Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Outdated Resorts

This was our (me and wife’s) third stay but unlike the previous ones it was a disappointment. Most waiters/servers either new or haven’t got proper training. Even the manager we dealt with was very defensive while handling complaints. Our room phone didn’t work for 5 days out of our 7 days stay. So our package which included room service but to no avail for us. None of the TV channel was working. We were told that it’s cable fault. We couldn’t understand that how it was our concern. T [... read more]hey simply said that it can’t be repaired. On the 6th night the roof leaked. We were told that someone would come right away but it didn’t happen. So we went to the concierge. The night duty officer sent us with the porter to two different rooms which were either dirty or ineffective. He should have first ensure beforehand that rooms are ok and ready. We were denied to be moved to other group resort where rooms were available. So we were forced to stay in our original room whose had started dripping. That was a nightmare for us and also a shock that how come hospitality business could be so mindless to their guests. Next morning when we asked manager if she is aware of the problem we had last night, she had no clue. I asked that do have of their own internal system of incidental reporting but it seemed liked they she didn’t pay attention to any of those reports or no report was made. We are the people who understand that issues could arise, but we also expect that it would be addressed in a appropriate manner which didn’t actually occur.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Wonderful Vaca

We had a wonderful vacation at Dreams Palm Beach. The staff were so helpful (Noemi, Ambi and Albertito were especially great). We enjoyed all the specialty restaurants. Our room and the resort were always clean. We would return to Dreams Palm beach

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Awesome trip.

Over all it was a great trip. Dreams Onyx was a actual dream. Air Transat needs a little focused on logistics. Was sitting in a bus at punta Cana airport waiting to go to resort for an hour and a half. But the resort made up for that lack of organization from Air Transat. We had the preferred club package, it’s worth the extra cost. Kevin from trip central made booking and searching so easy. His recommendation was perfect.

Paradisus Palma Real Golf and Spa Resort: Beautiful resort but lacking management quality service

We spent a week at the Paradisus as I had read reviews of this resort being one of the best in Dominican to have a wedding and I wanted to do in-person research and possibly book the wedding. The resort is architecturally beautiful and all of the main areas, pool and beach are kept as clean as possible. The wait staff and entertainment staff were very friendly especially Imael at the lobby bar who makes the best happy coffee, Ruby at Gabi Bar, Alejandro, Darlin and Jairo from the entertainment  [... read more]staff. We had fun dancing with them most nights! But the hotel and management side of the resort doesn't work as well. The hotel rooms are nice but the washrooms are open concept - fine for couples not so great for friends or families visiting. There really isn't too much privacy. The huge bathtubs looked nice but didn't look clean enough to use. There were discolourations and marks on it. There is a definite issue with the phones as some of them don't even work. We had to use the phone in the bathroom to actually talk to someone. The cleaning service for the rooms did do a good job on a daily basis but I found the mini bar wasn't replenished every day. Our entire contact with the management team was really uninviting. When we checked in we were told we had a concierge who would contact us but no one ever did. We had asked for a room with 2 double beds but despite asking twice, we ended up with 1 giant bed and a roll-away bed (we were 3 girls in 1 room and we all wanted our space). On our 2nd night, my friend sleeping on the roll-away bed realized she had bed bug bites all over her legs. She had experienced bed bugs before so knew what to look for on the bed as proof. As it was late at night, we decided to wait till the next morning to inform management. They didn't seem to recognize the signs of bed bugs (rusty blood stains and fecal matter residue) but that could have been a language barrier. We asked for a new room and they were good enough not to argue about that. We met with the supervisor Emelin at registration and she initially did suggest they were mosquito bites but didn't push further when my friend said this was her 3rd time and she knew the difference. We were promised a new room that afternoon and once again I asked for 2 beds and the sofa bed to be opened up - we were not going to get another roll away bed. We had also asked about the concierge that was promised on day 1 and were told we actually weren't eligible for that service but they would give it to us now. We met with Reina who gave me her phone number and said to call or text her if we needed anything! That afternoon after spending the day at the beach, we went back to the lobby, picked up our suitcases and got escorted to the new room only to find we had 1 bed again (the beds are pushed together). We asked the person who escorted us and they said they would get someone to fix it. We then opened the fridge to get some water and it was empty!! We had to call someone from the bathroom phone but it is impossible to get through and talk to someone who understands. We tried a few times and we weren't sure if the person we spoke to understood as there was no clear response from them. I texted our concierge who said she would look into it and I walked back to the desk to tell them that we still don't have 2 beds and no water. It took 2 hours for our fridge to get filled! I understand that they might be short staffed after COVID but they are also only at 40% capacity. My concern is that the service issues is not a temporary issue. We went out for dinner and came back at 10 and we still had just 1 giant bed for the 3 of us. So we started again with calling from the room, texting the concierge (with no response from her at all) and we got the service in under an hour. The concierge never even responded to my message. The next message from her was the activities for the day received the next morning. We did not see her or receive any more messages from her for the rest of the week - not even the activities for the day! I also asked when I checked in to talk to someone about wedding inquiries. It was friday evening and no one was available till Monday. I had to email them to get an appointment. My email was returned by Monday aftenoon at which time we were waiting for water in the new room after having bed bugs! I emailed them back the next morning and told them the list of issues we were having and that I wasn't sure about having a wedding here anymore. They apologized and asked which resort we were staying at. I was sad that they couldn't even coordinate that information on their own! My friend posted her review on our 3rd day in and on the 4th day, we got told we were getting upgraded to the Reserve service - access to a separate buffet restaurant for breakfast and lunch, the adult only pool and bar with premium drinks and 1 separate restaurant. While we really enjoyed all of the perks, the hotel did not see fit to give us this as soon as we reported our issues - only when we complained on a public forum. Lastly, there is a management practice that we really did not appreciate. The entertainment staff who we had so much fun with knew when it was our last day and literally were forcing us to give the hotel a 5 star review. I can't blame them for following the instructions they were provided but management has told them that if they don't get a 5 star review with their names mentioned, their jobs are in jeopardy. You cannot give the hotel a 3 star review but mention their names and give them credit. They went so far as leaning over you and hitting the 5 star button on your phone to make sure it gets done. This really turned me off the hotel management as the final straw. Exploiting their staff's connections to force a review. I can easily say that I will not readily choose Paradisus again because of all of this even though I enjoyed the sun, the beach and the food!

Occidental Punta Cana: très beau site

Un terrain très bien entretenu, bien éclairé, musique en bordure des allées. Chambres de belle qualité, ascenseur, balcon avec table et chaises. Le côté le plus déplaisant c'est le personnel, peut souriant, surtout à la réception, manque de formation, menteurs ils inventent les pire conneries, te font patienter de façon abusive, font des promesses qu'ils ne tiennent pas très déplaisant comme attitude. La nourriture bonne mais toujours la même chose, service aux tables corrects. Se [... read more]ul emplacement sans palapas comparativement aux voisins. On peut comprendre que la pandémie à frapper durement, mais ils ne sont pas prêts. En général pour un Barcelo on repassera. Je ne considère pas cet hôtel comme un quatre étoile, mais un trois étoiles

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: A Resort To Go To

During Covid worries, don't hesitate about going here. Immaculate and safety precautions that I definitely felt good about. In addition the resort itself was beautifully kept, grounds are amazing and rooms are satisfying, comfortable and very clean. The staff from administrative to cleaners and to buffet and restaurant/bar staff were receptive, accommodating to requests, and overall have a very helpful and kind attitude. Flying in and out of Punta Cana Airport was a very good, effi [... read more]cient and safe/healthy experience.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Ocean blue and sands punta cana

The grounds and rooms were beautiful very clean . Food was delicious .All a la carted we’re yummy. They did a amazing job keeping cleanliness and looking after the guest .I definitely felt comfortable and would recommend this resort.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: HONEST REVIEW

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro from November 22-29. I’ll go through step by step how our experience was from booking until home. First off, initially booking with trip central was great! Carol was able to find us the best room for the best price and the majority of the work of booking was done through her. She ensured to include what we needed for travel, including what we need to get into the DR and everything we needed to get back home. The night before we left how [... read more]ever, we weren’t able to check into AirCanada for our flight. Obviously concerned, we called air Canada and were told the information, specifically our names, were incorrect for our flight. This was a 2.5 hour problem literally a few hours before take off. If we had not called, we wouldn’t have been able to get on the plane. This was extremely frustrating on our end and caused a huge inconvenience/ stress all because of one simple mistake from trip central. Getting to the resort was easy as airport transfer was included. Once we arrived at the resort, it took us almost an hour to check in. Hotel staff was incredible nice though, took care of our luggage and ensured it made it up to the room. The room itself was definitely not a 5-star. The bathroom was musty, mouldy, and very poorly constructed. We wore our sandals in the shower because water would just pool at the bottom and sit for days. The outlet also would come right out of the wall and expose live wires. The bed mattress was as hard as a rock, made it very uncomfortable for sleeping and was very creaky. The aesthetics of the room were good and house cleaning was fantastic. Always checked in and made sure we had everything we needed. I had a birthday surprise package purchased for my boyfriends birthday which was done very nicely. It included balloons, chocolates, a cake and rose petals. Our first nights dinner was great. I honestly can’t say enough good things about the service and staff at the hotel. Everyone was very welcoming, little bit of a language barrier but that’s to be expected! Breakfast is also very good. Lots of options available for every kind of food intolerances. The food had labels as to which allergies it contains, such as wheat, dairy or seafood. This was super helpful, but not always accurate so keep an eye! Flash forward to day 3. We had lunch at a restaurant by the beach and roughly two hours later, I was projectile vomiting into a garbage can. I got the worst food poisoning I have ever had in my life!!! I was violently ill for 24 hours straight, didn’t leave the room for 2 days. This put a little bit of a damper on the rest of the trip as I was extremely weak and had bouts of nausea and an upset stomach for the remaining 3 days, made it a little difficult to fully enjoy. My boyfriend didn’t have any issues and thought highly of the food however. Once again, housekeeping was incredibly courteous bringing me lots of water, extra garbage bags and even brought me some tea. Heads up.. there’s no ginger ale and it was pretty difficult to find Gatorade. Our AirCanada rep, Juan was very kind and offered to drive over some as well. We did an excursion on the Friday to Catalina Island. It was a catamaran full day trip booked with GoExcursions, which was through our AirCanada rep. It was well organized, but the food and snacks they offered were bare minimum. Some store bought croissants, the tiniest single sandwiches I’ve ever seen, and a fruit skewer. The alcohol was also bottom barrel rum in an unlabeled bottle lol. The island itself was really nice, we were able to snorkel off the boat as well as the off the island. There was a snorkel expert there that toured me around and showed me some pretty cool marine life. Lunch afterwards was alright. It was buffet style and the everything tasted good, no food poisoning! This was probably the highlight of the trip. The beach was good, lots and lots of sea grass this time of year though! Staff did a good job of raking it every morning and there was a wake that caught most of it as well. The sand was beautiful, very white! We had privilege status and had a private sector off the main beach which had beds and more comfortable chairs, as well as full service for drinks. This was a great addition but there really wasn’t any other major differences between privilege and not, a little disappointing. Checking out was a breeze and transportation was comfortable again. Once at the airport, prepare to wait in a lot of big lines! Once again, because our names were typed in incorrectly at booking, we weren’t able to check in for our flight. This was extremely nerve wracking, considering we’re in a different country. We weren’t able to use a kiosk and had to speak directly with a desk rep. They gave us an extremely difficult time and we spent almost an hour sorting everything out with them. They almost didn’t allow us on the flight plus with how long it took, we were minutes away from missing our flight. At the airport, be prepared to wait in a lot of big lines! Getting back into Canada wasn’t difficult. Just make sure you have all the appropriate paperwork, vaccination status’, and the ArriveCAN app. All in all, traveling in the pandemic wasn’t as bad as one would think. The hotel did a good job at keeping everyone safe and ensuring cleaning practices were don’t effectively. AirCanada was also great with upholding mandates. Masks had to be worn at all times on the flights, and around the hotel inside buildings. Which was not a problem coming from Canada, being used to it! The adults only resort is also attached to the main Catalonia resort which was actually nice to have! We walked over there a lot. Just gives different options for entertainment and food! Overall, not the most relaxing trip and definitely would have changed some things. Trip Central caused us the biggest grief with the mistake in names with the flight information. Food poisoning wasn’t great either. Great hotel staff though and the hotel itself was picturesque. But first trip for both of us in 7+ years and a good learning experience!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Going downhill and only getting worse

Grounds are nice, clean and well maintained. Food ok if you like fish,chicken,pork or beef. Most buffet meals are overcooked. Roomservice was ok but they kept forgeting part of the order everytime. A la catre rest. M.E.A.T was ok, Portofina wasn't like in August, food arrived lukewarm to the table Cooking staff at las olas for breakfast wear the mask underneath their chin !!! Great protection against covid. Managing staff don't care about covid rules, told them on multiple occasions about people [... read more] in the buffet area with no mask or underneath the nose and they don't move to adress the problem. Beach was seaweed free but a bit rough. No service near the end of the beach. You have to be near a bar for beach service. Don't accept 69109 as a corner jr. suite, it's awful with all the truck noise and diesel smell. They moved us to 67317 which was excellent with a small oceanview and full poolview. Spa was very good but they cut back on alot of packages since August. Night entertainment with the singers (3 nights) was poor, one lady singer shouldn't even be there. Shows on the other hand (4 nights) were good to quite good. Some staff were friendly others didn't care. Definetly not a 5 star, more 31/2 at best. Companies whose staff rate this hotel 5 stars should be fired or sent to a real 5 stars hotel. Enough said, hope this review helped.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Lovely resort. Great value.

The resort is spectacular with good entertainment. Restaurants were really good. Service was good except for room service due to the limited English. Beach,pool etc. we’re really good. The resort is very well maintained and clean.

Excellence Punta Cana: Resort Parallel to the Beach

Love the fact that the resort is relatively small and parallel to the beach. Ample beach lounge chairs so no need to wake up super early to reserve... There is plenty available all the time. The food is really good and the rooms are spacious and clean. Note to consider: The beach flag is always RED meaning Danger. Therefore, for those hoping to swim in the ocean at your leisure, beware. You can "stand up" in the waves, close the edge of the sand but you can rarely go out and actually swim [... read more] since the waves are pretty strong and high. This is our 2nd time at this resort and we love it. BUT, this time, I must admit that help and reassurances concerning getting our negative Covid test back in time were not handled with empathy. It was really late coming in. We had found the phone number of the clinic to enquire but the staff at the clinic only spoke Spanish and none of the Desk clerks were willing to take the call and translate for us. We had to wait. Were extremely worried. It finally got resolved but there seemed to have been a sense of "it's not really our problem.

Ocean El Faro: Amazing Resort

We visited the resort from Nov 19 - 26th. The resort was one of the best ones we have stayed at. The food was good and always had plenty to eat. Rooms and grounds were kept clean. Staff was amazing. Swim up bars are closed due to Covid but the entertainers do a great job of keeping things fun. We will be back to vacation at this resort.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Amazing Ressort

Beautiful Resort, Amazing Beach, Wonderful Staff Had a Great Vacation. Weather was Perfect. Beach Dinner was Amazing. Lobster was huge! Pool Staff Incredible…Thanks to Marlene and Desiree 💕 Hugh Thanks to Juan Carlos Valdemora who made it Perfect. This man goes above and beyond to make everything Perfect! 🥰

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Loved it

Beautiful resort!! I loved everything about it, except the beach area it was a bit rocky , I stayed on the el beso side where ppl were partying at the pool, room very clean with everything u need including a mini bar, coffee machine etc.. great view … worth going for sure!!❤️

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Wonderful staff and relaxing environment.

I want to preface this by saying COVID changes all inclusive travel, so please keep that in mind and this review is based on that open minded thinking. Both my mom and I have traveled to a number of all inclusives, including a few others in Punta Cana. I can't speak to the family section at all. I will note if you are looking for an adults only, there ARE children, however only 2 of the 7 buildings allow children and there are a lot of adult only areas. I had originally looked for adult only but [... read more] I was happy with Majestic Mirage. Majestic Elegance is adult only, though not all club level. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND club level if you go that route. My mom and I (72 and 38) travelled together for 10 days via WestJet and we upgraded to Premium. I highly recommend premium if you can swing it for the priority screening/check in/boarding, baggage, food and service. I can't go back to regular economy. The flight attendants are required to enforce the mask rule, please go easy on them. The attendants we had on 4 flights (Ottawa-Toronto, Toronto- Punta Cana and then back) were WONDERFUL! On the way back though they had clearly been having issues enforcing this rule and were frustrated. We booked a swim up suite in Mirage Club which is one of 5 adult only buildings. Airport: Connecting at Toronto was pretty seamless, though coming back airport staff at screening at Toronto did not care at all about social distancing and rushed everyone together. Got off the place and through customs/luggage/etc in 15 minutes. Check In: Was a breeze, individual check in in a waiting area with snacks and drinks. It went relatively quickly. Since we got to the resort around 4:30 our room was ready. There had a been a room change pre-arrival, the original room was what I had requested (interior facing swim up) but my mom was happier with the exterior. If you want to be close to the beach and the action, request buildings 4 or 5 interior. We were in building 5. Room: Spacious, clean, comfortable bed, traditional coffee maker and nespresso. We took a container of milk from the buffet. It was kept well stocked in snacks and drinks. Air Conditioning wasn't great but not terrible. Musty smell went away after a day or two. Butler: Alejandro was amazing. Your butler walks you to your room and shows you key areas along the way. We connected on whatspp and anything we needed I could just message him. Anytime he saw us he asked if we needed anything. Club Lounge: At the end of building 5 and 6, as well as in the main lobby for families (and anyone could go in, I just never used it!), snacks and drinks. This is also where you get towels (there is no towel card, just ask!) and book covid PCR test (65$ each). Food: Buffet Seaside (near the beach) has beautiful views of the ocean, it is buffet for breakfast and Lunch and a seafood a la carte for dinner. We aren't seafood people so we didn't try it. Main Buffet has slightly more options than seaside. Both are good quality though the food was fairly similar (except dinner at the main buffet) every day. The only 2 a la carte that require reservations are the Tepanyaki and French. Italian, steakhouse and seafood you can just walk up. I recommend if you don't want to wait to get there by 6:30 when they open. We tried all except french and seafood and I was happy with all. Snacks are at the lounges and sports bar is 24 hour (didn't try it). Room service was okay but things were cold by the time it got to the room. There is a good selection of food though. Coffee shop in the plaza is wonderful, I recommend the half and half, half frozen espresso and hot warm chocolate. Drinks: Servers were available, I didn't go up to the bars much anywhere. Great bartenders. I recommend their drink, the Majestic. Frozen orange/coconut flavour with rum. They make delicious mojitos. The house Red was good, though I wasn't a fan of the House White. They did apparently have issues with their suppliers during covid. Pool: Swim out suite was great with the bali beds. If you want a more secluded option, ask for the exterior room. if you want a party area, ask for interior. If you do not have a swim up suite and are a pool person there are plenty of bali beds and loungers. Beach: Adult only areas, lots of entertainment during the day. There is seaweed, it is natural. They do their best in the morning to clean it off the beach but there is only so much they can do. The water is wonderful and there aren't many rocks going in. Nightly entertainment: Plaza has live music from 7-9, nightly show is 9:30-10:30. Other than that, not much night life. This is a relaxed resort, not a party resort. Things were closed, other than the sports bar, by midnight. There is a disco in between colonial and elegance, not sure if it was open when I was there. The entertainment staff are wonderful and friendly and try to engage everyone. The staff here work hard to make you happy, they were ALL wonderful. I could sing their praises all day. They were out of work for 8 months and are so happy to see travelers again. If you have issues they want to improve.

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Excellent resort

My family and I were a group of 50 people came to Royalton Bavaro resort for 7 days. Almost everything was amazing the staff, services, shows, we really appreciate every and each person who works there from front door staff to the highest level. There are a few things needs to be improved including the cleaning, room services, more inclusive activities, nightly music at floor dance, etc. I want to specially thank Diosmaikel at the Buffet who went out of his way to try to get cream for my coffee  [... read more]big thank you, the host Niuberi, room cleaners Mayra and Brenda. We really hope to c u all in the near future Azi 16313

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: What can I say...

What can I say?? We love Bahia resorts and as a 9 time guest we were quite excited to be going back to Punta Cana. This however, turned out to be our least favorite experience. We had issues at check-in, a crappy bed, and the food was just mediocre. We understand that some things may be affected by the COVID times however our trip was slightly disappointing to us. We have come to expect a higher standard from Bahia. Nothing that we experienced (or didn't experience) was enough to ruin our v [... read more]acation however it may make us reconsider which Bahia location we travel to next, if at all. The beach, grounds and pools are beautiful no matter what.

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Wonderful Vacation at El Beso

Had a great time at El Beso in November 2021. We were a group of 6 and all had different styles of rooms. We had a swim out, one couple had a regular room and the las couple had toilet issues and were upgraded to the roof top terrace. All the rooms are very similar in decor, just a big size difference with the roof top. The swim out we had was in building 17, sun all morning, it was perfect. The food was as expected, always something to eat. The only crappy part is that you cannot prebook  [... read more]your a la carte restaurants. For Japanese you must get up at and be up there to book at 7am, all the others you have to wait in line at for 6pm. It’s a bit of a pain but we figured it out and ate at restaurants every night. The other option is to eat at the adults only restaurant at the beach. We did breakfast there everyday and they also had theme nights for dinner at 6:30pm or 8pm. It was great. A very nice feature is the lazy river. It is on the family side but a short walk from the adult pool. We brought our own tubes, good thing as they were very hard to find throughout the day. Overall the resort is well maintained and the staff are very friendly, we did not have any issues with service, we knew what we were getting into with Covid. Mikes Coffee was dynamite, a must visit place with lots of room to sit inside or outside. The airport leaving DR though was a gong show, make sure you also complete your departure declaration before you get in line, many people didn’t and they just shoved us to the back of the line. Finally made it through customs and made it on the plane 20 min prior to departure and did not get a chance to do some duty free shopping. I would definitely visit El Beso again.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great food, good staff, safe & clean

Great staff, amazing food selection,clean spacious room. Grounds are beautifully kept. Pool got very busy and not enough chairs. Music too loud at pool & main lobby. Nice beach. It was great having access to the other resorts, especially when the pool got so busy & loud.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: It use to be better

I wish I could say I got what excepted ,base on my last time I visited ,unfortunately, I did not . The food verity is limited a lot of pork in the buffet ,I was looking for beef(stake) but it was offered only 2 days in my week stay. And in the buffet they run out of food fast for example ( grilled mussels was done so fast and when I asked for it, they say sorry finished,we don't have anymore ) . We had few a la Carter restaurant to reserve for dinner and ,U couldn't reserve a in most of it  [... read more] . We only could do 3 . And the meat restaurant was not that good . My cell was stolen the last day before check out . And when I contact them when I went home , they said I should have contact the police before leaving the country ! Honestly ,I don't belive it I should delay my flight to look for my cell . Before ,the servers use to approach u more often to ask u what do u want! Now u where lucky if one passes u and asks .none on the peach . Overall, it was way better before.