The hotel was overall okay, but unfortunately it is clearly starting to show its age.
I have been staying at Riu Palace Punta Cana for several years, and this was the first time I truly noticed a decline. The bathroom in my room (35) had several broken amenities and showed a clear lack of maintenance. The drawers in the room were also very difficult to open and close, likely due to damage from humidity and salt air.
Service was another disappointment! Some restaurant staff seemed to forget that they work in a five star resort. On multiple occasions, I witnessed staff yelling at each other and, at times, being rude to guests. Additional training on proper five-star service standards is clearly needed. It’s in these small but important details that the hotel’s prestige is being lost.
Cleanliness was also a concern. I spent a lot of time in the cafeteria next to the lobby and saw cockroaches almost daily. I often found myself having to kill them with my shoes, which is unacceptable for a resort of this category.
The entertainment was also disappointing. Since guests cannot really leave the hotel at night, entertainment plays a major role in the overall experience, but it fell short. The audio quality felt cheap, and the performances were uncomfortable to sit through for more than 10 minutes after dinner. Riu Palace should seriously look at similar Mexico resorts and consider adopting some of their nighttime entertainment concepts.