Having never been to the Dominican before we decided to try it, We were not dissapointed with either the choice of destination or the Riu hotel. It was fantastic. Clean and tidy all the time. Food was great, plenty of choice, loads of fresh fruit and salad could not fault it at all. The entertainment does tend to get a little boring towardsthen end of the fortnight but two shows you must see are the Michael Jackson show and Grease.. fantastic...All in all you couldnt wish for a better choice, Relax and enjoy!!!! Just one thing.... If you are travelling with Thomas cook then you will meet Sonia the rep... great person but she has one problem.. She is desperate for Cadburys chocolate and can not get any out there, so please find it in your hearts to pop a bar or two in your luggage, she will be most grateful... enjoy your holiday x

We visited the Riu Mambo over Christmas 2007. We have not stayed in a Riu hotel before but due to the fact that it was a Riu, we decided to give it a try. It took around 40 minutes transfer. After reading reports on the hotel, I was a little nervous about our decision. When we arrived, we were a little shocked. The lobby was small, dark and dim. Cases were taken to our room immediately. When we got to our room, we were unhappy. The air conditioning was making a noise and it smelt damp. Although, I have to say, the room was large. The bathroom was in need of an overhall. My husband took one look at the room and decided to go back to Reception and ask for a 'nicer' room and one that did not smell! I think they do have a problem with the air-con as they agreed with us and gave us a key to have a look at another room. When we went into the second room, it was decidedly better and looked as though it had received a 'makeover'. This room, however, was much smaller than the first. Ladies beware, there is no hairdryer in the room but you can get one from Reception for FREE. The mini bar was great with 4 optics of rum, vodka, whisky and gin. You can ask to change these for something else at no extra cost. The balcony was acceptable with 2 chairs and a small table although there was three of us in our party. The shower was good and plenty of hot water. Towels were changed every day. You don't need to take basic toiletries as these are provided and replaced when empty. This hotel is shown as a 5*. It is nowhere near a five star and I would recommend a 3* rating. The staff are friendly and in particular, Lasandro, who made my husband's holiday one to remember. Don't go to the disco unless you are under 25 as the music is all 'bump and grind'. The animation team are great and treat everyone as though they are special. I would rate them 5*. It's the hotel that lets them down as it needs major refurbishment. If you have not reserved a table at the steak/italian by 10am in the morning, you will not get in. The food in the buffet was OK. The food at the pool bar was very repetitive but good. The beach was not what we expected as the sand was very coarse and hurt your feet and because the hotel is on the Atlantic, the sea was cool and very cloudy with stones at the edge. I would recommend something for your feet. The beach bar only serves non alcoholic drinks, apart from lager. We went quad biking on Christmas Day, booked on the beach, and it was fantastic. Well worth the cost. The Dominicans celebrate with their food on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day, like the English. They pulled out all the stops in the restaurant. There were 2 sittings. They even had a crib outside the restaurant with live animals. The restaurant was dressed up and the food was excellent. Would I go away over Christmas again? Probably, but not until I've saved up some money as it is so much more expensive over this period. We met some nice people whilst we were there and they've booked to go again this year. I would not go back as I expect a better quality of hotel for its 5 stars.

Were lucky enough to stay at this hotel for Xmas and new year. There was nothing we could fault everything we needed was available and nothing was too much trouble.

All the staff were excellent and worked extremely hard throughout the day and night and were constantly smiling.

The cleaning staff seemed to be on duty 24hrs per day singing and smiling whilst keeping everything immaculate.
The restaurant staff kept the excellent food and beverages flowing, everyday chefs were at their stations ready to prepare fresh food the way you liked it.

The animation team had so much energy and enthusiasm throughout the day and well into the small hours. They always stopped to speak to everyone trying to include them in all activities without being pushy or intrusive.

The pool area had plenty of sunbeds and shaded areas. The only downfall was if you wanted to stay in the sun all day those beds were always taken by 7.30am even though the pool did not open until 8am.

Some people even put towels on those beds and those in the shade too. However, if the staff noticed beds with towels unoccupied for a length of time they did remove the towels to chairs.

We would definitely recommend this hotel and will be visiting again - hopefully within the next 12 months.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted with a cocktail and from then on the staff couldn't do enough for you! They took off our cases and they were almost there before we got to the room!

The hotel is spotless the pool can get a little dirty towards the end of the day, but generally clean, plates and cups etc are always being taken away by staff.

When you go to the toilet or restaurant area they give you some alcohol gel to kill any germs- I thought this was top marks for hygeine!

The staff were fantastic and you never waited long even at a crowded bar!

The food was great for all palates they had cooking stations too where they would cook fresh to your liking.

Riu Hotel Mambo.

I have just come back were I found the staff wonderful and the apartment excellent, I am sorry I cannot say that about the food, after three days there my wife was taken into hospital with sickness and diarrhoea on the fourth day I went down with the same thing I had the virus all holiday.

When I got home I went from airport straight to my local hospital A&E were I had test.
They said it was the food we had eaten, we never left the hotel all holiday and there's a lot off people down with same thing in the hotel.

I went and seen hotel manager were I found her very unhelpful did not want to know the health problem at the hotel.

Would never go back.

Myself and my husband have stayed at this hotel 5 times now and it just get better and better.

We have had very slight stomach upset on previous vists but nothing to complain about. The staff at the hotel are very clean and friendly. They have maids outside all the tolets with antisceptic hand gel.

The hotel is spotless and rooms are the same.

All the staff are very freindly.

The food is fantastic . plenty of choice

the entertainment has been the same for the last 8 years its about time they changed it.

what more can i say. This hotel should be 5*

Having previously stayed in the Riu Cancun, which is an excellent 5 star quality hotel throughout, last December, we were disapointed with the quality of this hotel, we expected better.
First I will say that I would have given the staff a 5 star rating which they deserve, always smiling, singing and always willing to please but one thing let them down. I phoned receiption twice and went to the desk once in the same day, saying that we had no drinking water in the room, come 10 pm still no water so I ended up getting some from another room in the next block. Went to receiption the next day to complian again and finaly got some about three hours later. This is to drink and brush teeth with, local water not suitable.)
Next the hotel cleanliness in general it it fairly good I would have given it 5 stars but what let it down was the smell in some of the rooms, we moved rooms twice ending up in 108 next to the table tennis area, even then we had to change the pillows because of the smell on them, i even tried putting deoderent on them which did not get rid of it, it was a damp type of smell.
Hotel food was very repetitive, never saw much fresh fruit to eat, ice cream was always runny not frozen correctly.
The location was not to good, to isolated.
Entertainment was awful every night part of it consisted of some sort of dancing I think the audience were there for thier benefit not ours.
Other things of interest are, the Hotel Charge

couldnt fault the food always hot and always well presented and clean. there was staff at the toilets and at the entrance to the dining room with gel for your hands although i saw a few refuse this going into the dining room if i was the manager i wouldnt have let them in.they would have been the first to complain if they had got a bug. we were two couples travelling we had a couple of upset tummies but that was probably due to the weather and change of country none of us was really ill it never ruined the hoilday never been to dominican before it was just like i thought it would be nothing to go outside hotel for unless you were on a trip there was enough to do inside the complex of the three hotels that was good as you could wander round the other hotels using all their facilitis so you never felt like you were in just one hotel. entertainment was good in all hotels micheal jackson,african show and magic shows were all really good, i would recommend this hotel to anyone

We chose to stay at the Rui Mambo because it was a special occasion and had been reccomended by the travel agent we wernt dissapointed. The rooms were very spacious and the special touch of the mini bar tickled us pink as we have never come across this be for, when ever you drank anything ie water or bottles of beer it was replaced imeditly. the restraunts all of them were superb food fabulus and higene was exellent, the reception staff, porters ,cleaners and even the manger was there to help you with anything you needed.The grounds of the hotel were spotless and the flowers were nothing i had seen befor.

We have just returned from this hotel on weds, and we had a great holiday we wern't originally due to stay in this hotel but due to a bout of sickness and the the other hotel we were moved to the RIU Mambo and we were so glad they did.

The hotel is always clean with maids standing out side the toilets with hand gel for hygeine purposes, the pool guys were always cleaning around the pools and the maids left the rooms spotless with towel decorations on your bed.

The food was nice it did get a little repetative but overall it was nice and well cooked if you desired they had fresh joints of meat at night including beef, chicken, turkey, pork and lamb with is lovely, there was plenty for the kids to eat including chips, burgers, hotdogs and pizza.

The hotel is set in lovely grounds although i wouldnt want to venture out of the complex unless you are doing a trip. the hotel is about 30mins from the airport and on the way you really do get to see the real Dominican little huts for shops kids walking with no shoes on it is heart renching and definetly an eye opener, watch out for people on motorbikes it is the only place in the world were i have seen 4 people fit on a motorbike and still ride it at ridiculous speeds, the hotel is also only 20 mins from ocean world i would reccomend going there i did the dolphin swim which cost $145 (