A traveler who stayed at the Riu Republica all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic uploaded a viral TikTok clip that’s accrued more than 1.4 million views as of Sunday.
In the video, she commented on how disgusted she was with the state of the buffet line, showing off several empty hot plates throughout the clip.
Numerous commenters who replied to T. Hollywood’s (@trinasej) video quipped that she should’ve known better than to book an all-inclusive and that the nature of these types of resorts are at their base, meant to be cash grabs that value guest quantity over quality, with others remarking they, too, had poor stays at Riu Republica.
“Y’all this is the sports bar, look at this!” the TikToker says as she records the remnants of a dirty buffet bar at the Punta Cana all-inclusive resort she booked. Tortilla chip shrapnel is disseminated all over the place, and there is a bowl of what appears to be some type of sauce almost depleted, resting in the corner against a wall.
“They’re grabbing the sh*t with their hands,” she says, referencing the behavior of her fellow guests.
“This is the cheese,” she continues, opening up a stainless steel container of queso that is nearly empty save for some crusted-over remnants of cheese.
“What is this?” she says, opening another heated dish container, which appears to be an assortment of sauerkraut-smothered hot dogs.
The next container she opens is completely empty with the serving tongs resting in a puddle of what looks like oil and food-stained water—the following container tells the same story. At the end of the clip, she shows off how “dirty” the buffet area is before the video ultimately cuts out.
Travelers have often discussed the awful wares that are served up at all-inclusive resorts, whether it’s in Trip Advisor reviews or at the prospect of finding an all-inclusive that provides grub that is at least above being “mediocre.”
Many Redditors said they have acknowledged how all-inclusives aren’t exactly known for giving guests the best food experiences around.
The Travel also penned a list of common food facts all-inclusives are known for, referencing how others have commented on the “bland” nature of food, adding that there’s usually a correlation between how large a resort is and how flavorless its fare is.
@trinasej After 10 hits this is what you have to eat… #riurepublicapuntacana ♬ original sound – T.HollyWood 💕🤩
The blog also added how eating uncooked veggies at all-inclusive resorts is usually a bad idea. It says you also shouldn’t trust the food you’re not watching being made and that buffet food isn’t served at a hot enough temperature, which could give you food poisoning, effectively ruining your vacation.
While there are plenty of examples online from people whose personal experiences with all-inclusives may turn you off from ever booking one, some urge others to research said resorts and look at recent reviews.
While many all-inclusives may seem like alluring options because of the discounts and not having to worry about paying for food or drinks while they’re on vacation, it’s not difficult to imagine that these price breaks may come with a catch: If a business is willing to give you unlimited grub for a pretty low price, there’s probably a reason why that food is so cheap.
Numerous TikTokers who responded to Hollywood’s video remarked that they weren’t surprised at the quality, or lack thereof, in the resort: “300 for 5 nights what you expect lmao,” one person wrote.
Another said that she was probably expecting to get more than what she paid for: “When you pick the cheapest accommodations you get the cheapest accommodation.”
Someone else said this issue could’ve been resolved had she taken the time to simply read the reviews of the location she was staying at: “Do people not look at reviews before booking resorts?”
Another TikToker, said that they, too, visited the Riu Republica resort and were disgusted with their experience: “Riu republica is the most ghetto spot I’ve been too. We all got stomach issues in that place. Pillows smelled like last year guest. Jus ghetto.”
Hotel Riu Republica on Google has over 10,595 reviews, with a 4.3 out of 5-star rating as of this writing. Scrolling through some of the comments left by guests, however, contained remarks commenting on their dissatisfaction with the cleanliness in some of the rooms, and the low-quality food that was served there.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Riu Republica via email and Hollywood via TikTok comment.
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