Whala Boca Cica - Fair stay

You will not find exactly what is advertised. The WHALA Hotel advertisement (hard copy pamphlet) is still showing WhalaBocaCica as a 4* hotel while it is barely a 3* hotel. The pictures on the website do not show the real and actual situation, they are old, stock pictures. The resort get split in the middle by the presence of a private restaurant, which is off limit for the hotel's guests (only if you pay at the restaurant), thus reducing the access to the beach. The sandy beach got shrunk co [... read more]mpared to what is shown on the website and pamphlet, the beach beds were not in enough number, you had to reserve them early in the morning and there are no palm trees on the beach for shades. Quite noisy hotel with loud music all along the day and loud commotion during the night as a restaurant is open late in the night, just right beside the hotel.

Our review of Whala Boca Chica

Entrance to hotel and lobby not great but OK. Our main take away was inconsistency! Beach was great due to breakwater which made it very calm and warm. Great for families & non swimmers & just relaxing in the water. The 2 pools were good. The one a la carte restaurant was only open 2-3 days a week & was definitely sub par. Buffet was adequate, inconsistent, but we never went hungry. Wait staff poorly trained & didn't seem to know what to do. Most never smiled & were not friendly Activities were  [... read more]held on an inconsistent basis & not as per posted schedule. Evening entertainment very unprofessional & mostly not worth watching. Service was lacking & we were often blatantly ignored. There is a definite language barrier here. Speaking Spanish would be very helpful. It was nice to be able to walk in the small town that surrounded the resort. There were numerous vendors on the beach selling products & massage. Most did not force themselves on us. The massage was very professional. There was no representative from the airline but there was a representative from a local company in the hotel at all times. Very good to deal with but you needed USD or pesos, no credit card. But you could get cash on your credit card from the local bank with an extra charge. We would consider going back here for a strictly beach vacation provided the price was really good as we now know what to expect. Go there with low expectations.

Terrible

Terrible resort from food too the empty water coolers rooms were decent so was the service pool towels were hard too get and pool was dirty the beach was good but the resturants around were top dollar when the seen u was from gringo land

Adequate Accommodation

Definitely a three- star. The rooms are a bit beat up but fairly well maintained. Food service was good, although some areas understaffed (snack bar) on the weekend when the resort fills with locals. Poor signage made it hard to navigate what was where, and I received NO information about hotel amenities. If you don’t speak fluent Spanish you do not get the same service (ie: being ignored when a native speaker starts a conversation with the staff)

Beautiful Beaches, Differing Opinions

I personally love this resort and would return. However, the opinions of the other six people in my party vary greatly. If you’re looking to be pampered in luxury this is not the resort for you. If you’re looking for a beautiful beach and to be immersed in the local Dominican culture this resort could be what you are looking for. We went on an excursion that promised two exquisite beaches but they didn’t compare to the one at the hotel. The beach is beautiful, one of the best in th [... read more]e DR. The local population comes to this resort on their vacations. It’s a small cove with a natural barrier, very calm and peaceful. Sand was nice to walk in, and the water was warm and clear. The local shops are plentiful. I loved being able to walk off hotel and go to shops, though I would recommend going down the road as the two immediately outside were both expensive and pushy. We brought a little USD but changed our Canadian at a Western Union beside the hotel at a fair rate. I would recommend bringing enough USD to tip on our way down and pay your $20 to leave. The rest we paid in pesos. The food was adequate, not great not terrible. The accommodations are the same — adequate. The staff was friendly and helpful. Practice common sense, don’t go off on our own. You are not on a secluded resort! We did two off-resort excursions: Blue Lagoon and a trip to Santo Domingo. The Blue Lagoon was sold as a family friendly, handicap accessible adventure and I wouldn’t consider it either. The boat ride was loud and the liquor flowed freely.. culminating with a half mile walk up a rough beach. The staff was helpful when they were informed of our limitations but it never should have been sold to us given the difficulty for all involved (staff included). The Santo Domingo tour required a decent amount of walking but was sold as such. We opted for a private tour in which we could pick and choose where to visit. The driver didn’t speak English but we picked up a tour guide in SD who did. The guide was very knowledgeable and It was an enjoyable experience. Overall, while we all enjoyed the hotel and experience, some will prefer a more traditional resort experience and should avoid this hotel. However if you want to immerse yourself in the culture and see some of the most beautiful beach in the country, I would highly recommend this property.

Rotten Resort

after a long delay at Toronto airport,We left on our holiday. On arrival at Punta Cana we were directed to our transportation. We had been advised the trip to the Hotel would take 20 minutes but it turned out to be a two hour trip, On arrival at the hotel we were lodged on the third floor no elevators, are view from the balcony was looking at a run down hotel. the hotel staff were friendly but the dining room was something else at lot of guests had no control of their children and let  [... read more]them run wild among the tables. The beach was a disaster you could not have a minutes peace without some one trying to sell you some thing.. That was first and last visit from now on I will spend my money in Cuba,,,,,,,, Bob Fulton

Value for the money

The room was clean comfortable and the bathroom was adequate. Enjoyed the balcony, overlooking well maintained gardens. We think it was a cash grab to have to pay for the safety deposit box. Never had to do that before. TV was totally in adequate. The food was average. There was variety. The breakfasts were fat laden. Enjoyed the variety of fresh local fruit.

Priced right for the Resort and Services

We just returned from The Don Juan beach resort last weekend. The resort was good value for the money. The food, although repetitive, was tasty and abundant. Staff did their best to accommodate any of our requests/concerns. Accommodations were a little dated but fairly clean. Again on vacation how much time do you really spend in your room. We stayed on the Adult side (highly recommended), so their was very little disruptions at night etc. The bar staff was great however bring a Bubba  [... read more]Mug so you don't have to refill every 10 minutes. For Pina Coladas and the fruity drinks you have to specify with Rum / Vodka the first time. They catch on after that and know their audience. We liked the close proximity to the main drag. It looks a little seedy but during the day it is quite safe. Stay to the main drag and you will see a bit of the culture and some tasty restaurants along the way. The more of you in a group the better. All in all we were generally satisfied with the resort for the money we paid. A 3 star is a 3 star, But if you are looking for ,like us, A bed, Some Booze, and a beach this is the way to go, If you are looking for the ultimate romantic getaway and getting pampered... Spend some more money.

Awesome week:)

Such a great time, met a lot of great new friends and still keeping contact, love how boca chika is just outside the resort, good places to eat if your sick of the everyday buffets, want to return here for another great week in the future for sure:))

Great Staff!

Rooms And resort were dated, but clean. Food was good, as well. The staff and the people of Boca Chica were amazing. Close to Santo Domingo which was vibrant with culture and history!! Melanie the concierge was amazing!! Thanks Melanie. The only negative staff member was our Transat representative. Terrible representation of the company and was not at all helpful.

Best trio ever!!!

The hotel was a lil old but very well maintained. 2 pools, night entertainment, buffet. Food wasn't the best but it was okay. The staff were really nice, the beach was open to the public but security everywhere. Restaurants along the beach as well . some people sale stuff on the beach and they are very pushy. Great trip

Bad but wouldn't go again reviewy I

Beach nice rooms nice nothing to do at the hotel food the same all week Hotel way too far from airport Entertainment who nice. Funny and helpful a lot of local selling on the beach would not go to the resort again

Awesome people

Great staff , good food , clean rooms , excellent location , priced just right for this getaway . what I wanted was more variety of food,more up to date safe boxes and no 50$ deposit ,the wifi to be more widespread through the hotel

Sub-par Resort

The resort was in good condition, however the beach was dirty, full of vendors who constantly asked you to buy their goods. Staff hardly spoke English, and security allowed 'ladies of the night' onto the beach. It wasn't horrible, however I would not return.