Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Very nice resort

We had a wonderful time at the Be Live hotel in punta Cana. The size and layout of the hotel was perfect & our room was clean and well situated very close to both the beach and pool. The staff were very helpful and friendly. We only ate at the buffet restaurant and always found great choices to eat. Our only complaints were firstly, that the pool was green and murky so we did not go in at all. That was disappointing. The beach was great though and was really what we went down south for. Second c [... read more]omplaint was the fact that the hotel allowed 200 very rowdy university students to stay for the week and basically took over part of the beach and were awake all night partying and very noisy. I felt bad for families with small children who travelled great distances from Europe and were hoping for a quiet vacation.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Just an "Ok" resort

We actually stayed at the Ambar Green, not the Ambar Blue. It was just OK and, while we won't return to that resort, we will give Punta Cana another try at some point. I certainly don't feel it is a "Luxury 5 Star" resort. I realize the star rating is based on the country where the resort is located but there are certain basic things I would expect from any resort, not just a 5 star resort. I would rate it 3.5 stars. The good: 1. Staff are really friendly and helpful 2. The grounds ar [... read more]e beautiful 3. Pools are very clean 4. Rooms are clean 5. Lots of variety in the buffets and presentation was good 6. Trolley system is good for getting around Some areas for improvement: 1. The bed is the equivalent of sleeping on the floor. It is hard as a rock and has no give whatsoever. After the second night I was seriously considering moving to a different resort because of the bed. No sleep and sore back and shoulders upon getting up in the morning. I asked if there was anything they could do and they brought us another mattress...slightly softer than the first but enough that I could actually get some sleep. 2. Food in the buffets was lukewarm at best, mostly it was cold...every meal. We tried the buffet at the Ambar Blue and it was the same. One morning we were waiting for the buffet to open for breakfast. We were the first ones there and the pancakes were cold. I consider hot food to be an essential for any resort, not just 5 star. 3. Maid service is inconsistent. The rooms were clean but the time the maid showed up every day was very inconsistent. It was anywhere from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. One day she showed up at 5:00 pm to clean and the next morning she was knocking on the door at 9:00 am. Showing up at 5:00 is very inconvenient as we had just gotten back to our room from being at the pool all day and were trying to shower and get ready for dinner. I would consider consistent maid service to be an essential for any resort, not just 5 star. 4. Every day there was something missing from the cleaning. We had no facecloths for the entire seven days (had 1 the first day), another day we were missing hand towels, another day missing the bath mat. Mini bar was restocked for 4 days, last 2 days it was not. One day they randomly knocked on our door, came in and took the drinking glasses from our room and they weren't even dirty. The next day the glasses reappeared outside our door on the floor. A checklist of what to do and leave behind for maid service is essential for any resort, not just a 5 star. 5. There needs to be more shade available around the pool. The pool we used had 3 umbrellas so we were never able to get out of the sun. 6. Our tv had no English channels but yet our friends 2 doors over had a few English channels one of which was CNN. One last item and I don't know if it is the area or the resort but mosquitoes were very plentiful. I have never come back from a vacation in the Caribbean with my legs covered in mosquito bites, my husband has even more than me. Every night we would go listen to music somewhere with our can of Off with us and we still have a lot of bites. I think we were in the older part of the resort. The pictures on the website show a nice walk-in shower while ours was a drop-in tub with a shower with tile all around it. It was quite a step to get in and out of the shower. I was on vacation so I didn't let the negatives ruin it for me. The temperature of the food and the mosquitoes are the main reason I would not return to this resort. Other items are just annoying more than anything else.

Occidental Caribe: Picturesque

The grounds of the hotel are beautiful. However the resort was understaffed.There were many cups left in and around the pool. It was too much for one person to keep up with. The shower and tub in the room had mold growing. There was a drink spilled on the wall in the room prior to us and was still there when we left. Check in sucked because there wasnt enough staff. Rooms weren't ready either. The food was just ok. Pizza restaurant was great. The resort was pretty it just needs some updating and [... read more] staff!

Riu Bambu: Great resort...

Staff was great...food was normal for an all inclusive.pool and entertainment were a lot of fun...place needs an upgrade but overall rooms were ok...we were told they are renovating this summer... Great beach area

Riu Republica: Unforgettable

The resort was perfect from start to finish. The food was incredible. The service was second to none the events were non stop it is def a place that we will be visiting again and taking our friends Our room was spotless. Beds were comfortable. Food was readily available at all hours the resort staff made sure everyone was smiling and having a good time. They reached out to include the shyest people and bring out the fun in all around.

Riu Republica: Beautiful Resort

Very clean resort, clean rooms and grounds were nicely landscaped. great selection of food and drinks. Staff was very friendly! I love the beach with the white sand that seems like it goes on forever! I swam in the ocean everyday and walked the beach every morning. Our check in and out was very quick and friendly! Love the foam party and beach party! Definitely would book this trip again!

Occidental Punta Cana: A little misleading and not a 4 star but all in all a decent vacation.

Checkin is as described - Brutal. 2nd in line at the Transat private checkin and it still took 45-60 minutes to get a room and not a renovated room with a king which was what we asked for. Not all rooms are upgraded. They are under construction so one building was closed and being worked on. We were in an older building and despite asking several times to move we finally gave up as it was ruining our vacation stressing about it. To be fair the older room was not that bad, but a newer room w [... read more]ould have been nice. Our first time in Punta Cana and likely our last. The country is dirty and the people do not seem to have any pride so they throw their garbage anywhere and everywhere. Although nothing happened we never felt very safe off the resort even in the day time. The hotel had been purchased by Barcelo and part of the renovations took out all the palapas which we saw on the pictures and since my wife needs shade that was a bit disappointing to find out they were gone. They also advertised a casino but that does not exist yet. The hotel appeals to the Russians and although we met a few Russians that were nice the majority are pushy and want to always be served first, so this is an annoyance that I can do without when I`m on vacation. The majority of the staff were all friendly, but their was an expectation pretty well everywhere. At the lobby when getting change a tip was expected. Twice I asked for change for a $20 and both times I was shown $19 in the right hand and $1 in his left hand, the assumption being $19 for me and $1 for him. Probably would have tipped anyway, but don't like the expectation. Our Transat rep Antonio was only interested in what you had to say if you were booking an excursion. Other than that he had no time for you. A couple we met there went on an excursion to Saona island booked through Transat rep and she came back to the hotel crying that evening. worse day ever they said and unfortunately that was their last night so it leaves a sour taste in your mouth for vacation. They spent 5 hours on the bus going from location to location, dropping off, picking up, then the Rep let merchants onto the bus to try to sell them stuff and they hated that, they felt cornered, then they went on the boat and the Catamaran, both boats were so packed that they had very little space for them to sit and then when they got to the island the whole time they were there the merchants kept coming up to sell them stuff. Now the good The food at the buffet was quite good and 4 of the 5 a la cartes were also very good. We chose Lasagna at the Italian and that was not good at all. The pizza place was good, the Tacqueria was also good. The snack shack by the pool is also quite good for fast food and drinks. There was plenty to drink and even when there were lines, they moved pretty fast. The water at the beach is beautiful. There was a bit of seaweed which I hear is a problem but we did not really have an issue. The place never seemed that crowded and in fact they have a large pool that very few people use because there is no bar nearby so that pool which is likely the length of football field by about 30 yards wide is quite empty. Entertainment is as it is at most places and that`s ok. There is a disco that opens at 11pm but after midnight you have to pay for the drinks which we found odd. After my complaining they did offer to move us to another hotel but at this point we would have lost a day and we may have been moved to a worse place, so we decide 'better the devil you know'. We met some very nice Canadians (Punta Canada as they call it) and a few Americans and spent the majority of our days hanging out with them. The beach chairs and pools chairs were new which was nice.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Dreams Punta Cana

Dreams Punta Cana was no disappointment in terms of the resort, its facilities, it's beach, its a la carte restaurants and main buffet. The unique swimming pool is designed in such a way that it winds itself along the complexes and every guest has a piece of it at their doorstep - almost right down to the beach. The food was excellent in its variety, availability and taste. The rooms and balcony were nice in size and the beds were extremely comfortable. However, the rooms could be upgraded t [... read more]o include: a) a double dresser underneath the mounted TV (the space is there for it). The only place to put any personal wear is on open shelving contained within the closet; b) towel bars in the bathroom (there were none); c) the partial shower glass in the bathroom should be removed and a shower curtain installed in its place. You have to actually step into the bathtub to reach the shower controls and/or plug and to also test the water temperature - very inconvenient, not too mention that your feet could get hit with extremely hot or cold water; d) they need to move the toilet paper dispenser to the 'other' side of the toilet to make it more easily accessible. As it stands, you'd better not have shoulder problems - the backward reach is far. The only other noteworthy item for me was the service at the front entrance and in the main buffet. In my opinion, there could have been more staff. Last of the somewhat negatives were the flamingos on-site. They were cute and beautiful, BUT - they were very noisy and could be disturbing for guests that like to sleep in a little. Luckily, I was an early riser. On a positive note, however, I would definitely recommend this resort and also return there myself in a heartbeat - overall, the resort is simply beautiful and won't disappoint.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Disappointment ... big time - can not believe the rating assigned to hotel

We arrived Punta Canta only to find out that we were not on their list of arrivals to be taken to our resort - finally got on shuttle and arrived at resort only to find about a dozen people/families trying to change rooms !! Our room was NOT ready and we were told to come back around 3pm - it was 1230 so we went for lunch and came back (and were more or less ignored) as the front desk staff looked over our heads while the staff in the "back" room attempted to divvy up rooms available. We got  [... read more]absolutely nothing we requested and were prepared to pay for. Our room was finally assigned at 4:45. The room was full of mold and stunk bad with must. Within first five minutes, our door handle fell on the floor - the tub was blocked and as tub was only 4 feet, water sprayed around the bathroom and went out into the hallway. The door was rotted out at the bottom as a result of the water flowing freely. We asked for cleaning supplies and were told by maid service that they didn't have any, they cleaned surfaces with a brush only. Going to bed we had to request clean sheets as they had not been changed. We worked the next day to change our room - took again most of day - now two days wasted almost. The second room was better but not great as it too had MOLD but bathroom MUCH BETTER. In fact, since arriving back home, we have had to wash our clothing (dirty and not worn) three times as odor will NOT COME OUT. My suggestion is keep all your clothes in your suitcases and keep them closed. Grounds are beautiful, ocean fantastic, beaches just what your dream about. Buffets/restaurants provide a good variety, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables but more often than not food is cold (even when the restaurant just opens). Room staff and restaurant/buffet staff attempt to do all they can for you. Water slides great but have to walk a distance as there is no entrance when you leave the front door of the resort. Pools clean and areas around enjoyable. NO SMOKING signs in the main lobby / bar areas yet everyone smoking - what the hell is this ?? Lots of under age drinking. Casino - not really. Entertainment center okay and the young dancers/singers give it their all. LOTS of NEW RESORTS built around - told they will be revamping this one, but this will have to be major as they have to manage the mold situation and improve the front desk service. As well reps from Sunwing not available -- too busy in his words "making babies".

Royalton CHIC Punta Cana: Excellent Trip

We stayed at the Chic Punta Cana February 19th to the 25th. The hotel is beautiful and grounds well kept. The rooms are very spacious and modern. The staff of the hotel are the best I have ever seen. Luis, Frank, Ray and Valeria were especially kind and they took excellent care of us. The food was excellent in all restaurants, especially the steak house. We had a couple of issues in the room. One day no water, air conditioning went off a couple of times. However, all of these were fixed  [... read more]very promptly, within minutes and did not put any damper on the trip. The entertainment every night was excellent, fire show on the beach and a cirque de soleil act was very entertaining. The bubble machine at the pool was so much fun. All in all, a wonderful time at the Chic. I would return again and I would recommend this hotel.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Perfect resort for families

The buildings on this resort may be old but this is the cleanest resort I've ever been to & I have definitely been to a lot in the past 30 years & Punta Cana has been one of my favorites, travelling there 3 times. I would definitely recommend this resort to families I think they really cater to the kids, young to teens and even set up a special bulletin everyday in case of a rainy day I was there for 11 nights & I received a call every day from the concierge desk asking me if I was enjoying my  [... read more]vacation and if there was anything they could do for me. I was just a normal client to them, I was not on the preferred package. I wonder how much attention the preferred guest gets compared to the average, my husband & I were happy with the food & service we received there, the staff everywhere were very courteous. The entertainment in the evening shows were very professional, some were definitely outstanding. The gardens were gorgeous, my husband smokes and would not even consider throwing a butt out, always found an ashtray. On the beach where we spent all of our days, they would rake the seaweed a few times a day if needed. Yes I would recommend this resort & we will go back.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Great resort, but is showing its age

This was our second time at this resort and we enjoyed it , good food excellent housekeeping staff, very friendly employees in general. The buildings were very well kept and grounds well manicured however its age is starting to show. We were a bit disapointed that some of the Specialty Resturants were often unavailable at supper times due to "private events".

Grand Sirenis Tropical Suites: Good Value

Checkin was smooth. Room was NOT renovated like in the pics. Old but clean. Double beds rather than queens like stated in the ad. Super firm matresses. Staff were friendly and helpful. Only 3 ala carte reservations permitted. Buffet was plentiful but slightly repetitive. Pool was huge and ideal for kids. Beach was beautiful but the current was too strong for swimming. Massage at the beach was amazing! Check out was smooth as well. Good stay but wouldn't return.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Awesome Resort

This resort was awesome. The grounds were clean and beautiful. All the staff was very friendly and helpful. Our room was always clean and well tended. The beach and pool areas were clean and well kept. Our overall experience was excellent and we will be back.

Riu Bambu: Okay resort

The resort was a little "tired" looking. I was surprised to find that we had an actual "key" with our room number on it and a large fob to carry it with. Not very secure if you had lost it! The beach there is one of the best that I have seen. Sand was beautiful and you could walk for miles. The rest of the resort was just okay. They had a lot of activities but I just found that the staff were not very friendly and if you wanted to have alcohol in your drinks you mostly had to ask for i [... read more]t. Sometimes they would put it in, sometimes not. Rooms were a little weird in that the toilet was separate but the sinks and shower were part of the room. If you go make sure whoever you are with you are not shy about undressing in front of them. Beds were okay although my daughter had to sleep on a pull out couch (there was three of us in the room). She said it was not very comfortable. Overall it was not terrible, just for an extra couple of hundred we could have stayed at the Riu down the road which looked from what we saw much nicer. Food was typical all inclusive fare.

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Amazing Resort!!

Still a few bugs to work out as far as , hot water, electricity cutting out and so on, but overall, is a great place! I found the food at Elegance better last year than at the Mirage this year. again, something i'm sure they will get better at. Overall, awesome vacation!

Occidental Punta Cana: Occidental Punta Cana. beautiful resort

The Occidental is a beautiful resort that in undergoing a refit, Air Transat rooms were in the newer part and were large and modern, King sized bed and balcony, bottled water was available throughout the complex and in our room. The beach was amazing and you could walk for miles in either direction. The food is quite good although by the end of the week it was getting repetitive. The evening entertainment was excellent and we looked forward the the live singers in the bar and the show later in [... read more] the evening. There are not enough places to get drinks by the water and there is always a line-up. Service is slow and there never appears to be anyone in charge. Do not pay for express check-in as it does not exist. We paid and after waiting 45 minutes for the 3 people in front of us to check-in it took another 30 minutes once we got to the counter. Service in general at the resort is hit and miss. If you fly Air Transat, be warned the line-up at the airport is atrocious. The 4 hours they say you need to catch a flight is needed and the Air Transat lines were incredibly slow. That being said we enjoyed the holiday, but ended up with travelers diarrhea. If we go back we would likely stay at another resort.

Punta Cana Princess: What a Lovely Place!

This is our sixth consecutive visit to Punta Cana Princess Resort for Adults and we were not disappointed. Something has to be said for returning to a familiar resort where everyone knows who you are immediately & provides such a warm welcome....makes one feel at home. The place is well maintained, the staff always have a friendly greeting and will go out of their way to ensure good service. Their menu choices are large and the food is fresh. We are satisfied clients, again. Our requirements w [... read more]hen looking for a resort are: 1. Small with less than 300 rooms, 2. Within our budget, 3. not more than 1/2 hour from airport, 4. Five hours or less flight time, 5. On the beach, and 6. Good customer service

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Barcelo Bavaro Beach (Feb 2017)

My wife and I had a great time and did a dune buggy trip as well as 4 rounds of golf. The Buggie trip was a lot of fun and we got very muddy but were taken to a beautiful white sand beach to clean up. There was a lot of hard sell of products, trinkets, etc. The golf course was fantastic. Although the check-in staff could be a little more friendly, the starter and staff were very friendly and helpful. The bartender at the course was also very helpful. ;-) My wife and I were surprised by smoking [... read more] being allowed almost everywhere at the resort, but it was airy enough not to be too much of a problem. There was even an ashtray in our room, but we couldn't smell any residual smoke. The bathroom in our room was a little dated and could have used some grout cleaning, but the water pressure and temperature was excellent. The attached Barcelo Bavaro main resort seemed a little nicer (but with kids) with more activities and we had access to that. The food was as good as any resort we've been to. The a la cart restaurants we went to had good service - the buffets were also good.

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Lovely resort, great staff

Our first experience with the Palladium resort chain last year in Mexico was very positive and based on that first experience we chose the Palladium in the Dominion Republic and were not disappointed. The grounds are lovely, beach great, rooms generous in size and clean. Staff were wonderful. Our overall eating experience was 4 star in terms of the variety of food, preparation and presentation. The overall atmosphere of the facility was relaxed. My one slightly negative comment is th [... read more]at as a family of 9, aged 17-76 who travel once a year to reconnect and enjoy each other's company and have dinner every night together.at a time of our choice isn't possible.. I would like to see groups of this size at least be given some leeway with regard to the timing for meals. We had no choice but to eat each evening at 6 pm. We didn't mind that a couple of nights but we would have preferred to eat later a few nights as well. This was not possible. That said, we did not let that temper our vacation.