Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Ok resort

Resort is nice very nice gardens and clean. Always pool towels available. Service at the buffet is awful tipping doesn’t help. Communicating in English is a challenge esp at the buffet. Bar staff was nice and friendly and knew us well. A la carts don’t need to be booked they are first come first serve. Service was ok but was a long wait after being seated. Went to the Mediterranean one twice, first time was there for 2 hours second time 1.5 but the wine still flowed (and they had the best [... read more] wine) . Pool is very nice.always chairs available Beach is very shady lots of palm trees. I like to sit in the sun at the beach and this was hard to do, also a slope to the water. Always lots of chairs around. Food was ok the pizza at the snack bar is always good. 20 min drive through the mountains to the resort. No other resorts in site so nobody selling on the beach. Apparently the is a shack around the tip on the left side that had great seafood. Overall nice place but I don’t think I will return.

Royalton Hideaway Punta Cana: Third Visit. Great Vacation.

My wife and I as well as two other couples spent a week at Hideaway Diamond Club February 2023. We have been to this Royalton on two previous occasions with our children (2017 & 2018). We returned because we really enjoyed the previous visits. This time we stayed at Hideaway as we were travelling without children. Overall the trip was great. There were a few changes since last there. Notably, the beach beds are now only available for a fee. Also, the Hideaway section of the beach had some signif [... read more]icant erosion due to prior storms. This was not an issue for us as we spent our days at the Diamond Club beach section. Jose Luis, Yovanni and Darby at the bar there were excellent. We were also able to quite easily get 6 beach chairs together each day at mid morning, which is great. We are more beach people than pool people, so spent little time at the pool. When we did, it was at the Hideaway pool late in the day. Ozuna, the bartender at the bar there was great. We really enjoy the relatively small size of the resort, and it has everything a large resort has. We made one trip to the water park at Splash which was very fun. We also walked the beach to Royalton Bavaro one day to enjoy the Lazy River and some drinks which was also nice. One of the best things about this resort is that all of the staff were always smiling and seem genuinely happy. Our room was fine. I would say typical of such a resort. Housekeeper Diocelina was very helpful and always happy to work around our schedule. Overall, we had no real complaints. Food was good. Made it into Zen once and Hunter twice. Thanks to our Butler Carolina for looking after all our needs. We had breakfast most days at Dorado where Edwin, Euri and Damari did a great job. We did Yoga each morning outside, which was quite nice. Victor, Mirtha and David were excellent instructors and it was a great way to start the day. We took in a show at the theatre most nights which was actually quite good. We did attend the Superbowl party there which was less than good due to technical difficulties with the program feed. However, we did not pay for it, and I am not a big fan, so it was didn't bother us too much. In closing, there were some small differences from previous visits, but everything we asked for was addressed. I find it a very good resort, with great staff and an overall would give it 5 stars.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Beautiful Resort

I liked the resort overall but i found that if you didn’t reserve lawn chairs early in the morning then It was hard to find lawn chairs around the pool and at the beach, people would reserve their chairs early in the morning and unless you are an early riser then forget about finding a chair. The rooms were very spacious and nice decor the only thing I didn’t like about the room was the shower had no doors, it had a half glass wall and rest was open, not very thought out when they were desi [... read more]gning it, no privacy. The food was excellent lots of options. Entertainment was ok but i would of liked it if there was more shows. Overall very nice resort very clean grounds were beautiful.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Pleasant stay

We were satisfied with the pools but disappointed with the hotel. It was s bit run down and in need of some upgrades. The staff were wonderful. A special shout out to our maid Carmen. She was wonderful and attentive. She made our stay more enjoyable.

Excellence Punta Cana: Third time visiting this resort!

Welcoming and very attentive staff, attention to detail, great entertainment. No wristbands, no reservations for any of the restaurants, premium drinks, beautifully kept grounds - a gem. Downsides: Heavy & dangerous surf on the beach most days. Also, you are a long way from any town or other resorts - approx. 1 hr. from the airport. A great place to relax & chill.

Iberostar Waves Dominicana: Iberostar revisited

We were last in this resort 21 years ago. The lobby and restaurants have been renovated and I think the pool as well. It all looks good. The food and service were excellent and we plan to bring our whole family here. What impressed me most was the enivornmental changes made. We were last in the DR 5 years ago and things have come a long way. Water stations on each floor and in bars. Refillable water bottles provided in the rooms. Very little disposable take out dishes. Paper straws and only on [... read more] request. Garbage is sorted. Shampoo and soap dispensers in the bathroom. Electronic hand dryers in the public restrooms. Digital communications. All very impressive.

Grand Palladium Select Bavaro: Resort was disappointing

This was our 3rd time visiting this resort. Since the last time in 2016 the resort has greatly changed. I will start with the positives, the location is beautiful, the beach and the grounds are always well maintained. The drinks are better than the time before as well. Overall the food is ok. I had booked us in the small villas with a garden view which we had stayed before. We were told we were moved to another area as they were full. They called it an up grade, it was not. We were in the  [... read more]long villas with 3 levels, lots of rooms and incredibly loud, kids screaming, people arguing and because it’s open the whole Villa 30+ rooms hear it all, all Night. I had also booked to have side by side rooms with my senior parents they put us in Separate villas. The rooms are clean but I’m massive need of new mattresses and new pullouts. We switched rooms after the first night as the bed was so hard we didn’t sleep. The second room was not any better and there was no where for them to move us. The beds are as hard as sleeping on the ground. We didn’t sleep more than a couple hours a night. So we left the trip exhausted. Our air conditioner also broke down one night at 2 am with a large banging sound, we had to turn it off until morning when I went to the desk they said it would be until after 2 that someone would come until I said that was unacceptable they then sent someone immediately. The service was incredibly slow and they were completely understaffed. I would be asked if I wanted coffee after I was done my breakfast u less I got up and found someone to help our table. The same goes for the pool you have to get up to get your own drinks, Even with tipping the staff just doesn’t come around. I don’t recommend eating outside at the restaurants. We ate one night at the Asian restaurant, i believe they forgot about our table, our food came out 2 hours after we ordered. Even with me asking the staff 5 times we we’re about to walk out when it finally came out, it was all cold and while we waited I was bitten, and must have been swarmed all at once and ended up with 40 bites on my legs. We were really excited to go back to this resort and left completely exhausted and disappointed.

Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock: Margarittaville Cap Cana

We went to Margarritaville Cap Cana Adult section the end of January 2023. This hotel was very nice and clean. The grounds were immaculate. Food was very good, no complaints there. Even room service was good, only downfall was it takes a little while to get to you, so order ahead of time. Premium alcohol for drinks, staff very friendly . Check in and check out was very smooth. Big pool, not too crowded. Just beware of the timeshare or prestige club. It’ll absorb 2 hours of your day, wh [... read more]en they try to sell you packages starting at 9,000 dollars. The only downfall about this hotel is the beach. The sand part is nice, the ocean is dirty and rocky. No one dared to go into it. Otherwise a nice clean getaway!

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Terrific Resort

Our room was lovely we had the swim up. The restaurants were great as well and the whole place was super The service and entertainment was great and the booking with our agent was simple and very helpful overall it was a really great experience

Hodelpa Nicolas de Ovando: Nice hotel in great location

Nice hotel with all services: pool, restaurant, business center, etc. Good service, good location in the colonial district. The pool area is a nice place to relax and have a drink and a view on the City. There are many interior courts. Close to many restaurants, cigar shops and markets. Very central with a view on the river.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Beautiful weather, an ok resort experience

We booked with Sunwing and stayed at this resort in February 2023 for 8 days. We paid for the Privilege upgrade. Overall, we had an ok experience but this resort is at best a 3.5 star. This is NOT a 4 or 5 star experience, regardless of what some reviews indicate. Positive - Layout of resort is nice, easily walkable for those without mobility issues - Pools are nice, grounds are generally well-maintained. Pool closer to beach is louder in the morning but quieter in the afternoon. - Buffet [... read more] and food in general was good, there were a lot of options available at all 3 meals - The cafe (Mike’s) was great for a nicer coffee - Catamaran excursion with Tours Point was the highlight of our trip! - Our resort’s Sunwing rep was extremely helpful and responsive to our questions - Housekeeping was timely and well-done throughout our stay - The lobby bar is beautiful - a fun place to hang out in the evenings and have a drink, play cards, etc. Neutral - Restaurants were ok - we ate dinner at all except Route 66, and enjoyed the Mexican the most. The Privilege breakfast was often not worth the time spent, as we found the service to be incredibly slow (50+ minutes waiting for food). - The room was fine - as we had the Privilege upgrade, our building was closer to the pool/beach and I assume has been more recently upgraded. Air conditioning was great. We received a room on the first floor, facing a service road, with 2 double beds. We requested a change, but they were unable to accommodate our request for the duration of our stay. - Lounge chairs - the towel reservation game is strong here. If you are looking for a spot at the pool or beach, especially with an umbrella, you need to be up at 6am. Easier to just play the game then to try to scrounge up chairs later on. - Entertainment - for those who enjoy this aspect of resorts, the team here is full on, high-energy for most of the day. Not our taste but we saw others enjoying it. This resort is not quiet! We enjoyed the Super Bowl event. Negative - Timeshare Presentation - we were taken to this meeting under the guise of receiving a tour of the resort on our first morning. Ended up in a timeshare presentation and it only ended when we walked out after an hour. Incredibly dishonest and annoying! Word of advice - do not agree to a “welcome breakfast” or anything of the sort, it’s not worth the promise of a free couples massage or your valuable vacation time. You can tour the resort easily enough on your own. - Privilege upgrade - we did not find this service to be worth it. Our Butler was non-existent for the majority of our stay (we never met him, he was only available on WhatsApp) and we ended up making many of our dinner reservations ourselves. We did not receive many of the items listed (bathrobes, etc). The Privilege lounge was ok and we appreciated the clean bathrooms. - Beach - we spent very little time on the beach, aside from actually swimming in the ocean or walking up the beach towards other resorts. Erosion has had a major impact on the beach, and while the resort is doing work to rectify it, it’s not very nice to look at and they have a pump running all day long. There were constantly vendors on and surrounding the beach property, which was a bit off putting. We noticed other resorts nearby did not allow these vendors on their beaches.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Not up to last day stay expectations

Did not like the pavers for walking on for a senior. Our room was not up to date we had a much better room before overlooking the pool beside Buffi and dinner lounge if I go again I will pre-book another room our room we had patio door would not lock closet door would not open no drawers to put clothing in and the phone fell apart in my hand I talk to the front desk no results and we faced a Barbwire fence our room last time was beautiful and we paid the same price this time so why was such a [... read more] downgrade room .?

Riu Palace Bavaro: Riu Palace Bavaro

Grounds are neatly maintained, shrubs & greenery are well preserved. The hotel structure & decor are outdated, elevators sometimes doesn’t work, common comfort rooms are far from dining areas, beaches & are on disarray, broken lounge chairs are common, beach are not maintained regularly, empty plastic glass, bottles, coconut husks & shells. No one practices CoVid protocol, staff, cooks, servers.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Nice resort and clean

This resort is very nice and clean if you want to enjoy your self and all the pool you have to upgrade to select we were in bloc 2 the Privé part couldn’t get a drink by the pool we had to go at the bar by the beach or the bussy pool after we upgraded it was fine we enjoyed or self

Occidental Caribe: Meh...

Before leaving for our trip, I read the reviews and wondered what we got ourselves into. I thought that everyone has a different opinion so I'll come with an open mind. Issues started when we got there. Tried 7 different swipe cards and none worked so we couldn't leave our room until it got serviced. Had to sit in our room until 2:30 pm the first day until maintenance came ( we called 4 times before someone came). Batteries replaced. Both patio doors could not lock and we were an end unit and [... read more] anyone could have gone through the windows in the hallway and jump right onto our balcony). What everyone said about towels is correct. One towel for 2 of us for showering and NO FACECLOTH'S !! I'm sorry but I wash my face every night but they do not have any. Sheets were not changed for the 8 days that we were there. Used coffee maker in room for coffee in morning and were not given sufficient bottled water to make it. Only 2 bottles of pop put in the fridge and they froze alongside with everything in your fridge. Yes, rooms are very dated (orange couch and wing chairs ??) and both the couch and chairs were very uncomfortable to sit in. I have had past issues with back pain and this furniture did not help the cause. Majority of the staff do not speak English and a lot of them are rude (you say Ola to them and they just walk right by you). Seriously, you need to get up at 6 am to grab a chair at either the beach or the pool. By 7:30 am; all chairs had towels on them and you could not get one. Minimum 2 hour wait to reserve at the a la carte restaurants. A lot of people complained about this. We were fortunate and with being premium, we could go to the premium lounge and book. Buffet is not really edible. 4 slice toasters, only one side worked (could only do 2 slices at a time) so you had to wait. This was for both toasters available. Not enough tables available. If you want a real Mojito or Pina Colada, good luck. These come out of a slushie machine like 7-11. No water sports equipment available. We like kayaking and would of loved to do this on the days that the water was calm. Pros :The beach was beautiful as you could walk for miles and it was just sand. Pools were clean too. Every year we go away and just accept any situations that may arise however, with this place, it seemed like it was one thing after another. Very frustrating when you are on vacation and you are having to deal with issues on a daily basis.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Beautiful Resort

It was a beautiful resort. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The food was awesome in the buffet with plenty of selections and the restaurants were even better!! I only wish we could have tried them all but we booked an excursion to Samana (which was great) and returned late for the steak house and had to cancel the Mediterranean because we attended the Superbowl bash which was another great added feature. The room was cleaned daily and the beds very comfortable. I have no complain [... read more]ts about this hotel and would go there again.

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Fun party resort!

This hotel has decent rooms. Bathrooms have smaller areas and no exterior door to close off from the room. Rooms are well maintained. Staff are excellent. From front desk to entertainment. Areas are clean and in good repair. Food is good quality, no lines and no reservations needed. Beach was grated daily. Awesome music and entertainment miring and night.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Great resort

Upgraded rooms were not kept up.locals that are allowed to stay the weekends are noisy,leave dirty diapers on our front lawn.take over resort.front lobby staff were amazing.especially Juan and Ramina,few hiccups along the way,,but still my favourite place to visit.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Great Resort - Bacon for breakfast!

Just got back from a week at the Senator Good: Service: Very good - bars, restaurants, front desk and Concierge. Shout out to Felicia and Ramon, our concierges. They did great! Cleanliness: Never seen a more cleaner place! From your room, to the grounds, to all of the common areas, including the restaurants/bars. Buffet: Bacon and eggs made to order, including omelets with all the ingredients, every morning at breakfast. Fresh juices too. Always had fresh salads, pizza, pasta, beef, chicken, [... read more] etc - all prepared well. For dinner, there will be a "theme" night usually - Mexican, Dominican, Italian, etc. You could always get some kind of lettuce salad - even for breakfast. Ala Cartes: Japanese and Steakhouse were good. We ordered the mixed grill at the Steakhouse and didn't leave hungry. Booze: Pool bar - hard to get a good slushy drink - just too hot for the machines to keep things slushy - we just drank beer and mixed drinks. The well dark rum was good. The drinks at the sports bar in the evening were great! Challenges: Lounge chairs around the pool are hard to get. Folks reserve them early. Lounge chairs on the beach are a little more plentiful, but we're not really beach people - too far away from the bar! You could find outdoor tables and chairs near the pool bar pretty easily. Shade hard to find, so be aware of that. Was very good for the price we paid through Sunwing - $1,500/person for a very well kept, clean resort - one king bed room.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Wonderful spot

The resort was wonderful, staff were friendly and helpful. Beds were comfortable, and rooms were clean. Only thing was if you wanted a hot shower it was a hit or miss when you would get one. The food was wonderful, I had seen complaints and was worried, but it was wonderful and a great selection.