Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Friendly Resort

Casa Marina Beach Resort was a huge place, the grounds were well kept and very nice. The rooms, well our room was fantastic right on the beach. Unfortunately the beach was closed due to high waves most of the week and opened the Monday the day before we left. The food was just OK, I liked the ala carte restaurants better. Over all it was a very nice place, not sure if I would go back there have to wait and see. Won't be travelling in January again though too rainy...

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Good resort

This was about my eight time in the late 3 years stayed in a small hotel last year and never again. The people at the hotel are great anything you need you just have to ask. Took a friend down in oct and he loved it took another friend last week and he had a great time. We rent bikes with a motor on them and travel (scooters) .

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Casa marina in Sousa Dominican republic

The hotel was OK once we got in the area we paid for. The food was very good , better then we have had down south. It rained for 9 out of 10 days and 1/2 of the beach was washed away. We were not allowed to swim in the ocean for 7 days. I am not a good swimmer so would never try to swim at casa marina beach. One young woman drowned on the public beach at Casa Marina and we were told one pregnant local woman died at Sousa beach. We had a nice time as we were with 12 other tourist from Saskatoon [... read more] and Winnipeg and walked around the area and talked with locals the group all new. Locals are very friendly. To use telephone to call home it is very cheap when you go to a telephone shop about 2 to 3 blocks from the resort. Would not recommend to anyone with children. If your NO T a beach person and just want to lay by pool then it is OK.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great vacation

The food was great with a lot of variety. The hotel and grounds are kept very clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The beach and the pool were great places to lay around and relax. I was sorry to come home.

Riu Merengue: Above Average

We were there the week of Jan 10-17 weather was rainy and cool which is out of our control. The resort was at full capacity which made getting chairs by the pool impossible if you weren't out saving them by 7:30 am. Stormy weather also caused excessive sea weed on the beach all week which wasn't dealt with in a timely manner. We had 5 rooms booked with our group and the problem we had was we were all split up all over the property and they wouldn't move us closer together for 3 days. Buffets.  [... read more]Breakfast was standard fare along with lunch. Dinner seemed the same as lunch, chicken, pasta, pizza, pork, fish and beef. There was only one themed night which was Mexican and it was good. No shrimp or other types of shelled fish. Went to the Italian restaurant which took way to long and food was OK. Doesn't sound like a good review but weather had a lot to do with our unhappiness.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: 4 stars for a 4 star resort!

I travelled to the Grand Bahia Principe San Juan Jan 8-15, 2017 as a family of 5 (myself, husband, and boys age 4, 7, 14). I read hundreds of reviews for weeks before we left and was incredibly nervous because the reviews were so mixed-either excellent or completely awful. It's confusing because some websites advertise this resort as 3.5 star, some as a 4, and others as a 5. If you go there expecting a 5 star, I think you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a solid 3.5 to 4 star with good  [... read more]value for your money I think you'll be happy. Although it wasn't the Carrebian family vacation I had hoped for, our experience was by no means a "jail sentence" as another reviewer wrote. Unfortunately the weather did play a role in our experience, but not the fault of the resort. Our week was filled with rain and wind with some sun. Rain affected the pool side entertainment and our beach party. The wind affected our ability to do any of the water sports they offer. The kids club-The wonderful lady, Dahiana, who usually runs it was away for the first few days of our trip and there was a language barrier with her replacement-I couldn't understand how or where the activities were-or if they were even running. Our kids just ended up tagging along with some of the adult games during that time (bean bag toss, darts, and bingo). My 4 year old really enjoyed the mini disco in the evening and it was nice when they offered a game for the kids on the stage after the dancing. Some of the nightly entertainment was fantastic and other shows were less entertaining. I wasn't expecting a very nice beach based on other reviews and after all the rain and wind it wasn't nice at all (as many beaches would be after lots of rain and wind). Dark, wet sand full of seaweed and some garbage. As it started to dry up the sand at the top of the beach did become lighter and soft and my kids did enjoy playing in it. My kids enjoyed swimming in the ocean and never cared about the condition of the beach or water. There are sand fleas and mosquitoes, but we are campers and came prepared so this wasn't an issue. My 7 year old literally painted himself in sand and the only spots he came home with were ones that resembled mosquitoes on his legs that he never really complained about. 4 pools in total. They were nice. I would rate the buffet as about average. Enough selection for everyone to find something. We really enjoyed the hot meats they served. The cold cuts, cheese, fruit and salad bar was pretty much the same every day. There was an omelet station in the morning and pasta station during lunch and dinner-sometimes there were longer waits than others, but I've experienced this at any other resort I've been to. We did 2 of the 3 a la carts-Japanese and Italian (both twice) and they were great! Buffet appetizers and main served to you. The service at the buffet was spotty. We tipped when we received service but there were many times we had to search for someone to bring coffee or utensils because they tables weren't set properly. None of us were sick. In good weather there is lots to do at this resort-mini golf, basketball, tennis, soccer, biking, paddle boards, kayaks, pool side entertainment including games and activities, bingo, darts, ping pong, ring toss-I'm sure I've missed some. The resort is a distance away from excursions-maybe research this before you go if that's what you plan to do. I found the there was a language barrier with many people working at the resort, but most of them smiled and said "hola" when you past. The resort is older so the buildings look a little tired but the grounds were well kept, clean, and beautiful. We had a suite-it was 2 rooms made into 1-it was perfect for our family! 2 tvs, 2 bathrooms, a king sized bed on one side, a pull out couch AND 2 cots on the other. Most of the people there work hard and often long hours. If your looking for a newer resort with a beautiful white sand beach and 5 star service, I don't think this is the resort for you. If your looking for a good value and can look past some imperfections this is a good resort. We booked through Lisa Selig at tripcentral. She made sure we didn't miss our payment deadline, answered questions I had leading up to our trip, and followed up with us after. Thanks Lisa!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Fantastic Resort! Lots of fun!

I went here with a few friends for a week and we all had a fantastic time. The food was delicious, the staff was friendly and the beach and pools were divine. Even though it rained for a part of the trip, there was still plenty to do and see. Really enjoyed the pool tables and the small library. Thanks so much!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resot

Thought the staff and the food were great. My only complaint is that I wish the dancing had more options or themed nights. I'm not great at latin dancing and I wish there had been evenings when they had 90's or rock and roll.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Beautiful Resort

Iberostar Costa Dorado is a lovely clean and well kept resort. The food was amazing and the service fantastic. Would highly recommend it. Have visited many hotels in the Dominican and Iberostars are the best. The hotel staff are extremely helpful and always ready to please. Rooms were always cleaned daily and restocked. Great value for money. Would certainly return.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Huge pool!

The hotel was very clean at all times! Lots of rain during the week but the grounds crew always stayed on top of it. Staff were superb ! Always friendly, joking around with you and always engaging in activities. Drinks were very strong so ask for "un poco" if you do not like to taste the alcohol. The pool was massive and had lots of sports to play which was great! The beach could have more huts to sit under but it was not a deal breaker. The ala cart of Mediterranean was by far the best as the o [... read more]ther 2 did not have much of a choice for meals. Maids were very good but the rooms always were a bit moist from the humidity.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Beautiful Resort on the ocean

Overall this resort offers very good value for money ! The location in downtown Sousa allows you to explore safely the small shops. The services offered such as manicures, pedicures and massages are all very affordable. Within the resort, the staff are very accommodating and friendly. The three swimming pools are very well maintained and are clean with lots of lounge chairs. The food is very good and varies everyday. We managed to stay up and attend the Disco which opens at Eleven PM. It  [... read more]is true that the Main Lobby is a little small and is used for the free WI-FI, but still works !

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Great Place

Sunscape in Puerto Plata was wonderful. Foam Party every Saturday...SO MUCH FUN!! Evelyn at the Explorers Club was amazing and treated our daughter like her own child! We stayed on the first floor of building 10. I loved it! Came right out to pool, bar, food and close to entertainment. Very nice beach to walk on!...but not clear or good for swimming. Food at buffet was good..not great. Italian restaurant was excellent! Entertainment area was always packed and easy to socialize. Drinks were fine, [... read more] nothing special. Small resort, so not great for long strolls..but good for being close to everything the resort had to offer. Paid $20 CDN outside the front entrance for a horse/carriage ride down the street towards the mountain and to an outdoor market..was a small journey but a beautiful view! Would rate the resort 3.5 stars.

Riu Merengue: Riu Merenge - Nice location and good food but......

Overall this hotel is decent. We did have some issues the first day with room location - they relocated us when we asked....but the new room had serious A/C issues which was a bit of a comical farce trying to get fixed...so we ended up going back to the initial room that night just so we could sleep in a cool room. The evening Manager said he was going to write a report....which truly was not helpful to us at all. We ended up staying in that original room the full week as I didn't want to wast [... read more]e time changing rooms again. Note to large families/groups travelling together: please remember there are other guests that have also paid money to enjoy a holiday and you need to be respectful of everyone's right to their holiday. Groups of unsupervised children running amok yelling and screaming at all hours, loud "conversations" between rooms and in hallways and "group togetherness" late at night is not ok...it's downright rude. Hot water was good...sometimes had to let it run a while before it heated up but once it was there it was super hot. Nice to have a room fridge with some water and soda, etc. in it. They won't refill your fridge if you aren't there to answer the knock so you might have to chase them down as it's not the room maid that does it. I thought the in-room liquor dispensers were overkill and not needed. Nice touch of an umbrella in each room for those evening sporadic showers. We really had no issues with the property or location. The food ranged from ok to some very good dishes. The staff were lovely when you made the effort to treat them as human beings and make eye contact, speak to them and ...oh yes...actually leave them a tip . I was appalled at the way the many guests from Eastern Europe treated the staff as if they were ghosts. Not friendly towards other guests either. They need to work on their social skills. I'm thankful everyday that the majority of Canadians have such good manners and are kind, pleasant and respectful people. It was a nice sized beach to walk on ...it's a lovely walk up to the gazebo on the cliff at the Riu Bacchata where you can see the cruise ships when they are in. It was very cool to watch the ships depart from behind the cliff and into the open ocean ...and see them disappear into the distance while you were sitting on the beach! We are beach people and didn't use the pool all week so can't comment on that. Entertainment was quite sporadic. Some nights it was terrific...others it was just plain odd. The Merenge has two sections - make sure you check out the offerings of both stages before you commit to watching a show - they varied greatly in quality. Down sides of this resort : 1) lack of clarity in the water. I hoped to snorkel from the beach but could not all week due to the murkiness 2) everything sold is priced in U.S.$....when you asked for the conversion to Dominican currency the price jumped 3) very expensive excursions A few years ago we stayed at a Bahia Principe in Samana and I would return there before this hotel/area of DR.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Average Hotel

The hotel was of average standard. The rooms were okay. The bathroom could use updating. The water pressure was poor and so was the hot water. Rooms were not cleaned until late afternoon. It would be nice if they added a bar at the beach and if the staff was a little friendlier. Overall everything was okay, three stars.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Very Disappointed

We were very disappointed. We had booked a Master Suite and was given a standard room. We were told they overbooked and nothing we could do about it. After getting our transit rep involved we were able to get what we booked. We had the room we wanted for 3 nights out of the seven. We booked two months in advance and they had plenty of time to inform us however they chose not to. We will not go back to this resort, we didn't book a holiday to argue over rooms.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Not what it used to be

This was our fifth time at the resort and unfortunately our last. From the rats running through the lobby to the roachs on the buffet the resort has gone downhill. Room smelled musty with a large critter included. We had to switch rooms. I wil say the entertainment staff was excellent as always. It's too bad it has gone downhill as this was one of our favourite resorts.

Riu Merengue: Waste of Money

Our first of three rooms had two twin beds pushed together as opposed to the king size bed we had booked, it was like sleeping over at the girlfriends house when I was a teenager. The second room smelled of mildewed basement and old socks and finally the third room's air-conditioning didn't work. At this point we gave up on getting a decent room. The water and the beach were dirty and while at the beach we were constantly accosted by people trying to braid hair or sell tours not associated with  [... read more]the hotel. The food was mediocre when it wasn't bad, and the service at the ala-carte was horrendous. The pool area hasn't been updated since the mid seventies. If a refund and leaving early(as in the day after arrival) had been a option, we'd have left immediately. Never to return. Spend your money else-where.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Beautiful, but likely won't go back :(

The reasons being : We were led to believe we could pay to be upgraded for the week to VIP and got the run around, to ultimately not get it. We were not told that our excursions were cancelled , on two separate occasions when they said to us they would run rain or shine. During the rainy days, there were no activities planned to fill our time. They seemed to not beprepared for rain days. In fact a guest staying there used his own equipment to do some karaoke in one of the stations. So the [... read more]re was something to do. The beach and the view was beautiful and the staff was very pleasant and upbeat, which was very nice.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Ok.

The resort and staff itself was pretty decent, but the beach was kind of disappointing, small and very rocky. People are very pushy for you to do other things that arent included from the resort. I was also annoyed that the fact that you have to take a shuttle bus to the a la cart dinners, (we were not told about it, so we were a half hour late). The staff overall was okay, some were really nice and helpful, still a huge language barrier. We got lost on the resort, and one of the workers told us [... read more] we went the wrong way, I almost got bit by a dog, which is super scary in a foreign country. The food was okay, they didnt really change it up in the buffet, but the pool areas were super nice, and the areas were kept super clean. The only unclean thing about the resort is the septic that was near the beach REAKED of poop. The website was also not clear about the vip beaches, or beds. I would rate 2.7/5

Riu Merengue: Great vacation

We just got back from a week away. I was traveling with my 3 boy - 13,11,9. They had the BEST time ever. The staff was amazing. Always happy, and so friendly. There was always something to do. The hotel was nice, they kept it clean. They were really quick to take care of anything you needed. The staff is what made this trip so amazing. Mel