"Horrible Hotel-Roaches-Bad toilets-Food-Beach not blue"
RIU Palace Macao, Punta Cana — October 15–21
Nonworking Toilets, Broken Phones, and Serious Safety Concerns
What should have been an enjoyable girls’ trip with family became a frightening and disappointing experience. I paid approximately $1,800 for my stay, and I expected the basics: a working toilet, a working telephone, a clean room, and safety.
The toilet in my first room did not work, and the toilet in my replacement room barely worked. On vacation, you should not have to worry about whether you can use the bathroom in your own room. The telephones in both rooms also did not work. When something goes wrong—or you feel unsafe—you should be able to call the front desk without getting dressed and going downstairs. These are basic necessities, not luxury amenities.
My first room also had problems with the air-conditioning and fan controls. That evening, someone pounded on my door around 9:00 p.m. and again around 9:30 p.m., without identifying themselves in a way I could understand. Although I was traveling with family, I was alone in my room. I could not reach the peephole without standing on a chair, and there was no additional interior security latch. I reported the incidents the next morning, but similar disturbances happened the following night.
Staff eventually moved me to what they described as a better room. I appreciated the move, but along with the barely functioning toilet and broken telephone, the hair dryer did not work. I reported the hair dryer after dinner and requested a repair. That did not mean I agreed to a late-night visit or entry without my permission.
Late that night, while I was in bed speaking with my husband by phone, a man knocked and entered my room despite my saying “no” at least four times. He spoke Spanish, which I do not understand, and eventually left. As a survivor of a previous attack and sexual assault, I found this especially distressing. The fact that he did not physically harm me does not make entering against my repeated objections acceptable.
Later that night, I found large cockroaches on my bed and had to kill them myself. With no working room telephone, I could not immediately call for assistance. I went to the front desk around 6:50 a.m., before a scheduled excursion, but was told the manager would not arrive until 9:30 a.m.
I raised my concerns repeatedly, including while crying to a female staff member. The room-entry incident was characterized as a “training opportunity.” I was not asking for anyone to be fired; I wanted the seriousness of what happened acknowledged and my safety concerns addressed. Additional unexpected maintenance visits only increased my discomfort.
The beach and food were disappointing as well. During my stay, the beach water was not blue or see-through, and swimming did not feel like a practical option. Overall, the food was below par, with one notable exception: the Asian restaurant was excellent.
When I contacted RIU’s complaints department, I was referred to Expedia because I booked through that platform. Expedia said it did not manage the property and could not resolve the issues, leaving me without a meaningful resolution.
A working toilet, a telephone to reach assistance, and respect for a guest’s refusal to allow entry should be basic expectations. My experience at RIU Palace Macao fell far short of those expectations, and I cannot recommend this property based on my stay.
The staff is this hotels, saving Grace. Although the hotel room was horrible and my experience at this hotel wasn’t great. The staff were friendly. I recommend the omelettes. I highly recommend the Asian restaurant. It’s the only restaurant that served hot fresh food each time I went and ate there. The steakhouse was OK but the food was not hot and the lobster mac & cheese was watery instead of creamy. My guess is to cut cost or stretch the cheese. The first time when we ate at the steakhouse, the bread was piping hot and delicious the other two times we went there. Everything was warm at best. The lobster was rubbery. I do understand it is a resort hotel but I’ve stayed at many resort hotels and the food has been better. I think it’s this hotel chain honestly. This is my third time staying at this hotel chain. I can’t do whatever ever again.
