Location
Punta Cana - Off BeachProperty Information
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Resort Details
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Hotel Spring Break Policies - Student Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
4394 reviews
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May 28, 2023Fabulous holiday - great value hotel
My wife and I stayed at the Riu Naiboa in May 2023 for 11 nights. We arrived quite late after a long flight and transfer so we were pleased to be checked in quickly and efficiently. The room we were given was 430, which was a great location on the top floor overlooking the pool and not too far from the lifts. We were initially a little disappointed with the room, as on entering we found a long aluminium trim strip behind the beds hanging off the wall across the pillows! As it was late we just removed the strip and left it for the maintenance team to reinstate. The rooms are a bit dated and tired, with old dark wood furniture and a small tv on the wall. The bathroom was also a bit underwhelming, functional but with one or two chipped tiles here and there, and in the shower there was a square metal drain cover that was loose and damaged, which would have been quite sharp and unpleasant if you were to catch your foot on it. The beds are quite firm but not uncomfortable. The first night and a few after that were quite noisy - lots of guests clip-clopping up and down the corridor through the night and doors banging etc, and noisy guests outside around the pool until very late. We also discovered that our toilet had a slight leak from the cistern into the pan which meant it constantly refilled itself every ten minutes or so right through the night. We solved that problem by turning off the water supply to the toilet each night. Our balcony was great, not overlooked from the front or from our neighbours either side, so we were able to sunbathe naked every morning with a cup of tea before breakfast. We brought our own kettle to make tea, but there is a pour-and-serve filter coffee machine in the room, and the coffee and filters are provided. The maid service was excellent, with the beds made, towels changed and floors mopped daily without fail. In the mornings we went to the main Cohiba restaurant where all meals are provided. The array and choice of food is absolutely amazing - there is everything you could possibly think of, and all of the best quality too, we were very impressed. The only slight negative is that there are no coffee machines in the restaurant. I am not sure if this is normal in the Caribbean, but all the European hotels we have stayed at have had coffee machines where you could help yourself to espresso, cappuccino and macchiato etc. At the Naiboa however, filter coffee is prepared back of house in a bulk brewer and dispensed via airpot jugs in the restaurant, so a daily hunt was required for the jugs, which seem to be guarded quite closely by the waiters - I was chastised on more than one occasion for helping myself! For tea drinkers like myself there are teabags and a hot water boiler, but as is often the case, the water is not quite hot enough to brew the tea sufficiently. Normally this problem is solved with a quick blast in the microwave oven, but unfortunately there was not one provided in the restaurant. Cold drinks are plentiful and of good quality and a nice bonus to have freshly prepared smoothies too. Outside there is a lovely pool area with plenty of sunbeds and straw roof type parasols. There are also extensive well-kept gardens and a sandy play area for children. Entertainment and music is provided around the pool daily, and a couple of bars are only a few footsteps away for drinks and snacks, just perfect. In the evenings we generally used the main Cohiba restaurant again, which certainly does not disappoint when it comes to the immense range on offer, there is something for every taste, and all top quality and super fresh. The freshly prepared steaks cooked by one of the chefs were really delicious. The only slight criticism I have is that like many hotel buffets, the food tends not to be very hot. Again this could easily be addressed by providing a microwave oven in the restaurant. There is a second restaurant for use in the evenings which is described as ‘a la carte’. There is a choice from four daily main courses, although on the night we visited there was only three to choose from. What we did have though was tasty and well presented. Outside the hotel grounds there is a pleasant short walk to the beach past some pretty little souvenir shops. There is also a small souvenir shop at the hotel next to the main restaurant, but be aware the prices are rather inflated, primarily for the US tourists I guess. At the beach there is an additional bar serving all drinks and a range of hot snacks which can be used by Naiboa guests, this was a really useful bonus which we were not expecting. The beach itself is lovely, really long and you can walk as far as the eye can see in both directions. We turned left and walked a long way west to find a nudist area right past the old Moon Palace development. It was too far to walk every day though so after that we took a boat taxi there and back each day which took only one or two minutes. You would need to take refreshments with you as there are no sunbeds or other facilities that far along, but it is well worth it to enjoy the total bliss of just you, your partner and the Caribbean Sea. In conclusion we had a fabulous holiday despite a few minor niggles, many thanks to all the friendly staff we met at the Riu Naiboa
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May 26, 2023Not the best RIU
We are RIU members and changed to this hotel as reviews for initial hotel booking were disastrous and thought where would we go wrong going to RIU. Well I wish I hadn’t bothered. Alcohol very sweet, having a diabetic with us made this a problem even when asking for diet/lite soft drink. Two bottles of Pepsi in room expected to last two days (1/2 bottle a day per person). Ignored in restaurants, not asked if we wanted coffee or water had to do ourselves. Coffee was the worst I’d ever had. Food ok, nothing exciting we both and others had an upset stomach - still do and we are back home. Mosquitoes are a huge problem, we’d used the repellent bands and spray and still bitten to pieces. They did use a spray in the evenings and I’m sure this was to wake them up. We were told the hotel is being demolished next year and being rebuilt, also watch the lifts they are man-eaters. The walk to beach only takes 5 minutes and is lovely, but you get bugged by people wanting to sell stuff and won’t take no not today as an answer. You also get offered some very illegal substances from some of the people in the shops. You have to search but they do have English speaking channels, not many but they do exist, and better than the evening entertainment. If you want a quiet room, request one which faces the front of the hotel, not the pool view. The building work next door isn’t a problem either. On the plus side the weather was fantastic.
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May 24, 2023THE WORST HOTEL EVER
This hotel was absolutely HORRIBLE ! On the ads it looks like everything is soo fun and theres tons of stuff to do , but once you actually get here OMG .... the rooms looked nothing like expected , there is nothing to do except look at my partner and do nothing . The food was not good at all , PLEASE DONT COME HERE , ive been to plenty resorts and this one by far is the WORST ! no amount of money can make me come back here EVER ! If I were just RUN !!!
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May 14, 2023
Not worth it at all
Riu Naiboa is known as one of the best and cheapest all-inclusive hotels in Punta Cana, but is it really worth the price? As soon as I arrived at the RIU Naiboa Hotel in Punta Cana, I was disappointed with the state of my room. The floor was dirty, with hair scattered all over, the window was grimy, and the bathroom was disgustingly unclean. I immediately complained to reception and asked to change my room, which they did without any hassle. However, even in the second room, the cleanliness standards were not great. The room cleaner came every day to tidy up, but it never felt like the room was fully cleaned. The new towels they gave me were mostly still dirty and had a really bad smell. The bathroom seemed to have been cleaned only on the surface, as I could still see the toilet practically left as it was before. It was really disappointing and made me feel uncomfortable during my stay. The shower in my room had an old, plastic curtain that allowed water to spill all over the floor. My room had a view of the pool, but it was nothing too exciting. I can't help but wonder why this hotel is advertised as a 4-star accommodation when it falls short of the basic amenities that come with that rating. Is this really what one should expect from a 4-star hotel? Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with the food. There was nothing remotely typical of the Dominican Republic cuisine, which is outrageous to me. Why go through the effort of traveling to this beautiful country if you can't enjoy the local flavors? To make matters worse, even the drinks, such as wines, were imported from Spain and were undrinkable. It makes me question why they didn't showcase the local wines, which are truly spectacular. I could only choose from two restaurants - the buffet and the Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, even the Italian Restaurant did not have anything that resembled Italian food. I came to Punta Cana to try the local cuisine, but there was nothing typical or local on the menu. It was all just boring continental food. The pool itself was nice, but the bar was located upstairs, and there was no one serving drinks. You had to leave the pool area, climb the stairs, and then go back with your drinks. In other RIU hotels, the bar is located inside the pool, which I found much more convenient and cool. The gym area at the RIU Hotel Palace is extremely small and inconveniently located. Additionally, nobody seemed to be cleaning the machines after they were used, which was quite disappointing. The options of machines and weights were also ridiculously poor, making it difficult to exercise properly. To make matters worse, the gym was always busy, making it even harder to get a proper workout. Is Riu Naiboa really worth the price? Overall, my experience at the RIU Naiboa Hotel was not great. While they did change my room promptly, the cleanliness standards were still lacking. The food options were dull and unappetizing, and the pool bar was inconveniently located.
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May 12, 2023RIU Naiboa nice hotel but not impressed
The hotel is small which is fine but the AC’s in our rooms were constantly giving us problems. The service men tried but just couldn’t get it right till later on in the week. The buffet was fine, we aren’t picky eaters. The grounds are large and the walk to the beach is 5 -8 minutes. There are cute stores along the way to the beach and an incredible chocolate shop. The disco is good but the one thing we all found absurd is that you have to pay for your drinks!!!! Never, ever have I had to pay for drinks in a disco at an all Inclusive!! That’s absolutely ridiculous… The shows at night were not the greatest but the entertainment team tries their best. It’s a good resort for the price and you will enjoy your time there.