Just the best!

This hotel is the best value of any hotel in the Dominican. From the arrival and transportation to the hotel the team strives to make this the most memorable and enjoyable vacation ever. The staff, the resort, ,the food and the management, all work together to make this a wonderful resort for families or couples to spend time relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Beautiful resort

I learned while at the resort that it was the oldest and largest Bahia in the Dominican. The care taken to maintain the buildings, grounds and beach is evident as I was not aware it was the oldest. It is stunning! It has a really long sandy beach great for walking. The four pools are gorgeous. The dining was very good and the rooms were in great condition.

Best resort ever !!

Staffs are so amazing and friendly to us and best service as we needed. Beach and pool are great to relax and event daily's are great Number one is staffs are great greet us so friendly and laughed !

5 star resort

This resort was Awesome..The staff was amazing. Our room was clean.Maids did an excellent job. Food was delicious I would definitely recommend this resort!! THankyou Lisa Selig for all your help in booking this resort for us!!

Great Fun!

The resort was good, but a bit outdated. I wish they would upgrade everything, it would make the experience better. However the service by everyone was great, from the moment you arrived at the resort and lead to your room. The drivers always had a smile and we're ready to drive you to where you needed to go. The bar tenders were great at making the drinks, especially the one located near the lobby. The buffet staff were also amazing, always cleaning up. Also I have to mention the resort washroo [... read more]ms were always kept clean, which was great especially travelling with my toodler. We also experienced the spa service and that also was great. The maid service for the room was phenomenal, we would always come to a clean room. Also loved the replenishment of fresh towels when needed. I would only say that the food could've been a lot better, the taste was very off and lacked flavours. The local food we tried on our paid tours were far better than the resort food. The fish had a weird and funky smell to it. All in all, it was a good resort, but for me the food is the main component to a great experience.

Such a great spot

I traveled with my wife the week of March 2nd to the 9th and booked our vacation through Air Canada using tripcentral.ca. Overall, I loved the resort and l had an amazing week again wouldn’t hesitate to return to the same resort again. The value was very good and almost everything about the resort was better than I had expected. I will break down my review as best I can. Also to note, this is only my 3rd trip down South and my first in a decade, so I’m not comparing this trip with others [... read more], simply basing the review on my experience here that week. It was just my wife and I, we’re mid 30’s and didn’t bring our children with us, though we would bring them back here with no issues. Travel: Everything with the booking went smoothly and without issue. The bus ride from the Samana airport to the resort was about an hour and a half with a stop for beer and water built into that. When we arrived to the resort around midnight, they had food available for us. The Room: Our room was in section D11 and was one of the furthest buildings from the lobby. At first, I thought this was going to be an annoying thing but it turned out to be great for my wife and I. It was so quiet and private and since we were so far from everything, we naturally got a lot of natural exercise from walking to the main areas of the resort. If you’re feeling lazy though, there were always plenty of cart drivers around to pick you up and take you where you want to go. The room itself was extremely clean and well kept daily. The fridge was stocked with beer, pop and water each day and we never had any trouble with hot water or anything else in the room at all. The beds were firm but comfortable enough and the AC worked really well. The Beach: The beach was very long and always very clean. It isn’t the white sand but is soft on the feet and really beautiful none the less. It was always very easy to find a private spot to camp out with a lot of lounge chairs available any time of the day. Also never had any issue finding shaded areas at all. The water was a great depth for swimming was warm and clean. The barriers in the water are a little bit of an eye-sore but they did a good job at breaking the waves which made it a nicer swimming area I’m sure. The Buffet: The food was fantastic every day with so many options. It was repetitive yes, and there were only a couple of different items each day depending on the theme. I would say that my wife and I are relatively picky eaters and we both enjoyed the food very much. We ate fresh fruits, breads, sweets, fries, pasta, all of the meats except for seafood which neither of us eat, waffles, ice cream and really enjoyed the fajita station each day. The service at the buffet was so great all of the time. Everyone was quick to refill your drink and help with anything and there were always plenty of staff around to help. A la Carte: We booked reservations on day one to the Italian and Japanese restaurants. I used the hotel app to make reservations and even on day one, there wasn’t a lot of availability so I’d recommend booking ASAP. We actually ended up cancelling our reservations because we enjoyed the buffet so much anyway. Pools: The main pool was large and gorgeous. We never had trouble finding lounge chairs throughout the day but the ones with shade were reserved early. The pool never seemed crowded and it was always easy to get a drink at the swim up bar as well. We didn’t spend a lot of time here but had no trouble at all when we did. There are two smaller pools for everyone’s use as well. One was really good and we hung out there a couple of times and had no problem getting lounge chairs in the shade and it seemed quiet and barely anyone used this pool. The other pool was smaller and seemed full whenever we saw it and looked like it was pretty-much completely shaded. We never spent any time at that one. Gym: We used the gym daily and it was barely used by anyone else. The cardio machines didn’t operate well but there were a lot of exercise machines to use and a lot of weights. It was large, clean and a good temperature. Shows: We didn’t go to any of the nightly shows unfortunately. Disco: We also didn’t go to the disco at all. The Grounds: The resort itself is gorgeous and so clean. The grounds were immaculate all of the time and were impressively well kept. We saw a lot of workers all of the time cleaning and cutting grass and removing palm leaves, etc. Excursions: We did two excursions which we booked through Air Canada. We did the Jeep Safari which about 6-7 hours in total. It was 75 US per person and was excellent value. We went to a local plantation, house, school, lagoon, waterfall and beach. We had a lot of drinks available and stopped for lunch which was decent. The trip was definitely worth the price. We also did the Dune Buggy excursion which was amazing! It was only 4 hours and more expensive but so worth it. We drove a dune buggy behind our guide who was on a 4-wheeler. We drove through a small town, through the mountains and the forest. Stopped for coffee and to the same school as the safari. It was a really fun excursion and our guide was great. I can’t think of anything else to talk about but it was an amazing week and we loved the resort. Will definitely have no hesitation returning to this resort and would look forward to visiting others in the Grand Bahia chain as well.

Great resort

Great resort with friendly staff (although many only speak Spanish). Good value for the price. Although they offer lots of resort-based activities, be prepared for long drives if off-resort excursions are your thing!

Good

The buffet was okay only one restaurant a la carte available the animation was the same everyday only 1 place to go out always the same song pepeol very friendly the room was Always clean all kind of drink snak bar at the beach very cool

Such a fun & relaxing time!

This was our first time in the Dominican, and we had read mixed reviews about this resort. The room we started with was clean & nice, however we had no hot water. We called the front desk and they had us moved to a new room within an hour. The rooms were always kept tidy, and the fridge was always restocked. There were always carts around to give you a ride around the resort, although it is fairly small and easy to navigate. The staff was always smiling and welcoming! The drinks were good, and s [... read more]ervice was decently quick. The beach was beautiful, mind you these aren’t white sand beaches. We did the catamaran and VIP beach tours and had a blast on both! The culture in the surrounding towns is amazing. The food was decent, many many options so it made it easy to always find something to eat. We met some amazing people on this trip, and enjoyed the shows every night. It was always sunny and beautiful, the grounds were kept neat and clean. We would definitely go back! It was a nice mix of adults, young adults like ourselves, and families.

Standard Resort

Check in: disorganized as usual. Rooms: clean, little to no hot water pressure, some out dated, some are better then others. Grounds: well maintained, however they need to spray more for bugs though, 3 times a week is NOT enough. Staff: some better then others, but I have had way better service elsewhere. Food: AMAZING no complaints. Medeteranian al a cart is the only one worth your while, other two just serve the same things as the buffet. Drinks: strong... as expected ;) Language: ve [... read more]ry little English, language berrier was very difficult, they really need to work on this. Beach/Pool: honestly the main pool could be maintained better, but the other two were just fine. Beach, lots of sand flees... I am still itching. They really need to spray more. Very little seaweed on the beach, beach was well maintained. Only complaint: I have stayed at almost all of the Grand Bahia’s and some of them multiple times and usually I get something extra like a bottle of champagne or even a comment like “thanks for returning” I don’t know how many people I told that I was a returning guest and it was like they didn’t care. No one did anything. Overall I would give it a 3.5-4/5 nothing horrible, but also nothing amazing. If I had paid about $150-$200 less (under $1000) I feel like it would have been a better price. Or even $1000 flat. I did get a deal but some people were paying upwards of $1500 and it is definitely not worth that or more. This resort has lots of potential but they need someone in there to step up their game. A manager who pushes the staff to do better and wants to renovate some of the rooms.

Customer Service Lacking

This hotel was absolutely beautiful. The grounds, the beach, everything but the customer service. We had to go to the reception desk a number of times during our stay and each time we were treated very rudely. There were room mix ups, empty bar fridges, late check out miscommunications and all inquiries were treated the same, "sorry we can't help you". For the price that is paid for a vacation, I would think the staff should be a little more accommodating. There was however one shining star on o [... read more]ur trip, a gentleman by the name of Victor who was at the reception desk. He was very courteous, helpful and friendly.

Beautifuly large resort

This is a beautiful resort with lots to do. Here are my personal comments without the fluff. The resort is 1 hr 45 minute away from the Samama Airport not 70 minutes. We were checked in and handed our keys at the airport. (our rooms were not quite as requested). We arrived in the dark at 11 p.m., with zero welcome at the lobby. Rooms with 2 double beds are ground floor only, Kings are 2nd, and 3rd floor. Room change requests were refused that night. Had to return to the desk twice the next d [... read more]ay to be taken seriously. Late checkout may be available for 35$. Ask the desk. WiFi only works in the lobby, but is not very strong at all. (unless you pay) Pools and beach are well maintained. lots of chairs provided you get down there in the am. Buffet food is good, but empties quickly, and not filled as quickly. ( and lots of food is the same ever day) Book your a-la-carte restaurants the day you arrive. Mediterranean was delicious! Take your Bubba, a facecloth, and clips to hold your towel to your chair. Ride the banana boat! (10$ per person) Free paddle boards, kayaks and catamarans. Relax and enjoy!

Great place

Overall great resort, foods good, grounds are well kept, servers are very good at the buffet especially Luis and Ewardo. Beach is nice but sand isn’t as nice as other beaches in Dominican, lots of little sand flies. Only thing I didn’t like is all the bars shut down at 11pm but the disco bar which is about a five minute walk down the resort driveway away from all the rooms, and about ten minutes after the entertainment they shut all the lights off in and around the entertainment area and hal [... read more]l ways. But overall very good resort for the price, definitely recommend.

The food at this resort is super. I've never seen such a variety at all meals, well presented and so good.

The hotels, rooms and surrounding areas were very clean. We couldn't ask for better service. The beach area wasn't so nice. I would definite recommend that resort. The bus ride from the airport is very long, like almost 2 hours.

Fantastic trip!

Was a great resort. Check in was a bit different, at first it was cool that you didn’t have to stand in line, but it was 250pm and check in is at 3pm so we had to wait 10 mins to get keys, even though he had them in hand. When the 10 mins were up, they guy was gone and we had to stand in line for a good while :(. However, it wasn’t terrible, just odd. Was a really really great resort! I went solo and had two friends come with me in their own room. Was a fantastic time for all of us! Single o [... read more]r coupled up, it was great!!!! Staff are all great! No issues. Buffet was huge with LOtS of selections of food! Ala carts were delicious, not sure on the Japanese as we didn’t make it there. Overall I had an amazing vacation! I highly recommend two excursions: dune buggies through the mountains and snorkelling off the resort. Both are only half days and they were AMAZING!!! Dominican is a beautiful country!

Grand Bahia Principe San Juan... perfect

This resort was fantastic. The grounds were immaculate, the food was terrific with a huge variety. Try the crepes with chocolate sauce! Roast beef, turkey, pork... and fish to die for. Great place for all ages from kids to the older folks. Service and staff were friendly and helpful. The resort was not huge which was nice. No trolleys needed. Pools were clean and the drinks... try the coco loco! I'm going back in the fall for sure.

Great Value

This is our second time at this resort and it hasn't disappointed. Very clean, great service and beautiful grounds. Expect about 90 min trip from the airport which is a bit of a drag and eats away a lot of your arrival and departure days.

AMAZING RESORT

This resort is GREAT!!!!!! Heather Kalinin and Beatrice Caldwell would stay here again and will be returning in the future. The staff are great very clean. The food too was great we had no complaints at all. Over all we would recommend this resort as a 10 plus. Beatrice Caldwell

Good!

We visited the Bahia from January 25th, until February 3rd. As many have said, the resort is about an hour away from the airport (bumpy drive) but not a big deal. It is important to note that this is the first of the Bahia Principe chain & has not been updated in years (if ever). It is much smaller than many of the other Bahias, but still beautiful & ALWAYS clean. We had absolutely no problems with our rooms. The AC was perfect; the shower, although low on pressure, always had hot water; the [... read more] maids work VERY hard and our room was always clean by 1PM. The hotel does not offer free WIFI, but you can purchase it for the week for $12 Canadian at the lobby (it worked great all through the resort). Do not purchase the one that appears when you try to log on yourself, it will say $70… Go to the lobby & they will pick the right one! Check in/out were both easy as well. The food at the resort was good. Not amazing, but not horrible. The buffet was a little repetitive, but the food was good. It was a very typical buffet with enough of a variety each day to make sure everyone had a choice. Breakfast was the best in my opinion as they had an egg, and omelette station every morning. Much like the rest of the resort, the service of the buffet staff was great. They work very hard to please everyone! The A-La-Cartes were amazing! We did all three;The Mediterranean, The Takera, as well as the Dolce Vita (Italian). These were defiantly our best meals of the week, so I do recommend booking them. We went on our first day, and had no problems booking all three… Don’t wait until the middle of the week, and you won’t have a problem (this is common with ALL resorts). The pool is great! It was over 30 degrees every day, so the pool was the perfect place to cool off. The pool-bar was a little slow, but I do feel they are a little understaffed in that area. However, they were all awesome! They knew our choice of drinks a few days in. The Beach is okay… It does have a lot seaweed and shells along the shore, but we didn’t mind. Punta Cana has nicer beaches, but we knew this going there so we were not disappointed. It was still beautiful! It was a pretty quiet resort. It always depends on the group of people staying at the resort at the same time as you. We didn’t seem to have too many young groups, more couples (wanting to be stay low) so that probably added to the lack of stuff going on. There weren’t too many games throughout the day, which are usually fun but we still stayed busy! Overall our stay here at Bahia San Juan was great. We have been to so many different resorts, all throughout the Caribbean & we still enjoyed our week here & then some. Some people on here seem to be expecting a world class resort, and that is simply not the case when you’re paying the cheaper price to stay here. The staff were all beyond amazing. They were helpful, polite, and truly seemed to love working there. Everyone was friendly, and always willing to help! Eddy & Rafael made our day every single day at the buffet. Rosanna was very sweet. Waldy in the Lobby was very helpful and defiantly knew what he was doing! Joel & Juan, and the entire entertainment staff were awesome as well. Amazing staff indeed!

Amazing vacation.

First time for us at Grand Bahia Principe San Juan and we really enjoyed the resort The resort is clean and the majority of staff are kind and friendly. We had a great time and didn’t want to leave. The beach was huge, private to the resort and clean. Every section of the resort had staff members ready to help you.