Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Review from a family travelling with toddler.

MOSTLY POSITIVES: Travelling as a young family of 4 with two toddlers, we found the location was great. A short trip from the airport and a short cab ride from town. The rooms were fair, tidy and bright. Though we ran into the regular issues we've come to expect in the Carribean with showers not being getting very hot and not a lot of sound proofing so people coming and going at all hours was noticed. The pool was huge and had a sloped gradual entry for kids. The beach was really nice an [... read more]d quiet with white sand and very warm water. The kids center was nice and clean; we enjoyed the staff there. The buffet was good with some variation in the dinner menu. After two weeks, we had had enough but for a week, it'd be great. All the regular restaurants don't open til 6:30 which we found a bit late. The a la carte service was good but very slow so we only made it through to dessert the once as two hours in a restaurant was too big of an ask for the little ones. A FEW DRAWBACKS FOR YOUNG FAMILIES: The nightly entertainment for children which looked great started too late for the small kids to attend. The adult entertainment as well started late and always ran behind schedule. The front desk staff had very limited English which made simple questions very difficult and left us unsure of their answers on several occasions. OUR ONLY NEGATIVE: But it was a pretty strong negative. Three out of the four (including the two kids) ended up with food poisoning on our last night after dinner at one of the a la carte restaurants. We'd been sharing a salmon dish that I'd thought at the time tasted a bit strange. It made for an awful night and we were all super tired on the way home. OVERALL: The hotel was quite nice. The amenities were sufficient. Family friendly. Not too crowded (though we went a bit off season). Great location. Though we probably wouldn't go back again after the last day's experience.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: It was a great resort, glad I was there in off season. Felt that if they were full it could of been very crowded.

Everything was looked after quite nicely but again could see problems when resort was full. Loved the variety of foods and no extra charges on premium alcohol. My room was clean and surrounding area. Nice pleasant staff, I had an enjoyable time.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Perfect Vacation

We visited Blue Bay Villas Doradas in May 2017 and I'm writing this view in Oct 2017. The very fact that I can't recall a single negative point and smile when I recall our vacation is a good sign. The food was fresh and plenty with a more than adequate amount of variety for different tastes. The rooms were well kept and clean; linens and towels were replenished regularly. The grounds were tidy and pristine. Their was a good mix of different age groups and people were friendly. The  [... read more]staff were spectacular and always helpful with a good command of English. The beach was as beautiful as any other and finding a lounge chair or towels was never a problem. Being a smaller hotel the night time entertainment wasn’t like the larger over-the-top resorts but we had fun nonetheless. We walked over 6km into town and visited the local department store and a well known fish and chip spot on the ocean called Big Lee's. This was a pleasant break from the massive resorts with hundreds of people and provided the rest and relaxation we were looking for.

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: Great Resort

Beautiful resort, great beach, ocean rough. Red wine was terrible, white wine ok. Food was ok. Everything was close by. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Every day there was something to do such as darts, Bo chi ball. We spent a lot of time in the pool which was great, just the right temperature.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: A resort you want to vacation at

My son and I stayed at the be live collection marien in puerta plata for 7 days October 12-19 we had a amazing 7 days the staff was amazing an very friendly they went out of there way to make each guest welcome. There daily activities at the beech or around the pool. There was Nightly entertainment at the Theatre . the grounds were kept clean an beautiful . Our room was cleaned everyday with fresh towels to shower in an the the fridge always stocked with water drinks an beer. There was a vari [... read more]ety of foods at the buffet everyday along with the snack bar at the beach an the A la cart were awesome as well. The only complain that I do have witch is I guess not connected to the resort is the locals who worked the beech they are very persistent and annoying with trying to get you to come to the flee market. They will not except no for a answer so for that made me stay away from the beech area witch was a little disappointed because I love being at the beech. Over all my son an I had amazing trip and definitely will return again very soon

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: Great Resort

Loved our recent week at Windham Tangerine, amazing pool, have been to many resorts and the staff at this one is the best we've ever encountered, service with a smile at all times. The ocean was a little rough but beautiful just the same, great for taking long walks. The only complaint we had was the red wine was very poor quality, so we just switched to white which was much better, although every time we went to the bar for white wine they had to search for a wine opener, would suggest they pu [... read more]rchase one for the bar area it would save a lot of time. Tried all 3 a la carte restaurants & they were all very good.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Fantastic Vacation

Rooms were clean and resort is just big enough. Staff is friendly and food is tasty. Will definitely go back!!! Only issue is the bathtub took a long time to drain 😔 Beach is beautiful and pool is quite large and decided quiet vs party

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great Food and Staff

The resort is quite beautiful but requires some upgrading. Had a few problems with the A/C leaking water and the key cards. The fantastic thing about the resort is the staff and the food. I would recommend this resort because of these 2 factors.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort

We were at Gran Ventana last week. All I can say it was amazing. The resort was lovely, the beach was beautiful and the food was amazing. We were impressed by the fact that the food was always hot no matter what time of day we went to eat. The staff was always friendly and accommodated our every need. When we booked we requested a room in the Cataliona area on the third floor away from the noise of the nightly entertainment and a king size bed. We got all three, Thank you Gran Ventana and Air [... read more]-Canada holidays. We are planning a family vacation next year this time. See you again. Hasta la vista,baby.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great week at the Be Live Collection

We just returned on October 13th. This is a small well run resort. The beach is amazing for Puerto Plata (usually it is dark sand but this was a lighter softer sand). If you are looking for a lot of relaxing then this is the resort for you. We were in building 3 on the beach and we had a clean room. We had a problem looking our patio door and they were on it right away. We went to both the Mediterranean and Brazilian steak house for dinner and loved them both. The buffet was decent as well. We  [... read more]attended the Michael Jackson show and it was a good production. For the amount we paid we felt we received more than our money's worth.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: For people who like to walk

Cofresi palm beach resort and spa is beautiful. The people are friendly and the pools were never over crowded. My only criticism is that because the resort is massive, you will walk far distances to get to things like restaurants or pools unless you take a golf cart. They also approach you for time share sales which is unpleasant.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Amazing resort

This resort was amazing..From the minute we entered the resort it kept getting better and better. Check in was fast, my ocean view room was like a dream, the food was so tasty we are more than we should lol, we both came back 3lbs heavier. The ocean was a beautiful colour and the sand was like powder. The staff acomedated us with all are needs. It's was my bday on Oct 1 and my boyfriend got lots of help making it a perfect day with champagne, flowers and a birthday cake. The games during the day [... read more] and the night shows kept us entertained all week. We will defenetly book with Ibrostar again. And thank you so much to Julia Tollis for recommending it.

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: Beautiful Resort

Myself and 3 girls who travel together for girls trip were here from Sept.29 -Oct 6/17.The Resort was small but absolutely beautiful.The workers and entertainers were awesome.We made some great friends while we were there.The buffet was small, the food needs abit more variety I think.The beach and pool area was beautiful.Overall we had a great trip again.

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: Amazing holiday

The resort was small very clean comfy beds and amazing staff from Jose at the front desk to the wait staff and bartenders. Buffett wasn't the best but the restaurant food was amazing. We need some items to be fixed but it was done within 20 mins of our call to front desk.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Ok resort, with potential

Very nice small-medium size resort with 3 storey cottages. Nice grounds, nice beach bar and restaurants, the beach is fantastic, although sand is not as white as Cuba's Cayo Largo or Santa Maria. Beach was cleaned from seaweed by workers daily . While front desk management was very accommodating and helpful, we found service elsewehere was the lowest point in the resort. Food was not too many choices but very good and fresh. Drinks selection is terrible - only "house" wine included, seafood [... read more] restaurant had no white wine even for purchase, possible to buy Dom Perignon at cash bar but not even normal orange juice - all "juices" offered are syropy drinks. Daily room refill consists of 4L large canister of water which cant be taken to the beach and no glasses available in the room ( no cola or beer) - looked in redibly cheap. Extremely noisy around the pool- management goes extra mile to make activities going non stop. Which seemed contrary to resort size and looks.. We had to change room after loud party until 3 am. Overall we still enjoyed our vacation, some good some bad we give it solid 3 stars.

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Simply The Best !!

Me and my sister stayed at the Sunscape from Sept 26 - Oct 3. It is a great resort it is currently rated 3.5 but I'm sure it will soon go to a 4.5 or maybe even 5. A lot of renovation have been done and are currently still being done. We are frequent travellers and we always have our same go to resort but we decided to do some different this time and I'm glad we did. The rooms are amazing the pizza place and coffee shop coffee shop at the resort was the best ( coffee shop had air conditioning ot [... read more]her wise I couldn't drink coffee in Dominican lol )and of course it's all inclusive it's definitely something different. There's 5 a la cart restaurants no reservations required ( low season the restaurant altered night to night ) The staff were out of this world !! The shows at night were good, the disco was my only hang up it's not air conditioned there's only one bartender it's pretty quiet but once again this was low season. All in all I will definitely return !!!!

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Great vacation

Just returned from a visit to Sunscape PP with my 22 year old daughter. Only a 20 minute ride from the airport. Fantastic weather despite our pre-concerns following hurricanes Irma and Maria. You would never know they went through. The (separate) Sun Club check-in was a breeze over champagne; promptly taken to our room. I have vacationed all over the Caribbean and Mexico once or twice a year since 2003, and chose this resort after staying at Sunscape in Curacao; love that no reservations are req [... read more]uired, and that men don't have to dress in long pants for the a-la-cart restaurants, no towel cards, and the option of an adult only Sun Club area (no, I don't dislike children; I'm a Mother of 5 and Grammy of 2). Food in the Italian restaurant and American grill was very good with great service. Drinks were good, too; not the tiny, flimsy plastic cups at the beach that are at most resorts, but hard plastic cups. Our room was not the most beautiful I've been in, but was very comfortable, fairly up-dated, and clean. The beach is gorgeous, and you can walk for miles. My one pet-peeve, having travelled to many areas of the caribbean and Mexico and witnessing this, is that this beach was inundated with locals selling their wares. That is fair and understandable, but they aren't even stopped by security from entering the roped off Sun Club area. We love the beach, so were only in the adult Sun Club pool one afternoon. Go and have a great vacation.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: A True Dominican Experience

My personal opinion is that I love this resort. This was my third time there and I have already booked my next visit. I experienced Hurricane Maria and was very impressed with the steps that were taken well in advance to its arrival. I never once felt unsafe. All guests were moved to the 2nd and 3rd floors for safety reasons. Sandwiches and a banana were brought to the room because we were requested to stay in our rooms between certain hours. The staff stayed the night to look after us. Inc [... read more]redible!!!!! The town of Sosua is just outside the door of the hotel and has many interesting shops and restaurants for you to browse thru and experience some of the culture if you wish. The resort itself is a true 3* so if you are a 5* type or a foodie; I believe you will not fit into the ambiance and culture of Casa Marina. The rooms are clean; the beds are very comfortable; the air conditioning works; hot water between 5-7 is hit and miss but for me personally it is not a problem. The beach is not white sand; not huge and only safe when the green flag is up. The water is crystal clear and super warm and I enjoy going in every morning. The cold jacuzzi tubs built into the lava rock ocean side are magnificent with a view you must see for yourself daytime and at sunset!!!!! The pool area has a very large pool ideal for laps and a kiddie pool beside it for families. Well designed!!!!!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great resort and Great value

Recommended by our Trip Central agent Miranda at Jackson Square in Hamilton. I was hesitant and preferred another Hotel and trusted her suggestion. Miranda and the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay did not dissapoint at all. For a Budget all inclusive in Jamaica were were very happy. 1) Rooms. Updated with flat screen, air and Safe. Clean shower and tiles and the beds wer comfortable and clean. Nothing special but very good. 4 2) Room service. Did not miss a beat. Same time and great job to all  [... read more]the cleaning staff. 4 3) Main Pool was medium size and not deep. Was cleaned every day and looked like the Chlorine levels were loked after. Nothing great but Ok. Lifeguards were plentiful. 3.5. 4) Adult Pool. Had a very small Hot tub in the corner. The Pool is tiny. Has a tiny swim up bar. This pool would be rated at 2. Lots of tanning beds and seats. Security as well . 5) Beach. Was very nice and close to our rooms. Nice soft brown sand and was raked and cleaned every 3 days or so. Lots of beds available. Had Snorkeling, kayaking and boating included. There was also a Island beach. Just a walk across there beack to get to it. Very nice. We spent most of our time at the Island. 4 to 4.5 6) Amenities. More than expected and even a small little room with slot machine.3.5 to 4 7) Layout. Well designed and easy to get around. 4 8) Check in and out was easy and fast. Very friendly and servive was prompt.4.5 9) Nightlife. Not much and the pools closed early. That we did not like. Not the greatest for a Party hotel. 2 to 2.5 10) Staff. Most were very friendly and kind. A few did not care at all. Expecting tips and more. A few to many but MOST were appreciative and fun. You will get this anywhere. We always left a small tip as they are paid poorly and work very hard for the hotels and to please us. Without us they do not survive. 3.5-4 11) Breakfast, Lunch and supper Brunch. Overall food was Fair to good at the Brunches. A few things changed every day but not much. Nice seating food was usually warm at best. Almost 0 Bugs. That was great as it was an indoor ourdoor combo. 3 Italian Restaurant was the only A la Cart we went to. 3 Times we went. The food was remarkable. Great steak, Lasgnia and Chicken dishes. Great service and cooked to perfection. A really nice surprise. 4.5-5 11) OVER ALL. Had a great time and this is a Great do not even think about it deal in a budget hotel. We had a great stay and would go back in a heartbeat. Overall 4 There are some aging issues and not a fully loaded or custom Hotel. So some reviewers are really not fair. We loved it. Simple. Thanks to Miranda from Trip Central and all the Staff at the Holiday Inn in Motego Bay Jamaica for making our Holiday Fantastic. Mark, Louisa, Brittaney and Nadine Levine

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Beautiful resort with many issues that needs addressing.

This hotel and location was definitely beautiful. Unfortunately it lacked many services which made our overall vacation disappointing. As Hurricane Irma had just passed prior to our arrival the resort was generally empty. Our check in was at 4:00 am in the morning after an approx 16 hour delay at the airport in Toronto. There were approx 20 people waiting to check in with only one clerk on duty. Everyone was exhausted and they should have provided more staff for check in as I'm sure they kne [... read more]w we were delayed. Room was fine with no issues. Clean and comfortable. Beach and pool were beautiful. Due to resort having low occupancy the buffet was only open for breakfast and lunch so you were forced to eat at a la cartes every night. Wait to get in was usually about one hour. Food service was terrible! Orders took anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours to get your order and you were lucky if you got the right order. I felt buffet should not have been closed as I would not have gone to this resort if I had been made aware of this. Had to eat at same a la carte for 3 nights so food does get quite boring. Asked to speak to Hotel Manager on 2 occassions but he/she was never made available to us. Entertainment was OK. Again due to low occupancy some nights there was no entertainment. I felt we paid the same amount of money for this trip that anyone else did and we should we receive full services and not be penalized for the low occupancy.