Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good Resort

Spent a week at Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerta Plata April 2 to April 9 2017. Very good value for the money and the food was excellent, especially on Tuesday the Italian sea food paella they did on the beach. I won’t go into great details as I’ll only end up rehashing the many positive reviews, so I’m just going to do point form pros and cons. Pros: • As mentioned food was excellent, at the buffet, pool bar, Brazilian and Japanese la cartes. They make a fried chicken that would ri [... read more]val anything here, very moist and not greasy. • People very nice and always had a smile, they work very hard but will help you out whether you tip them or not. For example the knob for our air conditioner in our room broke; we didn’t bother telling anyone as the air conditioner was still working. That afternoon when we got back to our room a maintenance guy was there to replace the knob. The maid must of saw this and got it replaced for us without our asking, now this is service!!! • Favourite person was Yaya at the lobby bar, every morning I was there at 9:00 when it opened to get my cappuccino. After the second day I no longer had to order it as she would see me and start my coffee. • Room very clean but as mentioned by others dated and in need of a fresh coat of paint. • Pool area was nice and clean with lots of tree and shrubs, pool guys where there everyday cleaning, water nice and clear. Lots of pool chairs only issue was the ones in the shade they went very quickly. The towel game is alive and well here. Cons: • Mexican la carte restaurant was just awful, wouldn’t bother reserving this one. • Iberostar has this premiere program that they want you to sit down with them for 90 minutes, idea is for you to avoid the travel agents and go directly through them, blah, blah, blah. We were only there for a week so you can be sure I’m not wasting my time on this. When they see you aren’t interested they try harder to get you to listen to them, telling you they just started the job and needed you at attend so they don’t get fired. Anyway we found this annoying. • Beach, not really the hotels fault but Puerta Plata is known for windy beaches, the problem with this is the ocean is always churned up and not nice and clear (at least when we were there) the water looks dirty and when you go in it you come out with sand all over you (and sand in places it should not be). Also sitting on the beach is like being sand blasted due to the wind, not fun. All in all it was a nice vacation and good values for the money we spent, but I think next time we’ll go to Punta Cana.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Great Resort!

The grounds of this resort are spectacular! Rooms are beautiful and super clean, staff was all very helpful and friendly. Buffet restaurants were all good, a la cartes could use some work. Not enough staff at pool bars, however pools were excellent and nice beach.

Bahia Principe Explore La Romana: GO SOMEWHERE ELSE....

This resort is clean, staff are friendly, food is ok But what the pictures don't show you is visible from the beach of this resort is a factory, and industrial smoke. If I had known that this would be visible I would have never gone to this resort. The water is also murky, not that nice blue that you want. We were also suckered into a time share presentation, waste of time. go somewhere else, learn from my mistake. Be warned the pictures do not show you the whole, real picture...if you are payin [... read more]g thousands of dollars to go on a resort vacation go somewhere else.

Occidental Punta Cana: Resort from Hell

first of all I have been down to Dominican pretty much every Year for the past 8, I normally stay in the Luxury Amber or their property. My Brother and his wife wanted to go to this Property, (Occidental Punta Cana) due to the fact is was their Anniversary I agreed to try it as long as we upgraded. So I was to go into a Superior room Preference Club, I then upgraded to the option Plus for the flights. when I arrived they wanted to see my document so I showed them from my phone, which they would [... read more] not accept ? I was confused documents where very legible do they think I stole the phone?. They told me to email them it, which I said no problem give me the wifi password which is supposed to be free for 1 hour a day in the Lobby, he said that he cannot give out the password and I must go to Guest services, which I did the woman there told me to enter my email address and password into her Computer through my Hotmail account, because she cannot give out the password, I did that and she said I will send confirmation to my phone??,I explained that unless I get wifi I cannot receive any emails (WTF) she then said I will call you ?? again I explained that my phone cannot receive call as there is no service on it, By this time I am very frustrated an asked if you are into my email on your Computer why can't you just email it to where you want it. she told me NO and go back to front desk, another 40 minute line up, to be told sir you need to go to Guest services and print a copy of the document , Again I explained that I was just there I thought I will just go to the room and deal with this later. hey put me in room 11 318 I refused to stay there 1. this room should be condemned smelt awful, 2. tub was all rusted 3. tiles on floor and wall in both areas was missing or cracked 4. bed was a shambles 4 Balcony looked like was going to fall down at any time. back to front desk I go. I told them under NO Circumstances would I stay in that room, they sent me to Guest Services, this so far is well over 2 hours of trying to check in, when I go over to Guest services I see and wait for the other guy (not the woman from before) as she was Brutal, I explained what has happened, and told I paid for upgrades, and that on their own map hut 11 is not an upgrade, he told me he needs a copy of the document for hotel, I once again explained he asked me for the confirmation number, I give it to him and he says he can print from that (all this time for that) he gives me a copy and again sends me to front desk to wait in line Again for 20-25 minutes,which they take the document and says Thank You and said it is all good now enjoy my stay. I lose and tell to gibe me what I paid for MY SUPERIOR ROOM IN THE PREFERENCE CLUB. She tells me I am in a room where I belong, I tell her that at Trip Central I called and asked the difference of first club and Preference and was told each airline calls it different name but same Package. She told me she had nothing available in which I asked for the Manager, in Which I had asked at least 12 times through this whole ordeal, However like the last 11 times the answer was no. I then said give me the portion of my payment that is used for the hotel as I want to leave, at the she said I cannot, so I told her in a louder voice the get me a pillow and blanket as I am going to sleep in the Lobby as I refuse to spend one minute in a room like that in which may have bed bugs by its looks. Well now she vanishes and comes back with a room in First Club 14-14107 but I cannot have the package that goes along with it (ie) First Club/Preference room or upgraded drinks, No Free Wifi . I tried to pay for Wifi at least 6 times but had to wait for the Manager? they kept telling me he will be back in 20 minutes well at least 4 hours went by I gave up. Day 2 I explain this all to the Air Transat Rep and all he says is looks like they put you where you belong but not the band or the First Club/Preference Club advantages, he says he will fix and see him later. I go for lunch with my Brother and his wife and learn that they also are in a room NOT FIRST CLUB/PREFERENCE we go for lunch and my sister-in-law gets ice cream with a (piece of wood with a screw in it), they quickly want to take, I however took a picture of it. after they took away I asked what is going to happen? he replied that he will deal with it , I asked how ? with no answer, so back to Air Transat rep, he takes us to guest services to get our rooms and Packages, but once they heard about the incident with the ice cream, they don't want to deal with us about anything, We asked to speak to Manager they said come back at 5pm, we have spent our whole time pretty much in the lobby between front desk and Guest Services approx. 27 hours or more. At 5 they wanted us to sign a 7 paragraph document without any explanation in which we were at fault for everything and if we tell anybody we can be facing law suit they would not even let us go 5 feet away to discuss in Private. we refused to sign as WE DID NOTHING WRONG othr that book this Resort from HELL. So in a nutshell paid money for upgrades =received none as I finally got WiFi and paid $50.00 US for it. HUTS 10,11,12,and 13 should not be used to cheat People out of there money if they paid upgrade. In the Middle of all of this they kept asking WHY we would book with Air Transat as if /should never come here with them???? the Bartenders in this Place needs to changed somewhere else because their service is the worst I have seen in the Dominican Tip or not they don't serve Waitresses were very good ( think in some cases I seen them behind the bar getting their own as probably would bet served otherwise the staff in the Buffet were very Good (Maria Guerrero) I should also mention that my Brother and hi wife never received their option plus as the both ways were removed from their assigned seats, we went to the Airport by taxi to get fixed on the way home, as we figured quicker than the bus, they told him that they will put him in a different seat with the longer leg room as he has really bad knees and that is why he upgraded this time. This did not happen I aske the Stewardess before take if 34 was longer legroom she said no and since it was apparent that People were goin to miss the flight can My Brother and wife move up to option plus by me 4 th row she told me she promised them to other People I asked shouldn't the option Plus receive if the are moved out first? She told me to contact Air Transat and they will reimburse, Confused me because 2 People ended up in the middle she gave 3 seats same row to a young couple with a infant that never once sat in between them, so 2 seats realistically were available but were given to 21/2 regular paying instead of having Transat pay money back and customers upset, There was also 2 seats in first class at the back went empty the whole flight. just seems like the Company lost money on that flight due to this Stewardess/and we should be allowed to change the box of snacks we pay in Option Plus for Pringle, always have in the past including going down to Punta Cana but was point blank refused on the way home, I should state their was NO arguing amongst us I just stated I have always changed in the past when I have flew with option Plus on every Transat flight I take usually 2 times or more a year, And am booked June 28 YYZ to Glasgow with the Plus

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Great Vacation

The beach is gorgeous! Water is crystal clear. Weather was fantastic. Very pretty resort. The gardens were very well kept. We stayed in building 66 close to the main lobby. Just a short walk to the pool and the beach. We enjoyed the music and the entertainment. The staff are amazing. Very friendly and they work very hard to keep everything organized. Had a great time!

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Beautiful resort

Just returned from a week stay at the beautiful Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda resort. This resort is a luxury by far, with extremely pleasant butlers, waiters - everyone was so kind and always greeted us with a smile. All the facilities were kept immaculate. We had a wonderful time and would definitely return.

Secrets Cap Cana: Best Vacation - Amazing Resort

This resort was absolutely amazing. You couldn't ask for better service and the food was perfect. The beach is incredible. We had every amenity you could think of. Wi-fi was available all over the resort with no interruptions. We had a swim-up room and used it a lot. We even had drink and food service delivered to us while we were in our pool. Our room and bathroom were very spacious. Our shower had double shower heads which was very cool. The only thing that we would fix would be the mini bar. [... read more] It was not cold at all. I would highly recommend this resort. This is our 4th visit to a secrets resort and was our favorite.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Huge resort

Hotel grounds were immaculate and the service was great. They actually have people ask you how the service is every day. We ended up upgrading to the Level-Adults only because we were placed in a room at the Melia Caribe Tropical in the building furthest from the beach. The bed was really uncomfortable (worn and lumpy) and there was a peacock that kept us up all night squawking. The Level was fantastic and the bed was of a higher grade - everything was - even the food and the service. We reall [... read more]y liked the Level it was close to the beach, pool, gym and food. Unfortunately I ended up paying double the price I would have paid at booking via Trip Central because I had to make the change at the resort and pay in USD instead of Canadian. I really wish someone had told us that the resort was so huge that you need to be transported by golf cart or train to get around. Honestly would have taken us 20 minutes to walk anywhere in the original room. We definitely would have not enjoyed our trip if we did not upgrade to the Level.

Casa Marina Reef Resort: Rooms on resort

The rooms on resort are very dated. The staff was not frendly. The rooms were not clean . We were susposed to have a supiour garden view well we looked out at an old building that was overgrown with trees .the toilet when we arrived was covered with crap had to get cleaning staff to cone clean it the floors were dirty and full of hair alaround...the grounds were nice though...and we were on the top floor so had to walk up three flights of stairs. The food all tasted the sam . Bad

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Awesome!

The Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo was amazing. The staff was very friendly and helpful; the grounds were beautifully kept; the food was great. We had great fun engaging with the Animation Team. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Wonderful Accessible Resort!

Ocean Blue and Sand - This resort has everything you could possibly want, and it is fully Wheel Chair Accessible!! The staff were amazing and ready to do anything to make your stay memorable! My husband is a quadriplegic and we had requested ahead of time for an accessible room, this was granted right away with no issues. This is not our first travel down south and believe it or not it can be quite a task obtaining an accessible room even after you have requested it well in advance. The buff [... read more]et restaurants were just as good as the a la carte however we loved the Steak House the best. The breakfast options were plentiful and included many different options. We spent our days by one of the two huge and beautiful pools on the property. The water was very warm and the swim up bars were great. There was always fun activities going on by the pool and we were not once bored our entire stay there. We would recommend this resort to our family and friends.

BelleVue Dominican Bay: Great resort great location!

Overall it was a fantastic vacation. Food and drinks were great, grounds are beautiful but rooms need updating. Beautiful beach! Locals regular the resort so you get a chance to experience the DR world!

Ocean Blue and Sand: Very disappointed

The resort customer service is not good at all. We were not greeted properly staff ignored questions. The resort wifi did not work including the reception desk tops. The ac did not work and made a funny noise. The beach was small dirty and not the same as the pictures. No entertainment. The rooms smell and beds were uncomfortable. We have to pay extra money to switch resorts and I was not happy. I will not recommend anyone to this resort. Thanks to our transat rep he was awesome and helped us ge [... read more]t out of that situation. We stayed at this resort less than 24 hours before we left.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Honeymoon

The hotel was beautiful . Al a Carte were terrible Other than Japanese . Power was constantly out Beach was gorgeous Room Was gorgeous Buffett were the same everyday no variety at all Drink Selections fantastic Friendliest staff I have ever experienced

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Amazing Resort

What a beautiful resort . Rooms were spacious! Grounds were lush! Beach was amazing . The food was delicious , from the a la carts to the Buffett . It never felt crowded ! The staff so very helpful . My favourite resort so far

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: The good the bad the ugly

The Good This was an awesome place to stay, from its excellent buffets to the perfect a la cartes The Bad The service at the bar was hit and miss. Sometimes there was no beer, or limes or even vodka at the big pool. Very in consistent. The Ugly The last day that we were there, a new group had just arrived. Boy what a group. From a guy dancing on top of the swim up bar to girls taking their swim suit tops off and nothing was being done. We were discussed. A bunch of us left and went to [... read more] the quiet pool, but unfortunately that pool became rowdy. We were very unhappy and glad we were leaving the next day. We will not be going back because of the UGLY.

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: great time at the Grand in DR

We loved this resort. It is beautiful. Not far from the airport is a bonus. The lovely back porch is a great place to sit outside in the evening, although I thought the entertainment was very limited. A very quiet resort. Five a la carte restaurants were good to excellent. The beach is stunningly beautiful. Great pools too. The liquors are all top shelf. Rooms were fine, and well stocked. I didn't care much for the butlers, not too too helpful. -had to ask 3 times for things before th [... read more]ey were received. I booked my own dinner reservations from home prior to leaving and reaffirmed them one week prior. The grounds are lovely and a walk through the adjoining Iberostar resorts is a nice walk. A good place to relax and unwind for sure.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Perfect family vacation!

This was our 2nd family vacation. Our 3yr old & 7yr old had a great time. We stayed from Apr 3-8 and the weather was perfect everyday. The resort was about an hour drive from the airport, but my husband & I enjoyed the scenery. The resort is huge. Lots of beautiful landscaping. Our room was average, mattress a little hard, but decent. Our room was very close to the pool, beach & main lobby & buffet which we enjoyed. The beach is so long, not white sand, but my kids loved searching for sh [... read more]ells & rocks. So many palm trees & tons of beach chairs. We never had a problem finding somewhere to lay. Also, the water not so clear, but not the hotels fault. Luckily we found an area of the beach where the water was clearer. We also stayed at the main pool which my kids also enjoyed. We never had a problem with the staff. Everyone always greeting with a smile. The main buffet staff all so friendly, despite being so busy. We very much enjoyed the food. Overall, a great experience. We would love to go back!!!

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Beautiful Resort

First time to Samana and to anywhere in the Dominican Republic. Would certainly go back again. The Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo is beautiful. Clean rooms, food was good, loved the pool and the beach. The staff were entertaining. Lucked out with the weather, no rain. We had a little mix up with our room but we were upgraded to a junior suite after they corrected the issue. Would definitely go to this resort again.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Trip

When we got there our room was not ready! We were not happy about that it had already been a long day. Five ours later when we were shown to our room, it was clean and spacious but dated and we had two double beds, which we did not want. This resort is very family oriented as it has a nice water park. Going this time of year (first week of April), we were hoping for a quiet, slower pace but it was extremely busy with lots of families. The food was good, the staff very helpful and friendly. We wo [... read more]n the trip thru our local radio station and we did not have a say on our destination. For families it's a great place to go, for a couple looking to get away, not so much!