Riu Naiboa

I’m writing the review whilst sitting waiting for breakfast to open and I’ll keep it short. Some staff are lovely others look like they don’t want to be here at all. The pool has a good vibe, however after two days of non stop really loud music and shouting you want to escape to the beach. The animation team are great they ask if you want to participate if not they leave you alone. There is no quiet or adults pool. Food is fine, typical all inclusive. Spirits are local but enough to get you drunk if you wanted to. My complaint is the noise. At night time there is no where to escape the animation show, so if you don’t want to go you’re surrounded. If you need an early night like we did last night because of a trip we are going to today the music did not stop all night. People shouting and screaming and constant thud of music. It’s too much our room overlooks the pool which is the worst place for it. This isn’t a relaxing hotel, more suited to 18-30s. Btw I am 30 years of age and I find it too much. If you don’t mind super loud music non stop it’s fine- depends what holiday you’re looking for.

Although the hotel was listed as a 3 star on the holiday website, the hotel's rating was a 4 star. Stayed here for 2 fabulous weeks and have nothing bad to say. Welcomed at reception with a cool drink, very quick check-in from friendly staff, information given and we were in our room within 15 minutes maximum. We had a room overlooking the pool; very roomy, bright and cosy. Fridge stocked with local beer, Pepsi, soda water and 2 2litre bottles of water. Also had 4 optics in a cupboard; gin, vodka, white and dark rum, all included. Bathroom was a good size, nice roomy shower, soft towels, soap and shower gel provided. Comfortable beds with good pillows, a table and 2 chairs, and patio furniture were all good; plenty of storage space and a safe in the wardrobe. The dining room was clean, roomy, very friendly staff and a huge selection of food at every meal. Breakfast included cold meats, salads; full English breakfast items; cereals; doughnuts and pastries; local food; fresh fruit juices, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Our waiter, Franklin, was amazing. We sat at one table a couple of times, so he laid it differently to the others, put a drink on the table and kept if for us for every meal. Every meal we were greeted with a High 5 and a friendly Como estas? He always replied Muy bien for us, then brought us a jug of coffee and milk. He kept an eye on us and refilled drinks before the glasses were empty. There is also space outside for dining, but as it was very hot, we preferred to eat inside. Lunch and dinner were as good as the breakfast, with a huge range of American, European and Dominican dishes. The pool was lovely, with gentle slopes in to it, in two places, as well as an island, that gives some shade when the sun is hot. The deepest it gets is about 5 foot. Plenty of sunbeds around the pool, as well as a beach area, that I believe is mostly for young families, but it is very shaded so is lovely to relax in. There is also a waterfall at one end of the pool, and space for little children to play in. The beach is a 10 minute walk away along the Caribbean Street shopping area, where there are gift shops, clothes shops, a 24 hour Doctor and the beach club, that serves food and drinks from about 10 am to 5 pm. Food is basic but well cooked and fresh and the drinks are similar to those served in the hotel. The beach is lovely; soft sand, plenty of sunbeds, areas of shade and lovely warm water. Excursions were okay, but cost quite a bit. We enjoyed the two we did, but were happy to stay in the hotel and enjoy the weather, area and food and drink. We had one day when the room key didn't work, so went to reception, where it was sorted in a matter of minutes; also the Wi-Fi dropped out and we couldn't access it so again it was sorted in a matter of minutes. This hotel, the area, the staff, and everything about it, is up at the top of our favourites list. I would recommend this hotel to families, couples and groups who want to relax, enjoy the beach and eat and drink as much as they want, when they want!! I would also say that the hotel is accessible for mobility impaired guests; there is a ramp at the entrance, the pathways are reasonably flat, there are 2 gentle slopes into the pool and the way out to the pathway to the beach is smooth and gently sloped. There are also slopes up the pool bar, four lifts up to all floors and plenty of space to move around in the dining room. Even the beach bar is accessible by 2 slopes, and the beach is also on the flat.

We booked this all inclusive package very last minute as it was a good price. After reading some recent poor reviews we weren’t expecting much (coupled with the recent deaths of tourists on the island) so went into it with low expectations. We had a fantastic time and felt for the price we paid, was good value for money. The food is pretty average, which we were expecting, however the a la carte restaurant was much better. Unfortunately, mosquitoes are a problem when sitting outside here and also when at the bar in the evening. We made the mistake of booking our excursions through Tui, which were overpriced but admittedly, fantastic - Saona Island is a must. However, we’d say visit Carlos at the Scuba Caribe stand by the pool; his excursion to Saona was exactly the same as ours but half the price! The pool is lovely and staff are friendly enough, some go the extra mile and I think for some, their English is basic, which isn’t a problem. Only a short 5 min walk to the beach, which is amazing. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time - an amazing island and my first time in the Caribbean, we met a really nice couple too who enjoyed their trip as well. The only real negative was that I did get ill on the second day - I’m not sure if it was the food but laying in the sun all day and drinking alcohol probably had something to do with it as well.. Overall, I’d say try to find this hotel as a last minute deal and go into it without sky high expectations. Plenty of families and other holiday makers seemed to be enjoying theirselves, just maybe keep an eye on what you eat from the buffet!