Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Great trip

Food was great. Buffet was better than the specialty restaurants. Beach was great for walking but not good for swimming as there was too much coral. Got sucked into the Bahia Príncipe Privilege Club. We were told that you didn't have to buy anything but that's exactly what it was......a time share.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Nice Beach, Don't go for the Entertainment!

Hotel, Food, Grounds were beautiful and well kept! Staff were friendly and very helpful! But if you are looking for a resort with upbeat evening entertainment I would suggest looking elsewhere. We wanted to have a few drinks after dinner and unless you are French and looking for a totally mellow bar with entertainment that makes you fall asleep, you won't find what you are looking for here! We loved the resort and everything overall just were very disappointed with the lack of quality entertainm [... read more]ent. I would compare it to cheap karaoke most evenings to be honest. Other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!!

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Beautiful resort!

The staff at Cayacoa were so friendly, there was lots to do, the rooms were spacious and clean. We thought the food was excellent, best Piña Coladas I have ever had! The resort was beautiful and scenic sitting atop the cliff. The elevator down to the beach was a nice feature. Neither the beach nor the pools were ever super crowded. Great resort!

Cayo Levantado Resort: not what we expected

The island is beautiful no doubt. We just we not impressed with the overall lack of severe throughout and the food quality was very poor. We have stayed at the bahia throughout the Dominican and this is the only one we would not spend the money to return too. Spent to much for the trip as it was being 2k each Canadian. We should have had better service and food for that price. Lovely to visit as I said but by day 4 we wanted to leave To each their own I guess P.s do not get any drinks from the p [... read more]ool bar that are mixed from the slushy machines.. full of bacteria. Trust me

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: amazing resort

Beautiful beach, fantastic for families and the resort was clean with friendly staff. Snorkling right off the beach and plenty of natural shade. Lots of different beautiful areas to eat with a good variety of food.

Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Best Dominican hotel I've stayed at to-date!

I'd only been to Punta Cana, Puerto Plata and La Romana before this, and wasn't sure what to expect. There are apparently only six resorts in Samana, so it's a really big up and coming place for tourists to stay. I did the Roulette, which worked out great. I paid about $200 less than the advertised price this way. Usually you find out around a week before you travel, but because we went during a peak time, we didn't find out which of the two hotels until we landed. I absolutely loved it. The h [... read more]otel was perched on a cliff, so you had the most beautiful view of the city and ocean below. We upgraded for a room with an ocean view and it was 100% worth it. It was so nice to sit on the patio, sun on your face, reading a book or smoking a cigar. We spent more time there than we thought we would, just because of the view. The rooms were okay, pretty standard, a little old looking. The maid didn't really make the bed, but everything else was clean. No issues with the room, but we did have some friends whose toilet broke - the resort fixed it the same day. There were three pools that I knew of, however, I think at peak times non-upgraded travellers aren't allowed to use one of them (it was for VIP guests - way better chairs, we went there anyway). There were always enough chairs, which was nice - you didn't have to wake up at 6 a.m. to reserve your seats. The beach was nice, but pretty small. Again, always chairs available. The elevator takes a long while to go up and down to get you, but you're on vacation, so who cares. There were also stairs leading to and from the beach you could take. The water was nice - lots of fish swimming around even in the shallows. There's free snorkeling and a beautiful little reef just off the shore to swim out to. TONS of starfish and colourful fish there. There was also a bar down at the beach so you didn't have to travel back upwards for drinks. The entertainment wasn't good at all, but I wasn't there for that so I didn't mind. At night there isn't much to do - just get a drink, lounge around and chat with people, play pool or foosball down by the kids area, or gamble at the casino in-house. The food... was disappointing. The last three trips I went to Cuba, so I expected better food from Dominican, based on what I'd experienced previously. The food was Cuban level, if not worse. It was almost always cold, no real good options at all. Breakfast was the best meal of the day, but lunch and dinner were sub-par. I'm not a picky eater at all, but as someone who can't eat red meat, there were very limited options (they only had grilled chicken as an option one of the seven nights I was there for). It was also super bland, whereas usually in Dominican they incorporate spices... or at the very least salt and pepper. You'll basically just eat to get by at this resort. The a la cartes, however, were awesome. Food was definitely restaurant quality there, with tons of great options. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Loved Manuel at the lobby bar - he makes the best drinks BY FAR. We ended up just waiting for him most times. There are a few excursion options here, the typical four wheeling, horse back riding, etc. We saw the national park, which was slightly disappointing (they made it out to seem crazy beautiful, but it was pretty mediocre looking from the boat). We also did the ziplining which was amazing - one of the longest ziplines in the Caribbean. Friends of ours saw the waterfalls and it looked like a great excursion too. Take a trip out to Rincon beach if you can! SO WORTH IT. It's in the top 10 nicest virgin beaches in the world. From the hotel, it's about a 10 minute walk into town. Samana is incredibly safe and super nice to walk around in. A lot of the locals speak English and are helpful. Grab a bite to eat at Antonio's Pizza! One of the best pizzas I've ever had, seriously. The bridge to nowhere was a cool walk, although it was under construction in places. It's pretty close to the airport, about 20 minutes. A downside that travellers should definitely keep in mind are the many, MANY stairs at the resort. As I said, it's on a cliff, so those who can't walk very well or for very long, should avoid this resort. To go anywhere other than the lobby, main pool or beach (so the snack bar, other pools, other beaches, some a la cartes) there are hundreds of stairs to walk up and down. Overall, AMAZING and totally unique trip. I've been to dozens of hotels across the Caribbean, but literally none like this. It felt so peaceful, beautiful and untouched, not built up like typical touristy areas. Definitely recommend!!!

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Fantastic all around!

We found this resort to be very clean, offering excellent service and has wonderful staff, great accommodations and lastly a wonderful beach!! It was a great time for all of us!! The drive took about an hour but it was very scenic. We would definitely go again!!

Wyndham Alltra Samana: GREAT beach.....average resort.....don't go

wonderful place for our extended family...great beach....rooms and food OK....have been to Punta Cana many times and tried this resort for "money" reasons for our group of 13.....most of us had problems with the runs, some badly....the plumbing in the hotel is poor especially around the beach area's and I wonder if the plumbing issues are related to poor management of the kitchen area's....90 minute drive from the airport BUT it is a wonderful scenic drive.....we would NOT go back simply because [... read more] of the intestinal problems.....the staff are great with limited English but that is our fault for not trying to learn their language.....the Bar Manager, Santiago, is a wonderful person

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Nice Resort

Bahia Principe Clubs and Resorts - Gran Bahia Principe Cayacoa The Gran Bahia Principe had a very nice setting, along a very hilly waterfront...there is no elevator in these buildings, which did not bother us, but there were also many stairs to climb, so being physically fit is an advantage. There were a variety of pools and two small ocean fronts to lounge or swim. We were initially placed on the ground floor of one of the buildings- 3200...We did not have a good sea view from here plus there  [... read more]was less privacy. We asked to be moved to another floor and staff were very helpful locating a third floor room- offering both privacy and lovely view of the little bay and the ocean to our front. The staff were pleasant but not always attentive to guests at the restaurants. We sometimes had to ask servers to bring us beverages, which seemed odd as this should have been something done automatically, in my opinion. And this was in the more attractive featured restaurants. At the main restaurants in the main building, staff were much more prompt in attending to guests. At the cafe, there was a variety of drinks and cocktails offered but not a big selection of coffees. I also wonder why there was an extra charge for premium drinks when we paid so much up front, as this was supposed to be all inclusive. The alcoholic drinks offered, such as scotch tasted inconsistently different and not of the correct quality, I believe. It all depended on who was pouring. J&B and Johnny Walker Red scotch should taste consistently the same, which was not the case as I think the bar tenders were substituting with cheaper blends. The house wines served at restaurants were inconsistent in taste. One place would have a full bodied red and the next place something different. The white, house wines were also inconsistent in taste; sometimes good and other times vinegary. The food was good but lacked variety. We enjoyed grouper every day, but would have appreciated fresh shrimp and scallops and more types of fish. There was Mahi Mahi or Dorado, I think it is called, but that is too bony for my liking. The suckling pig served at New Year’s was wonderful. There was a small gym which I used twice. It was adequate but nothing special. I used one of the exercise balls for stretching and noted that the ball was dirty. I believe staff should be more attentive to cleaning equipment for guests. I noticed some Maintenance issues. I noted that there was a leak in the roof of the gym room. I saw a slow leak, dripping onto the floor near the larger weight machine. In my building, 3200…during a heavy rain I noted that the eavestrough facing the ocean in the right corner of the building facing to your front, when exiting 3200 was also in need of repair. I feel these issues should be addressed for safety as much as anything. The staff at the front desk were always pleasant and accommodating, my compliments to you, your front end and other staff. Everyone was pleasant, from the groundkeepers to housekeeping. We appreciated the shuttle service whether to our building or to town. We liked our stay and will come again. My suggestions are not meant to be total criticisms, but opportunities for improvement. As a friendly suggestion, send your leaders/managers to Mexican 5 star resorts for a week, so that they can see for themselves what a 5 star resort should look like.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Extraordinary property !

I absolutely loved this property ! The nicest Baha'i I have ever stayed out for layout & ambiance. The only issue was service at the beginning of my 10 days but as we got to be familiar with staff it improved! Hope to return with my whole family !

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Good resort for kids

Foods are good. Good for buttet standard. rooms are a little old but still quite good. The water park is amazing. Our three kids quite enjoying it and literally went there every day. Good place. Staff are very hepful and amazing.

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Absolutely picture perfect setting

This resort is nested on a cliff like setting with ample lounging areas the resort is absolutely beautiful with friendly environment food is delicious! Definitely take the boat across to Bacardi island and spend the day on the white sand beach and have some fresh seafood.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Love El Portillo!

Second time visiting and just as perfect as the first. People are sooo friendly and food is amazing. The beach is beautiful and snorkeling is great! We brought a big group with us and everyone loved it. Definitely will return for a third time.

Cayo Levantado Resort: Fabulous Resort

I have been to this resort 3 times and know I will return again. The staff are exceptional and the grounds and amenities very well maintained. The food is wonderful with a large variety daily. Large selection of international and premium beverages. The view is spectacular. If you like hot weather in a premium and quiet and secluded venue than this is the place to go.

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Awesome resort

Great resort situated in a beautiful part of samana. Had great views of the ocean. People there were wonderful and they always have a smile and offer rest service. Food was food with good selection and a la carte restaurants were good as well.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Great views

Hotel views and staff are great .The buffet restaurant is small and very repetitive but the food was ok. the seafood restaurant was very good and service was great. we ate at the gourmet twice the food was very good and the service was good and very friendly. The Italian restaurant was very disappointing with a bad selection and terrible service.

Cayo Levantado Resort: Welcome to Paradise Island

After a 1hr coach ride from Samana airport, followed by a short 15 min. boat shuttle ride you then land on Paradise Island. Professional, warm greetings from staff, surrounded by impeccably maintained reception lobby, terraces, villas, pools, grounds respected natural flora. I had a wonderful week, only error I made was not to book for 2 weeks, or 10 days at least. Food: amazing, well prepared, beautifully presented, decadent! Service: professional all around.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: All you can dream about your vacation

Fantastic beach, excellent kept grounds, impressive services. Since you land at the airport everything is on schedule starting with the initial check in and full guidance. This was the first place for us where every night dance music was paying after 7:30pm and you can really have fun and dance without waitting for the 10:30 disco time. we love this place end want to come back ASAP.

Cayo Levantado Resort: A Little Piece of Paradise

Location - Location - Location is what this place is all about. This resort is situated on a stunning tropical island with breathtaking beaches where nature and white sand are mixed, including the famous Bacardi Beach. If you are looking for a place that is not sandwiched in between hundreds of hotels on the beach and were there are no beach peddlers hawking their trinkets - then this is the place for you. On the other hand, if you have any difficulty getting around on foot and climbing hills -  [... read more]this is not the place for you. This beautiful island is hilly and from some villas there is quite the hike to the main lobby and entertainment. Even though there are trollys available - they don't come around on a schedule. so they are not always available. During our stay even the elevator up to the top of the hill was out of order for a re-build - so it made it even harder. All in all, the staff try hard to make you feel comfortable. (A special thanks to Francisco our butler - who was extraordinary in his service for us). Cleanliness of the hotel, pool areas,restaurants and even the beach were immaculate. The food is very good in the "a la carte" restaurants, even though I was disappointed in the Gala night buffet - the food was not great and I lined up for 20 minutes to get the lobster + steak. Most of the staff were friendly and seemed to want to go out of their way to help, but they didn't always deliver. It seemed at times that the staff lacked direction from management and the english was not very good. The drinks on the other hand were very good - loved the Caipirinha drink - my new favorite! The beach is protected from the wind and waves which make it fantastic for a swim in the sea. The water temperature was ideal. They really should work on putting out more than 1 catamaran for guests to use. It was also nice to have beach chairs readily available any time of the day. (no wrestling with the chair hogs who put their towels on the chairs at 6am) The lobby bar was lovely but it would be nice to have music each evening instead of twice in the week as it is the main gathering spot in the evening. Entertainment was a bit amateurish. Everything tends to shut down at about 10:30 pm - 11:00 pm. at the main hotel. Party continues at the public beach - but I don't think it was much to write home about, so you went to sleep around 11pm. Information on what was happening at the resort daily was lacking. I would like to see an activity board posted in the main lobby and other gathering spots as a daily reminder of activities. Room Tip: Villa 12 had a lovely view to the Samana side (north) but is is a bit of a hike to the lobby. Our room was huge and so was the bed, even though the lighting is poor in the room and on the balcony. Unfortunately, the Water is almost non existant at times in the shower. Whatever you do, try to get a flight into Samana airport, otherwise you are in for a long ride to the hotel boat which takes you across to the island) Wi-fi connection which was very hit and miss, so don't count in downloading anything. Having been to many resorts around the world, I would not call this a 5 star - but 4 would be more appropriate.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Wonderful Resort

Beautiful resort on the top of a cliff. Scenic views from everywhere. Food was great with lots of variety. Beach small but very clean. Rooms average but very clean. Not great for children or the elderly. Many stairs.