Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro - All Inclusive

The only real letdown was the buffet at 6 p.m. when it opened. The food wasn't piping hot then, though it was hot later in the evening, and the restaurants were always hot. We were with family who like to eat early. Everything else made this a great return visit. We came back because we enjoyed our January 2024 stay, and this visit didn't disappoint. The pools, rooms, dining areas, and entertainment area were clean. The shows were phenomenal every night, and I even won a Riu hat in Michael Jackson trivia. The gym was clean and had a good selection of equipment for keeping up my workouts. The wellness area was quiet and clean, and the two massage therapists did an amazing job with our couples massage. The entertainment crew kept things going nicely all day. Seeing some of the same staff from two years ago made the holiday even better. Thanks to everyone for a memorable trip.

The rooms were extremely musty. Some pillows had mold when we took off the cases, our passports started to curl, and clothes left on the table got wet. I suppose that may be expected in a humid place, but it's still the one complaint I had, and I'd come back again. It was our first all-inclusive stay, and we had an amazing time. The resort is right on the beach, the buffets had plenty of variety, and the staff were incredibly kind and helpful. I can't stress enough how much they helped make the trip special.

The music and shows were excellent, and the entertainment was great without being too noisy. I stayed for a week with my son and his wife for their wedding honeymoon, and we really enjoyed the visit. I hadn't been to a resort in many years, since my son lives in the Dominican Republic. DJ Pedro was very helpful at the disco and did a fantastic job with the shows. He was friendly and told us all about the parties and training. He spoke very good English, unlike many of his colleagues, whose English was quite limited. I liked everything overall.

The pools are great, the water park is just the right size and had no queues, and this resort looked much nicer than the others we saw on day trips. Staff were generally great, with no complaints from me. We had a good time despite the flaws, and I'd recommend it. It's a beautiful area, but there's no town nearby, so expect to stay around the resort. We spent two weeks here in January 2026. The pool and beach are very nice, and the hotel is a better choice for adults than the other RIUs. Drinks are decent, though often too sweet and with limited choices. The restaurants are hit and miss. Krystal was easily the best: one place could serve a lovely starter, awful mains, and inedible desserts. At the steak restaurant, order medium. Medium-rare came out purple, and when I sent it back they cooked it to death. Food prepared fresh was best, since quite a lot had been made ahead and kept warm rather than hot. The rooms were fine, with good showers, and I couldn't complain much, except that the bed mattress had two valleys in it, as if some very large Americans had slept there. It's rated five stars, but that's not really accurate. It's five-star compared with most other places in this price range.