We stayed at the Coral Marien March 30 to April 6. We loved the resort.

Our trip was booked through Red Tag and was painless. They corrected my little mistakes and all was good.

4:30pm out of Toronto was a nice time to leave (no major rush like an early AM flight). Air Transat’s Airbus A330 is a very big plane, packed with a lot of people. 9 wide in the middle and not much elbow room. If you could see a TV you could follow along with the movie, but small screens placed far apart.... sucks.

D.R. customs was quick and easy. When outside the airport, relax and look for your bus, they won’t leave with out you (eight or nine buses were waiting for our flight).

Check in was nice, only 10 people from our flight were at this resort. They show you a list for the mini bar and how much it will cost you should you indulge. Two bottles of beer and two bottle of pop are complimentary, all the rest is expensive. The room safe key is $3us a day and worth it, but what to do with the key for a week?

The porters loaded us onto a little truck and whisked us to our room. Building 5 and our room overlooked the pool. An OK setup in the room and nice colors. The bathroom has a hairdryer and it is 110volt. But the clock in the room always increased in time, like the cycle rate was different (60 cycles in Canada). My girlfriend said her hair straightener was much hotter for the setting she would normally use. Also, the water in the mini bar you pay for, the bottle on the table is free and they give you a fresh one every day. ‘Mangos’ is the snack/beach bar and that night had great fried chicken. We had a few drinks and talked with Lisa and Lindsay from our flight.

All of the food was great. The buffet had a good selection, and I love the omelet grill. We never made it back for dinner at the buffet but lunch was good there as well. Most nights we ate at the Italian restaurant above the pool bar. The beef tenderloin was great. Good house wine and if you want a better wine, they have a large list of wines you can buy. The Sante' Fe was nice, right beside Mangos, at the beach. The seafood was good (watch the lobster shell) and the burritos were ok. We only found the Crêpery open a few nights, the sea bass was great and what they did with crêpes was neat.

The grounds overall are very well kept. The beach is cleaned regularly. But the ocean had garbage and stuff floating around. I know it’s not their fault, but seeing plastic bags and wrappers floating around is not what I expected. They had storms not long before we got there and maybe that was the cause, I don’t know. The ocean was cloudy when we got there and was almost clear when we left. Lounge chairs are a problem….. People put towels out at 6am to mark a spot. After an hour they tell you to remove the other towels and use the chairs, because people will leave the chairs unattended for half the day. Also there are not enough chairs or umbrellas to go around. They just need more for both locations….

Watch for vendors, they are every where and will hound you….. Down the beach (toward the other resorts) there is a market full of vender. If you want to bargain and haggle that’s where to go…..

Bring a calculator if you really want to bargain with the venders. They figure out your exchange and show you a number…

Pesos and US dollars and best for vender but most will take Canadian, with their exchange rate….

26 pesos per Canadian dollar or 30 pesos per US dollar (the resort is a lower exchange rate 21/1 and 27/1)

Of the many tours we went on the Puerto Plata Runners, and Puerto Plata / Sosua city tour. Both were great. The city tour takes you all over the city stopping at many shops and the Brugal rum factory ($6 to $8us for rum there). The show you various parts of the city and take you to the old fort. After the fort was a little buffet lunch, the food was ok. Then off to Sosua beach for a two hour stay. We brought along our snorkel gear and swam out to the reef from shore. All the snorkel and dive tours take you there. Sea life is abundant and friendly. The Runners tour load you into a truck and off to the country you go. PLEASE DO NOT BRING CANDY!!!! The tour guide will tell you not to bring it. It will rot their teeth and teach them to beg and fight for what you give them. Pens, pencils, note books, penciled crayons…… all good choices, just not candy. They stop at a school, a farm, a cigar ‘factory’ and their ranch. At the ranch you go horse back riding or you can go see the beach. The horses were very lean and boney and the little ride you get is fun but too short. The food they served was good and more on the local side that the resorts serve. Off to another beach for boogie boarding or playing in the surf. Both were fun and informative tours

We were told about the Catamaran tour, most people got sea sick, and the waves for the Atlantic were too big. You can take a taxi anywhere and the rates are posted at the lobby.

Check out is at 1pm and you can store your entire luggage near the lobby. They have showers in the lobby bathroom just incase you need to shower before leaving. Customs leaving D.R. was painless as well. Remember your $20us for departure tax. And you pay that at a booth near your departure gate, (i.e. Gate 10) not at your departure gate. Many people assume you pay at the gate and are turned away to pay the tax over at the booth. The flight home was good, I had been sick all day (don’t drink the water) and was lucky with no one beside me. The long walk around Toronto’s airport is always fun….. Customs was simple as usual but baggage claim sucks on a flight that big. Parking at Pearson is the pits, get someone to drop you off and pick you up if you can. We may have parked in the wrong parking lot, but $135.00 for parking….. OUCH!!

On the whole, we had a great time and recommend the resort to anyone who just wants to lay back and relax.

I would like to start this review by saying that it was by becoming a member of Debbie’s Dominican Travel Forums, I learned what to expect and what the real Dominican Republic is all about. We booked this trip on-line, and did not know what to expect, however I would not hesitate to do it again.

The flight to the to the island was great, we left Timmins at 6:00am with a terminal change inn Toronto. My wife has mobility issues and the staff at Pearson were great. They assisted with the transfer, and had plenty of time to make the switch with no hassle at all. Our holiday was through Transat Vacations, and we flew West Jet from Toronto to Puerto Plata. The flight was great and the West Jet staff was a treat as always. Check in at the resort was smooth, and we were at our room in the matter of ten to fifteen minutes. We had requested a quiet area away from all of the activity at night, and this request was granted, as we had a ground floor room in building 4 with an ocean view. There is a mini-bar in the room, from which your are allowed 2 sodas and 2 beer each day, everything else is big dollars. We left a 5 dollar tip and a request for an extra beer, and it showed up without fail every day but one. We also tipped the maid 3 dollars each day and a request for extra water, as you are given only a one litre bottle each day on the table, water from the fridge is at a cost. There was extra water every day, and a request for two extra pillows was handled immediately. I would also recommend the lock for the safe, $21US for the week, it is well worth the money for the peace of mind.

The property is very neat and clean, and there are people constantly working around the grounds. The beach is also kept in excellent condition. There are workers raking up the seaweed almost constantly. During our stay, which was March 24th to 31st, we had high winds each day, which made the beach very messy, but the staff was there steady cleaning. The pool is one of the biggest we have ever seen. It is shaped like a 3 leaf clover, and is probably 5 feet deep at the deepest point. It was actually cooler than the ocean, but very refreshing when the sun was out. No fault of the resort, the sun only came out on two of the seven days, the balance was cloudy and rain. However you have to look past that, and there were other things to occupy the time. Just the rest and the telephone not ringing were worth it.

The food was excellent at the buffet; there were choices there for everyone. Breakfast was the usual fair, bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, French toast, etc. There were all types of cold meat cheese, and fresh fruit. They also had an omelette station, which would cook you eggs anyway you wanted, and a smoothie station as well. For lunch there was again cold meats and cheeses, salad selections, hot beef or pork, chicken, fish, rice, potatoes, etc, etc. They also had hamburgers, hotdogs and ribs on the back grill. There was also a choice of two soaps and many “low-cal” desserts. Supper was usually some international theme, along with similar hot items that were served at lunch. There was a constant change in menu, so you never really got the same thing twice. The staff at the buffet were outstanding, particularly Jennette and Rosa. They always greeted you with a smile, and a hug. These two ladies made the greatest impression on us during the entire trip. The are also 3 a’lacarte restaurants on the property, we tried the Tex-Mex which was excellent. There is an Italian and French restaurant as well, but we didn’t bother going to them. Then there is Mango’s down by the beach, which is open almost around the clock. They close from 6:30am to 11:00am and 6:30pm to 10:30pm when the main buffet is open. The food was pretty good, the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and fries.

We took three of resort excursions, we did the ½ day Puerto Plata tour, the evening show and casino at Ocean World Adventure Park and the full day Ocean World visit with the Sea Lion encounter. The show at Ocean World is worth the $35US alone. It is a must see when you are there. The day trip and sea lion encounter is also well worth the money. You can also do the Dolphin swim if you so desire. The ½ day trip to Puerto Plata was not the greatest, the Rum Factory tour was OK, the rest was different stops to sell you something you may not really want. The Amber Museum was nice, and you can also buy cigars and Mamjuana there as well.

The only negative part of the entire vacation, was the vacation club pests as we called them. They normally hang out at the front of the buffet dining room, but they seemed rather aggressive and were wandering around the entire resort trying to pedal there “vacation club” time-shares. It got so bad we had to got to the guest services manager and make a complaint. However, I don’t think I would let that stop me from going back, I would just use a different tactic when they came to try and sell me again. That would probably put an end to it. When it was time to leave, we were very sad. It is truly a great resort, not too large where you we get lost in the crowd. The guest mix was very diverse; there were a large contingent of Germans, quite a few from Great Britain, a few other different Europeans, a few Americans and the balance Canadians. Most everyone was very friendly, but most of the Germans kept pretty much to themselves, however it may be just the language barrier. The flight home was also very good, and on-time which made the connections work very well.

We just returned from our fourth visit to the Coral Marien. We flew Westjet with Air Transat Holidays out of Halifax. Our flights both to and home from the Dominican were great.

The resort was immaculate once again, a pleasant surprise as they've changed management once again. It was nice to see some of the same staff still there from our visits in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The grounds at the resort are lush and well maintained. We couldn't believe how much things grew since our last visit. The beach was expanded which was very nice to see. Lots of lounge chairs, both at the pool and on the beach but some are definitely in need of replacing..not a big deal.

The food was great as usual, always something for even the fussiest of eaters! We also tried the a la cartes, and the food was very good (the ribs are the mexican grill are a must).

The weather wasn't as nice as other years. Each day started off with the sun shining brightly, but by 1 or 2pm it clouded over. Lots of thunder, lightening and rain. Again, attitude plays a very huge part in how this would affect your vacation. We didn't let it *dampen* our spirits at all. We found lots to do in the rain, from playing water volleyball, to pool at the sportsbar, to just sitting around at either the pool bar or beach bar. We also spent one afternoon at the Playa Dorada mall. Even though we had rain daily, we all came home with wonderful tans!

The Chocolate Friends were very energetic as usual and lots of fun. If you didn't feel like participating in their activities, they were not persistent. They work very hard to please the guests, and are so very friendly. We'll especially miss Jose Orlando (Chewy Chewy), Cheeky Monkey, Scooby Doo and Shaggy. It was nice to see Francis once again as well as Ricky Martin. I only wish we would have had a chance to see Grace (Ricky's wife) who is off work on maternity leave.

We returned recently from two wonderful weeks at the Coral Marien. Everything from our flights to check-in and check-out was flawless.

Compared to some of the mega-resorts, the Coral is relatively small which was to our liking. It afforded us the opportunity to meet and get to know many people from all parts of Canada, Europe and the U.S. because we would keep meeting the same people daily. The resort is compact, everything is easily accessible, yet we never felt crowded or in need of greater space. We stayed in building four. It was between the beach and the pool, a little off to the side, so it was a little bit quieter not that this is an unbearably loud resort. The room was very well maintained clean and comfortable. In fact the resort is very well maintained and spotless.

The beach was clean and inviting. The water was warm and for the most part fairly clear. We did have a few windy days when the ocean was a little rougher, but that just made for better boogie boarding. There were lots of loungers and a lot shade for those who needed it. We spent much time at the beach, but we also spent a lot of time at the pool, too. The pool is very large and very well maintained. There was no shortage of loungers, but we did I must admit engage in some early morning reserving by placing of towels on loungers. We were very fortunate with regards to the weather – a very few brief periods of rain but mostly sunny and hot.

The food and service were, also, very good. The buffet was large and there was a wide variety of choice. We tried all the a-la-cartes as well, and walked or rather, waddled away from each fully satisfied. Service was quick, friendly and efficient. The bars were well stocked, and I was so happy to be reunited with Presidente, Brugal and Barcelo. Thank goodness Quisqeya, arguably one of the world’s foulest brews – a staple at the Bahia Rio San Juan, was not to be seen.

The nightly entertainment was typical of AI’s in the D.R. There was lots of dancing and the required audience humiliation. The animation team, The Chocolate Friends, kept the place humming with their limitless energy.

This being our third trip to the D.R., we didn’t do any of the standard excursions, but we did a half day in P.P. and spent time with friends from the hotel in Sosua.

The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful from top to bottom. We tipped generously, and brought a lot of small cosmetic items, school supplies and such to give to the maids as well. Actually we ended up giving away a third of our clothing as well. All gifts were much appreciated.

My experience with this resort was a major disappointment. Myself and my husband along with another couple visited the Coral Marien from Feb. 20th-26th, 2007. Our disappointment actually began long before we got to Puerto Plata and it began with Air Transat. We were the first in line at the Air Transat check in and requested for the two couples to sit together. Request granted or so we thought until we boarded the plane and not only were we not sitting together but the other couple were put in different seats on the plane. We were supposed to fly out of St. John's NL at 7:10 pm February 19th but due to a snow storm the flight was delayed which is understandable. What is not understandable or acceptable was after many delays that evening we were finally able to board the plane only to sit there for two hours and was told that the flight would be rescheduled. Air Transat did not remove our luggage nor was there a representative available once we got of the plane. Meanwhile West Jet passengers to Cuba were well taken care off. Their luggage was taken off, hotel rooms reserved for them along with a shuttle service. That is customer service! Air Transat was supposed to depart for Puerto Plata 9:30 am the next morning. After many delays we left St. John's International Airport at 4:00 pm that afternoon. Meanwhile Air Transat once again failed to provide any customer services. Sometime later that afternoon they offered a meal voucher of $10.00 per person non refundable if you didn't get your meal, which we didn't due to long line ups and the plane starting to board.

When we finally arrived at the Coral Marien we were very impressed with the Hotel and the grounds. It is beautiful!!! Upon check in we had to pay for the safe. The receptionist explained that we were allowed two beer, two soft drinks and ONE water a day. When found our room ourselves to avoid delays with the bell boy but there were no lights so I had to go back to the receptionist to find out how to turn on the lights. She explained that you need to put your room key in the slot on the wall. Now why weren't we told that in the beginning? I was very thirsty when I got to the room so I took out our ONE water out the fridge, BIG MISTAKE, the one water we were allowed was sitting on the table in the corner and I had to pay 4.50 American for cold one I took out of the fridge.

The pool was beautiful and clean, lots of chairs, you didn't have to get up at 6:00 am to reserve one. HOWEVER the lounging chairs need a major upgrade. They sag in the middle making it uncomfortable to lay on your belly because the bar under the chair keeps digging in to you. This is the same for the chairs on the beach as well. The beach is ok but once you go pass Ibeorstar there is lots of garbage. It is also the same at the other end of the resort, garbage everywhere. Also there is a worker that harass you to sit in on a meeting (time share) and he doesn't like to take no for an answer because he loses 10$ per person which makes him very persistent but annoying to the guest.

I was very disappointed with the food especially the Buffet. I am a person that can eat anything and everything , I put on 7lbs at Iberostar Varadero Cuba and Breezes Super Clubs Puerto Plata but not at Coral Marien. I ate mostly white rice and carrots here. If I was to recommend any restaurant it would definitely be the Sante Fe Grill, the Ribs are really good, you don't get many and they may be cold but they are good. The Pasta restaurant was a really nice dining experience so we decided to go back on Sunday Night but they were closed. The Crepe Restaurant was also very nice.

In regards to the drinks I was also disappointed. They do not serve champagne and you have to pay for international drinks. Wine is served out of a big plastic jug. At the restaurants you have to ask for the second glass of wine. At the buffet you could be waiting a half hour before you get something to drink if you got it at all. On the resorts I mentioned above the wine was free flowing, your glass was always full. Also you could drink Pina Coladas and Bahaman Mamas all day and not feel the slightest tingle in your toes.

Entertainment was ok. They relied heavily on the guest to be a part of the show eventually that wore thin. I would like to have seen more signing and performing of the Chocolate friends then to see the same guest up on stage night after night.

The 24 hr bar was also a disappointment, it was dark and dingy. When you walk into it was like you walk out of the Caribbean into a bar back home. It had no Caribbean atmosphere!

I definitely would not recommend this hotel. I am not a person that is hard to please but when I pay a lot of money for vacation I expect good service. We did not get that at this hotel, we actually stopped tipping on the last few days because we were tipping for nothing. The maids are the only exception to this. They were great.

Not recommended. Very disappointed with Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic.

Stayed at the Marien Coral from the 9-16 Feb 07. Its looks absolutely wonderful when you first walk into the front lobby.

The rooms were OK, but the mattresses have seen betters days and need replacement, there were no info guides in the rooms, one single sheet of paper you received on check in. The restaurants were nothing special and I have had much better meals. On occasions the restaurants were closed no signs or why just not open. Mangos on the beach was suppose to be open until 6:30 pm for snacks, well by 4 pm it was usually closed, actually still open just absolutely nothing out. Getting a cup of coffee or tea at the buffet was so frustrating on average over 7 days it took 30 minutes (yes you are indeed reading that correctly 30 MINUTES).

For an all inclusive having to pay for a safe key is not something anyone should have to do that should already be included in the price. The vacation club recruits hounded my husband and I for 6 days, they hang out right by the buffet, every breakfast and lunch we have info for you blah blah blah....The beach looked great until you walked a short way either direction GARBAGE every where....washed up on the shore line. The same for going into the different villages or towns there is garbage every where.

6 words I never want to hear again "Lady, Lady, lookie, lookie, cheapie, cheapie." If you go to buy anything do not pay any more then HALF of what they are asking yes you have to Barter. It got to the point where I didn't want to shop or go any where near people because the locals were always after you for something(excluding the ladies on the beach for the hair braids they were the only considerate bunch). My husband and I did venture out and take a couple of tours. The Monster trucks were very good, but the TOURIST are causing problems for the local people DO NOT GIVE THE KIDS MONEY(they don't want to go to school) and candies(the villages now have problems with tooth decay and diabetes because the tourist keep on giving the kids candies), just take the rid and enjoy. But don't contribute to the growing problem that we as the tourist have created.

Paradise Island great for snorkeling getting there and back to your resort is a very long trip 2 hr each way. The snorkeling was great.

Took a taxi and guide to see Puerto Plata, very good tour for $45.00 US, lasted about 4 hrs. Arranged it through the resorts front desk. The amber museum is NOT a museum its a few information boards hung on the wall...the same for the cigar factory...the rum factory is actually just the bottling and package plant no rum is produced there. The cable car is a must beautiful view about $16.00 for two to go to the top.

IF you spoke Spanish or were a member of the vacation club you were treated like royalty if not your were dirt.

Just returned from the Coral Marien in Puerta Plata. Flight Used Air Transat out of Winnipeg. We were an hour late in departing for numerous reasons, however once in the air the flight went well. Two movies on the way down in a 5.5-hour flight so that passes the time. We traveled on an Airbus 310 with two aisles and 9 seats across in sets of threes. There are a number of two seats in the tail, which I usually reserved for hubby and I. Love the bigger play. Find the 737 of Westjet and Skyservice a little too small. Hotel Beautiful hotel with 6 three-story buildings. Buildings 1-4 are on the beach and buildings 5-7 are closer to the main lobby. Rooms are basic but very clean and very large. Bathrooms are great with a wonderful shower, coffee maker and hairdryer. Also included in the room are an iron and small ironing board. Room safe is $3.00 American per day. Housekeeping staff does a wonderful job. Just remember towels are taken out around 10 a.m. and you don’t usually get towels back until later in the bathroom. Pool towels are picked up at the room by the pool/activity area. If you want to put deadbolt on the door you have to turn the handle UP. Learned that the second last day we were there. Otherwise housekeeping is coming into the room. Pool The pool is fantastic. It wanders around in a shape of an 8 and has three bridges crossing it. You can swim under one bridge. Lots of chairs. Most of those under the palapas are saved each morning by 8 a.m. They clean the pool and pool deck each and every morning. Cooler water than the ocean but nice on a hot day. Lots of activities around the pool Beach Only two hotels on this beach so not too busy. LOTS of chairs on the beach. Water can be a little rough but fun to play in the surf. Ocean was quite warm. No vendors on this end of the beach and security always walking the beach. Bars Beach bar is not right on the beach but a short distance off the sand. Open 24 hours and a busy place later at night when people go down for 24-hour snacks. Great for teenagers as there is always hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, fries, chicken wings and assorted other foods. Great place for lunch. Pool bar is open from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Always busy but Quintin makes some great drinks. Sports Bar-Air conditioned and nice place in the evening to play a fun game of pool. Turns into the disco at about 11-11:30 p.m. once the shows are over

Food
Food was very good at all the restaurants. The buffet is great for breakfast. Never ate lunch there but heard it was fine. Had one or two dinners there and they were fine. A la cartes were good. Italian, French and Mexican. Italian is only inside, air-conditioned restaurant and it was my favorite. It is overtop of the pool bar and has a great view of the pool in the evening. Quite Small
Sante Fe grill was good. First night service was slow, however second time went well
French restaurant is a creperie. There is also a chicken and potato dish on the menu, however if you don’t like crepes not the place to go. I like that you DO NOT have to reserve a la cartes. All open at 6:30 p.m. Either get in line at 6:30 or you have to wait until about 8-8:30 to get a table. You can eat at a la cartes as many times as you like. We went to Italian twice, Mexican twice and French once. Enjoyed them all and great service.

We walked to Playa Dorado complex one day and took a cab to the disco and casino one night. It is $7.00 American for a cab. It is safe to walk during the day but not at night.

Beautiful hotel that is well kept. I would definitely return to this hotel. Many Swedes, Danes, Brits and Canadians. Met lots of nice people especially those from Halifax.

We (28 of us) travelled to the DR for my niece’s wedding at the Marien Coral - Nov 12 - 19.

Departure from Pearson - uneventful - check in with Air Transat efficient. Customs no problem providing you have your liquids/etc. in medium Ziploc bags - they actually had some there for you just in case.

Flight to POP 4:45 p.m.- quite turbulent, service OK, plane full so seating cramped. Only served a snack (Subway ½ sub - yuk) since flight is less than 4 hours. Arrived a bit of schedule due to tail winds.

Arrival at POP airport 9:30 DR time - again uneventful - customs clearance no problem, baggage off carousels in timely fashion - no bag checks by customs, etc. Air Transat staff awaiting arrival and direction of travellers to appropriate buses for transport to hotels. All but 4 on our bus were in the wedding party/family…transfer to Marien with 1 stop at Viva Wyndham 20 minutes.

Marien Coral reception - organized for registering incoming guests to their rooms. We had requested adjoining w