Not good!!!

Stayed here for ten days if u are not VIP u are nothing good not great very small selection breakfast good but how can u screw up that room mini bar not restocked for ten days after repeated calls for it to be done room never once was clean before 5 pm no hot water 8 of the ten days no place to sit that isn't out side so when it rains good luck finding something to do I have never complained about a resort before but felt this one I had to very poor service over all very disappointed!!!!!!

Great Resort

After reading some of the reviews on here I was super nervous coming to this hotel. We had initially booked a standard room and were contemplating whether or not we should upgrade to the Junior suites since there were so many complaints about standard. So happy we did not upgrade because we had access to so many areas anyways plus the resort is huge so we had plenty to do. The weather was amazing and both the food and room were not bad either. We really enjoyed the Brazilian and Mexican restaura [... read more]nts, definitely a good change from the standard buffet food. A bunch of us are between the ages of 20-25 and have travelled to other resorts before and would say Cofresi is definitely a good place to visit. Our room was located in 307 and was perfect because it was close to the beach, many pools, bars and buffet. The only thing is the beach is not that great but Puerto Plata is not known for very nice beaches.

Beautiful Resort

This was an amazing place to stay. My friends and I loved every second of it! It was clean and beautiful, the staff were amazing and friendly and we couldn't have asked for a better stay! The rooms and grounds were clean and everything was perfect! We can't say enough about how much we loved the staff, they made the trip even more amazing!

Room for improvement

Overall had a great time at this resort, but there were definitely a few things that could be improved (a vacation is what you make it after all)...we certainly wouldn't choose this one again. Not having 24 access to at least some light food snacks was difficult. Our arrival to the resort was 10 pm and by then, all the buffets and dining areas were closed. Luckily, and the ONLY time we were able, we got a shuttle to the VIP area called Blue Lagoon where they were still serving drinks and some [... read more] American food to grab before bed (at no other time were we permitted in the VIP for food or drinks). Upon getting up a little later the next day, we discovered we had missed breakfast. Again, having set meal times was a pain when we had no idea that's what we were expecting. The front desk did not convey the info upon arrival and we didn't read our pamphlets left in our rooms as soon as we got there to know about the scheduled eating times. This lack of communication brings me to the next disappointment regarding just that - lack of communication with the staff. Most of them had difficulty understanding our queries and just sent us on several wild goose chases just to get rid of us (as confirmed by our Air Transat rep "Freddy" - MUST SAY, FREDDY WAS VERY HELPFUL DURING OUR STAY). Next issue that was a bummer was the feeling that we got jipped on the "all-inclusive" aspect of our stay. Beer, rum and soda were not replenished and restocked in our fridge on a daily basis. A "gift" of a couple bottles of soda and 1 bottle of rum were in our rooms on arrival, but not after that. Trying to get around this by getting our Bubba thermos filled with rum to take back to our room on the days following also proved difficult. Bartenders weren't keen to give you too much booze to take back to your room and even if they did, you would also need to get your thermos of soda to take back too - very inconvenient. Water was also an issue in that you got your first 2 small bottles on arrival and were expected to fill them up yourself throughout that day at various bar and buffet locations. I feel that plentiful water bottles with unbroken seals should have been placed in the fridge daily. Filling them up on your own from various reservoirs sometimes left the drinking water with remnants of other juices in your refill...YUCK (I assume sometimes the staff were using pitchers that maybe had a wee bit of juice left in them). The last item of complaint would be the sewage smell. We had read quite a few reviews about it and David from Tripcentral advised there could be an odour, but it was not too likely as it wasn't the rainy season when we would be attending the resort. The smell was definitely there, everyday and was tolerable, but it was there. Other than those items the grounds were really well looked after as we saw gardening staff pruning everyday and there were lots of pools and chairs to choose from which was nice...the beach was also well kept and lovely. Attending the shows was sometimes a bit confusing due to the language barrier and so after seeing a couple we just did not attend any further. The resort was quite large and it took us a couple days to navigate (alot of stairs to contend with which wasn't an issue for us, but I hope elderly folks do their research before going to Cofresi). We weren't fans of having to be shuttled to other buffet areas so we just stuck to The Pearl and to Cofresi for the most part. Again, had a great time relaxing, but these are a few area that in our opinions could definitely be improved upon. :)

Average all-inclusive, won't re-visit

Grounds were lovely, lots of vegetation, no bugs, no issues with hot water, a/c, or cleanliness, room nice and big, housekeeping average, no flowers or fancy towel folding, but that's not why we travelled, lots of walking in this resort, wouldn't recommend to anyone with mobility issues or families with young children/strollers, etc. lots of stairs. Animation staff were scarce, would do a few dances but not very interactive with guests. In the evening, Would get a party started in the lob [... read more]by bar area and then 1/2 hr later want to move everyone over to another area of the resort which required shuttling 10 people at a time. Everyone had places to sit, drink in hand, having a good time, and they wanted to move the party so they could advertise their timeshare. No thanks. Food at buffets was plentiful, hot, and delicious but a bit repetitive. Casablanca is a little classier but same menu as Pearl. Wonderful delicious meal at the a la carte, Bellini. (Italian), but managers should have spoken to the rowdy table of 8 diners behind us who made it difficult for the two of us to share a conversation. Noise of golf carts and shuttles was irritating, and also smell of sewage/drainage was evident at times, the further you travelled from the beach. Wi-fi only in certain areas and cost extra $$. Bars were well-staffed and stocked, Henry at the Cheers bar was especially friendly. Thanks, buddy. Thanks to our Air Transat rep, Freddy for the friendly welcome and for taking care of all the details. Yabba-dabba-doo! Overall a wonderful week away with my husband to celebrate 25 yrs. Love the DR, but won't be returning to this resort.

Great experience

This is a huge resort with many employees. It covers any budget and any size of family. It was like a mini town itself. The entertainment team were really funny and had different activities each time. It was 4 of us that went on this trip. My friends didn't have a great start due to air conditioner not working in their room, but once changed it was a great experience. The food was great and delicious. The employees are very friendly and helpful! We would definitely go back!

Really good time

This hotel has a lot of stairs. They do however, have shuttles that run constantly, to get you anywhere you want to go. The food was very good with a nice selection every day. My favorite restaurant was the Brazilian. The staff were all amazing. They were very friendly and accommodating. Special shout out's to Blacky, Blondie and Mini mo for their fabulous Spanish lessons and pool aquatics. I got sick while I was there and had to go to the resort doctor. Thanks so much to Dra. Sanchez for her gr [... read more]eat care of me. Yehisson (Jason) makes the very best Pina Colada on the entire resort. Search him out, you won't regret it. He can be found at the bar closest to the beach. Our room was 20422 and our housekeeper Carmen was amazing. My biggest and really only complaint about this resort was that there was literally no nightly entertainment. We would have settled for pumped in prerecorded music. There was nothing. The nights ended very early every night because of this. Because of this, I would not go back there. When on vacation, you don't really want to retire to your room early every night, but with nothing to do, the room balcony was a relaxing alternative.

Incredible Resort Experience

This resort was absolutely stunning. It was seamlessly immersed in nature and blended into the mountainside very naturally offering scenic views and a relaxing atmosphere. Beautiful views and excellent staff plus great facilities made this place an amazing resort. Loved everything about it. The whole experience was awesome and top notch. Definitely going back there again.

Bad changed to good

Our room was horrible but after advising the Guest Services Manager that our room had a celing water leak, no a/c to speak of, unable to open the patio door because it was off track, we were given a new much better room. It's a beautiful resort, however the room's bathrooms really need to be renovated. Very pleasant staff. A lot of stairs, too many if you have walking issues.

Pleasant surprise

Upon reading so many reviews, We left for Cofresi uncertain of what to expect and I am delighted to say that our expectations were exceeded. The resort is huge, very well kept, huge number of pools, bars, restaurants, shows, events... never a dull moment. If you don't use shuttles, be prepared to walk a lot, which we chose to do. The buffet restaurants are ok, nothing spectacular, The other restaurants pretty good, and the bars excellent. Overall great value!

Beautiful resort

I really enjoyed this resort, lots of pools to choose from, lots of a la cartes, the grounds were beautiful. I did not have any issues with my room, although i heard others did not have hot water. The staff was amazing, always helpful and always a smiling face to greet you. The only issue one may have at this resort is the steps. We had someone in our party who had a knee issues. There were approx 85 steps in all from our room to the lobbly, not all in one go, spriatic but anyone who has a probl [... read more]em with stairs or steps would find this resort frustrating. I would go back!!!! It was nice not to have to fight for a lounge chair around a pool!!!

Awesome Time in DR!

We had an amazing time at the Cofresi! Food was great, lots of options. Try the Italian and the Brazilian a la cartes and they were both fantastic. Lots of other comments mention a smell, which was only noticeable when walking past a sewer so this did not bother us. Yes, there are lots of stairs (all the better to burn off all the food and alcohol in my opinion), the resort is not very friendly to those with mobility issues but there are shuttles and alternatives to the stairs if required. We wo [... read more]uld go back! :)

Cofresi Palm Beach Report & Spa

My hubby and I were at this resort from Jan 26-Feb 3/17, I have travelled throughout the Caribbean as well as on cruise ships so this is not my 1st time out of Canada. I hope this will give you a well rounded idea of what the resort is like. We had a great time but remember you create your own experience no matter where you are! There was lots to do, you can book tours with the travel centre right at the resort or stay, relax or be entertained nightly with the nightly show. Let me break it do [... read more]wn for you. LAYOUT The resort is massive, you can walk or take the shuttle buses within the resort. The resort is on multi levels with lots of stairs and walking paths. Make sure you don't take the shuttle with the men with safari hats they are very pushy to get you to buy into the resort. If you do, just stay your ground and tell them you are not interested and only want a ride to your destination. We stayed in the convenience block 204-015. It was a couple of sets of stairs away from the lobby, buffet and next door to a pool. ROOMS Very clean, our maid Rosa took good care of us. Our tv broke and she had it swapped out within hours. We had a couple days of hot, lukewarm and cold showers but there was always lots of water every day. We shut off our air conditioner to avoid the musty smell coming from it by taking off the cover and fiddling with it. We slept very comfortable with only the ceiling fan on. Being on the ground floor the room stayed cool. FOOD There was lots of it and I never starved - I actually put on weight. Being lactose and gluten intolerant there was always ample food to chose from- fish, chicken, beef, pork, veggies, fruit, deserts as well as breads, pasta that I couldn't eat. The waiters/waitresses were always eager to please. POOLS There are many pools, more than you will probably swim in. It was nice to have an adult only pool (and a kids only pool) a pool by the beach and a pool by our room. Every pool had a bar/washrooms right there or one very close by. There was no shortage of lounger chairs; however, if you want a bed in the VIP or 'common areas' as I call it, you will need to get up earlier than I ever did! BEACH/OCEAN The beach is not huge but you can always find a spot on it. The yellow (caution) flag flew every day so there was small rolling waves and the water was stirred up and not clear but the water was about 80c. We walked down the beach to the rocks by Ocean World and the water was always calm, crystal clear and bath temperature. If you find the right path, (about where the public beach starts, the water is crystal clear and light turquoise in colour between the seagrass) the water is shallow and you can actually walk out quite far into the ocean. In some places it looks like you are walking on the water from the beach while you are about 30 feet out in the water. The other end of the beach was also nice to explore on the rocks. There are several shops along the beach so take some money, massages are $30/hr or at least twice that on the resort. If you wear water shoes so you can walk around the rocky areas at either end of the beach. The area is filled with sea urchins in coral, small fish, crabs and the water is only knee deep. What a great experience especially for someone who doesn't want to snorkel. Like anywhere, don't leave your valuables open and unattended- tourists like that stuff too! Most of all a smile and a good attitude will take you farther than your money ever will.

Good time

The resort kind of lacked in the food department for the fact it didn't sit well in their stomachs but besides that the only thing bad is the amount of stairs. The people are nice, and it had great party life. rock on!

Good time!

Just got back from the Confresi Palm and had a great time! The resort is very large and a lot of steps! Good was quite good for Dominican standards and the ala carte restaurants were very good. The biggest downside in my opinion is the beach. It is very small and very crowded with no shade. Have been to much nicer beaches in the Dominican. Overall would rate this resort as good value for the money.

Had an amazing time!

My boyfriend and I stayed here last week and had an amazing time! Nothing major to complain about. Although there are a few things that could be updated. A little rough around the edges, but deffinetly worth going to. Food was amazing here and everyone was very friendly. People on the beach are a little annoying, always trying to get you to buy things and go tubing. Overall not disappointed!

WILL NOT RETURN

Upon arrival at hotel we had to wait an hour just to check in. After many flights of stairs and no lighting was on my boyfriend stubbed his toe.we had a room that was dated back from the 70'same. The food was less than ok. Same meals day in and out. After 10 pm everything is shutdown except on bar. We were not happy with this resort.

Nice resort

The resort was beautiful. There were lots of pools to choose from. The beaches were nice but the water was a bit rough. There were waves everyday. The rooms were clean and our cleaning lady was amazing. Not sure I like the different coloured wrist bands, I felt like we were divided into classes. These bands let you into different areas. So if you were the lower class you couldn't go to certain beaches and the staff was right there to let you know.

Beautiful resort

The resort was beautiful and the food was good. Nice buffets and terrific a la carte restaurants. There were lots of pools and the beaches were nice however there were waves everyday. The rooms were clean and our cleaning lady was amazing. Not sure I like the different coloured wrist bands, I felt like we were divided into classes.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! We'll be back!

What a great experience! Our rooms were beautiful and clean. Maid service daily. (NOTE: if you want your mini fridge restock you need to call and ask.) The beach is clean. Lots of chairs available. Locals on the beach selling but very friendly. Food was great. 2 buffets, Casablanca was our favorite because of the views. A la carts available but we did not try them, our children weren't interested...but heard guest speak very highly of them, especially the Italian one. There's daily activities an [... read more]d games around the many pools and nightly entertainment. Was disappointed that our VIP welcome party on Sunday was cancelled. Was really looking forward to it, but it was the weathers doing :( NOTE: This is a huge resort. LOTS of stairs (which didn't bother us but just an FYI) they provide shuttle buses and golf carts that get you to and from. They'll show you where to wait. Sometime they come right away sometimes 20 mins...we found dinner time was the longest wait. We managed to find our way around walking, so that's what we did. If you don't know just ask. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Our travel rep Freddie was amazing! Be prepared to take a timeshare tour. No obligation to buy. You get a free t shirt and a bottle of rum...so we are told. We did not take the tour, as our daughter was in the room ill. They approach you during breakfast. We met a couple that took the tour, they said it was nice to see the grounds. Maybe next time we will. My husband and I will defiantly be back. I would highly recommend upgrading to VIP. It will allow you access to Casablanca Buffet and some a la carts as well as the VIP beach, which is a nice treat. The VIP beach will allow you free WiFi there. Just get the security guards to punch in the pass codes. The public beach and VIP beach swimming area is just the same. VIP you get beds, waited on from the bar and restaurant is the only difference. Book excursions with your travel rep at the hotel, or just at the hotel, better deals. We did the city tour...Rum Factory, Cigar factory, Mount Isabel DE Torres & cable car, Amber Museum, Fortaleza San Felipe & Cathedral San Felipe Apostol...GREAT historic tour. Overall amazing time and we plan on going back.