We just returned a few hours ago from our first trip to the DR. We stayed at the Riu Taino in Punta Cana. The resort exceeded our expectations. What a beautiful place this it. It is truly a slice of paradise.
Our room was located three bungalows from the sea and about a simialr short distance from the pool and restaurant. The grounds were immaculate and lush and tropical. I never experienced such a nice looking place. It looks like what I picture Fiji or Tahitti to look like.
The room was a nice size and had a double and single bed. There was an in-room mini-bar as well as a mini-refrigerator. The balcony gave us a view of the Caribbean Sea and a lot of palm trees and other greenery. The sound of the waves each night was fabulous. The floors in the room and bathroom are all tile and very clean, as is the balcony.
The food service was great. Our waiter for dinner each night, Esquibel, was very nice, friendly and attentive to our needs. We developed a nice friendship with him. The main entries are not the same each night as many of the other posts may indicate, although as expected many of the items are carried from night to night. For the average American, the choices will definitely include foods that you likely never tried before. Keep in mind that most of the guests are European. Be prepared for Dominican and European foods. Look at it as a great opportunity to try new dishes. There are more choices than your stomach will allow you to try. We went to the Mediteranio (spelling?) restaurant one night for a nice dinner, but never made it to the steakhouse. Both of these restaurants are about a 5 minute walk from the lobby.
Bar service is great at all the bars. I hate to single out just one bartender since they are all good, but Luis Miguel was my favorite.
The Animacion team was outstanding. These people work countless hours, as they seem to be at the resort organizing and running activities from mid morning until near midnight. The dancing capabilities of the team will "knock your socks off", I have never seen anyone dance as well as Winston. The entertainment was very entertaining. We enjoyed the shows each night and the Carnival on Caribbean street which was held on our final night, Thrusday. The team will teach you how to dance. You can also enjoy Olympic games, volleyball, bocchie (spelling), water polo, kariokie, etc. If you truly want to enjoy you stay at the Riu, PARTICIPATE in the activities offered by the Animacion team throughout the day and night time shows. Remember these names: Winston, Rossy, Johan, Kathy and La Titi (I appologize for any mispelling). These people are amazing individuals and will take your vacation to another level.
There is no evidence of any hurricane damage at the resort with the exception of a ceiling that needs repainted in the lounge. Talking to some of the staff, it appears that they only suffered tree related damage. The grounds are beautiful.
The beach is pure white soft sand. As you enter the water you will encounter coral, particularly on the southern end of the resort. The coral seems to be less prevalent in the area near the sand volleyball court. It was real work snorkeling out the the coral a short distance off the beach. Once at the coral, however, the water is shallow enough to stand on bur make sure you have flippers or it will cut your feet. Make sure you are a decent swimmer before attempting to swim out to what appears to be a relatively short distance. It is further than it looks.
I walked thru the other Riu resort properties, as well as the Iberostar and a few other resort complexes. These are all beautiful resorts, but my wife and I especially enjoyed the beauty of the Riu Taino. It will be our choice of resorts for our next visit to Punta Cana. What a place.
There were guests from Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, the Ukraine and the United States during our stay. There were llikely guests from other countries around the world as well. It ws a great place to experience other cultures. Everyone is there to have a good time.
Dining options include the indoor restaurant, an outdoor terrace for the same restauring, an open air restaurant located adjacent to the pool and ocean, the Pizzaria located at the corner of the Caribbean Street and the ocean (they serve more than pizza) as well as the Mediterranean and Steakhouse restaurants. By the way, the pizza is outstanding, although some of the toppings seem unusual by Pittsburgh standards.
My recommendation...make it the Riu Taino. Be warned, however, that you will not want to return home at the end of your stay.
Nick B
Our room was located three bungalows from the sea and about a simialr short distance from the pool and restaurant. The grounds were immaculate and lush and tropical. I never experienced such a nice looking place. It looks like what I picture Fiji or Tahitti to look like.
The room was a nice size and had a double and single bed. There was an in-room mini-bar as well as a mini-refrigerator. The balcony gave us a view of the Caribbean Sea and a lot of palm trees and other greenery. The sound of the waves each night was fabulous. The floors in the room and bathroom are all tile and very clean, as is the balcony.
The food service was great. Our waiter for dinner each night, Esquibel, was very nice, friendly and attentive to our needs. We developed a nice friendship with him. The main entries are not the same each night as many of the other posts may indicate, although as expected many of the items are carried from night to night. For the average American, the choices will definitely include foods that you likely never tried before. Keep in mind that most of the guests are European. Be prepared for Dominican and European foods. Look at it as a great opportunity to try new dishes. There are more choices than your stomach will allow you to try. We went to the Mediteranio (spelling?) restaurant one night for a nice dinner, but never made it to the steakhouse. Both of these restaurants are about a 5 minute walk from the lobby.
Bar service is great at all the bars. I hate to single out just one bartender since they are all good, but Luis Miguel was my favorite.
The Animacion team was outstanding. These people work countless hours, as they seem to be at the resort organizing and running activities from mid morning until near midnight. The dancing capabilities of the team will "knock your socks off", I have never seen anyone dance as well as Winston. The entertainment was very entertaining. We enjoyed the shows each night and the Carnival on Caribbean street which was held on our final night, Thrusday. The team will teach you how to dance. You can also enjoy Olympic games, volleyball, bocchie (spelling), water polo, kariokie, etc. If you truly want to enjoy you stay at the Riu, PARTICIPATE in the activities offered by the Animacion team throughout the day and night time shows. Remember these names: Winston, Rossy, Johan, Kathy and La Titi (I appologize for any mispelling). These people are amazing individuals and will take your vacation to another level.
There is no evidence of any hurricane damage at the resort with the exception of a ceiling that needs repainted in the lounge. Talking to some of the staff, it appears that they only suffered tree related damage. The grounds are beautiful.
The beach is pure white soft sand. As you enter the water you will encounter coral, particularly on the southern end of the resort. The coral seems to be less prevalent in the area near the sand volleyball court. It was real work snorkeling out the the coral a short distance off the beach. Once at the coral, however, the water is shallow enough to stand on bur make sure you have flippers or it will cut your feet. Make sure you are a decent swimmer before attempting to swim out to what appears to be a relatively short distance. It is further than it looks.
I walked thru the other Riu resort properties, as well as the Iberostar and a few other resort complexes. These are all beautiful resorts, but my wife and I especially enjoyed the beauty of the Riu Taino. It will be our choice of resorts for our next visit to Punta Cana. What a place.
There were guests from Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, the Ukraine and the United States during our stay. There were llikely guests from other countries around the world as well. It ws a great place to experience other cultures. Everyone is there to have a good time.
Dining options include the indoor restaurant, an outdoor terrace for the same restauring, an open air restaurant located adjacent to the pool and ocean, the Pizzaria located at the corner of the Caribbean Street and the ocean (they serve more than pizza) as well as the Mediterranean and Steakhouse restaurants. By the way, the pizza is outstanding, although some of the toppings seem unusual by Pittsburgh standards.
My recommendation...make it the Riu Taino. Be warned, however, that you will not want to return home at the end of your stay.
Nick B