Riu Naiboa is known as one of the best and cheapest all-inclusive hotels in Punta Cana, but is it really worth the price?
The Room
As soon as I arrived at the RIU Naiboa Hotel in Punta Cana, I was disappointed with the state of my room. The floor was dirty, with hair scattered all over, the window was grimy, and the bathroom was disgustingly unclean. I immediately complained to reception and asked to change my room, which they did without any hassle. However, even in the second room, the cleanliness standards were not great. The room cleaner came every day to tidy up, but it never felt like the room was fully cleaned.
The new towels they gave me were mostly still dirty and had a really bad smell. The bathroom seemed to have been cleaned only on the surface, as I could still see the toilet practically left as it was before. It was really disappointing and made me feel uncomfortable during my stay. The shower in my room had an old, plastic curtain that allowed water to spill all over the floor. My room had a view of the pool, but it was nothing too exciting. I can’t help but wonder why this hotel is advertised as a 4-star accommodation when it falls short of the basic amenities that come with that rating. Is this really what one should expect from a 4-star hotel?
The Food
Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with the food. There was nothing remotely typical of the Dominican Republic cuisine, which is outrageous to me. Why go through the effort of traveling to this beautiful country if you can’t enjoy the local flavors? To make matters worse, even the drinks, such as wines, were imported from Spain and were undrinkable. It makes me question why they didn’t showcase the local wines, which are truly spectacular. I could only choose from two restaurants – the buffet and the Italian Restaurant. Unfortunately, even the Italian Restaurant did not have anything that resembled Italian food. I came to Punta Cana to try the local cuisine, but there was nothing typical or local on the menu. It was all just boring continental food.
The Pool
The pool itself was nice, but the bar was located upstairs, and there was no one serving drinks. You had to leave the pool area, climb the stairs, and then go back with your drinks. In other RIU hotels, the bar is located inside the pool, which I found much more convenient and cool.
The Gym
The gym area at the RIU Hotel Palace is extremely small and inconveniently located. Additionally, nobody seemed to be cleaning the machines after they were used, which was quite disappointing. The options of machines and weights were also ridiculously poor, making it difficult to exercise properly. To make matters worse, the gym was always busy, making it even harder to get a proper workout.
Is Riu Naiboa really worth the price? Overall, my experience at the RIU Naiboa Hotel was not great. While they did change my room promptly, the cleanliness standards were still lacking. The food options were dull and unappetizing, and the pool bar was inconveniently located.
Other Useful Links
Things they don’t tell you about DR
DR Itinerary
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