Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Another wonderful stay

The Senator is our resort choice once again. This was a 28 day stay that didn’t disappoint. Good food, comfortable beds, and lots to do thanks to the animation crew. Beautiful beaches and pools.The sports bar a necessity for the sports fan

Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: Amazing Resort!!

We cannot say enough good things about this resort. Our room was clean. The food was amazing. The grounds were maintained. Staff was very pleasant. Definitely family friendly. My grandchildren were ages 8-17. There was activities for all ages. This resort is not a 5 star it's a 10 star!! Wonderful memories were mad here!

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Nice resort

Landscape and lobby were nice, gym was just what we needed, lots of classes and activities to keep people busy, beach was nice, buffet and restaurants were good, but the individual rooms were needing some big time love. You can't put a pink light under the bed and ignore paint on the floors, messy paint jobs, drain covers missing, hair on the floor, dirty walls, etc. Wouldn't take much to make it great without having to pay for a swim out or diamond club. Music could be a little more tropical th [... read more]an hip hop in the sports bar at night. Really lovely and helpful staff though. We paid $2745 pp from Calgary and we definitely overpaid. I'd say $2200 pp max.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Hidden gem

Staff were great, food was great, rooms were clean , cleaning the resort constantly, I expected a basic resort but surprisingly it exceeded my expectations! Beach was clean, nice pool, a la carte were delicious Thanks for recommending Louise !

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: We had a fun time - but not a perfect time

Overall, the resort was nice, clean and organized. The grounds are well kept. The swim-up pool in our room was amazing (and made for some fun pool parties!). With a group of 16 of us, we were always on the go. We attended many evening functions (silent disco, live bands, karaoke, etc) which were ok and fun...not over the top. Overall, the food was a disappointment. We even had one a'la carte dinner that we got up and walked out of part way through our main course. Service was horrible and  [... read more]the food inedible. The buffets were inconsistent. We did like the beach BBQ and the Paella on the grill! Bar service was good from the bar, but the pool service was slow (up to 45 mins to get a drink to your chair). The main pool was huge and the swim up bar busy, but there were several "oil slicks" of grunge floating around most of the days. Kinda gross. This was our first "5 star" resort experience and we left somewhat disappointed. We'll probably go back to cruising!

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Overbooked and busy

Waiting, waiting, waiting...This was the theme of the week. First started with waiting close to an hour to check in, after a busy and long travel day with 2 young kids. Finally, once the rooms were ready, we were able to check in and enjoy the warm weather. We were travelling with family members (8 people total) and it was next to impossible to make dinner reservations for our party at a normal time in one of only 3 a la carte restaurants for the entire resort, only available for 8 at 8pm or  [... read more]later. To pay 60$ US per person for the japanese restaurant is absurd, and we did not see anyone in there the entire week. The mexican restaurant was a joke, literally served cut up hot dogs on a tortilla and called it sausage tacos. The italian restaurant was much better and the torro restaurant was ok. Anticipate 2+ hours for the dinner reservations. All that was left was the buffet (1 at the main lobby area, 1 near the beach). Throughout the week, lunch and dinner buffets were annoying for several reasons. It was so busy that we could hardly get a table for 8, or even a table for 4 at the beach buffet, we have to wait for plates since they were all empty, the line up for pasta / pizza station was a mess and disorganized. The Mediterranean restaurant near the beach was reserved for Level club only. This restaurant was pretty much empty the entire week while we had to scramble to find seating for our family during lunch buffets. Safe to say that after a couple days of buffet, the food got tiring and was unimpressed with the selection. In keeping with the waiting theme, all the bars were low staffed and waited on average 10+ minutes for a drink, especially near the beach bar (little shack van serving limited drinks). Another annoying thing about this resort (and probably all others), in order to have a beach or pool lounge chair, you needed to be up at 6 am to reserve the chairs since there were so many people that all the chairs were taken at the pool and beach by 8 am. Service in general was pretty poor since most staff did not really understand English that well. Our family members had asked for extra pillows in their room since they only had 2 pillows for 2 adults and 2 kids. They called the front desk several times, the spoke the reception staff several times, to no avail. What finally ended up getting them extra pillows was leaving a note for the maid along with a tip, this after 3 days of only having 2 pillows. Despite the busyness of the resort, the disorganization of the restaurants / buffets, the poor service of resort workers, long wait times everywhere, and the annoyance of the many many solicitors / vendors on the beach (I know its like this everywhere, but literally a person comes up to you every 2 minutes), our family was still able to relax and enjoy the nice weather, the beautiful beach, the shows and activities for the kids, and the company.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Excellent Spot to Relax

This hotel was amazing! The rooms were awesome and the swim up was very relaxing. Friendly staff and very accommodating. The Entertainment Team was incredible.The food was excellent at the buffets and the ALaCarts were very good! The only thing i would complain about would be the lack of lounge chairs available around the pool. People get up early and clip towels on the chairs snd leave them there all day! That was more than frustrating!!!

Playabachata Hotel: Great Resort

This resort was nice, clean, very friendly staff. The entertainment crew with Chocolate, Sky, Happy Boy and Donkey and the rest, were over the top hard working to keep us all laughing at the pool. The food variety was good, except they could have more bacon. Most of the servers were always happy and helpful. Rooms were nice and very clean. Grounds were being cleaned all day, every day. I would go back any time. Front desk people were very helpful. The common bathrooms were maintained all the tim [... read more]e even though some guests would destroy them, (some people are pigs). The bar service with Fabiou were excellent.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Bahia Principe Luxury Esmaralda AMAZING!

Can't say enough about the resort. Room was modern and clean and bed was a pillow top with just the right softness. Food was amazing at the a la carts, and the buffet had everything you wanted. Staying at the Esmaralda gave us access to all the other Baha Principe within the complex. The only downfall about the whole trip was the mosquitoes at night (certainly no fault to the resort). Never experienced such an influx of mosquitoes while vacationing in January/February. I guess there is alw [... read more]ays a first time.

Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: Perfect

This resort delivered on everything. Dining, service, amenities. Teen club was awesome. Waterslides and lazy river was fun. Beach was fun too. Tipping was appreciated but service was stellar regardless. Preferred had so many perks I wouldn’t go without it.

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Amazing Resort

We just returned from the Lifestyles Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic, and it was great! It was my first time going to the Dominican Republic with my husband and good friend, and it did not disappoint. The weather was fantastic—nothing below +28, but it was very humid . We stayed around the adults-only pool because the ocean was very nasty, with huge waves and a lot of algae on the beach. The food was your typical buffet, with lots to choose from therefore you will not go hungry.  [... read more]We decided to take in an "a la cart" restaurant so we chose the Brazilian and it was such a nice experience, with the waiters bringing you the meats on a large skewer to your table, the meats included were chicken, turkey, pork ribs, steak and to finish a pineapple dessert and it was all delicious. The only downfall here was 2 things first - the peacocks, they sounded like 10 male cats fighting, they were very loud noisy birds but beautiful to see at the same time. And second, the good people that worked at the spa, they don't leave you alone they were obnoxious!!! Rooms were cleaned every day, the bottled water was replenished also everyday, the grounds were beautiful, and the day beds were also changed on a daily basis. The buffet napkins smelled like fleecy, yes they smelled like fleecy and so did the towels & sheets which was refreshing. All in all I will give this resort 9.5 out of 10...

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Great all around resort

The check in was quick private transfer to resort only negative was placement of room involved a fair bit of walking and on the 4th floor but the room itself was large and the shower could fit a family of 4 lol. Very clean and fridge stocked daily with turndown service each evening. Room service was free to even people like us who booked regular with no upgrade. Our opinion was an upgrade was not necessary and we usually upgrade. There are a number of pools which can get busy however we were alw [... read more]ays able to find seats just had to look around. Pools were clean and the lazy river was great. bars were situated all over the resort so no worries there. Buffet was good everything was fresh and choices plentiful for breakfast and dinner. Restaurants were good that we visited Steakhouse (Bluewater Grill) was a decent ribeye. Cin Cin (Mediterranean) was excellente and Spice (Teppanyaki) was good. The coffee shop was excellent any time of day for hot or cold beverage as well as sandwiches and baked goods. The Burger bar I must say had the best burgers in Punta Cana in our opinion given the 6-7 resorts we have visited. The ocean was wavy but nice. Kids club (Explorer) was a hit with our 8 yr. old grandaughter. The night shows for the kids good the adult ones were just ok they do work hard to put on the shows! Staff were all friendly 1st time we have never ran into not one unhappy employee. Overall this resort is the best in overall amenities and enjoyment.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Great Family Resort!

Our TripCentral rep, Wendy Harrington, helped us pick the most affordable yet high quality vacation package. She had multiple conversations with us about different resorts and we ended up with Ocean Blue and Sand; which was GREAT!! It was a perfect trip for me, my husband, and my 1 year old baby. The resort has lots of activities to do for all ages and was not busy when we went. We went from January 30- February 6th and the resort was peaceful and quite, if you're looking for a party resort t [... read more]his is not it. The beach at this resort was beautiful with soft white sand and clean blue water with almost no seaweed. The food at this resort was delicious and service was exceptional, as a family that eats only halal meat there were many vegetarian and seafood options. The resort offers a privilege membership upgrade for an extra $60-75USD per person/per day which comes with access to butler service, jacuzzi in room, access to the cabanas on beach and specific area near pool. However, we did not get this option and still had an amazing time. ROOM PROS: - Rooms and washroom/shower were specious. - The AC worked great and the maid kept our room clean; even washed our baby dishes! - They restocked water bottles/beverages daily. - They also replace bedsheets every third day unless requested otherwise. The room had a nice private balcony but the view was facing the resorts side forest which we liked but you can request a pool view, no Seaview option. ROOM CONS: - The shower had 2 heads, a removeable showerhead and a rainforest showerhead. The rainforest showerhead did not work in out washroom, however, we were grateful to just have hot water so it didn't bother us that much. Also, the removeable showerhead was more useful to us. -The bedsheets didn't seem clean when we first got there, we found an earing backing in one of the beds. ACTIVITIES: Lots to do in resort such as free Kayaking, bowling alley(Some pins were missing, alley #4 was the best), batting cage, pool tables (some balls were missing), table tennis, basketball net, pool/beach volleyball nets, 2 beach soccer nets, arcade game at Overtime and lots of board game on the second floor of family lounge. The family lounge also had VR, Laser Tag and PS5 gaming consoles with 2 TVs. SAFETY: The gated resort is super safe with security patrolling premise 24/7. WALKABILITY: This resort is not too big but not too small. It was the perfect size for us to walk around with baby stroller. The beach was less than a 5 min walk from our hotel room. They also have shuttle buggies driving around to pick you up if needed. FOOD & DRINKS: The resort has 2 buffets that offer breakfast, lunch and dinner; the main buffet was our favorite. They switched up the menus daily. They do not offer halal food which we knew before going here but they had a lot of seafood and vegetarian dishes. The resort has other restaurants as well. I would recommend getting the ice cream Cappuccino from Mike's Coffee Shop and the Sweet Cake flavor from the ice cream Shop, both were 10/10. Room service was really great but the menus weren't accessible. NOTEWORTHY DETAILS: The staff was very friendly especially with our baby. Special shoutout to the lady working at the baby daycare called Daisy Club and the man working at overtime from 6pm-6am who also served us at the main dinner buffet, he was very nice and taught us about Dominican culture. The photographers Carlos and Kevin were very professional and took great family portrait shots of us on the beach. The photographs are expensive $20 USD/per picture but more you buy the cheaper. We would still recommend cause the quality and location of pictures were priceless. The souvenir shop is extremely expensive, they do have a day where vendors come to sell souvenirs for much cheaper (for us it was the Wednesday we were there). The resort is accessible as it has ramps for all entrances. I would recommend the resort the clean the daisy club sand since there a lots of rocks which is not safe for babies/toddler.

Impressive Punta Cana: Resort was just OK

The buffet was ok. The A la carts were ok. The room could have been cleaner (bathroom) The pool was dirty and had lots of mould on the walls. Francois at the buffet was awesome and so was Wanda at the pool bar. All and all the was just an average resort. I would however not go back or recommend it to any of my friends.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Fun and relaxing!

We just returned from the Luxury Ambar, this was our sixth visit. We are always pleased with the resort but it's the staff that makes it memorable. The entertainment crew are always planning fun things for all ages. Everyone makes you feel welcome. A special shout out to our sisters at the lobby bar, Anyeli and Diocelina we can't wait to see you next year ?

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Average resort

Very well maintained resort with very clean and comfortable rooms The buffets are very repetitive and the a la cartes are not waiting in line for as the quality is just average at best. The beach is nice to walk but the ocean is murky. The quiet pool is ok with a good bar and service.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Amazing beach

The resort was beautiful, with plenty of activities that we didn't get a chance to participate in all of them, the food was delicious and plentiful, the beach was gorgeous, albeit a bit windy while we were there. The only downside was the stomach bug I caught on our 2nd day that ravaged through our group all week long. The room was very nice too, loved the hammocks on the balcony, but the giant tub could've done better as a giant shower.

Serenade All Suites Adults Only Resort: Beautiful resort but

Everything was beautiful the layout the style the bars and pools. The restaurant booking system was a disaster and eating at 8:30 at night was not pleasant. After 2 days in the resort people begin to get sick and everything went down hill from there. Cold food and poorly cooked items. Poor handing of food with cross contamination it’s shame because the place is new and really a 5 star hotel with 1or 2 star salty food.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good Resort

Grounds and rooms were clean. It is unfortunate that there is not 24 hour meal options. I was extremely impressed with the pool loungers. They were in excellent condition and not falling apart. The food had lots of variety.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Beautiful Resort…

This resort is beautifully maintained & spacious. Rooms are very nice and very clean. The staff very accommodating, polite and always greeting with a smile. Staff is always there to help you if needed. Lots of activities. There are 2 swimming pools which are big and beautifully maintained, lots of lounge chairs around pool. Fantastic beach, clean, no seaweeds, great for walking, lots of lounge chairs on the beach. Food is great, lots of choices at the buffet, wide selection for breakfast [... read more], lunch and dinner. Resort is large so if you like walking, like I do, you can make lots of steps, however if walking is not you thing there is a tram/shuttle that will take to any part of the resort. The restaurant on the beach is fantastic, lots of choices. We stayed January 30,25 to February 6. Overall we were very pleased with the resort and will recommend to our friends.