Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: What a great resort in so many ways but what a disappointment in many others!

We had been to a Bahia San Juan at Puerto Plata 2 years ago and so were familiar with their general layout and operation. We had not been to Punta Cana and so decided to try the Grand Bahia Luxury Esmeralda largely on the recommendation of the travel agent we used 2 years ago. We knew the place was big but had no idea it was SO big. There are 5 hotels on the property and I was told there are over 4000 rooms. First the good parts. 1/ food was outstanding. We ate at several a la cart restau [... read more]rants and always enjoyed our meals. Big problem was in getting a time around 7 pm. Apparently one can book well ahead and for your entire week or two should you wish. This means that late comers are often out of luck. The buffet restaurants were very good and had lots of choice. The Esmeralda offers outside dining at one buffet and that was nice most of the time. We found the indoor dining often to be chilly. 2/ grounds were immaculate both in cleanliness and in landscaping. It was a treat to walk the paths and be surrounded but lovely vegetation always. 3/ building exteriors were lovely and in very good state of repair from what we saw. 4/ Fantasia was a new hotel area which caters to youngsters and it was gorgeous to walk thru at night. Some lighting engineer had done a wonderful job with the buildings being floodlite as well as coordinating lights with the fountains. 5/ pools were immaculate. They always looked and felt lovely. 6/ the help staff were almost always willing to help you with a cheerfulness that was warm and appeared genuine. 7/ the beach was fine sand and felt nice to walk on for as long as you wanted in either direction. So why did we come away disappointed? 1/ SMOKING! No matter where we went, aside from indoor dining areas there were lots of people (largely from Quebec) who smoked. With most generalizations this is not fair but it seemed that every time we turned around the smokers were speaking French. We couldn't escape the smoke on the beach while resting in the chaise loungers nor around the pools. 2/ BUSY. There were so many people who fed on to the beach area from the 5 hotels that one had trouble finding a spot unless you were prepared to go early and "reserve" a chaise by throwing your towel over it. This is a pet peeve of mine because often people will do this and not return to their chair for many hours. The lineups for lunch at the beach buffets were very large and smoking was not controlled in these areas. getting any seating was a problem and woe betide you if the folks nearby decided to light up. 3/ Entertainment....the live music offerings were done by quality singers however the seating for listening to them was limited and once again smokers made the enjoyment less. The acts that followed were done on a small stage area which didn't provide very much seating around the pool unless you were prepared to park yourself very early. The Michael Jackson concert was pretty good but the smoking got to us there too. 4/ We talked to a few other people there who like ourselves found that once you had walked the beach a bit and then lay around the pool a bit you ran out of things to do. The Bahia Village was a bit of a walk and most folk took the shuttle bus to get to it. Once you walked about looking at the typical tourist stuff there was little reason to return. There was no shuffleboard. Bocce was mentioned but we couldn't find it and we aren't really into beach volleyball in the full sun. 5/ NOISE. Our first room was an end unit which happened to be the location of the shuttle bus bringing in tourists at all hours. The first 2 nights we were awakened by these buses at 1:45 am. There were also people who thought they should have loud conversations right outside our door and they didn't take kindly to being shushed even at 2 am! We moved to another building where we encountered the same problems of loud conversations by females who had too much to drink. The noise was so bad that people in an adjoining building came out to find out the source. 6/ VIP Safari...offered by Transat Holidays. A rip off! We had taken a similar trip at P Plata and had a wonderful time. This time we were kept waiting 50 minutes before starting, there were 20 people crammed into a truck-like vehicle with poor suspension and we spent some hours bouncing over rough roads. The guide was good and had no control over the numbers (or so we were led to believe) but the experience of crowding was continued on a boat where we ate lunch. We both flet we spent a lot of time and money for relatively little.

Riu Republica: Fantastic Resort

This is an adult resort. I went there with my friend. We had a blast. The resort was very clean. The employees were extremely friendly and quick. The rooms were always stocked and cleaned. The wine could have been better but that's ok. You're still able to purchase and charge to your room. I would highly recommend the resort to anyone and would most likely return. 10 out of 10

TRS Turquesa: Disappointing

Pros: location and proximity to airport. Wide variety of a la cartes restaurants. Cons: constantly bombarded by in house vendors for massages and time shares to resort. Drivers of shuttles on resort go WAY too fast in all areas of resort. In need of renovations.

The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana: Beautiful and relaxing

This was our second visit to The Reserve and it was as good, maybe better, than our first. The staff are lovely, the service is personalized and the resort is beautiful. Our meals were great and our room was spacious and comfortable. We're already planning our return next year!

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: Great Resort for the while family

Amazing water park, beautiful beach, great food and very attentive staff. My son got sick during our stay and the staff and in resort Doctor was very helpful. We all enjoyed the vacation however the kids really enjoyed the family sliming which is a Nicolodeon tradition.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: What a beautiful resort

Another great vacation. We have been coming to the Riu for years and have never been disappointed. This time with a group of six, one couple being newbee’s to the Caribbean. They loved this experience and could not get over the wonderful way the Riu staff treated them. The Ocean was choppy that week but there was a lot of fun action at the pool put on by the Animation Team, and a lot of chat to people from all over the world at the pool bar. I talked to our group and no one had anything [... read more] bad to say about their stay. See you next year Riu

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: fun in the sun

The resort was great, the food was great, the staff was great. had a great time. Had some problems with the air conditioner but was fixed in a timely manner. The shows at night where very entertaining

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Beautiful resort

We had an amazing time. The grounds were stunning, our room was spacious and clean and overlooked one of the 3 pools. Meals were good and staff were wonderful. High fives to Sexy chocolate and the rest of the entertainment team and to Juan at the main pool for those awesome drinks. We would definetly return but would stay longer next time. Thank you to Diana at Trip Central for recommending this beautiful place.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Great time staff was unbelievable

The rooms were clean, food was good, beer cold, grounds well kept, but the pool staff George,Veronica ,Denise ,and Yandra made our vacation we had a blast with this crew thank you so much for being fun keep it up I would come back again in a heartbeat the only thing that might be changed is the fruit drinks could be less sweet.Curt and Irene Anderson

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: Very Nice Resort

We really enjoyed this resort. The water park was great for our 6 and 8 yr olds. The grounds were well kept and most of the staff were very friendly. The food and liquor selection could have been better

Punta Cana Princess: Awesome resort!!

An awesome resort. We would definitely return again. Really good food with lots of variety. No need to make reservations at restaurants which was great. Grounds nicely kept and with a small resort you get to meet people and also get to know the staff - awesome workers. Really nice pool and beach - lots of chairs available. Love this place!!

Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana: Great resort for families with small children!

Very clean, amazing resort for families with children under age 10. Staff is so friendly and accommodating! Best resort for children's activities but would say it is geared for younger children at Nick Place and the water park. Food was great with lots of options and no hassle of having to make reservations. Loved that! They aim to please here and much of the meals are considered part of the excitement and experience so if you're someone who likes to eat in a hurry only stick to the buffet. Beac [... read more]h is very rough all the time with a strong current. Lots of storage space in the rooms for clothes although the things beside the bed had a funky smell- I think it's the paint that was used.

Ancora Private Residence Yacht Club and Marina: Absolutely Unbelievable !!!!!

This resort was above and beyond our expectations !!! when we travel to any country we do not put the bar so high that we set ourselves up for disappointment. So when we arrived from check in to check out this place was way beyond luxury. The room was larger than most main floors of any moderate home and had all the amenities of your own home(should you want to use them). The 24 hour room service was exactly that ! 24 hours you call and within a half an hour you have a freshly made meal that wa [... read more]s like ordering from a local restaurant. As for the staff...Wow is all I can say everyone from the manager to the gardeners where the most friendly people we have ever met. They were all generally concerned about our stay and that we were having a good time. The pool staff and entertainment were so attentive to the guests I swear they were paid off ( lol they were not ). We personally witnessed one of the female entertainment staff help a mother who was there with her 3 young children.She took the baby and played with her for at least 3 hours, changed her fed her, rocked her to sleep. All so the mom could play in the pool with her 2 other children. I really cannot say enough about this place. We will without a doubt be going back and taking friends with us. Anyone thinking about booking here should just stop looking at reviews and book this trip....Amaaaaaazing time John and Sarah Strong

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great resort

Amazing beach,very clean grounds.would need bathroom renoes better communication between staff and guests.staff at guess services great hats off to Julio and Jesus for your help.good safe place for women traveling alone.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Satisfactory resort

Our one week stay was good . Some of the walkways were under construction when we arrived but was well lit at night and the work was completed within a few days . We did have an issue with a leaking ceiling fan vent above our toilet that got worse as our week progressed to the point you had to sit with a towel over your shoulders while in there. We did ask for it to be repaired and within a day or so it was BUT.....the day it was repaired we were on an excursion only to return to our room and  [... read more]find my husbands favorite hat was missing out of our room . We reported it to customer service and they said they would do an investigation into it and to come back the next day . We wasted most of the next day dealing with the issue . End result , we did get the hat back and we were told it was found in a restaurant that we had not even been in. Seemed a little sketchy. We decided not to dwell on the situation and try to enjoy the rest of our vacation .Our room was ocean view which was great for the first few days but it also overlooked a public street that was very noisy and we awoke to dogs barking and boat repairs being done at 6am. We were moved to a new room and enjoyed the rest of the stay. The food at most of the restaurants was good and the entertainment at night was excellent. There was far too many locals trying to sell you excursions and gifts on the resort and on the beach. Also staff trying to sell you time share . We felt harassed every time we went to the main pool and lobby. Our Sunwing representative was excellent and very informative . She was always there to help answer questions and was very helpful with the hat issue. Overall our stay was adequate and one can expect that there will be issues or things go wrong . No resort is perfect and to keep everyone happy always is a challenge . On a final note i would like to give credit to Christian who worked around the pool that we spent most of our time at . Hard working . polite and always attentive to our needs . Thank you Christian for making us feel like family !

Wyndham Alltra Samana: Great location but needs improvement

THE BAD The hotel in not attractive at all when you pull in. Our room had 2 double beds and when we asked for a king or queen (as we were a couple on our vacation ) were rudely told not available. We had no air conditioning the first night and after demanding to have it fixed it only worked ok for rest of trip. Transat rep would not accept tripcentral prepaid card for excursions. Pool bar staff very rude Two single girls woke up with two male staff in room and were robbed! Could see ligh [... read more]t all around door frame Bed linens were absolute nightmare! They were clean but used mattress pad as duvet and a king mattress cover as sheets on double bed. I guess they ran out of linens? Entertainment was a complete joke No make up mirror THE GOOD Absolutely beautiful beach and landscape Food was great Room was always clean Lots of room and shade available on beach Staff was mostly friendly excluding pool bar and one sour girl at front desk I would return to this resort only if I got a really good deal and it would have to be in select club. The beach is absolutely one of the prettiest I have seen in the caribbean! This resort has a lot of potential , Lots of room for improvement here as it could be turned into a 5 star very easily with the right management. The safety issue was a big deterrent when we checked out and the two girls had been woken up with male workers in their room and things had been stolen....VERY SCAREY!!!

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: great resort

It's good environment for relax with family, friendly staff and good food, Elevator to the beach, which is interesting, buffet change menu every day, overall good quality Friendly staff always smile on face, welcoming thank you

TRS Turquesa: Royal Suites Turquesa

The grounds were impeccable, the food was great and we had a great time! The only annoying thing that we found, was everytime we went to a restaurant, there were people trying to sell us stuff, spa, etc.

Riu Merengue: Really and Truly the worst resort

I am so disappointed and while I cannot say much due to a lawsuit in progress I would encourage you to never stay here . From the cockroaches all over the dining room to the lack of fresh water to the excessive amount of bugs in the pool and the spiders in the room. RUI does not take pride in their property nor their management. I will see to it and make it a personal goal to ensure no one I know ever sees this resort. We are extremely disappointed in 85% of staff members and their lack of compa [... read more]ssion and pride in their role.

Riu Merengue: Really lacking

This hotel was run down and needed a facelift immediately. The staff couldn't care less about their job or the people around them. They just chatted with each other. No one to take luggage to room. No air conditioning. No warm or hot water. We switched rooms from one side of the resort to the other side and had to carry our own bags. The bars were not open. Overall just lacking in customer service. Then there was the rats running around outside the restaurants and the cockroaches in our [... read more] room. I would not recommend this location at all.