Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: A very fine resort

There were 6 of us (adults) who went to this resort for the first time. All of us thought it was one of the best we have been to. The staff is excellent. The food is very good. One nice thing is all but one (Japanese) of the restaurants do not need reservations. The rooms are great. Lots of pools and loungers. We did not have any kids with us, but it is definitely a great family resort. The lazy river is a blast. Would definitely go back.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Beautiful destination !!!

Returned for our second visit to Barcelo Bavaro Beach . Everything was just as expected .... FANTASTIC !!! The resort is very clean and well groomed , the service is amazing ... your drink glass never gets empty before someone offers another . The staff are all very pleasant and helpful . You always feel welcomed and special . Food options were plentiful and tasty . The adult side is very quiet and relaxing .... but if you want action , head over to the Palace (also included) were things go all  [... read more]night . The beach is beautiful with plenty of loungers available . The pool is very clean and refreshing with plenty of loungers also available . The only down side is there is not a swim up bar .... but the efficient servers make up for that . I would highly recommend this resort for couples looking for a hassle free holiday in a paradise setting .

Bahia Principe Explore Legend: Amazing resort

Its a very beatiful resort especially for kids i have 3 kids ages 8,6,3 they had a blast they went to disney a year ago believe me they didnt have as much as fun as in fantasia bahia ..very friendly staff amazing seafood ...all the time activities all around the hotel at the pool alot of intreteinments,jumping castles on the water ,coconut party ,pirates show...every night theres a different show going on at 9 the best was micheal jackson amazing !the rooms are in very good conditions and big i  [... read more]recomend it to every1 going to punta cana i am repeating it for next vacation same destination same hotel fantasia bahia principe the best!

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Great vacation at the Aquamarine!

We stayed at the Aquamarine from 06Jan-13Jan (group of 4). Check in was relatively easy and our room was ready right away. I was a bit nervous after reading a few bad recent reviews but we were so happy with our vacation. The grounds are very clean. Our room was close to the pool and we were easily able to get chairs beside the pool each day. The activities at the pool were great, especially the foam party on the Monday. The animation staff really get the crowd involved. The main pool is a b [... read more]it louder but the two side pools were quiet. The bartenders at the pool bar were great (I think Carlos was our main bartender all week!) The food at the buffet was very good and the service was amazing (shout out to Maria!). For the A La Cartes, we ate at M.E.A.T., Mexican, Italian and Japanese (Maiko). They were all very good but the Japanese was amazing!!! I'd recommend all of them. We also enjoyed going to the Sports Bar. It was a fun thing to do in the evening before dinner (get the mozza sticks!). The hotel is located a bit further from the beach, but there is a shuttle or it is a nice walk. We only went down to the beach a few times so this wasn't an issue for us. The only downside - we booked an excursion on the beach and it was a TERRIBLE experience. It's an attempt to get you to spend more money at the location and we were left without a shuttle back to our hotel. I'd recommend not booking excursions on the beach and only booking through the hotel. It will cost a bit more but will be worth it! Special thanks to Heilen at the main office for being so accommodating with us. The adults only aspect of the Aquamarine is worth the cost! I would highly recommend this resort to others and we very much enjoyed our stay!

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Wonderful vacation

Absolutely loved our stay at Aquamarine! From the moment we landed in Punta Cana, everything went smoothly and transportation to the resort was very organized. Our room was sportless and roomy. We were in close proximity to the pool which was a bonus. The food at the buffet was so fresh and flavourful! The waiting staff were all so kind and the service was relatively quick. Maria was usually our waitress and she was so friendly and fun to have. The beach is a 7 minute walk from the resort, but t [... read more]here is also a shuttle every few minutes which was nice to have if we didn’t feel like walking. The beach is busy, so going early to reserve chairs is almost a must. We would definitely return to this resort!! So happy with our stay.

Riu Republica: Great resort for adults

The hotel was nice, clean rooms. The only thing I did not like is the housekeeper did not clean our room regularly and when we did remind them they still did not do it. Also I found the food to be bland.

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Beautiful - New Resort

Amazing hotel - well maintained - well manicured lawns - a fun place for adults and children of all ages. Excellent cuisine in all the restaurants. The best for variety of fruits and vegetables. fish, seafood and meats. Lazy river so much fun - lots of pool and beach activities. Drawback - Diamond Club exclusives - in the specialty restaurants that are open to all, Diamond Club members get priority reservations. We actually got bumped from the wait list to accommodate Diamond Club and that t [... read more]o me is a no-no. Diamond Club have their own restaurant and pool which if fine, but I am not a second class guest. Rooms large and clean and modern, however, the free-standing jacuzzi tub situated in the middle of the floor as you enter is strange. Great staff, excellent location on Bavaro beach - lots of sun cover and very comfortable chairs. Still, the treatment of non-Diamond Club members would keep me from going back.

Secrets Royal Beach: Enjoyable vacation

Both my wife and I really enjoyed our stay at Secrets. Staff was fantastic right across the board with a special mention to our butler (sounds pretentious and it is ... but it was the first time we ever splurged) Robinson "The People's Champion", he was awesome. Can't remember everyone's names but all were very good especially Santa, Israel, Junior, Eduardo, Jeffrey. Food was great- if you are complaining about it - you are way too picky. Room was everything we needed and wanted after a slight [... read more] initial hiccup. View was astounding and all the amenities we needed. Would stay again in a heartbeat!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great resort

Extremely clean mini suites and hallways. Grounds beautifully manicured. Pool large and pleasant to spend time in with morning and afternoon events scheduled; bar accessible both from inside and outside water. Beach well tended with plenty of chairs and umbrellas.

Excellence El Carmen: 2nd time around

We had gone to this resort in January 2018 on the recommendation of our Travel Agent. We were not disappointed. We fell in love with everything this resort offered. So much that our group said let's go again next year! So we just returned from yet another fabulous trip. We had the honeymoon beachfront swimout rooms which were amazing. Plus the excellence club. What a memorable trip. The food was as fabulous as we remembered. Each restaurant was excellent. The service amazing. The Excel [... read more]lence Resort and their staff go out of their way to make sure everything is right if not better. We had so much fun! A top notch resort. We would highly recommend it.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Overall a great trip!

We recently returned from a 7 day vacation at the Barcelo Bravaro Palace. Overall we had a great time. The resort itself is spectacular! The grounds are very well kept and everything is very clean.This resort is attached to the Bavaro Beach resort which is adult only. All the services, including the a la cart restaurants, casino and shopping area are all in the main palace complex, so the folks from the adult only area had to come to the Palace complex for these services. I did have a chance to  [... read more]go visit the adult only area. It was defiantly quieter and a little higher end overall. I went a couple times to the bar at that end of the resort. The second time they noticed may Palace bracelet and would only let me get one drink..:(, ( I was there to get one for me and one for my wife). I assume this is a way to keep you in your respective resort area, however there were lots of folks from the adult only area drinking at the bars in the palace area with no restrictions. There is a large theater with high quality shows every night. There are quite a few shops for general shopping and the main complex so there really wasn't any need to leave the resort. We usually travel around the area when we are on these trips but spent this whole trip on site. We did find some prices inflated in the hotel shopping area. The room it self was kept clean and made up whenever we asked. The bed was large and very comfortable. They kept the bar fridge stocked with juice, pop, beer and water. They also replaced the chips and peanut snack bags every day. The drinks at the bar were all very good. The clear well alcohol was not the best but was hidden well in the mixed drinks. If you asked for premium brand alcohol, ie Absolute vodka, Beefeater gin, they served it no problem. There is only one kind of beer available and the cups are small. The beach is very large and one complaint i have is it is too far to walk to the bar if you were way down the beach. I would recommenced taking a travel mug, to save you some trips! Bottled water is readily available. The beach was kept very clean and there was a crew out every day raking up the seaweed. The resort makes an effort to recycle with plastic only and organic only bins around the beach area. There were ample deck chairs available, although if you didn't get one reserved early in the day, you couldn't get close to the pool or anywhere near a bar on the beach. They allocated you two towels when you arrived to be used at the beach and pool area, which you could swap out anytime. On the second last day, we had a sudden down pour of rain and everyone's towel was soaked. I assumed they would run out of dry towels, but to my pleasant surprise, they had lots. There were hobbie cats available to use for free as well as sail boards and paddle boats. You had to book them a day ahead and you really needed to get there early to get a spot. The food overall was good. With any large buffet, you expect to see yesterdays leftover food recycled in today's meals somewhere. I did not see this. There was lots of selection and different foods every day. The fresh fish was excellent. the salad bar and fresh fruit was excellent as well. Overall, the buffets did not compare to those we have had in mexico, but we didn't loose any weight...;) The a la carts were a little disappointing. We ate at 4 different ones. The Italian restaurant was good. The pasta was always cooked properly. They need to work on their sauces. The Japanese was disappointing. They limit how many different dishes you can order, although you can share. The rice in the sushi rolls was overcooked (which I have found normal at these places). I wanted some Sake with my meal. I was told it was an extra charge (huh?) The seafood restaurant was good, the the service was very slow and non-attentive. Didn't enjoy the atmosphere. The steak house was by far the best. The atmosphere and service was excellent. the steak was done to perfection! There were not many English speaking people there including staff. We had a little difficulty communicating but overall it added to the experience. There were a lot of Russian tourists there and i found them generally self absorbed and rude. Lots of Spanish speaking tourists, coming from South America mainly. I would say less than 20% English speaking American and Canadian guests. The WiFi was supposed to be complimentary, however this was only in the casino. If you wanted WiFi outside of that there was an extra charge. I think it was $45 US for the week, not outrageous, but you could only have one device on at a time and it was a pain to log in and out! Overall a good experience and we would go back!

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Large Resort

Grounds well maintained. Room cleaning needs to be improved with proper replacement of toiletries. Perfect for families with young children in family only area. all inclusive price does not include Wave Pool and Pirate Island, this should be stipulated in description.when paying so families can budget costs. Good selection of food. Steak house and Seafood Restaurants should not be considered as an Al a Cart as the food was not anything different from buffet. Hoya (included as part of resta [... read more]urants, but is an Al a Cart) service at table with small buffet area,and good, hot food. Service slow, like all D.R. to be expected. Most importantly ************ they do not understand, speak English well and do not care to try.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Great staff and food!

What we liked about the hotel: - hotel is perfect size, not to big so easy to access all amenities - all the staff super friendly and helpful - food was amazing: gluten free options, lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, meats and seafood made to order! The morning smoothies were refreshing and perfect to kickoff the day – thanks to the amazing smoothie lady!! - beautiful sandy beach BUT lots of seaweed - however, hotel did a great job of cleaning it out a couple of times a day - like [... read more] the no wrist band and towel keys Things to consider / improve: - not impressed at all with check-in experience, the lady serving us was not friendly at all (counter to all other staff at hotel!) - we arrived almost 2 hours late and yet our check-in information was not ready, took way longer to check-in - rooms are out-dated unless in new buildings which cost more - the Seaside grill menu and food was the least pleasant AND most did not accommodate a small request e.g. I ordered steak and wanted a few shrimp on side and they did not provide (shrimp was on the menu too with a bunch of other items, I only wanted surf and turf). - hot tub only for privilege club which is unfair when there is only one hot tub at the resort – they wanted over $50 for use. - no adult pool / section for “normal class folks” only for privilege club – again a money grab - did nothing special for anniversary unless you paid for extras Overall, food and staff made the trip special! Not sure if I’d go back given the money grab on additional options which are offered for free by many other similar chains e.g. adult pool, hot tub use for adults

Excellence El Carmen: Incredible place!

We loved this place sp much that this was a return visit! The layout, the staff, and the food and drink were the best! The beach was really lovely. We were able to take long walks and had so much fun jumping in the waves.

Riu Republica: Awesome Vacation Place

We stayed at the Riu in Punta Cana and the resort was awesome. All the amenities exceeded expectation. The pools were great and being able to hang out on the beach and swim in the ocean was an incredible experience. People are not exaggerating when they talk about how beautiful the beaches are in Punta Cana. The resort staff were awesome as well, including doing the little things like bringing trays of drinks around to the people waiting on the beach so that we didn't need to keep going back int [... read more]o the resort to serve ourselves all the time. I would say the one of the main highlights of the trip was the nightly entertainment at the hotel. I have never made it a priority to stick around for the entertainment at a resort before. At the Riu we saved our seats up front every night.

Riu Republica: Great!

It was a very clean and large resort. There was something for everyone. Whether your young or old there was the party pools and also the quieter pools. The beach was very nice but red and yellow flags which indicated the water/waves were rough and not so safe to swim. We’re more pool people so that did not matter to us. Lots of good food, drinks both alcohol or non and awesome capachinos l. Staff were always polite. Reminder it’s $20 US per person to leave the Dominican!

Bahia Principe Explore Legend: Great new resort

Been to punta Cana over 10 times. Been to Bahia principe 5 times. Never the Fantasia. It was amazing. Resort was beautiful. Kids loved all the @ctivities and slides and pools etc. Beach was beautiful. Sufficient chairs at beach. Rooms were comfy. Bed was firm. mini bar refilled every day. Food was better then usual although still not up to our standards. Would recommend in a heart beat.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Amazing resort

Great resort for the price. Plenty of food around the clock. Never got bored , only able to see half the resort , too big, good for the kids too, plenty of activity, play area lots of pools every where. Entertainment every night. Beach is awesome. Bad : 1 receptionist very very slow to do everything? Check in 20 minutes per room . I don’t get it 2 : all the meat food are very salty? I mean very. I don’t get that part ether

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: So much variety

I just got back last week from staying and the Grand Palladium Punta Cana for a week stay. My mom (61) and myself (33). Pros: you can go to all three resorts so you have a lot of variety with pools etc. We didn't love our pools as they had more kids, so within 5 minutes (not even) we walked to a different pool. The entertainment was great, which included live shows with so much effort, bubble parties in the pool, night show on the beach, and so much more. The food was good and there was  [... read more]a lot of variety. We were always able to find something with liked. We also went to other resorts to eat to switch things up. That was nice option! While on the beach we never had major problems with people selling us things. We just didnt look at them and for the most part that was fine! The seaweed is worse than some days but did NOT get in the way of us enjoying the beach. The water was warm in the ocean and so clean. You could walk for miles. Cons: The entertainment didn't start until 10:00 but I'm a lightweight and like to be in bed a bit earlier. The shower, although beautiful, was not the most practical. Hard to get into and had transparent doors to the bedroom/ living area. Those two things were no big deal at all however. My suggestions: If you are with kids stay at the Punta Cana because the pool there is the best for them! I would not suggest the Bavaro. It looked a bit run down. Otherwise if you are with adults the next best thing to the TRS is the Palace. The loby has the best atmosphere during the night to socially hang out in, it has a really nice pool, and is also close to the only adults only pool in the property called "the secret pool." This pool is beautiful!!! Next time I would like to stay at the TRS is if it only a matter of a bit of extra money. That is truely a 5 star resport. We snuck in (well walked in...) and spent a lot of time there. Everything is classy and just one step further in luxury. You are treated like royalty there and have special privalages. My mom said it was to uppity up for her, but I quite enjoyed it! Overall, what a beautiful trip! Thank you for the great memories.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Amazing resort

Hotel was very good as always have been there before very well kept, Pool area was amazing lots of action Rooms always fresh looking We found the beef restaurant to be the best this year, the buffets were good also. Lots of entertainment