Royalton Splash Punta Cana Review: 11 Of The Best Reasons To Vacation At Royalton Splash

Thanks so much to Memories Splash Punta Cana for hosting my stay in exchange for my review. As always, opinions are 100% my own.

I am always up for a Caribbean vacation! My hubby and I honeymooned on Virgin Gorda years ago and since then, the Caribbean has been one of our favorite vacation destinations. With beautiful beaches, sparkling blue water and warm, sunny weather, it's impossible not to have a great time there!

My latest trip to the Caribbean took me to Royalton Splash Punta Cana (formerly Memories Splash), an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic.

It was three days of fun and relaxation. First I set my inner child loose on the waterslides at the Caribbean's largest water park. Then I hit the spa and lounged on the beach with a frozen cocktail. Did I mention that there's a huge pool with a fantastic swim up bar? Find out why you should look into a vacation at Memories Splash Punta Cana for your next getaway.

11 Of The Best Reasons To Vacation At Royalton Splash Punta Cana

It's Budget Friendly

Like most people, one of the first things I do when planning a vacation is check out the reviews. When I looked up Royalton Splash on Trip Advisor, I saw that they not only rate 4.5 out of 5 stars, they were also given a 2017 Travelers Choice Award for being one of the top 25 Caribbean Hotels For Families.

After checking reviews, the next thing I do is look at prices. One of the great things about a vacation here is that it won't break the bank. The prices looked very reasonable, especially when compared to other places we've stayed. A family of four could spend a week in January for under $2500, though the cost does vary depending on when you plan to visit.

I love all-inclusive resorts because once you've paid, you don't have to worry about anything while you're there. Everything really is included and you get a lot for your money:

• Unlimited reservation free dining and 24 hour snacks (Diamond Club™ members can make dining reservations)
• Unlimited drinks
• Free Wi-Fi
• Free long distance calling
• In room mini-bar restocked regularly
• Free room service from 7am-9pm (24 hours for Diamond Club members)
• Daily activities and nightly entertainment
• Introductory scuba lessons in the pool
• Non motorized water sports
• Unlimited water park access (the largest in the Caribbean!)

If you're into sports, they even have a Sports Event Guarantee so you'll never miss a big game.

I made it a point to order room service the first morning. I'm usually way too cheap frugal to order room service but since it was included, I wanted to spoil myself a little. Believe it or not, this was just one breakfast...you definitely won't go hungry vacationing here!

You Can Upgrade

While Royalton Splash is a budget friendly resort, you can also choose to splurge a little. Upgrading to Diamond Club™ Membership gets you plenty of extras, starting with a glass of champagne at check-in. Not a bad way to start a vacation...they must know me!

When you become a Diamond Club™ member, you'll get the VIP treatment. After being presented with my glass of champagne, I was introduced to my personal butler and given a special bracelet.

This gave me access to areas of the property that are specifically reserved for Diamond Club™ members. For example, you can visit the Diamond Club™ Lounge throughout the day for breakfast, snacks and premium drinks.

An upgrade to Diamond Club™ membership also includes the following:

• Dedicated room locations for Diamond Club™ only
• Personalized check in/ check out in the Diamond Club™ lounge
• Private access to the Diamond Club™ lounge
  • Premium drinks offered in the lounge
  • Daily snacks offered in the lounge
  • Continental breakfast offered int he lounge
• Preferential reservations at all of the a la carte restaurants
• Exclusive beach and pool areas for Diamond Club™ guests
• Nightly turndown service
• 10% discount on spa treatments
• Complimentary early check in and late check out (subject to availability)

One of my favorite benefits of the upgrade was the location of my building. I highly recommend staying in building 9 if you can get it. It's located directly across from the water park and just a quick walk to the beach...so convenient.

They Offer Spacious Rooms

When I travel with my family, the last thing we want is to stay in a cramped hotel room where we're tripping over each other. I really liked how spacious the rooms are. They were open and airy, with plenty of room for kids to move around. You can check out my tour of the room here:

Everybody Loves A Kid's Club

If you're anything like me, you probably get just as excited about Kids Clubs as your kids do. Of course, we all love our family time but sometimes it's nice to have a little grown up time too, right?

The newly renovated Kid's Club is welcoming, with brightly painted walls, entertaining activities and most importantly, a friendly staff.

Kids can jump in a ball pit, run around on the enclosed playground, play video games and more.

If you have teenagers, they have a club of their own too. The Teen Lounge has all the typical things that teens enjoy, including video games, air hockey, skateboarding and ping pong.

You Can Relax At The Spa

There's nothing like spoiling yourself with a spa treatment on your vacation. While it costs extra, I never mind at an all-inclusive since everything else is already covered.

The spa is located at The Royalton, the Memories Splash sister resort that's just a short walk (or shuttle ride) away. You can book a massage, body and facial treatments, hydrotherapy, manicures/pedicures and waxing. If you're celebrating a special occasion, you can even splurge on having them do your hair and make-up.They'll also do your make-up or style your hair, a fun splurge if you're there celebrating a special occasion.

I highly recommend trying a thermal energy message, especially if you like hot stone massages. If I could start every morning like that, I totally would. I haven't felt that relaxed in a long time!

There Are A Variety Of Dining Options

When it's time to eat, Memories Splash has four main restaurants to choose from. For more casual dining, Selections buffet serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. You also have three more options for dinner each night. Under The Sea, as you can guess from the name, serves seafood like this tuna tartare appetizer, seafood linguine and a catch of the day. If you're not a fan of seafood, there are plenty of other options available for you.

Bella Cucina serves Italian dishes like pasta, paninis and pizza. If you're in the mood for Mexican food, you'll find burritos, nachos, fajitas and more at Mexicana Cantina.

While kids are welcome to order from the regular menu, restaurants also offered kids menus with favorites like pizza, burgers and chicken fingers.

If you just want a quick lunch, you can check out Bites for burgers and hot dogs. One of my favorite places was Beans Cafe. You can stop in any time of day for regular or specialty coffee, desserts and small snacks. This was my go-to place when I wanted something small but didn't want to fill up before dinner. Plus, I'm always in the mood for a specialty coffee!

You Can Play In The Caribbean's Largest Water Park

One of the biggest draws of Royalton Splash is the water park, the largest in the Caribbean. Water parks are fun no matter how old you are. I thought I'd better vouch for it personally so I went down every waterslide to determine if they were really as fun as they looked. Trust me, they really were!

Little ones can splash around in their own special pool, complete with a "just my size" water slide.

There's also a wave pool where kids can get wild jumping in the waves. Though there are life guards, it's not very deep so mom and dad can feel comfortable watching from the sidelines.

Though I was visiting during the the busy season, there were never long lines for any of the slides. Most didn't have a line at all and the one that did was only about a two minute wait.

While kids won't be able to get enough of this water park, it was pretty fun for adults too. It's a great place to spend some family time together.

You Can Hang Out In Amazing Pools

I loved the water park but when it was time to relax, I made my way to one of the pools. The main pool, complete with a large swim up bar, had been calling my name.

The pool was huge and if you go on the right day, you can take part in a gladiator style competition or join a foam party (I was sorry to have missed that!). There's a lot of room for kids to splash around and while there were plenty of people there, I  never had trouble finding a pool chair.

If you're enjoying a kid-free vacation (or left the kids to have fun in the Kids Club), there's a smaller, more low key pool and even an adults only pool. There were fewer people than at the bigger pool and it's a great place to go if you're looking for a little quiet.

The Beach, The Beach, The Beach!

This is the reason I come to the Caribbean. It's where you'll find some of the most beautiful beaches and Bavaro Beach is just a short walk or shuttle ride away.

I could have spent my entire trip just looking at this view. It doesn't get much more tropical than a boat with a thatched roof. All that was missing was Jimmy Buffet singing Margaritaville in the background.

The beaches were well cared for and I never had a problem finding a chair. There were shady spots under thatched umbrellas or chairs in the sun where you can work on your tan.

Splash in the waves with the kids, hunt for seashells, relax with a good book or take a long walk on the beach. There's no better place to spend the day.

If you're in the mood for something more adventurous, you can try parasailing, snorkeling, boating and other activities (for an extra fee).

You can even sign up for surfing lessons. If I'd had more time, I think I would have done just that. I've always wanted to learn how to surf! Maybe next time...

I found that this is where it really paid off to be a Diamond Club™ Member. I was able to pick up a towel right on the beach (as opposed to bringing it from the hotel) and make my way to the Royalton side of the beach. When you're on the Royalton beach, servers will deliver drinks right to your chair while you sit back and enjoy the view.

Diamond Club™ members also have a beach bar where they can order cocktails, frozen drinks with or without the alcohol (perfect for the kids) and even lunch.

While the Royalton beach had it's advantages, the Memories Splash beach was fun in its own way. It was more festive, with music and entertainment in the form of Survival style competitions. I couldn't go wrong either way!

You May Discover Hidden Treasures

At Memories Splash, even the walks to the beach are fun. You never know what you'll discover.

Then I  came across these cuties.

I even discovered a secret garden.

Some days my five minute walk took much longer because I kept stopping to enjoy it. It kind of felt like I'd discovered some hidden secret. Shh...don't tell anyone!

There's Entertainment Day And Night

Memories Splash has loads of entertainment both during the day and at night. There are Spanish lessons, dance classes, and Zumba for the adults. Kids will love the balloon tossing, gladiator games and the foam pool parties. Just check out this schedule.

Kids can also meet some of their favorite TV and book characters. Toopy and Binoo (from PBS kids) and the Berenstain Bears also make regular appearances and everyone was clearly excited to see them.

Hmm...how about a Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom appearance for the moms? They like the Caribbean! I may have to put that idea in the suggestion box.

The entertainment continues at night and it's something different every day. You might dance to Latin music one night...

and be entertained by crazy pirates the next.

Pirate night had games that both adults and kids could participate in and the pirates made sure that everybody was having fun.

The only thing not to like about Memories Splash Punta Cana was having to leave! If you're looking for a great place to spend your vacation, this all-inclusive resort is definitely worth checking out. From family fun at the water park to relaxing on beautiful Bavaro Beach, it's a budget friendly destination with something for everyone. Okay, so maybe they don't have Johnny Depp but I'm working on that!

Want to learn more about Memories Splash Punta Cana? Check them out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter