Bahia Principe Explore Legend: Beautiful resort with minor issues

The hotel was beautiful with brand new rooms, modern decor and beautiful pool. I truly enjoyed the beach (shared with Esmeralda) and the fact that there were always enough beach chairs available under umbrellas. The food was good in general, but there were some occasional issues with the service (drinks forgotten, orders mixed up, running out of champagne). Overall, the resort has a lot of potential if the service issues are resolved.

Punta Cana Princess: A Place to Relax

The staff is excellent:- accommodating, cheerful and prolific. Reception also well executed at the front desk, rum in room, complimentary slippers, robes (nobody wore them) and cigars. The rooms look modern, but could be dangerous for the elderly - a sunken living area with very little space between beds and steps. If one gets disoriented, especially at night, one can fall and get hurt. Our shower was able to squeeze only warm water; telephones (2) did not work; the shampoo and bath gel need [... read more]ed a Hercules to squeeze the contents. In some cases rain water entered rooms on main level. Food decoration was awesome, and there was plenty, although it could have profited by more herbs. The "Mare Nostrum" (mainly seafood) restaurant was adequate, the "Tex-Mex" (steak house) was less so, while the Italian place served mainly pasta and pizza. House wine was below average. Pool, beach and chairs were excellent. So-so in total...

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Disapointed

Booked prefered club, room was bad( very poor lighting and tropical view was the fence dividing the resort from next property), food at alacartes was bad( no flavor and poorly cooked), most drinks were bad(everything was too sweet or you had to ask for double alcohol to taste it), vacation club reps were a total pain in the rear( had to get nasty with them to get them to leave us alone). Buffet was good, beach was good , service was good. Resort is narrow and cramped with not much to see as far  [... read more]as the grounds are concerned.Vendors on the beach sat at the edge of the property like vulchers waiting for you to leave so they could pounce on you. Prefered club lounge is very small . No internet cafe or business center that I saw so make sure you bring your own laptop or tablet. Not enough here to make me want to go back or recommend it to anyone.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Decent resort

The resort was well taken care of. Rooms were OK. Food was delicious. Pools and beaches were amazing as well as bars/drinks. Hotel staff only speak French/Spanish, very minimal English so took a long time to resolve problems or issues. Resort is very large, trolley staff some were good, some not and refused to drive. Lots of options of activities. Recommend the catamaran and beach tour.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Don't waste your time and money here.

This resort was the biggest one that we have stayed at and the lack of good quality service shows in a resort this big. Rooms: The décor is a bit dated, but it was fairly clean. There were stains on our sheets when we arrived and the comforter was full or stains and really needed a good washing. We did not use the comforter during our stay and the sheets were stain free after we requested a change. Towels were replaced on a daily basis, however some days we had two towels and other da [... read more]ys four. The mini bar was free, but there was only pop, water and two beers. No snack food. *You have to pay $28USD for your room safe. Never encountered this at other resorts. Pool You are given two cards that you exchange at the pool for pool towels. However there were never any pool towels available. We were constantly told that it would be 30mins before there were more towels. When we went back 30mins later, still no towels. We found this rather irritating as a resort this larger should be able to accommodate all of their guests with pool towels. The water was always cloudy in the pool and the bottom is full of sand. Food/Restaurants The best restaurant by far was the Dominican restaurant. The service was the best and the food and portion size was by far the best on the resort. The buffet was meh, same bland food everyday. We found the portion sizes at the other restaurants to be very small and it was often hard to get the attention of a server for another drink or to ask a question. Overall we weren't too impressed. We were this for a wedding and this was not our choice. The bride and groom weren't too pleased either as they resort was trying to change them $600USD for their wedding packages that was included in their original package. Lots of confusion when dealing with staff. No one was going the extra mile to help you enjoy your stay.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Grand Baha Principe

Rooms were very nice. Mini fridges didn't keep things cold. Tried for 4 days to get our coffee maker replaced( didn't work) but no luck. Food was good at the buffet but the al a carte restaraunts were not enjoyable. Not very friendly staff and not enough staff spoke or understood English . Beautiful beaches.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Great resort

Was really impressed with food, buffet and steak house were great!! The host at the beach buffet - Marie - was wonderful always made me feel welcome. The grounds were well maintained, beach was nice and I found all staff friendly. The resort itself is older but the rooms are well maintained.

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Overall, our experience was good.

This was our first time to Dominican Republic. Overall the resort is nice. It is good for people who do not want to walk a lot to get from one place to another. All activities, shops, restaurants, casino, lobby and bar are off the main outside palazzi. This is a smaller resort. For the most part, the a la carte restaurants are good. You can sit back and relax and they don't rust you with the exception of the Bluewater Grill. It is loud, they seem very rushed, the waiters yell to one another  [... read more]in the restaurant over you, and they kind of throw your meals down in front of you. Certainly not a fine dining experience at all. The other restaurants are a bit more refined. The Barefoot Grill down at the beach, just couldn't keep up all week. Could never have all the hot items ready at the same time. Such a long process in the cooking. They need one person just making fries, and they need more than one fryer down there. Only one guy down there doing all the cooking. They need to find a way to be more efficient. The buffet, we only ate at breakfast and I have to say, the buffet is looking very tired. I don't think it has had a makeover since opening in 2007. The colour, décor, table and chairs need to be changed up. The rooms are spacious as well as the bathrooms. The beds are very comfortable. I think they have a pillow top on them. Our jet tub did not work, and the hotel information binder and door signs were missing from our room when we checked in. The rooms were very clean and the maid service was good. The evening entertainment was very enjoyable. Especially the Fire show on the beach, and the Circus Night. Don't miss these two shows if you go. Overall, our experience was good. A had higher expectations, but I will still rate it as good. Stayed November 2016, travelled with family

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: a huge resort

( ) Hi................... It wasn't my cup of tea............................................................. great beach though!!

Caribe Deluxe Princess: the resort was beautiful.

the resort in hold was beautiful the food was awesome the staff was great .the first 31/2 day was depressing because of the rain but after that it was great.I would go back to that resort again in a heart beat especially for the awesome food.that as to be one off the best resorts for food that I ever had.although I was limited as to what I could do due to surgery on my left knee in September and then exactly one month after knee surgery I broke my ankle on my right foot in 2 places so I was in a [... read more]n air cast. overall it was great although I feel I could use another vacation.

IFA Villas Bavaro Beach Resorts: Great resort! IFA BAVARO

The food was awesome.Lots of variety.Staff was excellent.Our room was great.Besides a little drip from the ceiling when it was raining it was great.The building we were in and I think 4 others are original from the 1990's.They have to be renovated like the windows etc.60% have been renovated.The shows at night were incredible.The stage was unbelievable.Lots of screens.I would go back in a heart beat.In our beach area there were lots of weeds.

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Disappointed 4th time repeat guest

This was my 4th time visit at the Grand Bahia Principe : 4 years ago in Bavaro, 3 years ago in La Romana, last year in Ambar. We decided this time to book Bavaro for a week on the 19th of November. It was also my boyfriend’s second time in this resort. My boyfriend and I flew with West Jet and our flight got delayed for 6 hours. We arrive at 9:30PM instead of 3:30PM. Although I was expecting a travel voucher, West Jet only gave us 15$ meal voucher per person... contrary to Air Canada who ha [... read more]d gaven us travel vouchers last year for the delay we had encountered. When we got to the reception, the employee who served us was unimpressed by the fact that it was my 4th time visit and my boyfriend's second time. They added that we would only be considered repeat guests if it were our tenth time visiting the hotel – which sounded doubtful since we met a couple visiting for the second time who were considered ‘’golden’’ members and got a room right in front of the beach. They told us to come back the next day to check for availabilities. When we returned, they told us again to come back the next day to check for availabilities. We then figured they were unable or unwilling to help us. The food at the buffet had very little variety. If I recall correctly, this wasn’t the case at the Ambar nor Esmeralda side. At ‘’rush’’ hours, we had to wait in line for breakfast, for dinner and for supper. When it was pouring rain, it smelled like mold at the entrance. Sometimes we were seated on tables near buckets that were placed on the floor for water dripping from the ceiling. At times the ceiling water dripped on our table and food. Concerning the service, more than often we had to ask for coffee, for water or for wine – rarely did they offer drinks which seemed awfully surprising to me who used to find the service impeccable at both anterior visits. At the pool buffet, I once asked if there was a table available for two and I got the answer : ‘’you have to go look for yourself’’ from the employee in charge greeting the guests. The À La Carte restaurants were okay. My boyfriend asked for a second plate at the Garden Grill because he was still hungry and they refused claiming only one meal per person – this wasn’t the case at the Pescador where we were very satisfied with the service. The pool bar was a lot of fun. Jose and Kelvin were very entertaining. The beach was lacking its beauty mostly because it poured rain for 3 consecutive days. When it was finally sunny, there were no available beach chairs. People were laying extremely close to each other and there was very little space to find. We had to ourselves drag two beach chairs from close to the pool area down to the sandy beach. Also, the hotel lacked clean beach towels so we had no beach towels for 1 ½ day. There were extremely long line ups every time they brought clean beach towels and eventually there were none left for certain people. We ended up asking for used beach towels. It was ridiculous. Overall, I felt like I was ‘’just another client’’ in a hotel who can now hold a maximum capacity of 14,000 guests and who seems to lack the resources for doing so. The hotel is very big and the trolley car in the resort was often full. It was hard to build a bond with the employees who seemed very busy trying to minimally satisfy everyone’s needs. They did not even bother asking us if we were satisfied of our visit when we checked out at the front desk. I am extremely reticent in returning to Bahia even if I used to recommend this hotel to many of my colleagues, friends and cousins. If I ever should visit again, it would definitely not be at the Bavaro side.

Blau Natura Park Resort: Great budget resort

We had a great stay Nov. 2016. Our room was great. Had everything we needed. lots of renos going on but we did not hear any noise. The beach was fantastic. The pool was small but fine. All the staff were great. Helpful in all regards. I do believe if the resort was full is would be quite crowed. Food was good. and the buffet staff fantastic. Keeping the wine glass full! We enjoyed the wine they served. Tons of fresh fruit and great desserts. we went to the 3 speciality resturants.  [... read more] The Steak one was so nice and great atmosphere. Steak was perfect. staff so attentive top notch. Italian rest. also good but seafood awful really do not expect much. The resort grounds were awesome. Loved the birds. I would recommend this resort to anyone on a budjet. One thing I did not like was the Russian guests. They are loud and rude. I think my husband and I were the only English speaking guests. The only problem we had was trying to figure out the light switches very funny really. The aircon worked great. loved the nice big balcony. also funny a brand new coffee maker but no place to plug it in..LOL

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Exceptional resort

Enjoyed a lovely week, inspite of some unseasonal rainy weather. The resort is large and spread out so you are never crowded or experience long lines. The food is delicious with so many choices it makes it hard to make a decision.. There are so many a la carte choices that it can keep you busy every evening. The hard working staff are very, very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and efficient. I can't think of anything to complain about.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: You Get What You Pay For!

You truly do get what you pay for. Five of us went from October 3 to 10, 2016 and we each paid just over $1,000 for the week. I typically don’t listen to reviews and like to form my own opinion but in this instance all of the negative reviews are spot on. I will breakdown by section below what we thought of our stay. Public Areas: First off, the grounds were very well maintained. This was one of the only things that made the vacation bearable. However, there was constant harassment of peopl [... read more]e trying to sell you excursions, trips, etc. everywhere you walked. Even if you were just sitting by the pool attempting to relax, they would interrupt whatever you were doing (having a conversation, reading a book, or even laying down) to try and sell you something. This was particularly annoying since the main purpose of a vacation is to relax! Rooms: My girlfriend and I stayed in the standard room and were quite disappointed in how run down the room was. We stayed in block 5 and had a room with 2 double (or queen, I can’t remember) beds. If you’re booking with a significant other and would like a King bed, you must upgrade to receive this. The room didn’t have much to it - however a plus was that the shower was always hot and the air conditioning worked pretty well. However… the night before we left, I rinsed my Bubba cup (that I had left on the counter near the washroom), as I took off the lid, this huge beetle looking bug came crawling out of it. This was absolutely disgusting and I have no idea where this bug came from. I wish I had taken a picture so that I could have uploaded for everyone to see. Dining: Warning: do not get the burgers from the Burger place near the main pool. They are NOT cooked (unless you like your beef VERY pink throughout the whole burger) and as a result I was sick for a couple of days after consuming the burger. However, their pizza and mozzarella sticks are quite tasty. The alls-carts were okay - nothing too special. It was very frustrating that some of the staff did not speak English well enough to understand what you wanted to order. I don’t think they should be a waiter/waitress if they can’t understand what you’re ordering. My whole family had issues with this. The buffets were relatively good - I particularly enjoyed the fresh bread that was available for each meal! The fruit was very good as well. They had a number of different choices available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I never got bored to the selection available. Beach: The beach was pretty nice - I didn’t like that they had it sectioned off with rope - it didn’t look very nice to the eye compared to other resorts I’ve been too. There was not much seaweed, which was a plus. There were always men walking up and down the beach once again trying to sell you excursions, fake watches, etc. I felt like I was being rude because I kept saying no thank you over and over. I understand it’s their job to sell but this was a little much. I’ve never been to a resort before where the staff were constantly harassing you to buy. Pools: First off, I want to confirm what all the other negative pool reviews are saying…. the main pool is absolutely gross. By no means am I picky but it was disguising. The sides of the pool had clear and visible moss/algae. It was a shame that you couldn’t even lean up against the side of the pool with a drink in hand without having this slimy substance all over you. The bottom of the main pool was very rough - it needs to be fixed as it is clearly dated and falling apart. At one point, there was a white film covering half of the pool (the side near the volleyball net) and there was NO ONE in the pool because of this. Either the filter wasn’t working or the staff didn’t clean the pool. Nonetheless, this is unacceptable at a resort. It sucked because it was a very nice day out and no one could go into the pool because of this. OVERALL, I guess you get what you pay for. For $1,000 it wasn’t the worst but it sure wasn’t the best. Would I ever go back here? Absolutely not. To top things off, we received free-wifi since we were SunWing customers. However, one male staff member would not give me the wifi password unless I tipped him. This is unacceptable and I would not recommend this resort to anyone. If you have any questions about this resort at all, please feel free to send me a message with your concerns/questions and I will be truthful with you!

Royalton Punta Cana Resort: 4 star not 4+

We just returned from the Royalton Punta Cana and had a reasonable stay. Unfortunately, we were caught up in a tropical storm and got 5 days of rain. We had previously stayed at the Majestic Elegance and found it to be far superior to the Royalton. While things were for the most part adequate, we found both the food and the service was just ok. The beach front is very small and crowded as it services both the Royalton and its sister property Memories which is situated behind it. While the r [... read more]esort boasts 10/11 restaurants (6 of which are at the Memories property) we heard the food was terrible at the sister location, so we stayed away. The sister property looks run down and we heard a lot of people complaining about it. The steak house at the Royalton was supposed to be the best, but it didn't take reservations which made it impossible to get into. Apparently, you need to line up at 6 pm and plead to get in. It seems that it takes guests from its higher end diamond club members, and the rest of the resort is left to vie for the few tables that are left. After numerous requests and lining up at 5:30, we finally made it in...but the meal was not worth all of our effort. The entertainment that is brought in from outside the resort was very good. Daytime activities are spread between both properties and we never really knew what was happening where. Considering that it rained all week, there was no real effort at activities to keep kids ( or even adults) busy. We never got to use the kids or the teens club as they were flooded due to the storm. Effort to entertain the guests during the storm would have been nice, instead we wandered the lobby and retail area. Finally, we found the push from the "vacation package" salespersons very annoying...it's not quite time share but a new concept of buying vacation packages for the next 15 years. They seemed to be around at every turn. I found the common areas of the resort to be very poorly lit...everything from the dining rooms, hallways and especially the lobby were all very dark. The grounds are nice and rooms are small but clean and tastefully decorated. I would rate this a 4 rather than a 4 plus...for future stays I'd rather return to the Majestic Elegance. Service from Trip Central was great as always. Special thanks to Susan :)

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Uncaring Staff

The resort is large and very well kept, there is transportation around the resort which is great. The beach is beautiful as well as the weather. This is our fourth year to this resort and they have a reception for returning guests as well as a gift. We have never received a gift or been invited to the reception without asking (several times). This year after my husband mentioned daily to the lobby staff that we should be receiving a gift, after the fourth day we finally received it and we ne [... read more]ver got an invitation to the reception. There was an issue with our room and we were told to wait and not touch anything in the room and a bellboy was coming to move us, after 45 minutes of waiting we called back and they were just going to send the bellboy now. I think the resort has gotten too big now and the customer service has suffered as a result. I think we will stick will smaller resorts in the future, it is not that we want exceptional treatment, just what your supposed to get and not have to ask for it.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Amazing resort

Recently it was our 4th time in Caribe club Princess and we were pleased to enjoy this charming Resort once again for our vacation. When we arrived on the service counter we were pleasantly welcomed by Judith ,who arranged everything for us. A wonderful surprise were the armbands she put on us, the color orange , which means VIP. At lunch we went to the buffet and most of the waiters and waitresses came and greeted us with hugs and handshakes. We had a wonderful time and would suggest this Re [... read more]sort to anybody who wants to relax and have a good time. We booked with Kim Hartlen at tripcentral in Bedford and she worked everything out to our satisfaction

Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa: 3 star for a ridiculous price - disppointing

clean hotel... people were friendly but don't speak any or understand minimum English. wouldn't go back no way a 4 1/2 resort more like a 3 maybe. Food was mediocre not what I expected from a so call 4 1/2 start disappointed recommendation by the agent.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Loved the resort, food great.

The worst check-in I ever experienced. All my sisters got a room with a super long wait. In the end they were overbooked and had no room for me. My choice was to go to the opposite end of the resort (the green section) and we all booked for blue or take a room in blue with no phone. I took this room, it had 2 small beds and toilet did not flush properly as well. I was told to go to the blue lobby for my room at 9am the next day. I was sent back and forth to blue then green lobby!! It was ridicul [... read more]ous, luckily we used the shuttle. I got a room about 5:30 pm and felt I had 2 days wasted.