Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Beautiful resort

The grounds were beautifully kept. All the common areas were clean and well maintained. Food was excellent with a wide variety and plentiful. Staff was very friendly. We were coerced into a "welcome breakfast" where we were forced to listen to the "benefits" of being a Privileged Member and to belong to the Catalonia brand of resorts. It was a waste of a beautiful morning and very very annoying. The internet did not work in our room but it was tended to within the hour of us reportin [... read more]g it. It was fixed the next day. The beach was clean and there were lots of shaded spots to stay out of the direct sun. We always found chairs so no need to try to save a seat. Around the pool was different. No chairs to be had in the shade. Lots of "reserved by towel" chairs. The room was clean but well worn so could use some updating. Too few outlets, some of which were linked to the switches. We had a leak in the ceiling but again, it was tended to within the hour of us reporting it and it was immediately fixed. There was mold on the curtains and my pillow as stained yellow beneath the pillowcase. The appearance of our room was the most disappointing part of our stay.

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Girls Annual Get Away

This was our first visit to VIK, we had a great time, no expectations, the salt water pool was to die for, the food was great, rooms were good, clean, staff was super friendly. The beach was beautiful.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Great Resort!

I went to Jewel Punta Cana in early April and I have a quick summary of the resort below: The bus ride from the airport was about 45 minutes. The resort didn't feel full, I think it was under capacity so it was very relaxing and chill. The buffet is repetitive at lunch and breakfast (but I eat repetitive at home) but the food was great! For lunch you could also get food off the grill by the pool bar and there was a outdoor pizza oven that was great as well. For dinner, only the a la carte [... read more]s were open when I went and I enjoyed all 3 restaurants. First time I have been able to order a steak in Punta Cana and they cooked it properly to my request. The beach did have sargassum some days but I could easily walk over it. The water was warm, I was expecting it to be more rough than Bavaro beach but I found it the same or less rough. The ocean is rough first thing in the morning but by 9am it was much calmer. It was much quieter than Bavaro beach there were some vendors but they were not pushy. The pool is large but narrow, more of a relax and float pool until you get to the swim up bar. I found the staff very friendly and the service was excellent. The rooms were a little dated but it didn't matter to me as I didn't spend much time inside.

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: 5 Plus except for the beach

This resort was amazing. The food the service was excellent. We enjoyed the Brazilian restaurant the most. The only negative would be the beach. Not a typical Dominican beach. A lot of rocky areas . There is a small cove next to the resort that was calm and sandy. It is a vacant property that most people used but you were not allowed to bring your chairs. Other than the beach this resort deserves the 5 star rating. Thanks to our agent Kevin Dupuis for helping us set this up

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: AVOID AT ALL COST

I had read the reviews and it's truly worst than what I had read online. I went first week of April 2023. This is a 2.5 stars, not a 5 stars. When I told them that they said it was a 5 star and it's my opinion. I paid 1650$ and it was worth 800$ MAX. The place is falling apart- not at all as the picture. If you are not in the adult only section you cannot go to most of the pictures advertised, they will treat you like a second class citizen and you only have one buffet to eat breakfast, lun [... read more]ch and dinner. Staff only serves you when/if you tip, they sometimes dont even serve you coffee or pick up your plates. BEACH: So the pros is that the sea is nice. But there's NOT enough chairs. If you love being harassed this is the place for you. Literally 20-30 people will come up to you within a day and NOT leave, you will have to interact with them because they are very persistent. They are selling stuff, but mostly are drug dealers trying to sell weed or cocaine. I don't do any of that so it was very upsetting to constantly being asked for this. I'm a woman, when I put sunscreen they literally sit in front of me and compliment me, they refuse to leave. There's one guard with a dog pretending to be security, but he chills with the drug dealers so not sure what that's about. The life guard NEVER look towards the water, always on their phone and chilling with locals. Overall, its exhausting and frankly so so soo unacceptable. POOLS: Everyone pees in the pool, its slimy and visually dirty. There's not enough chairs literally less than 50 for the pools for hundred of people. People wake up as early as 5am to go reserve them by placing a towel and proceed to go about their day. The chairs are mostly broken. Its just disgusting, so I would go to the beach, but then would get harassed and come back to the pool. ROOM: The room is moldy, things are broken. No safe, No place to store your clothes I had to leave it all in my suitcase. Its humid and all my clothes still smell like mildew. The housekeepers are the nicest ladies of the resort, they truly do the best with what they got. But there's literally shit on the walls in the hotel hallways, water on the floor everywhere. There's not even a holder for the soap, there's rust everywhere it's really reallly messed up not gonna lie. ACTIVITIES: Nothing is fun, they play the same 5 songs on repeat for the whole week, everyday it's the same thing. Overall, the most boring place I've been and ive been to Punta Cana before, Cuba several times, Mexico a few times, Hawaii a few times and Jamaice. This was the absolute worst hotel ive ever been in my life. STAFF: The front desk staff would literally talk shit about me in front of me, the most disrespectful people I have met. They didn't know I spoke spanish. They are the least helpful, they just redirect you elsewhere, and when you go see the others, they redirect you to the front desk, basically no one ever helps you. The staff in restaurant and bars, some were very nice, some were very bad. The bad ones would just not serve you, not give coffee even when u ask. I would ask them to come and they would stay far away and scream what ? They wouldn't pick up the empty plates, wouldnt smile ever. It was just a really bad experience that makes u feel like shit all the time. FOOD: The food tasted good, the only reason why i survived this none sense. But it was advertised as thought theres lots of bars and lots of buffer - That's a lie. One buffet, most bar you cant go if u arent VIP (the nice ones that u see in the pictures), the a-la-carte restaurants were good, you are allowed to 3 in one week. Just the food was good, that's the only thing positive i have to say. Basically, avoid at all cost. i wouldnt go back even if they paid me, the way they make you feel and being constantly harassed isnt worth it. And the place is falling apart because they are closing the hotel soon and another hotel will open. So don't go.

Ocean El Faro: Very large resort !

Grounds were very well maintained, room was nice, drinks were good, food average. Loved the lazy river. Was very surprised how busy the resort was and how many kids, the “quiet” preferred pool was full of kids playing, throwing balls etc could not relax in pool. Beach area was nice view but beach not walkable or able to swim in ocean. Service was slow. Having privilege was well worth having a butler to take care of dinner bookings and any other issues you may have had, also privilege restaur [... read more]ant at beach was much better service and great view of beach.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Great family resort

The grounds were kept in great shape. The hotel staff very pleasant and felt safe during my stay. The food was quite good. I was nervous around reviews of certain rooms but made myself quite clear upon arrival that I expected a decent room and did. Lack of lounge chairs problematic. As a smoker couldn't stand you were only allowed to sit in a very small area in lobby. I would t recommend this resort for those that want quiet. Way too many children. However fantastic place for those that do. Att [... read more]ention needs to be placed on some of the activities for safety reasons. Covid rules non existent which is the norm for now.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Very good resort

Grounds - Very well kept Room - Clean and well appointed. We loved the swim-up suite. Food - great selection. At times a little bland. Noise level - at times we found it a bit noisy (pool & evenings)

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great resort

This resort has many positive notes: Airport transfer was easy Grounds and rooms were great Food was hit and miss, while there was the usual buffet for breakfast and lunch the food teperature was below where it should have been and was borderline cold Dinners were also hit and miss, some were better than others but overall was acceptable, with exception of sports bar where we had the best meal! Service was great Tipping is expected throughout the resort They need a better smoking policy a [... read more]s there were many people smoking at poolside would go back again

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Great Resort

Hotel was amazing Staff were always on the job making sure that the pool areas, Walkways were kept clean and tidy Food at the Buffet restaurant, delicious. The hotel lobby area is very large and can handle the quantity of people on the resort which is not at all noticeable. There are so many plus signs for this property and no negatives in my opinion We are definitely going back again

TRS Turquesa: TRS Amazing Resort

First off I want to say 10/10 for relaxation, luxury, and amazing staff. The grounds and pools were well kept and clean, even though it is an older resort, they keep it up. Everyone tried hard and were very friendly. I would go back to this resort time and time again. This is by far the nicest resort I've ever been to. We upgraded to a swim up room when we got to the resort and I highly recommend doing that. The staff couldn't do enough for you and should all be commended, very lovely people, w [... read more]e felt very taken care of, just like family.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Hotel / resort Be Live Collection

The hotel is fine but the rooms are beyond terrible. This resort is closing on then15th of April. The should tell agencies about this. The food was great and the restaurant a la carte are superbe. The beach is fantastic.

Riu Republica: A great resort!

I love Dominica for starters. I enjoyed the Riu Republica. Let's start with positives...we were too far from the main pools/buffet, etc upon arrival and called to switch rooms...they switched us immediately. The rooms are bright and clean. The double sinks and huge shower were awesome. There are so many pools and we never had to fight for chairs or lounge tables. There were fresh towels until about 4:30...not a issue. The main buffet was excellent. Lots of choices and continual favorites daily.  [... read more]We loved our servers Jorge and Esmerelda. There are several Ala cartes however, they are all buffet as well which meant you didn't have to reserve but there was no real change from the buffet. We went to the Taj Mahal two times...I really enjoyed it as I love Indian food. The appies were buffet then they brought 5 dishes to sit on burners at your table. NOTE TO THE RIU CHEF....your food was very tasty HOWEVER, too spicy for most. There were people who left mid dinner. There was way too much waste as the portions were too big and then too hot for most. I hope they work on this as it really was lovely. Now, the cons...only the reception area staff had appropriate English language. The cleaning staff and most servers had very little which made it difficult at times for needs or requests to be understood. At the theatre bar, if you weren't holding money in your hands, you waited (and waited...), only to see a young man being served MULTIPLE tequila shots. He was brandishing money. The evening entertainment??? I say, what entertainment?! Having been in the DR many times, I guess I was expecting more. They had the same young dancers each night with a different theme, trying to lip sync. AND, the "show" didn't start until 9:30...ugh. The "Neon" party was lame...I kept waiting for more. We had to call several times for coffee packets and coffee mate and for my coffee needing friend, this didn't go over too well. The "Riu App" needs work and/or constant monitoring as it would say X restaurant was open and it wasn't. And the entertainment was incorrect so we missed the Circo show. I believe "adult only" needs to be at least 25 years and up. There were MANY very young teenagers being over served and wearing next to nothing. I dont feel teenagers are adults yet! We didn't see one security person and this is a fairly big resort. The beach was raked but the dried seaweed was in big piles. I'm not sure if they remove it weekly? The water was beautiful but rough...a girl we met was tossed about and strained her ankle. We're not beach people so we only went one afternoon for pictures. The vendors weren't a big bother...they took " no thank you" well. Spray your legs and feet as there are sand fleas at the beach. Take your shoes to the deck too as they can travel in your treads! We took a free ride to the flea market, right down the road...there, the vendors were quite insistent and we felt harrassed. We were 2 women so not sure if they're less so with men? Most shops carry similar stuff and you need to haggle. We didn't do any excursions. I felt our sunwing person "Little Sammy" was a bit harsh and a wee bit masonganistic...if he called my friend "mamacita" one more time, there might have been trouble! He told us if we were going to the Jungle or Pink party at the other Riu, we should expect cocaine and weed and craziness. Regardless to say, we didn't go. We did see a young girl returning, dressed in pink, passed out and in a wheelchair 😞 All in all it was a very good, relaxing trip at a beautiful, well maintained resort. The positives far outweighed the negatives. There were no COVID reminders at all. I saw very few masks.

Breathless Punta Cana Resort: Great Resort for Younger Set

Our meals and accommodation were wonderful. Lots of food choices and la a carte restaurants. Best part for us was the swim out pool right outside our back deck. Loved the beach even though the seaweed was plentiful. The resort did there best to scoop up daily. Drinks were good but not a lot of premium top shelf choices if that’s what you want. The only draw back for us was the late night music until 2 each night. More a 18 to 40’s atmosphere. Pool music started at noon and lots of act [... read more]ivities in the morning. As for Covid 19 precautions, hand sanitizer at restaurants but that’s it. So if worried about that, not the place for you as lots of close contact in pools and chairs. Enjoyed our stay but a bit tired from late nights.

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Very pleased

The resort was very clean and the service was wonderful. The staff were polite and helpful. The food was fresh and the assortment was plentiful. The pools were clean and refreshing. The beds were huge and comfortable

Serenade Punta Cana Beach and Spa Resort: Good Family Resort

Overall the Serenede resort was good family resort. The luxury master suite was spacious and clean. We had 2 king beds, 2 bathrooms and a very large balcony. The buffet and bar food was really good. The 3 a Le cart (Italian, Mediterranean and Hibachi) was not worth it. We had to stand in line at 7am to get the reservations and food was not good. The pools were nice, the kids enjoyed the water slides. To get a lounger chair at the pool or beach you need to get there early before 8am, otherwise  [... read more]they will be all taken. The beach is decent, there is seaweed present but staff try to clean it up through out the day. One night they had a beach party which was a hit with the kids and adults. Other then that there was very little entertainment that we enjoyed.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Happy Holiday

Very happy in choosing Caribe Deluxe Princess. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Workers are constantly cleaning the pathways and around the pool daily. The public washrooms are the nicest I’ve ever seen on a resort and always clean. Close to building A you will find a pond with peacocks close by and flamingos and a variety of ducks and even a crane. We loved the walkway from the main resort area to the lobby along a path where one could see iguanas, various birds, turtles. For [... read more] those not wanting to walk a trolley is available. The lobby is spacious, with a bar that is always accessible and no long line ups. There is also a coffee shop and ice cream shop in that area which we usually went to in the evening. The pools were awesome and we usually went to the middle pool. Bar close by and small buffet for lunch so you didn’t have to leave the pool area, could sit there or at pool to eat. Rooms had been renovated and no complaints here. The only negative here is that we didn’t always get our towels and had to request them. The wifi is hit and miss, usually miss. We made all our dinner reservations from customer service in the lobby. We especially enjoyed the Brazilian steakhouse, Italian and Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of a small group, entertaining. Buffet was ok, can always find something you like. Some items could have been hotter. Service was good as the people are hard workers. We had no issues with vendors at all on the beach as some people have noted. Maybe a couple people asked if we were interested in a massage but that was it, once we said no thanks they didn’t pursue. Large beach with white powdery sand and of course seaweed which they tried to clean up but no control over that. Strong waves with an undertow but still fun to play in, just be careful. The bus ride to the resort was an hour with stops and we had to wait about 40 minutes before bus even left airport. Next time we’d take a taxi. I think someone said it was $40 US Also, when leaving the country you have to pay $20 US p/p which we didn’t know. They make it very clear only US dollar yet we paid $20 US for one of us and $1200 pesos for myself. Sunwing rep said it was fine and it was, nothing was said at airport. They just want to push the US dollar in my opinion. Also, we tipped in pesos. Many tipped in US.

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Consistency Abounds

My wife Julie and I stayed at the resort pre-pandemic in 2019. I am pleased to report that it certainly survived through COVID and kept their very high standards. Staff were very attentive and constantly went the extra mile - my birthday celebration was most memorable. The golf course is one of the nicest resort courses I have ever played. Two thumbs up!

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: great resort

everything was dam near perfect at kthis resort except the bar service, one bartender at the swim up bar, it was a big bar, always so many people at it to!!!! other than that the place was huge and the beach was beautiful We had a great butler named Wensky!! he booked our restaurants and tours. amazing family vacay

Tropical Deluxe Princess: Nice resort

Hotel is pretty clean people are friendly and staff are very nice with travellers food is ok nice aquatic park for kids spend 7 days with my wife love the resort strongly recommend nice beach but get ready to deal with seaweeds they try hard to get rit off it but overall it’s a very nice resort