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| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
trevor new from aylesbury travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
portland
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2008 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: the riu merengue is a fantastic hotel, very clean, they are always cleaning something. the food was very good some might say a bit samey, but generally very good. location was a bit secluded but with the other two hotels next door plenty to do. staff were really helpful, nothing too much trouble. entertainment is really differcult as they do try to keep all nations that visit happy, very good team. yes i would visit this hotel again, we had a really nice time, no tummy bugs, high hygene standards, overall very pleased.
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Gibson from Fife travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: Brilliant hotel, the fact that you can use the other 2 Hotels does help alot, pool gets busy with the usual sunbed reservist's, but we found the beach to be a bit cooler anyway, you do not have to pay for anything in this hotel although a small $1tip goes down well now and again.
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Becky from Shrewsbury travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I have just come back from the Riu Merengue with my mum dad and brother, im 18 years old and it was the best holiday i have been on! I am currently in the process of booking to go back in September or October! The hotel is extremly clean with maids on the toilets and the resturant door with disinfectant wash! The hotel is right on the beach with is good. The main reason i am going back is beacuse of the staff they are fantastic, i did not want to come home! The animation staff are brilliant they work shift through out the day 10-12.30 then 3-5.30 then 7-11.30 but they are always on the hotel complex inbetween shifts, most of them only have 1 and a half days of a week! Kokoloko was my fav, loved him 2 bits, but they are all brilliant, nothing is to much trouble and they all keep going no matter how tired or hot they are! So big Shout out to Kokoloko, Machine, Matcho Man etc! I want their job!
Any way back to the hotel, you cant get a phone signal with in the hotel you will have to walk up to the wedding point to get a signal, but in my opinion i wouldnt bother taking it, as you will have to much to do! The night time entertainment isnt fantstaic, the animation staff run the shows, but alot of it is dance, they have a carribean steet party and beach party every two weeks which are very good! You will not be disapointed with this hotel!! I cant wait to go back!
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STEVE &SANYA HOWARD from Newcastle upon Tyne travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2007 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The all inclusive in this hotel is very good .
The food was not as good as i had anticipated but fairly good.
The location right on the beach was great for us as we travelled with our daughter and her family.The setting for the hotel was beautiful,the gardens and grounds were immaculately clean and tidy.
The staff here are very very good, nothing is to much bother to anyone from the manager down to the cleaners
and even the ladies dispensing hand cleaner were FIRST CLASS.
The entertainment was varied except for the mini disco every night.There were some very good shows and some not to everyones taste. I have saved the best till last that is the entertainment team they were FANTASTIC bouncing around from morning till midnight.
They can certainly can dance and move parts of their bodies I did not know moved.They definately helped in making this a holiday to remember.
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Nigel from Wigmore travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
4
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2007 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This was our first time to the Dominican Republic, and it was brilliant.
The Hotel with its location right on the beach, and its cleanliness with anti bacterial hand gel being given to you at every food location and in every toilet meant a ill free fortnight.
The entertainment team work so hard day and night to keep adults and kids amused.
The hotel staff are all so friendly and nothing is too much bother.
They had a separate beach for watersports which was great but on our last day 15th April they were moving this to main beach area, so will be interested to see how this will work, as that main beach has a bit of coral, so could be potentially dangerous if you fall off wind surfer or sailing dingy.
This Hotel is a definite to go back to in the very near future.
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cheryl maskey from ipswich travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
first choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2007 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The RIU Merengue is the best hotel I have ever stayed in.
The AI was fabulous, we had no complaints about that at all. The other reviews are what the place is.
I would go again and be spoilt, the people are so friendly and helpful.
The only things that annoyed us were the mobile phones, they do not work because there is a mountain behind the hotel, they need a mast there. The Internet not owned so I was told by the Hotel is expensive, £2.50 for 30 minutes and the phone is of course very expensive.I also think they need an English News Channel.
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Allister & Coral from Bedford travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My wife and I stayed at the Merengue for the first 2 weeks in September and it was the best holiday that we have ever had.
From the minute that we arrived at the hotel reception until the coach turned up to take us back to the airport, we had nothing but positives to report.
The Hotel staff, reception, bar staff, waiters, maids, gardeners, and of coarse the animation team, were all first class and all made you feel as if they were only there for you.
The food in all the restaurants was excellent and the main buffet restaurant had many themed nights, the Mexican night was our favourite, not just a couple of tacos and a tortilla, but a fantastic array of Mexican cuisine.
The entertainment, (animation), team were brilliant and worked absolutely tirelessly. Most of the time the evening entertainment was based on audience participation but they did put on a couple of 1st class shows throughout our fortnight, Africa show, Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc.
The Caribbean Street Party wags our favourite night.,
We thought that the beach parties/BBQ's that were held in the afternoons were great with local dancers/musicians and beach games, very entertaining even if you just like watching.
Although they was always something going on around the beach/pool, you could always find a very quiet and secluded spot if you wished to just relax and read or listen to your music.
We went snorkeling every day and saw a variety of exotic fish and coral as well as organised SCUBA diving which was amazing.
Of all the trips that we went on, the trips organised by the hotel vendors,(not the tour operators), were the best and the best value. We went horse riding 3 times, quad biking, taxi tour, etc. every trip was organised for us by SCUBACARIBE, (thanks Felix ) and each trip was a personal trip, just us and the guide, so we rode for hours along deserted beaches, paradise.
We always took sweets and crayons for the local kids that you meet when you are out, they are always so grateful and accept your gifts with a big thank you and a smile although they never ask or beg, just wait to be offered.
Rooms are comfortable without being luxurious. Mini bars and optics are excellent. I read before I went that you get restocked every other day, well I found out that for a $1 tip, you can get extra beers etc every day, excellent!!
We also left the maids a small tip most days, and in return we had lovely clean rooms and towel sculptures every day, a real nice touch.
We were so impressed that we have already booked to return again next Aug 28th as I could not bear to go somewhere different and be disappointed, can't wait!!!
Allister and Coral
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Charlotte from Norwich travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 6 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel is amazing; the cleanliness is really good, everytime you enter the food hall you have your hands squirted with antiseptic gel, the same as when you leave the toilet. So you have no worries about stomach bugs, none of us had a problem with this.
The food was nice, but it became very repetitive. But still was nothing really to complain about.
The location of the hotel was quite secluded, we never actually left the complex apart from when we went horse riding (a definate must do), you can do this along the beach or up the mountains. If you want to canter and gallop (go fast) with the horses then the beach is the one, if you want to just have a slow walk with the horses then the mountains is the one.
The staff in the hotel cannot do anything more for you, they are so friendly, the animacion team are so funny and romeo is crazy, cheeky monkey is so sweet (oh my god, wow, I love you baby).
Entertainment was good, they all work really hard.
We are going back to this hotel again next year, everything you want is in this hotel; if you are looking for a relaxing but lively when you want it to be holiday then this is the place to be.
The sports beach is really good for 16-30's, it has jet skiing, parasailing, banana boat, canoeing, pedalos etc.
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OPENSHAW from WESTHOUGHTON, BOLTON travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
COSMOS
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fab! Our only complaint was we had to come home and the weight we gained as a result of the fabulous food.
The staff at the riu merengue go out of their way to ensure your holiday is memorable and enjoyable.
You are never stuck for something to eat and the menu was very varied. We have been all inclusive in the past and this hotel far exceed the previous hotels menus. This hotel even offers a waiterless bar, which means you can just help yourself to soft drinks, water, hot drinks, beer and wine when ever you want, of course there are still attended bars, where the staff are always pleasant and happy to oblige.
The hotel does get busy at the weekend, when weekend guests visit, but it was not a problem. It’s only a day or two out of your holiday, when it may be a bit noisy.
Don’t worry about getting up early to snatch a sun lounger, there are more than enough for everyone. With free use of beach towels, which saves you the hassle of taking your own. My one recommendation would be to take a sun dome or brolly if you have small children, as the sun can get strong if you can’t find the shade for them.
We booked 2 rooms, as having a teenage daughter usually results in a fight for the bathroom and wardrobe space. The rooms were clean and comfortable with plenty of storage space and a generous size balcony. The in room bar is useful as well, as you always had a supply of soft drinks, mixers, beer, water and your optics of spirits. The staff kindly stocked our children’s room with extra Pepsi instead of mixers and beer.
You can’t enter the dining room without being provided with medisoap on your hands, which ensures the level of cleanliness is maintained. None of us suffered any tummy problems.
Our children aged 15 and 11yrs, made friends the minute they arrived and as a result we only saw them at breakfast and evening meal. The entertainment team ensured they did not get bored. The access to food and drink whenever they wanted it meant they did not need to come and find us for anything. It was like a second honeymoon for us, totally chilled out and did not want to come home.
The riu complex is a safe hidden haven. Outside the hotel was as we expected very primitive and poor. However this doesn’t stop the people smiling, everyone behaves like they’ve just won the lottery.
You can't visit the Dominican and stay in you hotel the whole time, as you won't experience the real country. We really enjoyed the outback safari and ocean world. Our rep was fantastic, he was Dominican so was very informative and honest! He did not push with the trips, therefore making the welcome meeting very enjoyable.
Our holiday far exceeded our expectations and those of our children.
We will have happy memories to last us a life time.
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Stephen Clynes from Cardiff travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: The Riu Merengue is part of the Riu Puerto Plata Resort and guests can use facilities in all 3 of the hotels. The sister hotels of the Bachata and the Mambo are the same as the Merengue. I do not feel it matters which of the 3 hotels you have chosen to book and sleep in. All the hotels rooms are in 2 storey blocks with a few rooms at the Bachata being 3 storey. The Merengue has 544 rooms and have air conditioning plus a ceiling fan. Our room had two 4ft double beds pushed together and an en-suite bathroom. There was ample storage space and a free safety deposit box. The mini bar is restocked every 2 days and contained beer, pepsi, diet pepsi, soda, tonic water, drinking water, gin, vodka, brandy and rum. The patio had 2 plastic chairs and a small table.
This is an all-inclusive resort and the food is a self service buffet affair. Take as little or as much as you want. Food is available from 07.00 until 02.00 from various locations. There is food to suit everyone but it did not excite me like the food does in Tunisia and Turkey. I thought the bread was poor quality with very little choice. I did not like the baked beans, tomatoes and the wine was foul. The beer, cocktails and rum was OK. The potatoes, fresh fruit, milk shakes and coffee were gorgeous.
The entertainment was poor with lots of mime and dance. It was very happy clappy, all "come on, come on, yep, yep." with long winded silly games.
The hotels are set in lovely gardens, there is no traffic. The paths are good with adequate lighting. There are plenty of fire hoses and water points. The gardens are well maintained and all the buildings are in good order. I have no health and safety concerns at this resort. There are some shops within the resort selling anything you could want. There is their own little high street named Caribbean Street but prices are high. We forgot to pack some shower gel and paid a staggering £6 for a bottle!
The feel of the resort is one of enclosure, you could be anywhere. The resort looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean and all you can see is water, no signs of civilisation. There are no houses or locals, just holidaymakers and staff in this unreal world of it's own. This does not feel as though you have gone to a foreign country, more a huge coporate leisure factory, the land of Riu.
Most of our time was spent by the swimming pool of the Bachata on a sunbed. Pool and beach towels are provided free of charge and all the swimming pools are 1.4m deep.
I cannot fault this hotel or First Choice. The hotel is well run, professional, with good staff. You do not have to speak any Spanish as all the staff speak English and all signage is bi-lingual. Whenever you come out of a toilet there is a woman who squirts a liquid anti-bacterial hand wash onto your palm. This routine also takes place at the entrance to the buffet restaurants. I do not know how much this has added to their wage bill but the management obviously does not want a repeat of past food hygiene problems. I did not suffer from any holiday tummy.
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Linda & Steve from Pontefract travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just returned from a lovely 2 week break at the Riu Merengue, the longer we were there the more the hotel "grew on us". Our room was immaculate, and cleaned to a high standard. We had a fridge with cold drinks,and optics with spirits at no extra charge.
We had no problems with money going missing from our room even when we left the odd few dollars in pockets and in drawers. However it is important not to leave your safe key hidden in your room, as we heard that some guests who had done this experienced losses from their safe !
We are quite fussy eaters, and are used to a high standard of food on our holidays (we usually go on cruises) However I can honestly say the food was excellent. There was a large choice, every night, something to suit everyone. The entertainment team, took a bit of getting used to,they are a little bit "in your Face" so to speak, but they really work hard and do try to please and entertain you, some nights entertainment were better than others. The beach party was a particular favourite of ours.
The location is a bit isolated, so we were glad that we could wander down to the other 2 hotels in the complex. Kayaks, pedaloes, and sail bots are free, you just have to book, by ringing from your room. Sports competitions were organised daily, such as boules, water polo, and all sorts of fun and games, even if you did not want to participate they were fun to watch.
We really had a great relaxing holiday and would definately recommend it to anyone. Just one moan though the mosquitoes there can make a mess of your skin, so take insect repellent and long trousers for sitting out on an evening (dress code seems to be very casual on an evening).
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Nigel and Paula from Nottingham travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our first visit to Dom Rep was disappointing to say the least!
The entertainment was very poor in the evenings unless you like ballroom dancing. Choice of drinks & cocktails was good although the wine was like vinegar.
Food could have been better for 4/5 star hotel, the bread was stale and the sweet choice was very poor.
Most of the staff were pleasant but not necessarily to be trusted. Money went missing from our room and as we found out we were not the only ones.
Also as for rooms with sea view - nice view but no sleep as very noisy between 11pm and 3am due to disco revellers.
Our First Choice rep was only interested in taking money for excursions and not dealing with problems.
We would visit Dom Rep again but definitely not this hotel.
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steve & amanda campbell from leeds travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed at the Merengue for our honeymoon on a all inclusive package. We were a little preturbed that because we had booked our holiday early, we clearly paid a lot more than a lot of other people who were there.
On arrival we were greeted by friendly staff, who brought our luggage to our room. as a honeymoon couple, fruit and bubbly was promised to be in our room, we didnt get it.
The hotel is very clean but we would refute the claim that it should have a 4 or 5 star rating.
The food is always fresh but very very repetitive. If you like fish and chicken you can't go wrong, salad and fruit is in abundance, bread very stale, soup sometimes good sometimes yuk! as for the dessert, I have never tasted so many choices that taste exactly the same.
The complex is split into three, the mambo, the merengue, and the bachata, the latter being the most lively, we visited the bachata a few times to lift the boredom at the merengue.
We were expecting golden sands and crystal clear water, we got neither. If you intend going in the sea, take something to put on your feet, its full of rocks and seaweed. If you want to use the water sports, the kayaks are free, the dingy costs $25 for a lesson, as does the wind surfing. dosn't sound free to me either.
The staff are very friendly and helpful. The guys on the bar were great (think the tip worked).
If you like dancing then the entertainment is for you, if you dont then help yourself to the free drinks, and plenty of it cos apart from two nights thats what's on offer.
The team, including cheeky momkey work their socks off, but if people dont want to join in then what can you do.
Treat yourself to the jungle safari, its well worth the money, as was the white water rafting.
One word of warning though! Make use of the room safe, several people had currency removed from their rooms, so ensure you use the safe and take the safe key with you at all times.
To sum it all up, we were looking forward to our break, and maybe our expectations were a little high, but we are a well travelled couple and feel that for the money we spent we expected a lot better.
We might go to the dom rep again, but we definitely won't go or recommend the riu complex to anyone we like.
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Mark Flesher from Wendover, Bucks travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just had one of our best holidays for years.
The flight with First Choice was almost a pleasure. If it is possible to enjoy a 8-9 hour flight then this was it. Food, drink and entertainment are all very good as is the leg room and the wide seats. Why can't all flights be like this? Visa regulation forms can be completed on board then just pay your US$10 entry tax to a booth in the corner before going through immigration. The whole flight was through customs, on the coaches and away within 40 minutes of landing. 45 minutes later we've checked into the hotel and we are enjoying a nice cool drink at the bar.
The Riu Merengue has some 70 low rise apartment blocks which which have 4 rooms on the ground floor and 4 rooms on the upper floor. All these apartment blocks are situated in beautifully kept gardens joined together by avenues and alleyways lined by palm trees. The rooms are kept spotless as is the whole hotel.
The food is also very good and you will not have a bad meal. Breakfast and lunch can be taken at any of the three hotel restaurants, there are six in total. The evening meals are taken in your own hotel either buffet style or at the two al a carte restaurants which are bookable each day.
The staff are outstanding always helpful and smiling giving excellent service. A few small tips and your set for life.
The entertainment at night is again very good and you are encouraged to join in if you wish. The Michael Jackson tribute night was absolutely great. The entertainment team also work tirelessly throughout the day with shows and games, just join in.
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Farrell from Scarborough travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from an outstanding two weeks holiday in hot glorious sunshine at the Riu Merengue In Puerta Plata Great Value for money.
HYGIENE. Having read the some of the reports ion this site about the RIU complex we were apprehensive but once we arrived we couldn’t have been happier, the whole complex was spotless Hygiene in Restaurants, Bars, Rooms and Toilets were extremely high and clearly they take this very seriously. They have a member of staff at the entrance to every food area and at the exit of all public toilets just to dispense anti bacterial gel onto everyone’s palm.
CUSTOMER SERVICE All the staff were wonderful, the food was hot, fresh and there was plenty of choice. Occasionally the main buffet can get really crowded, at 10am daily you can book the Al a carte restaurants twice per week per room and the service is much more personal.
WINE If you enjoy nice wine then take your own as the house wine is Italian and not very good. The price of decent wine out there is very expensive, so pick it up at a UK airport and take it with you.
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Nicky from Essex travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Returned last week from two fantastic relaxing weeks at the Merengue.
After reading the reviews on the 3 hotels we were a little worried about going, but no-one was ill at all.
The food at all 3 hotels were excellent,you can eat and drink at any of the 3 Riu hotels. We only went to the speciallity restaurant once as there was so much choice in the main buffet even for fussy eaters like my Daughter.
The hotel staff are very friendly and cannot do enough for you.
The entertainment team at all 3 hotels work very hard during the day and evening.
It was my Daugther's 8th Birthday and when we came into dinner that night one of the waiters that had been looking after us had decorated the table with candles, flowers and ballons and brought in a cake at the end of the meal with half of the staff singing Happy Birthday.
The rooms are set in beautiful surrounds and are were spacious and comfortable, we did not get round to using the optics though.
We used the pool at the Riu Bachata each day as this is bigger and has a swim up pool bar.
There is a photographer that goes around the 3 hotels taking pictures of you during the day and evening and you have the opportunity to buy them in the photo shop in caribbean Street for $6.99.
The shops in Caribbean Street are a little expensive but worth looking in.
I would reccommend this hotel to anyone and would go back some day.
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Jackie from Wolverhampton travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just returned from a fantastic week at the Hotel Merengue in Porta Plata, Dominican. We were worried as some reviews were not good. But I can honestly say that this is a first class complex of 3 Riu hotels, well managed.
The food was excellent, you can eat at any of the three hotels, drink at any of the hotels and the cleanliness is excellent.
The staff cannot do enough for you. Our room was spacious and we had optics in our large room, with a choice of 4 spirits and a fridge full of fresh water, cokes and lemonade.
We were also worried about taking malaria tablets. We did take them and found that we were fine. A good quality place and we would certainly return.
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Paul (aka Roadgiant) from Manchester travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: After a coach journey (about ¾ hour) from the airport we arrived at the Riu Merengue, The hotel is about 5 miles away from the town of Puerto Plata and is part of a complex of 3 hotels (the Mambo and Bachata being the other two), set next to the beach in a superb location with gardens and palm trees everywhere.
As we walked into the reception we were told where to leave our cases and given a welcome cold drink. Booking in was extremely fast and efficient with very friendly and helpful staff, who gave us an envelope with room key, safe key and towel cards and a map showing us where our room was located, as well as a registration card to be filled in and returned later.
One of the first things you notice is the smiles and genuine friendliness of all the staff, right from the senior managers right down to the cleaners and gardeners, everyone of them greets you with Ola (hello in Spanish).
After a short walk through beautiful gardens with a canopy of palm trees we arrived at our room, followed about two minutes later by our cases, and were shown how to operate the A/C system in the room
The rooms in the grounds are all in small buildings of 8 rooms (4 upstairs and 4 on ground level) all have either a large balcony or veranda.
The room itself was extremely spacious with a separate entrance hall with fitted wardrobe safe and a well-stocked fridge (beer Pepsi water and 4 optics, all of which are refilled every 2 days); there is also plenty of other storage space in the room itself. As well as a very efficient A/c system the rooms also have a ceiling fan, which certainly keeps the room at a comfortable temperature.
There is a TV in the room with quite a few American channels, Disney for the kids and film channels showing recent films.
When the restaurant opens for the evening meal all the staff come out and welcome everyone in sometimes accompanied by 3 musicians who also stroll round the restaurant singing at tables. All meals are buffet style with plenty of choices of different food at every mealtime, a lot of which is cooked and carved as you choose it. At breakfast a selection of fruit juices are available all squeezed from fresh fruit. You can eat breakfast and lunch at any of the three main restaurants on the complex but you are asked to have your evening meal in the restaurant of the hotel you are staying in.
As well as the main restaurant in the evening there are also two speciality restaurants (steak and Mediterranean) where there is a fixed menu and you have to book the table at breakfast for that evening.
If you don’t want to eat in the main restaurants there is a snack bar at every hotel serving fast food, pizza, burghers toasted sandwiches and chips etc, which are open most of the day and until late in the evening. Give the ice cream machines a try.
There are several bars in each hotel all of which are very well stocked and as everywhere on the complex staffed by friendly staff. Near several of the bars are facilities to serve you tea coffee soft drinks etc.
The entertainment team all work extremely hard during the day organising pool and beach games and in the evening there is a kids disco usually followed by a game for adults and a dance team performing different shows every night.
One day at the pool they had a competition between the different staff departments, the housecleaning staff produced towel animals (which you often found after the room had been cleaned) The Bar staff did a display with glasses balanced on top of each other filled using different coloured liquids. The Restaurant staff carved fruit into different animals and the gardeners produced a display using palm tree leaves and coconuts.
The beach is only a few yards from the main complex, there are plenty of sun beds and shade if you wanted it from many palm trees etc dotted all over the beach. Near the Bachata and Mambo are sports beaches with pedaloes jets skis and paragliding as well as banana boat, wind surfers and canoes. You only have to pay for the powered sports
The pool area was very good, the pool itself could have been slightly deeper (no more than 4 feet at any point) but there was once again plenty of sun beds and shade available.
There is a shopping area (Caribbean St) located between the Merengue and Bachata as well as small shops in the main buildings at each hotel. There are also a few shacks selling bits and pieces on the beach at the Mambo and also at the sports beach at the Bachata.
Because of where the complex is located there is nothing else close by, so any other shopping needs to be done elsewhere
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and are already looking at booking again next year.
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Dave from Preston travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We\'ve been to RIU Merengue 6 times now. It\'s starting to show its age and looks a bit dowdy compared to RIU Bachata.
The rooms are in blocks similar to detached houses, with 4 on the ground floor and 4 on the first floor - nothing higher. The \"houses\" are spread round the grounds with lawned areas and mature palm/coconut/ cocoa trees that provide plenty of shade on the paths. You could be as much as 1/2 mile away from the pool/restaurant area.
The rooms aren\'t too cramped. With 2 children under 12, we ask for and get 2 extra put-up beds - no need for the little one to share with mum & dad in the 2 queen size doubles. There\'s just enough room left to move around &, after all, you don\'t spend much time in the room.
The pool is quite old fashioned - very angular. I guess it varies from about 4\' to 5\' in depth. There\'s a smaller toddlers\' pool at the side that\'s less than 2\' deep. There\'s plenty of sunbeds and shade around the pool.
The beach is just the other side of the main path that runs by the central area and pool. The beach is on a broad bay protected by a reef, so no big waves. The sand is quite coarse. The sea water doesn\'t get very deep so it shouldn\'t be much of a worry for older children. There\'s quite a bit of broken coral in the sand of the shallow water (not on the beach proper) and it is as well to have water shoes of some sort if you\'re going in.
Food is available from 7:00am to midnight and is of a good variety and quality to suit most national tastes. It can get a bit repetitive after 2 weeks, though. 2 of the bars open at 10:00 am and go onto midnight. The 2 other bars (by the main restaurant/ stage) open in the early evening, too.
The main restaurant used to be quite strict on dress code in the evening but is now very relaxed (some folk look like they\'ve just come off the beach!)
Entertainment during the day is for around 1 hour in the morning, break for siesta and start again around 3:00pm. It\'s as lively as you want it to be. If you don\'t want to join in just say no or go down the beach. Evenings have a kids disco with set music/dance for them to learn followed by a train song/conga line. Parents join in to make a tunnel - very sweet. There\'s usually a game later followed by dance routines or live music.
The main daytime restaurant/bar is quite dark inside and could do with an overhaul.
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e williams from llanelli wales travelled to Clubhotel Riu Merengue with
thomson
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2004 | rated the Clubhotel Riu Merengue as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Superb location and facility. This hotel is the middle facility of three sister hotels which are adjoining.
You can eat and use the facilities of which ever one you choose, the only stipulation is that you have to take dinner in the hotel that you stay in.
The complex is right on the private beach and has its own sports beach where you can partake in all kins of water sports.
All the non motorised activities are free of charge. My friend and I spent many an hour out on both the single & double kayaks.
Whilst in the dom rep you need to go on the monster truck safari a trip not to be missed, we laugh aboutb the day often after nearly 2 years!
We would certainly visit again in the future one of our best holidays.
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