The hotel was very clean. Staff was very friendly. Always good choices of food. My family can be picky eaters and we found something at every meal that we enjoyed. Great beach, with the opportunity to have a good walk if you enjoy running or walking on beaches. The view was incredible. A good trade wind, so you don't feel the intense heat. I would recommend this resort.
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Laura64 -
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VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Terrific Resort
Upgrade to Premium room, well worth it. Your own server on the beach and roped off area with beds. Lots available anytime. Beach Vendors- Tell them No thanks
Vintage room awesome.
Servers awesome. Tip; well worth it.
Food great, lots of choices.
Rooms clean, but nothing special. Clean towels all the time.
Tip the Fridge bar person and they will make sure its got lots of beer.
The staff are excellent. Very happy and smiling all the time.
Will return to this Resort next year
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Private -
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Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Fabulous Party
Friendly, amazingly clean (including beach bathrooms), fabulous food, never had to wait, impressive 24 hour service, many activities around the pool. - Lots of fun to be had - Quieter near the beach, except for people selling things, beach could use more shade. Water was perfect, many people swan, water sports were few, sand is very soft, seaweed was taken away daily, Room was well appointed comfortable bed.
Not the best place for quiet relaxing but great for fun.
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Raiderdog1 -
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VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Sand Sun and Relaxation
I arrived around 9:00 pm and was amazed at the entrance of the hotel. The staff from the concerige and front desk personnel were fantastic. I was in my room and unpacked by 9:15. The room was nice and clean and I was on the ground floor facing the pool and restaurant and entertainment centre. Upon waking in the morning I walked to the beach, it was a nice white beach and clean. The restaurant staff were nice and friendly and took good care of me. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wants [... read more]to go and have a nice time in the sun and sand. I especially liked the activity director who took us through our paces each day with water excercises in the pool and the pool volleyball, he had everyone laughing and having a good time.
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Cheryl -
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Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Amazing Resort
The place was beautiful plus weather was amazing would go back again .Food was awesome also . Very nice pools also .Rooms were wonderful maid service was great. Entertainment was awesome . Cant say enough it was the best vacation ever .
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Private -
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Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: costa dorado
Everything was fine. Food was excellent. Room was clean. Service was great. Staff was friendly. Would definitely return. Location was very good. Only problem, some days lots of seaweed on beach.
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Doug -
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Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: This resort had it all beautiful top-notch
The grounds were well-kept and beautiful the meals were fantastic best resort I’ve ever stayed at and I’ve been travelling the Caribbean numerous times. Only about 15 minutes from the airport which was also good. The staff was excellent everyone that was involved in the hotel.
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Private -
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Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Wonderful resort
Perfect size hotel with everything within walking distance. Friendly and very helpful staff. A la carte restaurants were wonderful. Didn’t like the shows at night. Need to have more variety.
I would definitely return to this resort
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Mel B -
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Playabachata Hotel: Great experience :)
This resort delivered the basics and more; phenomenal beach, lush setting, pristine grounds, decent nightly entertainment, excellent customer service and a few perks including a state of the art fitness centre, cafe and ice cream shop. Only downfall was that the food although good was very repetitive and we had a couple cockroaches in our room on the main level. Those buggers run fast and were hard to kill. All in all though, it was a great trip :)
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Private -
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Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great resort
Great staff, rooms were spacious and for 3 people they put in extra bed, only issue was the air conditioner leaked in our room and flooded the bathroom. Food was great, different theme each evening for supper.
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Private -
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Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Awesome Resort
Our room was in a perfect location,minutes away from everything! The staff was amazing!! The grounds were kept so clean! Our room was cleaned everyday.A great variety of food to choose from.Entertainment was so good each night,we would return!!
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Private -
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Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: Good value
Resort was super clean amd well kept. Loved the layout of this resort. Expected more from the food so was a little disappointed about that. Service depended on who you got. But good value. Entertainers fun and friendly. Would consider going back with hopes that food and service become the 4.5 star resort is rated
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Private -
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Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Ok vacation
This was our 2nd time to BlueBay. First time was three years ago. If you are looking for a cheap and cheerful resort this is the place. It is in need of an update but there is always somewhere to get a drink or something to eat. Extra sun loungers are needed. Cheap and cheerful.
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Private -
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Blue Bay Villas Doradas: will absolutely go again
I had the most relaxing trip ever with my sister Wendie and friends...everyone was so friendly and food was amazing, we took a trip by taci to the plaza, people were very help and everything you sent us was so easy to follow
Thanks again
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Mr. Moostache -
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Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Great Resort
Resort is very well maintained, clean. No issues with our room. Great food. Awesome entertainment staff.
This resort does have a lot of stairs, so not for anyone with mobility issues. There are shuttles always running.
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Sherry J -
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Viva Heavens by Wyndham: AMAZING RESORTâ£â£
This resort was much more than I expected! Right from the moment we walked into the lobby to our departure we were made to feel like family. The staff is so friendly and helpful. The cleanliness of the rooms right through to the public washrooms excellent. The food was simply amazing. Always something going on to keep you entertained or you could just relax. Music at night around the pool was geared for more of the younger crowd at times too loud. They did though play a blend and 70 and 80's a [... read more]couple of nights. All in all I would give this 4.5 star! LOVED IT!!
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Private -
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Viva Heavens by Wyndham: What a great place!!!!
This resort was definitely a good choice. The food at the restaurants was amazing, the best at any of the resorts we have been too. We were a party of 14 and they had no problems accommodating us. Grounds were tidy and well cared for. Rooms were huge. For sure we will be going back.
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JoJo L -
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Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Impressive Resort but a Few Glitches. TripCentral excellent. Sunwing very good
Our "direct" flight with Sunwing and bus transfer to the resort were very good. Nexus, I believe, were very efficient, organized and had a very nice bus and system. Our agent with Tripcentral, Wendy, was just great. The extra coupons from Sunwing for valet airport parking were ideal and offered us a very reasonable price to experience something new, rather than taxi. Also excursions booked during the flight were cheaper through Sunwing than at the resort itself. Paperwork arrived without a glitc[... read more]h!
To start a review with a negative is not how I planned this because I was so impressed with this resort, the travel agent, the airline, the male staffing, and the price! BUT...
Reception at BeLive Marien on February 28, 2019 was a bit confusing. We had booked an oceanfront room and did not realize the extent of the package 2 of us had, offering VIP service. We were a group of 5 adults - my family. After standing in line to check-in at the main lobby desk for over 20 minutes, we were then redirected to the VIP lounge which was in a totally different area and this delayed the process. Our room in Unit 9 was allotted to us and the other 3 companions were already settled in a different building. IMMEDIATELY after being driven by cart to our room, I phoned to say the room was unacceptable due to a high level of mildew which I am very allergic to. I also did not like the fact that we were at ground level and there was no barrier from the grassed area to the patio entrance of the room. I was concerned about security with that lay out, as well as privacy. The lock on the patio door was merely a thin metal peg which you inserted into the centre beam and it didn't even fit securely in the hole. The light in the hallway was burnt out too, making it very difficult to insert the room key due to the darkness and we were right at the walkway to an empty lot, away from the main resort so I worried about my safety. The reaction to my complaints and request for a healthier unit almost went on deaf ears with the person on duty at VIP. It was later in the day and my patience was getting low. I was already having difficulty breathing in the room, needing my inhaler, and was told there was nothing available until March 3 but I could call in the morning to talk to a manager if I wished. My companions offered their room to me but I didn't want to rock the boat on Day 1 so to speak. I called early the following morning to be told that they would have to wait for a manager to arrive at 9:00 a.m. to deal with the problem. I did not go on a vacation to play phone tag or waste my time waiting around for what I paid for. My husband does not like confrontation so I hesitated to ask the Sunwing reps or our agent to handle this on my behalf because then there would have been more tension within our family unit. The distance to the VIP area was considerable for me as I was struggling with my breathing due to the mildew, and I just decided to turn off the air conditioning which seemed to be one of the culprits. When we were in the room we kept the ceiling fan as well as the bathroom fan on to circulate fresh air from the outside. Needless to say the room got quite warm. I asked the housekeeping attendants at our room to disinfect the room with bleach and wipe things down like below the cupboard units which wreaked mildew, but they kept claiming they didn't understand me. After that they hardly even cleaned our room or left supplies such as hand soap, matches, and when they knocked to come in we would immediately leave only to return perhaps 3 hours later to an unserviced room. One girl kept saying "later" when I requested it be done as soon as she knocked and we left. Yes, it was later...much later. The floors were very sandy requiring shoes on at all times. BUT on a POSITIVE note, THIS RESORT HAD THE BEST PLUMBING, the tub and sinks drained perfectly, water pressure was amazing, and there was an abundance of hot water. One of us had numerous bites and we had separate beds so we questioned if it was bedbugs. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. Our other companions in Unit 3 were told their rooms would be fumigated within days but we didn't know the reason. They also had bites but perhaps it was mosquito or sand fly bites. Mosquitoes were high on certain days even though the staff was spraying all the time outside. Our remaining party of 3 were VERY impressed with their cleaning staff and rooms. During our stay we witnessed staff upgrading beds, shelves, etc in many areas of the room units so they appear to maintain the resort well. In the end we just remained in this room. My husband went on the 3rd March to the VIP and told them we would just deal with it our own way, and we made the best of it.
Previously I applauded the efforts of the male staff. They were exceptional with helping me no matter what my request. From the waiters, the towel hut (Maharoney), the bartenders, the security, promotions people and others, the men were so much more attentive and personable than the women. I do have to make an exception because one of the girls from the entrance to the buffet restaurant who got us our table, went above and beyond welcoming us and asking about our stay and personal lives. Otherwise, the women seemed to have attitude, putting forth minimal effort to make our stay enjoyable, and seemed to use the excuse of not understanding our English language every time we asked for something. One night, my daughter suddenly felt ill and we headed to my room. I was also struggling with stomach, breathing and other issues. The key would not work. My son and I headed to the VIP area to get a key leaving her behind knowing he would not be able to get one by himself. I wished the hallways had lobby phones. I was having a terrible time and was sweating profusely struggling to catch my breath. The VIP office was closed and as a cart drove by with maintenance men my son hailed them for a ride for me. They slowed but did not stop even though he said I needed help. We arrived at the front lobby desk. I requested a key and told the woman that there was no way I could make it back to the room without assistance. She told me to go talk to security and pointed to the entrance of the resort, not concerned at all. I hailed a young security man who immediately told me to sit and he would get me help. There was a bit of a scene because the carts were already locked up, and people were taking notice which embarrassed me. But the young man got the help I needed and I was carted back to our unit. The wrong end of the unit requiring more walking, but there. They left with their cart, and then the NEW KEY did not work! Thankfully my husband showed up with his. My daughter was feeling better but I was more than ill. I was totally stressed, crying and took some medication and went to bed. This sounds very dramatic, and it was, but usually I give the benefit of the doubt to hotel people because I once worked cleaning rooms and dealing with clients. It's not an easy job, and at times it's very unrewarding and frustrating. I apologize for even writing about this, but I was very polite with everyone, and just wanted to feel well again. I understand that my health issues are not their problem, but I did have the necessary items with me to eradicate most complications. It was inexcusable that the women employed here, totally ignored my requests with issues that could have been very serious.
Now to the highlights...and there were many. Much more than I expected for such a great price.
The resort was beautiful. The view of the mountain, the landscaping of lush tropical foliage, flowers, trees and eye catching architecture definitely appealed to us. The pool was gorgeous, large, well maintained, impeccably clean and perfectly treated with chemicals. The sound of the fountains, waterfalls, and the ambiance of the night lighting in the water added a special dimension to the hot tropical nights. Daytime loungers were plentiful and the "toys" available and activities were fun. I would have to rate this as the best pool we have ever had. Sitting by the poolside bar, day or night, offered a wonderful environment to chat, drink, soak up the sun, or watch the nightly stage and dancing in that area. Washrooms were conveniently close and very clean. The shaded area under the Mediterranean Restaurant allowed us to play cards without having to go far for refreshments. And the internet stations were all around for our daily limit of free time. Mind you we also had free wifi from our VIP package which was more than enough at 15 hours each.Every area of the resort from lobby, to dining areas, to grounds etc was absolutely stunning with the crowning glory being the view of the mountain from the pool area.
The beach was delightful, too. It was much cooler on the beach than at the pool. The sand on the beach was fairly clean. We had a few very windy days so seaweed washed in but nothing excessive. Walking into the water was great - no sharp shells or stones. The loungers were plentiful all the time. We had use of the VIP beds and Adirondack chairs which were a lovely bonus feature. The swing in the VIP area was delightful. And the VIP bar hut was awesome. One of the bartenders, Jeffrey, was just so good and very very personable and friendly. It was awesome that vendors were minimal, and never bothered us once we nodded our heads that we weren't interested. Even when they would be allowed in the evening onto the resort walkways, they were not a problem at all.
Security on the beach was excellent. One late afternoon my husband ventured out with his binoculars beyond the resort's edge. Immediately a security guard told him it might not be safe due to locals coming to the empty lot beside us. He said there had been isolated incidents we should be aware of. He befriended my husband and for the remaining stay they would converse regularly. While photographing the sunrises, there were always guards walking with their batons all around the beach and resort area. Very reassuring, as I was usually alone.
Speaking of the empty lot beside our unit, it was such a joy to watch the farm animals coming down to the water's edge daily. I think this was the highlight of my afternoons and early evenings. The 2 mother sows and her piglets seemed like we were on a free excursion! I marveled at the variety of birds there, too which was perfect for my photography obsession. My companions laughed when a cow looked in the window to the Sunwing's room for our welcoming meeting. Some people were not impressed but I thought it just connected us more to the country we were visiting. The staff sprayed back there regularly too which I assume was for mosquitoes.
The meals were good. One of our priorities was food because we have a person who doesn't like a lot of items. From internet reviews I figured this resort would be the best choice from what I read. We found the buffet offered a good selection of basic food like breads, cereals, bacon, fruit, cheeses, desserts and standard meat and vegetable choices. All 5 of us ate at the buffet daily at some point, and were satisfied. The a la carte restaurants were very good. We chose the Mediterranean, Brazilian and Mexican also ordering the extra lobster for a fee. Once again the waiters were very attentive to our needs. The Mexican was definitely the best however two of us had cramping issues afterwards which may or may not have had anything to do with the meal. We loved the beach snack bar and restaurant too. The burgers, hot dogs, and other foods plus the fantastic assortment of condiments went over really well with all of us! Each restaurant offered unique ambiances which complimented our overall impression of the resort. We found them very clean, and the food cooked properly all the time.
We certainly enjoyed the entertainment, some nights more than others. The Beach Party was fantastic and lots of fun. The skits at the theatre and games before the dance troupe came on, were very entertaining and humourous. Many laughs. We were not impressed with the dancers' skills because we have seen much better and longer shows elsewhere, but it allowed us to mingle with other hotel guests and form conversations with them. The dance choreography was a bit off most of the time. The bar staff were excellent. Although I never proceeded to the dance bar after the shows, my 3 adult kids did and they put in quite a few very late nights always having a super great time. The beach bar and restaurant kept the party going even later, lol. Good memories were created for sure. Even the Kviar casino provided some fun even though their casino women were just as rude in my opinion. The female cashier made me feel like an idiot when I asked questions about their ticket redemption and currency exchange.
Otherwise I will add some recommendations to finalize my review.
Rooms:
-Larger countertops in our bathroom and towel bars further away from wall and longer would have been perfect.Because nothing dries well, hooks to hang clothes would be ideal.
-A system where the key card also allowed the ceiling fan and bathroom fan to remain on for those people who don't like airconditioning, or have faulty units. Screen to the patio door would help with mosquitoes and avoid having cats or birds walk in.
-Our bathroom door stuck badly and I had difficulty opening it if it did close, due to not having the height to operate the lever handle. A regular doorknob would be better.
-Hallway phones when keys don't work because it's quite a walk back to lobby.
It was very hard for us to leave. Everyone of us had a different experience here, but all of us were very happy with our vacation once we accepted the fact that the room I got was just something we had to deal with or let ruin our limited time at BeLive Marien. Sometimes these things happen, although I wish it hadn't because I know this would have been the best family vacation we had ever taken due to the wonderful facilities and bonuses available. This resort offers so much for any age. Children, young adults, partiers, older retired people, rich or poor can all find something here. The clientele were such a great group and we formed many friendships in such a short time. I would return in a heartbeat and I think all 3 of my adult children are already making plans.
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Heather -
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Paradise Playa Dorada: How fun!
Hotel was great! Food was great! Weather was great!! Company was great!!
I would definitely recommend this resort for a comfy stay with great friendly staff!
Lots of activities available if you want to do them.. a few steps to the ocean.. great clean sand....
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Private -
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VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great resort
All round everything good, great beach, pools, food.
Only negative thing is the entertainment it wasn’t that good
I would recommend this resort to both a family and or a couple it’s great for either lots to do