"Check doors-maintenance lacking"
I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel it is important to share our experience so other families are aware.
We chose Riu Palace Bavaro to celebrate my fiancé’s 50th birthday and invited approximately 40 family members and friends from all over to celebrate with us. Our immediate family of five stayed at the resort for six nights, and we hosted a private birthday party that cost nearly $4,000. Between our stay, the private event, excursions, and generous tipping, our family of five alone spent well over $12,000 during our vacation.
The resort itself is beautiful. The beach, pools, and many of the staff members were wonderful, and we made incredible memories with our loved ones. Unfortunately, one serious incident completely overshadowed our experience.
Throughout our stay, we reported an ant problem in our room three separate times, and nothing was done to resolve it.
Then, on our second-to-last day, something much more serious happened. Our 11-year-old son went back to our room to shower and relax. His father brought him to the room and made sure he was settled before returning to the pool. About an hour later, our son came running to the pool hysterically crying.
After taking his shower, he closed the bathroom door and became trapped inside the bathroom for approximately an hour because the door would not open. He was terrified, crying, screaming, and banging on the door, unable to get out. Thankfully, a staff member heard him, and several employees were eventually able to force the door open and free him.
As a parent, seeing your child in that state was heartbreaking. My sister-in-law and I immediately went to the front desk to report what had happened. I was visibly upset, expecting concern, compassion, and some acknowledgment of how traumatic this had been for our son.
Instead, the only response was to send maintenance to repair the bathroom door. We were offered a room change, but since we were checking out the following morning, moving rooms made little sense. Beyond that, there was no meaningful apology, no follow-up to check on our son, and no gesture acknowledging what he had endured.
I understand that accidents can happen anywhere. What disappointed us most was not just the malfunction itself, but the resort’s response afterward. Considering we had chosen this resort for such an important family celebration, brought dozens of loved ones to celebrate with us, and our immediate family alone spent over $12,000 during our stay, we expected much more compassion and concern.
My biggest concern is my son. I sincerely hope this experience doesn’t have a lasting impact on him, but being trapped alone in a bathroom for an hour is something no child should experience. I worry that situations involving bathrooms, elevators, or other enclosed spaces may now cause him anxiety.
If you stay here, I strongly encourage you to check that your bathroom and room doors open properly before using them, especially if you’re traveling with children.
The resort has so much potential, and there were many positive aspects to our vacation. However, guest safety and how management responds when something goes wrong matter just as much as beautiful beaches and amenities. I hope this experience leads to changes so no other family has to go through what ours did.
