My Husband and I just returned last night from a long weekend at Riu Naiboa. We were looking for a 5 day inexpensive getaway to the beach and Naiboa was perfect for just that! I had read many reviews prior to traveling so I promised upon my return to go back to travel advisor and share my comments. We had stayed at a Riu resort in Jamaica several years ago which we enjoyed and we have only heard about Riu's good reputation.

Naiboa is the least expensive and oldest of the 5 Riu's located in Punta Cana. The rooms were definitely in need of updating-new beds, linens and bathrooms would do the trick but overall they were clean and if you needed anything the staff would do whatever possible to accommodate you. For example, we changed our first room to one with a queen bed (which I would recommend-versus the standard room) and requested 2 extra pillows and an extra sheet (since they did not use a mattress cover) and they provided them for us that night. Somehow we managed to sleep even though the bed was not the most comfortable-Maybe that doesn't even matter after a long day drinking on the beach in the sun??

The restaurants at Naiboa were the same-outdated. But the food was decent and we did not get sick like others have complained of after visiting Punta Cana. They certainly had quite a spread for every meal....it was just difficult to find a lot that we liked. The food seemed to cater to the Europeans. But believe me we far from starved to death! The meals were served buffet style. I liked the breakfasts-especially the fresh fruit drinks, french toast, omelets, and bacon. Lunch on the other hand was not as hot. They served salad, pizza, pasta, dogs and burgers-sounds good but just tasted strange...we ate way to many french fries-which were good. Dinners had a large selection but just not that great- Paella was good. Had one dinner at the Italian-A la carte restaurant, where you have to make reservations early in the morning but this was not impressive. Here they serve you very similar food to the buffet but it was nice to go somewhere different. My husband did not enjoy having to wear pants to dinner every night even at the buffet restaurant. (He even got reprimanded one night for wearing shorts!)

The drinks are good. During the day enjoyed frozen Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, and Mai Tai's. Rum and Coke later in the afternoon and wine with dinner. The alcohol is all average brands-no top shelf here! Bartenders are nice-no tips necessary but $1 here or there doesn't hurt. Don't miss the Dominican Rum called "Mama Juana" as an after dinner drink-might make you get crazy at the end of the night ;)

The beach is beautiful! Clean and plenty of chairs for every
one. If you are not interested in excursions tell anyone that asks "No Gracias" right away or they may annoy you. Oh and make sure you know your basic Spanish-not many people spoke English. Fresh coconuts were fun on the beach every day. Oh and be prepared for European topless women on the beach-and let loose take off your top- your on vacation-its fun to feel free (I did)! If your a pool person (we like the beach), the pool at Naiboa looked very nice and all of the other pools at the Riu's also looked nice and clean. We just prefer the ocean.

The coolest thing is that all 5 resorts are connected and so
you are able to walk around and enjoy all of them. If you go make sure you go check out the two Palace resorts-they are beautiful but you have to pay for a drink at either of them. Also have to pay for drinks at Pacha night club-the night hot spot-ok if you like Spanish music. Casino was small and a little sketchy. The entertainment was interesting-the staff is all very dedicated to their jobs and friendly. The shows at night were done in Spanish-dancers were talented. The grounds on all the resorts are fabulous-well kept lush greens and palm trees. Caribbean street is the walkway to the beach and has cute little boutiques which we liked. Thursday night Carnival is held there which is fun.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at Naiboa. The weather was beautiful-lots of sunshine but not unbearably hot. We came home feeling romantic and relaxed. Just remember that everything is done Caribbean style on Dominican time. No worries Mon!
Have fun and have some Mama Juana for me :)

this hotel was average. The beach was kinda close you just had to walk a little bit. The place where you booked tours was close right near the beach. The resturuants food was ok, it wasn't the best. But we had alot of fun. we met people. Also if you do any tours you should try the banana boat it was awesome. We swam with dolphins too. that was also very awesome(a day trip). So overall this trip was average.

My friend and I just returned from a week at Naiboa and I wish I were still there. The staff were amazing -- everyone was always smiling, singing and dancing. Even in the face of some obnoxious tourists, they were always very friendly and helpful.
The resort itself was smaller than some of the other resorts that I have been to, but we had access to two other RIUs, so it all felt like one huge area. Everything was immaculate.
The beach was beautiful, and I really enjoyed walking down the little shopping street to get to it. It was nice to look in the stores and not have to barter or be hastled. There are some huts a few minutes down on the beach if that is what you are interesting (and it is always interesting)!.
The pool was lovely. At first I was disappointed it didn't have a swim up bar, and thought I would spend my time at one of the other pools, but ended up enjoying it too much to leave.
The food was plentiful and delicious. Always an amazing variety and really tasty. I would have to say that it was as good, if not better, than some of the five star resorts that I have stayed in. I was disappointed by the Italian restaraunt, but the Steak House at the Palace more than made up for it. It was so good, we booked two nights in a row!
While we were there there was a huge variety of people from all over the world -- Canada, United States, Poland, Argentina, England, Germany and Slovakia. Everyone was very friendly and I enjoyed meeting some great new friends.

My husband, daughter and I just got back from RIU Naiboa and it was a dream vacation to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We booked this trip in December and were not sure of what we would find based on some of the reviews we had read.....

The Staff-We were very impressed with all of the staff while we were there for 6 days. The reception staff is awesome, professional, and very helpful. Ceasar made us feel welcome as soon as we walked into open and airy lobby. Our waiter for the week made us feel like we were on a Princess cruise and had great ideas of what to do during our trip. Our maid....I never met a greater spirit in my life. She knew when we would be going to breakfast without putting the sign out and greated us daily with OLA. She made sure that the mini fridge was full with the type of drinks that we wanted and even organized our sun screen daily by size and put the hightest spf in front. Thank you.
The bar tenders really enjoyed making surprise drinks for my daughter (26) and had no problem filling up the insulated cups that we had brought with. Great idea to keep your drinks cold.
The activities team is full of energy and makes everyone feel at home. They went out of their way to answer my daughters questions and were being helpful, not unprofessional.

The rooms-We had 2 rooms on the first floor by the elevators. Great location. The rooms were clean, beds were great, plenty of hangers and drawers to put away our belongings. They have 1 double and 1 single bed. No it is not the Ritz, but we would rate them a 4. The drink dispensor was always full and the minifridge is stocked daily with what we had requested the first day. Thank you for the personal service. The bathroom was clean and the water pressure is wonderful after a day of fun and sun. We found them to be quiet and the view of the palm trees was great. BIG HINT: Many have commented about the air conditioning not working. After reading the hotel manual, we found that as soon as you open the patio door, the air turns off. Once we kept the door closed, the temperature is perfect.

The food-The amount of choices of types of food is plentiful and varied. I was disappointed that there was not more theme nights. The quality of the food was very good and much better than we expected. Had breakfast and lunch at all three resorts that you can use while staying at Naiboa and found that Bamboo is a great place for lunch. A trip to the steak house is a must for everyone! You make your reservation that morning from 7-9 and make sure that you have an empty stomach because 1 plate can feed 2 people easily. The service is 5 star.

The activities-The staff makes sure that there is always something for everyone of all ages. Many young children always seemed to know when the next "class" was and ran to the activities team with smiles on their faces. The shows at night are great and you can go to other 2 RIU locations. We found ourselves traveling the complex to take it all in.
The excursion to Saona is a dream come true. The day includes a great bus trip to the other side of the island and then speed boat trip to the natural swimming pool where the "Pirates of the Carribean" had shots filmed. Then off again to the island that will take your breath away for 2 hours. Sandro was our guide and was a wealth of knowledge in 5 different languages. Lunch and drinks are included and lobster was $20.00. Lobster on the beach, talk about heaven. The trip back is on a Catamaran and a dream come true for my sailor husband.

The beach and shops-The beach is beautiful and there are plenty of chairs for everyone. Many activities or just rest for those who want. Bamboo has an area in the shade that we enjoyed after a day in the sun. Was not impressed with the flea market, about a 15 minute walk. The vendors are pushy and rude. They will make up different prices for each buyer. The shops were great. No bugs at all which was a wonderful surprise. The breeze feels great on the beach and is wonderful for taking out the catamarans available on the beach. You can arrange many outings and activities from the suba vendors on the beach.

5 star extras for a 3 star price-The staff knew that it was our 25th anniversary and they went out of their way to keep the surprises secret from my husband. On the day of the anniversary, we had gifts from staff in our room, a beautifully decorated table for dinner, dancing and singing from the waiters, and a special cake. There was no extra cost and even the maid staff was congratulating us the next day. Awesome job to the entire team.

We would highly recommend RIU to everyone. Having been to other all inclusive resorts, you can not beat the package for the price. Thank you again for a dream vacation.