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Riu Palace Macao Hotel 5 star
Easyexperts
Plage Arena Gorda Punta Cana, Dominican Republic -
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Amy Adejokun Section editor

The Riu Palace Macao is one of two high-class hotels in the Riu chain's five-hotel complex. It provides high-quality facilities and services in pleasant surroundings on the heavenly Punta Cana coast. Peaceful and with no mini-club or playground, this all-inclusive hotel is more suitable for adults as it has a casino. Games lovers will not be disappointed with this superb casino, one of the most renowned in the area.

This hotel review is a translation from the French by the agency Traductéo.

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    • Riu Palace Macao

      Riu Palace Macao   -   © Carlos Rodrigues / EASYVOYAGE

    • Riu Palace Macao

      Riu Palace Macao   -   © Carlos Rodrigues / EASYVOYAGE

       
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    Location 7.0 /10

    The hotel is located right on Arena Gorda beach in the north of the Punta Cana tourist area, the tourist epicentre of the Dominican Republic on the south-east coast, with its 25 mi of fine sandy beaches. Allow for 45 minutes by car from the international airport of Punta Cana (22 mi), and three and a half hours to reach the capital. The town of Higüey and its famous historical basilica is 31 mi away (one hour by road), and the El Cortecito fishing village is 6 mi away.

    Accommodation 7.95 /10

    The 356 bedrooms are tastefully decorated with white walls and provide the comfort you would expect of an internationally-renowned hotel: all have individual air-conditioning as well as a ceiling fan, a mini-bar with water, soft drinks and beer replenished daily, as well as bottles of alcohol suspended above the bar, satellite television (80 channels), a key-operated safe deposit box (free of charge), a telephone (direct international line), and a balcony complete with mosquito net, clothes drying rack, two plastic chairs and a shelf. With light beige tiles and wooden furniture, rooms are decorated with two pretty paintings, lamps set into the walls, a king-size bed with yellow sheets, a round wooden table, two armchairs on an elegant green rug and colourful curtains. You will also find an umbrella and an iron and ironing board in the cupboard. The white bathroom includes a bathtub with a handle and a flexible shower, tissues, hospitality products, a hair-dryer, a bidet and a toilet.

    Overview 8.20 /10

    Located at the heart of a 495,140 sq ft palm grove, the Riu Palace Macao club hotel was opened in 1999. It consists of a large three-storey colonial-style pastel-coloured building which houses 356 bedrooms. The Riu Palace Macao is located at the centre of the Riu chain's enormous five-hotel complex. False carved parrots can be spotted here and there, notably in the lobby area. The swimming pool, open from 8am and 7pm, is very classy, and guarded by four mermaid statues enhanced by four fountains. These mermaids are also to be found at the pool bar. The sun deck includes deckchairs complete with cushions, palm leaf parasols and showers, with a few statues here and there. Evenings can be spent enjoying yourself at La Bohème where shows are put on in Moulin Rouge, Lido and Crazy Horse-style settings, with the French cancan. Other than the La Bohème lounge bar, why not quench your thirst in the Cubano piano bar in the lobby, at the "La Sirène" pool bar, definitely the emblem of the Riu Palace Macao, or at any of the other 11 bars in the resort.

    Food and drink 7.70 /10

    Guests at the Riu Palace Macao have access to all of the resort's restaurants. The Riu Palace Macao has a main buffet, El Patio, which serves international and local cuisine for all three meals: breakfast is served between 7am and 10am, lunch between 1pm and 3pm and dinner between 7pm and 10pm. There is also a pizzeria at the end of Calle Caribeña, near the beach.
    In addition to this, guests of the hotel have access to the resort's 8 restaurants and snack bars.
    The Palace Macao also has three a la carte restaurants that are open in the evening, on reservation: a grill/steak house, a Mediterranean restaurant, the Japanese restaurant Kabuki and the Caribe Grill, from 7pm until 9pm. Downside: large restaurants, away from the centre of the hotel. You have to like large structures.

    The resort's 11 bars are included in the set price.

    Spa

    The Renova Spa has a Jacuzzi, a sauna, four massage rooms where products from the Mary Cohr cosmetic brand (Paris) are used, and a beauty salon.

    Beach 7.95 /10

    Arena Gorda beach is a wide strip of fine sand that is soft and white and bordered by coconut trees surrounded by blocks of stone. With the 28 C° clear turquoise blue waters and coconut palms acting as natural parasols, it is difficult not to fall in love with the place! Further away from the shore, you can see a rusted wreck on the coral reef, following the passage of a cyclone. It is believed to have been a pirate ship! You could also play beach soccer or beach volleyball in the shade of the coconut palms. From the sea, only the coconut palms can be seen, completely concealing the resort. Palm-leaf-roofed massage huts are available on the beach, which is equipped with deckchairs and showers. The water sports base offers a wide variety of activities between 9am and 5pm. An area has been marked out for bathers to avoid them getting mixed up in the water sports activities. The beach bar serves snacks during the day.

    To know

    The Riu Palace Macao is one of five hotels which make up an enormous complex located on the beautiful Arena Gorda beach. This resort, a member of the Spanish Riu Hotels & Resorts chain, is a proper village in itself and has a main street, known as Calle Caribeña, a series of characteristic brightly coloured huts. This street has its fair share of souvenirs and offers many services: pool, photos, massages, travel agencies, paintings, jewellery and handicrafts. Macao is reminiscent of the gambling hell of the former Portuguese colony (the turnover of the casinos is greater than in Las Vegas), which was returned to China in 1999. This name is not without consequences for this Riu hotel which houses one of the most renowned casinos in the area!
    Guests at the Riu Palace Macao can access the entire resort's restaurants and bars. The Riu Palace Macao has a small spa, the Eternal Spa, with a whirlpool bath, a sauna, 4 massage rooms using Mary Cohr (Paris) branded products, a beauty salon and a small fitness room, open between 8am and 8pm, located on Calle Caribeña. With its casino, its sophisticated surroundings and its peacefulness, this hotel is not recommended for children: other hotels in the resort provide mini-clubs and playgrounds.

    Equipment

    • Car park
    • Handicap access
    • Restaurant
    • Internet access
    • Air conditioning
    • Spa

      massage, beauty salon, sauna, (free), stretching, keep fit, spa, Turkish bath, wellness

    • Swimming pool
    • Sports equipment

      tennis, gym, aqua gym, aerobics, football, volleyball, beach volley, horse riding, golf, sailing, kayak, paddle boats, dance, step, bums and tums, water-polo, surfing, fitness, sports

    • Hairdresser
    • Whirlpool bath

      (free)

    • Safe
    • Non-smoking rooms
    • Solarium
    • Meeting room

    advantage

    • Access to the facilities of the resort's other hotels.
    • The superb Arena Gorda beach.
    • The wide choice of restaurants.
    • The casino.

    disadvantages

    • The lack of Dominican lifestyle in Punta Cana.
    • Access to the airport.
    • The enormous size of the resort.

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    • Overall Score nc/10
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