Our experience with this hotel started badly on our very first day, and unfortunately the incident that happened that day affected our mood throughout the entire vacation. What was supposed to be our honeymoon started with an extremely upsetting experience, and we never truly managed to shake that feeling for the rest of our stay.
The first and most upsetting incident was with a coconut vendor. We agreed on €10 for two coconuts. When we said we would pay by card because we did not have Dominican pesos, the vendor charged us €100 instead.
After realising that the money withdrawn from our bank account is nearly 100€ in extra,we went to reception to report what had happened, instead of initially trying to help us, we were accused of lying. We were told that this could not have been their worker and that the hotel could not take responsibility for what happened to us because of our “unawareness.”
We then spoke to a manager and showed him the photograph we had taken of the coconut vendor,In the photograph, the person appeared to be wearing clothing identifying him with the Riu hotel. The manager told us that he would investigate the situation and let us know what happened.
We waited five days without receiving any update. On our last day, we finally went back ourselves and asked what had happened. Only then were we given our €100 back. While handling the refund, the manager reassured us that consequences had been taken against the worker and told us that he had been fired.
What makes this even more confusing is that we later spoke with the TUI representative who was present at the hotel during our stay, and we were told that the hotel had told TUI that this person was not their employee.
I am writing this review knowing that the hotel’s response may be something along the lines of: “It was not our worker, but we returned your money.” (which is not the truth).
Yes, you returned our money, and we appreciate that. But that does not change the fact that we were initially accused of lying, were left waiting for five days without an update, and were given a completely different explanation directly by the manager when our money was returned.
During our stay, I became sick in the middle of the night with a very sore throat and completely blocked nose. The hotel information stated that there was a 24-hour doctor and a 24-hour pharmacy.
I contacted the doctor because I simply needed something basic such as paracetamol so that I could sleep. I was told to come the following day with my health/travel insurance.
I then went to reception and literally begged them for help. I was told that they did not have paracetamol and that they could order a pill for approximately $45 (it's another thing why we pay health insurance while booking).
Since the hotel advertised a 24-hour pharmacy, my husband and I walked approximately 20 minutes at 3:00 in the morning to get medication ourselves.
When we arrived, the pharmacy was closed.
This is extremely concerning to us. Guests travel with children, elderly people and people who may suddenly need medical assistance. If a hotel advertises a 24-hour doctor and 24-hour pharmacy, guests should be able to rely on that information, especially during the night when they may genuinely need help.
We also experienced housekeeping problems. Our bed sheets were not changed during our stay, even though they became sandy, and we slept on the same sandy sheets throughout the holiday. On our final night, I personally had to go to reception and ask them to change the sheets.
Overall, we felt that when we needed basic assistance, we were repeatedly left to solve problems ourselves. The level of service and guest care was nowhere near what we expected from a hotel of this standard.
We wanted to relax, enjoy our honeymoon and trust that we had chosen a good hotel. Instead, we spent part of our holiday dealing with situations that should never have happened in the first place.
Returning the €100 was appreciated, but a refund does not erase the experience, the lack of assistance, or the other problems we encountered during our stay.
P.S: You literally have to beg the personal if you want to ask,need help etc.,like not you but they have paid you for your vacation.
