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Gran Bahía Príncipe Punta Cana Bavaro Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 30 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 708 Junior Suites with bath & Jacuzzi Description from resort website: 8 Restaurants Including: Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Fish and Seafood, Steak House & Spanish - several bars - Two large, lake-type pools with a children's section. Spacious solariums and gardens with sunshades and loungers. Towel service at the pools and beach. Mini-club for children. Amphitheatre for entertainment and shows. Tennis courts, mini golf, aquatic activity centre and sub aqua centre. Spa. Fitness centre ~ Debbie's Review of Bahía Príncipe Punta Cana ~ Reviews posted on this page — 46 ~ More Gran Bahía Príncipe Punta Cana Bavaro Reviews ~ Map of Resort ~ Reader's Vacation Photos  ~  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ~ Reader's Gran Bahía Príncipe Punta Cana Bavaro Wedding Reviews   ~ Dominican Republic Travel Forum   Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.   Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form

November 2009

Arrival:
 Read reviews before going and yes it was larger then most in the DR different stages of $$$ that share the resort.The Golden service was a joke dont pay the extra. Our seprate check in was mass confussion as we check in at the same time with a plane from Montreal and they were not happy the girl in charge could not speak any english and only 4 rooms of the 40 she had packages for were ready the rest we waited another 2 hours.No special service there. We travel though airtransat and they were no where to be found. Upoun our special check in we needed to go back to counter anyway so we could pay $38 for the safe that is not what 5 star is about.

Rooms:
Room was big and clean no issues, but it was a challenge to get face towels.

Restaurants and Bars:
5 star food this is not. Part of our Gold Service was 4 alla carts they pick them for us and the times all at 6:30 how nice since we had no kids had to change them all. The only one worth a rate is the steakhouse but we were insulted as my friend was given a filet miagon that was a skrit steak cut in half and folded to look thick???The last reviewer said the food was great but ate at the buffet every day ??? Pool Bars were very good and staff worked very hard. If you like sweet drinks this is your spot if you like a good drink this is not no brand names at all unless you wanted to pay $3 each

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
DR beaches always great/ pool clean and lot of chairs hate to be there in high times alot of people. Also may want to warn your kids the topless has extended to the pool area.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
If you have been to the DR before you know what to expect.

Other Comments:
Check out at 8 for a 1:30 flight organization from airtranset was horrible. We expect this in DR but these guys are bad. They will get a complaint as they need to take some effort and dont hide some of these issues like a safe$ Will not return

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November 2009

Arrival: Nov 8/09 till Nov15/09
 I don't know what resort some people went to that wrote bad reviews, but our stay here was excellent.  We have  been south a number of time and this is the best resort we have stayed at yet.

Our check -in was very easy as everything was done on the bus .  This is the first time that we have has this happen and it sure speeds things up when you get to the resort.

Rooms:
The rooms were very clean and well stocked everyday. The towels and bedding were changed as needed and the staff were very friendly and helpful.  We had a small problem with the safe and within 10 minutes of my calling the front desk for some help the technician was there to fix it.

Restaurants and Bars:
The food was great.  There was plenty of selection and the dishes were always re-filled, often when they were still half full.  The bar service was fabulous.  The waitresses in the main lobby were very very friendly and always had a smile on theirs faces and willing to help.  The only rude people that we found were guests on the resort who were sometimes pushing at the buffets.  Pretty sad when you are on vacation and people can't slow down and just enjoy themselves.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The pools and the beach areas could not have been kept cleaner.  There were always people coming around to clean up.  The only complaint that I would have is again about my fellow guests who seem to need to play that stupid towel game.  We did not play at this and we were always about to get chairs in the shade even at 10-11 in the morning.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did not leave the resort as we just wanted to relax and enjoy the sun.  There was plenty for people to do if they so chose but there was also no pressure to do/go/be involved in anything that you did not want to be.

Other Comments:
Yes it is true that this is a large resort but the transfer service with the tram cars is very efficient and the resort size is also very walkable and walker friendly with lots of sidewalks thru the lust grounds that are maintained in perfection.

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November 2009

Arrival: Sept 26-Oct 3/09
 I really can't say one bad thing about this resort...it was just PERFECT...I will def. go back here again...ppl complain about how BIG it is...and it is pretty big but not that big you can't walk anywhere in 15-20mins....not that I walked anywhere except the beach...but to get from the beach to the main buffet there are lil' buses that run ALL the time...so you just hop on one and it takes you right there...perfect...everyone working at this resort are just so friendly and helpful...be sure to bring lots of school supplies/shoes/hair products/clothes anything of that sort for your bartenders/maids/grounds workers, we would bring a bag of stuff to the beach daily and give it to a diff. person each day..they were all SOOOO greatful.

Rooms:
Beautiful, clean and cool(AC) perfect, no complaints

Restaurants and Bars:
Food FANTASIC...we always at at the main buffet as the food was just amazing with such a BIG selection, if anyone can't find something they like here just as well stay home.  Spent all our time at the Beach, the beach bar was amazing with 2 EXCELLENT FRIENDLY bartenders

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
CLEAN, this beach was the most clean beach you find on that stretch...if you walk just past our resort you'd see sea weed and cups all over the other resorts beach front...but there were ALWAYS beach cleaners on our section

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the Catamaran Tour/Snorkling...it takes you to the part of the ocean that the Carribian means the Atlantic....AMAZING...the water is HOT...we did the 1/2 tour which was just perfect.

Other Comments:
There is some shopping huts down at the END of this stretch of beach about 25-30min walk...locals selling rum/paintings/vanilla/necklaces/shells/etc...you can certainly bargain with them so dont' be afraid...these ppl can be a bit agressive but a simple..NO THANKS and keep walking will work.  There are always ppl walking the beach selling stuff as well...and the prices are pretty much the same as down at those huts...as well you can bargain with them too.
We met a GREAT young guy named LA, he works on the beach selling the tours and stuff...if you go, ask for him, worth taking a moment to meet him

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October 2009

Arrival:
 My husband, stepdaughter and I stayed for a week at the Bahia Principe Punta Cana.  It is a spectacular resort, but yes, what everyone says is true, the resort is massive!  Low season has its advantages though, because the beach was almost empty the entire time we were there.  No fighting for chairs near the pool or on the beach at all.  Some restaurants and bars weren't open because of low season, but there was still a lot to choose from.

We flew Air Transat and stayed in the Royal Golden Club.  One of the very few negatives was the fact that the safe is not included in the price of your stay.  It was included at the Bahia Principe we stayed at in Jamaica last year, and I've never stayed anywhere else that it was extra, so that was a bit annoying and also time-consuming.  Everyone wants a safe, so the ease of check-in and being given your package with room cards and reservations was lost as everyone stood in line to get a safe.

There was a bit of confusion on check-in because we didn't know a bellhop would pick us and our luggage up in a cart and drive us to our room.  The carts held more luggage than people so the bellboy loaded up too much and had to remove some bags because there were 12 people but only room for 8 on the cart.  Got that straightened out and off to our room.

Rooms:
We had a beautiful room with a king size bed and daybed.  It was always clean, and with a smile and a tip, we had more water and towels than we knew what to do with each day!  We were in a second-floor room in building 21 which is only steps away from the pool and beach.  A perfect location, especially to get the breeze from the ocean that you don't get 'uptown' by the restaurants/buffet/shops.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffet was great, tons of food to choose from each day, different themes each day.  We had reservations for four restaurants but only went to two of them, the Garden Grill and the Japanese Restaurant - Maiku.  Maiku was our favourite, the food being cooked in front of you, and then separate tables for dessert.  It was my husband's birthday, so the Golden Club had arranged for a cake, and then waiters came out singing.  Very festive and a lot of fun!

Special thanks to Iris, the best waitress in the buffet, and to Juan Carlos, the second maitre'd at the Buffet, who also surprised us with a birthday cake that evening.  Also our thanks to Ramon at the pool bar, who made every day a laugh.  He treated us with champagne for my husband's birthday and came out of the pool bar singing, while riding a bicycle and balancing a cup of champagne on his head and several more cups in one hand.  You couldn't meet better people and made our stay so wonderful!

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds are spectacular, neat as a pin.  Halfway between the beach and buffet/lobby/shops is an ecological area, and we spotted many geckos and some different kinds of birds (ducks?) here. 

The property is very long and trams run constantly. I'm ashamed to say we only walked the length of the resort once.  The rest of the time we were lazy and took the trams.  In our defense, it was so hot and humid and many days my feet were swollen by night.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

The beach in Punta Cana can't be beat.  The hotel's section was a flat, wide stretch (the beach slopes more as you head up toward the Majestics and around the point).  I don't think 25% of the beach beds were occupied during our stay.  There were some dancing, exercise and yoga classes on the beach and plenty of activities by the pool. 

The pools are massive, and the only crowded one was the one with the pool bar.  Lots of room to swim, although the water is lukewarm to warm.  The pool bar was great, although the pool was a little too warm...perhaps from people who sat at the pool bar all day and didn't move...for any reason...?   The ocean was where we spent most of our time and kept cool.  We brought flat pool noodles with us from Canadian Tire and they were absolutely the best investment.  The water was always wavy and fun, and we'd straddle the pool noodles, they'd fold up in front and back of us and it was so much easier to stay afloat and move around.

The shops were nice, but a word of warning...the cart vendors are VULTURES.  That was the least enjoyable part of our trip, not feeling free to walk about the Pueblo area because the men were always calling out to you or trying to grab you by the hand  or chase you across the Pueblo to give you a good deal because their dad or boss wasn't there that day.  I don't think that sort of aggressiveness is something the guests should have to contend with right on the resort.  We found out quickly how to manoeuver around the carts so we could get to where we wanted to go without being accosted. 

If you get a chance, go to Midas Jewelry, right next to the photo shop.  We met a wonderful man, the manager, Domingo Diaz, and visited him almost daily.  Got some beautiful jewelry for myself and as gifts, at very reasonable prices and had great chats and even learned a few dance moves!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We used the boogie boards and kayaks at the resort.  We also took a banana boat ride $9 extra.  It is highly recommended that you are sober or very close to sober to ride it, otherwise you might end up overboard and not able to get back on!  You may also try to put your head through the armhole of your lifejacket, and could even end up hanging by one foot off the side of the boat pulling the inflatable banana.  Didn't happen to me but happened to a new friend of ours.  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life! 

We did the Outback Jungle Safari tour, arranged prior to our trip since it's not part of what Air Transat offers.  This was our second time on the excursion and it was a different tour altogether.  I highly recommend a tour like this to get out and see the countryside.  We visited a rum shack, a Dominican home, saw pineapples, bananas, cocoa and coffee beans growing, learned about how coffee and chocolate are made, sampled hot cocoa, coffee and mamajuana.  We had a lot lunch and in the afternoon went boogie-boarding at Playa Macao.  The waves were enormous and we all caught some good ones for a great ride!  Eddie, our guide, and Leo, our driver, were wonderful!

Our second tour, also arranged prior to the trip was through Mike Fisher's Excursions Corner.  We did the morning 3 hour snorkel cruise.  It was THE BEST!  We had spectacular time on Bebe, there were only 7 of us.  The best part, amidst the snorkeling and enjoying the secluded beach area was that Mike Fisher, his wife Tania, and their friends Pete and Lisa from England were there with us!  I'm so glad for the opportunity to have "met" Mike on Debbie's boards and to have a chance to meet him in person as well.  The snorkeling was incredible.  Take as much bread from the buffet as you can carry because you'll be swarmed by fish! 

I felt sorry for the people on the booze cruises.  7 people on a catamaran was sheer heaven, very personalized, and a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience than going on a cruise just to drink on the water.  It really was paradise.  You really don't know what you're missing so I strongly recommend checking out http://www.excursionscorner.com/ and you will not be sorry you did.  Next trip, we're going deep sea fishing!

Other Comments:
I'd like to say hello to our new friends Steve and Michelle!  Can't wait to get together again and reminisce about our trip! 

Again, special thanks to Iris, Juan Carlos, Ramon, the restaurant director Milan, and everyone else who made our stay at the Bahia Principe so perfect.

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October 2009

Arrival:
 This is the worst holiday we ever had. This resort is not a 5 star. The staff at the desk is clueless We requested a floor room as we had our 3 year old grandaughter with us--they gave us a top floor--they changed it the next day. They gave us spray to kill all the creepy crawlers in the bathroom.that was fine at least our grandaughter was safe. We were locked out of our room 4 times and had to get the keyless cards reactivated.Just the walk to the office to do this is so frustrating.  They just couldn`t get it right.

Rooms:
The rooms are very nice but the walls are so thin you can hear all the yelling and partying going on around you.It takes about 3/4 of an hour to fill the tub with water. The beds are like sleeping on a slab of granite. We had a wonderful maid that did our room up. She left a lot of coffee, water and creamers. She could speak no english but we all seem to be able to understand each other. The rooms are very well kept and clean (except for the crawly things)

Restaurants and Bars:
We went to the buffets everyday as it was a lot easier with our grandaughter. The food was horrible. There was no fresh fruit other than pineapple,some peeled bananas the first week--they added watermelon on the second week. The woman that looks after the fruit shakes in the morning slapped my daughters hand when she went to take a unpeeled banana. Told her not take --rude and uncalled for. My little grandaughter got food poisoning from their spagetti. She was so ill and puked all over both beds(sheets, blankets etc.)she spiked a fever that really put a scare into us all. Our maid reported it right away and the people in the service desk  quickly came to our aid.  They sent jello and juices etc to our room.(we tried to get jello and the resturant wouldn`t allow us to take any out of there) The food was always the same and seemed even worse the following week. There was not much of a variety. After my grandaughter got sick --the chef put spagettii sauce on everything-even on the mac and cheese. She ate toast-chicken and plain noodles, frenchfries for the next week and a half. My husband got sick about five days before we left and he spent the rest if his holiday in the room throwing up and this was from the sea bass.  My daughter got a headache that most likely from all msg in the food. Funny I didn`t get sick--only bit up by all the bugs--they sprayed once in two weeks. The mosquitos` were unbelievable.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Your couldn`t get a chair anywhere unless you go down and put towels on your chair at 5:30 in the morning. As for the beach -the wind was so bad that the sand was blown all over your body. we were able to sit there once in two weeks. I always prefered the sea to the pool..so this was very disappointing The grounds were well kept and beautiful. The pools are well kept and clean. As for the beach --you couldn`t see for all the blowing sand. It rained everyday but one.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
when you arrive at the resort they give you a list of shows and activeties. we went to a few of the shows as did other people. We sat and waited just to have them tell us they were cancelled or they moved them somewhere else. This was a real joke.  This place is so unoraganized.

Other Comments:
We were there from march-1st to the 15th. My husband would sit on the patio and laugh at the people coming and going --he said  now that they got their money they  just treat us like cattle going to auction. I WOULD NOT RECOMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE. There is so much more I could write about this terrible place but I think everyone would get the gist.

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May 2009

Arrival: April 22 - April29
Our arrival was smooth, with the exception of our bus ride to the hotel(they only spoke french, but we did fly out of Montreal). Check in was quick and efficient.

Rooms:
Rooms were beautiful and we even got a little towel art. Make sure you note any major deficiencies, as I got locked in the bathroom for 1/2 hr due to a busted door handle.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffet was everything you could ask for, with variety and quantity. The restaurants were excellent, but be careful what you order(read the menu)

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was one of the best I've ever been on, clean and reletivly salesman free.The pool was warm every day and the service around it was wonderful. The grounds were immaculate and they were working every day on them. Yes there was constuction going on next door , but you could hardly hear anything. Now , for the towel game, get over it. If there not there within 15 minutes move the towel.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Plenty of activities around the pool in the afternoon for those seeking fun and games

Other Comments:
Overall this was the best vacation I've ever been on, and would recommend this resort to anyone.

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May 2009

Arrival: April 9-April 23
We arrived on time and were quite impressed with the airport as our previous three airports were all Cancun. Enough said.Everything is smooth and no hassles from the locals. Bright smiles and helpful all around.

Rooms:
Checked in on the bus while waiting for the rest of the passengers. Arrived at the hotel in less than 40 minutes and went straight to our rooms.No delays but we did arrive at 4:30 pm local time. The rooms were large and spacious and squeaky clean.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffets are designed to serve alot of people and tastes. The food is overall,quite tasty and varied, something for everyone.All the options are suited to appeal to everyone. No spicy zingers or exotic stuff. Had only two occasions where there was no real choices but could always settle for pastas. The service, for the most part was fantastic. A dollar or two goes a long way and the people really appreciate it and return the favor in kind. Best to arrive early or later, the buffets are a feeding frenzy and for the most part, people tend to think they are the only ones there. We were brought up differently and just shrugged them off. The coffee was kept topped up and the drinks, cervesa and wine were attended to like clockwork.The waiters and kitchen staff were the best kind and always smiling and trying to communicate. We will strive to learn Spanish as It would make things alot easier. The ala carte restaurants were above par on the outside. One is limited to a single main course, so fillup at the salad bars. The portions, lol, especially the Italian ala Carte are small and less than filling. My main course consisited of 5 pieces of ravioli and this would not even serve as an appetizer at Italian places home. We really enjoyed the Mexican and missed out on a few others. As always, the service was excellent.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds are as near to perfect as one can imagine. A grand mix of color and shape to please any eye. A lush tropical oasis and they have achieved it. The workers are meticulous and take pride in what and how they do things. It is beautiful, but look , don't touch. There are stamped paths throughout to get around. the resort is very large and spreadout and if you do not like to walk, there are trolleys that run from 6am to 3 am daily. Bus shelters to wait in to keep you shaded and the wait is never more than a few minutes. We only utilized the trolleys a couple times in two weeks as we preferred to walk everywhere. One sees so much more as they stroll. The beach is like one we have never saw.White sand, teal water, soft waves and a wreck off the beach I assume was sank intentionally for a reef creation. adds a little something to the mystique. The beaches are very clean and attended to throughout the day. It is unfortunate that these people have to make a living cleaning up spent cups and glasses discarded by those that do not comprehend the waste receptacle idea. We loved the beach Come early, book a cabana as one requires shade. The sun is very hot and burning comes quick and easy. The breeze off the water tricks you into thinking you are not overly hot. It is crowded around the bars on the beach but there is plenty of room and one can go for at least an hour in each direction walking. The pools we used once in a two week span, travelled to a beach to use the beach so sitting around a pool did not go with the whole vacation idea. they were crowded and busy and people having a grand time. This is what one is expected to do and do not expect a quiet , laid back atmosphere here. There is on private pool i know of at the Diamond and if you upgrade and desire quiet, this is where you should go. The pools are cleaned evry night and ready for the next day.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The resort has something for everyone, spa, fitness centre, tennis , etc etc etc. If you desire it, I am sure you can find it. The lobbies are a great place to while away a few hours, enjoy a cocktail or just chat a bit. there are all kinds of excursions available. We did the Bavaro runners . A truck tour through the hills. Horseback riding, and several stops throughout, sugar cane plantation, a school and a mountain side buffet. It was a grand time and we had the pleasure of enjoying a busload of vacation Canadians from Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta. Nice people, fun loving and courteous, what we expect from all Canadians. Makes me proud to be one. The day trip to Santo Domingo is long but many sights offered including Christopher Columbus's home and the old city. The cathedral and sights were beautiful.

Other Comments:
I am disturbed by the willingness of people to accept living in garbage. this is a beautiful country with beautiful people yet even at the museums and historical sights, the trash all about and no place was sacred . I can not overlook it and found it had a really negative impact on my thoughts overall of our vacation. As in Mexico, the trash problem is acute and I am at a loss to understand why. Pick up your trash, put it in a bag and devise a way to deal with it.One is sheltered from this aspect on the resort, It is, immaculate. We would go again, if for nothing else, than the beaches.

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May 2009

Arrival: April 11 to 18
We had a group of 17 family members that we were travelling with, all of us in the Royal Golden Club. This was the first time all of us had been to this specific resort in the Dominican, which came highly recommended by friends and travel agents. The resort was absolutely beautiful and spotless. Our arrival at the hotel was great for some, not so great for others. in our party. Only two of six rooms were ready so the rest of our group had to wait until about 4:00pm. Luckily, because two of our rooms were ready, they stored thier luggage and changed in to beach wear so they were able enjoy the day.

Rooms:
This is our only real complaint regarding the Bahia Principe. Our room was clean and spacious upon arrival. We did have a broken lamp that required calling the front desk to repair as it was dangling from the wall. The repair entailed placing electrical tape to hold the lamp in place. We had exceptional maid service for the first two days. After this we experienced very negative and unacceptable service. We were tipping more than the usual and still our room was not cleaned by 5pm each day and we were gone from 9am until 5pm daily. On one evening we had to call the front desk for towels as our room was not clean and we had early reservations at an al a carte restaurant. Upon asking for clean towels the person at the front desk asked, "do you really need to shower now?" We stated yes, we indeed did, and they brought us TWO towels. This sevice continued for the remainder of our stay and we were not pleased. Fortunately, this service seemed to be reserved only for us and one other couple in our entire party. Most everyone else had very good maid service albeit a different maid than ours.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffet and restaurants were fantastic! The service at all of the restaurants, buffets, and bars were outstanding. We met so many wonderful waiters, waitresses and servers who were constantly smiling and pleasant. We all expected the standard Dominican food but this resort had some nice changes and a much better selection than other resorts we had been at in Punta Cana. One small inconvenience we experienced and were somewhat bothered by was that the resort picked our Al a Carte restaurants for us, without our knowledge or approval. They explained this was due in part to the large number of people in our group and the availability of the restaurants. It seemed that the Al a Carte's were overbooked already, prior to our arrival, and any accomodation to rectify this would be futile.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds were stunning and immaculate. The large pool near the beach was very busy daily and in order to get any chairs we had to get up at 6am to place towels on them. By 3:00pm daily we found this pool to be quite cloudy and a lot of cups and straws floating around. We often went to the other pool which was on the other side of it and this was much cleaner and less busy. The beach was absolutely beautiful and where we spent most of our time. Same deal however, with the towels and trying to secure huts. We had to go down at 6am to ensure we would have a place to sit. For a resort of this size it would make sense to offer much more seating at both the beach and the pools.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Some of our party did the Safari tour and enjoyed it a lot. They went up to a mountain and had dinner and watched how cigars were made. There were beach activities daily such as dance lessons, volleyball and water areobics. You could definitely keep busy if that was what you wished to do on your vacation.

Other Comments:
For a resort of this size it would have been nice to have had a few more employeees (management level) at the resort speak better English. We realize that this is a country where English is not their chosen language and we are very appreciative and understanding of this, however it was incredibly difficult at times to have management understand you when there was an issue. The language barrier did prove a little frustrating but overall it did not occur that often and we found the people of the Dominican to be gracious and lovely.

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May 2009

Arrival: 9-16 April
This was our first time in DR. As soon as you’re off the plane, they take a picture of your group with two young local girls. When you leave you can buy it for $10 and we did. The porters at the airport are a little bit overwhelming if you are not used to having someone impose himself on you. A polite no gracias is all it took to get rid of them. We found the kiosk for our Carrier “Signature Vacation” without any problem and were directed to our bus that was maybe 200 feet away. On the way to the resort, we stopped at a small bar on the side of the road and purchase some Presidente beer for the drive to the resort. It took no more the 20-25 minutes to get to our destination. We were too early to check in (11h30). So our room wasn't ready. My wife had a migraine due to the airplane ride and heat. I explain our situation to the reception and within 5 Dominican minutes (about 20 Canadian minutes) we were given our keys and were on our way to our room in one of the big golf carts the bellboys use. We were prepared though and had bathing suits in our carry on luggage so we could have went to the pool if needed be.

Rooms:
Before our departure, I had sent an e-mail to the resort asking for a top floor room with a King size bed. Within a couple of days I had received a confirmation of my request indicating that they would try to accommodate but it would be based on availability. We were pleasantly surprise to get our choice. We were in room 76301 which translate to building 76, 3rd floor, room #1. The room was very spacious with a king size bed and a day bed where our 10 years old slept for the week. The room was very clean with its own balcony. The maids kept the room very clean and we didn't have any issues there. We left a few dollars every morning with a note in Spanish to say thank you. On our second day there we found the bath tub all filled up with flowers floating on top. My son slipped in before my wife had a chance ;-) and he said that was pretty cool....He also enjoyed the Jacuzzi function. We didn't use the room safe during our visit. We kept the few items of value in a lock suitcase and we didn't have anything go missing. The bar fridge was being filled up every day. We like diet cola so we put a note asking for"tres diet Pepsi por favor" with a tip and found 3 very cold diet Pepsi waiting for us on our return from the beach that day. I tried to add"Presidente por favor" the next day but only got the regular beer anyway :-( But there is a little store on the resort that had it for sale for $4 a bottle so I treated myself to a few during the week. A note on the building itself, it appears that it might be newer then the rest of the resort since it doesn't show on the older maps. I think it was building 72 to 80 that were in this new part of the Bavaro side. The building was about a 5-7 minutes walk from the beach and about 3 minutes from the main lobby. Our balcony was facing a restaurant but we never had problems with odours or noise coming from it so it wasn't an issue. The power plugs in the room were all 2 prongs with one big and one small but no 3rd leg except where the coffee maker plugged in this one had the standard 3 prongs like we use in Canada.

Restaurants and Bars:
The main buffet was good and we could always find something to eat. Even my 10 years old who can be picky at times always fund something to his taste. The only draw back was if you wanted something different then it was hard to communicate with the cook. For example one night, there was prime beef but since I didn’t know how to say well done and ended up with mostly rare, I couldn’t eat the meat. This is no fault of their own and I promised myself to be more prepared next time and to learn a few key words in Spanish like “well done” I did learn to say: , “Deuce Huevos Fritos” 2 fried eggs… We had 3 a la carte dinners. We did the BBQ which was on the beach and was pretty much a buffet but you had to dress with long pants and the atmosphere is more relax and quiet then the main buffet. We then had the Dominican. I enjoyed all the food there and the waitress we had was very friendly and helped me correct some of my Spanish pronunciation. Our last one was the Japanese and I don’t know if it’s because we had a 10 years old with us but we were put together with 2 other families with smaller children and it felt more like romper room then a restaurant. It was also late (21h30) and all the kids including mine were pretty tired and cranky. The food itself was delicious. I sample everything that was on the grill. The cooking show itself is the reason I go to a Japanese Restaurant, It wasn’t the best I’ve seen. He made a lot of noise with his spatula but that was about it. We spent our lunches eating at the buffet by the main pool. They always had hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, pizza, fresh fruits and salad, so something for everyone. If I can generalize, the food was really good. The bar in the lobby was great and we could sit down after dinner and enjoy Spanish coffee. Most nights there was some kind of demonstration going on about different drinks including Mamajuana (sp)

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach and pool I guess is typical to all resorts and you have to play the towel game. This is no big deal for me since I’m a very early riser at home (05h30) and don’t like to sleep in. One thing I was glad to have brought with us colourful towels from home. This made it easier to find the reserved chairs after you’ve gone for breakfast or gone for a dip in the ocean. One day I had reserved some chairs at the pool and when we got there, someone had moved the towels on the other side which put us in the sun instead of the shade which I had planed. I express my displeasure to the woman there and she gave me a look that said:” I DON’T CARE” My wife calmed me down and reminded me loud enough for the woman to hear that: “There are rude people in this world and you can’t fight them all” So we took the other chairs in the sun but it made for a tense afternoon. We use both the main pool and the one in the middle of the resort. The main one is busier and noisier. The other one was a little bit more quiet and was nice to just relax.

The beach is really what you go to Punta Cana for and I enjoyed it immensely. I did take a long walk one day all the way to where there are vendors on the beach. It was about 1 hour each way. I didn’t have any money on me so only browsed to see what they had and it was just more of the same stuff tourist buy. I tried snorkelling off the beach one day and since there is no reef, didn’t see anything beside a lone fish about 10 inches long and all silver.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
One piece of advice I have to give is once you book your excursions, double check the dates and times and write it down somewhere. We had booked for Dolphin Island for the Sunday and Outback Safari for the Monday. Saturday afternoon, I was looking at our receipts and noticed that the days were wrong. He had booked us for Sat and Sun. The Dolphin experience was the one thing my wife wanted to do and she was pretty upset, never mind how much it was. We went to our tour rep right away and at first told us that if we missed it there was nothing he could do to help. Then he looked in a book where he wrote things down and saw that the Outback was actually on Monday and he wrote Sunday on the receipt. Even though he had said nothing could be done, once he realized that he had made the mistake and not us, he got on the phone and fixed things up and we were good to go for Sunday. This could have ruin our vacation as far as my wife goes. So after giving up you hard earned cash, check the dates on your receipt before leaving the office.

Another point with purchasing the excursions. For some reason, they couldn’t take my CC for both. We could pay with CC for the Outback Safari but had to pay cash for the Dolphin Island since another tour operator was taking care of that one.

The folks from Dolphin Island came and picked us up at the lobby. After a bumpy ride to the beach where they are setup, we attended a safety briefing and we were put on a boat that took us to an enclave in the middle of the ocean. This is separated in 4 sections, 2 for dolphins, one for sea lions and one for the sharks and stingrays. We spent about 20-25 with the Dolphins and it was a very good experience. We then could go and snorkel with the stingrays and sharks. This was really nice and both me and my son
enjoyed that part. Once we returned to shore, we went inside a building where you could buy your pictures. The prices were $20 for 1 person, $30 for 2 and $40 for 3 Dolphin Island was $120/ person plus $40 for the picture CD. The only bad part of the trip was the lack of cleanliness of the amenities on the beach otherwise, it was all good.

The Outback Safari was the best part of our vacation as far as I’m concern. They picked us up at the lobby and we were gone all day. We went to a cocoa/coffee plantation and got to see the house people live in. We then went for lunch at a private ranch. I have no idea why they call it a ranch since I didn’t see any cattle’s or horses. The food was good. We then went up the mountain to another place where they told us about the benefits of coconut oil. We had the chance to taste sugar cane, sweet grapefruits and fresh pineapple. From there we made a stop to buy coffee ($4/lb), rum ($10/bottle) and cigars at various prices. Once everyone had purchased their goodies, we drove to Macao Beach for some body surfing. After 1 hour there, we returned to our resort. We were hoping to donate some things for the children while on the excursion but the school was closed due to Easter. We left the school supplies with the guys from the company and they said they would make sure it would be delivered to the school. Our Guide was Sammy and he was very funny and super informative about how they use plants for medicine and any other questions we had about the DR. If you are going to do only one excursion in DR, do yourself a favour and do this one.

Other Comments:
I read mention of this resort being too big. I’m in my early 40s and not in the best of shape and I had absolutely no problem going from the main lobby to the beach in under 10 minutes without even raising my heartbeat. If you are worried about it, there are little trains that go by every 5 minutes and they go all day and all night long.

If you want to exchange your towels at the end of day, don’t wait until 18h00 when the towel bar closes as they sometimes run out and you will have to wait until the next morning.

I would definitely recommend this resort Go with an open mind and don’t expect people to speak English. Would you know to answer in Spanish if they came to “YOUR” neighbourhood? I for one enjoyed learning a little Spanish and plan on taking lessons to make my next trip even better.

If you need extra cash while on your vacation, the lobby has an ATM. I used my RBC convenience card without any problems. I can’t recall the exchange rate but I do know that my bank charge a $5 fee for the transaction.

Do yourself a favour and buy Bubba Kegs for everyone in your group, even for the kids. We used the 20oz and they were perfect to hold our drinks nice and cold.

Our tour rep told us at the in briefing that we could leave clothes behind for the children of DR. Since our son grows like a weed and need new clothes for this summer, we left just about all his summer clothes from last year. It was great because it made room for all the coffee, rum and vanilla we purchased. We left with the same weight that we had left Halifax.

Our tour rep offered free shopping trips to town. This wasn’t really worth it for us since everything was more expensive then on the Outback Safari. There was some interesting jewellery for sell though.

We flew Skyservice out of Halifax. They do stack you pretty tight (I’m 6’ and my knees were touching the seat in front of me) but it’s only a 4 hour flight so I sucked it up.

claudelanglois@eastlink.ca

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May 2009

Arrival: April 15-22
Rapid arrival. NOTE: driver of the golf carts who travel the people, the oldest one always clean the seat, helped us a lot with my wheelchair.

Rooms:
Clean when we arrived. Was in the building 5 and re oriented to building 23 the second day because of the noise. They build a new section and the noise on the beach on the right side is not nice. The beach had a little bump and if you cannot find a chair facing the ocean on the good side on the beach you cannot see the ocean... Very unplesant

Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet was huge and French restaurant, very very good... Only a few waiters or waitress spoke english. They dont look to want learn english. Monica was the best, she spoke english with us and was very helpfull to find me a table near the buffet. At the end of our stay, it was the only time a staff member help me to go back to my table when I was alone. PS: I am in a wheelchair...

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach, impossible to find a shaded area and chairs if you dont go at 5:00 am on the beach. A lot of sea things herbs. Bars OK at the beach. Went to the main pool. Forget again the chairs... hottub was not set OK.. Went to Punta Cana pool, we found chairs... and Club Diamond pool where everything was very good. Good waiters, nice pool, nice hottub, and they put french music during an hour at lunch time... a lot of French people at that pool... Snack bar at that place had a table service for lunch...

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Want take a taxi cab for a day and the girl from Air Transat said there nothing to visit around here and it's better to take her package tour. We after knowing some quebecois reserve the activity Catamaran only for 14 persons maximum with snorkeling from the Air Transat repres... THE BEST ACTIVITIES I EVER DONE ON THE OCEAN... Lorenzo is a marvelous and charming men who do the tour with you. I learned a lot from Dominican Republic and about the ocean. Lorenzo travelled and stayed aroung the world near an ocean, indian ocean, Fidgi,tahiti and others places. 14 years in Dominican Republic. He is French, Italian, quebecois too... He speaks few languages... Help you to do snorkeling, explains about the dolphins which it is a nightmare, dolphins in a small area of ocean, held in captivity, I dont agree with that. If you want a nice activities, want learn about ocean and DR, ask for that activities. Lorenzo is the best...

Other Comments:
As I am an handicapped person in a wheelchair almost all the times. I already went to Bahia Principe Riviera Maya Golden Club and service at that place is wonderful. They have at Riviera Maya what you need when you are in a wheelchair.
It's difficult to find a place where I can go because I always talked to the tour operator and travel agency and a lot of time I am disappointed.
I do not recommend this hotel for a person in a wheelchair, they had the ramp beside the stairs but the ramp is too difficult for the person in the wheelchair to propulse her or the ramp is not lighted enought at nite. I fall one time on a ramp and they other one was very very dangerous the first time and we were lucky to have someone help my husband before I fall.
I will try again others hotel in DR because I loved that country and the people overthere...

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April 2009

As we have used your wonderful website extensively for both our trips to Punta Cana, we thought it only fair to share our thoughts, memories and experiences from our most recent stay.

We travelled to Punta Cana (or Punta Canada!) 6 years ago and stayed at the gorgeous Iberostar Bavaro. We absolutely loved it and knew that one day we would return to the Dominican. I was pregnant at the time and therefore didn't fully experience all the resort had to offer. However...still brilliant on every level.

We researched resorts in the Punta Cana area extensively before booking. Obviously price was a factor but we had other things on our checklist. We finally decided upon the Bahia Principe Punt Cana as it some great reviews and the photos showed a lush, tropical oasis.

We were a little afraid that it wouldn't measure up to the Iberostar but we were not disappointed at all.

We flew non-stop from Vancouver to Punta Cana via Air Transat. We chose to upgrade to the Club Seats and were very glad that we did.
Being able to by-pass the enormous check-in line was worth the extra money alone. The service aboard Air Transat was wonderful. We honestly couldn't eat everything they gave us and the service was First Class. Because our luggage was among the first off of the plane - it took us only 15 minutes to clear "customs", get our bags and get out of the airport. There are always lots of porters wanted to help you with your bags so it can be a bit of a zoo. We just choose to say a polite "No gracias" and do it ourselves. There was an Air Transat official waiting to greet us at the exit and direct us to our bus (there are tons of buses waiting in the parking lot so be sure to board the right one). Most of the passengers on our bus were given their room assignments and bracelets during the trip to the resort. We, however, were missed which made us feel a bit uneasy. Our guide, Gabrielle, assured us that everything would be worked out once we arrived at the resort. When we arrived at the resort, Gabrielle sorted out the other guests and sent them on their way via trolley to their rooms. We then followed him to the Royal Club Golden reception office. He did find our package with our room assignment - we were in Building 3 room 3205...a mere stones throw from the beach. We had e-mailed and requested a room close to the beach and were thrilled with the result. He also gave us Diamond bracelets which allowed us to use the exclusive Diamond Club pool (we'd find out that this was a true bonus). While we waited for the porter to take us to our room, Gabrielle poured us a good stiff rum and coke and answered some of our questions.

Our room was beautiful and had that "Dominican" feel to it. It was large and comfortable with a view of the lush vegetation that is prevalent throughout the resort. As I said - our villa (#3) was a 2 minute walk to the beach and it was very handy to the seafood restaurant (El Pescador) which offers breakfast and lunch as well as a la carte dinner and the outdoor restaurant which serves lunch. We were also very close to the main pool but never actually went in it (except when my husband had a trial scuba lesson). We did opt for the room safe which we stored our passports, etc in. They are $30 USD and easy to use. Think it is worthwhile just for peace of mind.

Bavaro Beach is as spectacular as we remembered it to be. Trying to get a seat is a bit crazy. There are lots of beach chairs and palapas. However, there are upwards of 4000 guests staying at the resort at any given time. My husband NEEDS to have some shade. In order for us to secure two seats with at least one under a palapa...we had to get up at 6am. We just took our books down to the beach...sat on our beach chairs...watched the sun come up and enjoyed the solitude (before the hordes showed up).

The resort itself is HUGE. It is far bigger than the Iberostar so that was a bit of an adjustment. But there are trolleys running constantly from one end of the resort to another so you don't have to walk very far if you don't want to. We actually chose to walk as we did so much eating, drinking and laying around. The resort is gorgeous and it was a pleasure to just be in that tropical setting.
So really we didn't mind the walk at all.
It is absolutely sparkling clean. I don't think we even saw a bug the entire time we were there. There is the odd gecko but that's about it. Considering the number of people staying there, we were amazed at how pristine it was...from the beaches to the bars to the restaurants.

The service was unbeatable. The Dominican people are fabulously warm and inviting. Our new favourite Dominican terms that is used throughout the resort is "Much gusto"..."it is my pleasure". They so appreciate you taking the time to be friendly and to try to speak to them in Spanish. It is the least we can do when we visit their country. Tips are certainly appreciated but not necessarily expected. When we did tip our maid daily ($1 to $2) and left chocolate or packs of gum. We tipped the swim-up bar tenders the odd time but the drinks.

Dining - the main buffet is a bit of a zoo and we didn't enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the buffet at the Iberostar. Fortunately, we were given 5 a la carte dining choices (not the norm...not sure how we were so lucky to get 5 but were awfully happy that we did). The only a la carte restaurant that we were disappointed in was the Dominican restaurant. Do NOT go to this one...it was awful. The service, the food, the setting...it was all bad. The only interesting thing were the 3 stray kittens that were begging from us. Thankfully the remaining 4 restaurants were all very good. We went to the Mexican, the Mediterranean, the Spanish (possibly our favourite) and the Seafood. All very good. They all have buffet appetizers except for the Mediterranean which is all a la carte. We also never got sick the entire time. They are very strict about using alcohol gel hand rub before entering any of the restaurants.

The pool - the main pool is a nightmare from what we could see. Crazy busy and full of partiers and kids! Not our cup of tea. We preferred to go to the beach in the morning and then to the Club Diamond pool in the afternoon. Because it has restricted access - this pool is much quieter but still fun. We met some wonderful new friends at the swim up bar and enjoyed our daily "happy hour" up there. Normally Club Golden (which is what we booked) would not be allowed. But, for whatever reason, we were given these special VIP bracelets when we checked in (Gabrielle told us it was because we were nice...so who knows) that gave us these terrific perks. I do think, if I were to stay there again, I would actually book the Club Diamond area instead of the Club Golden. Club Golden gets you closer to the beach but Club Diamond gets you the good pool. There is also a pool across from the Club Diamond pool that is not restricted but it was really NOISY. I mean REALLY NOISY.

Excursion - we booked a full-day Punta Cana adventure with the Bavaro Runners Safari Adventure. It was AWESOME. Everyone who travels to Punta Cana should take this informative tour. We learned so much about the Dominican people and their way of life...their economy, their beliefs, their jobs, their family lives, etc. all while seeing the stunning countryside. Our guide, Eros, was hilarious. He really made the trip! If you do take this excursion, please bring school supplies as they stop at an Elementary School. Bavaro Runners has made it their cause to help fund the schools and they are so appreciative if you can help them by bringing markers, paper, pens, pencils, etc.

One thing to remember when you're booking a 5-star Dominican resort is that you can't really compare them to a 5-star in New York or Vancouver or Hawaii or Paris. If you do, you will probably be disappointed. However, if you can go with the flow and enjoy the surroundings and the people and if you can make an effort to befriend them...you will have the trip of a lifetime.
Comparing the Iberostar to the Bahia Principe would be useless. They both are beautiful and each has their own strengths and weaknesses. If you want a quieter, more sedate vacation then you should probably go to the Iberostar. If you want something a little more lively then you'll fit in well at the Bahia Principe.

Thanks Debbie for offering and maintaining this important website. I recommend it to everyone I know who is planning a trip to the Dominican.
Cheers

P.S. Just a little side note - we were not required to pay any sorts of fees at the Punta Cana airport (not upon arrival or departure).

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April 2009

Arrival
Arrival was great, came on Air Transat. Food on the plane was to be desired, so have something before you leave, or bring stuff with you. Check in was easy, it was done on the bus. We got our room number and our room was ready eventhough it was noon. We were travelling with 5 other people and their rooms were not ready, so we went for lunch and their rooms were ready after lunch. The bellboy took us to our room ASAP.

Rooms
They put us all in the same building, which was great, we had three rooms. Since we booked the golden level, we got bathrobes and slippers in the room, which is nice because the floors can be cold on my toes in the morning. We also got beach towels in the room on the first day, so we went straight to the beach. We were also close to the beach in building 3. Yes there was construction on the other side, but we were hardly in the rooms so it was no biggy. Plus the workers took a vacation I think, due to Easter, so it was quiet for most of the time. We got a king size bed and it was very comfortable. A suprising number of TV channels, if that's what you need.

Restaurants and Bars
The service at the bars was great, never a problem, never a wait. There are basically 4 bars near the beach and pool that is located near the beach. The restaurant near the beach for breakfast is must better than the lobby. You can find prosciutto at this one! Plus, it was closer to our room and the beach, so it just made sense. We had 2 a la carte reservations. The French was the best, great lamp chops and the lobster dish was tasty. The desserts were not great at the French but whatever. Better desserts at the buffet.
The lobby bar is super - and they have soo many lobbys at this resort. Plus there is this market outside the gate, with a sports bar with kareoke and a grand stand where a band plays at night and you can get snacks till 7am! You can also shop in the stores till 11:30 pm, which is so nice. Better to do the shopping when the sun goes down. The shows were suprisingly good! We have been to Dominican 5 times before and this resort had the best shows. They had some circus show that was a mini Circe Du Soleil. The pasta at the buffet restaurants was suprisingly good too. At dinner and lunch. The burgers at the beach/pool restaurant were very tasty and they will grill your bun, which believe me, is a bonus. The grilled chicken was pretty good too. Some piri piri sauce would have been a bonus, but we were not in Portugal - saddness.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was a little crowded, but if you move over to the right or left of centre, there is more room. We found chairs no problem, you just have to drag it to some shade, but there is always a sunny place to put your chair. We split our time between the beach and the pool, because we had a child with us. They have some fun 5pm games at the pool. Of course we keep coming back to Dominican for the surf and sand, you can't beat it. Lots of great walks on the beach.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went to shows, which I already mentioned, which were suprisingly good. They have a 9:15 pm show and a 10:15 pm show, which is nice for those who have kids.
We went on a Banana boat ride, 4 of us. The boat ran out of gas the first try, so we went again the next day, no extra charge. Because the waves were less choppy the second day, he took us all the way out to the beached barge off the shore, which was too cool. We went right through the middle! We did not see anyone else being taken there all week. Maybe it was because we did not bitch about running out of gas the first day, so they gave us a treat. Who knows. We went on a short snorkeling tour, which was pretty good, and of course the boat broke down on the way home (we were starting to think we were cursed), but they fixed it in 1/2 an hour and we made our way home. We went to Aruba last year and the snorkelling is so much better there, so unfortunatley we are now spoiled. But for $35 it was a good trip and it gets you off the beach chair, and you get a tour of the shoreline.

Other Comments
Some people commented that the resort was too big and too far to walk from place to place. I guess these are people who get out of bed in the morning, walk to their car in the garage, drive everywhere and never get off their butts. We had a great time, the resort is big, but if you like to explore, see different things, people watch, get a little walk in before dinner or breakfast, then you will not have a problem. The weather cannot be beat in Dominican and of course we asked ourselves once again, why we didn't book two weeks. Final comment, our bus to the airport hit a car (the 3rd breakdown of the week), but they quickly drove to the police station, submitted a report and got us to the airport on time. Nice to know they report car accidents in Dominican. Happy the 3rd breakdown was not the plane! They say things happen in threes!

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April 2009

Arrival: April 2 - 9
We flew with Air Transat, our flight was delayed leaving Toronto almost 2hrs, but that was fine. Check in was done on the bus as it was late, this was a great way of doing things, we didn't even have to go to the lobby desk. Our luggage was loaded onto one of the trolly's & off to our room, which was great. By this time it was about 11:30pm.

Rooms
Our first room was great, but we had requested a king bed & had been given two double, we called down & were told to call back after 11am the next morning. The next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunny day, but our toilet was leaking & running across the floor in front of the toilet, so off to the Golden Club we went. Danny was great we told him about the beds & the toilet & no sooner did I get it out of my mouth he said "we need to change your room", easy as that by 4pm that day we were moved. We were very pleased with how this was handled, couldn't have asked for better & our new building was even closed to the beach.

Restaurants and Bars
We only ate at the buffet for dinner once during our stay & it was great, there should be no complaints. Every night the buffet has a different theme night which is neat. The ala carte's we did were the Japanese, it was good we sat around the grill & watched them cook, veggies, rice, all meats, fish & shrimp. Mexican, we were a little disappointed since it was not a full ala carte, part of it is buffet, which we thought was a bit different, but the food was good. Gourmet, this was my favourite, the lobster was amazing, as was the entire meal. Italian, again was part buffet, we both ordered the Red Snapper, well let me tell you they really know how to kill fish, it was so over cooked you could barely eat it, but not everything can be good. Being that we were Golden Club we have four dinners, which was nice but three would have been fine too. Room service was good, they have two different menus 11am - 11pm & 11pm - 11am. Our first night after a very long night with our delayed flight etc. we made our way to the Burger place up by the Casino, well this wasn't the best way to start our holiday. On our way we met up with another couple & since it was packed we decided to sit together, it was hard to get a table & even harder to get it wiped off, but finally we managed, with beer in hand the four of us orderd, well they have a menu but when the waitress came around & we went to order she infomed us only hotdogs & hamburgs, no fries nothing that was it, so I'm not sure what the point was of having a menu if you couldn't order from it. We ended up ordering three burgers & one hotdog, time went by we kept drinking our beer & finally we notice that everyone around us was getting food included people that had come in after us, so we had to pull our waitress over & ask her where our food was & should looked at us like we had ten heads, needless to say we finally got food about 1 1/2 hrs after we sat down.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pools, looked fine we didn't use them we are beach people. Beach, well it was great minus the thousands of loungers & people, really there was not much sand to be seen. I was very disappointed with this.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't leave the resort, this was a trip to relax & lay on the beach.

Other Comments
I would say that we had an okay trip, but the size of Bahia Principe was just too big for us, even on our last day I still didn't know which way to go. Punta Cana seems to be turning into the Dominican Cancun, where all you see is resort after resort & millions of people. I would recommend this resort, if that is what your looking for, it was not for us. Also I must make note that this place is spotless & immaculate for that I would rate them a 10. Please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions.
junkyardkids@bmts.com

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April 2009

Arrival: April 2 - April 9
We arrived on time. Our signature rep greeted us on the bus. He passed out envelopes to everyone which included your room information and your bracelets. I thought this was an excellent idea because that meant less confusion at the front desk.

Rooms
Our room was in bldg 30. I emailed the resort about a week before our arrival and requested a room on the third floor and we were granted our wish.  Our room was immaculate. The maid did an excellent job each day of not only cleaning our room spotless, she also left differenct characters each day made from the towels. We couldn't wait to walk into our rooms later, just to see what surprises she had for us. Our mini fridge was restocked daily. Also, each night the maid would bring us three clean bath towels and a little box containing two chocolate kisses. It's the little things like this that make a resort stand out from all the rest. We received the little extras because we were in the diamond section. We also received a fruit basket one day and another day a gift bag with three t-shirts with the logo of the resort on them.

Restaurants and Bars
The buffet had a variety each day. And every evening it was a different theme. (Ex. Oriental, Italian, Mexican). I am a very fussy eater and there wasn't any day I went hungry.
Our ala cartes included the BBQ, Mexican and Italian. All three were excellent.
The bars were very quick to get you a drink. Also the 11 year old loved going up and asking for her banana momma or a dirty monkey with no alcohol please.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
We spent the mornings and mid-afternoons at the beach and late afternoons at the private pool. Another bonus for being in the diamond section. Now this is going to be my only negative comment, which is nothing against the resort. Like every other resort that I have ever visited if you wanted a hut on the beach you got up early in the morning and went down and marked it with your towels, sandals or whatever. Well I did this every morning and all but one with success. One morning we arrived to find 2 females and their 2 children have taken over our hut. I informed them that I had put my towels and wrap there this morning then went for a walk along the beach then to breakfast. They were very IGNORANT and LOUD and told me "you cannot mark a hut. They had arrived late 9:30ish and of course couldn't find a hut at that hour, so they so IGNORANTLY took my three towels and threw them wherever and moved right in. So I pulled a chair up and refused to leave the hut. She was telling me to leave and she was going to call security, I said, go ahead, I'M STAYING. Security came and of course listened to her RANT AND RAVE about how she has travelled all over the world and never had to save a hut on the beach. Well I have travelled a bit also and I have always said the early bird gets the worm. Security told her that the guys cleaning the beach told them I was there from about 6 til 7 then left. She wouldn't even allow the security to speak without IGNOR ANTLY cutting them off to RANT AND RAVE about being able to speak 3 different languages, whatever that had to do with it.
But the security told me they couldn't make them leave or they couldn't make us leave. That was fine because I told them I was staying. They knew these IGNORANT people were in the wrong but couldn't do anything about it. They found me 2 more chairs and gave me 3 towels. I put the chairs so close to the IGNORANT females that they had to walk around me. I call them females because they certainly weren't ladies. And the funny thing was that the two kids didn't even pick their heads up when they were RANTING AND RAVING, which leads me to think this was their normal actions. The next day I again saved a hut and of course they showed up late again. But they didn't take over anyones hut that day. Enough time wasted on IGNORANT people. Now back to the happier parts of my review.
The grounds are absolutely beautiful. They spend a lot of time tending to them and you can always find them hard at work, no matter what their job is.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The shows in the evening were very good. The Lion King was our favorite.
We went on the Animal Adventure and swam with the sea lions. We relly enjoyed it. We also went para-sailing, not really worth the money because we were only up in the air for about 5-7 minutes. But this excursions was not through the resort but with a guy who walked the beach looking for business.

Other Comments
This was my 4th trip to Punta Cana, my second to this resort. Although it is big, I would definately recommend this resort to anyone. The staff and the majority of the people we met were very nice. Of course, the IGNORANT people do exist, but we did not allow them to ruin our day. We were there for a good time and we certainly had that. The resort is big but they have many trains that go back and forth from the front of the resort to the beach. You never have to wait more than a minute or two for the train. To walk it, it's not really that far, unless for health reasons you cannot.
Would I return a 3rd time, most definately.
Thank you to the staff for a job well done.

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April 2009

Arrival: March 12 - 19
Arrival was very smooth. As soon as we entered the airport we were ushered in, a photo was taken and we went on to hand over our immigration card. We then went on to pick up our luggage. That was a bit slow and confusing. The sign said to pick up our bags at one carousel, but luggage was at a different one, right next to it. It was okay though, because it is a small airport.

Rooms
Rooms were very large and clean. We went during March Break and the maids weren't really on time cleaning the room. Note: there is a card in the night-table that you can fill out your preference for cleaning times. We didn't see that until our last day.

Restaurants and Bars
I was travelling with my family (husband and two sons, 7 and 11). The 7 year old was a bit fussy about the food. The buffet was amazing for breakfast lunch and dinner. The only a la carte that we liked was the barbecue. The Italian was way over-rated. And none of us were too crazy about the Mexican.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Again - we went during March Break. The beach pool was very busy with lots of teenagers. The pool in the centre of the complex was very nice. One thing to remember (and I did read it hear but didn't heed the advice), is to go out early and get your lounge chairs before breakfast. Otherwise it will be very difficult to get a chair and any shade at all. Pools were clean. Grounds were very well maintained. Always saw gardeners taking care of the grounds.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went on the Tropical Storm excursion. It was AMAZING! I highly recommend it. It is well worth the money. $89 per adult and $45 per child. Mark from Tropical Storm was a great host.

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April 2009

Arrival
We arrived on 3/30/09. Flight was on time and check in was easy they gave us drinks while we waited. At first we were in two differnt buildings but they moved us to the same building.

Rooms
Rooms were large and clean with sofa bed that was great for our son. They had an umbrella for each room an apple left 3 t-shirts for us. the mini bar was restocked each day with soda, beer and water. the water bottles are to large to carry but the have water everywhere.

Restaurants and Bars
the Restaruants were nice they had two indoor restaurants one next to the lobby and one by the beach open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no reservations.
they also had an out door restaurant for lunch. they had 10 choices and you could pick 3 for a 7 night stay. we went to the mexican, spanish, jap. and bbq they were all great. No one got sick all week!!!!

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach and pools were great, just get up early if you need shade they huts go quick. my only complaint would be the bars all close at 5pm. after 5 the only bar open is the lobby bar and show area bar.

Other Comments
Over all we all had a great time and would go back to this resot. It is very large but they have buses that run all day and night and you can get one very easy.

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April 2009

Arrival
Arrived at 8am & checked in with diamond concierge. Very efficient and helpful. They kept our bags until rooms were ready. They had the rooms ready before they were supposed to be. Nice touch.

Rooms
Excellent. Cleaning was above and beyond. Everything in perfect repair. No noise.
High quality finishings.
Spoke with tourists from other resorts and this is much better value and quality.

Restaurants and Bars
Excellent quality and service. I notice someone posted that food was inedible. Not so. I am in the fine dining business and the food was excellent in the restaurants (excluding Mexican) including buffets. The food and beverage departments are top notch.
Service was extremely friendly and efficient. Made some great friends with staff.
French and Italian restaurants really stood out.
There is always something open to get something to eat 24 hours a day.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
This is a fun resort. Lots of people on the beach but we did not mind. Staff on the beach and at all the pools were great.
With the diamond upgrade we had two private pools which is nice. I noticed someone on here bad mouthing the resort because they could not use these. It is only a couple bucks for the upgrades and keeps grumpy tightwads like that away from you so you can relax and enjoy your vacation.
Grounds are immaculate especially compared to other resorts in Punta Cana. The ownerships pride really shows.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Beware of the market in the square only pay half of what the cart vendors are asking.
Entertainment was OK to great, depending on the night.
Beach and pool aerobics are great as is the stretching class. Beach olympics and volley ball were fun
Complimentary scuba, sailing, kayaks, etc.
Went on a shopping tour (Sunquest). This is a rip off but is not related to the resort. The places they take you to already pay for the bus and Sunquest dings you another $60. Shopping mall is all name brands you can get at home but at twice the price. Got sick from eating at the Hard Rock Cafe and horrible service.
Shark and Stingray reef diving excursion was great. We took the relaxing version with massages and smoothies instead of drunks. Better options with better service. Ratio of guides to guests is much better.

Other Comments
Everyone we spoke to in the resort was extremely happy with their experience and most of them had been to a lot of all inclusive resorts.
Much better experience than those we spoke with that were staying at other resorts in the area.
Staff were outstanding.
Service was outstanding.
Food was outstanding.
Great value.

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April 2009

Arrival: March 22 - 29
Flight was on time. Smooth bus ride to the hotel. Check in was poor as we had to stand in line at the main reception for 20 min. only then to be told we had to check in at the Royal Golden office. It was very disorganized and confusing.

Rooms
Rooms were very nice. Good maid service.

Restaurants and Bars
Buffet was great. Lots to choose from and something for everyone.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful pools. Grounds very lush. Very pretty resort. The only complaint we had was that the resort was way too large for us. It was easy to get mixed up. Shuttles did help but we prefer a smaller resort. The pool and beach were very crowded.

Other Comments
Staff were very friendly. There is some construction on the far side of this resort. I will not go back to this resort based only on the size of the property.

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March 2009

Arrival: February 4 - 11
Upon arrival we checked in and our rooms were not available. Since we had left NJ at 8:00am and it was almost 3pm we wanted to get something to eat. There is a restaurant in the lobby, but since it was a few minutes to 3 they did not let us go in to the buffet to get anything to eat. Once our rooms were available they took our luggage and us to the rooms via a golf cart. This was quite efficient.

Rooms
The rooms are adequate but had a moldy smell. The air conditioning never seemed to get quite cold enough.

Restaurants and Bars The quality of the food was absolutely TERRIBLE!!! There were many choices, but somewhat unedible. The bars did not provide the quality of alcohol promised. While at the beach bar we were told if we wanted some other type of vodka other than the 'house' brand we needed to go (about 1/2 mile) back to the lobby.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beaches were not clean and were overly crowded! The chairs were old and in bad condition. It was quite uncomfortable because the other people on the beach were way too close. It was very difficult to get a seat at the pool. There were not enough chairs available. I was outraged by the fact that guests are only permitted to use certain pools. I was not able to use the pool directly outside my room. We were treated like second class citizens and would never return to this resort!!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The evening shows were decent.

Other Comments
I would NEVER recommend this resort to anyone!!! The distance from the rooms to the beach was far. The food and beverages were very disappointing. I had been in Punta Cana in two other resorts in the past that were nice, but this place should be CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!

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March 2009

Arrival
I arrived at the resort at night. The hotel staff were very organized at unloading our luggage and bringing it the front entrance and quickly organized our transportation to our rooms. I was quite impressed with the luxiourous lobby entrance.

Rooms
The room was beyond my expectations. Very spacious, clean, and decorated in 'Tropical' theme. The room attendants did an amazing job every day and turned down my bed in the evening. It was a nice touch to arrive in the room one day to find fresh flowers surrounding a towel folded into a swan!!!

Restaurants and Bars
All the bars provided quick and efficient service. The bar by the pool side was hopping place, the bartender greated everyone with a big smile and a welcome "Hello". I mostly at at the buffet restaurant everyday, and I must say it was trully a gastronomic experience. Such a large variety of foods and choices for every palate. My most enjoyable dinner meal was the night when most dishes were seafood. The hot grill chef cooked the mixed shell fish right in front of you, fresh and delicious!!!!

Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is an oasis. Very blue water, soft sand, lots of palm trees. Very clean. Lots of lounge chairs and palapa huts to accomodate the guests. The pool was a very happening place. lots of people. The grounds were kept clean. To get from the lobby to the beach area, an in resort train like vehicle, provided transportaion to and from with several stops along the way. Although if you like to walk, it was not a far distance, very tropical gardens.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Daily activities around the pool include, pool volleyball, aqua fitness, dance lessons, sampling of 'Mama Juana" drinks.Did not go on any tours as i was travelling alone. but heard the golf courses are immaculate, and the safari trip is a worthwhile trip.

Other Comments
Highly recommended. Would defintely go again.It is a five star resort, and it shows.

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March 2009

Arrival: 25th February until 11th March
Flew from the UK with First Choice Holidays, check in was straitforward as we were tagged and allocated our rooms on the coach to the hotel. THe First Choice Rep, Usual salesman not much Hotel information to be had never saw him after the patter.

Rooms
Rooms, we were allocated a upper room on the third floor.It was well presented clean and everything worked. Safe charge was a rip off at 58 Dollars. never paid that before in a so called Five Star Hotel.

Restaurants and Bars
Food very bland in the buffet,waiters were over worked no time for the guests.
the al a carte: restaruants were part buffet and to put it bluntly rubbish.
No trouble getting drinks from the bars. no little extras like a Sambooka in the restaruants as in other Hotels we have been to. Beach Buffet very poor cold food , diffcult to get a coffee.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach overcrowded complete nightmare, as were the pool areas.Found a spot by a rubbish dump created by the beach cleaning staff. Nice for a 5 star hotel.
Have to say the ground were kept immaculate. on the whole this place is as we say in England ( all fur coat and no knickers )

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Been on most tours in past holidays to this Country, shows were poor, the so called on site village is mostly a market trader venue where you are hasseled.

Other Comments
No mention of Building work when we booked this Holiday, large development to this Hotel is in progress at the moment. This place is far to big now and can't cope with the demand . Worst Hotel we have been to in the Dominican Republic and we have been to ten, this place has no soul. Not a 5 Star Hotel, very dissapointed.

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February 2009

Arrival: Dec 18 - Dec 28
We booked our trip with Signature Vacations and flew with Skyservice from Toronto. We paid for the special Star Class which worked out to be over one hundred dollars for each of us (my husband, myself, and two older kids) and was supposed to enable us to have priority check ins, unlimited drinks on plane etc but, let me assure you, it's a waste of money. We did have the nice comfy seats up front, yes, but, the so called benefits are hit and miss. The only person who got unlimited drinks was the guy who was sitting in the very front row, and this was only because he could stand up and keep going to the front and asking for them. ;)

We had a bit of a panic finding our bus to the resort because for some reason, the rep wasn't there, but we eventually found it. We had check in on the bus, which would have been wonderful but for the fact that they gave my kids an adult band and upon realizing the mistake, said we had to go to front desk to check in. Arrival at the hotel was typical of every other arrival and check in that we have had at other resorts, right down to the welcome drink and dancing greeters. The only down side to our check-in really, was the madness of getting our bags on the trolley. There were about 4 or 5 trolleys all lined up to take guests with their baggage to their rooms and we had two different people grab our bags, resulting in half our bags on one trolley and half on the other. Just watch your bags and make sure they stay together.

Rooms
The rooms were just wonderful! The kids had two double beds and we had a king size, but everything else was the same. The bathroom was great with a large jacuzzi tub and oversized shower head, and the toilet was separated by a glass partition. Lots of room. I don't recall having any face clothes but I don't ever remember having face clothes at ANY resort I've been to...just use a portion of the hand towel. No biggie.

Our maid had a bit of a problem getting to our room to clean it but, because of the odd times my son kept, and my husband, I didn't really care. As long as we had our fresh water bottles and pop restocked, we were fine. Actually, she always asked if I needed any towels etc for the days that I told her not to bother cleaning the rooms. It was just too much hassle.

Restaurants and Bars
This was actually one of the more disappointing aspects of this resort for me. My number one complaint, is that they did not serve coffee at dinner in the buffet. Now, I ask you, who here likes to have a coffee with their dessert? ME! lol We did have coffee one night, but that was it. After that, we were consistently told that coffee was not served in the buffet at dinner. We had to go out to the lobby bar...but wait...if we wanted to bring that coffee IN to the buffet so that we might have it with dessert?? NO. Could we bring coffee OUT of the buffet, say, in the morning, to sit around the lobby perhaps? No. The rules at this resort really turned me off.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
It's Punta Cana!! Is there any portion that does NOT have a nice beach? lol As for the pool, I wouldn't know. We didn't make it to the pool by the beach. There were a lot of people around it and we liked the solitude of the beach. That being said however, in every other resort I have stayed at, I always had a spot on the beach in the early day, and then for the latter half, we would move to the pool. We weren't comfortable doing that at this resort. We wouldn't have found a chair! It might have something to do with the time we were there (over Christmas). But..everything was gorgeous. Well kept, well manicured...perfect.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
My husband, son, and father-in-law went on a deep sea fishing excursion. They caught 13 mahi mahi and one barracuda, but my husband and his father probably don't remember much as they were the only ones who got sea sick. LOL The funny thing is that I was concerned about my son getting sick and he sat there taking pictures of them puking. We kept waiting for an opportunity to go parasailing or banana boating but the weather was making the sea very rough and everything was at a standstill.
The spa was *very* nice!!! I would say definitely go it. You can spend all the time you want in their pool with their massage jets, and in their saunas.

Other Comments
This resort is immaculate. It is beautiful. The people were friendly.
I would NOT go this resort again because to me, it was TOO big. I hated the trolleys, cars and mopeds racing up and down the walkways and at times, felt that they were going much too fast for all the pedestrian traffic around, especially children. Our room was situated half-way between the beach and the buffet and the lovely pool, situated right in front of us, was not ours to use because we didn't have the 'diamond club' bracelets on. You could upgrade of course, for a cost of $10/day but for a family of four, it wasn't worth it to us. So, I hated that, especially because the pool was practically empty. All these bloody clubs, using this restaurant or that restaurant, this pool or that pool, made me so ticked off.
I'm going away again in March with my mother and this time, I'm going to book at the Riu next door. We've been to the Bambu and this type of resort is definitely more my style.
stormborn.daenerys@gmail.com

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January 2009

Arrival: Jan. 19-26
Flew Air Canada and despite a de-icing delay, flights were on time and without incident. AC charges for everything except for soft drinks now. The in-seat entertainment is nice, but not completely functioning yet. AC vacations included the tourist card costs and departure tax in the package, so no surprises there. Shuttle bus provided from airport was small and overloaded, but arrived safely nonetheless. Check in delayed for a aboug half an hour or so, while the rooms were being readied, which is par for the course. We requested a King Sized bed, on a 2nd or 3rd floor, away from the pools and received it as exactly as requested. I had emailed the resort about 2 weeks before arrival and they had a note on file when we checked in.

Rooms:
Room was beautifl and again, as requested. Nice and clean upon arrival with nice flowers arranged around various areas in the room, and were again every day. We left a tip and a small bag of toiletries for the maid at the end of the week.

Restaurants and Bars:
Buffets are fine! Plenty of options for even the pickiest of eater. Can be a bit repetitive however, later in the week, eating buffet 15-18 times in a week, but they try to keep it fresh with daily theme menus, i.e. Portuguese night, Mexican night, etc. We had 3 a la carte dinners, at the Japanese, Italian and Steak house. Japanese was excelent, steak house was surprisingly some of the best beef I've had in a long time, anywhere. Italian was average at best. Portion sizes however were immense. Plenty of bars around with plenty of drinking options. Bartenders are hit and miss with service, especially the pool drink servers, but for the most part, excellent.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was beautiful, clean and crowded, as many previous reviewers have mentioned. Chairs can be difficult to come by at the pools and the beach, but we never had much of a problem finding any. We usually showed up to the pool/beach around 9:00am or so, and despite it being pretty crowded at that time, we were still able to find a place. The grounds are in immaculate shape with plenty of well established trees, shrubs and the like. Pools are heavily chlorinated but clean and kept tidy around the deck.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on the Bavaro Runners Zip Line tour and it was fantastic. A bit pricey, but what carribbean excursion isn't? It was comparatively priced with other half day excursions. Bus ride was a great part of the trip into the country side with some nice sights. Zip line staff and equipment was second to none and it's very fun!!!

Other Comments:
Resort is huge, and as such, can get very crowded when large influx of new guests arrive (Sat. & Sun.) Having said that, there is plenty of staff and they seem to be able to handle the large amount of traffic that the restaurants, bars, pools etc. see. The nightly shows were surprisingly good. Anyone who complains about this resort, should reevaluate their travel needs. Your vacation is what you make of it. Being discourteous to the staff will get you nowhere.

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January 2009

Arrival: January 2009
Sunwing was on time and excellent. I highly recommend them. We are a family with 3 kids so we needed 2 rooms. When we arrived they had us in 2 completely seperate buildings despite asking for rooms side by side. But I will say this again and again...we were on vacation so we made the most of it. We settled on rooms on opposite sides of a villa so we had to go out and around to go room to room.

Rooms:
Our air conditioning was fine. Beds are not your own but are fine for a week in the heat. Our tub didn't work and sometimes our room wasn't cleaned despite tipping well every day. We stopped tipping by the end of the week becasue we were using the same towels for days. But hey, we were on vacation so we just lived with it.

Restaurants and Bars:
Visit the new Spanish restuarant. Elicio is the manager and is fantastic. A-la-cartes were good. We enjoyed all of them. We went to the spanish. Garden Grill, Gourmet and the BBQ.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach- packed and if you weren't down there by 7:30am to get a chair you were out of luck. Give the guys cleaning up some cash and they will take chairs from someone to give to you. Seriously..we saw it all the time. We even lost chair as we were in the ocean swimming. The water is rough but they clean the beach every morning.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We never left the resort.

Other Comments:
We flew Sunwing and the departure tax was included in the cost of our trip. However, all visitors to Punta Cana are forced to pay $10 US per person to enter the country and $20 US to leave the country. For a total of $30 US per person (even little ones). We paid $150 US for this trip and my travel agent was horrified to hear of it. NO WHERE does it say this. Make sure you have enough US cash. To summarize, we have been to this resort in 2007 and we returned in 2009. Huge difference in service of vactioners, room and overall quality of the resort. We will not return to Bahia in Punta Cana. It certainly has gotten too big. But, we had a great time as a family and enjoyed gettng away from the -25 in Toronto. Oh, and for those dying for 'regular' food, there is a Wendy's at the Punta Cana airport that isn't too bad.

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January 2009

Arrival: 1/5/09-1/12/09
Arrived at 1:30 PM - was given room number but not ready until after 3 PM. At 3 PM was told room given was not available and given different room in same building. On first floor - and was a smoking room. We were told the people decided to stay and then they changed the story to they people missed their plane. Very weak story - they need to better liars.
Had requested non-smoking, top floor - did not get either. Tried to upgrade to Ambar several times during stay and was told rooms were all taken.

Rooms:
Paid for Gold room. Location was nearer to the ocean but in building #7. Room was clean, comfortable bed - however, heard upstairs tenants TV and late night arrival at various times before 3 AM.

Restaurants and Bars:
Good variety of food, something for everyone. Reservation restaurants were okay - nothing really special. Best one was the Garden Grill - excellent tenderlion steak dish. Bars were great. Tips go a long way to good service and good drinks.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beautiful grounds maintained and cleaned to perfection. Pool closest to ocean was always packed and watery was murky. Too many children at both pools near ocean. Very busy time of year.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Bavaro Runner $91.00 per person. Nice to see country outside of Resort - however, was not a very well planned tour. They basically gave the tourist a lot to drink, sold overpriced goods, and hoped for big tips. It sounds alluring (sugar cane field, cigar rolling, coffee beans, villages, horse back ride, private beach)- but beware. Seeing the small villages and countryside was the best part of the tour - unless you like to drink on a shakey truck ride. Carribbean Festival $83.00 per person. Much better. Touched stingrays, swam with sharks and went snorkeling. Then, again, got back on bout were given alcohol - dancers performed - and then encouraged to give tips. However, enjoyed the snorkeling and stingray experience.

Other Comments:
Resort's employees very friendly.
Gold room upgrade not worth $$ unless you want to be a few buildings closer to beach. The internet access included with the Gold room status was not worth it. They have 3 computers and most times had to wait over 30 minutes to use (15 minutes max - once a day). No one was available to serve at the bar in the Gold room reception area - that supposedly offered premium brands.

Plenty good drinking water all over the resort and in your room.

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January 2009

Arrival: December 16th - 23rd, 2008
Our arrival to the airport was fine. It was quick and easy and our luggage came off quite quickly. We were off the plane and on the bus in about 30 minutes. We arrived at the hotel around 6pm (it's approx. a 30 minute ride from the airport). Due to our arrival at night, we received our room number and keys all on the bus and didn't even have to go to the desk to check in. However, if you want a safe, you have to go to the front desk to pay for it $31 USD for the week. We got off the bus and our luggage was taken by the bell boys who put it on their cart and took us to our room with it. This was quick and easy.

Rooms:
Our room was in villa 29, and it was in a great location. It was nice and private, therefore quiet. The rooms are spacious with nice bathrooms and good water pressure! We requested a room on the upper floor, non-smoking, with a king bed, and received all of it. The bed was just right for me, however, my boyfriend said it was a little firm. You may want to request more pillows as the pillows are very flat and small. We had an extra in our closet, and I'm assuming all the rooms do. The balcony was very nice, with a great view. Our mini bar was restocked daily.

Restaurants and Bars:
First off, I did not hear of anyone getting sick from any of the food. The buffet restaurant always had a wide variety of food, so even the pickiest eater can find something they will enjoy (like myself). The three a la cartes we went to were the Japanese, Garden Grill, and the Beach BBQ. The Japanese restaurant is fun for everyone, and there is something for everyone. They cook on your table and there is a lot to choose from (fish, beef, chicken, shrimp etc.). The Garden Grill was very good...book this one as soon as you can, as it fills up fast. We couldn't get a reservation until our last night at 9pm. However, we went around 8:30 and they had no problem with seating us early. The Beach BBQ was good. However, if you are not a big meat eater, then I wouldn't choose this a la carte. The service at all the restaurants was quick and friendly. There are two buffet restaurants. One in the Punta Cana lobby, and one in the Bavaro lobby. You are free to go to either one, but they are equally as busy. The lobby bars are nice to sit at and relax after dinner, and they usually have live entertainment each night.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is amazing. I don't think you can find a better beach. Soft white sand with no rocks or shells to hurt your feet on. The ocean is clear and warm! My boyfriend and I spent most of our time at the pool, and would go down to the beach around 3 to swim and relax for a bit. We stayed at the Diamond pool for the week, but this pool is only for those who have club diamond bracelets, I saw more then a few groups of people get told they have to relocate to another pool. There is a man who works there and walks around the pool all day monitoring who is club diamond or not. There are two other pools in the resort. One right across from the Diamond one, and one by the beach. The pool by the beach and very large, and there are a lot of kids at that pool. So, if you are looking for some peace and quiet, I would go to the other pool, or Club Diamond. I would highly reccommend club diamond for those who want to relax and not worry about getting up at 7am to get seats. We got down to the pool around 9:30 each morning and always ended up with the same seats, and there were a lot of seats to spare. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and you would always see someone working on them at any hour of the day. There weren't many bugs due to the fact they spray all of the trees and bushes. I did get bit by some sand fleas, but they are completely unavoidable. The resort itself is very large, so I would take some time when you get there to get familiar with it. The trolleys are readily available, although we walked most of the time, when we wanted a trolley they were never far away.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There aren't any activities at the Club Diamond pool, so we didn't participate in anything. We did go parasailing, and it is worth the money. You get a nice long boat ride before you go up, and you get an amazing view of the Island. I used my Visa card to pay and there was no problem with the charges when I got home. To get to the booth for parasailing you walk out onto the beach and turn right then walk down a bit and you will see a booth that says "watersports".

Other Comments:
This was my second time at the Bahia, and I would glady return again. The staff are friendly, the food is good, and the grounds are beautiful. This is truly a 5 star resort and a great bang for your buck.

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December 2008

Arrival: Dec 18 - 21
Great! US Airways from Philadelphia (3 hour trip). We needed to pay $10 per person for a tourist card. I was later told (by a tour guide) that this money goes towards small town health clinics. You pay $10/person to get a card. 20 seconds later, you give the card to the airport officials. Funny.

Rooms:
Great. This was our third time to this resort. We told the front desk person this and he placed us at the very front of the resort (we were not club gold or anything else). Tip the maids!!! Most of them earn $250 per month. We gave her $5. She got about a 1/2 day's wage and we got the joy of helping those less fortunate and a bathtub filled with flowers and sudsy water. Nice!

Restaurants and Bars:
They do not serve American food. Do not expect greasy, preserved, and fake food meant to stay fresh through the next century. That being said . . . the bread is great, the fruit is great, and the desserts are not as sweet, but very good.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Great. I would place this resort up next to Augusta National. Every detail is taken care of.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on a "safari" type tour. This was great and well worth the $99/person. We traveled through the country and visited a school, small town, cigar shop, organic coffee/cocoa farm, ranch (for lunch), boat ride, and a horse ride on the beach. This was a great experience. We wanted to see the real DR and we got it.

Other Comments:
When we first booked this resort 6 years ago, we wanted a large resort (so I could run 2-4 miles without leaving the resort) and a smoke-free environment. The resort only grew (making it easier to run 4 miles without much repetition and the very smoke-free. There were MANY smokers on the beach, lounge, pool . . .but the rooms were clean smelling and the indoor restaurants (about 15) were totally smoke free.

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December 2008

Nov 22-Dec 6th, 2008

My husband and I were married at this resort on November 27th and everything was wonderful and beyond our expectations - the group of 32 people who traveled with us all agree as well. I LOVED this resort. Its huge (which means you can actually walk around and get some exercise to work off all that food and booze) but there are also trolleys that chauffeur you around til 3am if you are too tired/lazy/overheated/drunk/etc. to make the walk yourself (i took it many times for some of those reasons! haha!).

The resort is immaculately groomed, the beach is STUNNING, the food and drinks are good (i know i tried every single one of the daily cocktails while I was there! haha!), and the staff go above and beyond to make you happy. What more do you want? The only bad thing I would say was the other guests sometimes! My fellow Canadians, please represent our wonderful country in a good way. Don't yell at the bartenders or staff - they work very hard and for very little money. Tip them a buck or two when you can - it goes a long way for people who work 13 hour days for $4 an hour.

I wish I had not been so stressed about our wedding prior to the trip but once I arrived and met with Patricia the wedding coordinator, all of my fears melted away. Our wedding was gorgeous and fun and everyone had a great time!

After our guests went back home to Canada my husband and I enjoyed another week to ourselves. We ended up switching rooms to be close to the diamond club pool (we were upgraded to diamond club which was WONDERFUL..highly recommend it) and spent our days on the beach or in the pool, and our nights in the Bavaro lobby, just relaxing (did the disco a few times when all of our friends and family were still there and had fun - it is what you make it!). We also were treated to a "romantic dinner" on the beach on our last night - a gourmet 7 course meal (including the freshest, most incredible lobster i have ever eaten and that's saying a lot because I am a bit of a foodie snob) by moonlight with our own personal waitress...AMAZING. I also recommend doing the Saona Island excursion if you can - we took our entire wedding party and had an absolute BLAST!

It boggles my mind how someone could not have a good time when you are relaxing in what is essentially PARADISE, with no cooking or cleaning to do, and no work to think about! Maybe everything isnt exactly how you want it all the time but seriously....just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather, have a cocktail!

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December 2008

Arrival: December 2008
Just back from Punta Cana at the Bahia. Never again would I travel to this resort, after arriving 45 minutes early we were told that all our room keys had just been shipped to the airport so we would have to wait until they returned with them. Due to a medical condition we asked for a room closer to either the pool or beach, we even faxed in the request 2 weeks prior to getting there. We think they looked for the room farthest from either of these and it took 3 days to get it changed.

Rooms:
Clean

Restaurants and Bars:
The food really sucked. My wife lived on eggs and pasta pretty much all week. The bars were adequate

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach and pool were packed at an early hour with towels on all the lounge chairs, but no people and if you watched some of those towels never even moved all day. This resort is 5 resorts in 1 so it is pretty segregated if you're a high end payer you can go anywhere and if you're a low end be prepared for using only 2 out of 5 pools and half of food establishments

Other Comments:
Some of the staff are very helpful but most really are not trying to pass the buck to someone else. The cleaning staff does do a good job though they are always cleaning. So all said our time there was alright but never would I recommend this resort as it is too big and as I understand it is even expanding again to well over 2000 rooms.

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December 2008

oh my god!!!!! what a beautiful resort tony and i had a great time and met these wonderful people. the food was okay but the beach was amazing the water was clear and the sandy beach was so clean and the sand was so whuite and powdery. the staff wee so friendly and catered to our every need. the rooms were exceptionally clean and the night life was ok but i found that the time of the night life which started at 12pm was way to late. us being from canada like to start the night life at 10pm. the people that we met at the resort were great but the only sad part was we never got their email addresses. i can only remember their names reed and his father john and also RANDY from reese manitoba i believe so if you guys are out there then please email me and rany you know where to email me. thanks debbie and i definately would return to this resort and i would really recommend going there to anyone. bye from oshawa

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November 2008

Thank you so much to this web site, and to those who have offered their reviews. Really helped us make our decision, and now I am returning the favour by offering our review for others to see. My husband and I traveled the first week of November 2008. I think the resort was only at about 40-50% capacity, so it was never overly busy.

Arrival and Flight - seamless and easy. No waiting. The bus was easy to find and the ride was pleasant, informative and air conditioned.

Rooms - beautiful. Private balcony. We lucked out and were in a middle villa, with a view of the exclusive pool - which we couldn't go in, because we weren't Diamond guests, but it was still gorgeous to look at. We were at the half way point, so not too far to the beach nor too far to the main buffet. Best room in our price bracket. Rooms were clean well. No problem with the A/C. We purchased the use of the in-room safe, which was easy to use, and offered peace of mind.

Restaurants - Main buffet was great. Different foods every night. Better than the a la carte in our opinion. The only complaint is that we found the service a bit lacking in the a la carte restaurants. It wasn't terrible, by any means, but at times we felt "invisible", and on two occasions, drinks that had been asked for never showed up.

Bars - plentiful and the service was good. No complaints.

Beach and Pools - Gorgeous! The beach was clean, and the chairs plentiful. Playing in the waves is good fun. The pools were the same - gorgeous, and no problem getting chairs. We preferred the middle pool as it was a bit quieter, and we also played pool volleyball there. Nice swim up bar too.

Grounds- immaculate. There were always staff cleaning and tending to the grounds. Again, no complaints at all. We ended up walking everywhere. If our room was at one end or the other, instead of the middle, I could see that we would've used the trolley more.

Activities and Entertainment - We didn't really do much in the way of activities, and the entertainment didn't really interest us. We were a bit disappointed that the disco didn't even open until 12:00am. Only options before that were the "show", then the "house" band. Oh, and the tiny casino on site. Since the show and the house band didn't really interest us, we didn't end up staying out late enough to make it to the disco. Did manage to win $50 on the 25-cent slot machine!

Tours - went on one snorkeling trip to an ocean aquarium. No big deal. It was fun, but nothing special. The resort has a lot to offer, so there is no real need to go out.

Departure and Check Out - easy as pie. Found it was a bit ridiculous to be sent to the airport so early - we left at 9 am for a 12:30 flight - which only left at 1:00. We checked in and cleared immigration and customs in a matter of minutes, and then were stuck in the airport for 3 hours!! Really should only need to be there 1.5 - 2 hours before.

Conclusion - we had a great time. Since we left the kids at home, it was great to have the internet cafe - $12/hr and you are able to carry the time over for up to 5 days. Use the in-room safe for peace of mind. If you need to call home - DON"T call from your room, and DON"T use your credit card. That little mistake cost use $41 for a 5 min call home! You can buy a phone card from your rep, or they sell them in the lobby store. $20US buys you 22 min to Canada. Use them in the special phones in the Marketplace, and the main lobby.

In the Marketplace - barter - it is expected. We ended up paying 1/2 of the original price quoted for our souvenirs.

Although you don't have to tip, a little appreciation can go a long way. We tipped our housekeeper daily, the barman, the servers etc. Not a lot, but maybe a buck or two. Bit more for the housekeeper. Oh, and take only US dollars and don't exchange them for pesos.

We also found the it was a very multi-cultural mix, which is great. Many different languages being spoken. It was actually kind of cool, and similar to Toronto! I would definitely say this is not an "American" resort. There are plenty of Americans (and Canadians), but not overwhelmingly so.

Wait for the last minute deal. We booked early, and met a couple there who booked a couple of days before they left, and they paid $1000 LESS than we did. Next time, we'll go last minute.

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November 2008

Very helpful website - I used it alot before we travelled, so I thought I'd return the favour...
I travelled with my wife, and 2 kids, ages 4 and 10 months.
My wife and I have been to a few places in Cuba and Mexico before so I have enough to compare to. This hotel is in my top 2.
We might be slightly biased because we speak spanish, so it was alot easier for us.
Weather was incredible. Poured one nite (we were sleeping anyway), and rained one day for about 20 minutes, and the sun came right out again.

Arrival and Flight Sunwing Airlines from Toronto Airport
Flight times were brutal, depart: 7am to 11am, return: 10pm to 2am. We were worried that the kids might suffer, but they didn't. Maybe just luck, but they just slept the whole time! All things considered, flight wasn't bad.

Rooms
Rooms were great. I booked only days before we left and right away sent an email to the hotel requesting ground floor, near the pool and a playpen for an infant. When we arrived, they gave us 2 out of 3, and sent us the playpen asap when I called front desk.
Rooms were always cleaned well. AC worked fine.

Restaurants
Buffet restaurant: great. Better than most other resorts. Always plenty to choose from, we are all picky (ok not me), and we all found plenty to eat, even my 10 month old daughter. A la cartes: even better! We went to Japanese (fun and food was fine), Mexican (we LOVED the buffet appetizers, main was OK) and Steakhouse (pretty good).

Bars
Service was usually good, not always the quickest, but c'mon, you're on vacation... lighten up and just enjoy, no one should be on a schedule or in a rush when on vacation. Tips do help of course, but in general, tip or no tip, service was fine. Drinks did vary in strength, but again, who cares? Not enough booze? Drink more! Too much booze? Slow down! Simple.

Beach and Pools
Beach is amazing. Beautiful, beautiful. Didn't spend too much time at the beach because the kids didnt like it too much, but when there, it's paradise.
Pools are great, kids loved it. Brought my 4 year old his own life jacket, he had a blast; my little girl totally loved it. Never thought it was too dirty or over-crowded. When we wanted quiet, we'd go to one section, when we wanted music and noise we moved to that section.

Grounds
HUGE. Trolley services were quick and convenient, but the wife always wanted to walk! LOTS of walking, but for the amount of food you eat, its probably a good thing! Always people cleaning, watering, painting, fixing. Lovely grounds.
Pics don't lie, just take a look at some of the ones posted...

Activities and Entertainment
Didn't do any 'partying' - it was a family vacation! We saw 1 show, the Lion King, not great, but not bad. The boy loved it.
Didnt get to see the club, casino or late shows...

Tours
Stayed at the resort the whole time, again because we had the kids, otherwise we would have ventured off for sure.

Conclusion
Overall we had a wonderful time, so relaxing and care-free. Dominicans are the best people, they all knew my kids' names by the end of the week, and always said hi, please, thank you and with pleasure. Again, maybe because we spoke the language we had a bit of an advantage, but when we spoke in english, most of the staff helped adequately. Yes, some dont speak english, but hey, you're in a spanish speaking country!! Hello! However, at the front desk, they spoke perfect english, and all you have to do is ask ask and ask! Pretty easy if you ask me!

LOTS of europeans, yes, mainly spaniards. Some americans. No one bugged me too much, except some rude and loud CANADIANS next door. Yes, you're on vacation, but be considerate... if you want to make noise at 1am, go to the bar, disco, or even your balcony! Not the front foyer!!!

No need to even leave the resort (we didn't) and the shops are of course overpriced, but not too TOO bad, considering it is in the hotel.
Negotiate with the vendors! I bought stuff from the vendors that cost 2 or 3 times more at the airport. And even then I probably got a little ripped off.

Bottom line - If you're not a snob, then don't worry about this place, you will have an incredible time. Nothing to really complain about at all, especially for the great price we got. Would definitely go back.
Can't understand the bad reviews... all I can guess is that something went wrong, by bad luck, and it just ruined the vacation, or they are simply miserable people!

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November 2008

Stayed here last November for 2 weeks and will return in a few weeks for another 2 weeks but this time at the Adult only "Ambar" section.

Have stayed in other resorts over the years, namely the Barcelo Bavaro Beach, The Palladium (used to be the Fiesta), The Ocean Blue, and the Melia Caribe.

This resort has lot going for it. It is large but there are so many trams all the time you never have to wait too long (unlike the Palladium which was awful). The a la cartes are all very good and the buffets are right up there with the good 4 stars. Staff very good at looking after your needs, whether in the resteraunts or if you have room issues. I like going to the casino's, and this is the only thing that sucks about this resort. It is not owned by the resort (it is on site), so no free drinks there and the atmosphere/staff is pretty yucky. The best casino is at the Ocean Blue. But anyhow, I liked this resort enough to go back.

If you have any questions about this resort or the others I mentioned you can email me. Only one I would not go back to is the Palladium (Fiesta). Itmay have new ownership therefore the name change, but this was the lousiest we've ever been to in Punta Cana or the Mayan Riviera. Current reviews seem to be not so bad for that place but 4 years a go, uggghhhhh.

Ocean Blue was nice, but hated the time share people and there are not as many good a la cartes there as the Bahia Principe.

Barcelo Bavaro beach we liked overall but is is getting dated, rooms show their age. Melia Caribe is very nice, lots of great resteraunts plus a good deal if you liek to Golf...only $40.00 a round if you stay there.

One more thing, when booking at the Bahia principe complex, it can get confusing. They offer Diamond, Gold, etc. Diamond has its own pool and exclusive buffet. If you are travelling as a group, make sure you all book the same room type, ie: diamond, gold, etc. Otherwise your gold friends will come to sit with you at the diamond pool and be chased away by the pool Nazi.
donaubin@hotmail.com

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October 2008

Vacationed from late January to February 12 nights in 2008.

First things first. If you are from Southern/Eastern Ontario look at booking thru the hotel website for the room only and flying with a US airline out of a US city. We paid $5100 total for 12 nights for 2 adults and two kids under 9 all in one room Club Golden. We flew via US Airways out of Syracuse. On the flight to Punta Cana there were 23 people in the whole plane. We arrived at 1:00 pm and flew back at 2:00 pm. All very civilized. I talked to a bunch of people from Ontario and most of them seemed to pay more for 7 nights. We thought 7 nights would be too short and 14 too long so we left on a Saturday and flew back on a Thursday.

Everything you read about this resort is true. Some people will have a lousy time, some will have a great time. We had a great time. My friend and his family traveled with us and he speaks Spanish and I think that helped quite a bit. I loved the food but there was alot of stuff I wouldn't eat. I avoided most of the seafood in spite of being a big seafood fan. I did eat lots of squid but I got a bad piece of fish the first night and never went back. There was plenty to choose from and my problem was overeating. Too much anchovy pizza for me.

Here is the best part. There were signs everywhere asking people to stay at another resort for $200 US/night because Bavaro was overbooked. We joked about it with our friends saying that if the kids were older it would be something fun to do. Well we decided to do it and it was well worth it. We spent 5 nights at Cayo Levantado. Fabulous. Very quiet and peaceful. I think there were less than 400 people in the whole resort.

We would have the whole pool to ourselves. Plus we got $1000 US dollars cash. Punta Cana is great but it's big. Lots of people all the time, though it's true it never seems overcrowded but once we got to Cayo Levantado we realized what peace & tranquility was like. So we got the best of both worlds.

We didn't go to a single a la carte restaurant. Mostly because I thought it wouldn't be worth it but more because my friends are from a small town and we knew they would enjoy it more so we babysat their kids. We also didn't do any of the night life stuff. The kids are up by 6:30 and after all day in the sun we were usually in bed by 10:00 pm. I did enjoy hanging out in the lobby with my friend playing Cribbage and ordering drinks.

Our room was in the Golden section down by the beach just off the service road which is the far right of the resort if you are facing the beach. After we came back from Cayo Levantado we were on the complete opposite side by the Ambar section. Way busier over there as it was the main road. It just didn't seem as nice but I think we were spoiled after having coming back from Cayo Levantado and only had to stay for one more night.

One thing I noticed was the complete lack of bugs. Most people see this as a good thing but I didn't. A lack of bugs means we didn't see any type of wildlife at all. There weren't any birds. They are continually spraying pesticides all over the resort. Definitely not Integrated Pest Management.

We didn't bring any of thermos coolers for our drinks and I don't see the reason for them. There is a bar every 50 feet in the resort. The only people that had them were Canadians. Easy was to play spot the Canadians. I saw one group with the biggest Tim Horton mugs you can get.

I think they hold 10 cups of coffee. They each had one and were trying to get whole bottles of rum put in at a time. I can see bringing the smaller ones for coffee along the beach but that was excessive.

So, we had a great time and I hope you do to.

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September 2008

Visited this resort 1 year ago and loved it. Not so much this time, and we even upgraded to Golden Club.

ROOM
Woke up the last morning for an early flight to find our beds covered in some kind of flying insect (bit bigger than a fruit fly). No bites and glad it was the last day.

FOOD
Service in restaurants was pathetic. Folks turned away in shorts (rightly so) but others allowed to be seated. 2 sets of rules. Never did get our dinner in the seafood restaurant. Just got up and walked out & they begged us to stay, but tables that arrived 45 minutes after us were already being served. Food quality overall was terrible compared to a year ago. I'm the only 1 of 4 that didn't get a visit from Montezuma. Beach barbeque was closed and other restaurants couldn't handle the capacity (no plates, tables, etc ...). No coffee / tea in main buffet @ dinner. Weird. Walked into the buffet with a tea and was given a lecture. Good thing they couldn't understand me.

Beer at most bars/restaurants was undrinkable. What happened to Presidente?

Reservations for al a cartes were all messed up and Golden Club membership did nothing to assist. ONLY benefit of the Golden Club was having a room near the beach, and that is nice at a massive resort.

CONCLUSION
Appeared that if you were not Spanish, you were 2nd class. Bahia Principe may just be getting too big. With the new Ambar section now opened, I think they have approx. 1,800 rooms. May have gotten too big and too fast. Thought I'd found a resort we might return to many times. Not gonna happen.

1 POSITIVE
Visited the Casino 5 times and won each time. It's not managed by the resort.

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September 2008

Arrival and Flight
Aug. 30, 2008, Skyservice – Travelled with Signature tours

Rooms
Spacious rooms, clean, daily maid service,

Restaurants
Good food, Large variety

Bars
Good, drinks served with great pleasure

Beach and Pools
Great beach, clean pools, lots of fun activities at beach and pools

Grounds
Immaculately manicured and well maintained.

Activities and Entertainment
Good

Tours
Good

Departure and Check Out

Envelope containing Room keys and beach towel card provided right in the bus from the airport to the Hotel.
Warm welcome at the Hotel. Immediate transfer to the rooms.
Immigration clearance in less than a minute.
Everything is very well organzied and ran smoothly.
Efficient and prompt check in and check out.

Just came back on Sept.5, 2008 from a week long trip.
I read many reviews before going and was little concerned by some comments about the Resort.
I must say that the Resort is first class. People are very nice. Food is very good, large variety.
Had great vacation and have everything good to say.
Staff at all levels really try very genuinely and sincerely to give the best service to their guests.

I recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a great vacation.
No mosquitoes problem, no water problem.
Filtered water is used for washing salads, fruits and making ice.

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August 2008

Here a post – I am very grateful for the posts that helped me on my vacation! Great site.

The vast majority of the comments posted previously were spot on and my thanks for the info I had going into our vacation. Our experience was extremely positive. No trip is ever perfect, but by and large this place is excellent with great potential for everyone to have a great time. I’ll rate the resort somewhere between 4.5 and 5.0, accommodations 4.0-4.5, the food 4.0 to 4.5, the people 4.0, and the weather 4.5. Overall I’d give this place 4.3 stars. I hope to return the favor of the previous posts with one of my own.

We traveled from the Washington DC area to Punta Cana via San Juan on a Tuesday to Tuesday schedule in the middle of August. I booked the reservations via the internet (BPUSA) in February. I booked our airfare separately, as it was much cheaper than what BP was quoting. We did the Golden Club upgrade which was I believe $50-100 more per person (for the week). There is the standard, Hacienda Club and Diamond Club (they get their own pool and are located in the very center of the resort), the Golden Club (4 ala carte meals, 24-hr room service, special check in, internet access in a special small building), and Premier (no idea). The Premier seems to be new and is located as far away from the beach as seems possible.

Pre-Travel: They are very good about answering any questions you might have before you travel. I asked about transfer details, weather, tipping, etc.

Arrival: when you arrive at the airport you will first obtain an entrance voucher at $10 each. Immediately after that you give those back to another person. You’ll then go through passport control. After retrieving your luggage (fairly big space) you’ll see some guys with light tan tops on who will attempt to help you with your bags. If they do help you, they will walk you about 50 feet to either your tour kiosk on the right or to the taxi people on the left. With the Golden Club upgrade, Sol Tours arranges for a fellow with your name on a placard to wait for you to the left as you leave the luggage area. They asked for my flight information via email after I booked online. He led us about 100 feet to a small van and took us to the resort (~35 minutes). When you get to the resort a baggage person will help unload your luggage and place it in a row at the entrance of the hotel.

Check-In. With Golden Club, you go to a special room. Just ask for the Golden Club room. The van driver or baggage guy did not spontaneously direct us. We actually went to the much larger regular check in desk in the lobby and they directed us. In the Golden Club they walk you through the map, the amenities, serve you a cocktail, and generally answer any questions you might have. You need to pay for your room safe then. They will give you a special card to activate your safe. They give you a tag for each of your luggage. You then go back to the lobby area and hand those to the baggage guys. They will pull around with a cart and take you and your luggage to your ‘Villa’. By the way, the ‘Premium Bar’ in the Golden Club is manned by the check in people. If they are all busy with guests you will not be able to get a drink (understandably).

Accommodations: We were in Villa 22, which is the 3rd from the beach on the left hand side of the Resort when looking towards to the beach. The Villa is a square with access to the rooms on 2 sides. Golden Club villas are 2 story. There is access to 6 rooms (I think) on each ‘end’ of the Villa. I think there are 12 rooms per floor. We had the very first door on the bottom floor so I was a bit concerned about safety but had no issues at all. The ‘Junior Suite’ is a long rectangle with some closet space (not enough closet and drawer space for a family of 4 to completely unpack), the dresser drawers containing the small fridge (turn all the way clock-wise to maximize the coolness) and holding the coffeemaker and TV. Then a small table with 2 chairs. The room had 2 full-size beds and a sofa bed. Then a small patio with a small table and 2 chairs. You’ll read that I found very few things in need of improvement. But, the beds are one of those. They are much too small for two adults and the pillows are small, wafer thin. The beds are soft enough, just too small for comfort and in desperate need of real pillows. The bathroom is sufficient. The standard size tub has Jacuzzi jets. Nice décor. Overall the room was more than satisfying in terms of space and décor. The sliding glass door locks just fine. HINT – the center door in the villa room door access area is where they keep 1) the stuff for the fridges or 2) the stuff for the beds/bathrooms. And for pretty much most of the day they are unlocked. Mind you, I was not stealing! After a couple of days I was just keeping my fridge stocked and water supply high on my own, without asking the maid to do the same. And once we needed some more towels so I grabbed some and left them in the room. Right – no wash/hand cloths. We brought some bright red ones so they did not get accidentally taken.

The Resort: The landscaping, quality, décor, and layout are outstanding. This is perhaps the Resort’s shining quality, how nice it is to be at the Resort. Looking towards the beach, the Resort is 2 mirror image areas called Bavaro on the left and Punta Cana on the right. We were on the Bavaro side. They tell you what Villa (and hence what side) you are on when you check in. From south to north, looking towards the beach, there is the main entrance, the golf/tennis/major spa on the right, the Premier section on the left, and the Pueblo area directly in front. From the south side of the Pueblo area to the pool-beach border is ~1100 yards (~1000 meters). The Pueblo area is 100x125 yards. This area contains many indoor shops and courtyard kiosk vendors. Also there is a large stage, casino, disco, clinic, photo-shop, and eating/drinking areas. Just north of this is the lobby area/complex. On the Punta Cana side there is the Golden Club, gym, tour center, lobby shop, restrooms, Japanese rest, and ATM. Then the very large International buffet on the left and the very large lobby on the right. The Lobby is 75x40 yards in size with countless very comfy sofas, tables, and chairs. It has a very large, nice bar. Located just beyond this is a garden courtyard, the Gourmet restaurant, and then finally the amphitheatre. The theatre is very comfortable, lots of cozy wicker chairs with loads of leg space. There is ‘balcony’ seating all around the periphery of the main seating area. It is covered and has a bar. The stage area is nice. The accommodation (Villa) section of the resort is 735x215 yards. It is roughly in 2 major sections – the lobby side and the beach side, separated by this sort of ecological preserve strip. The lobby-side has 8 villas on each side and 2 large pools each with their own swim up bar, island, etc. The one of the left (Bavaro) side is for Diamond/Hacienda Club members only. Behind each of the pools is an ala carte restaurant. Italian on the left and steakhouse (Garden Grill) on the right. There is a nice wedding gazebo on the right just before you cross over to the beach half. The beach half has 10 villas on each side. At the end of the tram line there are two more ala cartes: the Mexican on the left and the Seafood on the right. In the middle of these two is Pisces with serves food from 10-7 (more later). In front of these three eateries are the 3 connected swimming pools. On the left hand side there is a pool 40x30 yards with a large hot-tub area. Also a message tent and a bar. Lots of palapas and deck chairs surround all the pools. In the middle is a smaller 35x20 yard pool with a fountain that goes off intermittently. On the right is the other large 40x30 yard pool with the swim up and walk up bars. Behind this pool is the towel exchange and ping pong tables. Beyond the pools are 4 exits to the beach with copious numbers of beach chairs and palapas. It’s about 65 yards from the pool border to the water. The BP beach is 630 yards across! On the right (facing the water) is the beach bar, in the center the volleyball area, and the left the BBQ ala carte/bar area. New to the resort is a large 260x200 yard area just for adults just next to the Bavaro side. There are hundreds of palapas at the beach.

Pueblo: It is very nicely decorated. We found some of the indoor shops to be cheaper than the courtyard kiosk venders. It’s your typical “I’ve been waiting for you Amigo!” approach. There are ~16 of these Gheppeto-wagon kiosks in the courtyard. It’s your standard smallish souvenir and jewelry goods. They’ll each have a plate and invite you to put whatever you want on the plate and then they’ll give you an amazing deal. “You’ll be happy”. And if you just look they’ll start putting stuff on you. We ended up with 8 free necklaces and an anklet. They get visibly disappointed when you tell them they don’t have anything you want but it’s standard you know. We bought at one kiosk. He added all the stuff up and it came to $85. He said $75. I offered $40 and he accepted right away. Anyway, around the periphery there are classier shops with lots of variety and larger goods. Prices can be very good. The booze and cigars are cheaper at the lobby gift shop. We have 2 children 9 and 11 and are not young nightlife people anyway so I can’t tell you what the casino or disco are like. A hint, if you want to visit the indoor shops, and avoid the bazaar type kiosks you can walk all the around the Pueblo on the outside and enter most from the back door or the outer main entrance to the Courtyard (where the ATM and photo-shop are). They only take cash at the photo-shop by the way. They take credit at the indoor shops.

Restaurants/Bars: There is the International Buffet (7-10, 1-4, 7-10), the dinner ala cartes (French Gourmet, the Japanese, the Italian, the Mexican, the Garden Grill) and the dinner ala cartes that are also open for breakfast and lunch (Seafood and the BBQ). At the pool there is Pisces open 10-7. For drinks, you have the Pueblo, Golden Club, Lobby, Theatre, the bars at the 2 pools in the middle of the resort, one in Pisces, 2 walk up at the beach pools, 1 swim up at the beach pool, and then 2 bars at the beach (1 stand alone and 1 at the BBQ). The pool/beach bars open at 10AM. Don’t know about the others. Also, there are a couple of gals that circulate the pool area taking drink orders. Fabio and Rafael are outstanding. Some of the bartenders circulate while some you find each day at the same place. Fabio is always at the walk up bar attached to the swim up bar at the pool next to the beach. Rafael is either there or Pisces. We basically drink 2 things – Cuba Libres and beer. I would occasionally order my Cuba Libres with diet coke. 50% of the time they would do it. These guys pour drinks like maniacs from 10AM until closing. Each day they have a special drink like Mai Tai, Pina Colada, Blue Hawaiian, etc. My wife would occasionally have one. At the beach bar, pool bars, Pisces, and lobby bar you could order basically anything you can think of (provided you could relate that in Spanish).

Tipping: Over 8 days I saw only one other person tip $1 (at a bar). I followed the advice given and brought 100 $1 bills. Did not leave with a single one. I tipped $5 on three occasions. Let me begin by saying that the resort will emphasize that tips are included in the base price of the resort. I enjoy treating people and know what a blessing tipping can be. I did not tip automatically though, for instance uneventful or routine service I did not tip at the buffet. I did a couple of times when they cleared our plates away quickly and replenished all our drinks frequently. I always tipped at the ala carte restaurants $3-4 (you get waited on there and the service is usually very good). I tipped the drivers who took us to the resort and then back to the airport (4 and 3). I tipped the baggage fellows who took us to the room and brought in our bags (2 each). We tipped our maid $2-3 a day depending on if we made requests. I tipped the Golden Club guy $5 when he checked us in, answered our questions, made our reservations for us, made us a drink, etc (and then never saw him again). I tipped about every other drink order at the pool/beach. I always tipped the gals who took orders and brought you your drinks at the pool. 2 fellows I never tipped (bad attitude, crummy drinks). The ones I would tip routinely always served me immediately when I walked up to the bar and always served me what I wanted (I speak very little Spanish). And same for the pool-side gals. They were always coming by and taking care of us, often without even being asked. And I still got excellent service the times I did not tip at the bars I went to the most, I think they figured out I would tip as the day went on. I then tipped the porter on check out (4) and the baggage guys at the airport (5). Hint! When you get to the airport on leaving, let those tan shirt-colored guys take your bags! We avoided them when we arrived. They took our bags right to the front of the inspection line and then right to the front side of the American ticketing area. We passed up a dozen people at the bag inspection and ~40 people at check-in. I was just following them as they routed my bags! Well worth that tip, probably saved me 30 minutes and from figuring out where to go or what to do. A lot of people were standing around trying to figure out the process or waiting in line. Oh, we always tipped the room service delivery. When you spend ~$5k on a vacation, what’s 1/50th of that more to ensure great drink/room service?

Food: We ate at the International Buffet for breakfast 6 times, lunch 2 times, and dinner 4 times. Garden Grill, Seafood, and Italian each once. We had reservations at the Gourmet but joined some new friends at the buffet instead. It is all very clean and very nice at the buffet. We had no complaints. For breakfast they have a wide assortments of breads and spreads, 2 omelet stations, French toast, waffles, muffins, sweets, meats, cheeses, cereals, bagels, bacon, sausage, variety of potatoes, veggies, pates, lots of juices, mimosas, etc. It was never crowded and we never waited to start the omelet process. Lunch varied a little bit and since we only ate there twice I can’t remember exactly what was there but it was fine. Dinner each night had a theme. The best by far was Dominican Night. American Night was basically all soul food! I love it, and it was interesting to see what they presented to the world as American food and it was fried chicken, black beans, corn bread, macaroni, ribs, sweet potatoes, etc. It was yummy no doubt. They had Italian Night, Gala Night, etc. Dinner and desserts were always fabulous. For lunch and dinner in the restaurants I always had Presidente with lime. It was always cold and fresh. At Pisces at the pool they begin service at 10AM and then steady to 7PM. All sorts of sandwich makings, salads, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, fries, onion rings, pasta, etc. I would rank the three ala cartes Italian the best, then Seafood, then Grill. The Italian had the best food, best variety, and best service. The Seafood service and quality was also great, but the selection limited. The Garden Grill was just passable on all three accounts. My wife could not really eat her steak, tough as a donkey’s shin. I was not convinced my ribs were completely done so I did not eat them. Room service had a set menu (the essential basics) and it could take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to get. It was all ok.

Beach: Very clean and nice. The water is beautiful. If you walk west (to the left) the water is pristine and the beaches much less populated. If you go the right, you’ll pass some other resorts and eventually (~30 minutes) get to a market area. The waves were not rough and the sand was just fine. Lots of people walking around. Always some sort of activity going on like volleyball, dancing, etc. On the right hand side there is a convenient water sports center where you can rent sailboats, do parasailing, rent little speedboats, banana boat, snorkeling, diving, etc. The beach is a beautiful place to be. The water sports people have a little booth at the beach pool too. It’s no worry at all to make water sports arrangements.

People: We did not run into anyone else from America, although we did hear a few people speaking English with a non-British accent - those folks we almost always figured out were from Canada. Our first full day we struck up with a real nice family from Canada and one of the morning palapa gang (I’ll explain) was from Canada. I’d guestimate that 80% of the folks there were from Spain, France, Portugal, or Italy. Maybe even 90%. The rest British, Canadian, and then we few Americans (incognito). It really helps to know the very basics in Spanish. Any Spanish language book should have a cheat-sheet. I did not witness anyone taking anyone else’s used chairs/palapas. I would always be at the pool area by 7:30 and there was always one of the prime palapas open. There was a group of us dads who’s duty it was to secure our family’s spot for the day! We would smile and everything was cordial, just fine. No matter how early I got there (7:15) you’d see some towels on the chairs elsewhere in the pool area and I’m sure this went on in the beach area as well. There was always someplace to sit for those getting there later. I would get there and read for ~30 minutes. My family would come out and we would grab breakfast and then come right back. In other words, I was sensitive to not come out at 7, grab a spot, and then not come back till afternoon. There were some that did this, not very cool. For the most part, people had good line manners at Pisces but you will surely see some folks just walk right to the food, oblivious or indifferent to the line. No fights, no aggressive behavior, no overtly obnoxious behavior. Only once did I see someone totally hammered trying to walk around. The swim-up pool bar gets a little rowdy as the day passes and can even be populated with topless revelers. Ok, perhaps 5-10% of the gals at the beach will be topless. It’s not something my family relates to but you get used to it after a day or two. Only rarely would they be in the pool area. We spoke to our girls about it ahead of time. It was fine. I found the smoking not to be as bad as I was expecting, but we did not hang out in areas where we did encounter a lot of smoke. The lobby area is like a fog with smoke, and so was the theatre. There would be some smokers in the Pisces area, some of them right next to the food. Smoking at the pool area was not too bad. I had a couple of cigarillos but was mindful to have them when the kids were not resting nearby. It really is a family-friendly place. Lots of kids, and they have lots of activities for them. We’d bring our girls back there any time. Most of the teenagers were in either of the two larger flanking pools. Mostly in the left hand one (when facing the beach). The right hand one (with the swim up bar) tended to be adults, very few kids there, and like I said it got pretty lively in the afternoon there. You will rarely get a ‘pardone’ even if they bump into you, reach across you, cut in front etc. I usually will hang back a little when at the bar or in line anywhere (you know how you do at the bank or whatever) but I quickly learned that you are invisible to people if you do, they’ll just walk right up between you and the bar or buffet station like you are not even there. I don’t believe anyone meant to be rude while I was there, just folks from different parts of the world with different social habits.

Dress: It was fairly standard at breakfast at the buffet to see folks in T-shirt, trunks and sandals. No problem. A little more dressed at lunch. At the buffets it was fairly casual, as long as one was covered. It was out of place to see simple/only swimwear at the main buffet. At Pisces the only thing less formal than the standard would be naked. Definitely a come as you are situation and that was fine. Around the resort it was a total mix as folks were all coming and going from different activities and the majority had something over their swimwear in other parts of the resort. At dinner at the buffet you’d rarely see someone who looked like they just came from the pool – most were in shorts (some pants) and a decent shirt. Dinner at the ala cartes - I was always in slacks with a tucked in polo shirt at dinner. I like to like nice for my wife. I’d say that at least all of the guys had pants on, one or two with their shirt tucked in. Naturally, the ladies were more elegantly attired and that was nice to see. Folks, bring something decent for your children to wear at the ala cartes, you’ll see what I mean. The ala carte restaurants are a very nice change from the rest and a chance for many to enjoy something classy.

Departure: We called to have a porter come for the bags and he was there within 10 minutes. They’ll drop your bags off as when you arrived. Check out was very quick and simple. We then waited in the lobby for the Sol Tour driver to come with our name on a sign and take us back to the airport. When you get there, as I said, some baggage guys may be on you like a flash. At first I was “Oh, man…” but when I saw they were totally fast tracking us through two lines I was “Halleluiah”. For some strange reason, you need to fill out the blue immigration form again when you leave, for each member, exactly as you did when you arrived. I thought I read somewhere you needed to pay $20 per person to leave (addition to the $10 to get in), but I must have misread or something because we did not. The terminal lobby is very nice – lots of clean shops and vendors. Oh, and that Presidente you’ve been drinking for ‘free’ for a week at the resort is $5 a bottle anywhere at the airport. At least it was cold...

Health: The three major concerns are food/water-borne pathogens, mosquito-borne pathogens, and exposure. Not for a moment did the 4 of us feel ill at all – we were fairly adventurous in our eating and with some precautions outlined we stayed very content (thank God). I think we might have had a handful of bites between the 4 of us. We had our Hepatitis A/B shots and had Chloroquine prophylaxis. You take it once a week for 7 weeks starting a week before traveling. We also had Cipro, immodium, pepto, and prochlorperazine with us as precautions. If you visit your own physician or a travel specialist, they may recommend the following: At least the first Hep A shot, and both if possible (6 months apart). Typhoid shots if you plan to spend any lengthy time or eat anything in rural (or urban) areas outside the resort. Avoid ingestion of tap water of course. Avoid unpeeled fruits, and any meats, shellfish, or cream/dairy products that look like they have been sitting for a while at the buffets. Never had any issue with ice, and we used it at the bar, the ice machine, the buffets, etc. I only spotted a few plates that looked dubiously clean. Be mindful when using tongs – especially if they’ve been mixed up in use. If there are only a few pieces of meat left in the tray, just hover or come back, they get replenished quickly. If we would have started to feel ill (severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting) I would have begun a 3-day Cipro regiment immediately, 2 prochlorperazine for vomiting (1 for nasea), and immodium for diarrhea. You’ll need Rx for the Cipro and the prochlorperazine so follow those directions given directly to you. Try to eat lots of vegetables while you are there and it will help with all the rich foods you are likely to eat. If you’ve had too much to drink, try taking a multi-vitamin (B complex esp), shower, take non-tylenol analgesics, and a motion-sickness tablet (or a prochlorperazine if you think it might get rough) and hit the sack. Drink lots of water. Bring lots of sun-block! We brought for the 4 of us 4 aerosol bottles of SPF 35, two 10oz tubes of SPF 45, and two 8oz bottles of waterproof SPF 50. We went through all the spray bottles, 1 of the 10oz tubes, and 1 of the 8oz bottles. They only had SPF 8 at the lobby store! And it was $20. So if you burn easily you’d go likely through a $20 bottle of that by noon. Lastly, take precaution on the mosquitoes; don’t just rely on the quinine. They clearly sprayed the resort (you’ll see them in the morning if you get up early enough). The Aedes mosquitoes that transmit Dengue fever will bite during the day, while the Anopheles ones that transmit malaria bite at night. DEET (spray or lotion) should be 30%. I use spray during the day when I have sun-block on and lotion at night. Put the sun-block on first, wait 30 minutes, then put the DEET on. Also, you can get DEET spray bottles for your towels, etc. They do not like salt water, there are less mosquitoes near the beach. All this said, and these precautions taken, it was A+ on the health front while we were there.

Would I come again? Absolutely, if we go back to the Dominican. We tend to try a new destination each year so it would not be anytime soon that we’d return to the RD, but if we do I will stay at Bahia again.

Happy travels!

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July 2008

We have traveled quite a few times to the Caribbean but this was our first time to Punta Cana. We traveled with a fairy large group - 28 people from June 24 - July 1. Ages ranged from 1 to 60 including teenagers. I agree with the other reviewers when they say that there are a lot of children at this resort. This was good for me as I was traveling with my two young sons so I apologize in advance if it was my stroller you tripped over.

We flew on Sunwing. The flight was good, getting our luggage at the airport went smoothly but we had to walk across the parking lot to our bus with our entire luggage, a bit of a pain but not really a big deal. For some reason, and I have never seen this before, we did not check in at the hotel but rather on the bus. We had to fill out all kinds of paperwork while the bus was driving over some really bumpy roads, not the easiest thing to do. This meant that once we arrived at the hotel, we went straight to our room. The thing is, we noticed that our room was nowhere near anyone else's room. We did book our trip separately from the rest of the group so we thought it would be easy to switch room, guess again. When we asked the rude person at the front desk if we could be moved closer to my family, he flat out said no. He said that we requested an oceanview room (which does not exist) and that our room was considered an upgrade. We did not ask for an oceanview room and we did not require the upgrade. They would not fulfill our request. They flat out said no, they were filled to capacity.

The room was very spacious. When we got there, the cleaning staff had just started cleaning our room. We asked her for four bath towels everyday and 4 bottles of water. We gave her $10. She thanked us for the money but we never saw four towels. Each day we received a different amount, different sized and forget about the water. Since my youngest son is only 1, we used the bottled water to make his bottles of milk and clean his bottles and sippy cups. I can't believe how many times we had to call and ask for water. On one occasion they even brought us an open bottle. Unbelievable. Our room was clean but for some reason, the maid stopped putting the comforter on our bed. I guess she thought that it was too hot to use, whatever.

The beach was alright. I still think Cuba has nicer beaches. Maybe not as much shade but definitely nicer beaches. We really enjoyed the pool and pool entertainment. On one of the days, my older son got treated to a show with Mickey Mouse and Elmo. I felt sorry for the guys in the costumes because it was definitely hot.

There have been lots of comments about the food. There definitely was a good variety but after 3 days, I developed the runs. I had to take antibiotics when I returned home. The only thing I can think made me sick was the salad. Out of the 28 people that I traveled with, I got it the worst. One person from our flight had to be hospitalized because of the food.

Ok, the worst part of the trip. The service. I understand that we were a large group, but we never asked to be seated together. You should have seen the look on the person standing at the lobby buffet whenever we showed up. It was like she had to go and construct the tables and chairs herself. Since I did have a baby, I would ask for a high chair. I know they had them but good luck getting one in under 30 minutes. I usually sat holding my son for most of the dinner. It took forever to get a drink and the A/C was never on. We would joke and say that they purposefully would not turn it on so you wouldn’t stay long.

All in all, the resort was very beautiful. The entertainment was good (night and day), although the night entertainment was held in an outside theater that was unbelievably hot. The food was not so good and the service was terrible. Definitely not the 5 star I expected.

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July 2008

I will start off by saying… it was totally AMAZING. This was our second time to the Bavaro and we have never gone back to a place a third time… but I think the Bavaro will be the exception. They say that good and bad are relative terms, so here is what we are comparing against. We only stay in 4 and 5 star resorts and have been multiple times to the DR and Mayan. Also have been to Jamaica, Bahamas and Hawaii. And cruised once on the Princess Cruise Lines, through the Caribbean.

Our group consisted of two teens, two in their twenties and two in their forties. This trip report is the view of all six of us.

Staff rated 5 stars:
It really is the employees at the Bavaro, that make it such a memorable and fantastic resort, so we are giving them top marks. The Dominican people are naturally fun loving, good natured and musical people. Add to that the professionalism that they displayed and you are in for a good time. They love their jobs and it shows.

- Start with Belkis our maid for rooms 29201, 29203 and 29302. Rooms were kept clean, had lots of towels, fridge was always stocked, and the towel art was amazing
  - Jose at the Italian restaurant for Breakfast or lunch, was an example of the waiters across the entire complex. Friendly, courteous, always a smile and often a little song or dance.
  - At the main pool lunch restaurant we were always entertained by Caesar, greated with a high five and friendly, expert service.
  - At the Diamond pool were our best buddies were Humberto and Ruth, the bartenders. It was not only the great drinks but their happy demeanor that would always put us in a great mood.
  - Prior to supper we would go up to the lobby bar for some scrumptious drinks from Randolf and be entertained by Luis the Piano Guy. He had the whole lobby hopping/dancing a few nights to tunes like Quan ton a meria. You could not help but be in a continuous great mood surrounded by staff like this.

Rooms rated 5 stars for two reasons.
First the cleanness and comfort of them. But second and more importantly was problem resolution….. We had three situations one was an air conditioner, one was an alarm clock and one of the room safe. All problems were resolved promptly and professionally.

Beach and Activities also gets 5 stars
The beach and resort are maintained beautifully. And there is non stop activities for those that want to participate or quieter areas for those that just want to relax.

Nightly Entertainment we gave 4.5 stars
We had fabulous Entertainment but we can’t give everything 5 stars. Plus it would have been great to have had a Tequila Party, like the first time that we went.

Food 4.5 stars:
The food was great and when we came across something we did not like so much there was always PLENTY of other food to pick from.

Drinks 4 stars
Drinks we gave 4 stars because they were absolutely yummy, however access to more International Drinks would have been nice. But no one is complaining.

All in all the best vacation ever. Cheers!

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June 2008

My husband and I were married in June 2008 at the Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana. We had a rather large number (44) of guests attending the wedding and staying at the resort. We stayed for 9 nights and had guests that stayed as short as 3 days and as long as 7 days.

Resort:
The resort is rather large and parts of it are currently under construction. The lobby driveway was being remodeled and if you tried to use the Punta Cana side of the lobby during the day, it was absolutely horrible. Also, I’m sure the staff was doing harm to their hearing, and their nerves, as they tried to cope with working in such an environment. Most of the construction is not at all noticeable except for the fact that their numerous clubs (Golden, Diamond, Ambar, etc.) are very confusing with everyone mingled in together due to the construction. I’m still not 100% sure of what each of the clubs meant except that the Ambar section was adults-only and a little quieter and nicer than the other sections. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and perfectly maintained. The pools and decks are cleaned at night and the pools were always in wonderful condition. The main pool near the beach was always very crowded. The quietest pools were in either the Ambar, or Diamond areas as there were always plenty of umbrellas and chairs at these pools. The rooms were nice with a sitting area, bed and balcony. The bathrooms had jet tubs and were marble and tile. The bathrooms in the Ambar section are a little nicer with a separate walk-in shower, toilet area and tub.

The spa was very nice. We had the “relaxing” couples massage and it was definitely relaxing. We also used the water therapy area. It was the neatest thing I’ve seen. It had two big pools – one slightly warmer that the other with all kinds of different bubbles and massaging options. There was also a small and very cold “pool” or sorts. There were also saunas and steam rooms with different temperatures. It had several types of showers including a rain shower, bucket, and a therapeutic (my favorite)! However, the prices are comparable to the U.S. and aren’t a really great bargain ($72 USD each for a couples massage.)

Restaurants:
The service at some of the restaurants was definitely lacking and spotty at times. Sometimes the service was wonderful and sometimes you were begging to get a drink while you sat at you table. We ate at the BBQ restaurant which is on the beach and has made to order steaks, pork chops etc, a salad bar and dessert bar. The service here was quite good both times we ate there and you were able to enjoy the sounds of the ocean. We also ate at the Italian restaurant, which was quite good, and the service wasn’t at all bad here. There was a salad and appetizer bar including a bruschetta bar, salad bar, tomato bisque, carpaccio, olives, and other “Italian” appetizers. You then chose a main course. The pizza was quite good at the Italian restaurant. The lobster pasta was relatively good. Some of the seafood options at the Italian restaurant were mediocre. The Seafood restaurant’s appetizers were wonderful and included fried fish, calamari, steamed shrimp, shrimp cocktail, and a seafood soup. The main dishes were not that good and we saw several other families just having the appetizers and salad for dinner. We also tried out the Garden Grill, which was wonderful both times we ate there. The skirt steak was delicious and the “Louisiana Corn Chowder” was outstanding. The dessert bar throughout the restaurants was pretty much the same and relatively good. The bananas drizzled in chocolate, fruit selection, ice cream, and mouse were all quite good. The main buffet was quite good and although it did get a little repetitive, everything was still above average for an all-inclusive resort. Reservations were hard to come by (you have to make them in person at Guest Services, though some of our family said they were able to call to make them) and I recommend getting them as soon as you get to the resort. If they insist that the only thing that’s available is BBQ or nothing at all, just ask nicely again. You can also come back later, sometimes there are cancellations and you can get squeezed in. The drinks at the bars are very sweet and usually quite weak; however, we often times asked the bartenders to add more alcohol and they always complied. The best mixed drink we had while there was the capirinia. It’s very similar to a mojito, but, with lots of fresh lime instead of the mint. The margaritas were also quite good. In general, the drinks at the lobby bars were much better, and stronger, than those by the pool area. Maybe the resort is trying to save us from ourselves by making the drinks by the pool and beach a little weaker?! I think that some of the inadequate service was just due to growing pains that the resort is feeling since it is expanding and growing so rapidly. It also definitely has a big resort feel where you just feel like you are just another number.

Wedding:
Well, the actual events leading up to the wedding were the biggest disappointment of our trip. The actual wedding itself went off just fine. However, everything leading up to it was so unnecessarily stressful.

Leading up to the big event, we tried to stay in contact with the resort and understand what we needed to decide in advance, however, it was nearly impossible to get in contact with anyone via email or phone. When we did get in contact with the resort, we were told we need to make a lot of decisions (restaurants, cakes, flowers) as far in advance as possible. However, the follow-up information was never sent to us. At one point we were told to provide our documentation (birth certificates, single affidavit, etc.) in advance, however, it ended up that we were suppose to provide this when we actually arrived at the resort. When we faxed in our deposit for the wedding (9 months in advance) we reserved the restaurants, however, when we got there those weren’t available and we went with the BBQ for the rehearsal dinner and the Garden Grill for the reception. (Both restaurants turned out fine and the food was delicious.) We went through “WeDo” wedding documentation to get all of our paperwork in order for the wedding. They were so easy to work, very responsive and had a very quick turn around.

We got to the resort, had lunch and then went immediately to check with the wedding coordinator. We were scheduled to meet with her the next evening at 5 (two days before the wedding.) At the meeting we picked flowers, cake (chocolate or vanilla), menus etc. We were told the wedding would be at 11 am instead of 4 pm. This is the hottest time of the day and there is no shade at the wedding gazebo. We were quite insistent that we have the 4 pm time instead since that was what our deposit said that was the best time for us. The coordinator did not admit that there was a scheduling mistake with the judge until we found the form we sent in and pressed the issue. She then said there was a scheduling mistake. She then said she’d try to schedule a different time with the judge if his schedule allowed. Up until 5:30 the day before the wedding, the time was still up in the air. The most difficult part of this was that the hotel had started telling our guests that the wedding would be at 11 the next day so we had a huge communication problem. Also, we checked with the wedding coordinator 3 times prior to 5:30 on the day before the wedding and kept being told that she would know in the next 30 minutes, hour etc. and never had an idea until early evening. We ended up with a compromise and the judge came at 11 to do the paperwork and we had the service at 5 pm that evening. Which worked out fine for our schedule.

The day of the wedding it poured all day long. Which is somewhat ironic since it didn’t rain any other day during our stay. Oh well, I guess we didn’t take valuable beach time away from our guests since they couldn’t be at the beach or pool anyway. The resort was very accommodating with the rain – although we had to insist on trolleys for our guests. So at 2pm a decision was made on the weather and it was decided that the ceremony would be inside at the Garden Grill terrace. This worked out just fine, however, my maid of honor had to call around to all of the guests and let them know the location had been changes due to the weather. The wedding coordinator had schedule a hair appointment at the spa for the bride at 2 pm the day of the wedding. When we arrived at the spa, apparently they didn’t have the appointment on the books and just kept telling me that there was no appointment. With time quickly fleeting, I decided to do my own hair and went back to the room. The flowers arrived as scheduled in my room. While they were slightly different from what we had ordered, they were still beautiful. A trolley arrived to take the bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls to the wedding location. We got dressed at the garden grill due to the weather and the ceremony went nicely. The band was a lot of fun! The actual ceremony is very short if you haven’t written your own vows and don’t have any readings. There were mimosas and champagne. We took trolleys to the lobby for drinks and pictures. We had lots of guests taking our picture – a little weird! Afterward, the trolleys took everyone back to the garden grill for dinner. Much to our dismay, the restaurant had lost our seating cards with everyone’s seating assignments and there were only numbers on the tables. The dinner was nice and the service was quite good – chicken caesar salad, Louisiana corn chowder, skirt steak with mashed potatoes and eggplant, pineapple “cobbler” (really just glazed pineapple) with ice cream. The cake was lovely and quite nice. We then moved everyone into the second room of the terrace for dancing and mingling. We brought our own music on an I-pod and the resort provided the speakers and cables. We did bring our own cables just in case we needed them.

The turndown service included floral arrangements throughout the room and flowers on the bed. Breakfast arrived in the room late the next morning, however, it did arrive. It included champagne, juice, coffee, rolls & croissants, fruit and yogurt.

We had a wonderful wedding party that coordinated a lot of things for us and insisted on the trolleys due to the weather and an opportunity for the guests to have happy hour. The wedding party also coordinated the flow of people and straightened out the seating arrangements when our seating cards went missing. Everything wouldn’t have been as nice had they not taken care of all of these details for us

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June 2008

Arrival
We were recently at the hotel from May 10-21 with our two young kids ages 8 and 6. There are 3 sections to this hotel, the Punta Cana side, the Bavaro side and the Ambar side(adults only). This is our first time to the Dominican and the hotel. We have been to the Gran Bahia chain in the Mayan Riviera twice and knew what to expect from them. Upon arrival, we were assigned room 18209 and when we told them we were celebrating our 10th year anniversary, they were kind enough to upgrade us to room 8209, a block from the beach.

Rooms
The rooms were nice, clean and roomy. I believe all the rooms are a suite, so they are a decent size. The only drawback is there are no smoking rooms. Luckily the room we got did not spell like smoke, but if you have a person in a room close to your room that smokes, you can smell it. They also do not provide enough towels or face cloths. If you ask the maid, she will give you more.

Restaurants
We did the French, Japanese, Garden Grill(great steaks) and the Seafood restaurant. All of them are very good. The Japanese one is very entertaining.

Bars
All of them were good. The lobby bars were nice to sit, relax, enjoy a drink and listen to music in the evening. The waitresses are very kind, friendly and you don’t have to wait very long to get a drink. We were there nightly and they always acknowledge you when you are passing by in the daytime. Lobby bar closes at 11pm.

Beach and Pools
The beaches of Punta Cana are very beautiful and rock free. Every time I walk up to the beach, it just takes my breath away. You can walk for miles on white sand. Their swimming pools are great too.

Activities and Entertainment
They usually have activities every afternoon. There’s Bingo, darts, Dora and clowns for the kids, they even got to eat popcorn and cotton candy. There’s nightly shows that begin at 9:30. Don’t miss the Michael Jackson one, we watched it twice on this trip.

Tours
We did the Jeep Safari, it was fun to go to the sugarcane field, coffee bean and cocoa place, cigar place and horseback riding. We also got a chance to see and learn a lot about Dominican life. We did the Carribean Festival one where you swim with the Sting Ray and Shark. We didn’t really think the excursion was worth it because there’s not that much snorkeling and most of the time was spent waiting for people to get on board the boat. We also did the Manati Park. It’s a little zoo with a great Dolphin and Sea Lion show. We bought 2 excursions and got this one for free. I do not recommend this one if you have to pay for it. We also scuba dive at the resort, cost per person is $85. The guide is great and it was a great and scary experience for me, but if you love to see the sea life, this one’s worth it.

Conclusion
This is a great hotel and I have recommended it to our family and friends. We will definitely stay there again and can’t wait to go back.

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May 2008

Arrival and Flight
First of all we are a couple in our fifties with a 14 year old daughter. We a re celebrating our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary and my husbands retirement. We flew out of Halifax on Sunwing. Nice hot breakfast and glass of champagne. We left at 6 am so were at the resort by 10:30 am. We knew our rooms would not be ready so we had packed our bathing suits. The front desk gave us towel cards so away we went. This is our second visit to this hotel so we knew the lay out and were upgraded to VIP which gave us a few more perks. Found it amazing that in one year a whole new section (ambar) had sprung up.

Rooms
We had requested a upper floor room in a villa close to the beach and our request was granted as we were put in villa 25. The last time we were at this resort we stayed in villa 61 which was considerably larger and nicer but that now is part of the Ambar se c tion. However we were pleased with our room. Only draw back was no face cloths but had gone to the dollar store and bought some to take with us. However shouldn't have to.

Restaurants
Did all the a la cartes except the Italian and Beach bbq. Really enjoyed them all especially the Japaneese(did both of them) and Garden Grill. The wait staff was exceptional and many of them had us in stitches. Really thought that they were nice to small kids even though I am sure some of those kids could have gotten on their nerves.

Bars
All of them were good. The lobby bars were nice to sit and enjoy a drink in a real glass and you never had to wait very l o ng before someone asked you what you wanted. This also is where you get tea and coffee after supper. We spent most of our time by the beach bar and swim up bar. John and Juan took excellent care of us.

Beach and Pools
The beaches of Punta Cana are beautiful. You are able to walk for miles on white sand. The pools also are enjoyable. Spent a equal amount of time at both.

Grounds
They are immaculate. Always being cleaned and maintained. Those gardeners really work hard. Please acknowledge them.

Activities and Entertainment
We really got involved in the activities both times that we have visited this resort. Loved to play bingo and anything else that was on the go. Thought it was nice to win rum or tshirts. Have stayed at the Bahia in Mexico but didn't get that. The animation staff really treated us good. Rolondo and Nancy were there from the last time and really made us feel welcomed back. New staff like Santo and Erik and Andres also went out of their way for us.

Tours
Only did one tour and that was Outback Jungle Safari . Omar was our guide. Was really fun and got to see and learn a lot about Dominican life. Was fun to do the boogie boarding at the end. Also got picked up and taken to Nicole's to shop for jewellry. Found it expensive. Think we could have gotten better prices at the resort but the selection was better.

Departure and Check Out
We didn't get picked up until 7:30 pm and check out was supposed to be at 12 noon. We were given a extra couple of hours. Not a problem though. Just put our suitcases up with the bell hop and we went to the pool. Showered in the main bathrooms and then had supper before the shuttle picked us up. One thing that happened to us though was that when we checked out of our room, our daughter took her ipod and game boy out of the safe and left it on the bed. We discovered this over 4 hours later. We didn't expect to ever see them again. But after some anxious minutes they were discovered in housekeeping. Our maid Juana had put them there. The girls from the Diamond Cl u b made sure the shuttle bus waited for us until housekeeping got them to us. We never seen the maid after to thank her or give her a reward but we really appreciate her honesty.

Conclusion
Love this resort. We are treated like family. Whatever you want in a resort you can find in one section or another. Would go back again in a heart beat.

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May 2008

My husband and I (ages 25 & 28) stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe Bavaro from May 3-May 10.

This is our second trip to Punta Cana (we went on our honeymoon to Punta Cana Princess in 2004) We have nothing but great things to say about this resort and it was an absolutely amazing trip! Would recommend this resort to everyone! This review is long and detailed but we hope it helps!

Travel & Arrival:
We flew Sunwing out of Halifax, NS. We actually live in Saint John but because we were passed the ‘prime’ season, we could not get a confirmed flight out of Saint John. Our plane departed from Halifax at 6:00am so we had to be at the airport for 3:00am. We got there around 12:00am and waited it out. The flight was approx 4 ½ hours long and the plane had little room. However, the service on the plane was exceptional. Champagne was served along with a waffle breakfast that was actually very tasty!

Check in:
There were 2 large buses that arrived at the same time as us so there was a bit of a wait to get checked in but you’re on vacation so who really cares! It gives you a chance to check out the lobby and soak it all in. We checked in around 12:00 and our room wasn’t ready until 3:00pm (check in time) so we stashed our luggage with the bell boy and got changed into our swimsuits and headed to the bar for a drink. You get a map of the resort when you check in so this is a good time to see where everything is.

Rooms:
The rooms were amazing! Very spacious and clean. We had a Jacuzzi tub, a king size bed, couch and balcony. Perfect. We stayed in room 38312. We heard some guests complain about construction noise but we never heard anything. The maid was fantastic. We tipped her $2 everyday and asked for lots of water and beer. Everyday we had 4 – 1.5 L bottles of water and almost a case of beer in the fridge. Towel art was set up everyday as well. Side note on the towel art – if you leave the flowers on the towels for a long period of time (a day or so) you’ll start to see tiny little ant-like bugs crawling all over the table by the towel art. My hubby and I just took out the flowers and threw them out and never had a problem after the first time. The room was always clean and we never had any problems at all. The rooms are usually cleaned in the morning but the fresh towels don’t come until the afternoon.

Buffet:
We ate at the Buffet for breakfast and lunch everyday and dinner on 4 nights. This buffet is fantastic. You’ll find a variety of different foods here so even if you are a picky eater, you can always have pizza and fries which both taste pretty much like home. Every night there is a different theme. Italian, Mexican, Gala, Oriental. They were all great but again, if you are picky, pizza and fries and pasta are always on the menu. The breakfasts are great too. There are 2 omelette bars which are great. I would recommend though that you go to the omelette bar on the right. Hubby and I went to the omelette bar on the left (where the bacon is) for the first 2 mornings and both times our omelettes were not cooked through. If you don’t mind raw eggs than it won’t bother you. The Omelette bar on the right cooks them right on the griddle instead of in a frying pan. Also bacon was pretty hard to come by when we were there. It goes fast so if you see it, stock up! We only got it one morning out of 7. There is a ton of other stuff though to fill you up so we didn’t miss it. We also didn’t go for breakfast until about 9:00 everyday. The dessert buffet at lunch and supper is to die for. We’ve been to Dominican before and were not impressed with the desserts but here they go above and beyond. Every night there is a variety of different desserts. Most of which were amazing. Our favs were the coconut cake, the tiramisu, chocolate mousse and the ice cream.

A la cartes:
You can make 3 a la carte reservations/week. We did not pay for any upgrades but I think you get 4 if you pay for an upgrade, We ate at the Mexican, the Japanese and the French restaurants. All very good. Our favorite by far was the Japanese. Very fun atmosphere and the food is delicious!! This was my first time trying Sushi and they did a great job. The Mexican was our least favorite but still pretty good. We had a split review on the French restaurant, my meal was amazing but hubby’s was not too great. Order the steak – VERY good!

The Beach:
If you’ve been to Punta Cana before, you know the beach is one of the best in the world. White sane, crystal clear water. Just breathtaking. The sunken ship in the front of the resort is neat too. We went kayaking and boogey boarding while we were there. There is a small sports center on the right when you are waling down to the beach. You can book parasailing, kayaks, catamarans etc here.

Excursions:
We went on the Maranarium excursion and we had an amazing time! I would definitely recommend it. Even if you are petrified like I was. It took my husband 2 days to talk me into booking it. Swimming with sharks and sting rays just really isn’t my idea of excitement. But he caught me in a weak moment and I agreed. It was soo much fun. We met in the lobby at 12:45 and hopped on a bus for about a 35 min bus ride. They take you to a beach where you board a huge catamaran with about 40-50 other people. The boat ride is about 40 mins or so but the entertainment staff is fantastic and they get everyone involved. Even staying on the boat all day would have been fun! They give you rules and tips to follow and then off you go into the water and over to a large pen where the sharks and rays are kept. At first the sharks are very intimidating. You don’t really expect them to look like real sharks (like out of the movies) but they do, and they are about 10-12 feet long. The rays are also pretty big and one was about 4 feet wide. We stayed in the pen for about 40 mins. We brought an underwater camera and got some great snap shots. Back on the boat for some lunch/drinks/and dancing. Then they take you to a natural swimming pool. Basically a spot out in the ocean that’s very shallow. Overall and amazing time. Would certainly recommend trying it. Who can say that they went swimming with sharks and sting rays??

Entertainment:
We went to the resort show on most nights at 9:30pm. Don’t miss the Michael Jackson show. It was on Monday night when we went. It was fantastic! Definitely worth going! The other shows were pretty good. We enjoyed the Legends show which I think was on Wed or Thus night. There is a sign beside the French restaurant telling you what shows play on what nights. Some of the shows are a little R rated and some may even be a bit distasteful but overall I would say they were pretty good. There is also a piano bar in the lobby and he does a great job singing and playing the piano. Very nice to unwind with a drink after a long day on the beach. We also tested out the karaoke bar and the disco one night. They were fun if you’re feeling adventurous and have had one too many drinks but other than that the crowd was pretty young.

Shopping:
There is a big shopping square right on the resort and a few shops lined up by the Japanese restaurant but for the most part, you’ll pay more if you buy on the resort. If you like to barter, there is a market on the beach about a 25 min walk away from the resort on the right. We walked down there twice and found the prices to be very good. We got some Cuban cigars, rum and souvenirs all for a pretty good price. Make sure you walk away though. If they don’t chase after you, you know you beat them down to their absolute best price.

Check out & general tips:
Checking out was quick and efficient. We had to check out by 12:00 and our bus didn’t come to pick us up until 7:45pm. They give you a room to store your luggage though, which we did. We spent the day at the beach and there is a shower room you can use before you leave. We never had any trouble with theft. We kept all of our things locked in our safe with no problems at all.

Tips:
No facecloths, I would have brought one had I known
Pay for the safe (approx $25-30) It’s worth it
Book a la carte restaurants early or you’ll be eating at 9:00pm
Use lots of sunscreen – we saw some really nasty burns that needed medical attention
Bring a pillow, the resort pillows are very flat and hard
Tip generously, we saw the same waitresses working at 8:00am and 11:00pm. They have long hard days. A smile and a gracias goes a long way.

Overall
This resort was absolutely everything we expect and more. We would recommend it to anyone! If you’re thinking about going, just do it, you’ll have the time of your life!

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May 200

Hi Debbie!

My boyfriend and I (both 22) just got back from a weeks vacation at the Grand Bahia Principe Bavaro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We were there from May 2- May 9th, 2008 and flew from Toronto, Ontario (Sunwing airlines). We had a wonderful vacation and I would highly recommend this resort to anyone wishing to go to the Dominican. We stayed in the Bavaro section, among the many that are there. The one thing I would recommend is for those who do not enjoy hearing screaming, whiney children, to stay at the Ambar section of the resort, which is adults only. There were alot of families when we went and it was annoying to hear the children when you were trying to relax by the pool or beach. Most of the children were 5 and under. The Ambar section has their own restaurants, gym, pool, etc and is nicely secluded from the other areas of the resort.

The beach was wonderful and we never had a problem finding chairs to lay on. We were there between 10-11am every morning. The left side of the beach is the adults only part and we were able to go there the last few days of our trip when we were tired of the noisey children and activites they had going on at the main part of the beach.

The food was also great, we went to the buffet most of the time and they had lots to choose from. We went to the French, Japanese and Mexican a la cartes and they were all great except the French. I wouldn't recommend that one, but the others were delicious! You can make your reservations at guest services in the main lobby anytime between 10am-7pm. We made ours the first day while we were waiting for our room.

The check-in time is 3pm and we did not get our room until 4pm, so we were kindof upset since we were tired from the travelling.

We went to one show, Michael Jackson, which I would highly recommend.

We saw 10 minutes of the Tropical Paradise one and left, it wasn't too appealing. We never made it to the disco because we were too tired at the end of the night. The one night we stayed up late, we went to the karaokee bar and left 5 minutes later because it was filled with loud, drunk teenagers.

Our flights went well and there were no major problems. We did fly into La Romana though and it was a 2 hour bus ride to the resort. On the way back home our check-out was at 5:50am and we left before the buffet was open at 7:30am for breakfast. The 2 hour bus ride with no food on your stomach and going through bumpy, windy roads was not good. I was almost sick and there were many on the bus who were and took gravol like candy.

I would highly recommend flying into Punta Cana instead!

Also keep in mind this resort does not have room service. So if you want drinks or food, you have to go out of your room to get them. This was not a big issue, but would have been a nice added luxury. All in all we loved our vacation and I wish I was still there!

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May 2008

We just got back from our vacation and wedding at the Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana and we have nothing but great things to say about this resort.

We visited from April 24th to May 1st. We are from New Brunswick, Canada, and we traveled through Sunwing out of Moncton, NB.

The Resort: The resort was huge! We had read some other reviews prior to choosing this resort and many people indicated that it is large, but we did not understand the magnitude of its size until we actually got there. The resort is actually comprised of 4 different sections: Bavaro, Punta Cana, Premier, and Ambar. Our travel agency, Sunwing Vacations, sells tickets for the Bavaro section which states the resort has 540 rooms. However, I read somewhere at the resort that there is actually 1826 rooms including all sections. Somehow, we ended up being booked in the Premier section where we had our own pool, lobby, snack bar, and restaurants. I don’t know how we happened to be booked in the Premier section…maybe we were upgraded since we were a wedding party, I don’t know. I wasn’t about to ask questions. It was great! We were able to enjoy all the other facilities as well, except for the Ambar section, which is Adult Only.

The resort itself was spectacular. The buildings were beautiful both inside and out. The grounds were continuously being cleaned and groomed. The shuttle service was excellent as it ran every 5 minutes from 6 am to 3am to take you to the beach and back. You certainly couldn’t walk it everyday! Onsite there was a casino, shopping, theatre, spa, mini golf, live band, snack bars, and entertainment.

Rooms: The rooms were beautiful. We had a king sized bed, plenty of closet and drawer space, a seating area and patio. Being the bride and groom, upon our arrival we had complimentary rum, a fruit basket, and t-shirts. Every day the maids created designs on our bed with towels and flowers. On our wedding day, they draped over the bed a beautiful wedding dress made out of bedsheets and sprinkled it with fresh flowers. We always left a little tip and gift each day.

The only complaint we can possibly think of is the pillows. They were quite thin and firm. No fluff to them at all. Next time, we might just pack our own pillows from home if we can squeeze them in.

Restaurants: With the group of 10 of us, we had a hard time getting reservations to the A La Carte restaurants, which did not really bother us one bit as the food at the Buffet Restaurant was amazing every single night. They always changed up the food menu. It was rarely ever the exact same thing. And the choices!

Other members of our group did eat at the BBQ restaurant and did not enjoy it so much. A couple of them did not feel well the next day. My rule of thumb…stay away from red meat. I ate plenty of fish and chicken. Another couple from our group ate at the Mexican restaurant and recommended it. For our wedding reception dinner, we did get to eat at the Italiano restaurant and out of the 10 members of our group, we gave it a 9 out of 10.

Whether it was the buffet restaurant or the A La Cartes, the waiters were always there to refill your drinks, take away your plates, joke with you….the service was top notch!

Staff: The staff was amazing. I get a kick out of reading other people’s reviews with complaints of poor service. Most of the time it is a language barrier and ignorance on the traveler’s part. Patience is key. I called reception to have an iron and ironing board sent to my room. With a little patience and repetition, I got my request through. I reasonably expected it would probably take about 15 or 20 minutes to get the iron and board delivered to my room. I couldn’t believe it when I heard a knock at the door 5 minutes later. And then reception called me back just to make sure I received everything like I requested. Excellent or what!

Excursions: Different members of our group went on different excursions. I took an excursion with my father called the Marinarium, which was a ½ day snorkeling trip with the sting rays and nurse sharks. I totally recommend this one! The tour guides were upbeat and really get you involved. Don’t fear…the rays and sharks are harmless! Other members of our group went parasailing and ATVing. If you like getting muddy, ATVing is for you.

Kris and I took our own little excursion to the spa and enjoyed a 1 hour Caribbean Relaxation full-body massage. What more can I say but “Ahhhh!”

The wedding day: It was beyond our expectations! And stress free! We started planning this wedding a year ago and I was a little worried as communication via email to the wedding coordinator was lacking at times. Like I mentioned, we arrived on Thursday. On Friday morning, Mariana had placed a note under our door with an appointment to meet her on Saturday. Everything was arranged in our 45 minute meeting. She had a book of different bouquets and flowers, There was a choice of white or chocolate wedding cake. Choice of music (we chose the musical trio for $100 – you must choose these guys…they are well worth it!!!!) Choice of father and/or mother walking me down the aisle. I chose to have a dance with my father and with Kris. I also asked for a Unity Sand Ceremony to be included and for Kris’ brother to read a poem. Everything was fully accommodated. These coordinators do 4 weddings per day. They know what they are doing, so if you have any worries or concerns at all…just let them go….it will all be taken care of when you arrive.

We also paid for the photographer and videographer. Also well worth it. The pictures were amazing. The photographer took 205 pictures in total and we purchased them all.

Summary: Overall, we had the best vacation ever. This was our second time to the Dominican and even though there so are many other resorts to choose from, we will definitely go back to this one. For the rest of the members of our group, it was their first time on a vacation like this and they were in awe of everything. Again, the wedding was spectacular. We would not have done it any other way.

If anyone has any questions or want to see some of our photos, please email us at kmaher@nb.sympatico.ca

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May 2008

My husband (26) and I (26) went to Punta Cana from Apr. 4-11 and stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana. We have travelled to many places and I really love Punta Cana. It was hubby's first time there.

Arrival and Flight
We flew with Air transat, check-in was fine. We had preselected seats in bulk head section. Plane is small, though not as cramped as Skyservice. Flight was excellant, no turbulence. They served Wong Wing frozen food on the plane! LOL it was awful.

Rooms
I had requested from Toronto, a king size bed smoking close to the beach and got exactly that. We were in villa 9. It was lovely, very clean, comfy bed and a great Air conditioner! Our maid was super great and always provided us with clean towels and art displays. We did tip a few bucks each day and had brought various things to leave for her. Regardless of where your room is located, the trolley runs from 6 am until 3 am and is frequent and easy to hop on and off. It took us about a day to really figure out the hotel and its set up. I don't get why people are so confused. One side is Bavaro, one side is Punta Cana, there is adults only and diamond club section. The Bavaro and Punta Cana are exact replicas of each other, and you cannot use the Bavaro buffet if you are staying on the Punta cana side. easy!

Restaurants
We used the main buffet on the Punta Cana side pretty frequently. Hubby loved all the meat and I loved those mini pizzas. Omlettes in morning was delish and little fried sweet fritters were heavenly. Lunch was spent first at the beach bar, which we really did not like. But if you're into weird tasting hot dogs and burgers its your place. We soon found the buffet for lunch was awesome, lots of sandwiches, grilled chicken breast and lots of other yummy treats. We also went to the buffet for lunch at the seafood resto which was also very good. Dinner we had a few nights at the Buffet, and they had various theme's like American, Italian, Dominican etc. It was always great, lots to choose from. Pasta stn every night, always something being grilled, usually meat and/or fish. Desserts rocked! We were in heaven, they made this strawberry charlotte cake, and let me tell you, the hubby and I were ready to leave everything, move to P.C and eat this everyday. Sadly, it was never out again, so we decided to come home afterall.

We did two a la cartes: Japanese and Seafood.

Japanese was a delight, its tepanyaki style and the food is fresh tasting and its tons of fun. Unfortunately we had two rude and suckey people seated with us, but they soon left. CHEER UP PEOPLE, YOU'RE ON VACATION! The seafood resto was awesome. Lots of mini hor deuvres to stuff yourself on. Big hit for both of us.

Bars
Pool bar was great, loved Francisco. Call him 'mafioso' he gets a kick out of it. Guys at beach bar were hilarious too.

Beach and Pools
Beach was stunning. Lots of white sand, very wide, lots of room, beautiful trees and great water, not very much seaweed. Pool near beach was way over-crowded so we went to the one in the middle across from the club diamond one. We loved this pool it was huge and nearly deserted.

Grounds
The grounds were truly immaculate. So clean and well-kept. Always workers out there doing something to make it look great. Plants and trees around the hotel are just beautiful. Loved the bananna trees.

Activities and Entertainment
At night we went to the Pueblo Principe, which is just outside of the lobby. It's a huge terrace, like a piazza in Italy. With stores all around, and vendors in the main square. You can haggle with the vendors, not with the stores. There's also a disco, a karaoke bar, a casino and a live bad. We're not disco people so we kicked it at the karaoke bar (a laugh!) and the live band was just great. There are waiters who will come around to serve you drinks, they will ask for your room number. don't worry, IT IS INCLUDED! You do not need to pay for anything, just tip if you choose (and you should, cause they are great!)

Tours
We decided to do two tours. The first was Marinarium. You go by bus to another stop, where you get on a catamaran and go out to sea, in the middle of the ocean is a caged off area where you can snorkel with nurse sharks and manta rays which was simply amazing. We had alot of fun on this catamaran, music, coco loco's and then off to a natural pool where the water is spectacular and there's a floating bar! Awesome.
Next one we did was the Tropical Sunset cruise, which departs from the Jellyfish restaurant on the beach, it is advertised as a romantic cruise, it's really not it's more of a party, and had they advertised it as a party I probably would not have gone, but I am so glad we did. We went snorkelling in the ocean, to another natural pool, more booze and then to the Jellyfish restaurant for lobster dinners. Keep in mind, the lobster isn't like lobster from Maine, it's tasty, but not amazing. But it was such a cool restaurant and great staff on the catamaran!

Departure and Check Out
Departure was a bit of a pain. Our flight wasn't until 9:50 p.m, but we had to check out of the airport by noon. And shuttle to airport was at 5 p.m. If you want to get a room, you have to request it the day of departure, early, and pay 20 bucks an hour. No guarantee you will get yours. We weren't able to get a room, but friends we met were and so us and 3 other couples shared it and split the bill. It was good to have a nice clean place to go to shower and relax for a bit before we had to leave paradise. The shuttle was a little complicated, they wanted a check out slip, which few of us had received from the front desk. So we had to get back to front desk and get it. But we were able to get out and on the bus in a few minutes.

Conclusion
I would definitely recommend the hotel. My hubby and I had such a wonderful time, met great people, and loved the staff. It is a big resort, but you know that before you go.
SIDE NOTE - Hubby and I both got a bacterial stomach infection upon returning home, don't know where or how we picked it up, but it was not pleasant, had to take antibiotics and I was out of commission for a full 2 weeks, can't say it was from the food, or what not, but just thought I'd put it in here. And we did take Dukorol and other precautions.
But did I mention how awesome of a time we had while there?!?!? :P If anyone has any q's please feel free to message me on the board.

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April 2008

My name is Melanie (29) my husband(29) and I traveled with another couple (both 32) to Punta Cana in early April 2008.

Arrival and Flight
We flew from Halifax,NS Canada with Sky Service. Our package was booked trough Signature with a local travel agent. We paid around 1300$/each. Both flights were on time and went really well.

Rooms
Our travel agent had sent a e-mail prior to our arrival with a few request which were all meant with no problems. We had requested 2 rooms side by side, Upper floor, king size beds and also that our bracelet be upgraded to the Diamond club since we had visited a Bahia Principe (Puerto Plata) previously. This gave us access to the Diamond pool which in my opinion was much less crowded. The bracelet also gave us access to 20minutes of free internet per day in the Diamond club lobby. One big bonus was that we could make our a-la-carte reservation in the Diamond club lobby and had access to more restaurants.

Restaurants
We tried quit a few a-la-carte here is the list in order of preference:

#1 French Gourmet- This was our favourite. The food and service was out of this world. If we were to have that same meal here in Canada we would pay well over 200$ for 2 people. If you go try the Filet Mignon with pepper steak. Delicious.

#2 Japanese- I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the Japanese restaurant. I tried the sushi and it was awesome. The deep fried ice cream was also very good!

#3 Steakhouse- Also very good

#4 Italian- Very good.

#5 BBQ grill-I would skip this one it was basically the same food as the buffet. BUFFET- Was excellent my favourite meal of the day was breakfast I think we each had a lbs. of bacon each morning.

Bars
We found that the best place to get a drink was at the lobby bar at night. They made the drinks fresh and served them in real glass instead of plastic cup. Our favourite bar during the day was the swim up bar at the Diamond pool. Awesome. We had a full day of Tequila and Mamaujana shooters…

Beach and Pools
The beach was gorgeous but as others mentioned there was a little bit more seaweeds than I expected. But all in all it's a gorgeous beach and for sure much much better than Puerto Plata.

We visited 3 pool while we were there and all 3 had a pool-bar and were very clean.

Grounds
The grounds are breathtaking and I think they rival any resorts in punta Cana. Just gorgeous!

Activities and Entertainment
We went to the Michael Jackson and The Circus night and found they were both good. We were mostly tired at night though and went to bed early.

Tours
We did the one day Caribbean Festival tour and went swimming with Sharks/Stingrays and snorkelling in a coral reef. It was pretty amazing but I don't think I would go again. I enjoyed the OUTBACK jeep safari we did the year before better.

Departure and Check Out
Everything went smooth and our plane even arrived back in Halifax early.

Conclusion
I would recommend this resort to anyone. It was above what I expected and in my opinion worth all of the 5 star.

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April 2008

Hi Debbie
Just wanted to let you know, we have just returned from the Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana. We stayed in the Premiere section of the resort. It was absolutely beautiful! Well manicured, gorgeous grounds. The resort is huge, bigger than I imagined. The people were fantastic! For those travelling soon, say hello to Humberto our bar tender, Lilliman, Jhuan and Hosea our waiters. The rooms were very clean, traveled with our two boys (11 & 12 years old) my 2 cousins and 2 friends.

The only draw back was we were so far from the beach. With kids this was important to be near the beach and in a convenient area. They would have met more kids because the main pool closest to the beach was the busiest. For those that like the quiet, Premiere section is good. The food was fantastic. The a la carte restaurants were booked pretty quickly, so book asap if you want good eating times, you may be stuck eating at 9:00pm at night. The nightly entertainment was ok. I prefer the Carribean flavour myself. I find they have lost some of their culture trying to please everyone else. One night was a tribute to Michael Jackson...yeah, ok. Another night was the Lion King...4 of us fell asleep during the show at times. On the Casino side I enjoyed the “House Band” they were very good.

I would go back again definitely, although I would book close to the beach (complex #4 would have been perfect) We were in complex # 44 almost the farthest away. My cousin who travelled a few weeks before was upgraded to the the new adults only section- he loved it and it looked very nice and private- very close to the beach.

This was a definite 5 star- the beach was the nicest I have seen although we did not get to see the sunsets. (We also visited Varadero, Cuba and the sunsets were amazing!) The sun sets behind the resort and is blocked by land. If you want to catch the sunrise, be up before 5 am!

All in all a great vacation, weather was 31 degrees everyday and only rained the first night. Beautiful sunshine and heat every day.

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April 2008

I just returned from the Gran Bahia Principe bavaro we stayed in the Premier section, it is a fabulous resort. I just wanted to say that I met so many wonderful people from the dominican! The staff were the happiest people I have ever met no matter what their job was , I think many people could learn from the dominicans and their

in the 7 days we were there we never had a bad meal there is so much selection you can always find something you like. The resort is so clean every time we turned around someone was cleaning something. The gardens were fabulous every day people were working on them we even saw people washing the walk ways.

our weather was great for 5 out of 7 days the other three we had showers and very windy.... when i say that it rained it rained for 10 minutes and then got sunny but it did that all day, nothing you can do about the weather it was actually refreshing to get cooled off! and it was amazing to see a storm by the ocean the waves are huge!

the beach was very busy lots of people, but we always found a quiet spot, around the pool they had lots of action for those who want it beach volleyball and exercise and bingo but we are old and wanted quiet,

if you want a good spot by the pool or the ocean grab your towels and leave them there early in the morning they fill up fast!

I like that we were never harrassed by people to do extra things, they were walking around us but they left us alone which is what we wanted.

lots of security especially at night so i felt very safe.

When you first get there you book 3 restaraunts for the week you are allowed only three, the rest of the week you go to the buffets, which every night was a different theme so the food is still fabulous and you can eat when you are hungry. we went to the garden grill and had steak both of our meals were perfect. we went to a mexican restaurant again the meal was great, and the mediterean was also good. the only complaint about these restaurants that we had was our reservations were very late 9:00 or 9:15 after a day at the beach and bars we found it to be too late for us, and if our children were there it wouldn't have worked for us.

it was a surprise for us that wine was an extra cost at meals....we found that out at our first meal. We drank beer and pop at the mexican and grill restaurants.

the snack restaurants by the beach were very busy, good food but line ups, it was only myself and my husband so no bid deal for us

the little trolly that drives you all over came in handy too if you forget something we were a good 15min walk from the beach, which made our area quiet, but the walk in the heat in the middle of the day could be alot so you hop in the trolly.

we were in the premier section of the resort we got discounts at the spa . it was also nice that we had our own snack place that was never too busy, and our own bar and pool for people in our area..

the shopping area was very interesting they have shops where the prices are set and there is no bartering and then they have vendors with carts who will barter with you if you want to play that game with them, we found it best to look in the stores first get a true idea of what the value of things were first. we tried to buy a wooden coffee grinder from a vender he asked for $75.00 it was worth $13.00 in the store. i don't want to bash the vendor, the vendors are trying to survive they do not have steady paychecks like us visitors but we felt better knowing what things were really worth and then talking to the guys outside.

we paid $26 for a safe in our room well worth it.
we got 20minutes free each day on a computer which was lots for us best to sign up first thing in the morning it filled up but always got a time.
we took the signature tour operators advice and bought a calling card so we could call home 20 min for $15.00

we loved the resort, we are planning to go back in december with our three teenagers. I would only want to stay in the Premier area we walked through the other area's and they were packed with people the main pool by the ocean was always packed , it is a massive resort , i loved our quieter area, and the amount of things to do will be great for our kids we can't wait to go back!

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