Hotel Riu Bambu — Hotel in Higüey

From the moment we arrived at Riu Bambu, it was clear that this was not the 5-star experience it claims to offer. At best, this is a 3-star resort. Due to weather delays, we arrived late—around 2 AM—with our two young children (3 and 6 years old). Despite the late hour and our obvious struggle, no assistance was offered with our luggage, leaving us to navigate the large property alone while carrying our sleeping kids.

The issues continued the next morning. My in-laws discovered their room safe had been contaminated with urine from a previous guest. Despite immediately notifying the front desk and customer service, it took two full days and the involvement of the hotel manager, Jouane, before the matter was addressed. In our own room, dirty sheets were only replaced the day after we reported them.

To his credit, Jouane was polite and listened to our feedback. I explained that my intention was simply to provide constructive feedback, not to gain compensation. However, despite his attentiveness, no significant action followed to address our concerns.

Food and Dining Issues:

The food was another major disappointment, with both quality and service falling short.

• Undercooked and Oversalted Food: On one occasion, raw hot dogs were being served, and we had to personally inform the head chef, who then had to recook the entire batch. Other dishes were either excessively salty or completely lacking in seasoning.

• Broken Drink Machines: Approximately 30-40% of drink machines in the food halls were broken throughout our stay, leading to long waits and inconvenience.

• Lack of Attentive Service: Staff often required prompting for basic assistance during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rather than monitoring guest needs, they were frequently seen standing in groups or on their mobile phones. In one instance, my father-in-law had to leave the dining hall to get a glass of wine himself after multiple unsuccessful attempts to get a waiter’s attention.

• Table Management Issues: Service staff repeatedly gave away our table to other guests, despite it being clear someone was already seated (e.g., cups turned upright). It was evident that the staff lacked basic training in table setups and cutlery positioning. Tables were often missing spoons, forks, or cups, even when freshly set. To make matters worse, there were occasions when staff attempted to clear plates while we were still eating—a basic hospitality failure.

Service and Attitude:

The front desk service was dismissive and unprofessional. When we reported cockroaches in my in-laws’ room, a staff member named Rene laughed it off, saying, “Cockroaches are pets in the Dominican Republic” and that we should “just enjoy our vacation.” Such a response was both patronizing and insulting.

Amenities and Maintenance The resort’s facilities were equally disappointing:

• Many beach chairs along the pool area and on the beach were broken and unusable, highlighting poor maintenance of the property.

• Smoking was permitted everywhere, including splash pads, water parks, and dining areas, often near children. While the hotel claims to follow international fumigation standards, they disregard health standards regarding secondhand smoke, which is widely known to harm minors and cause cancer. Also, in many countries in the world smoking near kids (under 18) is illegal!

Summary:

Riu Bambu falls far short of its advertised 5-star rating. From dirty rooms, undercooked food, and dismissive staff to poorly maintained amenities and unprofessional service, the experience was a series of disappointments. The lack of basic hospitality standards, such as attentiveness in the dining hall or maintenance of guest comfort, makes this resort feel chaotic and poorly managed.

For travelers considering Riu Bambu, I strongly recommend you research thoroughly before booking.

Our Recommendation:

Avoid Riu Bambu at all costs.

Pictures to follow. And updates will be posted if anything comes to mind.

PS: we will be adding extra info on excursions, and transfers once we are back home in the...

Riu Bambu Punta Cana Review: A Disappointing Stay with Glaring Issues

Our stay at Riu Bambu was profoundly disappointing and stressful, beginning with an unexpected and unjustified charge upon arrival. We chose this resort for a much-needed vacation, but were met with a shocking lack of professionalism, poor hygiene standards, consistently rude general service, and a general disregard for guest well-being. Based on our experience, I would NEVER, EVER RECOMMEND ANY of the RIU RESORTS in the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Our highly anticipated vacation at the Riu Bambu, chosen with the hope of a relaxing and enjoyable getaway, quickly devolved into a series of deeply frustrating and concerning experiences. While a few staff members shone brightly, the vast majority of our stay was marred by extreme unprofessionalism, poor communication, and a disheartening lack of hospitality.

Arrival: A Hellish Start and Unexpected Charges From the very moment we arrived, our vacation began on a sour note. The front desk agent, "Anger" (which was on his nametag, though pronounced differently), was incredibly rude and unprofessional. He stubbornly insisted we had only paid for one room, claiming that what I paid on Priceline, despite clearly stating the price for two rooms, was "too low" for two rooms.

Despite showing him multiple email confirmations proving payment for two rooms, including exchanges with Juan Nuñez who had also confirmed both, he remained unyielding. I even pointed to two room confirmations clearly visible on his own screen under our last name. He then claimed our payment wasn't enough and that it "must be a mistake." When I presented all my documentation again, he snapped, "Look, lady, you only paid enough for one room!"

Because of his insistence and the language barrier (not many people spoke English), I ended up having to pay nearly $1200 for the second room on the spot, despite having already paid for it through Priceline.** I tried calling Priceline for help, but they were already closed. Although I called the next day, they advised me to go back to the front desk, which offered no resolution. This unexpected charge, coupled with the disrespectful outburst, was an absolutely unacceptable way to begin a supposedly relaxing vacation. I definitely plan on reaching out to Riu corporate to investigate this fraudulent charge.

Who This Resort IS (and IS NOT) For: I absolutely DO NOT RECOMMEND the Riu Bambu for adults over 35 or for families seeking a quality, professional, or relaxing experience. This resort seems perfectly suited for party-goers who prioritize excessive drinking and have no concern for quality service, proper hygiene, or a pleasant atmosphere.

A Few Shining Stars Amidst the Gloom: Despite the pervasive issues, a few exceptional individuals stood out and genuinely tried to make a positive impact on our stay.

Pervasive Rudeness and Lack of General Service: Unfortunately, the few excellent staff members were the exception. Approximately 90% of the workers were extremely rude and rarely, if ever, smiled. It felt as though they had no interest in providing hospitality. When we asked for simple things, like a drink poured into two separate glasses, it was met with clear annoyance, as if we were asking too much. At the Hibachi restaurant, a request to move to a clearly available and safer table (away from the heat for our kids) was met with irritation because the waiter had initially told us to sit elsewhere. This pervasive attitude is truly concerning for a hospitality business. I strongly believe that the lack of real names on staff name tags (like Famila, Santa, 21Plus) is a deliberate tactic to avoid accountability and complaints.

**Entertainment & Activities: A Tale of Two Energies: While the overall staff largely lacked energy and smiles, we observed a significant difference in the entertainment:

**Resort Dancers: The resort dancers rarely smiled and performed without energy or apparent enthusiasm, as if they didn't care to perform.

**Riu Party Dancers: In stark contrast,...

I am counting down the days until I can fly home. I chose this resort because I usually vacation with RIU as it has always been a top tier experience, however this is the vacation of hell and it’s only the morning of day 3. I have not been able to sleep due to constantly being bit by something and now seem to be having an allergic reaction. Check in process was quick but the room was in shambles. Lights did not work, the phone did not work, water was cold so unable to shower. I was told this resort had bathtubs for the kids but they do not. The bathroom was moldy. The sheets were stained. The extra blankets have burn holes in them. The room is infested with ants. It took us over 24 hours to get a room change and the only improvement is that the phone works and the bathroom has a bit less mold. The crib the brought for the baby was held together with packing tape however they did bring a new one. Apparently 24 hour room service means 24 hours of no service. The mini bar in the room has bottles that look like they’re 20 years old filled with watered down alcohol.

When I voiced my complaints to the front desk on 5 different occasions to 5 different people the one “gentlemen” yelled at me and wouldn’t let me speak saying best they can do is a room change. It was 12am at the point and I had already asked for a room Change 5 times and now we had just unpacked our bags at 1030 pm and put the 1 and 4 year old to bed so obviously no I would not like to change rooms at midnight. I was told earlier a room change was not possible. We saved for this vacation for an entire year and he acted like we were taking it for granted and should be thankful for the shitty service and accommodations we wasted our Money on. Needless to say the next day at 2 pm we did our room change and spent another half a day getting settled only To realize there’s bed bugs or the ants in here bite.

To say the food is bad is an understatement. I’ve had food in Cuba at a three star that was better. And they can’t make any drinks you ask for as they’ve never heard of any of them

The website said there was more a la cart restaurants then there is. There is only two. And you must book the day before or they won’t serve you. The food is also terrible at the steak house. Fries were cold. They brought one single thumb sized piece of broccoli and some dried out corn. When we asked for butter they said no. When we asked for more broccoli they said no. My kids are starving because they can’t eat anything here. All I have found edible is the bacon they serve cold and hard at the breakfast buffet.

The kids Pool ice ice cold, my girl won’t swim in it and her lips turned blue. Kids Club says daily activities but all they had was crafts.. if you call them that :/ half the time no one is there either so I’m not sure who would bring there kids there and leave them unsupervised as the sign says no parents. I definitely stayed and did not leave my kids alone there.

There are people picking up coconuts in the resort and poking holes in them and selling them…. That is not okay. I had to pay for my son to have a coconut that fell off a tree in a resort we paid 5000$ as a family to be at.

Night time entertainment is terrible and they didn’t have any entertainment last night at all I’m assuming in hopes people would go to the RIU WHITE PARTY. but don’t worry, they had a huge selfie mirror at the exit of the lobby making it crowded by people dressing up for the party and extremely difficult to get by with the stroller so we could go back to our room. Some of the staff is very friendly and some are definitely very miserable and seemingly don’t want to be there.

Their utility closets are open everywhere and I don’t know how far down the holes go but it is a very scary

I’m not sure how this is a 5 star resort. Staying in a hospital back home would be more of a vacation. At least I won’t be getting bit by bugs in the room and the food is served hot.

I’m sure I’ll find more to review as the days go on. Making the best of it for the kids sake. But I just...