Myself, my fiance, and another couple decided to take a trip to the D.R, and since this was in our price range, we decided to go to the Riu Taino. It was our first trip ever, so we had no clue what to expect. Before I start let me just say that I now know that I need to do research on the resort before actually going.

PROS
- very quick checkin, bell boys very helpful - they met you as soon as you got off the bus and took your luggage where-ever it needed to go.
-all staff was very friendly and kind, especially the bartenders
-room was clean - everything worked the way it was suppose to
-mini-bar in room was stocked daily. if you tipped the staff that was refilling, you could have whatever you wanted (i.e. switch the beer for pepsi)
-the beach was gorgeous! there were plenty of loungers to go around so we didn't have to wait for anyone to leave
-the main pool was awesome - located right off the reception and between 2 of the restaurants (one being outdoors so you didn't have to change if you wanted something to eat)
-breakfast was really good, had lots to choose from and always hot

CONS
-food wasn't the best, and very repetitive. Some thing were very questionable as to what they were....
-nightly entertainment wasn't the greatest. There were always shoes, but some of them really sucked
-having to check out at 11am really sucked considering our bus wasn't scheduled to pick us up until 6pm
-be careful when booking activities. We had booked quite a few with someone who represented the agency we went with, and one of them was cancelled and you'd think that someone would show up at the meeting area to tell you this so you don't wait around for an hour or more .. but no. We eventually got the hint and went back to the resort. We did get our money back tho!! Also, we had booked horseback riding and we waited an extra 45 minutes only to find out by a different person that was scheduling trips that our rep didn't even schedule a pickup for us for the horseback riding.
-while trying to relaxing on the beach, we contantly got harrassed by people trying to sell necklaces and bracelets which were WAYYY too expensive (but you could haggle them tho)
-the disco would open at 10pm, but it wouldn't actually get going until around 2am and you had to pay for your own drinks, when we were told that our drinks would be included...

The other thing that really sucked was when we first arrived at the hotel, we can at the tail end of Tropical Storm Noah? (i think that's what it was called) so it poured for 3 days non stop - but the hotel obviously couldn't control this, so we dealt with it. Next time we'll do our hurricane research, that's for sure!! lol

All and all it was an alright time. I personally wouldn't go back. There wasn't much to do and we didn't want to go off the resort on our own because it looked very sketchy (i know it's a 3rd world country, but I just didn't feel safe)

Hola. Just returned from a 7 night stay at the Riu Taino...this was our Second visit to the Taino...previously have stayed at the Bambu, LTI and Occidential while in Punta CAna.

First off let me mention we are not high mantenance people...we seek from a vacation: A clean, secure hotel, GREAT beach is a must, and good food...oh...and good, cold drinks! If you are looking for 300 percale sheets and fluffy comforters w/ turn down service do NOT book here. The resort is "dated' as far as room decor, and their linens have seen a better day. However the maids had that room sparkling each day, the fridge (yes, it was even cold) was stocked every other day. We wanted more water , and more Beer (rather than club soda etc...) left a few bucks and got plenty!!! The grounds are incredibly clean...and the fauna very lush and pretty! The tall palms...ahhhhhhhh.....beautiful. Like a postcard!

Remember...the doors, and window have to be completly SHUT in order for the air to work in your room.

Bring washclothes if you are partial to using them...they are not stocked in the room. I bought a stack from the dollar store and left them behind at the end.

The food....ok...I am a PICKY eater and I found way more than enough to eat! Seriously...there were alot of choices at the buffet everything was hot and replenished very quickly. There is pasta (variety of sauce choices) or Pizza (probably 5 to choose from each time) for those really hard up w/ the food choices. Every night there was a least one or two choices of each: Pork, Chicken, Fish, Beef!! Three veggies choices and then two or three potato choices! A huge fresh cheese bar and fresh fruit bar! So many choices. If nothing else a person can grab cheese, fresh bread and a variety of lunch meats and build a sub sandwich. Every night there must have been 20 dessert choices and if they weren't enough there was an ice cream cooler where you could scoop your own and build your own sundae.

Beach...as always ...outstanding. I did find that there were way more Scuba Caribe guys bugging us to "book with them" while on the beach than on prior trips here...they were nice enough guys and took "no thanks" nicely but one no sooner left and here came another.....

take a walk down to the Bambu and hang out for awhile it's got a cool vibe. They also have shows at night. We aren't much for "shows" , even tho they are all hard workers...just not our bag...but it is available should you have an interest.

I did the parasail thru them (Scuba Caribe) on the beach for $45.00 US$...go first thing in the a.m. when it's nice and clear and sunny!! My pix turned out great. There was a gal on the boat that offered to do My pix for $20.00 (ten shots) and I pick up the disc and pay at the Scuba Caribe the next day. They were ok pix...better than nothing. Nothing special tho.

The front desk : very nice...Julio Igesis, Lucy and Deyaniara were wonderful (JoAnn the Front Desk Manager)....all great!!

We had our favorite little wait staff also....Breakfast and lunch Conan (super sweet) and in the evenings Ramon and David.

We found the staff to be warm and friendly...however yes, I did see some workers that were almost Aloof, and seemed to be bothered by simple, friendly requests for water, or coffee....who knows tho maybe they were having a bad day. We just focused on the ones that were great.

The wine...pretty average.

Reservations...we had no problems overall making dinner reservations. There was a guy sitting outside of the breakfast buffet taking down reservations.

Internet...suprisingly FAST!! The Internet is located right next to the front desk counter. They are open a good amount of hours like 10:00-10:00 or so...you basically purchase a calling card ...enter the five digit/letter code and use up your minutes. I was suprised how fast the internet was this year compared to last year. I paid I believe $6.00 for 30 minutes. The more you bought the cheaper it was ...this was plenty for me.

The vendors came on site two different nights and set up their wares. Expect to barter.

The Festival was on Carribean street on Thursday night. Colorful and lively.

The Hotel photographer goes around daily to the beach and pool w/ a different critter each day. A 5x7 photo is available for purchase after 5:00 p.m. for $7.00 per photo. We bought a few. Nice quality. Bit overpriced ..but hey...it's vacation.

There was live entertainment that rotated between the Riu Taino and the Riu Naioba. On the other nights there was a DJ playing music. Or you could catch Bingo or other games in the bar area right off the lobby. We were pretty much wiped out each evening so we listened to Musicka and hit the bed!

I got so relaxed sitting on the beach and reading that I forgot to book a massage...lol....but they are available both near the end of Carribean street on the beach or in the Spa on Carribean street.

We didn't hang out at the pool but on the beach and being our 5th to Punta Cana I didn't have a prob w/ the toplessness...what did bug me tho was there were a few guys that would troll a bit too often on the beach w/ their big, big, long, long lenses on their camera's and were busy each day taking way too many pix for my comfort level. Hey...we all snap a pix here and there to show back home how it "really is' on the beach ...but these guys just gave me the creeps!! yuck....If you are in Punta Cana doing the topless thing...you can pretty much expect you are going to end up on the internet from these clowns. Bad vibes...

Find your favorite bartender if you have a favorite drink.... it's funny how they each make a drink differently...lol...and make sure to ask for it w/ alcohol if it's coming out of the slushy type dispensers...they are made alcohol free....just ask...they will pour a generous shot.

We tend to get free Thermo/coffee mugs from various places throughout the year. We take our mugs (NO..they don't have to be the overpriced Bubba mugs...) and have them filled each time you head to the bar. Keeps the cold in, the bugs and sands out and saves from throwing out a million plastic little cups! At the end of our trip we pass it onto someone. This trip it was a guy walking down the beach selling necklaces. I did my bargaining and he kept admiring my glass....done!! It's yours! You would have thought I gave him a ten dollar bill. : ) These mugs come in handy each a.m. for grabbing a cup of joe from the table set up in the lobby about 6:00 a.m. and heading to the beach w/ fresh coffee.

No coffee makers in the rooms.

We requested robes due to the Weight restrictions on our luggage....we got them. Nice, big and fluffy ...delivered to our room for use while there. Nice touch!!

That's about it for what I can remember for now...if there is something specific you would like to know about feel free to PM (private message) me and I'll try to help if I can.



IF you are considering the Riu Taino ..I recommend it if :...you are an easy going person that likes a simple layout of a resort, a great beach, good cold drink, doesn't care much about the nightly entertainment shows...., not looking to be pampered... then this is a great spot...if you are on a special, romantic or once in a lifetime getaway and are looking for plush rooms, lobbies, shows etc...then this really isn't the resort for you...maybe upgrade to the Macao or the Palace. They looked very pretty and grand. MAybe someday we will stay there but for the price we got our trip for and the layout and ambiance of the place...we love the Taino.

Happy safe travels to all of you...don't forget to post your review upon return or even use the forum ...it really is helpful!! Cheers!!

booked not knowing what to expect...we heard mixed reviews about Punta Cana from friends...got there and took an interesting ride to the hotel...we were nervous...bad roads...the bus got hit (no problem, no stopping :) ) arrived at the gated hotel and it was like entering another country...a great property....easy check in...handed a much needed drink and guided to our room....the rest of the week was great...the room, food, service, beach and entertainment was all we hoped for....with this chain you have the run of most of the properties...spent very little money excapt a few tips for service above and beyond.....we will go back....big traffic jam on the way back to the airport and we saw island driving at its worst, so give yourself plenty of leeway

My wife, 8 month old daughter and I stayed at the Riu Taino March 5-12, 2008. We booked through Sunquest Vacations departing from Toronto, Ontario.

The flight down was fine, but don't expect legroom on Skyservice. The places are pretty old too. Coming home, our return flight was fully 5 hours late and we missed our connection in Toronto.

Upon arrival in the Dominican, we were efficiently guided to our bus that took us to the resort. The Sunquest staff were very friendly. It is only about a 25 minute drive to the hotel and on the air conditioned tour bus it went by very quickly.

At the hotel, we had to wait a couple of hours until our room was ready. Like most places, a friendly smile and politeness go along way when making a request of the staff.

Overall, the hotel was very good. Here's the summary of my highs and lows:

Highs:

1) The beach is wonderful white sand, although this isn't specific to this hotel I thought I'd mention it anyway

2) The pool. I think the best of the five Riu hotels in the complex because it has both sunny and shady spots

3) The food. People like to complain about the food at resorts and I think often these complaints are unfair. The food at the Riu Taino, although definitely not low fat, was excellent. I ate everything and didn't get sick once (note: I firmly believe that a lot of people who get sick at resorts and blame the food often actually have sunstroke)

4) The staff. Wonderful! All very nice! Dominican people definitely love babies! We always sat in the same area of the restaurant and had the same servers. Santa & Ramon were excellent!

5) Room cleanliness. The decor in the rooms was lacking (see below) but they were well cleaned daily.

Lows:

1) The beds. My only real major complaint. The beds in the rooms are two twin size beds pushed together to make a quasi-queen sized bed. However each bed was still made with it's own sheets. The beds themselves were old and tired. Very uncomfortable and in need of replacing. The sheets were also old and the pillows too thin. Bring your own pillow or ask for more. Also, the rooms need new curtains etc as they're looking pretty dated.

2) Crowding. In order to get a poolside chair, you'd need to go stake it out before 9am. After that, they're all gone. The adjacent Riu Naiboa hotel has guests who are allowed to use the Taino's facilities and I think that is part of the reason for the crowding. There was always chairs to be had on the beach though.

You may be trying to decide whether to go to the Riu Taino, the Riu Bambu, the Riu Palace Macao or the Riu Naiboa. They are all adjacent to one another and you can walk from one to the next along a paved path on the beachfront. The one adjacent to the Taino is the Macao, followed by the Bambu. The Naiboa is behind the Taino, off the beach.

For younger travellers you'd probably want to stick to the Taino, the Bambu or the Naiboa. The Taino and Bambu are similar in terms of size and price. The Bambu overall did appear a bit nicer but this was very minor. The Naiboa was a hotel style (the Bambu and Taino are Villa style) and a definite downgrade from the other hotels. I would only recommend the Riu Naiboa for those on a serious budget crunch. The Palace Macao was very nice but had a distinctly less "fun-loving" atmosphere. And no swim up bar either! The Macao I would recommend for couples who want a quieter vacation experience.

For anyone who may be curious (I was) as to which resort is immediately adjacent to the Riu Taino, it is the Iberostar.

I would recommend the Riu Taino and would happily return another year, especially if they buy new beds!