Royalton Splash Punta Cana, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino in Punta Cana

We just returned from our vacation and, for the price we paid, I was very disappointed overall, and I’m very happy to be home.

The weather was beautiful and most of the staff we encountered were kind and clearly trying their best. The hardest-working people we saw were the housekeepers and some of the bartenders, and we appreciated their efforts.

Unfortunately, the rooms were very outdated, damp, and smelled moldy. The humidity in the room was so bad that all of my clothes constantly felt wet. Out of the 19 people in our group, only three of us didn’t get sick, which ruined about two days of the vacation for everyone.

The grounds themselves are nice, but the rooms definitely need major updates. The buffet food was also very disappointing—there were very limited options and much of the food didn’t look appealing. There are à la carte restaurants on the property, but it was extremely difficult to get reservations. We were only able to eat at Under the Sea once, and even there the lobster cost an extra $50. The steak we ordered was unfortunately not good.

The beach is located at another resort, so you have to take a golf cart shuttle that runs about every 20 minutes. Many times the cart was already full, so we had to wait for the next one. The coffee café ended up being the best part of the resort.

The pool was also in rough condition—many of the tiles were missing, and I actually cut my foot on it. I reported the issue and also filed an incident report about our room. We were told we would be moved to a new room, but that never ended up happening.
The nearby resort, Royalton Punta Cana, looked beautiful and we honestly wish we had stayed there instead. There appeared to be many more restaurants there, but because we weren’t Diamond Club guests we weren’t allowed to access them. There is also very little nightlife at this resort—you have to go to the other resort if you want any evening entertainment.

Overall, I would not return to this resort. We met many other guests who were also sick during their stay, and cleanliness seemed to be an issue throughout the property.

We recently stayed at Royalton Splash Punta Cana and upgraded to Diamond Club, booking through Marriott as long-time Bonvoy elite members. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing resort experiences we have had.

Diamond Club – Extremely Misleading

We paid a significant premium for Diamond Club based on the advertised benefits. In reality, most of these benefits were either unavailable, not communicated, or required us to repeatedly ask for them.

“Preferential room location with best views” – our room overlooked trees and a dated service area.

Personalized butler service – our butler was pleasant, but unable or unwilling to escalate issues when we requested management assistance.

Priority restaurant reservations – we could not secure reservations where or when we wanted.

Exclusive private pool & beach area – we were never informed clearly where these were. Beach service only occurred if we tipped heavily.

Private upscale breakfast venue – this was never explained or offered.

Welcome sparkling wine – not in the room; we had to request it.

Fruit basket & in-suite liquor – never provided.

Enhanced minibar – water and coffee pods were not restocked unless requested.

Beach bag & slippers – had to ask.

Nightly turndown service – never occurred.

Hydrotherapy access, aromatherapy, pillow menu – never mentioned.

This did not feel like a premium experience. It felt like we were constantly chasing benefits we had already paid for.

Room Conditions

The room itself was dated and in poor condition. Rusted faucets, worn fixtures, and visible cleanliness issues. We found cockroaches in the room. The overall condition felt closer to a 3-star roadside hotel than a Marriott-affiliated resort suitable for families.

Dining & Health Concerns

There was a stomach virus circulating during our stay. Five of the twelve people in our travel group became ill.

We attempted to avoid the main restaurant at our property as a precaution. We were told Diamond Club guests could no longer access the Gourmet Marché buffet at the neighboring Royalton property due to an “administrative decision.”

No written clarification was provided. No alternative solution was offered.

Restaurant service was consistently poor:

Had to repeatedly ask for cutlery and coffee.

Staff appeared visibly annoyed at requests.

Food frequently ran out.

Found a large piece of eggshell in an omelette.

Overall quality and logistics could not handle full occupancy.

Kids Club & Waterpark

The Kids Club was not appropriate for older children. It felt dated, indoor, and depressing. Activities were minimal, and children could only be left for a maximum of two hours per day. We would not have felt comfortable leaving our children there.

The waterpark was fun for the kids, but safety felt questionable. Many guests mentioned slides were painful, and once the ground was wet, numerous people slipped and fell.

Overall

We have traveled extensively and have stayed at Club Med properties for the past four years with excellent experiences. We chose to try Royalton based on the Marriott affiliation and Diamond Club promise.

This experience did not meet basic expectations for a premium all-inclusive resort.

We received no meaningful solutions during our stay.

We will be contacting Marriott directly for review, as this fell significantly below the brand standards we associate with Marriott Bonvoy elite membership.

We cannot recommend this property.

This was, without exaggeration, one of the worst resort experiences I’ve ever had.

Check-in was a complete disaster. There was zero organization and zero communication. Despite paying for the **Diamond Club upgrade**, we were ignored while guests who arrived *after* us were checked in first. Paying more clearly didn’t mean better treatment.

The Diamond Club itself was a joke. Our butler wasn’t available the night we arrived, and we only got his information by asking a concierge who seemed far more interested in selling a timeshare than actually helping guests. When our butler finally appeared, the service was lazy and inconsistent. He failed to explain basic resort information, didn’t mention the hotel app, never told us about activities, and conveniently forgot to tell us we were entitled to a complimentary bottle of liquor—which we only received after asking. That’s not premium service; that’s negligence.

You are also expected to **tip for absolutely everything**. I’m more than happy to tip for great service—but here, tips were expected regardless of effort or quality. The entitlement was uncomfortable, especially given how poor the service actually was.

Alcohol quality varied wildly. Some bars served normal drinks, while others were clearly watered down. It felt cheap and deceptive.

The food was **abysmal**. I limited myself to toast in an attempt to avoid getting sick and *still* ended up with stomach pain. Out of our wedding group of about 40 people, approximately **90% became ill** during the stay. One guest was hospitalized with a **bacterial intestinal infection**. That alone should disqualify this resort from hosting large groups or weddings.

Even within our own group, the Diamond Club experience was wildly inconsistent. A few people had attentive butlers; many did not. That level of inconsistency points to serious management and training failures.

This resort advertises luxury but delivers chaos, poor service, terrible food, and genuine health risks. I would never return and strongly warn others—especially anyone planning a wedding or group trip—to look elsewhere.

Travel Dates: September 24 – October 1 Group: Family of 5 Resort: Royalton Splash Punta Cana We arrived shortly after lunch and had no issues with check-in or check-out. While waiting for our room to be ready at 3 PM, we had lunch — the food was average at best. Our room was in Building 25. I paid extra to guarantee a third-floor room, but this turned out to be completely unnecessary. At check-in, I was asked if I preferred a third-floor room. When I explained that I had already prepaid for it, the staff member casually replied, “You didn’t need to do that.” Given the number of vacant rooms, this upcharge felt like a waste. Room: The room was a good size and initially seemed nice. However, cleanliness was an ongoing issue. Towels were frequently missing, and basic amenities like coffee and drinks were rarely restocked. Despite several requests, we never received an ironing board. Disturbingly, we caught a housekeeping staff member drinking beers from our minibar. We reported it, but no action was taken, and the drinks were never replaced. A few times we didn't even get our room cleaned or they forgot to put pillow cases on the pillows. Wristbands/Room Access: Our wristbands, which serve as room keys, had to be reset eight times in the first two days. Completely unacceptable and a serious inconvenience. Pools: The pool areas were unsafe and poorly maintained. Both of our children — along with several others we met — cut their feet due to broken tiles and debris. Mold was visible along the pool edges, and the water was clearly unclean. We watched staff sweeping trash, including glass, food, and garbage, directly into the pool. First aid was essentially non-existent. Showering immediately after using the pools is an absolute must. Waterslides: Surprisingly, this was the highlight of the trip for our kids. The waterpark was fun when operational, although several slides were closed on and off for unclear reasons, and the wave pool was broken for our entire stay. Still, it was the only part of the resort that delivered a relatively positive experience. Food: Food throughout the resort was disappointing. Bland, repetitive, and underseasoned. The specialty restaurants were no better — in fact, the Mexican restaurant served some of the driest, most unappealing food we've ever seen at a resort. Some family members experienced stomach issues. The buffet (Selections) was closed unexpectedly for two nights with no communication. We only found out we could use the buffet at Royalton Punta Cana by asking another guest. Unfortunately, the food there was even worse. Staff at Selections were openly rude — rolling their eyes when we mentioned we were a party of five. There is virtually no food available by the bubbles pool. You have selections for every meal unless you’ve made a dinner reservation or go off-site. Bites closes at 6 pm and only makes burgers and hot dogs. The burgers are good at this resort; probably the best thing there in regards