Riu Bambu - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4584 reviews

• 

  Go somewhere else! Especially if you’re English.

  My advice would be to book elsewhere.. this is by no means a 5*, in fact I think a 3* would be pushing it. Room: Very basic. In total need of an upgrade. Towels are always threadbare. Optic drinks look like they’d fall down if we touched them. And what’s inside is anyone’s guess. One of our parties towel rail fell down when they touched it. Another didn’t have working air con or a working fan. There’s just nothing that says 5* about the rooms at all. Food: Main restaurant is so busy and loud. We’ve witnessed people helping themselves with their hands and eating in the buffet section as they go round.. very unhygienic. Food is hit and miss whether it’s hot or not. Other restaurants are included but do not take reservations and work on a first come first served basis so if you’re not in the queue by 6:30, especially for the more popular options, then you won’t get a table. Why not just have people make reservations like any other hotel?! The steak restaurant: steak was tasty although basic and no variations of sides. And they’d ran out of the alternative starter so you got what you were given. Kullinarium: Atleast the service in here was better than anywhere else we’d received in the hotel. And better option of wine. Service: Don’t come if you’re English. I can’t work out the staff are so tired and grumpy, unhappy working here, or if they just don’t like English people. Of course, there are the odd exceptions where we’ve had service with a smile (like I mentioned, the kullinarium) but usually it’s with a grunt. Pools: very busy and almost impossible to get a sunbed. There is always lots going on around the main pool though. TUI pool is somewhat better and quieter. There does always seem to be wet sand around the pools though, and I do question whether the areas get cleaned. Beach: the beach and sea are lovely. But busy.. like, thousands of people. We’ve stayed in a Riu before which was lovely but this one is a total let down.

  Jan 31, 2025
• 

  It started out quite bad, but it got better

  We are now eight days into a 14-day vacation. We have stayed at RIU before, but not in the Dominican Republic. Our first night saw us fairly far from the main areas. But the layout has us by our own pool, bar, and restaurant, so it was not as disappointing as it first appeared. I did ask if there were any upgrades for purchase but was told there were none. Don't listen to your travel agent about asking when you get there. Book ahead. What was very disappointing was the next morning they started to renovate the unit next door and by the afternoon, the noise and smell of paint and glue were overpowering. We were given another room but no apology, nothing. Why would a resort like RIU even consider putting a guest in that situation? After that, we settled in, and the food was excellent. The service was great, and the staff were as welcoming as the guest is polite. The resort is very well groomed, grounds are neat as a pin, but some guests are very lazy with returning glasses or dealing with their trash. Our room was well kept and cleaned every day. It is a party resort, but which ones aren't? If you want quiet, you can find it here too. The beach is gorgeous, but very busy. All in all, it's is going well and it is well worth what we paid. Looking forward to the last days before we go back to the snow.

  Jan 30, 2025
• 

  Disgusting rooms

  The hotel room was absolutely disgraceful I have videos and pictures I’m very disappointed that I meant so much money and the room was very nasty I reported to reception and they advised me to just put a towel on the floor wasn’t helpful at all !

  Jan 29, 2025
• 

  Such a beautiful resort with amazing staff!

  The staff were all so friendly! Shout out to Wilfredo in the buffet- so sweet! Every day setting our table with flowers, always high fiving the kids, going the extra mile! Beach was perfect- hard to find a chair if you go late. Our room was great- it was one of the newer ones… we stayed in one of the older ones for a few hours at the end of our stay because flight was delayed and it was a bit of a difference … your could see where some might say it was outdated. But it was all so amazing! We had a great trip!

  Jan 29, 2025
• 

  A disappointment: High expectations were not met

  The hotel as a while is OK, but has some flaws. For starters, it is a “family hotel” but kids are excluded from most activities. Front desk is open and kind, and does a good job in general. Entertainers are funny and create good atmosphere with all sorts of activities. All other personnel seemed to vary between unwelcoming to directly disrespectful at times (housekeeping, bartenders, attendants, etc). There are five restaurants at the hotel, one acting as a general buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other four are specific of different cooking styles (Italian, barbecue, Asian and Mexican). Food is OK and varied but nothing out of the ordinary. Three swimming pools in total: one for kids and two for everyone. One of them has bar service inside the pool. There’s a central open Plaza that is particularly enjoyable at night, which has a roofed area all around containing a stage (used for different shows after the sun goes down), two bars on each side and a coffee area. This was my first time at a Riu hotel, but not my first experience in an all inclusive one, and I chose to come here because of different friend’s comments about their experiences in other hotels of the same brand. I don’t know if this created a specific expectation on myself that resulted in a bad overall experience for me in comparison. I don’t want to be unfair, but I would definitely won’t repeat THIS hotel as a vacation destination.

  Jan 28, 2025