El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: A good option for a stay in Punta Cana

Some suggestions. Avoid the "orientation" or "tour" at all costs to become a "Privileged" guest...huge marketing push. Restaurants are nice - reserved ones no nicer and hard to book after 8 a.m. when you can start to book, buffet has something for everyone - even fussy eaters - items well marked. Adult only side lovely but the issue of getting a lounger - ugh - no better or no worse than other resorts. The resort could do a better job of monitoring who is using the Adult Only side...regularly sa [... read more]w people with bracelets for the El Faro side on the adult only side (which then takes away from those who booked and paid to use it). On the El Faro side (family resort side) lots to do for families. An hour from the airport...beach is always on red flag, not a walkers beach area. They are always walking around the pool trying to sell excursions and spas...but if you don't engage with them they keep walking. There are no other resorts in this area and it is not close to a town if this is something you wish to do. For those with mobility issues there are a few touches... they have a tram (train) going through the resort all the time, on the El Beso side the buildings are 3 stories and do have an elevator - some ramps but I wouldn't call it fully accessible but a good effort.

Princess Family Club Bavaro: Fun family resort

Clean well maintained. Many food options, friendly staff. Princess area is great for kids. Great size rooms. The beach is clean and well equipped with lounges and shade. Food trucks are a great opportunity for drinks and snacks. Their foam parties are fantastic. The kids club is well run.

Serenade All Suites Adults Only Resort: Paradise!

This was our 4th visit to the island and was, by far, our best vacation experience yet! The hotel itself was outstanding! Beautiful white sand beaches! The rooms were well appointed and clean, grounds were beautiful and well maintained, as were the pools. Staff were fantastic and ensured every need was met. We will certainly return! Highly recommend!

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Some good but mostly poor

Cons: We waited an additional 25 minutes after the last group entered the bus before leaving the arrival terminal. Maybe others took private transportation? The transport company needs to have a process to locate missing or move on. Check-in staff barely spoke English, had poor communication skills, ignored our room requests, failed to provide towel and safe cards in the welcome package and took 45 minutes. Most staff were disinterested in their job and the customers. We often had to ask mult [... read more]iple times for water and coffee upon arrival to the restaurents. A-la carte restaurants can only be booked after 8 AM and only for that day and the following two days. So every morning line up in the lobby or Bazarra Rest. kiosk and hope to get a seat on last day as the others are already booked. The main pool had few activities and the entertainment staff was not engaging with guests the remainder of the time. They did not broadcast upcoming activities. The main pool was on average 4' 6" deep which was a bit too much for smaller ladies and kids. More shuttles are needed due to the long distance between main building and pool/beach areas.. Housekeeping service was inconsistent - most days facecloths and a floor towel were not provided. The bathroom floor tile was extremely slippery. We did not have the Level package. Kayak rental was offered at $50 USD/hour. Tennis was free. Pickleball required a fee or Level package to access at the Rafael Nadel tennis center. Fees and inclusions are not clearly advertised. The main pool bar ran out of or never had many basic items such as bananas, coconut rum and mojito ingredients. The resort often used paper rather than re-usable plastic cups. Pros: Direct flights. Wrist bracelets contain the RF chip to allow room access. The property was beautiful. The main pool was massive with plenty of seating and shade options. The beachfront was wide and clean with soft sand. The foam party was decent. Food was reasonable in both buffets and a-la cartes. The kids pool had lots of activities, chicken wings and tasty hamburgers. Best staff: two older guys in the Kids pool restaurant; the lady and the two middle aged guys at the main pool and a couple of the staff at check out. We are experienced Caribbean All-inclusive travelers and easy going. By the third day our group had all decided we would not return to this resort.

Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa: Terrible service

The grounds were well maintained and spacious. The service was one of the worst I had ever had for an all inclusive. Going for dinner, to just get a drink we would have to hunt down a waiter for it. Even once we had found one, our drinks would never come until mid dinner. Our rooms - we came in on the first night with no AC. They wouldn't switch rooms for us until they could fix it. Once they couldn't fix it, they said they would switch the rooms but we can have it until 5pm this was at  [... read more]10am when we reported it. We had to carry our baby around the resort until 5pm couldn't give them a nap. I would never book a Royalton resort again.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro: Great Resort

We recently stayed at this resort and had an amazing experience. Everything from start to finish exceeded our expectations. The resort itself was beautiful, with great decor and a really relaxing, well thought out atmosphere. The vibe throughout the property was exactly what we were looking for, laid-back but still polished. The beach was a highlight for us, clean, well maintained, and a perfect place to unwind. We also really enjoyed the food, with plenty of options and consistently good  [... read more]quality across the board. We loved all the sit down food restaurants for all 3 meals of the day. Overall, we were very happy with our stay and wouldn’t hesitate to come back. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great getaway.

Grand Palladium Palace: Nice resort

The grounds were beautiful, the beach was absolutely gorgeous The rooms are a little dated and need some work. We couldn’t control the AC and water leaked around the tub/shower unit which was very difficult to get into The buffet was about on par with all other buffets , food was never hot enough

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Great resort staff so

Beautiful looking resort but employees were not the friendliest. It took over 2 hours to check in 15 people. Employees at buffet were very not the friendliest and service at the tables was slow at times

Riu Palace Bavaro: The Best

Had a great time , The resort was very clean , friendly staff, food and drinks were great. No problem at the pools always chairs available. Lots of bench loungers . The beach was clean , no garbage … Will be back

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Very nice relaxing stay

Pls feed the cats, you can cut up meat & put it in the bowl (by the soup) & taje the bowl out of the buffet area. There are a few pregnant cats too! Be kind to the animal's. Staff need to be a bit more friendly, the ocean & beach is beautiful. We had an ocean view suite with the best view of the beach & ocean, be aware of the steps going down to the balcony, there really should be lights there. Pool is nice, no swim up bar. You don't need to book ala cartes or sign out beach towels which was pr [... read more]etty good. We never used the towels, sun dries you off quickly.

Paradisus Grand Cana: Great family resort

Had a great stay with multiple families with little kids and grandparents! The rooms are absolutely beautiful, best AI room I've seen. Having a separate area to put down a baby or toddler in every room, then still sit and enjoy your living space is really nice. The resort is kept spotless which we appreciated. The splash pad is amazing, we had fun with kids from 6 months up to 5, and the bigger slides are fun with adults too! Having separate areas for separate ages at different water de [... read more]pths was really great. The main pool is beautiful, had plenty of day beds available as well. And a little kid pool just behind it. We never had a problem getting chairs or a shady place to sit. Poolside service was decent, not quick, but available. It's also right beside the new coffeeshop where you can get iced capps etc which we loved. We booked one swim up room between our group so we could all use it while our kids napped. The patio area was huge. The service was mixed. A lot of unfriendly service where you felt a bit like you were bugging them, but a few standout service members as well. Our concierge Eduardo was really helpful, our housekeeper Clarita was so sweet and amazing, and the bartender at the pool bar is awesome. Reservation system is really annoying. We only got 2 reservations over our 7 night stay. It took an hour wait in a line to get them. The buffet food was much better than both of them though. We really enjoyed the offerings at the buffet for all meals! There was a big variety and it was all good. Fun Republic was really fun for the kids. Bring socks, and headphones. Beach was beautiful and shuttling there was no problem. Overall it was a wonderful stay. I think my toddler had the best week of her life. A few kinks to work out but honestly it seems like they're working hard to improve!

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana: Amazing Resort

Overall, we had an amazing time. Weather was perfect, pools awesome and clean, a little bit of seaweed on the beach but nothing to keep you out of the warm blue water, food was great, we attended 2 amazing a la cartes while there, People were so friendly and helpful, rooms were clean and well stocked, except the last 2 days we were there - seems we were missed for clean towels, but I reuse mine anyway so not a big deal and Nice little tourist shops in the Village and at the Lobby. I truly rec [... read more]ommend this resort.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Stunning grounds, unhelpful staff

Grand Sirenis is an absolutely beautiful resort. Everywhere you look, it is picture perfect. There are very tall palm trees and beautiful flowers everywhere. It is very spacious and the kids never got bored. Anywhere you go, no matter the time of day, you can find chairs! There are many bars all around the resort and always food available. Food was good but not a ton of variety. I changed rooms 3 times. Many many problems with my rooms including a wasp nest making it impossible to get in and out [... read more] of my room. Also, they fed me sunflower seeds (I am allergic) in the Italian restaurant resulting in a visit by the doctor. They even asked my allergies and fed it to me anyways. I asked many many times over several days to have towels, a mattress for the pull out, to fix my fridge and safe. I didnt even bother with the broken hair dryer. The girl on the phone to the lobby would just hang up on me, it was unreal. Finally stuff got done when I left a note for the maid in Spanish and a big tip. Although there were lots of problems, I would actually still recommend the resort! It was a very relaxing vibe and the scenery was the most stunning I have seen, and I have been to many places! No one in our group got sick minus the allergy mishap, but we did use sanitizer before every meal. The kids had the best time. I would return here (knowing to go right to the manager for problems and be pushy about solutions). If you are easy going and things roll off your shoulder, you'll have a good time. If the little things bother you and you want a perfect room, maybe not the best for you!

Bahia Principe Escape Ambar: Amazing resort

We absolutely loved this resort. It was our second visit, and it was just as wonderful as the first. The buffet offered great food with plenty of variety, so there was always something for every taste. The à la carte restaurants were also excellent. We are pool people, and this resort was perfect for that. The entertainment was scheduled only in the afternoon, which allowed us to enjoy quiet, relaxing mornings by the pool. There were always enough chairs for everyone, which made the experienc [... read more]e even more enjoyable. Overall, another fantastic stay.

Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine: Great resort - first solo trip

The resort is huge since we also have access to the other connecting resorts. Sports bar at Ambar, self serve soft ice cream at Punta Cana and the beautiful village kind of in the middle of it all. I got lots of steps in during my stay! Staff are so friendly and very patient to let me practice my Spanish with them. Food was delicious at the buffet, the three A la cartes I had as well as the delicious hamburgers at the pool side grill. There are three pools with the middle one as the busy li [... read more]vely one. Entertainment at the pool was fantastic throughout the day. Only saw the one night show, Fire show, which was just wow! The beach is a little walk to get to but I didn’t mind. I prefer the pool anyway. The room was huge with a spacious bathroom. It was clean, no bugs. I chose upper level and was in building 83. Do choose poolside view. Only bad thing I have to say is that the bed is really really hard so I didn’t sleep well. I did ask for a pillow top which was so very thin but it helped a wee bit. I would still go back….I caught up on sleep this weekend!

Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Nice resort.

The hotel grounds were very nice, common areas likes pools were in good condition and well organized. Evening entertainment was good, although not really my thing. Food at the buffets was good, what you would expect from any buffet. Lots to choose from. The "a la cartes" I thought were lacking. I went to 3 of the 4 on site and only enjoyed one of them. Of that one, many others in our party did not enjoy their meals. My favorite place at the resort was the coffee bar, although it was f [... read more]requently understaffed during busy periods. Same could be said about the bars in the common areas. Many complaints about understaffing and wait times.

El Beso Adults Only at Ocean El Faro: Great Family Vacation

This resort is great for families. Party of 9. Great service all around. Buffet was awesome. Al a cartes could be much better. Ocean burger great for a quick lunch. Drinks were good and a great selection. Mike’s coffee is great but, be prepared to wait and service is slow. There is soft serve ice cream at ocean burger. Ice cream parlour outside the buffet has a great selection. Cotton candy available by the bowling alley. Kids loved it. Grounds are clean and beautiful. Pools are refreshin [... read more]g and kept clean. Lazy river very chill. Bring a floatie. There is a trolley which comes around all day which is great as the resort is big and beneficial for those who can not walk long distances. Rooms were spacious and comfortable. We had no issues. Oceans is beautiful but red flag everyday except one. We still enjoyed it. There are many rocks. Lagoon was nice and calm as there were a few people who can not swim and went into the lagoon and enjoyed it as they felt safe. Bowling alley and family lounge was great. The kids really enjoyed them. Nightly entertainment hit and miss. Some nights were good and others not so good. The kids night shows are on too late for them to enjoy. Transfer to a from the airport no issues. Services at airport was quick. Resort over all could use some repairs just like other resorts. Not enough to complain about as we had no issues. More pros than cons. Would definitely recommend this resort for families. Mike

Catalonia Bavaro Resort: Relaxing Tropical Resort with Beautiful Grounds, Great Service, and Minor Drawbacks

Gorgeous, lush tropical grounds that are beautifully maintained, with plenty of shade and trees taller than the buildings. Our renovated room had fully functioning A/C, two queen-size beds, and a garden view. It was conveniently located right next to both the beach and the pool. Housekeeping service was excellent throughout our stay. The buffet could feel a bit repetitive, but the wide variety of options made it easy to switch things up daily. It was especially nice having a buffet close t [... read more]o the beach. The à la carte restaurants were good, and the service across the resort was consistently good. That said, the buffet could benefit from more staff, as tables weren’t always cleared promptly during busy times. We didn’t try room service, so we can’t comment on that, but we really enjoyed the coffee shop. The entertainment team did a great job, and the pool was clean and appeared quite new. As for the beach, there is some seaweed in April, but staff clear it early each morning, so there’s very little during the day. Otherwise, the beach is clean and free of trash. The PURE Chill-Out Bar on the beach (reserved for Privileged guests) serves premium brands, and the drinks there were excellent. Overall, the staff were friendly and helpful. We had a minor issue with the safe (our mistake), which was resolved quickly. The phone line in our room wasn’t working, but since we were in the lobby daily, it wasn’t a major inconvenience—we simply used our cell phone when needed. We also didn’t receive beach towels in our room as part of the Privileged package, but it was easy enough to get them from the towel kiosk. The only downside is that the resort isn’t within walking distance of local shops, so you’re limited to what’s available on-site at resort prices. That said, if we return to Punta Cana, we would likely choose this resort again.

Paradisus Palma Real Golf and Spa Resort: Resort does not cater to Gluten free sensititves plus Circle members seem to be treated better than other guest even the guest that paid for the reserve upgraded amenities.

This hotel caters to the circle members better than the other people even the ones paying for the reserve section which is costly. The hotel does not really know what gluten free means. Do not go if Gluten sensitive. One chief at the same restaurant will prepare a gluten free pasta while at the same restaurant on another night and another chief the guest is told that it is not possible to prepare the gluten free pasta. Guest was celebrating birthday (visited April 13-22/26) and got a chocolat [... read more]e bar with a Christmas tree decoration on it! Christmas was 4 months before arrival! Bars - some would give the reserve guests premium alcohol while other bars would not. No consistency. Beach beds - a large amount are old and are sinking in the middle. Beach is beautiful as well as clear sandy bottom. Most staff are happy and gracious to be there. For the same price point as the reserve at Paradisus Palma Real a person could go to the W Punta Cana or the Excellence properties and get better gourmet style food and better gluten free options.

VIK Hotel Arena Blanca: Possible resort

Food was excellent!! Accommodations are getting tired and need refreshing Your beach requires a great deal of work as very uneven and cramped. Lounge chairs are in short supply and many need repair Also beach needs a great deal more shade Much better enforcement is needed regarding reserving lounge chairs. Many are reserving both pool and beach for the whole day and often doing this in the middle of the night Also need better control of inappropriate behaviour in pool area.i