Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: I was dissappointed

I was dissapointed in the Resort, As a vegetarian, the buffet offered limited choices and the options that looked like they might be vegetarian were not labelled with a V. I asked several times if the staff could point out vegetarian optins, but they could not understand me. The room had very limited outlets and my phone charger was actually fried in one outlet that sparked when I plugged in my charger, The shower door had soap caked on. Pool side entertainment was mostly in Spanish and much of [... read more] the staff does not speak English. We did enjoy ourselves poolside and the ocean was also beautiful, The ala carte Restaurants were also great. I am sure the Esmarelda will be beautiful after the Renovations are complete. We also payed for our seat reservations , but were dissappointed that the agent placed us right across from the bathrooms. I would not recommend this resort to friends.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Does not meet expectations

Disappointed in the buffet restaurant, cold food and not much selection or variety. There were days when yogurt wasn't available and fruit selection was minimal. Rooms were not very clean and a slight musty smell. Staff difficult to communicate with as they don't speak English. Service was hit and miss. AL a carte restaurants were good but vegetarian options were minimal Enjoyed the entertainment and close proximity to the amazing beach.

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Great stay!

Loved the smaller size of resort so it wasn't too far to get to and from the resort amenities from our room. Clean and modern hotel with great daily room cleaning services. The pools were beautiful with a variety of spots to lounge. The main pool had a lively atmosphere but if you wanted something quieter, you could choose the smaller pool closer to the ocean. Great ocean front with seating available. You do need to get to the pool and ocean loungers early in the morning if you want a spot.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: 7 days at Viva Wyndham V Heavens hotel

7 days at Viva Wyndham V Heavens went by very fast. This was a very refreshing, relaxing and very calm vacation. I felt mentally recharged and rested at the end of it The weather cooperated and we felt our timing was right. The hotel is clean and the outside of the hotel is very well maintained. There were no Covid restrictions on us but some staff were wearing masks. And the staff were visible, friendly, very responsive and helpful. Maria at the front desk was exceptionally patient  [... read more]and efficient in assisting us with addressing any issues we had. Thank you, Maria. Most of our minor requests were resolved immediately. The staff are well-trained and work in coordination with each other! The room was kept clean and the facilities outside were clean as well. The five restaurants served freshly prepared meals and the taste was almost always to our liking. And the nature: the beach, the sand, the sun - amazing!! All in all, the time in the resort was spent very well. Very good value for the money!!

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: A True Dominican Gem!

This is a relatively small hotel. It is for now an all adult resort. It is to change shortly into a family hotel, unfortunately. It is in the Playa Dorada area which is a wonderful gated community comprised of several other resorts and private residences. It is very safe, well maintained and ultra clean. As an all adult resort it is peaceful and tranquil except for the loud dance music at night which is to be expected and part of the fun. The staff, without exception, is outstanding. From Kelvis [... read more] at the front reception, to Omer at the poolside bar to Rosanna at the Italian Restaurant on the beach they were all gracious, eager to assist and performed their duties with sincere smiles. The food was a pleasant surprise. I visited all five restaurants and found the food to be of high quality. It was abundant, diverse, fresh, well prepared and well presented. The only downside was that the food often was served lukewarm even after asking for it to be served hot. It appears that the kitchens do not have heating salamanders to keep food hot. Management please note! The facitilies and services were most satisfactory. The grounds were very clean and there was an abundance of chairs and recliners both poolside and at the beach. The beach was sandy, cleansed of sea grasses every day and perfect for long walks. The entertainment staff were brilliant with their presentations of games, dancing, singing and evening shows. A truly delightful resort.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: In need of coming refurbishment

We went in knowing that Esmeralda has aged and refurbishment is upcoming. As Esmeralda guests we were able to spend time at the Ambar adult section. The service at Ambar was definitely better. Butler took us to our room and we never saw her again. Never got to know our maid and her service needs definite improvement. Air conditioner not working for 5 days. Room phone not working entire stay. We loved the beach except for the towel game of reserving chairs at both beach and pool. Hopefully [... read more] things will improve after the upgrade.

Riu Palace Macao: Had a wonderful time!

Everything was good at the Riu Palace Macao. The rooms were clean and comfortable, the staff was helpful and friendly and the food and drink was varied and delicious. The weather was fabulous and the beach was stunning. What more can you ask for? As for Covid precautions - no one anywhere (staff or guests) wore a mask. The buffet was open to everyone touching everything. There were hand sanitizing stations about but they were rarely used. I can't blame the hotel for this because it was the s [... read more]ame at the airport in Punta Cana. Even at the airport in Hamilton and on the plane, there were very few people wearing masks. I guess it's the general feeling among travelers that the pandemic is over (not!).

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Food is terrible and service isn’t great at all.

So food is not good at all! Me and my son were sick for a few days because food seems to be undercooked half the time. Staff is waiting to get tipped to serve you. Make no effort to please. I actually tip everytime and still had some bad service. At check out they charged my visa even though I paid the balance in cash for room charges. Then I call to rectify this and no one seems to speak English. Tripcentral did not help me with this at all which I expected them to considering I booked through  [... read more]them. Hotel is a beautiful facility and beautiful beach. Expected a lot more. I guess you get what you pay for.

Playabachata Hotel: Beautiful location and great staff!

Lots of fun and the geographic location is absolutely beautiful. The resort was far more fun than it's 'parent' resort Senator just up the beach. If you want a more upbeat, fun and vacationy feel go to Playabachata, if you want shiny and boring, go to Senator. Rooms a bit out dated, but clean and staff is very pleasant. Rocks and stuff in water, so be mindful of that if you only want a pristine beach, but it was very clean and no seaweed like Mexico or Punta Cana. Food is ok, nothing to write  [... read more]home about, but overall we had a truly wonderful time and will be going back!

Impressive Punta Cana: Not Impressive Punta Cana

Jan 17, 2023 We visited this resort for our 40th anniversary. Positive, beautiful ocean, bell service people were nice, grounds are well kept. Negative the resort staff was rude, they are lacking customer service, and some were dishonest, which was very disappointing. January 17, 2023 Upon arrival at the resort, there was a long wait at reception, it was because all four staff at the front desk was attending to the same guest, trying to upsell the guest the premium upgrade.  [... read more]When it was our turn, we were also offered an upgrade to premium for $450.00 US, which we agreed to purchase. The upgrade included an ocean-view room with a jacuzzi, room service, premium drinks, a Nespresso coffee machine in the room, a fully stocked bar, butler service, premium drinks, spa hydrotherapy, etc. When we arrived in the room, it was an ocean view room on the 2nd floor, room 12216, beautiful, if you watch only to the left side, and ignore a big mountain of seaweed and garbage, stored outside the room, on the beach, which was an eyesore. The butler service was never available, however, on the 6th day of our 7-day vacation we got a note from the butler, introducing himself, his name was Oskar, and provided us with a phone number, Oskar was not available at any time during our stay at this resort. The jacuzzi in the room was old, dated, and dirty; the shower doors were not closing and dragging on the tile, causing water to spill out of the shower; the bar fridge had two water, one sprite, and one coke, this was considered a fully stocked bar fridge; there was an old dated coffee maker, no coffee available; bedding was not of premium quality of, the duvet was flat, old and hard, it was placed between two flat sheets ( not a duvet cover)which were very uncomfortable, the bed sheets kept falling off making it very uncomfortable to sleep, the ac unit was vibrating and very loud making it difficult to sleep, there wasn't any towel hook or robe hook in the bathroom, to hang clothes/towels, the bathrobe pocket was ripped and old, the lamp in the room was missing the light bulb, bathroom supplies appeared half empty looked like a leftover from a previous guest. The morning after we arrived, I ordered breakfast from room service, and I was told that breakfast would arrive in 40 minutes, food never arrived, call premium customer service and he said he was going to check to see what happened, and he left me on hold for approximately 30 minutes, I hang up and I tried to call back no one picked up the phone, I call the front desk and they transfer me to a number that never picked up received a callback. The issues during our stay were ignored and never looked at or even acknowledged, even though I contacted everyone possible. All we got was a runaround or ignored. We visited the premium customer service at the lounge to inform them about the room, we explained and the staff just looked at us with disgust and had us feel belittled for requesting what paid for, she then call the front reception and give me the phone, when I spoke to the receptionist he said I need to speak to the premium desk in the lounge, I explained that I at the premium desk and the lady here is just giving us a runaround, they both went back and forth and wasting our time. I also contacted customerservice@impressiveresorts.com, on January 19 & 20, 2023, but they did not respond. On January 21, 2023, from around 1 pm to 3 pm I was on the beach, I could hear trucks and tractors working on the beach, they were removing the seaweed. The removal of the rutted seaweed causes the entire area to smell like a sewer, and the air felt polluted I immediately started coughing, and my chest felt stuffy and unable to breathe freely, it then triggered an asthma attack. I was sick for the rest of my trip. I started to feel worse overnight. I decided to visit the doctor's office at the resort on the 22nd, because, of the fever, sore throat, and wheezing in my chest. I explained to the doctor that the cough started on the beach, when the seaweed was being removed, the cough did not stop, it triggered my asthma and I felt very ill. Dr. Carlos, recommend a Covid test which was completed and came back negative. He then prescribed some allergy medicine and cough medicine. I am back in Toronto, and still sick from the contamination from all the airborne bacteria, mold, and germs from the removal of the rotting seaweed from the beach. At the resort, It was very difficult to eat because I have a severe seafood allergy. The staff didn't speak or understand English and the label was not very clear. I did not feel safe in the buffet because food could be easily contaminated. In the gift shop, attendant Jasmeiry is very dishonest she entered a price in the debit machine and showed me a lower price, and then when I look at my receipt it was 4 times more. Please pay attention to your purchases, and make sure it is correct, ask to see how much they charge. I ask Jasmeiry how much for a bottle of Black Lable, and she said $15. US, I was surprised that it was so cheap, so I ask again and Jasmeiry said $15.US., so I thought it was a great deal, so I took two bottles, and she punched into the machine $1702.50 which is $30 US, and showed it to me in pesos, keyed it into the debit machine, but when I looked at my charges it was 4800.00 pesos. When the transaction was completed I was charged 84.58 US, not $30.00 US. Very dishonest staff, scam, and ripoff. I believe that some of the locals in Dominican Republic take advantage of foreign visitors, every chance the get. We had to get medication in the pharmacy next to the resort and they chose to overcharge for the medication too. We were told by the doctor it was just 5 tablets and should be between 2 to 3 US, and the person said it was $8.00. Please be aware!

Occidental Caribe: Updating needed

Hotel was okay but in need of major updating. Hotel room was very moist and lots of mold. Hotel is family friendly for little ones with many activities Hotel seemed to be lacking staff most likely due to covid causing longer waits for food and drinks

Occidental Caribe: Waste of money

Horrible service Horrible food Horrible drinks Horrible rooms Nobody cares or speaks English Better pay less and go to Cuba Never again All the 5 star Google reviews are fake They bribe the locals to leave 5 star ones

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Good holiday

We enjoyed our stay on the El Beso side as it was a bit quieter (although the staff was still quite ‘assertive’ in recruiting guests to participate in poolside activities. Rooms were nice and clean - fairly well kept up although the outside beds/loungers needed replacing. Pool bar was great - assuming you stayed in the pool as loungers were VERY hard to come by… unless you were up at 6 🤨. Buffet was good with lots of selection. A La cartes we’re also quite good but hard to book as [... read more] filled up very quickly. Overall a ‘good’ holiday but not great.

Vista Sol Punta Cana: hotel so bad- I checked out on day 6 and paid to go to another hotel

checked in 7pm Wed 4 Jan/23 for 2 weeks and on Mon Jan 9/23 moved to the Royalton Splash for an added hotel fee of $1540.00 -and was happy to pay it. This was facilitated by the Sunwing rep- Luis- who took my full statement and sent it to Sunwing. The beach was a disaster -4-5 foot sand ridges with no way to get down thru a path to the beach area which had 2-3 foot high clumps of-seaweed piled up so that there was only an 2-3 foot strip of sand showing at the waves and the mosquitos and [... read more] sand flees where unbelievable. I was so happy to see the grounds people about noon on Sat 7 Jan/23- from my room balcony- with wheelbarrows moving the seaweed from the beach that I went down and tipped about 9 of then three US dollars each, shook their hands and thanked them for making my holiday possible.. Thur 5 Jan/23 early Fri 6 Jan/23 about 3am I was woken up by a young English speaking male screaming "but I love you, I am in love with you, etc" out side my door- some body shut him down by 3.30am. I assumed it was some one coming back for the Disco who had too much to drink, and finally got back to sleep. The am after breakfast I went to guest services in the lobby and spoke to a young lady with mid length hair - She denied any noise and said that both the disco and the theater area where shunt down for renovations and where not operating -when I asked if there was a wedding or a private private party she said she was calling the entertain manager and said he said there was nothing going on the night before- she was very wooden and like she was reading a script she suggested and asked me if I had been dreaming or having a nightmare . I said no and left That night about 11pm i get woken up again -this time there is large theater like screen with pulsating fast fractral pictures and loud noise- boom boom with a base undertone -like a rave-and lots of people streaming up on the beach area by the childrens area- I have a perfect view from my balcony- so I take my camera -which has audio and film it . I finally get to sleep about 3am The next am I go back to guest services and speak to a lady with short curley hair at ear tip level and she again denies any noise or any thing going on -I do not tell her that I filmed it with audio That night about 11.30am- again the loud boom boom rave type noise this time I call the front desk- they deny the noise, I ask for security to go check, they call back and say it must be coming from off site- not them- I ask for a security guard to come to my room -I dress in a long caftan and put the camera and a different pair of glasses in a long black coat - they send a young guy- I advise him I will lead him direct to the noise - we start off and he disapears within 100 feet- I walk to the treater area and stand at the back- again fractal pictures on the screen and loud noise - I film with audio and walk about 100 feet to the lobby and speak to a young man and tell with I am not leaving the lobby until they shut it off - I sit at the guest services area-after about 20 minutes I decide this is stupid and I am going to have to go to another hotel-i go back to the young man and advise him i am leaving and will strip my safe and pack and check out of the hotel in the morning- I leave. I go to Sunwing and explain why I need a different hotel and I am packed and ready to go and know that I will have to pay extra for it, but I will not take being Gas light again or as I call it " given the crazy woman routine" I go to the front desk and explain I am checking out and want to speak to the Manager as I want find out his story as to what is going on -they say I can't talk to him until 1pm- I said fine I get to speal to him about 1pm- he says he is only the Front Desk manager -has nothing to do with what is going on and blames it all on Sunwing -Luis of Sunwing come over and we settle on a hotel- I give him my credit card- he confirms my hotel and the price. Luis gets me a bellman and a taxi and I move to the Royalton Splash. It like the difference from night to day and a real 4 star hotel-good room, no excessive noise and a clean beach -they make me happy -I have no complaints In the future I will check the reviews before I book a hotel oud

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Outstanding as always!!!

The resort was amazing as always. The staff were amazing and friendly. The food and drinks are better then most resorts we have visited. The rooms have everything you need for a comfortable stay. We have been to this resort 4 times and will be booking again soon. :D Love Iberostar Costa Dorada

Serenade Punta Cana Beach and Spa Resort: Beautiful resort.

This is a very new resort. Beautiful, clean and well laid out. The beaches were nice, food was excellent and the staff very friendly. The size of the resort was good. Not large enough to require long distances between any of the points, but not small enough to be congested or cramped. There were a lot of families with children but I didn't find it disrupting as there was lots of things for the kids to do. I would definitely stay at this resort again if I was going to Punta Cana.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: The resort was okay.

It was okay. Some things I was used to were coffee in the room, an iron and ironing board in the room. No such thing in the Gran Ventana The food was okay. Overall it was okay, It was clean, but there was always sand on the floor. Even though I saw the maid mopping it. They were generous, bringing us facecloths every day as we asked.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Maybe a 3 star?!

Not sure how much room there is for comments here. Last refreshed in 2006, 27 years ago. Had to bring in another safe, mini bar with 2 small beers, one Pepsi, one sprite and 2 waters - for the first day only. Thereafter, just water. Two in the party noticed a marked difference when recalling their last trip here 4 to 5 years ago. Paid extra for 3rd internet for the week. Often out sporadically.. water drip from ceiling, mtce called. Placed a towel on the floor...Really?!! Water pooling in [... read more] front of the toilet..figured out it was water leaking from shower glass not sealed to shower wall. Rarely left 2 face cloths, maybe 1 or 2 hand towels, along with bath towels..room not even made up one day. Phone in one room had no power in one room and NO instructions as to how to reach reception. Tried dialing 0 twice..nothing happened....pretty frustrating. Keys, despite being away from cell phones stopped working multiple times almost every day. Understand we are in a foreign country, but you cannot communicate with many as they know not much more than Spanish. Walls are paper thin.. Some food was passable, but all of it, except pasta bar and grill station, are maybe lukewarm...bacon is a scarcity and you have to ask someone to save some for you as it's gone first thing. Not all guests treated the same..often had to wait just to get water and coffee. A la Cartes were a disappointment. Since when is lobster bisque, just regular broth, with no lobster and maybe 1 shrimp? Nothing in the restaurants that looked anything like the promotional video in the lobby. Was I actually at the same place??!! Steak I got looked not much different than the so-called chateaubriand my sisters got! Biggest turn off is having the locals come in for the weekend and fill up the resort...not sure why anything like this is done. Have never heard of it?! The people here are friendly but they are at a real disadvantage trying to run the place..Most do try...Wonder if pool loungers ever get scrubbed...activities guy talks in Spanish...when all guests are English!! Really??!! I think they are trying, but I can tell you, I did not hear a positive review from anyone we spoke to. They all had complaints. Had to wonder when the last time anyone from Trip Central was there!! Planned renos are a paint job and paint furniture.. wow..needs way more than that...certainly disappointed with westjet website and lack of humans to speak to. No refund on baggage fees paid to and from due to a cancellation. Not happy!! Selected seats first thing Saturday morning (14th) at 9:20. Printed off confirmed seat selection. They were changed the next day...why is that done??!! Issue trying to select seats again on way home...21 DEF, tried many times..system issue...West jet techies can figure out why it did not work! My first vacation in 25 years. .Basically, the service normally provided by the airline has been dropped right into the lap of the customer....and I bet prices haven't dropped? I did not expect 5 star at all, realize this is a poor country, but the CEO of Blue Bay needs a wakeup call for this place. Bet he's never been!

Vista Sol Punta Cana: Great resort!

My 2nd time at Vista Sol. Great service and well laid out. Fantastic "A la carte dining" and tasty beach bar with food truck. Great beach with security everywhere. Prefer a smaller resort and knew the area well.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Senator

First time at Senator! We read so many different reviews so we went open minded & having stayed there for 2 weeks, we have no complaints. Our room was in building 8 close to everything. It was a King junior suite. Although it’s considered to be an older room, we thought it was great. Yes, there are upgrades if you want to newer rooms, some with swim-up pools but we were happy with where we were. Cleanest resort we’ve ever been to thanks to the hardworking cleaning staff, grounds keepe [... read more]r, housekeepers, wait/dining/restaurant/kitchen staff (special thanks to Ana Maria, Julian, Gonzalez as well as to all the attendants who kept it so clean) - this place is immaculate!! Food offered at buffet was always great, & offered a variety of fish, seafood, pork, beef, pastas, vegetables, anti pasta, breads, desserts, etc. Reservations were required at the 3 a-la-carts including Japanese, Italian & steakhouse, however you could take a chance and just show up for the sushi (without reservations at the Japanese restaurant). The sushi was our favourite. Bbq on the beach was great. No entertainment after the nightly shows. A lot of guests would find a table out by the lobby or sports bar where they would play cards or board games they would bring from home. Mokka coffee bar (special thank you to Francis, our server & “It’s not unusual”… our singer) was our go to place after dinner as well as the ice cream shop. Beach is rocky getting in some spots but, in my opinion, you really don’t need water shoes unless your not careful where you walk or swim. There’s many areas that are beautiful & sandy to wade into. The current in the water, even close to shore, was very strong a few days & you really need to be careful. We could feed the fish close to shore. Unless you are a premier guest, alcohol is not top shelf but there was never any shortage of brugal rum or presidente cerveza. We found the tours offered by the hotel to be way overpriced so we booked our own tour outside hotel & we’re very pleased. Our group had a great time & would definitely recommend it.