The Riu Palace Bavaro is a fabulous 24-hour All-Inclusive beachfront hotel located on Arena Gorda beach in Bavaro, Punta Cana. Enjoy sunbathing on one of the most paradisiacal beaches in Punta Cana or take a refreshing dip in one of the 9 pools, 3 with a swim-up bar. Accommodations include brand new and spacious Friends & Family rooms as well as the Elite Club by Riu concept for Adults only with swim-up rooms in premium locations and additional perks.
The hotel offers an endless number of recreational and sports options like beach volleyball, snorkelling, kayaking, a gym and RIU Fit activities as well as 3 Tennis courts, a multipurpose sports court and the Riu Splash Water World water park in the resort.
For the little guests you will find the Riu Land Kids club with an open air playground, a cinema and a pool and also a Mini Splash with slides and a pirate boat.
There are 32 food and beverage venues with everything from a breakfast buffet to an all-American favorites restaurant, from a food court to an ice cream parlor, a coffee shop and more. For dinner you can choose one of the a-la-carte restaurants serving Mexican, Asian, Italian and fusion cuisine or the Steakhouse and of course the main buffet.
Evenings are filled with nightly shows and live music at the hotel theatre. You can dance the night away at Riu Pacha discotheque and Riu Party events in the resort or enjoy the elegant atmosphere in the Lobby bar and try a handcrafted drink from the Mixology cart.
Location
Punta Cana - BeachProperty Information
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Resort Details
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Check-in Policy - Deposits or credit/debit card hold authorizations are not requested at check-in. Minimum age of 18 is required for check-in, an ID/Passport will be requested upon arrival.
Convention Policy : Groups traveling together can book this property for their stay taking advantage of group benefits such as 6th or 11th complimentary guest, Group dinner reservation, One complimentary cocktail hour with a selection of appetizers, One complimentary massage for the group leader, Complimentary room upgrades to the next category, Fruit plate and bottle of wine for the VIP, Private check-in when arriving together, Welcome sign. Applicable with Wedding Collections and Social Packages. Consult terms & conditions.
Hotel Spring Break Policies: Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any RIU property, at any time during the year. RIU Hotels & Resorts, reserves the right to withhold admission to any Spring Breaker. The hotel reserves the right of admission and may request clients to show passport or official ID to prove full identification. Guests can and will be removed from the property at their own expense in case of any disturbance or complaint from other guests or hotel staff. Parties in rooms are not allowed. Spring break groups or unruly behavior is not allowed all year round at any property.
The connecting Junior Suites has a minimum occupancy of 4 in each room booked.
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.
- Early Departure Penalty: 1 Night Applies: Sunday - Saturday 04Jul24 - 23Dec26
- Early Departure Penalty: 2 Nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec25 - 30Apr26
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
10361 reviews
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Jan 10, 2025Mixed Experience: Some Highlights, but Serious Issues
We stayed at the resort from December 27 to January 2, and while there were some positives, several issues made our vacation far less enjoyable than anticipated. The Good: Buffet: Excellent variety with themed nights. The pastries and baked goods were a highlight—kudos to the pastry chef! Steakhouse: Great food and service. Cappuccinos Café: Wonderful service, real cappuccino (not from a machine) and good pastries. New Year’s Decorations: Beautifully done and added to the festive atmosphere. Water park: much fun here. Beds: very comfortable Lots of bottled water The Bad: Water Safety: The water from faucets and showers are not drinkable, but this was poorly communicated. Small stickers to the far left of the sinks are easy to miss. Seven of the eight people in our group got sick, ruining a large part of our trip. They have signs on the lawns on the main grounds showing an outdoor faucet with a red slash through it but you think they are referring to water out side. Suggestion: Larger, clear notices over all faucets and the addition of filtered water bottle refill stations throughout the resort, especially in the food court near the beach. Krystal Gourmet Restaurant: This was the worst dining experience we’ve ever had. After waiting an hour and being told there was a kitchen mistake, the food was inedible—lobster steak tartar was poorly executed, the "lobster bisque" was watery with a single shrimp, and the crème brûlée was unrecognizable. Tip: Skip this restaurant altogether. Sports Bar: During peak U.S. football season (college playoffs and NFL), the bar didn’t offer ESPN or other American sports channels. Many guests, including us, were disappointed. Hot dogs and hamburgers look like they were sitting out too long and were unappetizing. Entertainment: While the quality was decent, the volume in building 2 (2000's section) was excessive, continuing until 1 a.m. This is unacceptable for a family resort. If you want to go to a quiet section of the resort, ask for a room in the 6000's. It's a bit further from the beach but close to the water park. Fire Alarms: Alarms went off twice, including one instance in the middle of the night on January 1, with no evacuations or announcements. This raises serious concerns about emergency protocols. Overall: While there were some enjoyable aspects, the poor communication about water safety, the issues with Krystal restaurant, and the lack of sports coverage were major drawbacks. The fire alarm incidents and noise level further dampened our experience. Final Verdict: This resort has potential, but unless they address these critical issues, we cannot recommend it—especially to families or American sports fans.
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Jan 09, 2025New Year Celeb in Bavaro
Great entertainment team :) I would suggest to management to have the countdown (which is the most important part of the program) to have it on every New Year's Eve celebration. It is the highlight of every event like this. In this case there was nothing to show the time and the last minutes remaining for 2024.
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Jan 09, 2025One of the worst customer service hotels. They don’t care about your problems
The hotel service is truly disappointing. The restaurant system is one of the worst I’ve ever encountered. It’s a first-come, first-serve basis with five restaurants opening at 6 PM, but people start lining up at 4:30-5 PM just to reserve a table. And guess what? You can’t make reservations ahead of time. After three days of trying to eat at a restaurant and failing, I gave up and settled for the buffet. It’s an absolute mess, and management does nothing to address it. The kids’ club is a joke—open only two hours a day. Adults can’t relax or do anything with such limited childcare. On top of that, the program for kids never changes. It’s the same boring activities day after day. The food is just as repetitive; no variety at all. The beach is filthy, covered in seaweed, and clearly not maintained. On top of that, people openly sell drugs on the beach, which is unacceptable. The staff is no help either. Most don’t understand English, and many are outright rude—especially the cooks and servers. Sure, the hotel is new with modern rooms, but service matters more. And the service here is absolutely terrible.
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Jan 07, 2025
Great Family Vacation
Resort was clean. Service was excellent. Carlito & Jose the waiter's at the Buffet were excellent. Always made us feel welcome. Housekeeping was on point. A recommendation is to add towel bars in the large bathroom, so towels can air dry. going to dinner without being allowed to make reservations was tough.
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Jan 05, 2025
Family trip
Beautiful, clean resort, food good. Found staff rude to non Spanish speaking guest, and serviced them first. WARNING, DO NOT USE YOUR CREDIT CARD AT THE GIFT SHOP! my card was compromised, the minute I landed back home. Good thing my bank notifies me ASAP, and blocked my card. If the tap doesn't work DON'T USE IT, this is how they get your pin #