Royalton Punta Cana Resort: Awesome resort

My husband and I just returned from the Royalton in Punta Cana. We had the most amazing time. The resort was beautiful, the staff there were amazing and extremely friendly and helpful. The food was too notch. You couldn't get any better selection! Our room was super clean , modern and the beds were extremely comfortable! This resort is on the beach which was the best part of our trip. Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!! We couldn't have asked for anything better. This is a five star plus all the way. I bi [... read more]g thank you to Stephanie at trip central for her recommendation!!!!!!!

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Excellent resort

I found this resort to be very clean and top notch as far as staff was concerned. You could not ask for better. The food was really tasty , Avoid a couple things for sure, if it looks suspect then stay away , if it has been sitting out too long stay away . and the late night bar by the beach between Ambar and Esmeralda. I would not trust the food there at all. other then that the a la cartes are very good. and the food in the buffets are good. I only had 1 bad experience , with something from th [... read more]e buffet and it is just starting to not affect me a week later. The same can be said for 2 of our friends.. Lots of kids at this resort. it would be nice to see some more established and enforced Adults Only areas Checkout day and Wifi Access are the 2 worst things on this resort any 5 star has good wifi, not here it is garbage unless you want to pay . When you checkout at noon if you have a late flight , all of your stuff stays in the lobby all day . People lose luggague or it has been sent to the wrong flight , plus you also have to be responsible to carry around what ever passports and ID and change of clothes you need all day long. This is not 5 star service I got better treatment for that from a 3 star in Mexico. So there is room for improvement, Overall bang for buck I paid $1630 for 7 days per person I would not pay more then $1400 for the same experience unless they addressed some of these issues.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: we loved the resort

the only thing we would change is the use of the lounges and umbrellas around the pool. There are not enough available and just putting towels or books on a lounger should not reserve you one for the rest of the day, especially if you don't even use it. We noticed people as early as 7 am reserving loungers and umbrellas. Not cool.....

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Amazing Short Get Away

We arrived at lush, green Samana on Jan 27th for a short 4 day get away. It is wonderful that the resort has this option, so many all inclusive do not offer less than 7 days. This was the 3rd Bahia property we have stayed at, and by far the most picturesque. There is a stunning view from wherever you look. Our balcony overlooked the town of Samana, and both the pool and beach elevators have glass windows to look out. A resort built into the side of the hill gives great views but many steps for  [... read more]walking. Also sometimes a challenge to figure out where you want to go initially. A short 45min transfer from the airport, quick check in. Remember to pay ($4 per day) for your safe, and they give you the activation code, we forgot and had to go back to the desk. Our room was standard, clean. The king bed was on the firm side, and pillows ok, but we were given 4 of them. Bathroom fine too. We were on the 5th floor and no trouble with water temp, but water pressure was low. Once again, to Bahia standards we ate like kings. There is never any point of the day that you cannot get food. The buffet was standard, and always found much to our liking. Snack bar was great too. We tried the Italian and Gourmet a-la-carte. The italian was just ok for me, but the Gourmet was amazing! Best meal at a resort I have had. All the bars are great and very eager to please. They did run out of mint for 2 of our 4 days which was a problem for us mojito drinkers, but we managed to survive. The cappuccinos in the lobby bar with Barcelo Creame (Dominican Bailey's) were to die for. The entertainment staff here really go above and beyond. They want to talk to you and get you involved. They do an excellent job. During our 4 days we had a lot of rain, torrential at times. The entertainment staff did their best to give you fun options during the rain. The resort also puts an umbrella in each room. 2 thumbs up to Alex and Tomas and the rest of the animation team. The early evening dancing was fun, and we saw the Dominican Dancing professional show and also the Circus show, both very enjoyable. We did take the free ride into Samana for a couple hours. When you get off the cart there are locals waiting to take you around town. At first we were very leary of this, but in the end he was very helpful and informative taking us to the local market and also the supermarket to make our purchases. He answered all our questions and we were happy to learn so much. We did not do any other excursions as we only had 4 days. Other people enjoyed the zip lining. I think with all the rain the water looked very rough for whale watching. Despite the rain, a wonderful vacation. Very up to the Bahia standards. Would highly recommend. Room Tip: We liked being the main building. It meant less walking up stairs, especially in the rain. Our roo... Stayed January 2015, travelled as a couple

Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda: Fantastic Resort

My husband and I both had an excellent time at this resort! We were a 5 minute walk to the beach. The beach itself was gorgeous with soft, white sand, countless palm trees, and of course the gorgeous turquoise water the Caribbean is know for. The food was excellent, and must better than other resorts we have travelled to. We really enjoyed all the fresh fruits and fresh salad bar. Drinks were fantastic, and they really had a lot of top shelf liquor available. The resort was in immaculate conditi [... read more]on. The only downside we noticed was the aggressive timeshare sales people.

Excellence Punta Cana: 3rd Time back.

Everything was wonderful - service exceptional. Our third time returning to this resort and we have normally never gone to the same place twice. Beach did have seaweed this time of year but they were out every day clearing it. Never an issue with finding a chair by pool or by beach.

Occidental Caribe: Beautiful Beach and Resort

Grounds, beach and building were visually beautiful. Some updating or retrofitting is required in the rooms. This resort has been around for quite a while and is generally well maintained. I was impressed with the fact that small maintenance issues were dealt with immediately.

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: awesome resort

The hotel was beautiful, very clean.. Food was great. Staff are very courteous and friendly. I was a little disappointed with the cleaning of the beach area as last Friday we woke up to massive amounts of seaweed washed up on shore..other hotels were quick to begin clean up..the Melia did not thus making access to the water problematic as the seaweed was as knee high. Guests were clearing their own paths through it. Before this occurred the beach was clean and lovely to walk on.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Rough start- Decent Finish!

Be Live is the equivalent of a 3 star resort in the US. It has parts that are great (pool, restaurants) and other areas are lacking. The customer service at the reception desk is minimal, some rooms are in dire need of renovations (in the newer buildings they are fine, but you pay to upgrade to these). The beach is just ok compared to the Iberostar next door. It is fairly dirty and has a lot of seaweed which is not raked raked daily. The pool is very nice, however there are not enough chairs in  [... read more]shaded areas and never a decent towel supply. For the price it was ok, but not as polished as Iberostar.

Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites: Wonderful resort in all aspects!

Truly an excellent time in all regards! The staff stand out as very friendly and outgoing; especially the entertainment staff. Always busy but never too busy to stop and talk with you. The dining and buffet experiences were a highlight. Loved the arrangement of hotel rooms, close to everything. Have already told friends and will certainly do a return visit.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Wow what a nice vacation.

I have to start with the food ! I have been to several resorts and I am a picky eater but I loved the food here . I never ate anything I didn't like. It was not bland or tasted all the same. It was very fresh and tasty. Rooms are very nice , staff was very friendly and try to help in every way with a smile. We didn't have to fight for chairs on the beach but the main pool area will fill up. but you can go to another pool . There is allot of stairs around the resort but you need some exercise to  [... read more]burn off all that food you are going to eat. The view is beautiful all around . There is lots to do here also like rent a motorbike and go driving around . It was a blast but I must warn you there are no rules no stop signs or stop lights it is just a free for all and you should have previous experience driving a bike and pay attention all around you . There are more motorbikes here then I have ever seen Everyone has one , you will see many people on one bike and all the bikes are small nothing over 200cc . I would go back to this place most defiantly.

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: had a wonderful time

we stayed at the catalonia from jan 26-feb 2 had a great time from start to finish. Honestly for the price you can't go wrong free wifi, free safe and free golf you only pay 45 for one person to rent a cart but they will charge you double if there are two of you playing witch i think is a little rediculous but still not too bad. Our room was ok big nothing fancy beautiful view we were in room 2117 witch is one building over from the pool next to the privillaged section on the second floor no com [... read more]plaints there. The resort is a bit big and there are not may golf carts to give you a ride around the grounds but i am sure if you called the front desk they would be happy so send someone to give you a ride to anywhere you want to go,i personally loved walking around the resort. The food was not bad at all i thought with all the bad reviews the food would suck but there was enough to choose from you will not go hungry, i thought the slow roasted chicken and the pizza was fabulous. We tried three alacarts The rodeo served hamburgers,steak a western atmosphere was very tasty we both had a strip loin very good a little tough tho they only give you a butter knife to cut, second alacart was the japanese very good also we both had the beef very tasty although the chicken looked good to, and lastly we went to yucca more of a carribean feel very good, we both had the jerk chicken small portions but you will be stuffed when you leave because you can order two or three(appetizeres) of what ever you want for instance we ordered 4 coconut shrimp sooooooooooooo good and i dont like coconut it only comes with 5 on plate with some yummy lemon dipping sauce you will enjoy it not only because it was very good but also it is the only time you are going to see seafood in the whole resort besides calamari. You have an option to order a lobster dinner at $30us pp but we didn't . The drinks were never ending goodness of whatever you want but be careful they will knock you on your butt at the end of the night lol. Always people walking around cleaning the resort the grounds nicely manicured,rooms cleaned you can't go wrong the beach has a lot of seaweed but they do there best to keep it clean we are not beach people so that didn't bother us. All in all if you go you will meet some wonderful people and have a great time. Also i must say the staff are very nice if you tip or not. I would go back with no hesitation .

Royalton Splash Punta Cana: fantastic family resort

My husband and I stayed at Memories Splash with our 2 girls (3 & 8 months) last week. We were pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness of the rooms and the entirety of the resort. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Food was enjoyed by all. Our 3 year old especially enjoyed the splash park as it suited her needs and was even great for our 8 month old. There is plenty of space to go for daily walks on the resort property & endless entertainment for the little ones. The only thing that came une [... read more]xpected was they ran out of cribs. We had requested one upon booking, prior to our arrival but for some reason they didn't have any available. After a few phone calls & help from our concierge Andy, we did receive one the following afternoon. We also had a room one the 3rd & top floor of our building and there are no elevators. I'm not sure if I missed that information on the website or if it's not even there. So if you are travelling with strollers prepare for a workout as you will have to carry your stroller up the stairs.

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: Do not stay here

The only plus to this resort is the grounds keeping. The food is horrible, always cold, no selection, no themes. Same left over stuff every single day. We had to get our own drinks 90% of the time. There are no napkins on the tables, they bring them over, but of course not all the time. The beach was better on the sister side. Lots of chairs at the beach and pool so that was good. I would never come back here or recommend this place to anyone.

Marien Puerto Plata Hotel: Excellent Staff & Resort

From the moment you step off the bus and into the lobby the staff embraces you as part of their own family. The staff goes beyond to help whenever needed. The rooms and resort are a bit dated, but is clean and well maintained. The Resort is not huge so easy to navigate and everything is a 5 min walk. The Buffet for breakfast and lunch had a decent selection. The fresh Juice stand and omelette station was the best part of breakfast. Dinner was always a theme night. Saturday was the Chefs Selectio [... read more]n with Ribs and T-Bone Steaks. All 3 A'la carte restaurants were great Mexican was the favorite, Rodizio was fantastic as well as Gourmet cannot go wrong with either choice. Make sure you check out the Orange Market a 15min walk down the beach. Frank & Raffy designing T-shirts near the pool are a must buy $20.00US. Jorge at the Pool Bar, Melvin at the Disco make the best drinks. The Snack Bar is always great for late night fried chicken. The Disco and Casino are must attend. The one negative is the room decor needs to be updated. The Rooms are spacious, well maintained and clean overall but ownership needs to invest to add the extra wow factor. For the price it is a good pick for a week. We met a lot of repeat visitors to the resort on site. The Lifestyle Vacations people are not pushy and are not about the hard sell. Overall great resort because the Staff cares. Shows are pretty good as well.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Good resort !

The grounds were beautiful and well maintained by many staff. The public areas and bathrooms were clean. Our hotel room was good, clean and well maintained with all the amenities. The cleaning lady was nice and friendly near the end of our stay. All the other staff weren`t as friendly as the staff were in the resort that we stayed at in Cuba last year -- who acknowledged you every time they walked by you with a hello. The food was ok, but we both got a little sick at different times from eating  [... read more]sea food -- we think.

Bahia Principe Explore El Portillo: THE BEST EVER

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, LOVE THE LONG BEACH, THE STAFF WAS VERY ACCOMODATING. THE ALA CART RESTAURANTS WERE EXCELLENT!!! WOULD HAVE LIKED THE POOL AEROBICS IN THE MORNING IN THE POOL! PLENTY OF SHADE AND VERY CLEAN!!!

Bahia Principe Escape Bouganville: maybe a 2 star! not worth the money

Beautiful grounds. Clean hotel. Horrible food - always cold and lousy variety. Horrible service. Basically had to go find our own drinks dduring meals. Staff to busy socializing with eachother than helping guests. Rooms okay. Mattress hard as a rock and maid stole a GUESS shirt of mine! Got sick halfway thru the trip with some bug that was going around. Overall, I would never go back to this resort. What a waste of money.

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Beach Resort: Lovely Resort, Lovely Week

We had a wonderful week at the Majestic Colonial. The weather was awesome. Our room was near the entertainment complex so it was a little loud till about 11 pm but then everything was good. The Steakhouse and French restaurants were excellent. I would highly recommend upgrading to the Colonial Club. We loved having the adult only section at the pool/hotel and we used the Colonial Club room almost everyday. They provide excellent service, special buffet and premium drinks. If you can ask for a bu [... read more]tler by name when you book we give 2 high fives to George he was excellent............we would recommend and we would go back :))

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Fabulous Resort

The resort was large, about 800 rooms but laid out nicely and could walk to everything easily....large beach, well kept and lots of loungers, no problem getting a spot at the beach...there is an older section of the hotel that is close to the beach, our room was about 15 steps from the sand, perfect for me....the newer section is farther away from the beach but nicer grounds and rooms...much quieter too and lots of pool space....the food was terrific, no line ups for anything....never been able  [... read more]to book reservations for a la carte restaurants as quick as we did here....the nightly shows were amazing, Michael Jackson and the Circus were the best I have seen yet....staff were friendly and very accommodating....my only problem with my trip was the other tourists, mostly French and European people, hardly anyone spoke English...found it hard to mingle with the other guest....overall, it was a fabulous resort and I would recommend it