HOLIDAY VILLAGE GOLDEN BEACH: FYI THIS IS NOT A 4*....I'LL GIVE IT A 3*

I am 44 years old visited Cuba- 4 times, Mexico- 1 time, Bahamas -1 time.

Airport port transfers were friendly and the hotel reception was good. . Rooms were only available to us after 3 hours of our arrival.

It was noticeable that the hotel staffs having hard time to speak or understand English compared to staffs in Cuba or Mexico. This may be the reason why this hotel has all the live entertainers from England. Remember, during the live entertainments you will feel that you in England amusement park but not in Caribbean resort. I basically boycotted all of it. It was booooorrrring!. aaaoooowwwwwhhhhh. sleeeeepy.!

English entertainers are very reserved and shy. They could not go to the bottom of the way to bring up or boost the morale of the guests. They are trying hard but it is not the audience for English entertainers. You have to be joyful, crazy, fun and easy going. Basically you have to be a joker who brings the boring or stressed guests in to environment. It is very important that entertainers to say “Hi” or OOLa” every time you pass a guest. But they never did because they themselves feeling like guests but not like entertainers. If they were Caribbean entertainers it would have been fantastic. (I experienced in Cuba, Bahamas and Mexico). This is a major disaster area the hotel or vacation company should address. Bring in some Caribbean talents. we are here to see Caribbean culture.

Pros: resort was calm. Since there were no rough teens or adults there was no sign of aggressive behavior. Kids are safer. No chance for physical injury. Good kids programs. Rooms are clean. Good drinks at bar. Food is good.

We stayed here 28th May-11June and no way is this a 4* hotel. We have stayed in better 2*'s in Gran Canaria!

We arrived in the middle of a thunder storm and when we entered our room in was raining in the room all over our daughters bed. Their solution to this was to push the bed over so only half of it got wet! The next thing that hit us was the smell (urine) it was disgusting. Their solution to this one was to turn the air conditioning up high. So the choice was ours - put up with it (no way) or freeze to death. The patio door didn't close - nothing done. Light in bathroom hanging by a wire - nothing done. Then to top it all the toilet broke!

When it rains, this place is a death trap. People slipping over and lots of broken bones and heads needing stitches. Also the drains are overflowing and the smell of human waste wasn't very nice to say the least.

We are not fussy eaters but we didn't think much of the buffet. The al a cartes (when you could get into them) weren't great but were better than the buffet.

The service everywhere was very slow but we put this down to bad management, not the staff. Having one chef in the beach bar at lunch time is a joke! Allow at least 2 1/2 hours when wanting to eat there. Also only having 2 bar staff at night does not go down very well.

We found the wavepool area to be very dirty. (A piece of pineapple on the floor was there for days.) The wavepool was very hit and miss. Some days it didn't come on at all. It also didn't help that on 4 occassions it had to be closed because some disgusting person kept using it as a toilet! This also happened in the activity pool.

On a more positive note the Wavelength club was great. Our daughter (11) had a brilliant time and made loads of friends.

We had 4 days of rain but then the weather was lovely - it got hotter every day.

The highlight of the holiday was Ocean World. It was fantastic. We did the dolphin and sea lion encounters. Take plenty of money because you will spend a fortune but it's well worth it.

Just returned from our holiday on the 11th june, was very disappointed with our room. We were in room 221. On arrival it was raining heavily, we were shown to our room only to discover there were no locks on our doors, my husband walked back to the reception and asked to be moved only to be told there were no rooms available and that someone would come over and fix the locks for us. We waited and waited and waited, eventually they did come and fixed the locks. Next morning we got in shower to find every time we showered there was a leak running down the wall onto the floor which left our room really slippery so we had to have a towel down for the whole 2 weeks. The lights were really dim and there was a light socket hung of the wall. Our children had to sleep on a sofa bed which we were told there would be 2 double beds and the room was so tiny not big enough for 4 people.

The weather was raining for 4 days on and off which is no ones fault and when it rains it RAINS.

As it had rained heavily all the drains became flooded it, the smell was disgusting you could see the sewage rising to the top. All the tiles became slippery and children were falling and hurting themselves.

After 4 days we enquired to move somewhere else.

But there were good things too
After all the negatives i think people should know about there was positives too

The kids club were fantastic my kids who are 13 and 11 loved every minute of it, all the reps were excellent and there was something going on at all times for them.

There was also plenty going off through day for the adults too if you wanted to get involved.

We went on 3 excursions and loved them all these were jeep safari outback, paradise island and the catamaran.

The pools were nice too although a bit small (main pool) the wave pool was great and the waterslides but be aware a small child broke there leg and rumour had it that it happened on the slides. (saw child in plaster but don't know how true rumour was)

The food was good most of the time and when we did get into the restaurants they were nice especially the lotus. In the main restaurant the service to get a drink wasn't very good but every thing else was good. They made lovely omelettes and pancakes on a morning and plenty of choice for everyone and loads of fresh fruit.

The beach was lovely and you could walk for miles and the locals were friendly

My wife, my two oldest daughters (ages 8 and 10) and I stayed for seven days at the Holiday Golden Beach Resort and had an amazing time. I definitely recommend it if you are bringing children with you. They have renovated the entire resort and the grounds were very nicely landscaped and the beach was large and very beautiful. There were water slides a wave pool, and a kiddie pool with little slides that would keep the children occupied all day. The family room consisted of bunk beds partially partitioned off from the main room with old western style swinging doors and the children loved it. The only problem was that the lighting was very dim and it was very hard to find anything, especially in your safe, as soon as it got dark out. I recommend that you bring a flashlight.

The food was not spectacular but it wasn’t bad either and was always hot. You can always find something you liked as there was a good selection and variety. We were not that impressed with the food or the service at the a la carte restaurants (Mexican and Japanese). Although, my wife did get a free meringue lesson from one of the waiters while we were waiting for our food.

You can definitely save money on the tours if you sign up with Manuel out on the beach instead of going with the hotel excursions, and they are just as good if not better. If you take the jeep safari that ends up at the waterfall, ensure that you know how to swim and know what you are getting yourself into. I had a blast climbing up the waterfalls but many people did not expect the amount of climbing and swimming involved and if you are closterphobic this is not the tour for you because some of the caverns you swim through are pretty narrow and dark. This was not explained very clearly to anyone even at the waterfalls. We bought a suitcase full of toys, pens, paper, books and candy from the dollar store before we left Canada to give to the children while on the safari tours and the smiles on their faces was worth the price of admission alone.

The staff at the resort was very friendly and quite helpful. The bartenders always remembered your name and drink and they always had a healthy pouring arm.

The Mangu disco bar located just on the outside of the resort compound is supposed to be a disco catering to the tourists but it is very popular with the locals. We were probably about 2 out of 10 tourists in the entire disco and it was packed from wall to wall. This is definitely not a place to go if you are not into loud rave music and crowded dance floors. It was definitely a tad seedy with a few transvestites and hookers not to mention a metal detector at the door. The gentleman in front of me had to check his two guns at the door. No matter, my wife and I had a great time there dancing up a storm on a Friday night. We never felt threatened or insecure and everybody was quite friendly as they were also there to have a good time.

If you are going to Puerto Plata to shop you may be a bit disappointed, because the shops are few and far between. We were happy that we bought most of our souvenirs from the local people that need the money, but you could find everything at the airport duty free for much cheaper on the trip back.

My husband and I, and our 2 girls ages 8 and 9 had a wonderful time at this resort. It was just beautiful everyday, it was like we woke up to the same beautiful day. We had a family room and it was perfect for us, the girls just used the T.V. as a night light. The room was clean everyday and we had no problems with the A/C or hot water!

The staff here were wonderful and eager to help make your stay a great one. We did some of the family activities with the in2action team and we had a blast. The wave pool and waterslides were a huge hit for my family.

We went to the Italian and Lotus restaurant and we enjoyed both. You can get pizza at the Mexican restaurant in the evening or during the day, which my husband loved. The buffet always had good food so we enjoyed it just as much or more than the other restaurants. We were prepared but no one got sick from the food. One of our daughters was sick for most of the trip but she caught it before we left...and she still had a great time.

We went to Ocean World and did the dolphin encounter and it was the highlight of out trip. My husband went "deep-sea fishing" or should I say an expensive boat ride! They said that there would only be 4 people on the boat and there were 12! My husband is an avid fisherman and said that the "deep-sea fishing" was a joke and a money grab.

We were so busy during the day that by 9:00pm we were usually in bed, so we missed most of the nightly entertainment. The shopping was fun but a little overwhelming at first. I got the hang of it by day 3. Offer 1/3 of what they ask,most will barter. Got some beautiful paintings and jewelry (bring lots of smaller bills).

I think that it's all what YOU make it!

We had a great time at the resort and would go again. We went expecting the food would be different, there may be bugs, we may have the runs for a day or two, and service would not be what we are used to here. And we went prepared with necessary medications just in case. The result, we had a wonderful family vacation! Am surprised about some of the negative comments, especially the food, guess it depends on your expectations. We heard few complaints from other visitors while we were there.

For activities for the kids you can't beat it! It was fabulous, they were occupied for the week! They had a blast at the waterslides, wave pool and kids' clubs, even the adults! With regards to the event schedules including the movie schedule, there is a complete list on a wall near the bar that is next to the main pool. Just ask an activity staff member, they can direct you. Kid's club activities are posted on their respective activity buildings.

Family Room - The family room accommodation was great! The kids loved the bunk beds. No problem with our room 27-2, A/C worked, it was clean, no bugs, no leaks, no problem with hot water or electricity, a little dark but we were only there in the evenings to go to bed so it wasn't really an issue for us. Our room was cleaned everyday but didn't need to be, empty water bottles were replaced (we left $2-3 US on the bed each day, maybe that helped). Yes, it was close to the wave pool machines which could be loud but it only ran during the day and we were rarely in our room then.

Restaurants - buffet, we found it to be very good, lots of variety, we never saw repeated entrees during our week. All of us could find something we liked and our kids aren't very adventurous when it comes to new foods. Contrary to other reports we found the tables to be cleared quickly, if it was dirty we just looked for another table, no big deal! If we didn't get our drinks right away we politely asked for some.

Italian restaurant - very nice, menu is limited but food is good.
Mexican restaurant - OK for dinner, good pizzas for lunch
Lotus - didn't try but heard it's mainly Japanese
Caribbean - didn't try it though heard it was good
Wave pool bar - served chicken nuggets, hamburgers and fries that I saw in mid-afternoon (until 4-4:30 pm I think). Great for kids who can't last until 6:30 pm when the restaurants open for dinner. (We brought some snacks with us, crackers, granola bars, chips, fruit rollups to tide the kids over between meals and on the flights. Left space in our luggage to bring back souvenirs! :-))

Beach bar/restaurant - I heard they served lunch there. And yes they have washrooms, very short walk if you are on the beach. Birthdays - We arranged for a birthday cake for our daughter at the Mexican restaurant. Ordered it through the a la carte booking desk the day before. Very nice large tasty cake, decorated with her name on it. The waiters sang happy birthday.

Evening entertainment - always had something for the children from 8-9pm, was a little dry but these young Canadians and Brits are trying hard. Would have liked some Dominican entertainment.

Beach and pools - clean, nice sandy beach, lots of beach chairs. Never had a problem finding some shade or sharing shade at either site. FYI - there were topless sunbathers on the beach.

Safety - tile floors are very slippery, staff mopped up after each rain but still had to be careful! Also slippery in the wave pool, we brought water shoes for the kids. Note: main pool, wave pool and waterslide pool are all shallow pools.

hair braiding - on the beach ladies who do braiding are wearing orange shirts, they'll find you! Barter! Expect to pay US$25-50. Have exact amount, they often don't have change. Can also get braiding done at the resort salon. Bring spray sunscreen to protect the scalp.

Other notes: take bathing suits, sandals and sunscreen in your carry-on luggage in case your room isn't ready upon arrival (before 3pm), you can enjoy the pool while you wait. Take lots of $1US bills for tipping and for small purchases, change will be given back only in Dom. Pesos and you can't exchange it back.

Punta Rusia tour - long day! 6:20 am - 4:30 pm. 1-1/2 hour bus ride to the speedboats, 30-45 min. on the speedboat, and 3 hour bus ride home from Punta Rusia! Bring tshirt for snorkelling.

I think "David & Mary" said most of what we would say about holiday village. We just returned after spending a week in +30 returning to -30 .........perfect weather (there)

I was a bit disappointed with accommodations upon arriving mostly because I had called up a signature agent here and asked for clarification on room types at the resort. I was told HERE that 1k/1Q on the internet meant 1 king plus 1 queen bed in room. I doubled checked a few times, but was reassured this is the info they had. Upon arrival in DR, the receptionist said that wasn't possible as the rooms were not big enough for 2 beds .............so we had a cot plus 1queen ............not a big deal...room was always clean

The staff were all couteous, the rooms clean, the food quite acceptable in buffet restaurant and excellent in the Italian, oriental and Mexican. Always food somewhere to eat. (Eat in moderation). Signature reps were always around to answer questions. I liked the fact that this resort is set back from road, so I'm sure it might be a little quieter than surrounding resorts. You do need to book a la carte and we figured they are not filling each sitting up each night because they are getting the staff properly trained to handle full sitting. We found the waiters/waitresses (in the buffet) attentive for the most part unless you went for continental breakfast or after hours and expected full service.

the resort is a really nice size for getting around ..........bungalow style buildings...2 storeys only. There were no mosquitos at this time. the number i was given for front desk (from signature) FYI is 809-320-3800. If you're looking for books to read, you just need to go to signature station ..they have shelf of books to borrow. as for our flights .........they were both right on time and airflight staff very pleasant. And yes, the seating is tight ...but the flight is less than 4 hours from toronto.

I can not say enough about the "enthusiasm and great work" the in2action team did. they are a group of young men and women in early 20's that want to make sure you have something new to try while you're there. "Matt" ........test him if you go..........he remembers everyone's names!

We did the ATV trip, but booked from outside of signature vacations on site. If you want to see the rough side of things in DR, you will see all you need to see on one of these half day adventures. We preferred the ATVs..........they want to push the dune buggy style a bit more, but we were told they don't go as fast. One word of caution: as with most off site trips, BEWARE: you will run into the beggars somewhere on your trip .........and they are not happy with $1 ...they actually request $4-$5 .......so if you feel like Santa clause, then you'll love it. One thing we might have done differently on that trip (as it was only the 3 of us + guide) would've been to speak to guide and say "we'll tip you at end of trip, but don't want to along excursion" (we were confronted at least 4-5 times)

The beach was great as were the daily waves. you do not need to go in very far at all. The shells are also beautiful, and the sand stays with you.

the "garage" on the beach was great fun to bargain at. Our 12 year old became an expert and didn't pay more than 1/3 of what they originally ask for ...so enjoy that part

"Lucy" is right there if you need your hair braided ...again bargain

more advice: try to take what you need in American funds from here as exchanging and/or getting pesos there is very expensive. Likewise if you need to buy any kind of pharmaceutical product there, you will find it very very pricey

GREAT RESORT ...........they are doing very well for only being open a few months. You will find Canadians and British there as signature only caters to those countries.............so don't be surprised if you find your neighbour down the street vacationing while you're there ....HAVE FUN

Hi: We just returned from a one week vacation at Holiday Village Golden Beach Dominican Republic. January 25th-February 1st, 2007. I was a little nervous about this resort from some of the previous reports. But, we had a blast. The staff are wonderful, especially the ones that arranged the kids activities. Our ten year old son loved them. He is generally very shy but had tears in his eyes when we left as he was sad that he would not see Tim, Shannon, Joe, Matt, and Rick again. There is tons for them to do from little ones up to the ages of 15. The night shows were a bit cheesy, but hey, the kids really tried and they were fine. You were pretty tired at the end of the day anyways and usually wanted to go to bed early after a long day in the sun. The resort was very clean and the food was O.K. But, we didn't expect gourmet meals anyways. The Italian and Oriental Restaurants were great. The rooms are kept clean and housekeeping was great. We stayed in 27-3 the first two nights and was right beside the wave pool. It was too loud and the room was a bit small and dark. We asked to be moved and they obliged. We were moved to 12-2 and were very happy. It was a larger room and a lot nicer and quieter. Everything worked. I wouldn't say the rooms were four star, but they satisfied us and we will return next year. There are only Canadians and Brits that stay at the hotel. We didn't do any of the outside trips, as we heard from most people that they were long days.

We have just returned from the Holiday Village Golden Beach Resort, Puerto Plata, D.R. Our stay was from Dec 23, 2006 to Jan 6, 2007. We chose this resort in Puerto Plata due to the 4-star rating and the price for a 2-week stay.

Resort rating – In comparison to other resorts in Puerto Plata or the Playa Dorada area, it is a 4-star resort. However, it will be a 3-star resort in comparison to resorts in Jamaica, Barbados, Aruba, St Martin, etc.

Restaurants – There are 4 restaurants within the resort. The general buffet restaurant with 3 ala carte restaurants, Oriental, Mexican & Italian. The oriental restaurant, Lotus, and the Italian restaurant are very nice and fairly classy with the Mexican, Pancho Villa, being casual. We found the food in all 4 restaurants to be very good, even after 14 days at the resort. It was the first time I tried the goat and it was very good! There is a fifth restaurant being built, Caribbean Restaurant, that should be ready sometime in February ‘07. It is on the beach and open aired - will be great once it is finished.
Reservations are required in the ala carte restaurants with 2 seating’s available, at 6:30 and 8:30, nightly. However, the Mexican restaurant is closed on Fridays.
Men are required to wear long pants/slacks in the ala carte restaurants. Although this is mentioned in the travel brochures, the orientation sessions and the reservation letters, male guest still arrive in shorts. The main buffet restaurant has smoking and non-smoking sections that is great for non-smokers.

Gym – There is a small but very well equipped gym available. The equipment is brand new and should remain new as it was hardly used for the 14 days we were there.

Rooms – We found our room to be a bit small even though we booked a “Royal Suite” that was described as more spacious. Other that the size, the room was quite nice but basic. There was a 19” television with a DVD player, fridge & bedside clock/radio. The room was cleaned every day with fresh towels provided – 4 bath, 2 hand, 2 wash and 1 floor. Brand new bathrobes and terry cloth slippers were also provided.
The fridge was re-stocked every day with domestic beer, pop and bottled water. You were also provided with 2 x 1.5L bottles of water to brush your teeth with, should you choose to do so. Although we did not drink the water directly from the tap, we brushed our teeth with the tap water and suffered no negative consequences.

Pools – There were 4 pools within the resort. The “activities pool” was just beside the buffet restaurant and the outside bar. As the name suggested, it was busy with diving lessons, swimming lessons, water polo, etc.
The “main pool” was a wave pool that had wave action for 20 minutes every 40 minutes. There were 2 water slides that were lots of fun for both kids and adults alike. There was a bar/grill within the “main pool” area for your convenience as it was a 5 minute walk to the buffet restaurant. There was a “kid’s pool” for pre-schoolers – we cannot comment as we only saw it at night as we were strolling around the resort after dinner. There was an “adults-only pool” that was assigned to the guest of the “Royal Suites”, the adults-only section of the resort. The “Royal Suite” guests wore a different colored wrist band that allowed use and access to the “VIP Club House”, the “adults-only pool”, the “adults-only beach”, etc. However, it was not unusual to find general guest using the facilities assigned to the “Royal Suites” even though they did not pay the supplementary cost to do so.

Beach – The beach was nice and we did not have a problem accessing chairs regardless of the time we got to the beach. The water is great for swimming but not for snorkeling. However, it is not that beautiful blue/green colour you would find in Varadero or Punta Cana. You can walk for miles in either direction, and there are many resorts along the way. The Holiday Village resort caters to Canadian and British guests only, so don’t expect to see too much European sunbathing, i.e. topless tanning. Other neighboring resorts, having European guest, did have their share of topless tanning but nothing to the extreme.

Nightly entertainment – From 8:00 to 9:00 PM there was a kids’ interactive show that the kids appeared to enjoy. From 9:00 to 9:30 PM there was BINGO where you could win cash prices. However; the show from 9:30 to 10:30 PM was nothing short of bad karaoke with the performers frequently forgetting their lines. As the resort only opened in December ’06, this may improve over time.

Playa Dorada Plaza – There is a plaza within a 10 minute “lazy” walk that has some fairly decent stores with prices much lower that the gift store in the resort. Alcohol, i.e. domestic rum, in the plaza is around the same price as airport duty free; but shop around as prices differ significantly from store to store. There is a store called Jimenez where you can get some terrific deals on European & British team soccer shirts, designer jeans, etc. Hugo Boss, Versace, etc jeans for US$20.00 per pair! However, stay away from a clothing store called Mara. They will speak perfect English when you are buying something but suddenly can only speak Spanish if you need to get something exchanged! There are about 2 to 3 vendors in the plaza offering tours that were much cheaper than booking with the resort.

The “Garage” – Within a 5 minute walk on the beach, left of the resort, there is a flea market. Mainly wood carvings, coral necklaces, paintings, etc.

Tours – We took advantage of 4 tours – Paradise Island, ATV, horse back-riding and the Jeep Safari. All were enjoyable except for the Jeep Safari that was far too long. The hi-lit of the Jeep Safari was the falls. It would cost you a fraction if 4 people took a taxi to the falls, paid the entrant fee and tipped the guides.

Comments – Over all, it is a great resort for guests with young children. If you have children between ages 4 – 12, it is a great resort as there are dedicated “In2Action” coordinators that will keep them busy. Teens will find it boring with little to do. Guests without children, like ourselves, could take advantage of the various tours ($) available. We heard that several guests had problems with their rooms but we did not encounter any major concerns. The toilet did not flush but it was fixed by the 2nd day. There will be laundry facilities in the near future (1 dryer, 1 washer). Although the dryer was not hooked up while we were there, it should be by February. There are laundry facilities in the Fun Royal resort within walking distance, in the Playa Dorado area (5 dryers, 4 washers). It is about USD$1 to wash & USD$1 to dry a load of laundry with Fab detergent sold in the gift shop – a cheaper alternative than using the resort laundry services at USD$1 per item.
There are approximately 17 resorts in the Playa Dorado area. The entrance off the highway is controlled by guards and there are additional guards at the entrance to each resort. Generally, we felt very safe in the Playa Dorado area as well as within our resort.

Advice – Negotiate everything! Start by offering them ¼ of their asking price. Don’t worry; you would not be offending them. This includes the various tours.
Book your ala cart meals as soon as you arrive.

I was part of a group of 22 who traveled to the Holiday Village Golden Beach in Puerto Plata recently. 20 of us December 28/06 – January 11 /07 and 2 others traveled January 2 – 16/07. We had nothing but problems from the start. First, one person’s luggage was lost leaving this person to have to beg, borrow and steal clothing, swim attire and toiletries until his luggage finally showed up a week later. Upon arrival at the resort it was chaos checking in and there wasn't a signature rep to be found. We had booked 3 family rooms, 3 standard rooms with 2 queen beds and a king with a cot. We were also told that our group would be all together in the same building and that the 2 families that we were required to book 2 rooms because the rooms did not accommodate more than 4 people and they had more in their family would have adjoining rooms. We did not get any rooms with 2 queen beds or a king bed, only single queen beds. Families of 3 & 4 were expected to share 1 queen bed. None of us were even close to one another, we were scattered all over the place. Even the 2 larger families requiring adjoining rooms for their children were not even close to one another. This meant that they would have children by themselves on the other side of the resort! This was completely unacceptable. The front desk staff proceeded to say that they had nothing else available and that there was nothing they could do. To top things off one family had paid for the baby pack which was not available either. This meant that there was not even a crib for their baby to sleep in – ridiculous! They had to make due until the following evening before a crib and stroller finally showed up. We were forced to alter our accommodations between our group which meant mixing families up just so we could feel more at ease about where our children were at night. To top things off we arrive in evening just as the buffet was closing and nothing else was open so everyone went to bed hungry.

Our problems with the rooms continued. The air conditioning did not work, there were plumbing issues – no hot water at times, sinks and tubs not draining, water pooling on the bathroom floor. The rooms had very poor lighting. The family rooms were supposed to have 2 TVs, one with a playstation. One of the TVs in our room was broken and there was no playstation. The patio doors did not lock – this was a big safety concern. The bar fridge consisted of 4 pops and 2 bottles of water and it was never replenished during our entire 2 week stay.

Housekeeping was hit and miss. There was always something missed. Some days the dirty towels would be taken but not replaced with clean ones. There were days we didn’t have the bare necessities such as toilet paper and soap. Some days the rooms were not even cleaned at all.

Public areas were no better. There were no toilet paper holders in any of the public washrooms resulting in toilet paper being on the floor frequently. Toilets often did not work or overflowed. The floor tiles throughout the resort are extremely slippery when wet. It is only a matter of time before someone falls and is seriously injured, if it hasn’t happened already.

The gym was not open until the 2nd week of our stay and there were no Daniel Fitness Classes as advertised. This was something I was really looking forward to and one of the features that drew me to this resort. Also the adults in our group were not permitted access to the adult pool. Nowhere in the brochure does it say you must be a VIP member to use the adult pool. The resort is advertised as having 3 pools, of which one is for adults only. This leaves the non-VIPs with the activity pool which is very small – too small – can only accommodate a few people. Not enjoyable at all. Especially as it is the only pool other than the children’s wave pool for everyone to use.

The Caribbean restaurant was still being constructed. There were no washrooms on the beach and it was quite a trek to get to one in the resort. The beach bar was under construction so there was a make shift bar, and no beach snack bar either as advertised.

We brought our own thermal mugs. They are large so it is not necessary to make so many trips to the bar and they keep the drink cold longer, the insects out and reduce waste (no need for numerous plastic cups). We were given some grief about these mugs at the beach bar. The bartender there seemed annoyed by filling these mugs – not sure why. He would only fill the mugs ½ full and give us a dirty look.

The pool snack bar made pizza in 10 minutes they said, but we waited 11/2 hours on 2 separate occasions. The buffet was nothing special – the food was very repetitive and there were periods when there was no food available. This is difficult for parents with small children that need to eat frequently and not necessarily at the scheduled meal times.

Getting a clean table at the buffet is nearly impossible and the staff do not move very quickly to clear one for you. One night after waiting for over 15 min, I asked 3 separate staff if they could clear a dirty table for my family and they kept telling me to ask someone else. It took over 30 min to get the table cleaned. Once you were able to get a clean table it was rare to be able to get a drink with your meal. Staff almost never offered and there isn’t a self-serve drink area. It is also worth noting that the majority of the people in our group were very ill at one time or another during our vacation.

Booking of alacart restaurants was painful. I was told by the booking staff that you could only book during 9-11 and 3-5 for the next day. However, twice when I stood in line for the next day I was told they were full because they had taken bookings for the next day the previous day which I had been told they did not do so just how did that happen? I did manage to get into the oriental restaurant one evening and to my surprise it was ½ empty. I am not sure what is going on here.

The laundry facilities were broken the entire 2 weeks and no one seemed too anxious to repair them.

Although the brochure states that there are 2 movies daily, I could not find a schedule anywhere and no one seemed to be able to tell me either.

There was a large language barrier with staff, especially front desk. They had difficulties understanding what I needed and it was necessary to repeat my concerns several times before I got any action (ie. Repairing the air conditioning took 2 days).

There need to be more garbage receptacles provided to prevent people from just leaving their garbage all over the place.

Activities were geared more towards younger children. Our teens were often bored. The high wires cost an outrageous $15.00 for each section. Come on people this is supposed to be an all-inclusive resort not a pay as you go.

The entertainment – what can I say - Horrible. I can play bingo at home. Same songs every night for the kids, cheesy entertainment for the adults. Disappointed none of the entertainers were Dominican. That’s what you go to the Dominican – to see Dominicans.

There was far too much smoke. Need to have designated smoking areas and there shouldn’t be smoking in the restaurants.

Signature reps selling tours know nothing about the tours they are selling. Were told one tour was a 1 hour drive and it turned out to be 3 hours. We wouldn’t have gone if we had known we would be spending 6 hours in a bus and only 3 hours of the actual tour.

I have stayed at many all-inclusive resorts ranging from 3* – 4+. This resort is not a 4* resort, it is more like a 2.5 or 3 at the highest. If this resort had been advertised for what it truly is not a new resort, but a 35 year old, poorly renovated, understaffed and uncompleted resort we would have never booked our vacation here. At the very least this resort should not have opened until all advertised services were up and running, staff trained adequately and all accommodation issues properly addressed.

To top off our vacation, the 2 people traveling January 2 – 16 were bumped to another resort as a result of the Holiday Village being overbooked. This was a huge inconvenience for our group as this meant travel back and forth for them to visit the rest of the group. I felt horrible for them. How does something like this happen? How do you book non-existent rooms?

By far the worst part of my trip was the treatment I received from the signature reps. I went in to express my concerns with the signature rep and she didn’t want to hear what I had to say. She interrupted me and bluntly said “It doesn’t matter what concerns I had, nothing will happen even if I send in a formal complaint because I signed a contract that states in the fine print that at any time they can “take anything away” – end of discussion. I was appalled to be spoken to in this manner. I am most certainly not interested in doing any business with a company that treats its customers in this manner.

We stayed in room 02.1 in the Royal suites section. Our children & grandchildren stayed in the regular non-suites area so we experienced both types of accommodation.

The previous reviews on this site are a bit t