Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Family Fun in the Sun

We had stayed at the Grand Bahia Principe Akumal a few years ago, so we were excited to take our enlarged family of 12 to the Coba section this time around. The draw for choosing the Coba was the kids waterpark (we had 4 young ones with us) and the kids just loved it. I don't think there is a kids waterpark of this size on the Mayan Riveira - big hit with the kids. Now to set things straight, this is a very large resort (Tulum - Akumal - Coba - 3 hotels share a lot of real estate) but the shuttl [... read more]e was usually very prompt. (Just hard to get to beach for the beautiful sunrise photos - shuttle starts at 7:15am and its too far to walk) The service there is very attentive, but compared to Jamaica, the English is lacking. There were lots of entertainment options for all, great food, we really enjoyed all of the a-la-carts except the Brazilian (Tortuga) where the meat was way over cooked. The rooms are very spacious + nice jacuzzi in the room. My daughters are very fussy - but it passed the test with them as well. The restaurants were always able to accommodate a large group like ours with kids, even the picky eaters never ate so much :) There was something for everyone. NOTE: the chair hogs get up early to put their towel on the beach chairs, even if they are not there most the time - this should be regulated. All in all, we would go back - well done!

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Amazing!

Great resort with beautiful grounds, beach and service. Can't wait to go back. The staff was excellent and very accommodating. The rooms were beautiful and spacious. The resort was exceptionally manicured.

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Amazing, beautiful resort.

The resort was always clean, if it rained someway was their sweeping up the puddles, the staff was very polite and friendly, never pushy on tips, always there if you need anything. If you wanted to just relax you could just do that. Yes it is a huge resort, but it never felt that way. If you want to walk the grounds you could, if you were tired of walking there was a trolly that ran up and down. I would go back and recommend anyone else this resort.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Amazing resort

My husband and I travel south two to three times a year and the Bahai Principe is definitely worth investigating for a trip south. The staff are friendly and the property is kept remarkably clean. Whether you are eating in the buffet or the a la carte, you will get a great meal with lots to choose from. It is slso nice to be able to leave from Hamilton. The experience from start to finish was great

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Awesome Resort!!1

Food is great!!! Beach is awesome. Great Family resort, a water park for the kids, mini-putt and so much more.So much to see and do at the resort. We were soooo excited that they had a Super Bowl Party.... Would go back....

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: GREAT RESORT

GREAT TRIP RESORT WAS GOOD ,BEACH WAS GREAT,FOOD WAS GOOD STAFF WAS TOP NOTCH,RESORT WAS VERY LARGE,GREAT SERVICE AT ALL BARS,ROOMS WERE CLEAN AND WELL LOOK AFTER THERE WAS A FUNNY SMELL IN ROOMS A COUPLE OF TIMES.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Perfect winter getaway

Starting with the rooms, they were perfect. We splurged and got the roof-top jacuzzi suite and ended up having our private rooftop patio conjoined with another couple that came with us. That led to some pretty fun private parties. This was also the perfect place to escape to after the one rainy day we had - you can't be cold in a jacuzzi. We had one day without hot water in our room, which included the jacuzzis. That was our only half-negative review of the rooms, though I'm sure it is not a co [... read more]mmon issue. Sian Ka'an was a short shuttle ride from the beach. It was the first time we've stayed somewhere that wasn't beachfront, but it really didn't affect us much. There were only lines waiting for the shuttles if it were about to rain. The food across the resorts was great. Sian Ka'an's international restaurant had relatively small portions (compared to the rest of them) but was some of the best steak I've ever had. The Italian restaurant closer to the beach was incredible as well - we almost filled up on the salad bar before our meals came. One of the best parts of staying at Sian Ka'an was the private beach area. It was in the best part of the oceanfront, close to a fun (though small) beach bar where those working it really enjoyed helping the guests relax or party.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Sian Ka'an is an amazing place to vacation!

The hotel was absolutely beautiful. My husband and I vacationed at the very same resort in May of 2014, and we went back this Jan/Feb 2015 again, and we were not disappointed. The hotel is clean and lovely, the grounds are spectacular, the staff is some of the best we've ever experienced, the food was fresh, tasty and the variety was plentiful. I enjoyed the yoga classes at the Tao Centre while my husband enjoyed the golf. I had the best massage of my life at the Tao Centre, better than anything [... read more] I've ever experienced at home in Toronto. I was able to walk to the yoga class each morning - about a 20 minute walk (you can take the shuttle if you want to) - and the yoga class was followed by either a meditation class or a zumba class. The yoga instructors are top notch, not just kids. This is an 18 and over resort, and we appreciated that fact. We had access to the other three resorts - Tulum, Coba and Akumel when we wanted to party. There is also a centre called Hacienda which houses a disco after 11:30pm, plus various other activities and shops during the day. If you are not inclined to take the tours offered by the travel companies, you can take the "collectiva" or the bus to Tulum or Playa Del Carmen (or wherever) and it only costs $3USD pp. (Ask the shuttle driver to drop you off close to the road in the direction you wish to travel). We visited the beach in Tulum and sat at a patio bar right on the sandy beach, had some tacos with fresh habanero peppers in fresh lime juice, and a couple of beers ... it was heaven. Since arriving home February 6th, we are already trying to figure out when we can get back there. If you book a superior suite, it comes with butler service!!! Ask for Arturo, he was amazing!!! Our only disappointment was to see that other travelers were not tipping the staff. These people worked their butts off to please you, so please reach into your pocket and show your appreciation ... don't be an el-cheapo!!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great resort

We stayed at the Bahia 6 years ago and LOVED it, this time we were a little desapointed in the food, there was no variarity at the buffet, the "À la carte" were not the best. We have a feeling they have gotten too big and the quality expected with a 5 stars has gone down.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: not bad resort

It wasn,t a four star but the rooms were clean and newly renovated, it was a large resort with lots of activities to do , the activation team was good, but the nightly entertainment sucked,there was really no shows unless drunks got on the stage, It rained for three days. the marble floors were so slippery two people I know of broke their legs,they should have used more signage.The food was ok but no variety it was the same for seven days if you were creative you didnt eat the same thing everyda [... read more]y. The a la cart were way better too bad you cant eat there every night,the beach sucked the kept it clean but the water was dark and the sand was a dirty brown, there were sand fleas and lots of people got bit.we booked a excursion but was cancelled three times not enough people so we went on the sat and it poured rain all day yet we still had fun

Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Cayacoa is the choice for us!

The Cayacoa hotel was lovely, just the right size with the right number of people to spend your vacation with. The beach and pool were not overly crowded and it was always easy enough to find lounge chairs and a place to relax. The outdoor bar patio was the perfect spot to drink your morning coffee and overlook the bay ... gorgeous. We booked through Air Canada Vacations but rep in Dominican proved to be similar to that of a salesman and lost interest quickly in his clients once he made a sale  [... read more]for any of his excursions, to the point where he didn't even speak a word to anyone on the bus back to Samana Airport, not even a goodbye to anyone or a 'thank you for traveling with Air Canada.'

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Great resort!

Although we stayed at the Gr.Esmeralda section of Bahia Principe, we had access to all amenities of the other 4 sections (Turquesa, Bavaro, Punta Cana, Ambar). This was great as we were able to use the pools, bars, and all restaurants. Guests from Ambar (adults only) and GrEsmer. Have full access....so worth the extra $. The grounds were impeccable! Hard working staff. rooms very nice, large, clean. Food and drink available always.

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: Beautiful, relaxing spot

We went to this resort the first week of February. It was a little overcast, but still hot enough to sit on the beautiful beach and enjoy a drink from one of the many beach bars. The staff was very friendly and always happy. The resort was clean and it was lovely to return to our room every night to find the bed turned down, and the room ready for sleeping. The food at the buffet restaurant was very good, with everything you could want. Including a seafood night with more lobster, scallops, musc [... read more]les, oysters, shrimp (which they had at every meal in the beach bar as well), and numerous types of fish than you can imagine.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Wonderful resort for families and couples!

Friendly staff, very clean resort, yummy food, great selection of drinks, very kid friendly ( includes buffet area kids can reach to serve themselves from) not to mention the waterpark. Most bars close by 11pm (other than a disco and sports bar which was a short tram ride away from main areas)... We appreciated this as we aren't into partying late or hearing other people partying late! Didn't take our kids this time but plan to take them back when they are able to swim...they will love it!

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: good value for the price

The hotel is good value for the price. There is something for everyone. The beach is very rocky in some places but there is a good area to swim. The hotel is not the fanciest but it was fine for the price.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Better here than the pacific side, great vacation!

What a beautiful resort and great service from everyone! This place is huge when you count in all the other resorts within the property. Beach front is clean and full of happy staff ready to make your stay wonderful. We downloaded the APP when we arrived and booked all the A-la cart dinners in one go (don't wait till the day before, you won't have a reservation) Since we booked at the Akumal we are allow to eat at every place on the property, ie: Sian Kann, Premier, Tulum and Coba. Check out th [... read more]e sports they offer and take full advantage of the free ones, which will also make your day more fulfilling. Nightly programs are not the 5 star type but we were happy with most of the shows we saw. Rooms got stocked and cleaned and if you need anything done just phone up and request it. Staff are very friendly and will answer anything about the hotel and how to get around the place. If you happen to see some one trimming the coconut tress and you'd like to try the coconut water, ask if they can cut you one :) We had the pleasure of sipping out of a fresh cut coconut (just don't forget to tip them a little) Tipping is not mandatory but if some one goes out of their way or gives you good service please be kind. Location of the hotel is about 1.5 hours from the airport, it's a bit far but the beach is clean and beautiful. If you'd like to go adventure outside of the hotel just take the transport carts to the Hacienda and walk 10 steps to get on the collectivo. it's 20mins on the collectivo (aka local mini bus/van) to Tulum city or the Ruins, cost each person 40 pesos each way and 10mins with 25 pesos each way to Akulma Beach (best place to snookering for turtles) and 30mins with 70 pesos each to Playa del carmen.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: amazing resort

We stayed the week of Jan 29 to Feb 5, 2015. This is a wonderful adults only resort , extremely clean, fantastic food and well looked after rooms. Our only concern is the dinner reservation practice. This should be eliminated as it takes a great deal of time to complete. Guest services blamed the lack of availability for location and time slots on guests completing this on line prior to arrival, however when visiting the restaurants at preferred times, they were half empty and people were still  [... read more]being turned away. I would suggest no reservations and availability be left to first come first serve. Our only other issue was the towel game which seems to be a practice at most resorts. People should not be allowed to leave a towel on a chair at 6:00 am and not show up at the pool until 3:00 pm. This is a very irritating practice for those wishing to enjoy the pool facility. Other than these issues we were extremely pleased with our stay and would come back again

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: first time at a resort

my husband and 2 sons aged 13 and 18 came with us to the grand bahia principe tulum, we had a great time ,the rooms were beautiful, the resort was very clean, staff were attentive and friendly, fun evening entertainment,loved the outdoor feel, enjoyed the tennis,bike rides, bring your own snorkeling equipment as on red flag days you cannot use theirs , also bring your own soccer ball,frisbee ,board games, we rented a car,$85 for one day ,if we had agreed the morning of taking the car to 2 days , [... read more]we would have only been charged an extra $18 we thought that we would wait until the end of the day to decide and then they said it was too late, so i recommend take the 2 day option, we drove to coba and climbed the pyramid ,great views and then went to a cenote nearby ,that is an underwater cave where we swam and jumped off 5 and 10 meter platforms ,awesome! superbowl night the resort put on a fantastic party, so they do really try to make your week outstanding!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: loved it!

Very clean resort. People were super friendly! We had been there before and would definitely go there again. Had recommend this resort to a coworker and he had his wedding there. On our way home my daughter asked if we could go there again next year!

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Great service, good food, so-so beach

Beautifully landscaped grounds are kept constantly manicured. Food is varied and for the most part tasty. Concern was that invariably it wasn't hot unless you got it right off the grill. Hot coffee in the morning was unattainable. Don't bother asking for DECAF. You'll get instant!! Surprised there were no "munchies" at the bar. We had peanuts for 2 days and only OLIVES for the rest of the time.! Service staff for the most part were great! Disappointed in the excursion we went on. The Nolitours r [... read more]ep. promoted the Jeep safari. It was good to a point but it became clear pretty quickly that we were being driven to various places where we would be enticed to spend $$ ...ex. the vanilla factory...charged us $5 for a bottle that we could have obtained for $1 - 2 back on the beach at one of the stalls. They get your heartstrings to buy stuff for the kids at the school you stop at....but they charge you prices for stuff that are 5X what you'd pay for at the Dollar STORE back home. Our "guide" didn't provide a whole lot of info. in comparison to some other people we heard about.. He seemed intent on stoppoing frequently so that we could get "liquored up". It's a long way from anything and taxi rides cost huge amounts of American dollars. Right now it's important for Canadians to realize that a $30 cab ride to San Juan is actually $36 Canadian dollars....a local bus is 100 pesos or about $3....but the hotel people don;t want you to use that....support the taxi lobby I guess