Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana: Luxurious & Modern "Vegas" resort on A1 Beach

This hotel literally rocked...music memorabilia scattered throughout the resort, awesome music playing at the pools, fine dining with delicious food and plenty of options (no reservations required at any of the restaurants which was a nice change), friendly and attentive staff, great drinks with gorgeous rooms with hot tubs and all situated on an amazing beach. Most shows were excellent quality as well. I would highly recommend the Fire show, Michael Jackson show and the beach party. The others  [... read more](magic show, 70s & 80s show) were just ok, not worth our time. The hotel also has quite the night life with multiple bars, pool tables, Karaoke and casino. Fav restaurants included the Japanese, Pizziate, Torro (went twice had the NY steak and the BBQ chicken, both were incredible) and the LPanema (fun way to sample lots of types of meat cooked to your preference). I tell all my family and friends that it was a Vegas quality hotel located on one of the nicest beaches in the word with fun waves for swimming. I do not have much negative to say... some considerations: - hotel property is large and it is about a 10-15 walk to the beach or to another area of the resort. There are multiple trollies that circulate the resort every 10 mins. - Waves were large (which we consider fun); however, there was a strong current and an undertoe. We are used to swimming in these conditions and are cautious of the water. The ocean was closed to swimmers two days while we were there. I would strongly suggest being cautious and not going out above your shoulders if you are not familiar with undertoes.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Clean, and friendly!

The service level of this resort is truly why I rated it a five instead of a four. Service: From check-in to check-out all of the staff at the Iberostar went above and beyond. On my birthday they put a birthday cake and beautiful flowers in our room. You could tell how much pride the maids have in their jobs, we were sure to tip them a few dollars everyday and in return we were left with beautiful towel art and a spotless room. The wait staff was always in a great mood which rubbed off on all o [... read more]f the guests, and they always remembered your drink order. The animation team were all very friendly and not at all pushy like they are at some resorts, they really made the pool area a little more interesting however, the nightly shows aren't much to rave about. Room: Our room had two double beds and was a perfect size. The safe was digital so you didn't have to worry about losing a key, and the shower was very large and had decent water pressure. The wifi didn't work well in our room, but it did work on the balcony. Food: The food was really good, and the beach BBQ is not to be missed. The food was somewhat repetitive so don't try to eat everything at each meal, you'll have plenty of time to try everything thoughout the week. The Japanese restaurant was good, and a nice change from the buffet. The main buffet has better food at lunch than the pool buffet. Pool/beach: We didn't spend most time at the beach, the waters were rough and had a lot of seaweed. We did walk along the beach though and there were plenty of chairs and shaded areas, definitely a quiet place to relax. The pool is where we spent most of our time, to get a shaded chair you must put your towels out around 7am. Most activities happened around one side of the pool so if you wanted a quieter place to lay out, pick the pool end near the lobby. I did find the pool a little deep, I am 5ft tall and couldn't touch the bottom in the main section of the pool, I can swim but I find on vacation I like to be able to stand around the pool! I would definitely return to this resort, it was small enough that you get to know a lot of the guests and staff, I would also recommend this resort to anyone who enjoys a smaller feel.

IFA Villas Bavaro Beach Resorts: Nothing amazing for the price

I was a bit disappointed in this resort and would not travel here again. Beach was not groomed well..tonnes of seaweed on beach. Not much entertainment during the day, the entertainment board showed lots of activities but they do not do all the things advertised on board. Long walk to get anywhere. Food was not good. Not many English guests or employees...would not recommend this resort! We had NO running water our second to last day of trip and NO HOT WATER final day of trip.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Fantastic resort

Stayed at the colonial club section. Loved the butler and the lounge club. Very clean everywhere. Wonderful polite , friendly staff. Beautiful beach and pools. Food and drinks great. House and in evenings very good .

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Worth the money

The hotel was beautiful. The rooms (we had ocean front) were very nice and comfortable. The cleanliness was outstanding accross the entire grounds, never once was there an issue with any public restroom or eating place the whole two weeks we were there. I would highly recommended this to those who want to relax and get away from it all.

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Truly more than what I expected.

The room I shared with my sister was enormous! Our bar fridge was stocked daily with water, pop & beer. The grounds & pools were amazing. The ocean was close with a lovely sandy beach. I've never been to an all inclusive in 25 years, so I was a little hesitant as to what the food buffet might have to offer. I was amazed at the quality & quantity of food . I loved every thing that was presented to us. The staff could not do enough for you . This was an amazing vacation for me & the only thing wro [... read more]ng was it was only for a week. Can't wait to return again !

Casa Marina Sosua Trademark by Wyndham All Inclusive: Wonderful family friendly enviroment

The grounds are very clean. Great variety of foods available. Staff very friendly. Shows and activity staff are very poor. Often saw activity staff sitting around and drinking. One day spent 20 mins trying to find out if they were still playing beach volleyball, we then asked for ball,again told to go here then there. Finally they said we don't have a ball. Watched one lady dance by herself during Boggie night show while activity members sat around drinking. Very disappointed. Would like to see  [... read more]fridges in rooms filled with beer as bars close early (11 pm). All in all would go back again.

TRS Turquesa: wonderful getaway in Punta Cana

We stayed at the Royal Suites Turquoise for a week in April. The resort overall was above average 4+ but not a 5. Pros: Our room which was standard was very nice; double sink, separate shower, comfortable bed. The nightly entertainment was really good. Each lobby had a live band, it was never boring. The main pool was very quiet which was great for relaxing, the quality of the food was great. I liked that both restaurants offered a small buffet and a la carte without having to make reservations [... read more]. Cons: Service at the restaurants were poor. Lots of times I never got what I asked for. For example a glass of water for breakfast so that I can take my medicine. I finally started carrying around a bottle of water when I went to breakfast. I also gave up getting our safe fixed. Getting an umbrella at the pool or the beach was a challenge. After our second day my husband had to rise early in the morning around 7 am to get chairs with an umbrella (there weren't too many left).

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Very good

Very clean resort and rooms, very friendly personnel and all the problems were resolved immediately, good food, excellent professional entertainment and much weaker entertainment involving public (which I personally do not like but some other do).

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great Choice!

Very clean resort inside and out. Many restaurants to choose from and buffets were always good. Pool area was great and beach nice and clean. Felt very safe there and staff and entertainment was also great. Only one thing would make this resort a little better would be to offer free wifi in certain areas. However, nice taking a break from the phone, it is also nice to stay in touch with pictures as well.

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Bahia Principe

Food was great and the staff were friendly defiantly would go back. It is more of a relaxing spot but if you are looking to party one of the other resorts attacked to the chain has a 18 plus pool. Amazing beach to swim or walk.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Fabulous time with friends

Had a great time with 6 girls, food was really good,rooms were clean , excursions were fun :) we will have memories for a lifetime , only downsides for me was the night life and entertainment could use help otherwise we would all return :)

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Beyond ones Expectations

The hotel and staff were outstanding. They attended to every need and would not tell you it was not available for any enquiry or need we had. The food was very delicious and there was a wide variety to choose from. With all al-a-carts available there was no reason whatsoever for anyone to go hungry. The buffets were fabulous and it you wanted something different the chef was there to cook it for you. The grounds of the hotel area are very picturesque, and the pool was always kept clean, as were  [... read more]our rooms for accommodation. Overall just a fabulous hotel and that made it a worth while vacation and we would not hesitate to return or recommend to others. A five star in our eyes.

Bahia Principe Grand Bavaro: Great resort!!

I most definitely enjoyed my week long stay at the Grand Bahia Principe Bavaro. I travelled with my girlfriend and two other couples (all in our 20s early 30s)The resort was impeccable and clean. The food was very good with a lot of variety at the buffet. The entertainment was also on point during the evenings at the lobby with good service from the bartenders and waitresses. The beach was nice (it wasn't Cuba but better than Mexico). The rooms were big, clean and had everything you needed. On  [... read more]the more negative side of things, but then again it wasn't a big deal. On our first morning there, as told by the representative, we went to book our A la Cartes restaurant. Unfortunately for us, management overbooked their A La Cartes and we could only pick from 3 different restaurants with 21:00 seatings. The Italian was good, the Teppanyaki was good, (even though we were seated with 6 8yr olds who's parents were enjoying themselves at another table...) we were booked to go to the beach bbq but didn't go because we didn't feel like eating at 21:30. Good thing that the buffet was amazing! Before booking to this resort, I was aware that it wasn't an adults only resort. That being said, at some point, I thought it was a kids only resort. They invaded the pool area, jumping on our chairs and crawling between us. The resort is so big that I believe that they could have adults only pools like most of the resorts I've been to and that would make everyone stay a bit more peaceful. Overall it's one of the best resorts I've been to and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Riu Merengue: Last minute and one of the best

Could not have asked for a better vacation. Flights were great and the staff were awsome. Cheeky monkey and the entertainment group kept the pool lively and the beach was awesome. Rooms clean and comfortable and the food was great. I loved that the salad bar was enclosed so everything was cold and fresh. Now the best was our waiter Willy who kept us laughing and entertained .

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: Food (5 Star) Room (Superior?? 1 Star)

The grounds and pool areas are beautiful and well maintained. The buffet and restaurants (Italian and Brazilian recommended) were exceptional, offering a variety of foods (highlight of our trip). The pools were wonderful as well as plenty of chairs and shaded areas. We spent most of our time at the "relax pool" which had spotless restrooms and a bar (Franco the bartender - highlight of our trip as well). Only had 4 to 5 couples there everyday until the beach people started coming in around 4:00  [... read more]for their happy hour before supper. If you are a beach person, this is the resort for you as the pools are not large enough to accommodate the size of the resort. The accommodations and front desk day manager was a whole different story. We arrived at the resort about 1:00 pm Thursday to find out that we had no room. They could not seem to find a room for a full 2 week period. He asked us if we were there for 7 or 10 days and we responded that our reservation was for 14 days. He apologized and said that he did not have an available room but we could check back with him after we had lunch. We heard later from the WestJet rep that the resort was overbooked and they were asking people in the lobby if they would consider relocating to Bahia Cayo. We were finally assigned a room at 3:30 pm and realized that we had to be shuttled there as it was at the far end of the resort. When we initially booked this resort we were told we would be close to the ocean (Building Three) as the Tripcentral agent indicated that there was no oceanfront rooms due to layout of the villas. We ended up at Building Eleven on the 3rd Floor (no elevators). My husband has a knee injury (torn MCL) which was a concern at the time of booking but we were told that Building 3 was only two levels and we could request bottom level if we needed to. By this time it was so late in the day, we decided to see if this was feasible and try to make the best of it for now and enjoy what was left of the day. Went down to the pool area at the other end of the resort to get towels (15 minutes walk) only to be told there was no towels available. Instead of making the trek back to our room, we waited 1/2 hour at the towel booth for our towels. No chairs available at the large pool so we trekked back to the "relax pool" by our building and finally relaxed in the pool with a drink before it closed down. After spending a full day at Building 11 we realized this was not doable (due to stairs and walking distances to restaurants and facilities). We decided to request another room which is a first for us. The day manager indicated he would try to find a room on a lower level and closer but did not expect to have one until late afternoon (Saturday). He asked that we check back with him after lunch on Saturday. They found us a room but could not assign it to us until the day Manager was available. We were finally assigned a room 4:00 (building 7 - lower level) and told we need to relocate immediately if we wanted the room. We said we needed to pack up our belongings and would be moved out in 1/2 hour. We then trekked back to Building 11 to pack and received a call from the day Manager as soon as we entered our room asking if we were ready to move. He also threatened that if we did not do this quickly, the room would need to be re-assigned to someone else that was waiting. We were out of the room within the promised 1/2 hour only to arrive at a lower level room where 1) the patio door lock was broken which affects the sensor for the air conditioner, 2) they were still cleaning and setting up the room, 3) they were replacing a leg on the bed and 4) the housekeeping supervisor was indicating that the room was for three people and could we wait for another day for a different room. More accommodation highlights: 1. 20 to 30 flea like bugs in our bathroom daily 2. Could not shower, bathe or go to the washroom without coming out with a welt or spend 20 minutes killing them off so we were not swatting them while we slept. 3. Blood smear (assuming from a dead bug) on the floor for our entire stay 4. Decaf coffee only (4 days of our stay) 5. No creamer or sugar (6 days of our stay) I could go on but I am tired of typing. In my opinion, I will never return to a Bahia. We made the best of the situation and have never experienced this type of service in any of our travels (and there are many).

Caribe Deluxe Princess: Wonderful

Anyone who had a problem with this resort, you simply cannot please. The food is outstanding, the people so nice and helpful and the resort is beautiful! My sister broke her toe the second day there and although she was limited, the staff treated her like a queen. They could not do enough for her. The resort also made accomadations at all times, such as: cabs, golf cart and the train that picks you up for people who are limited with walking. Outstanding!

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Absolutely amazing

Beautiful grounds, great food, pleasant staff! Beach vendors are great once you get chatting with them! The resort really values their staff and its great to see. Beach is close, and well maintained. We will return!

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: great resort

great resort highly recommend .great food great service ideal location beautiful beach great golf course room in the privledge section was ideal worth the extra money.the privledge bar and beach location was the best

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Beautiful bar terrace with excellent view

A beautiful resort, a bit challenging if one does not have a room in the main building, with an excellent terrace. The beach may not appeal to those looking for those endless sandy beaches with (most often) waves crashing on it, but it is a relatively small and calm bay. We wish we had more sunny days to enjoy it. Food was very good, excellent we would say, especially for those looking for some kind of 'mediterranean' food with lots of vegetables; not so much into the 'grilling' stuff. Nice ente [... read more]rtainment program with an excellent 'animation' team.