Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great spot for a rest

This resort has a lot going for it with only a few negatives: Plus Side- Food is excellent, staff are wonderful and beach is beautiful. Negative Side-Rooms are a bit past their "best before date" but clean & tidy. -Only accessible pool for disabilities (steps in) is the spa pool as " Bar Pool" is only 3 ft deep and other one has ladders only. -The common thread in D.R. is NO real handicap washrooms, (with bars and high toilets) is also true here [... read more].

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: beautifuly large resort

This is a beautiful resort with lots to do. Here are my personal comments without the fluff. The resort is 1 hr 45 minute away from the Samama Airport not 70 minutes. We were checked in and handed our keys at the airport. (our rooms were not quite as requested). We arrived in the dark at 11 p.m., with zero welcome at the lobby. Rooms with 2 double beds are ground floor only, Kings are 2nd, and 3rd floor. Room change requests were refused that night. Had to return to the desk twice the next d [... read more]ay to be taken seriously. Late checkout may be available for 35$. Ask the desk. WiFi only works in the lobby, but is not very strong at all. (unless you pay) Pools and beach are well maintained. lots of chairs provided you get down there in the am. Buffet food is good, but empties quickly, and not filled as quickly. ( and lots of food is the same ever day) Book your a-la-carte restaurants the day you arrive. Mediterranean was delicious! Take your Bubba, a facecloth, and clips to hold your towel to your chair. Ride the banana boat! (10$ per person) Free paddle boards, kayaks and catamarans. Relax and enjoy!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great Holiday resport

We had great experience at the Ambar with beautiful ground and a clean and orderly beach. The swim up bar is in the sun most of the day and the food and libations were excellent. The staff are helpful and very pleasant. We will definitely return.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Luxurious resort

Now Onyx This is an absolutely beautiful resort. Upon arrival you are handed a cold cloth to refresh your face. The check in process went flawlessly. The personnel is always upbeat and friendly. The rooms and grounds are upkept meticulously. The food is 5 star. I would recommend this resort for both family and couples.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Very nice resort with excellent customer service

We enjoyed our stay in Majestic Colonial Punta Cana. We found the food to be excellent and generally all the activities. There was only one thing that I would say was not the best and that is the beach party with small kids. they seem to have these once or twice a week and when they do it, they close the main buffet, and force everyone to eat at the beach, while this is nice for almost everone, if you have small kids it is really a nounce. You will a small table, unreliable plates, and cutlary [... read more]. Very loud music and most important huge lines since they close the buffets for all the 3 Majestic resorts. Hint, if you have small children, book for that night one of the restaurtants.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Great resort, definitely recommended.

Very nice resort, with beautiful grounds and well kept. Great pools and beach areas, friendly staff and our butler was awesome. Nice room, good food at the buffet and the a la cartes. Stayed for 10 days and would definitely go back and recommend it to others. The Bouganville side is adults only and great for couples but you can access everything on the Romana (family) side also.

Playabachata Hotel: decent value

Nothing fancy but good value for a basic all inclusive. The rooms are dated but clean and maintained well- any concerns we had were taken care of quickly. Our air conditioner was dripping water and someone came and fixed it, when I asked for a face towel I received one right away. No locks for the safe was unfortunate- I guess the resort doesn't have enough lock and keys for all of the safes. The staff spent tons of time cleaning the washrooms, public areas, grounds and pool. food was good. Re [... read more]petitive things available each day but food was consistent and tasted "normal." Good selection of spices and some hot sauce available as well. Food at the a la carte steakhouse was disappointing. The apps were good but the main course was lacking. The buffet was better! Wavy water and windy as beach is on the north shore. Plenty of loungers available at the pool and beach. The staff were friendly. Overall a great week and we lucked out with wonderful weather

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Terrible!!!

1) dated. Phone issues, very noisy, called in for more towels, toilet paper, blanket, never came, never responded. 2) they didnt know I spoke Spanish, staff talked really bad about everyone, racist remarks, peoples' weight, sexual remarks to very young girls, I understood everything, and not happy with their disgusting remarks about their bodies and what they would do to them!. 3)not sanitary, very dirty. They have this system where the lights turn off in the washroom so annoying.. We got sick [... read more] (colds) never have before.. they need to lysol everything as I found many kids, staff and adults all coughing everywhere they did nothing to keep door handles, chairs clean...found many plates and cups dirty, pay attention dont let them serve u in their cups before checking. Found lipstick on more than 1 cup in the morning... They swepped while we ate DISGUSTING! We asked them to stop but didnt listen 4)constant harrassment om the beach to do excurtions NON-STOP. 5)entertainment, non of them sing.. only good thing is the dancers, they prepared. 6) no bottle water to take with u, served on cups only. 7)no towels by 1pm so get your towels early! 8)they voiced how dissatisfied they were for not getting more than a dollar tip! I saw them make customer uncofortable because they didnt like their tip amount! That is a horrible way to behave considering the fact that we spend thousands of dollars to come and stay at the resort. 9)Front desk training is TERRIBLE, they moved us closer to our friends room, made us check out and kept us without a room for a day. Ruined our day because they kept telling us to come back. Just horrible!! I dont recommend this place. BAHIA PRINCIPE PUNTA CANA! My business is sales and customer service and the owners of this resort need to train their staff better We have gone 6 times to DR but never had this type of treatment. I dont advise you to go here. They don't even deserve 1 STAR!

Excellence Punta Cana: Awesome resort and people

The #1 resort that we have been to for quisine and service. The most remarkable food. Jensen, our server in Chez Isabelle restaurant was the best server ever. So funny and so efficient. Anna who serves during the entertainment, very attentive. Really nice. Very clean and well maintained resort. They pay attention to everyone. Room service, walking the resort, to dining they make you feel so comfortable. Great people, awesome holiday. My wife and I went to the spa twice, unbelievable. W [... read more]e never had deep tissue massages like that before. Even in Canada. The beach is so wonderful, close to the pool, never had to worry about saving loungers. Primium liquor, Excellence Punta Cana is top notch for sure. The entertainment is very good. We will be back

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great Beach

Resort was clean and well kept, but in need of some touch ups. Nice that they had a quiet pool for people like us that don’t like the loud area. If your going thinking you will have great food, you won’t. It was just ok and had no flavour. If you like pizza and French fries you won’t starve. They have the typical omtlettes and pasta made to your liking so that was good. Over all I’d say it was a 3 star hotel not a 4.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: So beautiful!

Hotel was extremely clean. Nice sized rooms. Walk in shower, jacuzzi on every balcony. Light up mirrors. Pools just outside your sliding door. Hotel staff were excellent. Food and brinks were amazing. Lots of umbrellas on the beach. Sand was soft. Love having the freedom of going to the breathless and dreams resorts. No wristbands required. Just a really beautiful place!

Riu Republica: Mixed Feelings

The good: the place was relatively new, well maintained and clean. The rooms are good sized with a nice walk-in shower. Our bed was a king and comfortable. Room service was good. It helps to leave a daily tip. The food at the buffet was varied, lots to choose from, well prepared and tasty. There were several cooking stations -pasta meat fish etc. We enjoyed the buffets. The beach is one of the best at Punta Cana. Many others have eroded beach fronts that have narrowed due to storms. On  [... read more]the whole the staff were excellent. Many of the resorts have staff who have little or no command of the English language. Although there was a bit of hand waving and gesturing on our part we never ran into a complete barrier. Knowing a few words in Spanish always helps. There was no sewage smell like some resorts dependent on wind direction. The evening entertainment varied. Some good - some very amateurish. The mini cirque de soleil was enjoyable. They had a talented band as well The hucksters did not make a pest of themselves like some resorts. There was no night set aside where the sellers set up stalls and stop the passerby trying to sell you some baubles. Once you get your bearings you can easily find your way around . see below re size. The pools were plentiful, clean and large and not busy. However, the pools attached to the swim-up bars were jammed with partying and drinking folks all day long. Not everyone bothered with the bathroom. you get the idea At the same time there is no difficulty getting a drink. The bars are well staffed with good service in spite of the crowds. The bad: The place is huge. You have to find your own way to your room and at night that can be tricky. The attached picture does not do the place justice as to its actual size. Somebody said there were 1375 rooms. It is really noisy with only the beach area free from the PA system playing loud music, the entertainment staff shouting all day long and the party goers trying to yell above the din. Impossible to find a quiet spot to sit and talk save for one evenings only bar that was reasonably quiet. Keep in mind this is an adults-only resort. The specialty restaurants were a disaster. Here's what we experienced at several of them. The appetizers arrived after the entre and only because we asked. The bread never arrived. The pasta was raw. We had to ask for water at one place. At another we asked twice for wine. You couldn't hear yourself think due to the noise and acoustics. Only the sushi was edible at the Asian restaurant. The pasta at the Italian was simply wasn't. The place caters to the twenties age group who tend to get loaded every day. If that is your idea of a good time, you'll make lot's of friends. The liquor and wine were big disappointments. Tried the white and red wines. They were simply bad. We finally found the rose passable. the liquor gave me heartburn. Premium liquors are not available even at a cost. If you are looking at a price point, there are the above mentioned trade offs. If some of the listed negatives don't bother you, then by all means go. Although there were some major disappointments,we're not a bunch of fusspots and made the best of it. Being in the sun and surf with a bit of laissez faire made it all worthwhile. On the other hand if some of the negatives really concern you, then look elsewhere. Please don't base your decision to go on the star ratings below due to the many pluses and negatives.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Fabulous Resort

The hotel property was huge, colourful and cozy; it was overall a great property I enjoy the wonderful landscape and the unique building layout very nice grounds. The food was always fresh, tasty and plenty. Nightly entertainment was amazing.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Our 2nd time at this resort

The grounds are lovely and well maintained. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and pretty much every night. There was always a huge selection and the food was awesome. We had lunch at the Thelasson restaurant a couple of times, great food no complaints here about the food. Pool areas are very nice. The beach is small but you can use the beach at the sister resort next door. Plenty of lounge chairs and areas with shade. The maids that cleaned our room were awesome, lots of fresh towels an [... read more]d drinking water. Unfortunately on 2 occasions towards the end of our trip there were cockroaches in the bathroom. HUGE turn off! If this had happened at the beginning of our vacation I would have either asked to be moved or left the resort. Staff overall friendly and helpful. We played golf at the 18 hole course which could have been in better shape for the money you pay. We played the 9 hole course on site which was in rough shape and would not recommend it. .

Riu Republica: Not a good experiencr - will NEVER return

Good: The beach is fabulous, the sand so fine it is like icing sugar, no seaweed, waves, and did I say the beach is gorgeous! For good food stay in the buffet, the large buffet serves fabulous food. The food variety is very good and tasty. Coffee was great. Buffet staff were very accommodating, pleasant, remembered their diners and their drink preferences. Kudos to them. Especially enjoyed Angel and Valentine in the large buffet. The bad: Staff need to be trained in the special [... read more]ty restaurants, not only do they not understand the language of their tourists, but many do not understand the dining process. Horsd’oevres, before appetizer, then main course and then dessert, do not forget that order or worse yet, to bring one of the servings. The French restaurant staff did not understand the difference between setting a table, serving the clients or clearing a table. The process was very hap hazard and frustrating. The Italian restaurant was gross. The spinach and cheese lasagna was not cooked, pasta still raw. The rest of the so called Italian specialty dishes were empty, with no refill in sight. Staff were clearing the dirty dishes right next to a dining table,... Move that, it should not be next to a table. The Asian, only good thing to say was the Sushi was good, forget the rest. Rooms, Cleaning staff wiped out the dirt glasses and put them back on the vanity. Wasn’t sure the first time so I “x” the bottom of the mugs and glasses. Yup, the markings were still there. They even put a wet and dirty tub mat back, neatly folded of course. Ugly: Noise, everything needs to be super loud, the pools, the entertainment and there is NO capability to absorb the noise,... concrete walls don’t do that. There was no place to escape the incessant noise, no quiet corner to play cards in the evening. NO Place except your room. The drinks. Red wine was undrinkable, the Rose was tolerable. Any liquor was very low end. We could not buy a preMium liquor anywhere.

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Disappointed

On four occasions we advised four different individuals that are jacuzzi did not work. At no time did anyone contact us to have this fixed. It was broken when we left. Our television did not work properly; for some reason it kept coming on at night. This was eventually fixed, but did disrupt our stay the first couple of nights. You advertise that we have a bar in our room that is checked and restocked each day. Our bar was not restocked the entire week. We were asked to go to a meeting not [... read more] realizing it was a high-sell time share 90 minute meeting. We thought we were attending a meeting to find out about our return information. We really felt intimidated. Our flight was delayed due to technical problems with the plane which was not the resorts fault, however, I waited 90 minutes while the transat representative was on lunch only to hear, nothing they could do about helping us book a room in Halifax for that night to check with the hotel representative. The representatives from the Now Laminar looked and me and advised not their problem and nothing they could do and went to the next person about their concerns. We found it difficult to get a seat at the pool, as most were reserved by placing towels on the chairs and empty most of the day. We also asked about an upgrade upon our arrival on Tuesday and were advised, maybe Sunday night, the price will be $40 or $80 depending on where were placed which we were willing to pay, But, this would really only have been for one day, Monday. I understand the resort was full, but there did not seem to be a problem of getting upgraded if we bought your unlimited time share for $27,000. This experience was good on many other fronts.

Playabachata Hotel: Short and sweet

Food was great. Beach was nice. Very clean resort and rooms. No ventilation in hotel room bathroom. Safe in room was outdated and hard to use. Staff was helpful and very friendly. My travel partner and I felt safe at all times. Thanks so much for the hospitality!-

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Mostly good, some bad!

I’ll start with the good, this resort is HUGE, so you can always find a restaurant and pool that aren’t too busy. The food was excellent except for the breakfast. The staff are friendly and not pushy when it comes to selling you time shares or spa deals. There’s lots of cats and puppies, which is a bonus in my books lol, the pools were a good temperature, the rooms were very clean, as was the rest of the resort. The bad was that because of the resorts size, there’s a lot of walking, whi [... read more]ch really isn’t that bad unless you have mobility issues, and there are shuttles available as well for most areas. But there was a lot of stairs, if you chose not to use the shuttles, it’s 10+ sets of stairs just to get from the beach to the main restaurant. The breakfast wasn’t great, there’s no bacon, or any kind of breakfast meat that looked edible, there were omelettes and stuff but I don’t eat eggs so I stuck with pancakes and fruit for the most part, some times there was syrup sometimes there wasn’t. Our room was right on the corner of the busiest road on the resort, starting at 5am the workers were zipping around on their scooters and golf carts to start their shifts and the noise didn’t stop until midnight, I would have been awake for a week straight if it weren’t for my ear plugs, so either ask for a quiet room or pack ear plugs (or both because there were lots of partiers too) because it’s ridiculously loud. Our shower was only hot at weird times of the day, definitely not in the morning or in the evening, I had to take cold showers multiple times until i figured out i had to shower in the day, when i should have been relaxing in the sun. We also found some things hard to find, like a small snack canteen with burgers and fries that runs from 12-5 everyday, inside of another restaurant (right by the beach pool) but the restaurant still looks closed when the canteen is open so it took us a few days to find it, and it was never busy so i’m assuming a lot of people didn’t know it was there. The whole resort is so big it takes a few days to figure out where everything is, but all in all it’s very nice, and once we figured out the quarks we were happy with our stay. (other than our room location, and cold showers)

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Amazing resort

Hotel was good, but the room we had was far from every thing, we had a lot of walking to do. The beach is far from our resort. Entertainment was great. The food was excellent and the pool was great. Some of the staff were great and friendly.

Riu Bambu: ok resort

The rooms were fine as I upgraded to deluxe. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. only difference is that the sewers make some areas smell awful. the house keepers were very noisy. the food was horrible at times. the sports bar was a joke. No food is available after 10pm. The disco you have to pay for drinks and food,which is ridiculous. The employees needs to learn English.