Amazing resort

This resort is absolutely amazing. Food was beyond amazing. Rooms very clean but dated. Beach was beautiful and grounds worker's made sure everything was spotless. Will be definitely booking again next year.

Wonderful week

Just returned from 1 week at VH grand. Most amazing beach!!!!! Can walk forever both directions. Lots of bars close to you. Premium and royal area chairs were “taken” every morning by 6 am so we just went to regular beach. Paid the “royal” price but wouldn’t do that again. Not worth it. Lounge was nice but packed, noisy and dark. Overall food was good. Staff very pleasant. Did the waterfall jumping/sliding excursion and boy was it ever a great adventure. Will likely return another year.

Cozy resort

Resort was on the smaller side which meant that you were fairly close to everything. The 3 restaurants had a lot of variety on their menu. Plenty of lounge chairs for all. The beach was sheltered from the waves by reefs which made for calm waters and the reefs made for interesting snorkeling. The activity staff was friendly and accommodating.

Good value for the price

I stayed for a week in January 2025. For the price, you get good value for your money. 1. Resort is very old but clean. Premises, rooms and grounds are clean. Although they are very old, they are well maintained. This is not a modernized hotel. It is very basic and small. The best part about this resort was that it was clean. 2. I can't comment on how this food compares to other resorts in the Dominican, so I can't give a proper review because food at other vacation spots is ver [... read more]y different. For the buffet, the choices are minimal. The buffet container sizes are smaller so food doesn't just sit there, but the problem was that it was not replenished quickly when it did run out. Sometimes if you didn't get it right away, it was gone. It is rather bland so salt and pepper is necessary for seasoning to your liking. The a la cartes had better food than the buffet, especially the Italian Restaurant. I am used to going to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico for vacations, so it is really hard to rate the food here. The food selection, taste and quality is 100% better in Mexico. I did get sick, but it didn't happen until I got home. Every day my stomach would gradually starting cramping more and more. I ate less and less everyday. It wasn't until I got home that I had the runs. 3. Beach is rocky. You need some kind of shoes on due to rock and corral. I wished there was a place where you could go further than 15 feet from the shore. 4. The Entertainment at night was lacking. Some nights they had a proper show, like dancers and other nights it was just the activity staff. 5. Pool is small for the number of people at the resort and is not heated. 6. Service is very good. Staff works really hard and are very friendly. They work their butts off. I would recommend this hotel to a friend who wanted a really cheap vacation at a clean hotel but wasn't expecting much in terms of food and beach.

Expectations Exceeded!!!

This resort was fantastic. An exceptional bang for your buck. This is listed as a 4 star it had everything you could possibly need and more. The food was outstanding (both buffet & A la carte), the service was great, A+ for cleanliness, welcoming & friendly staff and lots of chaise lounges both at the beach and at the pool. Small resort with lots of bars and places to eat. Buffet was always great; had lots of variety and changed menu daily. The three A la carte restaurants were all very good [... read more]. For lunch there was an option to eat at the buffet (12:30-3pm) or The Ocean Grill (12:00-5pm). While we were there, they opened a pizza terrace from 4-6pm. The pizza was offered daily at the buffet as well. There are three main buildings for accommodations. We were given a room in the quiet building (Beata) which was only about 120 meters from the main lobby just past the tennis courts. The other two buildings are around the main pool. Some reviews called it the overflow building (which it's not). We enjoyed our stay in this area of the resort. There was a coffee station, a pool and a bar on site. The signup desk for the a la carte restaurants was also located there as well as the Italian restaurant. We spent most of our day the beach or large pool and then relaxed in a more quiet setting on our balcony. The resort is located in a gated community with other resorts, a small mall with a sports bar (watched a few Leaf games) and golf club. The only part of this stay I would not give a 5 star review is the beach (4/5). Don't get me wrong, we loved our time at the beach and the beach front of our resort we kept immaculate. There were lots of chaise lounges. We always got one no matter what time we got to the beach. The water can be rough and therefore, not very clear. We had many days with a red flag in the morning, but by the afternoon it was lifted. There are some small patches of reefs which have lots of varieties of fish swimming around the area, bring googles to have a better look. We could walk in both directions for quite a distance. A few resorts are empty or are being renovated and the beach front there was not in good shape. Lots of plant debris/garbage on the beach in some areas as well. There were many of vendors walking up and down the beach between the chaise lounges but if you said a polite 'no thank you', they moved on and didn't hound us. We did an all-day trip through nexus tours & our WestJet rep at the resort into Puerto Plata. It was a worthwhile excursion: toured the small Fort San Felipe, central park, went up into the mountain with some open trucks, had a nice lunch, sampled rum and went to a chocolate factory. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us some great history lessons. The weather was good though we did have a lot of sun and cloud mix with a bit of rain. We would go back any time. We met some guests who had been to the resort 18 times. Bring lots of small US bills for tips. I was unpleasantly surprised that many guests did not tip. Leaving a dollar or two (or 5 at the a la carte) is a token show of appreciation. The service is fantastic, and the employees work extremely long hours. Though the rooms are a little bit outdated, they were perfect for us. I don't need fancy just clean, bright, spacious and comfortable. Speaking of comfortable - the bed was not. They had plush white comforters, lots of pillows but extremely firm mattresses. My husband slept well every night. I ended up sleeping on the plush comforter which helped. Each room has a balcony or terrace (first floor). We were on the second floor facing the pool and had sun on our balcony all day. The rooms facing away from the pool may not be as scenic. Bring snacks if you get the munchies at night as the snacks at the gift shop and mall are very expensive. If you stay at this resort, you will not be disappointed!

Very Nice

Pros: The hotel is exceptionally clean, the food is very good, especially the a la carte restaurants however if you wish lobster you must pay extra in US dollars. I purchased the lobster dinner and it was very good. The beach is very nice and you can walk along for quite a long stretch. The water can be rough when there is a wind. The pool is nice but can get very crowded when the resort is full. The value is good. It is a popular place for families with small children and French Canadian [... read more]s. Most of the staff speak at least 2 languages. For the most part, the staff is very good. Cons: The water is undrinkable and it is difficult to get extra bottles of water for your room. If one bottle isn't enough then you must go to one of the bars to get glasses of water or fill up your mug. No extra bottles of water are available. By 8:30 a.m. most of the chairs on the beach and the pool have been saved. There are rules against diving and jumping into the pool but they aren't enforced which makes it difficult if you are in the pool and parents allow their children to dive bomb you. Sometimes you can wait awhile before you are served water or drinks in the buffet. It seems as if they are a bit short staffed.

OK resort

The grounds of the resort was well kept. The rooms were dated but clean and the beds comfortable. The staff were friendly and kind. The staff made the resort. Always pleasant and helpful. Food was good at the buffet. The evening entertainment wasn't too my liking.

Small Resort

Overall it was a good small resort with some deficiencies. Sitting area in lobby for families was very small. !3 people could rarely find a place to sit and play cards after supper. Room were very clean and room service was excellent. Beach was very nice. Although there were not many swiming pools, but existing ones were clean. There was not enough variety of drinks and the provided one were not strong at all. Pina colada drink were almost water. The coconut slushy was almost water. Mojitos were [... read more] limited due to lack of fresh mint. The major issue was in buffet. Food selections were good. Almost every time we were there, nobody was there to find us a table for 13 guests. If we found one ourselves, it was not cleaned up from previous guests at that table. Shortage of server was obvious. For breakfast, after finding a table and sitting, we asked for Coffee, Most of the time it was served when our breakfast was done. Servers were not trained to serve coffee, water, wine. Most of the time it was overflowing and pouring on the table cloth.

It was Ok !!

If you are looking for 4.5 to 5 star facility, this is NOT the right resort although their website says its 4.5 star plus. The service was ok. Rooms are smaller than what it shows in picture. we had water drainage problems in washroom. The staff at front desk may listen to your complaint if they are available which in most of the cases , NOT as they always ask you to wait for Supervisor. Beach was clean so for us the most likable place was beach. Swimming pool is small too and there is [... read more] only one swimming pool so you will see all the crowd there. Their website says non-motor water activities are available for resort guest but there was nothing available. there is no playground for kids although it mentioned on their website. Kids Club was nice. Buffet food was nice. Entertainment activities in daytime and every night was nice too. For Dinner Restaurant - not much options available as most of items on their restaurants menu was available in buffet. One bad experience for us was on their Beach side restaurant - One day when we went for lunch around 3 PM (That restaurant opens till 5PM), there was no Pizza available. One of our friend asked cook if he can make as there was stuff available. he said he will make it. after 15 mins we check no pizza was in oven nor at serving tray. I asked again can you make pizza , the other guy said ok. again 15 mins went by no one was making Pizza. Then I had to inform server - she went and requested the cook to make Pizza and I can see there was some arguments between them. You are in service industry - If you have raw material available and if your restaurant hours are still Open - it is your duty to serve your customer. Since we had kids with us - they wanted to eat Pizza otherwise we would have been ok with other food options.

Not great but ok

Hotel was not in great shape. Ceiling leaked water all day every day. Outlets did not work so couldn't charge phones. No fan in bathroom. No mirror in main room. Seemed over crowded with one main pool. Staff were great however.

Wonderful Time !!

This is my third time at Gran Ventana. Enjoyed my stay completely, the people there at the hotel are wonderful, especially Andrea who works the pool bar. She is always friendly and always has a smile for the customers. She has an ability to remember previous customers and always has a hug for them. She now has a coffee machine. which makes all the different types, I was able to get my morning cappuccino there, that was a great idea. If there was one thing that I could say, it would make a wor [... read more]ld of difference, it would be to have towels at the quiet pool and the young woman who works the desk could do the same thing with taking the room number and giving out a towel, you wouldn’t need more than maybe a dozen or two at her station. It would save having to walk all the way to the towel bar on the other side of the hotel and back again to the pool. This is an extremely clean Resort, the staff seem to be always cleaning something. The food there is still fabulous and they have such a variety every night. I would recommend this resort highly for families or couples … they go above and beyond to try to make your stay that much better. I will be returning there probably in early spring !

Overall Great Resort - Family Friendly

When we arrived at the hotel, they told us that our request for a ground floor room were never received by our travel agent. We have a young baby with a stroller and they told us that no ground floor rooms were available (and there are no elevators in the buildings). They had no record of us asking for a ground floor room, king bed, and crib; so we were quite unhappy when we first arrived. The second day of our trip the hotel was able to move us to a first floor King bed room. Food at the ho [... read more]tel was great; always plenty of options. Most of the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. The entertainment staff were also very friendly. We like how the day time music isn't overpowering; so that you are able to enjoy some quiet at the pool. The beach and beach bar were also fantastic. Our two complaints are: people are constantly smoking in 'common' areas - around the pool, by the restaurants, etc. They are supposed to smoke in designated smoking areas, but quite a few people were smoking wherever they wanted. We had to tell staff numerous times to ask them to stop smoking beside us and our baby. Our second complaint is the night time shows are extremely loud (they seem to crank the bass very high). You can hear it in almost every room that is in the buildings near the pool. If you are a light sleeper, just keep this in mind. Overall, a great trip. Weather was great with a few showers sprinkled here and there. Staff are kind and welcoming and food is plentiful. I'd return to this resort again but next time I am going to call them to ensure they receive my request for a first floor room!

Amazing resort

The hotel is good some rooms need update .we travels toghether with my Daughter and a 8month old baby we emails the hotel and requested a ground floor rooms no elevator at this hotel and this was the third time at this resort when we arrived Mr martinis put on the second floor i told him that we need a ground floor he. Said the hotel had no more rooms he was very rude has no manners shoul not be working at this hotel. Maybe you could find a job tending. Animals at a farm .but thanks to .Solange  [... read more]she put us on the ground floor the next day. Despite all that we had a good time and good good very good steak at the itilian restaurant i recommend you call the hotel with requests

Amazing resort

Very nice ,friendly atmosphere,very clean,food is great The manager and staff are great Beach is very nice.We were 6 times in Puerto Plata VHGrand Ventana and we will be back soon.This time we brought our friends they were very happy

Great beach

The hotel was lovely, not too big, not too busy, good food, friendly staff. The single rooms were nice. We will come back. We toured on of the jr. suites and will probably upgrade to that next time. The beach was worth going back for for sure

Entertainment

The rooms where great ..food was good..beaches clean...but need better entertainment for kids and adults...not the same every night ..kind of boring..services where good..always had drinks availed.. West jet person was always on the resort so if you needed any information or help

Great vacation

This resort was great. Perfect for families. We thought pool area, beach, food, drinks were all great. We did get the upgrade and thought it was well worth it for us. Rooms were good a little small for 4 but still kept clean and very comfortable. Entertainment was good as well. We really enjoyed it here and would recommend. Thank you all who made our vacation great!!!

Beautiful Resort with Amazing staff

The Grand Ventana is a beautiful resort, after being there, now know why so many people return here! We had the premium package added and it was best decision we made. We absolutely loved the extras that came along with this: VIP beach area, late check out, vintage lounge/bar area. The staff were so friendly and made you feel at home and like family. Special shout out to staff named "Amable" who was so attentive at the beach when working there on Wed & Thurs...beach wasn't the same the other da [... read more]ys for me, my husband & in-laws..they need to keep him at the beach more days to keep guests happy. His service was to higher standard. Rosa at the buffet lounge was great too, so friendly and knew her guests by name or by what they prefered to drink by her 2nd time seeing them. Julissa at the Oceanview grill was amazing too. The grounds were well manicured and clean always. Loved our room, we had an oceanview on the 1st floor. Gran Ventana is an expectional place that truly makes you want to come back again and again.

Amazing resort

This resort was absolutely amazing. The food was great, the rooms are nice and cozy. The entertainment was truly amazing. They had salsa dance lessons, games in pool, beach activities, nightly shows. Some of them were so funny. We did some parasailing on resort as well as snorkeling. I will definitely go back again. Loved it!!

Amazing resort

We were fourth time in this place,very nice people,very friendly.we like everything about this place. We would like to say thank you everyone who works there.Start with Oscar who does amazing work recognizing his staff,also he is making us to feel like we are home. Thanks Rosa who’s a great waitress,Nicolas who works at the beach in a small bar,chef at the Ocean Grill restaurant,he makes the best steak and all his food taste great. Very clean and safe place .