Making this our 4th trip to this hotel we invited some friends to go with us. We assured them this was a great hotel. Well things can change in one year, the resort as slipped downward. To start there was no air condition in any of the rooms. It seemed to us there was less staff. On a good note the staff that was there was great. It also looked as if the hotel needed some maintenance.
Time for us to try a different resort.

This resort has received many recent reviews so I don't want to repeat what has been already stated- Everything positive that is written about the hotel common areas, beach and service is totally accurate. As you walk around the resort, you truly feel like you are their most important guest in paradise. The staff goes above and beyond, remembering small details about your preferences. With that said, you should know:

Getting there- We booked through Spirit Air Vacations and had no problems. Transfers to and from the hotel with VIP were friendly and on-time.

Rooms- Pretty to look at but with hard beds and poor bedding. As stated in other reviews, the resort has constant problems with AC. Our first room on the 3rd floor was sweltering. We asked to move after one night and ended up on the ground floor. Much better! After speaking to other guests, it appears that the lower floors are generally cooler.

Activities / entertainment - If you're an active person, there's a lot to do on the resort during the day. Most activities are arranged through the Scuba shop. Go early in the morning to arrange what you'd like to do. We tried windsurfing, sailing on a catamaran, and snorkeling, which are all free. If you want to take the banana boats, you negotiate a price directly with the operators. The resort also has water aerobics and games throughout the day. If you prefer to relax, there are plenty of chairs, and excellent wait service around the pool, under the palms, and on the beach. Evening entertainment was decent too. The casino was small, but fun, as was the club. Both don't get going until around midnight. We didn't attend any of the shows.

Riu properties- As a guest of the Palace Macao, you'll have a wristband that allows you to enjoy the other 4 Riu properties, with the exception of the other Palace. We enjoyed visiting adjacent properties, two of which had swim-up bars. Those hotels appeared to have a more party atmosphere. Still, it was nice to return to the elegance of the Macao.

Beach - Beautiful clear water and soft sand. Great for swimming. Reefs just offshore with a variety of marine life. While snorkeling was saw rays, barracuda, flounder, and numerous colorful reef fish. Bring a mug or tumbler with a lid so that you can keep your drinks cool and sand-free while at the beach. The waiters are happy to refill them for you.

Food- Not for me. I hesitate to be too critical, since everyone else in my party was able to find at least a few things to enjoy each meal, but it just didn't suit my palate. Most items were in heavy sauces or dressings. I was surprised at the lack of fresh vegetables and fish choices. The a la carte restaurants, with the exception of the Japanese restaurant, were a disappointment. I thought that by going with the a la carte, the food would be cooked-to-order. However, most items appeared and tasted like they had been sitting for quite some time. The Japanese restaurant was pretty good.

Drinks- Unlimited, including a regularly re-stocked minibar in your room. Pepsi products. Mixed drinks - most drinks are fruity and very sweet. Wine selection was not good. Presidente beer is tasty, but not stocked in your room.
Liquor is generally bottom-shelf but you can get better brands if you request it. You must pay for drinks in the night club, but they're not expensive.

Misc- We tipped throughout our stay, mainly because the service was so wonderful. Also, most of the staff speak very limited, if any English, so brush up on your Spanish. Even learning a few phrases with help you communicate and get to know your hosts better.

One last thing-I strongly suggest you read the forums at this site to get more helpful tips. I don't think our vacation would have gone as well without the valuable info we got from the forums.

Hi . We recently returned from a stay at this fantastic property. We stayed there from June 13, 2008 until June 20, 2008. We also stayed there on Jan. 27th for one week. Needless to say, we returned to this resort because it is absolutely fabulous. We loved the size. It is much smaller than the Riu Palace, making it much more easier to socialize with other guests. It also was easy to get around, and we never had trouble finding anything.

The rooms are beautifully furnished, with marble everywhere. We had rooms overlooking the pool, which was nice late in the day, when after showering you could still look out at the activity on the resort. Some rooms also afforded a look past the pool, through the trees, to the ocean. There was a mini-bar that was stocked every day. As well, there were liquor dispensers in the room, which we personally never touched. The rooms were always spotless.

The Buffet Restaurant was incredible. I agree with everyone else that the buffet was far superior to the a la cartes. We had superb variety, and they served everything from caviar and champagne, to lasagna. There was something for everyone. We also liked the fact that we were shown to the same table every night. This enabled us to establish a good rapport with our servers. They anticipated our every needs...special kudso to Elias and Villy.

The Bars were just as outstanding. They did not skimp on the alcohol at all. We especially liked the 24 hour bar which served martinins and always had live entertainment at night.

As mentioned in previous reviews, there was no swim-up bar. We actually liked this, because it meant that people were not sitting in one spot and not moving the whole day. It offered lots of shade around it, and the bar service was very quick. We loved the mermaid statues that were everywhere. We also enjoyed the massage hut that operates in between the pool and the beach. The ladies that give the massages know what they are doing...they get out all of your kinks and you leave feeling totally relaxed.

The beach is the best part of the resort, of course. The resort is blessed with lots of natural shade. Riu did not remove a lot of the palm trees, as other resorts have done. There there is a lot of shade to be had...very important when you are going in the summer! For those who wanted to be sun-worshippers, there was plenty of wide-open expanse to sunbathe as well. We have been to many resorts all over Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. The beach at Punta Cana is in my opinion, one of the best in the world. One can walk for miles. The sand is white, powder-soft, and never hot. The ocean is usually clear, due to the reefs just off of the shore. The waves for the most part are very gentle.

I have done most of the excursions in Punta Cana, but the land excursion that I would recommend the most is the Monster Truck Safari. You get a full day of Dominican life experienced in a fun, safe way. You will visit a voodoo doctor, go swimming in the Altos de Chavon River, visit a school, see sugar can plantations, etc. I cannot say enough about this resort. Be careful when booking it. Make sure to request the Monster Truck Safari by name, as there are similar excursion out there that do the same thing, but do not give the same value for money.

The water excursion that I would recommend highly, if you don't mind doing something that is booze-free, is the Coral Reef Explorer. It is owned by the same company that does the Marinarium exucursion, but instead of getting just 45 minutes of snorkelling, you get about 3 hours, along with getting personal encounters with de-stinged stingrays, and swimming with sandsharks. It is one of the best snorkelling excursions I have had. The reefs are beautiful, and the whole things is very relaxing. You can take out water kayaks, and even get a massage for free!

On the whole, I abosutely love Punta Cana, and plan to return again this winter!

My Boyfriend and I went to the Riu Palace Macao on 19th May for a 2 week stay. We travelled with Thomson. We went to the North of the Dominican 2 years ago and stayed at the Riu Merengue so we knew what great service we would receive again staying with Riu. The outbound flight was without doubt more comfortable since Thomson extended the legroom to 33". The only disappointing part of the flight would have to be the meals. The Aldo Zilli food is not great but is better than nothing.
When you arrive at Punta Cana airport some ladies dressed in Dominican costumes will get everyone to have their pictures taken with them. They will be available to buy in the departure lounge when you leave. I think they cost around $10. When you get your luggage and head for the coaches there are lots of men hanging around wanting to carry your cases for you. They will keep asking you for your cases but if you say no politely they will leave you alone. The coach takes about 40 minutes to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we were taken into the lounge and given a cocktail, told a bit about the hotel and given our room information. One of the bellboys brought our cases up to the room. They really appreciate a little tip.
The rooms are very spacious with two queen size beds, satellite tv, air conditioning, iron and board and a safe. There are full size optics in the room as they have in all Riu hotels. There is also a mini fridge with pepsi, 7 up, orange, soda, tonic and beers and water. The fridge is filled up every day and the optics every two. On your first night you have to go the restaraunt and tell them which dinner sitting you want to go to. Our choice were 6.30 and 8.30. There are speciality restaraunts to choose from. You have to book these in the morning. We stayed in the buffet restaraunt and we really enjoyed the food. There is plenty of choice and I can recommend the chocolate cakes! You have your own waiter at dinner. Our waiter was called Villi. He was really good and very friendly. They all work so hard - most from breakfast at 7am to after dinner at 10.30. The entertainment is mainly dancing and shows were the audience participate. You get waiter service day and night.
The pool area was lovely. You may need to reserve sunbeds before breakfast if you like a certain spot. We found we had to as many people had reserved their spots before 8am!
We mainly stayed by the pool during the day and went to the beach later in the afternoon. The beach is wonderful! Lovely white sands and clear water. It is paradise! Be careful in the sea, the waves can get quite strong and can push you over quite easily.
The hotel is a lovely place to stay. We really enjoyed our stay. The staff are very friendly and always check if you are ok and if you need a drink!
The people who were there when we stayed were from all over the world. America, Canada, Spain, Germany and the UK.
This is the ideal hotel for anyone who wants a relaxing break away from it all. Just lie in the sun and enjoy!