Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Terrible trip

On the second day, multiple people in the resort got food poisoning. My husband was so ill,vomiting and diarrhea at once, unable to keep anything in him for 12 hours. The clinic doctor sent him to the hospital via ambulance. We spent overnight there -my husband getting IV antibiotics of 2 types. When we came back, the buffet was no longer self serve and majority of food was wrapped in plastic. The grounds were tropical and lush but smelt of sewage-there was a leaky sewage pipe that ran out int [... read more]o the ocean.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Would not recommend!

Had to pay extra for wifi that was more down then up. The pools are not heated so were way too cold. Wasted hours trying to get reservations for our group and ended up with only 2 bookings for the worst restaurants and had to split our group because there was nothing else available. 7 out of 10 people in our group got sick.

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Very nice

Very good The staff was real nice restaurants are really good and the pools were very enjoyable I would highly recommend it to a lot of my friends the only thing that would be nice is if you were able to rent the golf carts this is a lot of hills there

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Ok resort

It was lacking the following : Booking restaurants was disorganized No variety of foods buffet or enough quantity Snack bars open late Bars clubs open late Activities On good note: Friendly hotel services Security Promptly removed noisy neighbours on last night

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Surprisingly Great!

Visited for 9 days during the busy holiday season, yet despite being busy, the hotel didn't feel overcrowded and there wasn't any waiting time for services. The grounds are pleasant and well maintained, the staff is exceptionally nice and helpful, the hotel is well laid out and the beach is large and very nice. Overall, I was satisfied and would like to return. My thanks and admiration goes to all the hard-working people there! You will likely enjoy this hotel if you like: 1. a smaller si [... read more]ze hotel where everything is super close by 2. a nice wide beach where you can get a lounger at any time of day without reserving one at 6am 3. a beachfront with calm water and no waves even when windy (due to reef and location at edge of bay) 4. the experience of a small airport where you don't have 6 planes landing at the same time 5. a short drive to the hotel from the airport 6. kitesurfing or want to learn to kitesurf. You will likely not enjoy this hotel if you: 1. love the beach and do not want windy conditions (mornings are usually calm, but afternoons regularly get windy - this is why it is a great place for kite surfing) 2. need huge variety of food to be happy - there is plenty to choose from, but not as much as in some large high-end resorts, though everything that is there tends to be quite tasty 3. want to eat at a-la-cartes daily (you get 3 per week only and there are 3 total to choose from) 4. want to play volleyball - although there is a net in the pool, there is no volleyball court on the beach 5. you love desserts and want to eat lots of them - although the food at this hotel is tasty, the desserts are the weakest part - bland, monotonous, using fake creams For hotel management: here are some EASY/inexpensive improvement suggestions that would make the experience better for guests like me: 1. Breakfast (and possibly dinner): Consider adding crepes with the usual condiments (whip cream, chocolate sauce, Nutella) 2. Desserts: Please increase the quality of these - use real whipping cream, make some mousses, etc. 3. Volleyball: Add a beach volleyball court and ensure you have a good beach ball and also get a proper water volleyball for the pool version of it 4. Foosball: Please fix or get a new table, the one there is put together incorrectly and barely works 5. Ping pong: Please replace the table with a new one. The surface on that table is heavily worn and the ball doesn't bounce correctly. 6. Beach towels: It would be great if your hotel policy didn't restrict getting towels to specific hours of the day. Not being able to replace a towel at 2pm when needed seems unnecessary, especially when there are fresh ones available. 7. In-room safe: (I know this one would be expensive to fix), but at some point it would be great to not have to use physical keys for the safe. Replace them with combination safes that are also slightly larger so they can fit a laptop. I also want to note: A-la-cartes: Food was very good, especially the Italian one. If you don't enjoy the food there, there must be something wrong with you. :-) Silent disco: Great addition and hugely fun - be sure to try it. Beach: There is coral in places underwater, but there are also clearly visible areas with nice sand. No need for water shoes. Beach is beautiful and wide, so bring any fun games you like to play (spikeball, frisbee) - there is plenty of space to play. WiFi: Hit and miss in some places, but I was able to consistently use it in the room and lobby for work and for WhatsApp calls.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Beautiful Resort

We stayed at Be Live in Puerto Plata and had a blast at this resort. The food was good, the staff were great, the resort and beach were clean and the views were amazing. Beach and ocean on one side, mountain on the other. We were there for New Years and the fireworks were incredible.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: very bad hotel

service and food was OK ,terrible room, no hot water for five days, the management level never give solutions for as and never show up. terrible experience,never recommend this resort .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [... read more]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: A great vacation

The Gran Ventana is a lovely resort hotel. This was our 4th time staying there. The staff are professional, friendly, and helpful. The buffet is very good with ample variety available every day. Everyone can find lots to their taste at every meal. We loved the beach: fine sand, lots of seating, daily swimming towels provided. We brought our snorkels and masks to enjoy swimming with the lovely fish and small sea creatures on the coral near the shore. Bring a banana to feed them - they will  [... read more]love you! As is usual in the Dominican Republic, vendors are allowed to sell their wears and services on the beach but we found them pleasant and not pushy. Of course the pool, daily optional activities lead by activation staff, and lots of shallow and deeper water for swimmers of all sizes, offer lots of fun. The swim-up bar is always a hit. Try Jackie’s Special - our favourite! There are pool tables, a ping pong table, and foosball to pass some time. Every night there is entertainment, including mini-disco for the little ones, followed by shows for all ages. My only request would be to lower the volume 😉. Gift store and hair/nail salon are on the premises. I love that the hotel is close to the airport so there is no long transfer once you land. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Covid protocols were adequate, but did not intrude on our enjoyment. Many guests wore masks, but these were not mandatory. Staff wore masks in the food areas, front desk, and others. Cleanliness was excellent in every area. All in all, a great family resort.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: 2 Stars at best

I’ve stayed at 4 stars in the DR before and this by far was the worst hotel I’ve ever been to. I’ll start with positives. Servers and entertainment staff were awesome. Beach was beautiful, food was surprisingly ok. The bad: check in system was a long process. I bet some people may have waited 3 hrs to check in. Power kept going out too. Dining reservations required you line up at 9am, I was about 8th in line, the first few days were already full. We were 4 couples and one couple got  [... read more]a room with 2 singles. Took 3 days to change. Freddie from air transat helped because staff said there were no rooms, even when people checked out each day. AC worked in some of the rooms, not ours. they were loud and one of the rooms leaked so the maid put towels all over the floor so they wouldn’t slip. Hot water only on 2 of 8 days. Fixtures and all were from the 80s, very patchwork style of repairs. You have to request a key for the safe but I would guess that’s an extra fee. They never refilled the fridge with beer and pop, but did bring water. Food tasted great in some cases, we were surprisingly pleased. But one by one all 8 of us got food poisoning and were stuck in our rooms. We avoided salad that sat in water and tried to just eat hot fresh cooked food, but we still got sick so not sure where we got ir. You could hear many people talking about their family’s all being sick. The ice is brought in to site and the water served is from the large water jugs.. Bar was underwhelming. No real juice, sugary orange water like tang was served. Liquor was no name, and they had frozen strawberry or pina colada mix. I craved a mojito or aperol spritz but stuck to gin and tonic and vodka Soda or beer. Staff would not allow food out of the buffet to bring to sick guests. I went to guest services. One lady was incredibly helpful and had a vegan soup made for one room of sick family and chicken soup for another. The next day the staff were incredibly rude saying that we had service yesterday so no service today. I explained that the second person in the room was now sick but they wouldn’t help. We had to smuggle out food in to go cups. The following day I managed to get soup. Luckily by the last day we had 6 people that were well enough to go to town, which was the highlight of the trip. In hind sight, I should’ve rented an Airbnb, likely would’ve had better service.

Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort: Great stay!

Had a great 14 day vacation. Rooms were clean, Food was decent, while mostly repetitive there was always a great selection including porkchops, burgers , salads and pasta. , Service was excellent. Roberto in the buffet greeted us everyday and was incredibly customer service oriented . Had an issue with no hot water but the issue was resolved quickly . Staff were extremely accommodating. The beach was very small and swimming was not great but spent 4 hours on Sosua beach which was excellent [... read more]. .

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Our home away from home - Just love this resort

It's a beautiful resort, well maintained. The staff is wonderful. Rooms are clean and some are renovated with modern glass shower. Even non-renovated rooms are just fine - we don't spend much time in them. Though not as full as it used to be pre-Covid, so more Domenican families are there on the weekends, which is great for them, but can be very loud. The food is always excellent in the buffet and we also enjoyed the Italian a la carte. The Casa beach is a bit rough, but pool(s) are awesom [... read more]e. Great bang for your buck and we can't wait to go back again in March 2023. Oh, and the town of Sosua is right off the resort to the right - great little bars and restaurants and some owned by Canadians... You'll love it.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing Resort

We spent a lovely week here with our two teen sons. We absolutely loved the resort and everything about it. There are three a la carte options that you can go to more than once, you just need to book that morning. If you get there at the beginning of the week you can book a la cartes for Monday to Thursday. All three had excellent food options and the service was impeccable. There is also a buffet to go to for all meals, plus a snack bar open during the day, a pizza joint open at 11 am, a cafe w [... read more]ith specialty coffee and small pastries open, and a great sport bar with likeminded food. The pool area is great and has many seats, however you need to get up early and put a towel or such on the loungers as they fill up for the day. Plus they have a swim up bar with friendly hard working bartenders. The poolside entertainment is loads of fun with lots of varieties - aqua size, coconut party, kayak races, beer drinking contests, dancing, and always great music. The evening entertainment is the only place that I would say needs work. There is a new show each evening but the shows need work and likely more money invested. The rooms were average rooms, but who needs a big room when you can hang out by the pool or the beach? In all the resort is very very clean, the staff are friendly and very helpful, everyone has a good basis of English. We would definitely return to this resort.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Breathtaking Views that Don’t Make Up for Other Shortfalls

I just returned from an 8 day stay at Senator Puerto Plata Resort. The grounds and views of mountains and ocean are simply stunning. The landscaping around the property is meticulous and beautiful. Overall the food is fair- it lacks variety in the buffet. My main complaint is with lounge chairs and seating around the resort in general. There are too few spots for the number of guests. It takes away from your vacation when you need to get up at 7:30 am to place towels on a lounge chair. In the sp [... read more]orts bar (the only place for a night time drink) there are practically no tables. Just empty areas. Service was hit and miss. There are some amazing people on staff who go the extra mile. As someone who always tips- I did find that there was less overall friendliness than I have seen at other resorts. The alcohol is sub-par- watered down and disappointing. Pina coloda’s are like water. If you tip really well you can have a good drink made with a better quality alcohol. Room fridges do not have beer. Don’t bother trying to drink the wine. The system for booking reservations at the a la carte is flawed. They give out different information daily to different guests. You wait in long lines to be told they have no more room. Honestly once at the a la carte’s they lack ambiance- have too bright of lighting- and especially in the Italian disappointing food. I will say the sushi was a delight- and that did not require a reservation. From a location perspective this resort is a true gem- especially if you can afford to stay in the renovated section (I was in one of the older buildings near the back of the resort.) Everyone in my group suffered with terrible tummy problems our entire stay- and this is not something I have encountered in numerous trips over the years to other all inclusives. If you go out of high season I think the price would make up for the short falls. I booked at Christmas when prices are high and found myself expecting more which I guess is unrealistic. This resort should be a 3.5 rating- the views do not make up for poor food and low quality alcohol.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Disapointed 3 stars at most

Resort is part of a group of resorts that has been expanding the last 20 years and has not renovated this part. Food tasted good but we were all sick, entertainment ok, beach is beautiful but divided between groups. They need to fix rooms as they are run down, they gave us the older ones and we had to change. Smelled like mold and sewage, didn't have hot water for a couple days, paint in pools was peeling. It looked better as we went on the other side of the resort near the VIP/members/owners  [... read more]part, we noticed a difference in the drinks and food as they were better there but our access was limited.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: BlueBay Villa

The resort is small and very kept. The rooms are very outdated and lack furniture. No dresser and chairs in superior room. Lamps are so stained and old which they could easily replace. We informed them they definitely need a new toaster…so old. The food was good but never hot. I always got them to warm up my food on their grill. A very clean resort with amazing staff. Plenty of lounge chairs for everyone which was good. Xmas dinner was very nice with floating decorative flowers in the [... read more] pool. Always plenty of beach towels. Overall good experience at BlueBay Adult only resort.

Sunscape Puerto Plata: It’s a pleasure

Sunscape is a smaller older hotel (previously Barcelo) but is beautifully maintained. We were satisfied with food, rooms and the grounds. Our decision to book this hotel was due to value and location. We enjoy going into Puerto Plata for a change of scenery. I would recommend this hotel to the economic traveller.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Nice resort,

well planned, ok food, ok entertainment, friendly staff, very good beach, good service from staff, clean rooms,and worth the money. THE BATHROOM WE HAD NEEDED HANDLE BARS IN THE SHOWER. THE BALCONY DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Clean & great A la Carte

The staff is what makes this resort great! Always pleasant and having fun. The poolside and beach are 2 minute walk and being a small resort, no shuttle required. The 3 A la Carte & Sports Bar were great & so was Gelato & pizza slice. The Buffet was ok.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Amazing staff & Nicely maintained

Here, 2 families w 4 older teens during Christmas for 7 days. The cleaning, poolside entertainment, bartenders and serving staff were all fantastic. A la Carte meals great, buffet was ok. 4 stars

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Resort amazing

Rooms are not good not a good service the people who serve are not nice not a single smile on there face everything you have to ask them even when we went in the room was so hot I call them in the afternoons and guy came in the night but didn’t fix and then after two days they change the room