Blau Natura Park Resort: Great budget resort

We had a great stay Nov. 2016. Our room was great. Had everything we needed. lots of renos going on but we did not hear any noise. The beach was fantastic. The pool was small but fine. All the staff were great. Helpful in all regards. I do believe if the resort was full is would be quite crowed. Food was good. and the buffet staff fantastic. Keeping the wine glass full! We enjoyed the wine they served. Tons of fresh fruit and great desserts. we went to the 3 speciality resturants.  [... read more] The Steak one was so nice and great atmosphere. Steak was perfect. staff so attentive top notch. Italian rest. also good but seafood awful really do not expect much. The resort grounds were awesome. Loved the birds. I would recommend this resort to anyone on a budjet. One thing I did not like was the Russian guests. They are loud and rude. I think my husband and I were the only English speaking guests. The only problem we had was trying to figure out the light switches very funny really. The aircon worked great. loved the nice big balcony. also funny a brand new coffee maker but no place to plug it in..LOL

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Exceptional resort

Enjoyed a lovely week, inspite of some unseasonal rainy weather. The resort is large and spread out so you are never crowded or experience long lines. The food is delicious with so many choices it makes it hard to make a decision.. There are so many a la carte choices that it can keep you busy every evening. The hard working staff are very, very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and efficient. I can't think of anything to complain about.

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: You Get What You Pay For!

You truly do get what you pay for. Five of us went from October 3 to 10, 2016 and we each paid just over $1,000 for the week. I typically don’t listen to reviews and like to form my own opinion but in this instance all of the negative reviews are spot on. I will breakdown by section below what we thought of our stay. Public Areas: First off, the grounds were very well maintained. This was one of the only things that made the vacation bearable. However, there was constant harassment of peopl [... read more]e trying to sell you excursions, trips, etc. everywhere you walked. Even if you were just sitting by the pool attempting to relax, they would interrupt whatever you were doing (having a conversation, reading a book, or even laying down) to try and sell you something. This was particularly annoying since the main purpose of a vacation is to relax! Rooms: My girlfriend and I stayed in the standard room and were quite disappointed in how run down the room was. We stayed in block 5 and had a room with 2 double (or queen, I can’t remember) beds. If you’re booking with a significant other and would like a King bed, you must upgrade to receive this. The room didn’t have much to it - however a plus was that the shower was always hot and the air conditioning worked pretty well. However… the night before we left, I rinsed my Bubba cup (that I had left on the counter near the washroom), as I took off the lid, this huge beetle looking bug came crawling out of it. This was absolutely disgusting and I have no idea where this bug came from. I wish I had taken a picture so that I could have uploaded for everyone to see. Dining: Warning: do not get the burgers from the Burger place near the main pool. They are NOT cooked (unless you like your beef VERY pink throughout the whole burger) and as a result I was sick for a couple of days after consuming the burger. However, their pizza and mozzarella sticks are quite tasty. The alls-carts were okay - nothing too special. It was very frustrating that some of the staff did not speak English well enough to understand what you wanted to order. I don’t think they should be a waiter/waitress if they can’t understand what you’re ordering. My whole family had issues with this. The buffets were relatively good - I particularly enjoyed the fresh bread that was available for each meal! The fruit was very good as well. They had a number of different choices available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I never got bored to the selection available. Beach: The beach was pretty nice - I didn’t like that they had it sectioned off with rope - it didn’t look very nice to the eye compared to other resorts I’ve been too. There was not much seaweed, which was a plus. There were always men walking up and down the beach once again trying to sell you excursions, fake watches, etc. I felt like I was being rude because I kept saying no thank you over and over. I understand it’s their job to sell but this was a little much. I’ve never been to a resort before where the staff were constantly harassing you to buy. Pools: First off, I want to confirm what all the other negative pool reviews are saying…. the main pool is absolutely gross. By no means am I picky but it was disguising. The sides of the pool had clear and visible moss/algae. It was a shame that you couldn’t even lean up against the side of the pool with a drink in hand without having this slimy substance all over you. The bottom of the main pool was very rough - it needs to be fixed as it is clearly dated and falling apart. At one point, there was a white film covering half of the pool (the side near the volleyball net) and there was NO ONE in the pool because of this. Either the filter wasn’t working or the staff didn’t clean the pool. Nonetheless, this is unacceptable at a resort. It sucked because it was a very nice day out and no one could go into the pool because of this. OVERALL, I guess you get what you pay for. For $1,000 it wasn’t the worst but it sure wasn’t the best. Would I ever go back here? Absolutely not. To top things off, we received free-wifi since we were SunWing customers. However, one male staff member would not give me the wifi password unless I tipped him. This is unacceptable and I would not recommend this resort to anyone. If you have any questions about this resort at all, please feel free to send me a message with your concerns/questions and I will be truthful with you!

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: small and intimate with very friendly staff

This was our first trip to the Dominican and we would use this resort again, because the pros outweighed the cons as far as we were concerned. We had upgraded to 'gold' meaning we had a balcony and king size bed) and our fridge was replenished daily with two beers, 1 pepsi and 1 7 up. We also received a fruit tray and 1/2 bottle of rum. Overcast weather and torrential rain meant that some activities had to be cancelled, but the excellent staff did their best to overcome the adverse weather condi [... read more]tions. The resort is only 15 minutes from the airport which is a bonus after the flight. Pros: nice clean rooms and excellent plumbing. Food was enjoyable and varied, dress code was enforced at the al a carte restaurant although those who arrived without proper attire were generally accepted in a separate part of the restaurant. Cons: An all inclusive resort that stops just a little short of total 'all-inclusiveness' in that premium drinks are served from the 'black and white' bar at an additional cost. The house wine was unpalatable. For those without an upgrade, only the first two beers were included in the standard pricing. Umbrellas were not available in all rooms. I'd recommend that umbrellas be given out at reception and must be returned on checkout. Using a card system for beach towels might also reduce losses. Tours were standard priced, but there isn't really a lot to see in Puerto Plata, so seemed too long for what was there and therefore overpriced.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: nice buffet.food so so

the hotel is very nice but the food is not that good lots of people sick and diahrea .guest services needs some up grading .beer is ex the rest of the alcohol is pure crap.the premium is a joke rooms very small and no drawers for clothes excellent. beach same old vendors so they know not to bother staff are all so friendly missed last year but been here at least 10 times prior and I think this is the last. over priced .may be a 4 star in d.r but a good 3 any where else may be our last time a [... read more]t this resort

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: Nice resort

Unfortunately due to a tropical depression passing through the Dominican causing heavy torencial rain for the full seven days I am unable to give this resort a fair evaluation. The staff were very friendly and attempted to keep everyone occupied in the lobby and other indoor areas during our stay. The rooms were nice and kept clean. Food and service at the one al acart that we went too was excellent. The buffett was reasonably good except for three days during which time a large group (apro [... read more]x 450) of local folks stayed at the hotel for a mini convention. During that time service and food quantity at the buffet was very poor. Also service at the bars seemed to cater to the local crowd. After they had left the service at the buffet and the bars returned to normal. Nice looking pool but beach very poor.

Royalton Punta Cana Resort: 4 star not 4+

We just returned from the Royalton Punta Cana and had a reasonable stay. Unfortunately, we were caught up in a tropical storm and got 5 days of rain. We had previously stayed at the Majestic Elegance and found it to be far superior to the Royalton. While things were for the most part adequate, we found both the food and the service was just ok. The beach front is very small and crowded as it services both the Royalton and its sister property Memories which is situated behind it. While the r [... read more]esort boasts 10/11 restaurants (6 of which are at the Memories property) we heard the food was terrible at the sister location, so we stayed away. The sister property looks run down and we heard a lot of people complaining about it. The steak house at the Royalton was supposed to be the best, but it didn't take reservations which made it impossible to get into. Apparently, you need to line up at 6 pm and plead to get in. It seems that it takes guests from its higher end diamond club members, and the rest of the resort is left to vie for the few tables that are left. After numerous requests and lining up at 5:30, we finally made it in...but the meal was not worth all of our effort. The entertainment that is brought in from outside the resort was very good. Daytime activities are spread between both properties and we never really knew what was happening where. Considering that it rained all week, there was no real effort at activities to keep kids ( or even adults) busy. We never got to use the kids or the teens club as they were flooded due to the storm. Effort to entertain the guests during the storm would have been nice, instead we wandered the lobby and retail area. Finally, we found the push from the "vacation package" salespersons very annoying...it's not quite time share but a new concept of buying vacation packages for the next 15 years. They seemed to be around at every turn. I found the common areas of the resort to be very poorly lit...everything from the dining rooms, hallways and especially the lobby were all very dark. The grounds are nice and rooms are small but clean and tastefully decorated. I would rate this a 4 rather than a 4 plus...for future stays I'd rather return to the Majestic Elegance. Service from Trip Central was great as always. Special thanks to Susan :)

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Third time

This is our 3rd visit to Casa Marina & it is like we were going to the cottage. Staff remembers us & gives us hugs to welcome us back. We were also granted the room that we requested & though not fancy it is very clean. The food is very good & we definitely will be going back for the 4th time next year. We go the same week & we have made many good friends that go back at the same time.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Uncaring Staff

The resort is large and very well kept, there is transportation around the resort which is great. The beach is beautiful as well as the weather. This is our fourth year to this resort and they have a reception for returning guests as well as a gift. We have never received a gift or been invited to the reception without asking (several times). This year after my husband mentioned daily to the lobby staff that we should be receiving a gift, after the fourth day we finally received it and we ne [... read more]ver got an invitation to the reception. There was an issue with our room and we were told to wait and not touch anything in the room and a bellboy was coming to move us, after 45 minutes of waiting we called back and they were just going to send the bellboy now. I think the resort has gotten too big now and the customer service has suffered as a result. I think we will stick will smaller resorts in the future, it is not that we want exceptional treatment, just what your supposed to get and not have to ask for it.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Amazing resort

Recently it was our 4th time in Caribe club Princess and we were pleased to enjoy this charming Resort once again for our vacation. When we arrived on the service counter we were pleasantly welcomed by Judith ,who arranged everything for us. A wonderful surprise were the armbands she put on us, the color orange , which means VIP. At lunch we went to the buffet and most of the waiters and waitresses came and greeted us with hugs and handshakes. We had a wonderful time and would suggest this Re [... read more]sort to anybody who wants to relax and have a good time. We booked with Kim Hartlen at tripcentral in Bedford and she worked everything out to our satisfaction

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Great place!

Clean and friendly place..workers always keeping the place clean no litter they even clean the garbage cans.The place is maintained in and out.The food is tastey and always fresh,the soups are delicious

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Beautiful resort

My family and I have been to the bee live resort about 8 times I keep going back to the same resort because the staff go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and relax. I love that it's not a big resort were your half of the week trying to fine your way around, everything is at your finger tips. The rooms are clean and comfortable. There is 3 la carts and a buffet the food is very good with a selection of different foods. Beech is beautiful and you can go for long walks. Pool is always [... read more] keep clean and a fair size. My only complaint is the men that try to hook you in to the time sharing on the resort I fine them a little annoying and you almost have to be rude to them to get them to leave you alone . My family and I had a amazing week and would diffently go back again.

Riu Merengue: Great place

Perfect place for a vacation plenty to do room was clean and well stocked grounds were kept clean even though the weather wasn't good The nexus rep was exceptional went above and beyond with us would like the hotel to stop pumping the water out from beside pool bar to the ocean the smell was not good at all

Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus: More Lobster Than You Can Ever Eat

The Hotel is older but immaculate, cleaners, pool boys, and gardeners every where, repairs that were needed were completed within hours . Huge selection in the main buffet, Japanese restaurant, was fun missed the Mexican, Steak house is the one on the beach used for lunch. The Colonial was superb the first week an absolute disaster the second week, The beach and sea were remarkable, highly recommended I can not remember the last time I have seen such a clean beach. The Light House for cocktai [... read more]ls at Sunset , Swimming pools had pool cleaners in the pool every day I would recommend this Hotel for all age groups Just go and have fun .

Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa: 3 star for a ridiculous price - disppointing

clean hotel... people were friendly but don't speak any or understand minimum English. wouldn't go back no way a 4 1/2 resort more like a 3 maybe. Food was mediocre not what I expected from a so call 4 1/2 start disappointed recommendation by the agent.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: beautiful resort

The room We had was lovely. I was with 4 other people (2 suites). Unfortunately the maid service could not understand that 3 beds meant 3 people and every day we had to request 3 towels ,3 cups, 3 glasses, extra tea, coffee, WATER etc.. We had to ASK for our umbrellas (only received 1 per room for 3 ladies), Robes, Rum, never received our slippers, All part of our upgrade... Two pools: 1 is a quiet pool no music, no laughing loudly, you have to be very very quiet. So we had to leave the pool th [... read more]at was below our balcony and walk 15 minutes to the other pool to just TALK. There was not a decent type of (rye) whiskey except at (the only inside bar) lobby bar. If you wanted Canadian Club that was an UPCHARGE. I have been to D.R. many times this was the worst for accommodating an upgraded package. The resort CLOSES at 11:00 pm Lights out in Lobby. The only Bar closed AT 11:00pm. NO TRANSPORTATION back to your room from the bar. Sorry to be negative but I don't work all year to go on vacation to have to turn in at 11:00pm. We were informed that there was entertainment (and with the rainy weather we couldn't figure out where it was. The Theater was in the total opposite direction of the outside stage (disco area) the front desk didn't know where the entertainment would be either. We had a good time because a vacation is what you make of it, come rain or shine..

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Loved the resort, food great.

The worst check-in I ever experienced. All my sisters got a room with a super long wait. In the end they were overbooked and had no room for me. My choice was to go to the opposite end of the resort (the green section) and we all booked for blue or take a room in blue with no phone. I took this room, it had 2 small beds and toilet did not flush properly as well. I was told to go to the blue lobby for my room at 9am the next day. I was sent back and forth to blue then green lobby!! It was ridicul [... read more]ous, luckily we used the shuttle. I got a room about 5:30 pm and felt I had 2 days wasted.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Always a pleasure

I've been to this resort 3x and will def go back if I get the chance. Its clean, well maintained, the staff are friendly and the rooms are kept clean. Food is great, there's always something you can find to eat. Buffet is a little repetitive but always well replenished. Towel service needs a bit of improvement w its turn over w washing and drying - new towel at the end of the day or mid day not always available. Had to tip the guy at the booth to hold 3 towels for us in the afternoon one da [... read more]y. Entertainment on the beach needs more improvement... There really is none except aerobics. Gift shop prices are ridiculous when it comes to necessities like sun screen or bug spray. They were asking $20USD for a bottle of OFF spray! Bring bug spray....we were eaten alive! Love this resort!

Bahia Principe Escape Samana: Fantastic

This resort is a perfect place to go to relax. We enjoyed the beach area, the pool area & pool bar every day. The staff was helpful and great customer service. The food was the best I have had at any resort. Amazing choices at the buffet - the A-la Cart restaurants were ok - but we actually preferred the buffet or room service. We have no complaints - this resort is one of the best we have ever been too.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Exceptional Resort!

We had a great time at the Gran Ventana, the rooms were very nice and clean, the grounds were always being looked after, the entertainment was well organized and very well done. We will go back to this resort again for sure! Only downfall I can think of is the pool could have been cleaner but wasn't bad enough that you wouldn't go in.