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Hotel overview
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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Hotel 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 01May25 - 23Dec26
- Early Departure Penalty: 2 Nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec25 - 30Apr26
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
10550 reviews
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Apr 01, 2025Great for Spring Breakers
We had a fantastic time at the Riu Palace Bavaro. We were definitely “Spring Breakers” with our two 18 year old’s and part of a group from WI. We did hear a few people talking amongst themselves that they were unaware of the “spring break crowd”, it is real. Pros of the resort- -Majority of the staff is great. D La Cruz at the pool bar near the ocean was by far the one employee that stood out the most. Thank you to him for making the kids trip special. -Francisco the wine Sommelier was a pleasure and very knowledgeable. -Pool bars are awesome. Drinks flow fast. Please consider tipping on occasion. -Amazing beach with palms for shade. Awesome set up! -Very clean. I understand the resort was upgraded recently and it showed. -Could be a pro or con but the place is huge. They had plenty of restaurants, bars, chairs at the beach and pool and plenty to do. -Liquor selection was better than I was anticipating. I have never been to an all inclusive that has Buffalo Trace. Impressive! -The made to order fried rice is Amazing. Be prepared for a 30 minute wait. -The spa was very impressing. The wellness center is just as impressive. Cons of the resort- -If you want to treat yourself by ordering a bottle of wine that you need to pay for their method of payment is to make your room keys not work until you go to the front desk and pay. This is because they do not keep a card on file. May I suggest you find another way. -The restaurants do not take reservations unless you are in an Elite room. In other resorts this is looked at as a positive. At this resort it is not. Dinner starts at 6 PM. If you are not in line at the steakhouse, as an example, by 5:45 you will not get in. Other restaurants are slightly easier to get it but there could be up to an hour wait. For us I would rather not cut our day short and schedule a time to eat to take advantage of the various restaurant options. Buffet never has a wait. -We have been to multiple all inclusive properties in Punta Cana and elsewhere. Entertainment on the main stage is just not good. The one night that had Karaoke was by far the best. Yes, I said Karaoke. It kept the most people engaged with the show and most tables were full from start to finish. That was the only night we saw a full room because the quality of the shows was just not good. 3 Tenors (Boring), Magic show (for kids), Lip sync montage (hmmmm) and a variety of other singers. -We had two adjoining rooms. That works great as a two bedroom but when doing that Elite Club is not an option. Don’t forget your insulated cup! Cheers!
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Mar 31, 2025Expectativas superadas
Desde el minuto 1 que entras en el hotel te ayudan y te tratan como una reina. Son muy trabajadores, simpáticos,buen rollo entre compañeros,formales ...son algunos de los aspectos a destacar. La limpieza es impresionante , todo el día , las camareras de habitación te dejan cada día la habitación perfecta. La comida muy variada y puedes preguntar por alérgenos cosa a tener en cuenta. Allí la atención es en todo momento es lo prioritario ya sea si estas en la playa o en la piscina o cualquier parte del hotel estan pendiente que no te falte nada. En general este hotel me ha encantado para repetir.
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Mar 31, 2025
Nicely renovated and great for families
We enjoyed our trip. The resort was very clean, updated and the connecting rooms worked perfectly for our family of 5. The resort wasn't too large to get around, which was great for kids. The drinks and food were good, although probably average for a resort. Some of the meals such as Zen, the Steakhouse and Food Court made-to-order fried rice and RFC chicken strips were very good. The breakfast buffet was A+. If you enjoy ice cream on your tropical vacation, you will be greatly disappointed. I think this is due to the lack of traditional dairy products in the Dominican. Service was excellent and staff was friendly. There were two great water playgrounds for smaller children, including one that was next to the pool bar. The bigger slides for my pre-teen boys were OK but not super exciting. Overall, I would recommend this resort for families.
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Mar 30, 2025
Excelente
Muy bueno y lindo hotel. Todo en funcionamiento y en órden. Lo único que puedo señalar para que se modifique es que no se han tenido en cuenta mis deseos solicitados por la app luego de la reserva.
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Mar 30, 2025
Family Spring Break Vacay
We had an amazing time, gorgeous beach, amazing service, so much food and drink selection and the property was kept so clean! We had a bunch of teenagers and young adults with us and drying had a good time.