Sunscape Bavaro Beach: Lovely resort

The Sunscape Bavaro was lovely. The grounds are beautiful, the pools are clean and lovely. The dining rooms were clean and the staff happy, helpful and courteous. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The maid we had was efficient, her replacement not so much. We upgraded to the Sun Club which was not necessary. The food was ok. I find the food in Punta Cana all the same. They did offer great hamburgers, pizza, fried chicken, French fries for the days you didn't want beef, fish,etc. Our  [... read more]friend hurt her knee and within hours her room was moved to the ground floor and all she had to do was call and a golf cart would pick her up and take her were she needed to go.

Sunscape Bavaro Beach: Resort was fine!

We stayed for a week at the Sunscape Bavaro and found the pools and beach were wonderful. As with most resorts there was a shortage of sun cotts...the drinks were great and well made. Marvelous mojitos! The food was ok....not grear" just ok. But there was alot of selection so you are always able to find something and no one ever went hungrry. One of our party had a real bad knee and it acted up trying to do the stairs to our room...she was moved immediatley to a ground floor room upon reque [... read more]sr and could call for a golf cart for transportation any time. Everything was kept clean and everything in our rooms worked!!! Entertainment was fine but we are not really into it so not fair to judge. We really enjoyed having an after dinner coffee from the cafe' All in all , it was fine. Not exceptional bur fine.

Viva Heavens by Wyndham: No negativity here

Rooms were very clean and spacious...food fantastic...al a carte are walk in no reservations. Snack bar fresh and tasty meals. Entertainment team very friendly and busy...pinkie and betty boop were amazing with guests. Ocean sands clean.security guards very friendly. Could use more covered areas for rain days

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Awesome!

The hotel and grounds were absolutely beautiful! We ate at the buffets and three of the a la carte restaurants and found the food to be very good, no complaints there. Rooms were spacious and clean though a little dated. Staff were friendly and very accommodating. The only issue we had was with the 18 hole golf course. We had trouble booking morning tee times for a twosome - even though the tee sheet was wide open and next to nobody out on the course. Finally on the 3rd day the golf club e [... read more]mployee told us they do not allow twosomes out before 12:30, really?!! My husband and I have traveled to many carribean golf resorts and have never encountered such an issue. Had to argue with the staff as no one had informed of us this rule when we booked our trip. Eventually it all worked out and we were allowed to play morning rounds on our last 2 days. So beware - if you're a twosome hoping to play morning rounds of golf you may encounter some push back.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Great resort

This resort offers great value. We were fortunate to be in recently renovated rooms which were really nice. The grounds are well kept. The food is good.....not excellent. Very difficult to get reservations in the specialty restaurants though. We were suppose to get 2 during our stay and we weren't able to secure any!! The entertainment team is the awesome.

Excellence El Carmen: This resort is pure luxury !!!

We were extremely pleased with our entire stay at Excellence El Carmen. The resort was impeccable and it's simple design really highlighted the beauty of the ocean and environment. Our room was beautiful, the walk in closet and wonderful balcony making such a difference to other resort rooms. Everything was very clean and the room service was top-notch. The dining was outstanding, the variety of restaurants, the quality of food and the service was all excellent. We especially enjoyed the [... read more] Basmati restaurant and had to go more than once. The cafe and desserts was such a wonderful treat making this a great addition to the resort. The nightly entertainment and variety of amenities provides plenty to do. In general the service from all staff was fabulous, everyone takes great pride in excellent client service and making sure we are happy. Special praise goes out to the entertainment staff who worked so hard to ensure guests are enjoying themselves. We were so well treated by all of them, but need to give kudos to Bianney, Brayan and Jiovani for the special care that they extended to us through their friendly and welcoming natures. Especially impressive was the layout of the resort and the size of the beach. While the hotel was near capacity, it was hard to believe as there was always areas for privacy and quiet. The beach area is nothing short of gorgeous. We are already looking at how soon we can go back ! Karen and Dave

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Beautiful location, but poor management.

The Grand Bahia Principe el Portillo in Samana is situated in beautifully lush green surroundings. The beach quickly became one our favourites with many palm trees providing much of the shade and the mountain range in the background. Overall, the main part of the hotel is aged, but it appears well kept. The resort grounds are beautifully maintained. Our room, however, showed many signs of neglect, most significantly the musty smell, the air conditioning which did not work or worked poorly at bes [... read more]t, the lack of water (no water at all) flowing from the ‘hot’ side of the bathroom faucet, and the broken floor tiles. The view from our balcony was of a dilapidated structure/building (staff residence?). Thank goodness the fan worked to move the air around and the sliding balcony door opened. We spoke with the front desk people numerous times over the first 2 days and nights with no resolve. We asked to be moved several times but each time we were told the hotel was fully booked. Vacationers were checking out (and in) every day, but management refused to give us a different room. We received no compensation, not even a simple apology. Eventually we gave up, which is of course, what the hotel management counted on. Having no realistic options, other than packing our bags and waiting at the airport for 5 days, we made peace with the fact that management really did not care and that we were stuck in the smelly hot and humid room. So, we changed our mind-set and expectations and salvaged our vacation by enjoying the beautiful beach, the beautiful weather and the beautiful Dominican people. It really is beautiful in Samana. Unfortunately, you must pay for your vacation up front, which leaves the customer with little or no recourse when management fails to deliver on the promises they make to entice you to stay at their resort. Our only recourse comes after our stay: We promise to not ever return to the Grand Bahia Principe el Portillo in Samana or stay at any Grand Bahia resort anywhere in the world. The difference between the Grand Bahia management and us? We’ll keep our promise.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Amazing Resort but very big

We arrived at 12:00 midnight and escorted to our room that Tripcentral purchased only to find already occupied. Went back to Lobby and they assigned us another room. We where so disgusted for various reasons as not any where near the pictures we where sent by tripcentral. The next morning I went to the reception desk and after working with the Transat representative and a further cost of $450.00 US was given a room that we enjoyed for the balance of the week. I am so disappointed with Tripcent [... read more]ral I will not use them again or recommend. I dare say tripcentals reps going to the hotel certainly has a different standard of rooms than reporting. Bonnie Kenna

Punta Cana Princess: excellent resort

The resort is excellent, it's clean, comfortable, the staff is great, any issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently. I have nothing but good things to say about the resort. Returning next year for the 12th time. As for Sunwing they need better communication with their rep at the hotel, our plane was delay on departure but the rep was not even aware till we told him. The bus was also delayed and again the rep did was not aware. Took off from Ottawa late due to the airline overbooking the pla [... read more]ne by 0ne seat. The company should look into their operation.

Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa: beautiful resort

Resort was spotless, people were friendly, never waited in line for anything. We were with a large group and we could always get chairs at the pool and beach. recommend this resort. Very good for families of all ages.

TRS Cap Cana Hotel: Fantastic

Every aspect of the Alsol Tiara was top notch. the staff was always happy and friendly any problem was fix very fast. The pool areas were clean and salt system mean no chemicals smells and soft water. Food was plenty 6 different place to eat and the food was good and lots of variety to please most people.Shuttle service was always there and on time. Room service was superb all areas were clean and fresh. The only bad was no beach on the resort but for compensation there was bus service to take y [... read more]ou to very nice beach not far away. The security was very good and always there very secluded area. Thanks to all the staff for a wonderful stay and we hope to go back soon.

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Family resort

Public areas and rooms were clean and well maintained. Food quality was good but not much variety in food, very little seafood. Very limited snack bars. Waterpark was great for kids. Beach area was clean. There were only two night with entertainment shows. I recommend this resort only to families with little kids.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: A Beautiful Resort

I wasn't expecting a resort on such a hill but it made for great pictures. I loved the ocean where we spent most of our time. We enjoyed the food and the staff was very friendly. Although our room was dated, the balcony and king size bed made up for it.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Amazing Resort

The grounds were very well maintained. The rooms were good. The food was by far the best we have ever had anywhere else. Liked the fact that no reservations were needed for the a la cartes. The staff were very friendly and attentive especially Sandy at the lobby bar, Scobby Doo, Cupid and Jose Paulino. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Generally great except for sales pressure during expensive excursions

Having spent a week at Punta Cana by means of Air Transat, we thought you might be interested in our reactions and evaluations. You may also want to pass this on to the relevant Air Transat people. FLIGHTS: No complaint at this level. The 2 paid-for aisle seats materialized, to and from destination. We understood from the beginning that this was a “bare bones”, “no frills” service, and we were satisfied. No bumpy landings, no surly attendants. Fine. HOTEL: The Bahia Princ [... read more]ipe was wonderful. The room was great and well-serviced on a daily basis. The buffets were varied, tasty, and served in a clean, elegant setting. Some pools were more boisterous than others, but a range of noise levels was provided for different tastes. The nightly shows, however, were limited to children’s fare between 7 and 9:30 pm. So diminished appeal for older folk looking for a night out. The room TV, by the way, offered a wide range of channels in different languages. But the reception was grainy, as if it was ripped off from some distant antenna. FOOD 1: A side note on the specialized restaurants. Most places were taken before we arrived even though we stormed the reservation office on the morning of Day 1. Seems most clients secure them on the web prior to arrival. We were therefore surprised in the 2 restaurants we did try (the Dominican, the Mexican) that a third of the tables were unused. It may be that a significant number of the web reservations are forgotten. (SUGGESTION: The hotel might require such early birds to confirm their reservations upon arrival, or lose them.) FOOD 2: The specialized restaurants we tried were both poor in food quality and service. Cleanliness was not a problem, but orders were forgotten and the food was so-so. The buffets offered much better food generally and the “theme nights” were far more appealing than the specialized restaurants. The time wasted securing places in the restaurants, in other words, was not worth it. We ended up skipping the Japanese place. If they failed with Dominican and Mexican food, a success at the Japanese level was unlikely. EXCURSIONS: This was, by far, our biggest beef during our week in the DR. An Air Transat rep strongly recommended the “Safari VIP” excursion during our Day 1 briefing. Even the steep price (US $135/person, Can $341 for 2 as per bank statement) was worth it as it was like “3 tours in one”. 1) The small farm was OK as the tour guide was knowledgeable about plants, but it soon morphed into a 45 min sales pitch about dozens of drinks and skin-care products guaranteed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, smooth-out wrinkles, and prolong life. 2) the “cigar factory” soon followed with tons of choices for men and women. 3) The city of Igui followed the lunch. A huge concrete cathedral which we appreciated as a reflection of local culture. 4) Finally, the “lobster lunch” on a flat boat was dry, tiny and fairly mediocre with plenty of beer to spur things forward. The excursion guide was entertaining and knowledgeable, no complaint at that level. BUT AIR TRANSAT SHOULD MAKE UP ITS MIND. Either offer excursions filled with sales pitches and charge little or nothing for it, or cut out the heavy-handed selling and charge accordingly. Don’t charge US $135 for what is a mediocre day filled with sales pitches that includes food way below what is available in the hotel. So that’s our general report. Pass it on to Air Transat, please. James Keenan and Xiaoling Zhang

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Great resort.

This resort is currently under renovations. However if you are lucky enough to get a room on the tropical side you will not be disappointed with the renovated suites. The resort grounds are beautiful and very well taken care of. They do need to update the lobby and the one buffet. And I believe these renovations are scheduled for May-September this year. They do need to do some pool maintenance as it is also aging but not terrible. I must say that the workers take great pride in their jobs and a [... read more]re always willing to please. Japanese and Brazilian restaurants were awesome and a must during your visit. We did have issues with the temperature of the food on the buffet as we never we able to get hot food other than those stations such as the pasta or omelet stations that made it up as you waited. The resort is easy to walk as the walkways are flat and some are covered which was nice when it was raining. Never had an issue getting beach chairs or pool chairs the entire week. Entertainment was ok but nothing outstanding. Checked out the casino and they do have a couple card tables and some older model slot machines. Was fine for a little entertainment and it was fun winning some money!

Blau Natura Park Resort: Not bad resort I'd probably go back for the price

The food was great I'd make it a 5 star. The rooms were ok lije a 3.5 star just because they were old and only small beds if we wanted to upgrade to a queen or king it was 20$a person per night. The beach was dirty lots of weeds but that's not really the resorts fault but it was not cleaned daily. The pool and grounds were good loved the animals like lots of flamingos and some peacocks and other birds and ducks. But otherwise a good resort

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great place

This was our 5th trip to the Bahia Principe Anbar Blue. They have done some good upgrades. The activities around the pool has definitely been stepped up! Kayak races, trapeze artists, Zumba in the pool and big blow up agility sets. The only bad thing we had was when we went to the Don Pablo restaurant for dinner. Our reservation was for 7:30pm. By 9:00om, we had only had our soup course. We did something we have never done before, we got up and left. It's a great resort with lots to do.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: vacation from hell at the confresi palm beach resort

l would not recommend this place to my worst enemy it was a total nightmare, me and my wife both got very ill and the service in the hotel did not exist we could have died in our room and know one cared if we were dead or alive stay away from this place the only thing that would make this ok would be a full refund because this was not a vacation unless you wanted to feel like you where in prison.. the first day was ok until these vaulters zeroed in on you to get you to by into the v.i.p [... read more] and time share ,we were told that there was wifi in lobby but that didn't exist the front desk could not speak or understand English the food was ok the resort is all hills and stairs everywhere you had to take a shuttle bus everywhere you wanted to go not very friendly for seniors l asked for a Styrofoam container to get some food for my wife sick in bed l was told we will bring you some bread and crackers no food allowed that's when l lost it the front desk supervisor would not give me here name after l cause a seen at the front desk after many confrontation with the staff finally on our second last day there they where trying to help us with our needs a little to late l could go on an on about this place words could not describe what me and my wife think of this place. and the icing on the cake was we were delayed 3 hours longer than we had to cause air transat had to order a smaller plane to get us out of there

Emotions by Hodelpa Juan Dolio: A most relaxing holiday

The beach, food and service were all very good My excursion was wonderful I just wish some of the staff understood english better The excursion I took was wonderful Really got to see how the local people live