Absolutely amazing location
Close to Samana airport
The beach and lounge chairs are plentiful
The restaurants and food are top quality
A wonderful experience
The spa was a great price and great massage
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Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Beautiful location, but poor management.
The Grand Bahia Principe el Portillo in Samana is situated in beautifully lush green surroundings. The beach quickly became one our favourites with many palm trees providing much of the shade and the mountain range in the background. Overall, the main part of the hotel is aged, but it appears well kept. The resort grounds are beautifully maintained. Our room, however, showed many signs of neglect, most significantly the musty smell, the air conditioning which did not work or worked poorly at bes[... read more]t, the lack of water (no water at all) flowing from the ‘hot’ side of the bathroom faucet, and the broken floor tiles. The view from our balcony was of a dilapidated structure/building (staff residence?). Thank goodness the fan worked to move the air around and the sliding balcony door opened. We spoke with the front desk people numerous times over the first 2 days and nights with no resolve. We asked to be moved several times but each time we were told the hotel was fully booked. Vacationers were checking out (and in) every day, but management refused to give us a different room. We received no compensation, not even a simple apology. Eventually we gave up, which is of course, what the hotel management counted on. Having no realistic options, other than packing our bags and waiting at the airport for 5 days, we made peace with the fact that management really did not care and that we were stuck in the smelly hot and humid room. So, we changed our mind-set and expectations and salvaged our vacation by enjoying the beautiful beach, the beautiful weather and the beautiful Dominican people. It really is beautiful in Samana. Unfortunately, you must pay for your vacation up front, which leaves the customer with little or no recourse when management fails to deliver on the promises they make to entice you to stay at their resort. Our only recourse comes after our stay: We promise to not ever return to the Grand Bahia Principe el Portillo in Samana or stay at any Grand Bahia resort anywhere in the world. The difference between the Grand Bahia management and us? We’ll keep our promise.
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The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: I will be back....
I have stayed at the Luxury Bahia in La Romana, at the Grand Bahia in Punta Cana and a resort in Puerta Plata. Nothing compares to the beauty and service at the Cayacoa. The lush mountains of the surrounding jungle and view of the Bay is breathtaking.
The other reviews are correct that your stay may not be perfect. I met others who had issues with WIFI in their rooms, tubs that wouldn't drain or luke warm showers. But the smiles of all of the servers more than make up for any little inconvenie[... read more]nces. This truly is the one resort that I will come back to someday.
Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Amazing resort for some down time!
Lovely resort, with attentive staff and great dining options. Little to do by way of water sports or activities which if you're looking for forced relaxation is a positive.
Beautiful views from the sea view rooms wkth gorgeously appointed rooms
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Bahia Principe Escape Samana: fantastic resort
by far the best resort we've been too service was unbelievable didn't want for anything would highly recommend to anyone would go back tomorrow if had the time and money.staff always friendly couldn't do enough for you always attentive .for room service very fast and friendly amenities s very clean and bright .also wanting to thank bev for all her help and please thanks for sending us more deals ....if something catches our eye we will probably take it and go .once again a great resort and than[... read more]ks bev.
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Wyndham Alltra Samana: Great vacation
My husband and I just returned after 1 week at Grand Paradise. There were some minor problems but not serious enough to ruin our vacation. The resort overall is very nice; beautiful gardens, very well maintained grounds and buildings; comfortable room (building #2). We found the food to be very good with lots of variety and very tasty. The pool and beach area were great. Before you get to the beach, there is a large park-like area with lots of grass. This is where most of the activities were off[... read more]ered. After about 3 days we found out that there are 2 animation teams, one for the French guests and the other for the rest. We were not offered the same schedule so if a guest wants to partake in these activities, they'd have to check the French schedule on the board. This should be mentioned in the "Welcome" meeting..we felt left out. The nightly entertainment was very enjoyable. Overall, the staff were great...very helpful and fun and we enjoyed our time there.
FYI - do not purchase the VIP lounge on your return home. This was a ripoff!!
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Cayo Levantado Resort: Excellent resort and location
Everything was great. Staff couldn’t do enough for you especially around the pool and beach area. Not that other staff members in other areas were any different. Buffet had everything you could want and Don Pablo restaurant was fantastic. Excellent vacation and would return even though it’s going to go as a family resort unfortunately. One minor problem though our travel agent advised the resort that it was our wedding anniversary. Nothing materialized although we had observed several units [... read more]throughout the resort with door saches etc for birthdays and anniversaries. Just not us
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Wyndham Alltra Samana: Ok Resort
Visited this resort January 14 to January 21, 2018
Pros: Awesome Beach and pool. Staff were cordial however did not go out of their way to be accomodating - example asked for Diet beverages and did not get them in my room until the day I was leaving. Food was great.
Cons: Visitors were generally unfriendly example - 99% of visitors would not acknowledge you with a hello in the morning or during the day. No coffee maker in room. I travelled alone and when I went to restaurant for dinner, h[... read more]ostess placed me in table in corner of the room. Really?????
If this sounds petty. No. I am easy to please however these little things made my trip less than 100%
Ride from airport 2 hours. Just so you know.
Bai Principle Roulette is where I would return to. Been there twice.
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Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Paradise!!
Modern rooms. Tranquil environment. Super beach. Friendly staff. Great food.In the middle of the jungle with palm trees on the beach. Enough loungers for everyone. Small enough to get to know other guests and staff.
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Melissam11 -
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The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Great trip
Resort was clean and beautiful. Great time. A few issues with check in. They didn't give us the proper bands and services we paid extra for. The privledge club. The desk manager was rude and made us print out proof that we had purchased the upgrade. Otherwise food is great. A la cartes are great. Beach was beautiful. Excursions a lot of fun. We saw whales!!!
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The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Amazing Views
Hotel is absolutelty beautiful. Stunning Views. Very Clean throughout. Excellent food. Most reviews talk about not good if you have mobility issues. Depending on the room I didn't find an issue with getting around. Shuttles will take you back and forth to the room.
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Cayo Levantado Resort: Very nice resort
The resort is beautifully designed and well-kept. The food is excellent and staff are friendly. Not so much to do on this island, the resort is the only structure....
This resort is for you if you're looking for: total relax, with good food, the drinks and the beautiful grounds.
1. Wi-Fi in each room worked well most of the times.
2. Lots of shade on the beach.
3. Food is excellent, drinks are great.
4. Rooms are beautifully decorated, very well cleaned and re-stocked however can be so no[... read more]isy if overlooking staff buildings. We were awoken at 6am every morning by noise from resort staff doing their jobs.
5. Staff are very friendly and helpful.
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Alice -
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Cayo Levantado Resort: Very nice resort
Resort is very beautiful. Grounds look like botanical garden. Very nicely maintained. The resort is situated on island. Our transfer from airport was very smooth. The bus was big and comfortable with about 60 min. Ride. Then about 10 min on boat. We had junior suite with ocean and garden view with beautiful balcony. The room is very spacious and bright. Bathroom is nice. No smell in the room or bathroom. A.C works perfectly no noise. No bags or mosquitoes. Resort is large. We preferred walk ever[... read more]ywhere as there is so beautiful and paths have a lot of shade but if we needed ride there is an electric cart that can take us all over the resort.
There is a lot of staff with different responsibilities in this resort. Cleaning personal is doing very good job keeping everywhere nice. No shortage towels or toiletries. Mini fridge is stocked daily and bottled water was available. The food in buffet was ok. We are not very picky and that's why we could always find something like fruit or BBQ. I didn't like choice of cooked vegetables there. They were over cooked and very bland. There is also not a lot of fresh veggies. In restaurants the food was better and the staff was very friendly. No waiting for sitting and they always fill your glass.
The beach was perfect with a lots of shade and launch chairs. Water is nice and clear and because it's an island there is a different beaches there.
Overall it is a very nice resort and I will recommend it.
Also thank you to all stuff for doing a very good job.
Alice
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Henner -
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Wyndham Alltra Samana: Relaxing resort
Good spot for a relaxing vacation.The beach is a bit trashy and rocky at one end but the rest of the beach is good.Service at select club was very good with special mention to Antonio and Raily..Housekeeping was always good.
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Vlad -
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Bahia Principe Escape Samana: We like it very much !
Yes , Indeed ! We like this kind of resorts, small, above 4 stars with a good staff and food. Room was very good with a breathtaking view. They still have room for improvement, I mean a night shows. It's all designed for young people, but most of people in the hotel were above 50. Overall, it's a great resort, to us it's a best place for a relaxing, beech vacation among all 3 nearby resorts.
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Mike King -
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Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Good Resort
Pool's where good
Beach, okay not clear water
Food-More fish than any fish lover would want
Pool's where good
Beach, okay not clear water
Food-More fish than any fish lover would want
Staff excellent
Rooms clean
Service Good
Bus ride to resort was peaceful and smooth.
Buggy rides to get around very helpful for people that cant walk step hills.
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Shells at the beach -
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The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Wonderful time because of wonderful people/resort!
This is a great resort! I was skeptical at first - worried about my mobility issues (double hip surgeries) but no problems at all. They have shuttles and golf carts to take you to any area on the resort, to get to the beach a very modern and quick elevator. We were located in the main building, steps away from the amazing buffet and the main pool. What made this resort unique was the amazing people working there! I have travelled the Caribbean islands quite a bit - service people put on a p[... read more]olite - give me a tip please smile. People working at this resort are the real deal! Mercedes, Ana, Dady (especially Dady the manager of the main dining lounge WOW!) Pablo (Lewis) Raul the bartender made for a great stay. I never heard one bad thing about anything or anyone (other than a sour faced lady (?) who complained the music was too loud (go to the beach where there is quiet and peace if that is what you want! Your in the Dominican - ENJOY!)
The meals - they were great. Lots of everything - mixed it up as much as possible and DO NOT book any a la cartes on Gala night. The resort must have brought in around 500-600 lobsters, plus mussels, clams, crabs (legs) oysters as well as chicken, beef. All servers are wanting to please and Dady will make sure that it is.
We did have an issue with the room key not working but it was corrected as quickly as possible. The air conditioner could have been colder - but it was ok. I was leaving the cold - didn't need to be reminded of what was waiting for my return!
The room was clean, the resort is continuously cleaning, painting, picking up and scrubbing. The beach is cleaned every morning the pools and hot tubs are scrubbed down every morning. The animation team tries to keep everyone involved and has games or will sit down and chat and make everyone feel welcome. Thank you again Pablo (Lewis) for explaining some of the Dominican culture to us.
If you want a huge sprawling resort this might not be the resort for you but if you want some pleasant, and personable people looking after you with good food, lots of drinks that are very well made please consider Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa.
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Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Loved this place!
We just returned from this zen paradise and are already planning a return visit. We have travelled extensively and been to many Caribbean islands and resorts and Viva Wyndham Samaná is in our top 3 experiences of all time.
Being only 20mins from the Samaná Airport makes it even better, no long transfer after the long flight(s).
Despite it being so wonderful I am unfortunately prone to bug bites - sand fleas/flies - whatever. I brought deet from home (Canada) - don’t bother - buy the [... read more]stuff from the lobby shop (Deporte). It works.
The beach, food and staff are all wonderful. Wifi is good throughout the resort but can drop at the beach. Rooms are basic, but comfortable. We booked a Vibe room which had a nice patio at ground level with 2 chairs and a lounge bed. Also had a small plunge pool that we never used. There is good water pressure in shower and the AC worked great. You get a 25% off voucher for the spa with booking the vibe rooms. I had a massage at the spa and the pressure was VERY firm, almost painful. I know I have a lot of knots in my back but I stated at least twice that I wanted a relaxing treatment. Unfortunately, it was not.
The ocean is beautiful but can be quite rough some days. This makes for fun boogie boarding or fun watching waves - whatever your preference. Although we are from the East Coast of Canada and are used to a vigorous surf it was still pretty rough for us to swim a couple of days. We saw green, yellow, and red flags up during our 7 day visit. We walked on the beach in both directions for 20-30 mins. There are calmer waters for swimming to the right of the resort facing the ocean, and good snorkeling about 20 mins to the right, around the bend.
We spent one afternoon at the pool and although we are not “pool people†it was pretty nice. A very chill vibe with cocktail service as well.
Memorable staff include Santo at the beach restaurant, Yinginfyns (sp?), Victor, Yvonne, and Sammy at the beach bar, Jordan, Choolate and Carlos from the entertainment crew, Carlos at the breakfast omelette station, all breakfast servers, Juan and Marisela at Fusion, and housekeeping was excellent. I can’t remember all the names of the staff but everyone was so helpful and friendly.
Please, please, TIP for the amazing service the crew at this resort provides. They deserve it!! Bring small bills from home as it isn’t easy to get change once you’re there.
There are 3 a la carte restaurants. The ones that are open each eve are posted on a sign at the Guest Services desk in the lobby. Some yummy dishes we had at the restaurants include the minestrone soup, seafood risotto, chicken entree with apples, and tiramisu at the Mediterranean. The spring roll and chow mein appetizers, plus the salmon and chicken entrees at Fusion. Carlos makes amazing omelettes at breakfast and the fresh fruit is delicious - papaya especially.
The pizza and the fried chicken for lunch at the beach restaurant were awesome and they will make a pizza with your preferred toppings if you ask.
We did not visit the seafood a la carte restaurant.
For drinks - Caipirinhas are to die for and the pina coladas, melon balls and Cuba libres are also tasty. The white wine is horrible (IMO) but I must admit I am a bit of a wine snob. I do prefer white over red at home. At this resort, however, I drank the house red with dinner since it was much better than the white. I’m not sure if they change up the house wines or not but while we were there the brand was “Joyeux†something.
Friday night entertainment in the lobby is fun. Starts off with a local jazz entertainer then proceeds into a bit of a dance fiesta with the recreation crew. It’s white night on Fridays so bring something white to wear. We didn’t realize this til we were there.
Overall we would have no hesitation recommending this resort for a peaceful, adults only getaway.
Please remember to tip the hard working staff.
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Viva V Samana by Wyndham: Cozy resort on great beach location
This is a small adults only resort located on amazing beach. Rooms and grounds are immaculate. Every room has a view. The buffet restaurant has limited options but they are fresh and well prepared. The a la carte restaurants lack sophistication, however all food was well prepared, they lacked finesse. Vibe rooms with plunge pools are fantastic. The additional terrace space includes a lounge where you can relax on return from the beach, or enjoy after dinner drinks while still listening to e[... read more]vening entertainment from the plaza. As my vibe room was not available on my first night, the resort offered a free massage as compensation in their intimate spa. Spa experience was excellent and professional. Overall, an intimate resort for total relaxation.