Reasonably priced and well worth visiting.

This resort is one that will surprise you once you get to know all the corners of the property. Make sure you find the main buffet on the beach section of the resort. All amenities are easily accessible to all visitors of the resort and are within a short walk to the pools. The food was good and a good variety was available at all meals. The rooms were clean and well air conditioned. The service was polite and the English was good from most servers. We left with the idea of returning for 2 [... read more] weeks next time.

The resort is one of the best ouce per bounce resorts in the D.R.

The Resort is after all a 3 1/2 star but could very well be a four. The landscaping is very beautiful with 3 pools to choose from. The grass is well kept with back drops of Palm trees everywhere. The high winds will create high incoming waves. Red flag warnings are common to stay out of the ocean waters. People do break their bones. The food/menu does repeat itself at the Resort but for the most part is very good. There are 2 al-acarts, a Mexican and Italian where the waiters serve you wine and [... read more] drinks. The service is quite good and for the most part requires a tip of a few (100)pesos. A lot of people don't- shame! The main dining area is a major food frenzy, people will take your table. Get there a few minutes before it opens and it will not be a problem. Sosua is the town just outside the Resort and can offer you some very nice restaurants with similar prices as here in Canada. When travelling in Sosua be very careful because there are many scam artists out there ready to take your Pesos. Never take more money then you need. A Friend of mine found a wallet in the front lobby of the hotel and handed in to the Hotel Management. After a hour he was called to the office and was informed that there was 3000 pesos missing from the wallet and to return this money he never took. The management told him the police would be in touch with him. They never came but it put a big damper on their vacation. Also, the D.R. Immigration police were picking up Tourists for not having their passports with them, taking them to the station demanding all their money. Immigration did apologize, it hasn't happen thereafter. One tip from us is to keep your passport in your safe, in your hotel room. Never carry your passport into Town with you and never hand it over to anyone without you being there. Common sense!

NOT Recommended unless you like harassment

Casa Marina Reef is a beautiful, big resort on a nice beach with great food. The Mexican a la carte serves a fantastic burrito!! My husband and I stayed there early February and had a very good, relaxing vacation... EXCEPT for the VENDORS. Vendors set up on the resort three times a week. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. They are right in the middle so you can't get from one side of the resort to the other without passing through the maze of tables and vendors calling you over constantly.  [... read more]And you can't just walk away, they FOLLOW you!! If you get away from one, the next comes running over... it's very overwhelming. In addition to the vendors, every single day the ladies who want to braid your hair follow you around and harass you, even if you're sitting in a dark corner, tucked away, minding your own business. They expect very high prices for a two second braid job and don't, repeat, DON'T take no for an answer. One woman had my ponytail pulled out and my glasses sitting on my lap and had started braiding before I could even move. Another wanted $25 USD for four tiny, inch-long braids she put in my husband's short, curly hair and got very upset and was standing over him as he tried to stand up and wouldn't let him move until we paid her. We refused, said we told you NO over and OVER, No Gracias, No Thank You, No, please, I don't want this, and they did it anyway. They both started getting really angry so we gave them each $100 pesos just to leave us alone. Then there's the excursion people who walk around daily all over the beach and resort and ask you over and over to go book a diving tour or an excursion. There's also a guy with an iguana and a guy with a squirrel monkey that will wake you up on your lounger and ask if you want to pay them for pictures with their "pets". If you manage to get past all this, and are trying to get to the lobby for any reason, you're then confronted with the extremely pushy timeshare people who block the ONLY walkway to or from the lobby. They also don't take NO for an answer. Out in Sosua, it's no different; people call to you from their souvenir shops, their salons, their restaurants and their cigar stores. Think you're safe standing on a street corner, waiting to cross the road? Nope, there's someone pulling over to you on a scooter asking if you want to rent it. Then his buddy tries to sell you Viagara, marijuana and coke. It was our first time in the DR, and the last. The people are overwhelming and very pushy. We understand they are making their living, and working hard to do so, but it's unnerving and extremely uncomfortable when they won't take no for an answer or won't stop following you, even on the resort! Huge thank you to our Transat rep, Daly, who was on the resort Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm. He was amazing, very helpful, and always available. He even helped out other guests as much as he could when their own reps were either busy or didn't show up that day at all. Also, despite the All Inclusive package stating that non-motorized water sports are included, the resort started charging tax to the company that provides the equipment, so they stopped providing snorkel masks or anything to the guests... unless you pay for it. And their snorkeling tour has different prices for different guests, the man at the counter told us that Europeans have to pay $60 USD, whereas they only charge Canadians $50 USD for the same tour, and they ask you to be quiet about the prices... We loved the resort (mostly), our room was great, no issues, the food was fabulous, the drinks were good, but the staff at the bars and restaurants weren't friendly at all, barely spoke to you, and we stopped tipping after a while because the tip would be whisked quickly off the bar and thrown in a tip jar and only twice were we ever thanked or acknowledged!! It's very unfortunate, but we did not feel safe on and off the resort, and we won't be going back to the Dominican Republic ever again. We'd been warned people can be very pushy before we left, but assumed we'd just politely decline, and move on. We were not expecting the level of harassment we experienced, and we tried to be firm but polite (as we are nice people and didn't want to be disrespectful) and walk away, but until you are actually in this situation, all day, every day, you don't appreciate how uncomfortable it actually is.

Good Value

Stayed at the Casa Marina Reef Resort for the second year in a row the last week of January with our 2 daughters and another couple. We requested adjacent rooms, first floor poolside when we booked through Tripcentral.ca and was accommodated. Rooms are well used but clean and functional. Resort is basically two parts, the reef side which faces the ocean on a reef shoreline and the beach side which has the beach waterfront. The restaurants and other services are shared between the two so it r [... read more]eally makes no difference which side .your room is on, the amenities are common to both. The reef side pool seemed to be more lively with poolside games and activities throughout the day. Bars were typical resort fare, busy at times, quiet at others. Pool side loungers were pretty much not available after 9:00am or so. Food selection was good and somewhat varied and we always found plenty to choose from. We liked the proximity of the resort to the other attractions in Sosua. Just a short walk to the beach vendors along the waterfront in town as well as plenty of restaurants and shops to investigate within minutes from the resort. Had dinner one night at a local restaraunt in town called Captain Baileys. Was enjoyable and had great service. Also visited a local icecream Parlour called Bon for a delicious treat. Overall, we would rate the resort is a solid 3 1/2 star. For the price we paid, we were pleased with the amenities and services. If you are looking for sun, decent food and accommodations without paying 5 star prices you won't be disappointed. Only thing we missed was the resort doesn't have a large lobby and has limited seating, so found ourselves sitting down by the two beach bars in the evening. Found the resort very quiet in the evenings until the shows started at 9:30 so would have liked to have something to do until then Room tip: Buildings 21, 22 and 23 (on the reef side) poolside rooms have sun exposure pretty much all day so if you have your lounger outside your ground floor room, you'll be looking for shade. Buildings 24, 25, 26 and 27 poolside rooms are in the shade all day, but sun is plentiful near the pools. We were in the 2400 building so had sun when we wanted to and pulled our loungers back to our patio for shade in the afternoon.

Animation staffs make the difference

Travelled with my husband and 2 daughters (4 and 2 years old). The staff from animation team are really awesome (specially Wilki). The girls from the Kids Club (Scarlett and the one giving bracelets to my daughters) were extremely great. All of them played, looked after and payed a lot of attention to us and to my kids. They make us feel really happy and relaxed. Bravo for the animation team!! The bartenders at the jacuzzi area are very rude and serve you with bad manners, also speak spanish a [... read more]t the customers back complaining all the time. Rooms are very clean and food is really good. My husbands cell phone was stolen at the bar by the disco and a towel at the pool. Umbrellas at the beach are not included. Have to pay cash to get one.

Worth the money

Great beaches, great pools, but mediocre rooms. We switched to ocean view midway through our trip. View is the only difference between rooms. The great view comes at a cost though, as most of the resorts activities are located right outside your room, so unless you're a party animal dont expect a quiet nights rest. Phones were broken in both rooms we stayed in and were never fixed, so when our towels were taken we had to walk to the lobby and then wait twenty minutes for them. Air conditioner le [... read more]aked water on the floor in our ocean view room and was never fixed. Our ocean view smelled like cigarettes. Food wasn't terrible, but as a vegetarian, pasta comes a bit repetitive after the 3rd day. You can expect the same food every day at every meal time. Prepare yourself to be harassed by staff members to buy excursions, souvenirs, photos and hair braiding multiple times a day. They set up tables on vendor night right infront of the buffet hall so getting to dinner is an obstacle. Not enough umbrellas or beach chairs. Staff was friendly, property was clean, resort only a ten minute drive from airport.

SHHH - GREAT resort

We had a great time as usual. We have been here many times and they accommodate your needs and it is always a fun time. The food is great, the ala carts.. hmm OK for Mexican and Italian, don't particularly like the seafood.. but main buffet there is always great tastes of a variety of dishes. They keep improving the grounds, rooms and even though we lost the beach area due to a horrific storm before we went, they still made room for us to sit on the beach and enjoy the ocean. This is now our  [... read more]little piece of heaven and plan to return next year! Kathy and Peter

Okay Resort, Million Dollar View.

Okay resort, very clean, very large and spread out. Lots of activities going on with many pools, bars and eating areas. The beaches were fantastic , shaded, wide and clean. Beware though of deep water and large waves at times. The view at the beach bar is one to behold. You can see for kilometers as it is located on a 10 meter high cliff overlooking the beaches, ocean and mountains. One afternoon, we watched the whales 300 meters away from this location. Food was okay, however becomes repetitive [... read more] . We had a Garden view room overlooking the pool. No complains, it was large, clean, and the air con worked great. Staff at the resort were very friendly and service was second to none.

Meh

Overall the grounds were very scenic, more so at sunset.The buildings are older and noise from late patrons or early morning deliveries are clearly heard, suggest you bring ear plugs. The food was very good a la carte and buffet.Beaches can be rough and if the red flags are up please stay out some were lost because they chose to ignore the warnings

Great Time!

Recently stayed at this resort for the first time. The room was good, the food was great. We enjoyed our stay there. Usually we go to Cuba for our trips, but this time went to D.R., I am glad that we made the choice to try somewhere different. There was a vast assortment of food and so delicious. The à la cartes were also good. The grounds were well maintained, but they need more garbage cans as people would leave their empty cups laying around. I found the room to be clean and bed was c [... read more]omfortable. Would definitely go back there again.

Beautiful Resort on the ocean

Overall this resort offers very good value for money ! The location in downtown Sousa allows you to explore safely the small shops. The services offered such as manicures, pedicures and massages are all very affordable. Within the resort, the staff are very accommodating and friendly. The three swimming pools are very well maintained and are clean with lots of lounge chairs. The food is very good and varies everyday. We managed to stay up and attend the Disco which opens at Eleven PM. It  [... read more]is true that the Main Lobby is a little small and is used for the free WI-FI, but still works !

Good location

Nice resort and well located in Sosua. Beautiful grounds but greater variety and quality of food is needed. Given 2 water bottles when you arrive that can be refilled at water stations that cannot be kept sanitary. Our solution was to buy a large bottle of water at the local corner store down the street and refill our water bottles.

Food and crew was excellent

Casa Marina Reef resorts was actually not bad except they need to scrub the washroom and the room thoroughly or maybe paint the wall with more inviting color and all the bed lining needs to either wash or replace because the one that was on our bed seems like it's never been wash,it has stain(I don't know what kind of stain it is but it's gross)the green pillows need to be replace(they stinks) or maybe just remove it ,the bed skirt also needs to be wash or change.,the lamp is so dusty .The whol [... read more]e room needs a good renovation(fresh paint,new lamp, new bed skirts etc. The food was great(no complained about that).The people that was working are all friendly except the people(vendors) that comes and sell stuff.They're crooks.I bought 2 shot glass and 2 bead bracelet and he was charging me $35 US.Also this place is good for people who wants JUSt to relax because the entertainment SUCKS(who wants to play darts?) Btw they don't have exercise room so you have to make up your own excersie routine.They don't have good music played by the pool.Jacuzzi sucks because it wasn't heated,the only problem when it comes to food ,the fine dining where you reserve the seating SUCKS..the buffet food is much better .

Great value for the money

Well kept grounds, food was excellent, fantastic location Great entertainment. Staff friendly. Ocean view room was excellent. Fantastic view of the beach and swimming pool. Transportation available outside the hotel. Town of Sousa closeby

Hidden gem

Nice place... I was very shocked for a 3 1/2 star... food was really good to me and I'm very picky... clean rooms , nice people, wicked beach, great shows and entertainment. .. 2 min walk into town which is mint... lots and lots of places to eat and the have everything. ..and it's all good... I will return to this resort in a heart beat.....

Very clean!

It is dated but the staff are amazing! The food was good, the pools were very nicely kept, the beach was great, the entertainment was awesome! Anything that went wrong was fixed within the hour! For the money it was well worth it!

Amazing resort

we had an amazing time! We are simple folk, who don't complain or expect much, the grounds were beautiful, the staff was amazing, friendly and helpful. The rooms are simple, our ac broke, but we didn't tell anybody, so no clue what they would have done. The food was pretty good, buffet food is not amazing no matter how you slice it. Ignore the hookers and they don't bother you. Lol! The town is nice, I always felt safe.. All in all I had a great time and I fully intend to go back.

Great value

this resort although older is very clean and well kept the pool is cleaned each day and the staff very friendly the food is above standard for a 3 star.there are three a-la-carts all were good the animation staff the location is great only 10 minutes from air-port.

Decent, lots to do

room was lovely, had a main floor corner room with wrap around deck, right across from the pool and facing the ocean. lots of games to play and helpful if not overly friendly staff, I enjoyed there breakfasts but lunch and dinner were not to my taste.

Disappointed. Was not the same as last time

Beautiful place and very clean. Food was very repetitive but their was always something to eat. Wifi sucked and was no longer available in our rooms. The day we left to go back thd bus driver loaded up our luggage and when we got to the airport and collected our bags the bus driver handed me my bag and i noticed my front pocket was half torn off. When i confronted the bus driver he proceeded to tell me that it wasn't him and that it must have happened at the hotel. This is definitely our last ti [... read more]me with Air transat.