Royalton ResortsReviews of royaltonresorts.com

We spend 10 nights at the Royalton Bavaro in the Dominican Republic and was very disappointed. When you work hard for your holidays and pay a large amount of money you expect 5 star luxury but this was far from the truth. The resort itself looks beautiful from the outside but the rooms are dated, the food very mediocre and the majority of the staff simply cant be bothered. We have been to many carribean resorts and some have been amazing but this one is by far the worst. I would rate it as a 3 star at best. If the rooms were improved, the staff were given some training on how to behave and not be standing around on their phones and the quality of food was improved then it could be worthy of 5 stars. We felt like an inconvenience at times and at one point had to ask 5 times for coffee in our room. Its not rocket science its just a simple request. I could write a whole lot more but in a nutshell save your money and book elsewhere.

I stayed at Royalton Saint Lucia in January 2026. While the resort itself was enjoyable, my refundable security deposit of USD $200.00 still has not been returned almost 4 months later despite multiple email follow-ups and formal escalation emails!! I left the room in the same condition as I received it, everything in order, no damages. I was promised the refund will be processed between 7-10 business days after my checkout. Communication from the management and staff has now stopped entirely as they are no longer responding to my emails. The Accounts Receivable Manager, Marika Ferdinand, last email to me was on March 13, 2026 requesting the last 4 digits of my card which I provided. She has not since replied although I followed up multiple times. I also sent another follow up email today to another staff and still no response. Additionally, I’ve confirmed with my bank that there are no refunds pending to be processed to my card. This is a very disappointing post-stay experience and extremely concerning from a customer service standpoint. I am a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member as I travel frequently and it is the worst experience I’ve ever had with a hotel under the Marriott brand. It makes me question the integrity of this hotel particularly as it relates to the financial controls over customer refund processing. I would strongly encourage future guests to closely monitor any deposits charged during their stay and subsequent refunds.

We are currently at Royalton Antigua. Honestly- if you’re on a budget get away and not particular- it’s fine. However, if you have higher standards and no budget- do not even consider this place. Drinks are terrible (IF you can get one), staff is unfriendly and will make eye contact just to ignore you. Clean rooms and fresh towels- nope, enjoy using a moist dirty towel. The upside- the resort is very pretty. The beach is gorgeous. If you’re on a budget with zero effs and excited to just get away- this will do. Otherwise go somewhere else. It doesn’t even come close to a Sandals standard. And you can make your own drinks with better quality if you stay at a non all inclusive.

It is impossible for me to believe the good reviews for this place. We stayed there from Dec 27 to Jan 3, 2026 Pros Large, well-lit rooms Daily stocked minibar (water, beer, soda) Plenty of pools Brazilian and Mediterranean restaurants were very good Japanese was average. Cons This is an enormous, overcrowded resort with 17 interconnected buildings and poor signage. Elevators were unreliable or not working at all, and there was a sewage smell during certain times of the day. We booked 3 rooms in advance but they put us three floors apart, and that was a problem for the grandchildren. The all-inclusive experience is clearly tiered. Unless you pay for Diamond, service and amenities are noticeably inferior: no beach chair cushions, worse food, and slower service. EVERYTHING is gratuity-driven and expected. Food stands frequently run out of items (burgers without fries, limited portions). The buffet claims to close at 4:00 PM but staff began removing food at 3:30, refusing even a piece of fruit while it was still on display. The buffet is actually good, but coffee machines don't always work. Beach towels often ran out, and chair reservations are chaotic, guests wake up at 5:00 AM to reserve chairs, yet tipped staff would remove other people’s towels to give chairs to others. Sunscreen: $35 but you get a beach bag if you buy two. And if you have a headache and no medication, might as well be prepared to spend a lot. Restaurant reservations are nearly impossible. We are a family of 7, but bookings max out at 6 and always unavailable. After complaining to the office, we were booked as 6 and then challenged and hostesses "had to speak to management" upon arrival. Food quality varied widely: Brazilian: excellent Mediterranean: very good Japanese: good Hunter Steakhouse: sub-par unless you buy a $70 steak Smoke BBQ & Mexican: poor food and rude service Italian: their Surf and turf for new year's consisted of a small piece of steak and ONE SHRIMP. With over 3,000 guests, lines were everywhere. Check-in was chaotic, took over an hour, and check-out was just as slow. Even our grandchildren (8 and 11) were counting the days to leave. Bottom Line Nice rooms and a couple of good restaurants do not justify the price. This was a very expensive trip and a disappointing stay.

Beware of all-inclusive deals offered by the Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Casino. There are long food lines at the only restaurant on the property included in the package. Other restaurants are available only to Diamond upgrades. Food runs out, and some "chefs" at the live cooking stations have never cooked before. Bar tenders are curt unless tipped generously. The Diamond upgrade includes a butler with a very, very limited role in day-to-day needs. Room service orders are forgotten unless you call and follow up. They also do not honor late checkouts, which is advertised as a Diamond upgrade feature. Ocean views are either very partial or nonexistent. If your return flight is cancelled or delayed, the "Nexus" tour folks don't care and won't change the pickup time. But they will list you as a no-show if you didn't take the airport bus at the original time, even if you give them advance notice. They say that same-day changes are not allowed. That is their policy. In what world do flights not get cancelled or delayed without warning? Also, they do not honor the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, even though they are listed as a Marriott property.

We just got back from Royalton chic, Dominican Republic. I’ve stayed in a lot of all inclusive hotels, all 5 star and worth it but this was rated a 5 star, which from experience certainly wasnt! The place is nice but needs revamping, the food is awful and I suffered from food poisoning the whole week. That’s the buffet, and the restaurants. Very poor. The cleaners did a great job cleaning the rooms and staff are friendly, but overall 2/5. Disappointing.

We booked Royalton Antigua through British Airways Holidays for our 2nd trip abroad with our 10-week-old daughter. Having both travelled extensively across the Caribbean—and visited Antigua previously—we chose this resort because we trusted the Autograph Collection brand. Unfortunately, the reality fell well short of expectations. What the Resort Gets Right To be fair, there are positives. The bracelet room keys were a clever and convenient touch, sparing us the hassle of misplacing key cards—though guests should note the steep US$150 PER DAY fee if it gets lost. Most frontline service staff were warm and friendly, even if it was often difficult to get anyone’s attention. We also genuinely enjoyed the coffee shop: bright, airy, and overlooking the lagoon, with great staff and a good selection of coffees, pastries, paninis, and gelato. The three à la carte restaurants were decent, and once the booking system settled after the first couple of days, it was possible to reserve tables with some advance planning. The Caribbean restaurant became our favourite, though on our second visit we were unexpectedly told there was “no room” for our stroller—forcing us to place our 10-week-old on a pillow beside us. Not exactly what we’d expect from a family-friendly resort. Where the Resort Fails—Consistently The buffet was a major disappointment: limited variety, mediocre quality, and poorly cooked dishes. We’re realistic about Caribbean resort buffets, but this was by far the weakest we’ve experienced. Basic supplies ran out repeatedly, even during our first few days—water, orange juice, butter, yoghurt, straws, even certain main dishes. Rather than showing urgency or accountability, the hotel’s attitude towards these shortages was indifferent at best. Other practical issues compounded the frustration. The onsite ATM was broken; a cash advance was available, but with an inexplicable 10% fee. One of the two lifts in our accommodation block was out of service, leaving a single, small lift to serve nine floors. With a pushchair, using the stairs wasn’t an option. We even learned to ride the lift upward first just to have space to come down. Our polite request for a ground-floor room was simply ignored. A Widespread Problem, Not an Isolated Experience Throughout our stay, we met an entire community of guests dealing with the very same issues—some even more severe. Many told us they felt ignored, dismissed, or outright insulted by senior management when they tried to raise concerns. Hearing these stories made it painfully clear that our experience was not an unfortunate one-off, but part of a broader pattern of neglect and poor leadership at the resort. Customer Service—Where Things Went From Disappointing to Unacceptable By day two, we contacted British Airways Holidays to see if we could relocate. By day three, we involved hotel Guest Services directly. This is when our experience deteriorated sharply. The interactions with the Guest Experience Manager were particularly troubling. Rather than helping to resolve issues, the tone was dismissive, defensive, and at times openly rude. Conversations were contradicted or later denied entirely, creating an atmosphere that felt more adversarial than service-oriented. It was surreal, unprofessional, and far below the standard guests should be able to expect from an Autograph Collection property. Despite our repeated attempts to find a solution, neither BA Holidays nor the hotel seemed able—or willing—to intervene meaningfully. Instead, we were offered 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement. We declined. Final Thoughts The frontline staff do their best, but the resort is plainly mismanaged. The guest services department—particularly under the leadership of the Guest Experience Manager—requires urgent and comprehensive customer service training. Meeting so many guests experiencing the same issues only reinforced that these failures are systemic, not isolated. There is potential at Royalton Antigua. But until the leadership addresses the deep-rooted operational and service shortcomings, guests—especially families—should approach with caution.

I was very disappointed with the Royalton Splash in Punta Cana. Given the Royalton is a higher tier in the Marriott chain, I expected more than a 3 star service - I am a regular Marriott wherever I travel and this experience was just disappointing! While the staff were super-friendly and courteous, the issues were barely resolved- no ironing board in the rooms; only one power outlet by the sink; the sheets were damp (due to humidity) and though we had the fan and air-conditioning on it was still very warm in the room (my friend's room was MUCH cooler) - my aircon was not working working very well. The buttons on the phone in my room were broken so it was difficult to call for room service or guest service... The good thing was the shuttle between the other Royalton resorts which is where we spent most of our evenings as there was nothing happening at the Splash for entertainment... overall not much entertainment generally and the bars also closed fairly early at the Splash. The bartenders were clearly unhappy to work there as it was not easy getting service!