just back yesterday from Riu Merengue .
flight Flew with first choice and upgraded to premier class well worth it baggage of f first and good leg room and fantastic food and choice of entertainment in seat back tv

A lovely hotel very clean and friendly place. rooms a bit small but very clean had a prob with flying ants but it is the caribbean so keep plugs in sink and bath as they seem to get in this way
resteraunt
very clean sometimes in evening a bit to hot and in my opinion should be all non smoking.
food
lots of choice and was excellent we ate inall of the other hotel s and found the merengue to have the hottest food , at the Brachetta both lunch and breakfast food was cold . the Mambo was also good
you could eat all day long the little food place near pool even did burgers and chips at 3 am !
Bars
quick service friendly staff ,again lots of choice including coffee
We did find that the drinks at the Brachette appeared to be stronger than the Merengue but at end of hols we just asked for more alcohol to be added this wasnt a problem
Shows
o.k. and well put together but repetitive but you could move between each hotel to catch your favourite mine was the african and the dominican folk lore shows
animation team
work really hard and are all NUTCASES especially Mickey mouse. there was a change of some of the amination team whilst we were there . Some seem to be swapped between brachetta and merengue, what fantastic dancers they all are especially Blondie he puts 110% in to it .
pools
the Brachette as the best and cleanest pool and plenty of sun beds the Merengue you need to be up early to get one
beach
disappointed quite scruffy and very sharp underfoot to get into water which is choppy , plenty of beds and shade provided by palm trees
massage
had 2 of these on beach ask for gregoria(at merengue end of beach) she is very goodand quite resonable at approx 34£ for full body massage
trips
Ocean world dolphin encounter was amazing cost 89 US Dollars each you stood in waist deep water and the dolphin came to you as you waited in line and you get to kiss dance and hug it .
take food or use the 12Dollar allyou can eat buffert as the other food bar near to the dolphin show area is disgusting , the chips must have been there for hours and you wait agesfor your food. Take of any jewellery before you go as they make you shower first and remove this before getting in with the dolphins including body peircings I had to tape over wedding ring as I couldnt get this off. Also be sure to swim in the pool next to the tigers, best time is around 3-30 as they are getting ready to feed and not as sleepy. WARNING be watchfull for the VIP holiday vacation touts just as you enter Ocean world
catamaran
Rubbish especially if you get freebird 2 there is no shade on board ,and once offt the bus there is a 10 min hike to reach the beach then you have to wade out to the boat in waist deep water with your bag /camers etc above your heads. The swim in the sea wasunsafe as they take you quite away from the boat with no head count and I found it very choppy so if not a confident swimmer you definatly will need the life vests that they give you. My husband ended up on wrong boat as he got breathless due to strong sea current , neither boats bothered about this and let himset off to correct boat unacompanied.
returning you are packed on a canoe type boat which was abit scarry as it tipped frm side to side as people got on for the trip back to shore then again a wade in knee deep water to return to beach and trek to bus!
staff
very friendly exceptional at customer care we complained about an incident with the room and this was immediatly put right and a basket of fresh fruit left in room
all in all a BRILLIANT HOLIDAY and would go back tommorrow

Just like to add to the glowing tributes about the Riu Merengue.

Firstly flight, went with Thomas Cook and paid the upgrade, if Im honest not worth the money, same food,same films and the bar ran dry 2 hours before we landed,yes a little more leg room, spoke with a few who upgraded with FirstChoice deff well worth it.

We found the rooms more than adequate, not 5* yes but as everyone else says what more do you do than sleep there. We went in a party of 6 adults and 2 kids and had 3 rooms and found plenty of space, I should imagine a room with 4 could be a little cramped.

Although the food in the second week got a little repetitive there is plenty of choice even for the funny eaters, you could not really fault it. We tried the steak house and italian both ok.

As others have mentioned if you want a place round the pool where you can jump in and out of the shade (and you do need shade at certain times) you have to be there early, 7am should secure a good spot, failing that we found there plenty of sunbeds and you could stroll down at 9.30 and find a non shaded spot.

If you are a late riser the beach is a hop from the pool side and whilst its not the golden sands of the Caribbean it has a welcome breeze and shade can be found under the many palm tree's. The sea is a little rough to and not ideal for swimming with loads of shallow coral but its fine for a paddle and a cool down.

The setting of the Merengue is fantastic, sat in the middle of two other Riu hotels with a mile of beach you never found you lacked space and needed to get out of the complex.

One negative in my opinion, the night time entertainment we found a little dire, the same dance group appeared to do most of the shows, yes they could dance but there needs to be more variety. Remeber you can walk round so if your not impressed with one show go check out the other hotels.

The entertainment staff work hard and you can get envolved in as much or as little as you want but this hotel really comes into its own with all the other workers, pool lads, cleaners, gardeners, there appears at time to be a small army of them and I can honestly say that this hotel no matter what time of the day is spotlessly clean.

We did 3 trips out, firstly with TC we went on the monster trucks, this trip is excellent and so much fun for all the family, half day exploring the local countryside and visiting schools etc (dont forget pens,pencils and sweets for the kids) then on to a secluded beach for a drink and snorkeling, finishing the day on horse back, if you've never tried it give it a go, what a laugh. 10/10 for enjoyment and well worth the cost.

We then did 2 excursions via the little shack at the Mambo end of the beach, far cheaper than TC. Quad bikes was a scream and you get so close up to what life is like on this island away from the hotels and whilst poverty is a major issue everyone you see has a smile and a wave, a great adventure but be prepared to get absolutley ditched. We also did the party catamaran, fantastic for snorkeling, great food and plenty of drink again good fun for all ages.

You can use all the facilities at the other hotels, the Mambo we thought not as good as the Merengue and the Bachatta appeared a little more upmarket, this hotel has the 24hr bar and casino (which we did several times), do not go to the bar in here as you pay, simply step out of the door order from the main bar and go back in, no problems. Although you have to stay in your hotel for the evening meal, we found the food at beakfast/lunch to be the same good quality at all the hotels.

All in all a great holiday, this is what All Inc is all about you can seriously eat and drink yourself silly and thats without the pool and beach bbq's and parties great fun and fantastic food.

Another striking positive with this hotel/complex is how safe it is, you never feel intimidated and kids can stroll around no problems at all.

Although you dont need to tip we took mostly dollars with us and ensured we had plenty of small bills, if you are tipping dont forget the maids/pool lads and cleaners these are the lowest paid workers and get overlooked for the bar staff/animation.

One tip for those that need hair straightners, the expensive ones do not work in the rooms especially the GSD's, the girls sent one of the animation team into town the second day and he came back with a convertor costing approx £25 this did the trick and calm was restored.

We stayed from April 11-18, 2008 Family of four, with children 7 & 9 Flew with skyservice, without many problems. Food wasn't the greatest, and the ear phone plugs to watch the movie didn't work. A bit dissappointing but we found other things to occupy ourselfs during flight.

Our transfer from airport to RIU was great. Nice big air condition coach, about a 50 minute drive. It is enjoyable as you drive through the town of Puerto Plata and get to see a bit of local culture. Check in at the RIU was the best we have ever. Everyone gave their name, and then they handed out envelopes to each couple with map, room key, & towel cards. We arrived at the hotel around noon and our room was ready. That was so great. Room was fine, a bit small for 4, but they had set up a twin bed to accomodate our son, so that was very welcomed. Lots of hot water, actually too hot, had to very careful with the kids running their own showers. Mini-fridge was great to have, we went into town and picked up a few extra drinks, as they only fill it every other day. Didn't use any of the provided alchol in room. Did find and killed a cockroach though!! Kept our bathroom light on everynight to help with that problem.

Beach was very dissappointing. Very windy and wavy. That would have been fine, but the coral was the most dissappointing. Couldn't go out too far without hurting your feet. We did find that the Mambo beach was much better. We love the ocean, so we wouldn't go back to the RIU because of that.

Pool at the Merengue was okay, you could usually find a chair somewhere. The pool was closed for two afternoons due to fouling of some kind. They did chemically treat it while we were there, but it always seemed very dirty. Stuff on the bottom of pool, and one day there was so much stuff floating on top it just made my stomach turn. We went to the Bachata pool and it was very nice, swim up bar was great and there was lots of people enjoying themselves.

Food was good. Breakfast was the best, especially with fresh made juice and smoothies each day. Lunch and Dinner buffets were okay. Went to the Steakhouse a la carte, twice, it was very good, except the dessert! Wasn't able to make it into the Italian. Reservations are taken at 10 am for that evening. Which is a big inconvience, especially if you aren't around the restaurant at that time.

Got our hair braided at the little shops to the right, it was a better deal then at the hotel. We also gave some of the stuff we brought to the lady who braided our hair. She had 5 kids! Also, had a massage at the shops. $30 per hour and she did a wonderful job. She has been to school. Went to the spa and got our toe nails polished with flowers, very nice place also.

Evening shows were not at all good. We wasted a few evenings watching, cause the kids wanted to. Have seen way better shows at other Puerto Plata resorts. Animation team had lots of energy and always got the crowd to participate. One afternoon, as my husband was getting us drinks, one of the animation girls came to him at the bar and asked if he wanted to go behind the curtain at the stage for a belly dance!!, until she saw his ring!! She then went on to another guy who was sitting near the pool, chatted with him for a couple of minutes and then they both left together! That is a little much! We have been to many resorts and have never come across this. I don't think I would want to bring my teenage child here just because of that. I am pretty sure that if she's doing that, then they probably all are!

We went to Ocean World and swam with the dolphins. It was a great day. Be sure to pack some drinks and snacks. Lockers are available free of charge which was very handy. All the shows were great. Snorkling could have been better, but the kids had fun doing it. The day went by very quickly and we didn't have much time to sit before the bus came. I would highly recommend it.

We had a enjoyable family holiday in Puerto Plata. It was very nice to have access to the 3 resorts, but you honestly don't really need to go to the others if you choose. Merengue is in the middle of the 3, so it is a great resort choice, because it is a short walk to either of the other two.

We will be back to Puerto Plata, but will go back to the Playa Dorado complex next time, as this place just didn't do it for us like we had thought.

The hotel and staff of the Riu Merengue are absolutely fantastic. My wife and I have just spent two weeks there and it was absolutely wonderful in every respect.
From the moment we arrived at the hotel everything went perfectly. The accommodation is in small blocks of 8 rooms 4 up and 4 down with a large terrace or balcony where you can see in all 4 directions. Each block is surrounded by very well kept gardens, and nothing is above 1st floor level. It is also very wheelchair friendly.
In the rooms were two large beds, table, chairs, drawer set and bedside cabinets, all made of cane and wicker work.. A large ceiling fan and air conditioning. The patio door went diagonally across the corner of the room and there were extra windows. I am saying all of this because it is not the usual hotel accommodation. There are Gin, Vodka, Brandy and Rum optics, as well as a well stocked fridge, restocked every 2 days and if you catch the men doing it they will stock it with whatever you like.
The pool is kept very clean, but you will have to get up early and secure your sun bed each morning if you want one. You get a card for each person for your towels which you can change as often as you wish. At the end of the holiday you should return your card or pay them $20.
The beach is great with lots of trees for shade and sun beds.
There are no outside walls on any of the main buildings, probably because the weather never gets cold enough to need them. Therefore there are lots of ceiling fans instead of air conditioning.
There is a show on every night but you have to get there early to get a seat near the front, also the animation team work very hard all day and evenings.
There is a lot of choice in the dining room, although we did find that a lot of the same food was served every day, although there was something different each day. You can eat all day and evening long if you wish, personally I got sick of the sight of food after a few days.
The staff like to personally greet you each time you see them, I must have said hola about 100 times a day.
The Merengue is the hotel in the middle of the three hotels and you can use all of the other hotels as if they were your own, except evening meals which have to be taken in your own hotel. There are no wrist bands to wear in the Merengue but there are in the other two hotels. Men should have on at least a tee shirt with short sleeves and long shorts for the evening meal. Anything less and you will be stopped and offered suitable clothing. To me this seems fair for evening dining. Ladies can wear whatever they wish within reason.
There are some good trips to go on. We went to Ocean World and paid the extra to swim with the Dolphins, we have wanted to do this for some time but it has always been too expensive, but for $145 you can swim with Dolphins and spend the day in Ocean World, it was an experience that I shall never forget, absolutely great.
We also went horse riding in Jurassic Park country, you can go for half or a whole day, we chose half a day. Fortunately all of our ride were fairly experienced riders because you cross the river in several places and there were some steep drops to negotiate. This was about ¾ of the way through our holiday, until then we had not had a drop of rain but about an hour into the ride the heavens decided to open and it poured for the rest of the ride, this meant that we had a 1 ½ hour ride back in the van which was driven by Michael Schumacher, quite an experience. The horse ride was great and the horses were good and well mannered. Well worth the money.
My only slight complaint about the hotel is that they use young and old cleaners to maintain the toilets and I am not a prude but I am not very keen on them walking in when I am using the urinals, and this seemed to happed quite a lot.
It is a myth that you need to tip the staff to get a better service, they are just as pleased to serve you wether you tip them or not.
There is only one place to use a mobile and that is not very reliable, it is on the hill going up to the wedding area. Its nice to not see people walking around talking to themselves all day.
We went with Thomas Cook and the only thing that spoiled the holiday was their A330 plane. It is the most uncomfortuble journey we have ever had. The seats are hard and they have so little width that it is impossible to get comfortable, not good for a 9 hour flight. The extra leg room in their new A330s is not going to improve this, I just hope the seats are made more comfortable, we shall not be using Thomas Cook again for this reason.
We can’t wait to go back to the Merengue, we usually don’t go back to the same hotel but we were not ready to leave after the two weeks. I would recommend it to anyone.
Don't forget your $10 arrival Tax and $20 departure tax each at the airport.