Breathless Punta Cana Resort: Enjoyed our stay

First of all the above picture is not what our room looked like! Our vacation was over 9 days, at Breathless, Punta Cana. The trip from the airport takes about 50 min to arrive at hotel, check in was quick, a brief attempt to upcharge to a “better” room, starting at $90 a night and then when we said no, he tried again at $60, we still said no and he gave us a “free” upgrade, which was what we were getting anyway. A king bed, 2nd floor room, pool view, or courtyard view. Our room 1236, w [... read more]as directly across from main pool where after day in sun we were able to watch the end of day activities! There are time share salesmen but we managed to avoid them,we were not interested and they left us alone, we did say a few white lies to not have to endure the talk and pitch for the package. The room was clean, worn in areas, bed spread or throw at end of bed had stains on it. One chair to put suitcase on, ample storage and closet space.They provided robes and slippers which we used, nice and soft terry cloth. Air and fan in room worked well. The shower and bathroom could have used some grout work, shower slow to drain, needed to turn water off during your shower to insure it didn’t flood. Toiletries are provided, manly smelling, good for males not females. The towels are thinning, we asked for bed linen to be changed by housekeeping, and she did, left her candy everyday and room was nicely done. We met the daily bar fridge restocker, Willy, who was awesome! He took the time to meet us, we found out about his family, and even when he was not stocking and just in hotel, he smiled and asked if he could get us anything, always smiling. We only had to call for coffee and water on first day, but after we met Willy, never again. Also at al la carte dinners, they have a staff member ask if everything was acceptable in your room, if you needed anything, request turn down service or anything else that you needed for room, and by time you returned from dinner it was done. We went to all al a carte dinners except for Sian, we were fortunate to meet Nicholas at the beach BBQ,on our first day, and he then arranged our first al la carte at the Culinaria, he was our server and he made sure the dinner was outstanding, and for rest of the vacation we went where he recommended, and was working, and we were not disappointed, had great dinners every time. Only the second time at the Italian did I have a meal which I sent the appetizer back, and then also had a terrible entree, could not eat it, the server was rude, not our Nicholas, so it was disappointing. We ate breakfast at the buffet every am, great variety. We ate lunch at the beach BBQ, lots to choose from, great burgers, paninis, fries, pizza, salads, fruits, ice cream, never went hungry. The beach drink servers were fabulous, Ariel and Ricardo need a big raise, as they walk miles on the beach bringing you drinks, water, and smiles. Beach is beautiful, can walk for miles in any direction, “shopping” vendors up off beach, there are areas that are public beach, so need to be careful. The resort is lively, pool entertainment is theme based,nightly entertainment varies and they post a schedule daily. The only complaint or concern we had was that although it is an adult resort, 18+, there were very young students at the evening entertainment, from the sister resort Now, who were there drinking, “watching” show with 2 Mothers of the teens who were not great role models at all, who were also drunk, not interested in anything other than picking up the entertainment staff. The “young” adults were loud, swearing and pretty much behaving like idiots, and security did not really do much to stop them that evening and again the next day on the beach. The self indulgent rich spoiled kids, who have obviously no regard for manners or how to behave in public without their parents. So for that reason I would probably check to make sure that the minimum age for a resort is 21, when I stay somewhere again. Or perhaps the resort should not allow minors to attend adult evening shows, as they were adult theme, and stay off the beach where they could not be served, put bracelets on the underagers is a start. All in all, a great party atmosphere, good restaurants to eat, no reservations required, be prepared to wait a short time, great beach, make friends with the waiters and be pleasant to the staff, they work hard, and in turn they make your stay memorable.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Relaxing resort!

We thought the property was beautiful, well spaced out and very relaxing atmosphere. There was enough to do without having to leave the property. The food was reasonably good. The appliances in the room (refrigeration) was rather old and it would be nice to have a coffee maker in the room so guests can have cup of tea/coffee when they wake up and before coming to breakfast. Overall a good experience and a relaxed holiday. Nice and friendly staff, especially the activities / engagement team.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Gran Ventana Resort - a good time

Gran Ventana resort is clean, and the staff is helpful and accomodating. Food and drinks were plentiful and available till midnight. At the buffet restaurant there were always free tables, at any meal sitting. Entertainment was lively, each night. Pool activities were plentiful. Rooms/facilities were nice. We felt very secure on the resort's premises. Beach is relatively small with limited number of palapas. Swimming was an issue, as there are coral rocks in front of the hotel's beach. These roc [... read more]ks are 1 ft below the water's surface. Therefore only wadding is possible. However, no problem swimming in front of other nearby beaches (of adjacent resorts). This resort does not offer usage of sailing boats (small catamarans) as in other resorts we visited in the past. We shall recommend this resort only to people/families not interested in on the ocean water sport activities. Note: If you stroll the Playa Dorada beach, beware of the time-sharing sellers operating from the nearby Gran Paraiso Resort (Gran Paradise).

Excellence El Carmen: Incredible resort!!! Adults only

I don't think there are enough good things to say about not only the resort, but the staff, food and spa at this resort. On the first day we arrived, the weather was a little rainy. So we went to the sports bar where we met Felix, our new friend and bartender. This guy made my day with a Crown Royal and soda, and made a variety of drinks for my wife. Now you would think that with as many guests that show up at this resort, Felix would have a hard time remembering not only the people, but the [... read more]ir drink orders as well. NOT THE CASE! This guy was awesome. Thank you Felix! We also went to a variety of the restaurants while at the resort and the food and staff were great. Alexander from the Grill, Leonardo from the Lobster house and the Kitchen Table just to name a few. We stayed in a Junior Swim up suite and can't stay enough good things about it. The room was always clean, and to be honest, nicer than our own room at home! The swim up option was perfect as it gave us some privacy but also allowed us to catch some sun and still take a swim. We also took advantage of the Spa which assisted in the relaxation of the trip. The massage therapists we had were Ana Delia and Eva and they did an excellent job. The hydrotherapy prior to the massage was pretty cool as well. Very well thought out spa. And I know it was a vacation, but I still hit their gym a couple times and it was very high end. Their equipment is all brand new and the facility is very clean. Fresh fruit, nuts and bottled water is provided while at the gym. I would recommend this resort to anyone.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Great Resort

This resort was amazing after the initial check in. We arrived and they were double booked so we were told we would be upgraded. We had no idea they were overbooked though. We thought that was great and after doing tons of paper work left to go next door. When we got there they had nothing and were told we had to check in again...another hour or so...and that is was because our resort was over booked and we would have to leave and go back there after 2 days. Not a happy group. We just left and w [... read more]ent back over and said upgrade someone else. Who wants to spend and afternoon of only one week moving:( After getting checked in finally and me not having a fridge we found the resort to be excellent. There was lots to do, lots of activity and the food was also good. The beach was one of the cleanest on the strip and always found a chair. The pool was large and lots of chairs as well. The steakhouse and Italian restaurants are both really good for an all inclusive. The maid service also was excellent. Carmen was a doll. Got us a new fridge and filled it with beverages!!!!!

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Excellent choice

Very good price to quality ratio. The resort was quiet, well kept and the food selection adequate. No need to get up at 5am to find a chair and a good spot. However, many hotel guests were reserving prime spots for the whole day , yet only using it very sporadically. This is very frustrating. There is plenty of safe roads around the site to do some decent running. The bicycles should be replaced, they are very old. lddj

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Great vacation spot with a beautiful beach

Well maintained resort despite its age...very friendly people .. Beautiful beaches.. Main pool gets very crowded at times I wish there were more pools in service especially on the west end. Also I found main pool closing at 6 pm is a bit early an it does not look nice to be kicked out with a whistle blow. Rooms were nice.. But furniture was old drawers were not working properly.. Nice to have fridge to be filled up with choice of cold drinks also chips.. I liked it... Lobby was very crowde [... read more]d due to free Internet most of the time.. Over all we enjoyed very much If I have a chance I would go again.. Very friendly staff.. They try their best to fulfill the requests as much as possible.. Getting into bath tub was not designed properly it was a bit dangerous there should be a handle to hold on to.. Also water pressure was not to much even on the first floor.. Buffet food was ok. It would be nice to have dedicated vegetarian section. Wait time at the French restaurant was way too much but food was good...

Sunscape Bavaro Beach: Terrific experience

Resort was clean, rooms were clean, showers were awesome. Staff were very helpful, restaurants were very good, good variety of food for lunch and breakfast. Evening entertainment was good Our first all inclusive experience and we were very pleased

Viva Dominicus Palace by Wyndham: Great vacation

The hotel has a lot to offer. Awesome beach area. Ocean view room that we upgraded to needed an update badly as opposed to 4 years being at the same resort, but a garden view room. Buffet appeared to has less variety, but the food was great

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Amazing!!

I love this place. I go 3 times a year and always stay at this resort!! The food, staff, and all involved are great. Very clean. Anything you need they will get for you!I have no complaints. I would recommend this resort to everyone!!

Iberostar Waves Dominicana: Nice resort but over-priced

Here is our breakdown of our trip to Iberostar Dominicana, Punta Cana. Room: We requested both with our agent and the hotel itself a room on a upper floor, which we received, and something fairly close to the ocean, which we did not even come close to receiving as we received a room overlooking the reception lobby, gym and Spa. Noisy and very unhappy for the $2000 spent each (x2 people). When we went back to reception after seeing our location, after much heated discussion the head at recepti [... read more]on finally moved us from building 3793 to 3893, which was immensely better and for this we were grateful...at least we could see the ocean even though not right on the ocean. They originally wanted us to pay an additional $60 US/night/person for this room but finally said “for no extra charge”. Reception and Guest Services: Nice people who when advised of issues did handle them in a timely manner and also were good about following up. Food: The food was average and nothing special. Very repetitious even though write up on the resort said variety on a daily basis. Line-ups were long and took forever to get through. Ordered a glass of white wine and got a Coke, which I do not even drink. Bars: Probably the best service on a resort. Bartenders rotated service on a regular basis so you never had to wait too long. Much friendlier in the lobby bars as opposed to the beach bars. Entertainment: The Iberostar Punta Cana (IPC) and Dominicana (ID) both had nice nightly entertainment. The staff were friendly and provided a happy environment. The Star Band was very good at IPC and the live shows at ID were good as well. No complaints in this area. On resort survey: Very poorly done. This was the ONLY day that anybody in the resort volunteered extra customer service (offered to drive you anywhere all day long) and main buffets cared about handling their clients. While I was trying to complete the resort survey, I was interrupted at least 5 times by someone telling me to give them a good review. The manager/supervisor did so much as to stand at my table and read my review and while I turned it over he asked me what I was hiding and was I giving him a bad review. Unbelievable. The next day the service went back to what it was before “survey day” and nobody volunteered drives or cared about your happiness in the buffet restaurants. So blatantly obvious. Size: The resort is HUGE and far too busy for us. We never could get a seat at the poolside and fortunately they put down more umbrellas at the beach so we were able to get seats there on a daily basis. Recommendation: I would never return to this resort. More $$$ does not mean better value for the money. Our previous experience at Iberostar Costa Dorado in Puerto Plata was fantastic value for money (about $500 per person cheaper) but definitely not this Iberostar resort. Iberostar Costa Dorado was far less money per person + we got an ocean view room, which faced directly onto the ocean!!!

Royalton Splash Punta Cana: Amazing Resort

This is the first time we have been to Memories Splash. We would definitely go again. We were with our son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons. It is an excellent family getaway. We enjoyed just sitting beside and in the pool with the boys. It was a very relaxing vacation. The weather was terrific. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They couldn't do enough for you, very accommodating. The servers in the Selection restaurant were wonderful. Wilkin and Valentini always made sure that [... read more] our 4 year old grandson had his chocolate milk. It's just a small thing but important to him.

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Very good resort

It was my first time at this resort. The location of the hotel is perfect. Only 25 km from the airport.... Beach front resort. The beach is smaller than showing on the picture but still beautiful and clean compare to other resort on the same beach. The resort itself is clean and the vegetation is beautiful. The resort size was perfect for us. We where in the farthest block from the lobby (#5) and still within 10 min walk. The staff where very nice and I was suprised that they speak multip [... read more]le language. The food was good to all the restaurant, including the buffet. Nothing outstanding... but everything is good. We also enjoyed the fact that we didnt had to reserve in any of the restaurant. Just like every resort I have been.... the wine taste bad... and the drinks at this resort are also made with cheap alcool. You need to specify barcelo rum if you want to have good rum...otherwise it's cheap. The room where ok and clean every day. Overall, It's a really good resort quality/price compare to other resort in Punta Cana. I recommend this hotel to everyone and I wont hesitate to go back.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Great resort

The personnel at this resort are fantastic. The ground is in great shape. The rooms are in good condition. The beach is OK. The pools are great. The pool bars and the lobby bar are a great place to hang out. The pool restaurant and the buffet restaurant served great food. The problem with this resort is giving access to US high school groups for their senior years. They have no respect for the other customers and it is the same for their parents or chaperones. The hotel should have them  [... read more]signed a waiver to behave. They are wild, noisy and rude and so are the parents. I told one father that he was not allowed to smoke at the lobby bar, he turned around and stayed at the bar. More security needed to take care of this problem.

Cayo Levantado Resort: Amazing Resort

Amazing on all levels. From the food to the picturesque setting it was all perfect. It didn't disappoint. Am already planning out trip back because it was that wonderful. Would highly recco this place

Sunscape Bavaro Beach: Fabulous vacation

Just home from a fantastic vacation with four families, 17 in total. The resort was beautiful, grounds were well maintained. Food was excellent, a la carte Restraunts were all great. Buffets all had lots of choices. Beach was OK, geotubes in the water to help with erosion were not the prettiest site. And lots of seaweed but resort had people raking the beach all day long to keep the seaweed to a minimum. Entertainment staff was non stop, activities at both the beach and poolside areas. They [... read more] put on a huge Easter party for everyone. It was amazing. My only issue with the resort was we had requested adjoining rooms because we are a family of 5, we didn’t get the adjoining room, had rooms on opposite ends of the hallway. So we had to separate and each stay with the kids in separate rooms. Overall it was an amazing vacation.

Sensatori Resort Punta Cana: Most relaxing and indulgent vacation

Having gotten married at the Sensatori in Mexico, we decided to try the Sensatori in Punta Cana as well. Both resorts are fabulous. The service is amazing for both Sensatori resorts. We booked the honeymoon suite and were not disappointed. It was worth every penny. We were upgraded to the Premium section upon arrival. The suite was beautiful, the bedroom walls opened up to the ocean view. The food at every restaurant was so good. We enjoyed K23 for the 8 course meal experience. W [... read more]ok Wok is Asian fusion and the food was delicious (I'm Asian, trust me in this one). The buffets were delicious, I never got bored going there. Everything was so fresh. If you're a foodie, you won't be disappointed with this Gourmet - Inclusive resort. The beach was well kept and there were always chairs to be found. Book the private cabanas early though, those are in high demand. The loungers around the infinity pools get taken by early morning and don't free up until after lunch each day. The premium section and adults only sections are quiet and always have loungers though. Even though this resort shares property with the Nikelodeon resort, there are so many places to go for adults only if kids aren't your vacation preference. As for entertainment, I really enjoyed the live performances all night every where we turned. The resort hires very talented artists from around the world.

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Awesome vacation

This resort is amazing ... very big and very busy but very well maintained. The grounds are immaculate, the rooms and bathrooms everywhere are very clean, the best I've ever experienced . The staff are wonderful, very helpful and pleasant. The flight and ground transfer were seamless. A big thumbs up to Tripcentral and Shauna Langille ... thank you for a wonderful vacation. The only downside was the bugs, bring your bug spray and use it, my sister was severely bitten and reacted. However our tri [... read more]p was still amazing

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Amazing, as usual.

Second trip back to this gem. My husband and I vacationed at the Ambar Green two years ago for our honeymoon; it’s better than we both remembered. Excellent food and service! Impeccably clean and great entertainment. We’ll definitely be returning in the future.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Wonderful Vacation

My wife and I had an amazing time at the Luxury Grand Bahia Príncipe Esmeralda.From the time we arrived until we left the staff went out of their way to make sure we had a great time.Norielis in Guest services had all our A La Carte restaurants booked for us and filled our request for the building we wanted to stay in.Building 95 was close to everything,the quiet pool,the small buffet ,the lobby and the beach.She even had a bottle of champagne and a fruit bowl sent to our room to help my wife c [... read more]elebrate her recent retirement.The food is really good but one of the A La Carte Restaurants over cooked the fish and the service was extremely slow.Other than that everything else was great.I definitely would recommend this hotel to all my friends and family.Truly an enjoyable experience.