Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Nice Resort

The resort itself was very nice and clean. My only negative comments would be around service. Service does not cost anything to provide and although there were definitely exceptions, the staff just did not go out of their way to provide that special vacation service. There was no room service and the only food available once the restaurants closed was pizza and hot dogs(I believe until 2AM). There was no drink service at the pool or beach so we always had to go to the bar to get our own....no bi [... read more]g deal of course but service would have been nice. The staff trying to sell you tours got a bit annoying although the service they provided would have been nice to have in the restaurants..that is where we noticed it lacked the most. Shout out to Spagetti and the entertainment team who were fabulous to our group aged from 12-73! Wished there were more entertainment at night but what they did provide was great. Also, the resort needs to get better at communicating activities. We never knew what was happening day to day until it was happening which made it difficult to plan a day.

Coral Costa Caribe: Never again..

What a disappointment. No towels, no toilet paper, very poor buffet with always same food. Service at reception is awful. Feeling shared with most guests of the hotel. So many complaints and see so many people upset.

Majestic Elegance Punta Cana: Beautiful Resort, Hardworking Staff

We stayed at Majestic Elegance Dec. 22 to Jan. 5 and are hard-pressed to find anything to complain about. This resort is only 7 years old (built in 2008) so the comments about aging rooms seem suspect. Nearly ALL rooms in all Caribbean resorts smell musty ... a travel agent gave us the best suggestion: take "scented dryer sheets" and clip them to the a/c air vent and the smell will be gone in no time...it works!!! The massive lobby is impressive. Upon arrival, guests are given a Majestic "passp [... read more]ort" presenting details of the facilities making it easy to navigate the entire resort. In keeping with the festive season, beautifully decorated Christmas trees, a nativity scene, lighting, many varied decorations in all restaurants and lobbies created a festive atmosphere throughout the resort. There was an impressive Fireworks display on New Year’s Eve too! The resort did go a long way to display a festive environment everywhere, even adding decorations to each guest’s door. The grounds are beautifully kept and immaculately groomed daily. Public bathrooms are clean and modern though some of the toilets did not flush properly. (I am not a fan of the square toilets and it is not saving on water when you have to flush 2 or 3 times.) The staff at every level made us feel at ease and comfortable at all times. Good to observe senior management was ever present, checking on everything and mixing well with both staff and guests. ELEGANCE CLUB: We booked Elegance Club as it was for "adults only" ... no children allowed. Of course there is always someone who feels they don’t need to observe the rules and attempts to use the exclusive Club facilities, including letting their kids loose...and then complain when they are escorted over to their own side!!! So I am very pleased that security promptly confronted these people and set them straight. If you don’t pay for "Club Elle" or "Club Ella", then you simply are not entitled to infringe on those spaces. BUTLER: When booking the adult section, we didn’t realize we’d have our own ‘butler’ which was a lovely surprise. Though we’re pretty low maintenance, our butler Antonio was always available when we did require his services, or assist with dinner reservations. He always greeted us with a broad smile and warm hug. The treats left in our room on a daily basis were unexpected and very much appreciated. We had more liquor/champagne than we could consume...very generous. ROOM: Our room (1154) was the furthest from the Lobby, right next to Club Elle/guest services, beach, pool bar. The room was spotless, well stocked, a/c worked so well we actually had to turn it down, no mildew/smells. The DVD player was not hooked up but Guest Services promptly had it fixed within the hour. Towels were plentiful. Pillow menu. Never heard a sound from anyone in adjacent room. Maid service was excellent and supplies replenished as needed. The resort staff called a few times checking on our satisfaction with everything and making sure we were aware we could call for any problems or concerns. Large closet areas. Double sinks separated from toilet and shower cubicles, but I agree there is no privacy in these rooms so if you are travelling with others, bear in mind there is nowhere to dress in private. A frosted glass door separates the toilet and the shower, but does nothing for sound/odors. SUGGESTIONS TO MANAGEMENT: (1) a privacy curtain separating the sinks from the bed area would offer privacy for those travelling with friends; (2) ladies would like to have full-length mirror perhaps on a closet door? (3) need better lighting for putting on makeup at sinks; (4) please provide a list of tv channels in the room; (5) please provide a pen or pencil with the notepaper in the room. (6) We did not hear about some events. Another resort we stayed at had the night maid service delivered a "daily newsletter" to our room with the next the day’s activities, special events, beach bbq, etc. FOOD: I agree with the review by the chef from 1sailman TN who wrote "When we read bad reviews about food I just scratch my head. I am a chef and know what they turn out each and every day and don’t know how they do it for the price". The other comment that puzzles me are those who have said there is "lack of variety". I’m not a chef, but I do enjoy good food, and I have never seen so much variety, choices, themes, ethnic foods, and flavorful dishes, seafood, desserts, fruit choices, all creatively presented, whether at the Flavors Buffet or the other restaurants. We tried and enjoyed them all, and did go back a 2nd time to the Japanese and the Steak House! Be forewarned that the Japanese restaurant moves diners in and out very quickly...no dessert... not much of a show. The seafood gala dinners at Flavors for both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve were superb and decadent....a seafood lover’s feast for the eyes and appetite. In my mind an outstanding presentation of varying menus and flavours. You could not possibly ask for more. ‘FLAVORS’ BUFFET/DINING ROOM: Very pleased to see hand sanitizer applied as diners entered. We were impressed with how well this dining room functions....the servers were always prompt and welcoming and we never waited for water, wine or coffee service. Alexis "The Teacher" has created an amazing team of servers under his tutelage and supervision. GUEST SERVICES: Special thanks to all the very helpful staff at Guest Services in Club Elle...special thanks to Ygnacio V (can’t find you on FB!) who was always there to help us and answer questions and booked my husband’s golf dates; also noteworthy at the desk: Orlando and Julio. POOL/BEACH: Seaweed was removed from the beach every morning. During our stay, the ocean was very rough and pool water extremely ICE COLD. A bit disappointing as I like to swim. However, the curtained Bali Beds are awesome and we spent much of our afternoon reading or napping by the pool and being served wonderful drinks from the Pool Bar hostesses. POOL BAR: Special thanks to Maxima, Rosa, Angelina for the delicious drinks, excellent bar service, poolside delivery, smiles and songs. Maxima makes an awesome vodka martini! My personal favourite was the “Tucan”. Loved the "drink of the day" specialties as well. Also loved the little ‘special’ shots on a couple of occasions too. BEACH TOWELS: Unlike another reviewer’s complaint, we appreciated the "card for towel" exchange allowing us fresh clean dry towels every day. Think about it, you don't have to cart your towel around, take it back to the room then trundle it back out every day. At Club Elle we always had great towel service at the pool by Emanuel, always with a smile and a "good to see you" greeting. He was constantly maintaining the chairs, picking up litter, changing the Bali Bed linens and making sure everyone’s personal space was secure. HOTEL STAFF: We’ve never seen such hard-working staff at every level throughout the entire resort. It was like watching a well-oiled machine or an industrious beehive of activity. Every tier worked efficiently, constantly and always had time for an "hola" for the guests. We were also impressed that this resort seemed to have a higher percentage of staff trying their best to communicate in some English...and help us with Spanish words as well. CASINO: In such a small space smoking should absolutely be totally banned...the smell of smoke and worse, cigar smoke, was quite nauseating in such a small room. There are no air exchangers so no way to clear the smoke out. Sometimes it was difficult to breathe because the smoke was so dense. Nonetheless, we soldiered it out and played for an hour every night and had fun on the slots. Same problem at the outdoor Theatre...too much cigarette and cigar smoking....we had to leave most nights because of the smokers and the stench of too much nauseating cigarette/cigar smoke. ENTERTAINMENT: Snooker tables by the Theatre in both Elegance and Colonial resorts. The afternoon Foam Pool Party was amazing, albeit the pool water is ICE COLD. Evening entertainment was disappointing overall. Christmas Eve show was okay, the New Year’s Eve Michael Jackson tribute show was good, and the fireworks amazing. However, the Magic Show was terrible as was its pounding repetitive non-music. Do not like ‘audience’ participation (Mr. Majestic, etc.) where people are taken on stage. Some of the dancers/singers were pretty good. But, overall, for our tastes, I would only give it a 50% rating. TIPPING: We too noted there did not seem to be much tipping in general, or if there was it was done discreetly and directly to the person who provided the service. We never felt pressured or obligated to provide a tip anywhere at this resort and were treated the same whether we did or not tip. Trouble is the entire staff is all so hardworking and deserving that it’s hard to know who to tip! We often would tip the ones least likely to get much in the way of tips. LANGUAGES: With tourists arriving from so many countries, you can’t expect the staff to know all languages. Best advice to guests: learn a few basic Spanish words and phrases! A great easy way to do this: http://translate.google.com. Muchos Gracias to all the wonderful Majestic employees who contributed to making our 14-day stay relaxing, enjoyable and memorable.

Grand Sirenis Tropical Suites: Great family resort!

The hotel was great, we travelled with 4 kids under 12 and a 3 month old baby. We managed to have a great time. Can't say enough about the friendly and kind staff who made our holiday unforgettable. The food was great, even our picky eaters were pleased with all the options!

Vista Sol Punta Cana: Over all very good with a few annoyances.

Vista Sol, the grounds are beautiful and they are always cleaning and making sure it looks it's best. The pool is great and we spent most of the time around the pool because the beach was quite windy and shaded by a lot of palm trees. The only issue with the main pool, was the lack of beach chairs and the hoarding of them. Get up early to reserve one. There are a lot of Russians at this resort, and they do not line up for anything they will barge in line. If you are a non smoker, there really is [... read more]n't any non smoking places to retreat to. The food is good, there was always something for even the pickiest eater. We had the room with the loft and there was plenty of room and all four of us had a bed. Even though the rooms are dated and need some repair, the housekeeping staff kept it immaculate. The washrooms in around the hotel are also kept very clean. If you go, expect it to be a 3 1/2 star and you will not be disappointed, but it gets a 5 star for effort in my books.

Riu Bambu: Felt like family!

From a younger woman's perspective, the resort is amazing! The resort staff treated us like family and always made sure that we were well taken care of. My favorite part would have to be the organized entertainment from 8am to 11pm with a three-hour break in the afternoon. Best resort I've stayed at so far. Staying at Riu, you get to visit the other Rius as well and I must say Riu Bambu beats them all. We spent a few hours at one Riu and 30 minutes at the other because we knew we were missing t [... read more]he best entertainment at our resort! Apart from the entertainment, the food was delicious - although I am a picky eater.. I should probably say the food that I like is delicious! There are many choices because you also get to eat at the other Rius as well. Drinks were great! You can ask for anything and they will be sure to make it for you. One bartender I would like to acknowledge is Ivan - he took care of us when we said we were sick. Gave us a drink called LA BOMBA and we felt better within hours! Thanks Ivan! The resort is huge with 700+ rooms so I would definitely recommend, when checking-in, to ask for a closer room. One thing that I disliked was how much seaweed was at the beach - not a fan of seaweed so I stayed at the pool a lot, and also dislike people asking me if I want to purchase something. A lot of sellers walking down the beach but they got to know me first couple days and didn't bother me for the rest of the week! Anyway, hope this helps out a bit! If you're like me and love entertainment, dancing, partying and those kind of things then I recommend this place %100.

Occidental Punta Cana: terrible

Rooms smelled of raw sewage hotel staff were rude had too move us 3 times second room had water dripping out of light fixture over the toilet and bathroom flooded served no seafood food was good though paid ninety dollars a piece too snorkel with sharks they fed us a sandwich think was some sort of processed meat with a slice of cheese and mustard packets for that type of money we paid it should have been better I would not recommend this resort too anyone and were not the only ones that felt th [... read more]is way about the resort lots of.people had.complaints it sucks will never go there again

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Nice resort!

This resort was huge! It was my first time to Dominican Republic but my fiancé has been many times. We both had a great time aside from getting bitten by Mosquitos everywhere the day before we left and a couple of overcast days. We went with the royal golden package and I 100% recommend spending the bit extra. We had a beautiful view from are room and could see the ocean. The snack bars sucked but the buffet and restaurants were great. Service was okay but not spectacular. We did the ziplining  [... read more]and dune buggy excursions and I would definitely do them again. All in all the trip was amazing but if you're looking for something more romantic I wouldn't recommend the resort. Lots of families and kids and the pools and beach were always extremely crowded with very limited beach chairs. Make sure to take towels down to the pool/beach first thing in the morning to claim chairs or you won't find anywhere to lounge.

Cayo Levantado Resort: Great seclusion!

The grounds are impeccable. The staff were always pleasant and helpful. There is food for most here, even though I did experience an MSG attack from our late night snack when we first arrived. After that, I stuck to restaurants, room service and the beach buffet and was totally fine. They nicely posted each event they were hosting each day down by the beach which was nice if you wanted. There was nightly entertainment which was great most nights - I didn't go every night. Our beach villa was gor [... read more]geous and clean with a free in-room safe. Our only bad experience was with the sales people for the privilege club. But you don't have to sit down with anyone of you don't want to. If you are truly interested (as we were) then be prepared for a long meeting and for old sales tactics. Avoid the set-up meeting if this doesn't interest you.

Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful resort!

We traveled to this resort over New Years and it was a great vacation. As 23 year old's we were expecting a bit more of a party atmosphere, but we were barely disappointed. The entire resort was beautiful and well-kept. Staff were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were spacious and extremely well air conditioned. The weather was hot and sunny the entire trip. There was always a show, nightly and then the club on the resort was open nearly every night for late night partying which we liked. The f [... read more]ood was REALLY GOOD. When we arrived, the front desk had already booked our 5 a la carte dinners which was nice since we didn't have to go through the trouble of booking them ourselves. Each dining option we had a good experience at and the general buffet for breakfast and dinner was good. There was never an issue with the quality of food. We booked an excursion to go ziplining through the mountains which was amazing and well organized. Booking excursions through the hotel was easy and relatively fast since they had many staff there to do it. Overall, it was more of a family oriented resort... but extremely relaxing and fun when you needed it to be (depending on what you are there for). I would definitely recommend it. The beach is extremely close to the rooms and while I've (personally) seen nicer beaches before, it was still pretty decent. We just found there to be a ton of seaweed in the ocean when you'd step out into it from the beach. Either than that, the facilities (washrooms) on the resort were always kept clean. And there seemed to always be activities occurring and music playing. Staff constantly cleaned your room daily and restocked fridge and towels. No issues for us! Very enjoyable vacation. I'd give it a 4/5.

Riu Palace Bavaro: Nice Place

Very nicely kept resort!Not very big so it is easy to get around;the staff is very friendly and do an excellent job at trying to accommodate their guests.The food is somewhat limited in choice though.

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: One week in Paradise

This is a wonderful hotel with all of it's gardens well manicured. My wife and I were there from Dec.28th to Jan. 4.All of the staff at the hotel were great. Had a couple of favorite waitresses Anna and Bianca always fun at the pool area, We ate at the Gourmet, Steak house, and Japanese restaurants, all very nice We played darts, bingo and participated in a few other activities. Met some wonderful people from all over We also walked the strip down to the merchants flea market approximately 1 hou [... read more]r each way, good exercise and then back for a swim in the pool and chill out with a drink.

The Eurostars Grand Cayacoa: Scenic location

Loved the lush, tropical landscape and the scenic views. It was great having our room face the bay and to hear the waves on the shore. The amount of stairs did get tiresome after a while, but thankful the trolleys were frequent and accessible.

Occidental Punta Cana: Nice Resort

Grounds were really nice, lush with foliage. Pool was huge. Rooms needed a serious renovation. Al a carte restaurants were great. Unfortunately everyone got sick, (the runs). We also spoke with others at the resort and they also got sick.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Dissapointing result to a new years in the sun.

First off, I have always booked with tripcentral and I will continue to. Unforunately this vacation did not meet expectations what so ever. The resort itself was okay. It was clean, a little small, and the people were friendly. However, the food was not enjoyable. My girlfriend and I are not picky eaters. We have never had trouble eating before. This was not the case. Each meal was a battle and talking to others at the resort they felt the same way. This wouldnt have been much of a problem if we [... read more] both hadnt felt ill the majority of our stay. The reason we travelled was to enjoy a new years together in the sun. The New Years eve result, in bed by 10:00 pm feeling aweful. On to the beach. The water was warm and a little rough. No problems with that. The problem was with one foot in the sand the hounding began. Even trying to lay on a lounger with your eyes shut you were subject to hagglers. I understand they are trying to make a living but there needs to be boundaries. Finally our excursions, which I know are not part of the resort but since we booked them with our travel representative I thoguht I should mention them. First we did the Xtreme Mega (waterfalls/zipline/horseback ridding). The waterfalls were definately some fun. Slidding down some and jumping down others was a good time. The lunch served was probably the most enjoyable meal of the trip! Next was ziplining. Little slow, not so high, and no feeling of security. Landing on a platform, 50+ feet up a tree) and being completely unhooked and asked to climb steep wooden stairs is not safe. My girlfriend was shaking the entire time. The horseback riding made the excursion. We both very much enjoyed it! The next excursion, Tip Top Catamaran, did not go smoothly. To begin we waiting at the loby for 1.5 hours trying to get a hold of the representative becacuse the bus never showed up. Finally he answered the phone and said sorry it was cancelled. Thanks for letting us know! He then said he would meet us at 10:00 am to change the booking to the next day. Okay fine, except he showed up at 11:00 am wasting more of our morning. When we finally got going the next day we arrived at the catamaran. Problem time. To get onto the catamaran we had to climb onto a smaller boat from shore and ride it out. Woudlnt have been a problem except for there not being enough life jackets so I didnt get one, not safe again. Once on the catamaran we had a good time. Both snorkling spots were fun and the water very nice. However, I think I could speak for everyone on board when I say the lunch difference between the staff and passengers was flat out rude. We were served coleslaw, tuna salad, cucumber salad, and tater tots. While the staff pulled out containers of fried rice and bbq chicken. I think I heard almost everyone on board muttering wheres my chicken and rice. With food aside, the trip was still good fun. Overall I do not blame tripcentral for the outcome of our experience. You win some, you lose some. I just wish I had been more informed about the resort before booking. How it was ranked 4 star with good reviews on tripadvisor and tripcentral website is beyond me but hey the flaws made it memorable. I hope this review helps in some way to some one and I will definately recommend tripcentral but definately not VH Gran Ventana. Thanks!

Sunscape Coco Punta Cana: Five time in Punta Cana

Compared to Majestic Elegance, this hotel does not compare - staff at the lobby were rude (had to wait a long time for our room). Our room was missing items like hair dryer, TV, etc. Our building got flooded one day. Could not swim at ocean because of the weeds. Will not go back to Be Live again. Pool was also dirty.

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Nice

Overall, the hotel was quite nice! The grounds were well kept. The public areas were clean. The rooms were decent(even though our room was not properly cleaned upon checkin, there were empty bottles & dirty glasses in our room upon arrival). The dining areas were clean & inviting. We really enjoyed the a la carte restaurant "octopus " . The only negative issues were the bathrooms behind the ocean grill restAurant at the beach, they never worked properly, rarely flushed & sometimes no running wat [... read more]er in sinks. Also, it was a shame that right after the evening shows every night, there would only be about 20 minutes of music played & then silence, it would have been nice to play some softer music so that guests could sit back with friends & enjoy the night rather than be encouraged to end the night right awAy & go to bed!!! New Years eve set up in dining area & pool deck with live band was well organized!

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Awsome Resort!

Place was just gorgeous, clean, entertaining, relaxing, energetic. Truly a paradise! Food was delicious and choices were lots, sure to satisfy any finicky person. My first time at a resort and can not imagine a better place. Was I in heaven?

VH Gran Ventana Beach Resort: Was as expected

This hotel was as expected. The grounds are very nice and clean, the beach is beautiful and based on what friends have said of resorts close by, I think it may be the best stretch of beach in that area. Food was good, the a la cartes were slightly disappointing and no better quality than the buffet. The rooms were clean and the housekeeper was great. Nightlife on this resort is lacking, there is nothing after about 11pm. Also, it is very, very hard to get lounge chairs in the pool area. We didn' [... read more]t have a chance to enjoy the pool area until the last day and that was only because we took towels off chairs that were there unused for several hours. The resort staff should enforce a time limit on how long towels can remain holding up chairs.

Sunscape Dominicus La Romana: A GOOD 3 STAR RESORT

THE STRONG POINT OF THE RESORT IS THE ANIMATION. THE GROUNDS ARE NOT VERY CLEAN THE ROOMS NEED UPDATES THE FOOD IS OK. THE A LA CARTE BOOKING IS CONFUSING AND YOU NEED TO WAKE UP AT 6 TO MAKE SURE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE THAN THE BUFFET.RECEPTION IS USELESS AND SLOW THE GUEST SERVICES WILL SAY ALWAYS YES BUT DO NOTHING.ISADOR IS THE ONLY ONE WHO ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS YOU AND WILL TRY SOMETHING.THE BARS ARE SLOW AND THERE IS NO BEACH WAITERS TO COME AND OFFER YOU A DRINK .YOU HAVE T [... read more]O LINE UP FOR BARS WHICH TAKES FOREVER.THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ITALIAN CLUB WHO OWNS EVERYTHING THAT IS THE GOOD RESTAURANT ON THE BEACH WHICH IS ONLY FOR CLUB MEMBERS AND THE GOOD BEACH ANIMATION.THE BEACH CHAIRS ARE ALWAYS OCCUPIED BY TOWELS EVEN IF NO PEOPLE WILL SHOW FOR THE DAY.THE RESORT IS TOO FAR FROM THE AIRPORT AND IF YOU ARRIVED AT MIDNIGHT AS I DID YOU WILL DIE AT THE RECEPTION UNTIL THE MORNING.YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR INTERNET IN THE 21 CENTURY AND THE SAFE IN THE ROOM COMES FROM MEDIEVAL TIMES.I WILL ADD ANOTHER 200 NEXT TIME AND GO TO A REAL 4 OR 5 STAR PLACE WHICH HAS SERVICES AND NO ROCKS IN THE WATER TO CUT MY FEET.