Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: In general the resort is fantastic

Just got back yesterday and the resort it self could not be kept cleaner. Always employees everywhere inside and out working. The staff are sooo nice and always trying to please everyone. At the pool they have a group that are so entertaining , keep you active, and laughing. Food is really great , with a huge variety,although I did get a bit ill one day but that's the Islands. A resident pharmacist got me up and running pretty quick.{ no pun intended} My one complaint would be the worst, and ve [... read more]ry old mattresses and pillows EVER. Like sleeping on a concrete slab and my head on a pillow filled with oranges. Not acceptable. So yes to the folks who take care of you there,and overall more good than bad. Many people say they return yearly there

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Great Spot!!

The resort was wonderful!! ** FOOD - lots of variety ** POOL - very big with a great swim up bar (staff is friendly - especially JUNIOR) but unfortunately closes at 6:00pm every night :((( ** BEACH - OK, I've definitely been to better ** ENTERTAINMENT - most shows were fantastic ** STAFF - very friendly and super helpful ** BARS - all bars close at 11:00pm :(((( ** ROOMS - very clean and very roomy ** LOCATION - only resort for miles, you're locked to your resort unless you pay for  [... read more]an excursion

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: a great family resort

just returned from a week long family vacation. we had an amazing time and would definitely recommend this hotel to others. check in was fairly smooth, the staff were very friendly and helpful with luggage. There was an issue with one of our rooms at check-in but we were upgraded to a junior suite at no additional cost. the grounds were very clean and there were always staff about cleaning and performing maintenance. the rooms were clean and bright. We had a mini fridge in our room stocked with [... read more] water bottles. Every staff we talked with reminded us not to drink tap water. the beds were firm but not uncomfortable. there was only one bar but the staff were competent and even during busy times we only waited a few minutes. The buffet was pretty good and had a theme for each day. the a la cartes were very good, although you need to make a reservation early in the day to get a spot. The only thing i will say is if you have a large group it is hard to get reservations. The snack bar has foods like hot dogs and burgers and fries for the picky eaters. We traveled with Sunwing and our representative was amazing, very informative, told us the best excursions to go on. We did the waterfalls(Damajua) and they were amazing. the puerto plata city tour and cable car, paradise island and horseback riding. All tours were done well and tour guides were friendly and informative. the beach was a public beach so there were vendors there, they can be persistent but with a firm no thank you they will leave you alone. It was usually very windy hence being a good spot for kite surfing and the waves were pretty rough. while we were there we weren't able to swim some days because of the strong currents and riptides. the hotel has signs saying they don't staff lifeguards but there are people on the beach most days monitoring swimmers and would get people out of the water if the current was too strong. the beach was very nice to walk along, great for finding shells along the way. the pool is where we spent most of our time. i would recommend doing the water aerobics they do a class every day and it's very fun. the entertainment crew has something going every couple of hours. The nightly shows don't start til 945pm but for the most part they're entertaining. Mostly they do them outside near the pool or if its raining they move them upstairs to the theatre. overall a great resort, family friendly

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Amazing!

The food was great, lots of selection. service was awesome, the staff are friendly and helpful. Always greeting you with a smile. Entertainment every night. The beds on the vip beach was my favorite part. I would recommend this resort and I would definitely go back!

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Vacation March 2018

We arrived late on the first day . Once we were checked in the desk staff told us the staff at the buffet were waiting for us so we could eat ! That was definitely appreciated after traveling all day. Our room was clean and well stalked with towels. Fridge always had cold beverages Wait staff and bartenders were always helpful. Pool and surrounding area was clean and always lots of lounge chairs to be found .although not always enough umbrellas for shade . Activity staff always had fun ac [... read more]tivities to join in on . If you get a chance go to the foam party in the main pool total blast !! As is the welcome party at the dome and the open air buffet dinner and concert . Cabanas near the beach were clean and always had fresh towels. Staff at the beach level were great . Wasn't impressed with the beach. It was clean and maintained but no lounge chairs to sit by the water . Not much distance between the retaining wall and waters edge . When it was high tide the water was to the stairs . Our last day we didn't fly out till 8pm but we had to check out of our rooms by 1pm. Once we checked out our bracelets were cut off and we were told we could only access areas other then the lobby til 3pm . Leaving us 2 hours to just sit and wait . We were told we could keep our bracelets but we'd have to leave either our passports of another form of ID. Sorry but I'm not leaving my ID with anyone . Over all we were happy with the resort . Just didn't like loosing those 2 hrs .

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Can’t wait to go back!!!

I booked this vacation last minute and was going off of trip advisor reviews which were mostly positive. All I can say is “Wow!!!” The resort is beautiful, the staff is fantastic. Our room was great, clean and simple. We are looking to go back ASAP. It’s our new favourite place ❤️❤️❤️

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Mindblowing

I have stayed at this resort 2 times previously, a few years ago, and I liked it then. But what they have done with the place is phenomenal!! We had an amazing, better than expected experience, the food is actually noteworthy if not very good now, and the staff are all very attentive, happyand friendly and not in a fake way either! It's also an extremely well maintained and clean complex. The price has not increased in 10years, but after this last visit we will be going back next year, and wou [... read more]ldn't even be upset by a price increase. It's well worth it!!

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Wonderful staff. Great food. Spotless rooms.

This is a beautiful resort with lovely rooms. Great restaurants and a staff that bends over backwards to help. We changed rooms since our first room was very noisy with a disco across the fence. Thumping bass all night. Building 7 is very noisy. Our next room was much more comfortable. There needs to be more umbrellas around the pools. The vendors on the beach are annoying, however, that is not the resorts fault. If I were to visit again I would choose a less busy time. This is a great  [... read more]place!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Fantastic Vacation

We returned from Iberostar Costa Dorada on Sunday March 4, 2018. We are a party of 3 comprising of myself and my two kids in their 20's. The resort caters to all ages and activity levels. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you choose. We had a standard room and we asked for another bed to be brought in. When we arrived our room was ready and the third bed was a full sized single bed that was extremely comfortable not a cot or a fold up bed. We were very pleased. When we arrived at the  [... read more]hotel and had checked in we were given a personal tour by one of the staff. He also assisted us in booking the specialty restaurants for the week. We were then taken to our room. When we arrived in the room the staff member checked that everything was working (nice touch) our luggage arrived about 5 minutes later. The entertainment crew is fantastic, they make you feel like family. They are fun, encouraging, silly and knowledgeable. Thank you, WiFi, Blondie, Justin, Micky Barbie and Maria. You are Soupa! The resort itself is beautiful and is consistently being maintained by cleaning, gardening and maintenance staff. I saw nothing that appeared to be neglected. This includes the beach, everyday there was staff raking the beach of seaweed and fallen debris from the trees. The pool water is clean and clear and the pool area always had staff walking around to pick up empty cups and dishes. Public bathrooms were always clean and well supplied and maintained. The main dining room was our favourite place to eat. We met Robert the second day we were there and we continued to return to his section. Robert knew what we liked after the first time he served us and he would bring our drinks before we even asked. It just happened that he was off for the 3 nights we had our specialty restaurant reservations, but he was back at breakfast for our last morning. The food was very tasty and well cooked. Dominican night was our favourite buffet night. As for the specialty restaurants, our favourite was the Japanese and then the Mediterranean. We do not recommend the Mexican. At the snack bar the food was really good tasty. Our issue with the snack bar was that it was hard to find a clean table, either cutlery, napkins or glasses were missing. The serving staff was not attentive and if you asked for water you often didn't get it. The bar staff at all the bars were very friendly and attentive. We will definitely return to the Iberostar Costa Dorada

: DISAPPOINTED!!!!

This was by far the best food I've ever had in any resort. I didn't find one item I didn't like from the buffet to the beach bar and the restaurants. No more positive comments on this hotel. We had daily issues with our room from cleanliness to plumbing. Customer service there is horrible. In the 7 days we were there not 1 person came to our room to address any issue.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Amazing resort

Family of 5, 2 adults and 3 teenagers visited VH GRAND VENTANA from Feb.16 to Feb. 23 2018. The rooms were spacious,clean and airy. The beds were ok but the pillows were lumpy and not comfortable at all.( they need to invest in better pillows) The grounds and common areas were well kept clean and tidy. The Caribbean and the Italian restaurants were excellent for a la cart,and the buffet was amazing with different food seletions daily. The staff were amazing as they were always prompt to assist [... read more]. However, the chairs around the pool were not enough since people claim their chair with towels or slippers early in the morning. I think it would be effective if the staff established a rule that seats cannot be occupied if you not present at the pool. This way, everyone could also enjoy the sun by the pool. On the beach there was enough chairs. There was quite a few vendors that walked the beach back and forth, however I did not feel pressured to buy anything. I would say "no thank you" and they would walk away. During that week it was quite windy on the beach which was unfortunate as we would rather spend more time there. Also, the entertainment team was great. After the shows I would have liked to have more dance music and have a dance party at the resort instead of going to the discotec Cluber. Although it was very close by which is convenient, it would not start until after midnight. Overall,it was a great trip and I would love to go back!

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Good

The amnesia room - the room itself is great, really too big for what you need. Lounges - several days there were not enough lounges for everyone at the pool and at the beach. We used the neighboring resorts lounges at the beach. No one complained, but we did feel a awkward. Of course there's still the issue of lounge holding. I understand why you reserve a lounge, but you could often see towels on lounges that you never saw a single soul on. Someone has to come up with a better method for [... read more] this.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Ok

While the resorts meets all your basic "resort" needs. The front desk staff are very condescending and basically make you feel like you are asking for the moon. Which I think is a tactic to just make you go away...which ultimately it did. The resort is very clean. There is security at all the main entrances. The evening shows are too late, with nothing to do between dinner and the 10pm show. Food was ok, we certainly didn't starve.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Lots of fun

Had a fabulous week at this resort. Check-in was so quick and easy, the room was great, cleaned and restocked daily. The beach and pool areas were beautiful and spacious. The staff and entertainment team are what make this resort so great. They really go above and beyond. The only room for improvement would be in the food department. While variety was good, often it was repetitive and not hot. However, i would definitely recommend and return to this hotel. Another great stay at the Bahia princi [... read more]pe chain.

Paradise Playa Dorada: Not a very organized or clean resort

Overall, the resort was okay. The resort does not cater to anyone with a disability. I have a minor physical issue and found it very difficult to get in and out of the pool. The steps into the pool were not very standard steps. Also, the tile throughout the resort was extremely slippery when wet and after 3 days of rain, I was constantly watching my steps to stop from falling on the floors. The floors in the restaurant were extremely difficult to walk on. Plus to all this was our room was  [... read more]satisfactory and the maid service was very good. I have to mention that I did not appreciate arriving to the resort and having to wait for a room till after 6pm. (we arrived around 1pm). The checkout time was 3pm for the rooms and this does not seem to allow for the rooms to be ready for the next group. I have been to resorts that makes you leave at 11 and if you have a late flight, they will allow you to leave your bags with the head porter until you are ready to leave. You had to pay for the WIFI and it was limited to certain locations throughout the resort. Had to pay for the safe in the room. We have been to many of the Caribbean islands, many trips to Mexico and Central and South America and found the cleanliness at this resort was not optimum. Unfortunately, we both got sick. Our first encounter of sickness in 25+ years of travelling through the world. The food was acceptable but we did notice that a wait staff cough into his hand and continue to handle the clean dishes.

Puerto Plata Village: Ok

Not to impressed,we changed rooms 3 times in 7 day all because water leaking in the first 2 rooms. And for Sunwing,don’t think would ever travel with them again, dirty planes and dirty tables.food was ok not a lot of variety,drinks sucked you couldn’t get 2 drinks the same in a row.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Great time, great food.

Spent one week at the resort. our 3 partys were located in different blocks despite asking for them to be together but no big deal. Buffets in the main restaurant were excellent. We only dined once in A La Carte and the meal was poor. As I am vegetarian I ordered Fettuccini Alfredo but when it arrived it had ham in it which I consider to be Carbonara. After discussion the waiter offered to swap it for tomato. meanwhile my wife had to start hers without me. as it was our Anniversary we were not h [... read more]appy with the service and both left our meals. Apart from that the service was very good. It is a 3* resort and as such it was good. One word of warning, the beach is steep and the waves are very rough. I would not recommend swimming unless there is a green flag, even orange can be dangerous. Generally the staff were great and as far as the amateur entertainment is concerned it was definitely above average. We found the town of Sosua very friendly and felt safe when walking around. Overall an enjoyable experience.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: First Time and Not our last

We travelled here as a couple the last week of Feb. 2018. It was our first time in the D.R. and it will not be our last. San Juan resort was very good for being 23 - 24 years old. Friday to Wednesday: sun and rain 24 degrees. Thursday & Friday: hot and sunny 27 degrees. We flew into Puerto Plata via Air Transat with a three and three seating plan with only free water, pop, tea or coffee for a 4 hour flight. Food could be purchased at a bargain price of $25. It was an hour and 15 minute bus ride [... read more] to the resort. Do not watch out of the front of the bus if you want to keep your heart in your chest. Driving in the D.R. is a whole new ball game. Watch out the side windows and find out how blessed you are for what you have. We stayed in the D9 block. The resort is fenced in and security patrols the grounds 24 hours. Our outside stairs needed some work. Inside the room was clean and the fridge had beer, wine and pop. We had to ask for chips. The bathroom was aged and some of the grout needed work. If you're looking for the perfect accommodations you're out of luck. AC is new, no hot water issues and our room was cleaned every day. The mattress was good and there is an outside balcony with a table and chairs. Staff in every part of the resort were great with no issues at all. The grounds are friendly for all ages, nationalities and the LGTBQ family. We were pleased with all the facilities offered. There are kids programs, beach volleyball, darts, bocce ball, night programs, dances, scuba diving and spots to do nothing. You can go on excursions for a fee. Taxis are available. A cab ride to the Puerto Plata airport is $100 U.S. round trip. The beach is fine. No flee issues and we're not O positive blood types. It is west coast Florida sand and not white Caribbean sand. There was still some hurricane damage in one area which was not yet repaired for some reason. Those look alike rocks in the ocean are sand bags. You can swim out to them and the water is about 4 feet deep. The first 30 feet of the beach is murky because of the crashing wake and then it becomes clear. Like any resort there are people walking around who don't know how to clean up after themselves. Cups, straws and cigarette butts are left on the beach. Resort staff are out on the beach trying to keep it clean. The west snack bar is convenient during the day with your basic food, drinks and a sit down area but they have a bird problem here. Watch the back of the chairs for crap. The resort needs to better cover the nacho's and pizza in this snack bar. Worst is people are feeding the birds so some are pretty persistent. The west pool near the snack bar is a lot quieter (and smaller) then the main pool. The sign at the small pool reads that no seat saving is allowed with your towel and unattended ones will be taken away. The main pool does not have this rule yet. So if you want a pool side seat you need to place your towel on a chair at 7 am. Sorry folks you can't eat your breakfast and save your pool seat too! You better have someone sitting there because a growing number of people in all resorts aren't taking this anymore. It's called first come first serve and your towel maybe gone. We only ate at the buffet. The food was good. No, it's not all hot but everything that we came across was cooked and warm. You have to be careful if you have food allergies. We have a peanut allergy. Someone contaminated the vegetables beside the peanut chicken while the clean tongs sat in front of the veggies. The food is well labelled, it's those not paying attention you have to worry about. There was Chinese night, Mexican night and so on. Cats can be found under some of the buffet tables. Make sure you swat under the table before you sit if you don't like them. The issue would not be as noticeable but you have people feeding them so what can you expect. We booked through Tripcentral.ca and they advertise saving their customers money for over 20+ years. Well that was not the case for us. We booked this trip in mid 2017 with Victoria Sullivan from Tripcentral.ca. and made a deposit. We found the trip for a better price in January of 2018 with Tripcentral.ca. We booked for the new price. We contacted Victoria for a price match and was basically told we're out of luck because a) they don't price match and b) our original booking date was too far from our new booking date???? We lost our $200 dollar deposit. So heads up when you're working with these travel agencies. Thanks Bahia San Juan for an enjoyable vacation.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Very Good

The hotel was very good, nice clean and daily serviced room, grounds very nice, evening entertainment was excellent, staff very courteous and helpful, Oriental Rest. excellent, helpful for staff to know more English (service staff). Very large buffet that could be more organized, hot food not together so sometimes cold when sitting. In general very nice place with long and lovely beach and large beautiful pool1

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: February 2018

Lots of bees, lots of mosquitos, no drink service on the beach or around the pool. Entertainment crew kept to themselves unless needing the audience for something. Lots of seaweed on the beach and garbage along the shore line. Resort facilities were clean and maintained. Food was great!