VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Small and personal

The VH Gran is a small resort, the smallest I have stayed on but it was nice and convenient with not far to walk to get to anything. We had a renovated room but it faced the stage area and the noise from the nightly entertainment was very loud and amplified. The staff were amazing and tended to our every need with a smile. We had the Royal package and it was well worth the extra money. The Vintage club was a great getaway to cool off and relax woith a nice drink. The private area of the beach wa [... read more]s also great and we always had a fresh drink brought to us. The buffet was small but the food was good there.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Friendly Resort, Good Service, Spanish, Ok Beach

I was travelling alone & met a few nice people at Grand Bahia Principe in Rio San Juan, Dominican. The resort is pretty far removed & you can't rent a car there so make travel arrangements beforehand if you want to take a private road trip. Cabs are expensive ~ somewhere around $100 US for a ride & back to Cabarete (which you definitely want to visit if you're in Rio San Juan). Food at the resort is quite good. Typical Dominican buffet style but some high-quality items as the week goes on. Look  [... read more]for the fresh Prosciutto, Chorizo and make sure the bread isn't hard before you put it on your plate. Add a bit of Gouda cheese and some olives & you've got a nice Antipasto! Fresh fruit is always really good in The Dominican. The A-La-Carte restaurants were quite good (although I heard the "Chinese" wasn't so good).. Try the Duck at The Mediterranean and the Lasagna at the Italian a-la-cartes. The desserts at the Mediterranean were good. Other than that, I only recommend the desserts at the buffet. On the last day I was there they had fresh doughnuts which were good! Very friendly staff & I never had any issue with trust. Make sure to leave a couple dollars on the bed each day you want the room cleaned and your fridge will get stocked, as well. Tipping, in general, greatly improved already good service! Plus, you are helping people a lot less fortunate than us Canadians etc.. Grounds were kept quite well. The beach I'd give a 2 1/2 out of 5. Very murky water on rougher days and only 1 day out of 7 the eastern shore was clear. I'm usually in the ocean everyday on vacation but I kept to the pools for the most part. I could only bring myself to swim in the ocean the first day I was there. There are man-made barricades but they don't help to keep the beach debris-free. I'm not sure the cure to this but the water was very murky first week of January. Pools were kept pretty clean and if you couldn't find a beach chair at the main pool there are 2 other smaller pools to choose from. At the main pool, there is actually a lot of seating though as long as you don't mind not having a lay down beach chair. Careful, the sun is very hot and can burn quickly. Wear your 30 sunblock and have lipgloss or protect... And jump in the pool often! For the most part, a pretty good stay and the nightly shows were good. Be sure to ask for the dark rum if you're drinking Pina Colada's! Much fuller taste... And the Presidente beer is always good to quench thirst.. But be sure to also drink your fair share of filtered or bottled water to take the edge of the super sweet heat. I recommend this resort if you are looking for a real "get-away" but if you want the city life of Sosua or Cabarete make sure you make rental car arrangements before you go. Everyone around the resort you encounter will probably be quick to try say hello & to help you! Just be weary of the vendors on the beach trying to sell you stuff for higher than in the Gift Shop (front lobby across from Check-In). Visit the Gift Store first than you can barter with them from there! Enjoy your trip!

Riu Merengue: beautiful resort

We had a wonderful time! The staff is exemplary in their efforts to please you and outstanding in making you feel welcome. They definitely deserve to be well paid. The only negative aspect were the beds. They are quite uncomfortable. Never went in any of the pools; ocean all the way! Staff on excursion were wonderful as well!

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Great resort

Loved it... very clean I had beautiful ocen view room. The food was great fresh salads and fruits every day wish was more fish but had different meats and chicken lots of variety...the intertainment is the best so far from other resorts they never stop lots of games the shows was ok but still very intertaining, music every evening for dancing had a great time I would go back the price was great for the value of the resort...

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great place to relax

This place was perfect for us! We wanted to have a relaxing time away from our busy life we have and this gave us that and more. Food was great and good varity each day. Beach was good and the pool was huge. Loved the service and the room was excellent. Staff was very friendly .

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: First destination wedding

I totally enjoyed our trip and our stay at Cofresi was great. The resort is beautiful and lush the staff was friendly and helpful. We loved the vip veach. The welcome party was awesome and the wedding was lovely.

Paradise Playa Dorada: Awesome stay!!

We had a Superior Ovean View which was just awesome!, food was great and liked the fact that there was food 24-7! Beach was clean & beautiful, staff was overly friendly & helpful. We are planning on going back in April.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Good Times

Gran Ventana was a solid 4 star hotel, clean rooms, grounds, good food and good service. The staff are very hard working and always happy. A big shout out to Joan the bartender and Carlos part of the entertainment staff, they are wonderful and make leaving a hard thing to do. There's a reef about 150 metres from the beach so bring your snorkel and enjoy! Will definitely go back:)

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: lots of fun

We traveled as a group, two families. We enjoyed the ocean suites. The two bathrooms was terrific with a large family. I buffet was on of th best we have been too. Food overall was very good. Could of used pool side bar service. Only complaint.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Did Not Like this Resort at All!

If you weren't a "VIP" you felt like you weren't. For the money I spent on this trip I should never have been made to feel that way. No snack bars for non VIPs and we weren't allowed to take food from the buffet to our daughter who was in the room for 4 days sick (enough that we had to see the doctor). Time shares not mentioned when booking. They do bug you to take a tour of the time shares. Waited outside for us while we ate breakfast and even 4 days after we were there still bugged is to go on [... read more] a tour. Pools were freezing , fridge in room didn't work and was never restocked. Air conditioning didn't work right and there was no lock on our patio door. I really felt like a 3rd class citizen and our room was in the oldest section of the resort. We had to ask for towels all the time and they never left any in our rooms when they took the dirty ones. The one night that was done well was New Years Eve. They did a fabulous job of dinner and live music. The one night they treated everyone the same. Will never go back to Puerto Plata. This trip spoiled it for us. ☹☹

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Has Potential

The grounds and the hotel have the potential for a very nice resort however the delivery of services is far from desirable. To anyone considering this resort I would highly recommend you reconsider. The all inclusive package is far from inclusive as severe limitations are placed on anyone not attending the sales seminars or who do not pay additional for an upgraded VIP bracelet. The restaurants and bars are all closed on Sunday evening for your welcome party that is not even on site. In order to [... read more] eat dinner on a Sunday you are required to take a shuttle to a remote location on another portion of the resort where you are greeted by a buffet style dinner that is literally lawn furniture set up on a gravel parking lot with portable washrooms off to the side. The entertainment provided is good however during intermissions you are invited to watch a presentation on the benefits of buying into this terrible resort and what its like to be a lifestyle member. If you choose to leave this only dinner available to you on a Sunday before the sales presentation is over good luck getting back with an all inclusive bracelet. The staff will barely acknowledge you with the all inclusive bracelet and will simply smile and brush you off. This is clearly a management philosophy that has been put in place as I experienced when one of their senior staff members in a white golf shirt walked over to the lunch buffet on the Monday following the welcome party. He spoke to the cook who was preparing my food and waited by the side of the cooking station instead of getting into line. As the cook was getting ready to serve the now cooked meat this man that I would assume to be a manager of sales person (they were giving a VIP tour to some new guests) proceeded to mutter something else to the cook to ensure he would get served first. I had been there just as the buffet had opened and had hand picked my piece of steak and had been waiting for roughly 10 min or so for it to cook along with numerous other guests. Just as the cook was about to serve me and the others lunch the manager/salesman spoke to him abruptly and with a scared look on his face the cook proceeded to give this staff member my lunch. That's right this manager/salesperson literally stole the food off of my plate the joke of it all is under the logo on his lifestyles resort shirt it says "I work for you".

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Beautiful resort!!!

I loved everything about this resort, the staff was very kind and helpful, the food was very tasty with everything to choose from and never low on anything, The rooms were very clean and beautiful, I will recommend this Resort to everyone.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Super Duper!!

Staff were wonderful...they never stop working to make this resort the cleanest friendliest place to vacation. For the price i would definately return and would reccommend this resort to anyone. Location is close to airport so not wasting vacation time travelling to the resort.

Paradise Playa Dorada: An amazing resort

i would defenitely be making Grand Paridise my stay again in May.The grounds where kept very clean,food amazing and so much to from.The public bathrooms where so clean and beautifuly kept clean.I was very much amazed at how clean they were.Every one was always so helpful in everyway posible.This will be my resort every stay

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: food is no good

Hotel is nice but the food is awful service is good well maintained grounds. Not enough chairs around the pools beach was clean.sick from the food all the second week I was there I have been to the dr many times first time with bad food.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Casa Marina covers all of the basics

The bottom line: Casa Marina would be best suited for people who enjoy hanging out at the legion for beer. It is not upscale nor is it quiet. Lots of smokers and drinkers, but everyone was well behaved. Guests were mostly French Canadian and Spanish speaking. English Canadian and German were also common. The animation team and hotel staff worked in all four languages. The good: - Excellent location, close to shops, restaurants and grocery stores - The two beaches are secluded and mostly empty  [... read more]with very few people trying to sell stuff to you - Edible food with reasonable variety - Drinks are generally made well - Appeared to be kid friendly The bad: - Most resort staff do not appear to be terribly happy and this comes through in their service - WiFi is expensive (instead get a SIM card for your tablet from the Claro shop just down the street from the hotel - it is cheaper and more convenient) - It is hard to find a quiet and smoke free place to relax - The a la cart restaurants are not worth the bother of booking - No gym or fitness equipment - Sosua itself is a little seedy but they have cleaned up a lot since the last time we were there. If you are a guy walking by yourself be prepared to be quietly solicited on the street. All easily dealt with with a firm "no gracias". Our first room had a great view but was located too close to the disco and restaurant so it wasn't peaceful which is what we were looking for. The hotel manager changed our room with little fuss. We ended up eating off resort several nights for variety. The little hotel next store (Sousa by the sea) is peaceful and quiet. You can purchase a la cart or buffet from them. Also, the Italian Bologna is really good and has a huge menu. The monkey adventure and zip lining was great fun, as was the dolphin swim at Ocean World. Finally, the massage place in front of Sosua by the sea is run down but legit and really cheap. Even better is M&M which is in the plaza by the Orange shop just past the Bank Popular.

Paradise Playa Dorada: Good Resort. Good Food.

Clean. Good food. The Italian restaurant we visited was overbooked. We waited for nearly 2 hours before being served. Check in process was very slow. There are many vendors on the beach. The resort also tries hard to sell you upgrade to VIP. Something like time share.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Hotel rooms Very poor

Pool/Beach was good food was good to, had problem with the first room roof was leaking and mold in the closet ,second room shower water running to the floor.Front door stuck could not open, balcony door hard to open,problem with the A/C.Asked for second floor got 4 floor each time we changed the room.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Great Value!

Our group went for a week over New Years and we all had a fantastic time! We are a family of 6 ranging from 18-54. Pros: - The New Years Eve Party was AMAZING! I think this is what the Sunday parties may be like(Our Sunday one was cancelled due to weather.) - Location of building 207 was great with a pool and bar right out front - Although our friends had a problem with their room, they offered to change it right away in addition to a couple freebies. Great customer service! - The food was cons [... read more]istently good even at the regular buffet. Try to book as many specialty restaurants as you can. The snack beach bar was just burgers/hotdogs which I personally love but I know others would want a few more options. Neutral: - some may take this as a negative but they close down the bars and pools by the beach around dinner time. I personally like this because it shifts everyone up near the lobby and allows you meet more people. Cons: - Everyone says this...but there is A LOT of walking. Lots of stairs too. - The rooms were OKAY. Nothing too bad, just dated. The beds were pretty hard too. - Impossible to find $1 bills around here haha. BRING LOTS! Overall: If you're laid back and just looking for a good time that doesn't drain the bank account, then you've come to the right place. However if you expect this to be like a 4-Star in Canada/US then perhaps you should increase your budget and go elsewhere. Would I come back here? In a heartbeat. Will I? Probably not. There's way too many places to explore!! Side Note: Everyone says you can't buy VIP access without being a timeshare owner. That's not true. You can purchase it for $1000pp with a $500 credit for your next stay. Most definitely NOT worth it...

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Amazing, Clean Resort

The resort is gorgeous and clean. The food was by far the best resort food I've ever had. The beach was beautiful. The staff were nice. It's a family oriented resort with absolutely no opportunity to party.