Decent resort

This was our 12th visit to Gran Ventana little has changed since day one. We were upgraded to a jr. suite but they are not like they used to be rooms are comfortable, however balcony door wont lock we were on the 3rd floor so didn't worry about it. Maid kept room very clean but are in the room toooo much. The buffet is decent but has never been changed up a lot of fruit is often covered in fruit flies and We are beach people but the pool is clean and well used. The beach is great if you like wal [... read more]king or running the beach and has a lot of coral reef so great for snorkeling. This year the wind blew lot the sand was actually drifting didn't really mind it wasn't snow lol. But being end of April into May the resort isn't full and the local people come in on weekends and they literally take over buffet look out. This happened 2 weekends while we were there and our service defiantly goes down when the local people are there. All servers are very friendly with or with out tips but I enjoy giving sneakers and ball caps are favorites. The entertainment is the worst I've ever seen at any resort is any countries. This is a family resort and entertainment is usually sex based and not even good at that. All in all co.mfortable and relaxing

Great vacation

This is the smallest resort we have ever been to. With a 5months old and a 5 years old, this was the perfect place for our first vacation as a family of 4 with the grand parents. We went during low season (beginning of may) so the resort was not at full capacity but everything was running except activities at the beach were limited Pros: check in was fast and exactly what we asked for when we booked. rooms had a communicating door with the grandparents that made it very convenient for us. We [... read more] had two rooms on the main floor close to the pool. Every thing is close, from the room to the pool to the restaurant to the theatre to the beach to the lobby. All is within 5 minutes from each other. Food was good and the 3 à la carte restaurants were nice and easy to book. Activities at the pool were fun and the pool is very nice and safe especially for younger ones (the shallow section was graduel like a natural beach). It was easy to find spots both at the pool and the beach. Snorkelling was amazing at the beach, lots of reef accessible and many beautiful fish Cons: Since the place is affordable, a lot of younger loud groups were there and made it less relaxing of a trip. I don’t know if it is because it is the beginning of hurricane season but the wind was very strong in the afternoon and we couldn't stay at the beach. However at the pool we could barely feel any wind so we did beach in the morning and pool in the afternoon. The resort got flooded with locals on the weekend and it got very crowded and loud. Rooms need updating and cleaning service would always take all towels at the beginning of the day and bring new ones only at the end of the day which was unacceptable but once we told them how annoyed we were they started doing our room early and replace our towels immediately. Before going i read many reviews about this place and i can agree with the majority who said that this place is home away from home.

Good resort

Very clean good food and friendly staff. Beach was very close to the resort and was well kept...... Too many venders trying to sell but we're not annoying.. Golf too expensive for the average person after spend a sum on resort!

Mediocre resort

Compared to other resorts I have been to in the past I have to admit this was my least favourite. There was no 24 hour bar, or even a disco to go to in the evening hours. Also the pool bartender was very rude, and often didn't serve other guests and myself for no reason. The beds in the bedroom were rock hard and the pillows were very uncomfortable to sleep with. I am happy that the weather was perfect all week, and the beach was beautiful. I also enjoyed the food, and entertainment staff.

Blast

Went with friends and my daughter, internet in not throughout the resort so that was unfortunate even after paying extra for our own internet still was very slow. Everything else was great food, service, entertainment, the excursions , location, had a really great time would recommend to friends

Great time

Went with family and friends, had an amazing experience staff were so friendly,entertainment was great , rooms need to be updated a bit but loved every part of the trip, will definitely be returning to this resort again.

Great Week

This was my second trip to the VH Gran Ventana and it didn’t disappoint! The hotel is great, food was terrific and the staff are friendly and work very hard to keep the hotel clean. The hotel was fully booked during our stay however it didn’t feel crowded. I would recommend this resort and will probably return.

Nice resort

This resort is very family friendly. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it there however, it was only my boyfriend and I. They close the main pool every night at 7pm which was kind of a bummer .. the bars also all close down at 12pm. Besides that, the place was super relaxing, quiet, staff were friendly and the food was pretty good. We went in April so the beach was very windy. I’m not sure if that is normal for Dominican or not... another thing is that the beach is public so all the locals will wa [... read more]lk up to you numerous times on the beach trying to get you to buy things. It’s okay at first but after a while it gets to be kind of irritating... especially if you’re just trying to relax and enjoy your time. One of the locals actually got aggressive with us when we wouldn’t give him a $65 (American) deposit for an “excursion” that we later found out wouldn’t of even happened. Good thing we didn’t give him our money. The resort itself is very clean as well. However, I did notice that the maids don’t clean your room as good unless you tip them so make sure you bring extra tip money. Another important thing: make sure you talk to the front desk about all the activities and excursions you can do when you get there. We went to ocean world, it was so much fun. We swam with dolphins. Overall I will give this resort a 7.5/10. If you are looking to party, this is not the right resort. If you have a family / or you’re just trying to relax, this place would be perfect for you.

Great staff

Rooms were clean, staff was very accommodating and grounds were very well kept. Beach was very windy with sand blowing after lunch Meals at buffet were decent but, enjoyed the A la Carte's more There isn't much to do at this resort so for anyone looking for a quiet trip would be sufficient

Great place

The hotel was very clean employees are very friendly food was fantastic . beach was clean. Over all great place. Entertainment was bad no real show's it was all people from the crowd who put on the show on

VH Gran Ventana, Puerto Plata

We have been to this resort 2 times and both trips have been amazing. The resort is clean and well taken care of. The staff are friendly and their customer service they take great pride in. The food is amazing, lots of choices and you will come home gaining weight if you are not able to resist yourself. I did and I am a very pick eater. The beaches are clean and beautiful as well. We will try to return again in the future for sure.

Great Family Resort

This hotel is beautiful. The rooms are very clean and the Housekeeping Staff are second to none. The food was excellent and the wait staff were exceptional. The grounds are beautiful with a large pool and the ocean to play in!! People were snorkeling close to shore to see beautiful coloured fish.

Great vacation!

Exceptionally clean resort. The staff was always friendly. Pools and beach were clean and welcoming. GREAT snorkeling right on our beach. Food was very good, with a large selection. Cozy resort, without ever feeling like it was too small.

Absolutely Fantastic!!

We stayed here April 2 - 9, 2019. We had an excellent time. Our trip was booked through tripcentral, and the travel was effortless (Moncton to Toronto to POP). The resort was not the largest, but amazing in all areas. Great food, room, stocked fridge, pool, beach, miles of beach to walk on, good snorkeling, grounds were meticulous, our room attendant (Lydia) did an amazing job, and she was very friendly. The buffet and dining room staff were excellent, as were all the staff we came into  [... read more]contact with. Very friendly bunch. The resort is a few minute walk to a local mall, and the mall has about 50 interesting stores with decent prices. If your adventurous, you could do what we did; walk to the main road, take the public bus (beat up minivans with no side doors - $1 pp each way) to downtown. There is a store called Jumbo, which is like a dominican walmart...only much cleaner and organized than our walmarts. The local bus will drop you right beside it (they pronounce it Yumbo). We were extremely satisfied with this resort, and we will definitely consider going back again.

Great time guaranteed!

Our 2nd time at this resort and it did not disappoint. Service is very good and food is amazing. Resort is well proportioned and pool and entertainment area are very active and fun filled. Only 3 à la carte restaurants but in our opinion, Buffet Cafeteria can satisfy every want and need; wide variety of meal choices and options. Beach area is very nice with several kilometers of walking enjoyment along shoreline and coral habitats for the snorkelers out there. Several umbrella huts to choo [... read more]se from and shaded tree area along entrance to the beach. All in all a guaranteed fun time for anyone.

Good resort

Resort was pretty good, only thing I didn't like about it was that wifi was not available in the rooms. The food and the drinks were okay. Also the card keys were constantly malfunctioning so that was an annoyance.

First class resort

The staff are the best ever, always smiling and helping with all our needs, and they work very hard. Room is large and very clean. Fresh towels and bedding every day. As return guests we had an amazing special dinner in beach restaurant. We had the best Grouper and all the trimmings. We booked premium package which included acces to Vintage club for top of the line drinks and fancy coffees.we also had all our a lacartes booked for us. We had a private space on the beach, with waiter service f [... read more]or drinks and food. We will be returning soon to meet all your staff who felt like family

Everything you need for an inexpensive vacation

This place is absolutely fine for an inexpensive vacation. Everything we needed, no complaints. Nothing fancy but absolutely more than the essentials here. Anyone complaining otherwise is clearly a difficult person. This place is lovely and the food is all you need for a basic yet fulfilling time! If you're reading this before booking, you can totally book here. As long as you know you aren't paying for luxury. Background : this is our second ever all inclusive. We've travelled a lot and mos [... read more]tly to less developed countries and usually not for vacation. We love vacationing in Thailand which is way more fun than an all inclusive in the Carribean, but sometimes you just want a cheap vacation closeby with a direct flight. I offer this background so you may understand the context of my review. Tips & tricks : if you're reading this review for tips and tricks once you've already booked, welcome. We didn't buy the upgrade to anything. It's fine without it. We were in the Beata building (further away) and it was nice to retreat to peace and quiet. Most people here were middle aged or multi generational families. They all played cards even on sunny days. The buffet : the food was totally fine. We like to eat healthy and there was plant on offer to make yourself a giant protein salad at lunch, to choose from sides with lots of veg, and overall just a fine selection. Everything was fresh, salads were homemade not overly grocery store fake dressing-ed. If you can't find something to eat here you must be one of the people who only ate platefulls of fries all week. Yes I saw grown-ups doing this. By far the best buffet meal was Wednesday night, what they call "world buffet". Don't book an à la carte that night and enjoy nice cheeses. The à la cartes were sort of like pre-plated buffet food. There is nothing wrong with the buffet. But this was nothing like a restaurant experience. I knew some reviews said the restaurants weren't good and now I understand. Keep low expectations. The Italian was by far the worse, smoked salmon and caprese entrées were comical. Instead you should play "pretend the buffet is an à la carte" and surprise your travel partner with one course at a time of your choosing. Much tastier than the a la carte. The entertainment was very lacklustre but you can come to enjoy the sights of the other vacationers who drank a lot that day. Mostly tacky audience participation events that also use all clichés of women vs men. The beach is great. It's huge. You can always find a chair, or get one yourself from the big pile. Didn't find the wind problematic and we spent most afternoons napping and reading out there. Wifi : we did not pay for hotel wifi. We used the free WiFi in the activities area which worked best when no one was around, so think 10 am when everyone's at the back rather than 10pm when everyone is watching entertainment. A few days in we went to town using uber, but it can only pick you up outside the gates of Playa Dorada by the main road. No big deal, 3$ fare to the phone store called Claro. Bought a sim card for 3$ and then a 5 day 5GB data package for another 3$. I'm sure it was much more reliable than the hotel wifi for 35$ USD. In town, we got a pedicure for 400 peso (vs. 960 in the hotel) and enjoyed a yogen fruz. We wanted to go for sushi but they were only open for dinner. We looked into renting a car for some adventure, there is an Avis rental counter very closeby which had good rates. Tell them you have collision insurance through your credit card and it's around 45$ USD for a 24 hour rental of a small car. The '"mall" next to the hotel has a bunch of tourist stores. Prices for alcohol were a bit more expensive than the grocery stores in town but not that bad considering how close it was to the resorts. We had an EXCEPTIONAL meal next to the mall at Passatore Italian restaurant. Best carpaccio I've ever had and a beautiful tuna tartare. Incredible service. Recommend you have a fancy meal here! The gym leaves a lot to be desired. It's not very clean and the machines are quite worn out. None of the free weights had weights written on them. It's fine for a few days, but don't expect much.

Good resort on the beach

Overall, a nice hotel. The food was delicious and plentiful. The pool was warm and open till 7pm. The beach was clean and safe. The room was clean, however, lacked a nice sitting area, even though there was space for a couch. The free Wifi is horrible, but if you are on vacation, it is irrelevant.

Great resort!

Pretty resort, food was great, drinks were even better. Nice pool and beautiful beach! Entertainment was fun and the Sunwing representative was amazing at welcoming us! We had a superior room and it was very simple with a view of the road but we had enough of the trees to give privacy to our deck. Our room was in the 3rd building which was roughly 2-3 minute walk from the main resort but they did have a tiki bar and quiet pool in the court yard of our building. The à la carte restaurants [... read more] were good, the italien restaurant was mediocre but the other 2 were great! The bar fridge was stocked with the local beer until the last 2 days when they started stocking with coors light which was disappointing. Overall I would recommend but spend a little extra and get a upgraded room if you want that true resort feel!