The Royalton is a solid mid-range all-inclusive in Punta Cana. Rooms are modern and pleasant, if a bit cramped, and palms and thatched palapas provide shade on the hotel’s stretch of powdery yellow sands on Bávaro Beach.
If you choose to upgrade to Diamond Club service (for an average price bump of roughly 25% in summer, 18% in winter) you get a special lounge with early check-in/late check-out privileges, butler service, access to better-sited and superior rooms (including swim-out rooms), a private pool, and a designated section of the beach with dedicated bar and waiter service.
None of the restaurants require reservations as such (though the hibachi one accepts them)—and we have heard reports of undercooked food at the buffet, so the a la carte restaurants are probably a better bet—but note that the waiting lists for a table can grow long after 7pm.
This is one hotel that is tech-forward: USB ports in the rooms for charging your gear; free Wi-Fi throughout (though strongest near the lobby); free phone calls to the U.S. and most of Europe from your room; and an app with an unlimited calling plan and free app-to-app texting at the resort so families can keep track of one another.
There is a kids’ club and a separate teens club, as well as a Splash Park of water slides and three pools at the adjacent, inland sister resort, Memories. (There’s a tram back and forth between the two properties, and you can partake of the restaurants and entertainment options at Memories as well—just politely avoid the pitches by their in-house Travel Smarts VIP timeshare staff.)