Great relaxation vacation!!

The room was fair (beds were comfy, no coffeemaker (but large urns down by the pool), no mirror (except for the bathroom), chairs on balcony uncomfortable (plastic stacking chairs)), pool was laid out great (not heated), beach was very clean, food was very good. Everyone was very friendly, and excellent service. For the money, this resort was a great deal. Just expect that it is a reasonable trip and not a high end resort.

Small and personal

The VH Gran is a small resort, the smallest I have stayed on but it was nice and convenient with not far to walk to get to anything. We had a renovated room but it faced the stage area and the noise from the nightly entertainment was very loud and amplified. The staff were amazing and tended to our every need with a smile. We had the Royal package and it was well worth the extra money. The Vintage club was a great getaway to cool off and relax woith a nice drink. The private area of the beach wa [... read more]s also great and we always had a fresh drink brought to us. The buffet was small but the food was good there.

Good Times

Gran Ventana was a solid 4 star hotel, clean rooms, grounds, good food and good service. The staff are very hard working and always happy. A big shout out to Joan the bartender and Carlos part of the entertainment staff, they are wonderful and make leaving a hard thing to do. There's a reef about 150 metres from the beach so bring your snorkel and enjoy! Will definitely go back:)

Amazing, Clean Resort

The resort is gorgeous and clean. The food was by far the best resort food I've ever had. The beach was beautiful. The staff were nice. It's a family oriented resort with absolutely no opportunity to party.

You won't be disappointed

Our stay at the VH Grand Ventana was wonderful, the staff always had smiles and wanted to help you at any given time, the rooms we always clean, ground were always being maintained, entertainment staff unbelievable and the new buffet was outstanding

Fantastic Resort with the BEST staff & service

We went to the VHG on a recommendation from a friend and weren't disappointed. The resort is very well laid out and a perfect size. The beach was beautiful - clean (no sea weed) and not overly crowded. We had no problem getting a spot on the beach that met all our needs - sunshine and shade. Yes, there are vendors who are selling on the beach but if you say no thanks, they carry on and weren't aggressive or a problem in any way. We actually chatted with a few and learned a little about their lif [... read more]e in the Dominican. I had read several reviews about the staff and service at this resort and they were all true. VHG staff really take pride in their resort and providing the best customer experience. I wrote to the resort in advance of our vacation with a couple of requests and received a replay back immediately indicating they would do their best to accommodate all of our needs/request and they certainly did. The staff here work very hard to keep their resort immaculate with housekeeping staff cleaning all day and well into the night. I can't honestly say that I found a single member of their staff team lacking in any way - they were all very friendly and whenever you asked how they were, the response was always the same 'Excellente" followed by a huge smile. We have been to many resorts and VHG staff would be rated among the BEST. We would definitely recommend this resort

Expected More.

Beautiful grounds and beach. The rooms were very small for a family of 4 and had very little storage for our things. Beds were hard and pillows were terrible. Loved the duvets tho :) we went without water 2 nights during our stay.. I got terribly sick one night.. But sure if it was good or water but it passed thank goodness and I made careful choices with food the rest of the trip. The food was decent.. Drinks were typical. There was very little for the kids to do and the resort was super quiet. [... read more]. Slow season. It was also under renovations and the jack hammering by the pool 10 hours a day was a bit much.The people at the resort were amazing and the only thing that made this vacation really great. Always smiling and great service all around.

Fantastic Time

This is the second time we have been to this hotel and enjoyed it even more than the first time. The food was great with a great selection. The rooms were clean, tidy and well stocked mini fridge and great house keeping staff. The grounds were immaculate and we had a great time down at the beach where we got never ending sunshine and warm water. We are definitely going back again...probably in February 2016

Beach not good

Compare with Cuba beach not good and sailors like a fly do not give to rest. Room service not good , every time you need to ask towels in a bath room after noon by yourself and was dust...It is not good for hotel 4* Pool configuration and entertainment are not reach..... But,compare with Cuba food much better and stuff good and friendly. Sanitary standards are good too.

Amazing Resort & Ppl

This resort is a small resort, laid out perfectly, nothing to far from each other.Lots of entertainment around both the pool and beach area. Grounds are very well kept. Rooms are clean and always fresh towels,lol Food was fabulous both at the buffet and a la cartes. Most staff speak english well are aim to please. Only complaint I have is that there is No coffee pot,perculator in the room.

Great Vacation!

Second visit to this lovely smaller resort. Staff are very helpful and always happy to help. We were in the Catalina building on first floor with a view of ocean which was a nice surprise. A/C worked well, always hot water for showers. Room was clean but beds and pillows aren't the best. Also, very little storage for clothing. Beach was nice. Peddlars but if you say "no thanks" they leave you alone. Beach restaurant had fantastic chicken and chicken wings at lunch. Buffett was good with lots of [... read more] choices... Picky eaters with me found food good as well. A few times there were no tables set/cleaned up to eat at . Be prepared for influx of Dominican locals on wknd. We knew it would be busy and they can be lvery loud and pushy. We booked a daytrip for Saturday to avoid the chaos and hing out at quiet pool on Sunday until checkout. Overall a great little resort that tries hard and for the price an excellent bargain for a week of R&R in the sun.

What a holiday!!

beautiful, clean, great food!! What really made this fantastic trip were the staff at the VH Gran Vantana.. from the hotel staff ( lounge bartenders- Domenic, Antonia,, beach bartender Aquilno..) staff at the buffet, room cleaners all amazing!

Almost there

We stayed Apr 16-23 in a Junior Suite 2nd floor in the quiet area overlooking the Beatta pool. The room was very spacious, with great air conditioning. We travel light, but I could see other people might have an issue with there not being enough drawers for clothing. We appreciated being away from the noise, and the walk wasn't far. It was also pleasant relaxing at the bar, away from the noise. The overall layout is well thought out. It doesn't feel cramped, yet everything is a short walk away. [... read more] It's also nice being able to take a walk to/through the other resorts on Playa Dorada There was quite a large variety of food at the buffet. Most of the food was quite tasty. Even picky eaters should be able to find something. We tried 2 of the 3 a la Cartes. The Octopus was fair. The mixed grill at the Ocean Grill was delicious. People mentioned in other posts that they had difficulty making reservations. We got in late at night, so went the next day after 10am, and had no problem. There is some great snorkelling (when the water is calm enough). Entertainment is hit & miss. We have been to other places with better. The staff is very friendly, and aim to please. Now, the Bad (I believe these are management issues, NOT staff): They say in a brochure in the room that they are water eco friendly, however daily they removed our towels off the racks to wash them (even when it was obvious that we hadn't used them) That bothered me greatly, there is no need for it. How many people wash their towels at home daily?. Apparently they have a towel shortage in the resort. They collected ours in the morning, and didn't return them until the evening, which left us without towels for most of the day. Nothing to wipe our hands on after using the washroom, we couldn't shower mid-day. In short, this is crazy. They would not give us washcloths, unless we asked for them. We had to do this on a daily basis. We did not always get a full complement of towels/bath mat. It's supposedly a 4 star resort, but no bathrobes, or slippers. You should NOT have to pay for a safe. I have travelled the world, and this was a first. There are not enough loungers & umbrellas, selfish people come pre-dawn and claim them by putting towels on them. There is a sign saying that staff will remove towels etc if it is unoccupied for 15 minutes. The staff NEVER does anything. 15 min is a bit short, as people might be swimming, BUT if they are unoccupied for 1/2 hour then staff should open them up for people to actively use. Their free Wi-Fi was absolutely horrible. More often than not, you couldn't use the internet without huge delays. Many times we just gave up, as we couldn't access anything. In this day, and age it's ridiculous to make your guests pay for Wi-Fi. The bed was closer to rock than a firm mattress. The pillows were way too soft, they offered zero support. Would I go again? It's a maybe.

Great resort and good food!

We recently stayed at the CH Gran Ventana and loved it! The resort was beautifully renovated and well kept. Beach was nice but windy at times. The food was good and had a good selection of items. The entertainment staff were wonderful and very engaging! Loved it!

Amazing resort

Perfect spot to relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds and beach. Staff were amazing. Rooms were cleaned daily and fridge restocked. Pool was large and lots of chairs...just move them around to get some shad. Take a short walk to the left on the beach and go to the "Orange Market" lots of shops and fun to look around. Can't wait to return. Thanks to all the staff :)

Perfect vacation

Gran Ventana is a beautiful resort with friendly staff and an overall positive, fun vibe. There's always something to do, and when you feel like doing nothing.. Relax by the pool, on the beach or in a shaded area of your choice! I want to go back!

Excellent vacation

The resort is less than 20 minutes away from the airport. Surrounded by very beautiful beach. Rooms are conveniently located close to all amenities (pool, beach, buffet, A la carte restaurants etc.) Very friendly staffs. Very good food in both buffet and A la carte restaurants. It was a great vacation for us at VH Gran Ventana. Great value for the money. We will definitely go back!

Good Resort

Rooms, food and service was great. Rooms are clean. Staff is friendly. Foods was good and choices were endless. Drawback and there are two, as people have mentioned before, the seats at the pool are hard to get and I'm not waking up at six am to snag a spot while on vacation,.. Second, the beach venders they are relentless. They should really not allow it at this resort or any resort. People want to relax and not be hustled constantly. Talk to guest at other resorts and they did not have this pr [... read more]oblem. For those two reasons I would not go back. Reall a shame as the resort is nice. If they eliminated the vendors and the greedy pool guest I would consider going back.

Amazing resort - 3 times the charm!

This was our 3rd time at the Gran Ventana, and we were not disappointed. Lovely spot and very quiet, for "older" couples, although we did see a few young couples as well. The beache are beautiful, and we were given a room at La Catalina (new section, updated). Food is amazing and you won't go hungry! The staff is amazingly kind and will go out of their way to make sure your stay is perfect. The only thing I was disappointed in, is having to "reserve" your hut on the beach, or umbrella at pool, b [... read more]y getting up at 5:00AM! There needs to be more huts/umbrellas. Although we were able to find a nice palm tree to sit under at the beach, so it was OK. Weather was fabulous during our 7-day stay (April 19-26). Would definitely go back!

Good trip with a few little bumps

Good clean resort and worth it if the price is right! Beautiful beach, nice pools, average food, clean rooms! Seems a little short staffed, but all in all if the price is right its a steal of a trip!!