I did indeed meet Karen and Mark at the Riu Palace. In fact, they switched to my room when I left.I ran right into Karen as she was checking in. Based upon her written description, I asked her if she was indeed Karen. It was pretty ironic. I wrote a long extensive review on the Riu Palace and sent it to Debbiesdominican website. Look for it to pop up soon. It is pretty detailed. I loved the Riu Palace and the beach. The only negatives that I had were the chain smokers in the theaters at night, the many kids at the pool, and the bad first floor room overlooking the roofs on Carribean street given to us on day 1.Once the room was changed to oceanview, the vacation turned into a dream. You will love it there.It really was the best that I saw in Punta Cana.