Occidental Caribe: Upgrades and repairs much needed.

The resort was fine but the staff lacked emotion, no smiles and most could not speak English and finding someone that could was almost impossible. The food was always cold and the lineup for (hot) breakfasts were long. The resort itself NEEDS repairs to the rooms. Lamps were broken, shower heads were clogged, electric outlets were loose in the walls. The maids walk into rooms after 1 knock without waiting for a reply.( I got caught with my pants down) literally. They need more staff around the p [... read more]ools for drinks. There was only 1 per pool.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great Resort !!!

This is my fourth time here. I always enjoy the Resort. The staff are wonderful especially Andrea who is the pool bartender. The rooms are always very clean and always have plenty of towels. The buffet is well stocked and there are many choices to choose from whether its for breakfast or dinner. They have evening entertainment and afternoon games and music. I definitely will be going back!!

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort Spa and Casino: Beautiful Resort

The resort itself was beautiful, and the staff so incredibly helpful, polite and friendly. My family and I stayed from Dec 23-30, 2025. The rooms were clean, well appointed, and looked brand-new. The bed was very comfortable. We had a pool view over the adult pool, and they were able to put our children (18 and 21) two rooms over on the same floor, which was very much appreciated. The beach was fantastic. The one thing I have come to learn about Punta Cana, is that the calibre of the resort als [... read more]o reflects on how well the beach is maintained. If you want a clean beach free of seaweed, then stay here. We saw many other resorts that didn't clean up the seaweed as well or as early each morning. It makes a difference, because the seaweed attracts bugs like noseeums and sand fleas that bite. Lopesan's staff were very diligent about keeping the beach clean, and would collect the seaweed every morning. We swam in the ocean every day, and the water was beautiful and warm. I was worried that the section in front of the hotel wasn't deep enough to swim as per the photos, but it was quite deep by the buoys, and you could swim and tread water without difficulty. The food was decent. There was a huge selection for the buffet. The restaurants were much better. If you can book into the Mexican, Steakhouse, and Asian restaurants, I would highly recommend. Avoid the French restaurant, and the Italian was fine, but basic. The hotel also had a casino with roulette tables, where my family had fun each night. The chips are $1 USD, so you can play without feeling like you are breaking the bank. I also took advantage of the spa, where I had an 80 minute massage for $100 USD, and it was excellent. Overall, I would recommend this resort, and go back again. Negatives: There is a drain/mould smell in the lobby that the resort tries desperately to cover up. I found it really strong on my first day, but by the time we were going to leave, I barely noticed it. I would recommend getting rooms as high as possible to avoid it. We were on the 4th floor, and didn't notice an odour at all.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Exceeded Expectations!

This was an over Christmas trip… this was one of the cheapest late booking places available that we could afford when we discovered we didn’t have to work over Christmas. Kids are older, we didn’t have to wait for Santa before travelling. After reading reviews, I had low expectations. But after 2 years of not travelling and cancelled trips due to family situations and work…. we just needed to get away. Both kids had been to the DR before…. my wife and I had been to Haiti… we sort of knew wha [... read more]t we were getting into. We just wanted a beach. Flew AirTransat and will say they’ve up’d their game a bit. Good flight, nice people. Getting luggage was a bit dicey in the POP airport. Thanks to trackers in all the bags we rounded them up. A booth outside had airtransat on it, the gent there directed us to the bus. A ‘porter’ suddenly showed up and grabbed our bag. Seems ok until he holds it hostage for $5 US lol. The gent at the desk arranged that one so know they are in cahoots. If you don’t want it, just get directions and shoo the rest away. Was too tired after being up at 1am for the flight to care. The shuttle bus was a large tour bus. We were missing a person so we waited an extra 45 min in aircon. Good thing about the Blue Bay Villas…. you are the first stop and of course close to the airport, a mini mall (which sells all the stuff they sell on the beach plus coke - important info to know, snacks and fairly cheap booze… with a sports bar set up for Canadians… they posted the Canadians and Leafs Schedule), tennis and walking paths which appeared fairly safe even at dark. Check-in was made simple. Hand your passport, sign in, get a wrist band, a refreshing cool drink and another porter to your room. Now you’re down $25 in tips lol. We booked a superior room. In honesty I was immediately disappointed. Cheap looking furniture, no carpet as seen in the pictures, slightly moldy bathroom, No working lock on door, safe locked and no way in, bad lighting from ceiling fan that didn’t work. Room was very cool though. We checked out the kids room… much better in appearance with a lock, better lighting and working fan. My son did say “This is much nicer than the last place i stayed”. Stepping back, those were MY initial impressions…. the sheets were clean (well, not the warm blanket in the closet with the big stain), the bed hard but nice enough, fridge with some presidente, water and ….pepsi. (Why was everything pepsi and even worse… diet lol. Now you understand the coke comment from before. Rum and diet pepsi… tastes like a Dr.pepper knockoff). Bedside table held our stuff, just needed outlets. If i had a c-pap or something i would’ve been in trouble without an adapter. Nice decor on the bed and room. Guess what… By the end of the week I was sitting on the balcony enjoying the room, the birds and the noise from the resort next door…. just learned to not use the room coffee maker…. has not been cleaned for a while. Just go to the bar for the coffee machine. Oh and the shower is a tinkle of water. You’re in there for a bit longer getting the soap off. Potable water in the sink… remember that brushing your teeth. Food - I think if you complain about it your expectations were waaaay too high. The food was perfect! Omelette bar in the morning, extra things I wouldn’t normally eat, lots of fruit and juices, coffee, breads and oatmeal/cereals. Lunch we usually ate at the beach bar for a snack still being full from breaky but the Main buffet was loaded for lunch while the beach bar had hot dogs, burgers, rice/beans and the best coated fried chicken I’ve had since KFC changed their recipe. Dinner/Supper in the buffet always had a theme and a special meat and food items. The a-la-cart three restaurants… everyone raved about the Italian restaurant as you waited in the line starting at 9am to book. We honestly liked the Asian best, italian then Seafood. Nothing wrong with the Seafood but the selection was a bit thin. But they did offer Chicken! The resort… well kept. They painted all the paths (which are quite narrow and hard to pass some ignorant folk who walk side by side), kept the grounds clean, some broken and loose tiles. Three pools - one with morning exercise and afternoon festivities which are loud; second pool right beside with afternoon volleyball and loud. Third pool near the gym and spa… small, peaceful and quiet. The bars kept the drinks flowing. The Gym….. well never mind. They have a bike, elliptical, weight bench and weights up to 50lbs. oh… and a scale so you can scare yourself after each meal. More than two people… just wait your turn. For the weights… not the scale. The beach. Had a chair everyday. The cabana folk were up way too early for me to want to grab one. In the summer the water is clear, on our trip, sand was murking it up. couldn’t snorkel there. But…. it was sooo warm and wonderful. I hate the ocean. I scuba and that’s it. This, this was awesome just to float and enjoy the tranquility of no jelly fish, sea snakes or something else nibbling my toes. Hate to say i enjoyed it but i did! Activity wise on the beach…. Felix is the man. He makes it flow down there and kept us entertained. He is a great guy and if we ever go back I’m bringing him the biggest tip of anyone. He deserves it for the work he does and the effort he puts into it! You can kayak, sail on the small catamaran, volleyball… get sunny. If it wasn’t for the land sharks walking around selling the wares (same ones in the mall), massages, hair braiding, ‘Today only buy one cigar, nothing for free…’ and Mamawanna Mamawanna… it would be the perfect time at the beach. At night always a show. They put a lot of effort into it. Only prob is if you’re exhausted, it goes until around 2300 so can be loud in your room. The Christmas Eve buffet was fantastic. A roast beast (piggy) was being sliced up, amazing foods and treats and the decor was from a nutcrackers nightmare. They did good! If you are looking for an adult only resort, feel safe at this one. Many people expressed their surprise at the quality of the facility. There is some shady stuff in the background. Won’t get into it, Don’t look for trouble. But do tip. We didn’t do a great job but every meal 2-5$ plus a 20$ for the a-la-cart. The omelette bar always got at least a $1 per plate. And every time we filled our yetis at the bar, we tipped $1/drink. Others did more, some did nothing. Once you learn the wages, you will want to tip more! They have some amazing people working there. Take the time to talk and get to learn about them… you’ll have friends for life! You could have the best resort but if the people don’t match, it’s not the same. Blue Bay has some good ones who will make you laugh as they enjoy life! There are better resorts in the DR. I’m confident they are also more $$. I do honestly believe we got our moneys worth. But don’t drink the offered wine, buy the better bottle. Try a glass of each red and white. You’ll understand… but don’t look it up online. Sometimes leaving the wizard behind the curtain is best.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: *** Casa Marina Reef in Sosua**** BIG NO, NO !!!! Never again !!!!

My husband and I went down to the Dominican Republic for the first time ever at Christmas. Dec.23 to Dec 30th 2025 flew down with Air Transit. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything good about this Resort. Repetitive buffet which was very small, my husband ask for a cup of coffee and the waitress told him to get it himself over at the coffee & tea station, which was very rude. The a la cart was not at all what it said it was, it was slop!!! Don't even think about going to the bea [... read more]ch!! It was off limits due to the high waves; therefore, we never got to put our toes in it, the pools were overrun by kids... Lots and Lots of kids. My husband got sick, so we went to see the Doctor on site. We walked away with a hefty bill of $ 969.00 US dollars. We desperately wanted to return to Canada to see our Doctor, which was almost impossible. However, after three days of continuous back-and-forth communication with Air Transat, we managed to secure a flight to Montreal, but at a price of $ 1,000.00 US dollars one way !!! But we were not out of the woods yet, we had to hire a taxi to get us back to Ottawa to pick up our vehicle. The rest is history, but in conclusion, stay away from this resort !!!! It's just not worth it!! .

Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Beautiful peaceful resort

We stayed in the level and therefore had access to the quieter area of the beach. Although as beautiful as the sand and water is, the shore and ocean is full of seaweed so swimming was not pleasant. All the food was great. Both at the buffers and the restaurants. Only one I would stay away from is Muoi as food was not good there.

Whala Boca Chica: Whala Boca Cica - Fair stay

You will not find exactly what is advertised. The WHALA Hotel advertisement (hard copy pamphlet) is still showing WhalaBocaCica as a 4* hotel while it is barely a 3* hotel. The pictures on the website do not show the real and actual situation, they are old, stock pictures. The resort get split in the middle by the presence of a private restaurant, which is off limit for the hotel's guests (only if you pay at the restaurant), thus reducing the access to the beach. The sandy beach got shrunk co [... read more]mpared to what is shown on the website and pamphlet, the beach beds were not in enough number, you had to reserve them early in the morning and there are no palm trees on the beach for shades. Quite noisy hotel with loud music all along the day and loud commotion during the night as a restaurant is open late in the night, just right beside the hotel.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Value for money & time

It is located a short drive from the airport. A very clean and well maintained resort. It is the smallest one I have been to however the benefits are that you don’t have to walk long distances to get to the restaurant or cafés and even the beach is right there. On my trip all the staff at the Cafe , bars and restaurants were amazing. Customer service was great. Cleanliness of the rooms and the public washrooms was fantastic. I also noticed that this resort was very wheelchair friendly althoug [... read more]h I do not have a use of it. There were ramps everywhere, which is great. In case someone from the resort is reading this I would request that staff be trained to wipe down the steam nozzle of the espresso machine after each use. Nightly entertainment was good. Entertainment was great. I cannot think of any shortcomings.

Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: An Unforgettable Christmas Stay at Dreams Macao

Our stay at Dreams Macao was absolutely incredible from start to finish. This resort truly exceeded all of our expectations and created memories our family will cherish forever. Our 11-year-old daughter took surfing lessons for four days, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. The instructors were professional, encouraging, and made her feel confident and safe while having so much fun. Ask for Rocky to book your lessons and any excursions. The water park and lazy river were also a huge  [... read more]hit—endless fun for kids and adults alike, and perfect for both excitement and relaxation. We treated ourselves to the spa twice, and both visits were pure bliss. The atmosphere, service, and treatments were top-tier—exactly what you want on a vacation. The food was outstanding throughout the resort. Every meal was delicious, beautifully presented, and offered great variety. We looked forward to every dining experience. We especially loved the Preferred Club, which made our stay feel extra luxurious. The service was exceptional, and our swim-out room was an absolute dream—peaceful, private, and perfect for unwinding any time of day. Dreams Macao perfectly balances luxury, family-friendly fun, and relaxation. We can’t wait to return and would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for an unforgettable getaway.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Sunscape Coco

This hotel was wonderful. Everything was close so there wasn’t a lot of walking. The beach was beautiful. The grounds were clean, the rooms were clean, the buffet was lovely lots of choices and the green juice was delicious. We were there over Christmas and the Christmas Eve dinner was one of the best I have ever seen. Above and beyond all the way. Our house keeper was so beautiful she was friendly and was singing Christmas songs. She gave me trouble when I tried to help make the bed haha. Look  [... read more]for Tony in the buffet he is so friendly and speaks excellent English. If I had to say something negative it would be the noise. There are a lot of carts travelling on the pathway and they are very loud. The beach did have a lot of seaweed too but that’s nature. They didn’t use bracelets so we even got to try out some sunclub features because some of our party was staying in sunclub. Over all I would go back and I would get sunclub swim out room!

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Good budget resort.

We spent a week over the Xmas and the place was very busy. The rooms were ok, close to the beach and to short distance to everything. Where this place needs improvement is the food options, services, starting with check-in: it took more than 1h and was past mid-night. Buffet service is slow and sometimes inexistent, waiting for a glass of water or a beer and sometimes was easier and faster to help yourself. Food options were very limited and poor, if I compare with our last experience in DR, [... read more] for example Ocean Blue or even Senators from Puerto Plata. The beach is nice has lots of chairs available and lots of shades, there was lots of sargassum, and that got cleaned up a few times in a week. The hotel that is the neighbor to left, did a way better job in cleaning it. The entertainment was fine with shows every night. I would recommend this place with one condition if you can get it very cheap. If you get a very good deal, go for it.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Incredible stay at a beautiful resort

We loved our stay at the Bahia Principe Ambar. The beach was the highlight for me - miles of gorgeous smooth sand that we walked for hours on end. The staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. The pool is beautiful and a very comfortable temperature. Although the resort was "at capacity", there were always loungers available at the pool and the beach. The rooms are huge and beautiful. Open bathroom/shower concept so just be forewarned if that's not your thing. Our young adult kids (ma [... read more]le and female) were sharing a room and that took a bit of scheduling for privacy. The restaurants were beautiful and the food was pretty good. The main buffet was very plentiful and if you don't love eating from communal supplies, there was always menu items you could get made to order - eggs, fish, pasta, etc.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Great for what you pay.

No one seemed happy to be working there Food was okay Hard to get into the restaurant beside buffet Lots of seaweed Tony is the best server in the buffet by far Had a good time but could had a better time if I payed more.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: A wonderful Christmas

The hotel grounds were immaculately kept, with flowering bushes everywhere. Main pool noisy with lots of activities, but a quiet pool available elsewhere which was just what I personally preferred as I was travelling alone. Buffet restaurant exceptional. Christmas Eve dinner at the buffet restaurant was really exceptional..Only ate at the Caribbean a/la/carte which DID not simply repeat the buffet but had some interesting options with good sized portions. Exceptional attention paid by staff  [... read more]to accommodate allergies. Rooms consistently cleaned, fridge stocked, air conditioning working well. Beach was kept very clean...unfortunately vendors were especially aggressive, so I ended up avoiding the beach after the first few days. I have visited Resorts where the vendors are in a roped off area like a little market and you visit them there...I would wonder if this might work at Gran Ventana. My only disappointment was that the evening entertainment consisted primarily of 'resort games'...perhaps some of the performers had time off for Christmas. I was there for 8 nights and saw only two 'choreographed' shows which were lackluster at best. Not what I was led to believe from the resort reviews. But I would definitely plan a repeat visit.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Beautiful Property, But ...

Beach - Amazing and beautiful. Unfortunately, it was closed for alot of our stay (not the fault of the resort, they wanted to keep their guests safe). You can, however, walk around the outside of the resort to the public beach and access the beach that way when the resort has the beach area closed. Pools - There are plenty of pools onsite and they look beautiful. They are maintained daily but still have a lot of stuff floating in them by late day. The biggest issue with the pool (and beach [... read more]) was it could be very difficult to get towels - they ran out multiple times each day and there were days we tried to get towels more than a couple of times and were unable to do so. Rooms - We had two rooms for our group. They were basic, but functional. We requested two queen beds in both rooms but ended up with 1 king in each room. Not a big deal for us, but not sure if they actually had queen rooms or not. One of the rooms had moldy curtains; the other room, the curtains didn't close well. There is no iron or coffee maker in the room, and they are really stingy with providing bottled water. The supermarket is a 10-minute walk away though so you can always grab some extra bottles of water there. Shower leaked all over the bathroom floor in one of the rooms. When you ask the hotel to fix something (i.e. the shower leaking all over the floor and making it very slippery, or for extra towels), they always say they will send someone up right away - but they never show up. Our biggest issue with the room, which could have been resolved by the resort easily, is there is only 1 key card provided per room - which meant we got locked out of our room alot, as the key is also used for lights and A/C, and when not locked out, we had to find the person with the key card to get back in if we went separate ways for a bit. We asked numerous times for an extra key card for the rooms and were always told they didn't have any to give us. Watersports - When we booked the resort, both motorized and non-motorized water sports were listed as included. When we arrived, motorized water sports were not included and the only non-motorized water sports available were boogie boards (which were a lot of fun). They indicated they might have 2 kayaks we could use but that they would first have to check if they would float before they could let us take them out. Scuba Diving - Diving is available on site and their dive team is great. They have an amazing divemaster / instructor who really took the time to make sure my family enjoyed their first dive, and to get them comfortable diving. There was a free diving lesson offered in the pool. The cost of diving, while never cheap, was reasonable. The diving experience was amazing and the highlight of our stay! Food - The resort proved they can wow you with an amazing Christmas Eve dinner; however, they choose not to "wow" the rest of the days. Buffet meets minimum requirements and there is nothing wrong with it. The buffet offers a mix of local Dominican food and some North American staples (like potatoes, french fries, carrots, beans, etc.). There is no maximum for the a la carte dining and there are multiple options (tex-mex, italian, and seafood). They were all good, but again none of them went the extra step to make it a "wow" meal. There are tons of restaurants within a short walking distance from the resort; while we did not eat at any of them, we heard they were good. The community seems fairly safe to walk around - we had no issues and they have their own "tourist police" so lots of security in the area. One thing that was lacking was a snack bar of some sort in the evenings. After the buffet closes, there is nowhere to get anything to eat. Entertainment - There is a performance show most evenings - and while we went to them all, we did not enjoy most of them and walked out early on a few. What they lack in imagination and creativity, they definitely try to make up for with booty shaking. There are supposed to be daily pool activities, but we found they almost never happen as scheduled and so if you are not hanging out at the activity pool (which is crowded and loud), you will miss the activities. There was no posted activity list that we found, except on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and while we were at the activity pool on these days to participate, most of the scheduled activities did not happen. They do have a Silent Disco Night - which ended up being fun once you gave it a chance - the first night it was inside and we ended up leaving as everyone was just sitting listening to their headphones; the 2nd time they ran the silent disco it was outside and a lot more fun. Location - Beautiful location but it is further from Puerto Plata than we anticipated and not all excursions we looked at were available from this resort. Those excursions that were available were often limited to specific days - and they all seemed to go on the same days. Definitely not a deal breaker for us as we found ways to make it work, but something to be aware of if you have specific excursions in mind. Overall - While rooms are basic, they were functional for the limited time we spent in them. The resort itself and the beach are beautiful. This resort has so much untapped potential and if they upped the service a little bit with more engaged staff, ensured better availability of simple things like the beach towels, provided enough key cards for each rooms guests, and made it easier to get bottled water for your room (you do have to brush your teeth with it after all!), this resort could be a really great place to vacation. As it was, we would not return to the Casa Marina resort given they don't put effort into the little things that make a stay more enjoyable and the cost was high for what we got.

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Perfect Peaceful Escape

We had an amazing stay at Bahia Principe Grand Samaná and couldn’t have chosen a better resort for a peaceful getaway. A special thanks to Colleen, who helped us pick this resort — it was absolutely the perfect choice for what we were looking for. The resort is quiet, relaxing, and very well maintained, ideal for couples or anyone wanting to disconnect from busy, crowded resorts. The private beach is beautiful, clean, and never overcrowded. You can always find a quiet spot to sit, listen to t [... read more]he waves, and truly relax. The food exceeded our expectations. There was a great variety at every meal, with fresh ingredients and flavorful options. The à la carte restaurants were excellent, and even the buffet felt well-curated rather than repetitive. We especially enjoyed the fresh seafood and desserts. Staff throughout the resort were friendly, professional, and genuinely helpful, making the stay feel welcoming from start to finish. The rooms were spacious, clean, and offered stunning ocean views that made mornings and evenings extra special. Overall, Bahia Principe Grand Samaná is a hidden gem — peaceful, scenic, and perfect for a relaxing vacation.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Great resort plenty to do beautiful location

Very nice and well maintained resort with an excellent staff. The food is good with plenty of choice. The beach is very pleasant but the surf can get rough at times. There were plenty of people snorkeling but I don't so can't comment on how good the view is. Lot's of entertainment and activities and kids seemed to be having lots of fun. The pavilion that acts as reception and lobby is beautiful and a very pleasant place to just sit and do nothing out of the sun. Would definitely recommend for [... read more] couples and families.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Think Twice

This hotel was not at all what I expected. I chose an adult resort because I wanted peace and a little maturity, but that was not at all what I experienced. The most irksome issue was the smoking (both cigarettes and cigars), which people partook in recklessly and ubiquitously- perhaps because it was an adult resort and they felt it fine to inundate adults with second-hand smoke. We would be in the dining room and smell cigar smoke (there was a gentleman who sold cigars right outside the dining  [... read more]hall and constantly smoked his product- advertising it, perhaps?) as well as cigarette smoke. As a result of the unceasing second-hand smoke, I could not participate in any of the entertainment events as the smoke chased me away. When I finally complained on the last night as I wanted to catch at least one show before leaving, I was told that there were non-smoking areas. When I asked where these areas were, they said "any indoor space." I replied that it was a resort and that there weren't any real indoor spaces except the bedrooms. The dining hall, though roofed, was an open area. I felt very limited in what I could do and enjoy and opted just for walking on the beach, which was nice but not worth the price I paid for this trip.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: What a great places to relax ?

This hotel has everything anyone could ever want. Great pool side sever provided by Nelis and Ismael also Angle and Jean. They really took care of us. Our butler Nelson did a great job at taking cake of all our needs. Overall this resort is a definitely a return place.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Overall good resort

Bahia principe Aquamarine is part of a complex of resorts. The buffet was largely catered to the US cuisine with fresh eggs counter at breakfast- Irene was great! Rooms were a 3/5. However, you don't go there to stay in the rooms. The bathrooms don't have anywhere for humidity to go- so be prepared for that. Dinners: You have to reserve your dinners at the restaurant ahead of time or you will get a 10 Pm slot. We tried the Mexican 2/5- themed service was bad. They forgot our food and we wa [... read more]ited for about 49 Minutes while others who came after us were served and offered drinks. The Japanese restaurant was the best.4/5, el Olivia Italian was ok, the salmon appetizer was the best, tuna not so much. 3/5 Be prepared for your orders to get mixed up a bit. Entertainment was really good. The pools were 5/5, away from the party scene at Bahia Punta Cana which you can access (family resort- too chaotic for us) You don't have access to Ambar, however I wouldn't pay more for this adult resort. You have to walk through this to get to the beach or take the tram which is every few minutes Drinks - G&T and mango daiquiri were the best. Local beer is light. Avoid the house red wine/ in this heat, it will taste like vinegar.