The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Disappointing Holiday

We just returned from a one week stay over the Christmas Holiday and I am sorry to say we would not return to this resort. The grounds and hotel were beautiful and the food fantastic. The hotel is located close to the town of Samana, at night the local residences party until 4:30am each night with the music reflecting off the Hotel. Basically our room vibrated all night to the music coming from town. I spoke to the front deck person (Henzi) who basically dismissed me and told me they didn't ha [... read more]ve any other rooms to move us to. I had just watched a bus of tourists leave the hotel for the airport?? I finally had to ask for the manager, and within minutes he accommodated us. I have never been treated in such a manner at an all inclusive resort. We also booked through Sunquest, we never met our rep the entire week. He didn't show up at the airport or the hotel. I finally had to get the Air Canada Rep to find out our pick up arrangements for us back to the airport.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Nice resort

Very impressive location, beaches not so great. Good food, little limited variety on breakfast and lunch. Dinners very good. Restaurants (3, by reservation) dinners not so great. 10 min. walk to the city (there is also shuttle bus from resort) and you can see real life on the island.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Overall great resort.

Xmas Buffet was a disaster avoid if at all possible. Very frustrating & confusing. Fighting for seats & food. Crazy!!! The staff & service was good. Check-in was great no line ups. Rainy weather but not to worry sun comes out quickly.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Newly renovated family friendly resort

The hotel was nice. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. Very lush and green with grass, lots of trees and tropical plants. The beach was big and the view was gorgeous. They apparently just finished renovating the first two weeks of December so the rooms were modern and very clean. The layout was very spread out. We stayed near the beach so it was about a 3-4 minute walk outside to eat at the buffet. They have one main restaurant and another snack restaurant by the beach which doubles a [... read more]s an Italian a la carte restaurant in the evening, but you have to reserve your table. The food was okay, they tried to bring variety for dinner but pretty much the same foods for breakfast and lunch. Very much a family friendly resort that caters to people of all ages. The biggest issue we had was the lack of English speaking staff. Only about 5% of the staff spoke any English and even then it was difficult to communicate. We have travelled to many different spanish and french speaking islands but this was the first time we experienced such difficulty communicating. The resort had quite a few activities including movie night on the beach, but 90% were suited to accommodate French speaking clientele. Overall a pleasant experience and a nice resort.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Great stay!

This hotel is under renovations but in a few months it will be a great place to stay! It is a smaller resort but everything is close by. We stayed there with a large group between Dec 4-11th. The view of the ocean is breathtaking. It's probably one of the more private beach front locations in Samana. Food is plentiful and tasteful. We loved our room. We had nightly turn down service; what a treat! Air conditioning in the room was perfect. Hot water available for a shower at all hours of the day. [... read more] The a la carte restaurants were very good. There was a new buffet opening up the week we were leaving- beautiful modern décor. Like I mentioned above once the resort is complete it will be a delight to return to. The resort is steps away from a local town where you can go to eat, drink a few beers, go to the grocery store or shop for a few tshirts, cover ups or trinkets and it is very safe. Make sure you barter with them for good deals! The duty free at the airport is pretty limited to buy some of the things. The deals for the alcohol are the best at duty free for name brand spirits. The free wifi was a treat- some places were a hit and miss but hey you are on vacation, no need to stress about little things like this. This resort needs Caribbean music, more coffee machines at all the bars and an updated theatre to make it a 5 star location. Thank you for a great week!

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Beautiful Views

Hotel was very disorganized when checking in. Papers not ready. Given key didn't work had to go back. Safe was not reset had to wait 2 days (after numerous calls) to get someone to come and reset it. Towels were taken from the room in the morning and had none until i called and asked when they would be coming. Shower head bracket broken - couldn't raise it so water came out at a 4 ft level. TV was fuzzy and no English stations - till speaking to other guests we were told they had channels - [... read more] that took 4 days.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Another great time

Beautifull suite , amazing grounds and great staff made our 5th trip to the resort the best again .felt safe leaving resort all 5 times and enjoyed going on zip line a few time.beach pedlars are also polite .

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Amazing resort!!!

Amazing people, amazing food and facilities!!!! All personel including Air canada staff were amazing. Best all inclusive ever. Respectful and friendly guests too :) amazing service. Thank- you Jennifer for recommending Samana and the Bahia principe el portillo!

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Awesome resort!

This was one of the best places we've stayed at. The room's were spotless, grounds well taken care of, food was good, (seafood night was my favorite) the Don Pablo restaurant highly recommend, service was top notch - they were all very attentive and you being happy seemed to be their top priority.

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Best trip ever!

Just returned last night. Best resort ever! Room #222 ~ beautiful view of the sea! Travelled with another couple. Room was beautiful. Staff were all warm & friendly. Food was great. 24 hr. butler service! We only used it for softer pillows & scented oils that they burn in your room each night, if requested. Our friends used it for room service ( meal brought in - breakfast ). No fee! We tipped. cleaning staff were excellent , kept fridge filled with the same items each day. Pop, water, beer- Dos [... read more] Equis! mini bottles of rum, vodka & scotch. two bags of potatoe chips! they also turned the bed down two evenings with chocolates on the bed , linens on the floor to wipe your feet before bed! ( this is while we were at dinner ). We liked the Don Pablo Restaurant. Never tried the other two . We were happy with the buffet. This resort is small and quaint. never a line for anything! I think there was a total of 134 people at the resort when we were there. There was always evening shows, we never made one! In bed by 10 ... Tons of chairs by the pool and beach... "saving" chairs wasn't needed!!! Tons of sitting spots. Beach was nice. Not huge. If you like long walks...not going to happen. Lots of rock cliffs. Servers were great, not alot of english. .. but kind. YOU NEVER SAW FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION OR TIPS, they appear to share what ever is given. If you are looking for a party, this is not the place. It is quiet. It was exactly what we wanted... spend the days by the pool reading, laughing and drinking! we were ready for bed by ten! all adult... so quiet.. no loud music playing at the pool. The activity staff were fun... but not in your face. Bingo, golf putting, horse shoes on the beach ...dance lessons. ( if... you wanted!) older crowd (50+).. a few young couples! teenagers would be bored! two small shops... absolutely no vendors come on resort. Very private & secure. The wine is excellent ( both red & white ) & I am a wine drinker. ( finer wines if you want to purchase ) many premium alcohols.. kahluha..absolute vodka, grand marnier... draft beer ~ presidente. I could go on & on ... we will return next year. One thing we forgot ... bug spray ! & use it! We all got a few bites here and there. If you do not like stairs or have bad knees... not the place for you...it is one hour & 8 minutes from the airport to the resort... Go ... we have travelled many times ... this was our favourite so far ...

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Amazing resort!

This is the best hotel I ever been for winter holidays! The beach of the hotel is great. Of course if you just want to swim and walk, it is just like other beaches. But the best part is snorkling. We spent all the time snorkling in the sea and it just steps away from the beach! Food was great! Highly recommend Brazial and French restaurents. Buffet is good enough too. Rooms are huge and clean. Air conditions works well. Although we experienced some leaking problem it was fixed right away. So  [... read more]the room service is fine. Safe box is free to use, but a bit complicate to know how to set password. Bathroom is big and bright. Day trips hosted by hotel is reasonable priced. We had a lot of fun! Highly recommend National Park day trip and Zipline. Zip line is so exciting~

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Great deal, hidden gem

Best thing about this hotel is probably the food. Overall very good. Lots of quality buffet selections, à la cartes are all great, Brazilian was our fave. Some of the best beef and chicken we've ever had anywhere. Beach is nice, coral just feet off shore makes for some fun snorkeling. Small pool but we aren't pool people. Overall great place, a hidden gem. Friendly stray beach dogs are fun to play with, they stay off the resort beach

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Fantastic Resort!

The resort itself was first class. Everything you want in an all inclusive resort. Great food (each of the A La Cartes and the snack bar and buffet), beautiful beach, very clean rooms and buildings, genuine and helpful staff and lots of things to do to keep you busy and entertained. The best feature for us was the great people that were working while we were at the resort. Everyone was very nice and quick to help with anything. The beach is more of a Snorkelling beach than anything as there is a [... read more] natural reef about 20-50 feet out depending on the part of the beach you're on. Lots of chair availablility on the beach and lots of sun and shade to go around. Outside of the resort, there are two warnings I have to give.. 1) make sure to fly into Samana, if not, be prepared for a 3+ hour drive to the resort from Puerto Plata. 2) We noticed that the area around the resort is quite dirty and found our excursion destinations very polluted and not exactly what we expected. Be especially aware of the Horseback Ride and Hike to the waterfall El Limon. You may end up on a donkey and the routes were very treacherous and my girlfriend and I felt uncomfortable and unprepared for the trip and we both ride here in Canada. Just a heads up so you're aware if you choose this excursion. In conclusion, we couldn't have been happier with the resort itself. What an incredible place to spend a week out of the snow!! Thank you!!

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Great future potential

Grand Paradise Samana has great potential. The location is beautiful, beach is postcard perfect and the pool facilities are good. After changing rooms three times, we were happy. The air conditioning finally worked and we were far enough away from the generator facility so as to not hear the noise. The room was clean, beds comfortable and furniture new. That said, two rooms had plumbing issues and despite asking the front desk for maintenance to come and waiting 6 hours, we finally took a p [... read more]lunger from the maintenance room on our floor and plunged the toilet in our final room ourselves. Staff and facilities still have a few bugs to work out but we feel this could be a great resort after the growing pains are worked out.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Worst Trip of Our Lives

This was the worst vacation we have ever been on and probably ever will be. I wish I had stayed home and gone to work. The facilities are frighteningly poor and the staff just doesn't seem to care. At least they were relaxed, because we sure weren't. We came back more stressed and deeper in debt. Avoid this resort at all costs!

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Definitely a 3* Resort - Wouldn't Recommend

We travelled to this resort with a large group of radio station trip winners. We found the drive from the airport a little far, approx. 1.5 hours on windy roads. The resort was under construction, but many of our problems didn't have anything to do with the construction. The electricity at this resort was spotty. It would go out and be out for a long period of time. We've never had the power go out at any resort we've ever stayed at. The first room we had was a double bedroom which was run [... read more]down and in desperate need of a renovation. We requested a king room in order to be more comfortable sleeping and were then moved to a king room which was newly renovated and was very nice. However, we had cold water all week and the view from our new room was of some rundown outbuildings. We understand that not everyone can have a beach view but this view was not very appealing at all. The hotel has a fantastic beach!!! We are pool people and we thought the newly built large pool was wonderful! We loved the varied depths and size. The small, older pool was rather dirty with lots of floating bugs and debris in the bottom. Staff did come and clean it through the day, but it wasn't nearly as clean as the new pool. Our major problem was with shade. I am very fair and burn easily. I need shade and these pools (and the beach) had no umbrellas or palapas. During the week, we saw some unused umbrellas near a storage shed and asked if we could use one at the pool. We were told they were only for use in the buffet (really??). My husband took one to the pool for me anyway as they had stone bases and wouldn't be damaged by water. We used it for a whole day and the following day while sitting under it, the hotel manager came and told us that was security was called and that we couldn't use it. My husband said that I needed shade and the manager told us that the hotel has a "no umbrella policy" at the pool and beach. What kind of policy is that??? The hotel staff came and took the umbrella while we went for lunch. We've travelled to a multitude of all inclusive resorts and we've NEVER been at a resort that didn't have either umbrellas or palapas around the pool or at the beach. Not everyone wants to bake in the sun all day. The food in the buffet and at the a la carte restaurants was very good. We always found something tasty to eat. The Asia teppanyaki a la carte was excellent!! Here are the problems we had: 1) When we were having drinks in the evening at the Select bar, we found that the bar staff was not washing glassware. My husband was served a drink in glass that had fresh lipstick on it. Further inquiry showed that they were just rinsing glasses with water and then reusing them dirty. Likely the reason that a stomach virus circulated among the group over the course of the week. This was TERRIBLE! This practice is unacceptable and left us wondering where else in the food/bar areas shortcuts were being taken 2) The resort seemingly ran out of white wine, beer, vodka and Bailey's (daily). 3) A $30 US lobster dinner was advertised at the buffet but when we inquired were told that the resort was out of lobster. Strange considering it is on a Caribbean island and we were more than willing to pay. All of the staff were very good. They tried to help as best they could. We wouldn't recommend this resort. There are other resorts in Samana that are rated much higher than this one. TripCentral and Transat Holidays should reconsider their relationship with this resort.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Wait six months before going here

I will start with the good things first . The beach and grounds are gorgeous.the pools and select club are great. The a la carte restaurants,especially the tapanaki restaurant were good. Now the not so good stuff. The renovations that were supposed to be complete are not. A good portion of the resort is under construction. Our room was being refurnished and decorated while we were in it. We were not happy about random people in and out of our room. When we arrived our door lock was not fun [... read more]ctioning correctly and we had to spend the first two hours of our trip sitting in our room with the AC off and the door open while they fixed it. The AC leaked. To the point where when we opened our door the was water all over the floor. This repair took six days to complete,but at least it worked . We went 2 days without hot water and the electricity was very spotty on a couple of days. I must say the Jarous from trip central was amazing trying to get the hotel to make things right for people. We also had to keep asking for beach towels and finally got them the third day. I think though in six months time this could be a great resort. They need to work with their front desk staff on better customer service and we would consider going back after everything is completed.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Grand Paradise

Needs a lot of work to be done on the grounds the rooms. Food was good. Some of the service could improve with moral kindness to show that they are at least happy to see visitors. They need room service as well as a swim up bar. Also provide water and beer the same everyday throughout the stay and not just provide one day and not the other. Play music everywhere people love music build moral keeps people happy.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Under renos

The renovated areas of this resort are beautiful. Half the resort is still quite dated, but they are working towards a newer, modern resort. The staff here were very friendly. We found that many amenities weren't readily available, but if you asked - you could pretty much get whatever you wanted! The beach here was beautiful.

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Beautiful

The hotel was very nice. The air conditioning took a couple days to cool down. It was clean. The staff are working hard to get all the construction completed and were polite. We had several difficulties with the key card not working and had to go to customer service to get it reprogramed. Only given one key card for entrance to room. The shows were nice but did not always know where they were being held. Pools and pool bars seemed to close early at night.