Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Nice but older Resort

Well overall my "séjour" at teh resort was good. The room was very clean despite 15 coats of paint. It smelled old and humid. The made was so friendly I would have been happy having her has my mother. I got a very big Genuine hug before I left. The food was ok but not consistant from one night to the other. For exemple pork medallion with sauce would melt in your mouth one night but be hard the next night. I was lucky to be bilingual. Some of the staff were not bilingual at all. There w [... read more]as may be 2 nice days overcast but nice and 1 beautiful sunny day out of the 7 days a was there. Would I go back? Probably but not alone, and it would have to be cheaper. On the Friday night 600 Dominicans arrived at the resort as a present from there Boss. They were every where. I understand that for them was a treat but for the people that paid full price, I don't think it was fair as I am single and paid more for my trip because I am single. As for the buffet, they raided the desserts first and you could see, a lot of them would fill their plate like they hadn't eaten for days. So that Friday, extremely noisy in the corridors of the building after checking in and Saturday and Sunday, outside at the pool kids running around and filling up the pool. So I spent most of my day in my room

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great Resort!

Spent a week (Apr 28/17 to May 5/17) at the VH Gran Ventana and had a great time. No real issues with our room, nothing broken or leaking, and the location (ground floor at the end of a block of rooms) was perfect. However it would have been nice to have had a dresser for our clothes rather than having to leave them in suitcase. Enjoyed the buffet, good variety and plenty of food. Yes, the servers for beverages at times were slow but most times our wine glasses were refilled promptly. Enjoyed th [... read more]e 3 a la carte restaurants and had no complaints. Had no problem finding loungers around the pool, however, it you wanted one under an umbrella they were hard come by. The same with the beach but you could position yourself higher up from the water under trees for shade. The ocean was super with little to no seaweed. There was a different show each night, some better than others, but all enjoyable and there were games etc. around the pool and beach everyday if you wished to participate or just fun to watch. There were only two issues that come to mind. On the weekends the locals come to stay at the hotel and kind of take it over and the other issue was that it was a very humid time of the year and the air conditioning kept you cool but didn't remove the moisture so you bathing suit never really dried and your clothes felt damp. Would we return to the VH Gran Ventana again, yes with no hesitation!

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: A decent prioperty

The overall condition of the property is above average with the exception of the staff who are exceptional. The only major issue that we have, has well as the majority of the guests that I spoke to, is the Hotels policy of allowing locals access to the Hotel from Saturday to Sunday afternoon. The resort is relatively small and imagine up to 600 locals arriving at basically the same time, thus overwhelming the facilities. The line up to the bars where 15 to 20 minutes, likewise to the buffet. [... read more] Food actually ran out Saturday afternoon at the beach grill. I feel that we lost three full days out of the fourteen that we stayed there. I suggest that travel agencies issue an advisory concerning this hotel policy before suggesting this property to prospective clients. Our agent Julie was exceptional and we highly recommend her. The reservations for the air portion and at the actual hotel went like clock work. She is very professional and friendly and goes the extra mile to support her clients. Please keep up the great work Julie.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing Experience!!!!

Un resort maravilloso! Las locaciones siempre limpias, los restaurantes sencillamente espectaculares, pero nada comparado a la amabilidad de las personas que trabajan ahí! Falto un poco de entretenimiento para niños.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great Time!!

We found BlueBay Villas very easy to find your way around as it is a smaller resort. Great food. .. clean rooms and wonderful staff.. The buffet was fantastic with themed evening selections which were tasty! We would definitely recommend this resort!

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Great romantic resort

The place is verry clean. It surprised us how the place was perfect for a honeymoon. Its romantic, gentle music great beach and also the Jacuzzis are perfectly located at the top of the reef eith a great view of the beach. The only thing missing is the 24hour buffet/snacks.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Amazing resort!!

The hotel grounds are clean and well groomed, the pool needs a bit of work but I heard they were going to be doing that soon. The animation staff made our stay amazing, they were so good with our son and with us, and truly made you feel like family. The food was also excellent and we always found something good to eat. This was our second time at this resort and we will be going back for sure.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Good experience

Really enjoyed our stay at Viva Wyndham Heavens. Pros: Room-We had the amnesia junior suit, It was beautiful! Big king size bed, couch, walk in glass shower and balcony. Worth the upgrade as I heard people complaining about smaller rooms. Didn't have any problems with the water temperature but at one point our taps didn't work for about an hour. It was fixed quickly. Same with the phone it didn't work one evening but was back to normal the next day. Room was in section 1 facing the parking l [... read more]ot but with trees to hide the room from view. also mostly quiet at night so went to sleep easily. Sometimes noise when people arrive to the resort but nothing that disturbed us. The room was always very clean. Left a 2$ American tip per day to keep the cleaning ladies pleased. They even folded some of our shirts one day which was shocking. Very good cleaning service. Tip your maids each day not at the end! Food- it was okay, not bad for the price. Did not like any of the restaurants except Rosamarino (Italian). Go to V Kitchens buffet. Surprisingly it had the best food on the resort. Do not order any beef fillet it is a disgusting watery folded piece of meat that has the texture of squishy, rubbery fat like substance. Never had a cut of meat like that in my life. Did not get any food poisoning at all so food is safe to eat in my opinion. Staff- most of the staff were nice to us, did not have any problems with the entertainment crew that other people mentioned. Some staff seemed unenthusiastic, but personally I didn't care about that. Most of them were nice and friendly. No problems with anyone. A little bit of language barrier with night staff at the front desk but should have learned more Spanish since we are visiting their country and it is their main language. Very pleased with the service. Beach- water was amazing! Perfect temperature and waves were small. Kept it clean by picking up seaweed every morning. Would be nice to be provided umbrellas since the palm trees don't offer full coverage. Even if you manage to find a shady spot the sun moves so you have to constantly change locations to stay in the shade. Not a huge deal just something that would be a nice addition. The snack bar is convenient when feeling a bit hungry or thirsty. 'Passion Di Amore' drink was delicious! Very nice bar tenders. Can also take kayaks, surfboards and other water sports for free which is a nice addition. Volleyball net and games were fun as well. Vendors on the beach come by often but if you say no thank you they usually move on. Also, buy any excursions from the beach vendors not the hotel packages because they are way cheaper and you can haggle! Learned the hard way when we overpaid for an excursion through sunwing instead of a vendor. Also can go topless on the beach if you want since it is adults only. Pool- didn't spend much time in the pool but it was nice, never crowded. The foam party was really fun! Recommend attending it. Entertainment- really fun music and dancing at night and at the disco tech. There was also a majic show and live performance on some nights so the evenings were fun. Bar located right next to the pool which is nice. The cigar lounge is also close buy and has a nice selection of Dominican cigars and a cozy seating area. Went there to smoke and drink cappuccinos on rainy days. Excursions- catamaran was amazing. The crew were super nice and the snorkelling was fun. Went to 2 different places to snorkel and were provided with lunch. Really nice boat with area to sit/lay down and also shade to hide from the sun. Recommend doing it! Buggies was also very fun but take the super buggy not the four wheeler. The four wheeler sucks! It has no power, stalls and isn't fast. The super buggy is was more fun. Recommend going on this as well if you don't mind getting a bit muddy. Cons: Rooms- when it rained the water leaked through the window creases and onto the floor. It was only a couple small puddles but it shouldn't leak in the first place. The bathroom was always wet. The floor was contantly wet from condensation or leaking. Don't know where the water kept coming from because we put a towel on the floor during showers so not from that. Had to put towels on the whole floor so as not to slip. Mattress was a bit too firm in my opinion but that's subjective. Also never know what time the maids are coming so have to keep an eye out for them which can be inconvenient when you want your room cleaned but are currently using it. Again not a big deal would just prefer a more set time not 9-3 gap. Food- hated most of the retardants. Food was not properly cooked or recycled. Felt like it was the same dish at every restaurant using the same sauces and dressings on everything. Buffet is the way to go. Tipped 2$ American at restaurants. Beach- some vendors are a bit too pushy and don't give up easily. Again didn't bother me that much because I know they are just trying to make a living. But it is a bit annoying after a while. Also lack of umbrellas a bit inconvenient even with the palm trees giving shade. Excursions- haggle haggle haggle ! We overpaid a few times because we didn't use vendors or we didn't haggle enough. One couple paid 50$ while we paid 70$ for buggies. Be persistent. Also we tipped at the end of each excursion because they were good but that's optional. Make sure to put on and re apply lots of sunscreen! Got very burnt on the catamaran even with sunscreen so hide in the shade a bit as well when you can. All in all we had a fantastic time at this resort. Loved the room, loved the beach and loved the excursions. Make sure to haggle when you can! For the price we paid this trip was definitely worth and and would do it again. The food could be better but you get what you pay for. Great trip!

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Resort was ok, Food was terrible

The grounds were amazing, location was great being able to walk into town. The staff are definitely over worked but we still managed to find a few that were very nice and helpful. Drinks were better at some bars than others. The food was terrible, no selections, even the a la cartes were not very good at all. The beach was nice but water is very rough, saw many people hurt by the waves. Would definitely return to Sosua but not the Casa Marina

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Better than expected! Resort is so clean, well tended.

We were very leery after reading all the Trip Advisor reviews, they were not very complimentary. Not sure where they visited but the place was beautiful. Exceeded our expectations by far. Trip Central was great, the lists they send before you leave really helped us to be prepared. We will definitely use Trip Central again and would even re-visit the same resort. They have done a lot of renovations and the grounds were immaculate. Food was A+ which is rare in the South. Our last trip was t [... read more]o Cuba and I did not enjoy the food there at all. I would recommend Dominican Republic be visited in MAY. No line ups, no over crowding, more one on one service. Be careful of the blue shirts on the beach, they are trying to get you to go off the resort to visit their "Market", prices are no better and you get accosted. Be careful of excursion prices, we saw many people be taken or scammed for the exact same excursions.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Most Amazing Pools!!

We had a great Mother - Daughter vacation at the Cofresi Beach Resort the week of May 3rd - 10th. It was the slow season so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed 4 of the Restaurants - Brazilian, Italian, Asian & Indian each was a . I would totally recommend the VIP Party on Sunday night, it was so much FUN. There're a lot of stairs however the buses run all the time so this was not a concern for us at all.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Very Good Resort in a Beautiful Tropical Setting

I avoided going to Puerta Plata for many years, based on comments of how the sand was dark and the whole vibe was not very tropical. Wow, were those comments wrong! Glad I finally took the plunge and made my way to the Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerta Plata in May 2017. We took advantage of the new Transat service out of Fredericton, NB and it was great. It was actually the cheapest price in the country for that time of year! The resort was absolutely beautiful. VERY tropical setting, with p [... read more]alm trees everywhere, beautiful gardens, fountains, and real pink flamingos right in the middle of the lobby! I loved the peacocks roaming the resort, and was happy to see one go full bloom one morning. The resort is well laid out, and at 500+ rooms, it is a perfect size. We were never very far from anything (We stayed in building 8, overlooking the pool). The pool is a nice size, with lots of room for activities or peace and quiet. It had a swim up bar (yeahhh!) and lots of action by the animation team at certain periods of the day. Food was good, with lots to choose from. Basically, you have a main buffet (near lobby) and a lunch buffet between the pool and beach. Never had an issue finding something to eat. Lots of freshed cooked stations to enjoy! I was most surprised by the beach, which didn't have dark sand at all. They call in "golden" but it wasn't that far off what we've experienced in Punta Cana really. Yes, PC is whiter, but there was nothing wrong with the beautiful sand at this Iberostar resort. It was soft, and lovely! Depending on how the sun hits, the water does reflect that beautiful aqua colour, and it is picturesque. The only issue I had was that at certain times (depending on how the winds were blowing and tides coming in) there was garbage (Plastics, etc) in the water. The water is not clear and beautiful like in Punta Cana. But the price is a whole lot cheaper in PP as well. All in all, a great value. I would go back!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Amazing Resort - Amazing Staff

I have been to Iberostar Costa Dorada four times, and will go there many more times. The gardens are spectactular. The staff are the happiest I have ever encountered. There are more adult activities than I have ever seen. The buffet is a 5. I have sat in the same section for 3 years with the same waiter - Santos. He has become my Dominican son, and I look forward to seeing him every year. The nightly entertainment is the best. Beach and huge pool warm and inviting. I look forward every [... read more] year to returning to my huge Dominican family. They cannot do enough.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Beautiful Resort

This was my third time to this resort and I would go back in a heat beat. Very clean and the food as tasty and there was a large variety of different types of food, friendly staff. The ocean water was a bit dark but that could be because of all the rain. Stayed in block E4 close to everything, ocean and pool view.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Beautiful Resort

This is a very beautiful resort, the grounds are well looked after and clean. The rooms are clean and have everything needed to enjoy your stay. It has the most amazing beach and the Three pools were nice too. The staff are friendly and helpful and go out of there to make your stay enjoyable, would definitely recommend this resort.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Had a blast even in the rain

Excellent resort. Best food I ever had in an all inclusive. The staff is really nice and awesome entertainment. The room are nice (we were lucky to be in a renovated building, ask to be in Loana). The resort is small so you dont have to walk long distance to go somewhere. The downfall was that it rained for the 7 days we were there 🤣

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Had a wonderful time at Cofresi!

My husband and I recently spent a week at Lifestyle's Cofresi Beach Resort and Spa in Peurto Plata, DR. I would give this Resort a solid 4 star rating. The first thing I want to point out is how CLEAN Cofresi is. Our rooms are crisp, clean, and comfortable. They changed our sheets daily. We had more than enough clean towels replaced daily. The house keepers do a very good job staying on top of the room up-keep. The restaurants are the same. Very clean. The buffet didn't have flys swarming aroun [... read more]d it, which is usually the case at resorts I've been to. The food is amazing! The chefs really take pride in their job. The restaurants are ran very well, the staff is wonderful and they even have their "captains" waking around to make sure all guests are happy and being taken care of. I've been to Cuba and Mexico on 10 different trips to different all inclusive resorts and I'd have to say this was the cleaning, most delicious food I've came across. The pools are beautiful, well kept. Clean, pool cleaners every morning. There is lifeguards daily. There is some adult only pools. Kids pool, Quiet pools, and party pools. So there's something for everyone. There is no 24 hour pools. They all close in the evening. The bartenders are nice. I've been to other resorts where they are a little bit more friendly. But, tipping a few dollars makes them a lot more talkative. And that's when they start mixing you up the really fun drinks. The nightly entertainment is good. I'd give it a 6 out of 10. The Shows are enjoyable but it's certainly not something I'd pay extra to see. I've seen better. That being said... the dancers seem very skilled, perhaps the choreographer needs to add some more spice? But still worth checking out. The night club ICE is very small. But it has everything a party seeker would need. Fog, Strobe lights, DJ booth who take requests, and a bar. There is no 24 hour bar. The bars serve alcohol from 10:30am-11pm and ICE night club is open from 11pm-3am Also, There is no 24 hour snack bar. However the buffets are open for long hours. I would still suggest you bring snacks for your room. Or buy some from their market at the tropical. Also. This is a HUGE resort. It's like a small town because you are joined by the Cofresi, the tropical, the royal suites. Presidential suits, and I think there's 1 or 2 more. There's 3 different buffets you can eat at. And there's 5 different a la carts. They have bank machines. Markets. Stores. Exchange booths, liquor huts, cigar huts. Pharmacy, 24 hour doctor with ambulance right on site. You really have no reason you need to leave this gated "community". And yes it is gated with very tight security. Every entry point is well paroles 24hours. They have a shuttle bus that runs every 10 minutes and can take you anywhere you need to go. I would highly recommend you use it. We walked everywhere for the first 2 days and regretted it. Use the shuttle! I would recommend this Resort to anyone interested in visiting Peurto Plata. The view of the mountains are amazing! And we didn't have any rain. Except 2 nights at 3am for about an hour. A few staff remembers that made my stay more pleasurable was Denisse at El Pilon and Yordi at the front desk. There was a few others but I can't remember their names. The only real "bad" part of our stay was the weekend. The locals come in the resort on the weekends and they are very rude and loud and seem to have no respect for tourists. They were at the party pool and the adult pool and they even invaded the quiet pool, and made it loud. Threw their cups everywhere. Very disrespectful. Come Sunday at 3:00pm the security is very firm to enforce their check out time. Hope this review helps!

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Honest Review

Rooms: need updating, very plain. The patio door had a very cheap lock. I suggest an upgrade to ocean view it was definitely worth it. The water was always hot and awesome water pressure. We stayed in room 1121 but heard horror stories about other rooms. Food - buffet was OK, usually cold food but a large selection. The A-la-Cartes were amazing. The snack bar was also awesome. Pool - large and clean but no swim up bar Beach - amazing - lots of shade and didn't have to fight for a cha [... read more]ir Staff - amazing and very hard working On the weekends the locals come and it's too busy. You're usually fighting for food at the buffet and the pool area is very crowded. The grounds were very well kept and it's a small resort. Very good for people who have limited mobility. We brought our baby and could bring the stroller everywhere except one a-la-carte above the pool. I suggest paying for the lock to the safe $21 US/week. We also paid $25US for 25 hours of Internet and would suggest that if wanting to have access to Internet all the time. Otherwise you have 1 hour free per day by the pool only. If the rooms were upgraded and the food was served hot we would consider going again if the price was right. There are definitely better places out there but for the price it's not too bad.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Beautiful Resort!

I knew I was going to like this resort, as soon as we pulled in. It's very tropical and the gardens are beautifully landscaped. We upgraded to the ocean view, it was very nice, but we would have been just as happy to be facing the pool or gardens. It is a small resort, so everything was very convenient to walk to. Lots of washrooms near beach & pool area, so that was a plus! The maids are extremely nice and our room was always clean as soon as we came back from our daily leisure at the pool [... read more]/beach. Plenty of palapas, so no need to rush early in the mornings to reserve as there is a "no reservation" sign beside each palapas. I was also impressed that instead of umbrellas at the pool area, they had the palapas, which made it feel tropical. I have no complaints about the food either - there is LOTS of selection. The resort is kept very clean. We were also amused by a few peacocks at the resort with their little ones - very sweet. I would definitely return to this resort. The only downfall was the ocean water - a little seaweed, but nothing to stop us from going for a dip on those hot days.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Amazing Resort

Gran Ventana Amazing, fun, clean, great food , great service , would definitely go back or recommend to friends family of 6 (4 young adults) had a great time great weather and fun excursions