ClubHotel Riu Merengue Puerto Plata Dominican Republic. Best Hotel Deals & Reviews

Description:

The Riu Merengue is an all-inclusive resort located on the picturesque Bay of Maimon, on the Northern coast of the Dominican Republic, just 15 minutes from Puerto Plata. Surrounded by mountains and tropical foliage, the views from this beachfront property are breathtaking. This all inclusive resort includes all meals, drinks, and non-motorized watersports. One of the differences between this resort and others, is the in-room liquor dispensers in all categories (a nice inclusion & convenience). There are 544 spacious guestrooms, and a multitude of sports such as windsurfing, sailing, and tennis, as well as games and activities for our guests to choose from. Choose from a variety of dining and entertainment options, including live entertainment, bars, and the Pacha nightclub. Visit the 'Caribbean Street' for shopping, or to book an appointment at the Renova Spa (services not included). Enjoy the exchange privileges program throughout the Riu resort. Property amenities: Outdoor swimming pool with children's section, children's mini-club, daily entertainment program for children ages 4 to 12, This summer, Riu Hotels & Resort will be launching RiuLand, its new concept of children's entertainment and activities created by its Entertainment and Activities Department's team of professionals. The brand-new programme, which even boasts its own image and music, offers children between 4 and 12 a wide array of age-appropriate fun things to do that promote good group dynamics and education in values such as cultural diversity an ecology. Daily activities for adults, 3 lit tennis courts, 2 lit tennis courts at Riu Bachata, aerobics, water polo, boccia, ping pong, one scuba diving lesson in pool, nigthly entertainment including live music and Riu Theme Shows, Pacha Disco (entrance and drinks included), unlimited domestic alcoholic beverages, tropical juice cocktails and soft drinks, all meals and snacks, exchange privileges through out the Riu Complex during the day (Riu Mambo & Riu Bachata). At the Caribbean Street: Fitness center, billiards, El Million Casino (at Riu bachata, entrance included), Spa services; massages and beauty treatments, cigar shop, jewelry, photo studio & lab. Medical staff on call 24 hrs, gift shop, babysitting upon request, car rental, laundry service, all this with extra charge. Riu Merengue is the perfect place to enjoy an unforgettable vacation. Minimum Age: At least one person of 21 years old in every room. The Hotel reserves the right of admission and therefore we may not allow any room in which all guests are younger than 21 years. This situation can have serious consequences and should be avoided at any cost. ***NO STUDENT GROUPS UNDER 21 YEARS OR SPRING BREAKERS ARE ACCPETED ALL YEARR ROUND*** Maximum Occupancy: In all RIU hotels and room categories (unless specified otherwise) the maximum occupancies are 4 bodies in room, either 3 Adults + 1 Child OR 2 Adults + 2 Children. Four adults are NOT permitted. All bodies in room will fit on existing bedding, any special request remains upon availability. Children & and third adult will sleep in existing bedding. Discounts: Children under 2 years stay & eat free. Their age must be specified in the Booking.Honeymooners: Will receive a surprise gift in their room upon arrival. Certificate of Marriage will be required upon arrival. Special requests : Any special request such a extra beds, rollaways, cribs, room next door, remains upon availability of the hotel . Guests will be informed at check in.

Amenities:

24 Hour Reception
Air Conditioned
Babysitting / Child Services
Bar / Lounge
Business Center
Cable / Satellite TV
Complimentary Toiletries
Concierge
Currency Exchange
Disabled Access
Fitness Room
Free Breakfast
Gymnasium
Hair Dryer
High-speed Internet
Housekeeping
Laundry service
Massage / Beauty Centre
Medical Assistance Available
Mini Bar
Multilingual Staff
Parking
Porters
Refrigerator
Restaurant
Room Service
Safe-Deposit Box
Sauna
Security Guard
Swimming pool
Tennis Courts
Tour Desk
TV
Wake-up Service

Check-in:

From 2:00 PM

Check-out:

Prior to 12:00 PM

Location Description:

Located on the beautiful Maimon Bay, 492 feet from the Caribbean Street, 5.5 miles from Puerto Plata and 15.5 miles from Puerto Plata's International Airport.Maimon bay is the place to relax on the beach with a good book and a tropical drink. The main attractions here are the beautiful beach and the beachfront Riu Resorts complex, guests will enjoy the day and nighttime many activities offered at the three all-inclusive Riu Hotels.For a taste of local Dominican culture is easy and fun, visit Puerto Plata is only six miles away. Local excursion: Puerto Plata (16th century fort and amber museum), Cordillera Central Mountains, and Santiago (tobacco and folklore museums).

Dining:

Italian Restaurant, with service at the table, require dinner reservations.

User Reviews:

Rating out of 5

Cleanliness
Facilities
Service
Location
Pricing
Rooms

Overall rating

Based on 57 reviews

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Date of Stay: June, 2009

We Booked through orbitz which took care of everything. In combination with coco tours we had a relaxing trip. The tickets were waiting for us at the AA, coco tours picked us up and dropped us off and our rep left us his number if we needed anything throughout our stay.We stayed at the Merengue for 2 weeks from May 5 to 19 and it cost us $1455 Canadian. Our flights were not ideal because we flew from Calgary to Dallas, spent 11 Hours there, then flew to Miami, then to dominican and the same on the way back, But for the price it was well worth it. I will be booking through orbitz again.First off - The Staff:The staff were incredible, from the bartenders, animation team, to the housekeeping, everyone makes you feel welcome. Tipping is not neccessary, but it does help. We tipped a few bucks here and there and got amazing service at the bars. The drinks were never empty.The Pool: Merengue pool was not very big or extravagant. We prefered the Bachata Pool because there was a waterfall, it was bigger and there was a pool bar.The Sports: The volleyball court was in the shade, the beach soccer court was in the shade so it was tough to keep myself busy and also stay in the sun. The staff is very competitive and get angry when you beat them. The net are very low and they don't play by any prescribed rules, but still fun with people who know how to play.The Beach: In May there are a lot of beach chairs available but the ocean is not swimmable. There are corals and rocks everywhere, if you don't have shoes your feet will get cut up. The chorals break up the waves so its a very boring time in the ocean.Discotech: Drinks were 80% alcohol, and 20% pop. Vodka with a little bit of coke. I am not exagerrating. We drank cervesa at the discotech. The discotech was fun and they played great music.The place was beautiful, the landscapers do a great job!The specialty dinners were really good, but the appetizers were even better (CALAMARI - BEST I'VE EVER HAD). The only negative was that t

	Date of Stay: May, 2009
Very clean. Drinks were poor quality. The hotel was great for a family vacation but not for a couple that just wants to have some drinks and sleep on the beach. Also you have to make reservations at 7:00 am to visit two out of the three restaurants in the hotel. I didn't take a vacation to wake up that early, so I only got to visit one restaurant during my stay.

Date of Stay: September, 2008

This resort is the ONLY one I've seen in the Caribbean without a coffee pot in the room. Also, the variety of food is limited, the room air conditioning was not very good, and their internet service was down far more often than it was 'up'. There was really only one restaurant. Though you might assume from the ad that there were more, the second - and only additional - eating place was the pool bar, which was dedicated each evening to a 'reservations only' establishment. The beach was nice, but relatively small. Three resorts - all owned by the same company - surrounded this area of beach. Long walks were not possible because the beach front only encompassed these three hotels. The fitness facility was a good one, but it was shared by the other two resorts, so it was almost always crowded. Because we have been to the DR six times, we have other resorts with which to compare first hand, and based on previous experiences, we would not return to this one.

Date of Stay: June, 2008

The beach does not have a good quality of sand, somewhat of a muddy consistency and water is murky. swim-up bar is at Riu Bachata in small common pool, lots of children; table tennis is two tables at one bar, photo studio is photographer one night per week in hallway; casino is at Riu Bachata with 32 slots, 3 tables open only at night; room amenities advertised include iron/ironing board, balcony and patio/balcony, mini-bar restocked daily. In actuality, it took 6 days to get a washcloth, only bath and hand towels are provided; there is no ironing board available at all, and you must pay 20 US deposit for an iron; no regular plugs fit into any of the receptacles without an adapter which costs 2 US deposit for each one; the patio/balcony and balcony are one in the same. The bed was like a brick as were the pillows. Mini-bar restocked every 2 days with a 1-gallon jug of water, 3 small bottles of tonic water, 1 diet Pepsi, 2 reg Pepsi, 3 beers (only if all beer has been used), liquor restocked if completely empty. Mold stains in grout between floor tiles. Cannot use tap water for brushing teeth as the city/country has no running water supply, but utilizes cistern tanks. Smallest denomination for money exchange is 100 Peso bills, so you lose money in the exchange at the desk. Unsweetened tea is not available in the restaurants, and the sweetened tea is extremely sweet. When ordering a drink, other than beer, you must specify that you want liquor in the drink or it is served without. Staff was friendly. Children are allowed in the bars, no separate children pool. All in all, not a location that I will visit again.

	Date of Stay: June, 2009
great food very good shows and great people looooots!!!!! of fun

	Date of Stay: February, 2009
The staff was very friendly and personable. I loved the villa style hotel facility and it was clean! I am single and there were a lot of kids but in the end it didn't bother me that much. I would recommend this hotel to others.

Date of Stay: September, 2008

The second day of our vacation was accident filled. My wife slipped out of the shower and onto a more slippery floor. I was unable to pick her up from the floor and called for help. They were very prompt about sending 2 people to help her up off of the floor. We did not find out until we returned home that she has a cracked bone in her foot. I had to complain many times before the hotel supplied a wheel chair. But they would not recognize that she had any injury caused by the hotel. The following day they supplied our room with 3 floor mats. It was a big help.. They tried every way possible to make our stay more comfortable, but the damage was already done.

	Date of Stay: June, 2008
This Hotel is great! You really get your moneys worth and than some. The nightly shows are great and there is something to do for all age groups! I would deffinetly recomend this hotel to any of my friends and I plan to go back soon!

Date of Stay: June, 2009

The location was very nice. The grounds were kept up and the staff were quick to ensure that all of your needs were met. Rooms all have a nice balconey to enjoy the sunshine. Rooms are equipped with a mini bar that allows you to partake of a refreshing beverage(different bottles of alcoholic liquors and non-alcoholic beverages)-Staff inquires in the morning, how many and how much? When we checked in the front staff alerted our group that we were the lucky group that was to receive an up-grade and would be moved to the Bachlata,of course we took them up on the offer. After being there a few days we were able to see a room in the Merengue, which I felt was supreme. Although our rooms at the Bachlata were nice, the rooms at Merengue were laid out better. Also the Merengue is centrally located which makes it convenient to enjoy all of the amenities of all of the resorts. Not all resorts offer the same ammenities(Water activity shop-Merengue...Swim up Bar-Bachlata...Dance Club-Merengue) Don't feel it was an up-grade. After meeting many other people, this is an common occurance-beware. Buffets offered were plentiful and the dining room was tastefully decorated. Breakfast selection was amazing, especially try the fruit smoothies-yum. Lunch and dinner had alot to offer, but was very disappointed with the Steakhouse/Italian Restaurant. For one thing, hard to get reservations, have to go to the main lobby each morning between 8:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M. The Italian and Steakhouse are held in the same restuarant and are only offered on alternative nights. Food was far inferior to the buffets. We had the lamb chops, my brother,the rib-eye(only offered med-well or well)-small portions over-cooked, speciality potatoes were french fries. Not worth the hassle. Staff were wonderful, they went out of there way to ensure that they kept a smile on your face. Notable mentions-Antonio,Pablo and Aehandra. Staff was amazing, they were able to remember your preferences after only meeting you once,

Date of Stay: August, 2008

i would recommend to anyone,great place to be .was there in august 2008.Hotel is very clean staff is great .We were there for a week didn't wanna leave but realty bites we had to leave,we will go back pretty soon . Only thing they would have to improve is the food.It not bad but it's basically same thing everyday ,although you can find food from 6 am till 2 am which was great you don't have to worry about starving .and pool close at 7 pm which i didn't like much .I have to say animation people were very good at what they were doing.Overall everything was great can't complain.You will agree with me when you go there ...Have Fun

Date of Stay: May, 2008

I only came for 4days and 3 nights and din't want to come back. The staff are extremely friendly and there is always animation going on by the pool. The food is good and varies everyday. The rooms are nice and everything was working properly in my room especially the AC. The only thing that i didn't really like was the pool. The pool in this resort is not that big so whe ended up going more to the pool in RIU Bachata. For the price we payed this was a very pleasant trip and i would go back again.

Date of Stay: May, 2009

When we arrived at the Riu Merengue, we found that we had been upgraded to the Riu Bachata. The review is based on the Riu Bachata. There were four members in our party, all recent college graduates. (ages 21) We spent most of our time at the pool, which is amazing. There are two big pools and they were never crowded. They tell you that you cant reserve chairs at the pool but everyone does it. We loved the drink of the day, but there definitely could have been a variety of beer given. They only served Presidente, which is the beer of the island. The air conditioner didnt work in our room, and the bed was just two double beds pushed together. The ceiling fan did give off a decent breeze and it was definitely needed at night. You can drink the water from the resort, just dont drink the water in the shower or from the faucet in your room. They provided us with a gallon of bottled water which was extremely helpful. There were not many people our age at the resort. It never bothered us however, and there were not many screaming kids running around which we definitely liked. Overall, it was extremely enjoyable and definitely worth the money. We would absolutely stay at another RIU hotel again! :)

Date of Stay: January, 2008

The hotel is clean and large. The food is good for an all inclusive with many vegetarian/seafood options. Gym is outdated and not air conditioned. The pool is large and well kept for. There is little if any night activities at the hotel (other than the bars) and casino. Front desk staff are not friendly. Gift shop prices are high. You need to reserve a lounge chair early in the morning. Rooms are clean, but towels seem to be in a short supply. Mattresses are uncomfortable. I have stayed at nicer all inclusive hotels, but this wasn't a bad experience.

Date of Stay: May, 2009

We had a great mini-vacation at Riu. We only had 5 days, so we chose Puerto Plata because it was a short direct flight from Newark. We were on the beach by 1pm on our first day, and even managed to get in a few beach hours on the last day. At Riu, the service was fantastic, food was very good, and the drinks were delicious. We spent most of the time on the beach, and it often felt like our own private beach because of all the palm trees surrounding us. Snorkling and kayaking were fun too. And the pool was great as well. We really had a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation. I would recommend this for any who is looking for an easy vacation. It's easy to get to, and once you're there you don't have to worry about anything. For us, the Saturday to Wednesday vacation was the perfect amount of time. Any longer and we might have wanted to have more to do, or more options for food/drink.

Date of Stay: December, 2007

Great place. Nice area, plenty of activities - when you are active to go for them. Nice dining and good personnel. They also speak good enough english. If you are windsurfer, this place is not for you ! Equipment are junk. Boards and sails are very very old. Most of boards are somehow broken: water in, mast tracks, universals and skin of boards loose. All sails are old "bag type". Any serious windsurfing center would not use these equipment - there is a clear safety risk.

	Date of Stay: May, 2009
This was the worst hotel I have ever stayed at. No a/c, hard beds, room service barge in at 9am in the morning. The same exact food every day. Greasy, buttery and disgusting,,,inability to make reservations at the restaurant.

Date of Stay: May, 2009

My husband and I booked a 4 day, 3 night get away, to the ClubHotel Riu Merengue in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Despite all the favorable reviews we found online, it was by far the worst vacation we have ever taken. It started when we were greeted by one of the front desk staff, who began with a ridiculous monologue consisting of one liners and bad jokes. He boasted about the superior level of service we could expect and then ended his speech by informing us that our room was not ready. He suggested we return in approximately twenty minutes, even though the front desk was filled with hundreds envelopes containing keys to clean and available rooms. Upon our return thirty minutes later, we were told the staff was busy with other guests and that we should come back in an hour. This was totally unacceptable and I refused to wait any longer. Each staff member I spoke to directed me to someone else. Finally, we found someone able to help us and learned that our room had been ready all along. Their website boasts of luxury, five star accommodations, which is why I was extremely disappointed when we were escorted to a tiny, dated guestroom. The bed was two doubles pushed together, there was not a blanket to be found and the toiletries were in paper packets. The mini bar contained a total of two beers and two sodas. In fact, it took an entire day, three phone calls and speaking to a manager before our request to fill the mini bar was addressed. Obtaining a reservation at one of the a la carte restaurants turned out to be impossible. Dinner reservations were taken between the hours of 7:00 and 10:00 am each day. Twice we arrived prior to 8:00 am, only to find out that all the reservations had been taken. I can not understand why a resort with 544 guestrooms, has forty dining tables and only two seatings per night. Basically, a very small percentage of the guests are able to enjoy a sit down meal, while the majority are left to a cafeteria style dinner of repetitive, m

Date of Stay: May, 2009

The RIU Merengue is an all-inclusive resort filled with warmth. As a woman traveling alone, my presence was closely monitored by the hotel staff. They made sure that I had a trustworthy tour guide for the City of Puerto Plata tour--which I embarked upon independently (not including the guide of course); the staff ensured that I did not miss my rural tour departure for a rural section outside of Puerto Plata; and the staff made sure that I was made aware of the many spectacular hotel events. They truly cared about me! All guests are their top priority. The lobby is clean, the bars are clean, the rooms are clean, and the beach is neat. This hotel is a "must see."

	Date of Stay: December, 2007
We had a great familly time there. I called my sister who lives in Tampa to come and joined us there and she came to Riu Merengue and loved it.

	Date of Stay: May, 2009
i went to the beach and everywhere in the hotel is a very nice place!!

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See 14 Photos	User Rating 3.5 out of 5 See 57 reviews ClubHotel Riu Merengue Puerto Plata [] Bahia De Maimon Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Description:
Amenities:

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