Be Live Collection Punta Cana Adults Only: It's an OK resort
We stayed at the adult side, which should provide more service, but that was not the case. We arrived at 4pm and couldn't get to the beach till 5pm because they gave us a wrong room. The towel service was closed on our side already and the ladies in the main booth refused to give us towels because we are VIPs and we should go to VIP booth, which was closed. We get this kinda service throughout the week, even though we tipped A LOT! A lot of security, but I would use that extra force to clean the[... read more] weed from the beach, because it was awful looking. We saw them cleaning the beach once, even though the adjacent hotel did it twice a day. Rained a lot, but I'm not here to complain about the rain lol but the marble floors outside everywhere!! My friend and I was flying everywhere when we left our building if it was a bit wet. It was not smart architectural decision.
Food made my friend sick.. for days. Night shows were awesome!!!! Rooms were very basic.
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Dave64 -
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Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Simply one of the best.... by far
I have been to this resort 3 times over the last 8 years. Bang for buck it's a number 1. The beach is amazing and the resort very well designed and maintained. Food is decent and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Issues when they come up are dealt with in a timely fashion. I've recommended this resort to friends and family and all said the would definitely return. I still travel to other resorts and counties but this is my favorite "go to" resort. Highly recommended.
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Private -
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Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Worst vacation in my life, filled with racial prejudice
Saving up for months, my wife and I were looking forward to a special vacation. We opted to pay for the preferred service and the best possible room at this hotel. Our time was disappointing and we had to cancel our plane tickets, book new ones, and extend our stay at another hotel to make up for the discomfort and stress we experienced here.
STAFF. Our butler was very good, but there were a lot of other problems. We were upset when others staff would target us to prove our VIP status. When w[... read more]e asked others at the resort, they were never once asked and freely moved about even though they had no VIP status. We, on the otherhand, were asked to show our cards, and even when we did, we continously asked follow up questions. It made us feel unwelcome.
FOOD. I won't beat around the bush, the food isn't that great here. You need to go to Breathless and try to get reservations to their restaurants. The ones on the Dreams Onyx side were not great. Room service food was better to be honest. The preferred Mexican restaurant had good breakfast food and that was about it.
AMENITIES. The Spa was very expensive. Although good, I cannot recommend it unless you have offsetting coupons to bring the prices down to reasonable levels. Room service was always a shot in the dark. They were 30-45 minutes late until we spoke to a manager. During our last 2 days, they were much quicker, so I'll give them that.
POOLS/BEACHES. Pools are very nice. Preferred pool is very nicely situated and for adults only. The beach was very clean as well. This was one of the highlights of this location. It cannot be understated that I was annoyed when there was someone walking around trying to sell souvenirs and drugs to me while I was trying to enjoy the sunset however.
Here's the reason for the review being 2 stars, which is frankly higher than what I should rate it:
***We had our electricity cut for almost 2 hour. Called to have it fixed a couple of times and had to go to lobby before someone came. We had to get ready for a paid lobster dinner and this cut into our time to prepare for it. My wife had to rush her makeup for a beach dinner where she wanted us to have memorable pics.
***Room Service was late by 30-45 minutes. We would call and they would tell us 5 minutes more, 5 minutes more. Had no idea when it was coming and kept us in our rooms longer than it should. It was 45 minutes late on 2 different occassions.
***Room service woke us up at 12:17AM. Knocked on door and called the room. We had gone to sleep and woke up in shock. Answered the phone and didn't understand what they wanted. I explained that we didn't order anything since it was almost 2 hours since we went to bed. Rather than apologize for the mistake, they hung up the phone. I went to open the door and they were gone. My wife couldn't sleep until after 2:30 AM after being woken up like this.
***Breathless restaurant told us there was a waiting list and they couldn't service us. We saw multiple people walk into the restaurant after we just turned our backs and walk not even a minute away.
***Unlimited Vacation Club. These guys will burn a day of your precious vacation if you are not careful, or worse yet take your money. They'll invite you to a seminar and say it's 90 minutes, but it's a pressure time share sale. I question why the hotel even allows them to setup shop on site. Look them up in advance and do your research. Hidden charges everywhere and their presentation is rather unprofessional for the amount of money they are asking for.
***We were targeted by security for VIP membership. We would have to show the membership and there would always be follow up questions. It always annoyed us that it wasn't enough and we were scrutinized as though we didn't belong. Other people we spoke to, they entered the areas and were never once asked. There was a visible difference the skin between those people and us. Additonally, some couples we spoke to entered these areas freely without being questioned... and they didn't even opt for the VIP membership.
***We were given Bali beds for two days. On the first day, no problems, we enjoyed it. On the second day, a security guard made a straight line for my wife from 50 ft out. He completely ignored the other two women in the Bali Beds to the right or left of her. Once there, instead of asking, he TOLD my wife that she was on the wrong bed and pointed to the sign with the name on it. "Excuse me, can't you see this is reserved for XXX." "I am XXX," she replied. He followed with, "What is your room number?" She provided the room number and pointed to the room in the distance. Only then would he leave. As mentioned, he did not ask the two other women next to her in the same reserved location. It was clear she wasn't welcomed here.
After the last instance, we only had one day left and gave up on this resort and looked elsewhere. This resort did not give us the stress-free vacation we asked for, so we had to purchase new plane tickets and booked another 3 days elsewhere. I wanted a good vacation for my wife and I, and Dreams Onyx did not provide it to me. In the 3 days I stayed at the next resort (Majestic Mirage), I had a more memorable experience and luckily salvaged my experience of Dominican Republic. The time at Dreams Onyx we hope to forget, as it was a complete loss for us. One extra star for our butler and the beaches/pools.
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Private -
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Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Happy but not Happy
To start with the good part, the resort is beautiful, they definitely maintain the property and the beaches and as people who love to walk we always had a nice view. We lucked out with the weather as there was a snow storm back home and all we had to face was 27-30 degree weather (Celcius) and at most 10 minutes of rain.
There are nightly activities at the main resort which can be very fun.
Some of the issues we experienced were as follows:
- every night the air conditioner would start to [... read more]leak down the ceiling into our bathroom. Someone had to come and fix it every day but it never was fixed. Another couple we were talking to was experiencing the same thing.
- the alcohol at the resort is not the highest quality. Not from lack of effort my wife and I didn't manage to get very drunk. Note: The Sparkling wine at the resort is 6.5% so that's part of the reason the Mimosas weren't getting the job done. Doesn't explain the beers or the Gin and Tonics though.
- They made some efforts in response to Covid-19. They handed out plastic gloves and did record when you were at the buffet, they asked you to wear masks on the train but they weren't enforced too strictly. There was a large bridal there during our stay that we caught licking bare fingers and touching tongs and mini sandwiches with the same fingers.
- Please note that Steak (or) Lobster (not steak and lobster as we had believe) and the Japanese A la Carte's are not included but the rest of them are included in the all inclusive fees and make sure you book well in advance as the popular ones fill up very quickly. This was very poorly explained. Scan the QR code on the envelope when checking in, its more useful than just having the wifi password.
- When we were leaving the resort my wife and I were sitting in the departure area. Our ride to the airport left without us. There isn't a check list and no one calls out "Airport" so be sure you are all over the staff working in that department. They will very quickly have a cab driver bring you there for $45 US should you miss the ride. It's a third party company managing this so I don't think they are too concerned if you make it or not.
- The buffet was the same food every day. The couple we were talking to on the last day said it best. "We are glad that we only stayed 6 days instead of 7, I don't think I could handle the buffet another day".
We are glad that we went but I don't think we would go back to a Melia resort. Definitely not this one.
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Excellence El Carmen: Beautiful Resort!
The room, restaurants, and entire resort grounds were immaculate and well maintained. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Service was exceptional. The PCR Covid testing for returning to Canada was easy and quick. I cannot find anything to fault with our stay at Excellence El Carmen.The perfect place for a much needed week of R&R.
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Lisa Sibbick -
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Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Beautiful Resort
This hotel was amazing. Restaurants, service, staff, grounds, food, drinks, pool and beach. Everything was top notch and perfect!! Kudos to the Entertainment staff for keeping everyone entertained all day. Santiago was the best with all his staff. Only thing I wasn't crazy about, was that the washrooms in the rooms did not have doors. Yes, a door to the toilet but not to the washroom itself. Lacked privacy. Otherwise, everything else was fantastic.
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Private -
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Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Wonderful resort!
We have been to Punta Cana 5 times and have stayed in a variety of resorts. The week we spent at Barcelo Bavaro Beach was fabulous. It is a large property with lots to do if you wish. The adult only section is a bit quieter and the beach is second to none. The quality of food was great as well as the service. Due to Covid, the resort was still busy but not to the point of having to line up at buffets or fight for beach or pool chairs. They also handled the pandemic to our complete satisfac[... read more]tion. I would highly recommend this property as we will definitely return on our next trip to the Dominican.
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Joce -
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Be Live Experience Hamaca Garden: Not as advertised
The hotel was nothing like the photos, those photos must be 20 years old. It was very run down. The customer service was some of the worst I've ever experienced they went out of their way to not help. The restaurants advertised for a la carte only one was open and rotated between the same styles italian and mexican and you had to sign up for the day of and be there by 7am to get a reservation so no sleeping in. The service was better at the a la carte restaurants. The beach was crowded so we cou[... read more]ld never get beach chairs. The guys selling excursions would bother you and not leave you alone. There were escorts all over. The hotel staff were all trying to sell us drugs or "whatever you need" as they would say. The staff was very sexually forward towards me and I felt unsafe unless I was with my boyfriend. I even got followed back to my room by one of the staff and had to run inside. We could never get fresh towels even though we paid for the card. We had a fun trip because we made our own fun but it was more like camping then the resort and luxury vacation we were promised. If you don't care about the accommodations and just want to go enjoy the beach then it's ok but don't expect what's promised on the website at all.
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Private -
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Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Fabulous!!!
Prestine grounds, wonderful staff! Would highly recommend. So much fun and lots to do. Options for entertainment are endless and swim up rooms are the best!
ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘
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Private -
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Paradisus Palma Real Golf and Spa Resort: Great Experience
Rooms were nice. Restaurants and food was good. All the staff were friendly and helpful. The beach was beautiful.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would definitely go back again. We would have stayed and extra week, if we could have.
Covid protocols at the hotel were done well, and they made it very convenient to receive our PCR test required for the return flight.
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Marcia Wilcox -
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Playabachata Hotel: Beautiful beach
The grounds are beautiful, right on the beach dotted with palm trees. Plenty of lounge chairs but alot are broken and need to be replaced. The staff are friendly. The food is typical - Very over-cooked meat, beans, pasta, fish, potatoes, salads…. Not a lot of variety day after day, but there was always lots of food. The steak restaurant wasn’t good at all. By the end of the week I didnt wanna eat anything more. Aside from the food, our room had good air conditioning & ample hot water, but [... read more]our toilet wouldnt flush 90% of the time. You’re not allowed to flush paper down the toilets but they dont give you a bag to put the paper in - just a plastic trash can… youre brought bottled water, sprite and coke daily to the room. we didnt go on any excursions as we found them much too expensive. Covid protocols were in place - masks must be worn in the buffet restaurant and stores and on buses and in taxis. Since the reception is open-air there were no protocols. Social distancing didn’t exist here. There was not enough seating in the lobby area. When it rains or if its really hot or you want to use wifi theres nowhere to sit in the lobby. The only place you can get wifi is at reception, Tropical Avenue or at the Senator resort next door. Rosario went above and beyond to make us feel special in the buffet. I didnt like that theres people that approach you to come to a ‘free breakfast’ at the Senator hotel next door. They claim its definitely not a timeshare theyre wanting you to buy into, but with a 25 year commitment, I wouldnt call it anything else. Their marketing approach needs to change for this immensely. All in all I had a relaxing week, no major issues, didnt go hungry and had opportunities to do things if I wanted to.
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Private -
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Playabachata Hotel: Very nice resort
The beach is lovely as you can sit under the palm trees. Room has been very clean and we very much enjoyed our stay. For a taxi to town go outside the gates. There's internet only in the lobby area. Would be great if one could buy a data plan.
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Gail -
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Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Home away from home
This resort is wonderful! The food is amazing. The staff are super friendly and very helpful. Everything you need is close. The only downfall is if you want to watch TV in English, the only English stations are News stations and MTV.
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Az mike -
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Riu Republica: Amazing location
The sunwing representative at resort was very helpful and professional
The pools were very well maintained
Lots of towels and lounge chairs
Staff was singing dancing
Couldnt have asked for a better vacation
Thanks again to staff at trip central Robyn ,natalie and karol thank you againfor everything you guys are awesomel!!!!!
The ocean and sandy white beaches OMG
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Private -
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Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: We keep finding our way back!
This was our 3rd visit to this resort. We have stayed other places but keep finding our way back here!
Despite Covid our stay was mostly great.
Food was great.
Grounds are pretty.
Beach was great.
- Room key problem needs immediate fixing
- Covid testing could use some better organization (let people fill out forms while they wait will save time)
- only ever saw a concierge at the desk in our villa once
THANKS AGAIN FOR ANOTHER GREAT VACATION!
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Private -
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JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Beautiful Resort
This resort is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever stayed at! The vegetation is spectacular and the grounds kept absolutely immaculate! Rooms are very clean and spacious!
The resort offered a wide arrange of food and we were pleasantly surprised at how good it all was! The only disappointment was the Japanese restaurant as I’m used them entertaining you and our chef was not in the mood I guess!!
Also, breakfast had a variety of things to offer but again, the same things daily!!
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OPC regular -
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Occidental Punta Cana: Wonderful trip!
This was my 20th stay at OPC and my son was able to come along. I therefore upgraded to Royal Club upon arrival. Best idea EVER!!!! The private pool, beach, restaurant and bar made it all worth it!!!!! Beautiful memories were made 💜
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Rachel -
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Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Fantastic resort! 5 star
The resort was very nice and has very friendly and helpful staff. This is clearly a very well managed resort. They have thought of numerous ways to provide top-notch service to their customers. Excellent food, and well presented.
The people that work here are very helpful and provide great service. When you have a stressful situation, they really help to alleviate the issue.
The activities staff are great. They make things so much fun. Shout out to Bruce Willis, he sure makes aerobics fu[... read more]n!
I had decided to keep the “do not disturb†sign up on my room all week to avoid the risk of getting COVID, and found that staff were really great about proactively making sure I had enough water and towels etc. The cleaning lady saw me in the hallway and asked about my needs. It was really wonderful.
It was great to see that the resort had environmentally friendly straws. No disposable cups, only the kind you wash. Although, on my last day, I noticed some disposable cups in use.
In terms of Covid risk:
Hand sanitizer is readily available - a bottle in your room, at least one in each building hallway, several at the bars, at the entrance of restaurants, etc. Staff are wearing masks.
I travelled January 22-29, 2021. Aside from the airplane, my only real concern for catching Covid was the buffet. I felt that the resort did as much as one could expect, but it’s the behaviour of other customers that could cause risks. Some people would only wear their mask over their mouth and not the nose…I just feel this is extremely rude and disrespectful towards the other patrons and the employees. Many people just had their mask on their chins. The food is out and in the open and there are people breathing all over it. Same guy who wouldn’t wear his mask at the buffet got up and got his own coffee…really he shouldn’t be doing that during a pandemic, if you really think about it, but clearly him and his wife felt that they could do as they pleased.
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Topher -
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Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Worth going for the food alone!! 5*
The luxury Ambar was amazing the beach is awesome the food at EVERY al a cart and buffet is the best I’ve never had a better time at a resort even if it is during a Pandemic. They sanitize everything all day and have good practices in place to make you feel safe. There was not really anything to complain about except the sheets on our bed had stains.. I mean they were clean just not new looking and the thermostat was a bit of an issue as every day it would set to 16C I’m from Canada and that[... read more] is too cold for me but ya minor inconvenience for a fantastic trip! Will go back probably many times
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Andrewblack -
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Be Live Experience Hamaca Beach: Amazing service
The hotel was a 3 star
No hot water
Food was basic
And the liquor was bottom of the barrel pretty sure I got alcohol poisoning
The service was excellent and the staff were friendly but at sometimes can be needy and that doesn’t make me want to go back