A week in January 2026 at El Beso

The El Beso Ocean Faro is a 3 star hotel overall: Rooms: 1 Star (non-working tv and phone; sliding patio doors that don't slide very well; busted dresser drawers; shower doors that don't close; musty and damp rooms... and on and on Restaurants: Buffet: 5 Star A la Carte Restaurants: 3.5 Star (Route 66 is a 5 star) Pool side Eateries: 3 Star Fitness Facility: 3.5 Star Pools & Outdoor Areas: 3 Star Beach: 0 Stars We have travelled extensively in the Caribbean, and especially t [... read more]he DR, and I must say that this hotel was the least favourite by far.

Ocean El Faro/Beso

Absolutely loved this place. Had a blast. Everything went smoothly n I’m overly happy with my very first trip away. Happy with my travel agent. Would definitely go again n recommend. Food was great. Entertainment was fantastic. Resort was beautiful n fun.

LOVED IT!!!

This property is beautiful , well maintained. The rooms are spacious and the balconies are great size with bird swing on them. There are so many pools to choose from and they are large and well maintained. The only thing is if you want a chair by pool you need to get up at 5AM to put your towels out. The beach is not nice at all , but i am not a beach person. The entertainment was great, always something to do at various parts of the property. The a la carte were decent. The Japanese place was  [... read more]very good, The steakhouse was great and for burgers , fries , pub food , Route 66 was awesome and when you order room service at night it comes from Route 66. The staff were a little rude at EL BESO reception. Denise and I were only ones not given two double beds and we checked in first. I made them switch us the next day , but they were very rude about it. The pool staff were awesome , especially DAVIE . I would definitely go back and would recommend this place to others

Ocean Al Faro Beso adult only

Food was generally warm at best at all locations as we ate at the buffet and most of the restaurants. Hotel is a bit over 6 years old and the rooms decor is old looking and not well maintained. Some staff were very good and others were just there to do a job and appeared as they couldnt care less if you were there or not.

Very nice

Overall the hotel was lovely again, we went to the same place last year and enjoyed it. The restaurants are lovely and the pools are plentiful and fun. The feedback I would give is that the housekeeping could be slightly better, little things like sometimes our room was close to running out of toilet paper, And towels

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro Amazing Resort

I have spent a week al El Beso Adults Only resort and everything was exceptional and more. Many thanks to Carlos, bartender at El Beso reception bar area and to Andreea our room cleaning lady. Everything was unexpectedly beautiful and clean at all the times. Thank you again. Peter and Alla

I wanted to like it....

I really did want to like this resort - and to a degree, I did. Grounds were beautiful, staff were amazing (a special shout out to Melbin at the Italian a la carte and Juan Carlos of the El Beso pool bar - you guys were beyond amazing!!!). Food was okay - the a la cartes definitely made it worthwhile. Drinks were plentiful and they do not skimp on the alcohol. This resort is BIG. Yes, it's 911 rooms, but we didn't realize just how big it was. It was a lot of walking to get to restaurants from  [... read more]the adults only side (they do have a trolley system, we just didn't bother using it). A few times, people from the family side did sneak over to the adults only side, but they were usually caught pretty quick. We paid to upgrade to Privilege upon our arrival and didn't really find it worth it. Maybe we just didn't take full advantage of everything, and that's on us. Our mini bar in our room was supposed to be stocked daily - it was only stocked once. By the end of our 7 day trip, we had 1 bottle of water left. Crowd seemed to be a bit more on the younger side then we are used to at resorts (I'd say late 20's to early 30's). Biggest complaint was the music at the adults only pool - it was LOUD. There's only so much bass thumping, house party music one can take in a week. We lucked out with our room literally being steps from the pool - but when we are in our room, with the sliding glass door closed and my husband had his sleeping ear plugs in and you can still hear the music...that's loud. People in the pool would ask a few times for it to be turned down so you didn't have to yell at the person 2 feet away from you to hear them and yes, the staff would turn it down a bit....but then a new staff member would come along and crank it back up again. Even if the pool was empty. It seemed like they were playing the music more for them then the guests. The resort seemed to be experiencing a lot of shortages - no berries whatsoever at the adult's only side snack bar, we asked for BBQ chicken at the one lounge to be told they were out, same with the pulled pork burgers at the privilege lounge. Food at the buffet was plentiful, but just okay. Beware of the time share pitch!!! When we checked in, a very nice gentlemen in a white shirt (learn to beware the white shirts!) took our number for communication via WhatsApp and asked us to join him for a 'special breakfast' the next morning where we could obtain our "welcome gift". We ended up bailing on the breakfast (we heard from other guest that the "welcome gift" is breakfast at the main buffet....). The white shirt guy ended up messaging us to re-schedule and called our room...4 times. Multiple times a day. I'm talking 2-3 times in the morning, and it would ring upwards of 7-8 times. Overall, it is a nice resort - just not really our style. Would we go back? Not likely - and not because it wasn't a nice resort - just not our style really.

Nice Resort

The resort itself was nice. The service was not really great. The room were not really clean, we had to request to get it cleaned. No fresh towels, that was also requested. The food was also not that great. we got no proper service at the restaurants, we had to wait for our food like 2 hours. Even on buffet we did not get any attention from the servers.

Lots of fun!

Hotel is okay. Not perfect but no major complaints. Food was great, especially the snack bars for lunch. Lots of evening activity. We loved the quiet El Beso lobby and the piano bar. There seems to be a lot of autistic and ADHD folks there. I think because the main lobby is like a museum. It was a very friendly social atmosphere at this resort. Beach was completely unusable, it was peak sargassum season.

Good resort, could be better, beach needs cleaning

The resort is big and is good for families. The food is mediocre and the resort itself offers a variety of a la carte restaurants, my favourite is Blue Moon. Sakura is overhyped and they don't offer dessert. The cafe is the best, great place to hang out and grab coffee or small snack. Lots of pools and a really fun lazy river for kids and adults. The biggest improvement they should work on is cleaning their beach! It's littered with garbage, cigarettes, bottle caps, etc. And the seaweed!  [... read more] They need to invest in equipment to do a regular daily major clean up. I saw a vehicle mince and chop up the seaweed and spits it back out. No no.. It has so much potential if they clean up the seaweed properly and clear it. Hardly anyone was hanging out at the beach or let alone swimming it in. The staff is friendly and everyone seems to like their job. Rooms are decent, clean and spacious. Until they start cleaning up their beaches and improving their food quality and taste, I will not be returning.

Not an adult only resort

We chose El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro based on the reviews we read—we wanted an adults-only hotel and, in general, we’ve had positive experiences in the Dominican Republic. To start with, El Beso is not a separate hotel; it is part of Ocean El Faro, and everything except the pool and one restaurant is shared between the two. So if you're looking to escape from the noise of children, you won’t! The only evening entertainment is located in the "main hotel," which is important for guests to [... read more] know. The food is okay, typical for most all-inclusive resorts—it gets repetitive. To get a piece of grilled meat or fish, you have to wait in line and endure the smoke. The biggest disappointment was the beach—getting into the sea is nearly impossible due to rocks and waves. During our 11-day stay, the red flag was up the entire time, and there was no option for a walk along the shore, which we were used to in Punta Cana. We ended up swimming in a nearby small lagoon that doesn’t belong to any hotel. The seaweed is never cleared, and no one maintains it, but it was the only place where you could get into the water and enjoy yourself. After coming back from the beach, another surprise for a five-star hotel—out of two showers, neither was working, so you’re stuck with sand on your feet. One night, water started leaking from the ceiling in our room. Of course, we immediately called to report it, but no one ever showed up. Fortunately, the leak stopped on its own during the night. Overall impression: This is nowhere near a five-star hotel. The service is poor—while you're tipping, everyone is friendly and helpful, but without tips, everything suddenly becomes slow and clumsy. We will not be coming back to this hotel.

Very nice

Was maybe one of the best all-inclusive resorts I’ve been to and I’ve been to over 50. The service was excellent. I didn’t do a lot of the restaurants but the room service was excellent and also very fast. The pool could’ve been a little bit cleaner, but the lobby in the main lobby is absolutely beautiful

Amazing resort will be return

This resort is amazing I would return and actually I am returning in January had a awesome time made lots of friends staff are very friendly and work very hard to keep up with your needs grounds are very clean always cleaning indoors and grounds great place to vacation

Amazing as always!

3rd vacation at this resort and will not be my last. Well kept, clean, great food, pool and beach. Staff are very friendly and professional. Would recommend the adults only for those travelling without children, it is worth the extra money.

Beautiful resort, but with a major flaw…

We recently stayed at El Beso for a week at the beginning of April. My review will be quick and to the point: My opinions are similar to most others in regards to resort grounds, rooms, restaurants and beach. I only have two concerns really, one minor and one major Minor: no real beach / pool grill. There is a creperie which is rather underwhelming. I wish there was some sort of small lunch buffet / grill with quick grab items. Instead we ate at main buffet most of the week. There is a bur [... read more]ger place on family side but literally only burgers and hot dogs. Major: afternoon music. This was a completely horrendous experience. From 3pm to 6pm every day there was a party at the pool which made relaxing impossible. While in our room (building 15) we had to use ear plugs inside if you wanted to read. The choice of music was questionable as well - lots of vulgar language and most was completely inappropriate for the demographic. I would say at least 50% of the people around the pool were aged 60+. The resort details even stated “not for spring breakers” and yet every afternoon it was a huge party. If this type of thing is not for you then maybe try to get into building 12 or 17. 15 and 10 are the “party pool” apparently. This is the pool closest to the el beso lobby. So just be aware before booking. Sadly, as amazing as this resort truly is, we likely won’t be returning. We were looking for a peaceful and relaxing vacation which for the most part was, except for the afternoons. Will probably try to find a quieter resort next trip. Other than that, if you’re ok with afternoon fun and not picky about the beach then definitely go to this resort, it delivers on all other levels.

Beautiful resort

Room was very clean. Grounds are kept beautiful. Food was excellent, good selection at the buffet and easy to book a-la-cartes. Staff are very friendly. Lazy river is awesome, bring your own tubes. Beach lounges could use replacing. Lots of palapas.

Beautiful Resort

The hotel is very beautiful.The main lobby is very nice.The ground is well kept. Pools are nice and big.Our room was very nice and clean every day.The beach is rocky but there's a laguna next to the hotel and have a clear water and nice sand. Food in the restaurants are good but the menu could improve.The blue moon restaurant has to improve a lot. Overall the resort is 4 star and I will visit again.

Worth passing

I stayed at the Ocean El Faro Adults Only from March 24th to 31st. While the resort itself is quite nice, with more than ample pool space and about 10 restaurants, I was disappointed with some things. The condition of the shower was poor... cement was bubbling and peeling and unattractive. The toilet area was ok, just not very appealing. Maid service was inconsistent regarding what time they would come. Some days around 9:00 AM, some days around 11:00. On the day that I had placed my sign on  [... read more]the door at 9:30 to make up the room, she did not come until 2:00 PM. As well, the coffee station in the room was usually neglected. After I had used the only coffee-mate and only stir-stick in the room, they were never refilled. In fact, on my last morning there, I did not even have coffee available. There was also a shortage of facecloths. On the day I arrived, there were none. Three days later, I was given 2. The next day, the maid took one and did not replace it. Same thing the next day. There was not a clock in the room, nor was there an iron and ironing board, which were listed as included on the resort's website. I often found service in the El Mercado buffet lacking. When you entered, a server would usually come to your table to provide water and take your drink order. One day, I sat in a highly visible area for 10 minutes without any service. Finally, a waiter was approaching with a water pitcher but decided instead to stop at the table in front of me, where 2 women were enjoying their meal, already fully supplied with water and drinks. I'll never be back...

Great Resort

This is a huge resort with many different amenities that you can enjoy. We were at this resort 5 years ago and the resort has changed immensely on the adults only side. It's very busy and lots of activities. You have to get up at 6am to get a chair. We had a hard time exchanging towels on a daily basis, either they weren't open or ran out of clean towels. We stayed at El Beso side, there were lots of foam days at the pool, making the pool feel slimey even though the pools were cleaned daily.  [... read more]The food was OK, I am not s buffet person so prefer to eat at the a la carte.. Reservation are needed for 3 restaurants and the reservations need to be done through an app. The Blue Lagoon & Steakhouse were good. We didn't do Mexican but there was always a big line up. The piano bar in the main lobby Ocean El Faro was amazing. The resort has so many things to offer that you wont be disappointed.

Very nice resort!

We were a family of four traveling to Ocean El Fero. 2 adults and 2 teens. This is a typical all inclusive resort, but I really have nothing bad to say about it. Even at max capacity itwasn’t overcrowded. We were always able to reserve seats as long as we went out early,and the food was pretty decent for Dominican Republic. Our room had a nice patio with a swing and there were some rooms that were swim out, which looked very nice. We spent quite a bit of time at the beach and the lazy river. We [... read more] arrived on a Thursday and there were many vendors pressing for sales in the main eating area, which was a bit alarming as we were just arriving, but they were only there that first day possibly every Thursday? Overall, a great experience I wouldn’t return unless it was free as there’s too many other places to see, but not for any other reason.