Luxury resort !

We spent 5 nights at luxury Esmeralda resort, everything was perfect, the room, the restaurants, the the palm trees beach landscape The people working at resorts were very nice and kind The only cons thing was the party noise until 11:00 pm

Good resort!

The food and staff at this resort were amazing!! Cant say enough about them-absolutely great service. The beach was absolutely stunning and you can walk it in either direction for ever. Tons of beach chairs and palapas for everyone so there was no mad dash to get down there in the morning. the buffet was hands down one of the best-plates and plates of bacon every day and huge steaks and pork chops ready to be cooked for you on the spot. The resort itself was small (good for people with kids [... read more]-and there was ALOT of them/or mobility issues) It just didn't have that tropical beach destination feel-it was jammed in between 3 other resorts so there was no tropical breezes flowing through the resort. We tried to go for a walk around the resort but were stopped at each exit as you could not go through the Fantasia resort that was next door-stopped by security guards. As soon as you came up from the beach, the air came to a dead halt as you are just surrounded by buildings which made it smokin hot!! (and i LOVE the heat) tough to even sit on our balcony.

Can't wait to go again!

A lengthy, detailed, honest review: We had the pleasure of staying at the Bahai Principe Luxury Esmerelda for the second time: March 31, 2025, for 10 nights, 11 days, to celebrate my 60th birthday. It was enjoyable a year prior, but this time, they really upped their game! A big shout-out to Alfredo Michel, our butler, who went above and beyond! He got us checked in smoothly and he helped my boyfriend to have a fruit tray, swan towels, and rose petals forming HBD on the bed, as well as a big [... read more] bubbly bath with rose petals and champagne on ice. He always helped us out in many ways and became a real amigo! He made our stay so much better in every way! The a la carte restaurants were very good. 15 of them! I was able to book our restaurants at home before we left on the My Bahai app. *If you don't do this, book your restaurants the minute you arrive, or they may be full or only have very early or late times. The only 2 we do not recommend: Caicu Beach & Rodizio. The staff took a long time to get around to us, and we were all very uncomfortably bloated after eating and drinking there. The Fish Market, the smoke alarm was very loud and lasted a very long time. Also, the food was overcooked and very rubbery. The staff at the pool bar were very friendly. The staff at the Main Caney restaurant were also very friendly, acknowledging us every morning. A large group came to sing Feliz Cumpleaños (happy birthday) to me at breakfast! So nice! For dinner at Yurta, the Mongolian restaurant, they brought me a cake after I had mentioned it was my birthday! An entire cake! I have to say Tequila, Yurta and Limbo were my favorite restaurants. If I could suggest anything, it would be to change the music they played during exercise time at the pool. It was the same songs every day, and I was there 11 days, so it got monotonous. The maids were very good. I suggest using Google translate on your phone if needed, as a lot of the maids aren't fluent in English. (Because i was here a year ago, I took some basics in Spanish). Get the My Bahai app for your phone. It shows your dinner dates and times, menus, room service, plus you can get mini bar items, towels, maintenance, etc. with this app. The staff at Guest Experience were always asking how everything was. If you needed anything, they jumped to do so immediately! I had a massage twice near the beach. Those ladies were very good. Google translate will help with those not very fluent in English. Very friendly. Every staff member walking by you always greeted you with Hola! There is a sign stating you're not supposed to reserve lounge chairs, yet people do. Ongoing problem. I see people put towels on them, then don't show for many hours. Almost had a real problem with guests after i moved their unattended towels after no one was there for about 25 mins. They complained to staff but were told there was no reserving lounge chairs. Tipping the maids, bartenders, waitresses and drivers of the golf cart transports is optional, but I would recommend it, if you can. (I found out these people make very little money, and their faces light right up and are so very appreciative to get any tip). I was not told this before, but when you stay at the Esmerelda, you have access to the other Bahai resorts nearby (except Fantasia because of the children). You can go to the other resorts and drink at their bars, wander their grounds. They only state you use your own resorts buffet. A truly enjoyable and memorable birthday vacation! Highly recommended!

Nice place but beer not good

The resort is nice and smaller than the other accessible bahias that you have access to. Meals were good and decent size portions at all the a la cartes. Biggest downfall of this and all the Bahia resorts is they do not have presidente on tap ! They only have Canita which is there cheap local beer and I found it hard to get more than 1 down… ya it’s that bad! Everyone I met there said the same comment. I had to bring cans of presidente from my room to drink around the pool as it’s the only  [... read more]place you can get it… disappointing to say the least. Even the local Dominicans I talk to said canita is no good. I’m a beer drinker, so it’s kinda important to say the least.

Amazing resort

I had a wonderful time everyone was so helpful the only thing I was not to happy with was the bathroom smell I believe it was coming from the shower stall.there could of been an issue and I smelt it in other bathrooms while I was there. The service was impeccable and loved the people! the food could have had more spice like herbs in their food. But everything else was AWSOME! Entertainment was not my bag but hey for some they loved it! I was particularly impressed with the man that was worki [... read more]ng there. His name is Alfredo Michel. I hope you can pass that by for a good review for him. He went out of his way to be so helpful beyond .

Overall good resort!

All in all it was a good place and good value based on other similar resorts. The room was spectacular - junior suite, with large bathroom, double vanities, separate soaker tub & glass shower. Large king bed plus comfortable sitting area with sofa & 2 chairs. Resort was nice, lots of hatched roof umbrellas on beach, plus cabanas & umbrellas by pools. Buffet breakfast was amazing with plenty of choices, plus variety of freshly squeezed juices & smoothies. Only downside was you had to ask for c [... read more]offee every few minutes because of the small cups. Found the service hit & miss, some staff very friendly and attentive others just ignore you. The Beach restaurant buffet for lunches was also good. Two negatives, a-la-carte restaurants are not all of equal calibre, 4 out of the 7 were good, the other 3 were less than mediocre. Recommend Yurta, Olivio, Taino & Steak restaurants. Second negative, public washrooms were tiny, you either hit the toilet or door getting in & out & I'm a petite person. Also there were only 2 bathrooms provided at a time, so sometimes there were lineups. One last thing, they should spray grounds more often for mosquitoes. I have a severe allergy and was bitten in the evenings. We've been to Punta cana several times and I didn't have that issue at other resorts.

Punta Cana

We had a great time at Punta Cana. Big thanks to Tripcentral team for their prompt help in booking the trip and post booking updates tp get ready for the trip. Thank you Susan for your help. Big thanks ?

Amazing service and amazing beach!

The service at Esmeralda was the best I’ve seen at any all inclusive - top notch! The beach was also amazing, beautiful sand and comfortable ocean floor (no rocks everywhere where you had to wear sandals).

Pleasantly surprised!

My wife and I recently stayed at the Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda in Punta Cana, and I have to say, it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a relaxing beachfront getaway. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and well-maintained, and the staff are generally friendly and attentive, making us feel welcome throughout our stay. The pool and beach areas are beautiful and well-kept, though it can be a bit of a challenge to find an available lounge chair during busy times. We really enjoyed the [... read more] a-la-carte restaurants—most of them were excellent, except for the Italian one, which didn’t quite live up to our expectations. Getting reservations at the specialty restaurants can also be tricky, but the buffets more than made up for it with a wide selection of tasty dishes. One small frustration we had was with drink service at meals. It was surprisingly difficult to get a tea with milk at breakfast, and by the time it arrived, we were almost ready to leave. The same issue happened when ordering a Pepsi at lunch—you really want it with your meal, not after you’ve nearly finished eating. Overall, we had a wonderful time soaking up the sun and taking in the beautiful surroundings, and we wouldn’t hesitate to come back again. It’s a solid spot for a laid-back vacation, despite a few minor hiccups with service.

Overall a great resort

Grounds and public areas were clean and well-maintained. Some washrooms needed soap refills which were not done for a few days, which concerned me as Caney restaurant staff were using these facilities. Women's washroom at the "quiet pool" had flushing problems occasionally. Room was spacious and up-to-date with walk in shower and separate toilet cubicle. Our first room, 96201, overlooked the entertainment area and was not suitable for our quiet-seeking needs. We were well taken care of by Jea [... read more]n, a client experience rep, who quickly found us a new room far from the noise. However, it is difficult to get away from all noise on this property. There are just rooms that are farther from the loudest areas. Our "house concierge", Alfredo, was incredibly helpful in all respects - speaking 3 languages, keeping a small library of books (left behind by tourists) and helping with dinner reservations. The breakfast buffet was amazing - egg/omelet station and a great selection of breads, pastries, yogurt, fruit (even a salad bar), sausage and bacon, ham and cured meats, pancakes/waffles/crepes, etc. It would have been nice to have oatmeal, granola and whole grain breads offered regularly. A shout out to Jose at the omelet station whose custom made creations made breakfast special, and to Jesus who kept our water and coffee filled promptly! The lunch buffet did try to provide variety, with salad fixings, pastas and sauces, rice, cold and grilled fish and seafood, pizza, burgers, and grilled meats. Desserts included cakes and pastries, jello, ice cream and fruits. A shout out to Williams who made sure that there was a fresh glass of cerveza offered throughout our lunch time. The gentle pop music at the Caney buffet was a welcome change from the Latin beats that we encountered throughout the property. We were often able to get our preferred table with a view of the pool. Our favourite dining options were El Olivo (Mediterranean) and Tanaka (Asian fusion). We did not particularly enjoy Casa Bella and Mikado. We found the house wine quite acceptable as many of the wine list offerings were overpriced and made no sense given the house wine's value. In each of the dining room's overviews, the dress code is highlighted. Unfortunately, this was not strictly enforced. There are signs all over indicating that guests were not permitted to reserve beach/pool chairs but this was not enforced. After the first week, we regretfully decided "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and started to put towels and personal belongings on chairs as we were on our way to breakfast. We did try to communicate our displeasure to the resort through their app, which proved quite useless in this regard. Technology: need your phone to read QR codes at every restaurant. Need to download the Bahia app to access information regarding resort activities and dining reservations. This is done at check-in with assistance from the desk staff (entering the password) which, for us, did not work. Note - if you bring an e-reader, download all your books before you leave as these devices cannot connect with the resort wifi. Tipping: Too many "touches" throughout the day and the added stress of the front desk cashier not being able to make change when needed. Serving staff presumably receives many $1 bills throughout the day yet needs to take your $10 or $20 away to come back 10 minutes later with your change. Perhaps the resort could add a small service charge or build in a service charge so that guests don't have to think about this. Note: bring $100 - $200 (depending on length of stay) in US$1 bills. There are shows every evening ranging from karaoke to island historical theatre and dance programs. Most of these are in the open air bar area in which smoking is permitted. This, effectively, kept us away from most of these activities as we react badly to cigarette smoke. The wind on the beach also meant that we did not spend much time there, apart from walking, due to being unable to avoid smoke. People also smoke around the pool without regard for the comfort of others. It would be better if the resort provided designated smoking areas away from poolside. There are two pools at Esmerelda. One is a "party pool" with live DJ and fun games throughout the day. We spent most of our time at the quiet pool and were well served by Yannick who makes an amazing pina colada! The beach is amazing - soft, golden sand for miles in each direction. We got in a good 5 kilometers almost every day. This is a busy stretch, with back to back resorts and "people watching" provided much entertainment. Overall, we would recommend this resort for its great staff, good food, amazing beach and comfortable accommodations.

Top notch resort!

Would have no hesitation booking at the Esmeralda again! Great beach, comfortable room, lots of attention to detail, good food & amenities and fantastic wifi. Bring earplugs though... the nightly entertainment is loud.

Excellent Choice

Just recently spent a week at the Luxury Esmeralda resort and absolutely loved it.  I never write reviews but felt this resort deserved one.   Truthfully no real complaints with our stay.  We used the app to check in online before arriving which made it easy when we arrived.  Also pre booked our dinners at the restaurants.  Our room for 3 was great, lots of space for us to all get ready.   The grounds were kept great, staff constantly keeping all areas & bathrooms always clean.     [... read more] We enjoyed the main pool and want to give shout out to Juan & Carlos for such great service with our drinks all day long!  The entertainment staff Hector and Bubalue had such energy and always friendly chatting with everyone.   Also had amazing service from Emanuel our guest services who helped us change a dinner reservation and with our room.  Very helpful and pleasant to deal with.  Highly recommend and bonus was we had access to the adult only Ambar resort for the pool, restaurants etc.   Thanks Shannon for a great recommendation!

Bahia Principe Luxury Esmaralda AMAZING!

Can't say enough about the resort. Room was modern and clean and bed was a pillow top with just the right softness. Food was amazing at the a la carts, and the buffet had everything you wanted. Staying at the Esmaralda gave us access to all the other Baha Principe within the complex. The only downfall about the whole trip was the mosquitoes at night (certainly no fault to the resort). Never experienced such an influx of mosquitoes while vacationing in January/February. I guess there is alw [... read more]ays a first time.

Great resort!

Terrific staff! Very accommodating! Building 90 was a great location although facing the pool was too noisy for us - fortunately we didn’t face the pool. Restaurants were quite good particularly Yurta, a Mongolian eatery! Rodizio was not great! Beautiful beach! Nice pools. Mosquitoes got 2 of us with nasty welts that took a long time to heal!

Very good resort! Grounds were impecable!

First off the resort complex has EVERYTHING you could possibly need! Our room was on the ground floor of Villa 91 just off the pool. It was exactly what I requested and needed. The Esmeralda main pool was just outside our room. Its busy during the day so as long as you are good with music and laughter you will be AOK this close to the pool. We claimed our chairs each day and never had an issue with getting space here or at the beach! Our room was spacious and clean, AC worked perfectly and the w [... read more]ater was restocked at our request the first day and from them on automatically. The FOOD ... the food at most of the restaurants was only good to very good. Not great or excellent. EXCEPT for YURTA, the food that night was EXCELLENT. The Greek, oh my gosh, it was terrible and they really need to do a better job there. Casa Bella was very good, Maiko Japanese (Punta Cana) was good, El Oliva Mediterranean was good, Beach buffet and the main buffet were very good, fresh and loads to choose from. LIMBO bar at the Ambar was also excellent. Top shelf and the two bartenders that were there from Dec 6 to the 13th were so much fun! Pool was fairly cloudy most days but on the 4th day there were complaints from a lot of people and the 5th day it was clean and clear. I would definitely go back to stay at the Esmeralda or Ambar. The other areas were very tired and in need of some TLC. All in all ... a restful, beautiful vacation.

Perfect family resort

We were hesitating between Esmeralda or Fantasia and went with Esmeralda. This resort exceeded our expectations and was the perfect place to bring our young family! Not only is the resort stunning but service is a high priority for them. We were asked multiple times during our week stay if we were enjoying the hotel and if they could accommodate us in any way. It was perfect!

Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda Hotel

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda in Punta Cana, and it was an unforgettable experience! From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles and exceptional service. Accommodations: The rooms are spacious, beautifully decorated, and impeccably clean. The comfortable beds and luxurious linens ensured a restful night's sleep. Dining: The dining options at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda are superb. Each restaurant offers a unique culinary e [... read more]xperience, with a wide variety of delicious dishes to choose from. Amenities: The resort's amenities are top-notch. The pools are pristine and surrounded by plenty of loungers, ensuring a relaxing experience. The beach area is simply stunning, with soft white sand and turquoise waters. Service: What truly sets Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda apart is the exceptional service. Every member of the staff, from the concierge to the waitstaff, went above and beyond to ensure our stay was perfect. They were always friendly, professional, and eager to assist with any request. Their dedication to guest satisfaction is evident in every interaction. Overall Experience: Our stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda was nothing short of amazing. The combination of luxurious accommodations, exquisite dining, outstanding amenities, and unparalleled service makes this resort a top choice for anyone visiting Punta Cana. We left with beautiful memories and a strong desire to return. Highly recommended!

Room for Improvements after Renovations

If looking for the Luxury Experience perhaps one day it will be Esmeralda but for now it does not stand up to the experiences I have had both at Ambar and Fantasia. A portion of the staff certainly lacked experience. Guest experience for example could not be found at their designated station set up at the building entrance any of the numerous times we passed by. At the beginning of the stay a rep. was outside the breakfast buffet, noted a few requests we had (essential oil scented room and slip [... read more]pers) but never happened. On the last day met another rep. told him of this but by then too late. Another inconsistency was with the kid's club night entertainment. Timing of anything for the kids was a miss most nights. However, during the day the ladies were very good to look after the children. I would recommend Esmeralda but not to expect the luxury experience.

Amazing Vacation

The hotel was beautiful, our room was always clean and well maintained, the grounds are absolutely gorgeous, the beach is the best beach in Punta Cana. Every day the maintenance team is washing the common areas. Most of the staff is wonderful, friendly and very accommodating. The entertainment team is great. Manuel & Carla at the reception are fantastic, Carlos at the snack bar is very hard working and always on top of his team providing top notch service, Felipe and Jose at the bar close th [... read more]e snack bar are always smiling upbeat and putting on a show. I’ve been to the Dominican 13times, first time to the Bahia Luxury Esmeralda, this was such a great vacation, will definitely return to this location.

Bahia Principe luxury Esmeralda PUJ

Usually we go to Mexico but because of the seaweed we had all of our last travels in the Playa del Carmen area we went this time to Punta Cana. Unfortunately we had 4 of the 7 days again a lot of seaweed. The good thing is that there wasn’t any rock on the beach or the ocean. The room was great. Everything you need and clean. One day we didn’t had hot water and asked several days for was clothes but didn’t get them. Minor things. The food was good. Enough choices at the buffet restaurants and a  [... read more]lot of a la carte restaurants to choose from. Because there are 6 or 7 Bahia hotels next to each other and you can go to most of the restaurants. There was no internet at the beach. They had those routers on poles at the beach but they didn’t work. Wifi on the rest of the hotel grounds was okay. One main pool with loud music, a “quiet “ pool and in the middle a pool with bubble tubs. All three pools were kinda warm. Overall we loved it and made a good choice for this hotel.