Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Great resort

Our family has been several times to this resort. The grounds are very well maintained. The nightly entertainment most will find as a delight. The food was tasty 3/5 rating (I can be a picky eater at times to be fair). The rooms are well kept and housekeeping is always available for what you may need. The food at the a la cart restaurant is great. Fantastic service. The buffet had an small issue with keeping up with service sometimes, but they were friendly. I would recommend that the fr [... read more]ont check in services area become a little more friendly and customer service focused.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: resort was ok

The resort itself was good, the bed were comfortable, but the food selection could use a bit of variety. It was a bit bland the fruit selection was poor, and the juices were watered down and really sugary. I would still recomend it but not as highly as I did the last time I was there. I think they have new management there and they were trying to increase cost savings. You couldn't use your own internet inside of the buildings.Overall it was still a good location for the cost I currently paid, b [... read more]ut I wouldn't pay more for it in the future.

Paradise Playa Dorada: Very Good Value at Grand Paradise Playa Dorada DR

My wife Vicki and I stayed at the Grand Paradise DR from January 14, 2018 thru January 25th, 2019. I always read and utilize the Trip Advisor reviews and had a couple of minor concerns but I wanted to return to DR North Shore/ Puerto Plata with my wife to celebrate our first visit there 31 years previous. Our first trip together. We upgraded to an Ocean Front Suite which was quite nice. We are frequent travellers with a diverse experience base so I am providing a fair objective review. I t [... read more]hink this resort is a 4 star. Please feeI free to contact me if you have any questions. 1) Food and bars are quite good. Only two a la carte, one snack bar and one primary buffet but the food was very good and way above my expectations. I was particularly pleased with the service we received at all the dining facilities and bars. We dined at the a la cartes for dinner 7 of 11 nights and really enjoyed the food and excellent service we received. Top Notch. The buffet served an extensive offering at lunch and dinner. Always offered some chicken/ beef/ pork/ fish that was amazing, flavourable, suited our taste. Obviously, some dishes we did not enjoy as much but got to try a variety of food we might not otherwise get to sample. Keep in mind different clientelle from around the world have different pallets so they are not only serving food to cater to North American pallets. We had very good service in all of the restaurants. We received excellent service and drinks at all the bars. We visited every bar and restaurant at the resort and we have no complaints. Good service, alcohol, variety of specialty drinks etc... We got to know some of the bar tenders all toooo well but made some friends and shared some laughs. Should add another a la carte or two. A beach BBQ one night a week would be a cool addition. 2) Rooms are nice and grounds are clean, well maintained and beautiful. The beds in our room were excellent, The air conditioner worked very well and quiet. The cleaning service was consistent and very good. 3) All buildings were in good condition and clean. Always staff around cleaning and picking up after the clientele. Front desk staff always helpful super quick and easy check in and check out. Hassle free. The main pool was always tooooo cool. Very few people were using the main pool. Disappointing! 4) Entertainment could use considerable work. The entertainment at the disco and bars was minimal and very low budget and lacking in imagination. They should imitate what many resorts do and present some variety with musical imitators, dance extravaganzas etc.. This could and should be easily fixed. 6) a)Golf course is a great value. Tough enough course and was in very good condition when I played a round. Mostly forgiving and can be played to over 7,000 yds. if you want. Greens were quite good. Rental equipment was moderate but only $20. b) Disco was weak. c) Unfortunately, Casino is closed but we knew that at booking so can not whine. d) Location was good you could quite easily walk in to Puerto Plata or take a 25 pesos "gwaugway", bus or taxi. 7) The people of the Dominican Republic are (bonita) beautiful. Quite friendly and good service.....but please remember you are in their country you have to make an effort as well. We try to speak Spanish as much as we can and the effort is always appreciated. We are not very good at espanol .... but we try.....LOL We went off resort and visited Centro Puerto Plata, local shopping, local market and the forteze San Felipe de Puerto Plata 1577. Unfortunately, everywhere we went the local people were in full press hustle mode. This was quite disappointing and too overly aggresive. Even when you were polite and indicated "NO GRACIOUS" vendors/ hustlers would not relent. 8) The stretch of beach at the Grand Paradise is spectacular. You can snorkel right off the beach in front of the resort. You can view the reef and fish in the ocean and not even over your head. In summary, I think this is a reasonable 4 star resort due to the high quality of the dining/ food and service. I will provide a slightly more detailed review on Trip Advisor. I prefer the south shore of the DR. A mi nuevo Republica Dominicana amigos and amigas..........mucho gracious.......Roberto

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Can’t wait to go back

This was our first time at this resort and we couldn’t have been happier. We had a swim up room which we loved. The food the staff every part of the experience was 5star plus!!! No matter if you are a beach person or like to be beside the pool this resort is a great option

Grand Palladium Palace: Gorgeous surroundings!

We really enjoyed Punta Cana. The beach was spectacular! You could take long walks and swim in clear water, free of rocks. The pool was refreshing and shady spots to sit and relax were plentiful. Massages at the spa were great! We would go back!

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Decent for the price

The grounds are great. The beach is also awesome. The food is really not that great but that’s a common issue across the island resorts. The entertainment is also so so but that’s ok. The rooms are outdated but that was also fine with me since I go to see the beach and not stay in my room. I would go back if the price was right :)

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Amazing family resort !!

The grounds are beautiful, all a la carte restaurants were good. Service was excellent. Beach was amazing, great snorkelling right in front of resort. Our rooms were clean and bathrooms and public areas were always clean. Staff were helpful and spoke English.

Royalton Punta Cana Resort: Amazing resort!

This resort is by far one of the nicest all-inclusives we’ve ever stayed at! Beach was beautiful, amenities and room very modern, grounds immaculatelt kept and such great service. Would be back in a heartbeat!

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Kind if disappointing

Beautiful grounds, small beach, water was not clear like you would expect for being on the Caribbean. We had our room fumigated as I found 2 cockroaches hotel very prompt with that. Food and drinks were good. Staff very friendly and courteous, entertainment was good. Pool was great.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Incredible resort, want to go back NOW!

This resort is a 10 out of 10 for everything. Food, room, housekeeping, room service, front desk, pool, beach, the list goes on. The staff have customer service down to an art. Managers were very visible and any concerns were addressed immediately.

Playabachata Hotel: Okay Resort

I was given a good reccomendation from my travel agent, from Sunwing. I had high hopes that thr resort would be amazing. However, I was slightly disappointed. I requested a non-smoking room and was given a room that smelt of smoke and had butts in the ash tray still. My partner and I attempted to change rooms, but staff refused on multiple occassions. The rooms were not updated (as told) and they were dirty and unclean. The buffet lacked variety and the food was not the greatest. Th [... read more]e only redeeming quality of this resort is the beach and the naturistic feel. Although, the beach is public and the locals often roam the beach asking for cash and can rummage through your bag. I will not be returning to the D.R anytime soon.

Royalton Punta Cana Resort: Great Resort!

Hotel rooms are clear! Butler service, food and grounds are great! Esphanie in kids club was great too! Overall great experience! Sunwing flight was delayed without any explanation, the entire flight was an upsell of Sunwing! Our flight was over night, they kept speaking over the PA waking my son.. was not happy. Flight attendants were nice just pushy for selling stuff.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Awesome trip

We just returned from an enjoyable week at Gran Principe Ambar in Punta Cana. They resort and staff were awesome. They were always ready to help when required. We found the food to be good and plentiful . The grounds are immaculate and room clean and modern . The entertainment was also great and enjoyed the performances. Overalls great experience and would recommend.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Quality Resort

Our stay there was great. The staff ( all staff) were so friendly and accommodating. Food was good. They have a huge selection. With that being said, there wasn't a 24 hour "burger pit" so to say because we were always hungry at dinner times and if you didn't eat then you were starving later. Other than that it was a great resort, fun activities, and lots to do.

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Paradise at its best, except for parting "gifts"

This was our first time, to the Royalton, and we highly anticipated our stay - the grounds, the entertainment (shows), hotel, room, staff, restaurants were phenomenal and impeccable...however, midway thru our stay, some of our party got sick, and upon my return, my doctor confirmed contracted: Hand, Foot, and Mouth Virus, as well as some other members of our 13- person party. Not preventable by guests, but it did spoil the rest of the holidays. With mouth ulcers, was difficult to enjoy drink [... read more]s or food. Within our group, we all had some sort of food-related ailments - while vacationing and upon our return. We are still recouping. Tip System: Tip wait staff/cleaning lady/minibar staff - tip directly, to ensure received by deserving staff. At restaurants, don't assume tips are shared equitably, hand tips directly to whoever was your server/waiter. Large groups (13 people): not easily accommodated; rooms were not together, no even on the same floor - we were asked to wait till 3 pm for accommodation, and the front desk did not accommodate our request, even when the resort was not at full capacity. Very disappointing. For dinner/lunch: For our large group was always a hassle to accommodate putting tables together; after much frustration, solution: 2 tables close by. This was disappointing, as we were hoping for a family-fun lunch/dinner experience. At Teppanaki - we were offered a private room for our large group for a $150USD fee - which we considered, as we wanted to sit together, but after much thought, we opted for two tables close by. No worth extra $, after all we paid to be at this resort. Beware - all extras at this resort cost $...private lessons at FlowRider $150USD, Teppanaki Private Room, Room Selection, Cabanas - an already expensive resort, and the additional add-ons not reasonable or affordable - cash grab! Outside Vendors - at resort: A bit pushy, and located strategically on all paths, that cannot be avoided...but if you avoid eye contact or conversation - they leave you alone. Souvenirs/Cigars/Bottles/ Paintings: You will overpay - better to pick up at Duty Free when leaving. We paid $60USD for a bottle of Mamajuana that cost $10USD at Airport Duty Free. Bargain as much as you can...otherwise, you'll be disappointed. Beware of Foam Party (especially small children): Although, we had a lot of fun at the foam party, and one of the highlights of the resort, and our stay. Watch children during foam party - my 10 year old, inhaled the foam, and was chocking as a result. He managed to be ok, but was still scary experience. Conservation Efforts: The resort has great conservation efforts in place like: no plastic straws, and motion-sensor lighting in rooms (no movement, they turn off) -which I loved! Will I return to Royalton Brand? I waited so long to be able to afford this resort with my family - as it is not cheap - but, aside from the beauty, not sure I'm ready to risk another experience like this, which I am still enduring, 4 days after returning. The resort is beautiful, with many fun, and exciting activities, but I don't anticipate a return. This review could’ve been a 5-star, but with health compromised, just can’t do it!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resort. Grows On You. Would Go back!

Sunwing Issue We were supposed to leave around 3:30 pm EST from Terminal 3. We came to the airport early as we had VIP access once checked in. By 11:15 we saw that our plane was delayed about 5 hours. On a check on the pervious WG410 flight from Toronto one week before we saw a similar delay so not happy. We were given ‘weather’ as an excuse but the plane was coming from Punta Cana so very unlikely since other planes from there were not late to Toronto. It seemed like a poor excuse. We we [... read more]re given $20 each to spend for food so we got at least something. Since we had VIP we missed the 2 gate changes that occurred between when we checked in and when we left so that was at least good for us. The incoming plane came in just before it was supposed to leave so we knew it would be even later. All said and done it was almost 6 hours late. Suffice to say the people that were delayed 5 hours getting to Puerto Plata the week before (Jan 10th) were once again delayed coming back as they had to wait for us to get in before their WG411 flight left Puerto Plata. Not a lot of happy faces. This fiasco made our bus drivers at the airport in Dominican have to wait 6 hours. The hotel staff were not happy with the delay and with Sunwing at all. Sunwing does not have a very good name, at least not at this resort. When we got to the resort it was almost 3pm their time (They are AST). We had no porters and it was dark and hard to find the room. To top it off the doors to the rooms slam shut VERY hard which was not great having 10 – 15 couples come to their rooms at 3am and have they many doors slam hard. I will NEVER do Sunwing again! Rooms There are two main groups of buildings with pool in between. 3 floors each side. You can walk from one building to another in the group while having shelter from rain if need be. You can basically get close to the beach and all the way back to the lobby and restaurants while staying within the sheltered area of the group of buildings. We were in the ‘7’ block of rooms. That made us close to the pool and very close to the snackbar. We had room 7103 (floor 2) We had a chance to look at an Oceanview room (first floor) but it was not as close as we wanted and quite frankly in a busy area so we kept our Gardenview room. Gardenview room was the best for us as it had a great view of trees, flora and gardens and it was very quiet. As stated before, be careful as the door to the room slams shut HARD! They had fairly basic showers in the room we had but we did see other rooms that seemed to have a more updated look. The cleaning of the rooms is great and never had any issues at all with the staff. Fridges are kept well stocked and they can provide more water if need be. Do not drink the tap water, only use it for tooth brushing and nothing else. There was no bottles of alcohol in the rom and did not ask for it so not sure how that works. We did get Presidente beer (their house brand in Dominican), water and sugar and sugar free pop. We got a nice size balcony with two chairs and a table. There was also a white plastic dryer on the balcony wall you could pull to expand to dry clothes on. The lock to the balcony was not working but since we were floor 2 we did not press it. Bed and pillow were comfy and we had a king bed. Safe was good and had no issues with it. They do not have any super deluxe rooms like swim up etc. Took Canadian electronics and had no issues charging and using the plugs but not many. Musty smell in the room but was normal for tropical destinations and we got used to it. Air conditioning and fan were perfect if in fact sometimes even too cold. Food and Drink Coffee is good in the restaurants but the espresso machine in the lobby bar is best for cappuccino etc You can self serve your coffee, tea, water, cappuccino, ice cream etc on the property. Alcohol was good. You get Presidente beer only and not top shelf booze which is normal. We are not too picky so for us was not a big deal. You can pay more for top shelf stuff if you want to. We did get them to make a bloody mary numerous times for us. Not a Caesar but as close as you will get there. Be careful though as some were making it with Ghost Pepper sauce and calling it ‘Tobasco’.. hottttt!!! There are 3 nights you can do a sit down dinner. Booking was quick and painless. We did not do Mediterranean but instead did the Japanese (twice) and Mexican once. There are 3 sit down restaurants. Mexican was great but since my partner is Mexican there was a hint of it not being fully authentic but in some aspects it was close. Japanese was terrific. We want two nights in a row. You get dinner and a show as it is Teppanyaki style. You get soup and appetizer followed by the ‘show’. You can get two items from octopus, chicken, beef and shrimp. It was phenomenal and by far the bets food there. The main buffet I believe was 7 – 10 am then 1 – 3 pm and finally 6 - 10 pm. In between is the snackbar by the beach. Late night the Mexican becomes the 24 hour snack bar and they have a surprising amount of stuff (ie you can get eggs at midnight there). Buffet was great and open on most sides so there is a chance for birds and bugs. Just a heads up. As well at the snack bar you will find there are a few wild cats that roam the property so do not be surprised. Entertainment At night there was a cigar bar right by the lobby bar and theatre area and they had a good range of cigars to choose from. We went to most nights entertainment and it was things like Michael Jackson night (Amazing), latin night, karaoke and Lion King. The animation team is just top notch and you do not want to miss the shows. There are a few columns in the way so get your seats early if you can. The main entertainment starts at 9:30 pm but there are other things going on stage about an hour before that. There is a bar right in the auditorium that is way easier to get booze from compared to the lobby bar right outside. We did visit the disco twice which is just past the lobby bar. It opens at 11. Nice place with a route 66 vibe as well as the front of a truck inside the disco (Don’t be surprised as it honks and flashes its lights). It was quiet when we went but it was just when it opened so I assume it gets busier later at night. There are nights where in the main courtyard by the lobby where there is music and dancing. We did see that if you exit the front of the resort, just to the right is a Casino. We did not go and there were mixed reviews on the casino. There is not a casino on site of this resort. Shopping We did pick a day to go to Puerto Plata’s main square. A Taxi costs $40 US for a 4 hour ‘city tour’. The cabbie stays with you the full 4 hours and you really can go anywhere in town that you want to go. Of course as we expected there were a few times the cabbie introduced us to ‘his brother’ or ‘his friend’ who wanted to sell us something but that was no surprise. Town is a bit run down. We went to the Amber museum (also run down a bit). It cost $2 US each and we spent about 10 minutes there. We also did a shop as Las Sirenas which is a grocery store (a bit like Walmart). Food and rum prices were ok. Shopping at the resort was not much. A few high end stores and there is a store that sells snacks, sunscreen, Dominican souvenirs etc. Property Overall the property is very well kept up… trees and bushes trimmed, clean outside etc. The only knock is that the rooms themselves seem a bit dated and also since there is only one pool it must be hard to ever fix and update it which is likely why it is showing its age. Walking by the gardenview rooms (behind the ‘7’ block of rooms) there is a nice area to view the trees and birds and aloe plants as well as another area where there are Orchids. We found this to be the best way to get to the lobby and food. Only one main single pool and it needs a bit of work. In the middle is a ‘hot’ tub but like most / all in these destinations it was just slightly warmer than the pool. Pool is cold as well as the ocean itself. Even on a very hot day the pool was shocking to get in to. I know that with the ocean they can do nothing but it would help if the pool was warmer. Not sure if time of year had an affect. Beach and pool were quiet and it was never an issue finding a seat or shade for that matter. They had older yellow loungers and newer grey back ones (where you can elevate the head and knees). Go for the new ones if you can. Beach was nice but as you get to the water there is quite a lot of seaweed. They did try on a few days to clean some of it up but there were parts of the beach where if you waded in you had to go through seaweed first. Final Tips - Remember its $20 US to exit the airport so have your money ready and make sure to get a receipt as you will need it when you check in - There are tighter restrictions on what can go in carry on. For example if I had ground coffee I would not have been able to do carry on… even things like soap bard and blocks of candy (like fudge) must be checked in or you lose it!

Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa: Nice Resort Too Many Kids!

We got to the Hotel really late on Saturday. We have been to Punta Cana four times and Bahia two years in a row. Turquesa was nice , grounds were gorgeous, room was dated but nice. Pool was nice as well but way too many kids splashing and jumping in the pool. Kids whining and parents just letting their kids do what they want. Buffet was average at best. Food was either salty and undercooked (especially Hamburgers) and same thing everyday. Like change it up a bit. I would say the food is just a l [... read more]ittle better than our stays in Cuba. Entertainment at this resort absolutely sucks! Stupid little games and boring. Beautiful beach but a lot of undertow watch! Better get up at 7 am just to get a chair at the beach. Overall the weather was great, food in my opinion below average and a lot of rude people especially at the buffet. Only staying at an Adults only Resort next time. I have had it with parents just letting their kids run all over the place.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Poor Service

The resort was overall gorgeous! As you except from a resort down south. There were several problems with service; we were put in an I cleaned room with none of the amenities we were supposed to receive & it took several hours to get it sorted out, with no upgrade offered to resolve issues, the restaurant staff were quite incompetent, the staff throughout the resort had no idea where things where when asked. The resort was HUGE. It seemed the be about a 20 minute walk from the lobby to the beach [... read more] and depending where you room was, was that long as well. For any older people who have trouble walking it would be quite difficult for them to get around. (They do have golf carts, but you have to catch one). Sellers on the beach are expected but there were TONS, they were quite aggressive & they came up onto the resort. The food was mediocre was expecting much more from a 5 star resort. After that/overall a lovely trip because your really just going for the sun and the beach.

Ocean El Faro: Beautiful resort.....but still under major construction

The food was a 10 out of 10, 2 large pools and a lazy river all with their own pool bars....10 out of 10! Rooms were large, each with a sitting room area, warm laminate floors and a roomy 3 piece bathroom! No cold, slippery tile floors to be found. Plenty of loungers around the pools and on the beach. An electric people mover ran up and down the main walkway on a regular basis and was easy to flag down. House-keeping staff were helpful and very diligent in their work, maintenance men were  [... read more]prompt, bell boys were courteous and helpful. Staff in the main dining room could use a little more training and I thought it odd that you had to provide your room number each and every time you entered. Staff on the lobby counter were an absolute mess. There was little organization when arriving and at any time when you needed to go there. I quickly learned to dread going there as it would end up costing me at least an hour of my time.( 3 hours to arrange a room change), Guest services was a joke. The beach is a short one and when you entered the ocean you hit sharp rocks in less than 3 feet. I would love to go back in a year as I am sure by then all of the kinks would be ironed out but by then it would probably be out of my price range. We didn't require it but if you have young children, they have an awesome water park for them.

Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Beautiful Resort!

We had a wonderful time. We are easy simple travellers. All our meals were buffet and wonderful. Our room was on the ground floor and suited us fine. We easily overlook things like a doorpost that’s ajar or a hole in the wall. We did get the feeling that the resort was under going a lot of renovations. We also noted that lobby furniture was all new and many elements in our room as well such as deck chairs and lamp. The pool was massive as was the beach. No one serving drinks at the pool, b [... read more]ut we don’t care. We would visit here again! Please note we stayed on the adult only side in a deluxe room which is close to restaurants and evening action. Golf cart to get to the pool and beach daily - but we don’t care. No need for us to be in our room in daytime anyhow - the weather is far to fabulous! Stayed January 10-17. We will be back to Punta Cana next year!