Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Animation Team was Amazing!

We were very happy to stay at Viva Wyndham. It was my partners first resort experience and the animation team made it such an enjoyable experience for him. They truly take their job seriously while having a blast doing it. They are all incredibly talented and we will never forget them! Thank you guys!

Punta Cana Princess: Amazing Resort

The hotel was lovely and very clean.Grounds were well maintained as was the very inviting pool. Had shaded areas for lounging on the beautiful beach. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There were several restaurants to choose from and the food was exceptional!

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Beautiful resort

Our stay from January 7 to 14 was very relaxing. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The À la Carte restaurants were excellent. We tried Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Steakhouse and French and lots of variety at the buffets. Unfortunately, the whole resort was without hot water for about 24 hours so cold shower was not too pleasant. Beach was not the best I've seen... lots of coral. Nice sandy area for guests to lounge but the area where it's nicer to swim is more on one side where the [... read more]re are no lounge chairs and looks like a desert. We had purchased the Privilege package and was well worth it. Our butler José was the most dedicated, professional and friendly employee that we have ever experienced. He made our resort experience so much better so thank you José.

Zel Punta Cana - All Suites: You get what you pay for

This resort has passed its hay day..felt it was kinda run down and lots of features were not well maintained i.e drawers and cupboards in room were broken..shower and toilet doors did not close. Took 5 days for hotel staff to repair faulty TV in our suite. Took 4 hours for house keeping to bring toilet paper as the did not replace it when they serviced the room. Generally the staff were friendly but not very well trained and lacked knowledge of amenities and services. Every time we had a requ [... read more]est they did not know the answer and never got back to us with information we requested. The food was very mediocre and in most cases over cooked and bland. Lacked variety and every day was the same menu.The specialty restaurants were a welcome change but also lacked flavor and did not come close to what was described by the server. The Nexus bus service was very inflexible when we requested a pick up they wanted pick us up 5 hours ahead of our flight. As a result we had to pay for a taxi to the airport as we did not want to wait for 5 hrs at the airport.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Ok resort…

The rooms were really nice and the lady who cleaned our room was wonderful! They were very humid and smelled musty. I would be freezing because the air and fans were on but if they were turned down or off it was humid. I did like that in the family suite they had a divider. The grounds were beautiful but there were a lot of garbage in and around the bushes. Most of the employees were great there were a few that were not so great. The man who checked us into the resort was awful. Made us wait [... read more] for an hour to see about putting us and another family in the same villa and completely disregarded the fact I needed a ground floor and to be close to the lobby because of my disability. Instead put us in the farthest one possible. When other staff seen me struggling to walk to the villa, they immediately changed our room and were very much accommodating. I did not like that they do not have golf carts that came around to assist people if they wanted to go to the beach or lobby. The resort is massive and they only have golf carts to shuttle the VIP people around. If you have an issue walking DO NOT book this hotel. I had to rent a scooter because it was such a big place. They only have a golf cart to the water park but don’t be in a hurry they are on island time. Compared to Cuba (which is where I gone a few times) this is unacceptable. In Cuba they had golf carts coming around every 10-15 minutes asking people if they wanted a ride. I also did not enjoy the buffet. The morning omelette station was good. Other than that it was awful. I think there was one good night we ate there because we missed our reservation due to an excursion. Oh, the a la carts were horrible. Worst than the buffet. We had the Brazilian, mediterranean and the French. We waited 1.5 hours for our food at the Mediterranean and it was awful. I didn’t even eat it. We missed the Japanese(which is suppose to be the best) and opted not to go to the steak house since our friend was extremely sick off the food at the French restaurant. I’m not a picky eater. I have been to Cuba 3x and had better food (if you can believe it) at least in Cuba the meals that they served were hot.the food at the buffet was cold. Cold nacho cheese for the nachos and broccoli. Most of the meat was cold. The only had a variety of cakes for dessert and ice cream. The coffee shop/donut/gelato place located outside of the plaza was amazing. Most of the games in the arcade were not in use but the staff there were wonderful! Assisted the kids with everything and were very friendly. The entertainment was ok. The Micheal Jackson show was the best. All the kids entertainment was very late. The lady that did the kid shows was great. I feel as though it should have been put on earlier. The app for all the things to do in the resort was useless. The beach was lovely. Amazing burgers on the beach BBQ and the buffet at the beach/pool was better than the one in the lobby. The water park was really fun the kids had a great time. Even my husband liked it. Although the slides are rough and they came out with bruises, they still enjoyed it. It was very clean and never busy so we could go down as much as we wanted. The lobby store and the store at the water park was VERY expensive. It is $39US for a bottle of sunscreen. Take a walk along the beach and go to the Dominican Walmart. I struggle a lot with walking but I’m so glad I went. The guys there are so nice and helpful and sunscreen there was $10! We did the pirate ship excursion. It was really good. The kids really enjoyed it and they were able to swim with the shark and some stingrays. They were also able to pay extra for the dolphin. The trip there was 45 minutes and the trip back over an hour so don’t believe them when they say it’s close. lol Mad Dog was the one who booked this excursion. He was great. Very friendly and gave us a great deal on it. Overall I would rate this hotel a 3star. I wasn’t overly impressed with it. It was nice to get away but next time we do it will not be here.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Relaxing holiday

We had a wonderful time! No problem getting a shaded spot at the beach or by the pool. The grill at the buffet served good food, but the prepared dishes were on the cool side. The staff was very dedicated to please their clients. Only had problems with the room keys, we had to go to the lobby many times to have them redone. They demagnetize very easily.

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Nice Relaxing vacation (by choice)

We enjoyed our stay at this resort. We stayed on the adult only side. We wanted a quiet, relaxing vacation and for the most part, that is what we got. Our room overlooked the El Beso activity pool and it was very loud from 10 am to 5:30 pm, every day. Some of the "music" was very degrading to women and filled with swearing and disgusting lyrics. I know we all have different tastes in music, but if you want a quieter stay or enjoy an afternoon nap, ask for your room to be beside the quiet  [... read more]pool, not the activity pool. The quiet pool was just that, quiet. We spent most of our time on the beach down by the lagoon. It was beautiful to take our floaties and just float in the lagoon. Unfortunately, the El Beso, Adults Only signs were too small and lots of people brought their kids over there, as the main beach was quite rough. The Lagoon is not on the property so anyone can go there, the issue was they took the chairs from the El Beso privilege area over to the lagoon or they just sat in the adults only area with their kids, leaving less room for those of us who paid for adults only. No one from the resort cared or did anything to stop people from taking the loungers over to the lagoon or from having their kids in the adults only area. The food was ok. We certainly didn't starve but everything was overcooked. Our dinner in the steakhouse was sub par. The steak and the ribs were way overcooked and tough. We felt rushed through our meal, even though the place was over half empty. We enjoyed dinner at The Blue Moon. It was delicious and we had excellent service. there from Neomi. Sakura was tasty, but the rice was undercooked and all the meats were overcooked. We ate breakfast and lunch at Pez Dama (El Beso Adults only) almost exclusively. Clemencia greeted us by name every day and seated us at our favourite table. Miguel, Isaac, Ricardo and Melvyn were very pleasant every day. They were great and took good care of us. We also had a few evening meals there and they were very good. Dinner in the lighthouse was also very good. We enjoyed the piano bar and the lobby bar. There was usually some entertainment there every evening. And we loved Yuli, the lobby bar supervisor. She was so kind and lovely. Yudelka and Yobildania make sure we had a drink when we wanted one. Most of the staff were friendly, but some were definitely not, and would do anything rather than serve you. Mikes coffee bar was excellent. Those folks work very hard all day as there is always a line up there. Nice place to have an afternoon pick me up. Overall it was nice. Biggest complaints were that they allowed smoking in outdoor dining areas. We love to eat outdoors, but not when people are smoking. There should be designated smoking areas around the resort, away from the eating areas. The other complaint was the wine. There was one red, one white and one rose unless you wanted to pay for a bottle, even for privilege guests. The red wine was no better than grape juice. We would go back.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: If they have the chance to disapoint you they will

First the positives: The grounds were beautiful. Kids loved the ducks and turtles on the property. The size was convenient, it felt easy to navigate but not too small. Beach was great, with lots of loungers and places to play. Wide enough to not feel crowded, long enough to go for a beachfront walk. Food was decent, and the drinks that are included in the package are all well made. Most bar staff will do what they can to help you. A La Carte restaurants were excellent, and food overall was ok.  [... read more] Negatives: Privelege was a waste of money. Trying to get enough towels in a day to your room was very painful. Calling front desk, leaving notes in Spanish (with $5 USD tips) and many other ways, always left us disappointed with house keeping. The pillows and mattresses were terrible. Getting room service was very difficult as well. The rooms were just ok, still basic, although some of the higher number buildings that have been renovated to privilege had slightly nicer rooms. No bottled water poolside or at restaurants, no wait service poolside. The Pizza place is always running out, this system should be revisited. A general feeling at the resort of if you want anything above and beyond their basic offerings, it won't happen. I wouldn't go back, for a few hundred dollars more a person, you can get substantially more in Punta Cana. OR for a few hundred less, the same in Cuba.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Loved it!

My 14 year old daughter and I went to this resort on New Yers Eve. Check in was very easy, staff at the front desk were amazing. Got to our room and was shocked as it was a very nice and big room. We proceed to go explore the resort (it was 11pm) and they had a huge tent so for NYE and very classy! Fireworks along with champagne, it was very well done. Food was good (maybe a little more variety would be nice). Joel and Omar at the bar were fantastic, Esme and Valentina amazing entertainment. Ove [... read more]rall, I would definitely go back.

Riu Republica: Resort review

Do your homework before you go to this resort. I didn't and it's a party resort. Kids drinking until they get so drunk. Saw them hurt and smashed. I have stayed at a Riu in Jamacia and Mexico. The standards and food were a much better quality. Hot tub broken. Air conditioning terrible. Toilets didn't flush. TV didn't work.

Riu Palace Bavaro: Great Family Vacation

The hotel and the gardens were beautiful, well kept, and clean. We were satisfied with the size of our room as well as the view from the balcony. The best part of our stay is the service we got from everyone working there. They were friendly, courteous, and always willing to please. However there was one thing that was most annoying during the week and that was the fact that the elevators were out of commission most of the time. This proved to be a hardship since I had surgery on my ankle rec [... read more]ently. We were also disappointed that although we booked as a group we were all in different sections on different floors. We travelled with our children and grandchildren. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Riu Palace Bávaro and wouldn’t hesitate to return for another vacation.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Clean and well cared for resort

This is a resort with a good mix of quiet areas with more active options. The beaches were cleaned every morning and there was an abundance of chairs available at the pools and at the beach. The rooms were clean and comfortable. There was a great variety of food at the buffet and the staff were attentive. I appreciated the different themes of the evening buffet.The excursions were well organized with knowlegable and friendly guides.There small details that did not affect the overall trip but [... read more] could be addressed. The room key kept needing to be reprogrammed. The fridge nor the safe worked in the room. Not all the restaurants were available the week we were there. I would book another vacation at this resort.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Feels Like Home!

I have been to this resort 4 times now. 3 times with my husband and once on a girls trip for my birthday. I do need to note that I upgrade to prestige every time I go to this resort so I can't elaborate on the base amenities. I love this resort mostly for the wonderful staff who make you feel so welcome and are extremely friendly. The beach is beautiful but it does get seaweed washing up, which the staff clean up daily if not numerous times a day. The upgraded bar selections are great and the ba [... read more]rtenders will gladly mix you any drinks you desire. Stella and Corona are only offered in the prestige level so you need the upgrade. I like the restaurants but the buffet is my favorite because of the selection. I am vegetarian and my husband is not but we both walk away full and satisfied. They offer late night food and the disco is fun! The rooms in the prestige level are not super fancy but they are clean and nice. The entertainment team is great and they do a beach party on Thursday nights. I will definitely be returning.

Dreams Flora Resort and Spa: Great resort

Great resort. Very nice beach. A lot of private pools for the swim up. Not stroller friendly. No reservation in restaurant so you have too wait to have a place (sometimes 1hour). Overall very nice place! Be careful because if you miss the information meeting on the second morning, the rep of transat will NOT give you the time of the shuttle to go back to the airport. (Will do a complaint about it).

Playabachata Hotel: Dated place with poor service

From the moment we arrived in Friday it was a bad experience. After traveling since 3 am, we faced a long line up at check in, only to be told our rooms weren't ready and to come back at 3. We were tired and hungry and just wanted to sit down and eat but we're accosted by an agent wanting to connect with us. This person would go on to hound us every day, cutting us off at the pass when we would leave our rooms to head to breakfast. After eating we eventually were given our rooms. This was  [... read more]a family vacation, with 3 of our children accompanying us and we found we were in separate buildings. On arriving in our room we found there were no towels, the phone wasn't working, and there was no wifi. We headed to the beach to make the most of the rest of the day, only to be told there were no more beach towels. At the beach there were no lounge chairs, it was very crowded and chairs were either occupied or “reserved” with towels. Saturday morning when we went to get a table in the restaurant a male employee waived us over to his section. A female employee started yelling at him about needing to show respect to her and she told ua to sit in her area. She tossed the coffee saucers on the table and didn’t bring us any milk or spoons. We faced the same problem trying to find chairs at the beach right after breakfast, eventually finding two broken chairs to use. When we went to find out more about the advertised “endless water sports, from windsurfing, kayaking, pedal boats, snorkeling equipment...and a diving test at the pool. All of these non-motorized sports are included.” we learned the windsurfing required a paid lesson and insurance fee, there are no paddle boats, and the kayaks and snorkeling equipment require a $25 usd deposit - cash only. We had been given 2 bottles of water when we arrived and the kids had drank theirs. They called reception earlier in the day and asked for the water to be restocked but nothing was done. After dinner we went to reception to ask and were brusquely told they didn't have any and to come back later. When I asked when they said to ask at the bar - who redirected us to reception. The rooms are dated, with rattan furniture, dirty tubs, and aged faucets. The cushions in the lobby are stained and some are ripped. Sunday night we kept our beach towels and Monday morning came to the beach around 8 to secure chairs. The kids were able to use the snorkeling equipment and a boogie board with a $25 usd cash deposit each. Using the kayaks only required a waiver. There is still a shortage of beach chairs but at least the restaurant isn't overrun with locals. Nothing against locals but the place shouldn't overbook. Staff continue to be disgruntled and unfriendly. The guy who had been attached to us seems to have disappeared since we didn't sign on to the timeshare. Tuesday-Thursday the beach was much less busy, and we found some wait staff who actually appreciated tips. No complaints about the food, lots of variety every day. Skipping ahead to departure day on Friday. Three staff hanging around at the desk talking to each other rather than welcoming us to the desk. During the checkout process another guest approached and asked if her bags could be stored. The staff directly in front of her said in Spanish to the other one “can't she see I'm busy.” Then the other one started speaking poorly of the guest, complaining that she had asked to change her room to be closer to her friend. Staff don't realize I understand what they say and they are quite rude about the guests. Playabachata has very mixed reviews for a good reason - every day is hit or miss with the customer service. If you book here know that you are taking your chances.

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Royalton Bavaro - the good and the bad

We travelled here in January 2024 with our 8 month old son, 6 yr old daughter and MIL. Overall impression is we would stay here again. Lets start with the good: PREMISES - clean and well maintained grounds. Pools were regularly cleaned of floating debris though opening hours were a little funny. Sign by the splash pad stated open at 9am but water features were inoperable until 10ish most days. ROOM - spacious and comfortable for our family of 4, though we were not able to get adjoining [... read more] rooms for MIL, we were in the same building on a different floor. Bonus points for set up on arrival - double queen room was also equipped with a crib for our infant and pull out couch was made into a bed for our daughter. Did not use the crib, but thoughtful none the less. POOLS - good varierty and layout. Splash pad kept both kids entertained - our son had fun standing up in his floatie and our daughter loved the slides and water features. Its also equipped with an awning to keep part of the pool shady. Childrens pool between infinity pool and diamond club pool was a great place to escape the hot afternoon sun, as it is fully covered by an awning. The lazy river was a hit for the whole family - the 2 slides were well loved and a nice surprise is that it's only 1m deep, with some sunny and some shady portions. STAFF - majority of the staff were warm and friendly, with a few at the buffet, bars and housekeeping going above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and memorable. BEACH - having taken a walk 2km in each direction, it looks like this resort has one of the widest portions of beach. We found that, like many other reviewers wrote, you had to put a towel down in the morning if you wanted a lounger. The water was clear and beautiful, made for great photos in the late afternoon. Its was pleasant to walk into, but unfortunately too wavy for paddle boarding/ kayaking. We brought a life jacket for our daughter and she had a blast. BUFFET - as far as buffets go, good presentation and variety at breakfast and dinner - only place we could dine with small children in a timely manner IMO - see restaurant reviews. Now, for the could use improvement: RESTAURANTS - not an option at dinner time (during our stay, at least) unless you were diamond club OR wanted to be seated at 730pm. One evening after standing in line for 30 minutes before open, we were able to secure a table at Grazie for 730pm. Food was not worth the wait - average at best and service was terrible from start to finish. After this experience we spent the rest of our dinners at the buffet, but saw a massive line up for tables on a daily basis. CHECK IN/ CHECK OUT - service was slow, and staff was uninformative. Too much of a language barrier to be able to get answers to questions about amenities. This could really use improvement. AIRPORT TRANSFER - though not a reflection of the hotel, worth a mention as it is part of the package. The staff at the nexus desk were completely disinterested in providing us with info about pick up times, providing vague and incorrect information to the point where we missed our transfer and took a taxi to the airport out of pocket. Overall these were annoying, but not significant, inconveniences. The resort was largely as advertised, and all staff were pleasant - some going above and beyond. Based on this experience i would return to a Royalton resort.

Playabachata Hotel: Great hotel with lots to see and do

Travelled with two kids and another group of friends. Never felt bored. Resort is constantly being cleaned. Lots of great food options. The resort is huge. Plenty to see and do. Be sure to visit the "old half" of the resort, as the restaurant and bars and less busy. And walk over to common area shared with Senator resort. Beaches are good. Workers are all friendly.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resort!

Just got back from a week at Iberostar Costa Dorada and it was awesome! First off, the resort itself is beautiful. Very well kept grounds and very clean resort. The rooms are very spacious and the bathroom is great also, with a barrier free walk in shower and rainfall shower head. The food at the resort was really good, especially breakfast with all the fresh fruit and fruit juices. Everything was delicious and very fresh. The only issue I had was with the bars/bartenders. They were really spari [... read more]ng with the alcohol, and for me who isn’t a big drinker to notice that it is a pretty big deal. For me to have to ask for more rum in my piña colada is really annoying.

Temptation Miches Resort 21 Plus: Disappointment

Arrived Jan 3-10 temptations miches punta Cana. No reply from sunwing or trip central that the resort changed ownership and was closing Jan 15. Resort was literally empty after 3nights and supply on the resort was cut back due to closing. Will rethink booking sunwing and trip central next trip. Glenn Winnipeg.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Beautiful Grounds

We were repeat customers to this resort and have always loved it but found this time customer service was lacking. The younger staff if they did not understand what you were asking for, would just shake their head yes and never come back! Self-service has a whole new meaning for us! The grounds are beautiful and everything very well maintained.