Great vacation!

Staff polite and friendly, resort clean (public washrooms cleaned often), great weather , good tasting food at buffet and restaurants. Beach has coral short distance from shore, a lot of fish but strong under current.

Amazing Resort, fantastic relaxing vacation!

The Senator's was super clean. The staff was really friendly. The landscaping, grounds, views are out of this world. We had a fantastic relaxing vacation. We would not recommend this resort to people with kids nor people that are expecting an exciting night life. It's very relax which is what we were looking for. The only small thing that could have been improved is that there are only 3 à la carte restaurants and one them is closed some nights (they rotate). It's not a big deal, it's ju [... read more]st that we were used to Mexican resorts with at least 5 restaurants.

Relaxing week!

We enjoyed our stay at this resort ! Beach was perfect. Lots of room and lounge chairs. Workers were all clean and neat in appearance and atmosphere was perfect. We recommend this resort to families. Pools were maintained and landscaping was well kept.

Sun Getaway

My best friend and I spent a week at the Senator. Grounds: Very pretty, manicured. Great pools. Beach is also wonderful, but sand is grey and rough. It was enjoyable to lay by the pool when the entertainment was not in full swing. Once it got rowdy, we hit the beach (personal preference). Water so warm and clear! Employees are SUPER nice and welcoming. Absolutely no complaints. We stayed in a Jr suite which was very basic, but comfortable and always clean. Food is totally average. They do tr [... read more]y to appeal, but I think they would be more successful if they served local foods. We ate at the steak restaurant 3 times, and twice was delicious. Sushi restaurant is basically a bad version of Beni-Hana, but the staff is so friendly. Buffet always has something passable. Enjoyed the breakfasts very much. All mixed drinks and wines are not good, which I didn't think was possible. Overall, we had a wonderful relaxing week, but will try somewhere else in the future.

Great getaway

Senator did not disappoint. We have been home 1 week today. We couldn’t have asked for a better week. Food was fantastic, we ate at steakhouse 3 times (every time cooked how we asked) and Japanese once. Both fantastic ! No sickness of any kind between the 6 of us. Loved the buffet breakfast, fresh made omelettes, pancakes and crepes every morning. My biggest concern going in was the a/c we were on ground floor of block 9 and we were comfortable. I like it very cool at night and we’ve had coo [... read more]ler on vacation but we were comfortable and had no complaints. Never a problem finding a chair by the pool, if we were too hot and needed a shady location we just headed for the beach. Plenty of chairs and a tonne of trees for shade. Superman and Barbie were awesome during the week for poolside activities, they really made it a lot of fun. Sign up for the games, bocce ball on the beach, horseshoes, darts by the pool. It’s fun !!!! My personal preference was the more quiet pool with the waterfall, great to bring a floatie and float around in or a game of beer pong. (We brought our own) A tip for the beach is you can snag some bread from the buffet and go out about chest deep in the ocean and feed the fish, they will come right in to you. Bring a snorkel mask if you have one. The little coffee shop had some really great little treats and coffee with whatever you can imagine, iced coffee with caramel was my favourite and friends enjoyed iced coffee with baileys. We recommend checking out the shops near the cruise terminal. Bartering is the name of the game, have fun with it. My friend and I got massages at hut #16 (air conditioned) with Nancy / Maria. Awesome job ! $20 for half hour $30 for 1 hour. Sandra at shop #14 had rings made for our daughters in a specific size ready for next day pickup. The resort was very clean, it was hot, pool and beach both fantastic and the drinks were cold !! We would love to return one day 💙 Bram and Katia

Relaxing resort

While it did not feel like I was in a traditional local resort (felt like it could have been anywhere in North America) it was very relaxing and guests and staff appeared to be very laid-back and relaxed. Many staff were very young and the entire resort felt like they were still refining their procedures and routines. The free wifi everywhere on the resort was a huge plus. The ala carte restaurants were delicious and well-run, but the buffet lacked a lot of choices from day to day (same items ev [... read more]ery day) and did not have me anticipating the next meal. The Avenue Shops were convenient (if not pricey). A big disappointment was the lack of somewhere to self-serve a coffee or tea early in the morning. I had to bring my own selection of Tea for the room as they only left Peppermint, and would only restock the fridge upon request (not automatic) I believe that shortly they should have the bugs worked out, and will be much better. They advertise as a 5-star resort, but I do not think they qualify for the 5th star.

Amazing resort

The resort was beautiful and well kept, very clean. It is still being renovated with lots of new restaurants still to open. The staff were absolutely amazing and would go out of their way to get you what ever you needed! We would definitely go back. The only negative would be more poolside activities and they need a spot to do the night activities if it rains! Other than that perfect!

Excellent resort

I was here 4 years ago and the changes that have happened and are currently happening are nothing but amazing. The buffet food is great the restaurants are impressive. Just a great time would go back again.

Soon 2 be amazing

We vacationed at the Senator on Feb 22/19. Resort was only 75% completed, 2 restaurants were still papered up saying coming soon, we weren't offered 25% off our vacation. It will be a great spot once finished if they correct a few other issues like running out of premium booze during the day, a micky of scotch & 2 pepsi being a stocked room fridge, some of the workers weren't very good with the English language, they were all very friendly. The resort is very well kept, pools very clean, beach a [... read more]rea is nice some rocky area's. It was nice to watch the cruise ships port. Missing was pool volleyball which my husband loves, as well the daily activities need some work. The buffet was excellent for all of our 3 meals daily as the Italian & Steakhouse was lined up. We upgraded to Oceanview wasn't worth the $. Need to keep bars open longer as the sports bar get very busy when the others shut, 1 mid afternoon & pool bar 8pm. About 40 minutes from airport, beautiful mountains all around. They burn their garbage Mon-Fri so the smell of burning plastics linger in the morning air!

Beautiful and clean resort

The hotel was new, modern and very clean. Grounds and public areas were cleaned constantly throughout the day. Housekeeping was great. Always fresh towels and linen. Replenished essentials daily. Shower was good. Lots of hot water and presure. King size bed and very comfortable. Dinning was good with lots of choices. Buffet, and 3 al la cartes(steak house, Italian and Tappanyaki and sushi bar. Other options at Tropical Avenue. Pools and beach cleaned daily. Lots of loungers, but get your spo [... read more]t early. Loungers go fast.

Average Stay

In general we were pleased with the resort. The food selection was good and of good quality. The resort was clean, in good condition (new), easy to navigate, and safe. We were disappointed that beach activities seemed limited and didn't discover where to access them (one resort over) until a few days in. We also found the service very wanting. Finding someone to bring coffee to our table in the morning, or wine in the evening was challenging at the buffet. We also noted the lack of int [... read more]erest in serving our teenage son. There was a good selection of activities at the resort on a 'animation' schedule. We were most interested in the gym and were looking forward to this morning activity as a family. All was fine until one morning gym staff arrived and asked our teenager to leave (he was working out, creating no disturbance). It was a frustrating rule that seemed to have no specific reason behind it. We went on 2 excursions and booked them on advance during our flight. One excursion was 'as advertised' the other was not at all. Very disappointing (no visit to the local school, local village, no access to proper bathrooms). Caution about excursions and quality. In general DR is a pleasant country. Senator an ok resort. Not sure if it is 4.5 stars.

Great Resort - Wonderful Holiday

Keeping in mind that this resort has ongoing renovations which had little or no impact on our holiday, this place was great. We travelled with our daughter, son-in-law & two grandchildren. On arrival, the front desk had not received our request for rooms in closer proximity, but that matter was resolved fairly smoothly as my wife is fluent in Spanish. The rooms weren't ready but one was made available fairly quickly which allowed us to stow our luggage and enjoy the afternoon sun. All [... read more] week long, the food in the buffet was as high a quality as we have experienced. (we've been to at least a dozen different all-inclusive resorts). There was a variety of well prepared and diverse foods. There was no need to try the a la carte sites which had line-ups as there was no booking process. Accommodations were okay as the building we were in was under renovation. The rooms were clean, tidy and well-maintained. (Second Floor of Building 4) Free Wifi was available throughout the resort with good strength. Our room had it's own wireless hub. Poolside was just as strong a reception. Pools we warm comfortably warm and clean. A kids wading pool was a stone's throw away. The kids had a blast in the pools. There were lots of chairs and lounges with sun umbrellas being limited in number. The beach was narrow but lovely. There was a lot of natural shade at the beach. With the adjacent resort, the walk along the beach was relaxing and stood in for exercise. One snag was the trip to and from the airport. It was an Air Canada Vacation and the bus trip tool 90 minutes each way with four stops at resorts. With little kids, this posed a bit of a challenge as we were led to believe the transfer was 30 to 45 minutes. While there was a reference to a "kids-zone" in the advertising as well as a dive centre, these services were actually in the adjoining resort. (Playa Bachata). Guests at The Senator are afforded access to the services of the adjoining resort. All in all it was a great holiday location, one to which we would return.

Honest and Realstic Review

Grounds - absolutely gorgeous, very modern, sleek, white, clean. Landscape was well kept and it’s obvious to be a new resort with no repairs needed, however some amenities are still in construction. Public areas - well mainted with etiquette seating and cleaned frequently by staff. There is a lovely walkway up to a pavilion that looks over the resort and the port for cruise ships - we enjoyed watching the sunrise from here and observing the cruise ships coming in. Rooms - very simple a [... read more]nd traditional, as you would have at any Caribbean resort. Cleaned on a daily basis, fridges and toiletries stocked daily. There is a safe in the room and a complimentary bottle of whiskey on your first day. Beds are very comfortable and towels are nice and soft! Dining - Buffet has many selections with something for everyone, fresh fruit and vegetables also available. Snack Bar and Sports Bar have classic “pub food” that you can order to your table. There were only 2/4 a la carte restaurants available during our stay. The Steak House was PHENOMENAL with delicious food, service and atmosphere. Specific shoutout to Edwin and Amaurys C who were doing an incredible job. The IItalian Restaurant was disappointing as the service was very poor and slow and unfortunately multiple parties had walked away from their tables after not being served anything after the first hour wait. The ice cream shop, pizza shop and cafe were all very nice additions for a quick treat almost any time during the day. Beverages - good quality soda and juices used, bottled water used all around the resort, beverage were all classic and tasted yummy. I believe some of the liquors were watered down however I couldn’t prove that but other guests could. A pretty big downfall was how the pool bar would very often run out of products, at one point during our stay the pool bar ran out of white wine, vodka, tequila, white rum, ice and straws. (Other bars were equipped with this so not sure if it was the staff being told to not re stock or what the deal was) Features - this resort lacks in any extra activities for guests to enjoy, they did not have nightly shows or kids activities or water sports. There was a yoga class in the morning or something small happening around the pool but you were never really notified so by the time it was happening it was already over. With that being said, the resort next door you have full access to and they do offer all of these amenities for guests... so if you are in to that, you can go for a walk over at any point. Service - I have probably been to approx. 20 all inclusive resorts in my life time and have never received such slow service. Getting a drink at the bar was so incredibly hard with no one really wanting to take your order or even look at you. It didn’t matter if you had a tip in your hand or a big smile on your face. All bartenders were moving at a very slow pace and I would say that a drink would take anywhere from 5 minutes - 15 minutes to get. (No dramatic affect added here) and if you tried getting a big order it was considered an inconvenience for most bartenders.

Beautiful and clean resort

The resort is recently updated and still going through some renovations, not everything is open yet but you access to the resorts beside it as well so there are plenty of activites and food options. The senator is very clean, there is always a bathroom attendant constantly cleaning, floors are always mopped, probably one the cleanest resorts I've been to. Reception was a little slow to check in when we arrived but we were greeted with drinks and everyone was very pleasant. Sports bar serves drin [... read more]ks and food all night, the chicken strips were so good! Gustavo was amazing, always super helpful and attended to whatever we needed! Melvin and Julio make great drinks. There is nightly entertainment of some sort every night, not always a show but you can go next door for a nightly show, it's only a 2 minute walk away. You can also walk over to Amber cove to a little market and watch the cruise ships come and go. Service can be a little slow at times but they are working on it as they are still fairly new. All in all, no real complaints about the resort or staff.

Nice new resort!

The hotel was very nice, room had nice king size bed that was very comfortable. The beach was beautiful and kept clean, Pools were kept clean. We liked the fact that the resort was not too big. Great vacation. We will be back soon :)

Definately Going Back

Loved this resort. Would highly recomemd. Rooms very comfortable, food was great, pool and beach were perfect. Very clean resort. Employees very polite, helpful, and obliging. Definately going to holiday here again soon

Great Resort

Great Resort. Nice staff. Wasn't very busy but when they finish the constuction on the buildings they may need another pool. The food was good. With the huge buffet there's something there for everyone.

Relaxing Vacation at Senator Puerto Plata

My friend and I visited for a week at Senator Puerto Plata and we absolutely loved it. The newly renovated pool area and dining hall were really nice. Our rooms were very comfortable, and the staff refilled the room with water and drinks in the fridge as desired. Most importantly the staff was very kind and very attentive. Some of them began to recognize us and were happy to see us each night, asking about where we're from and so on. There is always a place to get something to eat and drink late [... read more] at night, especially at the sports bar which is open 24 hours. The close by beach is nice, just make sure to get a spot early in the morning as the chairs are normally full by the afternoon. The entertainment team are there every day with activities by the pool for those who want to participate, and if that doesn't interest you you're free to visit the next door resort and see what's going on there! The buffet has a wide variety of foods to choose from, and it's easy to find something for everyone to enjoy. However, if you start to get sick of it there are currently 3 restaurants you can visit for dinner if you wish.

Great vacation

Our vacation at the Senator was superb. The staff first and foremost are friendly, attentive and genuinely do what they can to make sure your needs are met. We were very impressed with the cleanliness of the resort. The food was tasty and there was always an ample selection. I believe it was the first vacation when I wasn’t eager to get home to my own bed. New mattresses and oh so comfortable. The evening entertainment was wonderful and not the standard Michael Jackson skit. We would definitel [... read more]y recommend this resort .

Great resort

The hotel rooms were very clean and well maintained. The food was very good with lots of choices. The Italian restaurant was very nice. The steak house while the food was good the service was not. Hard time getting what you wanted and long waits for your order to be taken. The pool area was good but could use more chairs. I realize that this resort has been renovated and some things need to be fine tuned. The staff work very hard and try to please but there is not enough of them. They do [... read more]n't have time to come back and check if everything is okay or if you need anything. This is not their fault they are just to busy. We really enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this resort to our friends. It was very clean and beautiful.