Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing resort!!

Great hotel with amazing staff, the hotel itself could use some updating but all in all a great experience. Also don't expect great food but there were enough options to make it through the two weeks comfortably. They have a huge variety of activities and excursions for you to choose from at great prices and are willing to negotiate for groups. Will return in the future!!

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Great resort

Very clean, organized and friendly! The staff were great and not pushy. The breakfast buffet and Mexican a la carte restaurant were my favourite. He night entertainment was good. I wish there had been night swimming but understand why there wasn't! Great bartenders too.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: First time in DR!

This was our first trip to the DR and believe the Riu Bachata was a great choice for us! Can't say enough good things about the staff, our accommodation, food was excellent and all services adequate. Can't comment on nightly entertainment as we did not attend any--not night hawks... The only disappointment was the beach itself as it tended to be rocky (gravelly) and not a white sandy type. Considering all the positives of the resort, this was trivial!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Awesome Resort!

The hotel and grounds were very nice and everything was close. The staff was friendly and food at the buffet and a la cartes was great too! Lots of vendors on the beach. Entertainment was above aveeage. Overall a great place!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: This resort falls in our top 5

Food was excellent at the buffet and a la carte We liked the layout, cozy and uniform: lobby, pool, entertainment area and the open concept buffet. Our room was ok (could use some TLC). A little too noizy after 9:00pm due to traffic behind the building. You have to get up early (5:00 am) to reserve a palapa. The only drawback are the peddlers on the beach, way to many. They should be located in one area of the beach and leave it up to the tourists if they want to buy.

Riu Merengue: Great Resort, Great Value

We stayed at the Rui Merengue from April 4 to 11. The resort grounds are well kept. Our room, a little small with limited space for luggage, lots of hot water for showers, but the bathroom got very warm after showering. As i am a fussy eater i was concerned about the food but i never had an issue filling my plate, lots of variety to choise from. The beach has lots of seats in the shade, but the water is always rough and the ocean bottom is rocky. The pool area is very pleasant to relax in but t [... read more]he water was always dirty. Our stay at the resort met or exceeded what we expected and with what we paid was a great value and we would return.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Perfect vacation

This was our 4th time at the Gran Ventana ------ this time for 2 weeks. Better than ever! Service and food great. Request responded to by assistant manager promptly. Looking forward to returning trip. Thanks to Fred at Tripcentral for his advice.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Would not go back to RIU Bachata

Ok were do I start, the beach was one of the worst I seen in all my travels, I have never seen so much garbage in the water, there were days when it was really bad you just stood there and looked and said to yourself do I really want to go in the water it was that bad, one party in our group found a needle on the beach and it was a big needle that really open our eyes. Next is the rooms, the A/C in our room was the worst that I have also seen in my travels, the room had a very bad smell of mi [... read more]ldew in it and my jacket that I worn home had the smell in it I had to wash it upon returning home, I spoke to a lot people who were staying here and had the same problem. I went to the front desk to complain and they sent the repair guy over many times two try to fix it but no luck so we put up with it with the rest of our trip . Problem number 2 my wife went to open a closet door and it fell onto her the whole side of the closet was eaten by Termites so back to the front desk to complain and this time I talk to the Sunwing rep. I had multiple phone calls from the rep. and also the front desk ask if the a/c worked and also if we would like to move to another room I thought about and agreed to it only if I saw the room first I got the key and had a look first thing I tried was the a/c and it was no better than our room so went back to the front desk and told that we would stay in our room, told them that we are on vacation and that were wanted a hassle free vacation no repacking luggage bags, no climbing stairs all our friends were in this building an would be a real inconvenience for us. The food was good and the staff were friendly Stan Riggs

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Perfect family vacation

Went with my husband and daughter and met family there. The staff were all friendly and enjoyed it when we tried to speak Spanish. Ha! The food was delicious and there was a great variety in the buffet at each meal! The al a carte restaurants were fantastic most notably Octopus. Everywhere was kept very clean. Beach areas could use more canopys or shaded areas. Often hard to get a chair by the pool without 'reserving' them in the middle of the night. Overall very satisfied.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: First class resort.

The hotel was amazing. The grounds so well kept, pool area just lovely with lots of nice loungers. Buffet restaurant spotless clean with the best food ever, all a la cartes were first class we really loved the Japaneze, the cooks put on a great fun show. The chicken and steak cooked to perfection. The beach was breathtaking. The 2 peillo lunches ,one was chicken and rhe other seafood with great lobster. This is our top hotel in Puerto Plata. The best staff and service we have ever had. Can't [... read more] wait to return. Cheers the twins P.s. The beach barbecue and the beach live band were lots of fun

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Will not return

This resort is def for retired people and babies......it is no good for people from the ages of 20 to 65 who like to drink and have a good time......If you want a resort for just sitting on a beach and read for a week, well this resort is for you. The entertainment staff sucked...Most of the staff were rude, and rarely smiled.....There was the odd few that did.....The swim up pool bar was terrible, 1 bartender took almost 15 to 20 mins to get you a drink..Oh what am i saying, there was only 1 ba [... read more]rtender on at all times and most of the time he had to go up to the top bar to get ingredience's for the drink you ordered so more waiting....terrible....All 3 bars closed at 12, depending on who is sitting there at the time, if there was only a few, they closed earlier....1 bartender was good, his name was louis.......and there was another one at the beach bar, very freindly and smiled alot. The beach was nice. There were vendors constantly in your face on the beach, but were curtious and moved on when you said no thanks. There was a mall by the resort but most stores were closed....If your a shopper, nothing there for that....Cab ride to town was a half hr and that was 90 american dollars for 9 of us...so 10 dollars each and he came back for us in 2 hrs. The rooms were clean....The resort is out dated.....You could get free wifi by the entertainment stage, but only facebook, couldn't get into email etc.....you had to pay for that, and that was for your room. There was 12 of us and none of us will ever go back to that resort. Our ages were from 47 up to 69.....8 from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, 2 from Ontario and 2 from Montana, and most of the people that were there that we spoke too felt the same. This resort certainly does not go out of its way to make you feel comfortable at all.....The staff looked bored to death as were all of us.....Entertainment staff were terrible....You had to be quiet after 12, were not even allowed to talk around the pool, or laugh, we were told to keep it down. Most resorts have shows etc...Nothing at this one, oh there was BINGO and Karaoke....OMG.....Alot of money spent on a resort that sucked....The best thing, the weather was beautiful.......

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Another Great Vacay!

This was my second stay at the Iberostar. I was there 4 years ago, this time I decided to take my kids. When we checked in there was a mix up with the rooms, but they accommodated us fast and upgraded us to a poolside view. The staff were friendly and the food was as good as I remember. Everything was extremely clean and the bar and buffet/dining staff were prompt. The entertainment staff worked really hard, but I didn't find there were as many of them around this time. The one that truly stands [... read more] out was "skinny". He was hilarious and very friendly!!! I would definitely recommend this hotel, and I am looking forward to returning again soon.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good Resort

Spent a week at Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerta Plata April 2 to April 9 2017. Very good value for the money and the food was excellent, especially on Tuesday the Italian sea food paella they did on the beach. I won’t go into great details as I’ll only end up rehashing the many positive reviews, so I’m just going to do point form pros and cons. Pros: • As mentioned food was excellent, at the buffet, pool bar, Brazilian and Japanese la cartes. They make a fried chicken that would ri [... read more]val anything here, very moist and not greasy. • People very nice and always had a smile, they work very hard but will help you out whether you tip them or not. For example the knob for our air conditioner in our room broke; we didn’t bother telling anyone as the air conditioner was still working. That afternoon when we got back to our room a maintenance guy was there to replace the knob. The maid must of saw this and got it replaced for us without our asking, now this is service!!! • Favourite person was Yaya at the lobby bar, every morning I was there at 9:00 when it opened to get my cappuccino. After the second day I no longer had to order it as she would see me and start my coffee. • Room very clean but as mentioned by others dated and in need of a fresh coat of paint. • Pool area was nice and clean with lots of tree and shrubs, pool guys where there everyday cleaning, water nice and clear. Lots of pool chairs only issue was the ones in the shade they went very quickly. The towel game is alive and well here. Cons: • Mexican la carte restaurant was just awful, wouldn’t bother reserving this one. • Iberostar has this premiere program that they want you to sit down with them for 90 minutes, idea is for you to avoid the travel agents and go directly through them, blah, blah, blah. We were only there for a week so you can be sure I’m not wasting my time on this. When they see you aren’t interested they try harder to get you to listen to them, telling you they just started the job and needed you at attend so they don’t get fired. Anyway we found this annoying. • Beach, not really the hotels fault but Puerta Plata is known for windy beaches, the problem with this is the ocean is always churned up and not nice and clear (at least when we were there) the water looks dirty and when you go in it you come out with sand all over you (and sand in places it should not be). Also sitting on the beach is like being sand blasted due to the wind, not fun. All in all it was a nice vacation and good values for the money we spent, but I think next time we’ll go to Punta Cana.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Rooms on resort

The rooms on resort are very dated. The staff was not frendly. The rooms were not clean . We were susposed to have a supiour garden view well we looked out at an old building that was overgrown with trees .the toilet when we arrived was covered with crap had to get cleaning staff to cone clean it the floors were dirty and full of hair alaround...the grounds were nice though...and we were on the top floor so had to walk up three flights of stairs. The food all tasted the sam . Bad

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Perfect family vacation!

This was our 2nd family vacation. Our 3yr old & 7yr old had a great time. We stayed from Apr 3-8 and the weather was perfect everyday. The resort was about an hour drive from the airport, but my husband & I enjoyed the scenery. The resort is huge. Lots of beautiful landscaping. Our room was average, mattress a little hard, but decent. Our room was very close to the pool, beach & main lobby & buffet which we enjoyed. The beach is so long, not white sand, but my kids loved searching for sh [... read more]ells & rocks. So many palm trees & tons of beach chairs. We never had a problem finding somewhere to lay. Also, the water not so clear, but not the hotels fault. Luckily we found an area of the beach where the water was clearer. We also stayed at the main pool which my kids also enjoyed. We never had a problem with the staff. Everyone always greeting with a smile. The main buffet staff all so friendly, despite being so busy. We very much enjoyed the food. Overall, a great experience. We would love to go back!!!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: The ultimate "ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE"

RESORT WAS EVERYTHING MY WIFE AND I,PLUS OUR FRIENDS, COULD HAVE HOPED FOR. IT WAS CLEAN, ATTRACTIVE, WELL APPOINTED, & LAID OUT. THE STAFF WERE FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS,AND OBLIGING IN EVERY WAY. THIS WAS OUR 8TH TRIP TO DOM.REPUBLIC BUT THE 1ST TO THIS RESORT. WE WERE SO IMPRESSED THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING RETURNING NEXT SPRING FOR TWO, OR MORE, WEEKS. MAY I ADD THAT THE FOOD,AND SERVICE,WAS VERY GOOD & THE SPECIALTY RESTUARANTS EXCELLENT

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Really good resort

Everything was very clean and put together very nice. Excellent service all around, definetly would go back. Awesome entertainment and pool/beach areas. Food was the best I've ever had by far. Thank you!

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Overall Great Vacation

I stayed at Be Live Marien in Puerto Plata, DR and it was perfect! The staff were lovely, they were very generous with the drinks, the food was great, as was the lay out of the resort; they always had stuff going on around the pool to keep people entertained. We went on 3 excursions while at the resort too; the city tour was really interesting, getting to meet locals, see the entire city from atop the beautiful mountain, taste local cuisine, learn about the history of Puerto Plata, the tour gui [... read more]de was great, he could speak at least 4 languages and was very courteous. Our second tour was called "Paradise Island", which was this tiny little sand bar out in the ocean, it took a while to get to, but it was worth it; we had some drinks, soaked up the sun and went snorkeling. It was amazing! There were two options, the speed boat, which was less expensive (which is the one we did), and the yacht, which was really nice for couples, I heard. The snorkeling was quite an experience, the guide would give me handfuls of dead fish and all the tropical fish would come around me and eat out of my hands, it was amazing! After that we toured the mangrove forest and that was absolutely stunning! Our third, and last tour was called "Mega Extreme" and it was definitely not for the faint of heart, but it was worth the challenge! We hiked up the other side of the mountain (opposite to the cable cars), to these waterfalls that we could cliff-jump into, there were natural rock slides that you could slide down into the water. They tell you if you have your own water shoes you can bring them, but DON'T! The water shoes you rent for $2 USD aren't actually water shoes, they're loafers, that tie up and have proper soles, and they are meant for the excursion! I used my water shoes and they ended up falling off in the rushing water and I never found them again, and my friends shoes tore open. After I lost my shoes one of the guides lent me his, and the experience was so much better afterward, because I wasn't worrying about slipping in the mud. The jumps were so scary, but so exhilarating! After that we went zip lining through a forest, their lines are set up so that even someone over 300lbs can go on them, so my buddy, who usually misses out on this sort of stuff, was able to experience it! Very beautiful! Last, we went horseback riding, and it was an overall great experience!

Casa Marina Reef Resort: All and All great trip couple hicups.

The resort itself is beautiful. Grounds kept clean,pools clean,food was awesome. First room we had was in back building. Paid for Superior Garden view. Got top floor no balcony and small window to look out of at concrete design on building. Also door was at back facing very busy street with bars open all night. Noise was atrousous with yelling and motor cycles running up and down the street. Also woke up second morning to no water. Complained and no problem moved us to a room beside pool with ba [... read more]lcony and they accommodated us completely. Only issue we had then was no water in shower in the afternoon. Don't go for the beach because the waves were constantly too big to swim. People that did venture out picked sand of their bathing suit the rest of the day. Bartenders were awesome very little wait times for drinks. Deserts were very good including ice cream which you don't see at every resort. Book alecartes early as they fill up fast. Would go back to this resort but would specify what area we wanted our room.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: not more than a 3 start

Nothing special no glass for dring anywere unless the buffet or if you upgrade for premium. Manager respond quick after we talk directly to him about not having hot water for 3 days he tranfer all of us (4rooms) to a different bldg all in a suite. Was able to keep the room until 3 pm. I did not like the animation team and they do not speak french on the resort.