JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Exceeded expecations!

The resort was beautiful with pristine grounds, spotless facilities, and very friendly staff (Tobias at the pool bar, Javier always getting me to dance, Ortiz at restaurant) . The food was always abundant with plenty of options to choose from, and there were more than enough chairs available by both the pool and the beach. The only downside was the Japanese restaurant, which, despite being the only one requiring reservations, felt rushed with minimal interaction from the chef. Otherwise, everyth [... read more]ing exceeded expectations for a wonderful stay!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Grounds and hotel were great but not the vendors on site

We were at the on site vendors and they over charged me for a wooden statue by $600.00 no prices on any of the items and the prices change on a minute by minute basis. Will not go back there again. Lost all respect for this resort by not ensuring there on site vendors are capable of running a business properly. Now I am trying to get back some of my money. This wooden statue is only valued at $70.00 U. S.

TRS Turquesa: Amazing trip once again

This was our 15th trip back to this resort, almost all of them booked with trip Central. Nicole Deforest makes sure everything is just right for us. The resort welcome desk with flawless check in as usual. We went right to our room and enjoyed exceptional service for the entire week the front desk, the butlers, the servers, the graders in the bar staff were excellent.

Dreams Cap Cana Resort and Spa: Toasted Together

The grounds ŵere nice the pools were very nice , one super large and the others were smaller. The restaurants were many but you never knew which ones were open and the buffet was only open for breakfast only so disappointing. The food menu’ s had very little to chose from . The rooms were very nice Would not go back for so many reasons . For a DREAMS RESORT it was so disappointing.

Ocean El Faro: Nice Resort But Need Improvements

We were at this resort a few years ago and thought it was fabulous hence we returned for a second stay. The buildings and rooms are very well maintained and in excellent condition. The entire resort is very clean! The staff everywhere were very helpful and friendly! Now for the negatives. The resort had a 32% occupancy so several things were downsized or closed. The Buffet Restaurant was closed every night for the entire week, so everyone had to eat at the A-La-Carte restaurants. This was a fia [... read more]sco with very long lineups with frustrations. Most guests were annoyed and somewhat rude to staff but it is upper management who should be held responsible. After the long lines to be seated, once you get in half of the tables were empty! Access was based on low level staffing. Better decisions and smarter choices should have been made regarding restaurant closures. There were also rotating closures of other restaurants! So choices were limited! The evening entertainment was limited and low quality. There was mostly the same Spanish music every night, no variety! The Piano Bar was closed for most of he week. The Pianist only plays 2 nights per week as compared to 6 nights in previous years. There were 3 guys "one night" who were Tenor singers and they were excellent, but this was unannounced and held in the Piano Bar with about 20 people present. This should have been in the main Plaza for everyone to enjoy!! The 70's 80's show was enjoyable. Need better entertainment with some English variety for guests! The beach was terrible and no one could swim all week with a permanent red flag. We have never seen so much Sargassum anywhere!! Yes they cleaned it but the next day it was the same. The sand was uneven with truck wheels imprint. They should level the sand daily so at least guests and children are able to walk on it.. Need better decisions by management regarding reductions of advertised features. I would never return to this resort although we like the Oceans Resorts. We wanted to leave after 3 days! Have been to several Oceans resorts in recent years! Please make better decisions to return this resort to the fabulous place that it was a few years ago. It has regressed!! Need better management!!!

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: Disappointed - Not a Five-Star Experience

I recently stayed at Nicoleadian Resort with my family, and I regret to say that the experience was incredibly disappointing. The food was poor and repetitive; it was the same thing day after day with no variation. My daughter ended up getting food poisoning, which was absolutely alarming and ruined our stay. When we checked in, the room was not clean. The floors were wet, and it was clear the room hadn’t been properly prepared for guests. We had to request a room change, which was a hassle a [... read more]nd added to the frustration. The overall service was lacking—staff were unresponsive, and we had to follow up multiple times for basic needs. To make matters worse, I have a video of a snake in the pool area, which is beyond concerning, especially at a so-called "luxury" resort.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Gorgeous, clean, friendly, fun and relaxing. My husband and I vacationed here for our 10th wedding anniversary, and it was even more beautiful in person that what the pictures showed online. We had an amazing experience, and would gladly stay there again.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Wow, What A Surprise...Everything Went Great...Love this Hotel...We Were At the Beach Villa...Close to The Truck, Food Area...So Many Lively Pools, 3 of Them...With Entertainment Galore too...Fantastic and Plentiful Food Options at The Lobby Buffet...It Was Such A Terrific Food Option...Took Many Pics of This Enonomous and Tasteful Buffet...Everyone was so Nice, Friendly and Attentive in The Dominican Republic...Unforgettable...And The All Day and All Night Amazing Entertainment with Nightly Dan [... read more]cing, Afterwards...Never Boring ... Also There is a Casino and a Dance Club nearby too...Lots of Shopping, Stores in the Village Nearby....Its A Great Vacation.

Riu Bambu: lots of issues

Although picturesque setting there were so many issues!! no working room phones in any of our rooms (there were 14 of us) so when things went wrong you had to walk to front desk from very far away fan not working tv always fuzzy and not working at least half the time safe not working - and it took the front desk 4 hours to address it - leaving us unable to attend a group dinner (as our stuff we needed was locked in the safe) toilet broke they did not stock our room and when we went to  [... read more]ask at the front desk they advised it was done every 2nd day and it was too late now (it was 3:00 pm) it was not restocked for 4 days the food was not what I expected/ poor variety and always COLD I have travelled extensively in DR and this was not at all my previous experience The beach was disgusting with an unpleasant odor - it was not cleaned during our whole week many / many feet of seaweed

Riu Bambu: needs some upgrades

Our family had 4 rooms, every one had various problems in rooms, no rooms had a working phone ,only answer was out of service, room overhead fans did not work or had to be repaired, in room fridges were not stocked daily had to get water at desk, our grandson had to get his room key replaced 4 times. Also he was sleeping and awoke to a large cockroach on his bed and saw another large one in hallway we have images to verify, and front desk did not address any of our concerns in a timely fashion.  [... read more]He almost missed dinner on our last night waiting for someone to open a locked safe it was only handled when our daughter made a noisy scene at the desk. The ocean beach was smelly and covered with washed up seaweed as we walked the beach other resorts had the seaweed removed. Bottom line is the the pool and grounds were well kept but rooms need a major update and we would never return to this one any time soon.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Memorable Place & People!

Preferred lounge - wandy Angel preferred pool Restaurant Darlyn Alfredo butler Starling Lisa in the preferred lounge A HUGE shout out to a few staff who specifically made our time at Dreams Onyx so special. Nelis, Sterling, Jensi and Ismael at the preferred pool. Keep on being your awesome selves! Host Brenda keep on smiling girl! Stefany and Meybis in the preferred restaurant, thank you for your excellent service! And, without a doubt, the very biggest thank you to our butler, Starl [... read more]ing (Sterling)!!! He made our trip the very best and more important is a very kind and genuinely caring person. He went above and beyond and you can tell he works very very hard and very much enjoys helping people. We will come back to this resort 100% to see these folks again! See you all soon ? We had a small issue with our private pool but it wasn't a big deal. The hotel was great about the issue they offered us to change to a new room that was the same. We had already unpacked so we just stayed in our room. We mentioned that we wanted to go bowling so instead they offered us a day pass at the arcade. We had lots of fun doing that! Rooms: We got a private pool preferred club room and we loved it. There is ample space to sit and do your makeup and hair. I wish sometimes they'd put a mirror there for women so they can see while sitting without standing at the sink, but I've never seen this in any hotel so I can't complain. They had a steamer and an iron, a great hair dryer! There were lots of shelves and some drawers for our clothes. The shower was awesome, great temperature and pressure with a rain head. There is a sofa and coffee table in the room which is great for room service and comfy. The preferred club staff will come around to your private pool and chat if you want and bring you drinks. They are super upbeat and friendly which just makes you feel very welcome and comfortable. They smile all day long! (Nelis, Ismael, Sterling & Jensi)! Angel, Juan and Mariano - preferred club concierge were super friendly too and always put out towels for us every morning. The bali bed for our room was lovely to lounge on and the preferred pool is huge and very unique! It's not just a cookie cutter square or round pool it is very dynamic and there was lots of chairs to lay. There is a little beach side restaurant nearby where you can get snacks to eat by the pool. It was actually really yummy, serving different things each day. One more shout out for... The preferred pool - Nelis and Ismael, Sterling and Jensi - "drinky time"! They are the very best we LOVED them, they took such good care of us. Alejandro at the bar was top notch with his drinks and very friendly. They were all in such high spirits and constantly smiling. Angel, Mariano, and Juan, (pool concierge) took very good care of us! The preferred restaurant was our favorite for breakfast and lunch. Meybis took good care of us. The service was impeccable! You get a plate of fresh fruit and some sweet pastries when you sit down and I really enjoyed their breakfast options. Of course they had the usual American breakfasts, waffles, pancakes, but they had healthier options like avocado toast, egg white omelettes, and green juices that were so fresh. Stefany and Meybis & Juan at the preferred restaurant for lunch took very great care of us. Brenda was the best hostess, always happy and smiling along with Jeallie. You girls are so fun and you make people happy. Every hostess should be smiling like you! The French restaurant was amazing. Beet and goat cheese salad, seafood crepes, lobster bisque was delish and on point! We had the duck and the salmon they were both so yummy, the sauces were 10/10! The service was excellent! The hibachi show was awesome, the food was what you'd expect at hibachi. As always they took good care for my food as I have allergies which I really appreciate. The Italian restaurant had a different vibe with service the night we went. It was not the friendliest of service. I am not sure if they were maybe trying to rush people to turn the tables or what but no one was really smiling or friendly. The food was great, they had very yummy bread to start and we had the lasagna and funghi risotto which were both really good. The tomato soup was also really great. The steakhouse was good, I had the chicken which was massive and really juicy. My partner had the new York steak which was good, but the one at lunch was more tender and juicy then in the evening. Overall it was good. The buffet really impressed us! There were endless options, everyday with new options and choices. There was always something different to try and it was pretty fresh and hot. It was one of the bigger buffets I have seen at a resort. Even at lunch there was meat being carved and many special stations where you could customize your food and have it cooked fresh. There was always lots of fruit and salad. Also, tons of different, AMAZING desserts! The night before we left to go home, the restaurants were all a 30-45 minute wait to eat so we just ate at the buffet, which was not bad at dinner time. I can see why people leave some negative reviews about the wait. If it's busy it might be difficult to eat at a restaurant every night unfortunately. It'd be smart for them to do reservations, they'd totally fix this issue quite easily. The other nights while the hotel wasn't as busy we're great, we never waited to eat. It was just the last night which was fine. The buffet for dinner was really good, also had great service! I love coffee so the cafe was one of my favorite places. All the staff there were happy and friendly. Valentina always made my coffee with a heart on top which was very cute. Their small sandwiches and desserts were yummy. Sundaez was so great and we loved that both the ice cream shop and the cafe were open until midnight. We went to the burger place and ordered a chicken burger and a regular burger and we only got the chicken burger one day. It wasn't a big deal and it was probably a language barrier thing. The staff at the ice cream and burger place were not the friendliest. If you like a more lively time you can wander over to Breathless. We went one day for their pool activities which was very fun. We also had dinner there one evening which was delicious (Silk City). It is very busy over there with lots of people watching opportunities. We wouldn't want to be staying there as it seems like a constant party but it was fun for some time and then returning to the more relaxing preferred pool. Many people said their restaurants were excellent. If you go to the preferred lounge usually you can catch a trolley over to Breathless but you can also walk it is not far. The entertainment was absolutely awesome. Our favorite was the Queen show, it was so impressive! The magic show was great and the fire show as well, you must see the fire show. The Dominican show was very cool to see the cultural side and the dancers were so talented. Every night they had dancing in the plaza which was very fun for both adults and kids. Entertainment ended at 11 which was absolutely perfect for us but if you are a night owl or a party person you can go over to the disco at Breathless. We went to the arcade which is new. The bowling was very cool we really enjoyed it. The other games were fun too, for a rainy day it is a great way to pass the time. There are bumper cars and a small mini putt, as well as some pretty cool VR games. Overall it was a cool addition to the hotel, especially for kids but adults can definitely still enjoy. There is a bar inside as well. We also spent some time playing pool by he theater and if you want AC there is pool in the sports bar too. Yoga on the beach was an awesome activity. It wasn't too challenging and also not too boring. It was on the beach and the sound of the waves was amazing. The instructor was great! Shout out to Leslie from Florida! ? namaste We went from Sept. 1-8, 2025. The beach was pretty unswimmable due to the sargassum the whole time which is sad but we expected this. The beach was very beautiful regardless. We tried many days to go swimming but there was just a lot of that sargassum in the water unfortunately. Luckily the preferred pool was awesome and we had our private swim out pool as well so it didn't impact us too much. The splash water park was very cool and fun. The lazy river was long and dynamic. The water slides were really fun too. If you go on the slides, wear a shirt and even shorts because it hurts a bit! The only downside was the lack of tubes. It wasn't even busy during our stay compared to normal and we couldn't get a tube sometimes. You could always bring your own floaties to the water park if you're worried! Also, bring your towel. We couldn't find towels there. One thing to improve: a couple of workers would ask us our room number and butlers name to make sure we were preferred. Sometimes it seemed they didn't believe us and I could see how some people might be a bit offended. After all, you pay to be preferred. They could easily fix this by giving some kind of a wrist band or something to preferred guests. That way they'd easily see who is preferred and they wouldn't have to question guests. Most of the staff seemed to genuinely enjoy working at this resort which is so important to us. They take care of their guests but it is important to guests that the staff are also taken care of, which it seems they are. Most staff are always smiling and very friendly, doing anything they can to make your vacation even better. Thank you Lisa in the preferred lounge for your care! Your customer service was excellent! There was one experience that was a bit scary. I had to go to the hospital in an ambulance as I was having a reaction from tooth pain that was pretty serious. The doctor at the resort took great care of me, though, and the ambulance was quick. The hospital was also very kind and helpful. It's scary to be in an emergency in another country but overall the people at the facilities made it less scary. But get ready for a hefty bill, hopefully you have good travel insurance. We got an Uber back to the hotel after I was treated and that was great. The hospital had a taxi driver on site who wanted to charge us $70 USD for the same ride that cost us $28 US in the UBER so it's pretty great that Uber is an option! The lady at the reception tried to make it seem like taking an Uber would be dangerous we thought to get us to use their driver, but I don't see how Uber there could be dangerous. Our experience was awesome. The day after the hospital I guess word got around to the staff that this had happened and they were beyond caring , checking in to make sure we were okay. The day after the hospital I had to have an emergency tooth extraction as well. We found a dentist 4 minutes walk from the hotel and my experience there was better than a dentist in Canada! Julia is an angel and really made that situation as enjoyable as possible. Affordable, quick, painless and the healing was amazing. There was a pharmacy there too so filling the prescription was easy. Thank you so much Ray and Julia!! Most of the staff seem very happy to be working in this industry which I think is great to see! We are definitely coming back to this hotel! Overall one of our best trips ever. Our favorite thing, the people! Then the pool then the food and entertainment! Thank you Dreams Onyx, see you soon!!

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Another good stay at a Dreams resort

My family and I just returned from our stay at Dreams Royal Beach punta Cana. I would definitely recommend this hotel, however I would insist on staying in the premier section of the resort. It is kept immaculately clean and the staff could not do enough to make you happy. Anything you ask for they accommodate and the concierge service makes every dream come true. The older part of the resort however is a bit run down. The pools are in need of renovating, example... Tiles missing and [... read more] chunks of coping broken off but all in all kept very usable. The food is not as good at Dreams Royal as it is at Dreams Flora. So if you are a foodie, you may want to look into Flora instead. Our concierge Michael, was absolutely amazing. He did everything he could to make your stay remarkable. I definitely recommend asking for his services when at this hotel.

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Another good stay at a Dreams resort

My family and I just returned from our stay at dreams Royal Beach punta Cana. I would definitely recommend this hotel, however I would insist on staying in the premier section of the resort. It is kept immaculately clean and the staff could not do enough to make you happy. Anything you ask for they accommodate and the concierge service makes every dream come true. The older part of the resort however is a bit run down. The pools are in need of renovating, example... Tiles missing and [... read more] chunks of coping broken off but all in all kept very usable. The food is not as good at Dreams Royal as it is at Dreams Flora. So if you are a foodie, you may want to look into Flora instead. Our concierge Michael, was absolutely amazing. He did everything he could to make your stay remarkable. I definitely recommend asking for his services when at this hotel.

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Great week!

The wait staff were very attentive. Grounds were maintained daily. The food was better than expected. The hotel in general,was very well organized with the events that they had.I can’t say anything bad about our stay.

Ocean El Faro: Disappointing experience

We traveled end of August 2025. Beach was unusable due to the immense amounts of seaweed. The food was good, and most people were nice, but it felt like we were getting pressured every time we left the room by people trying to get us to join "Privledge".

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Had great time!!!

Royalton Bavaro was amazing! ?✨ The staff were super friendly and made the whole trip feel special. The food and drinks were decent, but honestly, everything else totally made up for it! Pro tip: If you’re getting any extra services (like spa, excursions, etc.), either pay right on the spot ? or make sure they charge it to your room ? so you can settle it all at checkout. I learned the hard way and ended up paying for my spa twice ? (yes… I went twice because they had a 2-for-1 deal with my f [... read more]iancée, so of course I couldn’t say no ?). Overall—beautiful resort, great vibes, and totally worth it! Would go back in a heartbeat. ??

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Barcelo Bavaro Palace

Big hotel, good facilities including SPA. Food is ok, no complaints. Most of the à la carte restaurants are fine. The ocean in August was very warm, but it was also filled with smelly weeds everywhere. People worked every morning to clean it, and we mainly used pools. In my opinion, the staff are friendly, although for a better experience, it would be beneficial to speak Spanish. Overall, it is a positive experience, but the value is overpriced.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Should only be a one star resort

The first room we stayed in was run down. The bed had to be a least 20 years old and rock hard causing my entire body to hurt with only one sheet on it. The pillows had a weird smell and I had to hang on to the edge of the tub to get in and out of it because it was raised. The shower had no curtain to hold in the heat or water, just a pane of glass that went half way across the tub. There was still hair in the shower from the previous guest. The room was run down and dirty. Dust and mold on the  [... read more]walls. The air conditioning didn’t really work. Our second room was “renovated”. There were already buttons missing off the couch. We killed mosquitoes every single night in our new room. There was mold and dust around the air conditioning vent. The maid only cleaned the room once while we were there. There was a weird smell in this room that never went away. We were hounded multiple times a day every day to buy something, from spa to excursions to time shares. It was annoying and extremely unprofessional. Made the resort look even worse than it already was. The seaweed ruined going to the beach. You could see the repairs that were done around the resort were just quick fixes instead of proper repairs. The internet was constantly going on and off. The buffet was boring by day 3 and ceiling fans would’ve been nice instead sweating through every meal and swatting away mosquitoes. I would not recommend this resort. Way too expensive for what we had to go through. Not an enjoyable experience and would never recommend. We will never return.

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Amazing resort

Hotel was perfect, very clean and delicious foods with a lot of choice for anyone! Employees are polite and nice! Great view to ocean and very clean pool. There was amazing animation team with a lot of fun activities every day, specially for kids

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Good resort but needs improvement

Pros: - well maintained and clean - friendly and helpful staff - beautiful resort - easy access to beach and facilities - access to adults only resort as well - lots of areas to hang out - lots of restaurants and bars Cons: - food lacked flavour and definitely ruined some of the experience - more public areas could have better air conditioning - activities were lacking and many still required additional payment - much more pools and amenities available to preferred guest [... read more]s than regular guests - anything additional like basic snacks such as chips cost 4-5 times the price - no ability to buy any supplies because of the unreasonable costs