Casa Marina Reef Resort: Great Vacation!

Hotel is ok-ish, nothing crazy (old). Food is not great (ok, you'll survive) Drinks are great!! I want to talk about the beach... Waves are crazy most of the time and often they are "red flag" so you can't go in the water, if you think that you'll just go dip and get out... Good luck! It's great for "adventurers" we had a blast, even trying to get out of the water. But for people with small kids... Pool will be your best bet. Sun and booze = Great vaca!

Riu Merengue: Funny Vacation

The check in was quick and fast. They brought us drinks when we arrived. Our room was close to the beach and buffet. They offered hand sanitizer all the time. Lots of traditional/authentic Dominican food. Friendly cleaning staff. Rooms were cleaned well. Our cleaning lady was the sweetest lady. We received bottled water every day. There's a cute veranda to dry your clothes. The grounds were well kept on our side. Pretty vegetation and very pretty colours of the buildings. You felt like you were  [... read more]in the caribbean. The entertainment was really good. Cheeky Monkey was the best! He has the best laugh in the world. Great music, dancing, and theatre performances. Lots of games for the kids. There were lots of beach chairs on the beach. The beach was usually quiet, no loud music. Great way to relax on the beach. They offered many activities like beach volleyball, stretching classes, bachata classes, darts, ping pong, etc. They offered fresh coconuts to drink on the beach. They had a beach party on our last night there. Cons-There were not many non-smoker areas. There was lots of seaweed on the beach. Needs a larger gym. But the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons. Will definitely go back! Had a great vacation!!

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Good time!

I really enjoyed my stay in Cofresi Palm Beach resort. I loved the variety of options we had for dinner, from the many buffet options to the many restaurant options. The workers and everyone was so friendly.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Nice resort, poor room

The Casa Marina Beach grounds themselves were nice, well kept and enjoyable. The jacuzzis built into the reef walls with waves crashing around them certainly was a highlight. The food was decent, not exceptional, but certainly not bad. I can't comment on the a la cartes, since the 90 minute wait to book them didn't seem worth it to me. My room on the other hand, was poor. It was disappointing for me, but would be a deal-breaker for many. I asked to be moved from my first room since it had nei [... read more]ther a patio or balcony and overlooked the air circulation system. I had requested a king-size bed but realized that was merely a request, so told the front desk that was no big deal. After being toyed with by the front desk for the day -- three separate trips at appointed times -- I was moved to a room with a balcony. Unfortunately, the paint came off one your hands if your rested them on the railing, the door locked automatically from the inside with no handle to get back in, the blackout curtains were in terrible shape, worn through and had three fist-size holes in them, letting the light stream on through. But the worst part was there was no hot water. For the entire week. I thought the Easter Weekend might have played a role with the large number of people staying at the resort. But there was still no hot water on the Monday and Tuesday after. The staff, other than the front desk, were efficient and pleasant. If you are lucky enough to get a good room, with hot water, and don't mind waiting to book the restaurants, you'll likely enjoy the resort. If not, I'm not so sure. A few other notes, the safe is $20 CDN per week, the wifi $40 and the umbrellas on the beach $3 per use -- I think. I didn't use one. As for the wifi, I heard it didn't work in the rooms -- my room was a 10 minute walk from the front desk. I just went out the back exit and got beer or coffee at the bar back there and used its free wifi. Felt better giving the money to them than the resort. Also, just as an FYI, the resort beach was red flagged -- and rightfully so -- all but one day during the stay. There is an exceptional beach on the reef side of the resort, Alicia Beach, and it was swimmable most days. As was Sosua Beach, which is about a 5 minute walk away. There are some nice spots to sit and have a drink or coffee while watching the wonderful waves come crashing in.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Hotel Grand Bahi Principe San Juan

A very nice hotel. Very clean with comfortable beds. Our suite was very close to the beach where we spent most of our mornings and afternoons. The staff was very pleasant. The meals were good at the buffet. Excellent food at the restaurants. Thanks so much for booking this resort. Cindy Manser.

Paradise Playa Dorada: Relaxing after they got our room correct

I really liked the resort, I liked the buffet restaurant and how it overlooked the beautiful ocean. I liked the room when the front desk finally gave us the room that we paid for and ordered opposed to putting us on the 4th floor which I requested ground or second floor because of my disability. Then they put us in a kingsize small room that was for single occupant and I had to share a bed with my daughter. After yelling at the front desk and involving both the Air Transat reps, they finally g [... read more]ot our room correct. That was over 2 days later. Hence, they kept saying come back in 10 minutes and then they would say at the front desk to come back 10 minutes. That was beyond frustrating and very unprofessional of the front desk. On the positive, the beach was nice and the ocean and the food was good. I would definitely go back to this resort if they got our room correct. The staff at the restaurant and bars were really great.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Great Trip for the Price

Just returned from a week at the Casa Marina Reef Resort. For the price, this is was a great all inclusive trip. It is rated 3-3 1/2 star and that is just what it is. Yes, the rooms are a bit dated and could use a few small amenities, such as a clock radio, but we did not go to enjoy the rooms, but rather the resort. I had called ahead and requested a pool view. We were put in building 9, room 921, and it was great! Second floor and at the end of the hallway, so just a skip down a set of s [... read more]tairs and to the pool, and one of the buffets was just behind it. If you are looking for a quieter area of the resort, this is it! Air conditioner did not work the first night and we were having an issue with the lock on the paito doors, however a quick check in at the front desk in the morning and our issues were quickly rectified within a very short time (came to find out the a/c was frozen, and the patio door actually had two locking doors). Rooms were cleaned daily, some days later than others, although the fridge was not always restocked with pop (not an issue for us). You are restocked with two bottles of water daily, and can always refill them at the bars. The bars were great, as were all the staff we encountered. Many of the staff may not have the greatest grasp of the English language, but remember you are on their turf, not the other way around, and we found everyone would try to help or answer any questions you had. Keep in mind one half of the resort is a 'reef' resort - means the waves will pound - we had red flags all but one of the days in this beach area, and it is not a resort issue. There are plenty of other beach areas to enjoy. Just a minute or two walk and you can be on the public beach. Food was fine, if you can't find plenty of food to satisfy yourself, you are either far too fussy or have VERY high expectations! The omelet station in the morning is fantastic! Typical breakfast choices are omelets (you choose the fillings), or eggs of your choice, lots of meats, breads/toast, cereal, fruit galore, smoothies, juices, tea/coffee, and many other options to choose from. Lunch and dinner were always great as well, somewhat repetitive, but still plenty to choose from, so you never had to have the same thing twice unless you wanted to. We were given six (6) certificates for a la carte restaurants and you had to go to the Ampitheatre the next morning to register for them. MAKE THIS A PRIORITY! We were there pretty much on time, and had 9 or 10 couples in front of us. By the time we were half way through the line up we were informed there were only openings for three of the restaurants on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings (we registered on Tuesday morning!). Although we did not enjoy the seafood a la carte, that may have just been us. The Mexican and Italian a la cartes were great! We ventured to the beach market daily and enjoyed 'bartering' for our purchases. The beach market is adjacent to the boat launch area look for the steps leading down on your left - had a great real 'pina colada at 'Big Mama's' in the market, a must try - a real pina colada in a pineapple with rum. . . $4. each, and as we just wanted a small snack to share, shared 10 chicken wings for $5 and they were both absolutely delicious - and to boot, Big Mama gives you a small shoulder and arms massage as a welcome! Also, as you meander the streets toward the market, look for a small business type area called ORANGE - we (my sister-in-law and I) were able to enjoy a half hour massage for $10 each, and it was great. They will offer you one hour for $20, but quickly agreed to the half hour sessions. There are two other places to look out for along the way, a large convenience store (pint of rum at the resort store is $7, you can get two for $9 at the convenience store), along with many snacks and things you may have forgotten to bring with you at great prices. Most of the vendors have 95% of the same stuff, including lots of less than great jewellery, and I've bought my share, but if you want some higher end jewellery, keep an eye out for James Patrick's Silversmithy. My sister-in-law got a lovey 925 silver ring with a black stone (type escapes me at the moment) for $44. This the lower end of his stuff, but still high quality. And James is a gem and a gentleman himself! All in all, we had a great time, and would have no problem returning, but remember you get what you pay for, and we certainly felt we got our moneys worth at this resort! If you are expecting 5 star amenities at a 3 star price, go elsewhere because you will not have your expectations met here, but if you are not looking to spend a lot of money and open to three star amenities, this is the place for you. We paid (under $1,000/person, and were quite happy with our vacation. Something to keep in mind if you intend to bring small gifts or cash tips for staff - think about how many rooms the maids clean and how many tips they get - then think about the rest of the staff - the pool cleaners, grounds keepers, the cook at the omelet station, the waiters cleaning up behind you, etc. . . they deserve a tip every bit as much as the maids do, they work just as hard, but often are the ones most overlooked . . . If you go - enjoy! We certainly did! Oh, and it is only about a 15 minute bus ride from the airport!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Great vacation!

For the most part, really enjoyed the food and service was exceptional! The showers however, aren't the greatest and the beach water is quite cloudy and lots of seaweed. Loved the long walks on the beach and availability of lawn chairs! Volleyball was very fun as well... great size of resort...would recommend!!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Decent Resort with Great Beach

The resort was decent and clean and the staff were friendly. The bar staff were great. We really enjoyed the beach, it's a beautiful beach that they keep very clean. I loved the huts on the beach, they were great for shade. The beach is protected by a reef so there aren't many waves, making it great for snorkeling and for kids. The Italian a la carte was the biggest disappointment, the food and service there was subpar. And the desserts at all 3 restaurants were subpar. Loved the sea bass cev [... read more]iche at the Octopus restaurant though. Overall it's a decent 3 star with a nice beach.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Just okay

We went on vacation to relax. It was very difficult to relax at this resort. Each morning we had to dodge the "hotel representatives" who aggressively follow you around, trying to sell excursions. Then you get to the beach, and instead of relaxing there, you have to fend off people selling you junk all day. The food wasnt very good, either. The rooms were basic at best. Would not go back. Nor would anyone we talked to. Big disappointment for sure.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: “Very nice and helpful staff & chefs were amazing with my special dietary needs”

We arrived to a nice clean oceanview room. The maid surprised us with a nice romantic turn down service when she noticed I had a nice piece of lingerie I had takin out for bed time... Nice touch, my boyfriend was impressed! Food was great & the serving staff do not push for tips which is a big plus for me. Having been to Cuba a couple of times & find they are a bit pushy for tips. The organize tons of events for adults & kids. The nightly entertainment is great & your never bored. The beach l [... read more]unches are a nice touch as well. The guys by the beach that promote a market up the way are a little annoying, but just talk friendly and laugh & tell them your not interested and they will leave you alone. Another BIG plus is that there are security everywhere! Had a great romantic get-away for sure.

Riu Merengue: Muy bueno!!!

Gateway to Atlantis!!! This PARADISE has been carved out of the cliffs of larimar! The beaches is absolutely perfect! Little to no vegetation in the water! If it rains during the day, it's only for 5min and then it's bright and sunny! The food!!! We got 4 places to choose from and then 2 more at the other resort we had access to! Never bored, always something to do ( massages, spa treatments, kayaking, paddle boarding, ping pong, beach volleyball, just to name a few) the staff was very friendly [... read more] and giving, same with the market vendors. I went as a celebration for my 40th birthday and I think I will make an effort to visit every year!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: .....Get what you pay for

I am the easiest going, patient traveller and have no problem accepting some bad with the good when doing the all inclusive thing. Stayed at bahia principe in punta cana before and LOVED IT. I was hoping for a similar experience here, but I Was very disappointed with this resort for a few reasons. It was an all around "classless" "cheap" and "basic" holiday (for lack of a better description). Upon arrival we were met with mass confusion and staff screaming instructions at us over the extremely l [... read more]oud band in the front lobby. My first view of the jam packed lobby and people packed like sardines at the pool right next to it, turned me off immediately. The resort is in dire need of an overhaul. Although it was clean, it is a little run down looking. Rooms looked old, very small bathroom sink counter area, beds like cement, no water pressure in shower with was luke warm all week. Water dripped from the "rain shower" head. Brutal to try to wash hair! Bar fridge never got cold. Ac stopped working and we were told we had to wait for the technician. 3 hours later, we had to argue that we wanted to leave to have dinner and were told "no, you have to wait" Two small bars are definitely not enough for a resort of this size! Alcohol was the cheapest you can get, which I was prepared for. The gym was brutal!!!! We were exited to get up early each morning to spend 30 mins in there before each day, but one visit and we never returned. No ac....sparse, OLD, unsafe, broken equipment. Entertainment (which was unavoidable anywhere as it was ridiculously loud) was embarrassingly awful. Very tacky. For those who enjoy loud, tacky music at the poolside, you'll love it! But anyone hoping for a peaceful, relaxing time by the pool or beach, will not. Good points: the staff was generally fantastic: polite, friendly and helpful. The food was FANTASTIC! (Not the a la carte restaurants.....although the effort was there I suppose), but the buffet was great. Something for everyone and massive selection of fresh, good food. The beach was lovely! We heard complaints about darker sand and sandy water that you couldn't see through.......really!?? It was long, for nice walks and had an abundance of mature palms and tiki huts. Never an issue finding a spot. Always a nice breeze which made it comfortable to sit for a while in the sun. Staff worked hard at keeping it seaweed free each morning at 7am, which was impressive. Shops/markets at one end of the beach, but other than the odd shop keeper walking the beach to ask people to come and look, we weren't bothered by sales people. They were genuinely friendly and respectful. We definitely will not return, as other than beach and food, this resort seemed to cater to Those looking for very basic with no bells or whistles. I give this a 5 out of 10. Should be rated 3 stars at best!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Great food and staff, but hard bed and dirty beach

My Husband and I stayed at the Grand Bahia San Juan, Dominican Republic from April 10 - 17, 2017. This resort is very well maintained, and from what we hear it is one of the first Bahia's to be built, but, you wouldn't know it, as the grounds and buildings are very well taken care of, with nice manicured lawns, lobby, service, etc.. as well as the staff that work here are all Amazing!!! The food at the Buffet is very good as well, with a different theme everyday " American, French, etc", bu [... read more]t there is always something for everyone. It has one of the better choices of food for all inclusives that I've been to. They have three a la cartes as well. The Mediterranean (which requires men to wear long pants to access), and two others that have no dress code, the Italian (which is not that good- everything is a little too salty), and the Japanese (which is really not Japanese food at all, with the exception of few sushi rolls at the salad bar) - but, that one is a lot better, with a nice view of the ocean. The complimentary house wine that you get everywhere is disgusting, So, if you like a decent glass of wine, spend a little and get a bottle, and you can take it back to the room with you or the lobby if you wish. They also had a lot of fun free activities on the resort as well. Like the mini-put course (which usually I find to be boring, this was actually quite a fun set up), they had bikes, basketball and tennis court, soccer nets, archery and a bunch of other daily activities. Also, they put on shows with the kids at night, and had their own Michael Jackson, and acrobatic shows which were well done and entertaining), they also had kayaks (single and double), as well as ski doos (should you wish to pay for a ride). The only major cons, that I would say for this resort, which are also the main reasons that I wouldn't go back or recommend this place are for one: the beds. They were, even after a few drinks, the most uncomfortable pieces of furniture that I have every had to sleep on. Like sleeping on concrete for 7 days. Let me tell you I was soooo looking forward to coming back home and sleeping in a comfortable bed, I was counting the days, lol! Another reason, is the beach - its awful. One of the worst beaches I've been too (and I've been to Dominican several times, as well as Cuba, Mexico, and Jamaica). I liked that it was long, and you could go for a nice walk, but it was pebbly, even further out, and I had to wear water shoes the whole time. Also, they have these huge concrete boulders further out, that prevented the waves from getting to high - but, you couldn't swim or walk very deep, or ride the waves, so that's a bit of a disappointment. Also, the sand is dirty, with lots of sticks, and debris in it, so the beach volleyball court never got any use, which is too bad cause I love beach volleyball, but it was like a death trap, with sharp sticks and rocks.. Also, the ocean water is dark and murky, not really what you would expect at a resort. People also said that there were sand flees on the beach, but I didn't bother to sit around long enough to find out. At least the pools were nice - they have three of them - and it is where we spend the predominant amount of time. They have a big, centralized one, medium and smaller, rectangular more private adult one. All in all, it was nice vacation, and I enjoyed getting away. Though there were many pros to this resort, unfortunately, for me the cons were ultimately deal breakers, and I wouldn't return for a vacation here.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: great resort

Everything about this resort was great, the rooms, the food, the pools, the beach, and the staff. There were allot of stairs but they also had lots of shuttles to take you anywhere on the resort. It is $40.00 us to go to town and back, the driver stays with you as long as you are there and brings you back. The only negative that was no big deal was the bus shuttles we very narrow and had to get to the back if it was full. Loved everything about the resort.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: not bad for a three and a half star

we were pleased with the resort for the most part . I will start with the good . the grounds and pool area were clean and nice the resort is unique with all the little paths . the food was good we always found something to eat . I would go back to this resort if the price was right . now for some bad . we were with another couple their room was not bad . all rooms def need to be updated . we on the other hand had some issue , it took me almost 3 days to have my tv working , one  [... read more]bed was moved we were not sure why but then we relized there was a leak and was leaking on the bed ,np we were sleeping in the other bed , then I came up to the room and it was leaking on the other bed I was upset then and called the front desk and said I wanted a new room , she hung up on me !!!! I went down to the desk and expressed how upset I was to be hung up on and insited we have a new room . she said the maintence man had to go and inspect , I told her i wnated to see him in 5 min which i did long story short we had a new room within 15 min . this all could of been avoided if they just listened to me . the staff is not frendly at all , I am a good tipper and did not give out one tip for the week I was there I tip for fast friendly service and certainly did not get that . if you go to resort do not expect a 5 star but for the budget kind of person go for it

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Not what we're used to

My husband and I stayed at the Cofresi Palm April 3rd to the 17th, 2017. If you have difficulty with steps this is not the resort for you. From our unit which was in building 207 it was 82 steps each day to the lobby and about 58 steps to the buffet three times a day. On the way there you had to cross a road with a ditch which had a pipe that carried the waste. The smell of raw sewage on the way to breakfast, lunch and dinner was over whelming. The pipe carrying the waste was broken open in two [... read more] places and was not repaired for our entire 14 day vacation. Our room was a bit dated with no pictures hanging on the walls and furniture that was in petty bad shape. There are no chest of drawers in any of the rooms. This makes it difficult to manage your clothing for two weeks. When we complained they informed us we got what we booked meaning a Standard room and not a Junior Suite. This was deceiving as the only pictures on their site when booking is of a Junior Suite so we expected something similar. We had warm water for two days and hot water for two days and the other ten days we took cold showers. I called about this issue but it took two days before we had our first day with warm water. The beach is very small so no long walks to enjoy. There are no huts on the beach but just above the beach area there are approximately 10 king size huts but you needed to down pretty early in the morning to reserve one of those. On a positive note we enjoyed the a-la-cart restaurants, especially the Italian, Mexican, Brazilian and the Asia. The food was really quite delicious. We met a number of really nice guests. The entertainment staff were great especially Chi Gua Gua (Carlos). We would rate him a five star. Our Transat rep was Freddie and he was friendly and helpful and acted on our behalf to try to get us a better room. The pool at our building was very quiet for the most part and is was easy to get a hut each day. Unfortunately the room issue, sewage smells each day and lack of hot water will keep us from booking at this resort again.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Good resort

We thought the resort was good for the money.At first we had no air condition ,so they fixed it as the best that they could and the ceiling fan wasn't working at all,so they replaced that with a new one,which made all the difference in the world.The food was great ,the resort was very clean,they were always cleaning the floors and washrooms everywhere.Our room was good the maids did a great job daily with them,and they were very friendly.The only thing we would like to mention is that they seeme [... read more]d to miss us on filling up the fridge.I think they could put a bit more effort on to the beach as to raking the garbage that comes ashore with the waves and tide.My husband and I and a friend was walking the beach and we came across a shringe with the needle still intact ,my husband almost stepped on this,thank god he looked down if not he would have drove it in his foot.I'm surprised that someone never stepped on it before we found it as there was a lot of people walking the beach daily.They kept the grounds raked daily and clean.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: amazing resort

This was our first trip with our kids (6 and 7 year olds). Food was great, service was outstanding, friendly staff, amazing entertainment for kids and adults. fun pool. overall, very satisfied. Definitely thumbs up. keep in mind that the beach isn't the greatest in that area so we stayed in the pool.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Not Impressed

I'll start off by saying I travel at least 2x a year. The hotel grounds were nice. I'm not fussy, just want sun, sand, beach and simple comforts. However, the hotel staff were not very accommodating whatsoever. Not happy people, miserable actually. Nothing worse than getting a blank stare when you ask a question or try to get help at front desk, and yes they spoke English. When I booked I was told they would try to accommodate 3 older ladies with providing an extra bed or cott or couch. That did [... read more]n't happen, even if we had received a mattress for the floor, it would have been better than nothing. 3 times we had to go down to get a remote for TV that worked. They never left 3 bottles of water, had to go down and ask everyday, were short on our towels. With Sunwing you're supposed to get 30 minutes of free internet, every time we went down they said they were to busy, even when there was nobody at the front desk to check in. I had to basically tell them I wasn't leaving until I received it, after 4 days. When booking they didn't tell you that Tours would not be offered from Thursday to Monday Easter Weekend, so you had 3 days, try booking when a full resort were all trying at the same time, also because of the shutdown, we couldn't get any of our 3 restaurant meals, not one. The waves were so huge and crashing so hard they constantly had to run sirens to keep people not only out of the water, but they wouldn't even allow you to stand near the edge. So no snorkling, or swimming in ocean at all. Apparently this is normal for this area. The beaches are so short you can't go for walks unless you paced back and forth, pictures were very deceiving. Food, OK, after 3 days of same food you got tired of it quickly. For older folk, (50-60) you would have thought they'd consider where your room was, nope up on the 4th floor. Very noisy, no quiet. The cold Jacuzzi pools were nice, larger pools were very dirty, although I saw them clean them, they were not sparkly at all, very cloudy. You had to pay for your umbrella, and the tenant on the beach tried to get more money than we were told. When we wouldn't pay the extra he took the umbrella down, turned around a told the next person $2, which was what the hotel said we were to pay, he wanted more from us.....can't figure it out (we may be older, but we're hot). Any attempt to accommodate us would have went a long way. It wasn't just us, another lady was put in a room that was still under construction, tools, wires laying in sink, ceiling leaking onto the bed, she went through craziness trying to get into another room....ridiculous.