Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great little resort

Hotel was a bit dated, but the food was great. Especially the Chinese restaurant & bechamel sauce at the buffet. Entertainment was nice and close access to the beach. Everyone was very friendly. Would come back. Great value for dollar.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Outdated

The only thing good about this resort is that it is clean. This resort is in very poor condition. High pressure sales for a membership. There is a lot of alcohol that is not included and considered premium.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Not the best experience

The resort is beautifully located and staff is generally nice, but that's it for the plus side. The place is not very clean, we had a very leaky faucet, toilet not working properly. Drops of rain water falling from the ceiling. Noisy revelers walking in the corridors late at night despite 'no noise' signs. Food average, people smoking in restaurant areas. No lounge chairs to be found during the day. The place was crowded especially during weekends with local families with children which created  [... read more]long line ups at the buffet. It is a tourist factory big time. Quantity over quality.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Had great time

My wife and myself had a great week at Cofresi. The food was good. We were in the older rooms. They could use updating for sure but how much time do you spend in your room. For the price we payed at peak time for travel would definitely go back again. $1000 each. Note this resort is very large and not for anyone disabled or walking issues. Lots of stairs and inclines. Thanks Rick and Deb

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Amazing time

Resort was great.The food ad the beach were great.pools were awesome to. The staff was attentive and the grounds were well kept.Snorkeling right off the beach was amazing.water was nice and calm every day.will definitely go back next year.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Amazing resort

This resort is absolutely amazing. Food was beyond amazing. Rooms very clean but dated. Beach was beautiful and grounds worker's made sure everything was spotless. Will be definitely booking again next year.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Wonderful week

Just returned from 1 week at VH grand. Most amazing beach!!!!! Can walk forever both directions. Lots of bars close to you. Premium and royal area chairs were “taken” every morning by 6 am so we just went to regular beach. Paid the “royal” price but wouldn’t do that again. Not worth it. Lounge was nice but packed, noisy and dark. Overall food was good. Staff very pleasant. Did the waterfall jumping/sliding excursion and boy was it ever a great adventure. Will likely return another year.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Beautiful place

Beautiful place but too many stairs. Check in was awful. Young people working at reception need a bit of training. We had requested 1st floor and ended up on 3rd floor. Was able to change after arguing for an hour. Besides check in, everyone else was great. Pools are nice but a few need repainting. Don’t go there for the beach cause you’ll be disappointed. All in all, place is nice for the price. Would I go back? No. Too many steps and not a nice beach.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Beautiful place

Beautiful place but too many stairs. Check in was awful. Young people working at reception need a bit of training. We had requested 1st floor and ended up on 3rd floor. Was able to change after arguing for an hour. Besides check in, everyone else was great. Pools are nice but a few need repainting. Don’t go there for the beach cause you’ll be disappointed. All in all, place is nice for the price. Would I go back? No. Too many steps and not a nice beach.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: So, so resort!

Beach is okay for adults but lots of dirt in the water and choppy. Definitely not for children. Room in Section 3, suoer humid even with AC constantly running. Mold started to develop on bags, visible in bathroom. Also, water dripping on head in the bathroom from high condensation. Pool okay and so is food. Not sure if it was coincidental but lots of people from our group got stomach issues, even a hopsital visit. Service staff is various. Some folks seem being there against there will. Not many [... read more] smiles. Bar servers fine, reception depends who you get. Ground overall clean and maids are doing their best with what they got.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Cozy resort

Resort was on the smaller side which meant that you were fairly close to everything. The 3 restaurants had a lot of variety on their menu. Plenty of lounge chairs for all. The beach was sheltered from the waves by reefs which made for calm waters and the reefs made for interesting snorkeling. The activity staff was friendly and accommodating.

Playabachata Hotel: Mediocre. Not the best food

kay Here is an honest review from a traveller who has been to DR before and has done it all from luxury resorts to 2 star bare bones stays. I will try to be objective as I can so that a prospective traveller can get a good idea of this resort. I am a 30 something mom to a toddler with a pretty paid back rural lifestyle. Not one to complain at a restaurant or be a "Karen" TLDR: Room: Oceanfront suite 4/5 - good AC - TV worked - clean Food: 2/5 - Poor variety - timing wasn't great - o [... read more]verall food quality wasnt good Beach: 4/5 - Good swimming - clean beach - not the most comfy chairs Pool: 3/5 - clean pools - main pool is LOUD - second pool is quiet but FAR Staff: 2.5/5 - Didn't care about us - Not rude, but not friendly either - Some staff are warm and friendly. (some waiters, grounds crew) Entertainment: (didn't attend any shows or parties) DETAILS: The Room: We stayed in an oceanfront 1BR suite. This room was pretty good! The location was literally on the beach and was fairly quiet except for people walking by on the walkway but thats unavoidable. The AC was cold, which is great if you like AC. The room was spacious, clean and and had a separate living room area which was ideal for travelling with a toddler. The bathroom also had a separate toilet area from the sinks which was also great for a family travelling. Yes, there was a cockroach in the bathroom. I killed it with a sandal and that was that. The Food: I am not a foodie or someone who is too picky about food. That being said, I found the food definitely lacklustre. And the ambiance of the buffet was loud and busy. I only remark on this because there wasn't much offered as an alternative. It seemed like everyone had to use the buffet for dinner every night so of course it was busy. Some things were good, but many of the items were repetitive or just didn't look or taste good. We only went to one of the "restaurants" which was just the beach snack bar re-arranged to be the Steakhouse / Italian restaurant. We had the steakhouse one night, and didn't bother with the italian. The steak was tough, and again the food was ... okay? We didnt bother with the italian because it was just a pasta and salad bar which you could get the exact same items in the buffet. So the buffet was very busy with long lines, a difficult time to find a seat and a loud atmosphere. The snack bar offered the same thing every day: hotdogs, fries, burgers, make your own sandwiches, salad bar. The hotdogs were fine (didn't look the most appetizing but tasted fine) the burgers were inedible. my final note about the food; the timing. Breakfast was fine, 7:30 - 10. Lunch didn't start until 1pm which was a strech for us and our little one who is usually napping at that time. Dinner didn't start until 6:30 which was real tough for us as a young family. Yes, the snack bar was open in the interim but as previously mentioned the snacks were limited and hard to eat. The Beach: This was a bright spot for us! We love swimming and the ocean and the beach was wide and clean and the water was warm and pretty good for swimming. Conditions weren't ideal to get too deep or snorkel properly but there is a small reef you can take a look around. Chairs did seem scarse if you didn't get up early and reserve with your towels. (we have a 3 year old so that wasn't an issue) Lots of the chairs are in disrepair and not super comfy. We were able to change our towels every day no problems so we always had dry towels. We loved the beach and that was the reason we were there so so complaints there! The Pool : We aren't pool people so this wasn't a spot we spent a lot of time. There are 2 pools, one main pool with really, really loud music and lots of people and action. It's also close to the bars/snacks and the entertainent crew so if youre into that then thats the spot for you. there is a second pool that is also beautiful and much quieter. BUT it is pretty far from the rooms/drinks/food so pack a lunch :) We spent more time there with our kiddo because there was a kids pool that she enjoyed. The pools seemed clean and well maintained. One thing to mention is that there are only ladders into the main pool so if you have mobility issues that is something to consider. The Staff: Now, we are pretty chill people. And pretty friendly too, (Canadian) We tip at every meal and do our best to be respectful and kind to everyone. I personally found the staff at this resort generally pretty cold and unfriendly. The vibe I got more often than not was that the staff didn't care wether we lived or died. Meaning strong indifference. The front desk staff, the guest services, the bar tenders all seemed "too cool for school". It wasn't like we were rude or had an obnoxious kid with us, generally the staff just didn't seem to care about us at all. of course there were exceptions, some of the wait staff at the buffet were approachable and kind to my daughter. And I acutally found the groundskeepers the most friendly people at the resort. This even comes down to the kids club staff. Most days it was 1-2 ladies in the kids area and they seemed so incredibly bored/disinterested in their jobs/the kids. They had toys set out on the tables and they just sat in the corner on their phones. We joined in the play area with our daughter since she was too young to be left alone there, but the staff made hardly any effort to engage with her or play with her or offer any kind of activity. It wasn't a big deal but was a little surprising to me since these were supposed to be the kids club staff... I would hope they would be a little more animated. also note we did not spend time at the pool so we have no experiece with the adult animation team so I can't comment on them. We didn't attend any shows or parties because we have a little one. So I can't speak to that. I will say that the show does go on at 9:30 which felt SO late to me but I am a young mom. Okay I think I covered all of the major points of this hotel and I tried to be as objective as possible. This was just my experience as someone with a young child, who enjoys a quiet easygoing vacation, I don't party or get drunk so I can't speak to any of those elements. But if you are similar I hope this review was helpful. OVERALL EXPERIENCE : 3/5 Sorry, we won't be returning. Hope this helps!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Good value for the price

I stayed for a week in January 2025. For the price, you get good value for your money. 1. Resort is very old but clean. Premises, rooms and grounds are clean. Although they are very old, they are well maintained. This is not a modernized hotel. It is very basic and small. The best part about this resort was that it was clean. 2. I can't comment on how this food compares to other resorts in the Dominican, so I can't give a proper review because food at other vacation spots is ver [... read more]y different. For the buffet, the choices are minimal. The buffet container sizes are smaller so food doesn't just sit there, but the problem was that it was not replenished quickly when it did run out. Sometimes if you didn't get it right away, it was gone. It is rather bland so salt and pepper is necessary for seasoning to your liking. The a la cartes had better food than the buffet, especially the Italian Restaurant. I am used to going to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico for vacations, so it is really hard to rate the food here. The food selection, taste and quality is 100% better in Mexico. I did get sick, but it didn't happen until I got home. Every day my stomach would gradually starting cramping more and more. I ate less and less everyday. It wasn't until I got home that I had the runs. 3. Beach is rocky. You need some kind of shoes on due to rock and corral. I wished there was a place where you could go further than 15 feet from the shore. 4. The Entertainment at night was lacking. Some nights they had a proper show, like dancers and other nights it was just the activity staff. 5. Pool is small for the number of people at the resort and is not heated. 6. Service is very good. Staff works really hard and are very friendly. They work their butts off. I would recommend this hotel to a friend who wanted a really cheap vacation at a clean hotel but wasn't expecting much in terms of food and beach.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Small but great resort.

We stayed in building #2. January 2025 Firstly, staff is great. The resort is clean, but the rooms could use a refresh. Very noisy, and the doors don't shut softly. The key gave us and the group we travelled with some issues. There is no bar in the hotel. No entertainment inside until 10pm. Given by the entertainment staff from the resort. The buffet is small. But plentiful. Ala carte restaurants are good and the food is ok. We really like the Mexican restaurant. There is a  [... read more]coffee bar we really enjoyed. The snack bar at the beach can be better. One day we did have a BBQ set up at the beach. We do not drink very much but we did use the bar to get water. You need to ask the bartender. I would prefer if they had a station for water or juice. Also, there is no one at the beach taking orders for the bar. The beach is large and you can walk forever.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing Scenic View!

We recently visited this resort in Jan 25, it’s a dated resort with no real area to hang out evening time. The scenic view is breathtaking but beach is horrible with garbage from ocean. 3 star resort.

Viva Tangerine by Wyndham: Decent resort but definitely not a 4 star

This a decent resort, food is okay, à la carts are much better than the buffet. The beach is beautiful, we had a few days with red flags, and a few with yellow flags. Be prepared when you go to the beach, it is a public beach. We always found seating around the pool or at the beach. We didn’t like the upselling at the resort from the staff, we came to have family time, but continued to try and sell you their membership, photos, diving activities ect. This would happen on a daily bases. When  [... read more]we booked this resort, we booked Queen beds but only doubles. The pool could be cleaner. Often there would be random things floating (lettuce, tooth pick, ect) The lifeguard really liked to blow his whistle when children were jumping into the pool. Stopping them from having fun. This was not on the set of rules, it was like he made his own set of rules up. The pool would also would be nicer with easier access to get into the pool if you don’t want people jumping in. As well, they didn’t play music during the day. Unless there was entertainment going on, it was just other peoples little speakers. When you have music, it completely changes the vibes. We had it one day during the foam party, and it brought out a lot of fun for people! This hotel also only has one bar, so be prepared that you could be waiting a minute to 25 minutes for a drink. The staff tend to talk more to each other than work. There isn’t a lounge bar, there isn’t enough seating if it’s raining, and no where to go. There was never enough towels, the towel guy would only give out to women half the time, not enough supplies in general ( we had to tell someone to leave our daughters silverware as they wanted to clear it despite everyone still eating and plate still full). Public bathrooms are very few and far between. Makes you wonder how many people pee in the pool. There were days that we didn’t have a maid clean our room but she would take the towels. Hydro went out daily, if you were not up early enough or late enough you didn’t have any hot water.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Very Nice place

We had a great time at this resort. Rooms were clean and nice, but ac could have been a bit better in our room. Food at this resort, we found to be good. You could always find something good to eat. We went to the Italian and Japanese, restaurants, but they are not that great. We found the buffet to be much better. The people working at this resort were very pleasant, and helpful with everything. Pool was large and nice and never felt crowded. The beach is huge and you can find lots of shade, an [... read more]d thats a huge bonus. You can walk a long way either way on the beach. The water is not clear at all, but was warmer than the pool. Not a place for snorlelling AT all. The shows at night, were a disappointment, we found them HOOKEY at best unfortunatly. All and All we really enjoyed our 10 days there and would ABSOLUTELY return.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Expectations Exceeded!!!

This resort was fantastic. An exceptional bang for your buck. This is listed as a 4 star it had everything you could possibly need and more. The food was outstanding (both buffet & A la carte), the service was great, A+ for cleanliness, welcoming & friendly staff and lots of chaise lounges both at the beach and at the pool. Small resort with lots of bars and places to eat. Buffet was always great; had lots of variety and changed menu daily. The three A la carte restaurants were all very good [... read more]. For lunch there was an option to eat at the buffet (12:30-3pm) or The Ocean Grill (12:00-5pm). While we were there, they opened a pizza terrace from 4-6pm. The pizza was offered daily at the buffet as well. There are three main buildings for accommodations. We were given a room in the quiet building (Beata) which was only about 120 meters from the main lobby just past the tennis courts. The other two buildings are around the main pool. Some reviews called it the overflow building (which it's not). We enjoyed our stay in this area of the resort. There was a coffee station, a pool and a bar on site. The signup desk for the a la carte restaurants was also located there as well as the Italian restaurant. We spent most of our day the beach or large pool and then relaxed in a more quiet setting on our balcony. The resort is located in a gated community with other resorts, a small mall with a sports bar (watched a few Leaf games) and golf club. The only part of this stay I would not give a 5 star review is the beach (4/5). Don't get me wrong, we loved our time at the beach and the beach front of our resort we kept immaculate. There were lots of chaise lounges. We always got one no matter what time we got to the beach. The water can be rough and therefore, not very clear. We had many days with a red flag in the morning, but by the afternoon it was lifted. There are some small patches of reefs which have lots of varieties of fish swimming around the area, bring googles to have a better look. We could walk in both directions for quite a distance. A few resorts are empty or are being renovated and the beach front there was not in good shape. Lots of plant debris/garbage on the beach in some areas as well. There were many of vendors walking up and down the beach between the chaise lounges but if you said a polite 'no thank you', they moved on and didn't hound us. We did an all-day trip through nexus tours & our WestJet rep at the resort into Puerto Plata. It was a worthwhile excursion: toured the small Fort San Felipe, central park, went up into the mountain with some open trucks, had a nice lunch, sampled rum and went to a chocolate factory. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us some great history lessons. The weather was good though we did have a lot of sun and cloud mix with a bit of rain. We would go back any time. We met some guests who had been to the resort 18 times. Bring lots of small US bills for tips. I was unpleasantly surprised that many guests did not tip. Leaving a dollar or two (or 5 at the a la carte) is a token show of appreciation. The service is fantastic, and the employees work extremely long hours. Though the rooms are a little bit outdated, they were perfect for us. I don't need fancy just clean, bright, spacious and comfortable. Speaking of comfortable - the bed was not. They had plush white comforters, lots of pillows but extremely firm mattresses. My husband slept well every night. I ended up sleeping on the plush comforter which helped. Each room has a balcony or terrace (first floor). We were on the second floor facing the pool and had sun on our balcony all day. The rooms facing away from the pool may not be as scenic. Bring snacks if you get the munchies at night as the snacks at the gift shop and mall are very expensive. If you stay at this resort, you will not be disappointed!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Very Nice

Pros: The hotel is exceptionally clean, the food is very good, especially the a la carte restaurants however if you wish lobster you must pay extra in US dollars. I purchased the lobster dinner and it was very good. The beach is very nice and you can walk along for quite a long stretch. The water can be rough when there is a wind. The pool is nice but can get very crowded when the resort is full. The value is good. It is a popular place for families with small children and French Canadian [... read more]s. Most of the staff speak at least 2 languages. For the most part, the staff is very good. Cons: The water is undrinkable and it is difficult to get extra bottles of water for your room. If one bottle isn't enough then you must go to one of the bars to get glasses of water or fill up your mug. No extra bottles of water are available. By 8:30 a.m. most of the chairs on the beach and the pool have been saved. There are rules against diving and jumping into the pool but they aren't enforced which makes it difficult if you are in the pool and parents allow their children to dive bomb you. Sometimes you can wait awhile before you are served water or drinks in the buffet. It seems as if they are a bit short staffed.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Decent Value, But Far from Perfect

The Pros • Potential for Improvement: Senator acquired this property from Riu, and while it still needs significant upgrades, there’s noticeable potential. • Our Stay in Building 7: Though this building had some quirks—issues with pumping, outdated chest of drawers, and older electrical outlets—it felt justified for the price. We were offered an upgrade to Buildings 2 or 3 (Ultimate Club), but for an additional $500–$800, it didn’t seem worth it. The rooms were similar in size and also lacked  [... read more]functional chest drawers. • Access to Playabachata: The neighboring property added variety to our stay with more pools and amenities. • Beautiful Landscape: The resort’s setting is stunning, with lush greenery and natural shade from palm trees. There are also long walking paths and multiple pools spread across three properties. However, be sure to pack bug spray! • Entertainment & Amenities: Entertainment was typical, but having two theaters between the properties was a nice touch. The market street stood out with its delicious coffee and free ice cream shop. The Cons • Food & Health Concerns: o Several guests experienced stomach issues, and we observed questionable food safety standards at times. o The food itself was inconsistent—some meals were enjoyable, others not so much. Still, there was always something I could eat. Shoutout to Juan, who provided excellent service at the outdoor buffet tables! • Beach Quality: o The beach wasn’t ideal. The sand is coarse, and the water entry is steep and rocky. o Garbage occasionally floated into the bay, and the water visibility was poor—not great for snorkeling. • Crowded Pool & Beach Areas: o There aren’t enough lounge chairs to accommodate all guests. Many chairs were “reserved” with towels early in the morning and sat unused for hours. o The central pool area, for example, has only two umbrellas. • Cruise Port Visitors: Being next to a cruise port, the property is often flooded with day visitors, making chairs even harder to find. Final Thoughts This resort delivers fair value for the price, but it’s not without its shortcomings. The beautiful surroundings and access to additional properties are strong positives, but challenges with food safety, overcrowding, and aging infrastructure can’t be overlooked. It’s a case of “you get what you pay for,” but it’s worth comparing other properties in the area for potentially better options.