Among the lush tropical greenery of the Dominican Republic, near the coral beaches of Punta Cana, stands the snow-white resort of Riu Resort. Several hotels of different categories, working on the All inclusive system , provide high-quality service, excellent cuisine and a lot of opportunities to have fun and enjoy spending time under the emerald umbrellas of coconut trees next to the playful waves of the sky-blue ocean.
Among them, a relatively inexpensive, but quite comfortable Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana) stands out. What is this Dominican resort oasis and how former guests respond about it, we will consider in detail in our review.
Location
Riu Naiboa has an exceptionally favorable geographical position. It is only 30 km from Punta Cana Airport, which guarantees a quick transfer to the hotel. According to tourists, it does not last long: from 20 to 40 minutes. And this is important, because after a twelve-hour flight, as a rule, you want to get to your destination faster and indulge in relaxation in the midst of local beauties, and not look at them indefinitely for a long period of time only from the window of a tourist bus.
It is worth considering that Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana) is removed from megacities and the city bustle will remain far beyond its borders. However, this does not mean that you have to be bored. The hotel offers tourists all kinds of entertainment. In addition, close to Riu Naiboa, there are other resorts of the Riu hotel chain, the infrastructure of which is allowed to use.
And if there is a desire to get out of the greenhouse conditions of the hotel for a while, you can go to the old Dominican town Higuey, located 50 km from it.
Short description
Riu Naiboa 4 * is noticeably inferior in size to its five-star neighbors, which, however, does not make it worse than them. On the contrary, miniature sizes create a feeling of comfort and privacy.
The bright four-story building of the hotel with balconies and terraces is located in a vast tropical garden and as if immersed in emerald green thickets of exotic plants. The picturesque area captivated almost all the guests of Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana). You can see a bird's eye view of the hotel below.
It accommodates a total of 362 rooms, has a 500 m² freshwater swimming pool, and has its own Arena Gorda beach.
Number of rooms
The hotel offers the following room categories:
They differ in layout, furniture design and amenities. So, in the Junior Suite, unlike Standard, there are separate living and sleeping areas. The latter is carpeted and is separated from the first rung. The furniture in the Junior Suite is made in a modern hi-tech style, while in Standard it is wicker. The Junior Suite also includes a hairdryer.
Regardless of the category of rooms have the same color scheme. Shades of indigo and cocoa prevail in them.
Each room has a balcony or terrace overlooking the tropical garden or pool, and also has all the necessary amenities: a bathroom, bath or shower, air conditioning, fan, satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock.
Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana) provides a safe and a regularly replenished minibar with several types of soft drinks, including alcohol. Both services are absolutely free.
Settlement Features
Upon arrival at the hotel, employees greet guests with refreshments and, according to numerous reviews, check in rooms almost instantly.
However, their location in the building is not always successful. Some rooms can annoy tourists with an unpleasant smell, noise coming from the street at night, or a not very attractive view from the balcony or terrace. In this case, it is recommended that you contact the hotel. Friendly staff is always ready to meet the needs of vacationers and change rooms.
The rooms in the hotel are usually clean and comfortable. Tourists note the proper operation of equipment, regular cleaning of rooms, the constant courtesy of staff.
Gastronomic delights at Cohiba Restaurant
And now we will get acquainted with the gastronomic delights that the hotel daily pleases its guests. Cohiba Restaurant serves a buffet in the cozy restaurant.
Tourists meet the new day with a continental or American breakfast. The air flavors of fresh pastries, Dominican coffee and fruits, abundant here: papaya, passion fruit, mango, guanabana, watermelon, banana and pineapple. Smiling cooks fry fried eggs, pancakes and omelets. Cereals, yogurts, cheeses, sausages and other products are displayed on the table in massive containers. The choice of tourists offers freshly squeezed juices, hot and cold drinks, so necessary in the heat that constantly reigns in the Punta Cana area.
Hotel Riu Naiboa 4 * offers an equally varied menu for lunch and dinner. It offers cold and hot dishes of meat, fish and vegetables, several types of pizza, pasta, seafood, soups, many salads, desserts, and ice cream. In the evenings, many people prefer tea and coffee to wine, beer, cocktails, liquors and Dominican rum.
Cohiba Restaurant hosts theme nights every two weeks.
Restaurants, cafes and bars on site: features and reviews
For a meal, you can also eat at the beach cafe. There tourists are waiting for snacks, hot dishes, soups and, of course, soft drinks.
The hotel also has a poolside bar and lobby. Vacationers are unlikely to order there anything substantial from food, but they will easily quench their thirst.
In addition to Cohiba, there is an Italian restaurant on site, where you can dine by ordering the desired dish in advance.
In general, tourists like the cuisine. A variety of dishes and snacks arouse their real delight. However, sometimes unfortunate incidents like overcooked food happen, which provokes some, however, very rare negative reviews.
Freshly squeezed juices, as well as cocktails, of which there are more than twenty species, are especially praised. Tourists note the decent quality of local alcoholic beverages.
Beach holidays among coconut trees
But the greatest delight they have is a beach holiday in the Punta Cana area. Riu Naiboa 4 * (traveler reviews confirm this) has a charming, and most importantly, clean coral beach surrounded by palm trees. The hotel employees regularly clean the algae that the ocean brings, so relaxing there is comfortable and pleasant.
To get from the hotel to the coast, you need to take a two-minute walk. And there vacationers are already waiting for free sunbeds and towels. The hotel does not provide umbrellas, so lying in the sun all day is not recommended. It is better to spend time by the ocean in the morning and evening. At this time, the scorching Dominican sun does not strive to burn the skin.
When the sultry heat makes spending time on the beach impossible, tourists should go to the pool, where you can also swim and sunbathe, lying on sun loungers under umbrellas.
A special pleasure is swimming in the ocean. Many people wonder: is he calm in the Punta Cana area? Riu Naiboa 4 * is unlikely to suit extremals dreaming of giant waves. Arena Gorda beach is protected by a reef located 200 meters from the coastline. Huge ocean waves crash against it and do not reach the bathing area.
Entertainment and sports
Sunbathing and swimming in the long run can get bored, and then it's time to dilute the rest with the entertainment that the hotel generously provides its guests: catamarans, kayaks or pedal boats, scuba diving lessons, windsurfing, and snorkeling.
At the disposal of vacationers are a SPA-center, jacuzzi, sauna, gym, massage room.
Hotel guests can stretch their muscles on one of the four tennis courts belonging to Riu Naiboa 4 * (Dominican Republic / Punta Cana), as well as fight with each other in billiards or play a game of golf.
During the day, animators engage tourists in various games: beach volleyball, water polo, darts or ping pong. And in the evening a fascinating show awaits them. Moreover, it does not repeat from time to time. Every evening, hotel guests enjoy a new program. However, tourists evaluate the animation contradictory. One she seems sluggish, the other it is enough for outdoor activities.
After the show, many go to the Pacha nightclub. Entrance to the disco is free, but this does not apply to alcohol. The club will have to pay for them.
Fans of gambling can visit the casino of the neighboring Riu Palace Macao 5 * hotel.
Shopping
One of the most important components of overseas leisure is shopping. Buying souvenirs and other cute little things is almost always included in the mandatory program. Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana) has a store where you can buy something for memory, and not far (150 m) from the hotel there is the famous Caribbean street, which houses countless shops that are dear to the heart of many tourists who come on vacation to exotic countries.
Is the hotel suitable for families with children?
Riu Naiboa is a great choice for fans of active and noisy holidays. But is it suitable for couples with children? Of course, the hotel provides minimal conditions for the relaxation of its youngest guests. A separate section has been created for them in the pool. There is a playground and a club on site. The hotel's animators develop special programs, and in the evening they hold a disco for children.
However, in their reviews, tourists note that this is not enough, and constant noise, day and night, clearly will not benefit small children. They are of the opinion that Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic) is more suitable for young people who prefer unrestrained fun and thrills.
Connection with the outside world: the Internet
What about the hotel with Wi-Fi? Even in the midst of a vacation, tourists feel like sharing their emotions with friends and relatives who remain at home. Phone calls are expensive, so the Internet is becoming the main means of communication.
In Riu Naiboa, you can connect your phone, tablet or laptop to Wi-Fi in the room, however this is a paid service, as well as in the Internet cafe located on the hotel territory.
If the cost for one reason or another does not suit the tourist, he can use Wi-Fi in the lobby. Hotel Riu Naiboa 4 * (Dominican Republic / Punta Cana) provides him with 90 free minutes per day, for which you can not only make all the necessary calls on mobile applications, but also post new photos to social networks.
According to reviews of former guests, they managed to be on the Internet for a longer period of time. Its quality in the hotel, however, sometimes suffers due to a weak signal.
What else do you need to know about the hotel?
In addition to all the abovementioned entertainments and services, the tourist should know that there is a laundry on the hotel territory, where, if necessary, one can take his belongings, as well as a solarium and a hairdresser.
Riu Naiboa has a currency exchange office, and at the reception you can rent a car for personal use and leave it in the parking lot provided by the hotel.
Riu Naiboa vacationers pay with Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Travel Planning: Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, Riu Naiboa 4 *
Tours at Riu Naiboa can be booked at any time. The Dominican Republic welcomes guests all year round. However, when planning a trip, it is necessary to take into account some significant nuances. The period from mid-May to mid-July is called the rainy season, and August and September are called the wind season. The weather in these months is not always inclement. Experienced travelers claim that in general it is tolerant and suitable for recreation. But in order to avoid misunderstandings, it is better to inquire before buying a tour.
The hottest time in the Dominican Republic is August, the most popular is the winter months. In terms of price, the difference will be insignificant. Save early help or last minute deals.
Reservation
Tourists can plan their trip to Punta Cana on their own. Many take on this kind of difficulty in order to save. However, according to travelers, it’s cheaper to use the services of a travel agency. However, as an experiment, you can try to organize your own trip to such an exotic place as Riu Naiboa 4 * (Punta Cana). "Booking" is a modern portal for searching and booking hotels online. From the available options, you need to choose the right number taking into account the number of people and the necessary amenities. However, you should prepare for the fact that the Riu Naiboa 4 * hotel (Punta Cana / Dominican Republic) may not be in the reservation system. Booking is nonetheless the most popular self-service hotel reservation service worldwide.
Also, when planning a trip, you need to decide on the appropriate airline, decide whether the flight will be direct or with a change, think about how to get from the airport to the hotel. Self-organization of the trip takes a lot of time and effort, however, such chores can be pleasant, because we are talking about the Dominican Republic, a country in which rest is remembered for a lifetime.