Nice resort, safety concern: careful what you buy there

The resort looked well maintained and the staff is really friendly. Not everyone speaks English or French, but this is a minus for the hotel chain, which does not offer courses anymore (information got from the staff). The check in/out was quick and the reception staff friendly and helpful. Food is very good, the deserts are exquisite. Excellent coffee. They have pork, chicken, sea food, pasta, pad thai stations where they cook, then a variety of kitchen prepared dishes for everyone's taste [... read more]. There are multiple pathways from the lobby to the beach, some taking you through a maze of ponds, bridges, resting places, where you can see fish and birds. Really nice touch. Too bad that guests were leaving drinking glasses around, which were rarely removed in the same day (we saw some in the same place for few days). There are multiple bars around, but what was a bit odd was that they were not familiar with any of the most popular non alcoholic drinks in the Dominican Republic:Morir Soñando, Chocolate de Mani, Jugo de Avena. The drinks they were offering were nicely done, and I have even seen somebody ordering a custom cocktail, which the barman was happy to make it for them. We only asked for the room to be cleaned once during our 8 days stay, but they got to it around 5 pm, even though we had the "clean the room" tag hanged at 8 am. At that time I needed to use the shower and I had to interrupt them so we got only the bed done (sort of, so I can't say what the final version should look like). The hallways seemed like they were cleaned briefly and rarely. The hotel markets itself as "echo" on the premise, but I think they only refer to the fact that they do not offer straws anymore. There is a loooong way for it to be considered "green". The utility vehicles run on gas, including a big tractor that comes on the beach every morning to collect the algae raked by few guys every morning (you feel the exhaust gases for half an hour while it's there). They water the lawn in the middle of the day, where the water evaporates faster, wasting it, and the balcony doors are single pane glass, allowing the heat in, even with the drapes closed. For the whole week, the AC could not cope with the heat and was running continuously. Even with very few times a day opening the entry and balcony doors and drapes closed at all times, we could barely get the room to 23 Celsius. Unfortunately we had a bitter experience buying gifts from the hotel allowed merchants in the main plaza. We bought a silver chain and pendant, two bottles (one 750ml and one smaller) of Mama Juana, vanilla extract, and some cigarettes. It turned out that the chain was not silver (even though the seller said they were, and the ones on his table show as marked). What they put in the envelope they gave us had only the pendant made of silver. The bottles of Mama Juana were not sealed, one of them even had a cap with some other name on it. The vanilla extract bottle was not sealed either. We were afraid to even taste what's in them and the vanilla extract was smelling like glue/paint/something weird that you do NOT want in your food. So we had to toss them. When I asked the merchant after the purchase of the "silver" gift how come that wasn't silver, he pretended he doesn't understand and that was not possible. I though of bringing this up with the manager, but after I saw in their own store some of the Mama Juana bottles that seemed to not have the original caps (which are yellow plastic, sealed, with an additional easy to peel seal on top), I figure that he might already be aware they sell refilled bottles, if you understand where I am going with this. I do have pictures to back up everything I wrote in this paragraph. Bottom line: we got stung with 3 out of 4 items we bought on the hotel premises (NOT on the beach). The beach area is nice and wide, with chairs and beds, but you need to be there before 9 am to find some unoccupied ones. the water is shallow long way into the see, but almost right from the shore there are algae growing on the bottom, which turns into a mushy-muddy one, kind of unpleasant to walk on. There is a sandy channel, about 5 feet wide, that takes you towards where the waves break, about 500 meters from the shore. Some groups of guests were loud in the middle of the night (twice around 1 am) or on the beach, with their boom box. Even though there are security personnel planted or walking around, it didn't seem they intervened. The staff seems like either they are overworked or the management is not able to organize them properly. Overall, we would give the hotel 4 stars, except for safety, considering the fake and dangerous product we bought. If you want a relaxing vacation, this is not the place for it. Below is not related with the hotel, but rather to the experience outside of it. Be careful at the exchange rate the tour operator uses. Sunwing asked for 1.47 CAD/USD. Pay by credit card, or bring USD. At the airport when leaving, the security check personnel made people with flip-flops taking them off, which left them walking bare foot in the area. After I was waved in through the metal detector, I was face to face with the security officer who was not wearing a mask. Literally, two feet in front of me, talking to me. When shuttling from the airport to the hotel, the driver roughly handled one of our carry on baggage and damaged the extensible handle. I saw them how they handled every other luggage and it seems like they really hate their jobs.

Beautiful resort!

Had a great time at this beautiful resort. Fast check in, heard we should upgrade to priveledged room which was lovely although we never had facecloths then waited all day to get them. The main buffet food was fantastic, the ala carte not so much. Hard to get a shady spot at the beach if u went before nine, quite a bit of “saving” going on since one I woke early at 5 and there STILL weren’t many to be found. Grounds are gorgeous, a great variety of waterfowl, beautiful flowers, etc. Ocean  [... read more]was warm, a bit weedy, you just have to swim around it. Staff works hard to keep it off the beach. Room service food was horrible, stay away. Overall it was lovely, just didn’t like the feeling that it was the big tipppers were the ones that pushed their way to the front and got served first.

Awesome resort

Awesome resort The grounds were very clean it was nice to see the birds and the fish and the turtle on the grounds The pathways where clean and easy to get to places. The pools were big and also clean, The food was amazing the restaurants were excellent with excellent staff and fantastic service.

Rocky beach

Resort was nice. Grounds were neat and creative. Standard rooms were ok. Showers were very small and dark, but always had hot water. Bed was comfortable, pillows were lumpy. We stayed on the 3rd floor. Railing was solid cement so ya couldn't see a thing when sitting on the balcony. Would stay on 2nd floor next time. Food was very good. Staff was friendly. Sand on beach was beautiful, but lots of rocks and seaweed in the water. Made for great snorkeling tho. Lots of beach chairs, stall always fou [... read more]nd one for us. There was smoking EVERYWHERE, we r from Ontario so not used to that. Night time Music was too loud in lobby, couldn't talk. Music on beach and entire resort was good choice. The neighbouring Beach resort called" the Pearl" was so blasting loud, that it echoed over the entire area. Pity the folks that had to sleep next to that noise! Need more bathrooms on the beach.there was only 1 for all the beach. The privileged side had their own, but us underprivileged couldn't use it. It was stinky anyway. Heard that the Privileged upgrade was a bit of a joke. Nice rooms but that's about it. Probly won't go back unless it's a steal of a deal! Lots of other places to go that have a great beach.

Loved this resort!

The resort and grounds were beautiful. We upgraded to a Privileged room - it was well worth it! The room was impressive and spacious with comfortable beds and a modern bathroom. The balcony had a hammock and great view - a nice place to retreat to when it rained. The dining was fantastic - we enjoyed all of the restaurants, though the buffet was so good it wasn't even necessary to go to the à la carte restaurants. The coffee house was a real treat - it was tucked away near the shops (we waited [... read more] too long to find it). The resort staff were very nice. Unfortunately the vendors were on site certain days during the week - and we found them aggressive. The birds at the resort were delightful - some were real characters and there were quite a few ducklings. We really enjoyed our encounters with them. The beach was beautiful to walk on - instead of seeing only other resorts - we saw palm trees and a more natural setting. There was some seaweed - which was not bothersome to us, and was cleared off the beach regularly. It was possible to snorkel right off the resort beach because there were coral reefs there. The animation team was lots of fun. The evening shows were entertaining. We did one excursion to Catalina Island - it included great snorkeling, was all-inclusive on the island, and had a beautiful sandy beach. I would definitely return to this resort.

Great resort!!

We were there for the week of Feb 21 to the 28th. We were well looked after from the reception upon arriving until we left on the last day. The Restaurants (4) were good with the Japanese one being the best. The buffets had a fantastic selection with chefs cooking up specials for us. The pools were great with a swim up bar. The grounds were very well maintained with all sorts of ducks and birds all along the wonderful treed pathways. The beach was nice but you had to be careful walking out becau [... read more]se there was some coral rocks here and there.

Very nice resort

accomodations was great.very clean all over the grounds and very friendly staff,we would most definitely return after 3 times at this resort. very good entertainment to bad that so many guests would not participate they prefer using their smart phone as entertainment as they do at home. I realy feel sory for all these people who are addicted to these smart phone specially when you see a whole family not even talking to eachother .

Beautiful resort!

A beautiful resort with gorgeous and well maintained grounds. Rooms were wonderful and clean. A good variety of food at the buffet. Al carte restaurants were good - I would recommend the Steak and Japanese. Service was top-notch. Beach was perfect, busy during the morning, but always manage to find a chair. I would recommend this resort to anyone. There is an option to upgrade, but we found that there was no need to do this.

Wonderful Vacation

We went as a group of 10 people with 2 babies in January for 7 days. The beach and pool were amazing. The weather was very warm. Feels like 31 or 32 degrees all throughout our stay. The food overall was good. The Italian, carribean and statehouse restaurant offered excellent dishes. The buffet was good as it gets for a buffet. The beach bar at the beach offered drinks and coffee, nutella and cheese crepes. The privilege beach bar was worth the upgrade amazing seating and view and opens till 12a [... read more]m. There is entertainment at the lobby every night from dancing to karaoke. The romantic room I stayed in with my husband had very lovely and romantic touches.

Catalonia bavero

Third trip to this hotel booked Privilege room this year as Standard room is dated needs upgrades. Room very nice and spacious a slightly higher pricebut worth the money. The food in the buffet has a good variety and good the ala carte restaurants are good. The grounds are well appointed with their ponds and ducks swimming around. Good evening entertainment. One disappointment at the golf course 1.this year you needed to reserve tee times as previous two year you just show up and golf.  [... read more] The staff are not golfers so they have no idea how tee times work. They would allow people to start golfing regardless of tee times . They have to be better organized they should have a Starter at the first tee block to co-ordinate tee times. Also this resort advertises golf they should run the golf course better such as having Rangers on the coure as we ran into un étiquetted players Overall it’s a good resort for families kids have their own pool area Great beach excellent staff Will go back next year . Hopefully golf situation will improve i will be emailing my golf concerns

Beautiful resort

We were very pleased with this resort. The room was big and modern. We did have a recently renovated room. The staff were amazing. Big shout out to Evelyn and my two Antonios at the bar. Also the entertainment staff were so much fun. Victor kept you hopping he was great. The grounds were amazing. Wild life every where to watch. Bridges and ponds to watch the fish and feed turtles. It was not an adults only resort but the set up with an area in the pool for the kids was great. Probably the best  [... read more]resort for families I have ever been to.The beach was very close. There was a bit of an issue with seaweed but that doesn't bother us. You could walk to a doulphin park down the beach. The restaraunts were so good. They had a pool side snack bar with pizza natch is hotdogs and burgers. Open until 2am. There was also a creperie at the beach. There was a great coffee cafe in the little mall with freshly made coissant sandwiches. The alacarte restaurants were nice but I have had better food.The selection at the buffet was amazing. You did have to share your space with the birds if you chose to eat by the water area. One girl had her omelet taken off her plate when she went back for juice. We did an excursion to Santo Domingo by bus. Well worth the money but a very long day.The guest services (Stephany) went above and beyond. My husband forgot his diabetic medicine and she sent us to the resort Doctor, we got a prescription and she organized the pharmacy to deliver it to the hotel while we sat in the bar and had a drink. The age group was mixed with young people to retirees. Lots of families as well. Nightly entertainment was average. The disco was fun. Over all it was one of our best experiences at an all inclusive.

Definitely not what was expected

We have been not to many resorts, but mostly 5 stars.I am not going to tell about stars given to this place,but resort is outdated.Need complete renovation and staff ,who is not asking money from tourists.We were very disappointed, when was no beach towels for an about 2-3 hours. Otherwise food was good and beach with ocean out of questions.

Good

Hotel is clean and food is good. Pool is good! Beach had too much seaweeds, even they cleaned couple times a day! Love the kayak! They have a lot of daily events! But they also cancelled the events without any notice, which made the kid very upset! They need to improve the communication!

Dissappointed

We unfortunately did not get what was expected. The room we had was a great location however in your add the rooms look like they were just newly built and beautiful however that is not the case. they have not been touched in over 22 years and that was backed up by staff. deteriorating wood, holes in the floors and shower, drab fixtures and bedding but was kept clean. We asked for hand towels every day and din not receive the whole week. Buffet food was the worse we have tasted in all the years [... read more] we have spent at all inclusive resorts. They do not use good cooks however the individual restaurants were much better. Not nearly enough lounges and shade by the pool or the beach. Guests have to get up very early to try to reserve a spot. The service in the main buffet was awful. For all meals servers who are supposed to bring you coffee and water are standing around talking. Every day I had to go to them and ask them to please bring us water and coffee. Some of our friends who were also there agree with everything I am saying. There also wa a couple who were there last year from England and they said they see a drastic change and will not be back to the Dominican. We also feel that all employees should have to learn english which is the international language and it would be less frustrating to communicate every day with the staff. It is unfortunate that the big wigs at the top of the ladder and who own the property don't always know what is going on at the bottom.

Nice resort

Nice resort. Good service and food, clean. Not sure about the regular rooms as we had upgraded to privilege bit from what I saw the resort value their clients and take every comment and criticism and try to find a solution.

3 Star Property. Ok resort for the pricepoint.

Booked the upgrade (Privileged) and the room was clean, but small and there is no view. The ocean view rooms are reserved for Members. Housekeeping was great most days (and we always tip). Since we were there for two weeks, we ended up switching rooms. The concierge moved us to a honeymoon room further away from the noisy nightclub (music was still playing at 4:00am) and pool, taken over by a few busloads of partying students. The Privileged beach area and bar were quite nice. The staff is als [... read more]o very pleasant. On weekends it is overrun by locals. Tables and chairs are moved in for games, boomboxes play at a high volume competing with the music from the bars and the entertainment crew. The pool was large, but loungers are hard to find. We made due with chairs when moving from the beach to the pool late afternoon. The restaurants were good for an all inclusive. Didn't enjoy the Asian Restaurant. Although the food was ok, the teppanyaki chef was rude and his humour offensive. We were also not into having food thrown at us. Servers in all restaurants were friendly. The buffet was a disappointment, no variety, lukewarm food, sparse decoration. The small buffet by the pool was nice and staff was very friendly. The main area bar was nice and staff was awesome. The seaweed was a problem, but it was cleaned up throughout the day. The water is really shallow, not great for swimming or snorkeling. There are much better hotels and beaches in Punta Cana.

Great Trip

My boyfriend and I just returned from our trip here and it went pretty well. We stayed in the Privileged rooms and it was a nice modern room. The washroom had a double shower. The only downfall of the room was the smell that came from the sewage ( toilet and sinks) but other than that the room was great. There was even a hammock on the balcony. We got free room service due to being in the Privileged area and the food came pretty quick. All of the staff on this resort were very friendly and said [... read more] hi when they seen you. The food at the resort is just alright. The Italian restaurant was the best although I didn't make it to the Japanese restaurant as every night they were full and no longer accepting anyone. We were never bothered by people looking to sell timeshares and all employees had a great attitude. Overall I had a great time here and I would definitely return to Punta Cana!

Catalonia Does It All

The Resort is amazing. Beautiful grounds, Excellent, efficient staff. Nothing is too much trouble and the response is immediate with a smile. . Would not recommend it for seniors but great for families.

Top-notch Experience

I loved everything. The variety of foods at the buffet was excellent. The fruits and vegetables were all fresh. The staff onsite were very helpful. The maids kept the rooms very tidy. Had a problem with the ac in our room had an issue and was address immediately. Will definitely go back.

Awesome Resort

What a great time. Beach was great. Pool area fun and easy to find lounge chairs. Food was abundant and delicious. Room very clean and mini fridge always restocked. Resort staff very friendly and helpful.