Ocean Blue and Sand: Great Resort!!!

The grounds were beautiful and well kept. We loved the mature growth. Restaurants were awesome. Buffet was big and spacious. There was a good selection of delicious food. The beach was nice but we did find it was crowded and hard to find chairs in the shade. You can walk on the beach for miles each way. Our room was a bit dated but very clean. There was a good selection of alcoholic beverages and the wine was good. We would definitely go back.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Bahia Principe Ambar

At the pool/beach buffet Maura and Ingrid work. They are the sweetest and most efficient servers we have met. Remembering what we drank every morning, making us feel very special, and always smiling. The Ambar should be very proud to have them on their staff as they are exceptionally hard working ladies

TRS Cap Cana Hotel: Very nice

Grounds were always clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. Rooms were very nice. Resort was small and peaceful. Food was very good. Clean too. The resort was beautiful. Beach is very small but nice. Pool was warm. We loved it

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Amazing Resort - must go

Very nice hotel/resort. Request to add more vegetarian main courses in lunch/dinner for vegetarian family like us so one can enjoy more. Request to have Fiesta Dominicana show twice a week and should be free.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: had the time of our lifes.

everything and everywhere was more than we expected.workers were they when needed.just call get what you ask for beer and food,entertainment was perfect.dont know what more to say,will come back next year. daphne

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Fabulous Resort

We had an amazing time. The resort and the grounds are very well maintained. The food was tasty and the entertainers worked very hard to keep everyone engaged in the evening. We particularly enjoyed the beach and being able to snorkel, we saw quite a few fish, including a sting ray. This resort is a great option for families. We will definitely return.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Great resort

Just got back from a 5 night stay in April. The resort is close to the airport and in a populated area; the town is right outside the gate so it’s not a grand entrance but once you’re in, you see the beautiful lobby and can walk straight to the pool. The food was great, love going to an a la carte every night - made the mistake of filling up on appetizers more than once. Go to Tikki Taco, it’s the best! The resort is well laid out and easy to navigate. Everything is so close to the beach. We alw [... read more]ays had towels and were given extras when we went to morning yoga. The staff did a good job overall and we found all the servers to be very nice, many recognizing us with a smile, even on our short stay. Grounds were clean and well kept. Our room was very clean and modern feeling. We did find a cockroach in our main floor room but we were also really close to the restaurants (not that that’s an excuse but I’m sure they’re doing what they can to keep them at bay). The Air Transat rep was available and happy to help, giving us his phone number and lots of good information to make our stay enjoyable. We didn’t do any excursions due to our short stay but fellow travellers took the shuttle into the shopping area and said it was worth the trip. There were lots of beach vendors, as expected but once we said no, they didn’t come back. There were lots of cabanas for shade and since we’re early risers, we got great chairs every day. Overall I really liked the resort and plan to go back - will upgrade to the adults only section next time.

Occidental Caribe: Okay resort

Beach area was fantastic! Food at buffet was okay. Premium package breakfast and lunch was excellent. Did not get everything promised within the premium package. Music was extremely loud all day long.

Occidental Caribe: Okay resort

Beach area was fantastic! Food at buffet was okay. Premium package breakfast and lunch was excellent. Did not get everything promised within the premium package. Music was extremely loud all day long.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: The executive club

I can start my review from the booking. I found some hotels that I was interested in and send them to Carl. It was during holiday but she was very responsive all the way till I booked. After I called a couple of time as I had questions, I left VMs and emails but never got any replies. The trip central customer service team always is responsive however I was expecting to hear from an agent who I booked with. Another very bad experience with booking is that I was promised a free parking stay for [... read more] 1 week. Their voucher did not work when I was flying out. I called Carol ( did not respond as before) and the customer service. They suggested I pay and then they would reimburse me when I come back and send them my invoice. That was back in February and we are at the end of April. I called multiple tines and still did not get my money back. The resort itself was good. The annoying part was the sale pitch for exclusive club. It seems this is very normal if you travel to Dominican Republic but I did not know about this. They are pushy and are trying to sell you an experience (an opportunity to use the exclusive club) for 25 to 30 grand. This is not even timeshare so basically you have to buy your tickets and your hotel room but they will upgrade you to exclusive club. You are paying the 30 grand in advance for this. Definitely not worth it. Food was good. The resort was overall good but nothing over the top. We booked adult only exclusive club and when we compared it with the regular or kids side, exclusive was much better. We paid more when we booked exclusive and that was worth it. You have to book the restaurants for dinner at the resort but it’s fairly easy and they always have room. Even thought we preferred the buffet style (they had it in 2 of the days in week) it was still okay and we had no issues with the food. Activities was bland not much entertainment. It seems like the entertainment was mostly geared towards older adults. Overall if you are not looking for a busy vibe and are looking for relaxing vacation in Dominican I would recommend this. I would not recommend my experience with my agent for booking. I am still indecisive about booking with trip central for my next vacation. I booked twice and I don’t know if their services are adding to my experience as If I am doing all the work myself why would I need an agent!

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Vacation with friends

Here is my honest review: This is not a 4.5 star hotel. The rooms are outdated but this was not the problem. Lots of mosquitoes in the room and the room is dusty and was not clean! Avoid first floor. Sewers smell in some area of the hotel even in the main buffet. We booked a superior suite, it is better to book premium if you really want to stay in the hotel. I have been to a 3.5 star hotel in Bavaro and never saw a bug on the floor. The stairs to my room were always dirty with dead bugs. Not fu [... read more]n having to sit in the terrace where they had entertainment at night and be bitten by hundreds of mosquitoes. Management should do something. The bartenders, the reception (Catherine and Valentina) and the waiters (Elisabeth) were very kind. There was entertainment at the main pool next to the beach every day. The beach was ok. The Garden grill, Japanese and Mediterranean restaurants were good, I did not like the Brazilian restaurant, I was disappointed. All in all it was an ok vacation because we were a big group, I would not go back to this resort.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: More than expected

April 2024 for 10 days. We booked with Air Transat through tripcentral.ca (excellent service). 1h10 minutes from Punta Cana airport; sleepy driver, had to talk to him to wake him up. Upon arrival, we were immediately transferred to Bouganville. Great service, quick. We went to the buffet while waiting for our room to be ready (we were there at 1pm). We waited 50 minutes for our luggage once our room was ready. Room: spacious, clean, beds were very comfortable. Excellent service from all [... read more] maids. We couldn't have used the jacuzzi in the bathroom even if we wanted to as the drain plug was deficient. Notice that you may not discard the toilet paper in the toilet; you have to toss it in the bin. AC was a problem: you can't turn it off without turning the lights off. You have to pull out your card at the door to turn the power off. But we were reading and charging our phones during the night so AC was working all night long. We both ended up with a cold. Our room was close to the beach pool in building 53 but still very quiet. Buildings 52 and 53 are closer to the beach and beach pool. Buildings 50 and 51 are the closest but more expensive (view of the beach). Building 57 is closer to the quiet pool. Buffet: Jasmin restaurant (in the lobby) had all three meals, Las Dalias (at the quiet pool) had breakfast and Los Corrales (at the beach) had lunch. Food was excellent. They had themes on some nights (maybe every night?) like italian, mexican, mediterranean, etc. Most desserts were mediocre while ice cream was very good. Very good service. We tried the buffet at La Romana one morning (Bouganville clients have access to the whole resort) and it wasn't as fresh. Plus the employees weren't smiling much. Restaurants à la carte: we tried four of them, reserved through Bahia Principe app around 7 days in advance. 1. Don Pablo: most definitely the best of them all. Gourmet, gastronomic cuisine, very nice environment with quiet music. We went twice. The beef was not very tender but everthing else was excellent. 2. Rodizio: brazil-style restaurant at the beach (Los Corrales for lunch becomes Rodizio at night). Excellent service, especially from Omar who was singing and had a good sense of humor. Food was pretty good. We had a table by the beach, beautiful view. 3. Takara: asian cuisine. The environment was quite disappointing, nothing related to Asia. Banquettes were too low and too deep. Sushis were mediocre at best, everything else was easily forgettable. 4. El Pescador: mediterranean cuisine. This restaurant was on the other side next to La Romana lobby. They shared their entrance with Le Gourmet. Dimming lights would have improved the atmosphere; a little too bright. Food wasn't bad but the seafood casserole was the same broth as the fish soup. A béchamel would have been a better idea. We ended up eating the same meal twice as entrée and main dish. We might try Rodizio again, definitely Don Pablo, but we'd stick with the buffet the rest of the time. Bars. There are two bars in the lobby along with a coffe station. By the way, that coffee was very tasty: from dominican to italian cappuccino to mochaccino, all excellent beverages. A pool bar in each pool, one bar by the jacuzzis and another one on the beach. The pool bars had some issues with their mixers and couldn't make some of the drinks at time (like Coco Loco). Service was fast at all bars. Activities: Pools. There are two pools: one quiet and one more active where you will find the animation team. Plenty of room in both pools to swim or to relax and a pool bar. We spent more time with the animation, playing games, doing aquarobics or just watching the shows. Spa. We didn't go. They don't actually have a thermal circuit so it's mainly massages. Games. Two billiard tables in the lobby and one ping pong table at the beach. No charge. There is a new escape room: small but still fun. Night shows. We were pleasantly surprised with the evening activities in the lobby. Some good shows, silent disco, karaoke, game shows. We didn't expect much of anything. We did go to the theater at La Romana a couple nights, including the night of the dominican show. Well worth it. Animation team. They're really fun. Some of them can barely speak english but they're all charming, enthusiastic and funny. Big shutout to Mireisy (spelling?), Carlos, Smith, Mickey Mouse (aka Wellinton), Juan and the lovely Roxana ( y su hermana gemela Anaxor). Chairs: there are still some people who put their towels on sunbeds/chairs at 6am and go back to their room despite the rules but we would always find good chairs whether at the beach or either pool. Beach. Yup, the water is murky. We had no intention of swimming in it before buying some anti-jellyfish lotion. As it turned out, we spent quite some time in there. No jellyfish, no seaweed, cool salty water. Small waves, nothing like the ocean. It really looks like a lake. But the view, especially of sunsets, is beautiful. The beach itself is really nice; very inviting, lots of palm trees and sunshades, a volleyball court along with a space for petanque/bocce/horseshoes. By the way, no more access to the Beach Club (used to be that Bouganville clients could go to the Beach Club a little further on the beach and use their pools). Weather. It rained often. Would last 15 minutes and the sun would return. It was sunny and cloudy everyday, rainy at times 6-7 days out of ten. But it was so hot, we welcomed the clouds now and then. In conclusion, this is an outstanding resort. We paid a few hundreds more for the adult side (Bouganville) and it was worth every penny. Staff is very friendly, helpful, attentive, always smiling. Note that nobody harassed us to buy anything. Tours people walk on the beach with a sign, spa ladies asked us on the beach if we wanted a massage, and that's it. For a fraction of the price of some of the luxury resorts in DR, we have had an awesome time and intend to return soon. P.S.: We went to Saona with Dominican Attitude: best of times!

Ocean Blue and Sand: Wonderful resort and great vacation, can't wait to return!

Just returned a week ago from Ocean Blue and Sand. We flew with Sunwing (unfortunate delays) but the flight was good. We arrived around midnight with an easy check in and a buggy drive to our room. The room was clean, stocked and cool (Block 4). Other than a very heavy patio door, we had no issues with our room. We were not privileged and had a wonderful stay. Our trip was booked through Trip Central and the process was great, please take your time and make sure you have the correct coverage and [... read more] understand the options at the time of booking. I loved the layout of this resort, its not overly big. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Keep in mind that there are no elevators and you do have to walk a short distance to access anything...we're middle aged and it was easy :) Cleaning staff- were wonderful, we received anything we requested and then some extras, beautiful flowers that decorated our bathroom and curtains, thank you ladies. I want to note that we always left a small note and a tip for both the mini fridge stockers and our cleaning ladies, who were always friendly and they work very hard. I admire all the staff at this resort as they are always friendly (except the big man at the dive shop, he was a bit testy?), they work so hard for so little. Food- with having a bit of a restricted diet, I found plenty of delicious food, buffet was my favorite. We did eat at the Steakhouse and Route 66, which was very good. We had no issues getting a reservation at the Buffet lobby or waiting in line at Route 66, my recommendation is to show up early, and check to see which ones are open each day. Drinks- We enjoyed a bit of a variety which were good. Some bartenders mixed stronger drinks than others, so if you prefer a weaker drink, advise them. We averaged $1/ drink for a tip, sometimes a bit more. If you like wine, you can check with the staff at the front counter in the Buffet, they may sell you a bottle (; Beach & Pool-I'm there for water, sun and sand so the Beach was beautiful, they have done a lot of work since the hurricane. It would be helpful if the resort could acquire a few more chairs/umbrellas for both the pool and the beach to accommodate the guests. We had to look around a bit for chairs with NO Towels, or put some empties together, no big deal, vacation goes on. The only issue we had was with a guest making a smart remark 3 hours later about removing their one towel from a set of three chairs. I will also add that we had asked a staff member, he advised us it was fine and if the guests didn't return by a certain time we could have the umbrella as well, they didn't. We later offered up our chairs and umbrella to a family with children. So if in doubt ask a staff member or someone close by if the guests have been gone for awhile, just be respectful. Note of caution, take a good bug spray and bug ointment!! The no-seeums are fussy and don't bite everyone, but if they like you, they like you a lot. They leave tiny welts and they can get itchy. They like to hang out by the bushes around the buildings and by the beach. We did do a little shopping at the two shops, and the pricing was okay, it is a resort. Bring sunscreen from home, theirs is a bit high to purchase. We did purchase a couple of pictures as well. There are resort photographers that will be taking your pictures if you like, you can access the pictures through an app or at the gift shop. They average $20 each us or less depending on the amount you get. We enjoyed the resort so much we didn't do any excursions this time, but you can certainly access them through your travel company's rep at the resort (this would be my recommendation, depending on your insurance coverage). There are also many other excursion reps on the resort, ask for pricing and what's included, they will work with you. It was very helpful to check out Trip central reviews, Facebook and download the H10 app, they will supply you with a wealth of information on this resort. Lastly, make sure you go see Pinky, the local Flamingo... he's waiting for you!! I would highly recommend this resort, one of the best we've been too! Enjoy!!!

Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites: Good holiday

Enjoyed our 14 day stay. The resort , the room, the grounds, everywhere was super clean. The a la carte restaurants lacked a quality of food preparation, and taste. A bit disappointed on that aspect. We go on holidays to disconnect from our devices and enjoy nature and relax. Usually the devices are in the safe throughout our vacation, Unfortunately, we had to use our devices to read menus at the bars and a la carte restaurants. We were not the only ones of that opinion. I would not return  [... read more]to this resort as there were just too many children everywhere. It’s not the resort’s fault, we should have done better research. The staff was excellent. Of course, you can’t beat that lovely beach!

Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Fun week in Samana

Spent a beautiful week in Samana at the Viva V Wyndham All Inclusive. Mostly good reviews, but some not so good. The resort is beautiful. Gardens, Beach, Rooms, Restaurants, Entertainment, Staff all very good. We had a second floor room. 1st floor rooms had dehumidifiers running 24/7. The lounge chairs were very uncomfortable. The pool was small, not very deep and cloudy. Fix the lounge chairs and we would probably go back.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Great Stay!

Having stayed in the area before at cheaper resorts, I figured it was time to try Senator and boy had I been holding out on myself! Beautiful grounds and a lovely beach with lots of sun/shade options. Largest selection of food options I’ve seen for DR. Staff were all great, though buffet service was hit or miss if you wanted anything other than water. Rooms could use a bit of work/updating, but nothing ridiculous needed to be done.

Occidental Caribe: 3 Star Resort

The beach is 5 star. Rooms are 2 star. Staff vary depending who you get- our housekeeper was 5/5 she was fantastic, however some of the bartenders should not have been in customer service. We lucked out with a good room however our friends had non stop issues for 3 days without any resolution. The beach is the best part of this resort however I wouldn’t go back.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: amazing resort

After being at this resort for 8 times now, I am amazed that it still feels like home. The staff remember us from November. They still treat us like family. Great food, great pool and great beach. The only small criticism would be the need for more umbrellas at beach and pool

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: WILL NOT RETURN

All public areas were in good order. We opted for an 'Amnesia Suite,' which was large, comfortable and always kept clean and tidy. Service provided by the maid was outstanding. Food at the main restaurant was OK, but lacking in variety. Other restaurants we visited were also OK but the menu at these 'premium' restaurants was not too different from the main buffet. There was only one bar, which was near the pool and not very convenient if you were near the main lobby area. NEGATIVES - There wer [... read more]e no steps or hand rail to access the pool. My wife and I are senior citizens and getting into the pool was too difficult for us. We found the beach was too far from the main complex. MAJOR NEGATIVE - The constand loud 'boom boom' of the music (if you can call it that) was too much. The noise was so loud, that we had difficulty getting to sleep until after 11.00 pm. Summary - generally disappointed.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Rocky start

Overall this is a very nice resort, restaurants & bars are very good lots of variety for food choices but even with the privilege upgrade you cannot get premium drinks. Check in did take a long time & we had a descent room however after walking around the resort we came back to our room to find water leaking through a ceiling pot light onto the floor & coffee maker. We called reception & they advised they would send a maintenance person, I asked why as water & electricity is a very dangerous com [... read more]bination & we did not feel safe to be in this room! but she still had to send maintenance! after 2 more calls & me walking to reception 2 hours later maintenance guy (16-18 years old) showed up & immediately turned the light switch on? That was that we demanded to be moved, They moved us from the ground to the 3rd floor but after 1 night we could not take the noise from the air conditioner, if you turned it to low the fan blade started hitting something internally so we went back to reception and asked for yet another room. Again maintenance had to go check it so we went and booked some day trips with our Air Canada Rep Robenson who did a great job for us, when we told him about our issues with the rooms he came back to reception with us & asked the customer service desk what they were going to do for us. They agreed to move us again but would send a bell boy once the room was cleaned mid afternoon so we could check that the room was good enough, also they threw in a romantic dinner on the beach (valued @ $200 US each) to compensate us for the first room fiasco. Later in the day the bell boy took us to the next building over the executive traveler building & showed us a 3rd floor suite ocean view with everything upgraded, so we took it from that point on our 3rd day we were very happy. Also @ 5pm we got a knock at our door & room service brought us a plate of fresh fruit & a bottle of champagne and got a call from reception confirming that we were now happy. The upgrades were probably worth $2k so they did go the extra mile to make us happy.