Riu Bambu - All Inclusive

Wilmer checked us in and was so kind. When the air conditioning stopped working, someone came to fix it within half an hour, and it’s perfect now. The room was very clean, with no cockroaches, dirty sheets, or dirty towels. The staff were super friendly, and the beach and pools were amazing. Some food was delicious, especially the carne asada tacos, fresh fruit, pasta, meatballs, and sunny-side-up eggs. The cheese selection was great, too, and the ice cream cones were good. They have beer, and I liked the orange-colored juice in the reception area. The food could be better overall.

The water park was the best part for our group of 13, and the ocean beach was beautiful. Palm Beach, the steakhouse, was our favorite restaurant, and the hibachi was good too. The restaurant manager also deserves credit for fitting in our requests to celebrate two wedding anniversaries and a birthday. We had serious service problems. Water leaked from the air conditioning, but nobody came to fix it after we reported it. Our flight was delayed, so we arrived at 10 the next morning and found that our paid, online-checked-in room had been given to someone else because we hadn't arrived the night before. We were still charged for that night. Food at the other restaurants was mediocre. There was a good range of dishes, but the taste and management were disappointing, and there was a lot of cross-contamination. Some ingredients were labeled incorrectly, which made things difficult for members of our group with food restrictions. It was also hard to explain requests at the kitchen or for room service because of the language barrier. It would help to have more food near the pools, such as burgers, pizza, or finger food. The splash park needs food options too. The kids had fun there but got hungry, and only drinks were available.

The beach was absolutely amazing, and the staff were super friendly. We had fun with the family and came away impressed. The rooms are dated, but we were only there to sleep. The shower pressure was great, though the outlets in our room were a little loose when charging electronics. We tried everything on the buffet menu, from cheeseburgers to mussels, and nobody got sick. The food wasn't the absolute best, but I had no complaints. Don't let the one-star reviews put you off.

I’d call it a solid 3.5-4 star resort. The staff were great, nothing was stolen from our rooms, and we didn’t feel the intense pressure to tip that some people mention. Our rooms were dated, but had no mold, bad smell, or bugs. We kept nothing in the safe and left locks on our suitcases. The beach was nice. The pools were all right, though the main one was a bit dirty. The quieter pool farther from the main area was nicer, cleaner, and had faster service. Food was just okay, and the buffet got repetitive fast, with pretty much the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. The a la carte restaurants are first come, first served, so go by 6:30 if you want to be sure of a spot. The Mexican restaurant and steakhouse were best. I got sick after the Italian restaurant, though I enjoyed the food at the time, and the hibachi was good. I wouldn’t bother with the others. The entertainment wasn't good, apart from the violinist in the lobby one night. I didn't make it to the foam parties and didn't go out much from the resort. I don't know why there are so many one-star reviews. I wouldn't call it five-star, but it was a solid 3.5-4. My girlfriend's family nearly canceled at the last minute because of those reviews, and I'm glad they didn't.