Do not stay here! - Completely unsafe and numerous cases of extortion by management

I really wish I could say otherwise but I had a terrible experience at Blue Bay Villas in the Dominican Republic. This place is dangerous, falling apart, and I was extorted during my time here. Before you ignore this review please check all the positive reviews and notice they are all written in Spanish and translated to English. This tells me they were written by staff or locals to boost the overall score considering that 95% of all guests are from Canada and would never write a review in Spani [... read more]sh... During my stay, I was injured when the shower glass suddenly cracked in half, causing a deep cut to my arm that required stitches and a tetanus shot. I was given very basic medical attention and instead of offering any sort of compensation or even an apology for the faulty glass cutting me, the management called the police and forced me to pay for the damages. When I say forced, I mean 4 police officers arrived and I was told by management "if you don't pay for the broken shower glass you will be arrested and taken to jail". $200 CAD for this. This is blatant extortion like I've never seen before. I wasn’t the only guest that dealt with being extorted by management/police either. Another young man was forced to pay $100 USD after accidentally breaking a small plastic 12”x12” sign when he fell over and another $20 USD for a plastic cup that cracked when it hit the ground. Like that's a joke let's be honest. It’s very clear this resort is looking for any excuse to squeeze money out of guests. I traveled with 10 people (5 couples), and every single couple had to be moved to at least one new room during our 7-night stay due to serious safety issues. Some had to move three or more times! Safes not attached to the walls, no locks on doors, faulty key cards that randomly stopped working and broken wall sockets, making it unsafe to plug anything in. We learned that the resort was purchased a few years ago to be torn down for apartment buildings, and since then, it's clear that absolutely no money has been put into maintenance or guest safety. The owners are clearly just running it into the ground while scamming as much money from guests as possible. The only good thing about this place was the waiting staff, entertainment team, and bartenders. They were absolutely amazing—friendly, hardworking, and genuinely doing their best despite the awful conditions. It’s a shame they have to work under such corrupt and careless management. This place is a lawsuit waiting to happen. The management is corrupt, the resort is falling apart, and they are actively scamming guests while neglecting basic safety. Do yourself a favor and book anywhere else. There are plenty of better resorts in the Dominican Republic that actually prioritize safety and guest satisfaction. Overall, spend the extra couple hundred $ so that you can keep yourself and your family safe!

A fairly good resort

The grounds are beautiful. The walkways are not Conducive for wheelchairs. If you need a wheel chair do not go to this resort. Food is good in the buffet, but big line-ups for dinner. Beach club food is pretty awful. Rooms are very basic, not 3 star. However you only sleep in the room. Blue Bay Villas is strictly a resort. Doesn’t appear to be any local sightseeing there. The staff are very friendly. Some parts of the resort are tired and need renovating.

Awesome resort and area

Although this an older resort showing it's age it's still a great place. The food was great in the buffet for all meals, the ala carte restaurants are delicious,our favorite was the Chinese. The pools are clean and the beach area has plenty of chairs and shade. The entertainment crew worked hard and put on great shows and fun activities. We will definitely return one day.

Not worth it

Run down accommodations Hardest bed I ever had Same food into small of a buffet Lines up to get in To get food Only thing I loved was the beach and the kind workers at this resort Management needs over hall and simply things that just make sense need to be addressed

Decent...but with some real flaws

Grounds....well maintained Main building and restaurants are nice Pools and bars are good Beach is excellent... though a few more Palapas would be helpful. Food was good. A la cartes very good. Entertainment is subpar. Very little live music. Rooms...the biggest problem. They are small, poorly laid out, few drawers, weak showers and in need of maintenance.

Use your own judgement

Staff: The staff are generally friendly and helpful. A special thanks to Empress for being a great guide. However, some individuals try to push their own interests, steering guests toward their friends for tours. It’s up to visitors to use their judgment when choosing who to rely on. Transportation: One major concern is the hotel’s association with a dishonest taxi service. Despite Uber being available and safe in the Dominican Republic (as confirmed by my experience and discussions with ot [... read more]hers), the hotel discourages its use. Instead, they promote their own taxi service, which operates as a "taxi cartel" charging nearly 15 times the Uber fare. For example, I booked an Uber to go downtown for DOP 175 (approximately CAD 4). However, a hotel-affiliated taxi driver picked up my ride and demanded USD 30, claiming Uber underpays them. I refused, exited the vehicle, and rebooked an Uber just outside the hotel, where I successfully completed my trip for the original fare. According to an Uber driver, this scam is common—they accept Uber rides near the hotel, then demand extra money, leading guests to believe Uber is unreliable and pushing them toward overpriced taxis. The hotel appears complicit, with staff even recommending their taxis over Uber. I have escalated this issue with Uber, and they assured me they would investigate. For alternative transport, if you're comfortable driving, consider renting a car from Alamo or National, which offer rentals for as little as CAD 45 and provide pick-up directly from the hotel lobby. Unsurprisingly, the hotel does not promote this option. Food & Drinks: The food is average and lacks variety, especially in fruits and juices. At breakfast, the juice selection was limited to a single option each day. That said, the buffet staff were fantastic. Among the à la carte restaurants, the Italian restaurant stood out as the best. Regarding drinks, if you enjoy fruity and sweet cocktails, you’ll be fine. However, for premium spirits like whiskey on the rocks, expect to pay USD 6 per shot of JW Black or USD 80+ per bottle. If you’re particular about your drinks, I recommend taking a taxi into town to purchase a bottle at a more reasonable price. Rooms: Room quality varies. The hotel, nearly 40 years old, is in serious need of maintenance. Many rooms have peeling paint, broken TVs, and non-functional phones. However, since most people don’t spend much time in their rooms, these issues might not be deal-breakers. Entertainment & Atmosphere: The entertainment crew is great, and many guests speak highly of them. However, the hotel lacks a proper sports bar. The only option is a small, poorly maintained black-and-white-themed sports bar in the lobby, equipped with outdated 32” TVs—one of which is so broken that the LEDs are fully visible. Again, maintenance is clearly lacking. Another thing to note is that the hotel mostly attracts an older crowd. It seems more suited for retirees than younger travelers or families looking for an active and vibrant atmosphere. If you’re looking for a lively resort with a mix of age groups, this might not be the best choice. Location & Beach: The beach is beautiful, with nice water, but not the best I’ve seen. I’d rate it a 7/10. A common issue at this and many other resorts is chair hogging. Guests place towels on chairs early in the morning and don’t return for hours. Unfortunately, the hotel does a poor job of enforcing a two-hour no-show policy for removing abandoned towels. Final Thoughts: While the hotel has some positives, particularly its staff and entertainment team, it suffers from poor maintenance, lack of variety in food and drinks, a dishonest transportation system, and an older crowd demographic. If you plan to stay here, be aware of the taxi scam, consider alternative transportation, and manage your expectations regarding the facilities and overall vibe. It’s a quiet, relaxed place—ideal for older guests, but not the best choice if you’re looking for a lively and modern resort experience.

Great little resort

Hotel was a bit dated, but the food was great. Especially the Chinese restaurant & bechamel sauce at the buffet. Entertainment was nice and close access to the beach. Everyone was very friendly. Would come back. Great value for dollar.

Outdated

The only thing good about this resort is that it is clean. This resort is in very poor condition. High pressure sales for a membership. There is a lot of alcohol that is not included and considered premium.

Not a good experience

The room wasn’t ideal, had to change the room situation. The room wasn’t clean, it was outdated, shower was overflowing, lock on the door was broken. Definitely make sure you get a better room. Food and entertainment was decent.

Total scam

This resort would struggle to hit 3 star let alone 4.5 You will not be able to recreate a single one of these photos while there. Food was disgusting, not served at safe temperatures, no variation and Al la carte restaurants were marginally better. Watered down generic drinks, worn out moldy beach equipment and the most disgusting dirty room you could imagine … stay away

Great food and staff but resort is starting show it's age

Superior room wasn't up to par, showing it's age. Safe didn't work-promised it would be fixed but I was there for 11 days without (this is normally a $3.00 daily charge which I was not reimbursed for). All inclusive, but mini bar in room had 2 soft drinks and 2 beer which were free but never replaced.

Staff and food are amazing!

The grounds are meticulously maintained but the buildings and rooms themselves are very tired and in need of some updating. The staff are amazing and so was the food! Plenty of space to spread out on the beach and lots of chairs available as well!

Nice resort, great value!

I recently stayed at the resort with my family (adult sons and mother) and we had a great time. The beach and pools were really nice and they host special events through the week, like an outdoor barbecue. We enjoyed the a la carte restaurants but found the breakfast buffet light on options. The staff were very nice and accommodating, they really try to help you and ensure you are happy. The entertainment staff worked very hard to get everyone involved. The rooms are a little dated but clean and [... read more] I was comfortable. I would stay at the resort again. I was really happy working with Trip Central for the first time and my agent Susan Snider was incredible! She made everything super easy and was happy to help me and answer my questions. My sons have names that made booking complicated but Susan ensured we had everything needed to travel easily, it was amazing! Overall we had a really nice trip!

Okay resort-probably wouldn’t return

This resort was very tired. We had to go to the front desk twice just to get a hairdryer. That’s a pretty basic item that’s supposed to be included. We were with a large group and several of our rooms leaked when it rained. They don’t even address that issue. There were toilet flushing issues and hot water issues. The air conditioning worked very well though! You had to be a VIP to get bacon after 8:00. You also had to ask for it. Why not put it out for all to have some. Just serve it on fewer  [... read more]days. The only real perk was the staff. Most of the staff were great, especially the animation team.

Renewed Love of traveling!

We never do reviews but we had such an amazing time we thought we had to! The GOOD…. Service was better than we could have asked for! The BAD…. The resort is a little dated and can use some tile work but extremely clean and well kept. The AMAZING…. FOOD!! Buffet was awesome morning noon and night and the snack bar always had fresh fruit, burgers, fries, dogs and some of the best chicken wings!! You will want to go back. We do and we will!!

Blue Bay Serenity

We just returned home from a 2 week stay at Blue Bay Villas. We had a lovely time at this all adult resort. We have travelled throughout the caribbean and what makes this resort unique and memorable are the people they employ. They were very gracious and kind! We could tell how much they really enjoyed their work and the guests. They are all very hard workers! We especially wanted to thank Elvin, Balentina, Antonio, Anyelina, Indhiana, Yajara. Empress and Yuliana, Pablo and Molo. These ind [... read more]ividuals specifically wanted to ensure that you were enjoying yourself! The resort itself is about 40 years old . We appreciated the beautiful lighting and the design of the lobby. The grounds were beautifully kept with orange Indian jasmine bushes for colour. There was a quiet elegance of days gone by. We found the rooms to be dated; however the resort is starting renovations this summer. One thing of note for us was the bed. We found it very uncomfortable. The beds are very firm. Hopefully with the reno they will be replaced with a more comfortable mattress. The food was good with fresh fruit, fresh salads, grilled meat or fish being offered every day. There were also traditional Dominican dishes offered each day. We stayed in the quiet area by the spa and enjoyed the relaxing zen music. The beach was fine . They had lots of beds and loungers with covers. Vendors did approach us and we politely said no and they left. We didn’t find them to be harassing at all. We enjoyed the entertainment! Three of the nights there was a sax, piano player and singer in the lobby. The Mr. Blue Bay competition was hilarious. The entertainment staff worked hard each day to offer fun activities and events. Presently I would rate this resort as a strong 3.5 star because of the rooms, bed, safe and the 2nd person had to pay for wifi. We hope to return next year.

Fantastic Time!

Preface: This is mine and my partners 1st all inclusive experience. Resort was awesome, great pools, amazing beach, good food, friendly staff. Rooms were dated but met our needs and were fine. We wernt there to be stuck in our rooms anyways. It was a mature resort, I would say we were on the younger side as an early 30 year old. Everyone that was there was respectful and nice. We met many people who were repeat traveller's to this particular resort, one couple as many as 8 times.  [... read more]It wasn't overly crowded, getting drinks and service at the bars was a breeze, lots of space in the various pools to carve out your own little oasis. The beach feature a nice assortment of lounges and beds and from the journey I made down the beach, easily stood out as having one of the better configurations and beach fronts. Finding a lounge space in the shade was also a breeze. If you're into excursions, a resort staff member, Luiz is the guy to talk to. Best deals going compared to what is offered online and through airlines. Many excursions are weather dependant, so book them ASAP. We did two, the snorkel/Catamaran adventure was top tier, highly recommended. Second was the Supper Buggies, definitely do not recommend after heavy rains, which is what we did. The main paths were washed out and we essentially drove through dirty ditch water alongside the highway. All in all, an awesome experience, and would definitely consider going back.

Great Resort

This hotel does need a few upgrades, but overall we loved it. It is a small Adults Only resort, well maintained, friendly staff, the food was amazing as well. The beach was busy, and chairs all packed in pretty snug as they had cabannas and loungers. Overall I would definetely go back and we heard that there are going to be upgrades done during the slow season (July to November). Cheers

3 star

Once would have been a great resort,,nice size and nice layout, food was good,,service was ok. Our room was Poor, old and in bad need up updates.No hot water in shower,,,ceiling leaked water through the pot lights, no working smoke alarm in room, took cover off to check for wires or batteries,,it had neither...cover hadnt been taken off in years judging by the dust collection. Fire prevention officers/departments need to make more visits to resorts like this The whole resort in general needed [... read more] updates,but was well kept and clean

Not my fav

The staff was very friendly and the hotel room was clean. However the coffee pot was dirty looking the plastic was peeling off inside the pot. I had the front desk replace it but it was just as bad. Water bottles were very minimal and scarce. No access to ice for the room or clean water to brush your teeth and drink. The room was initially stocked w 2 small water bottles and access to more took effort. The air worked well in my room but I woke up incredibly dry mouth. The bed was extremely stiff [... read more] to sleep on and the pillows were not soft at all. Unfortunately the buffet was not anything to boast about and the coffee machines throughout the resort did not work well. I was very surprised that I did not find a good cup of coffee at all throughout the resort. Unfortunately I will not return to the this resort.