Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: It was amazing

When we first arrived, the place looked a little shady, but once we got inside there,it was fantastic. The rooms were big and very clean, the food was very good, but alot of the same everyday. The entertainment staff was young, and not much of shows every night. The bartenders were fun and happy, but the bar closed at 1 am everynight. The beaches were clean, and beautiful,but the vendors got a little annoying after a while, but they are just trying to make a living. The resort was very clea [... read more]n, and the housekeepers were amazing. The BBQ on the beach,had good food everyday,but it closed at 6pm. If you ventured own the beach, you will find a small market to hale with the vendors. Over all,had a great week, met so many nice people, got anamazingtan. if you can, grab a local bus or cab and go to sosua Beach about 30 minutes away, best beach around,worth the trip. And building 19 is close to everything and is renovated. I would deffinately go back and recommend to everyone. 3+ for sure

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: An excellent resort and holiday!

The VH Grand Ventana is maintained with great detail to cleanliness and making the experience enjoyable for everyone. The main dining room was run efficiently with a good amount of variety in the daily menue, and the a la carte restaurants were amazing. The beach was always kept clean and the beach vendors were respectful when their services or products were declined. The pool was kept clean even when it was busy. Puerto Plata is a beautiful Island with a lot of activities available [... read more]. We bought some excursions through West Jet and some others through Elvis and Malo on the beach which we got great deals on. They were all amazing experiences! We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday! Jullie and Kaz

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Not that great

When we got there it was raining. It is not the resorts fault. It rained 2 full days then on Wednesday we went on an adventure to see the town. It rain during that as well. What was the fault of the resort was they put us to the very back of the property across for the Disco that had their bass as loud as it could be all night We could see the place just over the fence from our balcony that is how close we were. When I say all night i mean till 5 in the morning that bass went. Every room should  [... read more]have an umbrella for the guests and we asked 4 times and we didn't get one and every day it rained maybe not all day but every day. We were in the farthest point in the resort that we had to walk to eat or swim always in the rain. The most upsetting part was the timeshare people that were there trying to sell to us.I asked flat out if that was what they were doing he said no. A guest that had come with us sat through the meetings for 4 hour of the best sunny day that we had. This place was so understaffed that our room didn't get cleaned up till 4 to 5 in the afternoon on 4 of the days of our stay so I cleaned up. I wanted to be closer to the swimming pool and the restaurant over looking the pool and we were shipped to the back forty's of the property and both my husband and our friend have a very hard time walking that far every time we had to leave the room or go back to the room. I don't think I want to go to this place again. I have been in this area 6 time in different resorts. This wasn't one of the better places. I have to blame my agent a little too for not getting us closer to the middle of the resort since I did request it from her when I booked.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great hotel

This was our first time at this hotel. We were very impressed by the quality and selection of the food at the buffet never went hungry. We stayed in the renovated part of the complex the bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in with the exception of the grand paladium lady Hamilton in Jamaica . Very nice clean hotel and well worth going to.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great Vacation

Great all around resort. Service was spectacular, food was great, especially the a-la carts. Grounds are well kept and the beach was beautiful. Upon arriving I read reviews about check in difficulty but ours was very smooth. Would definently go back.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Great time!

This hotel is happening. Clean rooms, good service and food. Good entertainment... can be a bit tacky at times but fun overall! I would return...weather did not cooperate on some days but beautiful on others!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Clean and Friendly

This resort is clean and although 25 years old its very clean. They take care of it. Be aware of the front staff that are trying to sell the Grand Bahia Principe time shares, they are very pushy. Even though we said no at least 10 times they were still persistent to the point that we avoided the front lobby at all cost. They do have a couple of pools but the main pool should be split and separated for the families and the partiers. Some inappropriate things happening with the little kids right t [... read more]here and that was the only pool for the kids with shallow ends.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Great Resort

I would give this hotel 4 stars. Restaurants: there was no reservation system set up, but we never waited more than 30 minutes to get a table for 9 people... and I enjoyed every meal at each restaurant! The buffet they offered would satisfy any picky eater. Service: Excellent... the staff was great. So energetic and always included everyone Cleanliness: the hotel, rooms, gardens, beach was all very clean Walk to the beach: was approx 3 minutes but it was no problem at all Alcohol:  [... read more]I will give that a 2-3 stars... but they do have a little cigar bar where you can purchase premium drinks. I highly recommend it. Rooms: Rooms are large and nicely decorated... our room had absolutely no view and was quite loud at 6am as we were directly behind the kitchen

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Fantastic Vacation

We stayed for 1 week at the resort and we had a great time!! We arrived in the middle of the night so it was a bit confusing but by the third day it was a breeze to get around. There is a lot of stairs but no worries that keeps your cardio up for when you eat the awesome food at the resort. I can honestly stay the food was great from the buffet to the many a la cart restaurants to choose from.I would like to give a shout out to Lucy and Francesco aka Denzel for making our night at the Moonlight  [... read more]restaurant a night to remember(mama wanna). We never had a problem finding a lounger at the beach or the pool and never waited more than 5 minutes for a shuttle. The staff were very accomadating and friendly. The gym at the spa was clean and pretty good for a quick little workout before you hit the beach. The resort is big but it spread out nice so it never feels busy. The room we stayed in was very clean (building 305) and was pretty central to everything. We will definitely be going back to Confressi Resort

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Nice vacation

I would like to say the resort was an old report but well kept. The staff were friendly but they were very pushy abiut selling their time share foe all the countries they are set up in. Booking through air Canada gave us a couple extras, like free safe for the week (would have been $29 US) and 4 a la care dinners instead of 3. We had our own rep Mr. H or Hipilito, that helped with everything from getting extra towels to helping get us a great deal on a family day trip. I was not pleased that the [... read more] hotel was hosting a high school trip and put the kids though out the park in with the families. They really should have set them up all together in one arena so they wouldn't bug the other guests. But having said that one the complaints came in from the other guests they posted security outside the rooms of the students. All in all it was a nice vacation but because of the time share people I don't think I would go back. Dominican is a very nice country to visit perhaps a different city and resort.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Great resort, fantastic food, great location but a few of the entert staff are very inappropriate.

I did really enjoy the resort itself and the food is the one of the best I've ever had in an all inclusive.( we have been going on these vacations for the last 8 years and have been to Mexico x2 Jamaica, Cuba x2 and the Dominican x3). The food is one of the best. The bartenders ,front desk staff, your cleaning staff, everyone were helpful polite respectful, it was the entertainment staff ( not all of them but a few) that are overly aggressive and very inappropriate..... there wasn't a day I did [... read more]n't see Goofy dry hump a female guests, a pole for the volleyball net while people were playing, a speaker,the stage floor. The only day I didn't see it was the day we went in the paradise excursion. ( amazing excursion the staff was fantastic. Actually the entertainment staff at the resort could learn a thing or too on interacting with people that doesn't include trying to touch or *bang* someone to be funny) One of the female entertainers jump one of the male entertainers in the pool during the foam party and things just seemed to progress from there. One of the male guests was licking a female entertainers thigh It was as if you had booked a hedonism resort. If that's what you're into great but that's not what I paid for. You could visit the strip club,pay for your dances and it would be a lot cheaper then an all inclusive. 2 of them spent a morning covered with towels getting drinks from 4 female guests while the were rubbing their backs. It's a great resort have and like I said the food is amazing. Location is great but the management really need to get a grip on some of their entertainment staff. Sherry Sent from my iPad

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Great Resort

While our stay at the Casa Marina Reef Resort, we had a very wonderful time. The resort took good care of us and our room was very clean and staff was always there to help if there was an issue. During our stay we were hoping for more activities and entertainment, the disco/club was nice but during the day there was really nothing to do. The shows during the night weren't the greatest. The food was very similar every night and not the greatest. Not the greatest location but the beach was nic [... read more]e and overall not that bad of a resort to stay at.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Sunny destination

The hotel and grounds are amazing ...the food was top notch and variety was wonderful! I think I gained weight on this one. The older gentleman at the beach bar was sensational (can't remember his name cause the drinks were amazing! Starts with an A) the only bad thing was that there were 2 members of the "entertainment" crew who were more interested in themselves then their jobs...drinking and being somewhat obnoxious. The rooms were spacious and very clean. I would go back for sure....and avoi [... read more]d the entertainment crew at all costs!

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: great resort

I had a great time at this resort as I always do two years in a row and already planning next year. would have to start by saying that the entertainment crew are very friendly and fun to be around they make even a rainy day fun..special thank you to the entire entertainment crew..other great things would be clean and safe pool area all bars are friendly and happy to serve what ever drink you would like..the rooms are clean and well taken care off. only one issue with the drain, called front desk [... read more] and was fixed asap.the food and restaurants are great the servers are very well mannered and would gladly get you what ever you need to make your life easier during meals..this resort is one of my favorite resorts as I will be returning and look foreward to seeing all my new and old Dominican friends..

Paradise Playa Dorada: Grand Paradise Playa Dorada - Great Resort

We stayed at the Grand Paradise Playa Dorada for 7 days in March. The resort facilities were great, the standard room we had a large bathroom and a good bed, TV, mini fridge and working air conditioning. The resort was clean and well kept and the staff were very friendly, always saying hello as they passed by. There was one main pool which was pretty big with a swim up bar. The activity crew were always around doing water aerobics or other games. There were 2 main bars, a disco that's open ev [... read more]ery night and the food in the main restaurant was always great. The quality of the food is much better than cuba and there was always a variety and fresh fruit and vegetables. There were 2 a la carte restaurants which were pretty good as well, one (Edens) which has a beach view. The beach itself was nice, and the water wasn't rough, however, there could have been more chairs. There were people selling souvenirs on the beach however they weren't pushy. The resort is in a nice beach area and you can walk quite far along the beach passed the other resorts. There is a little mall with a movie theatre, tourist shops and a few restaurants and bars within the resort complex - a 2 min walk. The resort is about 20 minutes or just under from the airport. The weather wasn't great at the time we went - It was overcast and rainy for 3 days. It rained one full day and there wasn't a whole lot to do. The crowd was mixed - quote a few elderly people, middle-aged and some young people (20-30). Not a party resort. Overall, it was a great experience :)

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: So, so.

After being at Bahia hotels many many times in Punta Cana, Puerto Plata Bahia was not a good experience. Atlantic side is NOT good. Hotel it self 3.5 star. ( 21 years old). Sea is not like Caribbean Sea. Windy all the times. Dark sand not pleasant. Hotel employees are very nice, polite, hard working people. They try to fix many of your problems. Food is good, bars are awful. (Not the servers). Hour and a half from airport. For us, never again.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Very nice resort

Everything was perfect The oly think I brought might golf clubs for nothing there it's no public golf course close to the resort. The one I was planning to play turn private and no body mentioned When I book the trip I was specifically ask for that. But besides that all good Tks.

Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: Disappointing Break

After taking care of loved ones here and now gone we felt we deserved a break but this is not what we were counting on. On arrival they put our luggage in an open area where anyone could have access to them so this was quite uncomfortable. We had to watch them for 5 hours while waiting to obtain a room. Knowing that a large group was coming in at 11am it would have made sense for someone from Sunwing to be there and they were not. The customer service staff at Playa Dorada Beach House did not a [... read more]nd could not answer any questions. I would love to speak with the owner Faranda because there were several things that did not go well. We did not have A/C and asked them to fix it often and did not have hot water at all and did not have power 50% of the time and did not have useable toilets in any of the main areas as they were plugged, many times did not have towels unless begging for them. We gave a generous tip on the first day and the room was not cleaned. They had 3 cleaning ladies for our building of 11 rooms and these people were there 12 hours doing next to nothing. Here in Canada one person would have done the job and it would have been done well in 8 hours. Many people I know have been to the Dominican and loved it. This was my first experience to the Dominican Republic and we had a disappointing break.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great vacation

My boyfriend and I stayed at Be Live March 2nd-9th. Great trip! Food was great - especially the Mexican restaurant! Their drink menu was awesome - lots to choose from! The bartenders were always friendly and making sure everyone is having a good time! I found the resort clean and the staff extremely friendly. The service was great in all the A La Cartes but the buffet service wasn't always good - hard to get coffee and water some meals and tables were sometimes dirty. The entertainment was a hit [... read more] and miss - not bad but I've seen the entertainment done a lot better at other resorts. My biggest complaint is that we paid the $50 for the ocean view upgrade and I think we would have been better off without. They put us in building #1 on the ground floor in a room with a broken lock on the patio door, which was fixed the night we arrived after calling maintenance. On our 3rd night after we show up to our room at the end of the evening, we find our patio door open part way with the lock broken again - we are guessing someone tried to break in. After calling reception and demanding we be moved, they were helpful after some push and upgraded us to a better room for the rest of the vacation. We didn't feel safe on the ground floor in this building - I recommend getting a pool view or a room towards the lobby. Also, to the left of the resort where they tell you not to go, is full of garbage! And when they clean the beaches in front of the resort, they dump it towards the left on the beach and it all piles up! Not safe to walk very far to the left. Recommendation: Do not talk to the solicitors on the beach front - they charge high prices for everything and won't leave you alone if you make conversation with them. And the 'shopping mall' they try to bring you to is more expensive that anywhere else I seen - American prices and they are very pushy.

Riu Merengue: The Good, Bad and Ungle

My husband and I arrived at Riu Merengue in Puerto Plata, Dominican on Feb 24th for a 2 week vacation and I wanted to fly home on Feb 26. The hotel was advertised as a 4.5 star but I would give it a 3 or under. The Good - My husband had a birthday and they went out of their way to help with the celebrations. Our room was decorated, received a bottle of wine with dinner, received a bottle of mamawana and some coffee and had a special birthday cake. No time share hassles. I`m not sure if the h [... read more]otel was just not up to par for time shares or if the Riu chain doesn`t allow them to hassle customers. Every evening after dinner they had a band that played dancing music, very nice to enjoy with a special coffee. Our Nexus rep, Stanley, mentioned that we should move up an excursion we booked because the weather was going to change. We did move it up and had a great trip snorkeling. Also did the city tour which was very nice. The Bad - Buffet restaurant was very busy and several times we could not find a clean table to sit down and eat. They have 500 rooms and they don`t have the facilities to accommodate the numbers in their dining room. They had 2 al a carte restaurants which only served 100 guests per night so you had to line up early to get in. No reservations. Italian was awful and the steakhouse was just OK. Ran out of keg beer on February 27th which was a holiday so the staff was scrambling to get canned beer from everywhere. In the buffet restaurant they had bread that you could cut which was great, however, many people didn`t use the napkin to hold the bread when they were cutting it and of course the germs on their hands were spread across the entire loaf of bread. They did have butter, some places have switched to margarine so I was glad that they offered butter. The Ugly - our first room 1611 had cockroaches. I have been travelling to warm climates for 20 years and have never had any roaches in my rooms. The hotel sprayed the room (which we didn`t like due to the impact on the spray for humans.) We meet with the NeXus rep and wanted to know what it would cost to move resorts or to fly home. The sales office was closed because it was a Sunday and Monday was a holiday so the earliest we could talk to a sales rep was Tuesday. My husband demanded to talk to the hotel manager and we did get another room on the 2nd floor and did not see any roaches in our room after that. They advertise that they have internet in the lobby - they don`t. We had to go to one of their other hotels to get internet - the lobby was so busy with people trying to communicate with others that it was insane to find a place to sit and most people had to stand. If you have any reaction to smokers, don`t go to this hotel. There was smoking everywhere except the dining room. Lots and lots of smokers. The dining room had a lot of flies. I believe this was because they had place mats that were never wiped off. I watched how they cleaned the tables and they would wipe around the place mat. It was kind of sickening that we had to swat flies as we tried to eat.