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 Grand Paradise Bavaro  Location:Beach front- Punta Cana - East Coast - 35 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 504 rooms located in six 3-storey buildings Description from resort website: The unparalleled white sands and crystal water of its beach, tall coconut trees and colorful landscapes, award this tropical resort the title of "jewel". Superior room - Offer two double beds or one King size bed, air conditioning, cable TV, full bath, mini bar (soft drinks), hair dryer, iron and ironing board (available on request), telephone, safety deposit box ($), terrace or balcony, garden, pool or partial ocean view. 6 bars & 6 restaurants - 3 pools  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 34  Don't forget to send Debbie your review ~ Debbie's Review of Grand Paradise Bavaro ~ Map of Resort  ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4 ~ Reader's Grand Paradise Bavaro Wedding Reviews  Save on All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts with Travelocity Save on All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts with Travelocity.ca |
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| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Forum Member "Tigs" |
We just returned from an absolutely fantastic vacation at the Grand Paradise Bavaro - Club Section.
We travelled April 24 - May 1st, staying in the Sunquest Select section of rooms, Building 8; 3rd floor.
We knew prior to travelling that we were not in the main section of the resort, but it did not bother us in the least. We have stayed at much larger resorts that required much more walking, so we didn't mind. On the days we didn't feel like making the 5-8 minute walk to the main section and beach - we waited for the trolley (never more that 10 minutes, if you just missed it) or at any given time, there was always an employee in a golf cart that would be more than happy to pick you up!!
So lets try to sum it all up here...
FLIGHT: Flew Skyservice out of Toronto - same typical service we are used to...cramped seats and lousy food, but who cares, this bird is taking you to paradise!!
PUNTA CANA AIRPORT: Check in was the quickest!!! At the most 30 seconds at Immigration, and a 5 minute wait for our bags - loved it!!
THE RESORT: The resort is comprised of 2 section The Grand Paradise Bavaro and The Club at Grand Paradise Bavaro. The main section is beach front and boasts most of the day and evening activities as well as most of the restaurants. The Club, is a short 5 minute walk from the main section and has 2 pools; both with swim up bars and jacuzzis; along with one buffet and an a la carte restaurant...it is almost a resort in itself, just not beach front. We found the ground of both sections to be very well taken care of and extremely clean.
ROOMS: Great!!! We were in building 8 in the Club section, on the third floor overlooking the pool - although we were not fortunate enough to get a room with a jacuzzi, ours was wonderful just the same. The Sunquest Select section of rooms, apparently just opened in December we were told, so everything is brand new. The room we had was with 2 queen sized beds; a small sitting area; walk in closet; bathroom with seperate tub/shower and toilet; balcony overlooking the pool; bar fridge (some items you do pay for) and about a 32" LCD flat panel TV.
We did not have any issues with anything being broken; leaking; not working at all - the room was in perfect condition.
RESTAURANTS: Oh my goodness, you had such a great selection of places to eat throughout the resort! We had no issues with the food whatsoever, found everything to be plentiful and tasty.
- Breakfast: Buffet at the main section or Club. Great selection of food - made to order omletes; waffles; crepes; pancakes - better selection at the main resort, but both of equal quality
- Lunch: Buffet at the main section or Club; Buffet at the beach as well, as a daily BBQ there; apparently there was also lunch available in the restaurant in the club section (the Magalar)
We found all to be very good, with a different selection each day
- Dinner: Buffet at the main section or Club; plus 6 a la carte restaurants to chose from. The buffet had a different theme each night, so the food changed with it - we found it to be very good.
We were allowed 3 a la cartes - we chose only 2, due to limited availability. First we dined at the Dominican restaurant which we found to be quite good, a nice selection of fish and meat. Our second was the International a la carte in the Club section - this one was excellent!! Again a great menu selection, lots of choices!!
BARS: There are several bars located throughout the resort. I'll start with the main section. There are 2 beach bars; one open unti 11 pm the other until 2am; there is a 24 hr. Sports Bar as well as a Disco. In the Club section there are 2 swim up bars at each pool along with a bar at the Magalar restaurant that had a bistro type feel to it, with tables and chairs set up in a courtyard like setting.
NIGHTLIFE: Most watched the evening shows in the main section and then seemed to congregate to the bars at the beach waiting for the disco to open. Disco was great and always busy as was the beach bar that stayed open late. There is a very tiny casino adjacent to the Sports Bar. The Sports Bar is another area that was typiccally busy at night.
POOL: There are 3 pools within the entire complex. One in the main section; 2 in the Club. The time we did spend by the pool, we stayed up in the Club section. All pools were very nice, and seemed to be well taken care of and clean. We found that most loungers were taken by about 9am - most reserved by people who never did show up!!!
BEACH: I will be echoing most reviews, the beach here was fantastic!! The water was wavy, but not too rough, just enough to have some fun. We did find, that you had to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve a palapa on the beach - this kind of became a routine for us, and maybe I am crazy but we didn't mind. We had a routine of getting to the beach by 6am; watching the sunrise (nothing beats a caribbean sunrise) and then making our way to the buffet for breakfast and then a long walk on the beach before it got too hot.
EXCURSIONS: We did not book an off-resort excursions as they seemed to be all very similar to ones we have doen throughout or travels; but we did hear great things about the Monster Truck and Dune Buggie tours. We did however go Parasailing, which we organized at the resort and it was a blast! Cost was $80US for both of us. You are up in the sky about 10-15 minutes and the view is fantastic!!! The captain takes pictures of you that are availabe the next day on CD for $14US - you get about 18-20 pictures; most of you and then some shots fromt eh air of the surrounding resorts etc. Togetehr combined, they are a great memory for us!!!
BRieF SUMMARY: After reading many mixed reviews we went with an open mind and I can honestly say, I am not sure where some of you stayed!!!?? This was our second trip to Punta Cana, we were there in 2004 for a breif 4 day stay at Secrets Excellence, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Aside from that we have been to several resorts in Cuba ranging from 4-5 stars and we found this resort to be comperable and in some ways even better. We would return in a heartbeat and would not hesitate to recommend this resort to any of our friends or family. We completely loved this resort and do not have a single complaint..with the exception that it would have been nice to have had a coffee maker and iron inthe room - but we did survive without!!!!
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Joana ~ France |
For my third stay at Dominican Republic I chose Grand Paradise Bavaro.
This is a cheap Hotel. This resort does not deserve its 4th star, even with dominican standards. You can find for the same price another hotel in punta cana giving you more value.
Reception and check-in : very unfriendly welcome. no smile. you get your room key and that's it.
Rooms : old, basic and broken. There was a leak in the bathroom. One day without hot water. The terrasse door did not lock. The curtains are not large enough. Although you don't hear the noise from the neighbour rooms, hallways are very noisy, i was awaken nearly every night. You won't have a quiet stay.
Restaurants: the food always repeats itself, day after day. not so much choice. there are two buffet restaurants, one in the old part of the resort and a more recent one. I advise you to go to the more recent one as the old buffet restaurant is very basic and and old building. service is poor.
Bars: the bar above the reception is very quiet but nice. do not expect a smile, a "hello" or a "good bye" from the bartender.
Beach and Pools : the beach is nice and clean as it is everywhere in punta cana. the beach and pools are overcrowded. people put their towels on the chairs at the beach and swimming pools even if they don't use the chairs. you will not find a spot in the shade unless you get up earlier than you do on a work day. its nearly impossible in the afternoon to even get a chair at the swimming pool.
Activities and Entertainment: i nearly did not attend the night entertainments but it looked ok, not great, but satisfactory. Anyway, you go to punta cana fot the beach, not for the night shows.
Internet acces : they sell access card at the reception for 8 usd for 1 hour connection time. internet access is incredibly slow. there are only
3 computers for the whole hotel. you will have to wait your turn at the sports bar which is by the way one of the worst parts of the hotel, old, dirty and stinky.
Conclusion: avoid this hotel.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Doug and Kim ~ Summerside, PEI |
The Flight:
My husband and I just returned from a two week honeymoon at this resort (April 6th – 20th). We had originally planned to get married here, but my emails to the resort requesting contact with a wedding coordinator were unanswered. We flew with West Jet from Halifax and had great flights to and from the DR. I was quite surprised that there is no longer a free in-flight movie offered and unfortunately the satellite TV did not work in my seat on the way to the DR and the complete system was down on the flight home. It is possible to purchase a movie for $5.99.
Check-In:
When we arrived at the resort, we found the same line for check- ins and for check- outs. All the tanned vacationers were at the front of the line, and all the new vacationers at the end of the line. We had to return at a later time to receive our room, but we expected this. We were given a room in building 6, Club section. We had just gotten married on the 4th of April and our travel agent notified the resort, but we were given, according to hearsay, a poor selection of a room. It was just a basic room, clean with arrival. We had gone three days without seeing a maid and I had to call the front desk and request a room clean. We had friends and my three teenagers arrive the following week and their rooms were beautiful.
Restaurants:
The food selection was great, and we enjoyed the a la cartes. Unfortunately my husband forgot a closed toe shoe, so the first week we were unable to attend an a la carte. We phoned home to have the kids bring a pair of shoes for Doug. The following week, we noticed many men in these restaurants with sandels, but we didn’t think to hand over money to be escorted to a table.
The service in the a la cartes are great, but the buffets were terrible. Many people had to set their own tables, such as finding silver ware, glasses, coffee cups, and trying to get a cup of coffee or a drink of any sort was near impossible.
Henri at the Mangular is terrific. We had lunch here everyday for the great service and chicken wings/ nuggets.
Entertainment:
The entertainment was the absolute worse I have ever witnessed. After awhile, we stopped going. I have been to other resorts where the entertainment was amazing.
Beach:
The beach is beautiful, but really hard to find chairs/shade. We soon learned that soon people leave their towels on the chairs under the shade for a week. They also have another chair in the sun, while some people have no chairs. And some people put their towels on the chairs before going to bed and arrive at the beach the next day before noon. At this resort, the chairs are not stacked at night.
The staff work hard at keeping the beach clean. There is always men, heavily dressed, carrying a garbage bag picking up cigarette butts and garbage. PEOPLE PICK UP YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS AND GARBAGE.
I found the ****** vacationers at this resort extremely rude. They butted into lines, walked in front of you, and very, very seldom was a thank you heard.
Would we return? If the price was right and we stayed at the actual Grand Paradise and not the Club section.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Charlene ~ St. John's, Newfoundland |
This resort has some much potential, but it is very rundown.
Checkin: We had to bring are own luggage from the bus to the reception area. Rooms were mixed up, and had to change rooms the 2nd night.
Food: Food wasn't to bad. Pop machines did not work anywhere, and it was impossible to get ice unless you went to the bar. Very poor service at the buffet.
Grounds: Very dirty, grass torn up, chairs broken, pingpong tables broken and anything for rent didn't work or was unsafe to use.
Rooms: Rooms were ok, maid kept them clean. No coffee makers, ice bucket but no where to get ice (except if you walk to the bar and get it yourself), no cd players and you have a big jug of water in your fridge, no bottled water anywhere.
Bar: Bartenders very unfriendly, offered different types of drinks, but kept running out of liquior to make them wih.
Pool: Pool was ok, but very hard to get chairs, everyone left there towels on them all week long.
Beach: Nice beach, but same problem with the chairs.
Entertainment: Some shows were ok, but when they were bad, they we really bad. Very little music, activities or entertainment poolside. When they did play music they would play things you listened to on the radio at home. I like to listen to something with a little culture.
Overall I would not reccomend this resort. I have been to several and there is no comparision.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Kathy ~ Saskatchewan, Canada |
Arrival and Flight:
The flight was long and torturous because of economy class. Next time we will definitely shell out the extra for first class or at least seat selection so we can sit in the emergency exit isle. Leg room is a must!
Rooms :
We were in the club section building 5. Our room was beautiful. Marble bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and shower. King size bed, to chairs, couch and a tv case with the mini fridge. The mini fridge was stocked with a 4L jug of water, which we did not even use all of it in 7 days. Also came with pop which we also never used. Towels were replaced daily. We tipped the maid $5 one day and our bed was made up with some sort of swan design with our bedding. Also flowers were put around the sink in the bathroom. The balcony overlooked the pool. Very nice. Two room keys were given and we ended up getting another one cut so we could have two with us and one to keep the A/C on. There was only one day that we did not have hot water. It was cold to luke warm, however we didn’t mind because it was blazing hot outside so a cooler shower was refreshing!
Restaurants:
We were allowed 3 al la carte dinners in the week but only ended up using one. We ate at the Seafood one. It was good, we did notice ppl eating things that didn’t look like they were on the menu so not sure how they ordered them. The servers could not speak English so that made ordering a little tough but overall was a good experience. The buffets were amazing! Different food every night and a large assortment. My husbands favorite was the pasta bar, where you could just pick your toppings, sauce and type of pasta and the chef would grill it all up right there. Also lots of seafood every night. The staff were very friendly and really appeared to be enjoying their job.
Bars:
In the club section, the Mangalar bar was very nice and quieter. Good to visit at. There are tables outside and inside in case it rains. There was lots of French activities going on there. One night was a dance party and Limbo competition. The other bars seemed just as good as the other. Nothing really different. All the staff was very friendly and would definitely not cheap out on the booze if you tipped them. I would recommend bringing travel mugs to keep your drink cool. (and you can fit more!!) The disco was attached to the 24 sports bar that had pool tables, foose ball etc. The disco was fun but SO HOT. The activities crew would go there and dance and get everybody else dancing. Very entertaining. We enjoyed sitting outside the disco on the grass or by the pool and visiting with everyone. Met lots of different and interesting people!
Beach and Pools
The Beach was amazing! Crowded but if you walked far enough down you could always find lounge chairs. The huts went fast though. The pool by the beach was our favorite. Very busy. People liked to put there towels on chairs to make them look like they are taken, but if you keep your eye on one and its empty for 30 min or more we would sit down there. We never did have anyone come to claim there chairs back!
Grounds :
Well maintained. Always workers working and keeping them clean.
Activities and Entertainment:
We heard there was entertainment but never did catch any of it! Too busy visiting!
Tours :
We went on one tour. Horseback riding through Macao Ranch. $50/person for 2 hours. Very nice. We got to ride down the beach for a part of it. My only complaint was that the horses were very thin and looked very tired. I almost felt bad for getting on.
Departure and Check Out :
Smooth and no problems. The whole experiences went quickly and hassle free.
Conclusion:
An excellent resort that I would recommend to anyone. We had heard not so good reviews but went with an open mind. The staff was friendly, the weather was Hot and the food was great. We met lots of fun people and had a very relaxing time. Can’t wait to go back!
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Diana ~ Hubbardston, Massachusetts |
Arrival and Flight A tip for all travelers who hate flying: if you call your doctor and tell him your kind of freaking out about flying he'll prescribe you something and give you some breathing exercises to help you. We flew US air out of Boston with a layover in Charlotte. No issues. A short delay in Charlotte while we were in the plane waiting for take-off.
When we first got to the resort we were at the main hotel lobby. I had booked with travelocity, so I didn't realize we should have been at "The Club." The main desk had someone take us, by bus, to the Club section. We checked in and were in our room within 15 minutes. However, they forgot to give us our towel cards....which was an easy fix at the desk.
Rooms We were supposed to have a junior suite, but I realized after a few days that we just had a standard club room. It wasn't a big deal since we were in the rooms for about 6 hours a night and it was simply to sleep. Other people may have been annoyed by this, though. We had a double bed, a couch and two chairs, a coffee table, two bedside tables, a TV with a cabinet under it which housed our refrigerator. We had all the soda and water we wanted in the fridge and were never charged for extras. We each had a room key so one was with us at all times and one was in the electricity at all times. We gave the maid $3 a day and a Boston Red Sox hat for her son so she'd keep the A/C on with the key card. She did. I never saw a bug in the room once. We had new towels every other day. We only got one bottle of shampoo the whole time we were there AND they didn't sell it at either gift shop. BRING SHAMPOO and SOAP! We ran out of soap the last day as well. My last shower there was really just a rinse off. We had hot water the whole time. Please notice the signs about flushing things down the toilet. That means toilet paper too! If you flush toilet paper and clog it, you have no one to blame but yourself. You are not supposed to flush toilet paper down their toilets. Their plumbing is not the best.
Restaurants We ate mostly at the buffets. We had dinner at the Asian one night, which I don't recommend. It was so dimly lit that I couldn't see my food. When I finally did see my food I found a tentacle in it. I stopped eating at that point. I took a picture of it, which you can see on my flickr page in the random folder.
The International was good...sorry, I don't know the actual names of these restaurants. I have fish stuffed with shrimp and my husband had quail, pork and beef and raved about it all night.
You get three a la carte meals, so choose wisely. We never ate at the BBQ or the Seafood since we liked the buffets so much.
PICTURES http://flickr.com/photos/deeslife/collections/72157604536766015/
Bars The swim up bar at the pool with the two hot tubs was my favorite bar. We made friends with the bartender, Lewis...VERY nice guy. He played with the cups and ice and threw things around...he was entertaining. The bar next to the international restaurant was nice with cushions on the chairs, etc., but there was always french entertainment outside so we never stayed very long. The two bars by the beach were nice at night and had entertainment by them during the day. If you want faster service and air conditioning, the sports bar was the best for that. Not many people were ever in there.
Beach and Pools The beach was pretty crowded all the time. I don't usually like to swim in the ocean, but I enjoyed it here...I've never been out of the USA, though. The pools all seemed nice. I had a favorite, though. The pool with the swim up bar and the two "hot" tubs was my favorite. It was always a bit quieter there. No small children in the pool since there was a children's pool right ext to it. It was a good place to nap. The pool furthest from the beach was quiet until about noon when they start with dance music and activities.
Grounds The grounds crew were constantly cleaning up and planting and chopping down bad growth. They really do a lot to maintain the grounds and it shows.
The resort is HUGE. There is a train to take you around, but it was very crowded at times so we decided to walk a lot. I have a son who is disabled and we kept saying how bad it would be if he were there. It was really a lot of walking and uneven terrain. The train showed up every ten minutes at verious stops around the resort. We gave the daytime driver a red sox hat, which he wore the rest of the week...if you see him wearing it, tell him his Boston friends say hi. His name is Ceasario and he's really very nice. He would stop no matter where we were on the road...I think the hat had a lot to with that, though.
Activities and Entertainment There were two theatres, one for the french Canadians and one for everyone else. The one for the french was at the club and seemed to have the same play there night after night. The other one is next to the main hotel lobby and had magic, a dance competition, native dancers, something different every night.
During the day there were aerobics and water polo at the club, step aerobics , Spanish lessons, dance lessons at the beach. There may have been more, but I didn't do many of them.
There was always something to do. The schedule for the main hotel activities was always posted at the beach bar near the main pool.
If you walk out the main gate and to the left there is a small market place. The shop keepers will drag you into their shop, but make sure you stand your ground or you'll end up spending hundreds! Check out the two gift shops on the resort first...if you see something you like, check the price. You should pay about $3-$5 less than that! at least. I got 2 large bags of coffee for $7 and they threw in two beaded necklaces for free. That was half off the prices in the gift shop. BUT I had some guy tell me that a $12 hat was $18 and when I talked him down to $10, which was still more than the hat was worth, he called me rich selfish American girl...which made me feel bad, but I only really got $2 off the hat! PLUS he still sold it to me so he couldn't have been too upset.
Tours We booked through Coco tours, but they all sell the same excursions. You don't have to book through any one tour company, but they are all the same price so it doesn't matter.
Our first trip was four wheels. The bus picked us up about 5 minutes late, which was fine with us. It's a half day trip. They bus you out to a ranch where you get a helmet and a $4 bandanna (which I recommend for the dust) and you pick a 4-wheeler. I rode on the back of my husbands, but some people complained that they were uncomfortable. You drive through a banana plantation and stop to taste some goods. We tasted cocoa beans and coconut. Some people purchased coffee there. Then we stopped at a natural cave where there was a fresh water pool that we got to swim in. It was refreshing and beautiful. Then we went to Macao beach for another swim. It was $120 for the two of us.
The second trip we took was Caribbean Festival. It was $156 for the two of us and worth more! We went on a party boat to an enclosed snorkeling area with nurse sharks and sting rays. Then we got back on the boat and went a little further out to a coral reef where we fed fish by hand and snorkeled for another 30-40 minutes. (I recommend an underwater camera FROM HOME for this one) Then we traveled back to shore while being entertained by some great dancers....it really was so much fun!
Departure and Check Out Check out was a breeze. They told us we were supposed to bring our pool towels to check out, but since they never told us that we had left them by the pool...no big deal, I guess. We had no problems checking out.
I hated the whole customs at the airport thing, but I appreciate that it has to be done for every one's safety.
For US citizens... If you purchase mama Juana, you need to mix it with rum before getting it on the plane. We knew this, so we just purchased it already mixed. You are allowed two 750 ML bottles of rum per person IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE. We didn't know this until it was almost time to go home, so I thought I'd share the knowledge. You can take one carton of cigarettes per person...although no one ever asked us if we had any. You can take home all the coffee and vanilla you want. We were told this by airport officials...Anything else you'll have to look up.
When you are in the Dominican airport to go to the US you have a form that needs to be filled out and handed in before you can go through the gate. Then there's a form they collect when you get into the US once you've rechecked your bags if you have a connecting flight. I took US Air and they really walk you though all of this.
Conclusion
We had a great time. I had never been out of the country. I had also never been on a plane in my adult life. This was my husband and my first time going away like this together and it was a great time. We were there 5 nights and it was plenty of time to go on a few excursions and still have a great time at the beach, the pools, and the nightlife. If you just sit back and relax and don't let things get to you, you'll have a great time!
Please tip, even a dollar here and there goes a long way. Red sox hats are $5 at wal mart...I suggest getting a few for people who are extra good to you...or so they will be!
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Diana ~ Toronto |
We just came back for the Gr. Paradise Bavaro, to be honest I wouldn't go back, only because the service is very poor, for instance we were placed in building 2 the older section, don't ever accept room 2381 I believe. It was funny, when we walk in the room both my husband and I jaw dropped. The lamp was on the floor the single bed was in the middle of the room no headboard, the phone plug kept falling out and whenever we try to put it back in the lamp would come off, not to mention it had no sheets on the bed, no towel in the washroom and only one pillow.
The next day we were transfer to building 9, much nicer rooms, but if you are on the first floor like we were the balcony door DO NOT LOCK at all, calling reception won't help we tried many times they keep saying in an hour, 7 days pass and it haven't been fixed. Also, lots of bugs in the room
The beach, if you can't get up at 3am, sorry no shade for you, it is so crowded it not funny. The resort is extending and the beach area is way too small to accommodate everyone.
One more thing if you don't like walking, not a place to be, like I mention before the resort is huge, and yes the have a trolley that comes by every 5 minute or so.
Over all we did had a good time, at lease we make the best of it. But we won't go back.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Miller |
First of all I will say the resort itself is wonderful. The ground are immaculate, beautiful pools, clean beach, and there is noting to complain about the food. (although the 2 a la carte's we did were nothing to write home about - Dominican and Sea Food)
Our vacation would have been perfect except for a few problems.
We were in building # 8 (Select section). First 2 days the hot water was barely a warm trickle-not enough pressure to keep the shower on , 3rd day a cold trickle, then 3 days of good showers and the last day a cold trickle again. No air conditioning for over 24 hrs.. No towels one day, but they were delivered within 15min of calling reception. The bed sheets were too short for the beds resulting in a dirty mattress pad at your feet.
When we arrived the bar fridge was stocked with water, pop, juices, chips, candy etc. Knowing that only 4 bottles of pop and the gallon of water are all-inclusive, I emptied out the fridge (into a drawer) and stocked it with our own stuff. The next day, my stuff was emptied and the fridge got re-stalked. We went to the reception and explained that we now had double bar fridge contents. We were told to put everything on the dresser and it would be taken care of and that there would be no charge since we did not use it. The next day one set of contents was removed. BUT... when we went to check out at the end of our stay.... we were dinged with a $71 US bar bill. I guess someone forgot to document the fact they removed the second re-stocking. (PS they charge $3.00 for a bottle of water) They were very rude and ignorant about it at the reception. We were not the only ones fighting bogus bar bills. (I guess this is how they make extra money..... or they have a theft problem with staff, since anyone could have entered our room and taken the second set.... we definitely did not use it) This incident did leave a sour taste in my mouth. Also note, the bar fridge does not function without the room key inserted. (all power in the room shuts off when you leave....if you have meds that need the fridge, make sure you ask for an extra room key so the fridge will run all day, and then tape it in the slot so the maid does not remove it like she did the first day to us)
The other problem this resort has is it has expanded (with the club and select sections) beyond its beach capacity. We found the beach too crowed with not enough umbrellas or chairs. Shade was hard to find without encroaching on someone else's personal space. Forget getting up at 6am.... all the umbrellas are taken by 3am on the beach. You might get one by the pool at that time, but by 6:30, they are also taken. (PS. Take off your wrist band and go to the resort next door.... they have plenty of space)
All that being said, we had a great time, and as long as you don't run into any problems like we did, you will have a fabulous holiday.
PS. I have been to the Dominican 5 times and to Cuba 5 times and this is the first time I have had any real problems. I guess it was just my turn. I am still hoping to resolve the bar issue and get a refund.
If anyone wants more info. contact me at beertoal@gmail.com
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Tammy ~ Moncton, NB |
Arrival and Flight Sunwing. Flight almost didn't take off due to freezing rain, so when it did, we appreciated the flight that much more. We were given Champagne! The flight crew seemed to be a little unorganized, but did manage to get everthing straightened out. They were very friendly. We watched The Bee on the way down, and Enchanted on the way back. (keep your headphones for the trip home or you will be charged extra) The meal home on the plane was Shepard's Pie, or Pasta. I had the first and it was delicious.
Rooms Check in was long. We were dropped off at the main section but were staying at the Club. We waited over an hour to be brought to the right location. Once we were there we waited another 2 hours for our room.
We were not satisfied with our first room. There were four of us in the room with no privacy to the bathroom! (door trouble) We asked to be moved to a room with a bathroom door that closed. We did get moved on the second day. We stayed in Building 7. Our only complaint was that this was the only building that had no phones. One of the nights, there was a couple from Kentville, NS trapped in there room. We heard there call for help from the trolly and went to seek help. We were not sure if the maintenance person was going to be able to get them out, so we asked two big strong guys to hang around in case we needed them to break down the door. The maintenace person went in to the adjoining room, scaled the wall outside to get to the couple that was trapped. They were on the third floor! Their deadbolt had broken while engaged in the lock. Finally after about 45 minutes they were free. It took much longer for them to get there lock fixed. This happened at about 10 pm. The lock was fixed the next by 11am.
There were a couple of days we had no hot water, no big deal. AC didn't work to full capacity but we were fine with that.
We had two Maids bothed named Maria....She went out of her way to make sure we were happy. She left us towel animals twice and everyday we had flowers all over the room. She always did something nice with any clothes that were left on the bed. She didn't speak a word of English, but she was fantastic. We left her gifts everyday along with a tip. She came to us the last night of our stay to thanks us.
Restaurants We enjoyed the food. Lots to choose from. Staff was always extremely happy, and would get you whatever you wanted.
Bars Every single bar maid we encountered was friendly. Some didn't speak any English but they knew bar list and you could get what you wanted. We had a great time. The staff at the pool bar at the club in particular were really funny.
Beach and Pools Unbelievable! Beautiful, even with the damage that was done on March 19/08. The waves were smashing the beach. It was better than I imagined. It was clean. There were palm trees everywhere. The staff worked very hard every morning to keep this beach clean.
Grounds Always someone doing some sort of clean up. We didn't see any litter at all. They were always planting and grooming. The grounds were nice and clean. Some construction going on.
Activities and Entertainment Now if your going for activities and entertainment.........go with an open mind. Don't be picky, just enjoy the show. The only issue we had was that we didn't know when the activites were going on. They posted some info at the beach bar, but didn't update it on time. A daily activity menu in the rooms would have helped us to better plan out our days. We still found plenty to do.
Tours Tropical Storm I would recommend that if you are only doing one excursion, do this one. The staff on this Catamaran were out of this world. They were entertaining and hilarious. This was an all day tour. Lunch was a cold lunch, and was really good. Oh lets not forgot all inclusive rum and beer. Soda, water, and punch were available for non drinkers. This tour also had snorkeling, and a visit to the worlds largest inflatable slide. Floating bar was placed in the water next to the catamaran for the swmmers in the group.
Departure and Check Out Check was easy, only becuase we knew we had to bring our remote control for the tv, the key for the safe, and the card for the beach towels. Our bus for the airport was on time.
The airport surpised us. I am not sure that there scanners were even working. Some people in our group had liquids in there bags, and one had 2 lighters. Nothing was detected, and
nobody was searched.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay and would recommend this resort.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro |
We just returned from a trip to the Grand Paradise Bavaro from March 14-21, 2008. We went on a last minute deal, booked on Tuesday PM and left that Friday AM. The resort is located in Punta Cana. We booked with TNT Vacations which was not a problem. We have been to Punta Cana three time prior, always staying at Iberostar. This was a deal that was to good to pass up ($699) and went without expecting a lot.
Airport: We live in NH and took a charter flight from Boston to the Dominican. TNT was excellent, we flew Miami Air which was very nice and on time! Once at the airport you must go through immigrations, claim your bags and find your TNT representative. There are airport staff that will take your bags to the appropriate bus for your transfer to your resort. This is done fairly quickly and they do expect a tip. A few dollars for two bags is the norm.
Check-in: Check in wasn't bad. The staff was great and spoke English very well. We arrived around 2 and our room was not ready. Was told to go to the bar or pool area and come back later for our room keys. I went back a few hours later and everything was all set. Check out was the same, no issues. Ask at the desk for a lock for your safe deposit box that is in your closet. There is a $20 charge for this, but I wouldn't want to keep my passport, money and other valuables unlocked. Also, if you want to use the TV you need to ask for it at the front desk.
Rooms: We were not sure what our room would be as we had booked last minute. I had requested a king size bed on the top (3) floor. We did have a king bed on the 2nd floor which was fine as we were located in building 6, which is about as close to the beach and pool as you can get. Rooms are large and nice. TV is very small with limited English channels. Pillows, towels and wash cloths are limited. You need to ask daily for wash cloths and the correct amount of towels. Our maid always came through with what we asked for. The maids speak very little English, make sure to bring a cheat sheet so you can leave a note. There was a hair dryer, iron and ironing board in our room as well. There are very few drawers, again not a problem, lived out of the closet and our suit cases. How much room do bathing suits take up? There is a small fridge in the room which had a gallon of water, 2 cokes and 2 sprites. NEVER got diet coke in our room. Do NOT drink the water from the tap. They will provide you with more water as needed. We did run out of hot water on the last day, not just that the water wasn't hot, there was no water coming out of the tap at all when on warm. If you want to be close to the beach area I think building 6 is the best. Even numbers are on the pool side, odd on the back side over looking another building. Ideal room would be room number 6333. It's on the 3rd floor overlooking the ocean. Also there are no elevators and no screen on the patio sliders.
Restaurants/Food: The food was good. To bad that their main dining halls are enclosed. What a disappointment. Open air dining is the norm for the buffets. You need to make certain you have "restaurant coupons" in your welcoming packet when you check in. You are given three and must have them to make reservations for the specialty restaurants. We ate at the La Cana, a "steak house" which was very good. We also ate at the International Restaurant, Maglar which was also very good.
The buffet is as expected, fruit, breads, cereals, yogurts, omelets, pancakes, cold meats, cheese, pastries. Basically something for everyone. Deserts were very plain here. There was very limited Diet Coke, aka Coca-Cola Light. None in the fountain, just in plastic bottles similar to 2 liters.
Bars: Limited availability for name brand. Island beer is Presidente, which from what I hear wasn't too bad.
Beach and Pools: What can I say about the beach.... There were plenty of lounge chairs on the beach. Cabanas are very limited, but plenty of trees that provided filtered sun/shade. You do need to get up early to reserve the ideal spot. Up until 4/18 the beach was gorgeous as everytime we have been there. There was a storm somewhere off the east coast which made it overcast and windy on Tuesday. Still very warm, in the 80's. The waves came up A LOT on Wednesday, taking out a lot of the beach. I was shocked on Thursday when I went out to reserve lounge chairs that about 100' of beach was GONE, along with two of the three rows of cabanas. Actually gone, washed out and there were workers hurrying to salvage what they could. There is another review states a number of huts knocked over, they weren't just knocked over, they and the beach are gone. Get your beach towels early, they run out of clean towels quickly.
Grounds: The grounds are ok, nothing to write home about. They are very lax about picking up plastic cups, straw wrappers as well as plastic plates that have been brought out to the beach by guests.
Activities and Entertainment: We didn't do any extra activities and all of the entertainment is lame. Mostly in Spanish and doesn't start until 9:30. The internet cafe is not a cafe. There are two computers located in the entrance to the sports bar that you wait in line for. Get you internet card at the front desk.
Tours: We did not do any tours this trip. Just make certain you book through your hotel.
Conclusion: This resort is rated as a four star. While it is very adequate, tops it is a three, and that was before the beach got wiped out! The Majestic and Barceló are on each side and they to loss the majority of their beach. It is a shame, as the beach was the best by far the selling point of Punta Cana. In talking with others on our trip home, it seems that these three properties got hit the worst.
In closing, bring an insulated cup for your drinks (water, soda or booze). Don't drink the water. Ask for a remote at check-in. Pay for the safe deposit lock. Bring 50 one dollar bills, tips go a long way in getting better/faster service, and as stated they sure do love the Red Sox, so if you have anything you can get cheap here and bring there, they'll love you for sure! Overall we had a fun time, lost no time in the sun, got to watch natures fury and didn't break the bank. Still only a three star resort at best.
***If I were going for the beach, I would not recommend this property at this time due to the fact that it is gone. I don't know if anyone would come right out and tell you this, but believe me, it's not there anymore.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Carla ~ USA |
I visited the Grand Paradise Bavaro from March 14-21, 2008. I went with a friend on a last minute trip and read many reviews while trying to make a quick decision. The negative reviews worried us, but found that they must have been from people you just can’t make happy, as we thought it was fine.
We booked out of TNT Vacations in the US. I am a fairly new travel agent and wanted to learn more about different travel experiences so I can help my clients better. I had never done an AI so I was anxious to try. Because we booked three days prior to departure we got a pretty good rate. The first person I spoke with at TNT that booked me was not helpful. I asked for a first floor near the ocean as I am handicapped, he said “I’ll ask but don’t count on it”. He made me feel like I was bothering him so I stopped asking questions. After it was booked I called back as I realized I never asked for two beds. The woman I then spoke with was very helpful. Asking me questions that the other should have … like non-smoking room? The service I have found with the TNT in working with my clients and now for myself was impeccable. The on site rep, Fernando, was very helpful. When I had trouble boarding the bus at arrival, due to my muscle disorder, I asked for a step for departure. He called right away and although he did not get a hold of anyone he was very accommodating and made sure the bus would pull up to the curb for me. I think he actually asked for a different bus that had a lower step. So I thought that was customer service at its best.
Airport: You are let off outside, I thought that was cool. Being from Boston you get on and off a plane from inside the airport. The airport was pretty empty. The airport staff asked over and over to help with our backs. I think I said “no gracias” twenty times. We walked out, my bag being very easy to transport with 360 degree wheels. We were met with about thirty more folks that wanted to take our bags. I kept saying “no gracias”. One asked me where I was staying I said grand Bavaro” and then he took my bag from me!!!! I figured for the two bucks I was going to give him, I wasn’t going to argue, but geez! Hold onto your bags if you want to carry them!!! When we left at the end of our trip, our TNT rep said to stay on the bus until they were out of the back, so we did. Of course now seeing that all our bags were being held by the staff. I took mine out of his hand and said “no gracias”. He looked bewildered! I walked away. The ticketing was only thirty feet away. Customs was very quick both going in and out of DR, in Boston the lines were long but moved fast. When leaving DR the airport had a Wendy’s, pizza, Café’s and stores. There are more on the bottom floor where you depart from as well. I was mad as I bought a water for $2 for the flight and they would not let me take it on!
Check-in: Check was super quick. We were there by 2 ish so our room was not ready but we got a drink in the sports bar and then it was. The staff was great and they spoke English very well. Check out was equally as quick.
The room: We were supposed to be in the club section. I know this because I complained to TNT that I was handicapped etc and they said the rooms are new, flat screen TV’s etc, and there was a trolley to the beach. So I figured whatever... I was booking last minute! I am wondering if maybe we got the main hotel because of my disability and they did actually listen. The room was older but it was fine! It was big, clean and had a patio. Food, front desk, pools and beaches were all just steps away in either direction. I read on one review that they charge you for the items in mini fridge. This never happened. IT was stocked with coke and sprite and a jug of water. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND bringing a water bottle that you can refill. The water is plenty-full all over but no way to take it with you. A/C was great in room but we didn’t need it much, there was a great breeze with the patio door open. There were a few days we didn’t have water. But it didn’t ruin our trip. What can you do? It came back in time for a shower. One day we had cold showers. The TV in the room had several New York channels, but who goes to a resort and watches TV? The Sports bar played Soccer 24/7 but I am a soccer mom… so that was fine! I didn’t need to know what they were saying to understand.
Food: The food was good. You can dine in the buffet any night and you can make two reservations at a time for the specialty restraints. We only did two. The International restraint, Maglar, wasn’t that good. I had trouble cutting my rib eye steak so I gave up. The wait staff was great. The manager though made our dining experience awful. He didn’t like the way some of the tables were set up and was yelling at staff. He was just a big jerk and if were a dinner I was paying for in the states, I would have walked out. We also ate the Cana. It was a steak house. I am still dreaming of that meal! I ordered Filet mignon and it was soooo good.
The buffets are good and they try to mix it up each day. The bread is always fresh and is the best part of the meal. Desserts were bland and blah. I was DYING to get to the airport and buy some peanut M&M’s. There is also a store in the lobby that sells them. I held off as there was no need for an in between meal snack.
Staff: Everyone is so nice! Always a hola and a smile whenever you walk by. Reception, guest services, most waiters all spoke English. Our maid, Maria was great. We asked for diet coke in our room and she made sure w had it each day.
Visitors: UGH! There was a great mix of folks from all over the world. I would say most prominent were Canadians. The English speaking folks I spoke with were very nice. But .. oh… the ****** speaking were the rudest most ignorant people I ever met. The cut you in the food line, and the thing that made us most mad, is when we went to the Club side, we were waiting for the trolley and they would come up at the last minute and cut right in front of you! This happened one too many times. The person I was with is not violent, but I thought he would kill someone after the third time it happened.
Grounds: Grounds were nice. Never saw trash laying around and considering all the smokers, I didn’t see any butts on the ground either. There was always staff sweeping and cleaning.
Entertainment: The nightly shows were bad (really bad) but we stayed and watched anyway. They seem to get a kick out of men dressing up as women. It was almost more funny that they thought it was funny. There was singing, dancing and game shows. The entertainment staff were nice and would all go to the disco afterwards. The disco was loud, but I like to people watch so it was fun to watch everyone.
Beach/pools: These were great. We did the pool a few days and the beach a few days. Either way, you need to get out by 6:30 am to get a lounge chair. We would take turns waking up running down with our towels to get a chair with shade and then going back to sleep. Weather was consistently perfect. The forecast before we left said showers daily. We never saw a shower… just wind. Although lots of clouds and by Tuesday the winds were high. Still warm and better than being at home. I napped so much! It was so good to nap on the beach in the shade! On Wednesday while we were sitting in our little hut and the waves came half way up the beach, washing away some of the beach, and people's belongings. Book, magazines, sandals... all over the place. Over a short period of time they came higher. After dinner the waves had washed away the whole beach. Literally. It was all rock left and the sand was washed away. The staff pulled all the lounge chairs up to the lawn. A number of huts knocked over. I feel bad for those who came after us who were never able to see the beach.
Important to note is that many folks bath topless.
Excursions: We didn’t do any. We were happy sitting in the shade reading a book or sitting in the sun sometimes. People watching is our favorite sport. I realized as we were leaving that there is a little shopping area right outside the resort. If I had known, I would have liked to have gone there.
Negatives:
Bring water bottle. One that you can refill.
Never use running water, even for brushing teeth. Use water in jug.
If you plan on watching TV, ask for a remote at reception.
Learn the words “No gracias” as you will need to use often!
Bring lots of one dollar bills. The staff really appreciates a small tip. You don’t have to, but it’s nice.
If you want to make the staff really happy, bring Red Sox stuff! They LOVE it. Someone said they would give to the staff that didn’t have much, like the pool cleaner, the maids, maintenance staff etc. The time share guy begged for my friend’s hat for his son.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Tom and Marilyn |
Just got back from GPB Sunquest Select,we had a wonder ful vacation, weather was great some rain mainly at night so that was ok.We did find that the Sunquest section of the resort was too far from the beach,the tram service wasnot relaible allthe time it runs on DR time.
The rooms were large,a/c worked well, hot water was hit and miss depending on the time ,if you showered at 6pm no hot water. Patio doors did not lock ,as we were on ground floor this was a problem, maintence staff could not fix it after the third day we gave up and did not call again. Towels were not delivered to rooms until 4pm.
Like all AI. food was buffet style,it was good with a different theme every day
A la Carte resturants were excellent, limited to 2 per room per week choise of seafood, Asain, Italain, steak.
We found the beach to be crowded If you got there late 10am it was impossible to get a spot in the shade.
This review seems to be negative but I am trying to point out the small things that can upset some people when they travel to the DR.as aperson who has been to DR. many times these things dont bother me anymore.
We would return to this resort again some time in the future for more info or pictures e-mail me.
tomandsam@sympatico.ca
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Stephanie |
Our group of 14 (8 adults, 6 children ages 2-8) travelled to the GPB Jan 20-27. We flew from Toronto with Sunquest and stayed in the Sunquest Select section, which is between the "Club" section and the Main Hotel. A Greyhound bus takes you from the airport to the hotel, about 30 min. There are 2 reception/check in desks, one at the main hotel and one at the club/sunquest select section. The bus dropped us off at the main check in, after which we boarded a trolley/train with ALL our luggage to check in at the Sunquest section, not convenient. The Sunquest check in is very close to the main road, the main check in is further down the driveway. Make sure you get dropped off at the right place to save time.
Check in is not until at least 3:30pm, no matter when you arrive in the morning. We arrived at 12:30pm and had to wait for 4 rooms that were available between 4pm - 6pm. A waste of our first day since our luggage was just sitting in the lobby and we had no room, not to mention my 2 year old needed a nap and had nowhere to sleep.
We stayed in building 9 in Sunquest Select, the only building open at that time. Buildings 7 and 8 were still under construction. The rooms were fine, clean, acceptable in appearance. Although the workmanship of construction was less than adequate. Patio doors didn't lock, plumbing was poor (every time we showered, water leaked from the pipes behind the walls, and the entire bathroom filled up with 2 inches of water), water leaked from rooms above through the ceiling, building dust was all over the walls in closets (which put a yellow powder coating on my clothes), no clocks, no iron, no hairdryer, etc. There was no sense of urgency to fix things that were broken, and to supply you with items that were missing from your room. Note: to operate the TV you must ask for a remote at reception.
The security around the Sunquest Select section was questionable. Since it was heavily under construction, there were workers in and out of occupied rooms all the time, installing new door locks, inspecting work, painting rooms (yes! painting rooms while they were occupied!) etc. I heard about several items being stolen out of rooms and safe deposit boxes. And in some cases, the items stolen out of safe deposit boxes were mysteriously returned after complaining about them......??? Of course none of the $ was returned. To be safe, you should keep all your valuables on you at all times! Don't trust anyone. When the maid is cleaning your bathroom, and your door is wide open, she may not even see someone come into the room, take something and walk out. Just be cautious and aware, and you will be fine. Theft is everywhere. Also to lock your room from the inside, you position the door handle up, at 12:00, without instructions, I had no idea.
The food was fine at the buffet restaurants at the main section and Select section, they mainly served the same dishes, although the buffet at the main section was a little larger. Yes, it is somewhat difficult to get served coffee/tea at breakfast, but you can also serve yourself at the coffee/tea station. We also tried the a la carte restaurants and found them excellent, like fine dining. It may be written that a dress code is required, but there were people with shorts and t-shirts on in those restaurants. You do need to book these restaurants early, and if you are persistent, you will get the time and date you want.
The pools at the Select section were great! A 3.5 foot hot tub (really just warm), a 3.5 foot cold tub, a main pool with swim up bar, and a kids pool (2 feet). In the main pool, there are sections of pool only 6 inches deep, to lounge and sun tan on the loungers in the water. This was ideal for my 2 year old, she loved it! Since only 1 of the 3 accommodation buildings were complete, there was never an issue with not enough chairs, towels, service at the bar, etc. Once all 3 buildings are complete, it will be much busier. There wasn't much shade at these pools, no umbrellas....yet?
The tolley/train ride to the main resort is about 1.5 min and to the beach is about 2.5 min and the train comes every 5-10 min or so. I often walked instead as it was the only exercise I got all week. The beach was very nice, but busy. Of course people reserved chairs with towels and t-shirts and never arrived. We started using those chairs as we were told that people would reserve chairs at both the pool AND the beach all day, not fair. The waves were big and strong. Not suitable at all for children, so they played mostly in the sand, and just got their feet wet.
The kids LOVED the kids club. The only kids club was located in the Sunquest Select section, lucky for us. They had a playground and indoor activities as well. We did not leave our kids alone in there, but other parents did.
Important note!!! MANY people missed the bus ride back to the airport and had to pay for a taxi themselves (not just from this resort). You will be notified that your departure time is for example: between 8:15 am and 8:45 am (yes, you get a 1/2 hour range). Four of the 14 of us arrived at 8:15, and boarded the bus. At 8:25, the bus started to leave the hotel. I ran to the front of the bus and told them that we were missing at least 10 people! They responded, "How do you know?".....You would think that they had a list of people that were supposed to be on the bus and checked it before leaving, but no. In fact, we were missing 12 people, and I made the bus stay there until we were all on it. Everyone eventually arrived and we left by 8:40am, before the scheduled departure time.
Overall, it was a good vacation, we didn't let the poor workmanship ruin our holiday, but were lucky to not have anything stolen. I don't consider it a 4*, I would rate it a 3*. I love the DR, will go back, but not to this resort.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Nancy |
We were a group of 8 who went to the Grand Paradise to celebrate my 50th birthday. We arrived at 1 pm and had to wait until 3:30 pm to get checked in. We had booked our trip with Sunquest, so had requested to be in building 6 which was the closest to the beach, by the looks of the map that I had previously printed off. I had also requested that my parents be in a room close to ours as well as my son and his guest. My first mistake was assuming that I would be getting my request. I had NO IDEA, that this resort is actually a COMPLEX, and that the map I had seen was of the main section of the resort, never knowing that there are other sections of this resort that are not even on any map, not even the map that they give you upon check-in. The reason I wanted to be close to the beach is so that my parents wouldn't have far to walk, as they both have mobility issues. Upon getting our keys for the room, we realized that we were right in the middle of the resort, no where near the beach, and it was a full 7 minute hike at a brisk walk to get there. Needless to say they had to ride the trolley(tram) to the beach everyday and had to make sure they didn't forget anything as it was a long way back to the room.
The rooms in building 9, where we were, (and close together), were very clean. The floors were always spotless. The supply of towels and bedspreads were always a surprise though, never knew if you were getting any or not. The first 3 days we spent most of our spare time walking back to the main lobby to get our keys to work. We spent a lot of time getting locked out, so that became boring really quickly. We all got new big screen TV's the week we were there, some of us had remotes that worked, some didn't. My son had a TV that had a cable run into a bare hole in the wall, that you could see into the next room. Needless to say they didn't watch any TV that week. They also had a MAJOR leak in the ceiling above the toilet, but when told about the problem it was promptly looked after. We had a small leak in our bathroom too, but just put a towel on the floor as we only had a bathmat 1 day while we were there.
We tried to make reservations for the Michelangelo restaurant for my birthday, but because we had a group of 8, they couldn't accomadate us. What I read prior to our trip was true, BOOK your reservations as soon as you get there, or you won't get in. By the looks of the restaurants they are very small so that would be why they couldn't accomodate our group. The day of my birthday my husband went and bought a cake to be served to us after our meal at the buffet resaurtant that night. The cake never came, and even when he enquired about it, they had no idea where it was. The 50th birthday that I went to the Dominican to celebrate, didn't happen. At least the cake part didn't. The next day he went to get his money back, and that was quite the hassle as well. I really think that it was the language barrier that made things so difficult for us. We are English speaking,and the french and spanish speaking vacationers didn't seem to have any trouble getting their point accross. I do have to say that the food in the buffet restaurant was great. Lots of variety, and very good cheese selection at every meal. Anyone who likes cheese would love this place.
The beach is truly one of the best in the world. I have been to many places in the Caribbean and this is one of the BEST!! I do regret that it was Very windy all week and only got in the ocean once. We had red flag days most of the week. It did rain most every day, but only is short showers.
The bartenders were great also. By mid-week they knew what you wanted to drink and served it with a smile every time. They are quite the characters, and were very amusing to watch.
I am not a complainer usually, and there were many enjoyable things about this resort. I am MOST disappointed in the fact that I had no idea it was 2 or 3 resorts in one. If I had known that it was so going to be so far to the beach, I would have booked us into a different resort, especially when my parents are not able to get around that well any more. For anyone else who is considering this resort, please be aware that it could mean a lot of walking unless you are booked into the main section of the resort. The newer "Club" section and Sunquest Select section are not on the beach, they are at the front of the main resort, furthest from the beach. The picture in Sunquest's brochure just shows the main Grand Paradise Bavaro resort. The language barrier was also a big problem for us, but if you speak french, its not an issue.
Other than that, the food, the beach, and the cleanliness was first class.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Mark ~ Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
A group of 18 of us in total visited Grand Paradise Bavaro from January 24-31, 2008 as my wedding party. 16 left from Toronto and 2 from Edmonton. I am happy to speak for them all when we say we had a blast! This is an excellent, high-class resort that deserves every one of its four stars and we recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing, worry-free getaway.
Now, in more detail, what we found:
Airport: Wow, what an airport! No crowds, no rush, no getting lost…everything was so small! Guess I'm just used to Pearson, but it was wonderful. The computer screens told us the wrong location for our luggage pick-up, but no biggie – all carousels were within view of each other and the place was empty. The baggage boys can be very annoying, as they try to take your luggage from you and want to be paid for carrying your luggage 20 metres. When we took the shuttle bus back to the airport I was peeved to see that one of them had my luggage in their arms already even before I was off the bus. I said no and yanked them from him. He jabbered something at me in Spanish. Whatever. They have a job to do, I guess, but I don't have that much money to waste.
Check-in: We were supposed to have a private check-in for our party as a part of our wedding package. That didn't happen, but we're not concerned as everyone was checked in within 20 minutes anyway. Very nice receptionists, and they spoke English very well.
The room: They treat you like gods when you're getting married there! They upgraded us to an ocean view room for free and there was a plate of fruit and a bottle of champagne waiting for us. Absolutely stunning room. Lots of space and lots of views from the balcony. It was room 3228, for the record. The minifridge was always stocked with Coke and Sprite (they ran out of Diet Coke) and 4L jugs of water. I recommend bringing along a small water bottle (empty) to use while at the resort because they give you the huge jugs in your room. We never ran short of water.
Our party was promised rooms in the new Sunquest Select section, and none of us were placed there for some reason. However, it turned out to be lucky for us as the Select section is away from the main part of the resort, by the Club. There is a trolley that takes you from the resort to the Club/Select section but it wasn't always dependable. We got older rooms but we were happy to be close to the action. :o) No complaints.
One room of the 9 in our party did have a problem with a mold smell, and the occupants happened to be allergic to mold. A quick visit to reception fixed that problem, and they got their room switched. The toilets also clogged easily and sometimes more than one flush was necessary. The odd bug was around, but no problem, hey it's a Third World country in a tropical climate! Anyway, the AC was very powerful in the rooms; in fact, our room often got too cold, even though we turned the AC off between 9 AM and 5 PM. Power never went out the whole week we were there.
TV: Who goes down here to watch TV? We didn't turn ours on once, but other members in our party did. For some, it was snowy, others, it was clear. There was a big-screen TV in the sports bar but it was mostly Spanish-speaking channels, and the only sports on were soccer and baseball. We couldn't even watch the NHL all-star game! Just wasn't in their TV listings. I was surprised but we were fine, as we love baseball. You have to request a remote at check-in to get one, not really needed though.
Food: I have celiac disease so my eats were very restricted…mostly eggs, rice, fruit and fish. All the others loved the food, no problems at all. I had some little Spanish-language travel cards to give to the chef as they didn't usually understand French or English. Everyone was great.
Bars/Restaurants: For my wife's and my a la cartes we went to the Dominican (Taino), Seafood and Asian restaurants. The booking was kind of a pain – 10:30 each morning on the second floor of the lobby right outside the piano bar but no one seemed to know exactly where to line up. The reservation woman just showed up 10 minutes late and sat wherever she wanted, and the lineup started there even if some of us had been there for 30 minutes. Anyway, we got it done. The Asian restaurant made my wife and I a bit ill, as I think some of the items might not have been fully cooked. We loved the Dominican and seafood restaurants! Also heard good news about the Grill and the Italian from other members of our party. The Asian restaurant had no sushi, to my disappointment.
Staff: Everyone is so nice! Always a hola and a smile whenever you walk by. Reception, guest services, most waiters all spoke English. Unfortunately, most couldn't understand French, but our party was English-speaking so all was fine for us. One thing I noticed is that nearly all of the staff (except the maids) are men, whereas in Cuba it was more of a mix between men and women. A bit odd but I suppose it must be a more patriarchal culture down there. Contrary to reviews, the gift shops ladies aren't rude. They just don't speak English well, no big deal. Tipping at the bars and restaurants isn't really necessary, not like Cuba where you had to tip to get good service.
Visitors: What I read in the reviews was true. This is a Euro-centric resort and most of the clientele spoke French. Most visitors seemed happy with their vacation, although a couple times I witnessed people yelling at staff for silly things like only one towel in the room, them getting their a la carte 15 mins late or something pedantic like that. The obnoxious yelling people were inevitably English-speaking Americans. Because I only saw two or three Americans on the whole resort, there wasn't much of this obnoxiousness. I deliberately picked this resort because it is not often frequented by Americans, and for that I am thankful. Lots of Canadians and visitors from Spain, France and Germany. There were a lot of smokers, but we've been spoiled in Canada by our excellent smoking bans, lol. You're on vacation, whatever, relax! It was an older crowd at this resort; I saw very few people our age (mid-20s). Made for a quieter evening and night, which I liked.
Grounds: Incredible. It being dry season, there were some brown patches in the grass, but still much better than my yard in August, lol. There was ALWAYS people tending the grounds, pulling weeds, keeping everything beautiful. They really take care of the place, and it shows. A+ for groundskeeping.
Entertainment: I only visited the entertainment at the amphitheatre for about 5 minutes (not really my thing) but many in our party went and they all said it was excellent. I can't comment on the disco because none of us went.
Beach/pools: Definitely the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, even beats Holguin in Cuba. Was more crowded here though, and you often couldn't find three or more seats together if the weather was nice. Of course, all the chairs in the shade were reserved with towels before sunrise. Because of the crowds, I spent more time at the pool. Played some volleyball and water polo in the main pool, which was fun. The only swim-up bar is in the Club section, which we didn't visit, but there's a bar is right beside the main pool so not too bad. We hung around the sports bar a lot, shot a lot of pool. They also have popcorn at that bar but it's often burned.
It was a pretty liberal crowd. Women would go topless, even around the kid's pool, lol. Ah well, nothing they won't see eventually. Same went for the beach. One in our party went for a long walk and said there was a clothing-optional beach north of the resort, but it's a long ways and you cross public areas, so not 100% safe. I stuck around our beach and surrendered to the tan lines rather than go for the walk, but there is that option if you want to do the nude sunbathing thing, which helps make it a real vacation. :o) The sun was definitely good for it.
The resort was quite windy, making for unsafe conditions if you wanted to venture far out into the ocean. The undertow is strong, but they do have lines out in the ocean beyond which you're not to cross. The waves were great for boogie boarding and generally just riding them, but PLEASE don't go out too far swimming or you might not make it back! Even my brother, who is a great swimmer, had trouble fighting the undertow
Weather: They said it was the dry season but we did have rain on three of the seven days. Never for very long, though…30 minutes tops but it when rains it rains hard! If you start feeling rain, head indoors because by the time you get there it will problem be pouring! Some days were very windy, but it always died down by the evenings.
Shopping: There is a market close to the resort and boy, are those vendors enthusiastic! They'll do anything under the sun to get you into their store. I tell the one guy I want rum and he ushers me into his store, and he doesn't even have rum there! Lol…and I was rather stubborn in bargaining, but got a 40 oz Brugal rum (the best!) for $15 US. One vendor was willing to take Canadian dollars as well. There is another market about 45 minutes' walk down the beach, and the prices are apparently good there, but you cross public areas to get there too.
Excursions: We did the tour operator's little seminar on Friday, but unlike the one we had in Cuba in 2005, which was helpful, this guy Felix did nothing but try to sell us excursions. He said you "wouldn't really experience the Dominican Republic" without doing an excursion. Yeah right. I had a fun time at the resort and didn't need their high-cost, low-benefit excursion gigs. Some others in our party did go, though. Various relatives of ours did the Safari one and the Monster Truck one and they loved it. They don't treat the dolphins humanely so don't go on the dolphin excursion!
Wedding:
When we first arrived at the resort, it was around 11:45 PM, so the next morning we went and met Glenny, our wedding coordinator. A sweeter (and cuter) woman never walked the Earth – she was soo helpful! If people had a problem with their room or a question about anything we always went to her and she always expedited the process. She was fantastic!
She let us choose our location, and we decided on a cement pad by the seafood restaurant. Sounds grim, I know, but there were palm trees, plant arches and flowers all around, and there was an ocean view in the background, it was great. Thank God we didn't choose the beach because the wind would've blown us away.
We did the wedding on Tuesday, the 29th, and to our surprise, the judge showed up on time – 4:30 PM. The wind was so strong we had trouble hearing him do the ceremony, but we got the gist of it, lol. No rain, thankfully. The judge's legal fees were $550 and the wedding package was $750, all USD.
One irritating part about the wedding was the photographer. We had some of our party taking pictures and he would always push them out of the way, as if he ruled the Earth, and he took over 200 pictures even though I intended on buying no more than 20 or 25. His assistant claimed he was the best photographer in the Dominican Republic, but I think my sister-in-law could've done a lot of better photos.
Anyway, I haggled like crazy over the price, and we wound up getting a huge discount. I knew they had to sell the photos to make any money at all, and knew they would compromise. The assistant really made me mad when he insisted that we had already agreed to purchase 35 photos for $350 – yeah right! I stormed off, came back in a few hours and found him to be more reasonable. We wound up buying 85 pictures for $450, about $5.30 a picture. Got 12 more free with the wedding package, so 97 altogether. We got all of the photos burned to a CD; didn't get any prints as their quality isn't as good as Canada's. Don't ever pay full price for the photos. I paid $5.30 a picture (on CD) and you should not pay more than that!
At our choice, we held the reception for the 18 of us at the seafood restaurant. Glenny was soo nice because we had said all along that we wanted the Asian restaurant, but when we realized the seafood one was right by the beach and right by where our wedding ceremony was to take place, we changed our minds. No problem at all! They even set up a special set of tables for us outside the restaurant and we got free champagne!
As part of the package, we were to get a plate of fruit and bottle of champagne in our room the night of the wedding. We didn't wind up getting that until the next day's afternoon, and only because I repeatedly requested it. We were also to get breakfast in bed the morning after, but they didn't show up until nearly 10:30 – we got bored and went for breakfast at the buffet at 9. As a result, most of the fruit went bad.
None of this bothered us really; nothing of any consequence went wrong. It was a wondrous wedding, we have no regrets about doing it down there and everyone in our party was thanking us for doing the wedding in the DR. Everyone gets a vacation out of it, why not eh? Also I'm pretty sure it was cheaper for us than doing it in Canada. Factoring in all of our costs – flight, hotel, wedding package, legal fees, translation etc. – it cost us two about $4500 US, and we got the free reception out of it. At their request, I brought rice flour down for them to make me a cake I could eat, because with my celiac disease I cannot have wheat flour. Funny thing is I took an unmarked, clear, plastic bag of white powder right through security in Toronto, in my carry-on, and they didn't say a thing. They didn't have rice flour down there, so I figured I'd try to take it and the worst they would do is confiscate it. No issue at all! They made a great wedding cake, an excellent reception dinner and a dream wedding to remember forever.
Bad things? Yes, unfortunately there were some negative aspects to our visit. As I said, the wedding photographer was arrogant and I don't miss him. However, the worst part of the trip by far was the VENDORS! Several nights a week they let vendors come in and sell stuff right by the main buffet, so you're forced to go by them to get dinner. They harass you, grab your arm and drag you in…they were rude and very irritating. I didn't have dinner one night just to avoid those pests. Also, there were lots of time share reps, who wear white shirts and also hang out around the buffet, and bother you to go to the third floor of the lobby and hear their blather about buying a time share in the resort. The resort needs to get rid of these people because they seriously diminish one's day.
There were a lot of other resorts in the immediate vicinity of Grand Paradise Bavaro. At Sol Rio de Luna y Mares in Cuba it was a lot more isolated, which was better. The vendors weren't pushy either.
At GP Bavaro, by the pool and beach there was always loud music playing. It got frustrating if you wanted to relax and take a nap in the sun, because there was nowhere else to go besides your room.
Another aspect I felt was a negative was all the kids at the resort. They were relatively well-behaved, and I suppose it's my fault for choosing a resort where kids under 6 go free, but it's not something I'd do again. Hard to relax when you hear an infant screaming or kids fighting. I think I'm just bitter because the kid's pool was right outside our room, but we did get the ocean view so it's all good. It could've been worse, had we chosen to go on Spring Break! We paid $1290 CDN per person from Toronto, the end of January, and feel we got a good deal. We booked about 4-6 months in advance.
I wouldn't likely go back to this resort but that's just because I'd want to experience new places. The only other time I've been to the Caribbean was Cuba in 2005 and I'd say I prefer Cuba because although the people in the DR are for the most part very kind, the Cubans were even more hospitable. In Cuba, the vendor prices are also better, and the country is a lot safer. We went off on our own during an excursion in Holguin, Cuba, but you'd never leave the excursion group in the Dominican – you're liable to get robbed or kidnapped. The way Cuba is bullied by the US I'd rather lend them a hand anyway, lol.
A great vacation and a highly recommended resort! Ignore the bad reviews, it is incredible and definitely a paradise!
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Lynda and Dan ~ Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada |
we got back 2 weeks ago from punta cana we stayed at gran paradise the best we would go back tonight if we could beaches are beautiful food was great seafood restaurant great best shrimps i ever had in my life when you go ask for Roberto very nice guy entertainement very good very nice shows at night Sergio from animation is very nice,asiatic restaurant was also very good rooms are very clean no wonder they call it paradise its worth every cent you pay best trip weve been to could not forget the beach beautifullllllllllll
| Grand Paradise Bavaro |
A beautifully kept resort that we were very pleased with. Trading there as RCI members we received the kindest of treatment in all areas of the resort. The room was clean and comfortable with functioning toilet!! I was so apprehensive after reading some of the info on this sight. No bugs or mosquitos either. The Club area is still under construction but has a very clean swimming pool and entertainment and bar staff. The restaurant here at the club was the best of all the individual eateries. The Steak House at the beachside was the worst. The beach is gorgeous with plenty of chairs and lots of company. This is a mega resort, not your secluded type of vacation. So if you enjoy being with lots of people, this will be a very nice place to go.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Danielle |
We arrived at the Club of Grand Paradise Bavaro on Jan 20 with a 30 min delay from Ottawa. The entrance to the resort is very plain, boring and not very welcoming. We were a full bus load checking in but I found that it went pretty good.
Rooms are very plain yet very clean. We did have trouble with the water but after visiting the D.R. 4 times, this is quite normal.
We did go to the Asian, International and the Grill restaurant and all 3 were excellent. I`m a very fussy eater and all the restaurants & buffet we went to were great.
I must say that I little tip and appreciation for the service they provide will get you a long way. Even a smile and a Hola will make them smile.
You can take a 8-10 min walk to the beach or take the little train which we never had to wait more then 2-3 min The beach was the best beach ever. Clear aqua water & white sand with no weeds, rocks and no debry.
The only tour we took was the trip to Samona Island. We left the resort at 7:40 with a very interesting 90 min bus ride. We then transfered to a catamaran for approximately 80 min(great experience). On the island we were treated to a very good Dominican lunch & drinks. We took a speed boat back. We stopped in the ocean in 4feet deep water in order to see and take pictures with some star fish. We finally made it back to the resort at 7:10 making it a very long & tiring day. It was a great day but I was dissapointed that you can`t swim on the island without shoes because of the many seashells on the shore.
I really enjoyed my vacation but I would not go back.
On thing we were not told when we booked was that the The Club is mainly a section (med club) for people from France. They have their own activity group with activities geared just for them. They also have their own theatre with nightly French shows.
They won`t stop you from participating to their activities but you feel out of place. Being French canadian I did understant what they where saying (for most part) but I still felt out of place. I would definitely go back to Punta Cana but not to The Club at Grand Paradise Bavaro. I believe the Grand Paradise Bavaro would have been a wiser decision, maybe next time.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Mike |
We just came back today February 1, 2008 and it was the best trip we have ever been on. The food was great the staff was amazing. The pools are a little deep so we brought a life jacket for our 3 year old. The staff love children. The entertainment was great. I would go back there in a heart beat!!
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Christine |
After reading so many bad reviews about this resort, I thought I should put in a good word.
Myself, my husband, my sister and her boyfriend and my sister in law spent a week there at the end of January 2008. We had a great time!
Check-in- went very smoothly, there was no problems at all. We had read a previous review that it would be necessary to rent a lock for the room safe, so we knew to ask for it. The clerk didn't offer it. It was $20 for the week.
The Resort- we stayed at the Grand Paradise, not at The Club. The rooms were nice, nothing spectacular, but quite spacious and clean. The resort is 3 stories high with no elevator, but after the first few trips up and down the stairs it got easier. And we convinced ourselves that we were burning off some of the extra calories we consumed at the buffet. We also took the trolley to The Club and used the pool and it was very nice. The swim up bar was great and the buffet at lunch was very good.
The beach- absolutely beautiful! The sand is very soft and very white and the water is a gorgeous turquoise. The beach is also very clean. Someone was constantly going around picking up garbage. There was even someone cleaning up the seaweed that washed up on shore! It did get pretty crowded, but we always managed to find a spot. Finding a spot in the shade was a different story though. I guess you have to get there pretty early to get a palm hut. And there was some cheaters too, people would just throw a towel or a book on the lounges under the huts and you wouldn't see them for hours. That was a little annoying.
The food- we have no complaints about the food. There was 3 buffet restaurants and they were all good. We went to the main buffet for breakfast everyday and it was great. The omelets were really good and I highly recommend the mashed plantains. Delicious. We also went to 3 a la carte restaurants. (the Asian restaurant, the Dominican restaurant and the steak house) All three were quite good.
The drinks- Our favourite was the banana mama. We tried quite a few drinks off the menu and enjoyed them all. They aren't shy with the rum either.
The staff- everyone was very friendly and seemed to be having a good time. The wait staff was quite attentive, they would refill your water glass the moment it was empty. The entertainment staff really wanted you to participate in the activities. They didn't know when to quit.
Souvenirs- There is ample opportunity to purchase souvenirs such as Larimar, coffee, cigars, etc. But never, ever pay full price for anything you buy from a vendor on the beach or at the markets. You really have to haggle with them. They tell you a price so high that you almost feel guilty offering them what you think the item is actually worth. But they always end up taking what you offer even if it's a third (or less) of what they asked.
There are also professional photographers on the beach that will take photos for you. Everyday there was someone from the local zoo with an iguana or parrots or a little monkey that you could have your photo taken with. They develop them and post them in the store in the main lobby and you can buy them for $10 each. The photos are really nicely done, the photographers really know what they're doing. You could also have photos taken without the animals, and those photos are also very nice. They put them on a disk for you instead of developing them.
Entertainment- it was so bad it was good. We only went to 2 shows. The first one was like a Vegas show, lots of fancy costumes and dancing. They tried really hard but it looked like a bad dance recital. But it was still entertaining! The second one required members of the audience to dress up in togas and compete with each other. Which was totally embarrassing for them, but very entertaining for the audience. I would go to at least one show for no other reason than to see the pre-show act. He was great, very excited and funny and a great dancer!
Minor complaints- we had only cool water one day. Not cold, but not hot either. We called the front desk and they said they were on it and it was fixed in less than an hour. Our only other complaint is that the staff in the gift shop in the main lobby were not nice at all. I have never seen such terrible service in my life. If you can avoid buying anything there, I would highly recommend it.
So all in all, we had a great time. I would recommend this resort to anyone.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Rick and Sally ~ Toronto |
The Select section does not show on the map printed on the back of the folder that you are given with your package at check-in. It is located between the Club section and the tennis courts. When we were there, only bldg #9 was occupied, although bldgs 7 and 8 were almost ready. The pool, pool bar and buffet are also open. There were several other buildings under construction as well (not sure what they would be used for). It was nice to be in a new room where everything worked ! Mattresses were firm, mini-fridge contained a gallon of water,Coke and Sprite. TV was a 32-inch flat screen (get your remote from front desk). The buildings are 3-stories with NO elevators; the staircases and hallways were open to the elements, so it got quite slippery when it rained (2 out of 7 days).The Club section consisted of 6 buildings painted yellow/red/green arranged in a semicircle with the blue lobby building in the middle –which is exactly the same layout as in the older GPB section (I got a bit confused where I was the first few days). We thought that the new buffet and the new alacarte Manglar (International) located at the Club section were better than the other restaurants in the older section. The pool at the Select section is 4 feet deep, while the pool at GPB is 5 feet deep. To get to the beach area, you take a tram from across the tennis courts down to the La Cana beach buffet only 2-3 minutes.
We also walked down the beach to look at the huge Moon Palace resort – it is still a long way from being habitable – just concrete shells at this time. There also seems to be a new resort (Sheridan RocoKai ?) being built another few hundred meters along, at the point to your left. All in all , we enjoyed our stay at this resort and are looking forward to coming back next Jan., when it is fully completed.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Keith |
We just returned I’ll keep it short.
2 Adults and a 3 year old
Wasn’t impressed by the tours organization of rooms and ability to get us in as we checked in.
Stayed 7 days
4 out of 7 …the water in the rooms did not work or only cold water
7 out of 7 …raw sewage in the back of the hotels
food was ok
drinks were ok
Staff tried hard to make our stay a good one
Beach and pools were great
Losers still placing towels on chairs… management should go around and pick them up there by incurring a $20 charge to the losers.
If you are going here stay at the grand… not the club.
This is not a 4 star but maybe a 3star
We had a good time with some memorable moments.
SpiderMan rules.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Canada |
My two children and I left on Dec 24 for two weeks at this resort. I booked through Sunquest and was supposed to stay at the newer part of the resort - the "Select"; however, it wasn't open yet (and it should have been). My travel agent had checked with the Sunquest rep before we left and he (I'm assuming ********) had said it was open...but no. It did open before we left but I didn't bother changing. ******* (DR) fell out of my favour from the start (during the orientation) as I was reading the pamphlets and he told me to "pay attention". Shaina (CDN), a new second Sunquest rep was on hand the second week and was much better to deal with.
The room we had was close to the beach. Nice enough. Two pillows each bed, nice firm mattress, I didn't have to take any pain pills for my back. I did ask for extra pillows, and eventually did get some (lumpy though) but that's okay. I have a feeling that they only had enough good pillows to provide two for each bed. The room was nice enough. Enough space for the three of us. My youngest backed up the toilet a couple of times - too much toilet paper. I have a feeling they use smaller pipes and perhaps a septic system so the t.p. should maybe go in the garbage can if it's a small job. Clean room. Maid service was acceptable. A jug of water and pop (2 coke, 2 sprite) were provided continuously - included. I thought the safe was pricey at 20 USD per week. The little train comes along frequently to take you to the newer portion of the resort if you want to swim there and access the tennis courts, basketball, etc.
Beach was beautiful, though crowded with all the other guests. Nice for walking, and if you ventured down a little you can find a private spot. Pools are deep, so if you have small kids that aren't swimmers be sure to bring water wings, and blow up floaties if you want to spend time in the pool. There is a kids pool but it is very small. The pool was quite clean the first week but then got disgusting. After the disgusting day, it was clean again. You can't "swim" in the ocean because of the large waves. Good for boogie boards though - you can sign them out at the water activities desk - included. I tried going kayaking with my son (15) but couldn't get in the kayak because of the waves - and staff doesn't help. He ended up going out on his own, but you need to be 18 to go on your own (with them knowing). He's a strong swimmer and responsible enough to keep his life jacket on - unlike other vacationers.
We went for a day trip to Santo Domingo. Sunquest used Coco tours - don't go with Coco tours!!! We three were the only ones who wanted the Domingo tour, and the guy took us in his car which was making awful noises. When we got to the city he went to the garage, picked up the mechanic, then took us to the "downtown" area. The mechanic drove the car back for fixing while we visited the attractions. We stayed in town for about four hours. Our guide took us to KFC for lunch - lol. The kids say DR KFC fries are better. As we were leaving town to head back to the resort the car broke down and we were on the side of the road (equivalent to a 400 series highway) for a couple of hours. People came to help - the equivalent of CAA perhaps, and the mechanic we had met earlier in the day even arrived. The car was fixed and off we went - one headlight beaming. I white knuckled it all the way back and had an adrenaline hang over in the morning. The kids - asleep in the back, of course. But my glass is always half full, so I didn't mind a real days experience. Sunquest has apparently dropped Coco tours and is now using Ibostar (spelling?).
My kids did the Monster truck. I didn't want to go because of the arthritis in my back. Shaina confirmed that it was okay for a 15 and 10 year old to go on their own. There were other tourists going from the resort as well. The both of them had a great day and saw a lot - fudge making, local school, sugar cane, etc. I think they learned a lot that day. And, they were amazed by how the guide could pour their cokes without spilling anything while the monster was in motion. I'd recommend this tour...and I had a day to myself. So important.
I brought the walkie talkies. Good idea. Got a second key no problem. Don't forget your coffee thermos. The Swiss were joking that they could tell who was Canadian because we all have our thermos cups. But seriously, there's no recycling so bring your reusable mug - they hold more beer, Kamikazes or whatever you prefer, and they keep your drinks cold.
Staff was nice. I love Dominican coffee. Buffet tables were sometimes dirty but just tell them you want another table cloth. Staff were very pleasant to the kids. I tipped some staff before leaving and they appreciated it. I did get hit on by the same guy a couple times (nothing like Luperon though) but staff generally called me lady or momma. You can figure out which staff members are capable of getting you what you want. A la cart - nothing too special at any of them really. New Years dinner was really nice - and if you see a whole crab at the buffet put it on your plate, take it back to the table and eat it. Its not just there for show.
The night shows were really good 80% of the time. Very good dancers. Lip syncing is always hard to watch.
I felt safe, and I thought it was safe enough for the kids to wonder around together with out me. I wouldn't go back just because I like to visit new places. It's a 6.5 out of 10. Remember it's a developing country and you are on vacation to have fun and relax, not to sweat the small stuff.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Kay ~ Toronto, Canada |
We just got back from Gran Paradise of Punta Cana. It was such an unpleasant experience that we are certain we are not ever going to go back there.
And even though this is not about the hotel but it’s the first part of our trip so I’ll mention it anyway: We booked our vacation through Sunwing and made parking reservation with SkyParx at 7.95$/day, with the last 2 days free. However, upon arriving, we were charged at 11.95$/day for valet parking which was being the only option available.
Now at Gran Paradise. We'd made reservation for a VIP Club room. Upon checkin we were given an old room in the main area. I saw instantly cockroaches on the wall and floor. There were stains on the mattress liner and chair cushions. The nightstand drawer was missing, the lamp wasn't working. The TV remote control was missing - yet was asked to be handed back upon check out at the end of our stay! The balcony door lock wasn't working (which was fixed right away after I talked to the front office). Our key card wouldn’t occasionally work so we had to have it reset at the front office from time to time.
There was one buffet restaurant for the main area. We were often seated at tables where the tablecloth was dirty with fresh stains, bread crumbs, etc. from previous guests yet they’d still place your utensil on it, if they do set a table up for you. There were often not enough plates, napkins, etc. Once I was getting some hot water for tea and before I put my tea bag in, along with the hot water from the water boiler came lots of dark flakes, which looked like they came from a rusted water tank bottom. In terms of cleaning, the waiters would take the plates left by guests, empty the leftovers into a bin on a cart right there next to you.
We went to 3 a la carte restaurants: 1) Sea Quest: we were less than impressed. Don’t expect you’d get wine, desert nor decent waiting service dining here. 2). Manglar: food was nice, restaurant staff was really professional and nice. 3) Michaelangelo: food and service were of mediocre quality.
Staff: except for some who were nice like our maid lady, the beach bartender, some were rude and some flirty. Most waiters in the buffet restaurant were too busy to come to you momentarily.
Beach and pools: awesome. white sand with multi-shade blue water. We couldn’t swim though because the waves were a little rough. The pools at anytime looked like they were several days due to be cleaned. There was a combination of foam, leaves, etc. on the water surface and glasses on the bottom.
By the way, many if not all of the toilets in the main entrance washroom wouldn’t flush. The hotel is definitely of lower than 4 star. If you just want a beach and some food for your vacation the hotel is for you.
| Grand Paradise Bavaro | Jordan |
Just got back from our winter getaway and had a great time overall. The trip was booked through Sunwing vacations, and after a long delay at the airport we got to the Dominican late in the evening. Transfer to the hotel was seamless and we arrived and checked in smoothly just before midnight. I had requested a room with one queen/king size bed with my reservation, however because of the long day i forgot to mention this at check in and ended up with two doubles instead, and didn't feel like changing rooms just after midnight. The room was clean and spacious, the A/C had been turned on prior to our arrival so the room was cool enough. The television worked fine (although it sounded like it was going to blow up) and the toilet would run all the time but was easily fixed with a little jingle of the knob. The only major complaint of the room, was the rock hard beds and awful pillows which brought a couple of sleepless night towards the end of the trip. The food at the hotel was fairly good overall. The buffet seemed to have the same food for all meals even over Christmas when they had a 'special' buffet, but i didn't mind it. The a la carte restaurants are a must or you will go nuts eating the same thing all the time. We ate at the French, Chinese, and Steak house and enjoyed all 3. The french was the best and the nicest, however the effort at authentic Chinese food wasn't bad either. i would have preferred the Italian however we cou