Lifestyle Residence Suites: Lifestyle Residence Suites

I just got back January 12th and I am not a fan. There are way too many stairs everywhere in the complex that is made up of many Hotels. You need to take the shuttle bus everywhere because there is only one bar at the Lifestyle Residence Suites where I stayed, and it is the pool bar that is only open from 10 to 5. There is a very small buffet for breakfast and lunch but it is an Al a Carte restaurant at night, so you have to shuttle to one of the buffets at one of the other hotels. The beach is  [... read more]a 10 minute shuttle ride away, and then you do a whole bunch of stairs down to find the beach.There is no snack bar restaurant in any of the hotels in the complex. If you want to sit at a bar and have a few drinks after supper; you guessed it, no bar at Lifestyle Residence Suites so off on the shuttle you go. I spent more time on the shuttles than anything else. This is all so a members complex, and you will be lied to when someone will ask you if you need a ride somewhere, and then they take you to the sales office to try and sell you a membership instead of where you were going. There are a lot VIP beaches, restaurants, world, and much more that if you are not a member you do not have access to. What they advertise is the VIP beach and other VIP amenities that you do not have access to on any of the travel websites, so beware. You are not getting what is advertised. I will be booking at a small 1 hotel complex my next trip and will not be back to Lifestyle Residence Suites.

: Will be better in the future

My wife and I stayed for a week in early January. The hotel is not entirely ready, and some of the infrastructure is lacking. For example, we were without hot water for 4 days. The beach and pool areas are very nice, and the service was excellent; however, the food was very average, bland and unimaginative comparatively speaking from other Dominican resorts we have visited. The ala cartel restaurants were poor to average. The story of this hotel is that it is simply not in a state of completion, [... read more] it probably needs another couple of months and the building is ongoing and noisy. The staff tried everything to make our stay pleasant, and they partly succeeded. We won’t return in the future

Paradise Playa Dorada: Wonderful resort and beautiful beach!

We went to the Grand Paradise Playa Dorada for a week on December 30th. We were so lucky to be there on New Year's and experience an incredible display of fireworks on the beach to bring in the new year - it was absolutely spectacular! We absolutely loved the beach where we spent most of the time and we loved the restaurant as it was directly on the beach so we could enjoy the view for every meal. It was like having an 'a la carte' experience every night. The food was excellent! We we [... read more]re happy with our room as well but had to request a hair dryer and fridge as they were both missing when we arrived. The areas of improvement would most definitely be the front desk. They so need to improve their customer service (everyone was saying the same thing). Our air transat flight was delayed by 6 hours and we arrived at the hotel at 4:00 a.m. (instead of 9:30 p.m. the previous night) and waited 45 minutes to be served - not sure why we couldn't have just been given our room key as we already missed an evening and were extremely tired. Internet wasn't provided. We paid internet for the first day but it got disconnected and we complained but to no avail-the internet person never seemed to be available. We gave up purchasing it after that and avoided the front desk at all costs as they were not easy to deal with and certainly not friendly! Other than the fireworks, the entertainment could definitely be improved. We met lovely people so we made our own entertainment. All in all, we would recommend this place as a definite 3 star but it wouldn't take much to rate it higher if the front desk were friendlier and entertainment improved as this place is in such a picturesque location! We would definitely go back to Puerto Plata!

Riu Merengue: The whole family had a very good time at this hotel!

Excellent service, very well maintained huge territory, nice beach line, good variety of food! We have been having great time there! Went for 7 days with family ( 2 adults, 2 kids of 5 and 7 years). Very spectacular night shows, well organized mini disco and animation program for kids. The Riu Merengue is joined with Riu Bachata. You can feel free and attend shows at the neighboring hotel too, as well as visit their restaurants and use their beach. So lots of options to make your stay not bo [... read more]ring and not routined. There is the cruise ship terminal beside Riu Bachata and it was impressive to watch those huge ships coming to the harbour. The pool at Riu Merengue is not too big but you can always find a spot. And you can always go to Riu Bachata's pool which is bigger. I would definitely suggest going there !! Nice hotel for a good price!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Overall, ok.

It's nice that the resort is small enough that everything is in the centre and easily accessible. Only problem with this though is that non-smokers get nauseated by all the smoking in this central area. Even though the theatre is supposed to be non-smoking, the seats on the exterior are all smoking and the comfort level in the theatre is compromised. The same happens around the pool area. There was a good selection of well-prepared food. We enjoyed everything we ate. The entertainment staff [... read more] was excellent and they worked hard to deliver entertainment programs throughout the day. The nightly shows were good too. We especially enjoyed the Aquatics Pool show. The rest of the staff was also friendly and accommodating. The three biggest complaints were the following: 1. This is the first hotel/resort ever that we had to pay for the safe. The keyhole is empty and you have to go to reception to "buy" the lock mechanism. This is ridiculous! Just a money-grabbing ploy. Not impressed with this at all. 2. The cleanliness of the rooms left a bit to be desired. While the room was tidied, it never felt clean. The surfaces were sticky, the light switches and door knobs were disgusting. The bathroom mirror was dirty from the previous guests. We arrived on Monday, and the mirror was finally cleaned on Thursday. The sink was wiped down but the faucets were never shiny enough to look clean. With the high turnover of guests at these resorts, more emphasis should be placed on sanitizing on a daily basis. We did like, however, that there was a person stationed at the entrance of the main buffet area with hand sanitizer. 3. The chairs in both the pool area and the theatre were very uncomfortable. We had sore backs by the end of the week.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Meh

It wasn't a bad hotel but it shouldn't be a part of the Bahia chain. We've been to alot of them and this isn't up to their standards. It was the original hotel from 22 years ago. So very dated hotel. Lock was broken. Bathroom door didn't close at all. A.C. worked well. Stayed in a master suite. 2 rooms attached so we got a living room and s bedroom. 2 washrooms. Clean resort. An hour and 20 mins from the airport. Gross beach. Sand fleas. The circus show one night was amazing. Good was just ok. I [... read more]f your expecting a typical Bahia you'll be disappointed. It was Cuba quality but without the beautiful beach. Wouldn't go back

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: First time in Puerto Plata

Animation staff are the best part of this resort, always happy and smiling and keeping everyone active. Managers at al la cartes are all grumpy,never smiling and make you feel rushed. Food was good for most of them but you always needed to ask to get a refill on wine. Buffet food was always good and fresh but seemed to always be the same every day, they need to have some change and theme nights. Rooms were clean a/c worked good but they are very plain, no chairs in the room, I had to bring on [... read more]e in from balcony. The guys trying to sell timeshares or whatever they called it never give up, asked me almost every day. All in all we had a good week and wasn’t crazy expensive, we would probably go back.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Very nice

Clean, friendly, well staffed resort! Lots of pools to choose from. Nice walk ways around resort. Main buffet eating area is big and bright and very tidy. Food was good but very repetitive! Rooms have nice balconies and seating area. Air conditioning unit in our room was very noisy. Pillows and mattresses not very comfortable at all. Still enjoyed our stay though!

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Bad resort

The grounds were decent. The pool and beach was clean. The rooms were horrible the walls and doors were filthy not talking about a little dirt, felt like we were staying in an abandoned shack. We had no hot water for 2 days!!! The beds were sooo old u felt every spring. No entertainment on site. The fridge is stocked with 2 water, pop and beer upon arrival and that's it they only supply water after that and that's only because u can't drink the waterEverything advertised is for members only you  [... read more]can up grade unless u become a member. Never will I go to a lifestyle resort again

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing trip.

Went with my financée. Hotel was very nice and the food was great. Wasn't huge on the Mediterranean restaurant but Brazilian and Mexican ones were great. Beach Was beautiful! Excellent entertainment at the pool and shows. Great people running the events at the pool. will definitely be back.

VH Atmosphere: Okay Resort

The VH Atmosphere was a nice modern resort. Very clean. Nice people but everything closed at 12:00am. Meaning, no food or drinks. Being that it's an adults only resort, it seems strange. The cleaning lady came at 8am to clean the room. We were still sleeping. This is too early. They need to adjust the times. The food was the same almost every day and the bee's and flies were bad. The international and italian food was very good. (Al-a-carts). They still need to figure out things to make it bette [... read more]r. The resort opened December 15th, 2017.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: worst resort ever

beach is bad,, seaweed, rocks all over..pools are dirty.. anywhere you have to go,, have to take a bus shuttle.. sometime waited 40 minutes at a time for the shuttle bus.. customer service is the worst. people are rude,, i had a sink leak , water was dripping on floor .. they took 8 hours after 6 ph calls . and came and shut off the water in sink.. i had to use the bath tub to brush teeth and everything.. i asked to change the room.. without checking front desk said , no rooms available.. it [... read more] was a disaster. and food was terrible..

Paradise Playa Dorada: Good value

Staff was very friendly! Everyone was smiling and ready to answer questions or help if needed. Food wasnt the best for me being a vegetarian.. lots of meats and fish. Veggies were all cooked in butter (which i dont eat). Few cold salad options. desserts were all a hit with my crew! First impression of rooms were good but when you look closely, there were some items that needed to be fixed. - towel bar was hanging, caulking etc. Pools were a bit cold and very sandy from people coming from the [... read more] beach. Beach was great. No seaweed, plenty of chairs, clean sand. Huge plus- No bugs and the endless supply of towels I wouldnt stay here again but if youre looking for a deal, this is one of the best resorts ive been too on a budget.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great Resort!

My Family and I really enjoyed our stay at the Be Live Marien Resort. The beach was very beautiful and clean, with lots of lounges to lay on to soak up some rays! The water was a nice temperature and if you like a few waves at times like us, you’ll love this beach too! The pool is huge and the entertainment crew made it very enjoyable also! Night life began every night with some live entertainment at the theatre and there were night clubs to enjoy afterwards and a casino as well if you want [... read more]. There is a multitude of food and drinks of many kinds, so you’ll never go hungry or thirsty and the staff all around look after people very well! We enjoyed our trip and highly recommend this resort to anyone

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing staff!!

Overall resort was very good. Food was very good and grounds/ pool were kept very clean. Entertainment staff were absolutely amazing. they always kept us entertained and laughing! We would highly recommend this resort.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Not a 4* hotel

I stayed at Cofresi Palm Beach between Jan 5- Jan 12. Definitely the standard room is very disappointing(furniture is very used ,the balcony door didn't work, room looks very old). No free Wi-fi. The food is ok but not great. Better if you go for eating at Tropical. There is no way to get a cappuccino or latte. The only coffee that I got is at breakfast ( gross taste). I got harassed by people who wanted to sell me VIP package. The weather was excellent. Never come back at Cofresi .

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: 2 weeks in Paradise

I recently returned home from the VH Gran Ventana resort. I was one of a group of 22, ranging in age from 13 to 90, who went to celebrate our mothers 90th birthday. We were made feel right at home from check in to departure. The resort is small, compared to other resorts I've visited, but huge in atmosphere, friendliness, and as close to perfection that I can imagine. On our first day there was one little glitch.....the bathroom door wouldn't close, so we were moved next day to a more suitable r [... read more]oom. The resort is very clean, beach is excellent and the food is remarkable. The staff couldn't do enough for us. Special thanks go to Johaira and Coco Loco at the buffet and Solomon at the beach grill. Even the vendors on beach were very friendly and not pushy at all. Most of the family are planning on returning in future. My mother announced on our last night there that she'd like to have everyone go back for her 92nd birthday!! I have a feeling that a few of us will be returning sooner:)

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Not the Experience I was Hoping for!

As soon as we got to the resort we were assisted by the front desk and the ladies at the front. We were escorted to the hotel room which was by the sewage system and it smelt awful. We walked into our room and it smelt of mold. The bed was broken and the floors were dirty. We went back to the front lobby to switch rooms and spent over 2 hours arguing with the management. The “manager” offered us a room across from where we were (sewage again) it wasn’t until we demanded a real “manager†[... read more] that we were able to speak to someone who offered us a room at their sister resort “La Tropical.” This was about 5 hours after our arrival. Once settled in La Tropical was very nice! We got an upgrade to use the VIP pool/beach area and it was nice. Staff was pleaaant and friendly as well. Food was good but restaurant food was even better (except the Asian) overall I think the next time we plan a visit I will upgrade to the VIP experience.

Puerto Plata Village: met expectation

The hotel met our described expectations, as we were expecting a 3.5 stars. So don't expect 5 stars at a 3.5 as that's unrealistic. Proximity of pool, lobby, restaurants was convenient, which we prefer. Shuttle ran regularly to beach. You can walk too, about 7 min leisurely stroll. There was lunch buffet and bar at private Sandy beach. Able to get loungers and lots of room. Our check in could have been quicker. Supposed to be 3:00 but not ready until 4:00. The room we got wasn't like the website [... read more] photos. It was stark white and in much need of some colorful decor. We happened to buy Puerto Plata bright towels to spread about for extra tropical vibe. Otherwise room was maintained and clean. A/c worked. Would recommend they install ceiling fans as an alternate to keep humidity under control as the ceiling started to get humidity build up by end of trip. Probably due to the fact we actually had hot water, so steam probably didn't vent well enough. Pool was large and kids had a blast playing. Lots of loungers and swim up bar. The other bar and restaurants are in close proximity so getting drinks, food was convenient. Entertainment staff was available poolside and in the evening for Games, jokes, dancing, shows etc. Dance group who did the Friday and Saturday show was a hot mess but they tried? Would rather just salsa with the entertainment staff! We happened to have a partly rainy week... can't control the weather. So beach front developed more seaweed than kids liked. There was a crew who cleaned it up in the morning. Enjoyed both the buffet and all carte all inclusive dining. No complaints...typically hot foods, carving station, breads, salads, fruits and desserts. Typical Caribbean / Spanish choices combined with North American cuisine. Staff spoke primarily Spanish but we managed to get English and on occasion French when needed. Day trip to nearby Ocean Park was good except it rained, but it can be a rainy day trip and they sell rain ponchos so was OK. Again, can't control the weather. Kids still managed to do most things. Overall, hotel generally met expectations.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort, nice resort.

Attractive Hotel, nice pool , very nice beach and swimming area. Beach vendors are not pushy but a bit tiring. Food mixed: Meat and fish very good, as were the vegetables. Plenty of variety for Lunch and evening meals. In Fruit there was little choice only a few varieties. Fruit Juice too sweet and sticky. Morning: cereals OK but little choice and the porage was way too thin. Entertainment strictly for youth.