Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Excellent resort

Huge resort that is well maintained. Excellent service from very friendly staff. Many a la cartes to choose from. The buffets had lots of different choices and the food was OK. No problem getting a lounge at the pool or beach. Beach had a lot of seaweed wash up this week which isn't normal.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Wonderful time at the Ambar!

From arrival to checkout ,all went smoothly at the Ambar. My friend and I both 60 have travelled before ,so we know that there can be problems big and little at these resorts. Happy to say we loved it. Great food , beautiful beach to walk on,helpful service,lovely pools and entertainment and nice rooms. The Bahia Principe is a huge complex but once you are at the Ambar you can orient yourself quickly. We stayed at the Ambar 2 which is the newest section and it was beautiful . I really enjoyed th [... read more]e al fresco dining . It is a quiet adults only resort so the party people might not like it.We would definitely return !

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Highly recommended! Two thumbs up!!!

My wife and I travelled to Riviera Maya Mexico from Jan 26 to Feb 02, 2015 to celebrate a few occasions but specifically for our 6 year wedding anniversary. One of the reasons we decided to go with Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an is because it was an Adults only resort and we had access to Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal, Grand Bahia Principe Tulum and Grand Bahia Principe Coba. I wanted to make this trip extra special for my wife because it was our 6 year anniversary and I wanted to know what  [... read more]the Sian Ka’an could do to make our vacation and stay special and memorable. I sent an email to the resort on Jan 16 asking if we could pre book our A la carte’s a head of time (at least for the day of our anniversary) and to tell them that we would be celebrating our 6 year anniversary on January 29. I did not receive a reply until one week later; this was a concern because I was already questioning their customer service due to the delayed email response. On January 23 I finally received a response from Public Relations Rep and they apologized for the delayed response. The Rep explained that they were giving priority and replying to emails according to the proximity of the arrival. The Rep also explained that their system does not allow them to pre book the A la carte restaurants anymore. The specialty restaurants reservations may only be made upon arrival at the hotel. The Rep did say that they can arrange and surprise my wife with a bottle of sparkling wine to our room as a courtesy and the room can be decorated by their house keeping staff. Check-in was quick and efficient, with a welcome drink and happy service even though it was close to midnight when we arrived to Sian Ka’an. We had a few minutes before guest services closed but we managed to book our A la carte reservations. We booked Maiko, Alux Gourmet Restaurant located at Sian Ka’an and Don Pablo Restaurant located at GBP Tulum. My wife and I booked a Deluxe Room (most basic room) and when we arrived at the resort we were given room 42323 on the 3rd floor (which is the top floor). The room was in a quiet location, spacious, clean, and had a king size bed. We could have booked a Junior Suite, Junior Suite Superior, Junior Suite Superior Garden or Junior Suite Superior Penthouse but the room we had was just perfect. The room was more than adequate; the bed was comfortable that had lots of pillows and good clean sheets. The room was cleaned every day after returning from the beach with plenty of towels, soaps, etc… The fridge was always restocked fully every day especially the bottled water. We had a different towel animal made every day. Yal-ku buffet had great food with a variety of delicious choices during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner was always themed and there were traditional international dishes from specific national cuisine. Service was always great; staff always acknowledged you and made sure we always had a drink. Maiko was our first restaurant we dined at, the food was tasty, great ambiance, staff was very friendly and service was great. My only recommendation to the Maiko Restaurant is that they should pour less of the 3 dipping sauces they serve for each table. Or, use smaller saucers, as it is a waste. Alux Gourmet Restaurant was the second restaurant we dined at and was the day of our anniversary. We had an early reservation (5:30pm), we were greeted by the restaurant manager who served us some wine as we waited to go into the restaurant by the pool area. There was probably only 2-3 other couples in the restaurant during this time which made it really private. When we were seated at our table it was beautifully decorated with shredded rose petals that formed a heart and other rose petals lingering by the plate settings. It was classy and not cheesy at all. My wife loved it and she was so happy. It was not expected and something that I did not request or arrange. The food was delicious; the servers were top notch and always attended to us, they were very friendly and provided excellent service. Another great touch they surprised us with was during our final course (dessert), they came out with a piece of chocolate cake with strawberries on top and chocolate writing on the plate that said ‘Happy Anniversary’. They then poured some type of liquor on the cake, lit it up and then magic, the cake and plate lit up into a small flame. It was pretty cool and a very nice way to end our dinner. Sian Ka’an and Alux Gourmet Restaurant went over and beyond to make our 6 year wedding anniversary a memorable and special day. Don Pablo Restaurant located in GBP Tulum was the third restaurant we dined at. The food was great, staff was also friendly and provided good service. My only recommendation is that they should have had the ceiling fans turned on because I found it too hot even though their windows were cracked open. On the day of our anniversary we spent the day at the beach and when we got back to our room the bed was beautifully decorated with rose petals formed into a huge heart with a groom and bride towel swan display in the middle of the heart. There was so much detail put into the towel swans and I was quite impressed by the house keeping staff. This was a great touch and made my wife happy. After we had our dinner at Alux Gourmet Restaurant we went back to our room and there was sparkling wine and 3 chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. The rep did say that they would surprise my wife with a bottle of sparkling wine to our room as a courtesy and the room can be decorated by their house keeping staff. I must say that Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an delivered and did not disappoint me on our special day. We received this special treatment even though it was our first time at this resort and booked the most basic room. LBPSK listened, took note and made it a memorable day and experience! Cenote Snack Bar had some good eats! The location was convenient if you were chilling by the two centre pools when you wanted to grab a bite to eat. We ate there a couple of times late at night and the server and service was still really great. There was only one server and one cook late at night and these guys are worked, especially when it gets busy. I give them the utmost respect and I don’t think people really acknowledge them or are appreciative of their service. Kudos to the night staff at the snack bar.The only disappointing event (but did not ruin our trip) was the hamburgers we ordered through room service on our 3rd night. Both my wife and I experienced awful stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting from either the burger or mayonnaise that night. Not sure which one, but just a heads up, if you plan to order late room service. A RECOMMENDATION TO SIAN KA’AN: keep your packets of mayo refrigerated, instead of stored in a cupboard. Normally, mayo can be stored at room temperature, but with extreme heat, perhaps it could go bad. The Sian Ka’an Beach was recently moved to the T-shaped pier beside the Akumal beach and close to the Arlequin restaurant (convenient for Sian Ka’an guest to grab a bite to eat). There were no sand whales (unlike the other beach areas at that are not GBP resorts) but a natural reef to block the waves. The beach had nice sand, clear blue water and very few rocks. From what I read and was told the previous Sian Ka’an beach location was much rockier. We brought water shoes and we didn’t have to use them. I was really amazed on what the beach staff does to make this part of the beach area clean and enjoyable for their guests. One morning I witnessed the beach staff and the Animation Team help each other gather the seaweed brought in by the tides, put them in bags, hull the bags up to be picked up by other staff. Again, I give them the utmost respect because I don’t think people really acknowledge them or are appreciative on what they do. The Sian Ka’an beach area is not that big but it’s roped off, there is a little bar area where you can get/exchange your towels. The servers at the beach are friendly and come up to you often for an order. There were lots of fish swimming around in some areas of the water. My wife met a lad in the water that had bread and gave her some to feed the fish and before you know it we were surrounded by a school of beautiful fish. Trolley rides were frequent and fun. It wasn’t a big deal to us that you had to take a trolley to the beach because it didn’t stop at all the other resorts before you got to the beach. The drivers all had their own funny characteristics and were very friendly. We went to see three shows at the sister resorts and we really enjoyed the Fire Show and loved the Acrodance Show. We enjoyed the live bands at Sian Ka’an and the band that played at the Hacienda Dona Isabel. We didn’t think we would get to hear a lot of Salsa, Merengue or Bachata music but we did and we were able to dance. Animation Team was fantastic! Their energy when instructing classes, leading the “crazy" games and volley ball tournaments was contagious and fun! The animation staff were friendly, not pushy and super funny. They made our stay at Sian Ka’an extra special. Considering they work super long hours, you would never be able to tell because they are always “on” performance mode from morning to the late hours of the evening. Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an experience is much more different than the other sister resorts on the Bahia Principe property. It is modern looking, adults only, peaceful, relaxing, great food, excellent staff and service. My wife and I highly recommend Sian Ka’an for your next holiday, especially if you're celebrating a special occasion!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: vacation

This hotel is very clean, grounds are pretty lush and resort is resort. The room in Ambar 1 are older but still in good condition. The food and service is excellent. The beach is amazing. The lobbies are very welcoming and relaxing.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Just loved the resort

Everything was first class the only problem was the late night snack bar and bar was usually under staffed for as busy as it was and the warm shots of tequila that came out of the kitchen. I really want to get back there for another vacation

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Wow!!! We found our little bit of Heaven!

From gourmet dinning at specialty restaurants to the well manicured grounds this resort continues too awes us in paradise! Cleanliness of public areas and rooms (with spectacular views) were appreciated. Service was 5 star and genuine!!

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Very Nice Resort & Enjoyable Stay

Overall the Resort was very well kept, rooms were clean, beds & pillows good. The staff was very friendly and work hard to keep all areas clean. The food at buffet was very good and had lots of variety. We did four al la carts and found that the "La Gran Tortuga" (Brasileno) one was extremely good, while the others only average. The bar staff was really great and not to long to get a drink, also liked the tequila sample bar. Beaches are nice, although a little rocky in some areas. We really enjo [... read more]yed our stay, had a great time.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Nice resort

Nice grounds, nice beach, good food, good service a bit far drive from Cancun airport but it's worth it large selection of a la carte restaurants, no limit for that, no hassle with beach towels and towel cards, plenty of seats available on the beach.

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Awesome resort

Clean, well maintained. Excellent, friendly service. Delicious, with lots of choices from buffet. Disappointed in the a la cartes except La Gran Tortuga which was very delicious. Will definitely return and would recommend this resort to family.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Excellent resort

I found this resort to be very clean and top notch as far as staff was concerned. You could not ask for better. The food was really tasty , Avoid a couple things for sure, if it looks suspect then stay away , if it has been sitting out too long stay away . and the late night bar by the beach between Ambar and Esmeralda. I would not trust the food there at all. other then that the a la cartes are very good. and the food in the buffets are good. I only had 1 bad experience , with something from th [... read more]e buffet and it is just starting to not affect me a week later. The same can be said for 2 of our friends.. Lots of kids at this resort. it would be nice to see some more established and enforced Adults Only areas Checkout day and Wifi Access are the 2 worst things on this resort any 5 star has good wifi, not here it is garbage unless you want to pay . When you checkout at noon if you have a late flight , all of your stuff stays in the lobby all day . People lose luggague or it has been sent to the wrong flight , plus you also have to be responsible to carry around what ever passports and ID and change of clothes you need all day long. This is not 5 star service I got better treatment for that from a 3 star in Mexico. So there is room for improvement, Overall bang for buck I paid $1630 for 7 days per person I would not pay more then $1400 for the same experience unless they addressed some of these issues.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: we loved the resort

the only thing we would change is the use of the lounges and umbrellas around the pool. There are not enough available and just putting towels or books on a lounger should not reserve you one for the rest of the day, especially if you don't even use it. We noticed people as early as 7 am reserving loungers and umbrellas. Not cool.....

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Amazing Short Get Away

We arrived at lush, green Samana on Jan 27th for a short 4 day get away. It is wonderful that the resort has this option, so many all inclusive do not offer less than 7 days. This was the 3rd Bahia property we have stayed at, and by far the most picturesque. There is a stunning view from wherever you look. Our balcony overlooked the town of Samana, and both the pool and beach elevators have glass windows to look out. A resort built into the side of the hill gives great views but many steps for  [... read more]walking. Also sometimes a challenge to figure out where you want to go initially. A short 45min transfer from the airport, quick check in. Remember to pay ($4 per day) for your safe, and they give you the activation code, we forgot and had to go back to the desk. Our room was standard, clean. The king bed was on the firm side, and pillows ok, but we were given 4 of them. Bathroom fine too. We were on the 5th floor and no trouble with water temp, but water pressure was low. Once again, to Bahia standards we ate like kings. There is never any point of the day that you cannot get food. The buffet was standard, and always found much to our liking. Snack bar was great too. We tried the Italian and Gourmet a-la-carte. The italian was just ok for me, but the Gourmet was amazing! Best meal at a resort I have had. All the bars are great and very eager to please. They did run out of mint for 2 of our 4 days which was a problem for us mojito drinkers, but we managed to survive. The cappuccinos in the lobby bar with Barcelo Creame (Dominican Bailey's) were to die for. The entertainment staff here really go above and beyond. They want to talk to you and get you involved. They do an excellent job. During our 4 days we had a lot of rain, torrential at times. The entertainment staff did their best to give you fun options during the rain. The resort also puts an umbrella in each room. 2 thumbs up to Alex and Tomas and the rest of the animation team. The early evening dancing was fun, and we saw the Dominican Dancing professional show and also the Circus show, both very enjoyable. We did take the free ride into Samana for a couple hours. When you get off the cart there are locals waiting to take you around town. At first we were very leary of this, but in the end he was very helpful and informative taking us to the local market and also the supermarket to make our purchases. He answered all our questions and we were happy to learn so much. We did not do any other excursions as we only had 4 days. Other people enjoyed the zip lining. I think with all the rain the water looked very rough for whale watching. Despite the rain, a wonderful vacation. Very up to the Bahia standards. Would highly recommend. Room Tip: We liked being the main building. It meant less walking up stairs, especially in the rain. Our roo... Stayed January 2015, travelled as a couple

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Fantastic Resort

My husband and I both had an excellent time at this resort! We were a 5 minute walk to the beach. The beach itself was gorgeous with soft, white sand, countless palm trees, and of course the gorgeous turquoise water the Caribbean is know for. The food was excellent, and must better than other resorts we have travelled to. We really enjoyed all the fresh fruits and fresh salad bar. Drinks were fantastic, and they really had a lot of top shelf liquor available. The resort was in immaculate conditi [... read more]on. The only downside we noticed was the aggressive timeshare sales people.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Wow what a nice vacation.

I have to start with the food ! I have been to several resorts and I am a picky eater but I loved the food here . I never ate anything I didn't like. It was not bland or tasted all the same. It was very fresh and tasty. Rooms are very nice , staff was very friendly and try to help in every way with a smile. We didn't have to fight for chairs on the beach but the main pool area will fill up. but you can go to another pool . There is allot of stairs around the resort but you need some exercise to  [... read more]burn off all that food you are going to eat. The view is beautiful all around . There is lots to do here also like rent a motorbike and go driving around . It was a blast but I must warn you there are no rules no stop signs or stop lights it is just a free for all and you should have previous experience driving a bike and pay attention all around you . There are more motorbikes here then I have ever seen Everyone has one , you will see many people on one bike and all the bikes are small nothing over 200cc . I would go back to this place most defiantly.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Good resort !

The grounds were beautiful and well maintained by many staff. The public areas and bathrooms were clean. Our hotel room was good, clean and well maintained with all the amenities. The cleaning lady was nice and friendly near the end of our stay. All the other staff weren`t as friendly as the staff were in the resort that we stayed at in Cuba last year -- who acknowledged you every time they walked by you with a hello. The food was ok, but we both got a little sick at different times from eating  [... read more]sea food -- we think.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: THE BEST EVER

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, LOVE THE LONG BEACH, THE STAFF WAS VERY ACCOMODATING. THE ALA CART RESTAURANTS WERE EXCELLENT!!! WOULD HAVE LIKED THE POOL AEROBICS IN THE MORNING IN THE POOL! PLENTY OF SHADE AND VERY CLEAN!!!

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: Great Vacation!

My husband and I travelled to Jamaica last week. We had an amazing time, very relaxing and enjoyable. The staff were extremely friendly and very hospitable. The grounds were well kept by the terrific staff working on it everyday. The food was very good especially the Jerk Chicken at the Jerk Centre. The a la cartes were fine as well.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Great Week at the Esmeralda

As return guests to the Esmeralda, we were looking forward to a great week, and were not disappointed. The clean,beautiful grounds,and well kept rooms were great. A la carte restaurants had fantastic food, with wide variety for everyone. Travelled with 3 other couples, and all had a very relaxing and enjoyable week. Staff was friendly and helpful, and would definately consider another return visit.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: sweet getaway

Let me start by saying this was our first trip to the Dominican...and we would go back again! The ride from the airport was a little 'crowded' but otherwise a good experience, about 60-65 min from Puerto Plato. Upon arrival we were checked in and eating at the buffet within the hour. Rooms were ready after lunch and the vacation officially began! There were always plenty of beach loungers and the weather was fantastic, until the last night when it started to rain and was still raining the next m [... read more]orning at check-out time. My husband took advantage of the free scuba lesson in the pool, and this resulted in his first scuba dive with a certified scuba master. He was impressed with their level of professionalism along with the coral reef and the marine life they saw on their dive.The restaurants had a very good variety of food, including the buffet (fresh pasta bar etc) and we enjoyed all 3 "a la carte" choices. Language was not really a barrier as a smile is universal :) We chose the jeep safari as a day trip and were not disappointed: taking in local culture and countryside. Yes there were a few sand fleas, mostly early morn and late afternoon, but the staff was out there fogging the beach every night with bug spray, so they are aware of the situation and do what they can to alleviate the problem without spoiling the atmosphere of the place. Some in our group were not bothered by bugs at all. We had a recently renovated room and were quite happy with our location, close to all amenities, but didn't hear the noise from pool etc.The staff all seemed genuinely happy to be working there and a few went above and beyond their duties to accommodate us at night for a card game marathon! The animation team was great and not too pushy, you could participate if you wanted but no pressure! We would definitely go back in the future, there were lots of activities to participate in on the resort, even if it was more isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Very Good

The grounds were beautiful and very well kept. Public areas were also very clean. I think that our room was reconditioned but was average at best. The dinning areas were very good and the staff took good care of us. Cons. had to pay extra for the use of the security safe. One hour of free internet each day, extra charge for more internet time. Many floor areas were wet and unsafe to walk on during steady rain