Hotel Riu Bambu

Food is the part of this resort most worth re-examining. The buffet-and-themed-restaurants model has not changed, with the Colonial buffet plus Mexican, Asian, Italian, Spanish and steakhouse venues and no reservations to chase, but guest reports through 2026 run positive, with April, July and August visitors calling the food good to excellent and naming the steakhouse as the standout. There are four outdoor pools and two children's pools with pool bars, so crowds disperse. The rooms are where the resort shows its 2017 refurbishment date: hard mattresses, worn towels, loose bathroom tiles and a sewer smell through the air conditioning come up repeatedly, and Riu has effectively conceded the point by announcing in September 2026 that the whole hotel closes from April to August 2027 for a complete remodel. Entertainment and towel service are the other two standing complaints.

Bambu suits families who want the water park and a teen club at a Bavaro price, and groups in their twenties who want to be next door to the pool parties without paying Palace rates, at roughly $210 to $255 a night for two adults. If room condition matters more than price, Riu Palace Bavaro and Riu Palace Punta Cana are the obvious step up within the same gates and the same beach, and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana sits nearby at a similar rate with better-kept rooms. Off property, Macao Beach, the Hoyo Azul cenote at Scape Park, Saona Island catamaran trips and the Arena Gorda horseback rides are all within easy reach, and the Pacha discotheque at Riu Palace Macao gives Bambu guests free entrance even though drinks there are not on the wristband.