Riu Palace Punta Cana
The Riu Palace Punta Cana is a hotel surrounded by beautiful palms and is located just in front of the breathtaking Arena Gorda beach. The luxurious 5 star all inclusive hotel is located at 30km from the Punta Cana international airport. The hotel is part of the famous Riu complex along with the Riu Palace Macao, Riu Naiboa, Riu Bambu and the Riu Palace Bavaro. The hotel is known to be among the top ones of the Riu; for that very reason the guests can enjoy almost all of the facilities from the other riu’s (the only exception being is the Riu Palace Bavaro).
The Riu Palace Punta Cana has a total of 612 rooms, junior suites and suites combined in buildings of 4 stories. The all inclusive hotel also has a total of 6 restaurants providing a wide variety of the most exquisite international cuisine. Even the pickiest eater will find something they like especially since they can choose between several restaurants and snack bars that are also part of the Riu complex.
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Bars and pool bars are
always ready to provide you with the most refreshing drinks you might
need. A Pool with jacuzzi, a smaller pool for kids are just some of the
features of this hotel. Kids club for the younger members of your
family (from 4 to 12 years old) and a 24 hour room service makes this
place something to remember. The atmosphere of the hotel is mostly
quiet and relaxing making it ideal for a romantic vacation with your
significant other; of course if you are traveling with your family
there’s plenty of things to do as well.
Rooms
The Riu
Palace Punta Cana has a total of 612 accommodations that can be divided
into two main types. The two types of rooms in this hotel are: the
junior suites
and the suites.
Both types of room have a One king size
bed or 2 double beds with a nice firm mattress as part of the room with
air conditioning, ceiling fan, phone, safety box, hair dryer, iron,
minibar with (vodka, gin, and rum), satellite TV, coffee maker, alarm
clock, iron with ironing board, balcony, sofa bed and bathroom with
hydromassage tub, integrated lounge area with sofa bed and turndown
service.
The extra features unique to the suites at the Riu Palace Punta Cana
are: dressing room and jacuzzi which are quite amazing. You can have a
garden view or a courtyard view if you prefer; of course it will
require some extra cash for the courtyard one. The rooms are not too
big but are quite comfortable and the granite floors looks very clean.
Some humidity in the rooms is possible but this is the tropics after
all and is really not a big deal. Keep your valuables at the safe no
matter what; that way you can avoid unpleasant incidents.
The maids do a great job keeping the sheets and towels clean plus the
occasional towel animal makes you feel very welcomed. Tipping can make
them restock your fridge more often so keep that in mind.
Pool and Beach
The
pool at the Riu Palace Punta Cana is simply fantastic. As soon as you
get close to the hotel you can see it going from the back of the hotel
extending all the way to the front almost getting into the beach. The
water in the pool is very warm and believe me you can have a great time
there. You won’t get bored as you can participate in many pool games
and the music will keep you pumped! There are also several
jacuzzis near the pool area at the Riu Palace Punta Cana which are
perfect for a relaxing getaway. Now, there are more than enough chairs
around the pool to suit your needs but still is a good idea to reserve
them with the popular towel in the lounge technique. If you don’t
desire to get up very early to reserve a chair, you can always ask the
staff to do it for you (of course for a well deserved tip). Be
considerate with the other guests and only reserve a chair if you are
really going to use it.
The beach in front of the Riu Palace Punta Cana is very clean, the sand
is amazingly white, not much seaweed as the staff keeps it quite clean,
the water is perfectly clear and one of the best things is that people
will not wake up extremely early to reserve chairs at the beach. There
are plenty of chairs in the beach; you can choose to be in the sun or
in a shaded area with palm trees no matter how late you get up. In
other words if you wish to stay long hours on the beach everyday
without any worries this is the place for you. There is a reef in the
beach blocking most waves which makes the place ideal for kids to play.
The service at the beach is incredible; the waiters make sure that your
drinking needs are always met.
Food
You can find several palate refreshing restaurants at the Riu
Palace Punta Cana. First is the buffet “Don Manuel”; this is the main
restaurant of the hotel and it offers breakfast, lunch and
dinner.
The
buffet is air conditioned which is defini
tely
a plus, the food in there
delicious and the desserts exquisite.
American and continental
breakfasts are always available with all the fruits and salads you can
possible desire.
The buffet at the Riu Palace Punta Cana also has a wide selection of
natural juices for all those that enjoy these fabulous drinks. Lunch at
the buffet is always a good choice as you can find hamburgers, hot
dogs, pizza, sea food, several kinds of meat cuts and other delicious
dishes to satisfy your hunger. Dinners are always special at the
buffet; three times a week; you can see unique themed meals to add the
element of surprise to your evenings. Delicious lobster, chicken and a
scrumptious prime rib are just some of the choices available and do not
forget the amazing service provided by the staff at the buffet!
A la carte restaurants at the Riu Palace Punta Cana are always a
tempting alternative to the buffet for your dinners. One of them is the
Italian
restaurant “Luigi” with its yummy antipasto and delicious
Italian cuisine. The Brazilian
restaurant “La Bodega” offers a great
menu with plenty of alternatives for all meat fans. The meat is not the
best cut you have ever seen but still will hit the spot. The portions
served are way larger than your typical restaurant meal. The Krystal
restaurant is another great one. This French restaurant
located at the
Riu Palace Punta Cana offer classic gourmet dishes for all those that
have a refined palate. One thing to remember is that although the food
is pretty tasty the servings are not going to be very impressive, so if
you get really hungry the buffet is going to be there for you.
Steakhouse
is simply yummy; great steaks and lobster. If you are a meat
lover you have to try the steakhouse; you won’t regret it. The Japanese
restaurant “Yokohama” serves quite a nice sushi that will make you beg
for more. Be aware that portions here might be a bit smaller than what
you are used to, so heading to the buffet or snack bar later is a good
idea if you have a big appetite.
There are a couple of things you must know about the restaurants. You
can have breakfast only at the buffet and the lunch can be taken there,
at the beach cafe at the Riu Palace Punta Cana or any of the snack bars
along the Riu complex.
Dinner time has plenty of more options with the additions of
the a la carte restaurants. Remember if you want to eat your dinner in
one the a la carte restaurants you will need to get up early in the
morning (approximately 8 am) to make a reservation the same day (is
preferable to try and make the reservations at the day of arrival just
to be on the safe side).
The restaurants at the Riu Palace Punta Cana have 2 seating times one
at 6:30 pm and the other at 9:00 pm. Some people do not like any of
those times for their dinner so they choose the buffet. Dress code
applies during dinner time it goes the same way for the buffet and the
a la carte restaurants; shirt with sleeves, long trousers and closed
shoes for men. During the day the staff will insist you wear at least a
shirt to eat at the buffet.
Entertainment
There
are many things you can do at the Riu Palace Punta Cana.
The all inclusive package will give you gym, tennis, jacuzzi,
windsurfing, kayak, snorkeling and 1 free scuba diving lesson. It also
offers a daily entertainment program for kids with playground, mini
club and a children’s pool (7 square meters). There are other
water activities such as Jet Ski and banana boats to enjoy for an extra
charge. You also get access to the “Eternal Spa” with beauty salon and
hairdresser.
You can get your favorite drinks at any of the bars around the hotel;
also if you are not very happy with the bars nearby you can get to the
other rius (with the exception of Riu Palace Bavaro) and order drinks
to your heart’s content. Guests at the Riu Palace Punta Cana have also
access to the casino at the Riu Palace Macao, there you can have a lot
of excitement playing games
and making some nice money while you are at it.
There is a night show every day and live music until 10 pm. The
lobby bar stays open until 12 but then after that there is not much
right at the hotel.
You can always go to the Caribbean street if you like to go out at
night
as the other Riu hotels have always something going on.
Contact Information
Telephone
Number: 1-809-687-4242
Fax: 1-809-687-7878
Email: palace.puntacana@riu.com
Address: Playa Arena Gorda, Punta Cana
Dominican Republic
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