Secrets Royal Beach: Beautiful, Comfortable but not yet a 5 Star

We have travellled Mexico and the Caribbean extensively over the last 30 years therefore we believe we can give an honest review of Secrets Royal Beach. We enjoy adults only resorts and have now been to six different Secrets resorts. This resort is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are immaculate and very pretty. We arrived on Dec 9th, the drive from the airport was very comfortable, and short. Our room was not ready when we checked in, however, we expected that as it was just after noon (our fl [... read more]ight was very early in the morning) but at 3pm our room was ready. Well worth the short wait. The room was well appointed, spotless and very pleasing not to mention very comfortable. Thank you Ana Rosa for doing a great job (rm 4310). We stayed at the beach the entire week during the day. It was perfect. Soft sand, great palapas for shade and very comfortable loungers. We had read that the vendors on the beach were bothersome, but we didn’t find that at all. A few approached us but we just said “no gracias” and away they went. The water was murky the first few days due to rain the previous week but cleared up half way thru our vacation. The only complaint we would have is that there is only 1 restroom for all the guests on the beach. More are needed. Suggestion: move the photo booth to the lobby and put in more restrooms. The pool was just a very short walk from where we sat on the beach. It was surprisingly cold to get into but after a few minutes felt good. It was clean for the most part, however the lazy river could use some scrubbing. It looked like algae was starting to build up under the water level. The lazy river is great to float around or even walk through. A very big negative for us, around and in the pool was the smoking. Many times we saw people smoking IN the pool. This should be outlawed immediately. Ashes are dropping into the water (gross) and people are waving their cigs around and could poke another guest in the face. We know that the DR allows outdoor smoking but other Secrets resorts have designated smoking areas. There is nothing worse that sitting by the pool and someone nearby lights up a cigar. Not only is that inconsiderate by the other guest, but the hotel should step up and ask these people to refrain around non-smoking guests. Answer: designated smoking area. Keeps the pool area clean, odor free and all guests happy. The foam party was awesome, but again we saw other guests smoking during this fun event. Simply an accident waiting to happen. Moving on. We were extremely happy with the Seaside Grill and The Himitsu restaurants. The food and the service was awesome. Jenrry, Juan Carlos and Edisson made our day. Great service from these gentlemen. The ribeye in the Seaside was to die for. Comparable to The Keg here in Canada. Soooo Good! The hibachi table was fun. We went to The Himitsu our first night and watched the hibachi tables and saw that Edisson was the best so we booked for his table when we went later in the week. He did not disappoint. We had a fun time with him. The buffet, La Riviera was somewhat disappointing. Unless you went to the omelette bar, the eggs sitting out, as well as the French toast and pancakes, bacon etc were cold. You had to get them and take them to the omelette bar to get them heated up. It is a smaller buffet than most of the other Secrets we’ve been to. All in all though, the food was good tasting. We would like to thank Juan Duarte , Rudy and Liliana for their great service. All in all, our vacation was very positive. The weather was simply fantastic. Our only real complaint was the bar. As Canadians, we drink Canadian Club rye whiskey (CC). The Secrets brand advertise top shelf spirits, however this Secrets either didn’t stock it in their bars or kept it hidden. Then they would try to pass off bourbon to us. We even had a server roll his eyes at us when we asked for Cc and sprite. Generally their answer was that they didn’t have it. We had read on TripAdvisor before we came that management ask that you go to see them while you are on your vacation rather than complaining about it after you are home, so we went to a manager, Raquel about half way thru our vacay. For the rest of the week, all of the bars gave us no attitude and always had this liquor, except the pool bar. They actually had some hidden below in a cupboard, told us they didn’t have any, but once we mentioned Raquel’s name, all of a sudden they had a bottle available. This type of practice brings the overall guest experience down. We love the Secrets brand so this type of behaviour is unacceptable. Guests are paying more for this brand than other resorts so please don’t nickel and dime the guests. We would like to thank Raquel for assisting us in getting our Canadian Rye Whiskey. It tastes so much better than bourbon! Our stay was very relaxing and comfortable. We would rate this resort a 4. Im sure if the smoking and the bar service was addressed on a daily basis, it could rise to a true 5 star in no time. It certainly has the foundation to become great. Until the smoking issue is addressed, we will likely continue our journey to other Secrets before returning.

Riu Republica: Very good Report

It was very clean and tidy hotel. entertainment was great and food was good, but the restaurant was okay. Daily program was fun and all the helper and entertainer were fantastic. All together was really very good.

Excellence El Carmen: Second visit this year

I was there in July and again Dec 17-21, the place is amazing. I am an avid traveller, vacationing at least 2 times a year. This is the first resort I have visited twice. The resort is beautiful, very clean and the staff are amazing. Book an excellence club swim out room and you don’t have to leave your room. Pool is right there, fully stocked bar fridge with premium liquor, 24 hour room service and a short walk to the beach. I’ve been to all the restaurants now, my only complaint.. portions [... read more] too big lol fantastic food, service is amazing! Aqua therapy massage was an experience, I regret that I didn’t try it in July. I expected the shows at night the be the same as in July... all completely different. The staff truly make sure you are having a good time. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to be spoiled

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Fantastic Holiday

I was unsure of this holiday docto is getting a great price over 3 months in advance but it was awesome. Staff was helpful and courteous. Everything was clean and tidy. Entertainment staff was friendly and interactive.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Riu Bachata

Drinks were mixed poorly or with poor ingredients Stage sound was terrible and needs echo suppression pools were excellent food was very good. Housekeeping very good llllllllllllllllllllllll Llllllllllllllllllllll

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: First-time "resorter"

Reasonable price for all-inclusive get-a-way in the sun. Rooms need updating. Buffet did not always appear to be the freshest (some of the food items). Great to have daily omelette cooked on the spot. Very satisfying. Frustrated with ATM out-of-order (but no signage to indicate same). A-la-carte restaurant dining very enjoyable experience......décor, service, food selection. Friendly, polite staff.

Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana: Dreams palm beach

Mediocre overall. 4 stars at most. Limited activities. One staff member was very pushy about upgrading our room to the prederred one. The resort is very small and the food selection and quality was very limited.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Good Food-stay away from the Ala Carte-bad guest service experience

The buffet was good, excellent choices of fish, waitstaff were quick to clean up and top up your water/coffee/wine. A different story at the Ala Carte, orders were messed up, wait staff in a hurry/seems agitated or rude, quality of food was bad. Evening shows were great and there were activities by the pool from 10-6 everyday. We had a delay in getting our rooms upon checking in and the guest service agent was hesitant to explain about the activities available at the hotel despite having no line [... read more] behind us. He kept asking us to ask our Transat agent. Dont buy the VIP lounge voucher offered by Transat as the agent(Merieve=Canadian from Quebec) claimed that there will not be a/c nor decent food in the airport, however, we were just fine and there was a duty free shop and a decent place to eat. I slipped and fell on the hallway over a puddle of water. My husband went to the front desk to alert them so they can clean up and to see if I can get some help. On the way he met Merieve (Transat agent) and they both went to the front desk. There both of them claimed that I might be faking it. I would think that being a Canadian you should know better. First, you ensure the guest is alright, then you clean up the puddle so that no others fall. Instead, they make an audacious statement. Shame on you both Merieve and Danny! This has definitely affected my overall experience both with the hotel and with Transat. I was on vacation to relax not to swindle Pesos

Paradisus Punta Cana: Great Time

The hotel grounds were extremely well kept and very clean. There were ample chairs to choose from at the beach, never had a problem finding a spot to enjoy some sun. A recommendation would be to have some palapa’s put on the beach so that if you require some time in the shade it’s available. We did rent a covered sun bed one day for a very reasonable $25 USD. The waiters will serve you all day until your little heart is content. The only complaint we had was our room didn’t get cleaned 3 d [... read more]ays in a row. We don’t spend very much time in our room, so after one little phone call we received fresh towels without any hesitation from the front desk staff and an apology. The food was great, with lots of selections to satisfy even the picky people. Also, unlimited a la Cart reservations was a nice perk. All in all had a great time!

Secrets Cap Cana: Nice resort and great location

Very nice grounds Plenty of room on beach and plenty of lounge chairs and towels Very clean No need for butler in preferred section as there are plenty of lounge chairs (no need to reserve) and no reservations required for dining Unfortunately dress code NOT enforced at restaurants which is disappointing for those of us that pack dress clothes (many guests wearing shorts and t-shirts to dinner) Purchased west jet indulgence package (daily use of water circuits, bottle of spirits on arrival  [... read more]and special turn down service )that was NOT recognized at this resort West jet rep was rarely on location English language barrier Service at restaurants inconsistent Very good entertainment Room service and housekeeping very good Spa services and romantic dining on beach WAY overpriced Excellent WiFi service Resort shopping lacking in variety

Excellence El Carmen: Amazing Resort / Sub-Standard stay

Hotel, grounds were amazing. I was staying for a 1 year anniversary. Excellence El Carmen made this 1 year event a very bad memory for my partner and I. Anniversary dinner was forgotten on 2 consecutive days. No flowers were left in room until a complaint was filed. At that point it was too late.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Good times had by all ...

We really did enjoy our stay at Be Live! We got good advice from hotel staff and great suggestions for excursions. Activities onsite were frequent and a fun staff organizing competitions, aerobics, dance lessons etc. The grounds staff were always busy ensuring that the whole site was clean, even the public beach (I guess all beaches in the DR are public) was kept very clean! ... oh, and they had a Pasta bar that was Amazing!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Awesome vacation

This is a small but beautiful resort. We were there for a week to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday and were pleasantly surprised to find that most of the resort was on one level which is great for anyone with mobility issues. The staff at the resort go above and beyond to make sure you are happy. We travelled with a group of 22 people and every evening when we went to the buffet they had a table ready to accommodate us! This was all thanks to Johaira ( la burla) and Francisco (Coco). We would [... read more] definitely return to this resort.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great staff !

Hotel was very clean and the staff are amazing. I have Celiac desease and have struck food allergies and was sick at every al la cart we went to but did fine in the buffet if I stuck to the grilled meat and salad. There was a huge selection of food for my family however. The staff treat you like family and are always smiling. Beach is nice. Overall a great 9 day vacation for me and 21 other family members who were celebrating our mothers 90th b-day. Thank you!

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Nice hotel but missing a few essentials.

We had a great time, however there is no swim up bar or lobby bar. It’s was missing a good place to socialize. It was hard to meet new people or chat with them. Happy I wasn’t travelling alone. My bf also got pretty sick on the last day. Something he ate, our guess is chicken. Other than that, the rooms were clean, the food was good, the people are nice for the most part. I feel like tipping is very important there, compared to other places I’ve been to. I didn’t really like the fact t [... read more]hat locals were permitted on the resort on weekends. They took over a lot of pool space and it was a lot more rowdy. I had asked this question before booking and was told it only happened on off season so was disappointed to learn the opposite once we were there.

Cayo Levantado Resort: 10 days in the sun

This was our 3rd time in DR. We only stay in adult only resorts. Before my hotel review please note: 4 hour transfer from Puerto Plata airport to the hotel + 3.5 hour flight from Toronto West Jet airport agents in Puerto Plata barely speak English. Hotel: fairly nice rooms - it was very humid in December and our clothes despite AC felt dump all the time. One annoying feature - every time patio/balcony door was open AC was resetting to 27C. Minibar, especially alcohol rack filled only sp [... read more]oradically not daily as advertised, despite calls to the reception. Wait staff can hardly communicate in English. Service: definitely not 5 stars. Everyone is looking for tips, even for mediocre/poor service. Beach/pool waiters were ok. Food: Good quality in all restaurants as well as in a buffet. Entertainment: So, so. We went to random 3 shows and did not bother after a while. We did not go on any trips except privately to Samana. USD 40 for a return taxi trip.Prices in Samana stores are 60% lower than in a hotel shop. Good security on site.

Punta Cana Princess: Beautiful resort

This was one of the best resorts that we have been to. The staff was friendly, food was excellent and the beach amazing! Everything is within walking distance. The grounds are well groomed with nice carvings.

TRS Turquesa: Beautiful!

We just returned from this beautiful resort! Beach was amazing, warm water, white sand. There are several pools, all beautiful. Food was ok overall, didn't like that we had to make reservations for dinner and could only get 6pm slots for all nights. Overall great holiday!

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Good value resort

We stayed in this resort in spring of 2009, 2012, 2013 and decided to visit it again in December 08-15 of 2017. Our room 1218 is a regular junior suit and we found it in overall good technical condition and the housekeeping was also very good. A very friendly personnel is in all areas of services; all are polite and eager to assist. We felt very comfortable of staying in full harmony of the excellent weather, pleasant environment and good maintained premises. Thank You All !

Excellence El Carmen: Excellent!

The Excellence El Carmen was by far the best resort I have ever visited. The customer service was great, the food was great, the hotel was clean and we had an overall wonderful experience. We would definitely go back to this resort or any Excellence!