Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Very Enjoyable Holiday!

My fiance and I traveled to the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville, La Romana from Feb 20-27, 2018. AIRPORT TRANSFER: Shuttle from Punta Cana airport was about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check-in was quick and easy. POOLS: The pools were nice (a tad cold but tolerable). Lots of loungers were available at the pools and there was quite a bit of shade available as well. You had two options - the quieter pool or the main pool by the beach. If you like lots of activity, definitely go to the  [... read more]main pool as that is where all the fun is. The animation team is fantastic! One of the best I have seen and I have traveled extensively to all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. Both pools have swim up bars. The washrooms by the pool were exceptionally clean! There was someone in there cleaning them every hour or so. BEACH: The beach is really beautiful, in my opinion. We enjoyed taking walks along the beach. They are in the process of developing the area with condos so right now the beach is nice and quiet - not a lot of people unless they are fellow walkers from the Bahia. Many people comment on the water and the fact that it is murky. I do not agree with this statement. No it is not crystal clear, however it is perfectly clean and swimmable. And you can see that aqua color in the distance so it still feels like you are in the Caribbean. The best way to describe the water is that it is more the color of a lake that you would find back home (we are from Ontario, Canada). Beach chairs were plentiful. The front row of chairs (closest to the waterline) were reserved quite early in the morning but there were still lots of chairs by about 9am. And there is a ton of shade between the palm trees and the huts. FOOD: Food was really good! The buffet had lots of options. Yes, it's somewhat repetitive but it always is. And the a la cartes were really, really good. We loved the Don Pablo restaurant the best. We also enjoyed Los Corales (Brazilian) and the Japanese restaurant. No shortage of good food here. My only issue is the reservation system. It seems reservations book up very fast so my recommendation is that you book asap. TIP: Load the Bahia app on your phone in advance and as soon as you are settled into your room, take 10 minutes to book your restaurants. Alternatively you can go to Guest Relations at reception and book. SERVICE/TIPPING: Service in the buffets was lacking at times. Sometimes you wouldn't be offered water/coffee for 5-10 minutes after arriving (or at all). This is an area they could improve upon. Service at the bars was good - didn't have any issues there. Tipping wasn't overly prevalent at the resort. It's nice to tip when the service warrants it, but it doesn't seem to be an expectation. This was a nice change from other resorts that I have been to. WI-FI: The free Wi-Fi was great. No issues at all. Great reception throughout the entire resort including pools and beach! I'm not sure why anyone would bother upgrading to their "premium Wi-Fi" which you have to pay for. ROOMS: The rooms were very spacious and clean. They have minor aesthetic issues (not really issues unless you are picky) - scuffs on walls, older looking tiles. Nothing major at all. They provide shampoo, conditioner, lotion, a dental kit, shaving kit, shower cap and robes. And they have a hair dryer in the room. And the outlets work with North American plugs. No adaptors or converters required. Beds were firm but comfortable and they have a menu of pillows to choose from which is nice. One issue that we found was that around 5pm there was limited water pressure and hot water. But it passed quickly so we just learned to wait it out and everything was fine. They offer room service but the menu looked limited and we never tried it. We had a room facing the quiet pool which was nice but really, you will have a decent view anywhere you are. The grounds are stunningly manicured with lots of greenery and flowers. The only issue here is with the TV. There are NO English channels. Well, one channel has sporadic English programming in the morning but otherwise nothing! I get that we are not on holidays to watch TV but it is nice to go back to your room before dinner or before bedtime and switch on the TV for a bit. We asked the front desk about this and apparently they recently switched TV providers so they are looking into the issue. So perhaps this will be rectified. TIP: bring your tablet and use Netflix. It streams really well in the room. You could also bring an HDMI cable or use Chromecast to cast to the TV if you want to watch it on the big screen. ENTERTAINMENT: There is a small casino onsite with slot machines and a few tables - blackjack and roulette. They do allow locals into the casino so sometimes the tables are occupied but if you wait, you can usually get in. Nighttime entertainment was enjoyable. You can either watch the big shows at the Bahia Principe or there is entertainment in the Luxury Bahia lobby. We didn't try the disco so not sure what that is like. We would definitely return to this resort in the future, and would recommend it to others.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Luxury Bahia Principe Bougainville

Tout était parfait, accueil, nourriture, personnels toujours souriants et accueillants. Belle température malgré un peu de pluie. Décors magnifiques, magnifiques fleurs et aménagements paysagés. Merci,

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Exceeded Expectations

We stayed at the luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville on Feb 18-23. We researched this resort extensively on Google earth and on YouTube before going so I had certain expectations going in. The picture's or video's didn't do it justice. The resort is spotless from the main lobby to the beach and everywhere in between. The rooms were spotless as well. Cleaned every day and mini bar restocked every day as well. There are 2 pools. The party pool next to the beach where the entertainment was [... read more] and the quiet pool on the other end of the resort. Both have swim up bars and both have waiter service. The beach water isn't aqua blue but the beach itself more than made up for it with the megalithic palm trees. A very tropical feel which is exactly what I was looking for. The food was all good no matter where we ate. The Buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were hot and fresh. Different Selections every day. Different themes for dinner every night. We ate at 2 ala cart restaurants, the Brazilian and the signature Don Pablo restaurant. Both were out of this world good. The filet mignon is indescribable. The drinks weren't too weak but not too strong, they were just right all the time. I would suggest that you bring a "bubba", the supplied cups are pretty small. The staff are all helpful and friendly. Almost all spoke some english so if your Spanish isn't up to snuff you'll still be ok. Overall everything exceeded what I hoped this vacation was going to be. If a quiet relaxing vacation in a lush tropical enviroment is what you are looking for then this is the place for you.

Dreams Dominicus La Romana: Dreams Dominicus

We had a wonderful time. Hotel was lovely, rooms were spacious and modern and clean. Lots of Great food. The grounds are beautiful. It's not a loud party place but had some nightly entertainment that was enjoyable. Very accommodating loved having a Butler service with the privilege package. Make sure to inquire about what he can offer during your stay.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Great trip except for AirTransat flight

We had a great time at the resort. They were a little unorganized for arriving and departing guess. Bus issue and check on issues. The worse was the flight. Air Transat has reduce leg room. I am a petite lady and my knees touched the front seat causing knee pain. Many passengers complained. Will think twice before even booking with Air Transat travel again

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Fantastic resort - LOVED IT!!!!

I loved staying at an only adult resort, it was my first time. The great thing about this resort, you could go next door to the family resort and enjoy their facilities as well. The bartenders were great always kept my drink full. The buffets were good as well, same as any resort you get tired of buffet all the time but we did go to 5 A La Carte restaurants which were great. The resort was clean and well kept up daily. I wouldn't hesitate to return to this location.

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Beautiful beach, poor service

As we arrived, they sent us to a room which is wet, musty and dark. The window and door both without net. There is also no secure box, no cloth hanger, no chair. The water in toilet keep flow and noisy. It was totally different with that we booked. I complained to the manager. Second day, they changed a much better room to us. but the window without net too. The beach is beautiful, pool and beach are wonderful for swimming.

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Great resort!

This hotel is beautiful. It has a stunning beach (much better than the other hotels in the area). The rooms differ quite a bit from the pictures but they are clean although have a lot of mold in them. The food is good and the dining area is stunning. They do not do shows at night or have a nightlife at all. I’d say this resort is perfect for families. It was hard to find a beach chair or a chair on the pier as people claim them and then leave - so they should really consider adding more chairs [... read more]. Overall it was a great resort and I would visit here again!

Dreams Dominicus La Romana: Nice Resort with Issues

Resort sits on the main road to Bayahibe, with a constant flow of traffic. It is a gated resort and requires security posted at all entrances and exits. Lobby is very small with no evening entertainment whatsoever and one small bar and one bartender that has difficulty keeping up at times. We saw one waitress and she very rarely checked to see if we needed anything. The resort is long and narrow with very few 'alternate' paths that can be taken. There are 3 pools along the main strip to the be [... read more]ach, all well kept but had very few people at them. Never an issue getting a chair. Bar service was hard to find. The buffet and 'a la carte' restaurants were mediocre at best. The buffet offered the same selection everyday and there was rarely any type of potato to be found. The unlimted a la carte's were poor with the exception of The Seaside Grill, which was very good. All the others organized chaos with poor service. Anything other than wine to drink and you are in for a wait as they must go to one of the bars to get your beverage. Majority of the food was so heavily salted that you could not eat it. This was a recurring theme all week long. We were preferred club so our room was across the street in a 5 story brand new building, very clean and immaculate but did not feel Caribbean. It had a pool and a bar and the Flying Fish restaurant that was open for breakfast and lunch. The beach was amazing, crystal clear turquoise water and powdery white sand. Service at the preferred club section of the beach was good with it's own bar and snack area. BBQ everyday with burgers, dogs, chicken and salmon....all was very good and a welcome alternative to the buffet. Some evening entertainment at the beach, but really for the younger crowd. There was karaoke on Friday evening which was quite entertaining but was over by 10:30pm. So.....would we return.......not a chance. For the Dreams brand we expected better......everything.

Whala Bayahibe: Nice resort! Great price! Very clean!!

We went to whala from the week of Feb 10-17 with my Husband... this resort was extremely clean.... our maid was fantastic! But everywhere in the resort they are cleaning... the beach bathroom were constantly being cleaned! Love that! Lobby Peolpe (front desk!were very good and helpful. Especially Valentino manger from Italy he is there making sure things are running good and right! He was extremely helpful and sweet!! Buffet: They have one main Buffet.... the food that they have on it ....t [... read more]he food is cooked good.... they however don’t have a lot of variety!!! Seem to caterer to more of a Europe crowd... they did have bacon 2x ... but the food is Good and you don’t go hungry.. Lots of fruits and veggies ...not a lot of deserts! Bring a bag off cookies... they had no peanut butter....Our server “Jenny “ was fantastic.... sit in her section...you will Never be with out anything !! The snack Bar is really good... they make pizza, Hamburger, fries, chicken wings.. all great.. they have 2 el la carts one is a sushi restaurant you have to pay for and the other one is down by the water and outside it was ...ok! They had one bar by the beach... ppl were constantly lined up... a bit slow in that area... but ppl seemed happy to wait... that is the only place you get cappuccino too! (Only) There’s no beach in this resorts... but honestly you don’t miss it at all... they have like 5 pools cut into the coral reef overlooking on the water ... they have stairs cut into the coral reef where you can get into the water.. beautiful.. and ppl were jumping of the wall into the water and ppl were snorkeling there too!! They do have a bus to take you to the beach.. it’s like 5mins away.. bus comes offen!!There is sand all around the pool areas and seating area with lots of shade if you want!! We loved it!! Our Room was big and very new... and very clean!! Everything is brand new .. beds and pillows are so comfy and sheets and blankets are new. Air conditioners are new and all new tiling and paint in the room and our balcony was a nice size too... we were in the main building 1510 .. I didn’t see any night entertainment... but they had volleyball and pool workout in the pool and yoga on the sand! This is a small resort... there wasn’t a lot of Canadians in this resort... mostly Europeans!!! They really just reopened it in oct.. but the we’re doing a lot of things to make it better and better day by day! There was a mix of old and young and young families there... I would say this would be a good place if you don’t like to walk far or are in wheelchair ...everything would be accessible for you .. they have elevators too! The Guy that does the excursions “José Gabriel” was amazing!! Look him up!!! We had a blast on our excursion!!! Zip lining. This resort has free wifi everywhere..beach, rooms, buffet.. we use our Netflix at night in our room.. they have large TVs in the room .. no English stations... This price was good .. it was quiet at night!! We would have loved to see more Canadian to chat with but over all our vacation was great and very relaxing!!!! Krissy and Paul Carroll

Dreams La Romana: Love this resort!

The resort was wonderful! The staff were all so friendly and provided great service. Beaches and pools were wonderful. Always a chair available. The unlimited a la carte dining was also fabulous! The views from the moment you woke til sunset... so beautiful. Lots of activities for all ages and clear that the staff really focused on you having a memorable experience.

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Would not waste the money!!!

Before I start I just want to say that we are not picky prissy travelers. We have been down south about 15 times and this was the worst we have experienced. Both my wife and I along with another friend and another 3 people that we know of were very ill one day and ended up spending the day in the room as we couldn't be far away from a toilet. As I said, we have been down south 15 times and this is the first time we were ever ill (when it wasn't self inflicted). had to either been the food [... read more] or something else contaminated. The resort itself was very beautiful and maintained nicely. The beach was nice but you need water shoes. The room was OK and the bed was comfortable. The worst part was the service in the only restaurant on the resort. You would go in and sit down and wait 15-20 minutes for a coffee. It is not like they didn't know you were there because they came by 3 times and asked if you wanted one. They were constantly running out of clean cutlery and dishes and there did not seem to be any urgency in getting you any. There was however one waiter named Luis who worked his butt off and gave you great service. The Sports bar is a joke. They have a menu of about 10 items but any given day, they only had 3 available. 2 of the items was pizza which they were always out of but yet you could get it in the buffet???? Also ran out of ketchup on Monday and still had none when we left on Friday morning. I have experienced this sort of thing in Cuba but the shortage would only be a day or so. I would not return to this resort. Its too bad because there is a lot of potential.

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Family resort

Public areas and rooms were clean and well maintained. Food quality was good but not much variety in food, very little seafood. Very limited snack bars. Waterpark was great for kids. Beach area was clean. There were only two night with entertainment shows. I recommend this resort only to families with little kids.

Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus: Our favourite resort

Our recent stay at the Iberostar Hacienda in La Romana, D.R was just wonderful. We have chosen this resort for the last 10 years and have never been disappointed. The service, food and accomodation has always been excellent and I would recommend this resort to anybody. Theresa Verbeek

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville

My stay at this Resort was great..the staff,food,and the grounds around the Hotel was wonderful.The room was nice and big but lacking one thing...more drawers for storing your clothing..three drawers for two women just dose not work well...also the drawers were broken and kept falling out???..we asked to get it fixed and a man came and jamed the drawers back and said were ok...but not they kept falling out.....one more thing I would like to add..they need better entertainment around the pool in  [... read more]the daytime and better evening entertainment which was lacking.

Dreams Dominicus La Romana: Very over-rated

We booked a swim out room because the brochure stated that there were no children allowed to stay in these rooms for safety reasons; we thought that at least we would be spared noise, temper tantrums etc by booking one of these rooms. No such luck, children were allowed in any room including these; I saw as many as three children and two adults in a swim out room; no idea how many were crammed into other rooms. The adjoining hotel which was billed as family suites had as many as six children in  [... read more]these rooms; needless to say the beach area was at a premium all of the time. Don't believe the brochure when it states that no towels can be put on chairs before 8:00am, try 6:30am and earlier, no towels are ever moved. There are four restaurants and a buffet, don't expect great service at the buffet restaurant unless you are willing to tip even for water, I got my own more than once! The other four a la carte restaurants were slightly better, although the French restaurant had all three courses out at once the first time we ate there, the second time we slowed them down deliberately; but, still there were two courses on the table at the same time. No children are allowed in this restaurant, so it was relatively peaceful, unlike the others, where children were allowed to run free and interrupt other diners. Trying to get something repaired in your room is a major challenge, my husband and I were quite sick our first week there ( not the fault of the hotel ); we went to bed early as we were very much under the weather; as such we would have enjoyed watching some TV; but, our TV did not work and it took a great deal of complaining and six days to get it rectified; to me this was unacceptable. No sooner had this been looked after for us we had an employee remove our lounge chairs from our patio without permission throwing my towels, swimsuits and even laundry on the floor, at this point I really had come to the end of being easygoing and pleasant. This hotel is listed as a high quality hotel, rooms food service etc. ; definitely not in my estimation.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Perfect vacation

We were a group of 8 adults. The resort is gorgeous and the staff are amazing. We had a perfectly relaxing vacation. Food is delicious, drinks are a plenty. The only negative about this resort is the water at the beach, it is not turquoise blue.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Dream holiday

Baha’i Principe Bouganville is a lovely resort,not pretentious but still superb. Our too short time there was just what we needed to relax and enjoy the company of family.The pools were very nice,the hotel ..no complaints,,the grounds gorgeous and well maintained,the food enjoyed!

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Weare Bayhibe

Beach was nice a bit rocky Water park the kids loved it but only open 11-1 and 3-5 Pool was great shallow entry area for kids and deep end and swim up bar Rooms ok nothing great ac leaked a lot at one point we had a huge puddle on floor. Toilets didn’t flush properly and no hot water Food was not good at all only 1 buffet and no a la cartes There was no entertainment The kids club was non existent The game room had a couple games the only one that actually worked was the air hockey t [... read more]able Check in was absolutely horrible. Arrived before check in and told to come back at 3pm to get our room. Went back and still wasn’t ready so then waited till 4:30 and finally got our room after I lost my temper on the front desk staff. Overall was not impressed with any of the staff nor would I return to this resort

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Best trip ever

Beautiful resort! Staff went out if their way to please us, so friendly and courteous. Everything was so clean. Food was good, entertainment was great. Can't say enough good things about this vacation.