Would recommend

Great resort to consider! General guests are mature - not the place for party, which is ideal for a true relaxing vacation. No issues with food, some hit and misses (i.e. room service). Beach was wide and clean, great for long walks on the beach. Water was turquoise with Atlantic waves - great for swimming. Some seaweed but not an issue for us. Service was great, staff always making sure we are taken care of. Rooms are simply fantastic - would recommend to excellence club for superior rooms clo [... read more]ser to the beach. We stayed in an ocean front two story room with pool on our terrace..WOW! Standard rooms are great as well, most rooms have a view of the beach. No issues finding lounge chairs by the beach or pools. In fact, every building has their own swim pool in addition to the common main pool by the beach. Even though resort was at %95 capacity, it did not feel like it! No issues with finding towels. Drinks were solid. Grounds were well kept and groomed. Roaming flamingos closer to the back of the resort. Would highly recommend this resort!

Excellence El Carmen

This was a top notch resort. there was only complaint is we were a group of friends and we all requested the rooms with the double beds. None of these rooms were available so we all had to share king beds.

Great Customer Service from Miranda Mawdsley

Miranda Mawdsley Customer Service Agent, Hamilton Ontario. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Miranda for arranging my booking to Excellence El Carmen, Punta Cana this past week, April 1, 2019. The hotel was exactly as she described; luxury accommodations, quality food, tremendous service from the resort staff and much more. The resort met all our expectations, so much so we’re going to book again with Miranda for the same time next year. I've used private travel agents  [... read more]in the past, but learned that all are not alike. Miranda's attention to detail, knowledge of the destination and understanding what my family wanted from this adventure made all the difference for us to enjoy our vacation. Job well done. Thanks Miranda for your advise and guidance. Regards, John Winter Port Dover, ON

Good time but was it Excellent?

hi, we have been travelling many years to all inclusive resorts and have been at the El Carmen when it first opened and again this past week. The resort itself is lovely, clean, spacious. Many restaurants to choose - food and service was a hit and miss. Service - hit and miss. We experienced great service one day and then no service at all the next - very inconsistent. Not a deal breaker for a return visit as long as I know what to expect. Front desk very nice and was able to accommodate r [... read more]oom request. I would recommend a swim out room. Do not choose building 6 as it is very noisy due to proximity to the nightly entertainment. Pool bar service is hit and miss, mainly a miss.. be ready to walk to the bar to get yourself a drink or go to the swim up. The sports bar has fries, wings, onion rings and burgers and has the best food. There is a food truck that is open from 6pm to midnight for burgers, fajitas, chili, fries and natchos.... they were yummy and a good snack to take back to the room. Room service was quick and food not bad - that was a success. We have been to Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mayan Riveria and Punta Cana. This resort although beautiful is in need of a few tweeks in order to be considered truly Excellent.

Romantic getaway

This hotel was absolutely fabulous. We had an amazing vacation and I loved our two story roof top with plunge pool suite. Incredibly private, I could enjoy sunbathing topless and what a breathtaking view! The food was ok, some good some bad but we never went hungry. And the liquor was top shelf. Even impressed with our well stocked mini bar. Cleanliness and luxury were very apparent here. Would of like to see more smiles and less co-worker conversations in front of clients though. It was [... read more] a bit unprofessional in any language. However, Alvin was amazing and we frequently sought him out for our evening cocktails. He was truly amazing and great attention to detail. Overall an amazing experience!!!

Great resort; ok experience

Upon arrival, we upgraded to an Excellence Club swim out pool. The room was nice, well maintained, and clean. The balcony, pool, proximity to beach was great. Both the hotel and beach concierges were great and helpful. The service in the "not club level areas" was so-so; most staff were speaking very limited English, which was a communication barrier. The beach was the most amazing I've seen. Food and drinks was ok; some restaurant/bar better than others. Unfortunately, the plane was [... read more] delayed 7 hours on our first day because of a mechanical issue; which means we lost most of our first day (arrived at 5 pm instead of 10 am). And we had heavy rain 4 out of the 6 remaining days. With the humidity came A LOT of sand flies; I am covered with very itchy little bites on my legs, arms and back, still present and very painful even 5 days after our return. Upon our return, the food was limited in the airplane and we only had a few snack options since we were sitting in the back. First time with AirTransat and most likely our last time.

Lovely!

Excellence El Carmen is a very well maintained resort with beautiful grounds and very friendly and attentive staff. Nothing was too much trouble. We stayed in a junior swim up suite which was quite nice but if we were to return we would look at booking an ocean front suite away from the entertainment as we found it quite loud in our room at night. A nice variety of restaurants at the resort with good food but some restaurants lacked atmosphere. The absence of single malt scotch at a five star  [... read more]hotel was a surprise. The beach was fabulous. We walked it everyday and the pool area was quite nice, lots of lounge chairs available and attentive service at the pool and beach. Hope you find this information helpful. Feel free to contact me if you wish. Regards, Shelley Doney

A beautiful location

The hotel is new and modern, a little sterile in its appearance. The rooms and swim up pool are gorgeous, although the hallways are noisy and walls thin to sounds nearby. Staff need to speak quietly in the hallways early in the morning. Their carts need rubber wheels. The meals were good, but not as good as the Excellence in Mujeres Mexico. Staff were happy, most accommodating and delightful at all times. We enjoyed the 9 days and participated in pool, biking and beach entertainment. Main po [... read more]ol was very hot; the swim up pools much cooler. The ocean was perfect. More sailboats would be beneficial for those who enjoy.

Still a great resort

Second time for us One of the better resorts we’ve been to and have been to many 5star resorts all over. Great food and lots of choices Beautiful and modern Resort The staff is pretty amazing whether in restaurants , buffet beach bar or entertainment staff Keep it up!!!

Excellent service but

The Excellence El Carmen resort is very nice but misses some of the atmosphere from other Punta Cana resorts we have visited. If you walk out of an early dinner , there is no good place to hang out with music other than one evening with a great electric violin player. It would have been nice to hear some Domenican music after each dinners ... The beach is nice with palm trees meeting the ocean (not as open as Bavaro beach) The food is well prepared and presented but it seems the quality  [... read more]of the food is inferior to other resorts we visited such as Paradisius, Majestic Elegance. We were disappointed that the buffet restaurant is not open for the evenings. My wife has some food sensitivity issues and likes the pick items from the buffet that agree with her diet. It is hit and miss if you order from the "a la carte" restaurants as you don't really know what you will get. This is the only reason we would not return. Every other resorts we have visited keep their buffet open for the evening hours. The food at the buffet is quite nice but this restaurant has no view and feels a bit like an office cafeteria. Like most resorts in Punta Cana, the shows are all the same and no one seems to understand that most people would prefer to hear local music and talent than Michael Jackson imitations. Overall, the service is superior and a good resort if you are looking for a quiet time.

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.

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.

JD12

Nice big resort no more than a 4 star all of our stays were in 5 stars all they need to improve to a top resort would the following: pools are every where but they cater to the bottom floor seems like you are invading their privacy would need another main pool on each side of building 4 (just 1 main pool), Beds are unbelievable uncomfortable never slept so bad on any of my holidays, and food was just alright. We were there for New Year eves, they need to teach employees more English cause I am  [... read more]deadly allergic to seafood and they serve it to me on three different entree’s, on a good note the main managers were there that evening and moved us to a semi private restaurant where we were able to ordered anything on the menu. We were there to decide where to go for our 25th anniversary coming in April for 2 weeks and it was between here and Valentines in the Mayans . Valentines definitely won!!!

Great week and great resort!

We spent a week over Christmas at this wonderful resort. Having vacationed at the Excellence Playa Mujeres in Mexico, our expectations were pretty high (we loved the Mexico property). El Carmen didn't disappoint. From the moment you arrive your pampering begins in this extremely clean and well maintained oasis. We stayed in a two storey roof-top room that has it's own private plunge pool. The upper deck as an outdoor shower, which is one thing done better in Mexico. The outdoor shower in Punta C [... read more]ana isn't private and you are on high display for all to see, unlike Mexico, where it is private. That, however, is pretty much where my criticism ends. Everything else - the food, the restaurants, beverage, and overall property, were nothing short of spectacular. One of the most outstanding qualities of this resort is the staff. From Galvan and Alvin at the martini bar, to Mildred and Carmen at the Excellence Club private beach area, and everyone in between, were happy and helpful and certainly elevated our experience. Very special recognition goes to Esperanza, the head concierge and Jose, the food and beverage manager, who both went above and beyond to ensure our every need was attended to. My wife is vegan, and sometimes food choice can be difficult at an all inclusive. However, a simple email to give advanced notice as to where we would dine, eliminated any concern about what would be available, and lead to a wonderful and relaxing dining experience every night. We chose the Excellence Club, which although there aren't as many perks as we found in Mexico, we still feel it is worth it. We stayed in building 7 and it had a wonderful view of the Ocean.

Excellente at Excellence el Carmen

Beautiful grounds, lovely staff, amazing food. We have no complaints - everything from check in to towel service to even the beach itself - all of it was carefully thought out and delivered with care.

Excellence El Carmen was excellente!

Just returned home from a wonderful week holiday at the Excellence El Carmen with three couples. We have travelled to a lot of all inclusives resorts and by far this one was superior! Staff and service was excellent. Food was delicious, plentiful and there were so many options of a la carte restaurants to choose from. No reservations required and we had no problems at all getting into all the restaurants. Plenty of towels and beach & pool chairs available. Tipping was welcomed but you did  [... read more]not feel if you did not tip all the time that service would be compromised. Entertainment was very good and offered something for everyone every night. The karoke night was so much fun. This resort was top notch! I highly recommend this resort! We will return :)

Very Clean and modern Resort.

Was there from Nov 23- 30th 2018. The resort is very clean and very modern. The restaurants are all very good, the Grill and the Mexican were our favourites, but all were good. The main buffet is only open for breakfast and lunch which was a little bit of a surprise. We always like to have the buffet to fall back on in case the resturants are not very good. They do have a Sports Bar that has more of a North American flare to it, Chicken wings and things along that line. The resort is out [... read more] in the middle of nowhere so it is a bit of a bumpy, exhaust-filled ride to do anything, the excursions were not good at all and this was the consensus of all the people we talked to. We had a room with the private rooftop plunge pool and seating area, great for morning or late evening swims and sunbathing. The room itself was small but you are hardly in it so that was not an issue. the swinout rooms on the bottom floors are wide open for people to see directly into them as they are walking by, so if you like privacy I would recommend the 3rd floor with the rooftop plunge pool, these ae only available in the buildings near the ocean and they afford you beutiful views. Every building has its own pool, but the fun is at the main pool, that is were freindships are made so go and meet people there:) Over all a very nice "quiet" vacation. Not our best but not our worst either.

Amazing Experience!

This was the nicest resort we have stayed at to date! Swim up rooms are beautiful and luxurious and the service throughout the resort was outstanding. 24 hour room service was perfect when we arrived late due to delayed flight. Hotel was 86% full but there seemed to be ample amenities such as beach loungers and huts for the number of people. This resort had a more serene, spa like vibe than others which made it perfect for two parents looking to relax. We would go back again.

Wonderful vacation!

We stayed at the Excellence El Carmen and it was our first all-inclusive trip. WHAT A TRIP! Everything was just perfect. Grounds were beautiful, room was amazing, food was great! We upgraded our room to a swim-out suite and it was well worth the extra money.

Superb Resort experience... our best trip ever!

Firstly this superb holiday experience would not have been possible without the efforts undertaken by our Trip Central travel agent, Ash Faramarzi. It was Ash who ensured that the room selection from the travel carrier was set up properly, aircraft seat selection, insurance package and resort package upgrades were all taken care of. The service experience in this regard was superb... thank you Ash. The resort itself was a step above the rest and we have had many a trip to compare against...  [... read more]this vacation experience has surpassed them all (including our one trip to Sandals Jamaica). It is fair to note we had a superior room selection, oceanfront with roof top plunge pool; but the amenities included with the Excellence Club were a great value regardless of room category. Anyone considering this resort will not be disappointed, but it is worth mention that we did see some rooms far in the back that would not be our first choice. That would be the only slight-negative observation; but I am certain anyone in any room will enjoy this resort. Freedom to choose among the various dining choices without the need to make a reservation is a real bonus and our experiences were excellent. We only made use of the buffet once for breakfast on our last morning and even then, the experience was impressive. The concierge service was excellent, we very much enjoyed the special room service breakfast and the romantic evening dinner on the beach they set up for us Dinners on the beach of this sort are offered by many resorts, but this one had only a small number of couples (about 5) spread far enough apart with superior attention to service that it made you feel you were the only ones there. Special mention of the room service is well deserved... you just have to try it to believe it! Certainly not your average hamburger & fries or fruit salad affair. The meal choices and how they were presented may well exceed the sit down restaurant one would experience at any other typical resorts. Would definitely go back to Excellence El Carmen for sure! In fact we are going to try to the new Excellence in Jamaica in 2019. - - Travelled January 2018.