The Hotel Riu Republica, adults only & 24 hours All Inclusive is open all year round and is located right on the beautiful Arena Gorda beach. The RIU Classic Hotels offer comfortable rooms and excellent facilities with great possibilities for leisure and relaxation, as well as international cuisine. Enjoy a relaxing holiday, whether alone, with family, as a couple or with friends. The location is ideal due to its proximity to the Punta Cana airport (28 km), Pueblo Bávaro (23 km) and invites you to explore the area. The hotel has 1,382 comfortably furnished rooms and offers many amenities. Relax in the spa or get fit in the gym. 8 outdoor pools. Daytime and nighttime entertainment, as well as our Pacha nightclub, Splash Water World. For food lovers, we offer 2 main restaurants with live cooking stations, Asian, Indian, Spanish and Italian specialty restaurants, Steakhouse, 2 Gourmet restaurants and 10 bars. #RiuParty at the Hotel Riu República. Do you like to enjoy the best parties ?
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Carr. El Macao Arena Gorda, Punta Cana 23000 Dominican Republic
Riu Republica
9,524 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Riu Republica review - Sunwing Aug 4-11th out of Montreal
Transfer: Bus shuttled us from the plane to the terminal where we waited through a winding line to get through to customs (took about an hour). There’s an e ticket firm to fill out prior to travel. Used Nexus Tours, organized by Sunwing, to get from the airport to the hotel. We landed at 2pm, luggage was already off the plane and off the carousel so it was easy/quick to pick up and then head to the hotel transfer area. You can check in with your tour carrier and they will direct you to a bus with a number associated with it. There are lots of people there who want to help with baggage, you can trust them, just tip a couple pesos or US dollars. They will get you to where you need to go, as there are so many buses that it gets quite confusing. We waited there for about an hour and then once we left it took roughly 40min to get to the Riu, as we were the last stop of about 5 hotel complexes. It was 5pm when we got to the hotel. I suggest getting a private transfer, negotiate a price, $40US for 2-4 people is reasonable.
Check in: Check in was quiet and quick, however, it may have been the time of day as we had also seen it quite busy at times. We were able to negotiate where our room would be located, we had booked a junior suite but since the complex is so big we asked that it be located in closer proximity to the beach. We were given 2 old school key cards and 2 towel cards. The towel cards are $20US to replace but the towel guys are good about giving the cards back if you come back with only one towel, will explain later. The key cards I believe are free to replace but the identifier bracelet you get (yellow) is $200US to replace.
Room: The junior suite we were given was on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor building fairly close to the main pools. It was a bit of a walk from the lobby area. One of the elevators on day one wasn’t working but it worked by day 2 or 3. The room A/C is operated by a key card in the wall slot as soon as you enter. We kept one card there the whole week. The A/C when we first entered was set at 19 which was a bit cool but it was nice and by day 3 the maids had changed it to 21 and it was hard to adjust back down after that. Since it is cool to sleep, we used a blanket found in the closet which provided some comfort. If you can, I suggest bringing your own pillow. There are 6 drawers for clothing storage and lots of places/space to store your luggage. There is a couch and coffee table, a decent sized fridge, fully stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, plus you get 2 big bottles of water daily, which is definitely needed. There are 4 hard liquor dispensers with mediocre liquor in them and not full. There is also a coffee machine if needed. The bathroom had a toilet, a double sink vanity, a large mirror and a walk-in shower with portable nozzle, which we did not mind, but a rain shower head might have been nicer. They also provide an adequate hair dryer and lots of soap and shampoo/conditioner. On occasion if we woke up late and missed cleaning services, we had to call down to get more towels and to get the bed made up but the ladies work super hard and are around all day. We also had to call down to get more water delivered but they always accommodated. Do not drink the tap water, it is clearly marked as not potable. Make sure the balcony sliding door (balcony comes equipped with a drying rack, two chairs and a table) is shut tight for the A/C to work properly. Otherwise it develops lots of condensation and the floors become slippery. There is a self programmable safe as well to store your valuables.
Wifi: The wifi was very adequate throughout the whole resort, even down on the beach.
Pool Complex: There are at least 6 pools although we only went to 3 of them at the beach end of the resort. One of which is considered the ‘party pool’ and has a swim up bar. The pool is open generally from about 8am-7pm but they don’t really close (just the bar area and music) and we took full advantage of late night swims into the wee hours of the morning. Word of warning, the swim up bar pool, where all the shenanigans occur, can be very sketchy in terms of water quality, I suggest NOT putting your head under water. This pool tends to become murky from all the spilled drinks and pee all day. It was tolerable but after a while, if not drunk, we did not spend much time in it. There are plenty of pool chairs, even when you come down at 1pm. We did, however, secure chairs most days with towels and towel clips before noon. Just be aware that if left unattended, your towel may get swiped by a drunk person who cannot find theirs, which happened to us. Luckily the towel guys were reasonable and did not deny our second towel card. There is limited shade in the party pool area but lots at the other pools. There are servers who come around to bring drinks and there is always a drink of the day brought around. However, we found going up to the bar was quicker, on the outside of the pool; look for Martinez, Alex and Samuel, they are the best. They have a complete list of all drinks and liquor available. We tended to stick with vodka and mix although their margaritas are also good. Bring a Bubba or insulated container, less trips to the bar and keeps your drink cold. Mimosas are popular in the morning and they have their own version of brut, which is very drinkable. Do not let anyone tell you drinks are watered down, watch them, they fill it with as much alcohol as you want. If you want it “fuerte”, then tell them. They will definitely accommodate. We did not see any defecation in the pool, which caused it to close early, but there was a puking incident that forced early closure. The entertainment staff provide daily entertainment and music with various dance contests and the like. The pool next to the party pool has daily noon water aerobics which ends up being quite entertaining. There is a water slide, which we say but never tried. Friends said it was fun but only open until 5pm and closed for maintenance on Wed. The 3 pools further away from the beach are quieter but there is still a swim up (if I remember correctly). We did not spend any time there. People come from all over but we mainly ran into Brits, Americans and Europeans (particularly Spain and Holland). I’d say the age range is from about 25-40, we are 50+ and still managed to have a great time partying.
Beach: The beach is a short walk from the pool complex and has a jerk chicken and hotdog station for daily snacking. The sand is soft and white and for the most part the beach area was clean with lots of seating. There are LOTS of vendors selling lots of different things. We were told prices are cheaper for excursions if booked by someone on the beach, although we did not try. The water was a bit too rough for my liking and you can really get caught up in the wave action and riptide. The air is cooler by the beach, if looking for some relief from the heat, and the water is beautiful and fairly shallow. You can bring drinks down to the beach. I did not see any beach drink service the one day we spent down there.
Buffet: The buffet was fairly extensive with lots of options, there were different stations like bread, salad, dessert, Asian, Italian, Mexican, traditional Dominican etc. They had breakfast until 11am then lunch 12:30-3 (or maybe 4) and dinner I think from 5:30-10pm. The specialty restaurants were Kulinarium, Asian Fusion, Italian, Indian and Steakhouse. The Steakhouse is the only one you need to be there by 6pm to make a reso for the night as it fills up. We really enjoyed the Asian restaurant and the Italian. They have a set menu at the Steakhouse (a la carte) where the rest are all buffet style. We say many men in shorts and flip flops in all restaurants, however, women cannot wear a bathing suit at dinner, for the most part women have no dress code. Most men seemed to at least wear collared shirts and close toed shoes. There is a snack bar open during the day at the end of the main buffet, and a second buffet at the opposite end of the resort, away from the beach. If you wanted a bottle of wine you had to pay extra but if you get to know the servers well, they may let you take one for free. Best server was Alejandro at the buffet then the Italian restaurant. He was very accommodating and remembered us each day. We tipped a couple bucks (either US or pesos) each meal, but we noticed many do not. It is a personal choice.
Fitness Facility/Spa: Spa seemed to be pricey, as they often are, and we did not use the facilities. The fitness room had about 5-6 cardio machines and some free weights and a somewhat working cable machine. Free weights I believe only went up to 50lbs.
Animals: There are about 5-6 resort cats. We brought them cat treats from home, which they were spoiled with daly, when they were out and about. A couple are skittish but friendly. Does not seem to be a bother, nor do they go hungry. It is hot during the day so for the most part they come out around dinner time. I did get mosquito bites, but not as many as some tips, probably because of the heat. We did have a beetle in our room and we saw one cockroach at one of the outdoor bars.
Bars/Nightclub: There are many bars around the complex. We stayed mostly at the Lobby Bar, which was very hot most nights, no real air circulation. The second bar we discovered later in the week that we hung out in in the evening was on the other side of the lobby closer to the water slides. It had much more air circulation, and was a bit quieter. The problem with these bars is they close at 12 midnight and 11pm respectively. If you want to continue partying beyond that the only bars open are the sports bar (small, crowded and loud but has late night snacks like burgers and hotdogs), or Pacha, the night club. It is open until 3am. They really do shut all the lights off in the lobby bar at midnight I guess to get people to leave. Pacha is lit with lots of music, dancing and people and the night we went it cleared out around 2am. The bartenders are really good there and we never waited very long for a drink. The music is very loud so it is hard to chat and it was quite young for the most part until after about 2am.
Riu Party Complex: There are several parties throughout the week, usually every other day. We missed the Pink Party at the Riu Party Complex on the Friday (located at the Riu Bambu) as we arrived at the hotel too late that day to get ready and grab the transfer. They are usually from 3-7pm and they provide school buses to get people back and forth. People usually dress up and bring a Bubba for drinks. There is a Jungle party on Monday, which we attended and had fun at. The pool at the complex is knee deep and many people were in it at a time so if you are not into crowds and loud music (DJ plays all day) then it is not for you. There are at least 2 bars that we saw and apparently they also serve snacks. There is also VIP bottle service, cheapest is a bottle of vodka I believe for $200US, then you get your own couch area and mix. We did not take advantage of that, but friends did (they were invited by randoms and they enjoyed it). There is also a White party on the Wed at the Riu Republica at night at the entertainment stage. And it alternates to a Neon party on opposite weeks. We hit the White Party and it was fun with dancing and loud music and lots of people. What was good was that we did not have to travel to it as it was at our hotel. The bad part would be if it rained as there is no real shelter.
Medical Facilities: I was one of the unfortunate ones who had to make use of the medical facilities. They are open 9-6pm with a break from 1-3pm. Dr Edwin DeLaCruz was great. He contacted my Canadian insurance through work and quickly was able to establish direct billing. I had a combination of heat stroke, too much dehydration from the heat and from drinking and must have picked up a mild virus (lots of coughing and chills). This was as a result of the first two days there. By day 3 I could barely get out of bed and ended up seeing the doc on day 4. I got a saline and vitamin IV drip for about an hour plus he gave me extra vitamin C, cough syrup, two electrolyte drinks and some tablets to get rid of the virus (2 days worth). By the next day I was feeling about 75% and by the day before we left I was closer to 90% feeling better. We did see some guys with injuries who came in and the doc does his best to treat all at once if he is able. Luckily for my health insurance, it cost me nothing to be seen or to get the medication I needed. Advice, drink tonnes of water during the day. Try to stay cool when you can. The heat this week was truly unbearable.
Checkout/Airport Transfer: Check out was quick and easy, just brought our cards (pool and room) to the front desk and they provided us with an exit ticket to show our transfer driver plus they cut off our wristband. We decided to take a private transfer home through Go Fun Tours, it is usually $60 per car to the airport but we negotiated to $40 because we have used this service before for excursions on the island. They dropped us off right at the terminal where we checked into the airline. Once bags were dropped, we passed through security where we showed our exit eticket and boarding passes.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from RIU Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Riu Republica
Responded Aug 31, 2023
Dear Melissa B., We appreciate you leaving your fabulous evaluation and we are delighted to read your positive comments. Your evaluation makes us want to continue working to offer the best service. Your detailed feedback will be forwarded for further improvements. We are very happy to read you enjoyed your holiday and we hope you will visit us again very soon. Kindest wishes, Hotel Riu República Online Reputation Manager
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I travelled here with 3 friends in September/ October 2019 for a 2 week holiday and overall we had a fantastic time.
The resort is beautiful and has something for everyone and we made some great friends from around the world from chilling in the pool bars. The resort is well kept and you can see the staff on a daily basis trying to keep it in tip top condition whether it be gardening staff or maintenance.
The variation of restaurants is fantastic and the standard of food is great, in particular the steak and Indian restaurant. Even the buffet restaurant was of high quality and the choice was endless.
There is a fantastic choice of pools to swim in. You have the more lively pools located near the beach and the more chilled and quiet pools located near the adult water park (which is also great fun) There is two pool bars at the beach end of the resort and the staff are wonderful. Even with the hours and effort they must endure dealing with the tipsy holidaymakers on a daily basis, they never fail to smile away and give a great service.
The rooms are clean and tidy. They might be somewhat basic, but they have everything you need for a base whilst on holiday. The double sink, large open plan ceiling shower are fantastic. There’s a safe in the room (free) and also alcoholic optics that are refilled every 2 day’s to compliment the free bar of soft drinks in the room bar.
There resort but a lively array of activities all day, every day and they really do go out their way to make you smile. Twice a week you have the opportunity to go to their sister resort (free 5 minute shuttle drive) and experience one of their pool parties. They were a great experience and there was people of all ages enjoying the party music.
The beach was absolutely beautiful and there was never a short in sun loungers to choose from. There is also a beach bar to keep topping up the cocktails whilst enjoying the sun.
In all, we had a great holiday, despite the few negative reviews we read. The resort caters for all kinds of people, of all ages and we made some great friends from around the world. Me and my friends are mid to late 20’s and we had a great laugh with people of 60+ who enjoyed themselves just as much as we did. I’d happily return to this lovely hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2019
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Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Jan 21, 2020
Dear Nick, Thank you for your kind words and wonderful review! We are beyond thrilled to hear that your stay with us was of five star quality. Certainly, we will be sure to pass on your comments to our staff and let them know what a wonderful job they are doing. It would be our pleasure to welcome you back in the future. Until then all the best! With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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When we decided to book an all inclusive trip to Punta Cana, I did a LOT of research for the best resort that catered to my group of friends. Our ages ranged from 35-50 years old, and we were a mix of couples and singles. Riu República was a perfect resort! The food was amazing... catered to everyone, even picky eaters. The drink selection was great, and the service was exceptional! We never had a rude or dull server... they were all cheery and seemed happy to be working there. Also, they never expected a tip (even though we always left a few bucks at the table). The rooms were super clean with everything you need! Robes, safe, hair dryer, TV with English channels, balcony with seating, a stocked Fridge, and even a booze dispenser... best part is that it was all free! A couple things to note: If you’re picky about your pillows, bring your own cuz the ones they have are not that great. If you’re an early sleeper or prefer to have your room in a quiet area of the resort, ask for a room at the back end of the resort (opposite side of the beach). The rooms near the beach have the big pool and theatre next to it, so it can get VERY loud in the evening. We stayed at the back end, which was a bit of a walk to the beach everyday (less than 8 min), but well worth the exercise and walk for a good nights sleep. There’s also a club in the main lobby that pumps loud music. The beach is beautiful but very crowded with loungers. Like, I would say that maybe half the loungers were actually occupied, but for some reason, staff lay them all out just in case, but the downfall is that there’s barely any room to walk around the loungers. No need to rush to get to the beach to find a lounger, there are PLENTY of them. Overall experience was great, and I would highly recommend any couples, groups, or singles that want to have a good time. Perfect for young adults all the way to older couples/ groups in their 70’s, just wanting to have a good time!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Jan 27, 2020
Dear italarmo, Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! We truly appreciate your wonderful feedback! It was our pleasure to take care of you and we are looking forward to seeing you again in some of our worldwide hotels. Best regards, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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Went there 2 years ago when it opened and the transition team was then starting it off, enjoyed it then..this was our second trip here. It is obvious they are lacking middle management: not enough towels, musty rooms; flat soda served by 20 different people; maid skipped days; food overcooked; some food spoiled; birds and flies rule the dining room; they dump leftover cocktails onto beach sand so flies breed; they are supposed to have a suggestion box but the customer reviews are screened before passing them on; after rain they don’t take the time to dry off the outdoor tables and chairs. Then on the way out they demand their towel cards back on check out so you think all their customers must be low lives. If you want to feel like a nobody, this is the overpriced place to be ignored. (Photo is car rental place in Punta Cana)
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Jan 28, 2020
Dear Norman14th, Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are sorry that in general your experience with us was not what you expected and that you left our hotel with a totally opposite impression to that which we always try to convey. In RIU we are committed to provide excellent quality products and services to our guests, so we appreciate your comments as they help us improve our services. For this reason, we will share your impressions with the Management team to take actions if needed. We hope to host you again in one of our worldwide hotels in the future! Greetings, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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We had an amazing vacation at the Riu Republica. It was our first trip to the DR so we really had no idea of what to expect and were pretty much sold on the fact that it was an “Adults Only” resort. So we gave it a try. We met so many wonderful people and new friends! We booked our transportation to and from the hotel and airport with the most amazing local lady, Erica Espo. We also booked our excursion to Saona Island through her, which is the most gorgeous piece of earth that I’ve encountered yet. If you’re going to the Dominican Republic, I highly recommend a trip to Saona with Erica! She’s truly fabulous!! She provides lots of information about the Dominican in general and was very informative of our entire excursion. She truly does have her clients best interest at heart. Everyone at the resort treated us like family, decorated our breakfast and dinner tables and room daily once they found out we were celebrating our Anniversary. Sang to us, spoiled us with some of the Best Rum, and the islands iconic drink, Mamajuana. I absolutely love it! Its phenomenal. And also the most delicious coffe I’ve ever had, Spanish Coffee ❤️ Our room was cleaned thoroughly every day that we were there. We never felt unsafe at this resort. We were constantly seeing employees cleaning up rather it be at the restaurants, the bars, the grounds keepers, or cleaning up by the pools consistently. We read in some of the reviews that some people were disappointed with the younger crowds getting a little bit carried away and partying it up in the pool area. But we were never bothered by that because we are on vacation, we love to watch other people having a great time, and if you were really that bothered by any of the crowd and or partying there are plenty of other pools that you can go and relax by if you’re looking for quiet. There truly is something for everyone at this resort. We saw people from the age of 18 to 80. Most restaurants are buffet style, even the specialty restaurants. But it suited us just fine. There were a few dishes they were absolutely extraordinary in our opinion and also a few that were just mediocre. However neither one of us went hungry and we could always find something to eat for every meal that we liked. The jerk chicken hut between the pool And beach area is phenomenal! We had it every day for lunch during our weeks stay. We would absolutely recommend staying at the Riu Republica if you’re traveling to Punta Cana. We will be back, that’s for certain!!
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Apr 29, 2020
Dear Berky76, Thank you so much for your five-star review and for choosing our hotel to celebrate your anniversary. We are thrilled that our staff was able to make your stay special on such an important occasion. We will be back and raring to go soon, stay safe meanwhile! With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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I have been to 12 all inclusive resorts and Riu Republica is by far the best one. Its big, new, very elaborate, very clean, soo many bars and areas to sit and chill. Has like 10 huge pools, 3 with swim up bars, pool lounger chairs, tables in the pool which is great to meet people and chat. Me and my wife went there last week, Jan 21-28 2020 and i read a lot of bad reviews so i was a bit worried but when we got there i quickly realized that reading those reviews was a waist of time. Cause this resort is amazing. The beach is awesome, lots of chairs and shady spots, awesome boogie boarding and playing in the waves. A few vendors which is cool we bought some cool stuff some days and some days didn't want to and there are cool about it. Not pushy at all. Our area of the beach was the best. The hardrock next door was dead. Nobody on there beach barely at all. Our area of the beach you could sign out boogie boards for 20 deposit or catamarans or kayaks. The bus ride to the hotel from the airport was about 20min enough to have a beer. Quick check in, really nice clean lobby. We booked the ocean view which i would highly recommend spending the extra money caus you are right down by the beach and best pools and right close to the main buffet and all the restaurants. This resort is huge, from the very back to the beach is probably a 10-20 min walk depending. There are pools everywhere. Bars everywhere. If you dont mind short 5 min walks then you will love this resort. Our view was amazing.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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Room Tip:Spend the money for ocean view. Above the main buffet. The view and proximity to the main pool is...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Feb 6, 2020
Dear BradGillick, Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Your positive feedback is gratefully received! It brings us great joy to know that you enjoyed your stay with us. It was our pleasure to serve you, and we hope to have you back with us again in the future. With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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My husband and I stayed for our first time at a RIU resort. We tend to always book adults only so this was a determining factor when choosing this resort. Having stayed at other resorts in Punta Cana and other Caribbean destinations,we were disappointed with our stay at RIU Republica. PROS: the beach was lovely, although rough at times, with lots of chairs and shade, the grounds were well kept and were starting to bloom, front desk was helpful, housekeeping in our room was good, nightly entertainment for most part was OK-Michael Jackson show was great! . CONS: Generally, we found resort dirty, rooms were very basic, food was not great-even most of specialty restaurants were buffet style, and when ordering a frozen drink most times you had to ask for alcohol to be added! We tipped daily but it didn't really seem to change anything. Compared to other resorts, this is not a 5 star hotel. The younger 20-30 yr old crowd seemed to like it but if you want better service and food, there are better hotels out there.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Mar 3, 2020
Dear 8540PaulaK, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us and with the travel community! We are happy to learn that overall you had a good time during your stay at our Hotel Riu Republica! We appreciate your kind words and compliments towards most of our products and services. However, we lament that you found some inconveniences that made your stay less enjoyable which we apologize for! We have taken notes of these concerns and suggestions and will share them with our Management team so that they can take them into consideration! It was our pleasure to take care of you and we look forward to welcoming you back very soon in one of our worldwide hotels! King regards, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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Our Girls Trip was amazing Thanks to RIU Republica. Arrived to our resort after our 25 minute ride enjoying the beautiful scenery and we were greeted with their bell boys taking our luggage and beautiful women handing our drinks to us. Check in was easy and simple and we were off to our beautiful, clean, spacious room. The mattresses were very soft and comfortable our drink bar was full and clean, our fridge was stocked daily with fresh waters, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, club soda and tonic water. Our showers were clean and we had very hot water. Be careful you can't drink the water out of the tap or get it in your mouth. Or you will be in a world of hurt. Don't worry though RIU provides you plenty of drinking water and water to brush your teeth with. Our view was as we imagined. The resort is very large so no need to exercise because we walked 14,000 miles a day. The resort was very well kept, clean, vibrate with life. The pools were also very clean and the staff was amazing at every level. Every employee at this resort was on top of their jobs. From waitresses & waiters to the room service staff, to the entertainment staff, the cooks, landscaping staff, front desk staff, the massage parlor staff!! ALL YOUR RIU STAFF ROCKS!!! Definitely knows how to run a 5 star resort. Very polite, friendly, eager to help and assist you and your needs. The food also was on top, all varieties of food and flavor and talk about presentation. These cooks know how to impress. The beach was clean and plenty of chairs everywhere so no need to be the 1st on the beach. The bartenders are very welcoming and fix the drinks you like. This was hands down the best resort to take your vacation. We look forward to booking our next Girls Trip with RIU!!! Can't wait to come back. We can't speak enough about this amazing, luscious All Adults and All Inclusive Resort
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Review collected in partnership with riu.com
Date of stay: February 2020
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Rooms
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Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Feb 26, 2020
Dear JessicaMayhall, We are truly grateful to read your review!! Many thanks for your time and for trusting in Riu Hotels & Resorts. We do hope to see you again in one of our worldwide hotels!! With you all the best in the meanwhile. Best regards, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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Room 1424 facing Hard Rock Wow just wow! Our second trip here and it just keeps getting better. From the points system to no reservations and now the Jungle Party. Picture two big pools filled with people 2 fully staffed bars and a big big stage with a sound system similar to an AC/DC concert, add a professional DJ who knew his crowd and his craft add crazy costumes professional dancers war paint a playboy bunny and her Marine bodyguard and you have a party. Best party I’ve ever attended, so well organized and safe. The party is 5 minute bus ride to another Riu and they even walk around with a sign to tell you the bus back to Republicia is ready to load. We caught the early bus back after 3 hours, perfect timing!! VIP drinks and seating areas are also available. We still have a few days left in our stay but we are still pumped from yesterday’s trip. Food is wonderful, service is excellent, beach is perfect with lots of trees for shade. Room is new and modern, tv has 107 channels with a few movie channels. No reservations!! Just show up and get seated, so much food. Last night I had a plate sized steak an inch thick that I couldn’t finish, so much food and every one is so nice. Two party pools, 6 lazy pools, the perfect resort. We stayed here last year and they recognized us and treated us like Royalty!! The in-house app turns on when you log into the wifi and it follows you all the way to the beach if you find the right spot wow!! Only one improvement I can see would be a sit down alacart breakfast restaurant and flat bread in the buffets to make wraps for breakfast and lunch. This App even allows you to order beer for your mini bar What??! Crazy. How many other resorts do that and still stay under $1500 Canadian in February in paradise!! See you next year Riu Republicia (we’ll bring our own wraps )
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Feb 11, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for choosing to stay at Hotel Riu Republica once again. We are enchanted to know you had a great time and that you relished our charming hospitality. Certainly, your praises will be passed to the team. It was a pleasure to host you and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Have a great day! Kind regards Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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I have a lot to say about this -adult only- all inclusive. Im going to divide my review in 4 subjects “Food, Rooms, Alcohol and Activities”. The last one will include everything, from the beach to the parties.
Food:
I can say this is the one category that outlast the others. Bad food will make a bad experience, this is one of the things you will remember from the trip. Most of the bakery here feels a little bit “fake”, I didn’t enjoy anything sweet from the offering. Usual all inclusive breakfast, line for omeletts, random things like fish and sausage in the morning, all toped with champagne, not my style.
At lunch it was easy to find something more suitable to eat, from Spain food like “paella”, to Thai noddles and pizza, nothing outstanding, but good enough to eat and go back to the beach.
In dinner things got a little more interesting. They have like 6 different speciality restaurants open and offer food from India to Asia, besides the buffet of course. I tried all of them, the best ones where the Italian and the steak house, STRONGLY recommend you to go grab a good ribeye if you stay here.
BUT one that shocked me was the buffet at night. The quality of the food they brought out at night was really good, from crab to a nice american style burger, you named it, they have it. Thats a big plus to them, I usually don’t like buffets in this hotels, and I liked that one.
Rooms:
You can see the quality in the photos, they where comfy enough, a little bit worn out, like some plugs didn’t work, or that kind of things. But they where really clean and big. Be aware, this is an adults hotel, that means everyone is drunk all the time. That said, ask for the rooms that are not close to the theaters, there are two of this (stay away from them).
Alcohol:
They have normal alcohol, like Jonnie Walker Red, and normal rum from Barceló. The trick is that you check the “good stuff” and order your drinks with that upgraded liquor. For example I orderer a cuba libre with rum “imperial” the best bottle of rum they have. Also, they don’t know how to make a proper mojito.
Activities:
The beach have plenty of chairs for all the hotel, no problem there. A bit windy in February and a rough sea, but that’s not the hotel problem obviously. They had 2 parties a week in another hotel, they took you there for free in buses, I didn’t went to one, but I can tell everyone came back drunk as f@ck.
Everyone is drunk all the time in this hotel. Gym where all right, club was fun if you are there with a group of friends, and shows are awful (like really really bad).
I think that covers all my experience, so, in summary: if you are a group of friends, that like to party and don’t care too much about fine dining, THIS is your hotel. You will have a really good time.
As a grade, I give this 5.5/10 just because this is not meant for me.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Avoid the theaters!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RiuHotelsandResorts, Online Reputation Manager at Riu Republica
Responded Mar 17, 2020
Dear nico_lira, Thank you so much for thoroughly reviewing your stay with us. While it is nice that you enjoyed the food served in our specialty restaurants, we would like to apologize if we did not provide you with the vacation you were looking for and if you were disturbed by some of our guests. Please let us assure you that our staff always does everything in their hands to ensure that everyone has a great vacation and let us remind you that you always have the option to inform one of our staff members about any inappropriate behavior so they can act accordingly. We will share your feedback with our leadership team for a proper follow-up and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again at RIU Hotels & Resorts. With our best wishes we remain, Hotel Riu Republica Online Reputation Manager
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We are in our mid- 50's and just got back.. This is actually not much of a party place if you ask me. Lot's of younger people due to the cost. Bust also many older folk as well.. You'll be fine.. Lot's of quiet areas to relax. The best thing about this place is you can always find beach and pool seats.. they have plenty.. first time I've ever seen this.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
