Let me start by saying that having seen some of the negative reviews about the Riu Bambu on this site I was very aprehensive about our stay. However, how wrong they were and we had a fantastic time.
Having arrived at Punta Cana Airport to a smart terminal with a thatched roof (!) I knew that standards on this island would be better than some of the others we have visited. We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children (13 & 10) and travelled on a Thomsons package holiday to the resort.
The Riu Bambu is set on 35 miles of beautiful beach and is one of 5 Riu properties forming the Punta Cana resort. You can use the facilities of the other Rui Hotels (3 of) but not the two Palace Hotels. Having visited them all I am glad we choose the Bambu. All of the public areas are spotlessly clean and the gandeners are forever tidying up the landscaped gardens around the complex. There are two pools with plenty of loungers and large umbrellas around but there is a lot of shade due to the number of tall palm trees so you may find you are moving your lounger depending where the sun is. The beach is just fantastic and again with plenty of loungers all day. The towel hut did run out of fresh beach towels around lunch time so make sure you get them in time.
The main restaurant (The Colonial) is very good with a massive choice. I can not believe you could not find something you would like from the massive range of salads, pizza, pasta, hot roasts, speciality dishes etc. Mamma Juana on a lunch time is very informal situated nearer the beach/pool and you can again sample a wide variety of both hot and cold things. You can go in there with just you beach wear. On an evening this becomes the a la carte restaurants of Italian and Steakhouse. We tried the Italian and had a really nice meal. Did hear some negative comments about the Steakhouse so we did not bother trying. The best restaurant was the Caribe Grill - had a lovely meal there one evening, situated on the edge of the beach, under a thatched roof with the sound of the sea etc etc.....Regretfully 2 days later it had had a fire and was reduced to a pile of ash on the beach but they were hopeful of having it rebuild by mid September.
The bedrooms were fine. They were clean and comfortable and we all found the beds/pillows to be fine. We opted just to have one room which had 4 beds in and this was a little cramped but it was our choice. The maids did a great job af tidying up after us and often left some fresh flowers or made a 'shape' out of a folded towel.
The highlight certainly for my son was the entertainment team. If you want to take part there is all day entertainment for adults and kids alike, from pilates on the beach, water polo, aqua gym, horse shoes etc. If you don't want to take part then don't! The kids programme is fantastic and far better than kids clubs run by the tour companies in other places we have been.. Although they take children from ages 4-12 I do think their activities are aimed at the older end of the age group. They award certificates each evening for the winners in their games. Angela and Mister OT were excellent and worked very hard to keep the kids amused. One word of warning - if you are used to using kids clubs with your tour operator then note there is no signing in and out procedure here and often my son would turn up back at the pool because they had finished. Not a massive problem as the complex is 100% safe but just a word of warning especially if you have younger kids.
Evening entertainment is not West End standard - if you want this then go to London. The team work really hard to keep everyone entertained, it might be cheesey but hey, you're on holiday!
Drinks from the bar are great. If you want a particular brand (Gordons, Smirnoff etc) then ask for it, if you don't, then you will get the local brand, which is fine. Cocktails are great and they do a good range for the kids too.
British are in the minority which is nice and there were many guests from USA, Canada, Europe, Angentina etc. On one morning you could spot the Brit having a beer with his breakfast! Main language is spanish and you can get by by nodding, smiling, pointing and generally making yourself understood. Please and thank you can be understood in any language.
With regard to tipping - we tipped at dinner if we thought the service had been really good (just a few $) and we did leave a little more for our room maid on a few occasions, as she did a great job. When we had done this there would be a new 'towel statue' or flowers.
Overall, we all had a great holiday. A great resort, great facilities and great people.
Would I go back - YES
Would I recommend it - YES (definately!)
Did I want to come home and go back to work - No !!!!!!!!!!!

the over all stay was great with a few minor issues. first we were put in a room where our balcony looked out to some backyard which was not pleasant, so i asked if our room could be changed to the main walk way and it was with no problems. we also gave a 10$ tip after that. then we came to realize later that night that our shower head was broken and was spraying water out all different ways and very strong. but then my bf fixed it by popping in the rubber back into place, good thing because i did not feel like repacking and moving into another room probably with another flaw. you cannot expect it to be perfect its not the palace!..then we found out we cannot charge our phones, camera, anything you have to go to the lobby and they will charge your phone for you along with everyone elses. so my bf decided to pop off the plastic around the outlit and everything fit and we charged with no roblem except we would sometimes blow out the electricity and we would just call over the guy to put it back on. other biggest issue was when we decided to bring in some bread to the room becuase the buffet closes at 10pm, then we came back to find little ants all over the bread, so that was the last time we brought it food, unless if you want to put it in the refrigerator to keep away from the ants. last issue i had, after reading all the reviews about people complaining about how there was not much variety in the buffet area, arriving there i was amazed on how much food they had to pick from, then i came to realize that it was all repetitive just on different sides of the buffet which makes it look like theres a lot to choose from, except its all the same. but you learn to deal with it and 2nd day youll find something that youll like.

everything else was great, we were more of beach types the waves are fun everyone buys those inflatable toys. its very breezy on the beach so its very relaxing, more then enough palm trees. the pool is very small for the amount of people and KIDS that like to stay at the pool, its also very warm which i did not like after bathing in the hot sun. goodluck with getting a shaded area in the pool area by 8am they were all taken.

shows were boring to me and repetitive every 5 mins they have the same dance for some reason, they do work hard but just wasnt for me id rather walk on the beach be at the bar play cards anything...also it was hard to find a table to watch the show at 9:30.

the smoothies did not have enough alcohol so you have to ask them to put alot in and watch them, also it would melt instantly. my favorite is amaretto sour, beer was very good

they have activities through the whole day every hour for kids and adults which keeps everyone entertained, we played bingo everyday. Thursdays they have a Caribbean night festival.

during our stay we did not get sick however the first 3 days we were in the bathroom after every meal, we just took Imodium and everything was back to normal. we did not drink their water however we did see a lot of people drinking it, what saved me was club soda after 4 days i was dehydrated because i do not drink sweet sodas and alcohol just dehydrates the body so i was dieing for some cold water and then found out they have club soda!

we thought going during the summer time would be overbearingly hot, however it was more humid then hot and by night it was just fine except of course in the buffet, we sat outside most the time.

pacha night club was free one night but you have to pay for the drinks 2 beers came out to 7$ US. not sure if its always free and you pay for the drinks or if you pay to get in and pay for drinks. but that night was free. it was empty at first, so we decided to wait it out and then it got packed, a lot of fun. starts at 11 probably opened till 3am, we were very hungry after drinking though our hotel served us ham and cheese sandwiches by the bar in the lobby, wish they had more to choose from since its all inclusive 24/7.

there's many excursions to go on, we went to on the truck safari something like a 100$ per person, starts at 8am till the latest is 6pm. Very interesting loved it, although i was not happy with our truck they advertise the mega truck that you will be on but you get on a medium sized one very uncomfortably placed seating, extremely bumpy very fun at first but then by the end of the day gets very irritating. at the end of the excursion they get you to horseback riding, i personally did not get on a horse, all the horses are wounded in some way, the metal strap around their mouth they some of them had an open wound where the metal piece kept rubbing against the meat of the horse and blood kept coming out of it. i chose to walk to the bus 5 mins away and leave the horse at rest, everyone including myself got bit by mosquitoes bring bug spray because only in that one area where the horse are walking through the forest there are big mosquitoes and you will get bit. over all definitely worth the experience, its safe, fun, and they feed you. except one idiot threw a rock at an alligator that was already caged up so some [--] do tend to come on board. everyone disliked him the rest of the trip.

last day we left it rained and we thought we got lucky since werent missing out on a beach day, usually their rains last nomore then 30 mins and then its sunny, but this was i guess a tropical storm and our flight was cancelled American Airlines. the punta cana airport did not let anyone stay over night in the airport they said they would help us find hotels to stay at and the airlines would not accommodate our stay. they were finding hotel rooms for 200$US per person at hotels such as majestic, the Riu's, any way, that was way over their heads, some people were taking it because they had children or they did not want to be left without a hotel to stay at, the guy from GoGo found us a hotel room for 60$ US per room so that was a great deal after hearing 200$ per person, but the hotel stay was pretty scary it was on a street the room was not to its best of course, but we made it out safe and we made sure other people were going there as well so we stayed together and left in the morning together. also since it was raining throughout the day the airport had left our luggages outside in the pouring rain and everyone's luggage was soaked with rain, when i opened up my luggage the next morning i had half the luggage with damaged clothing.
best tip i learned is to place a plastic bag around the inside of the lugagge and tie it with ur clothes inside. however my luggage was thin material i assume because my bf's luggage did not get any water through it.



all the minor issues are all manageable, and should not ruin anyone's stay, every hotel has its flaws, so if we had a few ants shower head broken, etc..i didnt mind it, we also found out that they did not change our bed sheets the whole stay that we were there they just some how nicely do your bed as if they are freshly cleaned, not sure what they do with the towels but they looked clean at leats and we left tip everyday. we did call the front desk to sen dus up fresh clean sheets so we can do the beds our selves and they sent them up right away, btu we were to tired to change them and left them for the maid to change them and she still didnt.

i would definitely return to the other Riu s but not riu bambu only because i already know what it is about, but i would gladly recommend it for others.

I returned this morning from a 2 week stay at the Bambu with my partner and 11 year old son. After reading some of the reports before my trip i was slightly apprehensive on the plane trip over to the Dominican, however i soon realised that the people who had written these reviews must be from royal households who are used to being spoonfed and bedbathed!!!!!

There is so much to tell you about ..... i hope you are sitting comfortably

Hotel rooms - Roomy and clean. Beds are large and fairly comfy, pillows are not the softest but if in doubt pack your duckdown!!! Shower is great and the air con works well. The minibar and optics are a real treat and are topped up as you need them with coke,lemonade, tonic, beer and water.

Pools - Didnt really use the larger pool, that was the noisier of the two and had a swim up bar. We frequented the smaller pool which was great and was positioned well for drinks and snacks at the mamajuana restaurant. Always able to get a sunbed which was a pleasant suprise.

Entertainment - very good. The animation team work tirelessly to make sure you are kept happy. Loads of games all day for kids and adults alike and the evening shows are good fun. If you fancy a little merengue there is always someone willing to partner up with you. Hi to Oliver,Cucchi and P.diddy. (oh my god i love my job!!!!).

Clientelle - people from all over the world visit the Bambu. Lots of Canadians, Americans, Itailians, Spanish and other Europeans. A good mix really, plenty of other Brits too

Beach - to die for! The view is breathtaking. Turquiose sea and fine white sand. Palm trees as far as the eye can see and as many sunbeds as you could wish for. Non motorised water sports are free. The kayaks pedalos and catamarans were all good fun. I had a wonderful massage in a hut on the beach, it was sooooo relaxing and was only £20 for half an hour. It was well worth every penny. The kids can also get henna tattoos on the beach.

Food - wow!! the food was great. there was so much to chose from that no one coud possibly moan. A fantastic choice every day. Always a roast, salads, veg, pasta, pizza etc etc the list is endless. There is an Italian and a steak house which are ok. The nicest place to eat was the Caribe grill which sadly burnt down whilst we were there. Lets hope they rebuild it, we had a lovely 5 course meal there overlooking the sea.

Kids view - my son loved every minute of his holiday. We hardly saw him ,he was always off doing something

Weather - very hot and very very humid. The sweat pours off you and you feel quite lethargic for the first couple of days. Make sure you only pack lightweight clothes, it really is hot there.

Golf- My partner played golf at the local couse which he said was superb if a little pricey. It was $120 which included buggy,club hire and drinks and he said the course was beautiful. A must do for any golf addict

drink- everything under the sun available, tried some fab cocktails and loved the chocolate milkshakes and strawberry daiquiri. Also loved the cappuccinos.

Rep - a bit wishy washy but she was on site a lot. I heard from some other holiday makers that she hadnt helped much when they had a problem but hey thats holiday reps i guess!!

Hotel itself - great. All the staff are very helpful and the place is nice and clean. Reception is open 24hrs and there are shops on site for choccy ,crisps cigs and nik naks.

Trips - didnt do any so im afraid we cant comment. We heard mixed reviews about most of the trips but the general consensus seemed to be that they were all overpriced. To be honest you dont really need to pay extra to go on a trip, there is so much to do onsite.

faults - none really but if we really had to nit pick then we would ask for a bar or waiter service on the beach. It wasnt a problem to go and get a drink but it would have been fantastic to have drinks without having to move too far!! We also disliked the smoking in the restaurant although there is a non smoking section
To be honest there really is nothing to moan about. The value for money is fantastic and the quality is superb. If you are looking for great all inclusive holiday where you feel safe and spoiled then this is the holiday for you. We had a fab time, met some great people and we would return in the blink of an eye. Go and book it... you know you want to !!!!! Email me if you want to ask anything else

We booked this hotel for our wedding & had a fabulous time.

The main areas of the hotel are stunning but the room seem a little dated for a 4*, however, that soon paled into insignificance once we got into the swing of things.

Staff are very friendly & accommodating.

Food was gorgeous & there was a wide variety on offer.

The entertainment team were superb, especially Latiti - the name says it all about him.

My main criticism was that the main pool was cold and far too deep for the children and the paddling pool was too deep for my youngest (aged 2) to be in there without armbands. For young children I would recommend the Naiboa as the pool is the most child friendly. The same food is available there even though it is a 3* but the rooms are not up to the Bambu standard.

The Bambu is so great that many from the two neighbouring 5*s came to our pool, which meant it was overcorwded sometimes.

The family are going again later this year so it can't be bad at all.

One of the best holidays I have had in the Caribbean (even if you take out the fact that it was my wedding day)

with regard to the wedding, relax & let them take care of it - mine went without a hitch & they took care of all of the arrangements.