 bungalow-style guestrooms are perfectly designed for a pleasurable and relaxing holidays and include unique amenities such as Riu's popular mini-bar and liquor dispenser.  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 38  ~ Map of Resort  ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3 ~ Dominican Republic Travel Forum  Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form or e-mail Debbie your review |
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| Riu Taino | Donna & Paul ~ Ontario |
Arrival: Feb for 2 weeks
This was our 4th time at the Riu Taino. My husband and I agree that this resort needs a MAJOR facelift.
Rooms
The rooms are tired, and need new beds, and decor. Everything about this hotel is just tired and old looking.
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurants are fine, but over the years have declined in quality. When we first went here they would serve lobster and shrimp a few times a week..In our 2 weeks here, we had mussels(cheap) and shrimp once. The food had alot of garlic, butter, sauces or were fried or deep fried. We are not fussy eaters at all, but everything was so rich..If you have trouble with your stomach..beware.
Believe me, we didn't starve, but our stomachs suffered
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach has always been breathtaking. Pools are worn and need a paint job and some work on them.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Didn't do any.
Other Comments
This is TRULY NOT a 5 star hotel...it used to be. Like I said above, we have been here 4 times, and really like this hotel. Over the years though, they have not been taking care of it. We would love to go back, but will not, till they do some reno's on it. Beware of paying 5 star prices for a 3-3.5 star hotel.
| Riu Taino | Barbara and Roger ~ Canada |
| Riu Taino | Jeff & Janet ~ Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada |
Arrival: February 21 to March 7
Our arrival was great, good flight, got are luggage had a beer, the buses were there waiting and we were on are way to the hotel.
Rooms
The rooms were cleaned every day and the bar was always stocked. I thought the room was clean and the beds were fine to sleep on.
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurant at the Taino was good and had lots of selections. The staff were great and we did not have to ask for anything. We went to the Steak House one night, i would not suggest it.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was great, my wife and i were there every day, i didn't use the pool much other then going to the pool bar and that was fine. The grounds are kept well.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Activities were good on the resort. I took part in some. We went on the Caribean Cruise, and the Monster Truck trip, they were both great. On the cruise we swam with the sharks, that was a good time.
Other Comments
This was the first time my wife and i have stayed at the Riu Taino and we look foreward to returning next year.
| Riu Taino | Jason ~ Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
Arrival: February 27th to March 6th
We arrived at the Punta Cana airport at 5:25pm. Getting into the building was easy but after that everything was rush rush. There was very little in the way of direction.
Rooms
Our room was nice. The bed was sagging in the middle quite badly, the mattress was clearly much older than a "five star" resort should have and the pillows were wafer thin. My wife and I had two pillows each and there was barely anything there for head support. The safe was very useful but quite small. They are also still using a key and a lock rather than an electronic locking mechanism for their safes. My understanding is that the removable lock and key method is obsolete and the digital versions of the safes is the common practice now. Again, not quite "five star". The toilet didn't flush properly, the handle needed to be held down long after the tank was empty and even then it was only on a hope and a prayer that everything would go. Not very pleasant. The rest of the room was fine. We put our luggage on the bed that was by the closet and that is where they stayed for the entire week. There was a "minibar" that consisted of 3 beer, 3 club soda, 1 tonic water, 3 pepsi, 1 diet pepsi and 1 Red Rock Orange Soda. Everything but the diet Pepsi was in glass bottles which was a treat but they don't refill it everyday. Only every OTHER day. The shower was a bit small but it did the job. The exterior of the bungalows was recently painted so all the colours popped nicely and the grounds were amazing.
Restaurants and Bars
Las Arecas is where we ate most of our meals only because it was the easiest choice for us. We would go for breakfast which, for us, was nothing special. Eggs, toast, bacon, juice. Same thing that we would have back home. There were a lot of other things to have but nothing that really appealed to us.
Lunch was the same deal but we would eat it at one of the other small places (I don't remember the names of them). Again, nothing super special. It was all basically the Dominican version of North American food. Burgers, fries, hotdogs. Things like that. It was very nice to be able to just go and get pop, juice, coffee or water whenever you wanted it and if you drink then it's a perfect situation because there is almost always a bartender around to make whatever you'd like. Supper was interesting because you can make a reservation for one of the restaurants or you can just go to the buffet which, of course, doesn't need a reservation. After trying three of the sit down, reservation type suppers we opted to just have the buffet for supper because at least there we could have more choices than what was on the menus. The food was not our favorite thing about this resort at all. Most of it was quite bland.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is what we went to the Dominican for and we were not disappointed. The beach and the water are the things that I miss most about our trip down there. My wife and I walked on the beach several times a day and did all of our swimming in the ocean... I can swim in a pool here at home. There were small "foot showers" to wash the sand off your feet when you left the beach. We would have used the pool at night if it were available for use at night. However, they treat the pool at 7pm and you can't swim in them again until morning.
Can't speak about the pool except to say that they are very clean and nice to look at.
The grounds are amazing. The gardeners are always out making sure to pick up the coconuts and palm leaves.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We booked the Reef Explorer tour through Sunquest. We booked it because we wanted to swim with sharks and stingrays which we did get to do (and it was amazing) but the rest of the activities didn't really fill up the four hours that we were out there. The off resort activities basically put you in a waiting pattern because you have to wait for the bus to pick you up and take you to the tour that you've booked, then you wait on the bus while you're transported, more waiting once you get to the tour headquarters because you have to wait for all the people who booked, then you're separated into groups based on the language you speak, then you have to listen to all instructions in at least four languages before you can actually start snorkeling or getting your 15 minute massage or whatever activity you want to do. We spent an hour and a half in the water and the other two hours waiting to be taken back to the resort. The part we wanted to be there for was brilliant though!
Other Comments
This was the first trip that we have taken anywhere so I don't have anything to compare my experience to. We had a very good time because we were there for the beach and the water which were spectacular. Everything else was a bonus and didn't really factor into whether we enjoyed ourselves or not. As long as we could go to the beach and walk or swim in the ocean everything was great. There was some not so pleasant weather but there isn't anything that the resort staff could do about that. At least not that I'm aware of!
I wouldn't give Taino a five star rating. It was more of a 3-3.5 star but we did have a really good time. Being the first trip for us anywhere it was going to be good no matter what.
| Riu Taino | Kristen ~ Ontario |
Arrival: February 27 to March 6
We arrived late in the evening. No issues.
Rooms
We stayed in a regular room. My parents stayed in a suite. Both rooms were in major need of updating. Beds hard. Pillows thin. Mould in bathroom.
Restaurants and Bars
Food is not great. Very repetitive. Reservations have to be made between 7am and 10am each day. They were usually filled up early. Mexican was the best out of all. Major issue was the rats we saw crawling around the La Bamba bar in the evening. (We have pictures to prove it.) We did complain but nothing was done about it that night that we could see.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was great but people hog the chairs so if you aren't out by 8am on a sunny day you aren't getting a chair.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Went on a snorkel tour through Scuba Caribe. It was good. Day trips through the hotel are expensive.
Other Comments
I would rate this hotel a 3 star and that would be generous. I would not recommend it to anyone. If you go....you get what you pay for.
| Riu Taino | Jennifer ~ Vancouver |
Arrival: Feb 15 - 22
Arrived 11pmish, left to find our own room which was right down the back of the resort. Our liggage took almost an hour to be delivered.
Rooms
Beds and pillows uncomfortable. There were 2 of us, but only one blanket in the room. Housekeeping had apparently gone off duty so we couldn't get another until the next day! Bathrooms need renovating and for some bizarre reason the safe is no the floor.
Restaurants and Bars
Absolutely dreadful! The steakhouse wasn't open at all, which was probably a blessing! Not to mention there is smoking allowed everywhere.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was goegeous. The saving grace for this resort. The pool was very cold, needed to have more lounges and new towels - of which you could only have one per day!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Yes. A day trip to an island. It was a good to get off the resort.
Other Comments
Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone
| Riu Taino | Karen ~ Ontario, Canada |
Arrival: Feb 12 - 19
We were dropped off at another resort around 10:30 pm and lugged our luggage to the reception area. We then had to walk through darkness to find our room.
Rooms
Clean, but the sliding door was extremely difficult to maneuver. The tv reception was terrible and would cut off during a program. The twin beds that were pushed together were hard and uncomfortable.
Restaurants and Bars
We really enjoyed the food, but I would not suggest eating at the Steak House.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Ocean water was beautiful, we really enjoyed the waves. Pools were almost empty.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There were a lot of activities. The bingos were interesting! Did not go on any tours.
Other Comments
There aren't many English speaking people there. They seemed to cater to the Germans. I am not one to criticize nationalities, but if two Germans were walking towards you, they would not move and you had to walk around them. Smoking was terrible, so if you are a non-smoker, you were constantly breathing in second hand smoke. The workers at the resort were always pleasant and worked extremely hard to please. The day before our departure, we were supposed to speak to a Sunquest rep to get the details, and all we found was a binder with a departure time. The next day, we sat in the lobby waiting for the bus, but there weren't many people waiting for it. We asked at reception abuot it and were told we had to go over to the other resort since there was a festival happening and the bus weren't allowed. So we lugged our luggage down Caribbean Street...and just about got run over by a bus (not ours) that was on its way to our resort...we were not happy about that!!!! But we did have fun and enjoyed the relaxation.
| Riu Taino | Dwight ~ Saskatchewan, Canada |
Rooms:
The supersaver room that we had would likely disappoint most people. My opinion is that it was more of a 3 star level. It was clean, with sufficient storage, and had good air conditioner & ceiling fan. The curtains blocked out most daylight if you wanted to sleep in. However, the beds and furniture had seen much better days. One bed had a sag in the middle such that it was 3 inches lower than the other. Beds were twin size. The patio door was very difficult to slide. Most drawers did not work very well. I never did figure out how all the 3way light switches worked. The frig and drinking water are generally restocked about every second day. Since we do not spend much time in our room on any vacation, this accomodation was passable for us. We did sleep well.
Restaurants and Bars:
Las Arecas is the main buffet, and was excellent. The variety of food and the service are exceptional. I would rate this restaurant 4 to 5 star. La Bamba and Cocos are beach buffets that offer considerable less variety than Las Arecas, but for a snack or quick lunch when you are only wearing your swimsuit they are perfect. The is a Pizzeria, which is handy for a quick pizza for lunch, but otherwise not remarkable. An Italian restaurant is a fair hike from the hotel, which we didn't bother with. The steakhouse offers a variety of meats such as pork, ribs, chicken and a ribeye, but that's about it. It would be a valid choice if you wished to be served your meal instead of using a buffet. The last restaurant offers a menu that cycles between three types of cuisine: Asian, Mexican, and Caribbean. All meals are buffet, and we really liked the Mexican and Caribbean food. If you like to try different fare, then this is a good choice. By the way, I would highly recommend the coffee when the Caribbean food is offered! House wine (white, rose, or red) is available for lunch and supper.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Amazing. The two-storey apartment blocks are like living in a tropical park. The plants, palm trees, shrubs and flowers are wonderful. The walk to the beach is very short, only about 5 minutes or less. The beach is the best I have ever seen: miles and miles of white sand, clear turquoise & green water, mostly polite waves, plenty of space, and many palm trees. Walking along the shoreline is a very popular activity for many people. The two pools are good, and one includes a swim-up bar. There is a collection of "shops" about 15 minute walk south of the hotel, on the beach. This are interesting to browse, but prices are not necessarily better than in the hotel or on Caribbean street.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Activities were good. A variety of shows are offered including two Vegas type dance shows: Latin Tropical, and Dominican. Some musical offerings include Grease, and a Michael Jackson show. Variety shows usually had several couples competing against each other, all in good fun, which were ok but not what we generally prefer. They also had a "Carnaval" every Thursday night on Caribbean street with other shows, music, dancing, and shopping. A beach party features a circus type of show, which is more for kids. Most shows typically start at 9:45 pm and last 45 minutes. We took a shopping tour, which is not as much of a shopping tour as some may expect. The tour includes a cigar factory, a fruit rum factory (not a distillery), a Taino cave, and a larimar/amber museum at the Palma Real mall. We really enjoyed the tour mostly for these extras. If all you want to do is shop, I believe there is a free shuttle to the Palma Real. Other hotel activities include dance lessons (merengue, salsa, bachata: lots of fun), bingo, free non-motorized water sports (kayaks & catamarans). The staff is very good and excellent at getting audience participation.
Other Comments:
This is a "European" hotel, which means that many ladies will never wear out their swimsuit tops. After Spanish (and Portuguese), German is probably the most common language. Other languages include English, French, Italian. Smoking is very common, which we don't appreciate much, and it was sad to see that many used the glorious beach as an ash tray.
| Riu Taino | Debbie ~ Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Arrival: Dec 22 - 29th
My husband and I flew with skyservice, his first time and my 6th. I have to say the plane itself has improved since my last flight with them 3 years ago and the staff were fabulous! The food is fine for airplane food, you really can't complain. The flight itself was very good as usual.
Rooms:
I was at this hotel 3 years ago and we thought it was a scant 4-star. The rooms were in pretty good shape and very clean. Your bar fridge was stocked regularly. Up until last February I only stayed at a Riu because of their consistancy. This year, the room we stayed in was in desparate need of repairs. This was also the room we paid extra for when we saw our original room and got moved. I took pictures to show our travel rep. The air conditioner was badly broken and caved in, the lamp was broken off the base, so it flopped over. The lamp shade on the wall was sliced down the centre. Our wicker dresser drawers had no sliders, so all the drawers just sat on one another so we couldn't it. We used the mats from the loungers to sleep on because the beds are very hard and the pillows are like wafers. Our bathroom had broken tiles....just really needs renovations. They only stocked our bar once during our stay. And by the way, we do alot of tipping. The thing is, we are not fussy people and came back because it was good that last time.
Restaurants and Bars:
The bars were great as well as the service, very polite and friendly. The restaurant food has down down by about 30%. I thought it was only me so I talked to other people that have been there before as well and they said the same thing. Prices went up and quality went down.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
This is why you go back!!!! The Beach is second to none. The staff are up first thing in the morning cleaning the beach and they do a great job keeping up with some of the touists.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There is lots to do if that is what you want. The marinarium is a good half day tour....swim with the sharks and rays. They take you to a bay where you swim in chest high waters for about half an hour and of course then there is the partying.
Other Comments:
All in all the trip was good. The weather could have been better. It was rainng off and on every day except for one day.
I have to say they should change the star rating to a 3 star. They shouldn't fool people into thinking they are going to a 4 or 5 star. Really I have been to the other 4 to 5 star resorts and this resort is definetly NOT that caliber.
| Riu Taino | Vrej ~ Montreal, Quebec |
Arrival and Flight Flew with Air Transat and landed on time. Plane (Airbus 330) and flight crew were awesome, the food served was bad ... but free. I would rather have a choice to buy better food. Return flight was delayed by 2 hours due to weather. The flight crew again was wonderful ... cheerful and helpful.
Rooms
Way overdue for renovation ! We've stayed at this location 2 other times (once at Riu Bamboo and once at Taino). This time, the furniture was tired and the beds were uncomfortable. Plumbing was less than perfect plus our air conditioner broke down. Maintenance fixed the air conditioning ASAP but you don't expect this caliber of room at a 5-star hotel. The in room mini-bar is an amazing idea , it comes with scotch, rum, vodka, and brandy + mixers. You wouldn't expect this at an all inclusive where drinks are readily available everywhere so this is a nice bonus. The refrigerator was getting old though, and would leak water .... again, you don't expect this from a 5 Star hotel.
Restaurants Bars Our waiter was extremely polite, professional, and genuinely aiming to please his guests. It didn't take him long to figure out that we liked white wine with dinner and liked to close off the meals with a cappuccino. He always had these drinks waiting for us , without being asked. All this with no tips expected. When we did tip him (150 pesos twice) ... he was genuinely grateful to see that we appreciated having him as part of our vacation. The food was good but somewhat repetitive over the week .... same theme everyday with one or two items changing every day. We had a better impression of food quality on our trip 4 years ago. The Bar attendants were also very likeable. Drinks were good, but pretty much at par with all decent resorts in the Caribbean.
Beach and Pools
Beautiful beach ... which is why we returned to Punta Cana for the 4th time. Clean and well groomed by the hotel staff. As is typical in Caribbean resorts, you will not have a nice spot in the shade if you don't get up before 7AM.
People reserve chairs and yes its frustrating to be baking in the sun while a spot in the shade remains unused for most of the day. Its not good but that's the lay of the land almost everywhere. Expect to be solicited by locals who sell jewelry, souvenirs and other knick knacks. While it can be annoying, they do offer better prices than hotel boutiques and some of them make the experience amusing.
Beautiful, well maintained by the hotel staff. There are 5 Riu hotels as part of this complex so you get to enjoy a variety of environments. Lots of palm trees, floral hedges. The layout is very well planned ... especially at the neighboring Riu Bamboo.
Activities and Entertainment
There was an entertainment crew who kept visitors busy during the day. We preferred to keep to ourselves on the beach but lots of good things to do if you prefer to mingle and get involved. The hotel ran nightly shows with a different theme each night. The shows were hit or miss for success .... sometimes amazing caliber of entertainment but other times sub standard and somewhat cheesy. My heart went out to the performers though .... they put a lot of passion into their work day in and day out.
Tours
We purchased a half day Dune buggy tour .... it was great. We had a boat ride to a transport bus and then drove through the country side for almost an hour. Once at the launch point, we dune buggied through villages; visited an unexploited beach; and then rounded the tour off by visiting a cave site. It was worth the money spent.
Conclusion
There should be rule somewhere which says that a hotel loses stars if they don't update themselves. 4 years ago this hotel was top notch and deserved its 5 star rating. On our return, it was clear that the hotel has spent minimal $$'s to maintain the 5 star standard. I would rate the room with 3 stars, restaurant 4 stars, beach and pool 4+ stars ... hotel over all at 4 stars .... The only thing that helped was that we purchased a last minute special. I would have been livid if we had paid full price at this hotel.
| Riu Taino | Jackie ~ Toronto, Ont. Canada |
Firstly, thanks to everyone who took the time to record their impressions and opinions on the RIU Taino. I found it very helpful when I was searching for a destination.
Secondly, although the DR is ll0V, (the same as Canada), I could not plug in and recharge my phone. I needed some type of adapter, which I was not aware of and did not have.
I wanted to walk on the beach in my bare feet and the beach is perfect - all sand and no stones.
I took an umbrella and used it, a few times.
I also had my own pillow. Again, I'm glad I had packed it.
The RIU changed management May 1. Whether this will have any influence on any changes - who can say.
I found the majority of people, maybe 90%, were from Europe and of this probably 75% were from Germany. So, I heard very little English being spoken.
Women, young and old, all shapes and sizes, at the pool and on the beach sunbathing topless. If you are inclined, you would want to have a two-piece suit with you.
I expected to be staying at a 5-star resort. This is NOT! I was comfortable, it is clean, but not a 5 Star resort.
The buffet, breakfast and dinner (I didn't go at lunch) offered a wide selection to choose from. I have a sweet tooth, however the dessert table did not tempt me. At dinner, the carving station featured one of the following: turkey, chicken, pork roast. One night there were spare ribs, which I enjoy, however, I took my plate back twice as they were so TOUGH I could not eat them and nothing could have improved them. In the two weeks, beef was not on the menu.
I tipped the maid for the room every day and she made a different, attractive arrangement with the towels. Beautiful and lovely touch.
I also tipped at the bar. At 6 PM, I had a cocktail before going for dinner. By the 3rd night, he asked me if I wanted the the same drink. They were paying attention.
I also tipped the waiter at my table. The first night I picked a table out on the terrace and went to it each evening. My glass of wine was waiting for me. Yes, the service was excellent.
The staff put in LONG hours. The same people who work breakfast shift are the same people at dinner.
When I was checking out, one of the gardening people saw me struggling with my suitcase and took it to reception for me. Again, I tipped him.
Perhaps my comments will be useful to others.
| Riu Taino | John |
Just a quick summary of our recent trip to Riu Taino
We traveled to Dominican the first week of June 2008. Flight was very good for a Skyservice charter.
HINT - If you do go to this resort as it fits your budget - Utilize the access to sister resort and take the 4 minute walk along the beach to the Riu Bambu and eat, drink and play at the Riu Bambu or stay there it is more typical of a Riu.
This resort is definitely not a 5 star resort, a good 3. If you are English speaking only and wish to travel and spend time on your own the Taino then this is the place to go. Less then 2% of those staying at the resort speak English. German, French, and Central and South American languages are 90% spoken, and very little effort on resorts part to make the rest feel at home.
Food and drinks - Food what you get for breakfast is basically the same thing you get for lunch and dinner. We went to 1 a la carte - Italian - Brutal is all I will say. The drinks were for the most part OK - nothing special.
Rooms - clean and everything worked fine although showing there age.
Beach - BEAUTIFUL - although any resort in Punta Cana - Bavaro is Beautiful. Only issue with the beach is the Helicopter tours, banana boats, Parasail outings are constant and a little noisy for our liking.
My guess is that Riu are not putting much money into this resort and they look as if they are going to redevelop into another Riu Palace. We will not be returning to this resort and would suggest other consider spending just a few hundred more and try another resort. We have stayed at numerous Riu resorts and have always found them well maintained and enjoyable
| Riu Taino | Darlene ~ Oshawa, ON |
Arrival and Flight: Arrived around 9:30 p.m. We had to be at the airport 3 hours before our flight. Skyservice was nice enough to give us a awful dry sandwich and a cup of water. I guess this was the meal. We arrived in Punta Cana and got through the airport swiftly enough. However, I was not impressed that we had to be dropped off at one hotel and walk through two other hotels to get to the Taino because the street was closed off. When we did get to the hotel they did nothing to make us feel welcome. They said the dining room was open if we wanted to eat, but really all that was there was leftovers. Not impressed to say the least.
Rooms: Yes the rooms. Well I booked and paid for a room near the beach with a double bed. What I got was a room near the beach with two single beds, one was about 3 inches higher than the other and the same difference in length. They were gracious enough to leave me 4 hangers. I had to call the front desk to request more hangers and it only took 3 phone calls to get my luggage. They were very nice about getting it to me by midnight. The mini bar had two bottles of pop and the second day I asked to have it refilled and was told they only filled the minibar every two days. So much for unlimited food and drink. Then there is the fact that we had to call them for toilet paper. But the best part of the room service was when they put old sheets on the bed that had old dried blood stains. Classy eh. The attitude of the people working at this resort was awful. They really did not care if you were happy or not.
Restaurants: The food was nothing to write home about for sure. What you had for breakfast was a variation of what you were going to get for lunch and dinner. The desserts looked like they were created by kids, and I guess the flies stuck in the icing was for added visualization effects. Table clothes were not clean and you could wait up to 20 minutes before someone asked if you wanted a drink. The smoking was awful and you and your clothes reeked of smoke after having dinner,
Bars. The drinks were seriously watered down
Beach and Pools: Pool was way too crowded and glasses were left everywhere. Towels were musty smelling and damp. They were no shade huts on the beach, so you scrambled for a large palm tree.
Grounds were not kept up well, paint peeling on much of the stone work, dirty dishes left all over the place.
Activities and Entertainment Did not get to see much of this. Played bingo one night in the entertainment room, but the huge roach that fell out of the ceiling vent kind of put a damper on wanting to go there in the evening when the lights were down, and they were free to crawl wherever.. One of the young guys who must have been responsible for the entertainment was walking around the beach saying that, that night at dinner we would be getting a card to give our opinion on the entertainment and we MUST say it was EXCELLENT or they would not have a job the next day. I suggested he update his resume.
Tours. Didn't take any. Not sure you want to trust the same people to take you skydiving who serves you chocolate covered fly dessert. At least I didn't.
Departure and Check Out, I started packing the night before, just wanted to get home. Passed the key in and never even got a smile or hope you enjoyed your visit. Which was just as well because I'm sure I would have felt compelled to tell him exactly how I did enjoy my hard earned vacation. I especially like it when the skyservice rep on the bus to the airport told us we must tip the driver. Yeah, like that was going to happen!!
Conclusion. If a crappy vacation is what you want then by all means off you go to the Taino. You can tell them Darlene sent you. I'm sure it will improve your trip. Good Luck! You're gonna need it!
| Riu Taino | Geoff |
My wife and I travelled with another couple to the Riu Taino from Winnipeg for a week, back in Jan 2007, so this review is kind of late but still informative I hope. This was our first trip EVER, so it was and always will remain very special to us.
Flight & Check-in:
Flight was delayed out of Winnipeg by two hours but after leaving a mounting blizzard behind everthing went nicely. We whisked through the Punta Cana airport in minutes and were at the resort in just over thirty minutes.
The guys at the check-in desk were really nice and friendly. My wife dropped her complimentary drink in front of them and the glass shattered everywhere. The fellow in charge just laughed and said we could do as we pleased in the Dominican!
Our room was a long walk away and the baggage guy was surly, but the evening was beautiful and we didn't really care. The grounds are well kept and beautiful.
Room:
Our bungalow style room was located on the second floor and only a minute stroll to the beach. The mini bar was fully stocked at all times and the fridge was always filled with cold pop and beer
The room itself was nice with a beautiful garden view off the balcony. The bed was firm and comfy and sleep came easily each and every night. The water was always hot and we never had any trouble with the air conditioning.
Maid service was excellent. The rooms were always cleaned before noon and they always left the pretty towel art on our bed.
Pool & Beach:
The pool was okay with a small but entertaining swim-up bar. Lots of palm trees so it was always easy to find a good shadey spot.
The beach was fantastic! Beautiful white, powdery sand and fun surging waves to play in. You could walk for miles along both sides without heading into any seaweed or rocks. Wonderful!!
Food & Drinks:
The main buffet restaurant was our favorite. There was more bacon, pork chops and steaks than you could shake a drumstick at! Even though there were always a lot of people getting food, the lineups were very short. They had a plenty of dishes for people to choose from and the blended fruit drinks were great! Easy access to the beer taps and wine. The waiters and waitresses were very friendly all the time.
Another great spot was the smaller bar near the beach (Coco's?). It was always quieter here. They served buffet food two or three times a day and again the service was always friendly. This was a nice relaxing spot to go later in the evening if you wanted to enjoy an espresso or cafe latte from one of the EXCELLENT self-serve coffee machines.
We only tried one a la carte restaurant. It was the steakhouse, and it was so bad we actually found it funny. This was the only place where the service and food were bad. We had to seat ourselves and they made us wait a half hour before taking our order. When the steaks came we realized it was just warmed over minute steaks from the buffet. The dessert was an odd looking mess of sliced bananas and some kind of mystery sauce. Thanks but no thanks!
The main bar was nice and roomy with a great open view of the beach. It always seemed a bit busier here and it was tough getting a drink sometimes. Make sure you ask for booze in your pretty drinks or the only buzz you'll get is from all the cigarette smoke around you.
Excursions:
We went for a catamaran ride on Jan.14 (my birthday!) along the coast. Great view looking in back at the other resorts. My wife and friends went diving and looked at the fishies while I stayed on board and chatted up the captain. (I'm not much of a swimmer) He gave me a bottle of rum as a birthday gift and for the rest of the day they fed us litre-sized beers. We didn't remember much after that, but it was a really fun day.
The next day we went on a monster truck tour into the spectacular countryside. Very informative and educational. I would definitely do this again. Meeting the friendly people in the small villages and farms was memorable.
Staff:
I'll make this short and sweet. With very few exceptions the staff was wonderful. They always greeted you with a friendly hola and sincere happy smiles.
Overall:
The best thing about staying at the Taino was the accessibility to the other RIU resorts. There was a nice bar at the Naiboa we frequented a couple of times, but the Bambu was our regular nightly hangout. The bar and pool were fantastic and the nightly shows were first rate! I miss strolling along the brick walkway on the beach that led from one resort to the next. The shops along Caribbean Street were neat and the workers were friendly.
I'm glad the Taino was our first trip. The wonderful memories we brought back from there will always be a benchmark to compare other resorts to. Highly recommended...
| Riu Taino | Gary and Karen |
Arrival.. quick and smooth.. Sunquest reps helpful getting you to your
bus. About a 40 min ride to resort.
Checkin.. Cant check in till, they say, 3 pm,, We were there at 11:30..Who cares.. ? change and enjoy the drinks and sun.. We checked at 2 pm.. room
ready, quick and smooth
Checkout ? even smoother.. Just give them your key./ towel
cards...you're done.
Rooms.. Everything you need.. Fridge works great.. ( even the freezer )
Nice balconies. very clean, no bugs... lots of VERY hot water. Tip.. if
you want ice.. they're is an ice bin in the two pool bars..
Food.. excellent.. Lots of variety.. chicken was the best.. Beef, veal,
fresh fish. INCREDIBLE smoked salmon.
Brekfast had everything from eggs to french toast to salads. The hot
dogs are great !!!
White wine was pretty good.. red ? hmmm.. not so good.. Tip. if your
coming from Canada.. buy some at Duty Free wine.
Beachs are incredible. !!!!. TONS to do.. but a little pricey for
parasailing, banana boats etc.
Grounds are immaculate. Washrooms were kept quite clean..
Staff.. The friendliest, nicest people in the Caribbean.
Conclusion.. As far as medium priced all-inclusives .. its well worth
it.. No complaints.. well.. the clock radio would gain
20 min every hour.. we asked 3 times to have it fixed.. they attempted..
but never did work .. but really.. who cares
They could use a beach bar.. and from what I hear they are planning to
build one. but .. if you like the beach, and who wouldnt at this place..
hang on the beach near the CocoBar.. not much of a walk.
| Riu Taino | Paul and Donna ~ Ontario, Canada |
Arrival and Flight : Getting up at 2:30 in the morning is ruff, but arriving at the resort early in the morning is the best.
We flew Skyservice. It was ok but a little cramped.
Rooms : This is our third time at the Riu Taino and the rooms are getting a little "tired". Our biggest complaint would also have to be the beds. I didn't "sleep" with my husband for 2 weeks. 2-3/4 beds shoved together just doesn't work for most of us. My husband is 6'1 230 lbs. so needless to say he slept down there and I slept up here. He would try to visit but just fell down the crack. We would just laugh and say..see you in the morning.
The maids are awesome and do a great job every day. I leave a tip and a little gift of lipstick or something small for her.
The showers have lots of hot water and great pressure. The water must be really soft because you can't get any "suds" while showering. (just different)
Just remember to bring lots of soap. We were there 2 weeks and used 4 large bars of soap.
I got 1 bug bite on my calf and the Biactine came in handy for itching. My hubby never got any bites.
Didn't see 1 bug in our room.
Restaurants : The trick that I have finally figured out about a buffet every night is this:
DON'T take a little of something every night. You will really get tired of the food...fast.
I know when you first get there you tend to do this but try to decide on eg. steak with pasta and veggie.
This way you won't get bored with the same food.
When you stand back and look at the buffet, they really do have a big variety of choices.
I mean just the meat as an example: beef, chicken, stews, fish, seafood, pork. What else can you serve??
Come on people....don't be so fussy.
The chicken at this resort is GREAT!! Lunch or Dinner.. yummy
The veal is awesome. Make sure you take a thin piece if you like it cooked well. The thicker pieces are a bit pink/red.
The veggies are all served with butter and garlic it seems. So no dieting here.
There were some veggies I didn't know what the heck they were but I would just try it and was usually pleasantly suprised. Be a little adventurous and you might be suprised too.
The desserts are awesome (according to my hubby). I usually head to the fruit table, which is also awesome.
AND the hotdogs at lunch are really good. I didn't try them till our 2nd last day and they were not bad. And yes the European folks do like them for brekkie cut up...go figure.
Breakfast: Well the variety is mind blowing. The European folks like buns, rolls cheese and lunchmeat...ok..well they have every kind of egg, from jiggly to very crispy ones, scrambled, boiled.
They have sausage, bacon, beans, pancakes, crushed croissants with sugar that I think are sort of french toast, fruit drinks, fruit. oh my...the choices...
Toast: Now here is the fun part.....the TRACTOR TOASTER!! Whoo Hoo!! Now here is the trick.
There are 2...the slow one and the fast one....3 times thru the slow one usually gives you decently toasted toast. The slow one is just for warming I think. And be patient here, some people try to "take over" the toaster, but let us all put our bread in and then let the next guy, then go back get yours, put it back in then let him back in...it is kind of like a find dance and you meet some really nice people at the tractor toaster.
p.s. look for Juan, Santa and Ramon. They are the "best"
Bars: The staff are all great. We don't dring or hang out that much at the bars so really can't comment alot.
Beach and Pools : The beach is breathtaking. It goes on for ever and the sand is like brown sugar.
We have noticed in the past years that the beach is getting really crowded. But we like to people watch and find a little spot each day. The only complaint is the smokers. Get downwind from one of them and you will be "inhaling" all day.
I am asmatic and I inhaled enough smoke to last a lifetime on the beach.
Grounds Grounds are always being maintained and are lovely
Activities and Entertainment I agree with other people in that the smoking keeps us away from the entertainment.
Tours Don't do them.
Departure and Check Out : Fine, no complaints
Conclusion : Well we have already decided that we will go back next February with our good friends. This hotel has real character. Yes the rooms need a little lift, but you are only in there to sleep and get your bathing suit on. The staff are great and really care about you. The food is always plentiful and tasty. The beach is the best
My hubby and I have come here 3 times and have never felt ill.
You will not be sorry for booking this resort.
any questions? feel free to drop an e-mail
chopperchat61@hotmail.com
| Riu Taino | Pat ~ Toronto |
Just got back from a week at the Riu Taino and had a great time with a group of 11.
The negatives first.
1. This is not a 5 start hotel as advertised. Probably a 4.
2. Lots of Europeans here which is not the problem. Their inconsiderate non stop smoking is intolerable. These people need to realize that smoking is in the minority in the west and people do not smoke at dinner in a crowded restaurant.
Now for the positives.
Not sure waht eveyone was complaing about as this resort offered excellent service. Rooms were cleaned everyday, and lots of hot water and pressure for showers.
We vtravelled in a group of 11 and they accomodated us with rooms on the same floor next to each other.
Any problems or requests were promptly fixed with one call to the front desk.
Breakfast and lunch was great, dinner seemed a bit repetitive but there was always something to eat. With our group of 11, Oscar our great waiter, always had a table for us to sit together and the service was fantastic.
We have travelled a lot in the Carribbean and this resort offered the best night life as far as beach parties, pool parties, carribbean Street Parade and the disco.
We did not catch much of the entertining shows due to the non stop smoking of the europeans where the shows were being held.
The other great thing was being able to use the other Riu facilities in the complex, so we went over to the Bambu quite a bit.
I would definitely recommend this resort to others as it was great value and entertainment for the money but probably would not return as there are lots of other places to see.
One bit of advice. Your all inclusive trip includes meals, and rooms. It does not include service, so take a lot of dollar bills and tip, tip, tip. You'll get great service from these super friendly people.
| Riu Taino | Canada |
My husband and I have just returned from the RIU Taino. We are Canadians, both in our early 50’s, and this is our third trip to the Taino. We were there from January 27th to February 10th.
Our flight from Detroit was more eventful than usual, as a very smooth flight experienced a sudden altitude drop about 40 minutes from landing. This very unexpected turbulence was fairly severe, literally lifting us out of our seats, even though we had our seatbelts on. (I guess that’s why they suggest you keep them on!) One of the flight service people ended up covered in a pot of coffee. Otherwise, the flight was great, we collected our luggage quickly and after a short wait we were on the way. There were only 12 of us on the bus, and my husband and I were the only people getting off at the Taino. Check in was friendly and very quick. I had sent an email about two weeks ahead of time, with a very primitive attempt at a Spanish translation of our request for a second floor room somewhere in buildings 20-35. It may well have been because of my lame attempt at Spanish, but the nice lady at reception did remember having read my email, and our room was exactly where we requested. And, we were happily surprised on the second day with a nice fruit plate and a card from the hotel. Nice touch!
The room was fine – again, we’ve been here before, and know what to expect. It’s not new, and it’s a bit worn, but for us, that’s a great part of the charm of this resort. We are looking for a clean, quiet spot with a great beach and cold beer – and that’s exactly what the Taino delivers! Our room was #363, and the housekeeping was PERFECT! Every day the room was spotlessly clean, and beautifully decorated with towel art and flowers. The shower is the best we have ever had anywhere, removes every trace of sand and gunky sunscreen. We always had lots of hot water, and the air conditioner worked great. We actually had to turn it down a couple of times at night, as it was too cold.
The beach was beautiful, and the weather was fabulous. It did rain for a short time about 8 of the 14 days, but never enough to chase us off the beach. The beach is our favourite feature of Punta Cana, and we spend all of our time there. In the 6 weeks we’ve stayed at this resort, we have never set foot in the pool; it’s all about the beach! There are always activities at the pool, and some things on the beach, but again, we're here for down time, so can't comment as we didn't participate in many of the organized activities.
I did go parasailing, that was great, and was well organized, and felt very safe. Thank you to Jean-Dominic from Scuba Caribe for being my para-sailing partner!
The food was amazing. I don’t know where those people stayed who couldn’t find anything to eat. We were more than happy with the selection and quality of the food, and never even went to the specialty restaurants. If there is something we don’t recognize or care for, there is just so much to choose from, we always had a great meal. Several pasta selections, a carving station each night, and a Mexican food station with fresh guacamole every night in addition to a full buffet. We loved the shrimp and the fish is just awesome! Great cheeses, and lots of fresh fruit as well as many, many desserts. In the morning, they offer an interesting selection that accommodates the diversity of the North American and European breakfast tastes. We had fun every day as could just about guess where everyone was from based on their choice of breakfast foods!
We would like to make special mention of Wendy, our lovely lady at breakfast. She always had a smile and friendly greeting for us, and made sure we had everything we needed. We remember Wendy from our trip in 2006, and she’s just a delight! Also, thank you to Ramon, who took care of us at dinner. He made a special effort to set up the same table for us every night, and it was so nice to come in and find our glasses“vino tinto” and “vino blanco” waiting for us.
The service at the RIU Taino is second to none. We had great service at the restaurants, bars, front desk and even on the beach. The staff are friendly, and genuinely seem to enjoy their jobs. It’s great to see so many of the same faces, and that’s a testament to the management. We were surprised that the management didn’t seem to spend as much time wandering around and chatting with the guests, but it was very busy at the resort, so they may not have had time.
There are two things we would suggest need changing at the Taino. It’s well past time for new beds. The practice of offering a “king” bed, which in actuality is just a ¾ bed and a twin pushed together, is just not acceptable at a resort of this calibre. The beds do not stay together and the alternative is two adults sleeping in a ¾ bed!
Our only other complaint is probably only going to come from us, but we MISS the set dinner seatings. We really enjoyed having the same table every night, and while Ramon was kind enough to arrange that for us, we did see many people wandering around with nowhere to sit at dinner, or having to compromise and sit in the smoking area. We were particularly distressed to see the dismal manner in which some people dressed for dinner. We are far from snobs, and enjoy a comfortable dinner style, but seriously, some people seemed to have just thrown a t-shirt on over their bathing shorts! This again is largely a North American problem, as most of our European fellow guests did dress for dinner. We very much enjoy the international crowd at the Taino, and despite the different languages, we did manage to communicate with most everyone with a smile and “hola!”
Thank you RIU Taino, you did it again, and we will be back!
| Riu Taino | Linda and Murray ~ Oakville Ontario |
We stayed 2 weeks selecting this resort over others for many other reasons other people were complaining about. We wanted the bungalow type accommodation that wasn’t all glitz and we had to walk a mile to find the beach. We didn’t just want a Holiday Inn experience with sand.
The Taino was developed to take advantage of its beach location. The room was adequate the maid service was great. The in room bar was stocked regularly. There were no bugs in the room however I accidentally brought a geko into the room who was hiding out in my towel. The food was good with lots of variety. The Buffets were better that the a la carte restaurants and the hotel staff had to chase people around to fill the seats in the a la cartes. Those people who complained about the food should surely avoid going to Cuba. There was something for every taste. When ordering drinks however you have to ask for the name brand or you get the local bathtub quality stuff called “Normandy”…ewwwy.
The restaurant staff were great the bar staff were even better. Their language is Spanish and they know a bits of others. Get over it….Learn some Spanish and you will do just fine. If you are so proud of your ignorance you cannot say 10 words in another language… stay home. There wasn’t much tipping and the people who tipped and didn’t tip seemed to be treated equally. Our last day there was full of hugs and handshakes from the staff who were genuinely pleased you came. It was one of the best vacation experiences we have had. However we would not likely go back to this area again for reasons other that the resort.
There are some things which I would like to point out that I had not seen previously in any of these reviews that might influence your decision (not that they made a huge difference to us but)…
Tips of Purchasing stuff…don’t buy anything from the resort hawkers. There are beach front markets where you can get the same crap for much less. You have to barter for everything. And most of the name brand stuff they sell is bootleg. Even the rum. I bought 25 Cohibas for $30 US that started at $275 US. Those Cohibas never saw Cuba. One guy got a box in town for $20 US. Bought 2 pieces of local jewelry for $35 US that started at over $200 US. The trick is to walk away or better yet have your wife walk away like she has lost all interest. The price falls right away. Buy your rum at the airport duty free at least it is the real stuff.
| Riu Taino | Liz ~ London, Ontario |
We stayed at this resort last week and just arrived home on Sunday evening.
When you first enter the lobby of the Riu Taino, their front desk staff lead you to believe this hotel is the most friendliest hotel in Punta Cana, and you get a warm, fuzzy feeling. Well, let me tell you that this feeling doesn't last very long!
The rooms are old, but ample for what one requires on a vacation to the south. There were ants crawling on our counter top in the bathroom. The fridge was not stocked regularly and we were always running out of pop. The maid did not clean the floors everyday and there was always sand on the floors from being at the beach.
The restaurants were ample for breakfast and lunch. Dinner was a different story though. One night the waiter slopped the water he was pouring into my purse and on my camera--not even an apology! Come to find out, we witnessed with our own eyes, the waiters were drinking patrons' left over wine from dinner! I did report this to the maitre de, but I think it was sloughed off. We did not find the service particularly good nor were the wait staff attentive enough to their patrons to warrant a tip. We did try the Steak House and my steak was a 'minute' steak filled with fat, and my son's chicken was dry and tough. Dinner at the buffet was almost the same every evening.
The bars were pretty good, although in the beginning, if they didn't want to make the drink, the bar staff would say they didn't have that particular brand of alcohol to make that drink.
The pool was particularly cold, but the beach was the best, although the first couple of days the seaweed was particularly bad in front of our hotel--the only hotel within miles that had this problem, I have to say.
The grounds were kept particularly clean and the staff was always working to keep them up.
In conclusion, I have been on vacation in Punta Cana 8 times, and I would never return to this hotel! I approached the Sunquest representative and did speak to the Manager of the hotel with my concerns, and not too much was done about the situation. According to the Riu Hotel Chain, this is a 5 Star hotel and according to Sunquest, this is a 4.5 Star hotel. Unfortunately, the only thing 5* about this hotel is the beach and the toilet paper.
| Riu Taino | Adrian |
Just a comment about the cash machine situation. There was none on the hotel property. I just couldn’t believe it. We had to leave the property to find a machine. I thought RIU wanted me to spend my money while I was there. That was very disappointing. We brought very few travelers cheques.
Three out of the 4 of my family got sick after eating in one of the specialty restaurants the night before. The three of us ate the fruit dish and my daughter who didn’t get sick ate the cake for desert. Otherwise we all ate the same entre.
We loved the beaches and the service was very good. They were very friendly and polite and helpful. The property was very well maintained and beautiful.
| Riu Taino | Patrick ~ Chicago Area, USA |
Resort: RIU Taino (room was in the high 800’s)
Visited: 3/24/07 -04/1/07
We just returned from the RIU Taino, and wanted to give our opinion on this board, as is only fair since we read so many postings prior to making our trip.
Here is the setup and the disclaimers: There were three of us on this trip, a (gay) 30’s couple and a female (40’s) friend. This was our first trip to the DR, though our friend had summered there 20 years ago (she lived as a child in Peurto Rico), and the first experience at an all-inclusive resort for all three of us. So this review might also only be helpful to those who have not done an all-inclusive in the DR before.
We booked a package through USA 3000. There were nightmare delays on the way down which caused us to get to the USA 3000 desk less than 30 minutes prior to departure. We might have been allowed on the plane even then, except for the fact that our names weren’t on the manifest sheet. The USA 3000 representative literally said to us “I don’t know what I can do” and then walked away back to her desk. Luckily, the Apple Vacation people overheard and jumped in to help. It took a very helpful Apple Vacations rep in Detroit, (Donna) an hour to figure out that USA 3000 had booked us as a broker on an Apple Vacation, but had only sent us USA 3000 paperwork. In any case, Donna got us on the following mornings flight and the delay only cost us a night (which I doubt USA 3000 will refund, even with their screw ups).
Our flight down was further delayed due to a passenger having an apparent minor stroke, so we had a stop in Raleigh for that emergency. The passenger walked off the plane himself, so I hope and assume he’s going to be ok. Though, here’s a helpful tip to all travelers: If you’ve had 3 strokes in the past 6 months and have had surgery to implant stents into your skull, check with your doctor before you fly.
Arrival and traveling to the resort was uneventful, though let me just say here that the DR government needs to finish the new highway between the airport and the resort areas! It’s been largely cut in, but unpaved, so you end up taking some twisty, small local roads to get there. It makes the ride much longer than necessary. Maybe some portion of the $20.00 “Visitor’s Card” fee they collect at the airport can be tossed toward that project…
Check in went well and the service at the desk was very nice.
The rooms were, well, acceptable. All of the things you’d expect from a lesser resort were here: hard beds, paper-thin pillows, tired sheets and linens. I will say that the rooms were very clean, so the staff was doing the best they could with what they had.
There was a musty odor, not unusual in the Caribbean, but not expected in air conditioned space. As we were to discover, the air conditioning is really evaporative cooling, so it’s cold air but not dry.
This becomes important later in the week when you discover that wet clothes hung to dry take forever, if
they ever do dry at all. Our room was so far from
the beach, there was no breeze to dry things on the lanai, so YMMV. Don’t forget to tip the room steward, and (counter to what so many others have suggested in other reviews here) do it in cash, not candy. They are probably supporting a family and can’t do it on tic-tacs.
The beaches: the most beautiful we’ve seen, and we’ve seen many. When you first stand on them, you will know that this is why you came.
Excursions: Not so much going on here. Snorkeling was boring (again, done a lot of this elsewhere and can say that this was probably the most disappointing. Save your money). The lack of excursions or outside activities makes this a very good vacation spot for those who intend to do a lot of laying around on the beach, or those who can adapt to a lot of laying around on the beach. If you cannot turn off your type-A personality, and don’t play volleyball, go on a cruise instead.
The Food: Buffet, Buffet, Buffet. You WILL be tired of the same food by the end of the week. You WILL yearn for fresh brewed coffee. You WILL buy dental floss if you didn’t bring it. You WILL return home with a new understanding of the word “Beef”. Do not travel to this locale for the food. If you are the sort who thinks of food as fuel for the body, you’ll be fine. If you are the sort who knows the difference between red and black caviar and has eaten enough to have a preference, you will be disappointed.
Bar Service: Good. Some of the servers are surly, but as I watched person after person make huge orders and not ever leave a tip, I certainly understand the sentiment. Ask for the good liquor and they’ll give it to you. Tip, Tip, Tip.
Entertainment: Well, they do the best they can with what they’ve got, though you do sort of suspect that the entertainers are selected because they are related to someone, and not because of any particular skill set. And what was with the lip-synced gay anthem show??? We wondered to ourselves if the dancers had any idea… Speaking of entertainment, this is a good point to mention language: If you are American and only speak English, you will soon find that communication is a little harder for you than anyone else. Probably 75% of the guests during our week were European, and the balance were mostly Canadian, with only a few U.S. residents (that we met, anyway). Maybe this changes based on the time of year or the week. At any rate, if you are uncomfortable being in a place where nearly everyone is speaking a different language, then this might not be the place for you.
MAJOR PEEVE: Where the he** is the ATM? Located up near the gate, in the middle of the worker’s housing, off the beaten path. I’m a big guy who can take care of himself (and has, on many occasions), and still the hair on my neck was standing straight out the entire trip to that machine. I can just imagine what it’s like for others. Bring lots of money in small bills and avoid going to this cash station. I’m not saying any worker would mug you, but I can’t discount my good senses either about that place.
All in all, it can be a relaxing trip if you can take it in sway, though the resort hardly lives up to the image portrayed on their website (this is just the way some Caribbean places are). Don’t go expecting too much, and you will be OK. If you are expecting Shangri-la, you are in for trouble.
| Riu Taino | Fred and Coreen ~ Grand Bend, Ontario |
We stayed at the Riu Taino from 26Jan-02Feb. We went to this resort in 2004. I'll keep this short and sweet.
Flight: Skyservice out of Toronto. - it was a little cramped, but who cares..we were heading south!
Rooms: Beds were firm..but I slept fine. Rooms were clean and well maintained. Lots to drink.
Food: The main Buffet was good and had everything you could possibly want. The steak was fairly tough, but the pork and chicken were great. Just wish they had Kraft salad dressings instead of "guess what dressing this is"!! The only negative was the specialty restaurant - the "Steakhouse". It was poor, and we went back to the main dining room and had a second dinner that night.
Beach - Beach was great. A few fun waves, but we could go snorkeling every day. Take a banana for the fish to eat at the reef which is a short swim from shore. After your breakfast, take a towel and put it on a beach chair to reserve it.
Weather - AWESOME...sunny every day.
Sports - played beach volley ball every day for hours. Some pool activities, exercise classes, etc.
Great place to stay for the money. This was our second time there, and no one got sick!! We would go back again. If you want to go really "upper class" then check out the Riu Punta Cana Palace.
| Riu Taino | Eddie and Celine Ages 53 and 55 ~ Northern Ontario, Canada |
Flight - Skyservice -tight fit but - on time and well organized at airport in Punta Cana.
Reception - Quick check in but directions to room not very clear, but we did find our room - we realize we had a late flight thus smaller staff to deliver luggage to your room .
Room - not the most modern but very clean and plenty of hot water all the time . We found it suitable to amount of time spent in your room. mini bar and liquor dispensor all filled every second day, plenty of bottled water .
Service - Freindly people and more than willing to give you the best service they could. Never any line-ups. The washrooms everywhere were very clean and kept clean at all times.
Food - I dont think anyone could complain about the food at all buffets and restaurants.. There was a variety of food for everyone no matter what your preferences were Grounds - very well maintained, lots of shrubs and palm trees, nice buidings with different colours. I would have to give them a A.
Pools - There are two pools, the main pool near the lobby is very nice with swim-up bar but a little more busy than we liked but the other pool near the room buidings is a little quieter but has a nice snack area and barBoth these pools are very close to the beach .
Animation Team - All excellent people with lots of energy . The two who stand out where Charly the team leader and host for the shows, he does the introductions in four languages so almost everyone knows what is going on. The second person Pedro in our view was the best, he made us all laugh all the time he was working, which seemed to be all the time . We applaud this group, they work really really hard to entertain guests.- These group also deseves a A.
Beach - We had one Red Flag day, you can still swim but lots of waves. The three yellow flag days where ok to swim but some places lots of seaweed washes in. The other 3 days where Green flag days perfect to swim and no seaweed. This is a beautifull beach with white sand and you can walk for miles. The best of all no rain.
Conclusion - We found very few negatives, but went expecting not everthing to be perfect. We were more than pleased with our vacation.
Bravo Riu Taino Staff.
| Riu Taino | Justin ~ Canada |
Family Vacation at Riu Taino December 06
My wife and I visited Ocean Blue in Punta Cana last January for our first sun vacation and loved it. We decided that we would take our two children ages 16 and 14 the very next winter. We decided to go in the off season so that we could take advantage of lower rates since there would be 4 of us travelling. We watched the internet and found a great deal on Riu Taino. Our stay was between Dec. 2 to 9.
Flight: We flew with Sky Service. The Jet was small and cramped but the service was great. The food on the plane was not so good but who cares anyway, we knew we would be stuffing ourselves for 7 straight days in Punta Cana. The flight attendents were very nice and always had a smile for everyone. They were also quick to answer any questions or to lend a hand. The flight was smooth all the way down. Punta Cana Airport was extremely busy but we were through customs and had our luggage within 20 minutes (This was a pleasant surprise). Our transportation to the resort was ready as soon as we had our luggage. We were at the resort within an hour of landing.
Check in: There were only 6 families checking in at this time so it went very quickly. No welcome drink and no hot towel. BIG DEAL. I don't let these little things ruin my vacation. The men at the desk spoke perfect English and were very nice.
Room: This is where I got a bit concerned....okay, a lot concerned. The bellboy took us to our room with our luggage. After tipping him I walked into the room and my heart sank. The room was very old and dated. It was very old looking. The a/c barely worked and the lights in the bathroom flickered for 20 minutes or so after you turned them on. I turned to my wife and said, " I want to go back to Ocean Blue". Please keep in mind that we didn't sleep very well the night before due to excitement and it was a long day of travelling and we arrived at the resort well after dark.
Grounds: After a good nights sleep I awoke to the beginning of a beautiful Caribbean sunrise. I had a quick shower (the resort supplies soap, shampoo, bath gel and a hair dryer) and briskly walked to the beach. This is when I saw how beautiful this resort really is. The rooms may be dated and the walkways not perfectly even but the grounds are beautiful. I got down to the beach and walked into the warm salt water and suddenly forgot about the room. We don't use the room anyway. This is only a place to rest your head at night and to have a shower. We were there for the beach. The kids hung around the pool for the first part of the week for fear of sharks. After they saw us in the ocean they grabbed a couple of boogie boards and started to really have some fun. The more we walked around the resort the more we fell in love with it. Everywhere you turned there were people cleaning. This resort employs a lot of people.
Food: Just like eating at a restaurant at home. very nice buffet. There was a great selection and it was all very good. There is definitely something for everyone. We all felt great all week but we had to tell our son to ease up on the fruit smooties because he was spending a fair bit of time on the toilet for the firtst couple of days. Our bodies just aren't used to consuming that much fruit. Other restaurants were very good, we ate at all of them. Steak at the Grill House was great. Beach lunch buffet was also good. Much of the same food every day for lunch but there was a good selection.
Animation Team: I can't say enough about these people. They make the resort. They all work very hard to make sure you are having a good time. They all knew our family by name by half way through our vacation. We got involved in all the shows and games. Thanks so much to Charley and Pedro. Everyone was having a great time with these two guys especially.
My daughter's birthday was on our last full day. I mentioned this in the morning at the buffet. When we went for dinner they had a table set up for her which was decorated with flowers. After we finished our dinner we could hear loud singing from the back of the restaurant. All of the waiters circled the dining room with a special birthday cake and they were singing happy birthday in spanish. All eyes were on my daughter and she was very excited.
The weather was great. 95 and sunny every day. We did get rain at night and it did rain two days for about 2 minutes each day. I can't say enough about the service at this resort. It is much better service than you would find anywhere in Canada. No resort is perfect. This resort is very old and it does show in some areas but the food and the Animation Team make up for it. The party on Carribean Street and the Beach Party are also a must do. All in all we won 8 bottles of rum a couple of Tshirts and a few bandanas. We all had a blast and the kids can't wait to go back.
P.S.- We are planning our 3rd trip to Punta Cana and I have been using the reviews on this web site. There are some very helpful ones and I thank you. However, there are also some people that have to pick on every little thing that might go wrong in their little world. Please be constructive when writing your reviews. If you have a fly in your room it doesn't really matter. You will probably at some point in time end up with a spider or a fly in your own home.
| Riu Taino | Holly |
My boyfriend and I went to the RIU Taino on Nov 25th-Dec 2nd 2006. My mom and her boyfriend were leaving the same resort as we were arriving so they had already reserved our room for us. Upon arriving to the resort we were offered some fruity drink and.... that was about it. We checked in first and it was about 11:30pm. They gave us our keys and said "go that way". No one took our bags or really directed us to our rooms. Thank god we have gone away before and kind of new what to look for because the staff was not helpful at all!
Actaully I first should say that my boyfriend and I are 22 and 26 from Hamilton, Ontario Canada and we definately are NOT picky people. A clean room with good food and sun.... thats all we need. Oh wait, good drinks are important too!
To continue, our room was outdated but who cares!!!! There is always hot water and lighting which was great (we never had hot water in Puerto Plata) The only thing that bothered me was the bed sheets and comforter! I am not kidding when I say that we were covered up by curtains. They were discustingly old and felt like sand paper. We always left our cleaning lady some goods and money and we were always treated well even though we never saw her.
Food: Meh, I've definately had better. I liked the food in Puerto Plata alot more but thats just me. To the guy who had wrote a review about re-frying the hotdog weiners for breakfast... I am so sorry I called you an idiot! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DO THIS!!! But now I know why they do it.. it was explained to me that the Germans LOVE them! Ewwww yuck, not my thing in the morning. AND BOY WERE THERE A LOT OF GERMANS!
Canadians were DEFINATELY the minority down there and we only met about 2 handfuls of people who actaully were from Canada. Be careful when playing volleyball with them because they will try and literally stomp all over you... they are very serious when it comes to winning and I almost lost my head from a spike...
Newhoo back to the food. Breakfast was BY FAR the best meal and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO TO THE MEXICAN RESTAURANT! And DO NOT go to the steak-house unless you get the pork because our cow should have been saying moo and the chicken was so raw it was slimey (also watch the small pieces of chicken at the buffet because that was raw too.) My mom and b/f never had a problem and they were there for 2 weeks (Nov 11- 25). Buffet for lunch was the same every day but there is lots to choose from.... Please try their chocolate covered bananas... mmmm sooooo tasty!
My b/f got sick as usual so he missed out on the incredible, breath taking shark incounter! Sense a small bit of sarcasm???? Yeah well its true. What a rip-off this thing was. My friends Anne and Paul and I went on this excursion and yeah the boat and the people are entertaining... thats not why I paid 72 bucks. We got to spend about 1/2 hour looking at coral and fish which my 21 US water camera could not filter out all of the fish crap and murkiness of the water and then you get back out, watch some more dancing and then go into this little pen with about 70 other people and try to swim around and look for the nurse sharks and rays without getting hit in the head by someone elses flippers. You were only with the sharks MAX 8 minutes! And then more dancing and then the whole thing was over. A bunch of crap and a waste of my money. Never again. Oh yeah and the bus driver almost ran over a cat that he knew was there.... if you do go on this excursion and you love animals, please bring extra scraps for the stray dogs and cats... One couple fed one of the stray cats pringles and the cat ate them like she hadn't ate in weeks!
Overall weather: 3 days of rain rain rain. I even have one picture of the water funnel that had formed about a mile from the beach front... so we all got drunk those days. The other days? Good weather but the ocean was really dirty from the storms. Reserve a seat early because by 10 they were all gone. We were always at the beach by 8am so we didnt have a problem. And yes there are countless topless women... who cares! If you have a son or husband thats a perv than don't go here because they will drool.... excessively! Hahaha.
So that's my review in a nutshell.... would I ever go back here again? Never. The pool was grosse and we just like to try different places. NOT A 5 STAR RESORT AT ALL! I have stayed at the RIU Caribe in Cancun, Superclubs Breezes in Puerto Plata and the Oasis in Cancun and all were better than this hotel. I could go on for days but theres just way too much info for it. Definately think twice about staying here if you are planning a 5 star resort stay. We are by no means high class and we even thought that this was a dirty place... Good luck.
| Riu Taino | Linda ~ Toronto, Canada |
My husband and I stayed at the Riu Taino from July l5 - July 22,2006 We flew Canjet from Toronto.It was fine, An older airplane,737, with leather seats which gave us more leg room than Skyservice or Air Transat. There is no inflight entertainment system. Instead they will rent you a personal video player for $l0. You can choose from several movies, music videos, or music. We were served a very meagre meal consisting of a small bun with a bit of roast beef on it, a cookie and a tiny fruit salad. That is no problem as I always take my own food anyway. The flight was excellent and on time.
It took about 1/2 hour from the airport to the resort. There are 6 Riu hotels in the complex. We did not have to wear wrist bands (yeah) but the guests of the 2 palace hotels had to wear bands. We had access to 4 resorts (excluding the palace hotels) but we had to take dinner at our hotel. We frequently travelled the grounds of each hotel(including palaces) and got to know each hotel quite well.
The food was excellent. The best we have ever had in the Dominican. and I have been to that island l8 times.There was a large choice in the buffet and it was very tasty.The restaurant is air conditioned but there is an outdoor terrace which we chose to eat our dinners from.You choose your table the first night and that is your table for the remainder of your stay.
We could have breakfasts and lunches at 3 other hotels- The Melao, The Bamboo and the Niaboa. They were all excellent.
The Melao is mostly a French club hotel with clients from France. It is quite small with a small pool. The Taino has wonderful landscaping since it is quite an old property, but it is beautifully maintained. The rooms are not large but very adequate. There is a single and a double bed. There is a mini fridge and a liqueur dispenser. The room was spotless and we even had kleenex. There was always lots of toilet paper, shampoo and body gel. The pool area of the Taino Hotel is smaller than I had imagined but it has a swim up bar with lots of noisey guests at. The entertainment area in the Taino Hotel is awful. It is indoors and musty smelling with no airconditioning. There are large sliding doors at the rear of the complex that are open, but if you sit at the front, there is no air, and it smells of cigarette smoke.
All the Riu beaches are connected to each other and they are all beautiful.The Riu hotels have a lot of palm trees to sit under and no palapas, which is great. I do not like palapas under which guests cram together to get shade.At the Riu beaches, you put your chair under a palm tree and you have your shade. We never had to get up early to reserve a chair, we always found a chair somewhere.
The Bamboo hotel is newer and fresher looking than the Taino, but it is very noisey. Always people hanging around everywhere. The shows were outside with a lot of tables and the bar was very big so there were a lot of noisey people around the bar and show.
The Niaboa is not on the beach but very close to it. It has a nice pool .
The Palace Macao is a quiet hotel. Very lovely pool but no pool bar and no nightly entertainment that we could see.
The Palace Punta Cana is the newest hotel. Hardly any vegetation, mostly a concrete building which was about 5 stories high.It has a huge lobby, many upscale restaurants and a beautiful pool but the pool chairs are all in rows around the pool, touching one another.There are 5 levels of chairs going back from the pool.
There were no guards at any of the hotels. I walked along the beach in both directions and visited many hotels. They are all beautiful.
The Riu complex has the caribbean street with stores on it. There is a flea market to the right of the Riu, next to the Iberostar Hotel and the vendors display their wares in the hotel lobbies a few times a week.
We had fabulous weather. The staff is very friendly. One thing we really liked was the self service coffee machines and beer and soft drinks. That way you did not have to wait at the bar for those drinks.
I dont know about water sports as we didnt do any. There were excursions but we didnt do any, as we have been all around the Dominican before, but I do have information on excursions offered.
If you would like to ask me questions, I will try to answer them. My name is Linda and my email is merengue@primus.ca
| Riu Taino | Suzanne |
Travelling the week of May 5th-12th to the Riu Taino from Toronto via American Airlines. We are a couple in our late 30's. We booked our trip through Expedia.ca and flew out of Toronto to Miami and then onto Punta Cana. The flight was very roomy unlike most tour operator sized planes.
Upon arrival at the Punta Cana airport we were greated with hot tropical breezes. As soon as you enter the airport your photo is taken with 2 young Dominican girls and on your return you can purchase the photo for $10 Canadian. We opted to leave our less tanned photo behind!
We had a bit of a problem with our transfer that we had arranged through Expedia.ca. We had prepayed $50 Canadian for our transfer to and from the airport. Upon presenting our voucher as per Expedia's directions we were told that the voucher was no good. It stated at the top of the page Return trip but the attendant told us that we needed to have a voucher that reads ROUNDTRIP....so here we are now having to pay an additional $25.00 then having to go see a girl by the name of Maya in the front lobby to get a refund. We do not unerstand the reason other than perhaps a way to get us to talk to Maya who would then in turn try and sell us some excursions? We will call Expedia and see why this happened.
Upon arrival at the Riu Taino we were not greated with a welcome drink...in fact we were the only couple at the time of checking in. We were greated by Enrique who's name we were familiar with from a previous travel forum. He spoke English very well and quickly gave us our key, resort cards and signaled the bell boy to deliver our luggages to our room.
ROOM:
Not up to par...definetly not 5 star...rooms are very dated and bathrooms are tired...the toilet ran all night long with a very loud draining type sound and the tub had large drips and drops of paint from the ceiling which had abviously been painted. They should have cleaned up the paint that had dripped in my opinion. Also the area directly above the shower head and near the window...also in the tub/shower area had large visible traces of BLACK MOLD. This is not acceptable at all...especially for a resort that says it's 5 star!
BEACH: This is by far the best stretch of beach along the strip. Because the resort if so mature that palm trees are plentiful and offer lots of shaded areas. Also the rock formations near the Melao offer some different elevation areas...very nice.
GROUNDS: The resort is nestled amongs very mature palm trees, hibiscus, olive trees,etc. We did feel that all gardens needed attention though as many of the hedges and such were obviously over grown and in need of shaping.
FOOD: Always a large selection to choose from. Some mystery items every day and other standard items. We never left hungry. Typical buffet of the tropics in my opinion.
We did not take in any of the entertainement. We are early riser and after dinner a short stroll and we were ready for bed. We did go to the Casino one evening but since we are not avid gamblers our visit was very short.
The service at the hotel was acceptable. We had a server by the name of Santa serve us in the Dinning Room...she always greated us with a smile and a Hola. She quickly remembered that we liked to start off dinner with a Cervesa each and she would quicly bring them to the table for us. We did tip a bit here and there but it did not seem to be a big thing.
Pros: Great beach area. Large resort if you like to walk or stroll. Use of other facilities excluding the Palace Macao and the Palace Punta Cana. Resort does not make you wear wrist bands. Lots of loungers pool side and beach front. Never needed to get up too early to reserve loungers.
Cons: This resort is the eldest of all 6 resorts. It's said to be around 18 years old and it shows. Many areas are in need of face lifts. Cleanliness could be stepped up in all areas. Pool bar and other areas wreak of SEWAGE. Pool needs to be painted and could use a set of stairs to gain entrance since it only has ladders.
Conclusion: Although we had a good relaxing time I'm not sure if I would return to the Riu Taino unless major renovations and repairs are completed. I feel that if this was done this resort could once again stand as a 5 star but as for now I would rate it a 3.5 to 4.
| Riu Taino - Punta Cana | David ~ USA |
I would like to submit my thoughts on my recent trip to the Riu Taino.
Beach: Exceptional. Spent many a day and night there.
Reception: Not the Dominican welcome I have been accustomed to at other resorts. I noticed that some guests received a welcome drink and others did not. Nor were there any members of the management team on hand to greet incoming guests with DR smiles. For an island that is known for being wonderful to visitors, the Riu made me feel like they could of cared less if I was there or if I returned to visit their resort again. Which is a shame because the DR is known for it's hospitality.
Grounds: Construction occurring in some areas with materials and tools left out at night, often obstructing walkways. Cleanliness - often seen dirty tables sit for sometime in La Bamba and often seen glasses etc just sitting on walls etc. even found plates laying around - sometimes in the same place when I got up early to watch the sunrise. As for slow paced, sorry but by the fifth day of my visit, I had started not moving on the walkways for those who acted like they were running to a fire.
Service: In reference to the language barrier, I would have to agree with the one reviewer. Even when you used Spanish you often did not receive the item you were requesting. My wife speaks Spanish therefore your reference to "try a little Spanish" was a bit off the mark. Other resorts also have staff take language classes to offer the best service possible. I would also watch as staff always appeared to be hurrying somewhere but not accomplishing anything. And tipping is not an issue with me, I do tip, but actually went home with more ones than I am used to. In further reference to tipping, I have been to DR before and even though tipping is not required, I do even if I feel the service was not entirely adequate. Often the case at the Riu. It was out of respect and not always based on service.
Dining Room: Breakfast, I disagree with the eggs to order. The eggs were made and put in a holding pan. That is not made to order, sorry. One morning I actually accidentally picked up one sunny side up egg with the blood still evident from the chicken. From reading the other review, I suppose that this is the first time you have visited the DR and have not had the luxury of visiting other resorts to compare the Riu to. Food is better at some and worse at some.
Room: Ok, nothing fantastic, but clean and respectable and it was for sleeping purposes only. Tips were left for mini bar service and after speaking with some other guests we believed this service to be a bit off. We too received wonderful towel art and left tips and presents for our maid service.
Management Front Desk.. When we were ready to check out, three of the front desk staff were measuring each other's ankle diameters while we stood there waiting to check out and pay the phone bill. Another interesting note. Not that I DEMAND service but after spending the week at the Riu we did not call for our suitcases to be brought to the lobby, we did it ourselves based on knowing the service level in this resort. Not that it is beneath us to drag our own luggage to the lobby, but at other resorts it is customary for bell hops to do this and that gives the resort goer another opportunity to provide a tip to a hard working staff member.
Clientele: When I visited Riu I too experienced the 400+ Spring Breakers and they did manage to place a damper on the resort as a whole. During a show one night they were also jumping in the pool even after they were asked not to due to the cleaning process after 7 pm. Management did not respond to this either.
Food: Sorry, horrible. I have been in the food industry business for over 20 years and would like to provide the one recent reviewer with a real steak. The buffet did not offer shrimp, it was crayfish. Sorry to burst your bubble. I would also like to mention that at every meal there appeared to be turkey offered (which never disappeared) due to the fact that it was so "shinny" that anyone with any type of "Don't Eat" alarm in their brain would not have touched. The cheeses were good though. Salads and fruits plentiful, but when I am on vacation I believe that trying new foods and eating a bit more than you do at home is all part of the fun. Sorry I too also believe that "left over" hot dogs really should not be on the menu day after day in any shape or form.
Pools: What if you were not a beach person? Pool should not be classified as secondary just based on a person's personal preference. The Jacuzzi provided was so cold that it was unbearable. Once again, I believe that if you have nothing else to compare it to then I guess you would have thought it was just fine. I also believe that children should not be allowed to hang out near the pool bar. That area is for adults. So I guess that may be another issue that it was the child misbehaving, but more parental focus. I also noticed that there was no organized "Kid's Club" which was a shame since this would of given the kids and their parents a great opportunity to enjoy their vacation on a different level, i.e. give the kids things to do and to provide the parents which a break.
Parenting: Sorry, as the previous reviewer (and I spoke with another couple that same evening) also saw the same wondering little girl. She was a cutie. I don't think the previous reviewer noted problems with any of the children's behavior, but more so with the parents. And if you are a parent as I am this is a true and honest reaction when noticing this type of situation specially around water.
Entertainment: Sorry, as mentioned before I guess if you have nothing to compare it to then I guess you are appropriate in stating that you enjoyed the entertainment. Of course entertainment is just that and what ever floats your boat. One of the resorts I have visited, offered a weekly beach party (with real steak), a romantic poolside dinner, a manager's cocktail party with each of its restaurants decked out. Can't stress enough, if perhaps you don't have anything to compare it to then...I am aware the animation staff works hard and they work with what they have available to them. One show that we were at they begin asking for us to put our personal affects into a box. At this point many people exited. Just something about throwing your watch or jewelry into a box. Perhaps the Riu would think perhaps of movies on the wonderful beach or something to that affect. Perhaps different levels of entertainment available to provide a broader spectrum than just the audience participation portion of entertainment. We went to the Bambu and it was so crowded and hot that it was uncomfortable to stay and watch the show. I found myself not fond of the complex resort.
I believe the previous reviewer was just making a point referencing Miami as to feeling that the Riu did not represent the DR hospitality to it's fullest potential. Sorry, but I too felt that the Riu somehow diminished the DR atmosphere by proving they are a resort chain, same type of commercialization found in the states. Most all of us utilizing this website are not persons who go to the DR expecting someone to be on hand to our every beckon call but while you are on vacation you may expect just a bit of escaping the daily grind of work.
And actually I never write reviews, but found myself compelled after I read the most recent review. What was provided fell under the guidelines of this website service, the good, the bad and the ugly - out there for all of us to take what we wanted from it. These reviews are all posted as our opinions and therefore we should not feel intimated by another participant if we post a negative review. If opinions are offered honestly then this website would prove useless. And how a specific person may express their thoughts on their trip is not of your concern. You loved the Riu, then write your review in that manner. Your attack and repeated references to the previous reviewer was in my opinion childish and inappropriate.
As for accepting the DR for what it is, I can honestly say that since I am in the process of scheduling my fifth trip (and I was married in DR) that I have done just that. Many of us out here do appreciate the DR more than you can imagine, that is why we keep on returning, become involved in charitable contributions and help the DR economy by choosing to spend our travel dollars in this country. In the past six years I have seen growth in this country and hope that the DR hospitality and uniqueness remains at the standard that it was when I began visiting. Even the airport in its expansion efforts has lost a bit of that "primitive" feel, but that comes with an increasing tourism base.
Conclusion: Yes the Riu may be the resort for you, but not for everyone. I know that we were looking only for a week of peace and quiet on the island we have come to love. No pie in the sky expectations, but this resort with its size and fast paced clientele and "non-personal" feeling really did not provide me with all I was hoping for. I have stayed at other resorts and sorry the Riu just wasn't what we expected, but I sincerely believe that the next time you post a review that you do not attack any of the previous reviewers. I am a bit surprised that this was allowed to happen on this site. This site is for everyone to assist them with making a clear decision of what they require of a vacation and to take with them pieces of information provided. If you had a great time at the Riu then great go back, but I believe this to be your first trip therefore not having any comparison data on any other resort. And for you to say that anyone positing a negative review has issues with their individual trips or just fail to appreciate the DR that takes more than just nerve and perhaps a copy of your psychologist degree.
As many of us who are return visitors, we do appreciate the DR and certainly wouldn't return year after year if we "missed" the overall experience. Quite honestly, I am a bit concerned about the posting of your "attack" review on this site.
| Riu Taino - Punta Cana |