Playabachata Hotel: Mix review

The beach and the pools were BEAUTIFUL!! The super saver room was not to bad considering the price paid for it, BUT the service was terrible and the rooms were not cleaned very well and had to repeatedly ask for the services that were supposed to be included.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Misleading. Not impressed.

We do not recommend this resort. It is very old and needs a lot of work. The rooms and facilities are very outdated. The star rating should be maximum 3 stars at best. We were only given 1 room key per room which was very inconvenient. The argument was that this would save energy for the environment, yet the hotel does not recycle the countless daily plastic cups... we were given access to internet for only 1 device per room, and internet access could not be transferred at all to other devices.  [... read more]There was a leak in the bathroom ceiling, the bed covers were not clean at check in, curtains were old and dirty. We needed to constantly ask the front desk to ensure covers are clean and floors were washed. They didn’t clean the floors or shower area until they were asked to do so several times. The food was ordinary, hit and miss at the buffet and sometimes not the best. Stay away from the seafood restaurant!! We were hit on twice by a security guard whose job is to make us feel safe...That being said, many of the resort employees worked very hard and tried to accommodate our requests. Perhaps there is just an overall difference in cleanliness standards. The servers and cooks at the restaurants are very sweet and worked very hard. We appreciated their kindness. They made our trip better.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Not so good

Grounds were nice. Rooms not so good, first time I paid for safe in room, bed sheets did not get changed every day, no face cloth, 1 hand towel for 2 people, 1 glass per room, TV did not work and several different kinds of flying, crawling insects, they did fumigate the rooms. It seemed the guests were always arguing with staff in the front lobby area. The food was not so good, We ended up eating dinner out every night. I’ve stayed at several resorts around the world and they cater to the gu [... read more]ests, never have I heard no From a resort, for instance, “I’m going golfing or fishing for the day, can you pack me extra beverages and sandwiches we are leaving at 6am, resorts always said yes”. Not Casa Marina, I will not be back.

Punta Cana Princess: excelent two week stay

Raysa is an excellent hostess at the main buffet and is very friendly. You could always find something good to eat. Hose was very friendly and an excellent bartender at the beach bar where he never stopped .

Riu Republica: Amazing resort,

We liked everything at Ria Republican during our vacation last year, so we returned with our friends again this year. The resort’s well groomed grounds, with great food, friendly and helpful staff, comfortable beds and clean rooms and other facilities, is what we liked the most. This large adult only resort never felt crowded during meals or around many pools.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana: An absolutely amazing week at an amazing resort!

The hotel was extremely clean, easy to get to get around with the use of the little trains that were constantly available. All the staff were very helpful and friendly. Our family will definitely come back next year to the Hard Rock!

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Beautiful!!!!

Everything that you want or need is there!! Good or bad weather, everything has been planned for you to have a great time!! The food is grrrrrreat and always different everyday! You will enjoy long walk on the beach!!

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Great resort

For a couple in there 50's wanting a week of sun, food, drinks and beach, this was perfect. The food was great, lots to choose from. The beach, no seaweed, no rocks, and you can walk forever on either side. The resort has a great layout, lobby, pool, and ocean are basically near each other. The rooms are nice too, no issues and no bugs. We want to go back again, we prefer Samana over Punta Cana.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Very nice resort

We really enjoyed our stay at this resort. We had a renovated room. It was clean and comfortable bed. We really like that we could walk into town from our resort. Beaches were clean. We spent more time at the cold tubs. There was a good variety food. Chicken was so good. This was our second time at this resort.

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Beyond Expectations

We vacationed at Lifestyle Tropical beach resort from February 10th to the 17th 2020. This is my 3rd trip to Puerto Plata resorts and this was by far my best trip. We ate at the main buffet every night because we were so pleased with the food. Our room was clean, no issues whatsoever. The bed was decent but keep in mind it's a Caribbean resort so you shouldn't expect top of the line mattresses. Pools were cool as most large pools are but I spent 3-4 hours a day in the pools. Service was over the [... read more] top. Keep in mind that this resort is part of 5 others so if you are exploring the other 4 expect lots of walking. In my case I only stayed on the Tropical grounds and was a 2 minute walk from everything except the beach. I have a bad knee and am overweight so the walk down to the beach and the walk up was somewhat difficult for me. The beach is a typical Puerto Plata North beach. If you want white sand go to Punta Cana.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Beautiful Resort!

Having stayed at the Bahia Punta Cana before, this was our first time staying at Esmeralda. What a nice change, the place definitely has a classier feel to it, lounge chairs are all clean and creamy white. The place has a more intimate feel compared to other parts of the Bahia. The trend continues on the beach area as well with less people and more availability of seating. I would like to see general access to all buffet styled restaurants at the Bahia as when you are at the Esmeralda you can on [... read more]ly use the 3 restaurants located there.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Wonderful resort!

Very clean resort. Friendly staff. Spacious room accommodations. Never a problem finding a chair by the pool or on the beach (which was only a 5 minute walk away). Great restaurants! Italian, Dominican, and Mexican food.

Breathless Punta Cana Resort: Great resort !

True luxury resort , service was perfect , food too , xhale isnt really worth it . You get too little extra for what you pay for ... The butler who wont do much will ask you to write a review on Tripadvisor in front of him so of course you will find tons of great review about xhale and their butlers but they dont much at all ... But the resort itself is great , all the restaurant are perfect and there is no wait or reservation needed . They keep asking you for drinks either on the beach or at p [... read more]ool . Your always taken care of . ! I recommend ! Great place to party ! Only downside is that the people are leaving towels to reserve chairs everywhere around the party pool , so unless you dont care and will dump them and take their "reserved seat" like i did you will have to stand or do the same really early . Only annoying thing . Everything else was perfect !

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Fabulous Vacation

Wonderful resort, beach, food was great & room was lovely! Zero complaints. So happy I chose this beautiful paradise. We walked to the local town and felt safe. Lovely exotic beach and breathtaking warm water surrounded by coral reefs. Great snorkelling off beach. Great for families, couples and seniors.

Dreams Dominicus La Romana: Honest Review and Important Infor

GROUNDS: Fantastic. Flowers are maintained daily. You don’t wear wristbands. Unlimited towels everywhere you look. Great layout with 3 pools. A quiet pool for reading. A pool for kids. And a bigger pool for events/by the beach/swim up bar. There is a large beach area and another beach area to the East for more privacy/room. Umbrellas and shade are expected like at every other resort; Early bird gets the worm. It’s a big resort but not overly large like ones in Mexico and a straight forward l [... read more]ayout with beautiful grounds to walk daily. Walking never hurt anybody (they do have golf carts zipping around if you need it tho) There are so many beautiful places to catch shade and sun throughout the day it’s not hard to find the right spot. Take a walk. The Sea is warm and calmer than the Atlantic at Punta Cana and Puerto Plata. Security is all along the beach to keep you safe and local vendors come by but do not bug you because of the security. Santiago was also great at taking photos during sunset. The ONLY thing to be aware is that the beach slopes decently to the water here and along the entire stretch of the beach even for all the other resorts. It’s just the geological make up, tides and I’m sure climate change. Don’t expect endless beach along ankle high water for as long as the eye can see. When you step into the water it’s all sand. Few scattered rocks but waist high water which is the perfect temperature too. The beach area is groomed nightly as well. FOOD: The Coco Cafe Coffee Shop is where we start our day usually with a nice americano, patio seating, and garden views. At the main buffet there are lots of food options and solid food. May not always have exactly what you are looking for each and everyday day but there are plenty of options. Preservatives are washed well no stomach issues. Plethora of fruits and desserts. There are a ton of good options. BE AWARE Like at every tropical location be weary of the meat. Just ask for well done and a little more grill time. No harm in asking and they get it too. Service from Domingo at the main Buffet is the best. He is always enthusiastic and quick to assist. The main restaurant and all the reservation ones are beside each other conveniently located. Christian and Yerkys are very kind and helpful in booking you a reservation and teaching you some Spanish. George and Jorge are fun guys and also sommeliers that give you a wide variety of expertise and wine options from around the world at standard 2.5x restaurant market Prices (can bill easily to the room too). Restaurant service is good, understand the workers are busting their ass 8am-12pm everyday so be understanding. You have the Seaside grill which is cute, Tappanyaki experience is fun as expected. Also can do the Asian restaurant or sit down for all you can eat sushi at the Sushi bar with Johni (great with the knife). Upstairs are the French and Italian restaurants and the wine cellar. French is classy with pants and shoes needed. Italian we think was the best food and has a nice outdoor seating area. ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT: We played Tennis daily on the 3rd floor roof at the preferred building across the street (take the easy tunnel that goes under the road and gets you there). There is a basketball court there too. Our buddy Jimmy always helped us book a court and provide much needed towels. The Court is solid, not perfect but it is on flat roof so not a lot of cracks and damage. Interestingly painted green. The weight/fitness room overlooks the beach and the main section of the resort. It has everything you need including a tire flip area and battle ropes. The spa is located under the gym, we never attended but it looked good. There is a kids section and nightclub in the basement as well. The entertainment team has a lot of energy and keep the volleyball, yoga, Zumba, dancing, aerobics, etc going all day regardless of the weather. At night there are dance shows, fire shows, movies etc. We were there for Valentine’s Day and the oscars and they set up really nice nightly events for both that were a lot of fun. They even keep the shows going on if there is a passing rain shower. Great commitment! They offer free scuba classes, free sailboats, wind surfing, water trampoline etc. As well EXCURSIONS: 1) national park to the East- we walked along the main road to the east and visited the national park. It’s a 20min walk with a small sidewalk from the resort. then you take a dirt road to the tourist area. It’s $5 USD to get in. Then you follow a long path that either takes you through the wilderness to a cool cave or you turn right in the fielded area fork and go to a private little beach. Wear nice shoes as the walk is tough and going to both locations there + the walk to and from the hotel took us about 3hrs and 13km. Be aware. 2) Saona Island Tour- we booked with air transat as they gave us a 15$ discount. It was $105 USD for both of us. It’s what you expect In a tour, take a bunch of tourists on a catamaran/speed boat to the saona island (1.5hr trip). Open bar is unlimited hard alcohol and chase. Music is good. Island is really cool and beautiful. You spend a few hours there. Meal included. Then go to a shallow area for a bath and see some starfish before coming back to the hotel. Bring towels and sunscreen. BE AWARE that the tour guides will ask to take photos and bargain for you to buy the photos via a memory stick/direct upload. Don’t pay more than 50$ for them, they will tell you stories and try to weasel as much money from you. Stay firm with a price and move on. Photos are nice, not great, but good memory to have. Just don’t get scammed for them.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Upgrade to the Ambar

I would suggest if you are looking for a real 5 star resort to upgrade to the Ambar. Most photos on the travel websites are actually of the Ambar, which the security guards will not let you to walk around if they see your different colour bracelets. We first checked into the aquamarine and the ceiling in our room visibly cracked was leaking water, no shower curtain so the washroom was soaking wet after a show. Guest services was extremely rude helping to book a few restaurants if your even able [... read more] to find a time slot. As we have stayed at Ambar prior we decided to upgrade at this point, the difference between food, service, drinks is unimaginable. We would never stay at Aquamarine again, I would say it is equivalent to a 3 1/2-4 star hotel.

Occidental Caribe: Sunny location Sandy beach

Beautiful location. Large Buffet with multiple choices. A La Carte restaurants were very good. Pools warm but music too loud and competed with swim up bar music. Ocean warm but waves with red and yellow flagging.Our room was comfortable but complex is needing repairs and updating. Children's pool was well used by guests. Quiet pool frequented by families. Evening lobby entertainment most nights too loud to enjoy or hear conversation. Missed the target audience age group. Theatre entertainment fa [... read more]cility has poor acoustics and sound level too high. Contract Water Aerobics instructor was fantastic. She does 6 weeks only at the resort tho.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Pureuto plata

The hôtel was beautiful . The service was good .the food was not to good . The beach was good . The staff was good. It was super fun . the place was good and beautiful . and the room was beautiful

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Great Vacation

The only disappointment was the fact that the hotel did not recognize our past visits to Grande Bahia resorts. I guess this will make us reconsider our loyalty in using these resorts only when we have travel.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: The ultimate vacation spot!

The resort is beautiful! The food is amazing. I think I gained 10lbs after only being there for 7 days! The staff are super friendly and welcoming and you will probably pick up a bit of Spanish during your stay! lol The excursions were planned well and a ton of fun - we went on the party boat and dune buggy tour of Macao. I highly recommend them both as they were a really good time. I am making plans to come back again next year!