Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing resort

Great room, right on ocean, amazing view. Room was a bit outdated but clean. Housekeeper was amazing. Food really good, lots of choices. Pool and beachfront really nice. Overall a really nice resort and would highly recommend

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: Amazing Resort!!!!!

Day 1. We missed the first day as our flight was 3 hours 45 min late from Halifax. The airport was a complete mess. It seemed as though the ground crew were having fun or completely horrible at their job. The entire plane had to search for luggage. One piece of mine was on the MINNEAPOLIS belt. The other was on the PARIS belt. Over 90 minutes to search for bags. Our agent at the airport then asked why we kept him waiting????? Wouldn't the Air Transat Rep already know our flight was late? [... read more] Then another 15 min or so to find our drive. We ended up getting to the hotel at 7pm. So we lost our first day. One passenger mentioned a 400$ refund each because the delay was over 3 hours. I asked the AT rep at the airport. He said to ask our rep at the resort in the morning. Couldnt find them the next day. So we went on the AT app and filed our "more than 3 hours delay" request. The app told us we were past the 48 hour window....which I didnt understand as i filed it at 7:45 am and our flight left at 1045... so i was in the 48 hour window by 3 hours) Still waiting to hear back from Air Transat. Which I'm sure will be a nightmare. Day 2-10. This resort is gorgeous! The buffet was amazing. Zero complaints about anything to do with food. We spent the first day at the pool as the beach had no available chairs. Pool was nice. Clean, great shade when needed. Beach buffet was great! We had gorgeous lunches... again, no complaints about food. We signed up for an excursion. (CATALINA BEACH) Snorkeling, beach time, a meal, then home. We DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! The boat ride to the Snorkeling area was horrible! Open water, alot of waves, and the Captain hit every one! If you have a bad back, do not take this trip. 45 minutes of pounding the waves to get to the Snorkeling area. Upon arrival, we were to snorkel for 1 hour. I was the last one to get off the boat and folks were getting back on. Not even ten minutes in the water. Zero coral! Zero fish! Zero anything to see! We got to the beach. Disappointed as the beach was dirty, chairs were broken( 75% of them). The bathrooms were completely disgusting! Doors didn't lock. The water in the toilets looked and smelled like feces, the water from the taps to wash your hands was brown and smelled horrible. This was also to be an "all inclusive " excursion, but the Bartender wanted 10$US for 1 beer. He said "when we eat lunch, the beer will be free." That was a 3 hour wait for lunch. The water on the bar to drink was free. But the cups were dirty, and the water was in a very dirty Gatorade jug. The beach was not nice at all. We were told we could walk a ways down to another beach. When we got there, signs and security said it was private and we couldn't stay. That looked like a nicer beach. The food was OK. Then another hour's wait to board the boat to go back to the resort. 45 minutes hitting every wave again. That day, besides missing our first day, was a bad day. We found a spot on the resorts beach that was a bit nicer. And spent most of our days there. The staff are amazing! Oscar (our waiter in the Buffett) was super friendly, and went above and beyond. Cappuccino machine was in the dining room for people to get their own, but Oscar brought them to us. Same with the mimosas. Folks could pour their own, but Oscar wasn't having it. Every meal we sat in his section. During his days off, the room actually felt different. He has very good energy, and always brought smiles and laughs to everyone he interacted with. Our Chambermaid was great! The rooms were spotless, the bed was comfortable, and anything we needed was taken care of. We didn't take in many shows at night. The ones we did were OK. They day we left was a long day. We had to be out of our rooms at 6am to meet our driver for 7.our flight home was uneventful and even with a snowstorm, Air Transat was the ONLY FLIGHT TO TAKE OFF FROM HALIFAX(to the DR) and the only flight to land that day (our flight). So instead of a10 day vacation, we had only 8. The only "cons", besides losing a full day and the excursion, was the pool entertainment. Very loud and hard to understand. The music was deafening! There is only one pool so you can't get away from it. And the smokers. They had a designated area outside the lobby for smokers. That was nice and we could enjoy ourselves in the beautiful lobby . They should have no smoking at the pool. Like the BP in Jamaica. That was a welcomed treat to not have to take in 2nd hand smoke. We thought at first it was no smoking as there were no ashtrays.. but I guess we were wrong. We won't go here again. Not because of anything wrong with the resort, our ALL INCLUSIVE days are now behind us. Our future travel will be to Europe UK etc

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: A great week!

The resort was beautiful, with lots of swimming pools and shade huts on the beach. All the restaurants were exceptionally good. The most outstanding feature of this resort was the incredible service…a concierge in each villa who could deal with any and all requests. Villa 90’s Alfredo was super! Transportation around the resort for restaurants, shopping, sports always available.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Never got to see it

We had our flights cancelled by west jet because of plane issues and made us not make connection. There were no other flights for a week. West jet cancelled our flights telling us to contact tripcentral for refund. They did not refund us on hotels and we were unable to get refunded or stay in the hotels. Still fighting WestJet for refund. Tough when everything is online and told to submit it online. Only giving the one star because we never got to go see it. It won’t let me it put any

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Wonderful time

This hotel was everything we could imagine. The property is beautiful and well maintained. The staff and service were exceptional. My wife is in a wheelchair and this is one of the most accessible resorts we have been to.

Dreams Cap Cana Resort and Spa: Beautiful resort

The hotel was clean and well organized. The pools were lovely and you can find a quiet or loud one depending on your taste. Our family enjoyed the food in all of the restaurants. It was relaxing not having to book à la cartes. We stayed in swim up rooms on the back side of the preferred section which was really nice because in the afternoon it is shady and peaceful. The beach , of course, was the only negative.

Ocean El Faro: Great Resort and Experience

The resort exceeded my expectations. Our Jr suite was spacious, bed was super comfy, and bathroom had everything we needed. Grounds were impeccable and very scenic. Evenings at the strip were fun and entertaining. Shows were good and the restaurants were all great, including the buffet. Main beach was a bit rough but right next to it was a beautiful and calm bay/beach that’s still part of the resort. There aren’t any chairs there but if you just want to swim, it’s perfect. Bars served up amazing [... read more] drinks - lots to choose from but our favourites were the caipirinhas and mojitos. Mike’s Cafe was also a special hangout for us where you can get specialty coffees, smoothies, juices and small treats throughout the day. Ocean el Faro is one of my favourite resorts in PC and we’ll definitely be returning.

Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: Ok resort

Excellent staff, nice grounds. Nice beach.Adult pool had kids daily.Pool bar very small and no stools. Room. Fridge needed replaced. Safe needed a technician to fix it. Bathroom overall below average. No lip on shower door. No hand towels. To get hot water you needed to turn on all taps for about 5 to 10 minutes and then slightly warm.Room doors very heavy and extremely loud when being shut. Huge banging noises all day long .Afternoon and nightly entertainment was unbearably loud. Majority of gu [... read more]ests were seniors and families with small kids. Forget about an afternoon nap or early sleep. Lastly the beach vendors were annoying constantly . Would never gi back to this resort.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Beautiful resort

It’s a lovely place. Well maintained and very clean. Beaches are beautiful pools are really nice. The swim up bar pool was very dirty. This trip we didn’t go inl look like a cesspool unfortunately it was connected to the lap pool so I couldn’t do my swimming laps. The good news is there are many other pools to use that were perfect.The food was good unfortunately they always overcook their chicken and most meats. Food always cold, but it is hard to feed that many people. I’m sure they do the bes [... read more]t they can. The furniture is really worn out in the common areas They need to replace all chairs and sofas really uncomfortable to sit on. The bedroom lights didn’t work and both sinks did not drain. They were also not fixed even though we brought it to their attention. overall we always have a wonderful time. We’re not really there for the food or fancy rooms. The rooms were cleaned very well every day. I have to say the people were much more friendly than they were the first time I was there. Happy to say I will be returning for my 65th birthday in April. Looking forward to another great week!!

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Ok resort

Clean rooms and resort. Food at ala cartes was good but not very hot. Easy to get reservations. Only 1 ATM at resort and its on the family side, it was not working more than half the time I was there. Beach had lots of natural shade with all the palm trees. Staff were friendly and helpful. The one really negative is when you arrive you are hit up with a "free breakfast" at their exclusive club, which is an invitation to a sales pitch to join their club. Not high pressure sales but it did take a  [... read more]bit of sterness for them to accept a no. Had a problem with my shower door not closing and causing lots of water on bathroom floor, told front desk twice about it and no one came to even look at it in the 10 days I was there

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Iberostar Puerto Plata

This hotel is not a modern unit. But I will say that the management does the best they can do in maintaining its integrity. For the most part the people that work here are very friendly and accommodating. The only problem that I can say I had which is normal almost everywhere that doesn’t have English as a first language is communication. Although it’s not their fault it does make for some difficulties at times. This I where people like Caroline and Gabriel in customer service shine. They truly  [... read more]come to the plate. Caroline helped us when our flight got cancelled to return to our rooms she even brought three other ladies from Burlington in because their hotel left them on their own. When you run into people like this who do more than your tour rep to help you. You have to say THANKS DEAR GIRL. I do recommend this place to young and young at heart. The food is great the grounds are beautiful hotel staff can’t be more helpful. There are plenty of activities if you choose to do them. Or there are plenty of lawn chairs if you do not. I never heard a anyone speaking bad about the hotel in the one week last year and two weeks this year and I’ll be back.

Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Not worth the money

We leveled up for the for the extra $1000.00 per person. 1. 45 minutes for us to check in 2. Property is to long had to wait for a shuttle for the buffet and restaurants 3. The level pool to small 4. No area on the beach for level guest 5. Food is better in Cuba 6. Level staff do not make or confirms reservations for you 7. Had to asks for daily water and coffee pods. 8. The property is a 4 star at it’s best Plus 1. Level bar was good

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Fun in the Sun

The resort was lovely and so were the people working there. Always making us feel special. The food was amazing and a huge variety to choose from This was our 6th time at this resort in a row. One suggestion for improvement to consider, if the archery time could increase from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. When more people show up you are given a very short time to participate within the current 30 minutes. Overall a 8/10 See you next year.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Fun in the Sun

The resort was lovely and so were the people working there. Always making us feel special. The food was amazing and a huge variety to choose from This was our 6th time at this resort in a row. One suggestion for improvement to consider, if the archery time could increase from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. When more people show up you are given a very short time to participate within the current 30 minutes. Overall a 8/10 See you next year.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Ocean Blue and Sand Jan '25

3rd visit. Esthetically, the grounds, pool areas, beach are still beautiful and well maintained. The lobby is nice and airy with a decent vibe. From there, things can appear badly in need of an update...We upgraded to Privilege, specifically to avoid a sub-par room and better service. On arrival we were assigned to a back alley view (garden) room with dicey a/c, twin beds (requested king), broken latch on the sliding doors, welcome gift (wine) assigned to someone other than us. Also, not sure ho [... read more]w cool it is to allow the OB cat population to explode as it has there, but we were serenaded by reproduction for the entire first night. We were instructed to resolve the room matter with our butler, who was super helpful (at the beginning) and we did manage to get the room up to date. Privilege helped us to that point, but beyond the reserved beach cabanas, we may as well have been standard class guests. Privilege does not elevate the food experience at all. Despite Butler arranged reservations, we had to line up each night for our tables. Our coveted "Steakhouse" experience was a disaster. Mostly ignored for the entire meal (no welcome, no bread, no refills)...until my partner showed the server her well done (ordered mid rare) dinner. If anyone came by to offer wine/water/bread during the meal, matters could have been resolved, but we were made to feel that it was our fault that the meal was sub-par. Skip the service nightmares at "a la carte" restos, and just go to the buffet. Saving grace...one privilege benefit was the little lounge overlooking the sea with serve yourself snacks and top shelf bar + lovely restrooms!

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Ocean El Faro/Beso

Absolutely loved this place. Had a blast. Everything went smoothly n I’m overly happy with my very first trip away. Happy with my travel agent. Would definitely go again n recommend. Food was great. Entertainment was fantastic. Resort was beautiful n fun.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Repeat Customers Abound

This was our 3rd time back at this resort - and we typically have never gone back to a twice because we love to explore different places. Why go back 3 times? We met many others coming back 5 -10 - 15 times! WOW! Why? This is not a 5 star resort - not a large resort (compared to others) - limited childrens activities - so why come back? Well, we are retired and just want a place of "Rest & Relaxation" as we wait for winter to pass in Canada. There are a lot of Canadians there. (maybe even 70% :) [... read more] The food is decent - the beach is very nice - the place is older but kept up well - the rooms are ok - the price for 2 weeks inclusive with flight was only $2200. It will be hard to beat this value for money. The only issue we had this time was that the hotel ignored our 4 emails to request a room on 3rd floor in the Catalina building. (This was due to mobility issues of some of our party of 4) We were left standing in the lobby for 1 hour while they did who knows what. The rooms were actually available - and they finally left us have them. No one there (including management) could really tell us why 4 seniors after traveling all day were left with no room for 1 hour) This left a bit of a sour taste in our mouth!

Punta Cana Princess: Nice and small resprt

The resort is a nice size. The grounds are nicely kept and staff work very hard and are friendly. We are not ‘foodies’ and found the Italian and Tex-Mex restaurants were good. The main buffet was better than the beach one. One complaint, but it is everywhere, needing to get up at 5:30 to get lounge chairs by the pool. Not how I want to spent our vacation. Lots of sargassum, but staff tried to clean the beach…just too much of it. Nightlife, if you want one, this place is not for you..but we [... read more] were not looking for that…same with daytime activities. Animation team were trying, but I am there to relax and not do aerobics. Overall, nice compact resort.

Serenade All Suites Adults Only Resort: Amazing Resort

We had a lovely week and the quality of this resort is directly responsible for that. The seaweed at the beach was not lovely but not a deal breaker. The bathroom barn door often stuck and was difficult to get open. The coffee expresso was lovely and our balcony size was lovely.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Group of 14!

We travelled to this resort as a group of 14 people ages ranging from 2-73. We all had an excellent time. The rooms were great, spacious, and set up nicely although there are no dressers to unpack your clothing. Pools were cleaned daily, although with the amount of swimmers had a film on top of what seems like sunscreen. Beaches were also cleaned daily but with the constant waves there was always some seaweed left behind throughout the day. Nightly entertainment on the stage or at the beach  [... read more]was always entertaining. Buffet was great always had a variety of food and we were always able to find something to eat. No issues with the food. Went to three à la carte and they were all delicious and hot. Reservations for chopsticks needed through the app. Mexican restaurant was a wait in line to be seated and the Italian restaurant gave us a buzzer and we had to stay close until it went off. We would definitely return for another visit in the future.