Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort: Disappointing stay and stay away

My husband and I went with our baby and 2 other couples with families. To give some context, we've travelled extensively around the world and have been to DR alone atleast 15+ times. We're realistic about what to expect when on vacation in DR and am only comparing this our other times in DR and not 5 star resorts elsewhere. First off, the resort is beautiful and very family friendly. That's where the positives end. Food is mediocre everywhere (again in comparison to other DR resorts). Service [... read more] is atrocious save for a few exceptions (shout outs to the awesome/funny servers in the valley and the French restaurant), but the vast majority of employees there including guest services really seem like they don't enjoy their jobs and don't really care about the guests. Our first night checking in, our room was digusting. There was blood on one of the towels and a dirty q-tip still in the shower and the sink had other blood around the rim too. We took pictures and showed guest services and the first response we got wasn't even an apology but an "ok" and we practically had to beg to see what they could do to make it right. Took the next day where they offered us an "upgraded" room that was identical to our current one but just at a different part of the resort they claimed was nicer. Instead I asked for the upgrade to unique bracelets instead, which they atleast accommodated so I'll give them that. Little did I realize that the unique bracelets really offered us no additional benefits, we got access to a better beach buffet where the food was the same as the other regular buffet. The service was better here for sure, but the bar was still the same grumpy overworked bartenders who acted like they were just punching in and out no matter how well you tipped or tried to joke with them. On the last day my husband ended up getting food poisoning from the unique buffet ironically. Was vomiting all night and didnt end up sleeping at all while trying to not wake our baby. I asked if we could check out slightly later @ 2pm instead of 12pm (which is customary with our unique braclets anyways) and was promptly told no they do not have any rooms available but I could purchase an extra day if I wanted it. What??? Also told them about our food poisoning incident and was just given a cursory "ok". Oh well at this point I didnt expect much anymore. Also, I'm realistic. If the food poisoning incident was an isolated experience he’d chalk it up as just bad luck, but throughout our stay every member of our group had some type of gastro issues at one point or another. The hygiene and food safety in this place is definitely lacking even for DR standards. All told in all the times we've been to the DR this resort is definitely in the top 10% but easily in the bottom 5% of food and services we've had. One of the only places I would probably never recommend to anyone coming to DR.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Beautiful Resort

Employees went above and beyond for their guests. Fantastic housekeeping staff who would even clean the room twice a day. There were always clean towels and stocked beverages in my room. The grounds of the resort were extremely well kept and always being worked on. The food was excellent throughout the entire resort. My favourite being the Italian restaurant. Overall a great resort and appropriate for adults at any age.

Finest Punta Cana: Enjoyable multi generational family vacation

Everything Excellence … as expected within this group of Hotels. I need say no more Xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx oooooooooo ooooooooo ooooooo ooooo ooooooooo

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Beautiful resort, badly managed

We have been to Punta Cana for more than 10 times in various resorts and in Dominican Republic more that 15 times. Therefore, I think we can provide a good comparison between different resorts. SUMMARY The Grand Palladium Resort is a beautiful complex resort made of three resorts: Palace, Punta Cana and Bavaro. The grounds are beautiful, well-maintained and includes four swimming pools. You might think that we had a wonderful time there, which unfortunately is not the case. The resort is p [... read more]oorly managed and the water and sanitation infrastructure (plumbing) is crumbling. Our main complain is not that we stayed there for 10 days with NO HOT WATER (between 4 – 10 pm), our main disappointment is that in spite our daily complains, the management did nothing to fix the problem. More than that, one day when we informed the reception again that we don’t have hot water, a reception supervisor told us to stop complaining as everybody else is the same. So, definitely we will not go back to this resort again. There are many better resorts in Punta Cana – same price. You judge for yourself and make your own decision. Here are some details: FOOD: The resort has two main buffet restaurants and many a-la-carte restaurants. The food in the buffet restaurants is diverse, plenty and tasty. Definitely above average for Punta Cana resorts. Congratulations to the Chef. The “A-la-carte restaurants” is a different story. First of all they don’t have a menu (a-la-carte) – a printed menu – to give you. They expect the guests to download Grand Palladium app and use it to order (they expect you to work for them); how about if you want to relax and didn’t bring you phone with you, or if your phone is not working… Most of the food in the a-la-carte restaurants are from the buffet restaurant (appetizers, soup,…different presentation) which is ok as it is tasty; however the food they have to cook on the spot is disappointing ( a beef stake is few mm thick, yes MM, and hard and chewy; an Italian calzone we ordered was pre-cooked hours before we ordered (the cheese inside was no longer melted and the crust was mushy and soft), not to mention the Asian restaurant… I would say the a-la-carte restaurants in Grand Palladium are below average for Punta Cana. Disappointing. ROOMS: Our room was decent, clean (the cleaning lady did a very good job every day), too bad we didn’t have hot water. However, some people we met on the resort told us they had to change three rooms until they found a decent one. GROUNDS: Grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. Congrats to the people that do all the work… Too bad we couldn’t get a map of the resort (they don’t have it at the reception – actually they have but they are too cheap to give a map to their guests) so we got lost few times and until we learned the resort (through experience) it was time to go home. BEACH & POOLS: This is Punta Cana and the beach is beautiful. Grand Palladium has a long ocean beach however only 1/3 of it is a nice wide sandy beach. 2/3 of the resort beach was damaged by storms, hurricanes… This is the reason the sandy beach is crowded; people have to get up early in the morning to reserve a hut and some chairs…I would say this is common to many resorts in Punta Cana. There are four swimming pools and they look beautiful. We are not pool people so we cannot comment more. ENTERTAINMENT and BEACH ACTIVITIES: Everywhere we have been in Punta Cana, the Entertainment (Night) Shows and Beach Activities were a main component of the life on the resort. They were advertised everywhere. NOT IN THIS RESORT. We saw no signs related to the night shows and beach activities and the receptionist was not able to give us an answer. For three days we thought there is no theater on the resort. On the fourth day we bumped into some artists who told us where the theater is (there are printed maps of the resort on some places in the resort however they are outdated and no mention of the theater there, the names of the a-la carte restaurants on the maps are different than the current names of the restaurants – you figure out… a total disinformation). Later, we have seen some night shows and they were beautiful, professional, the artists put a lot of passion and work in order to create shows that people enjoy. Congratulations to the artists. CONCLUSION: This is a beautiful resort, badly managed, with disrespectful attitude towards their patrons and guests.

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Disappointed

We are a family of 5, all adults (youngest 29 and oldest 72). I have to say we were a little disappointed, I would not say this is a 5 star resort and we travel a lot (15+ all inclusive resorts in the last 10 years). To start the resort was clean, and the grounds kept clean as well. The size of the resort was perfect, not too big and not too small, direct beach views from the pool, it’s all really close together which is nice to not have to walk for 20+ min to get somewhere. The beach is brown [... read more] sand, not white sand like promised and the waves very strong, most days not able to swim in the ocean (not the resorts fault - just mentioning it). Food was ok…. Not 5 stars, it was edible but not a lot of options and sometimes the labels didn’t match what they served. 3/5 members from my group had upset stomachs by day 5 and multiple guests we spoke to were experiencing the same thing. The Italian restaurant was AMAZING, very authentic and great flavors. Otherwise we had to eat at the buffet for all dinners because despite the resort claiming to be a reservation free hotel they prioritize reservations for diamond club members and then leave no room for the rest of the guests to eat until 8pm or later so we ended up at the buffet. We tried to make reso’s and we tried to just walk in at different times yet time and time again we couldn’t get in to the restaurants cause they were full (despite multiple empty tables). The entertainment was extremely poor, every night it was just 4 females dressed provocatively swaying their hips to music - this included their very poor NYE entertainment as well. Music was repetitive all day, into the evening, same in the club then repeated the next day as well. Despite being “all inclusive” the resort wouldn’t let you sit in certain cabana chairs unless you rented them, the chairs and beds sat empty majority of the week but they wouldn’t let you use them unless you paid minimum $120 usd. There was also a rooftop pool advertised to everyone but when you get there only certain guests can use it or you have to pay to use it (Mermaid Pool). They also tried to sell you NYE tickets to watch the show (the poor one I mentioned above), if you didn’t buy the tickets starting at $600usd for a booth (treated like booth and bottle service at a club) then you needed to sit over 50feet away from stage. Thank goodness we didn’t pay because we didn’t need to sit any closer to see how bad the entertainment was. Lastly the rooms, they were fine but very run down; shower door handle and air conditioning broken in one, door frame and table broken in another, and closet doors fell off the tracks in the third. The doors actually fell onto my Aunt and it took 30+ min for someone to come help. Many other guests were complaining about the rooms as well. Sometimes maids forgot to restock the fridge, leave towels and or other basics. However, it was clean and beds were typical. ALSO THERE ARE NO ELEVATORS FYI. Onto the positives: Meibi and Rosa who serve the pool areas made our trip! They were kind and greeted with a smile daily and were a pleasure to socialize with. Leo, Henry and Derrick who served us in the buffet were also very nice and provided some laughs. Miguel who I was a customer service representative (main lobby) was also so kind and lovely and chatted with us daily. The resort would be better if they upgraded the rooms, and maintained them more, switched to reservations at the restaurants or actually make it reservation free for everyone, and stop trying to sell you things like chairs and certain pools when we paid for all inclusive (would like to mention all these things they try to sell are different from the diamond club section) which is to expected. If we needed to pay extra we should have been told and it should be advertised as such on their website and through their bookings with the air carriers.

Majestic Elegance Punta Cana: Beautiful resort!

My girlfriend and i had an amazing time during our 7 night stay at Majestic Elegance. Our butler, Juan was amazing and decorated our room to help us celebrate our 6 year anniversary. We will definitely be going back in the future. 10/10

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: amazing resort

The resort and staff were amazing in every way. Food was always great. If anything the beach was constantly filling up with seaweed as it washed ashore overnight. They generally cleaned it every day but cant keep up with it. The water was usually filled with it also so swimming in the ocean only happened on one occasion. I don't blame the resort for this as it's a natural occurrence that happens from the sea. maybe it was just the time of year (Dec) . as a result the pools were filled up [... read more] early every day as people arrived and departed every cpl of days. Hard to find a quiet spot. Otherwise it was an amazing resort, they did a wonderful Christmas dinner and evening . Thanks to all and to Tammy from tripcentral once again for her amazing help. Cheers!

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana: Wonderful Resort!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay - such a great resort. The selection of pools was wonderful - something for every mood. The rooms were comfortable. The staff and servers were so friendly - fast and attentive. By the end of our stay, we felt like we'd made so many new friends. So many amenities to take in - always something going on. Such great selection of restaurants - no shortage of great eating. We will definitely return again.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Nice Resort

It was nice. Our phone never worked despite many visits to the Front Desk, and there was no hot water, but they did send a plumber the next morning when the sink started to leak. I met a person who had changed his room FOUR times until he got one with both power and water. My daughter and partner were in another room, and their safe had no lock. Buffet meals were very good, as was the Mediterranean Restaurant (Mylos). The rest of the restaurants were OK. Good staff people, and all were frie [... read more]ndly and helpful. Overall, you get what you pay for!

Be Live Collection Punta Cana Adults Only: Enjoyed myself

Resort was good, little underwhelming with the rooms and what wasn’t included. Like a lock for the safe that you must pay for daily. Not to mention pay extra for menu items. Was disappointed with room given as I wanted one with a second room for my child as we were lead to believe we were reviving.

Occidental Punta Cana: Great Resort

The hotel is very well organized and maintained. It is clean and has a great variety of restaurants and bars. The beach is great, with white sand and clear water. The staff is professional and polite. I will definitely visit again.

Ocean El Faro: The resort was ok

Ocean el faro was not close to a 4.5 star resort. Food was below average and the restaurants resold below average buffet food. Room and common areas had lots of damage. Beach was very rocky and had some garbage around. Very few pool chairs and even fewer umbrellas. All taken all the time. Whole place felt cheap. Very overpriced!!!

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Changing resort....new name Jewel Palm Beach.

Dreams scheduled to close early January and re-open once all traces of the Dreams logo have been removed from the hotel. Starting at the front gates....right down to the bottles of shampoo and match boxes.

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Beautiful hotel

Nice hotel, but the check-in process was horrendous and it took ages to get our bags once we finally checked in. Enjoyed the beach, and the water was spectacular. Restaurants and buffet was poor, and that’s important to us at this price point. The ladies who cleaned our rooms were fabulous as was the “butler” Jose but everywhere else in the hotel, service was ok, at best.

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: Will not be back

We absolutely will not be back and are so disappointed with the experience we had. Many places in the resort smell like sewage. Buffet food is often old, cold, and left sitting. We spent extra to do the character breakfast ($150USD) and were served limited options and cold food, worse than the buffet. The staff is rude and do not care for the guests. The "entertainment" is just guests of the hotel playing "Just Dance" on stage. We had to call daily to have our room cleaned and mini fridge  [... read more]stocked. Unless you are a member of this hotel chain you will not be treated well. We will absolutely be making sure none of our friends and family ever attend this resort.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Very nice

Clean and very friendly resort. Entertainment was good. Only one swim up bar for the length of pool seemed not so efficient. Would have been nice to have a coffee bar in the lobby. Overall a great experience.

Riu Palace Macao: Amazing resort!

This was our first time at an all inclusive resort and our first time in DR. 33F, 27F and 44M. It was myself, my boyfriend and my sister.This was so over the top amazing, the entertainment in particular, Gerston, Pedrito and others who's names escape me really made sure everyone had the opportunity to get up, dance, play and have fun. The wait staff were also so so nice and accommodating, shout out to Marcos! The food was great, no reservations needed. Things were always kept clean and available [... read more]. Be warned they clean rooms twice a day. Morning and evening until 11pm. So if you don't want to be interrupted make sure your do no disturb sign is up! Haha. It's adults only, a lot of elderly people BUT there is still a good amount of young adults to hang with. Also the RIU parties are LIT! Enjoyed very much. Will be back every year if I can.

Grand Palladium Select Bavaro: Quality improved since last year

2nd time at this resort (been there last year) and have to admit that quality of service improved. Things I liked: 1. The staff. They manage to create a perfect vacation vibe, very helpful and seem to enjoy their work. I saw so many times when they invited guests to dance, did the high-fives or flying kisses with kids, smiling to guests and each other etc. They are really friendly and making sure you have great time - loved it. 2. Food/drinks was great, no complaints at all. Bonus points for [... read more] Christmas dinner - fantastic selection and atmosphere 3. Small but nice thing - they had coffee machines and Aperol Spritz even at the beach bars, rare thing in other resorts. The beach - well, Bavaro beach is not the nicest I’ve been to, lots of waves, sargasso and the water is far from being transparent. Understandably, it’s not something the resort can fix, but they did clean the seaweed from the beach regularly. Things that need improvements - just one, the rooms - very dated, I tried 3 during my stay and all had same problems, shower and air conditioning system leaking water on the floor, air conditioners are rather noisy, lots of cracks in ceramics… Rooms were better in Palace and Punta Cana section.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Beautiful grounds - horrible food

The hotel itself is nice. The grounds are perfect. The room is nice (assuming you have oceanfront) - the shower was over flowing but could just have been our room The staff at this hotel speak little to no English (its odd and somewhat frustrating) the food is shockingly bad....like as bad as Cuba (beware) - the reviews are very real People should really avoid booking this resort until they fix this issue also - there is NO food options other than the buffet and evening resta [... read more]urants...also very odd...they need ocean front food options and food by the kids/family pools (so simple) - even just pizza, fries and burgers/nachos (so very simple) The kids/family areas are awesome - we would def come back IF they improved the food and have it available on the Ocean and by the kids/family pools otherwise we would not come back

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Very Happy with Resort

The Royalton Bavaro met all expectations and more. The hotel is quite new, very clean, and the staff are all very friendly. Food was really good, although wait times in the restaurants can be long if the resort is busy. Shows were great, tons of stuff to do - beach is amazing. Great for all ages.