Great resort!

We had a wonderful time at the Impressive Resort. The staff was amazing. The grounds were so clean, people working all the time. The food was sooo yummy. We enjoyed 3 of the restaurants. French, Japanese, Italian, French was my favourite. The Grill was my favourite place for breakfast and lunch. All the excursions were fun and right on time; we went to Sante Domingo and toured the city. also went golfing and it was excellent. i will recommend your resort to everyone. Elaine Hines

Best Resort I've been to

I’ve been down South 3 times before this, twice to DR and once to Cuba. I travelled with 7 other people including my wife and 3 children, ages 10, 9 and 7. I booked with Tripcentral.ca and flew with Air Transat. We were there from Feb 29th to March 7th. Check-in: We arrived after 1 in the morning due to a flight delay and were the very last group to check in and much like most of the other reviews suggest, it was painfully slow. I don’t even know how long it took but it seemed like an hour  [... read more]and there were only a few groups ahead of us. I wanted to get premium for us all and was able to negotiate a price of $320 US for all three rooms total. We weren’t on the premium side of the resort but all got the upgraded, ocean view rooms with Jacuzzis. On the first day we were greeted by a staff member (Jonathan) who took care of making all of our a la cart reservations for the week, gave us some tips of where to go and what to do and, of course, asked if we would go to a sales presentation the next day. He was honest with us about the fact that he understands it’s probably not something we’re too interested in but even if that’s the case, he would get commission if we went and it would be good for his job. He also said we would get a $150 voucher towards and excursion if we did go, even if we didn’t but anything. We decided to take him up on the offer and about 30 minutes into the presentation which was scheduled for 90, the representative who was pitching us became very aware that we would not be buying anything and we were able to leave and we got our voucher. She was the nicest person to us until I told her that I wasn’t interested and then she became rather rude and told us we wasted her time. I was glad to get the voucher none-the-less as we did want to take the kids on an excursion. Excursion: with using the voucher, we negotiated a price for all of us to go to MonkeyLand. It was about an hour bus ride into the mountains to the attraction and it was soooo much fun for the kids. Monkeys were all over them several times and they had a blast. The guides were super friendly, knowledgeable and ensured everyone got lots of pictures and had a lot of fun. I’d highly recommend this excursion for families. Room: Our room was beautiful. It was an on the top floor of building 12 and had an amazing view of the ocean. All three of our rooms were in this building and were all the same. Very spacious, clean and no issues to speak of. The fridges were stocked well each day with plenty of water, the rooms were cleaned really well, had plenty of hot water in the showers and the bed was huge and comfy. The building was right beside the beach and I thought the view from the walkway towards the beach from our building was the nicest view on the resort. The building was far away from the main lobby and the pools which was really nice and it made it easy to get to the beach early to reserve some beach chairs in a good spot for the kids. The one downfall was that it was far away from the premium side of the resort so we didn’t end up going over that way too often. Food Main Buffet: Lots of different options and all of us ate very well the entire week. The food was always hot and there was plenty of good choices each night and different things every day as well. The donut wall was a big hit with the kids (and me) as well as the ice cream bar. Best buffet I’ve been to down south, hands down. Japanese A la Carte: We had our table at the hibachi grill and our cook was awesome. He was skilled and entertaining and it was probably my favourite meal of the week. The Grill A la carte: I thought this meal was fantastic, too. I had the steak which was super tender and delicious and cooked to perfection for me. They had a good kids menu and brought us a big plate of fries for the kids to enjoy as well. The Olive Tree: I had the steak again here and it wasn’t as good but was still decent. One of my kids had the pork tenderloin and it was delicious! The Pizza Hut: I’ve never liked the pizza down south until this place. It was always open and served a variety of pizzas – always hot and always tasty. Kids Club: We took our kids there 4 days for a couple of hours each time so we could go to the gym and they had a great time. The staff was amazing and loved the children so much and were so great to them. My littlest guy had his birthday on our last day there and they threw him a party, got him a gift and had a cake with his name on it for him. It was so nice of them and the kids loved the leaders there. Also, they had an activity for the kids there each night before the entertainment, too. Most nights was a kids disco where they had dance competitions (my daughter and I won), Just Dance on the big screen and games for the kids to play. One night they had a camp night were they had a bunch of snacks for the kids and watched Frozen 2 on a big screen outside by the pool area. This was awesome as we got to drop them off for another 2 hours that night! Can’t say enough good things about the kids club workers! Entertainment: We went to the Karaoke Night which was so good as there were a few professionals in our midst. The Circus night was filled with talent and was very entertaining and those were the only ones we stayed up for as it was pretty late for the kids. The beach: So amazing. White sand and warm, teal blue water. Our weather was perfect each day (30+) and clear. The sun was hot and the water was very inviting. The kids had a blast swimming. The lounge chairs did go fast so we reserved ours each morning. There were a lot of people trying to sell you things but I never had any issues telling them no. The beach goes on forever and we walked a long ways both directions and saw a lot of other resorts and vendors and bought some things in some of the shops. Pools: There were two premium pools that we spent a good amount of time at and then 2 more pools on the regular side. One of those was the main pool where they had activities each day and we spent a lot of time there, too. Like the beach, the chairs were spoken for early at the pools. They were all very clean and the kids loved swimming in them as well. Staff: I never had any issues during my stay and everyone I dealt with was great. They were all very polite and did their jobs well. The standouts for me were the kids club crew for sure. Overall this is the best place I’ve been to and I would go back without hesitation.

Service could be better.

Found the resort very beautiful and well-kept at first impression everything seem to be very well maintained. Until the sales pitch started constantly pressure to upgrade buying packages for future vacations, constantly pressuring everywhere we went while walking around the resort, either too purchase excursions, visit the spa for massage Etc. For example in 2 hours while sitting at the pool was approached 6 * by various people. Not including vendors set up on the grounds in every pathway making [... read more] an impossible the walk peacefully without being bothered. Only to reach the lobby to be confronted by Hotel staff looking to steal you yet again further upgrades and massages. If only the service with the staff even with simple things as receiving a drink before you finish your meal in buffet or at a la carte match the scenery of the beautiful Resort & Country. What a shame

Mixed feelings

Our checkin was a nightmare. Non-responsive, rude staff. Finally, I got help at 4pm as I insisted. At 4:30 we got to our room, door wouldn’t open.....had to get repairman to replace batteries. Room was close to ocean, so we disregarded our checkin ... Resort is Georgeous, clean and rooms spotless. The beach is nice. They could use more lounge chairs. We noticed the main pool has black crude along waters edge. Never cleaned, so we avoided it. Quiet pool is nice. Buffet is good, but [... read more] plastic glasses, dirty plates and very slow service. Food could be cold. Spoons were never on table. Ala Cartes. Italian.....BEST! We had lamb. Excellent. The staff decorated my table for my birthday and came out singing with a cake. Japanese......Very entertaining and yummy. Grill.......Both our dishes were cremated. Waiter lazy and couldn’t care less. We walked out. French.....escargot and Soup cold. Duck was so tough, a knife couldn’t cut It. We got a 1/4 in. Of wine while another table got their third glass. We walked out of there too. Entertainment.....Best Ever! Bands before show, dancing, and after show till midnight. Lots of fun. Drinks watered down. Service overall is very slow and non extinctint Very close to Town and catamaran excursion fun. Don’t think we’d return due to the negatives.

Not totally impressed!

Beautiful grounds & surroundings, beautiful beach! No doubt about that!! Check-in at reception was very slow. It was disorganized. We had to wait almost an hour to get registered and there were only a few of us checking in. Some guests received a welcome drink, others were overlooked. The food In the buffet restaurant was good, yet the evening fare was quite repetitive every night. However, more than that, what was truly lacking was the customer service in the buffet restaurant. Many morn [... read more]ings we had a long wait to receive a second cup of coffee, and in the evening, there was often a shortage on napkins, cutlery, and when we tried to get a second glass of beer or wine with your meal, we had to wait and wait and wait. There seemed to be too many guests and too few servers. The atmosphere was chaotic and disorganized. Housekeeping service was limited. Some days, completed by 3 pm, other days no show, or a show up at 5pm ....which of course was not convenient. Be prepared to be approached by the many time-share representatives in the lobby & surrounding areas offering free massages.....for a deal.

Amazing resort

The resort was very clean,The restaurant food was very good. The spa was amazing and amazing price. Very nice beach and amazing sun rises. The one thing that we didn’t like was there was not enough chairs at beach or pool.

Amazing Resort

The grounds, rooms, were awesome!!! Pizza bar was sooooo good!! My only complaint is they closed down all the pools at 6pm and all the bars except for one—The Lobby Bar! Which unfortunately always had a huge lineup and only 2 bartenders! Other than that we loved it! Def would book again

Great Resort

There is nothing much to complain about at this resort. The rooms and facilities were extremely clean and maintained. We were really pleased with the clean bathrooms close to the beach area. The entertainment was good, staff was always friendly and polite. Manuel in the buffet is awesome. The workers were diligent in maintaining the beach and cleaning the seaweed. Our only complaint is that smoking is allowed in the dining facilities. We have recommended this resort to friends.

Nice resort

Resort was clean, and the food was good. Only drawback was the aggressive time share employees that keep bothering us all week to the point of making us be rude to them. Fridge didn't work when we arrived and had to tell front desk 3 times before they sent someone so we didn't have cold drinks in our room.

Terrible ... we got sick

It was our first time travelling without our parents (in our 20's) but we have travelled extensively with our parents and knew what to expect in a 5 star.... but not here. We are not sure exactly if it is the issues were systemic in the hotel because it's just terrible over all or because we were young and they didn't view us as guests. The check in process was inefficient and the staff was rude and unhelpful .... the food was beyond terrible. Two of us got sick and one even was hospitaliz [... read more]ed for 24hrs with a gut bacteria likely from food. Most of the staff was rude with the exception of a few bar tenders. service in the restaurants was slow and insufficient. In most of the restaurants it Took over 30 min just to be asked if we wanted something to drink .... then the dreaded wait time to actually get the drink. Insufficient service in all bars across the hotel.

Amazing Resort

Very clean, well kept. I felt they were short staff as we had issues with room service; such as short changed on towels and washroom amenities. Our private concierge promised things that never occurred. The room bar fridge was filled 3 days after we checked in.

A work in progress

Arrived at the resort Sunday afternoon and left the following Sunday morning. Since this resort has been rebranded and gone through some major renovations, I must give them credit for the hard work they have put in to make this a great place to vacation. From the reviews I had read from previous vacationers, I will say the comments were taken to heart and problems noted were rectified the best they could. Overall, my stay here was not without a few little challenges. The grounds were always ma [... read more]intained and clean. Workers constantly kept debris and garbage under control. The beach was kept clean from seaweed throughout the day. Public areas were always accessible, the pools from 9 am till 6 pm. Rooms were cleaned daily. Minibar was always stocked (asked for a few extra beers each day and they were there). Bathroom supplies (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) and towels could have been stocked better each day. Sometimes had to track someone down for items not replenished. The food, well I can say that there was enough selection for anyone, even the pickiest eaters. The main buffet was always well stocked until the last half hour of the meal times. Pizza and nachos always available from 10ish each day. The al a carte restaurants were excellent. The French, Mediterranean and Italian restaurants were really good. I would recommend the Beef tenderloin at any of them and the Lamb shank was exceptional at the Italian. We were unable to attend the Japanese restaurant because it is only open on Sundays at this time, it books up very fast. It would be nice if it were open two or three nights each week. Nightly entertainment was always available in the theater or near the main lobby. Always something for everyone, even the kids had their own entertainment nights and times. Local DJ's, small bands and entertainment staff were there to provide music for and dancing for all to enjoy. The entertainment staff were willing to teach the dance moves for those wanting to learn. For anyone who likes to walk along the beach, you can walk a long time before you run out of beach in both directions. My one big complaint is there is no smoking policy or restrictions in effect anywhere on the resort. Even to have designated smoking areas so the non-smokers could enjoy the resort. Having a large number European vacationers at the resort, as a Canadian, one begins to appreciate the Canadian smoking laws.

Would NOT recommend

Honestly there are better places on the island then this resort, staff was extremely rude and would cat call any females. the only place to get "free wifi " is the resort lobby or you have to upgrade or pay for the wifi. the shows weren't anything special. beach was nice. Food was ok, I have a food allergy to gluten and it was hard to make clear to the restaurants because of the lack of English. One on the problems with the resort was a guest was slapped in the lobby and the staff and "security" [... read more] refused to do anything about it because the guess who assaulted him was leaving tomorrow, little did we know we met that same guest 2 days later in the resort. not worth the money if your resort isn't safe... spa on resort was mediocre , expensive for what the services was. rooms are very outdated.

Beautiful Beach!

Half an hour from the airport. Check in was fast. We were asked if we wanted to upgrade. They started at $500 for our 10 day trip...he finally finally asked if we would pay $300 and when we said no he asked us what we would pay. Another couple who checked in at the same time paid over $300 US. Not much difference...they had a private area on the beach, but had a longer walk to the bar, an ocean view and beer in their fridge. We were in building 16 overlooking the Japanese restaurant.My husband h [... read more]as knee problems so our location was excellent as we were close to the buffet and lobby. Our room was great. Housekeeping always had our room done in the morning. We always hung our towels to dry, but often they were replaced with new ones. Face cloths were not provided which is not unusual so we brought our own. We ate most of our meals at the buffet. We could always find something to eat. Although after 10 days we did get tired of the food. Staff were always on the move but they seemed very unorganized. Their manager was always frowning and bossing them around. It seemed that the manager's priority was to ensure the dirty dishes were removed from the tables not in serving coffee, water or wine. We were also told that the waiters were given direction to only pour very small amounts of wine...even said that they would get in trouble if caught by their manager. The wine was terrible, but at the 4 star resorts it's what I expect. The beach was beautiful. No seaweed, but some small roots from palm trees down the beach that had blown over and into the water. If you like to walk the beach, you could go in both directions. I went half an hour out and back and could have gone even further. Pizza at the beach was great. Gym was very well equipped. Never more than 5 people there. Our flight home was cancelled. West Jet moved us to the Barcelo Palace for a night. Beautiful, huge resort. I felt that WJ did us well. Overall the size of the resort was perfect. The grounds were beautiful. We paid less than $1300 each for 10 days, which I felt was a great value.

Amazing resort

Amazing place, we had very very good time.. everything was amazing, l hardly recommended. The food, the pools, the room, the beach very clean, White sand, the service, all was amazing, don't be hesitated to try it..you will love it.

Impressive great vacation

We just returned form the impressive spa Punts Cana. We can’t say enough. While it was down season and some amenities were not available the resort was fantastic. The food at the a la cares were great. The Japanese was the best, we went 2 times as well as the Italian. The view of the ocean during dinner in the Italian restaurant was priceless!!! Breakfast was good had mimosas and bloody Mary’s available. Pools were clean and maintained but we didn’t use too much as we spent most [... read more] of our time at the beach. Our favourite things about the resort was how small and quaint it was . So much vegetation all over. Really made it feel like a tropical paradise. We would definitely return 😊

Nice Relaxing Week

The hotel was clean, well kept, had many dining options, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The entertainment staff, in particular, kept the fun vibe going day and night! The Japanese style a la carte restaurant was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend!!

It was good, other than the beach!

the beach was not crystal blue water you might be thinking of. there were lots of seaweed and the water was murky. pools were nice and cold. foods were decent in the buffet. however, japanese restaurant was a complete disappointment. the room was nice.

Not Impressed

This hotel was not very impressive. The service was very disappointing. Pool bar ran out of beer every day. The restaurants did not have bacon or french fries. The rooms and resort were very clean though. I would not even say this would be a 4 star. The ala cartes were good but the On the Grill (Steakhouse) was only open 2 days we were there. Some of the staff at the bars and the cafe were very rude, it felt like they did not like their job and made people feel uncomfortable. Entertainment was n [... read more]ot very good. Considering other resorts I have been to for the same price or less and was very pleased, I would not return to this resort.

Fabulous resort!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this resort. The grounds were well kept, the beach was clean, the room was clean, the staff were great and helpful. We liked that it was a smaller resort where we got to know a few of the guests. The food was decent and we generally had no issue getting into the restaurants we wished to. Not all restaurants were open each night, it would have been helpful to know in advance. Overall we loved it and hope to go again!!!