Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: The Best Holiday We've Had

We loved the staff and their cheerful, respectful, and accommodating relationship with guests. The food was absolutely amazing! The only thing regarding food that we weren't too happy with was that men had to wear long pants should they want to go to one of the specialized restaurants. We find that the climate does not allow for such thing since it's too hot. The pools were constantly clean and great activities were being held by staff all the time, including food and snacks! The bars offered a  [... read more]great service as well! Sadly the beach has rocks as you walk into the ocean and wasn't clean from weeds, but the sand was really nice and there were always enough chairs. Our room was constantly clean and we had all the towels and supplies that we needed. All in all it was an amazing experience and would 100% recommend it!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: 3 starts resort

This resort requires preventive maintenance, pool and hallways in the building are deteriorated. Lack of maintenance in the pool even sometimes low recirculation of the water in the pool created grease spots

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: A bit disappointed

Sorry for taking so long to send this review on Blue Bay Villas Doradas Resort I stayed between June 2-9 (for 7 days)..I have a mix feelings as I would not have a good thing to say if I would have done this review right after my arrival in Canada...but here we go.. First walk-in into the hotel, I was surprised that our files to check-in was outside Front Desk and we need to find our files and check-in, this is out of the ordinary for me, due to my experiences travelling (Cuba, Mexico, St Luci [... read more]a just to name others) this kind of checking in is a bit odd to me..I travel alone and to mingle & mingle after a flight delayed arriving very late at night and was accommodated in a "chaotic" checked in situations, was not a good impressions at all. I finally found my check-in files and handed in to one of the personnel and literally I have to do all the check-in papers filling in and put my wrist band. I said am alone and tired and want to see my room pls..they called their porter but cannot assist me as he is very busy cutting all wrist band of other visitors, before taking us to our room, I waited until his done and finally he took me to my room which just few feet away from the swimming pool :( He showed me how to use my keys in a hurry, I was very hungry and need something to eat..this is around 12:am I saw a tray of cold-cuts, fruits and crackers, that's now stale and look not edible...I tried to eat the soggy/soft crackers due to fruits juice contamination and went to sleep...I woke up and have to program myself to a good start. I don't want to ruin my vacation just because of my first impression that check-in night...so here are my overall resorts impression: Food: almost the same dish everyday - all hot/cooked dish are very salty (they must really love to salt their food) Pool: are very clean and since I am just 10 feet away room from the pool I cannot rest in my room as I hear everything going on around the pool. Beach: clean/clear beach, I cannot say anything more about the beach, I love it..so this is a plus, and I stayed at the beach mostly, and went on excursions away from the resort the best as I was not happy with my room surroundings Entertainment: they are mediocre shows...I guess because maybe Iam use to Cuba/Mexico, etc entertainment, they showcase their cultures and has Pool shows as well...Blue Bay just sticks to their own and no variation...I find a contest for Ms Blue Bay esp very boring. Entertainment team only sticks to returners (I guess cause they've known them already) they have no interest in adding new comers? that's how I see it..they are not very friendly to newcomers at all. Front Desk: I have a lot to say here...they are NOT very friendly at all, but somehow they seems to NOT know anything when you ask for help, they keep on pointing to their next person beside them and that person also seem to NOT know how to assist with your inquiries...they will tell you to come back and see another person who could assist my need and or request...names I remember cause they are first person you see and greet when you come in and out of the resorts..and their gestures and expertise on customers and visitors can affect how you view and evaluate how good the resorts/hotel are...they failed to do that for me...Jonathan Guerrero, I requested to help me in extending my stay in my room as my flight not till 9:45pm and bus to airport will not pick me till 6:30pm...he said he does not know how to extend my time and have to come back, several times I came to before I finally found Yudi Liz Gomez, who finally knows how to extend times for $35.00 US and gave her $40.00 she has no change, so I said find a change for my 40..I realized ok then keep the change..she was very happy and I got my extended times..It made me feel like maybe if I would have given Jonathan a tip I would have not wasted my time to come back and forth and wait for someone to assist with my request. I will never ever forget Manolo Hernandez, a smile less person, he was the first person I went to ask when we're checking why our files were outside Front Desk, he looked at me and said, "its not our fault" we don't have enough personnel cause your flight was delayed and it's almost midnight, so find your files and check yourself in!...huh!! I did not argue, am far from arguing, I am documenting that's what I am...so here I am..I saw him again the next morning and was requesting for a help me find a local phone so I could call my friend from Tubagua..he looked at me and says..he'll help pointing his pout lips to the front desk person next to him it was Johnny Garcia, Johnny Garcia smiled at me and we share the same last name, so I was very happy with him, very professional and accommodating, we joked about being related maybe? and when he asked me "how was your stay so far at our resort"...I guess I was waiting for this question and I blurted out everything of my experience to him with this resorts, he said I will inform our Supervisor and will let him know how you felt..this is not right...so I was called to the Superhead of FrontDesk..he talked to me, and gave a complementary dining at one to of the A la carte restaurant, of which I went but there again..it was very cold treatment dining but thanks anyway. Overall...I think, there's room for improvement, my expectations was not meet, but I am not crossing this resorts out yet...I like Puerto Plata, my first time but with my experience in Blue Bay will not stop me from going back and visit again. They are not the only resorts around and might try again as returner..I'll see. Overall, I will give the resorts a score from 1-10 a 3 cause at least there's one Johnny Garcia who can make the difference...Johnny also found my iPhone 6plus, I accidentally left behind on the sofa of the FrontDesk..this a long story, so I'll cut it now by saying Johnny you're the best and keep up the good work..Thank you and hope to see you again! Cheers!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay exceeded all expectations

Arrived with my my wife and 2 kids and could not have been more pleased from drop off to pickup! Rooms were fantastic between a split 2 rooms with 2 showers for the 4 of us I have no complaints. Rooms were always turned down to perfection and hotel maids always asked if anything additional was required (water...beer etc...) All the buffets which we leaned towards always had something for the fussiest in our clan and all left with tummies full with great desserts. We have been to Mexico 5 times a [... read more]nd Blue Bay ranks #1 to our family. We are a very active family and were impressed by all the poolside activities along with nightly activities after dinner. The beech volleyball court was played on continuously and we always seemed to get great 6 on 6 matches going.... FANTASTIC resort that we will visit again in the near future !

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Not too bad

Staff were really friendly, rooms definitely could use an upgrade. Pools were nice and the beach was amazing. Al a carte restaurants weren't very good but the buffet was usually not bad. All in all a good vacation and I would go back!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great Vacation!

The hotel was a great spot for a week vacay. Very clean and well-kept, food was great and the staff were beyond amazing. Beach is small but very beautiful and pools were amazing too! Would definitely return!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Nice stay

My favourite thing about the BlueBay was the beverage choice, endless choices and unlike other places down south they offered many kinds that we have at home too. There was plenty of room in the pool considering it was so big. The smaller pooler was nice because it wasn't less crowded. Food was ok but service was great. Night entertainment was always interesting. Overall I enjoyed my stay and would go back !

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great vacation

The resort was very beautiful and lush. Small but relaxing and quiet. My room was directly in front of the quiet pool area and was relaxing to not hear loud music and noise in the morning or while I slept. The front desk was terrible at accomadating anything you needed. Check in was very disorganized and complicated. They don't provide a hospitality room if you have a late check out. They advised some people I met there to shower at the pool area. I had to argue my way to get a hospitality room. [... read more] The guest services desk was very helpful and knowledable. The Animation team made my trip fun and exciting. I didn't like that they gave away certificates for all the game prizes instead of a bottle of alcohol or a souvenir. I'm not sure what I will do with a beer drinking competition certificate. I didn't like the beach at all. The sand is dark and dirty, the water wasn't clear at all unless you swam very far out and so many vendors selling anything bothering me every 5 minutes Also not alot of shades areas I say in the sun all day sometimes just to enjoy the beach.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great Time!!

We found BlueBay Villas very easy to find your way around as it is a smaller resort. Great food. .. clean rooms and wonderful staff.. The buffet was fantastic with themed evening selections which were tasty! We would definitely recommend this resort!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: An awesome Resort!

We love staying at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda because the food and service is impeccable! This is our 5 time here and we keep coming back every year. The layout is perfect and the staff are friendly as well as the rooms. Clean and everything works. And if you leave a few pesos the cleaning staff leaves you a nice treat! We'll be back!

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Good Value for Money

We booked this resort last minute, but were originally looking to go to Jamaica. We couldn't find anything there for 2 weeks at a reasonable price and then struck out in Punta Cana as well, which we have been to 6 times. We managed to find a 2 week deal at a very affordable price in Puerto Plata at the Blue Bay Villa Doradas. Our first impression was that the resort looks a little tired and dated. Parts of the resort such as rooms, pools and tiles around the pool are in need of updating and  [... read more]repair. When we looked at pictures of the resort on-line it showed that there were palapas at the beach. There were instead Bali beds and pergolas with some white cloth on them. Most of the cloth was ripped and did not cover the pergolas very well, so my wife and I only spent 1 day at the beach. We like palapas because they allow you to be out of the direct sun but still get a tan. Saying all that we still managed to enjoy ourselves during our stay. The food was very good at the resort, we always enjoyed our meals at the buffet. The three a la carte restaurants were exceptional. The wait staff were very friendly and the extra touches throughout the meal made our evening's very special. We read some reviews prior to going down and there were some people that complained about the food. Some people must be extremely fussy. The three a la carte restaurants are the seafood, steak and chinese. The seafood was our favorite. The animation team were extremely busy throughout the day and evening. There were events going on every hour starting at 9AM. We especially liked Chocolatè who always brought a smile to our face. The resort is a small adults only resort so it is a short walk to the lobby and buffet or to the a la carte restaurants at the beach. The beach is very wide and we enjoyed our walks every day. You can walk around the pennisula heading north and west and easily go for a one hour walk. The water was a beautiful green and was nice and warm for swimming. The sand is a different color than the beaches at Punta Cana, but it is still a nice beach. The room was outdated but functional. It could stand to have had a dresser as there was limited space to put clothes that didn't need to be hung up. The bathroom was roomy and functional, unfortunately the water pressure in the shower was pretty weak and there were 3 occasions where we had to shower in cold water. The bed was very comfy and even though I suffer from a bad back, I woke up feeling refreshed every morning. Pretty much everyone we talked to during our stay made the same comment as to why they chose the Blue Bay Villas Doradas, the low price. One couple we met has been going there for more than 20 years and still love going back 2 weeks every year. If you can overlook some of the small issues than this resort is definitely value for your money.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Had a relaxing vacation!,

Blue bay was a nice small resort, the staff were very friendly and helpful. They went out of their way to help. Food was good, always found something to eat at the Buffet, the BBQ night was great but way too much meat, beautiful huge beach great for walking Had a nice stay with friends. Cheers

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: great resort

Food and rooms were great.The only drawback was that there was no don't feed the animals signs by the pool near building #6. The animals that are similar to racoons have tripled in population since our trip last year. These animals were harassing us for food by the pool. Other than that , service was great except for the servers by the pool restaurant. the servers had a bit of an attitude.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Just okay

We went on vacation to relax. It was very difficult to relax at this resort. Each morning we had to dodge the "hotel representatives" who aggressively follow you around, trying to sell excursions. Then you get to the beach, and instead of relaxing there, you have to fend off people selling you junk all day. The food wasnt very good, either. The rooms were basic at best. Would not go back. Nor would anyone we talked to. Big disappointment for sure.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Absolutely one of the most beautiful resorts!

Our room was always clean, as well every room was always clean and presentable. The food was tasty and always plentiful. I would go back in a heart beat, and would recommend very highly to friends and family.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: A Great Vacation!!

What a great place to go on our first vacation!! The staff at this resort were amazing. The food was great! Everything was clean and organized. There was and had been huge rainfall when we first arrived which led to a minor leak in the roof of our room but the rest of the vacation made up for this small mishap. We will definitely go back to this resort!!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Fun resort!!

The resort was awesome but would have been better if it had a swim-up bar! Staff was very friendly there was no disco at night however the swing bar/ black and white bar and they have a beach party were all great additions instead that keeps it different. :)

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Beautiful, relaxing resort.

The hotel was beautiful. I have stayed at other all-inclusive resorts and have not been up to the same level as this hotel. The staff were very friendly. It was nice to have cart service throughout the resort. The pool was clean. There were many chairs so there was never a problem to find an area to sit and relax poolside and as well on the beach. There was a vast selection of dishes to choose from the buffet. I would recommend this resort to young and all as there is something f [... read more]or everyone.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Beautiful Resort

Rooms were lovely, spacious and very clean and well maintained, Buffet meals were delicious plentiful, and there was a wide variety of food. The grounds were well maintained and very clean. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating, Pools were very clean Beach was nice only complaint was that you couldn't swim because of the rocks

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay not so blue

Swimming at the beach is a priority to me but at this hotel was a HUGE disappointment. The beach water was brown and full of seaweed. The bottom was sandless rocky and muddy. I would have appreciated knowing this before booking this vacation. Other than the water this is a great place with plenty of swimming pool swimming.