Hotel with amazing grounds , modern and the service and restaurants 5 stars. Rooms excellent very clean resort that meet my expectations.
Entertainment was very good .
The lobby is Beautiful spacious resort . The theater Chia is bestiful and sound is amazing.
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Stan. -
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Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort and Spa: Secrets Playa Esmeralda Secrets Preferred club section. Oceanview Junior Suite
Fairly new hotel. Still encountered maintenance items. Make up room and do not disturb buttons not functioning. Reported and repaired 2 days later. Receptacles for hair dryer in bathroom not powered. Reported, never repaired.
Specialty restaurants, service very slow, with the exception of Windows. Walked out of Dona Altagracia after 90 minutes , still no main course.
Reception areas very efficient.
Room and balcony quite spacious, pool excellent. Occupancy about 65%, so no problem with chairs[... read more] and palapas, in spite of the 6 am towel claimer jerks.
Our concierge, Claudio, was very helpful and good natured.
Others of note, Kelvin the bartender at the pool bar and Brenda with the entertainment team who was seen AND HEARD everywhere.
I rate the food as fair with the exception of the roast beef at the Market cafe for lunch time. Best I have ever had!!!
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Private -
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Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Great stay!
Beautiful grounds, excellent food, lots of activities. The kids and baby club staff were great. Unfortunately the kids club facilities were being redone during our start but the Reno looked amazing! The beach was very small and had seaweed— not much they can do about that but I was surprised by the size of the beach. Many restaurants were temporarily closed but the ones we tried were nice.
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Private -
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Riu Palace Bavaro: Beautiful Resort
Absolutely stunning property. Grounds impeccable, rooms beautiful and immaculately clean. Really good food selection in the buffet and a la carte restaurants. Top of the line liquors with excellent service in all areas. Good selection of pools, one for families and one for adults only and a separate pool bar which could be very loud on occasions. Lots of shade on the beach and around the pools, so no necessity to save seats. Very good shows in the evening and we were there 14 days and shows not [... read more]repeated. Separate section of the hotel geared to families and Riu parties at the Riu just down the street. All in all very good resort. Also only 30 minute drive from the airport.
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Private -
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Serenade All Suites Adults Only Resort: Okay stay at Serenade All Suites Adults Only
Serenade all suites
Arrival and check in were speedy. No welcome drink offered. Room would not be ready until 3pm. Not an issue we went for a bite to eat a walk around and drinks in the lobby bar. First assigned room was an adjoining suite however the adjoining doors did not lock. Went back to reception and they gave us a different room. Its location was not as nice as the first but still pool facing but it’s adjoining door locked. However the balcony doors did not. Will lived with [... read more]it. Husband was not happy with the second room as he would have had them try to fix the door but we didn’t want to waste anymore vacation time. Had to go back to reception once again as they did not provide us with towel cards. I read all the reviews before coming saw the great YouTube video but was a bit concerned about some of the guest comments on this fan page as well as trip advisor and I wanted to judge this place once here. On the surface the resort is beautiful, however for only being three years old it facing some severe wear and tear . You notice it with the locks and the doors. Ice machines not working. In room fridge is just a storage box nothing is cool ( yes the fridge is running I checked that). Room AC is very good. Pools are very nice and the chairs are comfortable. Pool wait staff come around often. Volleyball is going on and off in the main pool from mid morning to late afternoon. Pool activities (stretching, water aerobics start early to mid morning) and entertainment team start mid afternoon). Don’t rely on the set time schedules as it’s very flexible. Housekeeping has been consistent throughout the stay. Public washrooms are very very clean. Resorts other areas let’s just say they are superficial clean. Entertainment hit and miss. Karaoke on Saturday night late starting but was entertaining. Live music was to happen on Sunday night at 8:30, left the lounge area at 9:15 pm and no one had showed up yet. Walked over to the family resort to take in the circus show at 9:30 pm but it was very hot in the theatre even with the giant overhead fans going we left . Solo violinist was performing in the lounge. Took in the Micheal Jackson show on Tuesday it was cooler in the theatre, show was okay.
Wednesday is Dominican night with a buffet spread at la Palaypa. Dominican food and music. It was a change of pace. We had reservations on Tuesday at the Italian (la palaypa). They had no ravioli, I ordered the risotto did not enjoy it. Hubby had the pasta carbonara he said it was ok. Cancelled Thursday nights reservation there and booked the steak house. We both find the food not bad, just underwhelming and sometimes undercooked (burgers,steak). Other times it’s overcooked lol. We did enjoy our stay, as the weather was fantastic, the hotel is not a five star as advertised, it is a solid 4.
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Private -
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Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Get What You Pay For
Over all the resort was beautiful, food was edible at best, getting the mini bar in the room restocked was a daily challenge.
Our room was not even ready as requested for when we arrived, the mini bar was not stocked the floor was not cleaned room appeared to have been tidy only the beds were made only. It was a big disappointment from the moment we got there. Don't think I will be returning to this resort anytime soon.
- Check in was spending forever waiting in the hot and humid lobby.
[... read more]
- We weren't shown to our room.
- The key cards for the room door did not work most of the time.
- No cold water when we got to the room, only boiling hot from the sink.
- Go to take a shower, only cold water 6 out of 7 days we were there.
- The bathroom flooded from the ceiling on day 2.
- Toilet barely flushes.
- no face cloths or hand towels, only big towels
- floor was covered in sand
- room was not clean upon arrival
- mini bar was not stocked, had to beg for bottles of water every day.
- didnt get the room we were supposed to get and if we wanted the other room they were going to charge us an extra $500 USD. So that didnt happen.
- the staff obviously dont enjoy working here. They dont smile unless you smile at them first.
- the vendors selling jewelry at night harass you to try to get you to buy stuff and insult you if you dont.
-my husband was sick for 4 days, and I tried to bring back a plate of toast and a banana from the buffet for him, and the staff went off on me, like I was trying to rob the place. So I left it there with them and took the banana, with them chastising me in Spanish angrily.
- if you dont speak Spanish, youre
basically ignored or passed over by staff.
- the nightly entertainment is a joke. Either music so loud it makes your chest vibrate, a magic show so boring even children weren't interested, the same dancers every night, a poor imitation of a circus with 3 jugglers, 2 stilt walkers, a couple of guys doing flips.
-no activities during the day
-the food was not the greatest. Was told chicken was boneless, had bones in it. All they had for fruit was melon, banana and pineapple. No salad dressing except thin ketchup. Most of the food was either dried out, over cooked/burnt or mushy.
-staff barely speak English, and just nod, pretending to understand and not answer your questions.
-No towels left when going to the pool or beach.
-signs at the pool say no leaving belongings on chairs to reserve them, but not inforced, nowhere to sit at the pool because of this.
- nothing but Spanish on the tv in the room
NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS RESORT AGAIN!!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON IT!!!
Old, outdated, dirty floor, plumbing issues, mini bar was an empty fridge, coffee machine full of non-coffee particles and dirt.
None. The environment around this resort was a slum
Vendors on the beach force you to take pictures with their parrots, and demand $40 USD for them, threatening you. No security on the beach to protect you from them. Harassed by people from random "party boats" that are on the beach as well.
Not too bad, except people allowed to smoke marijuana on the resort and having to smell it wherever you walked.
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Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Amazing resort
Everything you could imagine in a perfect vacation that’s exactly what it was beautiful resort amazing restaurants lots of things to do excursion where also amazing I would recommend this resort to couples and if you’re traveling with you’re family lots of things for kids to do this resort had everything for everyone
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Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Overall very good resort
Hotel was clean and nice rooms. Close to the airport is nice. Amazing beach with palm trees everywhere. Pool was nice. Unfortunately the big pool was closed for maintenance. food was good. Not great. overall I would say 7.5 / 10. I would return again.
The resort was very nice. Loved the beach. Rooms are a bit dated. Food wasn’t the greatest though. Reminded me of Cuba Food. The pool area was nice but it would have been nice to see the entertainment staff entertain people in the pool area. I don’t think I will go back to Dominican done it twice now. Food, accommodation, beach entertainment is important to me.
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Riu Republica: Riu Republica
While looking in from the outside this place seems great, but take a closer look. Cleanliness issues abound and as a result all 4 people in our party were ill. We think we had food poisoning but can’t be sure. We witnessed staff in the buffet wipe off dirty dishes with a rag and put them back on the table out as a new place setting. In our room the ceiling fan was disgustingly dirty, The tv could not be turned off without unplugging it. The bathroom needs to be disinfected, there were spots a[... read more]ll over the walls. The glasses were wiped out with cleaning rags and tasted of cleaner. The shower door needs recaulking as water leaks were present making the floor slippery. Our sheets and blankets were stained and dirty. When we put out the change bedding card we witnessed our maid fold up the dirty blanket and put it back in our closet to be reused. The new sheets were just as stained as the previous ones.
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Carole -
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Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: The Best Family Resort!
The staff are so helpful and kind. You never get hungry or thirsty during your stay. There is plenty of cold bottled water and drinks to have at the pools.
They clean your room whenever you need them to.
I can’t say enough about the staff. If there is a special need, they accommodate you.
The most bang for your buck is at: DREAMS MACAO BEACH
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICANREPUBLIC
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Jacs -
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Secrets Tides Punta Cana: Looking forward to coming back!
This was our second time at Secrets Tides, making it a 7 day vacation this time. The grounds are still beautiful! Was happy to see the plants growing, creating more privacy in the swim out rooms, and the creatures returning. The little lizard we named gizmo. The food is delicious, though my husband very much missed the mushroom risotto at Portafino. This time around it was much busier, which often led to sunbed wars but I did not mind throwing a towel down and running for that beautifully warm o[... read more]cean. Can not advise on the nightlife as we often were sleeping by 9 haha.
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Maxur -
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Ocean El Faro: Enjoyable resort
We just returned from a one week stay from Nov 17th, to Ocean el Faro in Dominican Republic. We were placed in building 2 (outer building), 3rd floor, facing the heavily treed area. There is an elevator. Room was very nice and quiet. It was also located very close to the restaurants and a short walk from the beach. For those with mobility restrictions, I can understand some complaints about distance between different areas however we (78 and 68 year old) did not find it a difficulty. Those in El[... read more] Beso had a longer walk to many restaurants. If you have major mobility problems this could be a problem for you as the advertised trams usually take quite a long time to come by.
The restaurants were good however the application they show you on arrival for making reservations to those restaurants requiring them is almost a scam. Not once in the time we were there could we get a reservation except at 5:30 or after 8:00. We did far better talking to staff and you are better advised to attend the desks outside the buffet each day by 8:00 AM to get in the spot of your choice. This excludes those in El Beso or Privilege class who have concierges to make reservations for them. Our favourite restaurants were Blue Moon (reservations not required but adults only) and the Steak House and the food in those two was a step above the others. The Italian restaurant made us feel rushed with dishes coming out before we finished the one we were on. The Japanese was good but the show was mediocre for what we have seen elsewhere. The buffet had great omelette stations in the morning and plenty of other options. Variety was sufficient for any taste during other meals. Food was generally warm, and might have been kept hotter, but not so cold that we were concerned. Pizza was great.
There are some staff whom we encountered who went far above their job description and did their utmost to ensure we had a great time. Arielys at restaurant reception is amazing and always happy and pleasant. Eugenia also was very good. Alexander at the sports bar always made you feel welcome as a friend. Ricardo and Dainer at the steak house made our dinner there quite enjoyable. Yohan, the manager at the Japanese restaurant, overheard us saying how we had wanted to go there but could not get a reservation and found us a spot.
Entertainment was fair although the Michael Jackson tribute is well worth going to. The lead did a very good moonwalk.
We are not “pool types” so usually went down to the ocean where most times we could find a lounger. This was probably easier than usual due to the high amount of sargassum weed piled up on the beach. Some people still persevered and took a dip in the ocean in spite of RED Flags being visible. The lagoon you hear about to the left of the resort property is small, has a nice beach area with no shade or seating but a boom has been stretched across the inlet to hold back the weed or whatever else might be floating in. There are also lifeguards on watch on the resort beach but none at the lagoon. This bit of water is not suitable for snorkelling as it is too shallow and murky.
If you are planning to bring funds for tipping, bring U.S. dollars in small denominations as we brought Dominican Pesos and had little luck trying to find change for smaller denominations.
Overall, we had a great time and do not understand all the excessively poor ratings evidenced on review sites.
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Private -
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Ocean Blue and Sand: November 2025
Beach is beautiful with lots of shade and sun.
Good variety of restaurants however not open everyday, therefore need to plan well if you want to go to all. Food was always cold in both al a carts and buffet unless ordered off grill.
Rooms are large however need some TLC.
Not very good entertainment at night and very loud in lobby area. Unable to socialize
Staff very friendly
This was a very beautiful resort and the food was incredible! We would definitely come back the next time we take a trip to Dominican Republic……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
This is such a beautiful resort, it is kept clean and the service is amazing. The staff is friendly and welcome you each day with their Hola. We went as a family and enjoyed the stay. Everyone loved the resort and said that they would return.
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Mermaid Adventure -
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Bahia Principe Explore Legend: Awesome Family Resort
Perfect resort for families with children of all ages. The staff, atmosphere, activities, food and cleanliness of the resort are outstanding! Our family enjoyed the pools, beach, water park and entertainment
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Private -
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Occidental Punta Cana: Great hotel .
Clean as a whistle .
Manager or supervisor at the front desk ,
Guillaume Desir is an amazing host and very helpful .
This was our 5th stay there , and he is always very helpful and happy to see us .We also have renewed some friendships with other staff there .
Entertainment was a little weak this time compared to previous visits .
Very clean and well looked after resort .
Congrats
I cannot say enough good things about Majestic Colonial Punt Cana! Did Colonial Club and the perks were awesome! Rooms are beautiful and fully equipped with jacuzzi, shower and stocked mini fridage and coffee maker. Balconies are large with really nice patio chairs. The beach is pristine! Beautiful white sand. No rocks stones or crushed shells. Water turqouise blue. Can walk out for ages! No drop off on entering. No sea weed. Have palapas and palm trees for shade on beach. A beach bar with great[... read more] music and beach waiter service. Food is fabulous! Had the best beef tenderloin Ive ever eaten. Steaks were size of dinner plate. Buffets full of delicious food and ton of variety. You can get food 24/7 and Colonial club has room service included. Japanese and French are only restaurants need reservation which your concierge will look after for you. The service and staff are fantastic. Danny, our comcierge, was fabulous. helped us many times and checked on us every day to see if we needed anything and did our final check out as well so we didnt have to go to counter. Was like Royalty! The adult only pool bar so much fun. Lorenzo is the greatest bar tender keeping everyone laughing and entertained as well as makes amazing drinks. The foam party a blast! Entertainment great! Michael Jackson show a big hit! Dancing on the terrace to great latin music while sipping margaritas which were the best Ive ever had. Not miles of walking either! We had room 4321 which was central to the beach in one direction and the main buffet and entertainment and lobby the other way. There is a Steak house, Seafood Restaurant and buffet open for breakfast lunch and dinner on the beach. The resort and rooms are immaculately clean. The staff are so friendly. I was at Bahia Principe Esmeralda last year which was pretty nice but after experiencing Majestic there was no comparison. Definitely Majestic Colonial. There are also elevators for the rooms if you are on 3rd or 4th floor handy. The Colonial Club was worth the little bit extra. Adult only and lots extra perks. You also get a free full size bottle of liquor to take home or use in your room. Bonus! I highly recommend this resort. It was perfect in every way and only about 25 minutes from airport by taxi. Thanks again to our concierge Danny! You helped us with so many things. Hope to go back again!.
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Nelson -
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Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort: Wonderfull Resort with room to improve
Pros: Absolutely beautiful place, location, grounds and decoration.
Cons: Air conditioning system with with a major engineering design problem. Not enough insulation and faulty drain system. Condensation accumulates on the drywall causing mould and leakage. It's heart breaking seeing such beautiful Hotel with that major problem.
Staff rush you to eat quickly in the main restaurants due to high demand.
The house wine is awful. It does not meet a 5 start hotel standard.
The food, the water[... read more], the ice or all of the above are causing health problems. Me and my wife got stomach and digestion problems.