Nice resort.

Nice resort but dated. The rooms, pool and grounds were clean. The buffet food was good and kept at proper temperatures. The staff were all friendly. A la cartes were very good as well. Overall a great vacation.

Excellent in everyway

Very clean rooms, nice location, beach cleaned everyday, great staff, Compact setup so you were close to everything, lots of space for relaxing in shade or sun, great activities, buffet different every night, Beach area cleanest I have seen in Puerta Plata

Great Vacation

My daughter and I spent one week at the Be Live Collection Marien in Puerto Plata and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I would rate this resort just under 5 stars probably a 4 1/2. I will review our holiday according to the following categories: 1. Flight: We flew with Canjet Airlines and overall we had a good flight. The only negative factor is that we flew to Punta Cana where some passengers departed and others boarded. We then flew to Puerto Plata which overall meant we arrived later than we [... read more] thought we would. Originally when we booked the flight it was to be a direct flight to Puerto Plata but Canjet changed the itinerary later. I can see their point since the plane was always half full and there probably was not enough for two direct flights to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata. 2. Room: We had a standard room with two double beds and a terrace view. The room had a mini bar, coffee maker, TV, shower and tub and A/C. The mini bar had a bottle of water, two cans of beer and two bottles of pop. After tipping the maid $5 she kept the mini bar well stocked throughout the week. The building we stayed in was next to the lobby and close to the pool. All of the buildings are well situated throughout the resort. It took us less than 5 minutes to walk anywhere in the resort. 3. Grounds: Exceptional. The outdoor landscaping was beautiful; very tropical. The whole resort was kept in excellent condition and was spotlessly clean. 4. Pool - A large pool divided into sections. Its not too deep which is nice. Lots of people around the pool each day and it was hard to find a palapa or chair if you waited too long in the morning. People would leave their towels on their chairs to make sure no one could take it. A sign pointed out this was not allowed but it wasn't enforced. We decided not to sit at the pool until late afternoon when it wasn't as busy and we had no problem finding a shady spot. 5. Beach - Very wide with no seaweed in front of our resort. My daughter and I walked a long way down the beach past some other resorts and I have to say the best beach area is in front of this resort. We usually had no problem finding a beach chair in the shade since we both don't like to sit in the direct sun for too long. There are beach vendors that will come up to you and try to get you to buy something. They will persist but a firm and polite "no thank you" is all that's needed. 6. Food: There is one buffet restaurant and three al a carte's. You have to make a reservation for the al a carte's. The Brazilian was my favourite. They will bring you long skewers of steak, chicken, pork etc and you can have as much as you want. The Mexican was very good as well. The Gourmet was nice and formal and the food is good there too. We ate breakfast and dinner as well at the Buffet and they offer a wide selection. I missed my Canadian bacon though for breakfast. They only served it one morning. Overall I would rate the food at this resort as very good. 7. Service: Staff were very friendly and attentive to our needs. You can tell that they work hard and take their jobs seriously. No problem conversing in English. 8. Weather: We were there from January 9th to 16th. The first three days it rained periodically throughout the day and the sun would come out for awhile and then it would rain again. After that for the last four days it was fantastic weather; beautiful and sunny all day with a nice breeze. Evenings were very comfortable. 9. Excursions: There are a number of excursions you can book at the resort. My daughter and I took the catamaran ride which provided a lunch and drinks while sailing along the coast. It makes a couple of stops where you can snorkel in the reefs and view the tropical fish. Also we took the tour of the city of Puerto Plata. They take you up a lift to the top of the 2nd highest mountain in the Dominican. You will have some breathtaking views of the city and the coast. You will also visit the rum factory (we bought some rum and it was incredibly inexpensive). You will also visit the Amber Museum and the old fort that used to guard the city as well as be able to do some shopping. We really had a wonderful vacation here. Would I go back to Puerto Plata? Yes. Would I choose another resort? Not very likely. This was a beautiful resort and I would return there for sure if I could.

Wonderful place, great valued holiday.

Loved the room plenty of storage, very clean wonderful maid service. Large pool, great for families. Loads of chairs at pool and beach. service at the bar wonderful, not cheap when it comes to pouring drinks. Very friendly staff, at the bars and restaurant, and service desk. I would go back there in a minute. Loved it.

It is nice and beautiful resort.

Hotel is ok, our room is clean, right place to relax and unwind. You don't get bored, a lot of things to do. A lot of the staff don't speak English but they are so friendly. It is a 24 hour snack bar i like it..

Worst resort I have been to

The rooms have mould in them. The staff didn't come to evaluate the problem. the rooms are very out dated and were not clean upon initial entry. There was filth on the outside of the bathtub from previous guests. The breakfasts were disgusting. Boiled potatoes,peas carrots, peas and carrots mixed,corn boiled yucca,spinach,squash,beans,hot dogs that they call sausages and boiled eggs with flies floating in it's bath of water. When explaining to the manager that hot dogs shouldn't be labelled as s [... read more]ausages,the next day the sign read "hot dogs". When showing the food manager these issues , he said the flies die when they hit the water. He then attempted unsuccessfully to remove them with the serving spoon, and walked away. The deli sliced cooked ham was severely dried up on the edges. This was every day. I had the runs for three days before trekking into town to the pharmacy to get a prescription. Most of the people I talked to at the resort also had fallen ill because of the food. I will never go to a BE LIVE resort again. The staff doesn't care about health and safety, weather it be mouldy rooms or substandard food. Stay clear of this resort.

One word: Awesome!

My husband and I, my 20 year old son and 18 year old daughter spent 7 nights there. We had an amazing time. The rooms were clean, the food fabulous, the activities super fun. The staff were excellent. A special shout out to Danny the "towel boy" who charmed us with his smile.

Fantastic Pool and Gym!

There are many great features of this resort. The layout is functional and easy to get around,. You get a great view of the grounds and the pool area when you come off the main lobby. Bars are conviently located thorughout the resort for easy access. The pool deck is huge! I loved the pool area. There are a lot of activities and music that occur around the pool. I went at christmas so the grounds were decorated beautifly with lights and other christmas paraphanalia. The disco was located in the  [... read more]main lobby so there was no noise disturbances to the residences. The main buffet was large and was organized to allow proper flow of people throughout so there was miminum bottle necking. The food was very good. It had a lot of options. Fresh fruit, juices, pastas meats. I felt no reason to go to the restaurants. The hotel staff was very friendly. There is a publi casino and disco a short distance away and it is safe to walk off the resort. I lovd tthe gym that was located at the front of the resort. It had wall to wall windows air conditioning, it was clean and modern! A big plus!

Relaxing experience

Overall very nice time, food was good, beach was nice and the pool always seemed clean. No swim up bar, but there was one really close to the pool. No problems with our room, but we did find that the washrooms through out the resort were not always clean.

TERRIBLE RESORT *FOOD POISONING*

this resort is described as a 4 plus star however they should be lucky to have 3 stars. I am a sous chef with many years experience and I have to say I am very upset about what the hotel actually looked like when I got there. The food for one is about 2 Star service our first day there i found toilet paper in the iceberg lettuce at the snack bar. The second day we ate and at night I started throwing up and having severe stomach cramps with diarrhea about 4 hours after i ate. This is what food po [... read more]isoning feels like. I was sick for 4 days and my boyfriend was sick two days after me. On our last day we were both feeling better and finally went to go eat we bit into a piece of chicken nugget only to see RAW COMPLETELY RAW chicken inside! SALMONELLA is no joking matter and at that moment I knew why we were sick. The problem is that nobody really cared SUNWING adviser laughed in our face saying it was probably outside food. (we didnt eat outside) All in all NOT RECOMMENDED whatsoever. The drinks are also quite terrible, the wine undrinkable, and the grounds havent been very well maintained since the resort has opened it seems. GOOD LUCK!

Rocky Start but fantastic from then on

I loved the resort, the grounds were amazing, the pool spotless and gorgeous, I loved the bridges that went over the pool and the different sections. The pool bar staff were great and the drinks were wonderful. There wasn't anything you couldn't get. Our maid Josephina was so lovely, and the decorating she did with flowers and our towels were a treat to see. We went to the Brazilian and the Mexican restaurants and the food was great. The Buffet could have done with a little more variety, but you [... read more] could always finds something to eat. We were there for the tree lighting in the lobby with drinks and snacks and a great atmosphere, it was lovely, the children definitely enjoyed it. The staff spent so much time and energy decorating the resort. I was sick the first week - something intestinal - nothing I caught at the resort, more likely on the plane. But the staff were very kind, one young man from the buffet put something together on a plate for me and came up with my husband. He also told me amaretto was very good for a dodgy stomach, so he went over to the snack bar by the beach and brought me back a small glass of amaretto and some herbal tea. It was very touching. I found the staff at this resort very friendly and very helpful, they always had smiles for you, even the grounds people said Hola to you. My husband and I were there for two weeks and the second one was amazing, as I started to feel better. There were a few bumpy patches when we first got there, with our room which they changed for us and it was great. and we had problems with our safe, which finally got straigtened away. But we did enjoy our vacation and are still talking about it. Marian

Enjoyable and Relaxing Trip

We stayed at Be Live Grand Marien from December 4 to 11, 2014. This is the 4th time we visited Dominican Republic, and our 2nd trip to Pureto Plata, this resort is much better than our 1st trip. Hotel room is comfortable, room service is very good and the maid is so friendly. Hotel front desk responded to our request quick, good customer services. During our stay, they upgraded our TV to flat screen TV with satillate channels. We enjoyed the swimming pool, not too crowded. Walking along the beac [... read more]h was so relaxing; and there are plenty of beach chairs. Exercises room is also available. Food at the buffet is good, plenty of varieties, always have new items. The dinner food at Brazilian restaurant, Mexican restaurant and Gourmet restaurant is excellent. Snack bar located at the beach side has varieties of food. We could relax and enjoy at our own pace. Entertainment crew is great, they have different types of performance each night. We will certainly go back to this resort again in the future.

Not exactly what I expected.

People who like to swim at the beach will be very disappointed. We visited first week in December 2014, the ocean and the beach area was dirty. The accomodation and the food was acceptable, the service was not.

Great Value and Super-friendly staff

This hotel is only 20 minutes from the airport and getting through customs and on the bus was very easy. Check in can take some time given the number of people all checking in at the same time, but the front desk staff are very friendly and efficient. We did have an issue with the first room they gave us, but this was rectified by the next day. As for food, the Buffet restaurant was decent and there are three a la cart restaurants that we had no problems getting reservations for. The pool is ver [... read more]y nice and well maintained. It is shaped like a three leaf clover. The organized water activites are all provided at one end of the pool so you can stay clear of that side if you are not interested. There are lots of loungers to sit on, but only a few of them had palapas for shade, so they got snapped up pretty quickly. We did not spend much time on the beach, but there are also lots of loungers there. This resort does need some upkeep but there were signs that they are making improvements. We stayed in building 5. The bathroom in our room was renovated and we had a king sized bed that was as hard as a rock. Otherwise the room could use a new (colder) bar fridge and a new TV. The staff at this hotel, in general, are amazingly friendly and interested in the well-being of the guests. I was amazed at how many languages the staff spoke; English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, even Dutch. The pool bar is a great place to hang out, the staff are great and keep every one entertained. there are lots of cocktails available, but if you can't decide, just ask Jorge to make you his signature drink called 'I don't know'.

Best Staff Ever

The grounds are kept immaculate and the hotel staff from lobby to restaurants to maid service were very friendly and accommodating. The a la carte's had a variety of options to choose from. The beach was kept clean and the Orange Market down the beach was a great place to get gifts.

Wonderful time

Nicely laid out resort with comfortable rooms. Great friendly staff with lots of entertainment. Plenty of lounge chairs and large beach and pool area. Food was not five star but we did not go hungry. Lots of seafood options. I really liked the tourist mix here. There were people from Canada USA South America and Europe.

Amazing Birthday get away!

My boyfriend and I spent a week at Be Live Grand Marien to celebrate my birthday. From the moment we approached the check in counter we felt welcomed. We arrived at the resort around 3pm and we were invited to have lunch at the buffet restaurant while they finished getting our room ready. The food was delicious and when we returned to reception 30 minutes later our room was ready. We had a room on the 1st floor of the 4th block which is one of the non-renovated blocks, nonetheless the room was n [... read more]ice and spacious and very well decorated. The bed was massive and very comfortable. We enjoyed breakfast at the buffett almost every morning and they had a great selection of hot and cold food options, fresh blended on the spot fruit juices, fresh fruit, breads, and hot and cold cereal. The same buffett restaurant offers lunch and dinner, again great options during both food services with great staff taking care of you. We had the opportunity to enjoy 2 of the 3 a la carte restaurants as depending on the occupancy of the resort only 1 or 2 of the a la carte restaurants may be open on any given night. There is a rotating schedule which determines which restaurant will be open on which night, so I suggest you make your dinner reservations sooner rather than later. We enjoyed the Mexican restaurant which offered delicious food, I high recomment the Beef Salpicon appetizer...I could eat that and only that for the rest of my life! We had my birthday dinner at the Brazilian restaurant and what a treat it was. 7 different meats skewered and they come to your table and they tell you "say when" as they pile beef, chicken, pork, sausage, turkey, and 2 others onto your plate...absolutely amazing! We didn't get a chance to try the Gourmet restaurant but from what I was told it they offer an intimate candle lit 3 course dinner, it sounded lovely. The resort grounds were beautiful, very very clean, well maintained, everything looked picture perfect. The pool was excellet with a pool bar and great bartenders looking after your every need. The beach was just what we needed. Plenty of beach beds and lots of canopys to lay under. A little more seaweed than I liked close to the beach but it's all part of the experience. I didn't see any vendors on the beach which was very very nice. All in all, a great resort, not too big so it's easy to get around and all the staff if great. The entertainment staff are true artists ensuring you are enjoying every moment of your stay. Hector with the entertainment crew is a jack of all trades, truly wonderful to see how happy he is at all times ensuring you are always having a good time. It was our first vacation together and we enjoyed every single moment, I would go back in a heart beat!

Nice resort

Food is good. We didn't try other restaurants, we ate buffet everyday. People are very friendly and accommodate your needs in every way. Beach was very nice..Very clean..recommend upgrade to Superior rooms.

It was ok

The resort is tired and in need of some TLC. The room was musty and the furniture was beat up, the worst part was the beds they were so uncomfortable. The food was really good and the people were really nice. They have people constantly trying to get you to buy shares so just be adamant from the beginning you are not interested.

Great Resort!

This resort exceeded my expectations. I was a little hesitant as I have been given recommendations for other resorts before and the hotels were not ok. The pool is great and really big. I did go in July so most of the tourists were locals and mostly spoke spanish. It was quiet and relaxing. Rooms were standard, clean. Mini Ants were an issue in bathroom, but you will tend to see this alot of places you go. It did not interfere with our stay. The food was good but not much variety. What you had f [... read more]or lunch was what you would see for dinner with a meat / fish addition. The restaurants were amazing ! I recommend that you ensure you make your reservations and go to all of these. The food was great! The activities were also really good. Very friendly staff and there were activities every day. We had great weather every day, no rain for the full week we were there. The beach was ok, but due to very high winds, the sand blew all over so it was not an easy maintenance I'm sure for staff. Ocean had lots seaweed. I'd recommend this hotel, and I would return again. Go visit SEA WORLD- highly recommend it. Thanks to Angela Kocsis at Trip Central for the recommendation !