Great hotel

This was our first time at this hotel. We were very impressed by the quality and selection of the food at the buffet never went hungry. We stayed in the renovated part of the complex the bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in with the exception of the grand paladium lady Hamilton in Jamaica . Very nice clean hotel and well worth going to.

5th visit to VH Gran Ventana

This resort never ceases to amaze! We have been here as a couple three times and twice as a family (kids 14 & 5). The staff are always friendly and very welcoming. It's always a great feeling when the staff remember you after not seeing you for a year. The food was great once again and the resort is always very clean. We have and always will recommend VH to anyone who's looking to take a trip to the Dominican Republic. Sincerely: Matt, Becky, Caleb and Rayna

How does this resort rate 4 stars?

We were told we were going to a 4 star resort and we were very disappointed when we got there. If it is a 3 star resort, I would be surprised. We were there from February 3 - 10, 2017. The a la carte restaurants were excellent but being restricted to one visit in each of the three for the whole week, we relied mainly on the buffet for our meals. While there appeared to be a great variety, a lot of it was not very appealing and it was very repetitive. We felt they were offering the dinners from t [... read more]he day before for breakfast and lunch. The buffet dining room was very disorganized and the staff in there was not very friendly or helpful. They each seemed to have their own jobs to do and were not willing to give us napkins if they were not the napkin person! The same with cutlery, water, wine. There are many staff members in there, but very poorly organized. The grounds themselves were OK. The pool was quite small but pleasant and I did my physio exercises in there everyday. The beach was nice but each day, it was a scramble to get decent loungers that we could move into the shade. A lot of the lounge chairs on the beach were broken or torn and no one seemed to be bothering about removing them. They were a safety hazard as far as I was concerned. Another safety concern was the fire alarm, which rang many times when we were in our room. One night it went off 4 times. We were not told what this alarm was and the first time we went rushing out into the hallway expecting to see people leaving the building, but no one was in sight. When we eventually asked about it, we were told it was the fire alarm and that someone must have been smoking in their room. I thought we should have been warned of this when we checked in. As it occurred so often, we just started ignoring it, but had there actually been a fire, it could have been very detrimental. A couple of stars amongst the staff were the ladies who cleaned our room each day. They were always smiling and friendly. Another bright star was a waitress named Andrea. She was very friendly and helpful. We definitely will not be returning to this resort.

February 2017

This was a return trip. Six weeks in the past two years and enjoyed the vacation with the exception of the drinks at the regular bars and at the buffet. Some were undrinkable. The Vintage lounge and the VIP beach drinks were, as usual, wonderful. That is, if you purchase the Premium package. The VIP beach was crowded this time and the umbrellas and shade is limited. First time we had to go to the beach early each morning to reserve seats as the sign indicating that items would be removed after a [... read more] short period of time. The Vintage lounge seemed to be more of a "BAR" this time than a lounge as it was often loud and noisy with groups doing shooters and very rude behavior without consequences from staff. As to the future-if these problems are addressed by the new management we may consider returning.

March 2017 VH Grand Ventana

Everything was wonderful, great location, beach etc. The pool and Beach areas need more shade umbrellas. Having to get up before the sun comes up to get a shady spot is unacceptable. The wine served in the bars and restaurants is not good, with the exception of the Vintage Lounge which is only accesible if you are part of the Royal or Premium package.

Amazing resort

this resort was amazing very clean inside and out, staff was very pleasant and food was amazing lots to choose from at all meals . we really enjoyed our stay here from Feb 24 th to March 3 rd would highly recommend this resort

MY VACATION

I felt that because it was my first time there that they should have given me info. at checkin regarding the resort and what was available . No special greeting by the resort staff when i arrived after a very long travelling day. Every other resort that i have gone to has greeted me with a nice hot towel and refreshing drink. My room had no dressers or comfy chairs or coffee maker. Staff extremely helpful however when i needed help. Good selection of food and beverages. The pasta bar was  [... read more]amazing....the very best ...even better than the Italian dining room. Within walking distance of the golf course and also a mall nearby.

Nice resort

Everything was quite close and easy to get to liked the buffet and the alacarte's . Pool was nice and central. The entertainment area could have more seating and the beach needs to get rid of the seaweed just 20 yards out but overall quite pleased would go back.

Nice place

Activities - the entertainment staff are really friendly. It is mostly tailored to a younger crowd, but there are options for all ages throughout the day at the pool and on the beach. They are great at getting you involved if you are at first hesitant. Shout out to Alixandro Compota, he made all of the activities loads of fun! Grounds - clean and well cared for. Decor is certainly more up to date compared to some resorts I've been to. Staff - are generally friendly, but most won't go out o [... read more]f their way to make that relationship without the tips. Beach - Sand is clean and water is nice, heads up the beach has a lot of coral and seaweed. There are endless amounts of vendors on the beach. They are really friendly people, if you aren't interested just say no thanks and they leave you alone. Pool - we spent most of our time at the pool, great pool bar! Wake up early to reserve your chairs before breakfast if you have a large group. Throughout the day you can usually find two or three to pull together though. (the hotel was full when we were there).

Great time at the Ventana

Nice hotel, nice beach, staff and food great. We were at the quiet pool building overlooking the pool. If you have a room on other sides it is close to roads so don't know if an issue or not. Getting a chair not that big a deal, we always got one on the beach, and pool later in the day. Only complaint I'd have is the entertainment. At night other than 2 (more professional shows) one on the beach the entertainment was the audience. Kareoke, Mr and Miss Ventana etc. It was fun but I'd [... read more] prefer "real" shows - heard that the Iberostar has great shows every night.

Great resort

The Gran Ventana is a great 4 star hotel. I stayed a the catalina block . I reserved a superior room royal all inclusive that is worth it. Everything was near us. The beach was nice . Some weeds at some areas. Vip areas was great. Pool was ok but me an my wife prefer the beach . All 3 a la carte restaurants were nice. Preferred the Italian then octopus and last ocean grill. Cafeteria was very good. The chicken is really good. Did not see any shows we were in bed at 21:00 . Little shopping mall i [... read more]n walking distance. Took many walks on the beach up to 3 times a day. Over 1 kilometers each time. I would go back .

Nice Beach

We found this hotel to be rather noisy. Most nights there was very loud entertainment and it was difficult to sleep if we wanted to go to bed early. Also on several nights we were woken up by loud voices of drunk young people roaming around after 2am. This improved when we complained and were told security would monitor our area or we could move to a quieter area. The room was basic, but we were disappointed that we were expected to pay $16 American if we wanted to use the safe. Also there  [... read more]was no clock in the room. The beds should have had a lighter blanket as the duvet was much too warm to use. However, on the plus side, the grounds and room were very clean and well looked after. There were many organized activities such as yoga, aerobics, pool activities and games to participate in. We enjoyed the wonderful variety of food at the buffet and the good service. The staff was very friendly and eager to please.

Beautiful

Loved it! Service was amazing. The rooms and grounds were very clean. Food was great with lots of choices. The only downfall for me were the drinks. I think they use syrup for their mixes and tends to be strong at times and hard on the stomach. Overall it was an amazing time.

Great Resort

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this resort. It was small, therefore easy to navigate. Everything was in very close proximity. Grounds were kept clean, constantly being swept, never any garbage around. Beach had sufficient loungers. The food was very good and the selection was changed daily with very little repetition, of course except for the basic fish, chicken and beef. The a la cartes were very good, service was very efficient. The rooms had recently been painted and were kept clean by the [... read more] room service. Furniture was rather dated but OK. The evening entertainment, although not quite our taste, was very good and the groups were quite professional. There is a very nice shopping mall just outside of the resort. The drinks were quite watery so that was a disappointment. Also the beach washroom was really tiny for so many people at the beach and definitely not handicapped accessible. This should be improved. We were told that 40% of the guests were return customers. We will definitely return for another visit.

Very Relaxing!

My wife and I visited Gran Ventana for one week in February. We found the facilities clean, modern, and inviting. There was a wide variety of food to suit every palate, and the dining venues were also clean and welcoming. We can't say enough about the friendly, courteous staff maintaining and serving in all areas of the resort. We had a wonderful room facing the beach which gave us more privacy and quiet. We would certainly visit the Gran Ventana again!

Clean Resort

We (my husband, myself and our 2 friends) were at the Gran Ventana last year and had a fabulous experience! So much so, in fact that we decided to return this year. Unfortunately the weather was very wet (which is not in the control of the resort). We were a tad disappointed by a few things. We all discussed this to decide if we had legitimate complaints, or if the weather was the major factor. While the weather certainly did play into it, unfortunately there were several things within [... read more] the resort's control that we were disappointed with, namely: The service in the buffet, and the a la cartes was substantially lower than it was last year. There seemed to be an abundance of bus boys and shortage of servers, and it was challenging getting the attention of the servers that were on the floor, unless it meant physically getting up and speaking with them. Having said this, the servers that WERE working were all professional, and pleasant. It just seemed like there was a shortage of people in this function. Second to this was the fact that there was a very definite linen shortage. Our friends had to find the maid in order to get face cloths, and when clean linens were finally brought to the room (in our case it was bath mats), they were generally delivered after 9:15 p.m. and in our case, our bath mats were decidedly damp. This is through no fault of the maids! They were all so accommodating, and did their best to provide what was required for us, however the standard answer was that the linens were still being cleaned and were not available when we expected them/needed them. Also, we were not sure how the resorts are set up, but we found that since it rained every day (for a lengthy period of time) the resort did not seem to have activities planned to keep the guests busy. As we have never travelled anywhere where it rained the entire time we were there, I'm not sure if this is something that the resort plans on "in case". Again, with the weather being very wet, I'm sure our opinion of this was influenced in this regard. Having said this, we found the staff to be as pleasant and accommodating as last year. The resort is clean, and when were were able to be on the beach, the loungers etc were all clean and well kept. We would go back to the Gran Ventana, however for us, it would be a few years before we tried it again, given our experience this year. The next question is would we recommend this resort to a friend? The short answer is Yes, with caveats, namely our comments above. For the most part the resort was as good as it was last year, with a very few negatives, as listed above.

Ho Hum

The hotel was clean, staff was friendly. That said it really was a "budget" hotel.....we paid for the upgrades, some of the upgrades included were a lock for the safe (I was surprised that a lock on a safe was not a standard amenity), room service (but our phone did not work for the first 3 days.... after asking 5 different people, it finally got fixed). Entertainment was actually dreadful.

Beautiful beach, great resort

Very family-friendly resort -- compact, not too spread out for short little legs. Everything well-designed, pretty, convenient, and well-maintained. Wide variety of foods at the buffet, fresh and good quality. Professional and helpful staff. We visited the first week of January and found a diverse and pleasant clientele (Europe, Canada, locals, etc, mix of ages, no problems with people partying *too* hard and getting disruptive). The beach is truly beautiful, a wide expanse of soft sand, with  [... read more]gentle waves hitting the shore in a bay sheltered by coral reefs. We found the beach vendors agreeable (I have seen other reviews that implied they were a nuisance, but that was not our experience at all -- if you speak a bit of spanish you can also learn something from them about life in DR). If you like watching dance, some of the evening shows are worth checking out (I especially liked, of all things, the MIchael Jackson tribute). Pro tips: (1) Suites ("Beata" building, by the quiet pool) are lovely, rooms in the other two buildings are smaller and can be very loud depending on proximity to the daytime and evening entertainments, and have very little by way of hooks, drawers etc to unpack into. Our kids couldn't get to sleep in a room near the theatre, and the hotel kindly upgraded our party (two adjacent rooms, six people total) to suites in the other building. (2) the sea life by the beach is wonderful, but do not go snorkelling without fins. My partner made that mistake and got two feet full of sea urchin! The resort may try to give you a snorkel without fins, but hold out for a pair of fins too, and don't go too shallow while exploring the reefs. (3) not many mosquitoes in January, but the sand fleas were out in full force on the beach at night and dawn, so bring repellant. We hired a taxi and did a wonderful morning trip with our young kids to "Monkey Jungle" for an amazing up-close encounter with adorable rescued monkeys. The little squirrel monkeys climbed all over us, curious and gentle and oh so cute, and we got to feed them. Proceeds from the monkey encounters and zipline go to support a charity, at the same location, that provides locals in need with free medical, pharmacy and dental (and even basic nutrition kits for malnourished kids). It's a long trip (the road is slow and rocky, so it took us 60 minutes not 30 to get there) but well worth it. Much better than doing the standard kid-friendly excursion your tour guide will push, an expensive encounter with captive dolphins (an animal that truly doesn't belong in captivity)!

Great family getaway

Only 15 minutes from airport. Staff very friendly and attentive. Food fantastic. Easily accommodated glutenfree. We're able to talk with head chef. Great atmosphere during day and evening for entire family. Would return again.

Mucho Excellente Resort

My wife and I chose the Royal Package, and we were not disappointed. From the time we arrived, right up until the time we left. Lets start with the arrival. Upon entering the resort, we were greeted with a cool refreshing cocktail. Immediately upon checking in, we were taken up to the "Vista Lounge" which is a perk for Premium and Royal upgrades. International alcohol brands and a beautiful Air Conditioned lounge with Sofas and relaxing music, what a start to our vacation. There we met Karen, th [... read more]e Manager of the Vista Lounge. She gave us a quick debriefing of what the resort had to offer while we were having another cocktail and some snacks. We then proceeded to our room, 2308 third floor in the Catalina wing. Beautiful room, King size bed, balcony over looking the resort and Ocean through the Palm trees, Paradise! Within minutes our baggage arrived. We spent most of our time down at the Beach, in the Private Area with our Cushion loungers and Balinese bed. Here we had our 2 waiters taking care of us all day and all week with food and drink. I have to mention their names because of the great job they did. Aquilino and Amable kept us entertained with great service and conversation for the entire week, and Felipe setting our loungers and Balinese beds for us. We learned some Spanish, and they practiced their English, 5+ stars for these 3 guys. Honorable mention has to go to Elvin, bartender at the Beach bar. He put a show on every time he made a drink, flipping bottles and glasses, always a big smile. The other 2 Honorable mention goes to the Vintage Club employees, Jose and Verenice, she makes the greatest Spanish coffee, which we had everyday. Also to our lady who kept our room clean and well stocked, I unfortunately forgot her name.The only downside is the vendors on the beach, for the most part a simple Ola and no grassias and they would move on. But there were some very aggressive vendors that took a little more convincing to just move on. We did end up buying some souvenirs during the week, and by the end of the week were on a first name basis with many of them. The food at the buffet was good, nothing spectacular. We ate at the Specialty restaurants every night for supper, another perk of the Royal package, and that food and service was very good. Our reservations were all handled by the Vintage Club rep, and were never a problem to get our choice.The Beach food was also pretty good, just eating on the Beach was great enough.The house wine is not the greatest, they should upgrade that. The nightly entertainment at the outdoor Theater was also very good. Different theme every night with music and Dancers, and getting the crowd involved, you want to get there early to get a good seat, it is worth the waiting time. At this resort, all the staff are very hard workers and always have a smile, indeed a pleasure meeting so many of them. We felt very safe here on the premises and on the beach, Security everywhere. The only bad thing unfortunately, the weather was not co-operative, lots of rain during the week, but that did not stop us from having a great vacation, we still ended up with a decent tan. Overall we were very impressed with this Resort and will be returning here in the future, we would recommend it to everyone. An added note, tipping for your services go a long way, we were very appreciative for all the people that took good care of us, we arrived as strangers, and left as family and friends. "Mucho Excellente"