Majestic Elegance Punta Cana: Love this resort

This a great hotel was my third time here and will go back. The grounds and beach are kept very clean and you cannot go to the buffet and no find something you like. This resort is well maintained and they look after their guests. I will be returning to the Majestic again. The a la carte restaurants are very good.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Best Time!

I recently stayed at Dreams Palm Beach, I had two different weddings same resort same week. This place was fantastic, the food was better than any other place I have visited. Staff were super friendly. I would recommend to anyone.

Grand Palladium Palace: Nice Stay but very large resort

The grounds and rooms are beautifully kept. We payed for a loft room in the Grand Palladium Palace but received an upgrade to the Royal Suites. We were happy to receive this upgrade because the only restaurants we ended up liking were the ones we could not have gone to without the upgrade. In general the resort is very nice but tooo large for us. We will look for a smaller resort next time. This would be great for a large group

Ocean Sand Golf and Beach Resort: Excellent Resort

The hotel and staff were wonderful, clean rooms, friendly staff, helpful, good english, resort was beautiful. Food was fantastic. However Carrier Sunquest was less than impressive. We had no one on our bus/van to resort, no rep at resort all week and had to call them to ensure that someone was going to pick us up (as our meeting was scheduled for another resort we were unsure that they even knew we were there).

Occidental Caribe: Excellent resort

The Barcelo Punta Cana was more than expected for a 4 star resort. The food was amazing, the accomodations and staff were excellent. The beach was outstanding. We had an excellent 10 days. We are considering returning with the family next year.

Majestic Elegance Punta Cana: Excellent Resort

This is our second time at the resort. Overall this year, we had an excellent time. good food, friendly people and a very clean resort. Lots of night entertainment so see each night. All in all we will go back

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Love this resort!

The grounds are beautiful, the food is excellent, the beach is amazing, the rooms are a good size and very clean, staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help. Good value for the money. We will definitely be going back.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: This resort lives up to its accolades.

My husband, teenage son & I went to the Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda for the second week of April arriving on the Easter weekend. We’ve been to the Grand Bahia Principe in the Riviera Maya so we were familiar with the quality that this resort chain offers its customers. We were not disappointed. Our stay was nothing less than magical. It helped a great deal that the ocean & sand in Punta Cana along this stretch is some of the nicest beach & swimmable ocean we’ve ever seen. There was a yel [... read more]low flag for the waves all week which I was fine with. My husband & son would have like the waves to have a bit more punch, but I prefer the ocean calmer. Many have complained about seaweed washing ashore. It’s the ocean…that’s what it does. All of the resorts along the stretch of Punta Cana that we walked (we walked for at least 3 miles either direction exploring the beautiful sight) rake up the seaweed first thing in the morning. By the time most people are at the beach, the resort staff is removing the last of the seaweed. We were a bit apprehensive with our weather forecast for the week we were there, because it looked like it called for rain every day. For our first trip to the Dominican Republic, we were pleasantly surprised that the rain came first thing in the morning or overnight & lasted less than 20 minutes. Another thing we were apprehensive about was that we would be arriving to a less than fully staffed resort due to it being holy week. I know the Dominican people are devout Christians. Rest assured, the resort was appropriately staffed, & we never noticed any absence in services. Arrival: The Punta Cana airport is quite nice. It’s constructed to resemble a giant tiki hut. It wasn’t overly busy but we still seemed to get quite bogged down going through customs. Once we were through, everything else was quite expedited. We flew with Air Transat & were directed to our bus without any difficulty. Booking with Air Transat for Luxury Esmeralda, there was no direct transfer mentioned to the hotel. We had that with the Royal Golden option when we visited the GBP Riviera Maya. The bus was a direct transfer to the resort…probably about a 25 minute drive. Check-in: The check-in was seamless. Most of our bus went to the Punta Cana section or Ambar section. There was only one other couple checking in at Esmeralda. We were hoping for a pool view but unfortunately could not be accommodated as the resort was a full occupancy. Santos at the front desk was helpful though & suggested we check with them the following day to see if any rooms became available. The following day, Oscar at the front desk managed to accommodate us closer to what we had requested. We appreciated Oscar’s efforts. Grounds: No one can argue that the Bahia resort chain maintains some of the most beautiful grounds of any resort. The staff are constantly manicuring, raking, watering & otherwise tending to the grounds to maintain them in an almost fairy tale like state. The Esmeralda section feels like its own little resort within the massive complex that encompasses the rest of the resort. The thing we most enjoy about the Bahia resorts is this aspect. The resorts are as big as a small city, but the different section has their own personalities. If you not into exploring, walking, trolleying etc, you can stay in your own section. You are free however to explore the whole resort & utilize all of the pools (except no kids at Ambar pool). Pools: In Esmeralda alone there are three pools. Two have swim up pools bars & one has a pool bar you have to walk up to. The one you walk up to is for adults only & resembles more a giant hot tub with very shallow sections to lie in and sunbathe. There are several pools dotting the different sections of the resort, all available to the Esmeralda guest except no kids in the Ambar pool. The pools are all meticulously maintained. The water feels fresh in the morning, but can get quite warm later in the day. I found going for a swim in the ocean (which was warm itself) made the pool dip afterwards feel even warmer. The Esmeralda pool nearest the beach has a gated area for children to swim in very shallow water. This area seemed to be mostly for very young children or babies with their parents. Next to the gated area is a beach style graded pool entry for kids & adults alike. It was nice to lounge in this area. The pools were never crowded & very much oriented towards a family atmosphere. I much prefer that to the rowdiness in the pool & the pool bar littered with guests drinking all day long but never leaving the pool to use the bathroom. Loungers & Umbrellas: The towel game is alive & well and in full effect at this resort. If you go down in the morning any later than 7:00am, most of the umbrellas & shaded areas were “reserved” with one or two towels draped across 3-4 loungers. During our stay, the staff took the unprecedented step of removing unoccupied towels from loungers & placing personal items on the ground next to the loungers. One couple near us mentioned they’ve been coming to Esmeralda for five years & never saw this happen before. I guess the complaints the resort was getting pushed them to try to curb the “towel gaming”. I’d seen staff the previous day recording the number of unoccupied loungers covered with towels several times during the day. The reactions some people had to the staff doing this was unbelievable. Marching over to the towel hut & tearing a strip off the poor staff member stuck there. I felt so sorry for the abuse the staff had to endure over their efforts to be fair to “all of their paying guests”. Anyone who went to the towel hut & squawked was given a new set of towels (contrary to the resorts policy) after being cautiously re-informed of the resorts policy regarding reserving loungers. After getting their new towels, for the most part all of the guests re-reserved what loungers were still left & then disappeared to return when they felt like it. Enough of my rant on the towel game. This is a guest issue, not the resorts fault. The resorts cannot win this fight. Beach Loungers: Towel game here too, but there are so many chairs to choose from. The ones in front get taken first, but I preferred the ones in behind that are shaded by an abundance of trees. It’s just gorgeous. The Beach: I already spoke to it above. Just beautiful…what’s more to say? The Rooms: No complaints here. Clean & tidy with the necessary amenities. This resort was the first time I noticed that the AC could manage to keep the room cool & reduce the humidity. In fact, on several occasions were turned it down a notch because the room was turning into a meat locker otherwise. Food: The food in general was of a high quality. On occasion it needed to be warmer at the buffets. There was something for everyone. If I had any complaint, it would be the desserts. I’m not a big sweet tooth, but my husband & son are. They said that the desserts had no flavour, no taste whatsoever for the most part. It was suggested on the forums that we go to the buffet on the Tuesday seafood theme night. It was good, but no better than the other theme nights. The A la Cartes were very good, except for the desserts again. The desserts were buffet style. I prefer no buffet options at the A la Cartes, but that’s just me. We ate at Le Pescadore, Bella Italia, Takara, & the Garden Grill. Don Pablo was adults only & Le Gourmet was under renovations. We enjoyed all of the A la Cartes, but Le Pescadore & the Garden Grill was our favourite. If I can give an advice on the A la Cartes…..ask questions about the different dishes or you may be disappointed. At Bella Italia, my husband went with the classic spaghetti with tomato sauce…nice & simple…& he was happy. I chose a prawn & lobster linguini & my dinner arrived with a giant portion of the lobster (body part – no tail & no claws) with its beety eyes still intact staring at me. I was expecting cut up lobster in my pasta, not a battle to remove it from the shell. Had I asked I would have been told what I was getting. Another piece of advice is if possible, the more straight forward dishes will be better. The less complex the better. Entertainment: We did not take advantage of the resorts entertainment nights, but heard they were well done. Just don’t expect broadway. Drinks: Some people complain about the drinks being watered down. My husband & I found them to be just right. No complaints here. Staff extremely attentive to our needs. We were politely declining refills from pool serving staff; they were so efficient….otherwise we would have been loaded. Wifi: Free in the lobby. We opted for the total resort coverage for $49 for the week. It was well worth it for our son. He found the internet signal strength strong. We used it occasionally & found it quite fast. Timeshare Staff: Pushy, but they stayed around their desk in the lobby & were easily avoided. Staff: Awesome. The Dominican people are delightful. Occasionally found a bit of a language barrier speaking English, but if you know French, that appears to be the second spoken language there. A few shout-outs to some of the exceptional staff we experienced while on our holidays. Wait Staff Victor from the Garden Grill. Wait Staff Victor, Hector & Carols from the Los Geranios buffet. Victor was like “The Flash”. He was always on the move tending to the guests needs. Wait Staff Juana from the Jasmine buffet Front Desk staff Santos & Oscar Wait Staff Luis from Le Pescadore Esmeralda Pool Bartender Maximo Esmeralda Pool Wait Staff Robert – such a nice young man. ……And our favourite most memorable staff member was our Esmeralda Pool wait staff member Josefina. She was so endearing, funny & attentive. Ask her for her special cocktail……my husband loved it. We will definitely be returning to Esmeralda.

Grand Sirenis Tropical Suites: great family vacation

The resort was beautiful, the people were so friendly and amazing, the pool and beaches were great, food was good as well. But because the beds were so brutal I would not recommended this hotel. The beds were extremely hard and I felt bruised from sleeping on them, I didn't sleep well the whole week.

Occidental Caribe: Fantastic Resor

We just love this resort. This is our second time at this resort. The people are fantastic . Mini Mi, Papa Juan,Carlos,Sonia and Happy Face are incredible people. They really make the resort. They are a must to stay at the resort!!!!! Enoc in the buffet was such a great kid too. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. Can't wait to go back and see all our friends. :)

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Beautiful resort

We had a very good overall experience. When we arrived at Esmeralda we were immediately upgraded to Ambar. The food was excellent. There was a theme night every night at the buffet. Dinner on Easter there was so much chocolate, yum. The staff are fantastic, pool and beach very nice. This was a very clean resort. The only negative was that you had to get up at 6:00 to reserve a chair at the pool or beach which I said I would never do but here you had to.

Grand Palladium Palace: Great resort, property, food, staff and weather,

Buffets were amazing as were the a la carte restaurants. I am disabled and the staff was respectful and very accommodating. The rooms, as well as the grounds were kept very clean. Nightly entertainment in the various hotel lobbies was very good. The wifi throughout the property was good most of the time. Flight and transfer logistics all went smoothly. We were very pleased with this vacation.

Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana: Awesome Resort

This resort was everything we expected. Close to airport. Very Clean, Easy to get Around, Friendly & Helpful Staff. Food was good. Didn't need to "save" chairs each at the beach each morning - beach is clean and raked. Entertainment was the best we have seen in Caribbean - Very Good. Didn't use pool. DID not have people with hands out for tips although tipping is appreciated.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: relaxing vacation at the melia Caribe

This is our second trip to the Melia. first time we stayed in the adults only royal service section this time we opted for the elegance club. Our next trip we will return to the Royal service as we found the pool and the exclusive restaurants for the adults only section well worth the upgrade. The restaurants offer excellent choice, however they removed the reservation process which tended to make the wait longer to get into the restaurants. Our room was very good and the house keeping staff wer [... read more]e excellent. We golfed at cocatel 4 times during the week with green fees covered as part of the elegance package however the cart charge at $65.00 US a person ($154.00 CDN a couple) was an increase over our first trip and as a result not impressed with the cart charge, however the golf course is in great shape and we had no wait to tee off. My wife and I finished a round in 2 hours and 45 minutes which we enjoyed. Our tripcentral experience was excellent the service and clear instructions from our agent took all the worries away in regards to the flights and hotel.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Unbelievable Resort

Amazing food, grounds, beach, pool and staff. This was our honeymoon trip that has been on hold for 10 years........it was the best chance for my wife and i to reconnect and enjoy the sun, sand and surf.

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: OK Resort (not a relaxing resort)

This resort is extremely large and very busy. The number of pools and long beach are insufficient to accommodate the number of people when the resort is at capacity. Lounging chairs were hard to come by and finding shade was practically impossible; unless, you got up at 0700 AM to reserve the lounging chairs that had shade. The food was ok, though quality protein was non-existent. There were line-ups to enter the buffet restaurant at supper time, which was annoying. Overall, I think this would b [... read more]e a great resort for singles and maybe families with children but not for couples seeking to relax.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Great hotel!

Great beach, well kept grounds in keeping with the natural look. As with all resorts, it was always difficult together loungers and pools but there were areas to sunbathe at then pool and lots of trees on the beach. Food was very good.

Whala Bavaro: would not return

Customer service Roberto and Jose very helpful and efficient Grounds clean and need .Room Maids very hard working. Buffet average. Coffee the was the worst we ever had in any Bavaro Resort we will not return to this Resort

Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: punta cana

The resort was lovely the people super nice and very attentive. My only issue was the insane hard sell of the star club I said not interested repeatedly my husband unfortunately got us involved with a tour and it took us a while to get away from the sales lecture .I will not accept a free vacation with a sales pitch attached why would I take time out from our vacation to listen to the hard sell. Other than that, our ac was fixed promptly the food was great and life was good though losing a day t [... read more]o a commercial was very unfortunate

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Very beautiful and charming.Lots to do

Beautiful,Lots of privacy, noise free, service good,Occasionally was difficult to get directions from the staff. Lack of English speaking staff. Directions were quite frustrating. However we found our way around via the very good on grounds cute little taxi wagons. Almost no waiting.