Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana
Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana is the 676-room family resort in Riu's Punta Cana complex, built in 2006 as a European-style palace of towers and domes and given a full makeover in 2018 that kept the facade and rebuilt most of what sits behind it: four new rectangular pools, a new spa and gym, five bars and the La Bodega Spanish restaurant all date from that work. It sits directly on Arena Gorda, one of the best beaches in the Dominican Republic, with wide white sand, calm Caribbean water and enough shade that you are not fighting for a spot. The palace tier in Riu's system buys meaningful upgrades over the chain's standard hotels, minibars with drink dispensers, 24-hour room service, a 24-hour sports bar, plus RIU Party nights and free entry to Pacha in the complex, without tipping into the pricing of Secrets or Zoetry.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Direct access to Arena Gorda, one of the widest and most gorgeous stretches of white sand in the Bavaro area, with calm, swimmable water and palm shade
- +Six pools, not three: four outdoor pools, including the main pool with its swim-up bar for the 18-and-over crowd, plus two children's pools, with lounge-chair availability that holds up even mid-afternoon
- +Free minibar in every room with a drink dispenser, restocked daily with beer, soft drinks and water, which not every Punta Cana resort offers
- +Rooms came out of the full 2018 makeover with rain showers, big bathrooms with double vanities and a proper door between bath and bedroom; they are cleaner and better appointed than a standard Riu
- +Full access to RIU Party themed nights and free entry to the Pacha nightclub in the Riu complex, which gives this palace-style resort a late-night energy most of its peers lack (drinks at Pacha are not included)
- +Seven dining venues, all named: the La Isabela buffet plus six a la carte restaurants, La Bodega (Spanish), Krystal (fusion), Yokohama (Japanese), Luigi (Italian), the La Altagracia steakhouse and Pepe's Food, a casual beachside grill; the steakhouse is the meal guests on traveler forums single out
- +Built for families as much as couples: the RIU Land club takes ages 4 to 12, the RIU4U club covers 13 to 17, there are two children's pools, and the Splash Water World water park in the Riu complex is free and unlimited for guests
- +Palace-tier extras that are actually useful: 24-hour room service, a 24-hour sports bar, a 24-hour gym, free Wi-Fi throughout, a free introductory diving class, and windsurfing and kayaking included
Cons
- −Food is the consistent weak point on traveler forums: the breakfast and lunch buffets are repetitive and flavors fall flat, drawing complaints that the kitchen feels a notch below the palace positioning
- −The last full renovation was in 2018, and it shows at the edges: some rooms and beach loungers carry worn cushions and dated furniture that do not match the price
- −Entertainment shows are adequate but forgettable, without the polish of Barcelo or Iberostar next door; the real nightlife here is RIU Party and Pacha, not the stage
- −Language gaps with some staff can make restaurant bookings or a room problem slower to sort out than they should be
- −More recent guest reports flag uneven room readiness and cleanliness on arrival, with some guests moved more than once before settling in
- −The Riu formula is very templated; if you have stayed at any other Riu Palace, this one will not surprise you in any meaningful way
The pools are a genuine strength: four outdoor pools, two for children, a swim-up bar at the main pool reserved for adults, and hot tubs, all managed well enough that a noon arrival still finds a chair. Rooms come out ahead of typical all-inclusive quality with rain showers, double vanities and the included minibar. Where the resort shows its limits is at the table. The La Isabela buffet draws the most complaints, functional but uninspiring, and the six a la carte restaurants carry the dining: La Bodega for Spanish, Krystal for fusion, Yokohama for Japanese, Luigi for Italian, La Altagracia for steak, which is the consistent highlight, and Pepe's Food for a casual beachside grill. Service is warm overall, with some communication gaps, and the operation runs at the high-volume, formula-driven pace Riu is known for.
This resort earns its following with families and couples who want a proven mid-to-upper-tier all-inclusive on a great beach without the risk of a lesser-known property. Kids get RIU Land (ages 4 to 12), the RIU4U teen club (13 to 17), two pools and the Splash Water World slides in the complex; adults get the 18-and-over swim-up bar, RIU Party and Pacha. It competes well against Barcelo Bavaro Palace on the same beach, trading a little food and service polish for beach position and the Riu party infrastructure. Within the complex, Riu Palace Bavaro reopened in September 2024 after a bigger refurbishment and has the fresher rooms, while Riu Bambu is the cheaper family option. Day trips to Saona Island, Hoyo Azul and the local golf courses are easy to book from the lobby.
Common Questions
How does the Riu Palace Punta Cana compare to the Riu Palace Bavaro next door?
Is the beach actually swimmable, and how crowded does it get?
Do I need to reserve the a la carte restaurants?
What is included in the all-inclusive here, and what costs extra?
Is this resort good for families, or is it more of a couples destination?
What is Splash Water World, and is it at this hotel?
Restaurants (7)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | La Isabela |
| Italian | Luigi |
| Japanese & sushi | Yokohama |
| Steakhouse | La Altagracia |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | La Bodega |
| American & grill | Pepe’s Food |
| International & fusion | Krystal |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
Bávaro Beach25 min drive · 8.9 mi
Macao Beach20 min drive · 9.6 mi
Cap Cana Marina40 min drive · 20 mi
45 min drive · 24 mi
More things to do (21)
- Playa Blanca · beach35 min drive · 18 mi
- Juanillo Beach · beach40 min drive · 20 mi
- Scape Park · adventure park45 min drive · 24 mi
- Punta Espada Golf Club · golf40 min drive · 23 mi
- Higüey · town50 min drive · 24 mi
- Arena Gorda Beach · beach15 min drive · 4.3 mi
- Los Corales · town20 min drive · 6.1 mi
- Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf9 min drive · 2.1 mi
- Cana Bay Golf Club · golf11 min drive · 3.8 mi
- White Sands Golf Course · golf12 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf20 min drive · 7.4 mi
- Vista Cana Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 9.3 mi
- Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 12 mi
- Dolphin Explorer · adventure park30 min drive · 14 mi
- Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf30 min drive · 9.4 mi
- Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park · nature35 min drive · 19 mi
- Dolphin Island Park · adventure park35 min drive · 10 mi
- Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion40 min drive · 20 mi
- Hoyo Claro · cenote50 min drive · 24 mi
- Cabo Engaño Beach · beach50 min drive · 16 mi
- Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, Higüey · historic site50 min drive · 24 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Seaweed & sargassum
Punta Cana gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.4 · 7,859 reviews
“My wife and I just came back from the Riu Palace Punta Cana for our honeymoon and we had a wonderful time. The staff was excellent and so accommodating, they upgraded us immediately knowing that it was our honeymoon. Our room and view was great, alwa...”
