Casa Ulises

The lounge bar was a bright spot. The live piano was excellent, the bar staff were friendly, and I heard the stage shows were fun, though my wife and I didn’t attend. The resort was fairly relaxed, which suited us, and our room was nice and cleaned well. There’s no fan in the washroom, which might make things less romantic for your partner after a meal, haha. The drink and serving staff were excellent, and outdoor staff did their best to keep things fun despite a thunderstorm causing multiple port closures for water activities. Food was the main problem. Buffet dishes were greasy and left lukewarm for hours. They caused us frequent bloating, and diarrhea 7 or 8 times for me and about 5 times for my wife during our 6 nights there. One day later, she still had stomach issues. We also got diarrhea after restaurant meals, although those were supposed to be fresher. The front desk wasn’t very helpful and no one seemed concerned, as if this was commonplace. We’re young, healthy honeymooners, and we’ve heard about food poisoning at resorts, but didn’t expect it to be this bad. It seemed like food safety wasn’t taken seriously. I expected the beach to be a higher priority. There was a lot of seaweed after the storm. Staff cleaned some, but plenty remained in the water. We stopped at Riu Caribe, where the beach was much cleaner, better kept and lively, though it’s a very party-heavy resort. Maybe its location made a difference. We had a decent stay at Riu Palace Las Americas, but I’d probably recommend other resorts in the future. If the food were better, we might return someday, but I don’t think I’d put our stomachs through that again.

Mitzy’s attention to detail stood out. At check-in, she noticed from a passport that someone in our group had a birthday two days into the stay. After seeing hundreds of other guests, she still recognized our Birthday Boy as we passed the desk on our way to breakfast and called out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” with a smile and a wave. The resort is older, but impeccably clean. Rooms were clean, with steamy showers and plenty of water pressure, though they could use updates. My main complaint was too few electrical outlets by the bed. The bartenders were very experienced and beach service was excellent. Buffet food was plentiful and very good, but the wait staff seemed more focused on seating us in “their” area than looking after us once we sat down. The Director impressed me too. She was all over the resort, checking on maids, visiting the buffet and beach, and talking with guests. She took things seriously, and it was clear her employees respected her as much as she respected them. We had a good stay, and many people we spoke with were repeat customers.

We spent most afternoons relaxing at the beach, where there was no fight for lawn chairs. The grounds were immaculate, with six restaurants on site and four Rui theme parties each week. From our junior ocean-view suite, the views were breathtaking, and it was convenient to get to attractions and local spots. Staff were super friendly, including other guests, and the team provided excellent hospitality. We had a fantastic stay at the Rui Palace Las Americas. The beautiful location made a perfect backdrop for our vacation, and the value made the whole experience well worth it. I’d gladly recommend it and hope to visit again.

The pools and ocean swimming were great, and the shows were good too. The food at the restaurants was excellent, but the buffet served the same things every day. Service was excellent overall, the waiters were great and the place was clean. Bartenders were just okay, with watered-down drinks or very little alcohol. Our room was beside one undergoing a full renovation, so there was constant banging. The sheets were dirty and the toilet didn’t work. Front desk help was the biggest issue. Toxic fumes from the construction ruined the whole week until enough complaints finally got us moved. That shouldn’t have happened in the first place. It was just a bad experience, and we won’t return to this RiU resort. Others are better. Avoid the jungle excursion and the ruins trip unless you’re up for 6 hours of travel back and forth to the resort.