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Children
Because so many of our friends have kids, we went searching for a family-friendly
resort. This is not a couples-only resort, like Sandals or Breezes. Kids
are welcome and the Riu complex offers many children's/infant's pools
and all-day kids entertainment (ages 4 - 12) as part of the all-inclusive
package. As a note, children ages 13 and over do count as an adult when
booking a fare. Children ages 2 and over also have a special rate.
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Available
Hotels
We recommend visiting
Debbie's
Dominican Travel and reading the reviews on each of the Riu properties.
We think you'll find that site very helpful when deciding where you wish
to stay.
Below you will also find downloadable fact sheets on each hotel in PDF
format. You must have the free Acrobat Reader to view these files. Get
Acrobat here.
The available resorts in the complex are the following:
Riu Hotel
Palace Macao - A 5-star resort, it's the most expensive, but for
a reason. You have the best of everything and access to everything here.
This is the Riu crown jewel. This is where we're staying.
PDF Fact
Sheet
Club Hotel
Riu Bambu - Also a 5-star, slightly cheaper, so the result isn't
as grand. It's still gorgeous though, and this one has a swim-up bar.
PDF Fact
Sheet
Hotel Riu
Taino - This is a 4-star, but it seems to get the vote for the "party
hotel." It also has a swim-up bar and I've read great reviews of
the pool itself. Apparently more young people hang out at this hotel.
PDF Fact
Sheet
Hotel Riu
Melao - Also a 4-star. This one is different in that it's quaint
and quiet. A little older, but very into customer service. The rooms are
different. Instead of an all-enclosed resort, this one is situated into
little bungalows, 4 rooms per bungalow. It has a small pool, but most
folks head over to the Taino's pool, from what I've read. This hotel is
the least expensive of the bunch, but it also sounds like the cutest.
If we didn't have the wedding package, we'd probably stay here or the
Taino.
PDF Fact
Sheet
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General Riu Resort Information
- Since it is primarily European, topless sunbathing is a fact of life. Accept it, don't gawk, and join in if you see fit!
- Men are required to wear long pants for dining in the evenings at all resort restaurants; women should dress beachy business casual. Keep this in mind while packing.
- The resorts provide you with unlimited bottled water as well as a huge dispenser of purified water to use when brushing your teeth. Don't drink the water. The ice cubes, however, are made from purified water. Purified water is also used in all on-resort cooking. If you eat off-resort, keep this in mind.
- The food is exotic and to European tastes. I've read that many Americans require a day or two of antacid or Pepto-Bismol while adjusting to the food. However, there are hot dogs, french fries, and pizza available as well.
- The US $$ is accepted on resort property and at some off-resort locations. It is not recommended to use a credit card once you are on the island.
- The little things are VERY expensive on the resort property and unavailable off-resort. Make sure you pack lots of sunscreen, toothpaste, and any other small necessities or beauty needs.
The Dominican Republic uses 110 Volt/60 Hz electricity. This is fine for most of our small appliances (razors, hair dryers, curling irons). However, they also use non-polarised outlets. In the U.S., our plugs are polarised, which means one prong is slightly larger than the other. In order for our small appliances to fit the outlets in the Dominican Republic (and everywhere else in the world), we need to use adaptors. The size we need is a universal size "A". You can purchase a grounded "A" adaptor or a non-grounded "A" adaptor. They are fairly low cost and you can find them at Magellan's, Burkhardt's or other travel-related stores, possibly even dep't stores. I have read (but cannot guarantee) that the Riu hotels use 2-prong non-polarised receptacles. Because of the 2-prong possibility, I would recommend not buying the grounded adaptor.
You'll most likely
require a standard, non-grounded "A" adaptor, like the one shown
here.