The resort was beautiful and the food was very good, except that they had pizza and spaghetti everyday on the buffet. As far as the maids and cleaning the rooms, that was awful. Our towels were not changed for 5 days, even though we kept telling them, then no water was left in our fridge, then our shower wasn’t working and the water was rising up to my knees every time I took a shower. It is sad that they don’t take care of their guest with respect.
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David922 -
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Ocean El Faro: not a 5 star but a wonderful vacation
I'll start by thanking the people who helped us through out the vacation Nicky the receptionist who gave us the best swim up Teresa the housekeeper and here friend who took over Luis the tram driver who was amazing .Then i would like to thank all the bar staff at the swim up bar by the lazy river . All the staff from ground keepers servers pool cleaners you are amazing helpful friendly and not at all nasty like some of the reviews have said .The room was amazing best swim up we've had the vide[... read more]o reviews are 100% accurate however the patio door was really hard to open and shut it is very heavy even the house keepers had trouble so resident animals two cockroaches both taken care of very efficiently and quickly by the staff a crab(Ernie)and a family of Gecko's. The pools are great food not so much if your a foodie you'll hate it however it is good for everyone else , themes at the buffet sometimes hit and miss best restaurant blue moon worst dolce vita best vibe Sakura and the steakhouse is good too .Wifi is good no problems with or the hotel app which makes it easy to book restaurants and see menu's programs etc ok shop expensive aren't they all gym didn't go or spa again too expensive for us casino is it? tiny bowling great fun bars good mike's coffee bar great no problems getting served entertainment good not great but they all work their butts off to make it a good evening no the cons beach not great to much seaweed and very rocky plus the sellers drive you nuts now the big no no the Premium guys they will not take no for an answer and when you say no at the end of the pitch they get real nasty!!! so if they come up to you just tell them to f off they understand that . ! will finish on a positive we had a great ten days and would come back in a heartbeat
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TiTi -
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Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Mother/Daughter Vacay
This resort was Amazing! Everything was clean and well maintained and compact. Staff were awesome! Big beautiful pool, with lots of loungers.You do not have to get up early to save a chair. Food was excellent. The Mexican and Japanese restaurants are a must try. Great beach with lots of loungers. My room was spacious and very clean and had everything you could need. Very modern. The Spa was lovely. Will definitely return.
FYI:SMOKER FRIENDLY
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Private -
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Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Senator Resort and Spa
Air Conditioning in room not working well to keep up with heat - 39 degrees humidity and rooms are hot. Buffet area needs perfectly working AC in this kind of heat. It would be great if they Do not open Buffet room door rather keep them shut n turn up the AC
Disco/Club was closed for renovation entire trip
Walking back and forth to and from villa which was very far from pool/buffet was extremely hot. Shuttle service not available for non VIP
Everything else was enjoyable. Must say [... read more]concierge was excellent. Extremely clean and neat, well kept Resort. Resort is beautiful
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Private -
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Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Great, Good & Not so Good!
The Great; Marie our personal concierge was amazing and always kept us up to date with activities and meal options. Polo and Leydy of the serving staff were top notch. Watson and Jean Carlos as pool waiters were fast. The spa was a wonderful experience and well worth the time and cost, the individual staff attention was exceptional. Insomnia cafe was a feature and the diamond club beach bar and restaurant was a gem spot.
The good; Food was often similar but good quality. The drinks were varie[... read more]d and with Diamond club you could get almost anything, even expensive scotch. All staff were friendly and more than willing to try and help.
The not so great; other than the spa, the hotel needs repairs in all areas. *Our room didn’t smell wet which was good but had broken tile, a broken light shade and lots of flaking paint. The hallways, stairwells and most common areas had some disrepair. An evening storm had knocked clay tile from roof which shattered on the ground; took 3 days before the shards of dangerous pieces were swept up.
The hotel pool was dirty; all walls were covered with algae, lots of tiles missing, garbage floating around (which I know is guests inconsiderateness) but even in the morning the pool was dirty. By the afternoon it was not good.
Advertised beach and pool volleyball consisted of 1 terrible ripped up water logged ball and no organization. The vibe team were more interested in anything to do with dancing. *The fitness instructors were well organized and consistent.
Beach was not good; seaweed (which can’t be helped), a tractor was driving around overloaded meaning he wasn’t picking anything up… needs training. *Waves were beautiful.
Suggestions; more pool cleaners from 6pm or at 6am. A deducted repair team with a lead hand who can recognize and prioritize repairs. The team also needs proper tools. As an example; a plumber in the lobby bathroom spent 2 days changing urinals because he didn’t have the proper equipment. He also was unrealistically asked to reuse tiles that were not meant for the job.
Finally we enjoyed our trip. The good outweighed the bad and we made it 4 out of 5. We are not complainers at all but if we were a negative couple the rating would have been a 2 or 3.
5th Royalton and will stick with the brand but maybe not CHIC until a remodel.
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MikeD -
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Sanctuary Cap Cana Luxury Collection Adults Resort: Sanctuary Cap Cana
Amazing resort with great staff going above and beyond. Our very own plunge infinity pool was a special touch. Honeymoon suites in the Castle were fantastic with lots of privacy. Restaurants were very good especially the Steakhouse. Our butler took care of anything we needed all week. The VIP service was great at the airport. 9.9/10
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Very well traveled -
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Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: very nice large resort
The resort is close and a short drive from airport a big bonus. The ground are beautifully kept and lacking of wild life.
Check in was very smooth but the room was not ready.
The room was very nice but the bathroom was so small.
The main pool was large, too deep for most people, if you were not over 5 feet 5 inches it was over your head and the pool was very dirty every day, only seen someone clean it 1 time in the 7 days we were there, not impressed .
The food was just ok and not very imp[... read more]ressed there either. Not much to chose from.
The transportation in the resort was very good to get around from anywhere you were.
Over all very disappointing .
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Private -
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Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro Is Not A Good Choice!
Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro, is a very bad maintenance hotel, everything is falling a part! tripcentral is great company! I'm refering to the hotel in question! We have to book Bahia Principe Grand "Fantasia" that is a great hotel so, void this hotel at all cost! In general the staff and location is very friendly and somehow likes to help, however, it all has to be with the hotel poor maintenance!
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Private -
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Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Wonderful time here!
The resort was beautiful, the activities were so much fun, and the staff were incredibly kind. They treated my friend and I like princesses, and did everything to ensure we were having a good time! I would 100% recommend coming here :)
The hotel was excellent the service was very good, and my butler Modeso was fantastic he made all my reservations for the restaurants and also my birthday celebration. Clara Diag was my maid and she did a wonderful job in keeping my room well-stocked with clean linens and towels. the service in the Buffet was fantastic Roner was one of the servers and he is a wonderful person. This was my second visit to this Resort in nine months and I enjoyed both visits.
I think it was fantastic I enjoyed the meals, the atmosphere was great. My maid Clara was very good she kept the rooms clean at all times. My butler Modesto was very cooperative and helpful at all times. I had a great stay and I will recommend this resort to my friends and family.
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Peter -
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Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Lovely Resort
Very enjoyable stay. Good food. Lots of lounge chairs. Very friendly staff.
My only complaint was that on the last day check out was at noon and the flight home was not until 10:00 pm. I will not book a package with that departure time ever again.
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Anna -
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El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Great Resort !
Everything was fine. Except the staff that work at the hotel were a little bit uptight. They should be a little bit more friendly...... Food was great and the Beach/Pools was good as well.....
Overall Rating I would say 4 stars out of 5...
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Chris Hoage -
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Riu Republica: Gone downhill
Here is what we put on facebook over 2 posts
First post
So we landed Tuesday. We were here back in 2019 and loved it.
This time. Not so much.
Here is my halfweek review:
Restaurant:
Food is not what we remember. I've never been to a resort where A la carts are first come first serve. The buffet is good but typical. Today my omlette was made with a huge chunk of cheese just in the middle. It was edible. But just laziness on the cooks part.
Rooms:
Sub par for a 5 star. Our toilet seat [... read more]is not attached properly and if I had to guess has never been attached. Pic attached
3 small lumpy pillows that remind me of a half filled bag of chips. No cases on them yesterday. I've made 3 requests for extra pillows.
Rooms are hot. 25 to 29 degrees all day.
We have been back to the front to have cards reprogrammed as they stop working randomly. This is a theme I had seen on other posts. Three times so far
Drinks
We are experienced travelers so we brought bubba for beer and yeti for other drinks. I've had a few mudslides here but yesterday they made one with sour milk. I could tell on my first sip. This isn't one that sat out in the sun for hours. Freshly made.
Could tell right away it was off. Poured it out myself in the bathroom. Chunky. I'm sure half cut I might not have noticed right away.
Asked for a rye and Pepsi. In the yeti (35 ounce) and it was half rye half Pepsi. I watched the bartender open a new bottle and pour a third of it in and add Pepsi. I tried to get him to stop. I know the vibe of the resort is party. But this much alcohol is honestly dangerous. I did pour half out add Pepsi and had a great drink. But pay attention.
I won't rate the beach as the water is choppy due to hurricane Lee and we have made the decision to be safe.
The sunset was unreal and will be where we take our trip picture to put in our frame. It is truly beautiful and only slightly behind cuba and way better than anything in Mexico
Be clear this is not a luxury adult 5 star resort. It is a party oriented 4 star and it does that wonderfully. We are having a great time but it will be our last time.
It is very tired compared to 2019. At two years old it was great. Now they put the tiles falling off pool at the edge to be picked up by staff. They have installed "speedbumps" on the table in the party pool to prevent it being used as a slid as we saw in 2019. Maybe it was a safety issue.
Again very inconsistent. Throughout. Tips are the only way to get service. I shouldn't have to bribe to get basics.
I know there are a ton of people who will Disagree and say it's a great place. And for someone looking to party all week it's perfect. For me. It's a pass next time.
Second post
Just wanted to do a follow up to my midweek review. I am likely going to get a little more flack this time around.
My midweek review is here
https://m.facebook.com/groups/riurepublicapuntacana/permalink/3627539784190974/?mibextid=Nif5oz
and I won't be repeating those concerns.
The second half of the week went the same as the first half.
Disappointing
They did send someone to fix the toilet seat. But he left without fixing it.
I did get 2 extra pillows on day 5
And we had our room cards recoded a total of 4 times. Twice both having to be done.
But where things went downhill is when safety became a concern. When I say this I am one to be fearful but my partner does get a little sheepish during conflict. We were not involved but just in close proximity. Likely a love spat. But the crashing and banging drew the attention of more than one security and I believe ended someone's vacation early. Video from our balcony. I understand the resort can't be held accountable for someone's actions but they create an atmosphere that drives this. It's a party resort and not anything else.
Lastly the general over demeanor of staff is miserable. We don't get smiles returned and tips are expected not welcomed. Overall my experience has stamped in to not come back and we are now having our friends bridal party of 9 look elsewhere.
I do want to end this review on a positive so a huge shout out to
Daniel at the activity/party pool
Alejandro at the lobby bar
Brian (female) at the second stage bar. (Furthest from the beach)
And
Edwar from the smaller buffet. That guy should have been in the NBA.
These folks did make us feel great — with Delaney Hoage.
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Paul -
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Occidental Punta Cana: Occidental Punta Cana
This is the worst resource which I ever visited Punta Cana above the other 5. So do not even think to go to this place or it will make your self regret and feel stupid. In my last word, garbage food and they will try to hook you up with their scammed time share.
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Private -
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Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Ok
Clean grounds beautiful beach. Rooms outdated, step in showers toilet beside. Premium level not worth the price, Mayan riviera Barcelo resorts so much nicer but beach not as nice. Lots of smokers and communication is a problem unless you speak spanish
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Private -
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Riu Republica: Was great‼ï¸
Lots of fun partys, the jungle party along with the neon and a few other partys was lit. The music got kind of repetitive at the events but other than that i didnt even mind after a few shots. Lots nice & friendly people that just want to have fun..lots of nice & beatiful women... nice weather, great food, i enjoyed it🔥 riu republica‼ï¸ðŸ’—
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Private -
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Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Good Hotel, Good Food, Good Beach but NO Shade on Beach
All was great, September is off season time and resort was not full.
Second time visiting Barcelo Bavaro Beach resort.
Week of September 6 - 13 was 6 days sunshine 1 day rain. Great resort and vacation, no issues.
Beach - Barcelo Bavaro has no shade area besides palm tree's, had some seaweed obviously but other resorts were much worse from what I hear. Plenty of activities sports or music, can walk to Palace from Barcelo Bavaro beach in 10 minutes.
Hotel room - I was staying in Building 2,[... read more] 3 storey building has elevator, room is spacious, has a balcony ocean view, comfortable bed with all necessities such as hair dryer, full shampoo/conditioner, coffee machine, fridge. Never had a problem with AC or no hot water. Water was always very hot. Food at the restaurants was plenty, good, many choices, all was fresh no issue. Restaurant MIRAMAR at Barcelo Bavaro Palace extremely slippery floor.
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Canadian Vampire -
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Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Bring grippy shoes, buffet will take you down
Travelled with my 16-year-old son for 7 days from Toronto. Swim up room-not Privilege club. Paid $1400 each AI. No excursions.
Flight:
Sunwing failed us again, 2-hour delay from YYZ, and again a 45 min delay coming back. Transfer was fine, although YYZ baggage claim can suck it from top to bottom.
Resort grounds: Well-manicured and clean, very poor maintenance repairs, nothing was done properly, or colour matched, just slopped plaster over something and let it dry. Swim up was awesome, al[... read more]though not very private, great refresher when the pool is too hot or full. The floor in the buffet is like greased lightning, I almost fell on my ass like 20 times. I learned to slide around gracefully by day 3. The entire resort is quite dangerous when wet. No traction on any of the pathways, or tile. They do have strips on some of the stairs to help in places.
Food: We both got sick from something, I know it happens, so I am not going to fault the resort for that, as you never know what got you(ice cubes, uncooked meat, unclean bathroom conditions) Buffet was basic, grab the fresh Swiss chalet type rotisserie chicken when you can, and the waffle fries if you can find them. Pizza was just flat bread with a couple chunks of whatever was going bad in the kitchen. Bread and butter were my mainstay, kinda like a fancy prison. Ala Cartes, Brazilian was great, grilled pineapple and the various skewers, even the way they feed you was a great experience. Steakhouse was good, massive steak(rib eye) that an average person would never be able to eat. and no vegetables in sight. Oceanside was good, basket of coconut shrimp was massive and probably the best thing I ate all week. Japanese was the worst show I have ever had out of like 10 different resorts. No flair, and average rice and meat served. My son struggled with the air quality, but Gen Z has no coping skills for anything these days. All desserts were great. Ice cream, cheese cake very good. Room service food was limited to like 5 options, just a sandwich with fries that were usually cold. took about 30-45 mins each time. Strawberry daquiris were good no matter where I went, sorry i don't drink anything other than water and DQ's. Breakfast omelets and bacon are the only true constant, as well as desserts.
Beach: unfortunately, I am not a beach person(Canadian Vampire), it looked nice, and had some heavy waves, but I did not see many people in there on any given day.
Room: clean and standard, beds were firm but comfy enough. not as good as Royalton Cancun by far. Toilets were barely cleaned. 2 men with gastro issues, we put it to the test. had to flush 2-3 times each time to finish the job, and without a fan, the maid was not very happy to be in there at any time(toilet has its own small closet for whatever reason) and the bathtub in the middle of the room served no purpose. No one would use it, and it's in everyone's way. we stored dirty/wet clothes in it. Phone did not work for 3 days, A/C cut off for a full day due to a loose door handle.
Staff: honestly, i hate reviews that say Miguel was the best!! or whatever, no one cares. The staff here were very rude and confrontational when there was more than 2 men working together. They never gave the right of way when walking, I was pushed onto the grass many times, and I am 5'10 and 300 lbs.
I would not waste money on this resort. Nowhere near 5-star standards even though it was low season. I should point out that there was a tragic accident involving 2 buses the 2nd day we got there and I think it was 9 people died that were workers from Royalton(unsure if they were from us or Splash) I didn't ask.
Everything was great had a good time the pool was awesome and the dinners were great along with the buffet pool bar couldn’t get enough of it beach had a lot of seaweed but the hot dogs and burgers every day were great also