Princess Family Club Bavaro: Loved our time there! Traveled during March break 2026

All right, here we go! So, we stayed at the Princess Family Club for seven nights, traveling as a couple with our 18-month-old daughter. We booked through Trip Central and flew with Sunwing from Toronto Pearson. The resort is about a 30-minute bus ride from the airport, with just one quick stop at another resort. What stood out right away is that the driveway to the lobby is the shortest we’ve ever seen but there were no concerns there. Our room was a swim-up on the family side, and it wa [... read more]s fantastic—spacious, comfortable beds, and having the pool right outside the door was a dream. It was a shared pool with 13 other rooms on our side of the hotel block, but we rarely saw more than a couple of families at a time. Being on the east side of the hotel block, we got a bit of shade, which was perfect for our daughter as the sun can get quite hot during the day. Plus, we loved the beach toys and the robes and slippers that were provided in our room upon arrival. When it came to food, the à la carte restaurants were outstanding—especially Focaccia, the Italian spot. Highly recommend the pizza here. The Indian and teppanyaki restaurants were also top-notch. The service at these places was truly best in class—friendly, attentive, and really personal. The only downside was the main buffet, La Hispaniola —service there was consistently poor; we had to ask for high chairs, cutlery, and drinks repeatedly. I will say that it seemed like more of an inconvenience that we were asking for help (help as in coffee, water, cutlery, high chair). The only true interaction we had with a server at this buffet was when we had to take coffee mugs off of a freshly cleaned table beside us, the server immediately marched over and took them back then didn't replace them. In contrast, the buffet by the kids' pool (Mordisco) was a hidden gem—great service, quiet, and perfect for families, a much better choice. We also loved the coffee café—it was never too busy, even during March break, and the food trucks by the beach had some of the best bites—definitely go there for lunch. As for the pools, the kids’ pool was a highlight, with tons of slides—great for older kids and safe for toddlers. The larger beachside pool was lively, with a swim-up bar and lots of activities. And the beach itself was gorgeous—soft, cool sand, calm, sandy bottom water, though the waves could get a bit big, so keep an eye on little ones. Overall, this was a fantastic family getaway with a few minor service hiccups, but it was a truly memorable trip.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Beautiful resort!

Absolutely loved our stay at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana. The beaches were stunning, the sand was clean and the water was lovely. The pools were conveniently located with swim up bars and great service. The food was also super tasty. The room we stayed in was recently upgraded and was comfortable, however, the shower had some issues draining. The weather was perfect the entire week and I would definitely come back here again.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great week.

The hotel grounds were beautiful. All of the staff were excellent. Room was clean and looked after. Meals were excellent. Gluten free options were good. (Would love a pasta option). Coffee shop, ice cream man, beach grill and gym were fantastic. The negatives were the beach sports offered (no beach volleyball or even a net to use). No kayaks either. Also, white party cancelled last minute! Finding shade on the beach was also challenging.

Zel Punta Cana - All Suites: Won't be back

Our flight arrived late and as a result, we did not get to the resort until after midnight. Upon arrival, we were informed that they did not have our room available, but that they would put us up in a "better" room for the night and we would just have to switch rooms the next day, which was fine - we were booked in a swim-up room and were given a large 2 bedroom swim-up room for the 1 night. We were hungry and tired and were told that we could order room service, as they would deliver until 2  [... read more]am. We ordered room service as soon as we arrived in our temporary room. They told us it would be 30-45 minutes. We waited until 2 am and the food never arrived. We ate the peanuts from the mini bar and went to sleep. Just before 7 a.m. I was awoken by a very loud noise. I got out of bed, opened the patio door and the plaster/drywall from the balcony above had collapsed onto our veranda/outdoor space. I presume from a leaky outdoor jacuzzi? I took a video and showed our concierge. I'm just glad we weren't outside when it happened. We were told to pack our luggage and they would bring it over to our room when it was ready at 3 pm. We went to the front desk at 3 pm to have our bracelets reprogrammed for our new room. We arrived to our room and our luggage wasn't there. It was located sometime later and brought to our room. My daughter quickly realized that her bathing suit wasn't in her suitcase, that we had left it hanging to dry in the closet of the other room. We contacted our concierge and he said he would take care of it. Later on that evening, my daughter became increasingly concerned so we went back to the front desk and Natalie offered to take us to the other room to retrieve it, as the room could not be occupied due to the ceiling collapse. When we arrived, the room had been cleaned and the bathing suit was gone. Natalie followed up with housekeeping as did our "concierge" Yunior, but they claimed they did not have it. I have no complaints about the food, or the people at the front desk. Big shout outs to Natalie and Juan at the front desk, as well as all of the staff at Tacorini and Nokyo, and the staff that brought the floating breakfast to our room. They were amazing. Housekeeping was terrible, not just because of the theft, but their inability to do the basics (ie they took our dirty towels and just refolded them, did not clean anything, did not replenish coffee, etc.) and yes, I tipped $5-$10 per day in the hope that it would get better. It never did. Service in some areas is great, but is also terribly lacking in others. I can't recommend this hotel, nor will I be back but I'm giving it 3 stars because there are some amazing staff members there who deserve some recognition. I wish we had a better overall experience

Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: Family fun in the sun!

We had an amazing family vacation! The resort includes so many amenities and luxuries to make vacationing easy and enjoyable. Great rooms, delicious food, gorgeous beach! Staff are incredible and attentive.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Great for kids, but poor service

Grounds, pools, and beach is beautiful. Waterpark was a blast for kids. The rooms were very outdated and lacking basic service. Resort seemed very under staffed, poor housekeeping, poor service at all meals, far from 5 stars.

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: I dont think I will be back at this resort

The service was a hit and miss. We had to call almost daily to get our room refreshed. We also had to call every day to have the mini bar refilled with water. When we first arrived, the door did not unlock and it took about 45 minutes for them to fix it. Once we got into our room, someone had left the patio door open, and it was super hot. They also had not filled the mini bar before we entered our room. We landed late and this was all at 11 PM. We were absolutely exhausted. It also took us two  [... read more]days to get a hairdryer in our room. The reservation system on their app stopped working the day we got there. We weren’t aware of it so we asked a concierge for help. It’s as if we were inconveniencing them. Then they changed everything and it was on a first come first serve. It was a complete disaster. I will say that there are some staff that try really hard and then there’s other staff that make you feel like you aren’t inconveniencing them and they hate their job. My eight-year-old daughter had a blast and didn’t notice anything which is what was important.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: We went to Paradise and came back with Parasites!

This trip was the 3rd to Bahia Principe in Punta Cana, the first was a couple of years in Amber and the last two to Grand Punta Cana. The suite was adequate (as we made sure to have one renovated), the maid services were OK (“rewarded” daily) and to our positive surprise the food was generally better than last year. We had dinners a-La-carte in 6 different restaurants and overall was better than last year. As we are beach lovers and already accustomed with getting the sun beds on the beach (wa [... read more]ke up very early) we did not “suffer” as the rest of the over tourists masses not getting place and being very frustrated. Generally the staff is hard working (in a DR rhythm) and we did not have any problems in dealing with them. The alcoholic drinks are actually very watery and use a low grade quality alcohol. However a constant bar request for a drink, along with a minimum of 1US dollar bill helps at the beginning of the evening, but later not as much due to the overwhelming presence of tourists. Unfortunately we came back with some “local” visitors (parasites) that finally have establish their home in my sole feet and provoked an aggressive infection that is still require treatment after was diagnosed by doctors to emergency and tropical clinic. Clear, the parasites have been “collected” from the resort beach as we did not moved outside of the resort’s beach anytime. Overall an unforgettable experience that will deny us for any further beach resort visits in the future.

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Terrible Resort

I unfortunately do not have a good review of this resort. They are so focused on their “members” the rest of the resort fails. Food was some of the worst we have had at a resort. We have travelled all over the Caribbean and that includes that Cubas food is a smidge better than what was experienced. The rooms are very outdated and have no storage for your clothes, our toilet leaked from the bottom all over the floors (made our room smell like pee), the smell of sewage was very bad especially on t [... read more]he shuttle between the different restaurants. The beach was not clean, nice or inviting, garbage, and the seaweed was very bad on beach and in the water. You couldn’t tell if you were going to step on rocks or break an ankle falling into a little valley. Had to go down and get a bed/chair by 7:30 am or none left. Their reservation for restaurants was the worst i have ever seen. Had to go 3 days in a row to for them to keep telling us the system resets. We finally got reservations only to be in 2 places at once and only found out when arrived at the Italian Restaurant and it was VIP only which was weird because we were considered VIP but apparently not the right kind of VIP. Even offered them $20 American to let us in and they said no. Entertainment was great until they had hard stops so people will go watch the dumb shows that they put on. If you can see the people are having fun you don’t stop but not here no matter how many people are having fun. AND to top it all off everyone in our party got sick, not just one every single one of. It was so horrible. We had prepared for all of this as we have travelled a million times. But this was unstoppable we could not get better. Almost kicked me off of the flight because I was still throwing up. The other thing that was annoying were the small cold pools by our beds and the beach, the parents let the kids use them as a fun playing pool even if adults were sitting in them to cool off. They have children’s pools but parents didn’t care. No lobby so there was no entertainment in the evening after dinner to sit and have a drink and watch. We left money in the fridge to see if they would refill our beer must not have even opened the fridge cause money still there. Also with 2 people in each room we only received 1 beer and one Pepsi. Let’s not forget the peacocks, excited to see them but at night they were VERY loud and would wake us up or keep us up. This is the worst trip ever and I/we will never go back to puerto Plata. If I could give a zero rating I would.

Playabachata Hotel: Fantastic Holiday

This was one of the most clean resorts that I have ever stayed at. There is someone cleaning at every public area in the resort which includes pools, lobby, restaurants, bars, and restrooms. The staff were all hard working and friendly. It was busy but there were multiple people available to provide service. The rooms need an upgrade in the washroom. The toilets and showers should be replaced. The food and drinks were all fresh and tasty and plenty of variety. The ala carte system needs to be c [... read more]hanged. I waited an hour in line to book. It was impossible to find a chair at the pool until 4pm when most people head back to their rooms to get ready for dinner. Guests head to the pool before 8am to reserve multiple chairs. I was in a group of four and we struggled to find two chairs to share. I think that I would enjoy this resort much more if it wasn't completely full as it was during our vacation.

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Beautiful and friendly

I was very impressed with Bahia Principe Grand La Romana. What a well kept clean beautiful resort. From lobby to dining to the rooms! We had hot water every day and internet was better then mine at home, even on the beach most times. I dont swim in the ocean but the beach was clean and nice. Pool was large and always clean. Staff were always friendly and the shows at night were enjoyable.. most importantly though, i ALWAYS felt safe! I did notice cameras outside on some of the paths which help  [... read more]me feel more safe too.. in conclusion i would give this resort a 5/5. I can’t emphasize enough about the quality of the staff and food was always good -Angela

Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Great resort and the best beach!

If you are looking for the best beach this is it. The water and surf are safe and fun to boogie board. No sharp coral or yucky seaweed anywhere, just pure sand. The amount of palm trees at the beach allow for shade with dappled sunlight so you don’t feel like you are baking in the sun. The pleasant breeze and view of the ocean was the highlight. The food is ok and has a variety. We all did get sick with some food bug for one day.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Just plain amazing !

We just spent another wonderful week at this amazing resort. We have been back many times all due to the excellent staff. From the welcome of Samuel to the general manager Albis to the friendly efficient housekeeping staff and great attention service of the dining staff. Deomedes,Omar,Omero,lewin and Ariel just to mention a few. The food is excellent. Always fresh and plentiful. Trays are replaced promptly and kept clean and beautifully displayed. The alacarte staff excel at making d [... read more]ining a beautiful special experience. The grounds are very well maintained along with the pools and lobby. Always chairs available whether at the beach or pool. Overall a beautiful resort if you are looking for a relaxing vacation at a great price.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Nice Resort

This was the first time at this resort. It is nice but being at another adults only, inclusive resort several times, there was many expectations that did not met my standard. It is definitely a walk around resort with lovely manicured grounds. Beach area was crowded, very nice pool with lots of activity and good seating. Most of the time it was geared to all age levels, but mostly to the younger crowd. I felt sorry for the retired/seniors closer to the pool area as there was non stop music dur [... read more]ing the daytime from 10 to 6. One day the singer was so bad, we went into our room and closed the door for peace. Restaurants - Limbo, Portofino was very good and M.E,A.T. was very disappointing, The steak was Blue! Had to return it......Every day the Buffet was themed - e.g. Mexican, Spanish etc. nice selection for breakfast, lunch & dinner. and exceptional breads and desserts Entertainment in the Lobby each night was excellent. Great gathering area! A good selection of music that entertain every one! Even Silent Disco! The rooms were well maintained. Clean and very bright. The bar fridge had only rum and some water and pop. But they were accommodating when are needs were met. Staff were very nice and considerate The downfalls in my opinion are - no screens on the sliding doors, In the buffet, not all the dishes were labelled which made it difficult to know what was in it and it did become "same old"- would preferred to choose my own seating - was a waiter that was really annoying crying "coffee" all the time was not aware of the app to order restaurants meals beforehand - butler service was inconsistent especially during the evenings - Pathways at night were not well lite which was hazardous when it rained - Music way too loud and was continual throughout the day. It was mentioned that Hyatt was taking over this resort at the end of March and I must admit there should be a lot of upgrades to this resort.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Excellent Golf Vacation

4th time at Barcello Beach. Grounds and buildings are beautifully maintained. Excellent 18 hole golf course on property. Vibe is chill. Food exceptionally good. Service excellent. Adults only pool is beautifully designed.

Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: Not worth the money

I recently stayed at this hotel and overall I’d rate it a 2/5. Pros The hotel is very clean. Staff are constantly picking up garbage and maintaining the green spaces which really stands out. They even spray the walkways early in the morning so there aren’t many ants around. Cleanliness here is honestly one of the best I’ve seen. The beach is also beautiful and definitely one of the highlights of the stay. However, there are quite a few downsides. Cons A big issue is the constant pr [... read more]essure from salespeople pushing “elite” upgrades. It feels excessive. Made you want to avoid the main pool and beach so you dint have to deal woth them. I personally upgraded my room and it was a complete waste of money it didn’t add any real value or anything extra to my trip. For an “all-inclusive” resort there are a lot of extra charges. Only 3 out of the 6 restaurants are included as à la carte. The others cost extra and even within those restaurants many menu items are what you get at least once in your buffet. It’s not like other resorts where all restaurants are included and only premium items cost extra... here, it feels like almost everything is an upcharge. The food is mediocre overall. It’s not terrible and there’s always something you can eat but it’s nothing special. In my opinion the buffet was actually better than the à la carte restaurants. The pools are very crowded and you need to be careful with your towels. If you lose one you’re charged but we were never given towel cards to begin with which was frustrating when our towels were taken. Also people will take towels off chairs even if you’re using them which isn’t the hotel’s fault but still adds to the blah experience. Booking a tee time for golf is nearly impossible. It doesn’t seem like the hotel promotes it or puts much effort into helping guests access it. There is a small mall nearby which is nice for picking up souvenirs. The hotel itself feels older and refurbished, and honestly it seems like it may need another update soon. That said the staff are clearly doing their best with what they have. If you are gojng to take anything out of this review it is this!  ****If you’re booking excursions... be cautious. The one I chose was heavily embellished compared to what was actually delivered. I’d recommend talking to other guests who have already gone on them before booking.**** Overall breakdown: 1 point for cleanliness 1 point for the beach 1 point because the food is not terrible and gives everyone a option to eat. But between the extra costs(being my biggest pet peeve of this place), lack of value in upgrades, communication barriers-very basic English and the overall experience....it feels overpriced for what you get.

Breathless Punta Cana Resort: Wonderful resort and beach

Traveled with my sister, brothers and their wives and some friends to celebrate various occasions. Wonderful resort with fabulous buffet at Spoon for every meal - tons of options beautifully presented, especially the dessert station. Great and helpful staff everywhere - activities people, wait staff, housekeeping, groundskeepers, etc. Best meals at French restaurant, Coquette, and Culinaria (continental). Room was always clean, good size w 2 double beds, big bathroom with huge shower, double sin [... read more]ks, separate toilet..we had garden view. Beach was great and could walk in either direction for over an hour each way..Breathless is in a bit of a cove so waves were less predominant than other resorts we passed, and very little seaweed/sargassum. Windy so only parasailing going on for a couple of days, but very sandy. Reefs not far out from shore so some people were snorkeling. The party pool was a party pool with younger crowd, but main pool closer to the beach was quieter. If you choose Pool View for a room, might want to be sure it's facing the main pool, as very noisy on the balcony if you are opposite the loud party pool during the day. Was great to have access to the Dreams Onyx, especially for the lazy river and slides. All in all, an excellent experience and surpassed our expectations.

Ocean El Faro: Resort

The resort was great grounds were well kept food was good staff was amazing My trip central advisor was no help We had issues with flight twice and on both occasions she offered 0 help and advised us to go to airport and ask for help there The most stressfull place to seek help I will Not be booking with "trip central" again l

Grand Bavaro Princess: Beautiful Resort

We were there during the school break and of course it was crowded. The resort is huge and the staff were prepared to handle the number of people with minimum issues. Resort and grounds are beautiful, with lots of birds and other wildlife. The beach was great except the amount of peddlers which continually disturb you. I counted 20 in ten minutes at our cot area. The pool is great with lot of cots. Rooms are very modern and cleaned daily, no issues. The buildings are three floors, but care [... read more] must be taken when going up / down the stairs. The concrete steps and landing are similar in colour and easy to miss a step. Handrails would be a great safety addition to the stairwells. We went to three specialty restraints, steakhouse, Italian and Mexican and found the food very good. They also handled a food allergy without issue. We had breakfast and lunch at the beach buffet and food trucks. The buffet needs to be bigger as lines for the egg station or pasta station are long and interfere with access to other dishes. The utensils at the buffet for outside are plastic but steel inside except all spoons are plastic which for hot items and drinks can cause a problem. The biggest issue we found is the traffic flow of the trams, trucks and motor scooters. They drive on walking pathways between the buildings and can be dangerous. Overall we enjoyed the resort, and the staff were very friendly and efficient.

Grand Bavaro Princess: Stay #2 in Bavaro GBP

It should be obvious that we really like this all-inclusive resort as this waa our 2nd stay. With so many choices in Punta Cana, that is saying something! We love the Platinum suites. They are spacious, modern, well located and the services are top notch. The reserved beach and loungers are great. The lounger bar service is great. Thanks to Ramon Perez and Anthony we had lots of tasty drinks! The food at the bookable restaurants is varied, tasty and well presented.