Viva Heavens by Wyndham: Okay vacation but more of a 3 star experience!

I travelled to this resort with my family celebrating a birthday. it was a short 4 day experience yet I was happy to go home. The hotel is very dated, and the pictures online make it look nicer, and larger. The rooms smelled musky and moldy and were nothing special. During my stay I was woken up on two occasions to loud guests screaming and fighting, with one of the incidences having the police called to the resort. The cocktails and drinks were made well and tasted great. The buffet had lit [... read more]tle to no variety with many of the dishes recycled daily, especially at the beach bar buffet. The a la carte restaurants were okay but nothing was fantastic, a lot of the food tasted bland. They did a nice thanksgiving dinner spread which was the best meal we had. The beach is nice with many options for seating. The staff is friendly and accommodating, however this doesn't change the overall feeling that the resort is much for of a 2.5-3 star rather than a 4 star. Overall I wouldn't recommend this resort, the negatives out weight the positives and even if you're on a budget pay I'd bit more for a better experience.

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort: Amazing Resort

Hotel with amazing grounds , modern and the service and restaurants 5 stars. Rooms excellent very clean resort that meet my expectations. Entertainment was very good . The lobby is Beautiful spacious resort . The theater Chia is bestiful and sound is amazing.

Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort and Spa: Secrets Playa Esmeralda Secrets Preferred club section. Oceanview Junior Suite

Fairly new hotel. Still encountered maintenance items. Make up room and do not disturb buttons not functioning. Reported and repaired 2 days later. Receptacles for hair dryer in bathroom not powered. Reported, never repaired. Specialty restaurants, service very slow, with the exception of Windows. Walked out of Dona Altagracia after 90 minutes , still no main course. Reception areas very efficient. Room and balcony quite spacious, pool excellent. Occupancy about 65%, so no problem with chairs [... read more] and palapas, in spite of the 6 am towel claimer jerks. Our concierge, Claudio, was very helpful and good natured. Others of note, Kelvin the bartender at the pool bar and Brenda with the entertainment team who was seen AND HEARD everywhere. I rate the food as fair with the exception of the roast beef at the Market cafe for lunch time. Best I have ever had!!!

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Great stay!

Beautiful grounds, excellent food, lots of activities. The kids and baby club staff were great. Unfortunately the kids club facilities were being redone during our start but the Reno looked amazing! The beach was very small and had seaweed— not much they can do about that but I was surprised by the size of the beach. Many restaurants were temporarily closed but the ones we tried were nice.

Riu Palace Bavaro: Beautiful Resort

Absolutely stunning property. Grounds impeccable, rooms beautiful and immaculately clean. Really good food selection in the buffet and a la carte restaurants. Top of the line liquors with excellent service in all areas. Good selection of pools, one for families and one for adults only and a separate pool bar which could be very loud on occasions. Lots of shade on the beach and around the pools, so no necessity to save seats. Very good shows in the evening and we were there 14 days and shows not  [... read more]repeated. Separate section of the hotel geared to families and Riu parties at the Riu just down the street. All in all very good resort. Also only 30 minute drive from the airport.

Serenade All Suites Adults Only Resort: Okay stay at Serenade All Suites Adults Only

Serenade all suites Arrival and check in were speedy. No welcome drink offered. Room would not be ready until 3pm. Not an issue we went for a bite to eat a walk around and drinks in the lobby bar. First assigned room was an adjoining suite however the adjoining doors did not lock. Went back to reception and they gave us a different room. Its location was not as nice as the first but still pool facing but it’s adjoining door locked. However the balcony doors did not. Will lived with  [... read more]it. Husband was not happy with the second room as he would have had them try to fix the door but we didn’t want to waste anymore vacation time. Had to go back to reception once again as they did not provide us with towel cards. I read all the reviews before coming saw the great YouTube video but was a bit concerned about some of the guest comments on this fan page as well as trip advisor and I wanted to judge this place once here. On the surface the resort is beautiful, however for only being three years old it facing some severe wear and tear . You notice it with the locks and the doors. Ice machines not working. In room fridge is just a storage box nothing is cool ( yes the fridge is running I checked that). Room AC is very good. Pools are very nice and the chairs are comfortable. Pool wait staff come around often. Volleyball is going on and off in the main pool from mid morning to late afternoon. Pool activities (stretching, water aerobics start early to mid morning) and entertainment team start mid afternoon). Don’t rely on the set time schedules as it’s very flexible. Housekeeping has been consistent throughout the stay. Public washrooms are very very clean. Resorts other areas let’s just say they are superficial clean. Entertainment hit and miss. Karaoke on Saturday night late starting but was entertaining. Live music was to happen on Sunday night at 8:30, left the lounge area at 9:15 pm and no one had showed up yet. Walked over to the family resort to take in the circus show at 9:30 pm but it was very hot in the theatre even with the giant overhead fans going we left . Solo violinist was performing in the lounge. Took in the Micheal Jackson show on Tuesday it was cooler in the theatre, show was okay. Wednesday is Dominican night with a buffet spread at la Palaypa. Dominican food and music. It was a change of pace. We had reservations on Tuesday at the Italian (la palaypa). They had no ravioli, I ordered the risotto did not enjoy it. Hubby had the pasta carbonara he said it was ok. Cancelled Thursday nights reservation there and booked the steak house. We both find the food not bad, just underwhelming and sometimes undercooked (burgers,steak). Other times it’s overcooked lol. We did enjoy our stay, as the weather was fantastic, the hotel is not a five star as advertised, it is a solid 4.

Emotions by Hodelpa Puerto Plata: A Resort I Recommend Very Highly

My travel partner and I travel 2 x a year to All Inclusives primarily to Dominican Republic and I tell you folks, this has been one of the best. The price was reasonable, the resort itself was amazing. It is on the smaller size so everything was just a short walk. We did not go VIP or Elite. We stayed for 9 days. Our room and our maid was great, lots of towels, hot water, soaps, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and had the perfect view of activities from the 3rd floor. Staff on t [... read more]he beautiful plush grounds, in the restaurants, front desk and entertainment areas and bars were so helpful and personable. The buffet food and a la cartes food was delicious. The entertainment was moderate but always fun ! The beach was clean and beautiful, lots of chairs as did the pools. I never heard any murmurs of complaints, only positive remarks. I hated to leave.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Get What You Pay For

Over all the resort was beautiful, food was edible at best, getting the mini bar in the room restocked was a daily challenge. Our room was not even ready as requested for when we arrived, the mini bar was not stocked the floor was not cleaned room appeared to have been tidy only the beds were made only. It was a big disappointment from the moment we got there. Don't think I will be returning to this resort anytime soon. - Check in was spending forever waiting in the hot and humid lobby.  [... read more] - We weren't shown to our room. - The key cards for the room door did not work most of the time. - No cold water when we got to the room, only boiling hot from the sink. - Go to take a shower, only cold water 6 out of 7 days we were there. - The bathroom flooded from the ceiling on day 2. - Toilet barely flushes. - no face cloths or hand towels, only big towels - floor was covered in sand - room was not clean upon arrival - mini bar was not stocked, had to beg for bottles of water every day. - didnt get the room we were supposed to get and if we wanted the other room they were going to charge us an extra $500 USD. So that didnt happen. - the staff obviously dont enjoy working here. They dont smile unless you smile at them first. - the vendors selling jewelry at night harass you to try to get you to buy stuff and insult you if you dont. -my husband was sick for 4 days, and I tried to bring back a plate of toast and a banana from the buffet for him, and the staff went off on me, like I was trying to rob the place. So I left it there with them and took the banana, with them chastising me in Spanish angrily. - if you dont speak Spanish, youre basically ignored or passed over by staff. - the nightly entertainment is a joke. Either music so loud it makes your chest vibrate, a magic show so boring even children weren't interested, the same dancers every night, a poor imitation of a circus with 3 jugglers, 2 stilt walkers, a couple of guys doing flips. -no activities during the day -the food was not the greatest. Was told chicken was boneless, had bones in it. All they had for fruit was melon, banana and pineapple. No salad dressing except thin ketchup. Most of the food was either dried out, over cooked/burnt or mushy. -staff barely speak English, and just nod, pretending to understand and not answer your questions. -No towels left when going to the pool or beach. -signs at the pool say no leaving belongings on chairs to reserve them, but not inforced, nowhere to sit at the pool because of this. - nothing but Spanish on the tv in the room NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS RESORT AGAIN!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON IT!!! Old, outdated, dirty floor, plumbing issues, mini bar was an empty fridge, coffee machine full of non-coffee particles and dirt. None. The environment around this resort was a slum Vendors on the beach force you to take pictures with their parrots, and demand $40 USD for them, threatening you. No security on the beach to protect you from them. Harassed by people from random "party boats" that are on the beach as well. Not too bad, except people allowed to smoke marijuana on the resort and having to smell it wherever you walked.

Dreams Onyx Resort and Spa: Amazing resort

Everything you could imagine in a perfect vacation that’s exactly what it was beautiful resort amazing restaurants lots of things to do excursion where also amazing I would recommend this resort to couples and if you’re traveling with you’re family lots of things for kids to do this resort had everything for everyone

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Overall very good resort

Hotel was clean and nice rooms. Close to the airport is nice. Amazing beach with palm trees everywhere. Pool was nice. Unfortunately the big pool was closed for maintenance. food was good. Not great. overall I would say 7.5 / 10. I would return again.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Nice Resort

The resort was very nice. Loved the beach. Rooms are a bit dated. Food wasn’t the greatest though. Reminded me of Cuba Food. The pool area was nice but it would have been nice to see the entertainment staff entertain people in the pool area. I don’t think I will go back to Dominican done it twice now. Food, accommodation, beach entertainment is important to me.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Top Tier Resort!

There was nothing to want for. The food was fantastic, fresh, and the drinks were plentiful. The specialty restaurants were outstanding. The staff were very friendly and attentive. One of my best vacations.

Riu Republica: Riu Republica

While looking in from the outside this place seems great, but take a closer look. Cleanliness issues abound and as a result all 4 people in our party were ill. We think we had food poisoning but can’t be sure. We witnessed staff in the buffet wipe off dirty dishes with a rag and put them back on the table out as a new place setting. In our room the ceiling fan was disgustingly dirty, The tv could not be turned off without unplugging it. The bathroom needs to be disinfected, there were spots a [... read more]ll over the walls. The glasses were wiped out with cleaning rags and tasted of cleaner. The shower door needs recaulking as water leaks were present making the floor slippery. Our sheets and blankets were stained and dirty. When we put out the change bedding card we witnessed our maid fold up the dirty blanket and put it back in our closet to be reused. The new sheets were just as stained as the previous ones.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Beautiful Resort

My family of 6 stayed at the Iberostar Waves for 1 week in Nov. 2025. The grounds were impeccable, the food amazing and all staff was very pleasant. I stayed in a room closest to the evening entertainment, which was loud but didn't keep us awake at all. I would definitely recommend this resort.

Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana: The Best Family Resort!

The staff are so helpful and kind. You never get hungry or thirsty during your stay. There is plenty of cold bottled water and drinks to have at the pools. They clean your room whenever you need them to. I can’t say enough about the staff. If there is a special need, they accommodate you. The most bang for your buck is at: DREAMS MACAO BEACH PUNTA CANA, DOMINICANREPUBLIC

Secrets Tides Punta Cana: Looking forward to coming back!

This was our second time at Secrets Tides, making it a 7 day vacation this time. The grounds are still beautiful! Was happy to see the plants growing, creating more privacy in the swim out rooms, and the creatures returning. The little lizard we named gizmo. The food is delicious, though my husband very much missed the mushroom risotto at Portafino. This time around it was much busier, which often led to sunbed wars but I did not mind throwing a towel down and running for that beautifully warm o [... read more]cean. Can not advise on the nightlife as we often were sleeping by 9 haha.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Our second home

A perfect 2 week stay from the moment we walked up to the front desk and Michelle said welcome home. We are so fortunate to have so many friends working at the resort including the entertainment crew Skinny, Monkey Black Shampoo and of course Dora. We were there on remembrance day and they stopped the music for our moment of silence followed by Oh Canada. Wow there were people in tears. Thank you all. As far as our room we were in 823 and it was without a doubt the nicest room we have been in si [... read more]nce coming to the resort. Thanks Robin. It was a pleasant surprise to see our friend Alejandro the former manager had returned from Spain for a year or two. As for the food it was top shelf in the buffet. Enjoyed some steak on a bun courtesy of Juan Carlos for lunches. Our waiters Nunez, Jullien and Farera made sure we were well looked after. The girls in the morning in Legends made sure we had our morning coffee with a double tap of Baileys. Last but certainly not least kudos to all the ground keepers and cleaners for maintaining the resort to it's impeccable condition

Dreams Dominicus La Romana: amazingly clean resort

Employees were everywhere, ensuring that everything was clean. Before entering any restaurant, guests were given hand sanitizer. The beach sand was white and the water turquoise. In the deeper water, they had sunk a line of large concrete reef balls, used to grow coral and attract fish. Every day that I snorkelled, I noticed different fish. One is able to walk a long stretch of beach, but every beach has a hotel established on the property. If you don't have a tolerance for loud music, [... read more] played until 11, be sure to ask for a quiet room. I particularly like the Italian restaurant. The service was excellent, and the food was very good.

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Rude staff

I had no A/C in my room the whole trip, and water was leaking from the ceiling. I complained a number of times, and it never got fixed. Also, the staff at the front desk were rude when I brought up the issue.

Ocean El Faro: Enjoyable resort

We just returned from a one week stay from Nov 17th, to Ocean el Faro in Dominican Republic. We were placed in building 2 (outer building), 3rd floor, facing the heavily treed area. There is an elevator. Room was very nice and quiet. It was also located very close to the restaurants and a short walk from the beach. For those with mobility restrictions, I can understand some complaints about distance between different areas however we (78 and 68 year old) did not find it a difficulty. Those in El [... read more] Beso had a longer walk to many restaurants. If you have major mobility problems this could be a problem for you as the advertised trams usually take quite a long time to come by. The restaurants were good however the application they show you on arrival for making reservations to those restaurants requiring them is almost a scam. Not once in the time we were there could we get a reservation except at 5:30 or after 8:00. We did far better talking to staff and you are better advised to attend the desks outside the buffet each day by 8:00 AM to get in the spot of your choice. This excludes those in El Beso or Privilege class who have concierges to make reservations for them. Our favourite restaurants were Blue Moon (reservations not required but adults only) and the Steak House and the food in those two was a step above the others. The Italian restaurant made us feel rushed with dishes coming out before we finished the one we were on. The Japanese was good but the show was mediocre for what we have seen elsewhere. The buffet had great omelette stations in the morning and plenty of other options. Variety was sufficient for any taste during other meals. Food was generally warm, and might have been kept hotter, but not so cold that we were concerned. Pizza was great. There are some staff whom we encountered who went far above their job description and did their utmost to ensure we had a great time. Arielys at restaurant reception is amazing and always happy and pleasant. Eugenia also was very good. Alexander at the sports bar always made you feel welcome as a friend. Ricardo and Dainer at the steak house made our dinner there quite enjoyable. Yohan, the manager at the Japanese restaurant, overheard us saying how we had wanted to go there but could not get a reservation and found us a spot. Entertainment was fair although the Michael Jackson tribute is well worth going to. The lead did a very good moonwalk. We are not “pool types” so usually went down to the ocean where most times we could find a lounger. This was probably easier than usual due to the high amount of sargassum weed piled up on the beach. Some people still persevered and took a dip in the ocean in spite of RED Flags being visible. The lagoon you hear about to the left of the resort property is small, has a nice beach area with no shade or seating but a boom has been stretched across the inlet to hold back the weed or whatever else might be floating in. There are also lifeguards on watch on the resort beach but none at the lagoon. This bit of water is not suitable for snorkelling as it is too shallow and murky. If you are planning to bring funds for tipping, bring U.S. dollars in small denominations as we brought Dominican Pesos and had little luck trying to find change for smaller denominations. Overall, we had a great time and do not understand all the excessively poor ratings evidenced on review sites.