Perfect Resort

I now know why this resort has so many good reviews.The resort is small which makes it easy to get oriented and everything a short walking distance. The resort is very clean always staff sweeping mopping and cleaning .The Buffet is one of the best I have experienced in an all inclusive lots of choices and flavourful. The service for the most part was good but it was very busy no long lineups anywhere but sometimes coffee and water at breakfast was slow but we were on vacation so no biggie.Smoke [... read more]rs could be disrespectful at times but that is no fault of the resort The pool was nice and clean the beach was beautiful great for walking. Rooms were large dated but very clean AC worked well. I would certainly recommend this resort and would definitely stay again Because of the wonderful kind staff

Awesome Vacation

Gran Ventana was Awesome!! My third time visiting this resort. The staff are so friendly and kind. The food was awesome…..we did the buffet most nights but did an a la carte one night…the food at both was great. Lots of variety and delicious….so clean…Nothing but great to say about this resort…10/10….Can’t wait to go back!

Premium level

The hotel is dated but very clean. We had no issues with hot water for showers and everything in the room worked well. Our room was near the entertainment so in the evening it was very loud until 11:30pm. This was our only complaint and if we were to return we would absolutely ask for a quiet room. Purchasing the premium level upgrade is an absolute must. The beach chair area, private lounge and other upgrades make the cost well worth the bit extra you pay. The food was consistently good and we  [... read more]enjoyed the 3 Al a carte restaurants as well as the buffet. Staff were friendly and helpful. Tipping is not expected but appreciated. We loved the beach. Did not use the pools.

Would Not Go Back

I think the 4 star rating is a stretch but we did enjoyed our stay, this despite the room being quite awful. We walked into a flood on the floor from the bar fridge (a very rusted fridge), no coffee maker & a safe key that didn't work. The pool area was nice but on one day a large group of people from a cruise ship arrived causing over crowding, it also caused delays in the dinning area. Towels were a problem in both the room & at the pool, with long enough delays that I doubt they have su [... read more]fficient stock of both sorts. The food was fine but always had long line ups, to book for one of the featured restaurants you had to join a long line at 8am to try and book for the following two evenings. We would not go back.

Disappointing

This resort is old and dated and could really use some updating. I have never encountered resort staff that cared less about their job. We travelled in a group with 4 rooms we asked that our rooms be close together which we know is not guaranteed. The rooms were not close together and we were told that trip central lied to us and that nothing on our booking said we wanted rooms together. When I showed them proof that it was requested they said “well it’s not guaranteed” when I inquired about [... read more] moving rooms around we were told that there was no way they could do that. Which is fine if that was their policy but when speaking to another guest they got a room in a building that wasn’t their preference and tipped the front desk $20 and got the room they wanted. Apparently they are only willing to accommodate guest requests if you pay extra. I Spoke to security after my teen daughters were chased by a naked man in the halls, they were not interested at all. Other guests also had issues with that unruly guest exposing himself to them and security didn’t care. They did however take a small child with physical disabilities using the adult only pool seriously and kicked him out of the pool when it was the only pool that was accessible to him.

Great resort, great food, and great staff!

We are a family of four, two kids aged 7 and 5. We had an amazing time during our 7 night 8 day stay. We stayed at the building by the quiet pool which looks beautiful but we never used it with the little ones (we preferred the main pool). The main pool is beautiful and has a swim up bar with amazing staff, shout out to Ernesto (bartender). The staff was amazing with our family from Francisco in the dining area to the best entertainers Carlos and Isaac. The beach is a short walk from the [... read more] main pool and is gorgeous. The main beach has a coral reef further out where the larger waves break leaving the beach calm for swimming, and snorkeling. We took a walk down the beach and built an inukshuk with several others that were already there (beautiful site). Past this point there are larger waves and it is great for swimming and looking for sea shells. The food was amazing at the main buffet. We also went to one a la cart (octopus I think), and it was amazing. We hope to go back again.

Amazing Staff

I must say this is an excellent value for your money. Beautiful clean grounds, good food and amazing staff. Shout to our housekeeper Lidia in the Catalina building on the ground floor. She is just an amazing person so kind a friendly and always a smile on her face. Andrea and Nicholas at the pool bar are exceptional people always smiling and supplying great service. Shout out to some of the workers that are behind the scenes that definitely deserve to be mentioned are this amazing lady with her  [... read more]pale blue hair clip that keeps the bathrooms clean. She was off a few days and the bathrooms were awful. She did a great job and a tip goes along way to let her know we appreciate her service. Alberto one of the grounds keepers sweeping up all those leaves around the pool. Always smiling and helpful. Full appreciation to the pool life guard Estaban who is always smiling a fist pump here and there and makes you feel welcome at the resort. I can't forget Solange who is always helpful . Rosa welcoming you into the buffet. Thank you to all of you above that made our 2 weeks stay so memorable. Because of you all we will be back.

Good place to vacation

The hotel is directly connected to a beautiful beach. We chose the Royal package so had a nice room, access to private beach area, lounge etc Staff were all great and we were impressed by the buffet, although huge the serving areas were plentiful, covered containers kept food warm, options abounded - beef from joint, pastas made to order etc 3 a la carte restaurants were also available plus a snack bar. There were both party areas and quiet areas with separate pools - only warning is that the [... read more] rooms are 3 stories and there are no elevators so if you have mobility issues ensure you stay on ground floor. The evening entertainment was average - the exception was live music from a wonderful singer.

Gran Vantana DR

Overall a OK hotel. Rooms in need of a refresh, however cleaning staff keeps them as clean as possible. The bath/shower area needs the most attention. Pools and beach were very clean and there always appeared to be a few chairs available. Tried two à la carte restaurants, The Italian and the steakhouse both were very good. The buffet was ordinary, and a little more variety would have been better. My spouse did get some food poisoning on the last day. The wine appears to be watered down which May [... read more] or may not contributed to the sickness. The resort was 80% attended by Canadians and many were repeat guest. A mainly 60+ age group which made for a quiet and relaxing time.

Amazing Resort

People were amazing, grounds were well maintained, buffet was very clean, workers were very friendly and helpful. Vintage bar and Ala cartes were great. Great place to relax. Would definitely return again.

Very small and dated but good price

This resort is very dated but clean and the food was ok. The beach was spectacular though. The drinks were all bottom shelf and only wine & beer served at restaurants. Odd that they took the towels out in the morning but didn’t replace until late afternoon. Entertainment was not good, terrible sound system. But for the money it’s not a bad deal.

Great Experience

Beautiful grounds. Awesome pool and swim up bar. Lots of variety for bars, restaurant and at buffet. Service was great. Rooms a tiny bit outdated but still very clean and enjoyable. If you’re a coffee lover you’d have to look off resort!

OK Resort

The staff is exceptionally friendly. But I can't figure out why they use four different people to service the rooms. One handles towels, one handles restocking the fridge, one cleans the room, and one delivers chocolates at night. There's lots of traffic in the hallways, and lots of noise. They really need more people in the buffet, especially in the mornings. The people that are there are great, but they're run off their feet. The food wasn't bad, except for the roast beef, at the start of o [... read more]ur vacation, but did get repetitive by the end of our 10 days. And the salt! Oh my, I like salt but a lot of the food was really too salty! Unusual for a Caribbean resort, the desserts were delicious. The A La Cartes were ok, the Italian was probably the best. The beach is lovely for sunbathing and walking, not great for swimming. We had a Premium package so got to enjoy the private beach area. That was really nice. The pool was very nice, but closed down at 7:00 pm! And often during the day the volume of music playing was not enjoyable. They could also use more public restrooms. The ones they have at the lobby often had a line up, sometimes because they wouldn't flush. My cousin and I booked massages, not a great experience. There's nothing like someone calling bingo at a volume that could be heard throughout the resort to aid in the relaxation one should enjoy from having a massage. The cold air blasting down wasn't a great addition to the hot stone massage either. It's not the worse resort I've ever been to, that belongs to Cuba, but I am not likely to book this resort again.

Good week at the resort but the weather should be better the week after we left.

The main hotel lobby reception area is located in the middle and you have the differents stylish buildings around it where the rooms are located. The theatre is very close to the lobby and the buffet and the bar outside. They keep the place clean. The workers are quick at cleaning the tables and serving us coffee and water. The omelette cooks are very quick and are good at mastering/juggling the omelettes preferences of the guests. The food was good. We did not get sick, ( we don't drink muc [... read more]h). The live music band (one night) was very very good. The others nights they had karaoke, silent disco and some good dance performers.They had the super bowl party viewing on the giant screen in the theatre outside. We had few sunny days and some rain but it's the same everywhere (climate change). The resort does not have elevators but after few days of climbing three floors, my heart rate improved, I was less breathless the last days. It was a good exercise but it makes it a little harder when you take your luggage down when you leave. You can also ask the porters to come and help you. In general, it was a good week and we were happy with our choice.

Awesome resort with great people

Upon arrival we were sent upstairs to the Royal check in. While doing required paperwork were given drinks of our choice as well as access to some Hors d'oeuvre in the lounge. Check in was quick room was not ready but was ready when we came back at 3pm. Room and grounds clean pool good and was kept clean. Man bars available for the size of the resort and all good. Ocean was good with very little coral and water clear enough to see it as well as see small pools of fish. Buffet was good can it ge [... read more]t repetitive? Sure but if you try the different dishes it was good. The Ocean Grill, Italian and Octopus restaurants were also good for an all inclusive. The staff were top notch friendly and quick for the most part (yes restaurants could be slower in service and getting coffee at breakfast could be slow but the resort was at capacity the whole time so please be patient they are going 10/10.) Overall I love love love this resort especially at the price point and will visit again.

Amazing resort

The grounds at this hotel were immaculate as per usual. The food was excellent and the room was very clean and quiet with a view of the beach. This was our fifhteen year going to this resort and what stands out are the people who work at this resort. From manager in charge of food services, Sessione Ventura to Raul at breakfast. These people go above and beyond for their guest.

We return there every year, and for a good reason

Nothing is perfect in the world, and it is up to us to find the perfection. We return to this resort for very specific reason: cleanliness, beach, food and steady climate and hospitality. Always good.

Repeat Customers Abound

This was our 3rd time back at this resort - and we typically have never gone back to a twice because we love to explore different places. Why go back 3 times? We met many others coming back 5 -10 - 15 times! WOW! Why? This is not a 5 star resort - not a large resort (compared to others) - limited childrens activities - so why come back? Well, we are retired and just want a place of "Rest & Relaxation" as we wait for winter to pass in Canada. There are a lot of Canadians there. (maybe even 70% :) [... read more] The food is decent - the beach is very nice - the place is older but kept up well - the rooms are ok - the price for 2 weeks inclusive with flight was only $2200. It will be hard to beat this value for money. The only issue we had this time was that the hotel ignored our 4 emails to request a room on 3rd floor in the Catalina building. (This was due to mobility issues of some of our party of 4) We were left standing in the lobby for 1 hour while they did who knows what. The rooms were actually available - and they finally left us have them. No one there (including management) could really tell us why 4 seniors after traveling all day were left with no room for 1 hour) This left a bit of a sour taste in our mouth!

Fantastic

We are already discussing our trip next year back. Our group of 15 adults thoroughly enjoyed the pools, our rooms, lounges and the food was exceptionally good. The beachfront was lovely. Staff were very friendly and helpful when needed

Great trip!

Beautiful resort. Small so everything was in a nice walking distance. Staff is so friendly and very accommodating. It is a family resort but really not much for little ones to do...I didn't have any children with me but I did notice that. Weather was awesome, beach is stunning, everything is so clean and well kept and the food was delicious! Very nice place and I plan to return.