Amazing vacation

Fantastic resort, with amazing staff. The entertainment staff are the highlight with Shorty, Coco, Carlos. Food, rooms, resort are excellente. The vendors at the beach are a bit of a pain, but if you're assertive enough, they leave you alone. We would definitely go back.

Welcome Home to my Dominican Place

This is a Great Resort if you want a smaller resort to stay at. The rooms have been renovated & are well kept. Food is VERY GOOD with lots of variety to choose from. There is always HOT WATER to shower !!!!!!!!! We travelled on March 26/15 and the flights were on time........transfer to resort well managed and our room was ready when we checked in. We were pleased with a Jr. Suite .........king bed on the third floor overlooking the beach...........WoW!! Room 1347. The beach has great sand...... [... read more]....no sharp coral and is well patrolled. This was our second stay & there was a banner on our door "Welcome Back"

Great hotel

The resort was very nice.Beach was beautiful .Food was very good and large variety.Rooms needed some updating but for the short time you are in your room they were fine.The workers were so very friendly always stopping to speak or asking you if everything was ok.

GH Ventara

Very clean and friendly staff. We had a problem with our room but they were very quick to give us another room. Food was very good. A la cart portion were small but delicious. Would have liked to have seen more Pilates and yoga classes.

Perfect Holiday

Third visit and it is better than ever. Food, beach, pools, rooms excellent. Especially enjoyed the managers dinner for returning guests. Lots of activities as well as quiet spots. Great for all ages.Will be back again!

Wonderful Resort

We were a party of 4 - 2 adults and 2 -18 year girls. Had a great time. Grounds very well kept. Hotel clean. Friendly staff. Need to have some local music played around the pool during the day. Food was wonderful. Beach beautiful and clean. Would go back.

Definitely would recommend to a friend.

While not perfect. the resort gets high marks in our main key areas: Excellent beach best in area, cleanest and cleaned every day, well maintained rooms (some older and some recently renovated) and facilities, cleanliness and food options where the 3 specialty restaurants along with the buffet and Ocean grill never once made us think of eating off site during our two week stay. We were part of a group of 13 for a wedding and the bride was extremely pleased with everything and the general consens [... read more]us was very positive. The only minor blemishes was room allocations where an uncle and 2 nephews were given a one bed (king) room and one excursion which failed to mention close to 6 hours of bus travel when you add the 1.5 hours to pick up tourists from all of the resorts before starting the posted 1.5 hours to get there. There are extra charges for the use of the safe and better Wi-Fi; free Wi-Fi performance ranged from adequate to unusable depending on the time of day (both not significant in our minds). The resort was a very short 20 minute bus ride from the airport.

Clean and friendly too! Good snorkeling too.

In short version is we LOVED IT! VERY pleased and we would not only recommend VH Gran Ventana, Puerto Plata but will go again if nothing else catches our eye next year. Without considering the low cost, it was a great spot. When you factor in the low cost, it is a gem. Clean, clean, clean. Friendly staff. Great food. Quiet. Great beach. Small enough that nothing seems “far away”… … It deserves better than the 4-star rating. It wouldn’t make a 5 star cut mainly because of minor things,  [... read more]I think. Long version: The bathroom was a bit dated, but spotlessly clean. So if shiny taps and a perfect tub are a concern, you might have a few complaints. The common areas are spacious and airy and we were amazed at how well maintained they all were (seriously, if you told me they had just shut down and renovated the week before, I’d believe it.) The staff were extremely friendly and helpful with the occasional need for international sign language.  The beach is very nice with tons of shaded areas (we did not have to sit in the sun once unless we chose to and never went out early to “reserve” a spot). There is lots of coral to explore. Sadly it is in pretty rough shape with very little active growth but there are still quite a few fish attracted to it. Not bad for a short walk and your snorkeling! The reef provides some protection. We had pretty big winds and I swam on yellow flag days with no concerns. Although I am a strong swimmer, it didn’t matter as I was not buffeted at all (using a little common sense about going out too far on those days of course). The food at the buffet was great with lots of variety and the a la carte restaurants were delicious (wine was better there). The wait to sit at the buffet was minimal at worst. More often than not, we walked in and sat down right away. The entertainment was a bit lame for us, but you know what? They had a crowd every night.  The service at the buffet was about the only thing that stood out as lacking. And what a minor thing. Waiting for a glass of water or a coffee could go on forever. But both were readily available on the buffet a few feet away. Most times plates wouldn’t be cleared or maybe a glass would be missing when set… … But once we got a few waiters nicely tipped we didn’t wait for wine or drinks often. 

Had a great time

Staff was excellente. They kept people entertained around the pool, at the beach and at night during shows. The food at the 3 a la cart restaurants were excellent. Cons: The mattresses in rooms are like sleeping on a sheet of plywood. The beach bar could use a face lift and more seating around the bar. Although it is buffet food, the food overall was good but at times not hot enough. But most importantly the resort needs to make "Presidente Light" available to quest's around the resort rather t [... read more]han the 2 cans they leave in your room.

Wonderful clean Resort

My wife and our 17 and 18 year olds had a wonderful time and they made good use of the WIFI. TV in room also carried quite a few US station, so my wife was thrilled to watch Survivor.. Food Buffet was a bounty of choices (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, pasta, seafood, salads, etc... were top rate) and no stomach issues. We ate when we wanted at all hours and didn't get around to the four specialized restaurants that were also free. Plenty of happy helpful staff worked hard to keep the visitors hap [... read more]py and were so very friendly. Entertainment was top rate every night. Even had the opportunity to play a few songs with one of the visiting bands in our adult resort section that made my time even more special..Our bartender at the TIkki bar named Remy made the very best specialized drinks that we've ever had and we felt great every morning. Met many fine folks from Sweden, UK, and few from the US as 90% were Canucks from all over from PEI to Calgary. A few we met have visited the resort over 12 years and said it was better than the Five stars. Friends of mine recommended the place after being there 9 times. The waters were very calm on this side of the island, safe to swim and wade around in the water, nothing to step on that would sting you, sand was clean and was very safe to walk in either direct of the resorts for a long .Pools and beach were clean and safe for the little ones as well.Sun was always at your back so it always nice looking out at the water. Plenty of shade if wanted and plenty of chairs too. Only went on the Dune buggy tour which was a dirty muddy messy blast, but later just chose to just hang around the resort and relax. The kids want to go back again next year! Seven days was not enough, wished I book for 10- 14 days. Only a 4 hour trip each way and 15 mins from the airport. Takes longer to get to the cottage from TO...

Was not as good as expected.

We have been there 4 times. This year they added club packages and if you don't upgrade to one of the clubs your needs will not be met. We arrived on Friday afternoon and on Saturday we couldn't get in to one of the restaurants unless we took 9 o'clock at night. We were very disappointed. So be prepared to upgrade or forget it.

Fantastic Stay

Fantastic time at the VH. It was our first time at this resort from the moment we checked in to our sad goodbyes it was a great week. The rooms were clean and welcoming with a bar fridge stocked daily with water, pop, and beers of course. There are two pools at this resort one is a quiet pool of you wanted a nice quiet relaxing day with a bar near by, and the main pool had music swim up bar with entertainment hourly. The food was always fresh and delicious, we tried all three a la cartes the It [... read more]alian and beach grill were my favourite. There was a snack bar and drinks available daily until 2 am so you never went hungry . The VH had the the nicest, cleanest beach out of the complex. It was cleaned daily and there were always chairs available. There are vendors on the beach, they were friendly and all you have to say is no thank you and they will not bother you again All and all it was a fun resort to visit, there isn't a lot of night life it does get quiet after the nightly entertainment comes to end. But that doesn't mean you have to end your night. You are able to sit out grab drinks and hang out around the bar or in the lobby. I recommend this resort to all ages and we will defiantly be back!!!!

Amazing vacation

My group consisted of 2 couples ages 24-29. We arrived on March 5, 2015 around 11pm and we're greeted with a welcome drink at check in. The hotel reception were very nice and got us to our rooms within 20 minutes. Our rooms were located in Beata building and we thought this was to our advantage as it was quiet at night. Rooms could use some updating but for us who were only in there to sleep it wasn't a big deal for us. We waited for our luggage to be delivered to our room for about 10 minutes a [... read more]nd while we waited took advantage of the mini bar in the room stocked daily with beer, pop, and Water. Room was nice enough for us, bed were a little uncomfortable but wasn't a big deal what we slept on after a day of drinking by the pool. Our shower had very little pressure and the bar fridge leaked puddles of water all over the floor everyday, but again we were not very critical nor did we care. Our room faced the quiet pool and it was very nice to sit on the porch and have a drink every night before dinner. Bugs were not really an issue for us in the room, however while we were there our room was fumigated twice in 3 days and a few of my girlfriends lip glosses and make up brushes went missing. Again not a deal breaker for us as we were just happy to be in paradise. The a LA carte restaurants were awesome and we ate at the octopus, ocean grill, and Italien. Italien was by far our favorite. The wine isn't the best, but you can get better for a price. The buffet was awesome for breakfast and we all pretty much ate omlettes every morning for breakfast, those guys are awesome. Lunch wasn't very good at the buffet and dinner was hit and miss. We ate lunch mostly every day at the ocean grill as they had a wider selection of food but again most of the time was the same food everyday. The pizza and quesadillas were amazing though. Beach was fantastic. we walked the whole thing both ways and the vh by far has the nicest spot with lots of beach chairs to choose from. Vendors were a little annoying but you get to know them by name and they become quite friendly and will leave you alone if you are polite to them. They are just trying to make a living and people need to understand that. The staff at the resort were awesome. The water aerobics were fun to watch, but it was alot of the same dance routines every single day. Pool bartenders Franklin and Jonas were by far our favorite. Those guys definitely deserve some credit and appreciation. So personable and friendly. Drinks were good but again got tiring. If you wanted something different to drink you could pay for it at the vip fidelity club. We liked the drinks because they made them strong and would have them ready for us most of the time right when we finished a previous drink they would be pouring the next. Dangerous. Haha. The entertainment at night was by far the worst thing about the resort. Just repetitive and boring. First night merengue was fun. African show was weird and creepy. They need to step their game up in that regard. New material. The problem for us was pretty much everything shut down around 1030. No club or disco on site and much of the Playa Dorado mall closed down it made it hard to find something to do at night and we found ourselves bores and trying to sneak onto the other resorts. Pool bar is open until midnight and buffet open until 2 am that will serve drinks as Well. Wasn't huge deal for us but being in bed at 11 every night got kind of boring. Pool was awesome, there were daily games of pool volleyball and every one of the entertainment staff were very friendly. Shout out to bon Jovi, Carlos santana, and coco who were responsible for handling most of the events throughout the day. They were awesome in grabbing people for fun games. I won a few and they most of the time reward you with coffee or booze. No big complaints overall it was an awesome vacation and stay. We would definitely come back but towards the end we did find ourselves getting bored as daily activities were repetitive. We loved the pool and beach and drinks even though they were lower class alcohol but we didn't care. We will definitely be recommending this resort. Ya it needs some improvements but they try really hard to be accommodating and it went a long way for us. Thanks for a great vacation !!!

The best

the grounds were amazing there was all ways some one cleaning.the staff were great.our room was very clean & we got a free upgrade to a beach view. I go for the beaches & this beach is the best the sand is not so fine that it gets ever were but very nice to walk on the only thing is that it's windy. the water is great & bring your snorkeling gear the reef have hundreds of small fish to feed.

Still our favourite - couple of disappointments

8 of us stayed at Gran Ventana Feb 27 - Mar 6. Of the 4 couples, 3 had mobility limitations. I had emailed Marisol well in advance, requesting rooms that would be close to the pool, hence the shortest walk possible. One couple did receive a room,that was only two doors in, the other 2 couples were at the very end of the hallway (including an 85 yr old lady). Needless to say, I was very disappointed, as I didn't feel this was an unreasonable request. As well, we arrived on Friday, tried to book t [... read more]he restaurants and the only availability was 9:00pm sitting, so we didn't get to enjoy any of the restaurant dining. I guess being our 4th and 5th visit, I was hoping for a little more TLC. On a better note, the resort is truly beautiful, staff is very friendly, resort is very clean, food at the buffet is awesome. You can always find something to eat that you will enjoy. The returning guest dinner was wonderful and greatly appreciated. Will I return? You bet, still an outstanding resort, just a little sad that we couldn't be accommodated.

Great value for the price

The resort was small but nice. Staff were friendly and fun. Beach was beautiful and water clear! Food was good and drinks were .....strong! It was quiet which is what i was looking for. Happy overall.

Amazing Resort

Very clean, good food, staff were very nice. Loved my room view of the pool and ocean Specialty Restaurants awesome Octopus one was great. Would go back for sure. Mixed age group Good for families and older people. No disco so if your looking for night life after midnight not the place to go. Close to the airport so you don't have a long drive to get there after travelling.

Loved the beach

I had problems with the pool towels that made for difficulties as others grabbed any left on chairs. I did not like the schedules for dining. Food was satisfactory. Entertainment was amateur at best. I left for other activities

Average

We stayed as a couple from Feb 13-20. Overall the resort is ok. We upgraded to the Royal Package. I would highly recommend upgrading but you really do not need the royal service. There is no real difference between royal and premium upgrade besides price. Roman our beach waiter was AMAZING!!! He remembered your order and brought you drinks before you had to ask. He also brought us our lunch so we ate right there on the beach. He was a superstar. All of the food at the A la Carts are fabulous. No [... read more] complaints at all. Some improvements could be made with the buffet service. In the morning it was very hard to get coffee, coffee mugs and water from a server. There seemed to be no structure as to what server served a section. They all seemed to just go all over and you constantly had to flag or go up to them to ask for water and/or coffee. The staff in the Vintage room was also great, always pleasant and ready to help. I was a little confused that not all the premium drinks were included. If you wanted Corona or Budweiser beer you had to pay for it. That was a first for us at an all inclusive. The room and bathroom were small with no storage but we had read previous reviews so we were not shocked. We did not spend much time in there. If you want quiet you should ask for a room away from the main pool.

Good holiday, good food, service just OK

Check in was smooth but to still have to pay for a safety deposit box with a key to carry around is a pain. The room was clean, slightly dated, and lacking in drawer space(for clothes) or and extra chair. We had the quiet side and 3rd floor as requested which was nice But a lot of stairs (no elevator if you need it). 2 pools (one quiet) across the driveway at part two of hotel, which was nice. Food was good, salads, fruit, a meat, deserts. Service was non existent, do well to get water at the ta [... read more]ble. No bar service around the pool(you go get it). Beach was nice, lots of space, trees for shade, most days enough chairs, vendors tiresome after awhile. We would return if price was right.