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| Grand Paradise Samaná |
Grand Paradise Samaná: Grand Paradise Samaná Reviews |
| Total User's Score 3.7
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By Occasion... |
By Traveller Type... |
| Based on 16 reviews |
| Excellent |
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1 |
| Very good |
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6 |
| Average |
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8 |
| Poor |
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1 |
| Terrible |
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0 |
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| Family |
2 |
| Solo Traveller |
1 |
| With Spouse/Partner |
2 |
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| Not a 4 staff |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
User Rating:
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Bonnie >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
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| The bus trip to the resort took over 2 hours not the 40 minutes promised. The guide stopped for beer for some passengers so we had to make another "pit stop" before we arrived at the hotel. Were told that we would only get one key per room or we could pay $3.00 per day for an extra key. This is the hotel chain's policy which I feel is unsafe and an inconvience. |
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| Your Arrival |
| Arrival went smoothly but there were not enough welcome drinks for all arriving passengers. |
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| Rooms |
| Rooms were very clean but need upgrading. Not all the equipment worked well. You needed the key to use the ac or lights which was a problem with only one key. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Food was good and plentiful. The plates in the specialty areas were hot but the food was not. You had to get up and get your own drinks as there were not enough staff. The chef in the buffet area was upset when you asked to have your meat a little more browned. Bar service was good but on the night of the pool show they left one poor bartender alone in the pool area. Also, I did not see any food tables set out on the beach as previously mentioned, there was also no food at the appointed bar during "snack time" |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| Beach was nice. There was a lot of seaweed in the water but the beach was cleaned daily of the seaweed. Pools were kept clean. The grounds were well maintained but there were horses so you did have to watch for their deposits. One was by our patio the first night giving us a scare. More lighting on some paths would also help. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| We did not participate in any off resort activities. The activity staff on the resort were pleasant and encouraging to visitors. They work long hours and provide excellent evening entertainment |
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| Other Comments |
| I do not appreciate the tour companies fabrication of the time it takes to get to this resort - you would need a divided highway to get their in the 45-60 minutes. Was we boarded the bus to leave our guide told us we would be at the airport in 70 minutes - the whole bus laughed at him! This could be a very nice resort if it was upgraded = worth the drive! |
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| Needs a lot of work |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
| User Rating:
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Donnie >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
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| Took this trip after original trip was cancelled because company went out of business. If I had to give this critic at the time of arrival it would have been much different. I calmed down a little. Went with 8 people, family and friends. My purpose was to relax, read, eat, drink and veg.. Bottom line, no problems with the staff, they appear to work long hours and although some can't speak English, ,most try to help. The rooms/grounds need work to bring it up to comfortable. One keycard is inconvenient and unsafe. If there were two people in the room and one wanted to go to sleep, the other went out, you would have to either leave the sliding door open, wait up for them, or have them try to wake you and the neighbours by pounding the door trying to get in. If it were a family, Mom or dad took the kids back to bed early then the remaining parent would have to do as above or manouver in the dark. The key turns on the electricity. The other alternative is to pay 3.00 us /day for another key. NWouldn't go back and wouldn't recommend it. 3 stars was being generous. |
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| Your Arrival |
| Had been raining for a few days when we arrived. Advertised 90 min drive from airport extended considerably because of the rain and work crews on the road. Arrived at hotel, check in went well but more so because of my organized sister (seasoned traveller). Only one key, understand the reasoning but it's both a huge inconvience and unsafe. |
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| Rooms |
| We had a total of 4 rooms. Mine was probably the worst. Air conditioning didn't work, bed/bedding was awful. I think they wash and dry foam pillows and they consisted of a pillowcase full of foam lumps. The shower head was broken off the wall. The air conditioner was fixed promptly but had a terrible moldy smell whey it was on. Report the broken shower to the air canada rep to get it fixed and even though they reattached it to the wall(tricky trying to hold shower head and wash)it had two streams of water coming out. The room appeared clean and was cleaned every day. My point being I didn't ask for fancy, I wasn't in there most of the time, but a little comfort with functioning equip would have gone a long way. Similar problems with the other 3 rooms. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Good variety, not always hot, chef/cook get a little upset when you ask to put red meat back on the grill for a bit. Open air subject to bugs(not so bad), bird droppings ( not do good). Good bar |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
Nice beach, pools a little small but I preferred the beach, vendors on the beach weren't a problem . Took no for an answer well. Wild horses around the beach and grounds. Had to watch you didn't walk into major mounds of.....
Path ways could have been lit alot better, dim lighting may look nice but a bit unsafe at night |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| Not there for activities, but staff appeared to encourage participation in all the activities. I went for the all inclusive so I wasn't interested in spending more money for excursions. |
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| Total relaxation for us and our friends -But we are not hard to please!!! |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
| User Rating:
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Sherri >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| As everyone I read reviews, but till you experience it's your opinon is all that matters. On that note this is mine.I found the resort very tidy, green and lush. It rained for 4 days, so had sun for 3. We made due as where I live it happens too. Staff was terrific, especially Noris,Wendy(maid) and Jose(bartender).Our room was oceanview, very tidy and clean. No problem with water tons of pressure, Tv worked -yeah not many English stations but I am not there to watch it. Horses outside my patio, but security shooed them away. I like horses so that doesn't bother me as much as rude people. But I only met a few so not a big deal. I really appreciated not hearing the BOOM to BOOM music. Activities were plenty and the staff were great. They put on terrific shows in the evening.Beach was awesome and the view was for me beautiful. You can walk to the town of Las Gerlas in 10-15 mins -1 way. I made a family very happy with babyclothes I brought. Very friendly people and most grateful. |
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| Your Arrival |
Flight was on time with AC. Quick through customs and onto the bus. 2 hour bus ride they even stopped so you could purchase beverages if you chose.
Construction was on for new waterlines, which in my view is very important for the Dominican people. We have construction on going all summer here so grin and bare it. Check in at the resort quick and yes 1 key, 2 towel keys. You go later to get TV remote and safe key ($15.00US) for the week. Had our luggage taking to our room. Tip $2.00. Now I am here so let my vacation begin, and it did.
You just can't let the little things ruin a week by dwelling on it. My saying is suck it up Buttercup!!The other alternative is just not that great... |
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| Rooms |
1107 -by reception/oceanview.
2 dbl beds, mattress ok, pillows just fair. But I knew I was not going to have my memory foam mattress or pillows like home.
Fridge stocked with pop and water. Key used for lights/AC..
Patio doors and patio set. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
1 Buffet and 2 Al la carte. Food was plentiful I just found not hot enough for me. You make your reservations for Al la carte the same day you want it. They are right front and center as you enter the buffet.
5 bars in total. I used 3 of them. Sure like those Banana Papa's!! |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
3 pools in total, looked clean enough to me and I am a pool supervisor home. Could be freshly painted. Lots of chairs around and please shower before entering pool as that is where you get most of the dirt into the pool!!
Grounds very well maintained, I gave hats out to the garderners.
Beach awesone, tons of chairs/shade and sun. Bar grill there and 2 bars.
Vendors do not bother you. Though some of certain groups don't mind stripping in front of you to change into their attire. Not hardly any topless around(sorry guys), and course well those speedos (figure it out). |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| Tons of activities -ping pong, pool,archery,volleyball,croquet,shuffleboard,kayaks,snorkelling,aquafit,bingo,etc,etc. Can do it or not -I prefer the not!! |
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| Other Comments |
This resort is older but they have maintained it well and I am sure renovations will be up and coming. My husband fixed our shower and our friends -if no water pressure A)Take CLR down B.)Use toothpick to clean the water spout.. There problem solved!! If more of ya's in the room then purchase the 2nd key. Again problem solved!!
Safe -you have total control as you use your password, and if it doesn't cooperate -be nice and ask at front desk for some help. Which I did. Hint use 4 numbers not 6.
Hope this all helps you and have a very nice happy vacation as alot of people are in worse positions than us -just think of Haiti or someone ill in your life.
Adios |
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| Dream vacation |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
| User Rating:
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Silvana >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2010 | Leisure | Solo
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| I stayed in the Grand paradise, Samana. It included my flight, buses, food, table wine, juices stocked in room fridge. There was also free scuba diving, etc. I am 64 and went on my own. The hotel complex was so safe and a wonderful place. you have entertainment every night, a disco, all inclusive. Like a small holiday camp with 2 pools. Everyone there went out of thier way to please you. I loved my two weeks and want to return. |
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| Your Arrival |
| middle two weeks in march'09 |
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| Rooms |
| a ground floor room, a guy bringing me a fresh coconut every day |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| i think 4 bars plus restaurant bar |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| a couple times a week they set out tables by the beach for you to eat, a wonderful expierience. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| tennis, mini golf, many more |
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| Other Comments |
| I highly recomend this, specially to families and older people |
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| Was an OK Resort |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
| User Rating:
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Norma >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| Your Arrival |
| Air Canada arrived on time and we had no problems at the airport with luggage etc. It took us a little over 2 hours to get to the hotel. Rough road because of construction. Found the front desk was fairly efficient but some people were not shown where their rooms were and had to drag their luggage around until they found it. |
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| Rooms |
| Rooms were clean. The maids took time to make sure the beds had a different theme everyday and put flowers on the bed to dress it up. The bathroom fixtures were a little outdated but everything worked. We only had 1 room key and that operated the hydro as well. Not a huge deal unless you forgot to take it with you. Rooms were quiet with no noise from others. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Bars were good. The bar at the beach was limited in what drinks they knew how to make but the bars at the pools were fully trained. The food at the buffet was good with a nice variety every night. The a le cartes were disappointing. The seafood one was deep fried (whole)fish that was dried out and cold. Not much choice on the salad bar. The Italian one was not a whole lot better. You had to watch the menue because there was a "free" section and a section that you had to pay for the meal. Lunch was good with lots of variety as well. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| The grounds were ok. Fallen branches were not picked up and you had to watch for falling coconuts. The farm next to the resort had a habit of letting their horses graze on the resort and every now and then they would decide to run through where people were laying at the beach leaving us nice parcels on the ground. That was usually cleaned up in a timely fashion. Wild dogs also roamed the beach. There were chickens in the buffet at breakfast and lunch. They didn't harm anyone but it you weren't born on a farm you might not appreciated it. The pools were small but lively but we didn't use them. The beach itself was always full of sea weed and not very wide. Basically you had a chair up a small embankment on the grass which was ok. No cabana's but lots of palm trees for shade |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
The staff got everyone interested in something and there was a variety to choose from.
We took the trip to the VIP Beach. Supposed to be one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. It was a beautiful beach except where we had to sit. Our little section was right in front of where all the locals tied their motor boats so we couldn't get in the water there and had to look at them from our chairs. The bathrooms overflowed into the swamp behind which in turn drained into the ocean right beside where we sat. The stench almost made your stomach turn and people were walking through it. The guide we had was really great and looked after us but he wasn't too happy with me when I pointed out the sewage draining. He said it was just the swamp but it didn't take much to know it was more than swamp water. My husband and I went way down the beach to go swimming but down there you had to rent a chair just to put your towel on it. The beach is beautiful and no one lives on it in that area. I was just horrified that we paid really good money to sit in front of the boats and smell and see sewage draining into the ocean right beside where we sat. |
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| Other Comments |
Beautiful area of Dominican. Mountains and lush foilage. Poverty was very evident though. Very few vehicles. Most people rode the motorcycle taxi, horse or walked.
I would go back again though as it was a very quiet resort and nice for relaxing. |
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| A great trip. |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
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James from Calgary >
2 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jun, 2009
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Arrival: June 2009
The package was through Air Canada Vacations. Had a good flight in, processing through the airport was quick. The bus ride was about 90 minutes and very bumpy. Scenery was great.
Rooms:
Rooms were great, clean and well looked after, Air Conditioning worked great though a second key card is recommended in order to keep the AC running while away from the room. Maids were awesome.
Restaurants and Bars:
The choice at the main buffet was lacking. The beach BBQ on the day of arrival was the best. The seafood restarant was lacking as well. We didn't go for the food so we were not disappointed
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The resort was well laid out and looked after. The beach was awesome. Nice white sand and very warm water.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Took and ATV tour to Playa Rincon beach which is another spectacular beach. The tour was through a tour company we found in Las Galeras, Augusto Tours. They were located on the main drag in town. They were a pleasant surprise.
Other Comments:
Overall this was a great trip. Would go back.
jimdrolfe@hotmail.com |
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| I would not go back to this resort. |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
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Jennifer from Calgary >
2 contribution(s) Canada |
| Apr, 2009
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Arrival: April 11 to 18
Flight was fine, arrived on time. Staff at airport snapped at me because he couldn't see my tourist card but it was in my hand. Two hours on a bus on a road with potholes everywhere. I was relieved to make it in one piece. Check-in went smooth.
Rooms
The room was fine, housekeeping did an okay job on certain days, bad on others. We do not speak french or spanish fluently but they stuck us on the french side of the resort and we had to deal with parties every night. Loud enough to shake the glass doors on the balcony. We complained every night but did not get any help at all. They actually wanted us to pack up at 11 at night and move to another room.
Restaurants and Bars
Food was good enough, I got sick one day. I lost 8 pounds in a week there. If you found one wait staff that spoke english you were lucky.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was okay. The water gave us rashes. We went to Playa Rincon, which you needed to take a boat to, and it was beautiful. You had to pay to use it. The swimming pools at the resort were okay, but not deep enough.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The couple with me took an ATV tour. They went for 6 1/2 hours and came back red and brown from the dirt. My friend was not happy about the ATV ride. Too long. We also went to Limon Falls. We took a taxi, and then rode horses down. The horse ride was scary, the horses weren't taken care of and just about collapsed. The walk down the rest of the way was fine, but the walk up was really hard. The falls were worth it though.
Other Comments
I would not go back to this resort. The way they cater to the french bothered me and the rest of my friends. The parties every night were awful. The front desk was awful. A couple from Calgary had to go into Samana to get money because there was no money in the bank machine. Gifts were expensive. Someone was always trying to sell you something, and they were very forward and wouldn't leave when you said no. So if you like 90's dance music with french lyrics pounding outside your door all night, and DON'T want to relax on your vacation go here. |
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| Great resort if you're french ! |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
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Fred from Kingston >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2009
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Arrival: Feb 8th to 22nd
Air Canada vacations 6am to Toronto 8;30 to Samana OH add an extra 1 hr 15 minutes to that for delays, arrived at 3:30 PM Sunday the 8th via Air Canada After an exciting 2 hrs to hotel when it shold of been 45 min. ( A LIE ) Wife being a Diabetic and waiting 12 hrs was desperate for a little food so she could to take her insulin. She was told absbsolutely not" wait till 6:30. No porters or smiles upon arrivals, just a bunch of long faces and a run down lobby.
Rooms
I know for sure a lot of people that write reviews have never been to a true 4 star resort before. But I can assure them them, they will find shock and AWW when they visit a true 4 star. These rooms are a joke !!! Have you ever heard the phrase of pinch a penny to save nickle, Steal from Peter to give to paul. No TV for two weeks, no water first two days had to fight to get it. Need soap or shampoo gring your own to eliminate the hassel. Toilet sinks not cleaned even tough we left 2 bucks aday plus sweets. We had a different maid for two days and she was very appreciative and did a good job.
Restaurants and Bars
What can I say ! 30 out of 34 people got ill including wife and myself , that really makes for a great holiday. This is the worst We've ever experienced anywhere out of 7 resorts. Buffets are so small you better get there early to eat the raw food, ever watch a pride of lions on TV feeding on a fresh kill, Well these Europeans and their so called refinement just went down the indoro and I mean literally, We ate bread the last four days as you would get sick just looking at the food.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pools great for kids ! To small to swim in for adaults, NO swim up bars bars about 200ft away. Bar tenders very good especially when you tip them like we did, got great service. The boos is cheap but who cares we didn't drink enough where that matters. Grounds are well kept and basically makes this place looks better then it really is. BEACH" have any of you ever been to a beach ?
After Cuba and Punta Cana, Sant domingo area. There is NO Beach here ! It is low tide when they take their pics, at high tide water is to the tree lines and if you notice everyone lying on the grass , not on the beach. You think you can just walk out into the ocean wrong I broke my big toe first time out, all weeds and sink holes so good luck there. The only place you can go is where they sell snorkel and Scuba trips and walk out from there, it's alright. Lots of loungers but hard to get away from the sun.
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Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went Whale watching it was great , saw 6 whales weren't big but still awsome, it was really rough when we went out and many people got sea sick, but we were OK and enjoyed the trip. Saw a sea turtle when walking out at high tide just wife and I really a pretty thing to see.
Other Comments
I'm dissabled and this is not the resort for you ! I LOVE Dominican People and found out that this is a stepping stone resort, these people work 17hrs a days 11 days straight with 3 days off, I speak a little Spanish and talked to three different employees. So don't be sooo cheap and leave the a buck here and there. Great resort if you're french ! But I'm not and would never advise anybody to go to this one Star resort. A two star in Cuba at a third the price would be better Believe me. WE DO NOT AVISE ANYONE TO GO HERE ! THERE ARE BETTER PLACES AT BETTER RATES ! |
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| Very family friendly. |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
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Marion from BC >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2009
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Arrival: Jan 16 - 19
We drove from visiting Dominican family so although the distance from various airports may not be so far the roads are really poor - and this hotel is right at the end of the roads so don't be upset if it ends up being a long drive
Rooms:
Really liked the rooms - they looked recently renovated and loved the decks so we could sit out and enjoy the night (and we didn't pay for any special view). My parents and in-laws had mobility issues and front desk upgraded to ocean view rooms to allow them easier access as well as keeping us all in the same building (and we hardly had to ask). First room the A/C didn't work so they moved my parents right away.
Restaurants and Bars:
All restaurants and bars were good but one bartender didn't smile ever - we tipped him anyways considering the poor guy got stung a bunch of times making drinks and the service was fine - just not with a smile - but everywhere else (restaurants and buffets) was terrific
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Loved the kiddy pool - had various depths and my kids LOVED it. there is a special area for French and Swiss I believe but we never went there and the very small animation staff (dominican) were awesome anyways so why would we care?
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
No but animation team (including kids club) were professional and awesome - really LOVED the step aerobics on the beach (and I am not a step person) - burned some calories and with an amazing view - better than other places that have "water aerobics" and its just party games - actually got 1-2 workouts a day and REALLY appreciated that (am a fitness instructor myself), also night time shows were with the small staff and they made them fun and entertaining
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Other Comments:
Very family friendly, were respectful to my parents (grandparents) as well as the kids club being much more careful than other locations. But if you have ever been to the DR you have to understand the water is not under their control (it is cleaner than many but they can't control how murky it is!), some things won't work but like anywhere else in the DR you have to complain enough before it gets fixed, also I found it insulting they would say all the food was recycled and of course the water always makes you sick - well my family never had that problem and they were very ill in another much more expensive resort - sometimes people wander out of the hotel and drink or eat outside and expose themselves to different things there too (not to say the hotel is perfect and couldn't make anyone sick) but it all has to be taken in stride. We found the staff amazing and my family only spoke English. Also highly recommend the photographer at the hotel - they don't charge a sitting fee and will try to sell you a bunch of photos but they took AMAZING photos of our family and our 2 year old was sick (cold) so you can imagine how easy that was but they gave us awesome family shots, romantic shots and kids and water shots - really really good - would pay triple the price in Canada and still have been happy (and they give you the negatives on disk don't sell the individual prints) - any questions email us and we will let you know
arisandmarion@yahoo.com |
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| Stay away from this one unless you can speak french. |
| Grand Paradise Samaná |
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Sid from Ontario >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jan, 2009
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Arrival: Dec 29/08 to Jan 5/09
This is a summary of how our day went when we arrived at Grand Paradise Samana Dominican Republic,
-2 hour drive from airport ,not 45 minutes as advertised
-arrived at Grand Paradise at 2:30 pm,told room not ready until 3pm
-returned at 3pm room still not ready ,back at 5 pm still not ready
-in room at 5:30 pm
-no bedding in room,no towels, told coming soon!
-had supper,back at front desk at 7 pm no bedding available, told soon
-Back at front desk at 10 pm seen manager and got bedding for 1 of 2 beds
-no lights or fixtures on top floor, hallways very dark and unsafe
-no hair dryer,iron,telephone or smoke detectors in room
-our garden view room overlooked a tin utility shed
-3 out of 5 in our group got sick and only ate and drank from resort
-on our last day they didn't even give us a wake up call we asked for,they even wrote it down in their book !! (no phone and no one knocked on door)
We were told by the front desk that they were overbooked and did not have the stuff to make up the rooms in that building.I talked to other people in that building and they were in the same position as well
Restaurants and Bars:
food in restaurants was good all around with a good variety
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
the beaches were cleaned daily and pools and the grounds were well kept,lots of chairs so you dont have to reserve early to get one.
Other Comments: this resort is very nice but is focused on the "lookea" club which is all french speaking and the staff was not interested in dealing with English speaking guests,so stay away from this one unless you can speak french
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| Old Reviews - Grand Paradise Samaná |
| Grand Paradise Samana |
Scott & Cheryl
Belleville, Ont
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| November 2008 |
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Arrival and Flight: The flight left Toronto at a great time 6:25 Am not too earyl (left on time) The food sucks but then most airline food does anyway! The usual movie played (already seen it but who cares) Airline staff were moderately friendly. The newer airport at El Catey was nice. No delays going through. Bus ride to resort ( approx 45 min.) Check in was OK. We carried our bags to our room. Electronic door card key did not work. It took 6 tries to get one that worked.
Rooms : Room was clean and large ( Gardenview) but were on the outside of the resort and could see the ocean from our veranda. (we were on the ground floor). We tipped our room maid very generously ($5)/ day had no problems. I think $1 /day is the norm. We always had extra water and sodas in the mini fridge. Flowers etc on the bed,
Restaurants: We used our two al carte visits to the resaurants. (Italian and seafood) They were good. They had mariachi musicians come around to play for each table.
Bars : We don't drink alcohol but the non alcohol drinks were good. Service was good. English at the bar was almost non existant. But point and smile and they will understand.
Beach and Pools : Beach was cleaned each day of seaweed. Pools were clean. Sufficient number of chairs were available at both the beach and pool.
Grounds : Grounds were cleaned every day. Very nice
Activities and Entertainment : The entertainment at night was very enthusiastic.
Tours : We went on two tours. The jeep safari and the National Park tour. Jeep Safari-Take candy to throw to the children and take some school supplies to leave. (paper is at a premium in the Dominican), pencils, pens, etc. Had a great time . Even saw some whales. National park- took a bus to the wharf where boats picked us up. (No life vests) Boats were in good shape. Must of had a bit of bad gas as the motor conked out half way across the bay. The driver got it going again with no further problems. The Park was great. They have a bird sanctuary. The tour was to stop at a resort on an island but did not do so. Because we booked at the hotel, the Sunquest Rep got us $20USD each back.
Departure and Check Out : Checkout took some time to get through in the hotel but there were 105 people leaving. Not too bad. Airport again took a little time but just be patient.
Conclusion : Had a great time. We are planning on going back in Jan 2009. Don't be in a great hurry and realize that it is a third world. The Canadian standards and D.R. standards are different.
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| Grand Paradise Samana |
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Some members of the staff call the hotel Marina Bay while others call it Grand Paradise. But this is only a small detail.
No happy people at the front desk. We arrived at 5 p.m. and they did not have controls for the TV, identification for the children, etc. etc. All the hotel was dirty, a lot of flies. A lot of rain and people falling down because it was slippery and nobody was cleaning any area. We arrive to the room and there was not drinking water. When we tried to get some water (around 10 p.m.) at one of the bars they sent us to the lobby. They took our room number and we received the water after midnight, yes, after midnight because I told them I need water to drink a medicine. We paid for the security box and it didn't work. Next day we went back for the TV control as they told us and they said they did not have any available. These are only few of the amazing things that happened. The only thing I can honestly tell you that is excellent are the shows. I will not be back to this hotel. |
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| Grand Paradise Samana |
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We stayed here Jan 7 to 14, 2008. This hotel is marketed to Canadians as the Grand Paradise Samana by Sunquest Tours.
The hotel is clean and well maintained. The staff were all very good and helpful and most spoke reasonable English and good French.
My only complaint was with the internet service, they had 1 old computer working on the day I paid $5.00 for an hour .
It broke down before I got to use it, and when I left 3 days later the mouse still needed to be replaced.
The beach is cleaned regularly but there are large beds of sea weeds just off shore, so there is always more sea weed coming in.
The beach area has an erosion problem where the sand is being washed away between the line of palm trees on the shore and the sea weed beds.
This results in you wading out in the sand and then you have to step up on the sea weed bed.
Tours: We booked a tour to Limon Falls in town with a guy named Augusto, $40 where it is $69 through the hotel.
The trail that the horses took was deep mud with rocks sticking out. It went ok but the final walk down to the falls is not for the physically challenged.
We were met at the falls by the woman from the gift shop who tried to charge us admission, fortunately we had a woman in our group that said no, this is all inclusive and after a bit of arguing we were let in.
I am glad to have been there but do not plan on going back. |
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| Grand Paradise Samana |
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Travelled from Dec. 17th- 24th.
Check in- fairly smooth, we were first off the bus- flight was delayed by 1 hour but they saved lunch for us. We first had to check in, but they did not give us the room key, they told us to leave the luggage at the front, go eat and come back for the room key. Took us a while to find the lunch place as we were new to the resort. Of course everyone was told the same thing, so by the time everyone came back from lunch, there was another line up to get the room key and only 1 porter who could only take apprx 4 bags at one time.
After waiting ½ hour for the bags to go to the room, we decided not to waste anymore time in the day, and just took the bags ourselves and carried them up the stairs ourselves.
Food- I found it got better as the week went on---probably because it was closer to X mas and mid week the flight from Paris came in---so you could see the cuisine changed slightly as well to accommodate them. Food was definitely recycled at lunch from the previous dinner dishes. They were just cut into smaller pieces and made into cold dishes and salads.
Pool- I found was actually oily, dirty and full of bugs, but I still swam in it. I was not impressed by the beach at all-the water in the ocean was mirky, green and once you were in there you could barely see your legs underneath you and lots of seeweed to contend with.
Excursions- we did not do the hotel excursions. Instead we found a mini van driver- Freddie- who graciously took us one day to Limon falls where we did a horseback ride and took pictures at the falls, then went to playa Rincon and chilled at the beach, had lunch/dinner over there overlooking the beach and sunset. Trip was totally worth it. For approx. 7 of us- I think we may have paid about 15 dollars each in transportation, 10 dollars to ride the horseback each, gave a 10 dollar tip to the horse escort who worked really hard, and paid for the food at playa Rincon. Playa Rincon was such a clear beach and very nice to swim in. If you climb the hill just passed the restaurant/ grill - the other side of the ocean is warmer and has nice waves.
Disco- very lame, but hey I still went. They have the dry ice machines which they use very frequently in that very small disco area. The last day I just could not take the smoke in there---made me very naseous so I had to leave the disco. They play older music-early 90’s.
Shows- they were good, entertaining and they really got the audience involved.
Rooms- were were upgraded to an oceanview room---same as a regular room only an ocean view. They did an okay job of cleaning the room, however I found that probably for the whole week our sheets were never changed. If you wanted to change towels, you had to tell her or leave them in the bathtub as they indicated on the notice---but even when I left them in the bathtub, I found they just recycled it. The bathtub was never cleaned, so we had to do it at night, as it became very sandy and muddy. Mid week- they only supplied us with ½ a toilet paper roll.
Mosquitos- yes definitely got a lot of that after sun down-even after putting bug spray.
Hair braidining- did this on the beach for 15 dollars for ½ of my head. However if you go into Las galeras which is about a 10 min. walk from the hotel- there is a salon there that will do it for 10 dollars.
Alcohol- wanted to buy a few gifts. Gift store was definitely expensive. In Las Galeras there are a few grocery stores, we bought a 750 ml rum for 8 dollars. However at the airport duty free- all the alcohol was much cheaper. The same bottle of Rum was for 6 dollars there.
Airport is very very clean, bathroom are very well maintained.
For those of you that have a gym routine, there is no gym there.
I would rate this as a 3.5 star hotel and would not go back there again.
I heard very good reviews from those that boarded the plane with us in Samana that stayed at the Bahia principe’s and they said that the water on their side was very clear.
/td>
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| Grand Paradise Samana |
Trudi & Larry
Ontario Canada
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| March 2007 |
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My husband and I stayed at Casa Marina Bay Jan. 27 - Feb. 3 /07
We flew Canjet /Sunquest, the flight was fine although delayed in Toronto for de-icing , which put arrival in DR 3 hrs late .
Arrived at the new Samana airport , through customs no problem and fairly quick, very nice airport but no amenities yet only clean washrooms .
bus ride to resort was in a small bus clean and A/C.
The ride took 1.75 hrs on rough road in spots but the driver was good.
Upon arrival at the resort , it was dark due to the 3 hr delay back home.
Check-in was quick and smooth probably because only 18 guests arriving.
We were shown to our room (oceanview ) nice but to far away from outlets for me due to health condition. We requested another room closer to main area., which was taken care of the next day and we were moved.
Rooms very nice size and very clean. cleaned daily and fridge stocked with bottled water , Coke , & Sprite( brand names) Lots of towels but no face cloths.
The buffet restaurant had a good variety of food and it change most days.
There are 2 a la carte restaurants , seafood and Italian, tried both again very good Snack bar every pm served pizza , tea, & pastries daily.
Pools were clean and warm 86'F
the beach area was large and located in private bay very private but seaweed came in on the tide..but no complaints.
Chairs were in abundance both beach and pool, you never had get up early to reserve.
Presidente beer was good and cold and mix for my gin and tonic was Canada Dry. along with ginger ale and club soda.
the only negative thing was the communication , not enough English spoken by the staff. the spoke French and German and Spanish
Tours , we only went to the town of Samana for a whale watching tour $79.00 us which was awesome Miss Kim's Tours, English spoken .
We feel Casa Marina Bay deserves and good testimonial , you will enjoy , we did. |
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| Grand Paradise Samana |
Bryan
Ottawa, ON
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| March 2007 |
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Flights
As always, Sunquest was using Skyservice for the flights. As this is the first time that they have offered Samana as a destination from Ottawa it was via POP. This caused problems on both our south-bound and north-bound trips as some of the seats we were assigned were assigned at other airports as well. On the southbound trip we were moved from the exit row to Row 1 as those seats had been assigned in POP so we would not be able to stay in those seats the entire trip. Turns out row 1 has more leg room than the exit rows anyway.
On the northbound trip our seats were again assigned to someone else getting on in POP so we were moved again. It was actually good this time as I got an isle seat instead of the middle seat. For some reason the regular leg room seemed to have a wee bit more room than last year (perhaps a ½ inch) but maybe it was because I had the isle and could stretch one leg out.
I hope that once Samana picks up in volume they stop this dual flight from Ottawa as it leads only to confusion with the seat assignments. We also had to get off in POP got through a “security screening” and wait with the embarking passengers while the plane was serviced.
Check In
After the 90 minute bus ride to the resort (of which the Air Conditioning broke about 30 minutes into the trip) we arrived at the resort.
Check in was very good. There were 12 people on the bus to the resort, 8 which were part of our group. I had emailed about a week before asking for a complimentary room upgrade and was pleasantly surprised to have gotten it. It was a great way to start our stay.
The keys to the safe are $15.00 USD per week and for some reason they wouldn’t do that at check in so we had to go back an hour later to get it. No big deal. The key allows you to program in your personal code into the safe so only you know it.
Room
As mentioned we were upgraded to a Villa/Bungalow and it was very nice – looked just like the brochure pictures (so those rooms do exist!). Off the veranda was both an Ocean View and Garden View that we could sit outside in the morning and relax or even sit and enjoy a coffee in the late afternoon.
There was 1 double bed on the main level, the loft had 2 twin beds and there was a pull out bed in the love seat.
We had no problems with the water pressure or hot water supply. The resort did lose water a couple times but it was always back within an hour at most. The power also went out a couple times for a minute or so. The longest one was for about 30 minutes in the middle of the night.
Each room has a card reader that you need to insert your room card into for the Air Conditioning and Lights to work. Ours must have been rigged as it stayed on without the card but the rest of our party had to insert it for it to work. The front desk may say no to a second room card but politely ask again and they will give you one (just don’t tell them it’s so you can leave the A/C running!).
Food
It was typical resort food. The selection at Breakfast rarely changed so that got hard to pick stuff from after 2 weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I always found something and it normally tasted good but it was a challenge. There is a crepe station at breakfast as well as an omelet station – both were good.
Lunch was normally eaten at the beach at the Seascape and was Burgers, Pizza, Fries, Pasta, Hot Dogs, etc. I didn’t try the main buffet for lunch so I don’t know the selection.
Supper was always a different theme each night at the buffet so that was good. We also did Marino’s (Italian a la Carte) and it was good too (we went about 3 times in fact). To book the a-la cartes, go to the Seascape between 11:00 & 1:00 the day you want and make your reservations. Note that they are closed to most people on Monday (I’ll explain later).
Afternoon snacks – Pizza is served from a wood fired oven next to the main pool from 3:00 – 4:00 pm. Then the pool bar offers a tea time from 4:00 – 6:00 pm with coffee/tea and cookies (while supplies last).
Evening Snacks – The Pool Bar offers sandwich making items beginning at 11:00 pm for those who get the munchies.
NOTE: Supper at the Buffet: There are 2 seating’s. You must book at breakfast to be part of the 6:30 seating or you will have to wait until 8:30. We had to get our Sunquest guide to get us in the first night as we didn’t get in till 4:00 and had no way to have known that before hand or do anything had we known. There were a couple diabetics traveling with us who would not be able to wait till 8:30 to eat.
Bars There are several bars to visit should you wish to. There is the main pool bar, the beach bar, Seascape, Buffet and the French pool (see comments later). The pool bar was the source for nightly karaoke (badly at that by one of the French animation staff) as well as the general spot we chose to hand around at night. Each bar we went to made good drinks.
The Beach
Being this our first time out of POP we were pleased to see the sand was nearly white. The tide tended to go down late morning so the raking of the seaweed was an afternoon task which wasn’t done too well (those raking were too busy looking that the topless women). Never did I see a raked pile actually removed so I’m sure they’ve been raking the same seaweed for months!
While you may have to move some chairs to where you want to sit, we never had a problem finding available ones to use. Some weren’t in the best condition but they worked.
A note for those with Children, I saw more topless sunbathing at this resort than I’ve seen at any other one. Some would even stroll up and down the beach topless. Didn’t bother us but if you have young children you may need to have a talk with them before going.
Pool
We didn’t make use of the main pools this trip but they seemed to come alive in the afternoon. You could walk by at 11:00 in the morning and only see a handful of people, but at 4:00 pm it was packed!
There is a “French Pool” (I’m quoting a staff member) that we made use of as well that is nice.
Entertainment
As with all resorts it is done by the in house staff and they do their best. Most of the shows I enjoyed a couple I didn’t, but they can’t please everyone. The one show I’d love to see again is the Pool show. They made use of fire in and around the pool and was by far the best show I’ve seen at any resort.
Activities
There are some organized activities for the general guest population but not too many. Most were organized by a French Tour Company.
Wedding
I think that this was about the third wedding that this resort has ever done. They have no designated areas for wedding so you have to hunt down your own location. As it turned out it started to downpour about 5 minutes before the service so we had to delay it and move it to the back up in door location (Seascape).
Money Exchange
This is offered at the front desk. And they were within 1 peso of the in town exchange services.
Trips
The only trip we did was to go into town for some shopping. We took a taxi (Marco) and it was $10.00 US return trip for up to 6 people. Unlike POP or Sosua they don’t barter too much in Las Galeras.
Explanation
As mentioned through out there was something that needs explaining. While this resort is new for Canadian tourists, apparently it has been offered for a few years from a French company (Look Voyages). This company brings so much business to this resort that they have their tour companies logo throughout the resort (which I’ve never seen), their own Animation staff, and Pool. While we crashed the pool a few times without problems it is widely known as the “French Pool”. While I have never seen such dominance at a resort, we were told by one of the resort staff members that they must “Keep the French Guests happy or lose your job”. Because of that statement alone I would not go back to this resort as I paid to go there as did everyone else and we should all be equals.
Summary
This resort is about to undergo a major expansion to basically double its size. The grounds were well kept, food was good, drinks were good and we had no problems with our room. While English is not widely spoken or understood by many of the staff they do try their best to get you what you are asking for. If you were to ask me if I’d go back to this resort again, right now the answer is no based on the explanation above. Once the resort and the Canadian Tour companies fix the equality issue I’d gladly return to this resort. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at bryanjbrown@rogers.com, or send me a Message on Debbie’s Travel Forum, user name ‘bryan’.
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