JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort and Spa: Not as Good as it Looks!

Upon looking at pictures and upon first arrival, the resort looks amazing. You are greeted with friendly staff at the lobby, however that's really the extent of the friendliness and customer service. The resort lacks lighting at night - especially when you are walking back from the beach area to the your building or buffet. Many guests were using their flashlights on their phones. There are no lifeguards for the family/kids' pool area. Pool chairs are reserved early in the morning by gu [... read more]ests who are not in the immediate area. Because beach towels do not have to be returned in order to get a new one, towels are left on pool loungers even when guests have left the pool. Hence, pool chairs were never available for other users. There was not much selection at the Buffet. Staff were not customer service oriented and did not speak or understand English. At the Buffet, each time you entered, you had to wait in line to be asked your room number and the number of guests, then wait to be seated. Men were not allowed to enter the Buffet in tank tops. We were seated in areas on a number of occasions where the lights were turned off. When we asked for either a different table or for the lights to be turned on, we were told 'No' to another table or that the lights were not working. Housekeeping was minimal. We were a family of four and had requested for four towels, however kept receiving only three. We also requested for extra pillows and did not receive them until the fourth day of our stay. Spa prices were outrageous, even with discount vouchers offered upon check-in. We were advised by our airline rep to check out a day early (express check-out) and when we arrived at the Front Desk requesting to check out, we were questioned as to why. Seemed like they did not know their own hotel processes. Nightly entertainment could use a lot of improvement. Shows were not entertaining and lacked variety. The overall friendliness of staff did not seem sincere and appeared to be extremely forced. The only great service we did receive was when we booked our excursions. Swiss Travel / Air Canada reps were amazing! They explained the trips, offered what would be best suited for our family, provided cost saving opportunities and overall, great customer service. Would definitely travel back to Costa Rica, however would most likely consider a different resort.

Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf and Spa: No a 5 starts

We been to playa mujerse 5 times in the last 3 years. We had stay at the beloved and the finest. We were VERY VERY disappointed with the hotel. Food: The quality of food is bellow a 3 starts hotel.. they put margarine everywhere, the menu is made with the same ingredient place to place . Service : was okay, we had to wait around 45 minutes every night for a table at the restaurant... so much for no reservation restaurant resort. The only restaurant we fell welcome was Guccho the mana [... read more]ger really nice from A to Z and Luise the waiter was super nice Room : are great and clean The hotel had over 5 wedding the week of + corporate event... very loud music in main pool, drunk peoples ( a lot) in the main pool all day long and full blast music... Its was definitely not a family oriented resort as we where expected. Kids club : they did not let us come in with our kids (5 years old + 3 years old) its a drop off... no wonder they only have 2 to 3 kids a day when we pass in front. We coming to have a nice family vacation, if we would like to go in the kids club to make a puzzle or face painting with her kids we should have access. Selling team : they woke us up the 2 first morning to invite us to private breakfast to give us some free coupon and show us the resort... and please don't forget bring your credit card (what a traps) we had to lets them know the second day to stop calling us at 8h30 in the morning for this we where in vacation and if we fell to have a selling pitch about the resorts we will contact them. Your best publicity should be take care of your client from the begging to the end...and they will be back for sure. D'ont arrest them with this in the first 48 hours of the vacation Beach: was nice and clean. We got stole 100$ in my husband pants. Beach and pool service : very fast good staff... but to much staff they should put more staff at night and less during the day time.. staffing is definitely not well manage

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Very Average Stay

Taken from my review on Trip Advisor: Writing this review from hotel lobby as we await our transportation back to the resort. Good: -Food excellent but with limited sea food options. -limited wait at el la carte restaurants -each restaurant was fantastic -entertainment staff very friendly (happy Louis and Felix are awesome people) -great premium alcohol in lobby bar (Kelvin is great) -everything is in close proximity (beach, food and rooms) -great weather throughout stay (only rai [... read more]ned at night) -Coco cafe great -abundant number of beach chairs but still need to search from mid morning on -Gym great for resort experience -wifi throughout the resort (but very spotty coverage) Bad: -4 out of 6 got sick from food (somewhat expected in DR. -beach patrolled by merchants who interrupt your time throughout the day with sales pitches. -no sound dampening in rooms. Can hear everything outside your door. Ugly: -2 out of 3 rooms robbed by maid(?). Total of over $200 taken. -3 out of 3 room safes did not work. Still not working after battery change by staff. -after runaround and wasted time with staff, head of concierge was helpful in giving stolen value is store credit at gift shop. All would have preferred returned $ value. -Building 9 rooms are below average when compared to other resorts. Bad smells and odours coming from bathroom area all of the time. -front desk staff was not accommodating when requesting a room change. Instead try to upsell you to the premium club. -night entertainment not good the 2 times we attended. Overall resort was quite average. Trip was a little overshadowed by the fact that 2 out of 3 rooms were robbed by hotel staff. This resulted in wasted time but ultimately a somewhat acceptable resolution with store credit to over priced gift shop.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: The good heavily outweighed by the Bad (Stolen $)

Cons ----- Con #1. I'll start with the cash taken out of my spouse and I's room, along with another couple we travelled with. One of the couples we travelled with had a $100 canadian bill stolen, pretty easy to keep track of. They were on the same floor as us. The next night (I count my money twice a day) I noticed my bag had been tipped over and my wallet was moved inside my bag, where I was missing specific bills I never touch. My spouse had her purse riffled through and wallet opened [... read more] where she kept her money. Did I mention none of the safes work at all? Upon our complaint to the front desk, we had "security" come and inspect our room only to tell us they can do nothing. They urged us "this is not common" yet they had PAGES of reports in their paperwork with the same issues. They offered to rummage through our room to help us "find the missing money" which we obviously declined. They then suggested we fill out a generic report, which had questions SPECIFICALLY laid out relating to theft. After spending a few hours explaining what happened (they were extremely rude and didn't care) we met with the head of security the next day, where he showed us the entry history into our room, confirming it was the maid being the only and last one in the room since the money was missing. Since they have no proof of her actually taking the money, they can't do anything. Which means no repercussions for future theft. We were given a gift card for one of the shops, which is better than nothing. After speaking with some of the employees we were friendly with, they re-affirmed that the amount stolen was "not that much" and that "wouldn't we want the money to go to someone who needs it?", their mentality is completely different than ours. Con #2 Upon arriving at the resort after 14 hours of travel, we were attempted to be upsold by the most rude and condescending front desk person I've ever encountered on vacation. It was obvious they had an entire sales pitch to get more money out of us. After finally declining for 20 minutes and sweating with our luggage, they gave us our rooms (which was the furthest building away from the beach). Not a great view at all, but unless you want to pay an extra $600+ U.S for a week, you have to deal with it. Con #3 The seafood gave four out of six of us diarrhea for at least a day. DO NOT EAT IT Con #4 Mold in the room made all of us sick by the end of the week, you could hear everyone coughing on the beach by the last day. Three out of six of us had to call in sick the following week at least one day it was that bad. A doctor confirmed it was a type of flu, for myself personally it feels like bronchitis. The shower had tiles coming out. Con #5 Don't expect much service at all at buffets, they might offer you a coffee then never come back. When we went to get our own, they would come and give us dirty looks and tell us they can get us one. Pros ------- Pro #1 Food was absolutely fantastic (don't eat the seafood), beach bbq was great, a la cartes were awesome, buffets were great. Pro #2 High-end liquor with mobile bartenders was a highlight. I don't drink often at all, but it was nice to have a higher quality drink, bartenders were very professional and great to interact with. Pro #3 Beach was very nice, lots of seating (hard to reserve though) Pro #4 Tons of events going on all day by the pool and by the beach, always something to do. Pro #5 Very close to the airport, was a great quick ride Pro #6 the gym was awesome, very small but good enough. (wish I wasn't so sick I could've gone more) Overall : I would not return to Dominican let alone Dreams Palm Beach due to the money stolen, the food poisoning and the mold in the room that got most of us sick. The customer service we received was mostly abysmal when we needed it. They all look down on us as entitled and will do anything to squeeze more money out of their tourists. Pay the extra money and go somewhere else, I definitely will. (Wait for a generic response from the resort claiming I'm not a victim with a condescending tone addressing none of the issues I outlined). Hope this helps someone with their decision out there.

Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya: Amazing 5 days!

It was my first trip to Mexico and resort with my daughter and three grandsons therefore I have nothing to compare it too! But from my personal experience I enjoyed everything from the flight to the food the resort and especially the people who work there! They really give their all entertainment was great and my grandsons totally enjoyed their time in the pool and the kids club was amazing! I totally recommend this resort for families with children it is a small resort compared to others but  [... read more]perfect if you have young children!

Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Amazing Resort

The rooms were huge and comfortable , two double beds a Jacuzzi and a hot tub on the balcony cw ocean front view . The food was excellent and they add theme restraunts ex Mexican , japenese , ect for expanding your culture. Dreams resorts employees are very curtious and would due about anything to please you , they put there whole heart in their tasks from the front desk to the maid.The ocean has soft white sand and is cleaned daily ,three pools clean and heated.My granddaughters found lots of [... read more] activities rock climbing,painting,braided hair,ect.We will return someday for SURE!

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Pretty good resort

Overall, the resort was great. This was the first time we took our kids (5 & 7) to an all inclusive, so I learned a few things. 1. I might upgrade to a bigger room next time. The rooms were the most disappointing thing. Just two beds- literally. Nowhere to put your clothes, nowhere to hang anything wet (the line in the bathtub was moldy). Everything had to stay in the suitcases and on top of tables...the bathroom wasn't really separate, so that was interesting. It was obviously older, but th [... read more]at doesn't bother me. The lack of space...different story. Sometimes our room wasn't cleaned until 4 pm. 2. Nightly entertainment was late. Shows started at 9:30. My kids can't stay up that late, so unfortunately we (they) didn't see anything. 3. Pools and beach were perfect, and really, that's the most important part. Excellent for the kids. 4. Food was fine, nothing close to Secrets, where we stayed last time in Punta Cana. A la cartes were pretty good, buffet was fine. Coco's cafe was fantastic, with pastries and sandwiches, cappuccinos and lattes until late. I miss the cafe already. Beach restaurant was great. 5. Kids club was underwhelming for us, but luckily the kids were busy and entertained all day swimming anyway- we didn't need it. 6. The grounds were very well kept and clean. Staff were not overly friendly, but they also didn't hassle you, which was nice. There's always people tying to sell you stuff, but thats at every resort. I would go back to this resort, but I would inquire about a different room. We had a lovely vacation with a few minor issues, but overall, it was great.

Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf and Spa: Wonderful hotel!

It was a very pleasant experience. Overview the hotel is pretty nice. The room was comfy, food was delicious, we loved have a dinner in Mariz. The pools are amazing, we really enjoyed. If I come back again, will book the same hotel for sure!

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Dreams palm beach

Mediocre overall. 4 stars at most. Limited activities. One staff member was very pushy about upgrading our room to the prederred one. The resort is very small and the food selection and quality was very limited.

Fiesta Americana Riviera Nayarit: A Lovely Resort

This was a lovely hotel, the rooms were extra special and well maintained and always clean. Very pleased . The grounds were very well maintained as well.. The staff were always pleasant and willing to please the clients. The food service was great and provided food to please everyone’s palette.pasta could have had spices like oregano. The entertainment committee needs to look at doing their activities for the young group differently. The would put away the game tables which left no activities  [... read more]for the this age group after 5:00 p.m. plenty of activities during the day, beach voyellball , soccer and water sports, not enough beach boards, next time will take our own for grandchildren.

Dreams Huatulco: Dreams Huatulco: Beautiful Resort

The Dreams Huatulco resort was beautiful! Rooms, restaurants, public washrooms and grounds were extremely clean and well cared for. Restaurant and room cleaning staff were amazing, friendly, helpful and aways smiling. The food in both the buffets and al a cart restaurants was a little dissapointing, however typical for a Mexican all inclusive resort. The beach has a steep slope to and from the pools and is some what hard to climb, not great for anyone with mobility issues. The sand on the beach  [... read more]is also very course and not packed for easy walking (a function of nature not the resorts fault) and you can only walk about 1/2 mile until the beach ends, so not a resort for those who like long walks on the beach. We had an enjoyable and relaxing time at the resort, however would not rush back.

Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya: Absolutely an amazing resort

We loved the intimate size of the resort. We love to snorkel, great here. We love to play beach volleyball, excellent. The entertainment crew is incredible. We are already looking at returning to this resort.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Dreams Punta Cana

oh.we had an awesome time. rented a private cabana on beach for a day! fun.fun fun. would recommend Dreams to anyone. food at buffett was very good. the Wine Cellar was a great night. the entertainment team are execellente! and travel agency the best!

Dreams Sands Cancun Resort and Spa: Would highly recommend

Very enjoyable vacation. Clean rooms/hotel, friendly staff/most accommodating, great beach. Food was amazing as were there house wines. Will definitely be back. :) Gym was small, but had updated equipment.

Dreams Sands Cancun Resort and Spa: fabulous resort

my wife and i are active 60 year olds,we have travelled quite a bit, we have never enjoyed a resort as much as DREAM SANDS CANCUN, great staff ,everyone acknowledges you, most speak english and so much staff, food was terrific, comfortable beds, rooms extremely nice, cleaned daily, great ocean views,never had to wait once for dinners, good wines even the house wine was enjoyable, nice beach,in a bit of a bay, well protected from elements, will be returning with family for sure . The entertainmen [... read more]t at this resort was fabulous, best ever. The only negative for us was the extremely small gym. Thanks to the staff at Dreams, world class to us.

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Very nice resort

The resort is very clean. Lots of pretty garden space and very compact ( in a good way). Food is very good and the staff are very helpful and friendly. The beach is not the best, tide goes out a long way, it is clean though. My only problem was getting clean towels for our room, the housekeeping was a little haphazard, the guy at the desk was on it right away once I went there. We would go back and would recommend this resort

Dreams Huatulco: Beautiful Resort!

This resort has lovely, manicured grounds and constantly being groomed and cleaned. Our room was great and us being Preferred status allowed us to use lounge, well stocked with food and drinks. Resort staff were friendly and very accommodating and went over and above to get anything we wanted. Several pools and towels were available at any time. No wristbands used. Only complaint was with food as buffet pretty much same every day. Specialty restaurants were nice but not outstanding food - only  [... read more]ok.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: I dream of Dreams Punta Cana

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Dreams Punta Cana. The staff were very friendly or, in their own words, "Happy, happy". The food was well prepared, varied and tasty with a choice of restaurants that did not require reservations. The pool and most notably the beach were clean. One did not feel too harassed with vendors or tour offerings. In short, a very relaxing, pleasant week in the sun.

Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Great resort

A great resort in all areas! The food was great with lots of selection and lots of choices to eat. Very clean and well kept up resort. Rooms are spacious and maid service during the day and turn down service was impeccable. Lots of bars everywhere you walked with great selection of drinks. Bar tenders were great and most remembered what you drank and had it ready before you reached the bar. The only down side is the resort is trying to go smokeless and have limited areas to smoke but really only [... read more] enforced in lobby area. It was the talk of a lot of guest there and I do my research before I book a vacation and there was no mention of this including westjet vacations. If I’d known I would of booked another resort. Hallways are loud because of tile floors but this is common and if you are a light sleeper as i am bring ear plugs!!! Other then that a truly great resort. Will I return no but only because of there smoking policy

Dreams Huatulco: 5 Star resort all around. Amazing and beautiful place.

This is my second time to Dreams Resort, Huatulco and I wouldn't hesitate to return. This is a beautiful hotel, very clean and the service is great. I've been to all the al a carte restaurants and the food is awesome. I love the fact that you don't have to wear a wrist band all week and you don't need reservations for the al a carte restaurants. All the pools are kept very clean and we enjoyed the water aerobics. We also did a little bike tour and learned about the outlying hotels and t [... read more]heir history. We chartered a private boat (through Jesus on the beach) for the 7 bay tour. He was very respectful and a lot of fun. I highly recommend this resort.