Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Mixed feeling about this resort

Nice small resort but it is extremely crowded all the times. Maybe because of its contemporary looks at the front desk which attracting tourists. People occupied lounge chairs at the pools & at the beach as early as 7am and virtually you can't get any spots at anytime. Food is good and lots of varieties to choose from and there were always something new at buffet during our 7 day trip. Waiters & waitresses are friendly. The weakest link is the fresh juices which were provided only in the morning [... read more] but running out quite easily. You can try Japanese & Steakhouse À la carte but not Italian as food were not much different from the buffet. My room was clean but the very last day the a/c was out of order & we needed to switch to another room (just lucky enough the front desk found one). How they clean the room is kind of complicated. Around 10am the housekeeper collects the used towels. Then at some other time he/she cleans the room. Then some other staffs will fill up the fridge with bottle waters & pops. Finally the housekeeper returns the clean towels around 5pm. I think it's better if everything is done at the same time. The outdoor theatre was nice and shows were good. A bonus is a nice trial on the hill side which you can see the cruise ships docking and leaving from AmberCove. It took one and half hour to the airport as we went through lots of traffic jam (rush hour) in Puerto Plata and some detours. We tipped the coach driver because he needed to drive through a manual coach bus with some difficult terrains. However, I'll choose another resort 20 minutes from POP for my next trip.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Great Resort

The Jewel Palm Beach was a great resort and would recommend highly recommend it. The restaurants were amazing with no reservation needed, we did all once; Japanese food was great, Italian we did twice again food and service wonderful, Mexican great and French wonderful. The bars at both the pool and lobby were great servers at both were fantastic. There is a mixologist every night with specialty drinks. Staff in Dominican are always friendly and the Jewel staff were especially friendly an [... read more]d helpful they obviously like their jobs. The rooms are clean and well stocked, with towels twice a day if needed. The bed was very comfortable we had a king, the pillows were not great but tolerable. Entertainment was great a singer every night followed by entertainment on the stage by the pool. Two nights we had silent disco which is so mush fun. We like smaller resorts so this was perfect. We’re not beach people but people we meet were very happy we loved the pools and had no problem finding chairs with umbrellas and if we didn’t the staff brought one to us.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: great resort

the resort was wonderful, Never having been to a resort before we weren't sure what to expect. It was amazing. Our room was perfectly located between the lobby/restaurant and the pool / ocean. Couldn't have been better everyone was so friendly andhelpful LOts of activities and the food was great

Sunscape Puerto Plata: So So

The resort was passable. However we found it dated. The room was adequate. The food was limited. E.G. they ran out of bacon and eggs every morning. They had to constantly have to be asked to bring plates, silverware, and glasses for juices. I twisted my knee on the 3rd day and ended up using a broom handle as a walking aid as they didn't have crutches, canes or wheel chairs. Never had beef for the 1st 4 days. The water in room was lukewarm at best

Select Sosua Adults Only, Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Fantastic resort

The select area is amazing . Rooms and grounds are so well kept .We can not say enough about our experience there. Although we have been there quite a few times it keeps getting better 👍👍Quan and Francis were so attentive to all the guests (above and beyond amazing )and the staff at the Hermans. ( the great select restaurant ) could not have been more fun and professional. All the bar staff not to forget Jose were always quick to offer table service .We were there in February 2023 then bac [... read more]k again in April 2023 and can't wait to go back in November. Best place we have been to and we have been to almost everywhere. We highly recommend it .

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Luxurious resort that was always very high energy

We loved our stay at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace. We stayed in one of the oceanfront suites, with the water and jungle just steps away. It was picturesque. We were premium level members, and found the service, the food and amenities of that tier absolutely perfect for what we were looking for. As for covid protocols and such, they had hand sanitizer in elevators and around restaurants, and the open air facility certainly helped keeping a fresh flow of air. There were plenty of servers and support  [... read more]staff, so I'd say they recovered quite well considering. Even the beach was cleaned every morning. Very nice vacation spot if you have a family or are up for a party. Not really suitable for a zen-like vacation.

Serenade Punta Cana Beach and Spa Resort: Serenade Punta Cana - worst vacation

This was our 4th time in Dominican. Lets start with: Airport pickup: Longest time we ever had to wait to get from airport to Resort. Considering that we bought privileged package - i believe this is not acceptable. Check-In: Once we got to Resort our checking supposed to be done at privileged desk. Apparently, it was closed - never saw that in any other resorts. They had privileged desk open for 24/7. Speaking about privileged desk - had to go couple times asking to fix elevator butto [... read more]n - we couldn't get to 1st floor due to bad button. Told that that would be done ASAP - never happened for 5 days - i am not sure if it is fixed right now. Rooms: They were great - we had 2 rooms in one suit with 2 bathroom and showers, 2 TVs as well. Room service was done every day and was pretty good. Restaurants, Bars and Food: All ala carte restaurants needs to be prebooked. In our case they were booked for us - time was not good. We had to rebook few and after visiting one we simply gave up on going to them. We had to wait to hours for our meals. Many people were giving up and going to buffet. Buffet food was OK, nothing very special but still a descent variety. Service in the buffet and restaurants is awful. I never had to wait for server before, this time in most cases we didn't even see one, unless i was going and asking for something. In previous resorts as a privileged guests we never had to book any ala carte restaurants and were able to walk to any at any giving moment of time. Most of the time we spent at rooftop bar. It is only one location there service was exceptional. Funny - but it was closing at 6 pm as well as most of the pools. Why? Beach: Technically doesn't exist. That small sand walk way is hard to describe as a proper beach. Rest of water front is covered with seaweed. Privilege section was OK but we never saw a single server around. Every time you need something you had to go to bar. Shows: You can forget about them. They start to late in my opinion. If you travel with kids - it is going to be hard for them to wait until 9 30 am. There is not enough air flow in theatre. Shows themself worst i ever saw. Check-Out: Was good, except i ask for golf cart to take us to lobby with our luggage - never showed up. Had to wait almost for an hour before van showed up. I would not recommend this Resort to anyone. Dominican resorts always were outstanding, this resort is 3 star Cuban Resort.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Won't Return

This was not a fabulous experience and I can assure you, with all the choices out there, we won't be back. This was hardly al inclusive when many restaurants and bars were not included. Too many meals were buffets which were the same day after day. Too often the draft beer didn't work at many bars and the only option was to purchase another product. On two occasions the resort was out of ice. And one time out of vodka in all bars for half a day. Beyond all this service was average and the bea [... read more]ch smelled like sewage. We are not picky though expected a lot better for the dollar from this large brand name resort and we have enjoyed much better at other resorts on previous trips.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Beautiful, clean resort

This hotel was everything we could need. The rooms were beautiful, the grounds are kept so well. The workers there are always cleaning and so helpful and kind. I went with my 5 year old son and he loved it, from the tram to the waterslides, the bowling and arcade, something to keep him busy. When we checked in we received a 2 queens room vs. the 1 king i requested, but by the next day they had us moved to the king room no issues whatsoever. Noise level was quite low and everyone was super k [... read more]ind and helpful. Definitely not so much a party resort so if that is what you are looking for this wouldnt be the resort for you, but families or a relaxing holiday most definitely!!

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Never returning

The experience we encountered, was to say the least one of the worst I have ever experienced. The first day our room did not have any towels whatsoever in it when I called and asked for towels, they examined me as if I was a towel thief. When I finally got towels the next day, when the do not disturb sign was on my door, they decided they were going to clean my room anyway and took my towels once again. I had a dinner reservation for 6 o’clock. call them at 4 o’clock to tell them I had no to [... read more]wels and after four calls to the front desk. I decided to walk up my self and inquire in person upon being very agitated. He told me my towels were at my room, as I was walking back to my room from getting major attitude from the front desk, literally telling me if I didn’t like what I was experiencing to go and complain to customer relations . On my way back to the room I seen the lady walking with my towels. I took them from her and went back to my room alreadyOne hour late for my dinner reservations . The next day I let them clean my room and once again, they took my towels and did not replace them. I was assuming that they wanted to gain some extra revenue by charging me for towels, but I went and took some out of the dirty laundry, just to alleviate this, and they took them again without returning them. Once I can see it as a mistake, twice is poor workmanship, three times it’s just not called for. The lower pool beside the 500 building was totally disgusting. There was so much dirt floating on top bird feces was disgusting, the pool up by the main desk was missing approximately 14 inches of water until all of the locals came in for the Saturday and Sunday. Then they installed water. Monday some reason there must be a leak in the pool it was back down a foot of water . When the locals arrived, the foreigners did not receive any attention from the upper bar or the bar by the beach. We had one our friends sick in bed for 3 1/2 days could not move and we weren’t allowed to bring him any food. Nobody said there was any room service available when asked, lucky for one of the restaurants to let us take some pizza back for him on the third day. All in all the weather was great the beer was cold and the beach was nice. I personally will never use Translate again, but I will use trip Central as Sandra is an amazing contact, she made us feel absolutely taken care of!

Sunscape Puerto Plata: Nature’s Paradise

A beautiful, clean, well maintained resort. The Staff are Super friendly! As a nature lover it was amazing each morning to wake up to a symphony of birds singing. The Mangrove inlet with the birds, turtles and fish was a different scene each day. The beach is great for early morning hiking. Loved it!

Grand Bavaro Princess: Very nice resort.

I found the resort to be very big for my liking. Although trolleys were readily available. Grounds were beautiful and the resort was very clean. My room was amazing. The main pool water was a little cloudy and it could use a refurbishing. It would be nice to have drink service at the pool and on the beach. The restaurants were all very good and service was excellent. The buffet table service wasn't the greatest. It was hit & miss. It would also be nice to have some type of shows or enterta [... read more]inment in the evening. I had an amazing vacation.

Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: Emotions Puerta Plata

Grounds are very well maintained. Housekeeping did a god job daily. Food becomes repetitive in the bufffet. There are lots of activities for the young, rock climbing, mini golf, batting cage, arcade and more.

Excellence El Carmen: Excellent Experience at Excellence El Carmen

This was our second trip there. Last time was April 2018. The largest difference I found since COVID is no assigned concierge attendant for each Excellence level building. Other than that the entertainment, food and service was wonderful. A special shout out to our beech waitress Carmen who looked after us so well 5 years ago and again this trip.. she remembers what you drank 3 days ago.. she offers exceptional service while on the beech!

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Great Resort

the hotel is large so if you don't like walking than I wouldn't recommend it to you. The grounds were always clean, the staff were super nice, the food was good and the beach was always clean of any seedweed. I stayed in the junior deluxe room and it was amazing. The shows were good also. My only complaint is that there was suppose to be no reservations for the steak house Hunters but you have to line up. We were there approx. 40 mins before it open and was 5th in line so we thought for sure we  [... read more]would get in on the first sitting, than a bunch of people came in and said they have reservations and they were all let in and we couldn''t get in, I heard if you pay the run up front you will for sure to get in....I don't like that but I know it goes on. The Italian restaurant was my favorite, and the buffet was my 2nd as they had a different theme dinner everyday plus your basics, pastas, etc. the food truck had great sandwichs we had lunch there everyday as it was a different sandwich each day, they serve hamburgers, hotdogs and chickenburgers everyday also in case you dont like a sandwich, plus they had great fries. They have plenty for little kids to do, they had there own pool, play area plus there was a lazy river which everyone could use. Overall I would give this resort an 8 out of 10 and planning to go back to it next year.

Ocean El Faro: Could be so much more

The resort is nice, pools are awesome but the beach is less than desirable. The service seemed way understaffed for a resort of that size. You have to wake up at 430am to get in line to make a reservation at sulfurs their Japanese restaurant to maybe get a seat when they come at 7am. All the other restaurants you have to start lining up at 5pm for when they open at 6pm to hopefully get a table just to show up at your reserved time to find every restaurant half empty “due to them supposedly  [... read more]only being able to seat at 50% capacity” their bartenders are very slow and do not like to acknowledge children. The resort could be so much better if they staffed it appropriately for its size. I do not feel this being a 5* resort but maybe a 2*

Zoetry Agua Punta Cana: Perfect Resort

The rooms, food, pool were so enjoyable and it was the best food I have ever had at a resort. I opted for a smaller resort this time just to try, now I am hooked on smaller resorts. I found the personnel often thanked me for being their guest when I am the one who should be thanking them for being so gracious and kind to me and my husband. No complaints 'only" a great vacation with spacious rooms, great weather and just what the doctor ordered.... lol...Thanks Henry and Luis Miguel and "Happy" w [... read more]ho are always "up" putting everyone in a good mood. Your kindness will not be forgotten, Cheers to the person(s) who book with Zoetry.

Playabachata Hotel: Mediocre at best.

This resort is ok the food is very repetitive bland. Rooms are not as advertised in the pictures. they are run down. My air-condition made an awful racket the television didn't work at all I asked for it to be repaired and it wasn't done. The worst part was the rusting out bathtub that made me squeamish at the idea of using it the enamel was worn out to the end and it didn't feel very sanitary. The maid service was a hit and miss there were days the room just wasn't cleaned and days I had to go  [... read more]to the reception to ask for toilet paper and clean towels because they just didn't restock my room. the hotel itself is far from everything and the taxi rides to town are very costly. That leaves you relying on the entertainment at the hotel. The disco was closed since the start of covid and that left me with very little options for nightlife other than the 24 hour bar. A very boring place to be for 15 days. The hotel management and staff are as a general rule not willing to help you resolve any issues you have during your stay. The place is a tourist trap everything cost unreasonable prices and is non-refundable even in unforeseen circumstances like a leave due to illness ect. I can tell a very unsettling story about the hotel direction.

Secrets Cap Cana: FIVE STAR Experience

Chose this resort to spend a week away for a girls trip. Knowing it was likely going to be full with honeymooners and those celebrating anniversaries, made it even more compelling. We wanted something laid back, with some entertainment, but where we'd be able to get to sleep without the pounding disco music found in some resorts. The size of the resort was perfect, the room was amazing, clean and right by the pool. Service was impeccable with some of the regular servers learning our names and [... read more] our preferred drinks. We DID NOT elect to go the 'preferred' route, it wasn't needed. In fact, the beach done at the preferred side after some rain got very hard and uncomfortable. It is very safe. Didn't for a moment feel uncomfortable, and it being in a gated community means there is no one selling you anything on the beach. Lots of shade available and palapas that you can use. Get there early if you want the best ones at the front of the beach, but honestly they are all great! Just the right amount of activities during the day, some amazing live performances by the pool and at night they have shows, karaoke, and dancing outside in the lobby by the bar. Very laid back vibe. Dinner at every restaurant was superb, except the night we went to the Asian Fusion for a la carte. Service was slow, and our server was a little 'too friendly'.

Ocean El Faro: Fun in the Sun

The hotel was clean, pools were clean. The lazy river was fun. The water park looks great for kids. I think they are having staffing issues. The restaurants(except buffets)were only half filled so getting in wasn't fun. I guess they changed their reservation process. There is no online booking. Had to stand in line early. Sometimes still only ate at 730pm or later. Ala Cartes open at 6pm. Seaweed is a problem and the beach has rocks on the shoreline. Nature is beautiful but if you like to swim  [... read more]at the beach that might be a problem. Overall it was still a good trip.