Ocean Blue and Sand: Fun filled resort

Fantastic food - a lot of entertainment . Beach was very nice. The rooms were decent. I went in august and with family and it was a great resort for families. Tried all of the restaurants for dinner of which the Japanese was the best.

Paradisus Punta Cana: Simply amazing!!!!!

Everything was perfect, unbelievable! Was even more magic than i could imagine. Resort was nice, beach very pleasant and great pool. Staff was very kind, helpful and always smiling. Food was also very great. Nothing négative to say!! :):) I spent 7 incredible days there!!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: "A Wonderful Place to Be"

This is the second time my wife and I have stayed at this resort. We went with our close friends two years ago and unfortunately both my wife and I were sick during the whole trip. So naturally my wife and I were apprehensive about this trip from the the get go but decided to give it a second chance anyways. We were so glad we did! We had a great holiday and amazing time plus met with some wonderful Canadian couples living in the Greater Toronto areas. First day we arrived the flight was  [... read more]delayed and on top of that we had a major downpour so the first day was a write off. From the second day on, we had a perfect beach weather and we enjoyed every moment of it. Room/Villa: We stayed at the Amber 1 because we wanted to be close to the beach area. The first room was in Villa no. 64 and a lot of things were not working in the room such as AC, ceiling fan and bathroom door etc. When I called the concierge and right away offered us another room and we ended up with a corner and larger room in Villa no. 62. We had to wait a bit for a room change but we were moved promptly. The second room was much better but still had some issues e.g, shower glass door did not work properly etc. I must say the villas in the Amber 1 is in need of renovation. The smell in the shower area was not always pleasant and we used our air freshner but the smell did not improve. We found mosquitos in the room so make sure to bring a strong repellent. Cleanliness was not the best but there was no major issues. The housekeeping was very helpful whenever I asked for more things in the room. e.g., bottled water. Mini bar was restocked daily but we did not get all the items consistently. Bring your travel size power bar as we did not find enough outlets to charge our phones and laptops. We kept all our valuables in the safe in the room and had no problems. Next time we may consider Amber 2 hopefully to avoid some of these room issues but I must say it is a lot convenient to stay at Amber 1 as it short walk to the beach, pool and main lobby and buffet restaurant. Beach/Pool: I must say the beach area was just clean and perfect. We did not have any major seaweed issues. There are plenty of sunbeds available but I find that if you want to get a sunbed close to the beach you need to go early. I always brought bottled water to rinse my mouth after ocean swim but staff were always walking around asking if they could grab you a drink. The beach bar is also very close by and you can always get yourself a cold drink. This resort does not supply sunscreen lotions so bring your own to the beach area. You can exchange towels as many times as you need. With nice ocean breeze, we found the beach area to be the perfect place for napping, reading and surfing on the net. The Wifi is free everywhere at this resort. We found the Amber 1 pool to be a bit rowdy in the afternoon with loud music and activities and dances. The Amber 2 pool is a lot quiter but we did not spent a lots of time there. We would prefer the beach to the pool areas Anytime! Food/Drinks: They had plenty of options for everyone. Plenty of desert options as well. Different themes (Mexican, Gala, Asian etc) every night in the buffet restaurant in Amber 1. The Gala dinner has a lot of seafood options including lobsters. On this trip, we only tried two Al a Carte restaurants, the Don Pablo restaurant and Takara and we highly recommend Don Pablo restaurant-Great service and food! Goat cheese appetizer and Chef's special steak (medium well done) were very nicely done! We really liked the buffet options at Takara restaurant. We found their Teppanyaki style Al a Carte meals were a bit salty. We actually ended up cancelling our other reservations and had dinners at the buffet restaurant for the rest of our stays. On the last day we got together with two Canadian couples we met during this trip and had a wonderful dinner at the buffet restaurant. We had a great time! In terms of food, the only thing that we really watched out for was water. We made sure that we used bottled water for many things we normally use tap water here at home. We enjoyed the good food and great service at the Luxury Bahia Principe!!! We tipped generously everywhere we went but staff at this resort genuinely very courteous and work very hard to make sure that you have a great experience at the resort. Not all the staff spoke English well but we did not mind that at all as it gave us a chance to practice our broken Spanish. Staff seemed to appreciated our efforts! We had a great service and wonderful treatment at the resort. There are so many other good things at the resort that we did not have a chance to enjoy but we surely will take advantage of them next time. e.g., entertainment, water sports so on. Overall I would highly recommend this place to anyone as long as you do not expect 5 star services for everything. We loved the people, food and place and we had a lots of fun and we would definitely go back again and hopefully in the near future.

Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Amazing resort with great food!

Hotel was nice and updated. Food was amazing lots of varieties. Very friendly staff and activities were entertaining. The excursions were a bit expensive but was sceneries to remember. Will definitely refer it to others.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Amazing resort

This was my second stay at the Blue Bay Villa,what a beautiful welcome l received by everyone,our representative Harry Poter was such a pleasant young man and remembered me even my name.Of course feeling very special at that point.the grounds are beautifully kept,l ilike that there are 3 pools.opening at 8 a.m. until 11.Always something to eat if you missed the buffet.Took advantage of the gym as well as the jaquzzi.Would very much recommend the Blue Bay. .

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Leaking twice in 3 hours

The hotel dead nice but the room we stayed had problem with the AC. The whole floor was water leaking from the AC. It happened twice in 4 hours and we had to CANCEL all activities with our friends and families. We came as a group of 10. We were offered for a room change but not even close to my senior parents and friends.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: mediocre honeymoon

- Food and restaurants were poor: very disappointing given that this is a 5*. - Service was lacking in some areas: We had issues with the key-card swipe on our front door and we had to ask three times for assistance and they still didn't fix the problem. Room service was skimpy with the fridge refills and not very accommodating when we asked for for things. At one point, I left a note asking for an extra Kleenex box since my husband caught a cold during our stay... They threw the note out  [... read more]and didn't leave us ANY Kleenex that day in response. Meal service staff was often abrupt and seemed angry... Getting a drink refill during your meal was not a regular occurrence. - On the plus side: the beach was stunning! Well maintained with plenty of palm trees, huts, and chairs. They even had a guy going by sweeping sand off your chair! The beach bar servers were excellent and also very nice! The bar staff all throughout the resort were great actually... They seemed a lot happier and much more pleasant and accommodating. - also, our concierge did try to make our honeymoon special by offering sparkling wine and decorating the room with balloons... But overall, we were quite let down with this resort as a 5*... I'd give it a 3-4* and not recommend this resort for a special occasion like a honeymoon.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Great stay!

My girlfriend and I stayed here for 10 days it was a very nice resort! The staff was very friendly. There was many activities during the day. The buffet was average food, I highly recommend booking at the a la carte restaurants the food was amazing ! We are very happy with the trip and would recommend!

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Fantastic!

Great staff, amazing food, and all around amazing experience. I have suggested the resort to many friends! The drink list was great, would like to see more variety in regards to beers. Many good things to say about Blue Bay.

Grand Palladium Punta Cana: Small Things Add Up

AIRPORT We traveled in late August this year. This was our 1st time going to a resort in Punta Cana. All travel arrangements to and from the airport were great (just hold on to your bags as porters will try to grab them out of your hands for a walk less than 200 feet). RECEPTION When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted with a tropical drink and a cold towel (lobby is not enclosed). We had, during the booking process, requested adjoining rooms. When we arrived, the rooms were nowhe [... read more]re near each other. They eventually got us closer, but reception made it seem like it was a hassle. ROOMS We booked a junior suite and a deluxe room as we were told that you could get adjoining rooms, but not the same type. The junior suite was exactly what you see on the website. Large, beautiful view of ocean and beach, all amenities. We were very pleased (even though we had to wait until after 8:30pm to get in). While waiting, we went to the deluxe room. It was NOWERE near what is depicted on the website. It was a standard room, closer to the pool and beach. Don't be mislead by the website! The next day, we requested the room beside or across from the junior suite. We were told the were sold out during our stay. We were deliberately misinformed. These rooms were vacant during our entire stay. Staff simply didn't want to accommodate the change even though we were willing to pay for a upgrade. We made the best of it despite the minor inconvenience and reception staff attitude. VENDORS EVERYWHERE Do not expect to relax on the beach, by the pool, getting towels, walking to restaurants or walking around the resort. You are constantly bothered by vendors!!!!! There is no escape. Vendors selling excursions, straw hats, cigars, spa treatments, etc. The worst is the location of towel service. In order to get your beach towels, you had to go to an excursion desk where they would often not give you your towels until you listened to their pitch. Every single time. A real pain!! FOOD OK, food is subjective so take this as you see fit: Our best a la carte meal was at the Mexican restaurant and it was good at best. The other a la carts we attended (Italian, Steakhouse, Japanese) were very disappointing. The first come, first served method is also a pain. We arrived at the Italian restaurant around 7pm and were advised of a 1.5hr wait time. The adjacent restaurant was the Steakhouse, so we went there instead (no wait). 1st resort where you couldn't make reservations. This too was a big pain. The buffets were ok. The food selections never changed (for breakfast, lunch or dinner). We tended to eat the same thing day after day. Again, one persons meat is another persons poison. Take what you want from this. CUSTOMER SERVICE I have already noted how we were treated by reception regarding the room, so I will move pass that. In general, staff were pleasant. Some staff would look you in the eye and walk right past when you were requesting anything. Others went out of their way to offer you an enjoyable experience. It took 3 calls and one face to face to get the bar fridges restocked. even then, it was no where near daily (every 2-3 days). Small pain, but we paid for the service, it should be received. BEACH The beach itself is gorgeous! A lot of lounges available, shade if you want it, bars on the beach. The turquoise waters were amazing. Beach was well maintained. POOLS The pools were very clean, tons of lounges (again with or without shade), nice atmosphere. water was cool too, so it felt very refreshing when you jumped in!

Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Relaxing & entertaining resort

Good size swimming pool for the entire family.Hotel room is spacious. Foods are very good. Friendly atmosphere everywhere you go. Entertainment for the entire family is excellent. The shows are amazing.

Cofresi Palm Beach and Spa Resort: Best service from Tripcentral.ca

Booked first time with Jill Fithern and Tripcentral.ca She help me in very professional manner. I would love to book again with tripcentral.ca and also would like to deal with Jill again. Thanks from Panchal Family

Riu Merengue: Good Resort for the value

The best part was the staff, the hotel itself needs some upgrades and the food could be better; however, our experience was fantastic, the beach and the pools were great!!! Very clean, organized and people really make an effort to serve you the best they can.

Sensatori Resort Punta Cana: Disappointing resort

This hotel was billed as an adult luxury 5 star resort. In fact, we found it to be disappointing on many levels. Many people with whom we spoke said that it did not measure up at all to the other Sensatori resorts, and that they had booked it based on the reviews of the other locations. This location had only recently opened and we too booked on the reputation of the chain. There were many, many details that looked like they had been rushed just to make the opening deadline - showers that did [... read more] not drain, faulty air conditioners, paint peeling off the walls, plaster crumbling in corners, dried out grass and incomplete landscaping with some plants already dying, bathroom doors that had swollen and would not shut (one of the public bathroom doors had even come right off its hinge!). If we had not known it was a new hotel we would have thought that it was looking worn and needed updating. The communication level amongst the staff also needs work. We were told by our agent that we could ask for an upgrade once at the resort, but when we did the reply was that our agent was the only one who could do that, while the resort could not. Our rep from Sunwing was not very helpful either. We informed him of the issues and he said he would look into it but we never heard from him again. He was more interested in selling tours than in solving problems. The front desk staf were not very well trained to pamper their guests. I jokingly asked whether there was a welcome cocktail and they said they had forgotten all about it! And when we asked to have our luggage brought to the room, we waited almost 1/2 hour before we went in search of it - it was on a cart outside our building with two porters just chatting. When we informed them we were taking our luggage to our room there was not even the hint of an offer to help. They simply watched us unload our bags and take them upstairs to our room. The gourmet restaurant and coffee bar were not clear as to whether they were included or not - it gave the impression of being a very transitional and not well thought out service. And finally, we found it very upsetting to discover that the resort shares the grounds with a second resort, Nickolodeon, which is a family resort! There were children everywhere, including the lounges and nightclub, and they were allowed not only to be there until late into the night, but to climb on the furniture and be rowdy. The same went for the shared swimming pools. To re-cap: physical facilities sub par; service sub-par; falsely billed as something it was not i.e. luxury adult resort. A very disappointing holiday.

Bahia Principe Grand Samana Roulette: Amazing Resort

The hotel looks great overall. It looks very classy and clean. However our room has roof leak when it rained. I think they need to fix it. Employees are all polite. Only downside is that some dont speak english so it is hard to communicate. The view is amazing! Our balcony view is breathtaking!

Vista Sol Punta Cana: Good holiday for the value

This was our first visit to the Dominican Republic. We chose this resort for it's size and beach location. The best part of the resort for us was the beach (shade, dappled shade or full sun spots available). Most chaise lounges were clean and comfortable. We felt the staff in buffets could have been more hospitable. We found ourselves getting our own cutlery and sitting at tables that were not cleaned! A la carte meals were our best meals (Gourmet was the best!). The resort was not too busy due  [... read more]to it being off-season. Our room was turned down each day that we asked for that to be done and two 1.5 litre bottles of water were delivered to our bar fridge each day. We were happy with our maid service. Our room was a swim-up room in Building # 18. Which has NOT been renovated yet. The air conditioning unit (?) dripped through the bathroom ceiling throughout our entire stay. Black mold was beginning to grow in some of the tile crevices...a reno is definitely needed in that building. Also, a couple of our light fixtures did not work. It was clear that these items would not repaired. Someone came to look at the issues but no action was taken during our stay. The main pool was closed during our stay for a scheduled (?) maintenance period of one month! Another building of rooms was also closed for renovations during our stay. We found the on-site vacation sales men to be friendly but also pushy. When we walked the beach we were haggled every time by the local people selling their wares. This was a big downside for us. We understood that they need to make a living but some of them were very pushy and aggressive. Resort security was very good - good presence. Our SunWing representative, Julien, was excellent. His English was very good and he was very helpful at answering our questions and helping us to book an excursion to swim with dolphins. We would recommend this hotel as a value hotel. There is some "do it yourself" required with this all-inclusive! We would rate it at 3 to 3.5 stars.

Wyndham Alltra Punta Cana: Dreams, Punta Cana, just really dreamy

Let's start with the problems. My wife and I arrived at Dreams on Sunday, Aug 21, and were not able to get our booking request of a 2nd floor unit, but was put on the 3rd floor. When arriving at our room, we noticed that the A/C was not working, but since we were tired, used the ceiling fan and waited until the morning. On Monday morning, we approached the concierge at the Preferred Club, and explained about the A/C, and was told that it was resort wide, and it will be fixed by 3:00pm. The A [... read more]/C was still not working that night, so the next morning we approached the concierge again, and was told that there were no rooms available to move to. I requested an upgraded room with A/C, but was told it was $60/day extra, we declined, but finally were moved on Wednesday, 4 days later. Upon arrival at Dreams, we were told to meet with the Air Transat person at 9:00am the next morning. We arrived promptly, and were told he was late, we waited until 10:00am and left. We returned Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat at 9:00am to see him. Other travel operators said that he rarely showed up at this resort. WHY IS HE BEING PAID, AND WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING ANY SERVICE. Having paid for the Preferred club, our luggage was to be picked up at 1:30pm on the day we were leaving. We waited until 2:00pm and he never showed, so we took our luggage ourselves, fearing we would miss the transportation. Now for the pleasing part of our trip. The Preferred club had excellent A/C, and great snack foods, for each meal. A special commendation to Andre and Jilbert, they did an extremely great job in serving us. The servers at the beach were very excellent as well. We were quite impressed with their service. The food at all of the restaurants was very good, and great service. The grounds were well kept, but the rooms need to be updated. There were complaints of leaking water, no A/C, and no place to put your clothes, other than hanging them up (no dressers) I will not be returning to this resort.

Bahia Principe Grand San Juan: My review of this Grand Bahia Principe

I enjoyed my stay at this resort, the food was fantastic the beach was nice and the staff were friendly. The only complaint was the amount of bug bites we both came back with and the lack of English that staff was able to speak. The nightly entertainment was slightly under budget but still entertaining to watch. The pool was a very noisy place to be since the games and music would always be happening. The beach was very quiet since everyone seemed to be at the pool so if you wanted to have qu [... read more]iet I recommend there. The a la cart was definitely a step up from the buffet and was extremely delicious. Our hotel room was a standard hotel room and was nothing special, the plumbing was very low flow and we used the lobby washroom majority of the trip. Sometimes around the one side of the lobby you would get a big wave of smell of sewage which was slightly unpleasant. Overall though I had an excellent time on my vacation, a few minor things about this resort but its nothing that to me would make or break a trip. The staff were very nice and made us feel very welcomed the whole trip.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Dont Believe the BAD ratings!!!!

I've been to at least 30 different resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, This one is good value for the money. The food is NOT BAD!!! Go to CUBA and get BAD food! We were travelling with a party of 9, between the ages of 13-43 and there were NO complaints about the food, there was a good selection! No one got overly sick- other than a few upset tummies, to much drinking and sun. Alcohol is NOT watered down like most of the resorts I've been to- beware you will get drunk!! The pool is big and nice [... read more], the ocean has seaweed...and the beaches... but overall its not that bad...just swim past the seaweed. There are free water sports on the resort so utilize that!! The sand is a nice sand, comparable to Cancun. The water color is medium- Cancun nicest- Cuba and here next and Puerto Vallarta least (But I LOVE the people in PV) The rooms are alright, they are nothing exquisite but you are not paying for 5 star at this hotel. King size bed is very hard, the rest of the beds were better, only ours that was hard. we were in room 1206 and could see the ocean. We had 4 rooms. They do allow the locals in on the weekends, but I asked around and ALL resorts do this, so don't think if you go somewhere else you will be avoiding that issue. They are pushy and rude. It was the LEAST favorite part of the trip. Watch out for the French Fry trays cause they swarm around them and are very very rude!!! Take your tours on the weekends- that way you are around that as little as possible) The staff is not the friendliest that I've ever been around- Mexico has the BEST people, but certainly not the worst either! We almost did not go here because of the TERRIBLE ratings, we almost transferred and that would have been a BAD choice, as It was overall one of the better resorts I've been to. The Waterfalls were very cool, All 9 of us went and Enjoyed. The zip lining and Monkeys the Kids really enjoyed and the snorkeling in Sousa was great! If you get your hair braided in the near by market, Condition your hair before you go- Freshly washed, as we all got our hair braided (7 of us) and they almost ripped our hair out! No concern for knots- just yanked! IT was Breezy not Windy- Cuba is Windy. Warm weather there 7 days and 5 were sunny and hot.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Amazing Resort

The resort was a great place to relax and have fun. The room was excellent. The service was amazing. The shows were great. The buffet had a great selection of food for everyone. I would go back in a heart beat.