Riu Republica: Very smoky Resort.

Thecastles Feb 2, 14:47 EST I recently stayed at the Riu Republica in the Domincan Repbulic. Very nice resort. But there were a large number of smokers, and no place to go if you were a non-smoker. Good food, service, staff, nice beach. But there were a tremendous amount of smokers. Smoking was encouraged everywhere. There are ashtrays in the lobbies, bars and even in the theatre. I did see some non-smoking areas in 2 bars, but since they were surrounded by smokers, what was the point? Th [... read more]ere was smoking all over the theatre. As a result, we did not see any shows, due to the number of people vaping, and smoking cigarettes and cigars. We tried sitting in the last row outside the theatre, but it too was very smoky. Even the large buffet had a smoking section outside. In short, there was no place to go to if you were a non-smoker. Bars, lobbies, pool area, beach, theatre were full of smoke. We retreated to our room. But since the buildings are not smoke free, guests smoked on their balconies, and of course, the smoke drifted towards us. This might seem petty, but I had an operation for lung cancer a few years ago, so I don't want to be exposed to smoke. My friend quit smoking a year ago,l and was also repulsed by the amount of smoke. I guess we are too used to non-smoking public places in Canada. I think Sunwing should be aware of this and warn future clients.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Can't get enough of this resort!

Majestic Colonial resort was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. The cleanliness, the food, the entertainment and most importantly the STAFF were absolutely AMAZING! I would especially like to thank my butler David and Daniel and Juan Luis from the Steakhouse as well as Steakhouse management. You all went over and beyond and I can't wait to return. GRACIAS!!!

Ocean El Faro: Nice resort, poor service

This hotel was beautiful and nice and new however the service was very poor. We brought American money to tip and wanted to break it into smaller bills and no one would do it for us. We finally found Manuel at the lobby bar and he was great. He treated us like kings and queens and gave excellent customer service. He really seemed like he loved his job. We also had a hard time getting into the restaurants at night. We would make a reservation and come back for it and they would make us wait for 1 [... read more]0-15 mins longer multiple times. The first night we waited for an hour and a half till 9:45 and then finally walked into the restaurant and forced ourselves in because they closed at 10pm and we were afraid we wouldn’t get dinner. Pools were amazing and lots of them. Lazy river would have been nice except you have to supply your own tubes. Not sure if I would go back.

Ocean El Faro: great resort

My daughter and I arrived on January 26th. We had a wonderful experience. The lobby is breathtaking, so big and beautiful! Can’t event justify it with a picture! As this is a new hotel, we came expecting hiccups, there obviously were somethings that were not perfect; but nothing major they would make us not come back. -The beach is nice but does not have the crystal-clear bright blue water, they need to add more sand in the water, as there is still lots of areas where you are stepping on ro [... read more]cks and weeds, I suggest packing a pool noodle, this allows you to pass the waves/weeds and rocks and enjoy the ocean a bit more. -Be prepared for slow service at meals; they are either understaffed still, or take Island time to the extreme. We had a room 9327 which has a rooftop, this was a beautiful room, the only downfall of these rooftop rooms is they do not have locks on the rooftop doors, which means any of your rooftop neighbours could come in your room. Ensure to have any valuables locked at all times. We requested them to secure our rooftop door any way possible, every day, they would say they would but it was never done. That was our biggest disappointment, as we kind of slept with one eye open every night. I was traveling with my very beautiful 20 year old daughter and did not feel comfortable having her alone in the room. Craftsmanship in the rooms is very sloppy, it was done in a big hurry, caulking and paint drips everywhere, including on the new furniture, even the toilet seats! Shower door in our room did not close, we had to take our showers with the shower door open, we just put a towel on the floor, it was all good, nothing major, but if these types of things bother you, then you might be disappointed. I loved the concept that they have all common places in one area, as you come out of the lobby, everything is there, restaurants, gym, spa, store, sports bar, Showtime, etc, all in one area, they will soon have a small casino and bowling alley open which will be a real nice addition… One of the things that made this trip so memorably is the staff, the employees are great, friendly and will help you with anything you need! Some of the staff are just exceptionally good, just to mention a few: • Manuel Lora - bellboy; • Manuel, Julio and Melissa night staff at the lobby bar; • Luis from Mike’s cafe • Santiago at the beach bar • Gabriel from the lazy river pool bar; If you have a chance to meet these individuals, they are amazing! The entertainment staff are also very good, Chihuahua will definitely make you laugh with his corky ways and his laughter! For the most part, the shows were good, my two favorites were the acrobatic show and the Michael Jackson show which was one of the best I’ve ever seen! Overall, we had a wonderful experience, and would go back, if the prices do not skyrocket.

Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Beautiful beach

We have just returned from a one week stay at the Melia Punta Cana beach. I would recommend staying on the 2nd floor if possible. We had an issue with our original room and it was rectified quickly by Paula. The rooms are ok. Beds are hard. Food was pretty good. The Italian is very good. The beach was awesome. The drinks weren’t very good. They need to offer better quality liquor. Oftentimes the requested drink was not made. This may be due to the language barrier as many who work there don’ [... read more]t speak any English. I suggest boning up on your Spanish. All and all a great week. Beach 10/10 and resort 7/10

Riu Republica: First time to this amazing resort.

My husband & I were very impressed with the resort. Everything was well looked after by the staff & grounds people. The staff at La Altagracia & the bar La Guira were awesome. Always happy to see you, willing to help in any way & make you feel comfortable. The beach was great & we didn't feel that we had to "fight" for a lounge.

Grand Bavaro Princess: Stunning resort

A great resort, fantastic rooms, staff is great food good, but the recreational staff need to do more with guests. In a whole week they only got the guest doing games once for about an hr. They played more volleyball than the guests as some guest sat on the sidelines waiting to play while they were playing, shouldn’t happen it should be for guests to play and they supervise unless short. Other resorts keep their guest busy all day playing and participating in games all day every day. It makes  [... read more]a big difference for most people. This is the 3rd time with this group of 20 last time 30, will prob be our last, I would recommend this hotel if you just like to sit and relax

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Family fun

This is our third visit, and we love the resort. The people and service are exceptional. Food, fantastic, one night I started with the desserts as there are so many to choose from, and they are incredible. We had Fransisco as our butler, and we told him of two birthdays we were celebrating. He decorated the rooms and brought cakes. Francisco looked for us daily to ensure our wants and needs were being looked after. Two weeks of pampering by such lovely giving people. Looking forward to our [... read more] next visit. Thank you everyone. Nicole for booking, Fransisco our butler, Xenon, Lionel at the pool. Joslin our poolside bartender. Marcellus, our sports bartender. Machismo, Odelus at the main bar. So many waiters and waitresses, thank you.

Ocean El Faro: Ocean Blue And Sand - Good

Room was always cleaned well, but starting to show wear (shower trim was duck taped and slipping). Mini fridge was refilled 5 out of the seven days while we were there. The beach is nice, a little sand lost from rising water but still plenty to walk along I would guess 2 or3 kms in either direction. Food in the buffet was the same variety breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate dinner 5 out of 7 at the a la carte restaurants, all were good, Mexican, Italian, Route 66, we tried the steak house bu [... read more]t we were forgotten about. We arrived at 5:45 they opened at 6:00, order was taken at 6:10 food never arrived we left at 7:00 after asking twice about our order. Drinks, you received what you order. Order Jack Daniels that is what you receive. Order Kahului, Bailey’s that is what was received no replacements

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: great place to vacation!!

Grounds beautifully landscaped,lots of chairs on beach and at the pools. Amazing a la carte restaurants and the buffet offers an amazing selection. Say hi to George at Archery!! Santa Domingo tour was a waste!!

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Great Vacation

The resort was lovely and clean. Our room was very comfortable and had great access to pool and beach. Pedro in the Grand Caribe buffet and Yuca restaurant made us feel very special. Henry at the Beach bar was also a standout server. We will definitely go back.

Excellence El Carmen: Excellent service but

The Excellence El Carmen resort is very nice but misses some of the atmosphere from other Punta Cana resorts we have visited. If you walk out of an early dinner , there is no good place to hang out with music other than one evening with a great electric violin player. It would have been nice to hear some Domenican music after each dinners ... The beach is nice with palm trees meeting the ocean (not as open as Bavaro beach) The food is well prepared and presented but it seems the quality  [... read more]of the food is inferior to other resorts we visited such as Paradisius, Majestic Elegance. We were disappointed that the buffet restaurant is not open for the evenings. My wife has some food sensitivity issues and likes the pick items from the buffet that agree with her diet. It is hit and miss if you order from the "a la carte" restaurants as you don't really know what you will get. This is the only reason we would not return. Every other resorts we have visited keep their buffet open for the evening hours. The food at the buffet is quite nice but this restaurant has no view and feels a bit like an office cafeteria. Like most resorts in Punta Cana, the shows are all the same and no one seems to understand that most people would prefer to hear local music and talent than Michael Jackson imitations. Overall, the service is superior and a good resort if you are looking for a quiet time.

Riu Republica: Nice Resort

Nice resort but overbooked all the time causing frustration for customers having to be moved to other resorts, this is the second year for this, not acceptable! We requested close to beach as possible, we were returning guests bringing friends, placed us as far from the beach as possible, at least we didn’t have to move to other hotels like a lot of guests, wedding party of 30 people that arrived were split up in several hotels due to overbooking!

Caribe Deluxe Princess: PERFECTION

LOVED LOVED LOVED RECOMMED TO NEIGHBOUR AND THEY BOOKED FOR TWO WEEKS LEAVING NEXT FRIDAY BEACH SERVICE AND FOOD VERY GOOD ESPECIALLY FRIED CHICKEN AND NACHOS ANIMATION DEPT ARE FULL OF LIFE. Night entertainment very good LOVE THE DANCERS

Majestic Elegance Punta Cana: Excellent resort

This resort is beautiful. We stayed in the adults only club section and it was well with the upgrade. Although we were told that the resort was full, we never waited for a table or had any difficulty finding a lounger at the beach or pool. Service in all areas was top-notch. Loved our butler, Orlando, who took every opportunity to enhance our stay. We will return and definitely recommend this resort

Iberostar Waves Dominicana: Iberostar Domicana January 2019

We visited the Iberostar Dominicana from January 24 to January 31, 2019. The resort is a 30 minute drive from the Punta Cana airport. There are two sides to the resort - the Dominicana side and the Punta Cana side, which are essentially mirror images of each other. We had a garden view room in the Dominicana side of the resort which means that our room was accessed from the interior garden courtyard. Our room was on the second floor of the 4 storey unit and it was very quiet and clea [... read more]n. It was a short stroll from our room to the pools area and then another short stroll to the beach. The entire grounds of the resort are meticulously groomed. Food at the resort is fresh but quite bland, as is to be expected at an all inclusive. Entertainment is good with two main events every night - the Teatro side features a large cast with a variety of shows with live music, dancers and singers, while the Star Band Stage is a smaller venue focused on largely latin music on stage assisted by the entertainment crew - on the ground - who circulate through the audience ensuring that anyone who wants to dance has a capable partner. The entertainment Crew work their tails off as it is their job to ensure that patrons enjoy the evening entertainment as well as participating in the daily aqua fit, volleyball, or dance lessons through the day. These folk work 12 days on and have 3 days off - so they earn their tips honestly. The weather for our stay was excellent - 7 days of 28 to 30 Celsius and blue skies. We did one excursion - para sailing - but it was a 30 minute van ride in a very sketchy van to a sketchy beach to a sketchy para sailing crew. My advice is pay the extra 20 USD and do the Para sailing at the resort. Our package was with Air Canada vacations, and while the price was good their so-called "Price Drop Guarantee" is totally misleading since it is almost impossible to qualify for it. Another misleading aspect of the AC Vacation is the so-called $500 resort coupons. An example is that there is, let's say, a $20 coupon for a $120 spa massage; however, if you talk to the person at the spa they'll give you the massage for $90 cash (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). This vacation exceeded our expectations and was better than our previous vacations to Antigua (Sugar Ridge) and Cuba (Melia Caya Coco)

Ancora Private Residence Yacht Club and Marina: Beautiful resort

This resort was beautiful, the grounds were well maintained and the pools were amazing. The suites were large and in excellent condition. Housekeeping did a wonderful job keeping the fridges well stocked. There were 5 restaurants in total, the buffet was open for breakfast and lunch and the food was great. The other restaurants were great, but the Italian restaurant was very disappointing in regards to the selection. There were only 2 shops that were open on the grounds, the others remained clos [... read more]ed the entire week. When we arrived we were greeted by staff, and invited on a tour for the next morning. We were told it would be a 2 hour tour, it ended up being over 3 hours and we were not taken on a tour of amenities available to us as guests, but a tour of what would be available as owners if we decided to buy a unit. That was very disappointing. However, the resort in general was great, and if you are looking for peace and quiet, than this is a great place to go. Nightly entertainment was not the greatest, but we weren't there for the entertainment, but to relax.

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: loved it amazing place to go for a holiday.

Everything was so great the staff were so friendly they made you feel very welcome. They were always happy went out there way.They were great with the kids always making them laugh and a smile on everyone face

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Stunning resort

The grounds were beautifully maintained. Landscaping was impeccable. Rooms were extremely spacious and modern. Hector our butler was amazing & helpful. Food was amazing -esp Steakhouse & Seaside Grill. Main issue was the humidity in the bedroom and the smell of sewage coming out of the shower drain ( swimup suite ).

Riu Republica: Great resort

We loved the rui ! Food was great, lots of choices. The bars are fast! No extra long lines The beach is nice,but the chairs re really crammed together and no easy way to get around, as palalpas are very close together and no clear isles, also have planted many small palms with this area. Red flag is usually out, but this did not deter many.. also a hundred yd trek through loose sand, if you have mobility issues this would be a hard trek Jerk hut on beach is good for snacks, burgers and hot do [... read more]gs, chicken is fantastic If you are a NON smoker, this resort is NOT for you! Smoking everywhere, lobby, bars, beach and all walkways. Riu does not discourage non smoking, as there are very few areas non smoking.. we had to leave the theatre, as it was really smoky, half enclosed but mostly outside. I would Not recommend this hotel to my non smoking friends