Riu Palace Macao: Loved it!

I’d read a few mixed reviews on this resort... glad I didn’t listen! Loved my room, it was an upgraded junior suite with a jacuzzi tub, it was comfortable and clean and cool! The food at the buffet was good, plentiful, and a lot of variety. I went to one a la carte restaurant, and found the buffet to be just as good , if not better. The staff were plentiful and pleasant. No complaints there! The beach was beautiful with plenty of chairs, even if you showed up late. The pools were clean and t [... read more]here were always chairs available there as well, you might have to look a little harder for them. There were a few vendors who patrolled the beach, but did not bother you if you showed no interest. I would recommend this resort in a heartbeat! I found the clientele averaged about 50-55 years old. I wouldn’t hesitate in returning.

Occidental Caribe: Nice resort - a little dated

The buffet was good. The Japanese restaurant was excellent. The staff were very helpful. The hotel itself is ok in many respects but the bathrooms need upgrading. We had a great room with high ceilings on the 4th floor. Room 7411.

Riu Republica: Amazing Resort

This resort deserves all stars! The grounds are very well kept, staff was fantastic and the food was delicious! I would definitely return to this resort. I particularly enjoyed the shows also, very enjoyable

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Lovely Family Friendly Resort

I was very happy with this resort as a great destination to take my grand children. We were with our 8 month old grandson. Our concerns about having a baby in the speciality restaurants and any common areas were that we may be out of place and disturb others. I can happily say that our boy was welcomed everywhere. There were so many children and this resort catered to them and their families perfectly. Every staff member made us feel welcome and this made our stay the best it could be. My  [... read more]only concern was the bar service. The bar staff seemed to ignore some customers and cater to others. Looked very much like tipping was the only way to get service. This did not happen in any restaurant. I watched the bar staff ignore a woman beside me for so long that she finally left without being served.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Excelent resort !!!

Such a wonderful and amazing resort! Everything was perfect. Beautiful public area and grounds, large rooms with a good view, friendly staff, Delicious and varied dishes, very nice restaurants and bars with various foods and drinks, lovely beaches and very clean pools, happy night parties, everything was good, we enjoyed so much and recommend to all. we wish to go there again in the future.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: On the best section of beach in Punta Cana!

This resort is safe with good security and quite beautiful with a colourful rustic flare in design (departing from the average white of every other hotel around). The biggest drawback about Punta Cana in general is that everyone is trying to sell you something. Everyone seems to get a cut of whatever they can convince you to buy whether it be an excursion...(beware of Sunwing right from the get go convincing you to go elsewhere...long bus rides and never worth it to us) to peddlers on the beach  [... read more]shoreline. They are not allowed onto the property itself so rarely do they bother you here compared to anytime you may leave the resort. But if you are interested in purchasing something everyone is ready to barter if you have the time and patience. There are gorgeous mangroves throughout the expansive property laden with all types of organic flora and fauna.....pink flamingos and various other gorgeous creatures in the various ponds en route to your hotel room. Several peacocks show up at the Crepery (very good crepes) around 5pm each day for some bread crumbs, lots of kittens around too making having a coffee most enjoyable...(and you can get a latte there pretty much any time through the day which they don't mention). You can walk the various paths or just catch the train trolley running about every 10 minutes, but be sure to be at a "stop" for some drivers may not stop for you if you just try to flag one down. It can be confusing figuring out where you are some of the time the paths are so curvy and intertwined. We stayed in a suite for the extra space with a lovely view overlooking the quiet pool with partial sea view. We would leave our door ajar a bit at night to sleep to the sound of the water but this year it was rainy there so we let in some mosquitos and got bit, never saw a single one when we did this last year when it rarely rained.These rooms are in a little rough shape and are due for the renovations that will be coming up in June when they close for 6 mths to re-do all the rooms at the resort. The staff there on the whole are very accommodating and friendly. Their earnings are so minimal they really rely on your generosity to tip to earn any sort of living so most try hard. We tried to tip a little as much as possible based on how much extra they genuinely did make our stay pleasant. We took a particular shine to Theresa at the excellent Brazilan, Rodizzio, and Crepery and most particularly Emilio, a true gentleman, who really created the best atmosphere and made our stay very enjoyable in his company...always going the extra mile for us. You will find that everyone there works at different places doing different jobs at times as well. Because it is a "Club" type of resort it attracts a lot of party people that like to drink. The entertainment at the resort pretty much caters to these people. The performers/dancers in the nightly shows are very good but the program is rather dated, lacking a certain sophistication we are accustomed to at home...The Michael Jackson show is not to be missed though! There were very few cultured type people when we first arrived but it improved as the week progressed. The food on the whole is very good and we heard was better than most of the higher end hotels in the area. Drinks pour all day. The resort will soon be priced out after the renovations so if you can find a deal now best to take it. The beach is the nicest we found in the entire area! Hope you have good weather!

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great resort

This is an excellent resort. The adults only portion of the complex is also a very nice feature. There is lots of walking is required but there is a shuttle available if needed. Nightly entertainment is also very good. Punta Cana beaches are always well maintained.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: BEAUTIFUL RESORT

Great Beach and Pools! Food was fantastic and great selection. Great presentation! Plus you have special thened restaurants to reserve. Staff was friendly and accommodating. What more can you ask for ! I would highly recommend this resort !

Blau Natura Park Resort: Great resort!

When you first arrive you are welcomed in with a warm relaxing atmosphere. Check in was a breeze although we did have to wait for our room to be ready. They stored our luggage for us as we went to the lunch buffet and got a few drinks. When we got into our room we realized it was much bigger then expected, with 2 double beds, a couch and table there was still plenty of room. The beds were hard as rocks as we do find this is common in most resorts we have stayed at. The beach was beautifu [... read more]l and we spent most of our time lounging along the shore or splashing around the ocean. There is also a pool with a swim up bar. The bar had a rain fall to walk through which I wasn't a huge fan of but could appreciate the thought by it. The pool was usually dead or filled with children. They did have afternoon activities by the pool that looked like great fun. The buffets were fantastic. Breakfast was made up of the same stuff, but still good. I didn't visit the lunch one very much during my stay but when I did I was very satisfied with my options, they always had pizza! Dinner was my favorite, something new every night to choose from and the chicken was amazing! We went to one a la carte and was very happy with the food and service at luna steak house. The meat was cooked perfectly and very tender. Servers were great and served us 4 or 5 bottles of champagne with dinner, a great night all around. The nightly entertainment was very amusing and indeed entertaining even though we didn't understand everything that was being said. I believe most of the guests during our stay were from Russia and Spain while we are Canadian. It was a great experience to meet people from all over even if there was a language barrier. There are animals everywhere and they are beautiful. I just love peacocks and flamingos. This was a good resort but could do with a few upgrades to be an even better one.

Excellence El Carmen: Birthday Celebrations

We had a good stay at Excellence El Carmen, but was a little underwhelmed with the resort. We had higher expectations for food quality and variety based on the hotels website descriptions. Upgraded excellence option keeps you close to the pools and beaches with large spacious rooms.

Riu Republica: Not a 5-star resort to me. Descriptions of resort features are misleading.

Extremely disappointed with the quality of this resort. We feel lied to and duped on many fronts To me, this is not a 5 star resort by any stretch of the imagination. First there is almost no aesthetic appeal to the property itself. It's a very clinical mega resort. To be fair I gathered as much from the pictures but was hoping it was going to be better. The room was ok but we were in the back section of the hotel. If you have a room anywhere near the theatre area you will be awake till the  [... read more]party ends. It's loud. "All Inclusive 24 hours" - No room service. No ability to order. The sports bar is the only place for 24 hour food and I wish I could upload a picture that did this justice. Barely any food there. A pan of hot dogs in water, a pan of hamburger patties in smelly water, nachos with cheese sauce, and then cold premade, cellophane wrapped sandwhiches. That is it folks. Pathetic. A la carte restaurants are buffet style in non themed rooms that just resemble an extension of the main buffet seating. Zero ambiance. No background music at all. No outdoor seating. "Premium branded drinks throughout the hotel" is advertised. Everything is local brands. Brucal rum, vodka, gin. Seriously we saw a bottle of Smirnoff vodka, a bottle of very cheap scotch, and some Campari. There is absolutely not a single bottle of top shelf liquor at any bar here. No exaggeration. WTH?? Nearly all staff don’t even speak basic English and a smile is rare to see. They are just unhappy to be here and any request made of them, even with a please thank you, is met with just a dead pan reaction. I am at a loss to understand the positive reviews about service... did we stay at the same resort? Paid reviews? We brought $80 in US $1 bills to tip and other than cleaning ladies and some rare staff we didn't dole much out. "ADULTS ONLY hotel, exclusive to adults over 18 years old / Spring breaker policies". This is a policy that is clearly not enforced and to be fair I don't expect they could enforce this? Significant amount of people here from Jan 18-25 were a drunken mess and loud nuisance. I am not a prude and expect everyone should have a good time but this was over the top - girls/guys gone wild garbage. Entire pools turned into displays of debauchery with dozens of drink cups floating/spilled in the pool. No cutting people off for drinks (we saw several people unconscious and that needed medical attention). Seriously? No lifeguards on the beach and no signs that we saw to indicate that. An older man from the hotel died by drowning on January 21 - staff are poorly trained to deal with emergencies. The beach is nice. On the rougher side compared to further down the Punta Cana stretch of beach. Tons of beach chairs which is great but they are all stacked up on the beach at the front of the huts blocking views. There is no staff to help get chairs and brush them off (sand/water). 5 star... really!!? No beach side service. They occasionally (maybe once every 1.5 hours) walk around with a tray with 30 drinks on them. Rush. No orders. No pool side service other than on the rarest of cases. The steakhouse was so gross we walked out halfway through dinner. Could barely cut the steak (only one type available - I think it was ribeye) and it needed like a minute or two of chewing before swallowing. Oddly enough the Italian restaurant serves beef tenderloin that is very good. Clearly RIU has a source on good steak, why serve garbage? The location is very secluded so you are really trapped unless you want to pay $40 USD to go to town and $40 USD to get back. You are literally on the edge of the strip of hotels (only hard rock is past the RIU resort). I’ve travelled to the Carribean for over 20 years and never once stayed in such a poorly presented place. No wonder Punta Cana tourism is down substantially...murders aside, the problem is most of the people working on this resort couldn't can’t care less. Will be spending my vacation time and money outside DR and never on a RIU property again. Management is lacking in every respect. I mentioned these concerns in passing to Sunwing, they were good about trying to engage the hotel. Sunwing offered me a $50 credit if I filled out a long form and signed away my first born - no thanks. Pass. We did meet with the RIU hotel manager and while he was generally disinterested and just made excuses (didn't write a thing down) they did offer to transfer us to the RIU palace on day 5 but we didn't want to move with 2 days left. Lastly, only noticed on the day before I was going back to Canada in winter, the hotel cleaning staff stole an expensive wool sweater I had brought. I engaged the manager on duty and hotel staff and they just were not interested in the issue. Tons of excuses. Sickening. P.S. From my wife - There is no shampoo provided, not one single day we were there. There is body wash in the shower - maybe they expect you to use that. 5 star folks - riiiiiight.

Riu Republica: Riu Republica 5 star

Hotel was 5 star no complaints. Quiet pool and party pool..adults only resort...food was awesome..buffet and sit down restaurants..room was spacious with balcony...beach was long and sand was like brown sugar no rocks or coral very comfortable on the feet...lots of activities...night shows were entertaining...you didn’t have to leave the resort..would go back again...love the Riu

Occidental Caribe: Awsome Resort!!!

This is the 2nd time my husband and I have been to this resort, the first time was 14yrs ago when it was Breezes and both times we really enjoyed it there. This time we were a group of 9 people ranging in age from 18 to 74 & all of us really enjoyed the resort, the food was good, the resort was clean & the staff were amazing. We would differently go back!!!

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Nice resort

The hotel amenities were very good ...loved the lazy river.....the rooms were very nice.......the buffet was very lacking and the fact we had to wait to be seated was not good ....I didnt like the fact there was only one buffet for breakfast for such a large resort and I didn't like the fact the diamond club would be seated first and we had to wait. The a la carts the food was wonderful but the biggest downfall was the service in this resort ...they were very slow .....it made it not so nice con [... read more]sidering we paid for a 5 star resort....I have travelled extensively and would go to other 5 star resorts over this one

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: All in all a nice vacation

Hotel rooms- a little dated but still ok Food- only ate at the buffets but was happy with the selection and quality Beach- busy but fantastic Service- impeccable if you tipped. Extremely friendly staff Insects- only at dusk and late evenings at the lobby. Bug spray helps. No issues with sand bites at the beach. Entertainment- very good. The evening shows were great for the entire family. Drinks- not too strong but probably a good thing to control over consumption. Merchants- overwhelmin [... read more]g. It seemed as though someone is always trying to sell you something Overall rating - 7/10 . Would probably go back if it was priced below $1,000 for the week but would not pay more as there are better resorts available...but it was still a good trip

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Resort was good

Hotel was good,service was good! Did not like the half naked girls that looked underage dancing in the casino I feel of this is a family resort then this should. Or be allowed. I also didn’t like that people left their trash and plastic cups on the beach that ended up in the ocean. I think they should charge $1 for plastic cups and they get a refund when it’s brought back.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Awesome vacation

Everything about the resort was excellent ! Rooms were modern, the themes of restaurants and quality of food was very good. Drinks and service were excellent. Pools and bars were large and fun, activity staff was excellent, Beach was narrow right in front widened within steps either way. Overall our trip to this hotel was excellent and we would return. We have been to many different places in DR and this was a great one!

Ocean Blue and Sand: Cockroaches and room not what we booked

We booked sapphire pool view room which we had to argue for when we went to check in, we requested ground floor and close to pool thru our travel agent and I sent an email they had no record. 2 of the restaurants were closed every evening so the lineups were long at the other 3 after 630pm. We had to tip to get a few extra pops and beers in our room, never did see the the slippers but when we went to have a rest the 2cnd day we heard something under the bed it was a cat, scared the heck out of  [... read more]me ,so we had to lift the bed to remove the cat, couldn't leave the patio door open because our room was the cat hang out they would just walk in. Every nite they you could hear them fighting would wake you it was so loud. The food wasn't great but it was edible I didnt eat the fruit and salad because 2 people in our group sick and people on resort sick. The smell of sewage near the room was sickening. Mike's coffee shop was good. The casino was terrible do not enter! At nite you can watch a show at 10pm or go pay for bowling but 2 lanes are broken so good luck. Kids hangout There is music in the lobby band plays there you can listen to or once a week a drunk beach party! I wish I could put a picture of the cockroaches! The tv is maybe 32" the wifi is pretty good . Thank goodness because I watched my firestick since only 2 English speaking channels The staff was pleasant Air transat rep useless

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: amazing resort

Very clean, excellent food. The staff are all very nice. Lots of activities. The rooms are nice and spacious. Beach is beautiful and you can walk a long way. The shows are fun and entertaining. I recommend this place, it was our 2nd time.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: awesome vacation

Chez GBP Aquamarine le services est irreprochable, la plage etait propre et les membres de l'equipe du GBP s'assure que vos vacances soit memorable et sans soucis. la Nourriture etait excellente et le restaurant a la carte Portofino nous a offert le souper le plus delectable de notre vie! Somme toute nous retournerons forcement dans un GBP pour une troisieme visite l'an prochain.