Allegro Papagayo by Occidental: allegro papagayo

had great time if you want to see monkeys this is the place to go monkey travel along the beach area 3 - 4 times a day. guides on beach are a lot cheaper than the excursions through the resort. see Antonio, Henry, or Diego all are insured and will go out of there way to make excursion the best. we went with Henry and he is very shopping is best done at coco beach little town 30 minutes away everything is about half price what you will pay at the resort. there is also a small casino in coco beach [... read more] for anyone wanting to do a bit of gambling. great little take out place if you like wraps right beside casino. trip is about 15 buck a person return if you book through guys on beach or about 75 - 90 for cab ride. well worth the money if your looking for gifts. resort is on a hill but they have shuttle every 10 minutes or so to take people around. Most of the resorts there are on hills so expect a good leg workout. beach is nice and well looked after lots of birds around to take photos of.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Good resort, Great staff

Hotels rooms are clean and spacious. Beach is beautiful. Nice, large cold pool. Hotel grounds are well kept. Multiple options for food. Wifi access. Great staff. Dock could be fixed on beach for safety.

Occidental Papagayo: Costa Rica is amazing!!!

This hotel is very nice, the food is great, you can actually drink the hotel water from the taps which is totally awesome!! :) The pool is a little crowded and there are not enough umbrellas, maybe 5 for the whole place, and it gets HOT, which is fabulous but a little shade is a must. We were a group of 4 ladies from work, and we had a blast. That being said, it was 99% couples but we weren't bothered by that at all. The beach is okay, not very large, and when the tide is out it's great, but th [... read more]e tide rolls in around 2:30pm each day, and then the beach is gone. lol... Hence the pool and lack of umbrellas... but that's ok, there is shade in the snack bar for snacks or drinks to cool off :) TONS of shells to collect every day, but be sure to put them in your checked luggage as mine were confiscated from my carry on. Very dissapointed... :( I spent hours each morning collecting them, as they are amazing. We did 2 excursions, one to zip line and that was just crazy fun!!!! And that included the tropical gardens, a volcanic mud bath and hot springs. Another one to the river for a boat ride to see crocodiles and white face monkeys... Loved it! We also took the sunset walk to watch the sun set over the ocean, that was incredible!!! And a must... The staff were so friendly and the atmosphere great. I would definitely go back to Costa Rica, and will do so for sure, but perhaps to another resort or city. Pura Vida baby!!

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Great Resort

This is a nice little resort. The staff are wonderful. The cabins are cozy. The food is Cuban. The rum flows generously. The pool is nice, my daughter enjoyed the inflatable slides. The entertainment is ok. The beach is small and the best part of the beach is for kite surfing.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Great vacation

The resort was lovely, lots of wildlife on the property (monkeys, deer, birds etc). The food was great, we tried all the restaurants and the food was great, no complaints. The beach is small, but we knew this before going. I loved the beach cove for snorkelling. Even though the beach was small, there were plenty of seats, we preferred the 2nd level. Service was great, at restaurants, bars, beach, etc. I would definitely return. I loved having the unlimited Xcaret pass, we went every morning and  [... read more]explored a bit every day.

Occidental Punta Cana: Special Resort

Traveled with the love of my life Feb 2015, this resort is special to us been there Jan 2012 was our first trip as a couple.... Love this resort, most beautiful beach, staff is awesome many remembered us from 2012 making it even more special for us. Rooms are huge, we always stay on 3rd floor. Food very good... Amazing vacation, would go back in a heartbeat, very welcoming!!

Allegro Playacar: Wonderful Experience

Great resort...people very friendly. Not too much traffic which made my vacation a treat..very relaxing. The beach was awesome...great white sand and not overcrowded. The pool area immaculate including washrooms...staff very friendly! The buffet was excellent with a different experience each nite..food excellent although more seafood would have been appreciated. Special thanks to Freddy and Fidel who went out of their way to make our buffet dinners fun, enjoyable and memorable. I found the rooms [... read more] to be outdated and a bit musty and moldy but the cleaning staff were excellent each day in the upkeep of them. An overall great experience.

Allegro Playacar: Great 2 Week Vacation

Amazing resort. Everything was awesome from the food to the staff. Hard working people made our vacation one to remember. They provide excellent entertainment at the pool, beach and evening stage. The Bar Staff are also exceptional. They are quick to remember what you like. The beach was gorgeous, very clean. The rooms are compact and there is no dresser. There are shelves to store your clothing which was adequate. Beds are hard, but with a topper it was fine. Not every minute of every day is pe [... read more]rfect but all in all there is nothing worth complaining about. Your time is what you make of it. Our room was upstairs with a thatched roof. This means you are going to hear the birds in the morning and they can be loud. It is only a 20 minute walk to town or 3 - 4 minutes the other way to the Playacar mall. Over the 2 weeks we walked to 5th av. 5 times. We enjoyed the evening in town over the day trips (more relaxed and lot's of entertainment) Shopping was better just off 5th av. as well as the food. I recommend you seek out Los Aguachiles restaurant on Calle 34 between 5th and 1st on the left side. They served the best seafood taco's I have ever had and at the best price.

Allegro Papagayo by Occidental: Comfortable, Fun and Friendly

Most reviews we read about this resort were pretty harsh and extremely critical but we had a really great time. First off the staff is incredible, the nicest, friendliest and most accommodating people. They made everyone feel so welcome and excited to be at the resort (I.e. dining experiences, lobby services, bar staff, day activities, etc.). Second, this resort is pretty isolated BUT it was really refreshing. I recommend taking at least 1 or 2 day excursions just to experience the culture of  [... read more]the country. Everywhere we went everyone was so wonderful and excited to share their culture with us (and not once did we ever feel anyone was out for our money). The country is beautiful with so many different kinds of terrain and climate to experience (i.e. mountains/volcanoes, deep valleys, rainforest, dry lands, etc.) so definitely take the opportunity to leave the walls of the resort to explore. Third, Costa Rica has become a more expensive country to visit in the past 20-30 years. Keep this in mind when shopping anywhere. The cost of living and what is legally minimum wage is not proportional so when bartering (shop owners don't mind making compromises) keep in mind they are making significantly less than what most Canadians/Americans make but have to pay only a little less in terms of living expenses. They do offer taxi service for 80$/4 people to a beach/shopping strip in coco beach about 30 mins away. I really didn't care for it all that much because it's been modelled specifically for tourist activity. The beach is really nice but the shopping is pretty expensive. Fourth, back to the resort, lots of reviews were disappointed with the beach and the colour of the sand. Personally I loved it. You can see the bay around you. The water is warm and extremely shallow but the tide shifts pretty often so this dictates how far you have to walk out to get to deeper water. Fifth, the hotel is built on a hill so depending on where youre staying there may be climbing included in your day. The rooms aren't super fancy but we were rarely in ours anyway, beds are comfortable and rooms are well air conditioned. Last, the food at the buffet had its merits. Lots of fresh veggies and different meat options. They always served rice and beans with every meal. Breakfast was my favourite with eggs, pancakes (they had a firmer texture but we're so good), french toast, breads, cheeses, meats, cereal, omelets and smoothies custom made.

Allegro Papagayo by Occidental: Wonderful resort

The setting is tranquil and which begs to be enjoyed. Sunshine daily with the warmth of the sun penetrating winter worn vacationers. The smiles and friendliness of the many staff from the omelette chef Nohemy to the lobby staff,one of whom was Estavan, all made the resort memorable. White faced monkeys were fascinating. We were delighted and the hills to climb kept us more than fit.

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Not amazing

Found everything poorly done Staff didn't do what needed to be done best people where the bar tenders . Rooms sucked and food but ocean view nice very poor maintance for ground area near exits No activities for the guest for during ge day best time would be in town in Varadaro

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Spectacular!!

The resort was everything that I could have asked for and more! We purchased the unlimited Xcaret Package and it was worth every cent! We went to Xcaret every morning and explored a different area of the park before we hit the beach for 1030 am. The resort forgot a few things on check in - such as our towel cards, robes, coupon booklet etc - but the food and Xcaret Park made up for the small oversights that the resort made. I highly recommend this resort!

Royal Hideaway Playacar: The best.

My wife and I have just returned from our seventeenth holiday at Royal Hideaway so obviously we enjoy the Resort. When we arrive we feel like we are coming to our second home with the welcome we receive from the staff, many of them have been there for a number of years. The grounds continue to mature and are meticulously maintained. When you walk along the main path with it's ponds, stream and fountains you would think you are in the midst of a grand estate. It is a unique property unlike any ot [... read more]hers we have stayed at or seen. The rooms are always nice, comfortable and cleaned and attended to twice a day. The warm coloured marble and tile in the room never goes out of style. The best part is the outstanding food in all of the restaurants. The quality and presentation is as good or better than you would find in any major city. Along with the great food the service from the staff is outstanding and this year my wife and I thought the staff were better than ever. One of the best things we find is meeting friends from past years who feel the same way as us about the Resort. Another highlight for us is the live entertainment throughout the property and the Mexican shows twice a week in the banquet hall. Actually the dancing by the activity staff was another highlight. The only concern that we had was the condition of the uprights on the room patios which have been damaged by the salt air from the water. All of the horizontal railings have been replaced with new painted aluminium structures and the General Manager informs me that the uprights will be replaced starting in April. Other than that we think Royal Hideaway is an outstanding Resort that we can't wait to get back to.

Occidental Punta Cana: Great Resort

Good Hotel All around. Air Transat looked after us in every way. Lots of great side trips to suite everyone. Local hotel staff were extremely friendly and helpful . Departed from Montreal which is a little annoying at Punta Cana as the reps on the bus going to and from the airport only gave you information in French. On the other hand it did save us $200 per couple.

Occidental Punta Cana: Occidental Grand Punta Cana

Despite a week of abundance of rain, the week at Occidental Grand was great! The animation team did a great job moving activities into the main lobby and keeping everyone engaged. The food, beach and staff were all great.

Allegro Cozumel: great vacation!

Room we had was great! Was a double family suite (they messed up so we got upgraded to a time share room). Staff were friendly but you really had to ask for service as there werent.enough staff in my.opinion. food was not tasty.or warm and there was not a lot of variety. A la cartes were good. Long lines at the bars. Resort itself was small but nice and clean. Great kids water park and jungle gym. Great beAch!

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Wild resort

Great resort had all kinds of animals roaming the resort ,lizards monkeys,deer...and a few I can't remember the names. More birds you can shake a stick at...even saw an owl. Xcaret is a must see my favorite the turtles. The evening show is a must see. A resort hidden in the jungle. Wife and I loved it.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Vacation in Cayo Guillermo.

My name is Hans and I visited the resort with my spouse Dana. My overall impression was that I was satisfied. There are three things that I am looking for in my vacation; sun, beach and comfort. I did not get much sun but what can you do? The beach in Cayo Guillermo is not what I was looking for because I like to swim but it was not possible unless you walked 300 meters in the ocean. The water was too shallow. The beach was cleaned every day. The boardwalk was damaged at the beginning, so there  [... read more]is a lot of improvement necessary at this resort. Having said that, the Cuban personnel was amazing, friendly, very nice and that everywhere. That is why I always go to Cuba. I was very disappointed with the exchange between Canadian dollars and Cuban convertible pesos, 100$ equaled 71$ pesos, absolutely ridiculous. My stay was very nice after we changed from the cabana to the bungalow, which was absolutely gorgeous (the cabana wasn't). I enjoyed the food very much, I am a fish and fruit lover so it was excellent as was the entertainment. I wish I had better weather, it was three and a half days sunshine and the rest was a washout. If you have good weather it's a very relaxing resort.

Occidental Punta Cana: worry free atmosphere

Sun, sand ,food, drink and great service made a good combination for a good vacation to relaxe and breath the fresh sea air along with the evenings sun sets.The pools clean and never too crowded, maid service top notch, bar tenders always full of energ nd available to assist. At buffet.s food could need some spice but could always find items to my liking. Thsnks

Occidental Cozumel: Great resort to stay!

We travelled to many resorts over years Mexico(5 times)Dominican,cuba etc. This resort has best set up I have ever seen. It was recommended to us by agent Wendy Van Zandwyk(must say she was very professional and had all answers to our questions plus she stayed there before as well).You feel very safe staying at this resort. There is no outsiders allowed in on grounds. They have guard at front that shuttle has to check thru.They have safe in room. Rooms are super clean and good size. Bathroom too [... read more]. Seperate shower,tub,toilet... If you look at pics you will see they have pool,bars,pavillion etc all right at beach for daytime activities. The beach is great with sandbar.You always have a spot to find at pool or ocean in shade or sun no matter what time. No worries about getting up early to get towel on chairs to reserve..always plenty of chairs available.They also have towels right at pool as well. When ever you wanted drink or food the bars or buffett was right there. They also had bbq going for burgers and dogs thru day and desserts ice cream etc. all there at your fingertips. For sure the staff was great as well. They were polite, always wanting to service your needs. They had premium alcohol drinks as well. Pretty much everything winds down around 11pm...They have disco and pizza restaurant open later, but thats it. We like to enjoy all the daytime activities and relax all day. Go to around 11pm. then go crash in room and do it again tomorrow...lol. I would go back and stay here for sure. We did not do any snorkelling this time around. But is one of best spots to go.