Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: needs improvement

The resort is quite nice esthetically,. Rooms are comfortable and clean. The resort is well maintained. So on the surface, it is a beautiful place. However, there does not seem to be a regular cleaning schedule for the maids to make up your room. On one evening, We were in our room, getting ready to go out for dinner in one of the restaurants. It was 6:30 when the maids showed up to clean the room. They basically barged in while we were partially dressed and cleaned around us as if we were not t [... read more]here. There is a definite communication issue with the staff. They are all quite friendly and genuinely nice but their lack of English communication skills causes for some difficulties. The three a la carte restaurants are substandard to okay with the seafood restaurant at the bottom of the list. I would have to rate it at zero stars due to inconsistent service, substandard food and poorly trained staff. The Italian restaurant would receive 2 stars because the food and service is a bit better and the French restaurant (that everyone says is the best one) would be 3.5 stars because they provide a higher level of service and moderately better food. The French restaurant is the only one that does not incorporate a buffet as a portion of the meal. At both the seafood restaurant and Italian restaurant, you leave your table to visit a small buffet (salad / soup / appetizer bar) and then also visit a dessert bar for dessert. Both of those restaurants are missing some of the basic service skills such as offering coffee with dessert, having the proper cutlery available on the table and ensuring that the plates and cutlery on the table is clean. The buffet restaurant onsite is average buffet food with some cold items that are at an unsafe holding temperature to long to be safe to eat. The staff in the buffet restaurant is poorly trained and miss the basics to good customer service such as have the tables set properly, attend the guests' needs, inadequate supply of serving utensils on the buffet, mislabeled food items on the buffet, etc. Based on my experience with the shoddy customer service and sub par food quality and preparation, I would not go back to this resort an would not recommend it to friends. Other than these issues, the rest of the stay was very pleasant. The pool was nice. the view to a west facing beach was wonderful (although the water was basically unswimmable due to the presence of swarms of jellyfish). The water is brackish (which happens when a fresh water source comes in contact with a salt water source (it makes the water look murky and dirty but it is not, it's just a natural chemical reaction)

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Beautiful garden resort

Although this resort was beautifully landscaped and well kept care of, there is no ocean water there fit to swim in as it is brown and full of jelly fish, so if you are going there for the ocean swimming, this is not the place but if the pool is water enough then it is good. There are a few water excursions that take you to the beautiful ocean water to swim in and they were very good, especially the Catalina Island one. The people that worked here were awesome and very helpful. Could have been a [... read more] few more excursions available also.

Dreams La Romana: The Best of The Best

Just 45 mins drive from the Airport, on a great new road, Dreams really lived up to its name. Great restaurants, no reservations required, absolutely super animation team, just the best so much fun, great swimming the sea was warm, clear, and calm . the swimming pools were immaculate ,wait persons on the beach, were every where. public facility's were cleaned continually, rooms were cleaned daily, and all of the staff wanted to pass the time of day with you this may just be the hotel we return t [... read more]oo

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Beautiful Cove Beach

Good: Beautiful resort, very good staff, wonderful beach and pool area, clean rooms, great location. Bad: Food was average, everything closed relatively early Ugly: Says it's only 25km from La Romana airport. That would be good if you landed in La Romana. It is at least 90 mins each way in a van from the Punta Cana airport.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Fabulous Resort

We spent a 7 day all inclusive vacation in this resort along with 2 other couples, since I have arranged for my friends to stay in this resort I was so relieved that it exceeded our expectation. The grounds are meticulously manicured, the suites are immaculately clean, the food is very tasty and there is always something one can eat even for a picky eater, the staff- are very welcoming, friendly and entertaining. You can tell that they love working at the resort. I celebrated my birthday in Boug [... read more]anville and I must say that I will treasure that day forever- they decorated our table with flowers, ballons, champagne and of course cake along with a jovial singing from the staff!! ... it was a truly memorable experience. There are many shade and lounges and cabanas along the beach and pool. The only suggestions I can make are: - to have a soft live entertainment at the lobby/bar area to at least up to 12PM, a soloist or a pianist will be perfect. - do something about the flies, gnat and mosquitoes. I have travelled all oover the carribean and I am careful to not go during the rainy season because of these bugs so I was very surprised to have experienced these bites!

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: BED BUGS!

We found out our room had bed bugs on the 4th night after being terribly bitten all over by them. We went to management and they said there was nothing they could or would do. It ruined our vacation and when we got back to Canada we had to have all of our clothes treated for bed bugs. Awful experience!

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Nice resort

Hotel grounds were lovely. Rooms clean maid great. Had to remind them to refill fridge but that was ok. Loved the resort. Beach ok water a bit cloudy Pool side lovely. But servic at bars very poor especially big lobby bar and pool side. Unless u tipped u might get a bit faster service

Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus: Not even close to 5* hotel it rates itself

Grounds: Look picturesque but... peacocks screaming their heads off in the middle of the resort starting around 3am. We had to suffer for 2 weeks; the management did nothing to our request for relocation to any room not overlooking the central area where the birds are roaming free. Other things were OK but having slept only a few hours per night we didn't really enjoy them much.

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Vacation

Overall, this resort is beautiful and clean! Landscaping: Is very lush, lots of palm trees, flowers and very well maintained. Check In: Very Slow Service: Very Slow Food: Okay Rooms: Nice and very clean! Pool: Nice with swim up bar Beach: The beach is beautiful and nestled into a bay with lots of palm trees! Ocean: HORRIBLE, Very Murky Water, lots of seaweed and jellyfish. No turquoise water! The water is not clear. There are also alot of wasps on the beach!! I would not return to this [... read more] resort and would not recommend it because of the murky ocean and rate the resort as a 3 star. Sorry.

Viva Dominicus Palace by Wyndham: nice

the road going into the resort its self was a disaster.The bus was 1 1/2 late picking us up to go to the airport. The rep for WestJet was no help at all. I would go again but only if the road was fixed. The resort was good overall including the staff and food.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Beautiful Resort

Everything was fantastic. The only thing a bit disappointing was our beach area. Not the beach frontage but the water was not clear. The workers were very pleasant and helpful. There were 16 of us ladies that went on the trip. The food was fantastic and the waiters and waitresses could not do enough for you. I would go back in a heartbeat!!!!

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: amazing week

the hotel was very clean and gardens were very beautiful. The food was good lots of choices. The entertainment was energetic. The beach was kept clean but the water was very murky.Service was very good. Service around the pool bar was not the best but other parts of the resort were great. Over all we give an excellent rating to the resort and would return.

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Relaxing place

Very nice relaxing resort with really beautifull U shaped beach with pier and near an island. Beach has palm trees so there is no need to fight for a bit of shade. Rooms are very good, so is food. Near the hotel, just few mitutes drive by the inexpensive taxi, there are well maintened, must see caves. There is no snorkelling because of murky water, possibly due to a nearby river, but you can book the snorkelling trips to famous loctions.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: top shelf

My sister and I felt this was the best so far, we have gone a number of years, we have a two week holiday, this year two others came. Staff very hepful, rooms clean, no problem with water,food good a wide variety. we use all facilities. The beach is well groomed. Good entertainment. We felt safe, all of us would go back.

Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus: Beautiful hotel.

This was our first trip to the Dominican since 2003 and a lot has changed, mostly for the better. The Iberostar Hacienda is located about half an hour from La Romana near the villages of Bayahibe and Dominicus. This area had almost no resorts 11 years ago. The resort is beautiful with expansive gardens with lots of local birds and plants. The lobby area has a large assortment of great looking pieces of furniture, many of which appear to be antiques. The front desk is large and well organized wit [... read more]h an adequate number of staff on duty. Change #1, the language skills of the Dominicans in the tourist industry have improved immensely with most speaking English, French and German adequately or better, yes, all 3 languages. The service is prompt, polite, enthusiastic and cheerful. Nobody should be able to suggest this hotel provides poor service, it is flawless. Paulie on the activities desk was a huge help, a mine of information, speaks better English than a lot of the natural English speakers with whom he deals. Likewise, Cesar on the front desk was great. We usually used the buffets, 1 for breakfast, 2 for lunch and 1 for supper. The selection of food is huge although a lot of it was strange and, to me, not that palatable. I did always find something I liked and always had more than enough to eat. We tried two of the a la carte restaurants, Japanese and Steak, and the food was very good and more than plentiful. The room was always clean with the little extras we have come to expect in these resorts. The water sometimes takes a while to get hot so run it before you want to get in. The pool area(s) are spotless, the swim up bar is good, clean and well staffed. Likewise the beach is close and the bar there is well staffed. One waiter on the beach stood out. I never got his name but he walks up and down with a tray full of drinks calling out for people to get them. Up and down, over and over. Hard working and funny guy. The prices of goods in the resort stores is quite high. For example, a bottle of good rum was $32 in the store and 2/$34 in a store we stopped at on a tour. Another fun person was the animation guy, Nicola. Good for a laugh or three. The negatives, as such: The beach is not as nice as Punta Cana. The water isn't as clear and the reason for that is the reef off Punta Cana where all the waves break leaving the bays nice and calm. Not that the beach here is bad but it has more of a slope, the sand is less fine and there are a few rocks in the water. I've marked down the value, not because it isn't a good resort but because it's the most expensive in the area and I'm not sure if there is enough extra to warrant the cost. But, if you can afford it, it won't disappoint.

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Amazing all around:)

I really can't say enough about this resort. The people, location, size, everything about this resort was fabulous. I personally do not like the bigger resorts so this was perfect....exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a smaller resort, quiet but still fun, a place to sit, relax & do nothing if I wanted for a week, or party it up if I wanted.....and I got that. The staff are amazing......Mario, Sander, Renaldo at the lobby bar.....second to none from service to entertainment. We sat there e [... read more]very evening & enjoyed every minute of it. You guys are amazing;). Uleissy at the pool bar & Santiago....again, amazing. They both made sure that we always had a drink & always had a smile. Such amazing staff at this resort!!! Cleanliness is something they take very serious at this resort & it shows.....very clean. I've heard different things about the food at the resort but I had no complaints. Everything I ate was fantastic as well but I'm not a very picky eater. The way I see it is everyone has their own tastes.....it's not going to please everyone but for me, it was great!!!! I will definitely go back to this resort one day & can't wait :)

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: beautiful resort

The grounds at this resort were beautiful. Public areas were very neat and well maintained. The rooms were very spacious and clean, also well equiped with all the necessities including the refreshments in the fridge. The swimming pool was fantastic. The restaurants served delicious meals. All around service was top rated and the staff was very curtious; the entertainment staff was very friendly and lots of fun. I was really surprised at all the different languages spoken by the staff. The beach  [... read more]restaurnat/buffet was amazing in every way, be it for the food, the atmosphere or the beach accessibility and paysage. the only problem I found at this resort is the entry into the ocean, and the murkiness of the water as well al the algee present all over and at all times. Example: What did you think about  this hotel? (grounds, public areas, rooms, dining, features, etc.)

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Awesome Resort, Great Staff

The hotel is very nice and the grounds are excellent. It is easy to get around and has lots of options for dinner. The food is AMAZING! The staff are more then accomodating and assist with any requests you may have. The resort had a bad rep the week my husband and I went as there were many vistors who were sick. I was one of them by the end of the week. However, we realized very quickly most of our plan was sick even people who stayed at other resorts. Most people had flu symptions which was not [... read more] any of the resorts issue.

Catalonia Bayahibe: nice place

good service with very kind people,clean site,smily people,food was good,a lot of activity at the beach.The room was not so big but every day well cleannig.Reception service really they try to help you.

Viva Dominicus Palace by Wyndham: La Romana South Coast experience

My wife and I have traveled throughout the Dominican Republic to many places over the last 12 years, mainly on the North Coast. The Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace was an excellent vacation choice this December during their off season. The rooms were adequate and very clean. Quiet at night provided you shut your patio door. The food in the dining hall was very good. The hostess gave everyone hand sanitizer as you walked through the door. This is a great idea! Also, there was no smoking in the di [... read more]ning area! Hurray! I was never bored with the food and always had a wide selection to choose from. Once a week they brought out delicious cheeses to sample. They had various theme nights such as Dominican, Mexican, Italian etc. My husband and I do a lot of cooking at home and I can't say enough about the chef's menus and food selection. The meals are standard European fare since 90% of the vacationer's are from Italy, France, some Germans, Swedes, Slovaks, Fins as well as French Canadians. There were a few English Canadians but not many. We met a lot of people that could speak some English. Also, the staff spoke some English and we managed fine. We expect this every time we travel to the D.R. I loved the walkway along the beach! In the evenings after dinner we walked the well lit path over to the Dominicus Beach Hotel. There is a central meeting area with a bar and loads of seating. They played live music once a week. Everyone would head over to this area after dinner. It's such a nice walk along the sidewalk between resorts and the meeting area was a perfect place to congregate and chat with the different people you've met during the week. There is also a quiet bar between resorts you can sit at and have a cappuccino or a drink and listen to the waves roll in. The pool bar is really nice during the day at the Palace however, I did not like the Karaoke at night. I think they could improve this. The bar in the lobby is very nice with friendly staff. A good place to have a cocktail before dinner or a cappuccino in the afternoon. The Caribbean beach was very nice, with warm water, and easy to swim in. This is quite different compared to the North Coast, Atlantic side. There were lots of chairs available and no rush to "save you chair" since we vacationed off-season just before the Christmas rush. Still, it was quite busy. Our last week was rather wavy and we enjoyed this very much. I did a lot of kayaking and tried sailing and paddle boarding one day. The sand is very soft and difficult to walk long distances. I only walked the entire beach area twice due to the soft sand. However, it's a good workout! We spent most of our time at the beach and swam every day. They have the swimming area all marked off so lots of people would swim laps in the ocean every day. Overall, this resort has a very relaxed atmosphere. My wife felt very comfortable getting drinks at the bar, accessing sports equipment etc. on her own. Many guests got up and participated in all the sports activities, especially the dancing lessons twice a day. I wish more Canadians would look at this area of the D.R. I would highly recommend the Jeep Safari tour. You really get to see a lot of what goes on out in the Country. My highlight was seeing the sugar plantations. We also took a cab into the city of La Romana (population approx. 200K) and walked all over. The taxi picked us up 3 hours later. It was a busy, safe city and no one tried hustling us to buy anything. We are used to stepping outside the resort and we are careful to watch our backs when traveling. My wife and I really look forward to returning next year!