The good and the bad.

There were many enjoyable things about the resort. The beach was lovely and the food was good. The service was very good. The employees were positive and attentive. There could have been more evening entertainment and more equitable access to the restaurants. Unfortunately, our room smelled like mildew and I ended up being sick the whole trip, possibly from the room. It is my understanding that the resort is going to be completely renovated.

Relaxing Vacation

We stayed at Gran Ventana during their slow season. So good for relaxing, beach was not crowded, ocean was warm and beautiful. Grounds were well kept, rooms clean but older. Staff was very friendly and helpful, they work very hard to please everyone. Trip Central representative, Melanie Johnson got it correct when she recommended this resort to us based on what we asked for. We were looking to relax in a quiet, non-crowded resort. Food was good. We like their local food. However, there was  [... read more]less variety in comparison to pre-Covid. A small Market just 15 mins walk along the beach. We purchased local food there at reasonable cost. Owner is from the Netherlands, it’s called La Petit Francois. There is hand sanitizer before you enter the Buffet restaurant. We were not concerned about Covid issues due to low capacity of people during our stay and we spent all of time outdoors by the ocean.Alacarte restaurants were good, Octopus was our favorite and Ocean Grill was our least favorite. Entertainment was almost zero, just one night had something meaningful, the Dominican night which showed Dominican folk dancing. Nothing else, no daily activities or other entertainment even though they post activities, there was no follow through. Other than that, we enjoyed our stay and would love to visit again.

Continual revisits

Hotel is very clean, staff is awesome Osvaldo and Andrea- great bartenders - pleasant and friendly! Felix in buffet- very accommodating and friendly! Was very disappointed however in their client relations. This was my 2 nd trip to this hotel however my friend- it was her 6 th time there. No extras were given her way- over the years she has brought many people to this resort also. In fact, we were downgraded/ we requested the same room that has been requested over the last 6 times- this year [... read more] we were put in another building and on the 2 nd floor- we requested 1 st. The room was smaller, a horrible view, and picture this- 2 ladies trying to get ready without a full length mirror. We totally enjoy this resort at this time because we know it will be quiet and we enjoy tipping even more because we get the extra attention, however management needs to up their game if they want return guests to reappear the next year.

Amazing resort

We had the most amazing time at gran Ventana the people the beach the rooms , the food the bar tenders, all top notch no complaints at all 10/10 in my opinion, enjoyed the little mall in walking distance, and felt safe

Ok for the price

The good: Kitchen, bar, housekeeping and grounds staff are wonderful. Food was good, hot and fresh. Beach was good, there was a lot of seaweed in the water so people tend to congregate in the areas that are clear. Bed was comfortable and room was pretty quiet. Spa was amazing (at their sister hotel) The bad: Room we had was in need of repair - shelving unit, rusty broken hangers and rods, patio door lock broken, latch on tv unit broken and rusted and hanging off with exposed rusty nails, [... read more] fridge rusted on outside Front desk staff would be hit or miss if you got someone nice Pools were beautiful but a lot of bird droppings in them from constant birds flying overhead Couldn’t get bottle water at the bars, had to ask to have it restocked in room everyday and bring from there Don’t go on April 29th weekend - it was a National Holiday there and the resort was jam packed with the local residents and a ton of kids. Very noisy weekend Only were given 1 pool towel which you could not switch out for a dry one until 4pm so if you swam you then sat on a wet towel the rest of the day Beach chairs were super uncomfortable Beach was littered with garbage The ugly: Was very disappointed in what little we saw of the DR on the drive from the airport to the hotel. HUGE amounts of garbage everywhere on the sides of the roads. Incredibly unclean and showed little pride of ownership of the land.

Great value vacation

Our flight times leaving direct from Halifax was the first thing to entice us. Only 4 hours ( and we gained an hour) , 20 minute hotel transfer and we were on the beach. Resort is smaller than others but in that hot sun you don’t want to walking far anyways, so this spot was perfect. I loved how you could see the mountains from the beach and you were only a short swim from coral to see fish if you wanted. Only thing about the beach is that it lacked umbrellas at times. We found basically no  [... read more]one was on the beach past 3pm because it would get a little breezy. Personally without the beach breeze it would’ve been uncomfortable, so it was perfect for us, as walking up to the Main pool was about a 5-6° temperature difference and the pool felt like a hot tub. We were at the beach daily. The entertainment as mentioned by others was nothing special, but I didn’t fly all the way to DR expecting 5 star shows. Other thing we noticed is that the wifi wasn’t always great , BUT - being on vacation for me is a good beach, drink in hand , and book I. The other. Not being on your phone 24/7 is part of me being on vacation (I’m in my 20’s) , so I really didn’t need to sit there and stare at a screen or read emails during my stay. Rooms were very clean, everything worked in our room , and we were a short walk to everything. No complaints only the pillows were a little lacking, but by the time we retired every night we were too exhausted to really notice. Puerto Plata was a short ride away which lined up with our excursions we wanted to do. We did the town, cable cars and Fort felipe. Also did the waterfalls. Both times we did these privately with taxi drivers just out by the mall and saved hundreds of dollars. The taxi would take just the 2 of us directly where we wanted and get ahead of any cruise ship lines. Ask for Diomie if you need a car ride out by the Strip mall!! He was the best. The staff were friendly (except the DJ who wouldn’t take requests), the food was better than I expected and we ate at all three al la carts restaurants as well. Our favourite was the Octopus grill but the view at ocean grill was nice in the evening. Excellent service at all. The deal we paid booking was good value for a 4 star resort and we did get everything we wanted out of our stay. We booked with Sandra Taylor and we would recommend booking tripcentral ! Any chagnes to itinerary or details we may have forgotten (entry requirements) were emailed way in advance to ensure a safe and happy vacation.

Great Resort

This resort was really nice. Small but that allowed things to be easy to access. The beach, pool and diner was less than a minute walk from the rooms. There were no elevators, so anything higher than the main floor poses a struggle when taking luggages up and down the stairs. When you first arrive they usually have someone willing to help you take them up the stairs but when checking out they do not have that service that we were told. They had a pool table, ping pong table, foosball table, vo [... read more]lley ball net placed in the pool available, aside from other daily events as entertainment. The pool was nice, although, there were many bird droppings floating in the pool. They tried keeping it clean which was appreciated. The beach was beautiful and kept clean for the most part. Unfortunately, the week we traveled it was a long weekend for the locals, so friday night all the way through Sunday the hotel got full with locals and it became harder to keep things clean and less noisy and crowded as they were not respectful. The hotel had to remove the volleyball nets because the locals would ruin it. Food was delicious. The a la carts were good as well. We were able to eat the lettus, veggies and cut up fruit without getting sick. Rooms were kept clean, the only thing is they do not tell you, but they will not wash your towels unless you leave them on the floor, if they are hanging up or on the bed they will just re-fold them and place them back. I would definitly consider going back but I would make sure its not a holiday for the locals as they were very demanding, proud and some very arrogant, not respectful of others. We were told normally regular weekends are not that bad, but they even had to close down the restaurant by the beach because the locals would take the food to the beach and leave all their garbage laying around, even the bones of the chicken wings were scattered everywhere making its way into the osean. Service because poor as soon as the hotel became full with locals. The 5 days prior to the weekend, the service was great. The servers were respectful and polite and helpful. Up until the locals arrived, we truly loved our vacation at VH Grand Ventana Beach Resort! Perfect for a family vacation.

Outstanding Dominican Resort !!

Vacationed for one week with a group of friends at VH Gran Ventana. Absolutely loved the resort. Food was amazing with many choices! Around the pools you could always find a chair at anytime of the day. The beach was beautiful with a couple local people trying to sell items. But they did not bug you if you said you were not interested. The grounds were well taken care of and many different areas to sit and enjoy. It never felt crowded. Loved the ocean. It was clean and the best beachfront arou [... read more]nd the area. You could walk both ways for miles! Small coral area just out from the resort you could snorkel at and see fish. Amazing resort. Close to many things to do ie/ waterfalls and taxi to Puerto Plata! No complaints at all! Many staff we met stated they have worked for many years there and liked their jobs. This you could tell. Thank you to all! Go see it for yourself!!!

Cool Resort

All staff was Friendly and fun!!! Also cleanliness was amazing,,,small resort but amazing beach spots!!! Food was good and entertainment each night was good( pretty awesome the danse party with headphones)

Good time

Our trip was good. It was very relaxing. The hotel was very clean and food was good. The shows were lacking and entertainment team was disappointing. There was only one night of fun which was the silent Disco. We were disappointed there was no passion fruit and not sure why? We had a food allergy and this resort was good at accommodating. Bottom line .. if you want to relax and have a quiet vacation .. this resort is for you !

Gran Ventana, nice but...

This was our 5th and likely last visit to the Gran Ventana. The resort boasts of 'return guest perks' but other than a gold bracelet instead of white we saw none. Our room was basically cleaned daily. Our balcony was only swept once all week meaning the ashtray was only emptied once during our stay. Despite leaving a good tip for house keeping, nothing extra was done (no flowers or towel creations). Food is as expected in the DR. Sadly the beach has eroded quite a bit and with VERY limited [... read more] palapas seems very crowded in the limited shade. Also because of this, and the 'coral reef', swimming space is also very limited. Hubby drinks - found it frustrating to have to insist - no just ask - insist on Brugal for his drinks. The bartenders kept trying to pour him other rums instead and were not very generous with their pouring either. We went with the plan to just relax, do nothing but soak up the sun. So with that, we found the Gran Ventana to be worth the $ we spent to stay.

So so

I booked the Superior Premium room, but the premium upgrade was not worth it. The room was very small and dated. The premier gets white towels that are supposed to be nice, but every bath and pool towel was stained and had holes. The food was good at the buffet. But terrible service. The a la carte restaurant food was just okay. The premium has drink service at the beach but the server was often busy chatting so I got myself my drinks at the bar. One main good thing; the beach was beautiful.  [... read more]I made the best of it but would not go again. We tipped extremely well in hopes of better service but that didn’t work. It is a 3.5 star at best. Oh one good thing, the mini fridge in the room was stocked daily.

Great value

This hotel was an older one but very well maintained. Original room was not suitable ( too far for aging traveller in our group) supervisor moved us to an excellent location by second day. A/C thermostat broke. Called the front desk, maintenance showed up within 5 minutes at 10:00 pm. Temporarily fixed it for the night which was great, then a different maintenance guy showed up in the morning, changing out the thermometer for a new digital one. Requested a late check out, supervisor allowed us t [... read more]o keep the room until an hour before bus pick up. Greatly appreciated. Food was fantastic and drinks were as expected, not long for waiting and always very friendly staff. Beach was beautiful but public so if you don’t mind public vendors no problem. A la carte was delicious and entertainment was also as expected. Activities were accurate and entertaining. Required medical attention during our stay, hotel staff were so accommodating, drove me and a family member to the clinic ( which was only a building over, unbeknownst to us) received prompt treatment and they sorted out the medical insurance for me and billed them directly. Amazing! Hotel staff came and picked us up afterwards with a round trip being approximately 1 1/2 hours. Better than a trip to emergency anywhere in Canada. I would definitely return to this hotel. Many guests were returning, some for 16 years+. If you are looking for good value, this hotel has it, thanks for making our vacation a trip we want to remember!

Very good resort

This hotel is just as offered it has a nice beach, specifically if you are on premium or royal package. Rooms are average but clean and comfortable. Service was very good and both the buffets and ala carte restaurants provided a good variety. Overall a good experience on our vacation the Gran Ventana.

Great resort

This was our first visit to Dominican Republic. We liked everything about the resort - pools, beach, food and accommodations. Rooms were very clean and well looked after. Resort area was also clean and well looked after. Great bonus was the friendly staff.

Great resort for price

it was very clean ( hotel room floor, hallways, pool deck and dining floors ) and the staff were friendly the food was excellent both in dining buffet and the three restaurants booked al la carte. excellent service at all. the price we paid was good for a four star resort - not five star or posh but clean and friendly. what was not so good and keeps it at a 3 or 4 star resort …. internet was spotty on pool deck ( where we spent majority of days ) the paint chips in lawn chairs in libby [... read more] of our our building and wioden doors on furniture snd closets aew very worn and the pool floor was chipping away ( daily picked up clusters of cement after stepping on them). the group from royal caribbean cruise ship on saturday took over pool bar and were loud and gross as one girl took rop off and danced - not what we wanted or young kids wanted to experience. but we understand its revenue for resort to offer excursions to cruisers.

We keep going back

It’s a great resort for what you pay for. We’ve been there before. We like this resort because it’s cozy and casual. Very safe and comfortable to spend a week at there. Staffing are very nice and friendly. We’re planning to go back for third time next year.

4 Star Resort with 5 Star Service and Gluten Free dining

An older Resort with many upgrades in rooms and public areas. The dining experience was terrific - My daughter has a severe Gluten allergy, and she had no issues with anything she ate; the serving staff were very friendly and knowledgeable when it came to explaining which foods she could and could not eat - plenty of variety too. Good fun at the pool(s), beach with decent entertainment.

Wonderful Holiday!

Robyn Plante was unbelievable in helping me organizing this holiday!!! I absolutely loved this hotel. All the staff is amazing! Check in and out was simple. The food was great with a wonderful selection at the buffet and the a la cartes were lovely as well. The grounds are impeccably cleaned as well as the rooms. There was no debris on the beach either. The entertainment/sports group kept things lively. I have a mobility issue and the grounds are easy enough with few steps and also ramps  [... read more]so I could easily maneuvre the resort. I had a maid, maintenance man, grounds keeper, photograher, porter and servers at some point, all offer me assistance. I was completely in awe of the courteous staff, Fernando Vasquez and Phiers(?) were two servers in the buffet who greeted us every day with smiles and enthusiasm and Rosa the hostess helped us everyday find a table closer to the buffet. I The resort is a little older and the pool isn't so big but the service and atmosphere overcomes that. My only suggestion is the rooms could use a dresser and hooks and a grab bar in the bathroom. This resort definitely attracts an older crowd. I met people who have returned 5 and 6 times. I wish I was still there!

Okay Resort! Not worth the value!

However the resort is extremely misleading in many categories. It caters to a 40 plus crowd easily and also to the French as well they treat return guests much better then first timers. Those added perks we paid for essentially the extra $300 completely not worth it at all the rooms are run down in the Catalina and Sanoa buildings. The Vintage club is completely underwhelming.Guests at premium level do not receive fruit baskets as per what Transat says in the package. The entertainment I give a  [... read more]1 out of 5. The food is a 3 at best we have done 2a la carte’sso far and the Ocean Grill wasn’t great at all. The Italian place the pasta was good let’s hope the seafood place is decent.The only good thing about the resort is the beach. The only saving part of my trip was booking a city tour through an outside source before leaving for the Dominican. Which we did Wednesday. Honestly if I had the option of leaving 24 hours early without additional costs I absolutely would at this point. I do not believe it is a family friendly resort personally i See almost no children it is mostly older people here. So as someone who is unfortunately stuck here till Monday I can’t wait to leave. I will not be returning and don’t intend on bringing my fiancée and daughter. I will be booking a different resort next time in Puerto Plata. At the end of the day return guests get treated much better and my brother and I feel if you have been here over and over your reviews are just inaccurate.