In the winter, cooler waters make this beach absolutely pristine and sargassum free. Unfortunately, there is no seaweed barrier built up, meaning in the summer, that whole beach does suffer from sargassum more than the gated communities of Cap Cana and Punta Cana Resort Club.
If Sargassum is of concern to you, we recommend checking TripAdvisor photos from the time of year you are planning to travel to compare what it was like the previous year.
There are essentially two offerings at Royalton: Standard and Diamond Club. All the room types are available in both standard and Diamond Club offerings and are the same exact rooms, but Diamond Club features some additional services and a Diamond Club pool and section of beach.
If you’re like me and get anxious about ending up in a “meh” room on vacation, Royalton has a very good option for you. There is a pre-select room option that starts at $60 and I imagine increases based on views etc, but it may be a great option. Having the option to select a room can save you the phone calls to the front desk begging to be moved if you end up in a less than ideal view or configuration to your liking.
Regarding tipping, we would recommend tipping the service people that you do have positive interactions with, particularly if you are hoping for swift service on the beach or at the bars. Carrying small bills is helpful in case you do have positive interactions. In the Dominican, 50 pesos is just under $1.