Hotel Riu Playa Blanca 5*

After having stayed for 5 days, from July 14 to 19. We arrived at the hotel on the afternoon of July 14; by that time, nothing was prepared. Once we arrived at the front desk, there was a large number of people; neither the travel agent nor the hotel management had prepared anything, all the workers were disorganized, and it took us almost 2 hours to check in. They would not even offer us a bottle of water until we reached the room. The first butler who assisted me at the front desk treated me badly because when my turn arrived, he told me that I had to wait in line where the other people who came in the same group were, even though my room was independent. This bothered me a lot, not because of waiting in line, but because of the way he treated me; he told me to get out because he was going to assist those who were coming behind! That my group was waiting in line with another butler was horrible, almost two hours, dying of thirst and heat, and then he tells me that he is not going to check me in! That I should wait in line somewhere else, because he wanted his line to keep moving. Anyway, a disaster. The rooms were not cleaned well; they had incomplete and sloppy finishing details. The air conditioning does not work well in any of the hotel's restaurants, the heat is unbearable, and the smell coming from the pipes is sour. In the Balboa buffet, the smell is horrible, the food is bad, there are almost no meat or seafood options, the menu was the same all week, and I think I give it only 1 star for food. The pools close early; at 6 they already close the adult pool bar, which should be open until at least 10pm, and a resort's pool should be available 24 hours a day, like in all resorts in the world. The beach area is completely dark at night, so after the sun goes down you have nowhere to swim. In short, for me it was a disaster. The anti-tobacco policies are excessively exclusionary; you cannot smoke anywhere in the hotel. I understand not smoking in the room, restaurants, or indoor areas, but you also cannot smoke on the balcony or in open areas. You can only smoke at the end of the path that leads to the beach, right when the blessed hotel ends. A resort is a place for leisure and fun, and I felt the exact opposite: limited, mistreated, and wanting to go back home immediately! Receiving a visitor in the hotel lobby is prohibited, so if you have family or friends to greet, you must leave the hotel with them or pay for a day pass as the only option, because they do not even allow you to stay in the lobby for a while, where obviously there is no access to bars or anything. Anyway, I am not going back. I loved Panama City and its people, but the Riu management in that location is terrible. The food is disgusting, the rooms are very far from the photos, the light bulbs sometimes do not work, in the lobby you cannot even charge your cell phone because the outlets do not work, smoking a cigarette is an ordeal, they close the pools at 6, there is not much to do, and you are trapped 2 hours from the city. They sold it to me as 5 stars, but after having been to many other resorts, I think 3 stars would be a lot for this hotel. Truly, going to this place seemed like a waste of time, money, and patience. And I repeat it…. DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL!!!! Dominican Republic has much more to offer in terms of service, attention, and food for a better price.

Our First Trip to Panama 🇵🇦 – Honest Review of RIU Playa Blanca It was our first time in Panama 🇵🇦. Overall, our experience at the resort was very satisfying. We never left the resort to explore the rest of Panama, so this review is based entirely on our stay at the hotel. Because of the weather and the El Niño phenomenon, it was extremely hot 🥵—which, honestly, was exactly what we were looking for. When you travel from Canada 🇨🇦 to a sunny destination, that’s what you hope for! We were actually lucky because many local employees told us that this July had been unusually sunny, with beautiful weather about 90% of the time. I learned that Panama has only two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. During our visit, it was technically the rainy season. Although it is very humid, we experienced mostly sunshine. Be prepared for intense heat—around 39°C to 42°C with the humidex every day! 😂 We were also told that Panama’s dry season begins around December (not October), when temperatures remain warm but the humidity is much lower, making it even more comfortable. That probably explains why we saw relatively few Canadians during our stay. One pleasant surprise was the complete absence of mosquitoes. We came prepared with strong insect repellent but never needed to use it once. There were plenty of beach chairs available throughout our stay, and the coconut trees provide natural shade. Since this is considered the low season, about 80% of the guests were from Latin America—mainly Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Argentina, and other nearby countries. Most preferred spending their time around the pools. Yes, some guests can be loud and occasionally play their own music on portable speakers at the beach. Fortunately, hotel security regularly patrols the area and will ask guests to lower the volume if it becomes excessive. As long as the music isn’t too loud, it is generally allowed. If you prefer a quieter spot, simply move farther down the beach and enjoy your day. One thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t the best time of year for swimming in the Pacific Ocean 🌊. The waves are often strong, and there is usually a noticeable undertow. The lifeguards frequently display the red flag, warning swimmers about dangerous conditions. They won’t necessarily stop you from entering the water, but you do so at your own risk, so please be careful. The buffet deserves special recognition. It is spacious and can accommodate many guests comfortably. We found the food to be excellent, with a wide variety available every day. Even during the low season, there were up to three different types of fish, seafood, and unlimited champagne 🥂. I was even surprised to find smoked salmon at breakfast! Unlike some reviewers, I prefer addressing any concerns directly with hotel staff during my stay rather than complaining afterward. Considering that hotels often operate with reduced budgets during the low season, I think the culinary team does an excellent job. After trying two of the à la carte restaurants, we actually preferred returning to the buffet—it really is that good. If your goal is simply to enjoy the best food, don’t feel obligated to reserve the specialty restaurants. The buffet offers more variety, excellent quality, and outstanding service. Please consider tipping your buffet servers. About US$5 per couple is greatly appreciated. They work incredibly hard and are always attentive with nothing more than a polite gesture to get their attention. If you’re looking for a romantic dinner, however, I highly recommend the Steakhouse by the beach. The ocean view, the natural breeze, and the generous portions make for a wonderful evening. I honestly doubt you’ll finish that enormous steak! 😂 The entertainment program is excellent for both children and adults. Personally, we preferred watching the evening shows from a distance while enjoying a local beer. One nice touch is that table service is available at the outdoor theatre during the performances. A few days each week, the pool bar hosts charcoal barbecues. Service begins around 11:30 a.m., but you’ll smell the charcoal grilling as early as 9:00 a.m.—a sure sign that delicious barbecue chicken is on the way. The main buffet opens for lunch at 12:30 p.m., while the beach restaurant offers a buffet lunch beginning at 12:00 noon. We tried both the pool barbecue and the beach restaurant, but since we’re beach lovers, we usually chose to have lunch by the ocean. My only real criticism My only significant criticism concerns the 24-hour Sports Bar snack area. While it’s convenient that it’s open around the clock, the snack selection could definitely be improved. Warm nacho chips with chili or cheese dip aren’t really enough as a late-night meal. The pre-made sandwiches contained so much sauce that, after sitting refrigerated for a while, the bread became soggy. Hot dogs were available as well, but we would have preferred fresh, made-to-order options such as pizza, grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, or simple toasted sandwiches with mustard or other condiments of your choice. To be fair, it is primarily a sports bar with a small snack corner rather than a full cafeteria. Our room We stayed in Room 4041, and overall we were very pleased. The only maintenance issue was that some paint was peeling from the shower ceiling. We didn’t report it because it wasn’t serious enough to affect our stay. However, I believe this is the type of issue that should normally be identified during daily housekeeping inspections. Given the tropical humidity, occasional maintenance is expected. Perhaps the bathroom ventilation wasn’t functioning efficiently. Either way, it wasn’t the end of the world, but it’s unfortunate that a room would be assigned with such an obvious cosmetic issue. It may simply be a communication issue between housekeeping and maintenance departments. Would we return? Absolutely. This time we booked an Ocean View room. Next time, we’d love to try one of the Ocean Front Suites. However, we would probably return during the Canadian winter, which is also Panama’s dry season. We were told there are generally more Canadian, American, and European guests during that period, and that some of the issues we noticed—such as loud music on the beach or overly intoxicated guests around the pool bar—are less common then. Overall, we truly enjoyed our vacation and would gladly return. I hope this review helps anyone planning a trip from Canada during the Canadian summer. I also hope it provides constructive feedback for the hotel management as they prepare for the upcoming high season. Best regards.