Ocean El Faro: Growing pains

Will be an amazing resort given a few months. The amenities are great . Just not everything working fully yet. Pools are amazing and is a great place for kids. Not for adults unless you are taking your kids. Food not so great. They are a little ambitious in what they are trying to achieve. I am sure when kinks are worked out it will be an amazing resort. Rooms were large and well appointed. One thing to note - ask as many questions as you want. The staff did not tell us balcon [... read more]y door locked automatically when shut and we both went on balcony and shut door. You guessed it....we got locked out. The beach was not very good. Therefore, spent time at pools.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Not what we expected

We arrived at the resort on January 14th and went to the reception area. The person for checking us in was very pushy. She tried to get us to upgrade our room at $1,000 US for ten days. We said no thank you she the lowered the price to $400.00 and then $300.00 we kept saying no we had paid enough already and she said well you are a bit of away to the beach. We replied we didn’t care. This really left a bad taste in my mouth and I really didn’t even want to stay there. We then waited for thr [... read more]ee hours for a room when we were the only two that stayed at this resort from our plane. The next day meeting up with the rep from Air Transat she too was upset when we told her we weren’t interested in any trips off resort. This was our 8th trip to the DR. We made the best of it all. The resort is very large and they do supply golf carts and trains to get around. The restaurants we found the best was the American Grill, the Italian and the evening buffet on the Adult side of the resort. Our room was good the only complaint about it was the mini bar they only left two mini beers in fridge and it was American beer to boot. The weather was great sorry to say but we will not return to this resort for the reasons above.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Fantastic resort!

Stayed Jan 16-23rd 2019. Travelled as a couple with another couple. Don't have anything bad to say about the resort. Rooms were big and clean. Food at the buffets and at the a la cartes were great. Service and drinks at all the bars and pools was excellent. Didn't spend much time at the beach as I found it a bit too busy for me, but the beach itself looked great. Would go back to this resort again! Didn't do any of the excursions as we were enjoying the resort so much.

Impressive Punta Cana: will put it on the top 10 list of places to return

very clean friendly staff good food good entertainment nice pools lots of chaises beach was just ok -not great- lots of seating but beach smelled bad and there was construction. there was a lack of signage which left most people going around in circles an event planner with location details would be very helpful

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Beautiful place, but a little dated....

The grounds are gorgeous, well kept and everything was very clean. We found the rooms and the overall design of the resort very dated (not modern or updated). In our opinion in dire need for a renovation to bring it up to today's standards, having said that the place was kept clean and the rooms were cleaned every day - no special treatments i.e. designs with towels on beds, no flower petals (only mention this because we have been used to seeing this in other resorts). Well catered for famili [... read more]es with children. We found the customer services very lacking....primarily because they seemed very short staffed everywhere, the bars, the buffets the lobby reception and busboys. I think this affected the morale of the staff in general, not many smiling faces and/or motivated to please, when asked to bring something to the table, it took them a long time to bring it and/or forgot altogether; they also seemed to be working every day for 12 hours.... it was very surprising that the hotel does not have free Wi-Fi across the whole resort; only in the main lobby and even then, extremely slow to pick up. to have it in the rooms it was very expensive. In my view very lacking in technology as well.

Bahia Principe Explore Legend: Amazing Resort

Very clean rooms, fantastic friendly staff and service. Great activities for kids! Definitely would recommend this resort and would go back again. The only thing I would recommend is that you make sure to have smaller denominations in money as know one seems to have change.

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Very Nice Resort

The Majestic Mirage was an extremely good resort. Our room was just a few meters from the beach, a bar and the Seaside Restaurant. The swim-up was a memorable experience. Service is top quality, both housekeeping and wait staff. Having a butler to make those a la carte reservations was very nice. Bavaro Beach is world class, and, as such, is quite busy. There are a few vendors, but they did not seem to be very persistent. We are now sold on 5 Star accommodation.

Riu Republica: Very Good Resort

check in was fast and front end staff friendly and helpful. The room was as we requested with no hitches. The housekeeping staff were friendly and catered quickly to any needs. The grounds are well kept as well as the beach front. Plenty of beach chairs available and bar service rounds were frequent. The two buffets on site were clean and variety of food tasty and catered, I would say, to every ones taste. The nightly entertainment was good and the daily activities were varied. The specialt [... read more]y dining meals were okay; no reservations and on a first come first serve basis. The facilities of the related RIU's were included, but not within a reasonable walking distance.. .

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Needs work but good

Perfect for young children-lots of amenities for them! The teen and children’s club was lacking -needed more shiny objects to draw them in. Hunter Steakhouse was awful: the meat was fatty, potatoes dry, salad droopy. More of a 4-4.5 star than 5. But good overall! Another concern, they need to have more people that are fluent in English . When you call the front desk, their entire intro is in Spanish, quite off putting when most of the clientele is English speaking..

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Beautiful Resort

The first thing that stands out are the beautiful grounds at the resort. Very well maintained, flamingos, ducks and peacocks roaming freely around its many ponds. The rooms tend to be a little too spread out though especially when travelling with a large group. We were everywhere and not really situated together. The food was ok, wasn't the best food at an all inclusive that I've visited, but I didn't starve either. The best thing that stands out to me is the service and hospitality of all em [... read more]ployees, from the landscapers, to the front desk, to waiters and the entertainers and bar staff. Everyone was friendly and happy and that rubbed off on me. Bravo for a great, trained, fun staff.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Exceeded expectations!

Quite simply, Melia Caribe exceeded our expectations. A group of us traveled to Melia for a wedding, and weren't disappointed. From the moment we arrived to the day we left, we were greeted by smiling, friendly and knowledgeable staff. The grounds on the resort we're beautifully manicured, exotic and colourful. A terrific bonus was enjoying the sight of the two resident Flamingos every day. The groundskeeping staff work hard and always took a moment to offer us a fresh coconut. Wit [... read more]h plenty of nightly shows, beach activities, water sports, a gigantic main pool, a sports bar and a casino --- we were anything but bored. All of these facilities were clean, bright and spacious. Food! So much variety here. Our resort level was basic, meaning that we had access to about 80% of the resort itself, and this includes most of its a la carte restaurants. No matter your preference, you won't go hungry. Our group enjoyed Dominican cuisine, Italian cuisine, Asian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, American cuisine, French cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine --- just to name a few. Honorable mention goes to the two outstanding buffets - Merkado and Rhumba. Again, plenty of choice here. We really didn't have a bad meal. Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Drinks are everywhere, too. With plenty of Bars in the front lobby area, near or inside the restaurants or by the beach, you're never far from a cold drink. Our resort room is perhaps the only area that we felt could have used some improvement. While the room itself was clean and comfortable, there was a leak underneath the bathroom sink that forced us to put a towel down each day so we didn't slip on the water. We assumed that the staff had fixed this leak, as it was cleaned up when the first turn down service was provided. However, the leak came back when the water was turned on again, and continued throughout our stay. This was disappointing. One great (and unique) service offered by the resort is the golf cart 'taxi' service. Staff members simply drive around the resort property in golf carts, and guests are encouraged to jump in and go for a ride. The driver will take you anywhere you'd like to go. This came in very handy for those of us who had rooms up front near the lobby, but wanted to spend each day the beach and pool area. We would 'hail a taxi', enjoy our ride and provide a humble tip to the driver. This service really allows you to relax and enjoy the day. Add a long, clean, white sandy beach, a blue sky and a hot sun, and you've got the recipe for a terrific and memorable stay. We would definitely go back!

Riu Republica: Had a Fantastic Time!!!!

We had a great time at the Riu Republica. It had a great vibe and energy. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was amazing as usual for a Dominican resort. It is quite a large resort so there is lots to do. We did have a wait for the restaurants each night which ranged from 15-50 mins but they handle it nicely with pagers so you can wait in the lounge with a drink. Overall i would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing week.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort

We were quite disappointed to be honest... -We had to change rooms the day after check in (they had nothing available at check-in). The rooms are dated and somewhat clean. -We should have been made aware that there was NO WIFI, ALL GUESTS HAD TO PURCHASE WIFI, which made for many very upset guests… its 2019, how can it be that there is no WIFI as part of the hotel booking?!!!! It cost us $90.00 US = $120.00 CAD over and above the cost of our vacation package … customers should all be [... read more] made aware and reimbursed this cost and the travel agencies should have that cost covered as part of the package … this was not fair and should be changed/revised moving forward. -The adults only (where we stayed and paid extra for) had no adult offerings, the casino, disco, lounges, coffee houses, shops, various restaurants and cigar lounge and bar, were all at the family property … how does that make sense?! In our humble opinion, the properties should be reversed, adults only should be moved to where the family property is, it would read so much better ad provide the adults with all adult offerings (including the swim up bar). The adults only property, provided little to no options day or night. The 1 bar was substandard, uninviting and had ongoing walk through traffic for guests to get to the theater, to the front desk, to the 1 restaurant, to the shop, rooms, etc. The theater had constant walk through traffic between the seating and the stage ~ how does that make for a unobstructed view of the shows? The bar/theater/front desk lounge area, was constantly smoke filled as the peaked roof and ceiling fans, pushed the copious amount of cigarette smoke right back to ground level. -So much vacation time was spent in customer service, booking dinner reservations, the website made no mention of having to do this. There was, at any given time, 1-2 customer service people to hundreds of guests (lineups), not a good ratio...and takes up so much of the guests time. PLEASE advise your future customers of this. -Extra charges were expected for over half the restaurants and all in US (as expected), how can there be costs for restaurants when, this was a all inclusive resort and sold to us as a all inclusive vacation package? -The positives are : the beach was simply spectacular, the hotel staff were kind and helpful and the weather was nothing like we are experiencing here in Ottawa. We ask that YOU PLEASE be clear with your clients on the facts of this property … IT IS "NOT" A 5 STAR property and should not be sold as one. We met many lovely guests from all over the world and they all echo our sentiments and will also be proactive, in contacting their travel agent to ensure that this not be sold as a 5 star, free WIFI, full amenity property … it most definitely is not! We will not recommend this property and we will not be returning. Hope this does not fall on deaf ears and that Tripcentral, take all reviews seriously and take steps to updating this properties description. Regards, Chloe (Claudette) Alberto-Gregoire 613-276-7788 2chloeag2@gmail.com

Impressive Punta Cana: Impressive and Spa Premium in Punta Cana, DR January 15 - 22, 2019

We have found the overall resort very clean and very big, so lots of space for clients to move around and explore. Grounds very well landscaped horticultural wise. There were many activities options on this resort. There are 3 beautiful pools and many restaurants. The beach was a bit smelly and had aquatic plants in water and shoreline (staff were excellent in racking and cleaning the shoreline) etc. One thing which we found which could be improve is the leveling of entrances, doorways, many  [... read more]areas were not even so easy to catch in when walking making it a tripping hazard. They installed direction signs a couple of days after we arrived which made a big improvement in locating rooms and other facilities, but unfortunately, the French signs has 3 mistakes in the writting which should eventually be corrected. Our room were recently renovated, clean with excellent prompt service when we ordered room service. The television was blurry, the signal was not good. Staff was friendly and very helpful. The restaurant service was good and food was just OK, since it was usually cool and too salty in most cases. We also noticed for vegan and vegetarian people, the option of food was very very minimum, more beans mixture and tofu should be offered. It would be interesting to have more local dominican food options with beans, herbs and spices. The entertainement staff were exceptionnal and made us laugh. The evening entertainment shows were great ! I just loved the Michael Jackson presentation and the live bands in the evenings. While we were there they had just open a boutique which I found abit too expensive. For the shopping they offer a bus to take visitors to Nicole boutique, that place was more reasonable in price and we bought some of the items we wanted to bring back home.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Great resort😀

Staff very friendly very clean love the le carts and how easy it was to acess. Amaxing place.the only problems that we had the fridge only had beer the first day and last. It was nevet full. Bar was always full with people smiling. Great hotel just too big for my liking

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Awesome resort!

First of all, this place was HUGE!! But thankfully there are many carts and lifts traveling around all day, evening and even at night to help get you around. The beach was beautiful white sand and the ocean was so nice to swim in. Awesome, huge pool to share with swim up bar and plenty of space to find a beach chair. It was January so maybe not as busy but it’s a big resort. Great food, some usual foods were average but there are a lot of variety for a la cart restaurants and didn’t need to  [... read more]call ahead for reservations. All in all, fantastic resort. We were here for a friends wedding and the ceremony and reception were amazing. The staff are all friendly and accommodating so you never really have any issues.

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Nothing Special

Overall the hotel had all the basis accommodations The overall staff was great and friendly 1.Unfortunately when my niece got bit by some unknown bug and her foot swelled up while we were out on the town When we returned to the hotel, the night time security and the front desk refused to let our local friend drive her up to the reception area. I understand there was a security issue. No one offered to bring a wheelchair. The hotel grounds are big and she cried the whole way to our room. We f [... read more]inally requested a wheelchair the following day. 2. The food seemed to be catered more towards North Americans - I would have preferred more authentic cuisine. Also the late night snack bar was very sad. Nothing worth eating, very disappointing 3. I am also disappointed that the hot tub never worked. I was looking forward to taking late night dips.. That never happened

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Spectacular Resort

Everything was excellent. Very clean, food great, friendly people, beautiful surroundings, excellent entertainment every night. The beach was amazing; spent most of our days there. First time we went back to the same place. Favourite of all our vacations!! Would recommend to anyone.

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: My experience

We did enjoy our time at Chic. We went for our friend's wedding. However, when we got there we were super excited, but that changed quickly. Our group was all getting their rooms and we did not. They then proceeded to tell us that our room had been cancelled, which is weird since our flight was fine and we were on the attendance on the bus on the way to the resort. They told us they couldn't do anything to upgrade us for the disappointment. They didn't even offer us a free massage or anyth [... read more]ing. I was very disappointed with how they treated us.

Grand Memories Punta Cana: Good and Bad and questionable?

Resort was clean and rooms are newly renovated and WiFi through out the resort was fantastic. Also bracelet for keys to your room were great and no reservations for the al la carte was nice. Buffet at selections was plain to average an never changed the items at all and the beach buffet (grazie) was not good at all. What saved this place was the Royalton access to there sports bar, Martini bar and coffee shop.