Barcelo Aruba: Great resort

The Occidental Grand was a good hotel for the most part. Visually, it was very beautiful. The pool was great but the hot tub was more like a warm tub. The beach was not at its best because a hurricane was nearby so there was a lot of seaweed and mucky water. Obviously not the hotels fault. They did do a good job at cleaning up the seaweed as quickly as possible though. I traveled with a group of 10 and everyone's room was beautiful. It was only my room that had some minor issues such as the lock [... read more] on the door stopped working twice so we had to call security to come and fix it. The 2nd time they came,  they changed the battery so it didn't happen anymore. Also, we didn't have hot water in our room. We had to call maintenance on two separate occasions to get them to fix it. The cleaning ladies were great. They did a good job on our room everyday and nothing went missing. Some days they came very late though. Around 4pm but not a big deal. Almost all of the staff were extremely helpful all of the time and always had a smile on their faces. They gave my group free upgraded rooms and wifi. Out of everyone there, I only found that 2 of the bartenders were miserable but the rest of the bartenders were awesome. The only real complaint I would make towards the staff is when my group of 10 rented jeeps to tour the island, we spoke to the front desk a day prior and they said they would pack us lunches and to come get them the next morning before we departed for our adventure. Well that morning when we went to get them the front desk said "sorry they forgot". So from 8am until 7pm most of my group didn't eat because they couldn't fathom spending money on the ridiculously overpriced food. But to top it off, that same night we had an A La Carte booked for Japanese to do the cooking show and our reservation somehow magically got canceled in the system. We didn't get our lunches. We didn't get our cooking show. We still ate in the restaurant but they weren't prepared for us so the food was overcooked. The waiting service was bad and the manager didn't even offer us something complementary for all of our troubles that they created. Other than that everything else was great. Italian and Mexico were fabulous. The Seafood restaurant was just okay. Overall we had a great week. We made friends with other happy travelers and played lots of volleyball in the pool. I would definitely recommend the hotel.

Barcelo Aruba: Great family vacation spot

Just returned from a family vacation October 1-8, 2016. We arrived only a couple days following hurricane Matthew which did not leave much to be desired with regards to the beach/ocean. Alot of seaweed in the water and also on the beach. Although the ocean was very warm, the water was not Crystal clear as anticipated. I rated the ocean with 4 stars because it certainly has the potential under normal weather conditions. The pool was amazing. They offered aqua fit with an instructor each morning [... read more], dance lessons poolside, and bingo in the pool every afternoon. We enjoyed playing water volleyball. Many fellow resort guests joined in making it super fun. Needless to say, the convenience of the swim up bar was awesome. The staff were wonderful; greeted you with warm smiles each day and promptly responded to requests to ensure your needs were met. The buffet had such a variety and was tasty for the most part. The Italian a la carte was our favorite by far. Highly recommended. We booked (family of 10) an a la carte for the japanese cooking show, however, we arrived only to find out it had been mysteriously cancelled. Although we did not see the show, the manager was extremely apologetic and took accountability. The host seated and served us despite the confusion. The seafood ,a la carte, food was very tasty. Unfortunately, all of the meals were cold when served. The service was great at the Mexican a la carte; the food was good. The rooms are a hit and a miss. We had 4 separate rooms; two of them were great 1722 and 1623 and two of them 1807 (alot of noise due to having a restaurant/bar above) and 1711 (alot of condensation, wet floor, dripping ceiling which in turn meant damp bed linen and clothing) not so much. Yet all rooms had a fabulous view of the ocean. We went on the catamaran excursion (4 hours) which was alot of fun; friendly staff, music, and an open bar. The downside was the snorkeling, but again,that was due to the after math of the hurricane. We also rented jeeps for the day and toured the Arubian Island ourselves which was much cheaper, financially, than booking an island tour excursion plus our time at each attraction was not limited. Overall it was a great experience and an enjoyable trip.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Amazing

We just returned from the Royal Hideaway. It was our third and best!!! Everything was amazing. Food/room/pool but the staff were unreal. The staff make your entire vacation There wasn't anything you can fault at the RH Cannot wait to go back

Occidental Punta Cana: Disapointing Experience

The hotel is classified as a 5 star. It was MAYBE a 3. I have never been so disappointed. Our check in was awful, it was completely disorganized there were about 15 people standing behind the counter and no one spoke to us for about 15 minutes and they were doing NOTHING. when they did speak to us the check in was very frustrating and took way too long. THen we got to our room. WE HAD NO CURTAINS... we were on the first floor and you could see right in. We spent the whole first day tryin [... read more]g to explain to someone that we needed curtains. Noone would assist us or come help. It was very annoying and disappointing. Finally after day 1 we were so upset we got curtains. The pool was dirty. There was green sludge in it and the same bandaid floating there for the whole 5 days. The food was alright.. it was not awful it was not great. None of the staff would help you with anything out of the ordinary though, if you had a special request forget it! Our shower in our room was revolting and our bed was completely uncomfortable. I am also sure that other people had bed bugs as a LOT of ppl said they were itching in the beds. I would absolutely never go back and in fact never stay at a Bavaro Again.

Barcelo Aruba: great stay...great location :)

First nite front desk was kind and friendly...had our morning Air Canada meeting and won a free tour of the island..food was good..we went out to eat at local restaurants bc everything is close by..such a great vacation..will definitely be returning but want to try new resorts even though beach is public n we visited the Hyatt and won extra money at the casino..

Allegro Cozumel: AMAZING STAY AT COZUMEL

The hotel grounds are ultra clean. The staff was great and ready to help through out the hotel from the reception, to bars, to buffet and restaurants to maids. The food was delicious for people who like fish THIS IS THE PLACE. There's always something for all tastes. Older rooms are OK. We asked to change into a family room and it was renovated and a lot of space it was perfect. We were with Air Canada for the first time. Our representative Wilson was the best we have ever seen, he would d [... read more]o anything to make your stay memorable. We will be back this is a great family place and diver's place. We recommend.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Good for your buck

Resort is under renovation and I'm sure it will get better in due time. Beach is awesome. Food is surprisingly good. We had an Oceanview Bungalow which is about 10m from the beach..it was great! Downside is, the bed and pillows are so uncomfortable. Beach is beautiful. Kite surfers entertained us in the afternoon. We didn't get our beach towels until the 3rd day coz they didn't have clean ones. Majority of the workers are very friendly, esp. Yoexy from lobby bar, Maximo our house keeper, Maria t [... read more]he masseuse and Janetty from a la carte restaurant. There was an old Gardiner who greats you daily and very friendly (didn't get his name). We rented an ATV and a car on 2 separate occasions just to get out of the resort/island, as the island is strictly resorts. Playa Pilar is a must see! By far one of the best beach. We went 3x!

Occidental Punta Cana: Resort Awesome, Transat Service Horrible

The resort and staff were wonderful. The staff were very friendly as always! Franklin at the beach bar is amazing! The grounds are kept very clean. The food was great! The staff really make an effort to ensure families are treated well! The beach was beautiful and it looks like they are renovating the buildings close to the beach which should be lovely!

Allegro Cozumel: A Great and Accommodating Experience

1. Staff and customer service is top notch, in our opinion. 2. Resort is gorgeous, beach is amazing with tons of stuff to check out while snorkeling and there's a great mix of things to do. Lots of lizards around the grounds and other local wildlife. Quick taxi services and beautifully situated. 3. For a resort, the food was way better than expected. We are also vegan, which makes matters a little more cumbersome at times. There was good variety, and the chef prepared a few special  [... read more]meals for us while we were there when the menu wasn't as accommodating. Good restaurants in Playa del Carmen (a short ferry ride away) and good variety on the resort. *Enrique was the best staff member there, always smiling and ultra helpful! 4. Book activities while you're in Cozumel. We scuba dived, did snorkeling tours, parasailed, ATV'd through the jungle - and it was all totally worth it. Locals are friendly and helpful. 5. Cons: Timeshare people in the hotel lobby, expensive Wi-Fi service, rooms that could use some finesse (and minor mold removal!) Allegro is great, overall and we would return in a heartbeat.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Another great time

This resort is quaint and beautiful. I love it here to just get away from the rat race and recharge. Good is adequate. You won't starve. Bungalows on the beach are fantastic. Took my adult kids, did the swim with the dolphins. Amazing!

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Beautiful resort

Honestly very impressed with this resort. Wonderful staff and amazing grounds with all the wildlife everywhere. Loved the beach cove area. We will likely return here with our children! The room was clean and overall met our needs. Lobby also very pretty. Close to Playa which is also convenient.

Allegro Cozumel: Excellent

The resort has 2 swimming pools and one splash aria for kids,very clean .Garden is impeccably,clean rooms and good food.I think every fussy eater can find something to eat,is buffet breakfast ,lunch and dinner but you can choose dinner in one of 3 Ala cart restaurants.The beach is with soft sand and clear water..no gelly fish no corals. The resort is a paradise for Scuba divers lots of coral reefs.

Occidental Punta Cana: Had a great stay!

My friends and I (two couples) loved our stay at the Occidental Grand Punta Cana! We all agree that the staff are what really made the trip fun/wonderful - shout out to Franklin at the beach bar for keeping us hydrated with his special drink mixes and water too (you work so hard!), Wilken at the lobby bar for being so friendly and funny, Alexander who bounced around the restaurants and always made us laugh, and Ramon for all the super fun activities and his amazing dancing skills!! That aside, t [... read more]he areas that we all felt could be improved upon are: The floor of the main pool was rough and we all ended up with cuts on our feet from it by the end of the trip. There were also pool lights that were dangling in the pool, needing repair. The waterfall over the pool bar would have ruined our drinks if we hadn't brought Bubba Mugs - perhaps it's an unnecessary feature? There was garbage on the beach, in the sand. The rooms were nice, but we rated them 3/5 stars in comparison to rooms at other resorts we've stayed at. We were informed the resort will be undergoing renovations and hope this is true as it will make the resort that much more amazing! A few more positives: The night time shows were fabulous and entertaining, the food was delicious and we loved the all night pizza, the landscaping was great, and we also loved the animals that went around for photos! It was good value for the money we paid, and we had an amazing experience we'll never forget!!!

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Good resort

If you're looking for a small, cozy resort then this would be a good place to visit. Grounds and rooms could use some love as they are showing there age however the staff was very friendly. If you are a person who would rather sit on the beach rather than by the pool then this might not be the resort for you as with the tide change, there were numerous hours where the beach was no existent. I was surprised to have some of the staff at the resort attempting to sell items right beside our bungalow [... read more] as well as while on the beach. However, because of the size of the resort it did provide a very cozy feel and allowed for great interactions with other guests.

Occidental Punta Cana: Great vacation! Beautiful beach!! Need of update.

I stayed here with my best friend May 9-16, 2016. Great place!! Needs some renovating.. but they just started so it would be worth checking out once they are complete! Rooms not ready until after 3pm so have to wait around if you get there earlier. Rooms not in great shape and in need of some serious TLC and updated technology/machines, but how long do you spend in your room anyways?! The newly renovated rooms are supposedly better, must pay more for them right now. Great people working here and [... read more] staying here too. Buffet and Asian restaurant pretty good actually! Italian restaurant best of our trip. Mexican restaurant was horrible. Beach is beautiful!!! Pools are very nice too! Spent most of our time at pool and beach. We didn't do any excursions or nightlife activities as we were usually up pretty early but there are tons of nightlife and excursion options though. Great relaxing and fun vacation. Overall, would return here only after all renovations are completed. After update this place would be even more amazing!!

Occidental Papagayo: Beautiful resort

Amazing views from every direction. Not for the elderly or handicapped due to the stairs. Food was great, staff was amazing and the tours were worth every penny. You need to get off the resort to get the full enjoyment of Costa Rica. Hotel had monkeys, birds and iguana's roaming around. Would definitely return to this resort. Very clean and safe country to visit.

Occidental Punta Cana: amazing cleanliness

The resort is huge. A bit of a struggle with language. Some of the workers didn't understand English too well, but we made out ok. Asked for rum punch drinks & sometimes got a fruit punch. Beach is not good for children. Lots of huge waves & an undertow. Never saw a life guard the whole 2 weeks we were there. Air Transat has a reserved spot on the beach for their clients only. Not maned by anyone therefore I had to be up at 4am everyday to get a spot with shade. Not enough shade spots for the si [... read more]ze of the resort. Food was terrific. A la cartes excellent as well. rooms need to be renovated. Bed was comfy, but bathroom sink pipes exploded & water everywhere. Took 3 days for maintanance to come to fix it.

Occidental Papagayo: Amazing , Beautiful Hotel with Wonderful Staff!

Wonderful, helpful, friendly staff. Beautiful grounds. Cleanest well kept resort I have ever been too! LOTS of stairs and walking though so those with mobility problems should not go here. Food was good, Lots to do. Can't say enough good things about this resort. Will definitely be back!

Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful Resourt

This resort was ideal for what we were looking for. Spacious, comfortable and the food was wonderful! lots of options. The only complaint was the bathroom, the ceiling above the tub leaked. we had read this in other reviews so we were not surprised. However; I heard the resort was being remodeled this summer. We would definitely return.

Occidental Punta Cana: Very fun trip!

This was my third time to Dominican Republic and my first time at this resort. I went with my two girl friends. Nice size resort not too big can walk anywhere within 5 minutes. The beach was absolutely gorgeous! The pools were very nice as well and clean. The food was very good especially at the a la cartes, I recommend the Mexican, Italian and Steakhouse. The service was wonderful as well very friendly. The rooms were a tad outdated but comfortable beds. You have to try the late night pizza it  [... read more]was to die for. The only complaints would be that there was always a line at the beach bar and sometimes they were out of even beer and had tiny glasses that were the size of shot glasses. They would get bigger glasses later but it did happen often. Great trip though would come again!