Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Lovely resort

Awesome resort, perfect size and very clean. The staff was absolutely amazing and accommodating, and the amenities were never lacking, as can sometimes be the case at smaller resorts, but not here!! The buffet offered a wide selection, with themed dinners each night, and as a picky eater myself I never went without and was always satisfied and full. Excellent and safe location (being within a larger gated resort community) and close to the airport and historical Puerto Plata. Less than a 2 minut [... read more]e walk from the mall, which had very cheap souvenirs. The shows were fantastic, and there was usually something to watch on stage as well as in the lobby. The 24 hour snack bar was very convenient and tasty. Shoutout to Caesar and his excursion company, who got us a great deal for a city tour, you can find him on the beach! It’s always best to support local companies when on vacation. I would definitely come back to this resort again!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Get what you pay for

It's warm in the sun, but for cheap. Resort is dated and rooms are musky, there are no umbrellas around the pools so be up at 7 am to save your pool spot under a cabana. Staff friendly, rooms are clean, food is good. Positive is its warmer than at home.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Never got to see it

We had our flights cancelled by west jet because of plane issues and made us not make connection. There were no other flights for a week. West jet cancelled our flights telling us to contact tripcentral for refund. They did not refund us on hotels and we were unable to get refunded or stay in the hotels. Still fighting WestJet for refund. Tough when everything is online and told to submit it online. Only giving the one star because we never got to go see it. It won’t let me it put any

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great resort

The hotel and grounds were immaculate, staff were friendly, food was good and lots of selection of drinks. The beach was disappointing, almost impossible to get a chair unless you were willing to pay for an upgrade, and a long walk to get there.

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel: Blue diamond didn’t disappoint

Just returned from a week at this resort. It is a boutique hotel so do your research if it’s for you. Not a party place. Nice entertainment/music while dining only. If you have mobility issues this would be challenging . Here’s the pros and cons Pros - food is outstanding, only two restaurants but there’s a new menu every evening in one and they add daily specials to the other so loads of choices. Also have a snack bar for casual bite by the water. Two beautiful pools with lots of comfy chairs [... read more] and choices . Very large clean comfortable rooms, quick golf cart service if you don’t want to walk to the beach. Top shelf alcohol and great service at bar and restaurant. Staff are exceptional . Lush tropical property to walk through, resort never felt busy except when a wedding came in, Cons - it needs some maintenance and repair, tiles broken, light fixtures need replacing , outlets not working, boards need replacing, These are minor things and no safety issues so don’t let this hold you back from going. It’s not a 5 star for these reasons but it’s definitely 4.5

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel: Blue diamond didn’t disappoint

Just returned from a week at this resort. It is a boutique hotel so do your research if it’s for you. Not a party place. Nice entertainment/music while dining only. If you have mobility issues this would be challenging . Here’s the pros and cons Pros - food is outstanding, only two restaurants but there’s a new menu every evening in one and they add daily specials to the other so loads of choices. Also have a snack bar for casual bite by the water. Two beautiful pools with lots of comfy chairs [... read more] and choices . Very large clean comfortable rooms, quick golf cart service if you don’t want to walk to the beach. Top shelf alcohol and great service at bar and restaurant. Staff are exceptional . Lush tropical property to walk through, resort never felt busy except when a wedding came in, Cons - it needs some maintenance and repair, tiles broken, light fixtures need replacing , outlets not working, boards need replacing, These are minor things and no safety issues so don’t let this hold you back from going. It’s not a 5 star for these reasons but it’s definitely 4.5

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: It was fine

The resort was fine. The grounds were beautiful. Our room was perfectly fine. Shower was good no mould as stated by other reviewers. Because the resort is a family resort I understand that they have to accommodate for kids eating, however, most of the food was not appealing to us. The fruit was adequate however, most of the time it was not ripe enough to eat, the food at the buffets was hardly ever hot. There were such a shortage of beach, loungers that people had to put their towels on the sand [... read more]. We enjoyed ourselves, but we would not return to the same resort.. also it was frustrating to find out so many people paid so much less for their trip and had much better rooms closer to the beach. We paid the most of anyone we spoke to and our room was the furthest away.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Exceeded Expectations!

This was an over Christmas trip… this was one of the cheapest late booking places available that we could afford when we discovered we didn’t have to work over Christmas. Kids are older, we didn’t have to wait for Santa before travelling. After reading reviews, I had low expectations. But after 2 years of not travelling and cancelled trips due to family situations and work…. we just needed to get away. Both kids had been to the DR before…. my wife and I had been to Haiti… we sort of knew wha [... read more]t we were getting into. We just wanted a beach. Flew AirTransat and will say they’ve up’d their game a bit. Good flight, nice people. Getting luggage was a bit dicey in the POP airport. Thanks to trackers in all the bags we rounded them up. A booth outside had airtransat on it, the gent there directed us to the bus. A ‘porter’ suddenly showed up and grabbed our bag. Seems ok until he holds it hostage for $5 US lol. The gent at the desk arranged that one so know they are in cahoots. If you don’t want it, just get directions and shoo the rest away. Was too tired after being up at 1am for the flight to care. The shuttle bus was a large tour bus. We were missing a person so we waited an extra 45 min in aircon. Good thing about the Blue Bay Villas…. you are the first stop and of course close to the airport, a mini mall (which sells all the stuff they sell on the beach plus coke - important info to know, snacks and fairly cheap booze… with a sports bar set up for Canadians… they posted the Canadians and Leafs Schedule), tennis and walking paths which appeared fairly safe even at dark. Check-in was made simple. Hand your passport, sign in, get a wrist band, a refreshing cool drink and another porter to your room. Now you’re down $25 in tips lol. We booked a superior room. In honesty I was immediately disappointed. Cheap looking furniture, no carpet as seen in the pictures, slightly moldy bathroom, No working lock on door, safe locked and no way in, bad lighting from ceiling fan that didn’t work. Room was very cool though. We checked out the kids room… much better in appearance with a lock, better lighting and working fan. My son did say “This is much nicer than the last place i stayed”. Stepping back, those were MY initial impressions…. the sheets were clean (well, not the warm blanket in the closet with the big stain), the bed hard but nice enough, fridge with some presidente, water and ….pepsi. (Why was everything pepsi and even worse… diet lol. Now you understand the coke comment from before. Rum and diet pepsi… tastes like a Dr.pepper knockoff). Bedside table held our stuff, just needed outlets. If i had a c-pap or something i would’ve been in trouble without an adapter. Nice decor on the bed and room. Guess what… By the end of the week I was sitting on the balcony enjoying the room, the birds and the noise from the resort next door…. just learned to not use the room coffee maker…. has not been cleaned for a while. Just go to the bar for the coffee machine. Oh and the shower is a tinkle of water. You’re in there for a bit longer getting the soap off. Potable water in the sink… remember that brushing your teeth. Food - I think if you complain about it your expectations were waaaay too high. The food was perfect! Omelette bar in the morning, extra things I wouldn’t normally eat, lots of fruit and juices, coffee, breads and oatmeal/cereals. Lunch we usually ate at the beach bar for a snack still being full from breaky but the Main buffet was loaded for lunch while the beach bar had hot dogs, burgers, rice/beans and the best coated fried chicken I’ve had since KFC changed their recipe. Dinner/Supper in the buffet always had a theme and a special meat and food items. The a-la-cart three restaurants… everyone raved about the Italian restaurant as you waited in the line starting at 9am to book. We honestly liked the Asian best, italian then Seafood. Nothing wrong with the Seafood but the selection was a bit thin. But they did offer Chicken! The resort… well kept. They painted all the paths (which are quite narrow and hard to pass some ignorant folk who walk side by side), kept the grounds clean, some broken and loose tiles. Three pools - one with morning exercise and afternoon festivities which are loud; second pool right beside with afternoon volleyball and loud. Third pool near the gym and spa… small, peaceful and quiet. The bars kept the drinks flowing. The Gym….. well never mind. They have a bike, elliptical, weight bench and weights up to 50lbs. oh… and a scale so you can scare yourself after each meal. More than two people… just wait your turn. For the weights… not the scale. The beach. Had a chair everyday. The cabana folk were up way too early for me to want to grab one. In the summer the water is clear, on our trip, sand was murking it up. couldn’t snorkel there. But…. it was sooo warm and wonderful. I hate the ocean. I scuba and that’s it. This, this was awesome just to float and enjoy the tranquility of no jelly fish, sea snakes or something else nibbling my toes. Hate to say i enjoyed it but i did! Activity wise on the beach…. Felix is the man. He makes it flow down there and kept us entertained. He is a great guy and if we ever go back I’m bringing him the biggest tip of anyone. He deserves it for the work he does and the effort he puts into it! You can kayak, sail on the small catamaran, volleyball… get sunny. If it wasn’t for the land sharks walking around selling the wares (same ones in the mall), massages, hair braiding, ‘Today only buy one cigar, nothing for free…’ and Mamawanna Mamawanna… it would be the perfect time at the beach. At night always a show. They put a lot of effort into it. Only prob is if you’re exhausted, it goes until around 2300 so can be loud in your room. The Christmas Eve buffet was fantastic. A roast beast (piggy) was being sliced up, amazing foods and treats and the decor was from a nutcrackers nightmare. They did good! If you are looking for an adult only resort, feel safe at this one. Many people expressed their surprise at the quality of the facility. There is some shady stuff in the background. Won’t get into it, Don’t look for trouble. But do tip. We didn’t do a great job but every meal 2-5$ plus a 20$ for the a-la-cart. The omelette bar always got at least a $1 per plate. And every time we filled our yetis at the bar, we tipped $1/drink. Others did more, some did nothing. Once you learn the wages, you will want to tip more! They have some amazing people working there. Take the time to talk and get to learn about them… you’ll have friends for life! You could have the best resort but if the people don’t match, it’s not the same. Blue Bay has some good ones who will make you laugh as they enjoy life! There are better resorts in the DR. I’m confident they are also more $$. I do honestly believe we got our moneys worth. But don’t drink the offered wine, buy the better bottle. Try a glass of each red and white. You’ll understand… but don’t look it up online. Sometimes leaving the wizard behind the curtain is best.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Think Twice

This hotel was not at all what I expected. I chose an adult resort because I wanted peace and a little maturity, but that was not at all what I experienced. The most irksome issue was the smoking (both cigarettes and cigars), which people partook in recklessly and ubiquitously- perhaps because it was an adult resort and they felt it fine to inundate adults with second-hand smoke. We would be in the dining room and smell cigar smoke (there was a gentleman who sold cigars right outside the dining  [... read more]hall and constantly smoked his product- advertising it, perhaps?) as well as cigarette smoke. As a result of the unceasing second-hand smoke, I could not participate in any of the entertainment events as the smoke chased me away. When I finally complained on the last night as I wanted to catch at least one show before leaving, I was told that there were non-smoking areas. When I asked where these areas were, they said "any indoor space." I replied that it was a resort and that there weren't any real indoor spaces except the bedrooms. The dining hall, though roofed, was an open area. I felt very limited in what I could do and enjoy and opted just for walking on the beach, which was nice but not worth the price I paid for this trip.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Friendly staf, very lush grounds

Staff very friendly at all times. A bit of a walk to other areas of the resort , but a cart service is available. Food was ok at the buffets , always found something to eat . A l carted was ok. Could use more seating along walkways as sone areas far to walk. Sad thing is the snack shacks were not open . On our side of the resort so we always had to go to the other buffet

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Good value for money

The beach was very nice with almost white sand, seaweed like always but was cleaned as needed. Surprisingly the food was good and top notch service from young Maria, and the restaurant really good specially the Italian and the steak house, the bar service was very good and the coffee house was excellent, hats off to the guys who worked there. The front desk guys could not change rooms from first floor (noisy ) to higher floors. The room on first floor needs some upgrades like new mirrors an [... read more]d a fresh paint. There’s a 5-10 walk to the beach from the room which was fine for us, no shuttle taken.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Fantastic service!

Very nice pools and all the staff in the bars and restaurants were friendly and great to talk to. The room we had was showing its age, for sure. We got sick at the end, possibly from the clogged filter in the air conditioning, maybe there was mould in there? The Black & White bar and the Swing Bar were lots of fun, and the nighttime shows were very good. The food in the main restaurant was pretty good - we were impressed, as there was quite a variety over the time we were there. The Special  [... read more]restaurants were also good. As with most All-Inclusive places, there was a shortage of chairs at the pools, and no one followed the "do not reserve chairs" rule. They eventually brought out a few more chairs.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: A good value for your stay

I would rate this place seven out of 10 we didn’t mind the walking at all. we found there was a lot of rude people people butting into lines where you get food and at the bar, they need to start doing something about this. There was a lot of fighting and arguments going on.In our room and around some of the buildings there is a foul odour, no hot water and some of the dated items in the room,

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Okay resort

Staff provided great service! Resort is quite run down though. There was no hot water at all, just luke warm for showers. Be prepared for a lot of walking! The snack bar by the quiet pool was closed so it was quite far just to go get a snack. Probably wouldn’t return due to the amount of walking and the overall condition of the resort. We were told it is going through an ownership change so it may improve in the future.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue bay Grand Esmeralda

The hotel is old and outdated Room was clean maid was very thankful for tips .In 12 nights we had two warm showers . Common complaint for all buildings . Lack of chairs around the pool and at the ocean . The buffet was good . The restaurants excellent .The staff work very hard at the restaurants . Lack of staff at the white and black bar common for twenty people lined up for drinks in the evening . ,The west Jet rep. Was excellent . The pools excellent .Ocean from ok

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Nice Resort

Hotel Staff were very friendly and accommodating, dated needs some tlc but otherwise we had a wonderful time. Lots of wildlife and good food. Beach is taken care of and the entertainment was very good.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Know before you go

Overall Verdict: Wouldn't Return or Recommend (Unless on a Tight Budget for Basic Amenities) ​Date of Stay: (support 27- October 4 2025) Travelers: Family Prior Resort Experience: Dreams, Emotions, Royalton, Riu (Varies) ​We booked BlueBay Grand Esmeralda when it was advertised as a 5-star resort, only to see it drop to a 4-star before our trip. As seasoned all-inclusive travelers accustomed to the standards of chains like Dreams and Royalton, we should have heeded this warning. If you are u [... read more]sed to a premium experience, this resort will likely disappoint. ​Star Rating & Value: This resort felt like an outdated 3-star property. We paid a premium price and received basic amenities and services more aligned with a budget vacation. While we had an amazing week away (because it's Mexico!), the resort itself was a poor value. ​Accommodation & Room Issues (Building 7 & 4): Our initial room in Building 7 (which is extremely far from the main pool and beach) was dated. The mini-fridge and ceiling fan were non-functional, and the air conditioning was weak. We had a serious issue in the adjoining room when the fan blade detached and struck our son (age 17) in the head. We waited two hours for maintenance before being offered a new room. ​We were moved to Building 4, which offered a fantastic location near the pool and beach, but the rooms were in the same dated condition. We had to cycle through three mini-fridges before one worked, and our patio light was never fixed. While tolerable, these issues speak to a lack of proper maintenance. ​Food & Beverage: The food experience felt like a blast from the past—the kind of standard offered in Mexico 25 years ago. ​Buffet: Blah and repetitive. Options for a nice, cooked-to-order lunch or breakfast outside of the main buffet were non-existent (buffet-only). We rarely saw fruit and only saw ice cream twice. ​A La Cartes: We tried the Italian, French, Mexican, Steakhouse, and Seafood restaurants. They were all just 'okay'—nothing memorable. ​Snack/Room Service: Room service has a $7 fee. The 24-hour Black and White restaurant offered only hot dogs and hamburgers sitting in a warmer. ​Drinks: The bar service is strictly non-premium. The drinks are weak and forgettable. ​Resort Layout & Transportation: The resort is massive and spread out. Buildings 6, 7, and 8 are so far from the main hub that it feels like a different resort. You are constantly waiting for a golf cart (which can take 20+ minutes) or enduring a long, hot walk where the mosquitos are relentless. ​Staff & Service (The Highlight): The staff truly are the resort's saving grace. The people are amazing, friendly, and work incredibly hard despite being visibly short-staffed in the restaurants. Cassey at the pool is full of energy and lovely. The gentleman at the VIP front desk (sorry, forgot his name!) went above and beyond to assist us. The employees are top-notch. ​Grounds & Wildlife: The grounds and wildlife are awesome. We enjoyed seeing deer, a small crocodile, a variety of birds, coatis, and fireflies in the evening. Cats, dogs and did i mention mosquitoes. ​Tips for Future BlueBay Grand Esmeralda Guests (The "Basic" Traveler) ​Restaurant Reservations: Download the BlueBay app and book your entire week of a la carte dinners immediately upon arrival. ​Room Location: The resort will try to place you in buildings 6, 7, or 8 and pitch a paid upgrade for a better location the next morning. Decline and insist on a room in Building 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 upon check-in. ​Drink Service: Tip your pool server, and you will see her more often. Leave a note for your maid specifying what drinks you want restocked in the room (the maid is not the one who stocks the drinks). ​Beach Walk: Walk down the beach toward the "Mexico" sign for a photo op. The walk in the other direction leads to a swampy, unappealing lagoon area. ​Coffee: The coffee house (near the Black and White/Gym) is not open early, but it’s a good spot for a mid-day or evening coffee. ​Locals: The resort is open to locals, and the ratio of tourists to locals felt about 50/50. They tend to dominate certain areas, but we didn't mind. ​Packing Essentials: Bring lots of bug block and sun block! They are ridiculously expensive on-site. ​Room Amenities: The room has a blow dryer and iron, but no hair conditioner. Rooms do come with umbrellas—take them to the pool for extra shade. ​Pool Chairs: Plenty of pool chairs available throughout the day—no issue finding one. ​Walmart: Avoid the Walmart in Playa Del Carmen—prices are inflated. ​In summary, this resort is only suitable if you are paying rock-bottom prices ($1000 or less) and are content with basic accommodations, repetitive food, and non-premium drinks. If you're used to a 4.5-5 star experience, look elsewhere. All in all we had a great week away, but wouldn't return unless we were given circle one treatment. They get better everything ha ha

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay

Overall our stay was amazing could’ve been better. The staff the cleaning people were amazing but the people at the front desk need a little bit more communication I know how to deal with the customers. The beach restaurant was amazing. The bar at the beach was amazing.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great stay

This hotel needs to be refurbished but despite that we had a fabulous time Our room was spotless with 3 large bottles if water per day We were in building 7 garden view with its own pool for this area As usual not enough chairs and it was off season Staff were fantastic restaurants were good and festival buffet had a great variety all good The only night was the Asian night which was horrible for me anyways Shopping limited and they need more trolleys as it's quite the hike to beach We p [... read more]aid a reasonable cost for this hotel but wouldn't pay much more for the week Can't say enough good things about all the staff Tip them they work hard for us

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: So so. 3.5 out of 5.

Having stayed at Blue Bay's resort in Mexico and at both VH Gran Ventana and Viva Heavens, this is a tired resort. Stayed in the 8000 building block in late May, being the shoulder season, it was very quiet; about less than 100 guests, thus not all the facilities wasn't available. Besides the above average service as disclosed on previous reviews, allow me to go over the small cons: 1) from the previous reviews, the lauded Asian restaurant was closed for renovations, but the food was available  [... read more]once a la carte and once at the buffet. 2) that in mind, besides your room, there's no air conditioning, except for the Italian restaurant. 3) showed up for the scheduled bicycle tour and asking 2 staff what happened, left after an hour. 4) difficult to get toiletries, shower gel. 5) service at reception for both checking in and especially checking out was with poor attitudes and frowns.