IFA Villas Bavaro Beach Resorts: Mediocre at best

The renovated rooms were nice accommodation beds were comfortable for a change. The pool areas really require updating. The food needs work. We had booked a superior room and we had a three story walk up that had absolutely no hot water and no channels on the tv. And on a normal vacation that would not have been an issue but one of us was very ill and was bed ridden for the first few days. We requested a move and had to ask several times but were eventually moved to the first floor. Where hot wa [... read more]ter was plentiful and a huge array of channels were available. We were looking at the back of a worn out building but having the hot water was worth it I guess? The pool was very much in need of some updating and a paint job. There was construction surrounding the whole complex. So NO direct access to the beach you have to take a real detour or a tram to the beach and not really sure what was available to you once you got there. Ended up paying for water when we finally arrived??? Food was identical every day for lunch and breakfast at the buffet. And the speciality restaurants were really not worth waiting in line for a reservation for, food was reconstructed from the buffets just plated and served to you at your table. Bar staff really don't cater, I always felt like I was interrupting they when I was looking for something to drink whether I tipped or not. When you tip a couple of bucks for two half glasses of beer with no smile just a sort of get lost look it is not encouraging to swim back up for a few more or to hang out around the bar. Don't forget anything on your vacation because the stores within the complex will gouge you with abandon. 6 oz of sunscreen for $19 American. My astonished look caused the two girls behind the counter to break into hysterics. I'm glad I could be there for them. We enjoyed our holiday regardless because we payed good money to spend a week in the sun. So go with eyes open and all will be well. Enjoy your holiday

TRS Turquesa: TRS turquesa hotel

Spent 8 days at the hotel for my birthday week. When I arrived I was welcomed by the butler brought to my room where they had a banner and balloons. A great touch. The drinks room pool and food was great We had a wonderful week with sunshine and lots of activities

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Great resort

We went to check in and got upgraded to the confresi the rooms were beautiful very modern and clean and very big rooms...just was disappointed that we didn’t get our bottle of rum when checking in I had to ask them twice and then a third time for it....fridge was only stocked once with two beers we left tips in fridge and they took it and didn’t refill the fridge all they do is replenish your water at times and if you wanted it you had to request it. We thought u would get atleast two beers  [... read more]and pop n water daily but you don’t at this resort...the resort is great the food was excellent except the Italian wasn’t a big fan of. The staff and entertainment people were awesome made our trip a lot of fun. But unfortunately at this resort you also get told if you loose your bracelet it’s a$200 U.S charge which two people had bracelets ripping and another lost there bracelets once found it....got a new one and second time around completely lost it. Sad to say we had to pay aside from that everything would of been excellent. I would recommend this resort but highly say to keep an eye on ur bracelets. We paid half the price in early dec compared to what it is after dec 15

Grand Bavaro Princess: Bavaro Princess is the best!

The Bavaro Princess never disappoints, even during construction the guests are the main priority and the service is beyond exceptional. This is our 5 time at this resort and we highly recommend upgrading to Platinum, it is well worth the extra you spend.

Riu Republica: Great resort

Great modern rooms , different restaurant every night, no reservation , awesome pools and swim up bars, friendly staff and service , beautiful long beach, entertainment and Riu fit ... all did at a great price !

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Highs and lows

Check in was a disaster. the hotel hustled all airtransat passengers into a room but after filling out paperwork took us to the front desk anyway. They should have packages with room keys etc if they are trying to save time. Our rooms were not what we requested and in fact they said they did not receive one of our requests. The hotel needs some updating. Rooms had broken toilets and showers. Everyday we had to run around to get coffee liquor or facecloths. Very disappointing that all th [... read more]e entertainment was off site and that the entertainment was sub-par. Having to pay for some premium drinks was also disappointing. The beach is too crowded with chairs as all complex guests must travel to the same spot. Not enough beach for the amount of guests. Weather was outstanding and food was good. Booking specialty restaurants was a challenge. When attending one that we had been told was completely booked, it was surprising to see that it was not full at all.

Breathless Punta Cana Resort: Amazing Resort

This was my second stay at Breathless Punta Cana and I will definitely be returning again. Upon arrival we were quickly checked in and given the upgrade that I had requested without hesitation. The atmosphere is upbeat and the E-team is there helping to make your stay as enjoyable as they can. Everyone of them try to make you smile as the pass by. Shaky Shaky and Super Gerald as well as Lady Ana and several others that I am sorry to say I can't remember their names, made a special effort to sto [... read more]p and share conversation even though they always had a busy schedule. The E-team put on excellent shows and considering some of the only started less than a month ago they were very impressive. The shows were great especially the Magic and Circus Acts. The buffet had an excellent variety at every meal and the service was great too. We went to the Steak House, Coquette (French Cuisine) The Dominican and Japanese specialty restaurants each one was excellent. We were not disappointed with any of the meals we had. The pools are huge so you can find a quiet spot if you like or join the party. I highly recommend going to Breathless Punta Cana. I'll be going back, just not soon enough.

Paradisus Punta Cana: very good resort

beaches we're amazing, the hotel suites we're good but some of them needed some work the lobby bar and all the restaurants are really amazing The Bona restaurant was really good all the staff were friendly

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana All Suite Resort: Nice Resort

It’s a nice resort overall but not a 5 star compared to to Secrets, Excellence, or Iberostar Grand. The best part was the weather and the fabulous powdery beach. The loyout of the hotel is long and narrow with some rooms facing construction or lane way to next hotel beside. The room was spacious and well laid out, but the butler service was a joke as all he did was show us the room which took 45 minutes from check-in. The food was average at best with limited selection at the buffet, the best [... read more] one being the Seaside restaurant overlooking the ocean. They serve Coors Light, Tecate Light, and Heineken if you are a beer drinker.Overall it was a nice vacation with a mediocre resort.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Loved it

The resort grounds and beaches were immaculately kept. The food was great. The staff were very friendly and extremely attentive. The only downside is that in Dominican, the beaches are public....so the locals are constantly soliciting you....it's not the end of the world but it definitely drops the whole experience by one star.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Wonderful Time at the Grand Bahia Cayacoa!

My husband and I travelled to Samana, D.R. during the last week of November, and even though I was anxious about the weather, we had sunshine and heat all week long! The resort is beautiful, clean, with breathtaking views! The staff work very hard to ensure their guests' stay is enjoyable, from the food right down to the cleanliness of the pool! There are alof of steps, and the resort is wide-spread, so if you have mobility issues, this may not be the resort for you. There are carts that wil [... read more]l pick you up and take you to other locations at the resort, but you must call for them, and wait for them to pick you up. We went off-season and our wait was very short, but it could be much longer depending on how full the resort is.

Paradisus Punta Cana: Great resort!

The resort was very nice and well kept. The rooms were spacious and only a few per building which was very nice. The food was excellent, both at the buffet and the a la carte restaurants, the Grill was our favourite!

Excellence Punta Cana: The Excellence was Excellent

On arrival in our swim up room we had a problem with bed bugs. After staff wss called to acknowledge, we were asigned another room in anither building, which was "thoroughly " checked by us and no signs of bed bugs were found (nonetheless, on return home, all suitcases, clothing etc was placed in a 140 degree bed bug killing case, for 2 hours, to ensure no bed bugs made our home, theirs) Food, hospitality, shows, restaurants on site were perfect. There is unfortunately a big language barrier, [... read more] making it very difficult to communicate needs, wishes etc. Our suggestion on our last stay at Excellence was to have food staff (in restaurants etc) educated on food allergies, which they did and now ask on entry to the many on site restaurants. Unfortunately, regardless of the fact we stressed our allergies to the Excellence restaurant "Chez Isabell" last week (Nov 24 to Dec 01 2017 stay ) my wife and i were both eerved food heavily Laden with nuts, which if my wife wouldnt have noticed, would have hospitalized us both, if we survived the anaphylactic shock. Excellence needs to pay closer attention to such situations (which they were very aware of yet failed to exercise)We now have experienced 4 stays at 2 Excellence properties (Punta Cana and Mexico) and regardless of some issues, we will return !!

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Adequate stay

Food was ok. Drinks were decent. Cats were limited Staff was friendly Rooms were clean BUT Roaches at the buffet🤨 WIFI adequate Beaches clutered Ala carte selective and even when not packed you couldn’t get a reservation. A lot of commission based ventures on site, so you can imagine the persistence of salesmen

Riu Palace Bavaro: Awesome Resort

Room was very nice and clean. Always had a well stocked fridge, bottled water and fresh towels. Grounds are amazing and clean. Three different pool areas and gorgeous beach with plenty of chairs for everyone. Food at the buffet was always good and steakhouse was awesome. Staff is very pleasant and friendly. Thanks to Kevin Dupuis from Trip Central for helping us with all details to make this a wonderful trip. Would definitely go back.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Great Facilities; mediocre food

We stayed here two times in 2016/17 and really liked it. This time, however, while the grounds and facilities continued to be very good, the food was not hugely enjoyable. Several restaurants were closed during the week we stayed; so, most of the time we had to eat in the main cafeteria. Although the roast pork and the roast leg of veal were good, most of the other days the food was not enjoyable. Service personnel were very pleasant and helpful. One of the things I like about this resort is i [... read more]ts size. I love to go for walks and walking to/from the restaurants/bars is very pleasant.

Paradisus Punta Cana: Awesome resort

Resort was amazing, rooms were kept clean. Service was amazing especially at the swim up bar Marcelo one of the bartenders was amazing and so sweet and also made awesome drinks. Resort wasn’t to big and your close to everything which was nice. The beach was beautiful. We really had no complaints we had an amazing time!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good resort

The hotel rooms are a little tired and need refreshing. The pool is good, there were lots of sun loungers available, there didn't seem to be an issue with people reserving loungers. Food was good, staff is wonderful. The grounds are well kept. The evening entertainment was sad😐. The beach is great, lots of space and a great mix of sun and shadey spots. Overall a good hotel, not great.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Finally

The Barcelo Bavaro Beach was a welcome surprise. Having visited the DR several times, we were expecting the same old same old. Not so here at the Barcelo. The amenities were marvellous but the absolute best were the open air dining areas where you could enjoy the sea breezes along with the delicious meals prepared by a smiling staff. They must be doing something right at the Barcelo drawing wonderful employees in all capacities. Nothing was too much for them to handle. The entertainment was [... read more] fun and very much designed for client interaction. The beach!!!! Divine in every way. More than enough loungers for guests and organized activities were designed in such a way that the mood was light and the music was not so booming that it disturbed the relaxed atmosphere where the rest of us could just relax or watch. The beach was empty of retail hawkers, having a separate area next door to the resort. This cut down on constant interruptions by vendors hoping to sell their wares. We could mosey on down to the stalls if we were in need of some retail therapy. The only complaint was having a male member of our group asked to change his expensive leather sandals to shoes (running shoes as it happened) before we could be admitted to the dining room. The women in the party were allowed to enter wearing rubber flip flops. This double standard left us frankly amazed especially since our feet were hidden under floor length table cloths. The "formal" attire of other female diners consisted of basketball shorts and workout tops. I would encourage the hotel to review their definition of "formal" in a relaxed beach resort, or, alternatively, to apply their definition to ALL diners. So rant over, I will definitely return to this Adults only resort. Great value for the money.

Excellence El Carmen: Excellence el carmen

First let me say that our travel agent, O'Neil Graham from Trip Central was/is phenomenal. The Excellence Resort never disappoints. It was our first time at a beach front walk in swimming pool right from our deck! and it was fabulous ...the views we had from looking out while sitting on our bed was our pool and the beach/ocean. It was beautiful. The resort is well laid out, modern and the staff are amazing! Whatever you need just ask them and they will try and make it happen. Things that I pick [... read more]ed up on since my husband and I have been to EPM is that at times are a little lacking at EEC is notifying the excellent club members of the special little events like the chocolate party or the sweets and treats party at the ex ellence lounge. I spoke to many Excellence club members that didn't get an invitation to the sweets and treats this week when we were there. My husband and I knew about this because of the Chocolate party at EPM. As well the excellent club members did not realize that the bottles of liquor in the room can be exchanged for a variety of different liquors if you choose to do so with the concierge. Concierge has a list of substitute liquor bottles. Also the excellent club's members did not realize that they were entitled to 1 hydrotherapy treatment per person in the spa free. Maybe when people are booking with trip Central the agents can mention these things as a selling feature to these properties as well. One thing to mention and I know it says it on the website is that Excellence properties do not have a buffet for dinner however the restaurants they do have, well let's just say the food is spectacular at these restaurants. Anyone that can't find something to eat while on this vacation is simply not looking or to me just wants to complain. Again a big, big THANK YOU to O'Neil Graham for going the extra mile and then some. Trip Central ... O'Neill is an awesome employee and a pleasure to deal with . Thanks again and we will be booking with Trip Central again and looking forward to speaking with you O'Neil again to book our future vacations. Sharon and Jason Horton