Cayo Levantado Resort: Lost in Paradise

This resort is truly paradise, on an island surrounded by lush flora and fauna. The staff were wonderful very attentive. The beach and pools were very clean and we had no problem getting loungers. The food and drinks are excellent, with top shelf liquor. From our arrival to the departure our trip was first class.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Perfect vacation

This was our 4th time at the Gran Ventana ------ this time for 2 weeks. Better than ever! Service and food great. Request responded to by assistant manager promptly. Looking forward to returning trip. Thanks to Fred at Tripcentral for his advice.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Would not go back to RIU Bachata

Ok were do I start, the beach was one of the worst I seen in all my travels, I have never seen so much garbage in the water, there were days when it was really bad you just stood there and looked and said to yourself do I really want to go in the water it was that bad, one party in our group found a needle on the beach and it was a big needle that really open our eyes. Next is the rooms, the A/C in our room was the worst that I have also seen in my travels, the room had a very bad smell of mi [... read more]ldew in it and my jacket that I worn home had the smell in it I had to wash it upon returning home, I spoke to a lot people who were staying here and had the same problem. I went to the front desk to complain and they sent the repair guy over many times two try to fix it but no luck so we put up with it with the rest of our trip . Problem number 2 my wife went to open a closet door and it fell onto her the whole side of the closet was eaten by Termites so back to the front desk to complain and this time I talk to the Sunwing rep. I had multiple phone calls from the rep. and also the front desk ask if the a/c worked and also if we would like to move to another room I thought about and agreed to it only if I saw the room first I got the key and had a look first thing I tried was the a/c and it was no better than our room so went back to the front desk and told that we would stay in our room, told them that we are on vacation and that were wanted a hassle free vacation no repacking luggage bags, no climbing stairs all our friends were in this building an would be a real inconvenience for us. The food was good and the staff were friendly Stan Riggs

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Perfect family vacation

Went with my husband and daughter and met family there. The staff were all friendly and enjoyed it when we tried to speak Spanish. Ha! The food was delicious and there was a great variety in the buffet at each meal! The al a carte restaurants were fantastic most notably Octopus. Everywhere was kept very clean. Beach areas could use more canopys or shaded areas. Often hard to get a chair by the pool without 'reserving' them in the middle of the night. Overall very satisfied.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Black ocean, beautiful resort

Good: beautiful and peaceful, food, cat sailing, swimming, snorkeling, ambience around pools, lots of sun, beautifully groomed flowers and shrubs and lawns, evening music, natural fruit drinks, no crowds, fast service in restaurants, clean rooms, only 4 mosquitos over 1 week. Bad: ocean colored black, some food, language barrier with staff Ocean was 80% colored black and grey with 20% green spots . It was Very disappointing how many weeds there were in the ocean. By comparison the ocean at R [... read more]io palace Macao was mostly a beautiful green color. Staff removed large amounts of sea weed from beach every day. If beach/ocean view is your most important criteria you won't like this place; otherwise it was a very beautiful resort. Food, depends on what you choose some was poor (pork was always tougher than leather, steak at steak house in family resort next door) and some food was excellent (salmon, chicken, pizza, vegetables, fruit). Natural fruit drinks made on beach, ma loo drink is made from pineapple, banana, oranges and ice; was delicious. Swimming was good but the area you can swim in was small due to so many weeds, but there were no waves so you could swim. Adults only resort was peaceful with small crowds. By comparison the family resort beside us was very crowded and noisy. Snorkeling was good (don't expect coral reefs that you see on tv) due to very low waves, abundant weeds and rocks, there was living coral (20% alive) though with 1 star fish, 1 conch shell, sea urchins, lots of small and large colorful fish. Cat Sailing can be done every day since the water is more flat for a much larger distance off shore and there is always plenty of wind. There are lots of obstructions in the ocean which make cat sailing more difficult but you can sail right over most of the rocks and shallow areas since the rudder pops up and you just push the rudder back down quickly and continue sailing. Some hidden rocks are dangerous but your fine if you watch for them. By comparison Rio palace Macao had such strong winds and waves you could only sail half of the days. As you sail at least 1km away you see more areas of green water and less black ocean.

Occidental Caribe: Great Location

The hotel has been our selection in Punta Cana for several years. It is not the fanciest but is comfortable. The airport security has sicken us of ever returning to Punta Cana as items were stolen from my bag and then we were searched!

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Amazing Hotel.

Hotel and Staff were very friendly. Food was awesome including 3 restaurants. They had 4 pools to lounge around, plus 2 beaches. Hotel was very clean, and entertainment shows nightly. The town was only 5 minutes away, with free transportation hourly.

Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: Iberstor Punta Cana

The big benefit was the room close to the pooland the beach (no long walk or buggy ride !) For the cost and the perceived reputation ar Iberostar I expected a more "holiday" room versus a very basic room. There were no problems with the room but I was disappointed in the warm of the room. I wouln't discourage anyone from going there but I will fine something different the next time for myself. Happy with the foof and food service. Victor

Occidental Caribe: Beautiful property

The hotel was well situated which is why we chose it, the grounds were always well kept and clean, The food was great. The beach was one of the best in the area with little to no seaweed. The hotel staff gave us the feeling of entitlement, never went out of their way for anything you asked for or needed. 3 times in a week towels were forgotten, every day at the buffet, cutlery, water, coffee was a commodity and best retrieved at the bar before going in to sit down.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: First class resort.

The hotel was amazing. The grounds so well kept, pool area just lovely with lots of nice loungers. Buffet restaurant spotless clean with the best food ever, all a la cartes were first class we really loved the Japaneze, the cooks put on a great fun show. The chicken and steak cooked to perfection. The beach was breathtaking. The 2 peillo lunches ,one was chicken and rhe other seafood with great lobster. This is our top hotel in Puerto Plata. The best staff and service we have ever had. Can't [... read more] wait to return. Cheers the twins P.s. The beach barbecue and the beach live band were lots of fun

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Will not return

This resort is def for retired people and babies......it is no good for people from the ages of 20 to 65 who like to drink and have a good time......If you want a resort for just sitting on a beach and read for a week, well this resort is for you. The entertainment staff sucked...Most of the staff were rude, and rarely smiled.....There was the odd few that did.....The swim up pool bar was terrible, 1 bartender took almost 15 to 20 mins to get you a drink..Oh what am i saying, there was only 1 ba [... read more]rtender on at all times and most of the time he had to go up to the top bar to get ingredience's for the drink you ordered so more waiting....terrible....All 3 bars closed at 12, depending on who is sitting there at the time, if there was only a few, they closed earlier....1 bartender was good, his name was louis.......and there was another one at the beach bar, very freindly and smiled alot. The beach was nice. There were vendors constantly in your face on the beach, but were curtious and moved on when you said no thanks. There was a mall by the resort but most stores were closed....If your a shopper, nothing there for that....Cab ride to town was a half hr and that was 90 american dollars for 9 of us...so 10 dollars each and he came back for us in 2 hrs. The rooms were clean....The resort is out dated.....You could get free wifi by the entertainment stage, but only facebook, couldn't get into email etc.....you had to pay for that, and that was for your room. There was 12 of us and none of us will ever go back to that resort. Our ages were from 47 up to 69.....8 from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, 2 from Ontario and 2 from Montana, and most of the people that were there that we spoke too felt the same. This resort certainly does not go out of its way to make you feel comfortable at all.....The staff looked bored to death as were all of us.....Entertainment staff were terrible....You had to be quiet after 12, were not even allowed to talk around the pool, or laugh, we were told to keep it down. Most resorts have shows etc...Nothing at this one, oh there was BINGO and Karaoke....OMG.....Alot of money spent on a resort that sucked....The best thing, the weather was beautiful.......

Occidental Punta Cana: Nice vacation

The resort itself is very beautiful and modern, especially with all of the rénovations being done. There is still a few areas to be updated, but this did not impact our trip. The food is excellent - 10 out of 10 for sure. Most of the staff are nice, but the service we found was very slow at times. We booked through Air Transat and were guaranteed one of the renovated rooms. When we were booked in, we got an older style room which was moldy feeling and damp. All of my clothes the next day felt w [... read more]et. We asked for three days to be moved to a new room, which finally we did after our trip was half over. The new rooms are really nice if you get one. I would recommend going to this resort after all renovations are done, or make sure to sure to speak to your Air Transat rep in advance before asking for a new room as they will get it for you a bit faster. There isn't a whole lot to do on the resort - we found ourselves going to bed pretty early due to lack of entertainment compared to other resorts we have gone to. We had to walk out on some of the shows as they were not great. Overall, the vacation and resort was nice, just a few things that we would have liked done differently. Oh and there is not much shade at the beach and there are no shelters, so we found we always had to move spots to find shade or be on the beach early to get a decent spot, otherwise you are forced to sit in the sun.

Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa: Our recent stay

We have visited the resort before so we knew what to expect. This visit was a bit different as it didn't star in a positive way. When we arrived it took them 45 minutes to have us checked in. The front desk clerk was so rude. None of our requests were considered or accommodated. As someone who does travel often I have to say this was the worst guest service we have ever received. Moving forward to our rooms. We had two. The ac didn't work in one and the bathroom door didn't close at all in the  [... read more]other. The safe didn't work making my husband go back and forth to the front desk ( as when he called he was directed to come down to talk to them) for 3 hours. Waiting for someone to reset it just for it not to work few minutes later. After getting moved 2 days later the shower was leaking in both rooms when someone was showering in the room above. I don't expect perfection but I think we would have overlooked a lot of the imperfections have we had a better experience at the front desk. On a positive note all the staff at the buffet, housekeeping and ground crew were just as amazing as we expected. Always smiling and willing to help if need be. Making this our second trip it might have been out last. Customers service is very important in my eyes and it really felt like the key people at the resort have a lot to learn from the staff that actually do the dirty work. Non of the management acknowledged us once but they sure were present, standing around with their arms crossed, staring at all the staff that were running around the buffet trying to serve all the guests.

Punta Cana Surprise: Hotel Chic was a Fantastic Resort - We Highly Recommend it!!

The hotel was a great size, not too big and not too small. The overall layout was fantastic as you didn't have to walk too far to get anywhere. The rooms were very nice and very clean. The staff were great - there was always something happening at the pools in the afternoon and everybody was encouraged to participate if they wanted to. The food was amazing! We highly recommend the steak house - it was so good we went twice for dinner. The beach was beautiful - you could walk forever! Overall  [... read more]a great vacation for adults who want to have fun and meet some great people!

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Great Vacation

This was our first visit to the Dominion Republic. The resort was all that I had hoped for. the beach was awesome, with fine sand and clear waters. Although we didn't spend a lot of time at the pool ,it was well taken care of. The rooms were spacious and clean, with a well kept mini bar. I would absolutely to back to the Catalonia again.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Beautiful resort!

The Melia was a gorgeous resort. The grounds were beautiful. Plants and gardens everywhere. We enjoyed walking the many paths and taking wonderful pictures of the many ponds, fountains and wildlife. The food was amazing. Lots of variety and excellent meals. I can not think of anything I didn't enjoy. The beach was great! the whitest sand, so nice to walk on with bare feet. The accommodations were spacious. I found the bed very comfortable and the balcony was surrounded by a lovel [... read more]y garden. My only advice would be to bring your own hair dryer. I would definitely return for another vacation.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Another Great Vacay!

This was my second stay at the Iberostar. I was there 4 years ago, this time I decided to take my kids. When we checked in there was a mix up with the rooms, but they accommodated us fast and upgraded us to a poolside view. The staff were friendly and the food was as good as I remember. Everything was extremely clean and the bar and buffet/dining staff were prompt. The entertainment staff worked really hard, but I didn't find there were as many of them around this time. The one that truly stands [... read more] out was "skinny". He was hilarious and very friendly!!! I would definitely recommend this hotel, and I am looking forward to returning again soon.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: nightmare vacation

The grounds, pool, beaches, food and majority of the staff were incredible. the lack of accommodation on behalf of the hotel management was very disappointing. several serious events happened during my stay. due to malfunctioning equipment in the resort i suffered personal injury. they did take responsibility for the incidents but 5 days after arriving home they are yet to settle the situation. after promising compensation i have heard nothing from them. i do have photos and videos of the events [... read more] and can and will take action if needed. for being a 4 star resort i was very disappointed. would not recommend or return.

Riu Republica: OUTSTANDING HOLIDAY!!!

We just came back from a PERFECT week in Punta Cana. As recommended by Jennifer Collard, from Trip Central, we stayed at the RIU Republica and we were very impressed with the resort. Although it is quite large, it is very well designed, making everything very "centralized" and easily accessible. The entire resort is VERY clean (bedroom, dining areas, washrooms, grounds, beach), the service was outstanding and the food amazing. My husband and I have been to Punta Cana several times, one main reas [... read more]on being Bavaro Beach, which we fell in love with the our first time there, and which never disappoints - truly breathtaking; but we have to say that this year has been one, if not the best experience. We will surely go back to this location one day...if not next year. Thank you, Jennifer!

Weare Cadaques Bayahibe: Small, quiet, perfect for families and small children!

Four (3 adults, 1 toddler) of us travelled to Punta Cana direct March 20-27. This was our second time to Dominican Republic (mostly travel to Cuba). The resort is about 45-50 minutes ride from Punta Cana airport. Upon arrival to the resort, we check in and immediately get our room. The rooms are spacious, bright and very clean. The bathrooms are clean and modern. This is a newer resort so everything is very modern. We had no issues with the safe or anything else in the room. You get a mini-f [... read more]ridge and the fridge is restocked daily with 2 beer, 2 coke and 2 sprite. The room also had a coffee maker with to predone packaged coffee filters. The resort is VERY small and VERY quiet which makes it perfect for the non-partying type and those with small children. It is not a far walk to the beach/main dining area and the resort was not busy with people...so loungers at the pool and the beach were always available. The main pool is beautiful. The second pool is in a very awkward place. It is small and it is directly in front of the dining area and bar so everyone can see you swimming while they are eating their breakfast/lunch and supper... it's just a strange place to put the pool. There was one bar at the main pool (swim-up bar) and one bar by the beach. The dock is absolutely beautiful and it is the main entry-point into the ocean water for a swim. The beach itself is not the nicest beach I have seen. The shore is mostly coral rock so it is very difficult to walk into the water (Punta Cana and Cuba are not like this). The only part to get into the water from the shore is off the stairs on the dock or a tiny sandy area with no coral rocks right next to the dock. There are man made coral reefs very close to the shore so you can snorkel and see the tropical fish. We regularly took bread from breakfast and went to feed the fish to see them all come out. The food was delicious. There was plenty to choose from. However, there was absolutely no seafood. There was fish... but, there was no shrimp, squid, other shellfish. This is the first time I went to a resort down South that did not have seafood. What's up with that. Another thing was, since the resort IS small... there is only ONE main dining area (not including the a la carte). There was a day (when everyone arrived) that the line up was outside the dining area to get food. A few times on the weekend... we had to wait for a table to be able to go sit down and eat. Due to this, I think management needs to expand their dining options because I would hate to see what the dining area looks like during peak travel. Had to call the doctor since the toddler was sick from a cold and the doctor showed up first thing next morning and treated the patient. Very happy with the medical service. The resort grounds are immaculate and you can tell that the landscaping staff work very hard to keep it clean and tidy. The water park is SO fun and perfect for toddlers and older kids. The adult water slides are also super fun. The waterpark is open from 11-1 and again from 3-5! The resort gets 4/5 stars due to the dining room issue being overcrowded and no seafood!!!! I would recommend this resort to a friend but I wouldn't go back since I don't go back to the same resort twice. Maybe some time in the future.