Great Resort

This is a beautiful resort... Spacious rooms, many food choices... lots of pools to choose from... plenty of on site activities... but the beach is its downfall.... plenty of seaweed with heavy waves rolling in.... If the beach is your thing then avoid this area...

Nice Resort

Nice small walkable resort with a tropical vibe. Good food. Tennis club is excellent. Shower in the bathroom - the water is leaking past the shower door onto the bathroom floor. Only shower out of 2 was working.

Amazing resort

This resort was spectacular. The experience from checking in to checking out as perfect. The grounds were so impeccable and they worked on them daily. So clean and well kept. The rooms were 5 star with a living room suite. We were on the ground floor with a pool view. The staff came daily and cleaned & made up, replenished the fridge. So wonderful. There were 2 buffets for breakfast, 1 for families which was Ocean El Faro and 1 for adults which was El Beso. We went to the family one the first da [... read more]y we were there and it was busier with children & families. We then went to the adult on from then on. The family one was ok, lots of choices and the food was fantastic. The adult breakfast was a lot quieter & the food was fantastic with a beach view. So so lovely. The resort had many trolley's to bring you all around the resort. It saved me & my sister a lot as we are both not able to walk so great any more. As far as I could tell, the El Faro had many water parks for the kids to play at. The El Beso had 2 huge pools for adults only. Was so relaxing. They were all far away from each other, so not to hear the kids. Was great. The beach area looked lovely, but again not being able to walk so great, we did not go on the beach at all. Was lovely to see and hear the waves though. There are many restaurants to pick from which were all fantastic. There was a sports bar that we watched 2 Habs games at. Was great that they had 2 huge TV's showing the games. One of the most enjoyable vacations I have had. We are already planning our next trip. I would recomend either hotel Adult or Family to anyone. I have no complaints at all about this vacation.

Not Impressed!

⭐ Resort Review – El Besso Adult Overall Rating: 1/5 – Would Not Recommend ? Location – 3/5 The location itself was fine. Easy enough to get around, but nothing exceptional. ? Atmosphere – 3/5 General atmosphere was just okay. Nothing particularly welcoming or memorable. ?️ Rooms – 1/5 The rooms were the biggest disappointment. Very dated and poorly maintained Loose wall sockets and non‑functional AC Extremely dirty AC vents, clearly not cleaned in a long time Had to req [... read more]uest a deep clean upon arrival Floors not swept, towels not replaced, and requests for facecloths ignored Shower head falling off, doors not staying closed Dirty couch and curtains Overall, the room conditions felt neglected and unhygienic. ?️ Food & Restaurants – Very Inconsistent A la Carte Restaurants – Mostly Poor Service was slow or unfriendly, and food was often overcooked or burnt Japanese: Poor quality, burnt food, minimal entertainment, and even broken glass left on the floor Steakhouse: Cold food, overcooked steak, lack of service, and staff arguing near our table; again broken glass left on the floor Route 66: Burnt food, burger charred through, fried pickle inedible, milkshakes were just flavored milk, and tables were dirty Mexican: One of the few bright spots — good service and good food Buffets Main buffet: Good at lunch, but dinner felt like leftovers Ocean breakfast buffet: Excellent — clean, friendly staff, and plenty of fresh options ? Pools & Lazy River Lazy river: Okay, but several sections weren’t working Pools: Clearly in need of updating or replacement Pool bars: Surprisingly good — staff here were excellent ?️ Beach Loved the public section of the beach — clean, relaxing, and enjoyable. ❌ Overall Impression Despite a few positive moments, the resort suffers from poor maintenance, inconsistent food quality, unfriendly service, and serious cleanliness issues. The room conditions alone were unacceptable. Bottom line: I would not recommend this resort and would not return.

Go elsewhere

This resort looks nice on the surface, but a lot issues when it comes to cleanliness of the rooms, maintenance of the resort and overall customer service. We ended up moving to 3 different rooms over the course of our stay to multiple different issues in the rooms- rather it be a leak in the roof, broken air conditioner or no hot water. If there is a problem in the evening they will not send anyone to help you. For a resort that was build in 2018 it looks as if it hasn’t been upkept in years  [... read more]and are simply getting by through patchwork. The lagoon at this resort is a plus to the beach- although not owned by the resort it offers a sheltered place to enjoy the beach without being in open water. If you value your vacation time and don’t want headaches I would go elsewhere- we enjoyed maybe 4 days out of our 14 without having to deal with problems.

A good option for a stay in Punta Cana

Some suggestions. Avoid the "orientation" or "tour" at all costs to become a "Privileged" guest...huge marketing push. Restaurants are nice - reserved ones no nicer and hard to book after 8 a.m. when you can start to book, buffet has something for everyone - even fussy eaters - items well marked. Adult only side lovely but the issue of getting a lounger - ugh - no better or no worse than other resorts. The resort could do a better job of monitoring who is using the Adult Only side...regularly sa [... read more]w people with bracelets for the El Faro side on the adult only side (which then takes away from those who booked and paid to use it). On the El Faro side (family resort side) lots to do for families. An hour from the airport...beach is always on red flag, not a walkers beach area. They are always walking around the pool trying to sell excursions and spas...but if you don't engage with them they keep walking. There are no other resorts in this area and it is not close to a town if this is something you wish to do. For those with mobility issues there are a few touches... they have a tram (train) going through the resort all the time, on the El Beso side the buildings are 3 stories and do have an elevator - some ramps but I wouldn't call it fully accessible but a good effort.

Great Family Vacation

This resort is great for families. Party of 9. Great service all around. Buffet was awesome. Al a cartes could be much better. Ocean burger great for a quick lunch. Drinks were good and a great selection. Mike’s coffee is great but, be prepared to wait and service is slow. There is soft serve ice cream at ocean burger. Ice cream parlour outside the buffet has a great selection. Cotton candy available by the bowling alley. Kids loved it. Grounds are clean and beautiful. Pools are refreshin [... read more]g and kept clean. Lazy river very chill. Bring a floatie. There is a trolley which comes around all day which is great as the resort is big and beneficial for those who can not walk long distances. Rooms were spacious and comfortable. We had no issues. Oceans is beautiful but red flag everyday except one. We still enjoyed it. There are many rocks. Lagoon was nice and calm as there were a few people who can not swim and went into the lagoon and enjoyed it as they felt safe. Bowling alley and family lounge was great. The kids really enjoyed them. Nightly entertainment hit and miss. Some nights were good and others not so good. The kids night shows are on too late for them to enjoy. Transfer to a from the airport no issues. Services at airport was quick. Resort over all could use some repairs just like other resorts. Not enough to complain about as we had no issues. More pros than cons. Would definitely recommend this resort for families. Mike

Wonderful Resort

I've had the pleasure of many adventures at all inclusive resorts and this one measures up nicely. The food, the staff, the grounds were very enjoyable. The rooms were mediocre but I wasn't spending much time in it. Big beautiful beaches. ?

Fantastic resort!!

I just returned from a 2 week vacation at Ocean El Faro El Beso resort in Punta Cana. The resort was absolutely fantastic! There was so much selection for meals and everyone was great! A coffee shop with sandwiches and fresh baked goods, smoothies, fruit drinks. An adults only restaurant at the beach with buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch and dinner. French,Italian and Japanese restaurants. The entire resort was immaculate. The staff even wiped down the chair legs in the lobbies every  [... read more]evening! Multiple swimming pools, a lazy river with a bar in the middle! Kids mini Waterpark. Great shows. Beautiful piano bar open for quiet moments open every evening. I can't wait to go back!! For me this place is beyond 5 stars!

Great spot for a sister trip!

We chose this resort because it fit our budget for a 4-night getaway and we were impressed by the aesthetics captured in photos, as well as the adult-only option. We arrived at the resort for check-in just before midnight, and although we were assigned a room with 1 king bed, Luis working the front desk at the time, was able to give us a room with 2 queen beds instead, which we appreciated. Unfortunately, the mini fridge was empty upon our arrival (likely because we weren't supposed to have th [... read more]e room) and it took a while for us to receive water any time we called the desk for refill, but aside from that, we were happy with the room itself. There was a bit of wear and tear, but it didn't bother us. The AC unit in the room is fairly loud but for anyone who doesn't mind a little white noise, it's fine. Because it's a smaller resort, you have to be up and out early to grab beach chairs and bali beds by the pool, or anything with an umbrella. There is a section of beach that has soft sand, great for swimming, but it's quite rocky elsewhere. It's a public beach so there are vendors milling about that can be bothersome (but out of the resort's control). The process for making reservations at the a la carte restaurants was a bit stressful, as the booking feature within their app opens every day at 8am for the same day - you cannot make reservations in advance. I had to be ready to press "reserve" right as the clock struck 8am, and that may be an issue for those that like to sleep in. We enjoyed Pez Dama for dinner the most, but our servers - Olga at Dolce Vita and Leonel at the Steakhouse - were awesome. We mainly stuck to Aperol Spritz and mamajuana shots during the trip and appreciated the wonderful service from Franklin and the lovely lady with the light eyes (I forgot to write down her name!) at the adults-only pool, and Elizabeth at the main lobby bar. When we were making arrangements to leave the resort for our flight home, which was very early in the morning, Francisco at the main lobby front desk was so kind and helpful. My sister and I wanted somewhere we could hang out, veg, swim, tan, nap, eat and basically do nothing else - El Beso at Ocean El Faro delivered!

Where are all the loungers?

Lots of good things but also a few problems...including a severe shortage of loungers at the beach and the pool. Lots of space to add more so not sure why the space is not being utilized. The lack of loungers really brought out the worst in people. Changed the vibe of vacation. For this reason I would probably not recommend El Beso. Other issues; next to impossible to book a reservation at al a carte restaurant unless you have Privilege package. Tried on the app everyday at 8am and only 53 [... read more]0 or 930 available. Plus no where at El Beso to get a good coffee first thing in the morning! Lobby bar doesn't serve until 830. Mikes too far and the lineup is INSANE. Otherwise layout is great. Easy to walk most places. Resort clean. Staff friendly. Beach bar is lovely. Beach rocky but lagoon is steps away and excellent for swimming. Warm and water is calm. Ground floor rooms are quite nice with walkout to pool.

Trip from Hell El Beso Adults only at Ocean El Faro

Room needs lot of work, doors need repaired, fresh painting. Grounds are not kept up. The pools need repaired tiles coming off. Restaurant need better cooks . Maids need to clean a little better. Upper management a little more friendly to guests. When something happens at resort they should do something about it. Air conditioner went and water leaked all over our clothes and they did wash them but we waited 1 1/2 to get them to come and get them. Two shirts ran on a white shirt and they did noth [... read more]ing about it.

Beautiful resort

Ocean El Faro has a very impressive main lobby and beautiful suites. The pools and lazy river are very good. However the food in the a la carte restaurants leaves a lot to be desired, e.g. I ordered apple tarte tatin in the Blue Moon and the seeds and core were still attached to the baked apple segment and the puff pastry was flat. Service is very slow overall but housekeeping was good. The beach is very rocky and there's always a red flag which is normal in this area. However there is a tranqui [... read more]l bay just north of the hotel which is good for swimming.

Give it a 4

The resort was beautiful, rooms were clean and comfortable. The staff was friendly and helpful. However we were disappointed in the Adult only El Beso. Most services are on the family side so very little on adult side except for one restaurant, small lobby and one small snack bar under renovation. The Pool was great and the pool bars. Almost impossible to get bar staff attention from outside the pool. They advertise a juice bar on dry side of the pool but no one ever there. Information on activi [... read more]ties is very difficult and frustrating to find. We missed most because always found out after the activity had taken place. The party pool was very loud especially when our room was right behind the boom box. The balcony was beautiful but we could not enjoy any sitting or reading between 3 to 6 pm. Which would have been our time to relax after a full morning in the sun, pool and beach. So for adults who want a quiet afternoon, do not stay in building 11. The Piano bar in main lobby was a great surprise which we totally enjoyed. We were disappointed to learn that there were free shuttles available to other Ocean' hotels and gift shops. We only found out on our way back to airport. Only one shop on premises, limited choice and very expensive. The beach was only ok, mostly rocky so not inviting for swimming but to sit, watch and listen to the surf was therapeutic nonetheless. The A la Carte restaurants were a welcomed feature. We did enjoy our week and air Transat was great but I would not give this resort any more than a 4 star. There are many pros with having all services concentrated in one area but lots of cons too. One suggestion would be to add a coffee shop on the Adult side. There is only one coffee shop on the resort and there is a constant line up beginning before opening at 7AM. Definitely better communication re activities and not total reliability on QR codes. Not everyone is able to work this. Thank you. Hope my comments help improve this hotel for future. We would not return to this resort.

Our Stay at El Beso

What a wonderful place. There were so many meal options. The staff could not be friendlier. Where we stayed, the music was too loud for most of the day. El Beso is an adults-only complex, but the music was largely geared towards a much younger crowd. On the other hand, El Faso, which was a family resort, had much better music, and there were more options for entertainment and restaurants. I believe the same company owns both resorts, since we had access to both. Mike's coffee is a must for great [... read more] coffee, good baked goods and just a neat place to hang out. The El Faso lobby was also stunning and a great place to hang out. We also took a couple of tours, thanks to John, who was most helpful in arranging them. We had one issue: our coffee in the room wasn't restocked. Because we like to sit with a coffee before breakfast, we were assured it was on the way. We eventually gave up, walked down to Mike's, and got two coffees. After breakfast, we returned to the room, but there was still no coffee. It did show up later that afternoon, so we had it the following day.

Good, mid-range resort

The rooms were quite nice, but be aware that requests made in advance (e.g., 2 queen beds instead of a king; swim-up) may not be honoured when you check in. Food was adequate but service was slow. No food/snack options at the beach…a snack cart would be a great addition. The resort does not enforce the no-reserving-chairs or the non-smoking policies. Pool chairs were usually all taken by 7am and beach chairs by 8:30. Overall, the resort seems understaffed

EL BESO is the way to go!

Very clean, great food (and fresh), great people, friendly employees. Peaceful on El Beso adult only side. Big resort, lots to do and see. Bring crocs to wear, lots of walking! The train helps, and is very convenient. Speak Spanish if you can, most employees don't know much English. Beautiful views everywhere. I had a blast! Pictures and videos and all the details can be found on my Facebook profile!

Beautiful Resort

This resort is such a beautiful resort. We were very impressed at how the resort is laid out. The “main strip” is something we have never seen before. Wonderful walkway flanked on either side by restaurants, shopping, fitness gym, bowling alley & many other activities. The restaurants were fantastic & our favourite being the Japanese restaurant Sakura. The “Adults Only” portion of the resort is well laid out. We did find that perhaps the main pool area on the adult side could benefit from  [... read more]new loungers. Many of them were broken. Overall we loved this resort & would definitely make a return visit.

Nice Resort

We loved the resort, although there were a few areas that were disappointing. Food was average Drinks were ok Room was very humid and our thermostat was not working properly. They came to fix it but it still didn't work. Also our patio door was extremely difficult to open, they came 3 times to fix it but again not well . We were constantly having to ask for towels, facecloths and hand towels, which we got very sparingly. Prices in the gift shop were outrageously expensive.

El baso / El faro trip

The hotel adult side is rated as a 5, we had been to this property in 2019 El faro and now stayed at El baso. We have been to various Punta cana resorts approx 20 times. This hotel is a 3.5. Based on food, service, room condition, check in at El beso (Avery needs to improve on people skills ) and lack of Gluten free options, lack of ambiance in the a la carte restaurants noisy and buffet has better options, italian not good. Moldy rooms our friends room was moldy and smelled horrible, it took 2  [... read more]days to move them and the hotel rebooked the same room to someone else same day who in turn had the same issue. Why would that room not be taken out of service. Issues with front desk completing simple tasks like an additional blanket, filling the beer and water in fridge as promised and some arrogance . Dont put something in writing if you cant fufill it as a tour operator. Entertainment subpar except for fireshow which is a off premise group which tours hotels. Piano bar had an excellent pianist but horrible bar service every nite. Very little gluten free options many staff could not speak english and did not know what gluten free is which is dangerous if you have celiac or food allergies. One restaurant by the beach Villa marina, was never open, others were closed for private events which limited choice. Excessive attempts to upsell wines, beer and lobster at the a la cartes very annoying. We had a good time with our friends and will come back to Punta cana but somewhere else please note their are many great staff here which did provide excellent service such as the Pez damas restaurant at the beach excellent atmosphere ,food and service. The japenese Sakura restaurant was very good. Route 66 was typicall rd house but the hostess needs to lighten up and lose the attitude not much of a cheerlreader. Groundskeepwrs and security staff and bellboys and cart drivers were hard working. Lazy river is awesome,thankyou for topping up our floats. Great service at Mikes coffee and great selection but no gf deserts which you had in 2019. Beach lagoon was fun and safe to swim no reef or rocks. All in all we had a great time , well laid out resort, honest review and everyones experiece will differ based on their interactions and experiences and oh ya no snow to be found !