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Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada
Fun Royale  [more info] ~ Fun Tropicale  [more info]
Location: Shuttle service to and from the beach -
North Coast - Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata - 15 minutes from Puerto Plata Airport
5 minutes from Puerto Plata, adjacent to golf course.
All-inclusive: Fun Royale: 168 superior rooms Fun Tropicale: 184 standard rooms
Description from resort website: Weddings available - please contact the hotel. Double your Dominican Republic vacation fun with our two resorts located in the Playa Dorada complex, Puerto Plata. The properties residing next to each other so guests can enjoy all of the facilities offered by both resorts. - 5 restaurants - 4 bars - Kids Club (Club Little Village) - 2 soft surface tennis courts
 ~ Reviews posted on this page — 18
 ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
 ~ 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
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada |
Yasmin ~ New York |
June 2009
Arrival: July 2008
It was smooth I was greeted very nicely and I went into my room by like 2:30
Rooms:
The room was clean and well kept everyday by the maids, I did have a problem with the toilet it kept overflowing but maintenence came right away
Restaurants and Bars:
The restaurants had alot of different foods to choose from and during breakfast time also a lot of variety
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Im not really a beach goer, I hang around the pool mostly. The pool I loved it the staff really put work into entertaining people with the activities in the pool area
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
No
Other Comments:
I really enjoyed coming to this resort being a Dominican myself when I travel back home I like going to different resorts. But I believe when I go back home I'm definetly going to Fun Royale again
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Jim ~ Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: Feb 17 - 24
Everything was on time, room was ready when we arrived. Our group was all close together. Two of our party were travelling with their 5 year olds. and were in a room closest to the restaurant/bar. When they realized it was a bit loud at night and woke up the kids the staff moved them the next morning.
Rooms
It was nice to see there is some renovations going on, one of the buildings # 21 was being renovated and I noticed a lot of new air conditioners either recently installed or in the installation process. Some of the staff I spoke with told me the new manager that arrived at the start of 2009 is very good and is looking to do a general upgrade, some of which we could already see in progress.
Restaurants and Bars
They have moved some things around since our last visit, the pizza place is open longer and now serves hamburgers etc and some of the stations in the main dining room are different, everything worked well and efficient, lots of food and of good quality. The pastries are excellent
Beach/Pools/Grounds
They have a tractor with a covered wagon that shuttles you down to the beach. The food in the beach cabana is excellent. The pools are kept clean and because we had some small childeren spent a lot of time at the kids pool.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
They always try hard with the entertainment, we have been to this resort before and noticed some of the entertainment was a bit more risque than in previous years.
Other Comments
All in all we enjoy this resort better than others we have been to in the Playa Dorada complex, a nice relaxing holiday. Friendly staff. Don't try and compare it with some of the 4.5 or 5 star resorts, but for a budget friendly holiday you won't be disappointed.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Spencer ~ Saskatchewan, Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: Feb 11 to Feb 25
The all inclusive was booked through Signature Vacations, with a direct charter Flight with Skyservice. The flight was on time and at the POP airport everything went very smoothly without any long lineups or delays. The bus was waiting to take us directly to the resort.
Rooms
We had a "run of the room" and was assigned a standard hotel room on arrival. The room was in Complex D, an older and aging building, but was very clean and adequate for what we wanted.
Restaurants and Bars
The food was good with lots of variety and lots of desserts, ice cream was delicious. Excellent friendly service and we had absolutely no complaints about the food and bars.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The weather was perfect, sunny and warm everyday except one day of rain, for suntanning and swimming. At the beach by late afternoon, the wind was up with yellow and red flag warming due to the big waves.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
By reading Debbies website, we knew what to expect at this location, and were very satisfied with the 3 star resort, as our expecations were not set for a new 5 star resort.
Other Comments
I found the Dominican people very friendly and nice but could be very aggressive when trying to sell things at the flea martkets. I found it necessary to know the spanish language when off the resort, I was unable to communicate with anybody. The next time I go I will learn more of the language before I go.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | BobFromCanada |
January 2009
BobFromCanada is one of the hard working moderators of Debbie's Dominican Travel Forums
TRIP DATE: Jan 13, 2009 to Jan 27, 2009
SYNOPSIS: Sunwing Vacations, Sunwing Airlines, Fun Royale/Tropicale
My original intent was to just dust off last year's review and being
somewhat lazy, just update it where required. But, oh what a difference a year
makes. Let's just say that I was somewhat disappointed this time around. And
most people that will read this review already know that I have been a strong
supporter of this hotel for many years. This was trip number 11 which says a
lot.
Not to say that it was all bad, but there were significant issues this year.
It seems like trouble comes in sets, just like at home. You know, when the
refrigerator dies, the stove, the dishwasher, and likely the TV go out in
sympathy. Suffice it to say that this year there were a LOT of equipment
failures. I didn't see any sign that these equipment problems were being
addressed and it appeared to me that the accountants didn't want to sign the
cheques necessary to replace the broken equipment. So, to start, I'll list the
failures.
The chicken rotisserie BBQ at the beach club is deceased. I saw the carcass
out behind the club. At first glance it didn't look too bad, but on closer
examination, it was apparent that the unit was beyond reasonable repair. On
the plus side, they did prepare BBQ chicken at the hotel and send it down to
the club. This transformed the 'to die for chicken' to merely 'very good
chicken'.
The tractor shuttle to the beach club is broken down. They are using a
chartered bus as a replacement. Not near as much 'class'. I also suspect that
it's costing more for the bus than it would be to fix the tractor.
The toaster in the buffet dining room is deceased. They are using a sandwich
press in lieu. It does a reasonable job, but it's not a toaster. I'll say it
again, it's NOT a toaster. It did a great job on grilled cheese sandwiches
though. Enough said about that.
The BBQ grill station in the buffet dining room has rusted out due to
exposure to the weather. The area is currently boarded up with plywood. I
didn't see any sign of work in progress, but they say they will be closing in
the area so that the new grill won't fail the same way.
The large grill area (formerly used as the egg station in the morning and a
grill at dinner) is gone. They have moved the pasta station here.
There is now a small grill / egg station in the area where the pasta station
used to be. The arrangement is not very good. It worked much better as a pasta
station. It is very awkward because there is no place to go once you have put
your omelet items on the small plate and given it to the chef to prepare your
omelet. So there's almost always a group of people standing in your way when
you want to select the ingredients for your omelet.
The bar at the quiet pool is no longer 24 hours. This function has been moved
to the pizza parlour next to the main pool. The bar is setup each night about
midnight when the main bar closes. In my honest opinion, this is a bad
idea. Shouting drunks can be heard at 3 am. At the old location, the noise was
isolated from any of the guest rooms. Repeat after me. This is a very bad
idea. This is a very bad idea .....
The menu at Popeye's Pizza has been expanded for the late hours food. It is
now the 24 hour portion of the all inclusive, including the after midnight bar.
There is no pizza served at that time, but the menu has been expanded to
include hot dogs, burgers, fries and salad. This is quite acceptable except
for the noise issue. See above.
The specialty restaurants are running at about half of their more normal
schedule. Miranda's (the Brazilian restaurant) is down to 3 nights per week
and the Italian is down to 4 nights per week.
To top it all off, the last week we were there it rained 3 days in a row. So
people were already in a bad mood. Then a water main broke in Puerto Plata.
The entire Playa Dorada complex was not being serviced, so it was necessary to
truck in water to fill the cisterns. The hotel had been ecologically conscious
and to avoid lots of plastic bottles being discarded, installed a very
sophisticated reverse osmosis / ozone water purification system on site. This
system provided for drinking water, but not the tap water. However, some VERY
BAD water got trucked in and virtually overwhelmed that system. Many guests
got sick. To the hotel's credit, once the problem was identified, they took
immediate action. They shut down all the soda fountains in the bars and
immediately started serving bottled pop and water and bottled water on the
dining room tables. They sent the doctor (no charge) to visit anyone who had
complained of being ill. They didn't get to them all. If you weren't in the
room when they called, they likely didn't call a second time. But I know he
knocked on my door and had a substantial stack of medical report forms in his
hand.
Since I returned, I've run into numerous people, including one of our
moderators on Debbie's travel forums, that have the exact same
symptoms as the people who got sick at the hotel while we were there.
These people were not within a 1000 miles of the hotel. It appears
that it may have been a coincidence that the outbreak and the trucked
in water (broken water main) occurred at the same time. It was more
than likely a flu bug carried in by a new guest. In my honest opinion,
in the face of an apparent water problem, the hotel did THE RIGHT
THING in switching to all bottled water, just in case.
I expect that there will be a pile of bad reviews posted for this time period,
especially from people who got sick from the water. I didn't get ill, but
several members of our party did. I also found myself defending my previous
reviews. As I said, things change in a year. I also expect that this situation
is temporary and it should be resolved by now.
In all the years I've been visiting this resort, I've not seen people get sick
like this. A few years ago, one of our tour reps told us that "people don't
seem to get sick at this resort". That's something the hotel has always been
proud of. So, it just shows that it happens despite their best efforts. Hey,
it's happened here at home too. A certain local meat packing plant leaps
immediately to mind, not to mention an Ontario town that had a similar water
problem.
This year we flew on Sunwing Airlines again. The flight times were changed
once after booking. They rolled two flights into one and we had to return via
Punta Cana. With the exception of de-icing in Toronto, the flight down was on
schedule and the flight home arrived 3/4 hour early. The in-flight food and
service was good and the seating was adequate. To be fair, both flights were
quite pleasant.
It should also be noted that Sunwing isn't precollecting the departure tax,
nor are they covering the tourist card, so both have to be paid at the
airport. No big issue as long as you are aware of it.
OK, as I said, we're in double digits territory. This was trip number eleven
to this property, and it just wouldn't seem like January if we didn't go.
Creatures of habit or what? This year we were accompanied by several friends
we met several years ago. So there were ten of us to party on. And we had a
"few" parties.
Oh, both weekends we were there were holiday weekends, and there were a lot of
locals staying at the resort. With very few exceptions they were just like the
other guests and were a pleasure to have around.
They (the hotel) market themselves as a 3.5 to 4 star property, and in my
opinion they have slipped to 3 stars with all the equipment that needs
replacing. I'll discount the water issue as a regrettable one time event that
won't be repeated. I hope ....
The facilities may be a little dated, but they're SUPER CLEAN. We had no
complaints about the food; good, simple and not gourmet. I missed the
rotisserie chicken at the beach club, but the chicken served was still pretty
darn good. At dinner there's lots of choices and I never left the table
hungry.
We had our usual room and as usual it was well maintained and clean. Yes,
it's a little dated, but everything worked, sort of. There wasn't a bug to be
found, not even those little ants that seem to be found everywhere in the
Caribbean. The fluorescent fixture in the bathroom was intermittent. Of course
it worked perfectly when they came to fix it.
The staff is extremely friendly and obliging. Oh yes, they still remember us
from previous visits. After all these years, they're like family now. I'm
already suffering withdrawal and miss those hugs and kisses in the morning and
at dinner time.
In addition to the main buffet, which was quite good, we also enjoyed the two
specialty dining rooms (Brazilian and Italian/Mediterranean). With the reduced
hours, it was more difficult to get a reservation. As per the usual, we found
the food and service were excellent in both restaurants.
At breakfast, bacon was served about three or four times per week and sausages
were served the other days. The smoothie station is still gone. I miss that.
The best part about breakfast is still the omelet and fried egg station. One
of the other guests referred to them as killer omelets and I have to agree.
They were great.
The beach club serves lunch and snacks daily. The selection is a bit limited
due to the small serving area. They serve chicken, fish, burgers, hot dogs,
great fries, salads and fresh fruit every day. Lunch is also available at the
main buffet, but we only ate there once. It was similar to dinner.
In the dining room, wine is available by the glass (red and white) and you
simply help yourself to what you want. The wine wasn't vintage, but it was
quite drinkable.
In summary, the food was good, plain but not fancy. They did a pretty good job
of avoiding repetition. During our stay, we had various kinds of fish, roast
suckling pork (cooked on a spit over an open fire, see the photos), pork
chops, roast beef, lamb, veal, turkey, chicken, ham and various types of
stews. The carvery seemed to be used more often than in previous years.
Interestingly enough, the roast pork leg was somewhat tough this year. That
surprised me since the pork is usually pretty good in the DR. The carvery
served up roast turkey twice while we were there and it was excellent.
As I previously mentioned, this was our 11th trip to the resort. Most of these
trips have been two weeks. Obviously, the place still suits our needs and
despite the issues I reported, we still had a good time. Honestly, we know a
high percentage of the staff by name and they are just like family. They also
know our wants and are eager to please. For example, you are supposed to get
your own coffee, juice and wine. Let's just say that it was a rare event when
I had to.
Again this year, I talked to several guests who thought that having a small
local group play near the 24 hour bar in the evenings would be a great idea.
Things like a piano bar alternating with a small dance band or local music
would do. Personally, I too would like to see some more local entertainment. I
suggested this a few years ago, but nothing came of it.
I still would also like to see more use made out of the beach club in the
evenings. A steak and seafood restaurant, even if it was extra cost would be
nice. It seems such a waste to have that nice facility being there and not
being used. It would be so nice at night. Even if they opened it a few nights
per week for drinks and snacks would be an improvement.
The main dining room (buffet) is very attractive. It gives you a choice of
two eating areas. The first area is well inside, but open to the air on
three sides, the second area is also covered in with a translucent ceiling.
There used to be tables set outside, but they appear not to be setting them
anymore. The number of candles seems to be diminishing due to attrition and
guest filching. Best to take your own candle.
Would we go back? Despite the issues, YES!
Notes / Suggestions:
The staff is the high point of this resort. Without them the place would be
nothing. With the current state of the economy, I know the entire Playa Dorada
complex is suffering from low occupancy. There have been a lot of staff
layoffs in the complex. Kudos to the hotel for keeping the staff they have,
even if they had to reduce their hours.
The mini golf and shuffleboard equipment is way overdue for replacement. Holy
cow, those putters have short handles ....
The minigolf course has had a new paint job and the indoor outdoor carpet has
been replaced with a painted surface. The fountain still wasn't operational.
The fountain at the pizza parlour is also deceased (still).
Let people amuse themselves at the beach party. Let the animacion staff be
around as dance partners or to just get things going. Dump the silly party
games.
Make use of the beach club as a specialty restaurant at night.
Make some sort of quiet dance area around the 24 hour bar at night. Move the
24 hour bar back where it belongs and away from the accommodation areas.
New this year. On Dominican night, they had the BBQ set up in the main
quadrangle between the pool and the buffet restaurant. The pigs were cooked
over a real wood fire, Dominican style, on wooden spits. It required constant
attention since the spits were turned by hand. Great idea for a more Dominican
experience.
At the activity pool during the day, you might have a small group of people
playing darts or some other game. I've always wondered why the ongoing scoring
of this event is broadcast to the several hundred people around the pool. They
obviously don't care, else they would be playing the game themselves. Just
play music and keep the scoring info to the participants.
It might be an idea to restore the repeater's party. It's only a small token
recognition. It's a short party, drinks (at a resort where drinks are already
covered), a free t-shirt or hat. For that matter, why not give every guest a
t-shirt or hat with the hotel logo on it? Seems to me that it would be pretty
cheap advertising.
All the hotels in POP are having a tough time. The ones that survive are going
to be the ones that are very good and stand up from the rest. I've always
liked this property. In the past they've aimed at 3.5 stars, but tried to make
it the best 3.5 star property you ever saw. Hopefully they can maintain this.
For a video slide show, see my web site at http://www.bobfromcanada.com and
select the presentation. If you don't already have the Photodex presenter
installed (free from Photodex), you'll have to install it to open the
show. You should be prompted in this case. There is also a link to this year's
photo set on Worldisround. In either case, select Fun Royale/Tropicale -
January 2009
QUESTIONS: Email me. There's a link on my site.
VERDICT: Slipped to three star, basic, clean, food good, 5 star service from a
great staff. Somewhat disappointed this time, but will return.
Addendum from user "almost8" from Debbie's Dominican Travel Forums:
"This is for all readers of this site but mainly for Bob. I just returned from the Fun Royale on Feb.25. The chicken barbecue at the beach has been replaced with a new one. The chicken is super great there but that's because it's farm grown chicken used and not force fed chicken like we eat here in North America. The tractor has been fixed for the beach shuttle. There is a new toaster in the breakfast buffet. There was nothing boarded up in the buffet area like when you where there. There was 3 grilling stations going and the pasta station. Everything at the Fun Tropicale was fantastic and can't wait to go back again. Anybody who has anything to say bad about this resort was either too drunk or on drugs to enjoy themselves or this resort. It's a fantastic place to go on a holiday. I will be posting my review in the forums in a little bit."
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Anne Marie ~ Glasgow, Scotland |
February 2009
Arrival: Sep/Oct 2008
This was the one part i hated, the flight with first choice was so uncomfy! And our tv kept on breaking. On arrival at the hotel i have to admitt i wanted to get a plane straight back home, and was dreading the next two weeks at this hotel. It looked nothing like the pictures and was so empty! But i think i was felling this way because i was jetlagged and wanted to get fresh.
Rooms:
A porter took us to our room which was nice and we gave him a tip! All of us looked at each other and i knew we were thinking the same "this place needs re-decorated" but we unpacked putting clothes in the drawer and closet! Under the sink was a complimentry bottle of some alcohol which we never touched, not knowing what it was. In the mornings i kept waking up early due to hearing the workers come in on the buses and in their cars, but it wasnt a negative.
Restaurants and Bars:
We always ate in the main restaraunt because my cousin didnt have long trousers and there was a dress code for the italian restaraunt. But we liked the food there although we did get upset tummys. The staff there were lovely especially Jaun. And they even had food during the nyte which was good for when i had a hangover and couldnt eat till late at night! But some people i spoke to said the other reastaurants where lovely.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
There was loads of activites during the day. But one activity i didnt agree with was bingo ????? Why would you go to the carribean to play bingo???? And listen to all the music from back home !! They played alot of their music but not enough. the animation team were nice especially happy boy he looked so young for his age i was shocked. But sometimes when u wanted to laze by the pool and relax etc they kinda tryed to force you to do stuff when lets face it your on holiday. the pool bar was amazing.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We only went on two trips but they were amazin 1 was the monster truck safari which i highly recomend and 2 was the cable chairs which take u up to mnt isabela and you see an amazing view of puerto plata + theres a bar up there! I also ment a guy and he took me to the boulovard for drinks which was good apart from the taxi there . They have many people in them and pick up anyone (scary) but fun. Had an amazzing time outside the resort.
Other Comments:
I highly recomend this hotel its fun, the michael jackson show is amazing, the people are amazing, the country is amazing and im booked up to go back in sep 09 with my mate so i can actuslly hit the clubs this time.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Kellie ~ Canada |
January 2009
Arrival: Dec 23-Dec30, 2008
From Landing, to being directed, loaded and taking to our resort from their shuttle, was well organized. 30 mins we were at our resort. We were 45 mins late in landing so arrived at 11:00 am oppose to 10:00ish. Our rooms were not ready until 3:30. Therefore very warm in Canadian clothes for a good chunk of the day. It was also a bit unnearving having our suitcases off to the side of the lobby stored in a small room.The receptionist were not all that friendly.
Rooms:
Our family consisted of a grp of 15. My immediate family were our kids ages 17-21, and my husband and I. We were hoping to get joined rooms however that did not transpire. They were however only 2 rooms away. Our room had a king size bed, and our own balcony, and our kids two queen size beds, balcony as well. On each side of our bed were panel like windows. The Panels did not shut completely therefore being quite close to the stage area, it was quite loud at night at least until 1130 and after that you could either hear fighting cats, the workers out the back by one of the secuirity gates or late partiers. The Air Condioner leaked. It only worked for the first three nights. And when it was on, you froze, there was no happy medium. On the fourth day, we lost power around 6:30 in the eve and came back on 8:30 the next day. 14hrs On our side Fun Royal were were black. Very little emergency lights and not even a candle in our room. It was very warm in our rooms that night, as well there was no water. Could not flush toilets noro shower (normally they didn't flush well at all on a good day-poor water pressure). It was a long night. We were told by the Signature Rep that it was caused by a storm the night before and now only one generator was working, yet an employee mentioned that management recently changed and the electrical bill was not paid...who to believe? The AC never worked again after that. Our entire family had Red Return Customer bracelets and had paid for fridge refills which consisted of two beers, two pops, two waters...rarely did it get filled on its own. I had to go and remind the front desk several times a day and one time they said it was too late it would get filled tomorrow, I challenged that saying we paid daily for this so they filled it. The gentleman told me it doesn't get filled because when they come in the morning our do not disturb sign is on while we are showering, so it doesn't get done...not the best plan in my opinion I fond most of the staff to be stand of ish and not too helpful. Except for our maid, she was a delight though she spoke no english. She did a wonderful job at cleaning our room. The entire resort was kept fairly clean but was in nead of a face lift. It is obviously a basic resort. The lobby washroom had only 3 stalls and one was locked the entire visit leaving only two. Toilets as mentioned didn't flush most of the time and the sinks had broken structures.
Restaurants and Bars:
We went to the main restaurant for all our meals. It was basic but okay. It was my first all inclusive so I really have nothing to compare to. We tried to get in the Italian for a reservation of 15 but they said no too many. There is a time in the morning and late afternoon where even the side pool pizza bar is closed so no food can be eaten then at all. The pizza bar was fairly good-kids enjoyed it. The Brazilian Restuarant next to the kids pool area was always empty as was the pool and tennis area, I never seen a person around there? The tennis court is to be desired as is the pool table and ping pong tables. I never did go to the disco above the Restaurant however my son did and had a good time.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The Beach was a 5-10 mins walk from the resort. We were placed at the end part of the beach front. Our resort looked like the only one that didn't have umbrellas. There were not nearly enough cloth loung chairs and were provided with the plastic ones. The vendors were relentless, which really can interrupt your R&R. But they did seem to be all over the beach area. The Restaurant on the beach served BBQ Chicken, fries and a few other odds and ends. The chicken was delicious. The Beach area was so so. There were two main pools. They appeared to be clean. I went in niether. The adult pool looked quite chilly when people went in. The activities around the family pool were loud and busy, none stop. The workers on the mic got on your nerves after awhile, but I must say they had tons of energy. The grounds seemed to be well maintained.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
My immed family only did the Outback Jungle Safari which we purchased from a vendor off the beach which the Signature Rep tells you not too-we had no problem except they did say we would get the bus to ourselves which did not occur. And we almost slammed into the gate leaving the resort so the brakes were slammed and we all sllid forward, the poor kids at the front got squished. Also they stopped three times, twice going there to stock up on pepsi, rum and ice cubes and once coming back for gas. I would think they would do that without the guest on board. The smell of exhaust was strong. The day was okay. The tour in the outback was a bit long and somewhat boring, but I loved seeing the country side and its beauty. We trecked into the jungles about a 45 min walk in through the waters and mud. You had the option of going up 7 falls and then coming back down. 3 guys in our family did it and said it was amazing!!! You don't get this option when you purchase from the resort. They say it is too risky and don't encourage it. The lunch restaurant we ate at was extremely run down. Like a third world country style. There were no seats on the toilets or even doors for that matter. I did not eat there but the rest of the family did and didn't seem to mind the food! 2/3 of my family did the Ocean World day and really enjoyed it. Again the activities on the resort were loud but the entertainers really put their heart and soul into it. The night shows were good but they didn't start until 8:30 which is late for the kids. The male workers are extremely flirtatious, especially towards my 17 yr old.
Other Comments:
I exptected a basic run of the mill resort since I did research prior to going. It was purchased for us therefore we did not select the place. All in all the place was clean and I was surprised, other than the gekos, there were no bugs, they spray weekly. By the end of the 7 days I must say I was ready to come home. I would give it a 6/10. Would I go back, no thanks!
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Jim ~ Ottawa |
January 2009
Arrival: Dec 30 2008-6 Jan 2009
We arrived from Ottawa with Skyservice. The flight was good and the crew very attentive. A wad of chewing gum stuck to the seat belt damaged my wife's clothes. We reported this to the flight attendants who said they would ensure the gum was removed. On our return flight we sat in the same seats the gum was still there.
On arrival at the resort we proceeded to check-in. The resort was informed at the time of booking that my wife has some mobility difficulties and that we required a ground floor room. I had requested a room in D-block as we stayed in that section during a previous visit and found it to be much quieter as it is a bit further from the main action. When we arrived we were assigned a room in A-block. In fairness to the resort they assumed that because of the mobility problem we would prefer a room closer to the restaurant etc and had placed us in A-block. We asked to be moved to D. A room was not ready at the time but we were told to check back in a couple of hours. Things began to go downhill from there. About three hours later we were able to get into our room.
Rooms:
The room was much as expected having been to the resort a year ago.
Restaurants and Bars:
Bearing in mind that this is not 5 star Michelin standard, the buffet fare is basic but good. The pork and beef tended to be a bit tough and the chicken over cooked My wife and I enjoy the Brazilian best of all. This year we tried the Italian and I'm sure that if one enjoyed Italian cuisine there would be no disappointment. On our last visit both the Brazilian and Italian restaurants were closed one day each week. According to the in-room documentation this was the case once again, however, the Brazilian was closed at least twice during our one week stay.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Well kept and constantly maintained.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We booked two tours through Alegria Tours; the standard Puerto Plata City Tour plus the cable car up the mountain and a day-trip to Playa Grande. Both were a great disappointment. Basically the transportation with very little commentary about what we were seeing or doing. The tours from the reps at Fun Royal didn't fit into our schedule and were a bit more expensive. Based on our previous experience I would recommend booking with the reps at the resort, you get much better value for your money.
Something new this year was the Reps night. A version of the Puerto Plata city tour but by night; this tour includes sun set drinks at the fortress, a tour of downtown and winds up with a delicious meal at a Dominican restaurant. The profits from this tour are donated to MAIS (Movimiento Para el Autodesarrollo Internacional de la Solidaridad de Puerto Plata). MAIS strives to motivate children to stay in school and to prevent them from entering Puerto Plata's lucrative sex tourism industry by offering academic support and social services to at-risk and exploited youth. Participants in the program are trained to be tailors, seamstresses, bakers, upholsterers, candle makers, and cosmeticians.
On site evening shows were repetitive and amateurish. The New Year's Eve show was a repeat of the show in 2008!
Other Comments:
This was our second visit to the Fun Royale Resort. Our first visit was during the same period last year.
The Manana Syndrome is alive and well at Fun Royale! There were some maintenance issues such as the handle for the cold water tap in the shower which would not stay on. It was corroded to the point at which it would spin uselessly on the spindle of the tap. The flush mechanism for the toilet required some imaginative cranking to get a flush. The TV had no remote, one should have been available on request at the front desk, but they didn't have any for a LG -TV! The phone didn't work.
The absence of a working phone caused the most difficulty when trying to get a wake-up call. Two mornings a security guard came and knocked on the door. We are still waiting for the wake-up callfor the morning of our departure!
When we booked we chose the Royal Room add-on which should have given us a fruit basket on arrival, fridge in room with bottle of rum, soft drinks & beers (refilled daily), coffee and tea in room. We had no fruit basket, the fridge was empty and no facilities for making tea or coffee. It took several trips to the font desk to get the fridge stocked initially and finally around 8:00 in the evening the fridge was stocked. The next day the fridge was not restocked and we had no water. Again several trips to the front desk and a complaint to the Signature Vacations rep before we had any action.
The next day the same problem. We spoke to the resort Customer Service Representative about the problems she claimed to know nothing about the Royal package. At one point the Signature Rep left a written request for action at the front desk. When I checked back several hours later they proudly showed me the request and said they would deal with it. Not much help if you don't have water to brush your teeth! Finally on day four of our seven day stay we had the fridge sorted and in the evening of the same day we received our welcome basket. At this point we decided that we should no longer spend our holiday flogging what seems to be a dead horseand gave up on our welcome bottle of rum and coffee maker. We paid for it we should have received it!
I suspect that this resort has serious management problems which are filtering down to the staff on the ground. Although the bell boys, bar and restaurant were pleasant and tried to be helpful it was impossible not to see the lack of enthusiasm compared to the same period a year ago. As much as we enjoyed our first visit to Fun Royal after our experience this year it is highly unlikely that there will be a third visit.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Freedom Ryder & Wossa |
July 2008
We booked our tickets via Yourtraveltickets.com, travelled out of Pearson International Airport, Toronto, via Skyservice with Signature Vacations. The flight with Skyservice was very good. We have flown many times with Skyservice, and find the staff some of the most hardworking, and courteous out of all the airlines we have flown.
Arrival At The Airport
Once we had collected our luggage from the carousel and put your bags through Customs, (which was non existent) we were met by Signature Vacation staff, which guided us to our resort bus. The bags where loaded into a small trailer at the rear of the bus, and I would strongly suggest you watch them load your bags onto the truck before getting on the bus.
Checking In
A pretty easy, and quick process. A quick form to fill out and your room key were issued, along with a wrist band so that you could be allowed service of food and drinks etc. It is important to mention that there was a replacement fee for loosing this wrist band, in the region of $25.00. Normally we like the wrist bands on loose so we can remove them when we are off resort, however we chose to have them on tighter this time !!
Rooms
As we had booked last minute, we had ‘run of the house’, which basically meant we would be allocated any room that was available at the time of our arrival.
Our room consisted off 2 x queen size beds, a small kitchen area with fridge, sink and small stove. A small seating area with a two seater couch, coffee table and chest of drawers for storing clothes. The bathroom was basic, tub with a shower and the usual amenities. No hairdryer. The room had a safe in the closet, however you have to rent the lock for $20 per week, non-returnable.
We had a small balcony with two chairs and a table, enough room to move about, and to dry and store our diving equipment.
The rooms are air conditioned, however it is not controllable other then too turn on and off. Our room was freezing cold but the room would become very damp, and the tiled floor would be saturated with moisture within 10 minutes of the AC being turned off.
The maid service was very basic, which was a common complaint with many of the guests. The bed was made each day and that was about it. This was a little bit of a problem as everyone was getting bitten to hell all over the resort, including in the rooms. Several people we spoke too felt the place had a problem with Sand Fleas. No matter where we where, we was continually being bitten, the bites coming up like big welts that contained fluid, really very itchy and unpleasant.
Resort
The overall appearance of this resort seemed a little tired, in need of a lick of paint and some maintenance, although we have seen far worse. The lobby is bright, open, and airy although reasonably small. There were a couple of small stores selling gifts, jewelry and groceries, as well as a small bank that was very convenient for changing dollars into pesos. The exchange rate was also better at the resort then in town.
The resort has 3 pools, activity with a swim up bar, an adult only pool and also a kid’s pool. The activity pool is loud, music blaring and animation staff trying to get people involved in games etc. The majority of the time we stayed at the adult pool, where it is a little more secluded and quieter.
The resort has 3 main restaurants (buffet, Italian and also Brazilian) as well as a pizza bar that serves home made hot pizza throughout the day beside the activity pool. The Italian and Brazilian are bookings only, and as long as you booked early each morning at breakfast, then you could attend as many nights as you wanted provided you booked before the tables where filled.
We attended both the Italian and the Brazilian and thought they where not the best and preferred the buffet. From feedback from other guests, and the fact that each time we attended the a la cartes they where always half filled, we got the impression this was the thoughts of the majority of the guests.
The food at the buffet was your normal salad, rice, chicken, fish, potatoes dishes etc, with a spaghetti bar and grill.
There is also a beach side restaurant that is opened until 5pm. You can pick up a ride every 15 minutes from the front lobby, and a tractor with a carriage transfers you to the beach bar. They serve hot chicken, fries and salad and also there is a bar that serves alcohol and soft drinks.
There are two main bars that serve alcohol, one by the activity pool that stayed open to approx 11.30, and a 24 hour bar at the adult pool. They served the usual cocktails and the beer was pretty good for an AI.
The resort does allow venders on site and also time share sellers. They are pretty insistent, and you need to be firm and say No if you are not interested.
The Beach
The beach is average for the Caribbean, nothing spectacular. This is not a beach front resort so you can either walk to the beach which is just 5 or 6 minute walk, or take the tractor ride from the lobby every 15 minutes.
There are lots of venders at the beach that can be pretty insistent, so you need to be strong and assertive otherwise again, they will not leave you alone.
Excursions
We completed three excursions / tours during our week.
The ‘Half Day City Tour’, the ‘Out Back Tour’ and also the ‘Signature Evening’.
The ‘Half Day City Tour’ was a trip into Puerto Plata city, where they stopped at different locations in town and allowed you time to take in some sights and to shop. We stopped at the Brugel rum factory to see the operation, at a small jewelry maker, the amber museum, the cities cathedral and finally the old fortress. It was an okay tour, but you did get the feeling that the rep was on a kick back for bringing the bus loads of tourists to each location. Each stop off finished up in the gift shop, trying to sell you over priced souvenirs.
The ‘Out Back Tour’ is a full day, and can be a little tiring as you cover many miles, much of it rough terrain, in the back of a very bumpy safari type truck. You visit a couple of plantations which was a little boring, a Dominicans family house which was a little staged. They take you boogie boarding at Cabarete Beach, a swim in a fresh water river, croc farm for something to eat. The overall experience was not great and other then the fact the beer and rum was all included, it was probably not worth the $80 per person.
The ‘Signature Evening’ was by far the best excursion we done. This is organized by the reps and is something they do as a sideline. They collect you from the resort and then take you to the ‘real’ Puerto Plata city. Away from the tourist traps of expensive malls and tacky souvenirs, they take you where the locals live and socialize. A really interesting fun tour that was so much better and interesting then the Half Day City Tour we had done earlier. They then drop you off to watch the sunset from the old fort and the fantastic Malecon, and provide you with cold beers and Rum. Once the sun has set, we were driven to a local beach front restaurant which was awesome. You separate onto 5 or so tables of 8 people and you are given a meal of your choice, chicken, pork or Lobster (at an additional cost) and also drinks vouchers for the bar. After dinner, they do a quiz where you can win gifts and also a raffle where the proceeds go towards the welfare of the children living in poverty in the city. This really was a fantastic worthwhile evening, lots of fun and a good way of making friends, and the one excursion we enjoyed the most. It’s really worth the $45 per person.
Diving
The on-site dive operators are Sea Pro. We have many dives between us, and we have dived all over the world. Judging from our previous experiences with many diver operators, I would rate Seapro as possibly one of the unsafe, and worst dive operators that we have dived with to date.
We booked 4 single tank dives each, and paid $270 for the 8 dives. We asked many questions regarding the type of boat we would be diving from, and asked if the boat had all usual safety equipment you would expect a dive operator to carry. It was confirmed that the boat was a big boat with a sun deck, and we were showed a picture of the boat which looked awesome. Satisfied that Seapro where the ones to book with, we paid our cash and met them as arranged the following day in the lobby.
We were a little bit surprised to see when we arrived at the shore, a small rib type hard boat which was a million miles away from the picture we had been shown the day before. No real problem as we had dived from similar boats before, so we left to go diving.
Within 5 minutes of leaving we had allegedly reached our dive site, the coast was within spitting distance so it seemed they just wanted to drop us into the water to get our dives completed. The Dive Masters pre-dive briefing, was just that, brief to the point of non existent, and into the water we dropped. We were basically greeted with a dead and polluted sea bed that contained nothing much more then a few fish, a couple of bottles and a tire.
The second dive was no different from the first, only in the exception that when we had surfaced from the dive, our boat had gone! We were left bobbing in the ocean trying to spot our boat, with our ‘Dive Master’ blowing on a whistle trying to attract some attention.
After several minutes of not knowing what was going on, a smaller boat arrived and picked us up. The guy said that our boat had to leave as they had lost some snorkelers from another party and was needed for the search.
Day two of diving: This time we were on another small hard boat, but with 14 divers, 2 x Dive Masters and the skipper, 17 in total. The boat was so packed that you could barely sit down, and with dive kit on the boat it was horrendous. This time we departed to Airport Wall, and there was a decent size swell that was rocking the boat and making some people on the boat a little uneasy.
Once we arrived at the dive site, they hurried people so quickly into the water, you could see the less experienced divers hadn’t time to probably set up correctly, or had done any checks. I could see one guy in the water struggling, face mask off and no regulator in his mouth, swallowing sea water and shouting that he needed back on the boat and was clearly panicked.
We completed the two final uneventful dives on this day, and the icing on the cake was surfacing from the last dive by ourselves, to find all the staff back on the boat drinking beer!
All the boats we dove from had no radios, oxygen or any kind of communication or safety equipment. Ultimately, we felt that Seapro was there to take your money, unfortunately to ensure you received quality diving and safety was way down their list of priorities.
In Summary
The resort was ‘okay’ for our purposes. We booked a last minute deal and just wanted to escape for a little bit of diving and some R&R. We had a good time whilst we stayed here, and had fun on some of the excursions and exploring Puerto Plata. However, we were ready to move on at the end of our stay. Would we return?....... probably not.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Hayley |
May 2008
just returned from fun royale last week, went with 8 girls and 2 guys. We had a great time we're all repeaters to the hotel, This hotel accomodates everyone families, couples groups of friends etc.
Everyone has there owwn opinion of this hotel, all i can say is i travel at least 3 times a years to usa or carribean and then europe about twice a year i have never been a person that returns to the same place especially the same hotel but this place is amazing a real holiday, normally when you have a holiday when you come home you feel like you need another holiday, but this is the most relaxing resort i have ever been to despite it being full of entertainment and fun. It is actually so cozy you feel like you are home.
Food:
A few people had complaints, im not sure why there is a huge variety, i think maybe the british are just fussy? there is a selection of salads, pastas, potatoes, chips, burgers, hot dogs, currys, steak, chicken etc. also there being two other restaurants there gives you selection.
Rooms:
Very clean , quite basic. Our air con didnt work too well and our friends joining room thereswas leaking the other 3 rooms were fine. We also had a slight problems with ants on the table in our room, but we told the staff and they sorted the problem immediately.
Staff:
Amazing, they made our holiday, the reception, maids, the waiters in the restaurant, the bar staff etc. they seem to just want to do the most they can to make you holiday amazing. And finally the animation team the stars of the whole place, continously entertaining, always looking after you, during the day and also the night because we have been a couple of times most of them would come out with us at night once they had finished work, came to karaoke etc.
Overall this place is definately worth visiting if you are considering going here.
if you need to know anything about the complex or even about going into town feel free to ask;
princess1-9-8-6@hotmail.co.uk
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Lynn |
March 2008
Just returned home from the Fun Tropicale in Dominican Republic.
If you have read the reviews, you will have read all you need to know about this particular resort.
I thought I would add a couple of things that I found. Firstly, the staff are definately 5*! They, and I mean all from the front desk (who are the busiest people you first see) to the animation staff (incredible energy) to the room service ppl (very clean for what they have to work with) to the grounds ppl (immaculate).
The beach - we seemed to hit a small tropical weather front. The waters were quite rough during the first few days there. (the staff with the red cross on their shirts would not allow anyone to enter to their knees) guess they likely knew more than what we did. The beach for this resort is not the greatest but as previously said, few feet in either direction and there is no problems. The beach restaurant - very good chicken :) as also mentioned before.
Rooms - clean. (my most important issue). we had a balcony with adjoining room for our daughters (no balcony). Beds were comfy, double sized (not the smaller ones we have had before), typical carribbean rooms. If i could make a suggestion it would be to upgrade the bathrooms. We had a continuous drip in ours from the air conditioning. again, not a problem, but if they were to do anything, i would suggest that first.
Food - buffet like any typical buffet. always something to eat if you are hungry. Nice to see a "dominican" section to eat from for those who want to try something different. Again, staff always there either cleaning your table and seeing if they can be of service.
A al Cartes - brazilian was my fav. I enjoy meats so luved the foods presented on skewers, staff were excellent and a relaxed atmosphere etc. Italian equally as good for food, bit more on the dressy side. Either one, very good. Issues? would be that i would like to book in advance, not have to book in the am for that particular pm. (not a big complaint is it?)
The staff! amazing! all of them. I really thought i had it "bad" working my 8 hours a day! Didn't matter what time of day, always a friendly smile and olah! I would say this was the biggest asset of this resort.
Anyway, i want to get this sent as i too rely heavily on the many reviews i have read here.
Thanks very very much to Bob, for answering my many questions. I can see why you do enjoy coming back here year after year.
Would i return? yes, may not be rite away (still have some more places to see yet).
Hope this helps with your decisions. If you have any questions, you may ask at dlbobick at hotmail.com
cheers!
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | BobFromCanada |
February 2008
BobFromCanada is one of the moderators of Debbie's Dominican Travel Forums
TRIP DATE: Jan 8, 2008 to Jan 22, 2008
TRIP SYNOPSIS: Sunwing Vacations, Sunwing Airlines, Fun Royale/Tropicale
VERDICT: Solid 3.5 star, basic, clean, food good, very happy, will return.
This year we flew on Sunwing Airlines. Despite their less than stellar
reputation, the flight times were not changed after booking, the flights were
on schedule, the in-flight food and service was good and the seating was
adequate. To be fair, both flights were quite pleasant. I can't quite say the
same about what happened at the airports at each end, but none of it was
anything serious. On the trip down, after a three hour drive from home, we
arrived at the Toronto airport early, about an hour before the checkin booths
opened. There were quite a few people milling around by the time they opened,
and they tried to form a queue based on the lay out of the roped guide posts,
so there was some confusion when Sunwing tried to re-organize the lineup to
match "today's booth configuration". It all got sorted out eventually.
It should be noted that they were very stringent on the luggage weight, and
weighed both the carry on and checked luggage. I had tried to get an excess
baggage allowance prior to leaving, but gave up based on the terms and
conditions they sent to me. We just brought less clothes and supplies. Our
friends got nicked $80 because of the school supplies they brought. This
was despite the 300 lb bozo with the golf clubs that travelled at no
extra charge. Thanks to my fish scale, we were bang on the limit.
Check in on the way home was an absolute zoo. They had a computer system
failure and after a long delay they ended up doing it all manually. The
boarding passes said 'First Choice Airlines' and were marked 'Infant No
Seating'. They just used what they could find around.
It should also be noted that Sunwing still isn't precollecting the departure
tax, so this has to be paid at the airport. No big issue as long as you are
aware of it.
The transport to the hotel was inadequate. There weren't enough seats on the
bus, without using the jump seats, and there wasn't quite enough room in the
luggage trailer for all the luggage. As usual, I watched UNTIL MY LUGGAGE WAS
LOADED and then I boarded the bus. About half way to the hotel they informed
us that "some" of the luggage had been taken off and put on another bus. After
some confusion when we arrived at the hotel, all the luggage showed up. The
transport from the hotel was fine, and in fact we were the first bus to arrive
at the airport. Too bad about the computer foul up. Without it we could have
just walked up to the checkin, checked our luggage and got our boarding passes
without any wait at all.
OK, now we're in double digits territory. This was trip number ten to this
property, and it just wouldn't seem like January if we didn't go. Creatures of
habit or what? This year we were accompanied by Snowbird (from Debbie's
forums), plus some friends we met here several years ago. So there were eight
of us to party on. And a good time was had by all.
After all these trips, it gets harder and harder to find something "NEW" to
write about, but it's still possible. Is everything perfect in Paradise? Nope,
not a chance and it never will be. There's always going to be a few warts.
Will we return? Sure, without question. And just like last year, I may even
try to find a deal for later this winter.
Actually, we had no "real" issues. There were no nasty surprises, but there
were some changes. Some good and some not so good. For example, they've
eliminated the fruit smoothie station in the morning (a negative). They seemed
to serve bacon more often than in previous years (a positive). They have
changed the french fries and are now serving the beefeater type (a positive in
my opinion, but this opinion wasn't universally shared). I liked them. A lot.
At the least, the larger fries were well cooked, hot and crispy and stayed hot
longer. The thin fries get cold very quickly.
The new refurbished washrooms near the lobby and pool have finally been
finished and they are quite nice. These changes were long overdue. They also
redid the activities and tour representative area between them and the
theatre. I heard that it took five months to finish this work. My only comment
here is that they did a great job but they picked a floor tile that is quite
slippery, especially when wet. Near a pool, wet floor, do you think? .....
Any issues we had were very minor things and certainly not enough to ruin a
vacation. Most of these were "other guest" related. Sometimes you have to
wonder why the hotel even bothers. It has to be quite frustrating for them.
There was a constant issue with clogged toilets due to idiots flushing things
that were never intended to be flushed. A pizza slice leaps immediately to
mind. Maintenance was kept quite busy keeping the public toilets running well.
They had expended some serious cash and workmanship on the new facilities and
these were extremely well done. Then some other mental giant wads up a bunch
of wet toilet paper and tosses it up to the ceiling where it stuck. Not very
pretty. Again, one has to wonder why ..... Oh, and the last weekend we were
there was a holiday weekend and there were a lot of locals staying at the
resort. Up until now I've never had an issue with any locals staying at the
hotel. In fact, I welcome them. This time, most, with the exception of this
one group, were model citizens. They reminded me of spring breakers in Cancun.
All you had to do was mention them in a conversation and everyone rolled their
eyes and knew exactly who you were talking about. If it hadn't been for this
one group, all would have been well. Fortunately they were only at the resort
for one day. Enough said.
They (the hotel) market themselves as a 3.5 to 4 star property, and that
rating is just about right. The food is good, the place is exceptionally
clean, and the rooms are functional, although dated. Everything in our room
was in good repair. Eureka, I didn't have to fix a thing this year.
In my opinion, it's still a great place for a vacation, even after being
'spoiled' by a 5 star resort in December. The 'new' beach bar is still not
100% finished. It's still missing a few light fixtures, but they aren't really
necessary unless they turn the place into a specialty restaurant at night
(steak and seafood maybe, hint hint). I've been working on that concept since
the new place was built. But it's still very nice and we spent a lot of time
there.
The other facilities may be a little dated, but they're SUPER CLEAN. We had no
complaints about the food; pretty good, simple and not gourmet. The rotisserie
chicken at the beach club is still excellent. At dinner there's lots of
choices and I never left the table hungry. The staff is extremely friendly and
obliging. Oh yes, they certainly remembered us from previous visits. After all
these years, they're like family now. Management cares and responds to valid
'positive' criticism and works very hard to accommodate their guests. The
entire "team" has seemed stable from year to year, but this time around there
were a lot of missing faces and quite a few new faces. Some staff have been
around for years, and now there's some new ones.
In addition to the main buffet, which was quite good, we also enjoyed the two
specialty dining rooms (Brazilian and Italian/Mediterranean). We found the
food and service were excellent in both restaurants. The only problem is that
they are small and fill up rapidly. If you haven't made a reservation by 7:15
am, it's probably best to forget it. Oh, and the wine served this year is
still pretty good for a house wine. You can choose from red or white.
Personally I prefer the red, but I had to try the white just to compare. It's
the scientific method in action.
Oh yeah, there's a new manager at the Brazilian restaurant this year. He used
to be one of the best waiters at the Italian restaurant, so I guess he's made
a big move up in the organization. And, he's doing a great job.
The main buffet restaurant and the Brazilian are open to the outside air, but
the Italian one is closed off and air-conditioned. Warning: In the main buffet
at breakfast and lunch, the black birds are pretty bold and will filch the
food right off your plate if you leave it unattended. They don't seem to be
around in the evening.
At breakfast, bacon was served about three or four times per week and sausage
was served the other days. The smoothie station is gone. The best part about
breakfast was the omelet and fried egg station. One of the other guests
referred to them as killer omelets and I have to agree. They were great.
The beach club serves lunch and snacks daily. As usual, the rotisserie BBQ
chicken was excellent. They also served fish, burgers, hot dogs, great fries,
salads and fresh fruit every day. Lunch is also available at the main buffet,
but we never ate there.
In the dining room, wine is available by the glass (red and white) and you
simply help yourself to what you want. The wine wasn't vintage, but it was
quite drinkable.
On the plus side, the hotel still has 24 hour all-inclusive. It's not full
buffet, but you can get drink and food (burgers, hot dogs, chops, salad) at
odd hours if that is your want. So this feature is obviously a success! Me, I
didn't need it. As usual, I gained a few lbs.
In summary, the food was good, plain but not fancy. They did a pretty good job
of avoiding repetition (exception - see note below). During our stay, we had
various kinds of fish, roast suckling pork, pork chops, roast beef, lamb,
veal, turkey, chicken, ham and various types of stews. The carvery seemed to
be used more often than as in previous years. Interestingly enough, the
carvery served up roast turkey four days in a row. Excellent turkey, but four
days in a row! There must have had a surplus of turkeys approaching their best
before date. However, there were lots of other choices. My wife especially
enjoyed the fish entrees and the cooked-to-order pasta dishes.
As I previously mentioned, this was our tenth trip to the resort. Most of
these trips have been two weeks. Obviously, the place still suits our needs
and we were more than happy with what we got this time. Honestly, we know a
high percentage of the staff by name and they are just like family. We missed
a few of them this time because we were in a large group eating together and
the larger tables were not in the areas being served by some of our
favourites. They also know our wants and are eager to please. For example, you
are supposed to get your own coffee, juice and wine. Let's just say that it
was a rare event when I had to.
You have to remember that it's a three and a half star to four star resort, so
don't expect anything fancy. The Royale section consists of hotel rooms
arranged in 4 blocks (labelled A through D) while the Tropicale section
consists of multi-unit villas. In case you're wondering, about 15 years ago,
it used to be two separate hotels. These were rolled together under the
all-inclusive plan at that time. They have a wristband system and it's easy to
recognize repeat and vacation club guests. We saw a lot of repeaters, so that
speaks well for the hotel. It tends to be a love it or hate it kind of place.
We obviously fall into the love it category. We were in good company.
There are no marble floors or walls, and the buildings are "standard"
Caribbean construction that consists of stuccoed concrete block, terra cotta
tile floors, and very plain ceramic tile in the bathroom. As I've said many
times before, it wouldn't have been my colour choice, but ......
We were in B wing and we had the same room as last year, by our request. It
was super clean and there was lots of hot water (with the exception of one
day when it was at best tepid). We were at the far end of the wing and it was
a 'little' distance to the hot water tank, so it took a short while.
The room was comfortable and everything worked. Towels and bedding were
changed daily (yes daily) and the floors were swept and mopped. No complaints
here. We even got wash cloths; a rarity in the DR. My advice would be to take
your own just in case. We did, and made sure they were a different colour so
they wouldn't get mixed in with the hotel's. The bathroom was equipped with a
hair dryer and had a wicker basket with shampoos, conditioners and a sewing
kit.
Most rooms, say 60 per cent, have balconies or terraces while the rest don't.
If it's an issue for you, yes you 'can' get a balcony, but you have to be
persistent. On a previous trip to another hotel, we noted that all the rooms
had balconies; they were rarely used. In our case, my wife has a sun allergy,
so she spends a fair bit of time in the room. We like the balcony and we like
being out in the fresh air, so it's important to us. On the plus side, if you
don't get a balcony, the interior space in the room is bigger.
As I mentioned, we got the same room as in previous years. This year the trees
and greenery have been trimmed back considerably. Even though we faced the
pool and activity areas, it still seemed very private. Our room had two queen
size beds, a bedside table between them, a phone, a large balcony, a bureau
with large drawers, cable TV and a large closet. The bed mattress was nearly
brand new, firm and very comfortable. Bottled water was provided. You DON'T
drink the tap water; for that matter, you probably shouldn't even use the tap
water to brush your teeth. This might be being over cautious, but why take the
chance. The tap water is essentially untreated, so there are no guarantees as
to what might be living in it.
We rarely turned on the air-conditioning, since the AC really wasn't
necessary. The room remained very comfortable over the entire two week period.
Frankly, the weather-person didn't really cooperate this year and we found the
weather quite a bit cooler than normal. We actually used the blanket a few
times.
When closed up for a while, the room seemed a little musty, especially in the
dead air space by the closed door, but this cleared within minutes when the
patio door was opened. Remember, this is the tropics, so the humidity is a
little high. I didn't spot any mildew, and I looked.
Hydro is expensive in the DR. Like most of the hotels, you have to insert a
card into a slot in the wall to enable the room power. There is also an
interlock on the patio door that inhibits operation of the air conditioning if
the door was open. Considering the price of power in the DR, this is a
reasonable solution.
Fun Royale / Fun Tropicale is a very nice and well maintained resort. There is
always someone sweeping, pruning or raking. There are three swimming pools.
These are the activity pool (somewhat NOISY since this is where the activity
takes place), the quiet 'adult only' pool and one near the kids club,
nominally reserved for children, but generally used by anyone who just wants
some peace and quiet. They appeared clean and well maintained and the water
was a pleasant blue colour. The staff appear to be pretty good at picking up
after guests that are too lazy to pick up after themselves and just leave
their garbage.
The beach is OK, but not spectacular. Since there had been a lot of rain, this
year it was pretty mucky. Except for one or two days, there was a lot of
seaweed. When it did finally wash ashore, it was quickly raked and carted
away. There's a "bit of coral" in the sea in front of the beach club, so some
caution is required. This year the warning sign seems to have disappeared.
However, a short walk in either direction leads to hazard free swimming. You
don't have to swim in the hotel's area since the entire beach is public.
However, if you go too far, it's a long walk back to the bar!
From the hotel gate, it's an easy and scenic 6 minute walk alongside the golf
course to the beach (I timed it) and if you don't want to walk, there is a
frequent tractor powered shuttle service. Something like a Caribbean hay ride.
We generally take it a few times "just because".
If you want to participate, there are activities at the pool with a great
activity (animacion) staff. The speakers have been aimed away from the
residential areas, which helps reduce the noise level in the hotel rooms.
There didn't seem to be much organized beach activities. So beach volleyball
was a pick-up, do it yourself operation. Other activities with the
all-inclusive package include mini golf (7 holes ???), shuffleboard, ping
pong, Spanish lessons, darts, pool basketball, water polo, water aerobics.
There was usually a bingo (extra cost), and there is a coin operated pool
table. In the evenings, they organized tours to casinos, discos or into town
(all at a nominal cost which seemed quite reasonable).
There is entertainment each night (outdoor stage, weather dependent) which
varies between dance shows and some audience participation. The shows mostly
consist of dancing and lip sync to recorded music, which some people would
consider cheesy, but the dancers are pretty good and put a lot of effort into
it. The shows were pretty much the same as previous years, so we found
something else to do. From what we saw, most of the audience seemed to enjoy
the performances. Vegas it's not, but it's enjoyable. The shows are all over
by 11pm and that bar stays open until midnight. After that, all activity moves
to the quiet pool bar which is well away from any guest accommodations, so the
noise isn't an issue.
Again this year, I talked to several guests who thought that having a small
local group play near the 24 hour bar in the evenings would be a great idea.
Things like a piano bar alternating with a small dance band or local music
would do. Personally, I too would like to see some more local entertainment. I
suggested this a few years ago, but nothing came of it.
I would also like to see more use made out of the beach club in the evenings.
A steak and seafood restaurant, even if it was extra cost would be nice. It
seems such a waste to have that nice facility being there and not being used.
It would be so nice at night.
The main dining room (buffet) is very attractive. It gives you a choice of
three eating areas. The first area is well inside, but open to the air on
three sides, the second area is also covered in with a translucent ceiling,
and the third is outside with tables under umbrellas. These overlook the golf
course and one of the ponds. Most of the tables are candlelit at night, but
the number of candles seems to be diminishing due to attrition and guest
filching. Several nights we took our own candle.
Oh yes, in case you get 'hungry' during the afternoon, there is a pizza place
near the main pool that serves quite good pizza. The pizza is different from
what you get at home, but good. Note that you don't get to order what you
want; they make pretty much what they want and you take whatever slice(s) look
appetizing to you.
MISC (in no particular order):
It's still a very friendly hotel. There are a lot of 'holas' from the staff.
We had no real language problems with the front desk, waiters or bartenders.
The grounds keepers and maids didn't speak much English, but we had no real
problems communicating with them either. In a pinch, sign language works well!
The currency exchange on site is run by a real bank, not the hotel. The
exchange rates were about as good as you could get in town. The posted rates
while we were there were 33 pesos to the $US, 30 pesos to the $CDN - so
when it comes to the $US vs $CDN debate, you do the math! The double exchange
is still worth it.
The mini golf and shuffleboard equipment has seen much better days. They have
restored the traditional triangular scoring area on the shuffleboard courts,
but the numbering in the score boxes is wrong.
We never got around to trying the miniature golf, but the course and equipment
was in poor shape. The grips on the golf clubs have been wrapped in electrical
tape. They were not pleasant to touch!
I still can't believe the number of people that treat the buffet like a
cafeteria. Year after year we see people who get their food, then run
around looking for a table. Then they complain that the food isn't hot. Geez,
get a table, then go get the food!
The cooling trays for the stuff that was supposed to be cold sometimes worked
too well and the food was frozen to the serving dish. The heating trays were
not quite as efficient, but kitchen staff were constantly replacing with full
dishes from the kitchen. The food serving stations were all equipped with
sneeze-shield, just like a buffet restaurant here. The guys on the grill all
wore masks and wore rubber gloves. This seemed to me to be over cautious.
There's not a bug in the world that's going to survive that grill temperature.
WHAT WE LIKED: We have no real complaints. It's a nice place and good value
for the money, unless you are really fussy. The food is pretty good. It's
nothing gourmet, but there's lots of choices and a good variety. All the bars
are still serving Presidente beer. The house wine is OK. The rotisserie BBQ
chicken at the beach bar is VERY good.
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE: You know, it's the little things that get you. In
previous years, we could only get one key for the room. This can turn into a
major annoyance, especially if you're each doing something different, or one
person retires early. This year we managed to get a second key for the room.
Much more convenient.
Another annoyance was the fact that they changed the phone system recently but
didn't follow through. The card on the table identifies the number for
guest services, but after 2 years it is still wrong.
We never got the invitation to the repeater's party. We did get a second
note about them spraying the room for insects. I think they sent the wrong
note.
There was not as much bacon at breakfast as I would like, but the sausage was
good. The Dominicans usually do a pretty good job on pork products. Their beef
is sometimes a little chewy, but with good flavour. This year we actually got
some good beef (occasionally).
There also are some little things that still need attention. There are loose
taps in the public washrooms at the new beach club. There are urinals in the
men's washroom near the main buffet that haven't flushed properly in the 7
years we've been going there. There's no water pressure for the flush. It
would appear that the cleaners are flushing it using a bucket of water
because it was always clean. The bottom step from the shower area at the beach
club to the beach could be improved.
The washrooms at the main buffet restaurant should be next in line for
refurbishing. The same applies for the ones at the quiet pool.
They have a weekly beach party with a bonfire on the beach. This has the
potential to be a LOT OF FUN, but ..... Personally, and this isn't my
opinion, I wish they would do away with the silly party games, set up a dance
and sitting area, light the fire, open the bar, play some music and let the
people party. Every time the dancing and partying just got started, they would
stop the music and play some game. That took care of that.
Would we go back? In a word, YES! We are already planning our next trip.
Notes:
The mini golf and shuffleboard equipment is way overdue for replacement.
The minigolf course is in poor repair and the fountain wasn't operational.
The fountain at the pizza parlour is also deceased.
Let people amuse themselves at the beach party. Let the animacion staff be
around as dance partners or to just get things going. Dump the silly party
games.
Make use of the beach club as a specialty restaurant at night.
Make some sort of quiet dance area around the 24 hour bar at night.
For a virtual tour and slide show, see http://www.bobfromcanada.com and select
the show. There is also a link to this year's photo set on worldisround.
Select Fun Royale/Tropicale - January 2008
QUESTIONS: email bob(at)bobfromcanada.com (anti-spam change the (at) to @)
This isn't part of the hotel review, but we've been going to the DR for many
years now and don't normally take any tours. I have to add that I was the high
bidder for 'A Day With Martin Espinal' Martin Espinal (Isaira Tours) in the Beyond The Beach
Childrens Foundation (BTBCF) on-line auction. So, this year we toured.
BTBCF supports many charities in the DR (see www.beyondthebeach.ca), mainly
schools and orphanages and I invite you to visit their website and see what
they are doing. I might add that the organization is totally run by volunteers
and ALL proceeds collected go straight to the charities. I'm proud to be a
supporter.
We had a great day with Martin. We managed to tour the rum factory, toured
through a good portion of Puerto Plata, visited the fort, drove up to
Cofresi and Maimon, dropped in at Ocean World Casino and the Marina, went
to Costambar for lunch and took the cable car up the mountain.
I've been recommending Martin for years now, based on other peoples
reports. Now that I've met him, I can now recommend him based on personal
experience. I'd also like to thank him for his generous donation to the
foundation. I'd also like to thank him for a great day.
I've also added a slide show about our day with Martin. See my website at
www.bobfromcanada.com
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Shauna and Deb ~ Ontario, Canada |
January 2008
Arrival -
Arrived a little late to the airport and recieved a special van straight to the resort which was kinda cool (we where going to get a cab)same thing just free lol. Front staff were nice, on dominican time, room was delayed at checkin waited about an hour but we didnt care we were in paradise.
Rooms -
They were ok a little disappointed thought we were going to get a room with a terrace or balcony. we did not have either. basic hair dryer and fridge
Restaurants -
calypso-buffet stlye. food was hit and miss each day was not the strong point of the hotel but we did not starve. breakfast was great
popeyes pizza was really good
miranda's rest. brazilian was fantastic served like a king and queen and lots of great food
Bars -
not big drinkers but deb enjoyed the strawberry colada. was cool to see a 24hr bar
Beach and Pools -
pool-i liked the fact that there was 3 pools one for the kids one for the adults and one for everyone. clean and lots of fun
BEACH- dirty was not seen there very often beach bar was really good burgers fries and chicken hotdogs. go for a long walk and the beach gets better.Grounds -
PEACOCKS PEACOCKS PEACOCKS everywhere lol was a nice touch to a beautiful resort. always kept clean and tidy
Activities -
One word for the animation team!!!! AWESOME!!! hilarious (ok two words lol) SHAGGY,SEXY BELLY,SPAGHETTI,AND MACHO MACHO ANDRES. keep up the great work you do made my 8 yr old feel special thanks for signing her book. lots of games to participate in and the night time shows were entertaining
Tours -
Monster Truck Safari was ok lost a 1/4 of our trip cus of a brake falling off the truck going up hill made it half way and had to come back down.Conclusion -
We had a fantastic time and would go back in a heartbeat. resort is great for the kids. always FUN in the air. cant wait till next year
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Connie ~ Canada |
January 2008
Jan 3rd for one week.It was a great holiday lots of kids our kids had a blast and they are 12 and 15 Rooms -
our rooms were clean but could use an up date . The hotel is one of the first ones built so it could use a little TLC but it was clean and nice. The rooms are a little loud. Restaurants -
The restraunts were good we all enjoyed the food plenty for the kids to choose from. I suggest yogurt eveyday to help with a wobboly tummy.Bars -
The bars were good . They really need to stick with the yellow wrist band no drink thing because even our 12 year old could get rum if she never specified no rum which is not cool. I really loved the fact that the 24 hour bar was far away from all the rooms.Beach and Pools -
the beach is nothing specail but it was also rainny and rough when we were there. Soussa is definatly worth the cab ride great beach.I really didn't like the peddlers on the beach they got a little annoying exspecailly when you are there for a holiday .Grounds -
IT is beautiful all of it . Playa Dorado is definatly the place to stay. lots to do lots to see and we felt very safe. we meet a lot of great people. It was a blast.Activities -
Activities were good the girl dancers could have been friendlier with the kids though .Tours -
amazing the out back safari is awsome if you are going bring some school supplies for the kids . Boggie boarding was great fun . Awsome guids at all the tours . was great the shark sting ray encounter was great a great deal . The food there was awsome .Conclusion -
I would definatly go back . Next time maybe a 4 star or more. but the hotel was great for what we paid. and really all you do is sleep in the room and you don't do much of that so , it was good exspecailly for kids and families. A great starter vacation.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | JKM |
January 2008
Just got back from a two week stay on Jan 3rd. Overall it was a fairly good holdiay.
The hotel is old but reasonably clean. A criticism I have is the discrepancy in what different guests get in their rooms such as a suite oppossed to just a bedroom, a fridge, (w e never had one) location of rooms etc.
We found the staff generally very accomadating. I had seen a critique before we went slamming a bar tender named Hector. Well we found Hector and Carlo at the adult pool bar to be terrific and very entertaining.
The food was plain but lots of variety and good. I was not fussy about the beer (taste) but the rum was ok.
We found the VIP people very annoying and pushy. I have never seen so many vendors anywhere else we have been. On the beach, everywhere when you took a tour and all selling the same junk. We were very disappointed in the half day city tour which was to include a tour of the Brugal Rum Factory which was closed when we got there and everyone was just herded through the store to buy rum. Tour guide said he didn't know it was closed until we got there. I called bullshit.
One major annoyance , and it was not the fault of the resort, was some guests from England. I hope they read this as they will be able to Identify themselves, not that it would make any difference to them I am sure. There was a family of what appeared to be three brothers, their parents and the wives and children of the three brothers. All the other English guests said they were Gypsies. I could not believe how rude and insolent they were, especially two of the wives and all of the children. They would go up to the bar and scream and whistle at the bar tenders who were serving others demanding service. We observed an eleven or twelve year old son of one of them, teaching his 4 to 5 year old cousin how to get service by screaming at the bar tender. I could not believe that this class of people existed
We liked the fact this is a reasonably small resort and there was never a line up to get chairs around the pools or in the buffet. We enjoy walking so did not at all mind the short walk to the beach and around the Dorada complex and to the Plaza. We did have a problem with insect bites and in fact had to seek medical attention. They were a tiny unseen almost insect that some people were simply allergic too and raised extremely itchy welts. The medical attention we received at the Medical Clinic in the Plaza was absolutley fantastic.
We would consider going here again and taking grandchildren but I would insist on better accomadation upon arrival.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Kyle |
December 2007
1. Our room was crap. Infested with ants and went home with a sort of skin rash from beds. Fridge was rarely restocked, sheets rarely changed, bathroom toilet paper and towels never replaced. We had to find the linen closets to get our own stuff. Poor.
2. Food was amazing. The a la carte dinners were like nothing else. Very high class food. Waiters were excellent and very accommodating.
3. Front desk is horrible at delegating duties. You have to call 5 times to get anything done.
4. Daytime bar staff are very slimy. Expect them to try to be all over you GF or wife. Night time Bar staff are very cool.
5. Closest beach is not worth going to. It sucks. Take the trip into Sosua and use that public beach it is very nice.
6. Not a resort to go to if you want to relax or get refreshed. Music is very loud all the time. You can hear it in you rooms loud and clear from 9 - 9. I guess maybe we were supposed to be outside in the sun, but being hung-over will do that to you.
7. Finally, for all the crap we had to deal with, we probably lost a good 2 days off of our stay trying to get service. And we can speak Spanish.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Steve & Lynda |
October 2007
We Stayed there September 17th for two weeks, I want to be as fair as I can so I might seem quite harsh at times but will try to balabce it with some good things.
Resort: Well the accommodation was a bit archaic and shabby but generally clean, the air conditioning played up (not buttons or knobs to adjust it either) but to be fair the resort did its best to sort it out.
I didn't appreciate being constantly harrassed by the room cleaner for a tip. I was planning on leaving something before I left but after one too many times of her following me towards my room telling me she was going on vacation (which she didn't, well there is a suprise!), I just left a bit of change, her loss cause I normally tip well.
The 'time share' people (VIP on thier tshirts) were a pain in the arse with thier hard sell. They sit at a strategic point on the resort meaning every time you want to get something to eat you get harrassed by them. In the end I had to be a bit rude and asked them to leave it out! They were even down the beach and even approached you while eating your food and while on the transport to and from the beach!
Be careful on the beach, there are rocks/reefs that are difficult to see (water was cloudy not crystal clear like you imagine), no good for snorkelling, there was no room to swim really but the water was warm. On the beach you get people walking up and down trying to sell thier wares I had no problem with this and to be honest they were quite friendly, just say no thanks and they go on thier way (unlike the VIP lot) or if you fancy something be prepared to bargain hard.
My wife and I renewed our vows and it was well worth it, thanks to Nicholas the guest services manager. Word of warning though if you have a photographer this is how it works, for £25 you get 14 photos, sounds good so far, you get photos taken of the ceremony and then you head off down to the beach for some more. Ok here is the catch....you can only pick 14 photos from the ceremony at the resort, if you want beach photos you have to buy the complete package at £220 + 16% tax and the same for the video. If it hadn't been for a friend using my camera at the beach I would have been heart broken and a special day ruined by underhanded selling.
The pools were really good and in particular the adult pool was good. The entertainment was ok, I am a bit reluctant to critique the entertainment because I thought they put a lot of effort into it.
The staff and people in general were good and the onsite italian restruant was superb. The all inclusive got a bit boring at times but was generally ok. There were a few people suggesting that the food gave them a stomach upset but to be honest most of them were suffering with heatstroke and I think it was unfair to blame the food.
Overall:
Well in general it was great weather, beach was disappointing, Renewal of our vows was great bar the photographer, Got a bit fed up with having to watch wether I was being ripped off, I didn't find it as relaxing as I had hoped for due to the consistant harrassment mainly on the resort itself. Both my wife and I agree that we wouldn't probably go again as it didn't really meet our needs to relax and chill. Finally I do understand that the country is quite poor and that tourists are money, however I believe that the drive to take tourists for all they have is short sighted. I do wish the country well with its future and growth though.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Cathy |
July 2007
After a much anticipated vacation my daughter and i were disappointed in our hotel booking at the fun tropical/fun royale. The travel brochure seemed to imply that you are staying at two separate hotels with the use at both places. In fact it is only one hotel, with the amenities spread between two areas.
family pool- lots of chairs, although not enough umbrellas or in the shade.
adult pool -adjacent to the cafeteria-quite and very relaxing with a bar close by
children's pool and play are located on the far side of the complex. although we had no need for this, it did look inviting and had various activities for the children.
entertainment- be prepared to be approached by staff numerous times for you bingo card. You had to purchase these separately for your daily bingo fix, however you were constantly being approached by staff to purchase your card from one individual only. It soon became bothersome.
not very appealing/perhaps we were not age appropriate or just tired.
cafeteria. no swim suits allowed.be prepared to be asked to leave immediately if only attired in bathing suit. . At first i thought this was only directed at the teens but soon realized it was for all ages. however, the adult pool is right beside the cafeteria so remember to always have your beach cover up with you.
Food- limited choice of main dishes, and the presentation was poor. The food may have been good but it was not presented very well.
Italian restaurant- we had made reservations but were lost in the translation. However the hostess went to extreme lengths to prepare a table for two, apppologizing for the misunderstanding. Excellent dinner, and amazing staff.never have i enjoyed a fish dinner more( i am trying to get the recipe).
Rooms-clean and basic-old furniture but was clean. No chain lock on the door nor on the adjoining room. I was not comfortable with only the key lock in the door and put a chair in front the both doors at night.
Entertainment_ we were too tired to attend as the shows started for the adults late in the evening.
when we arrived there was pool aerobics, however after that the did not seem to be any activities that were organized,and were disappointed. They did have a soccer staff soccer match, but women were not allowed to play. I find this somewhat chauvinistic, as in Canada many women are enjoying playing both soccer and rugby. This activity should be for all to play....no matter the skill level.
Beach-not very clean compared to other beaches along the way. Poor location, and would not feel safe at night in the area.People leaving their garbage on the beach-disgusting. Plenty of chairs and shade.
Beach restaurant- excellent chicken/hot dogs/hamburgers/plenty to drink/ and alcohol was not pushed (a pleasant surprised)
transportation- . Although it is only a short 7 minute walk from the hotel to the beach, there is transportation to the beach every 10 minutes. However, 10 minutes is not by the clock.
Horse and buggy- these were everywhere in the compound.We did take one to the orange market which is located at the far end of the compound. However, after looking more closely at the poor condition of the horse, we chose not to use and abuse them further. We actually thought one was going to drop dead on the road as the poor horse was swaying and was in extremely poor health.
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| Fun Tropicale/Fun Royale - Playa Dorada | Glenna and Al |
July 2007
We just returned from a week at the Fun Tropicale. As vacation club members we stayed in one of the condo units. We initially had a 2 bedroom.....but had a very noisy air conditioner outside our unit (too noisy for us country folk). The resort was very good about
moving us to another unit...much quieter! We arrived later in the
afternoon and spent the first evening exploring the grounds. We attended the orientation meeting, led by Shirley, the following morning. She was a wealth of information and provided suggestions for our excursions into town. She also had great stories of the DR. I had heard she was a great host. She truly was. with a great presentation of the island.
Having traveled a bit, and utilizing all inclusives at other
resorts, we found the meals to be good, with a nice variety.
Breakfast was good, with a eggs made to order, fresh fruit and pastries. Only complaint? The coffee was way to strong for our taste. We spent our mornings at the beach. As club members we had a towel service and beverages served to us by Paul. The lunches at the beach club were very good. It was nice sitting and looking out at the water. The vendor's on the beach were friendly but not overly aggressive. We did all of our shopping sitting on our lounge chairs and found no need to go to the flea market. We are familiar with bagainning and the going prices for different items and found we got most items for 1/2 of the vendor's initial asking price.We spent our afternoons at the adults only pool. A feature we really appreciated. However, it was disappointing how guest littered the area with cups and straws. The staff seemed not to concerned and
could have done a better job of keeping it picked up. The general
pool was always a flurry activities that were family friendly. It was evident that the activities staff worked hard at getting to know
the guests, and encouraging them to join in events. Never, a wait
at the bar to get a drink...unlike other resorts we have been to.
Dinner's were themed each night and for the most part good. We always found something we enjoyed. We had dinner at both specialty resturants and enjoyed both. The Brazilian was a unique dining
experience, the wait staff friendly and fun. The italian was a bit
more formal, the food was good and it was air conditioned.
Unfortunately I can't say much about the entertainment (we couldn't seem to stay awake long enough to enjoy them. However, the bits of shows we did see.....were fun, creative, and the staff looked to be having fun with it!
If you want name brand drinks, bring your own. All Booze was low end Dominican. Also, although they have a bar or two at each pool and beach, there is not an inside bar to relax at. Something we would of liked and have had at all of the other resorts we have stayed before.
If you are a member with a condo, do the all inclusive for $40 each a night. I could not imagine trying to go shopping for food and eating out(24% tax). I did not see anyone at the resort all week that did not take advantage of the all inclusive option.
We had lots of fun with new friends from the US (Tiffany and Kenny)
and the UK ( Pam and Frank).
It was interesting to watch the different people all week. All types, ages and sizes. All having FUN!!!!
Keep your expectations in check and have Fun with it all. Most all did.
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Last updated: June 01, 2009
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