VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Fabulous resort!

I found the room and grounds to be clean and well maintained. I enjoyed all the meals I had and the wonderful service. I enjoyed the shows and activities. I had a wonderful stay and would recommend to others and may even book another stay next year at the VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Do Not Bother Paying to Upgrade

I will start with the negatives and then end on a positive note: As the title implies, there is little to no value to upgrading. Our of our party of 5 people, my husband and I were the only ones who paid to upgrade our package at the resort. We still had to wait over two hours for our room to be ready for check in, our room was the exact same size as the others in our party, and we were actually stuck with the worst room - right beside the Ocean Grill Restaurant/beach entrance, where there was  [... read more]loud music every night until at least 10 p.m., then the sound of everyone leaving for an hour. We were also woken up around 5 a.m. every morning to the sound of employees getting the beach and restaurant prepared for the day. The only "perks" we got were 5 bottles of liquor, unlimited towels at from the towel check station and access to the "private beach" (more on that shortly). Our concierge was non existent and booking reservations for any of the resort restaurants was just as much trouble for us than for our friends with the regular package. The rooms are tiny; you get a bed, a desk, a night table and a t.v. stand with a mini fridge. There are no dressers, so you are forced to live out of your suitcases the entire trip. The bathroom is also tiny, with terrible water pressure, and drains that backed up every time we took a shower or brushed our teeth. The beach is OVER RUN with vendors. Every five minutes a vendor is accosting you, and they don't take a simple no for an answer. It was so bad that no one in our group wanted to spend time on the beach, due to the constant stress of dealing with vendors approaching. Even the private beach isn't safe - the vendors are given free reign and they do not stop. If you are planning for a relaxing day at the beach, this is not the resort for you. There are not enough beach chairs or beach umbrellas at either pool (the main or the quiet pool). If you want to reserve a group of chairs together, you need to get up before sunrise and set out your towels, otherwise you won't get to sit with your entire group. And there is only one umbrella for about every 10 chairs, which everyone ends up fighting over in the heat of the sun. Smokers reign supreme here. There is nowhere to get away from smokers except for inside the restaurants. You need to walk through clouds of smoke everywhere you go, whether its the pool, the beach, the lobby, even the kids pool. Smoking is also permitted right outside of the buffet, which is open air, so anyone sitting closest to the outside gets to enjoy their meal with second hand smoke. Now, on to the positives. Most of the staff are extremely friendly (excluding the front reception, which I found odd) and very helpful. The buffet is decent and they change up the food enough that you don't get bored. There are three restaurants on the resort, all of which are decent as well and provide a nice change to the buffet. The entertainment was pretty good; we got to experience a "silent disco" and there was also karaoke, a magic show, dance lessons and more. There is a "mini disco" for kids every night at 8 p.m. that got monotonous, but it was cute to see all the kids dancing and the woman who ran it was fantastic with them. The best place to relax in the entire resort is the "Quiet Pool", which none of the reception staff (or concierge) mentioned to us but we luckily stumbled upon two days into our vacation. The bar at the Quiet Pool is the best one on site with the best drinks and friendliest bartenders. It is the one place you can truly relax in quiet at the resort, and there is a cute pond with turtles and fish to sit beside. If you are looking to unwind in peace, the Quiet Pool is the place for you! All in all, for a cheaper resort it was pretty decent. My biggest complaints are the lack of value in our upgrade and the fact that the beach is virtually unusable due to the amount of vendors.

Grand Bavaro Princess: Grand Bavario Princess

This resort was very nice. They had given us a room on the third floor which was a lot of stairs but the next day we were able to switch room closer to the pool and beach. The room was always cleaned well. The service was O.K. but we paid for premium and most of the time, there was not a server at the pool to get our drinks. The food at the buffet was cold. For diner, we went to the A la carte and the food was much better. The Soho Restaurant was a big disappointment. The staff were rude  [... read more]and never offered us desert. For all the A la carte restaurant, we had to downloads the app and order from there. They did not have paper copies of the menus. It was difficult to communicate with the staff in either English or French and was not able to get answers. There was no entertainment at all at night and no music. The Pub was very nice. The Sunwing Rep at the resort was no help at all. At our first meeting, he did not talk about the Resort but only wanted to sell us excusions. He was misleading with the document needed to leave Dominican.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: We had a great time

We really enjoyed our family vacation at Cofresi Palm Beach Resort. We have 3 complaints regarding this hotel. The smell in some areas was not great. And the mattress needs to be updated it was extremely hard. The third is if you have a neighbor with an adjoining room its almost like they are in the same room. The rest of the resort was amazing. Covid measures were still used as in staff had masks and hand sanitizer was offered at restaurants.

Ocean El Faro: Not recommend

This hotel is very large lots of walking. The shuttle buses far and few between so dont wait for one then they dont show up. Then there is maid service well 3 days no maid service no towels no garbage emptied no fridge fill up with water. Now trying to get a ala cart restaurant was impossible you had to book online at 7am by 702 everything was booked figure that one out or they only had 1 seat left. Stayed in the adult section the restaurant there was the same food for lunch and dinner. The bea [... read more]ch was a disappointment rocky and weedy couldn't find a empty chair at 8am. The drinks were watered down. I would not recommend this hotel go somewhere else.

Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites: great golf/beach vacation

Just returned from Iberostar Selection Bavaro. Travelled as a couple. Beach is lovely with plenty of palapas for shade, never an issue finding one and miles to walk in either direction. Didn't really use the pool but it appeared to have ample loungers and shade as well. Grounds are beautifully maintained and lots of bird wildlife. The main buffet has much better service and ambience than the buffet closer to the beach. We found the food and service at the main buffet on par or better th [... read more]an other equivalent level all-inclusive hotels, and in particular with the amount of fresh seafood grilling each day. A-la-cartes were a bit more hit and miss in terms if service and quality. Booking for a-la-cartes was through "concierge" whose main goal appears to be get you to attend a "morning meeting" sales pitch. Thankfully, they don't bother you after the first "no thanks". Rooms are large, but dated (I believe some are renovated). Ours had a musty smell (was likely not used recently) but was able to air it after a day or two. They will ask (suggest to you) if want to upgrade at checkin. We didn't and were closer to the lobby than the beach which worked well for us since we were golfing most days. Golfing was great - did a 5 round package and stored our clubs there. Shuttle service to and from the course was courteous and prompt. Also can easily walk to or from the course if desired. It was our first time to this property and wasn't sure if we should be booking down to save a few dollars (IB Dominicana or IB Punta Cana) or up (Selection Coral Level or Iberostar Grand). In the end we felt we made the right choice and would book the same category and hotel again after spending some time at the Dominicana and Punta Cana where you have access to the facilities.

Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro: Five star but...

This is a beautiful hotel. The Coral Level is well worth it and the upgrade to ocean side rooms even more so. The beach is very nice and the breakfast/lunch buffets were amazing. Dinner restaurants were very disappointing (with the possible exception of Salt & Soul as well as La Dorada) and the concierge was useless (we saw Yolman the first and second day after which he basically ignored us despite receiving very nice tips). The overall service was very good and the staff helpful. Housekeeping  [... read more]was excellent while minibar service sorely lacking (never refilled). The water bottle policy needs to be reviewed. The highlight was the spa where five of us received excellent professional massages. The hotel makes an effort to help those with allergies but the labels are all wrong and misleading. THEY NEED TO GET THE ALLERGY LABELS RIGHT.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Good resort

I like the food and beach. The show at night time is excellent. The staff are friemdly.However, too many golf cart on the road and causes bad smell. Also, the drain caused bad smell near some part of beach.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Don't go

Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana The morning after we arrived the Air Transat rep called our room early in the morning. He informed us that we needed to be in the theater for orientation at 10 am. I told him we did not get a Wi-Fi password the night before and he told me he would give that to us when we met at 10 am. At breakfast we met two ladies that were on the bus with us the night before. They asked if we were going to the 10 am orientation and we told them we were. The four of us arrived [... read more] at the orientation precisely at 10 a.m. where the Air Transat rep told us we were late and that we were told 9:30 am. We explained that wwe were told 10 a.m. and without an apology he informed us that we would have to wait 30 minutes for him. I told him to forget it and walked out, I came for the sun , not to have my time wasted. My husband and I paid a visit to the lobby desk to see if we could pay to be upgraded to their sister resort, The Esmeralda. We visited this property in November 2019 and had quite enjoyed it. I booked the Grand thinking we would have the same enjoyable experience. Unfortunately there were no vacancies at The Esmeralda and we had to remain at The Grand. The Grand is not so grand, it is sad and run down. The rooms are a decent size but they really need a deep cleaning and modernizing. We wanted to be located close to the beach and we were, but that is where the happy ends. It is a 15 minute walk to the main building where the buffet and lobby are located. A trolley ride there was impossible to get so you were better off just to do the 15 minute walk. By the time you had walked there, got a table (which was almost impossible most days), had your meal, then walked back to the room or beach, you had wasted more than an hour. The struggle to get your three meals a day wasted a lot of my sunbaking hours. I like to start my day with a nice cup of coffee but there was nowhere in our end of the resort to get one. We had coffee machines in the room but the coffee tasted like dishwater and the only supplies in the room were sugar. Walking 15 minutes to the main building and 15 back was not an option. The food was for the most part horrible and always cold. The only people who spoke English were the front desk staff, the servers did not speak or understand English at all. It was impossible to get coffee with our breakfast. Servers were invisible and if you were lucky enough to find one they would tell you to wait a minute and you never saw them again. The servers were very unfriendly and of no help if you were in need of condiments, beverages or anything else you might need during your meal. They had a snack bar that opened at our end of the resort for lunch. The food there was equally unpleasant as the dining room. Like the dining room there was no English, no service and no smiles. The staff in this resort are robotic and unhappy. At our end of the resort we had 2 two pool bars and a beach bar. The pool bar closest to the beach had music blaring so loud, perhaps trying to disguise the nasty sound system it was being played on. The bartenders had to read your lips to take your order. Along with this cacophony of sound was DJ who was set on daily repeat. He played the exact same songs every day at the same time, you could quite safely set your watch by the song that was playing. I use the term “song” in a generous way as it was the worst I have heard at any resort . The bartenders were winging it too, order the same drink 3 times and you got 3 different versions. Don’t hurry to be the first in line because they served whoever their eyes landed on. You might be first in the line but the last to have your order taken. The pool bars in our area closed at 6pm and so the first night after dinner we looked for a place to get a glass of wine after we walked back to the room. There was nothing. We would have had to go back to the main building to get a glass. No thanks! On Friday I went back to the room and found that our door would not lock. I waited 40 minutes to get the door fixed and the next day waited over an hour to have it repaired again. It seems the customer is not valued here, I did not spend money to sit in my room. The beach was on a hill and there was very little flat area to put a lounge chair. If the tide came in your belongings got wet. The walkways always had garbage on them, the same garbage every day, it was never cleaned up. The main sidewalk to the main lobby was cleaned but in a very haphazard way . We talked to many different guests and many were dissatisfied with this resort. Some people had water leaking on their belongings and some had no hot water. We had great weather for the week we were there and we will go back to the Dominican and Punta Cana but we will not be going to any Bahia Principe resorts in the future.

Riu Republica: So disappointed...

- No lifeguard that I could see Beach is not cleaned enough Dryer broken UsB plugs not working Couch is worn out Hook is broken No bathrobe Very slow wifi (spotty at best) Not enough English channels on TV Plenty of chairs on beach but no staff cleaning up nor bartender Beach kiosk for food No towels starting at midweek. Every time I went, I was asked to come back in an hour My room key stopped working 3 times and each time; they couldn't even muster up the strength to say "I'm sorr [... read more]y for the inconvenience" Good luck calling and getting ahold of reception, they rarely pick up They never have enough change for US cash so that one can give a tip, unless they like you or they are in a good mood Extremely slow front desk services + The sellers aren't aggressive nor inappropriate like they are at Breathless and other resorts in Punta Can (except for 1 who kept hounding me gently but asking I'd I thought he was a monkey (insinuating that I am racist) Professional staff - No one bothers me about being alone (not asked about it constantly like they did at other resorts-like at Aquamarine where staff stare weirdly and are detached from professionalism and welcoming) Clean restaurants Not hungry for tips Spa was amazing! But false advertising (in a dark small room, not a gazebo as advertised Spa does not do fake nails Spa shower head broken and only cold water Gorgeous beach! Great view Great shower but water hardly get hot enough No locals at the resort which is good Lots of bars Restaurants offer good variety of vegetarian food but it smelled and tasted like it had been cooked in the same oil or butter or pan as the meat stuff, like a weird slime taste (not a clean taste) The dessert tastes bland Great layout of resort (clean and easy, in a linear fashion) Good night entertainment but no organized parties with DJs Store has everything you might want at somewhat reasonable prices Cute cat on the resort

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Great Resort

The grounds were beautiful and clean. Rooms were great, comfortable and and clean. Buffet was busy but overall we always found good food. Sometimes hard to find a plate but when requested they brought out pretty quickly. Service was awesome! Pool by the beach was awesome. However, the music and entertainment was fun but repetitive. Would much prefer a list of music sometimes that people can just get up and dance too other than line dancing or exercise dancing. The beach was amazing and goes on  [... read more]forever and great for nice long walks and great for swimming! Thanks for a great trip!

Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Great Time!

Overall we had a very good experience at this hotel - it was very positive and relaxing. Transportation to and from the airport was very comfortable. Reception and staff were always available to help. Grounds and pool area are well maintained and beautiful. Food generally was good. However, buffets were repetitive and restaurant options limited on the Adults Only side (only 3 restaurants besides the buffet rooms). Regarding the rooms, they are large, comfortable and clean albeit a little d [... read more]ated. Lots of extra activities available which were a lot of fun and interesting. Definitely would recommend this resort especially if you like a more low key environment.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Love this resort!

Where to begin! We absolutely Love this resort! We were there about 5 years ago and wanted to go back but because of the hotel being renovated and Covid, we couldn't until now. Let me just say, the renovations are Beautiful! We had the corner swim up suite and it was amazing! It was nice to have your own private pool to come back to if you wanted a little siesta or some private pool time. The room was stunning, large and decorated beautifully. It was done with a modern flare and very comfor [... read more]table. The only downside I had was that the shower had no privacy and if you're like me, I prefer a solid separation of the bathroom to the rest of the suite. Our maid service was wonderful and we loved Natalia who made it her mission to make sure our stay was as comfortable as it could be. All the staff were very friendly and check in was flawless. We were even taken to a desk to make our dinner reservations right after checking in! The restaurants were also wonderful and we loved MEAT. The restaurant was amazing. You almost forgot you were in a resort as the decor was impeccable and the food delicious!!! We also really enjoyed Tequilla which was in a new building on the beach. We have never been away in January, however it was very comfortable with less humidity then we're use to. We usually go in April or November. If you want to get a good spot on the beach please be aware that you need to get up at the crack of stupid (especially when you're on vacation) to secure a good spot. We are firm believers that if we do so, we'll make a coffee in our room prior to going down to get our spot and stay and enjoy the sunrise, which btw are stunning! We have seen many who must arrive earlier then us, place their items and go back to their rooms! I must say, its a little infuriating but, many do it. The pool is much the same, although we saw that the staff start taking people's towels off the loungers if they didn't stay and so made it fair to others. We love the Bahia Principe resorts whether it's Dominican or Mexico! They are a resort that we have found to never disappoint from food to decor to service! You always feel very pampered! Again, we will be returning to this resort next year for sure!! Thanks to our tripcentral agent Karol Chareza for his great continued service! Trish and Don

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Nice simple resort

Info: Room cleaning finished around 3 Can get a mojito at the beach bar, other bars said they didn't make them. Excursion to city hits main tourist points Don't expect "The Keg" quality from Steakhouse Bring a power bar for additional outlets There's a small clothesline in the bathroom to hang your bathing suit to dry Bathroom includes hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, body wash Pros: Beach towels are large Beach beds are cleaned of sand Staff usually greet you Beach vendors are n [... read more]ot pushy Variety of food at buffet Chinese restaurant was nice Standard room had two double beds, mini fridge, safe Cons: Some room towels are frayed. Nothing but a top sheet the first night, cover was added but had a hole in it. Housekeeping was spotty, sometimes they didn't bother picking up the decorative sheet from the floor or emptying the garbage. Music by the pool bar is quite loud Inconsiderate guests who talk/sing loudly late at night and slam doors.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Needs work

I was very disappointed with this resort, it is in need of some major repairs. The rooms are dated and in need of some TLC. There isn’t enough loungers and most are broken, people save loungers with towels to not even use them at all. The resort allows the locals in on the weekends and the service goes down hill, not to mention most are not very friendly. The beach was just okay, water wasn’t what is expected in the Caribbean. The only pro at this resort was the food, i will not be going bac [... read more]k to this resort.

Occidental Caribe: Definitely not 4.5

We stayed for a week Jan 15/22 we had to change rooms once due to mould and mildew smell room was out dated and disgusting! Our second room had no working TV for two days the staff are rude and the maids to the bare minimum. No fancy towels barely had clean towels to shower everyday. The towel service by the pool was just as bad never had towels on site to exchange always had to wait and try throughout the day. The food was no better would recommend the buffet over the a la cart French and Itali [... read more]an were beyond disgusting French charged for wine and Italian was not edible and nothing fancy overall this resort is a 2 star would not recommend

Occidental Caribe: Occidental Caribe is very poor

We did not enjoy this hotel. The rooms were so uncomfortable and very poor. The quiet pool was really nice as was the beach. The buffet was reliable and the a la carte book so fast we didn’t get to try any of them. We would not go here alone unfortunately.

Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Amazing Resort

The resort was small but cozy and very friendly and we loved it. The rooms were spotless and service was excellent. What we liked about this resort is that every room had an Oceanview and the recent restorations were done with class. Each room had balconies with glass railings and did not obstruct any view of the grounds or ocean. The grounds were green and lush. The food was excellent and catered to all international tourists. The beach was excellent and clean and we loved the fact that you  [... read more]could walk for unlimited distance without any fear. We had no problem getting beach chairs there were plenty of them. Beach towels were at our disposal with no limits. The staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout the resort.

Royalton Punta Cana Resort: Royalton punta cana

Was very disappointed with young kids that they put us in a room outside the outdoor disco with music blaring late into the night. Also a lot of stairs. People at the resort weren’t as friendly as I was used to before Covid. Maybe they are tired of people being rude too

Riu Palace Macao: Wonderful Staff

The staff were amazing! Friendly, humorous, and willing to go above and beyond to make us happy. The food was good. Everything was clean, although the resort is a bit older. They could use additional beach/pool chairs and a bit more flexibility with the towels.