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 Majestic Colonial Punta Cana  Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 36 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 658 rooms/suites with internet connection $$ Description from resort website: HBO and CInemax - 8 restuarnats - 2 miniclubs for children 9 from 3 - 7 and from 8 - 14 - 4304 fooot long swimming pool - large casino - many bars including disco and sports bar - 7 boutique shops - full service spa  ~ Debbie's Review of Majestic Colonial ~ Reviews posted on this page — 24  Don't forget to send Debbie your review ~ More Majestic Colonial Resort Reviews ~ Map of Resort  ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4 ~ Reader's Majestic Colonial Punta Cana Wedding Reviews
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| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Lloyd & Kathy ~ Ottawa |
My wife and I vacationed with our 2 daughters (10 & 8) and parents (83 & 74). So here are some comments/recommendations from this perspective.
It was our girls first experience in the ocean, so snorkeling was a main highlight. Actually, after an initial attempt at using snorkels, our girls preferred to only use goggles to explore the tropical fish and dive down to pick up sea shells. I recommend the interesting bottom structures a short distance from the beach, in front of the dive shop.
The "Kids club" didn't appeal to our girls and there did not appear to be any organized activities for their age.
Some of the highlights for our girls included: banana boat ride, hair braids, nightly shows, swim up bar for "dirty monkeys", boogie boarding, and
2 person kayak.
We had requested a room with 2 double beds, but were given a King bed. So they added 2 single beds to our room, and this was even better.
My parents greatly enjoyed the friendly service. It appears the staff are very respectful of elderly people. Lots of hugs and kisses for Momma & Papa.
The size of the resort and elevators were beneficial for my parents.
Among many other aspects, my wife enjoyed the daily aerobics sessions on the beach.
As for myself, highlights included: a scuba dive to the "Astron" ship wreck, early morning swims in the long pool and ocean, and the gym. This exercise enabled me to take full advantage of the awesome quality and quantity of food.
I recommend bringing enough $US cash to cover extra activities, tips, souvenirs, and $20 departure tax (per person). ATM only provided local currency. Payment by credit card for water activities (e.g. scuba dive) included a 16% tax which would have been avoided if we had paid cash.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Leah and Carter |
First things first, arrival at the airport in Punta Cana was extremely organized; we were in and out in about 15 minutes. Next was the bus ride to the resort, I was pretty upset at all the garbage along the roadside, something should really be done about that!
Arrival - We were greeted with cold towels and a drink, of which I passed on to head to the front desk to check in. We were greeted by Richard (I hope I got his name right). We requested, through our travel agent to have a room on an upper level, not on the ground and not facing construction. Well, when we checked in, we were assigned a room on the ground (it wasn't facing construction), room number 3112, but this was quickly changed to room number 3312 after a quick trip to the front desk! We had NO problems changing our room. It was also stated by our travel agent that we were celebrating our honeymoon, but nothing special was done for us. There was a bottle of wine with 2 wine glasses when we got there (of which everyone receives), other then that, no extra perks which was disappointing, but, what can you do - I wasn't about to spend my vacation complaining about the little stuff. I should note that the ground floor smelt a little musty, but the room we changed to, was not. It was very clean.
Rooms - As mentioned, the rooms were very clean. Room is huge, double sinks, toilet behind a frosted glass door, HUGE shower with 2 shower heads...we had a king size bed, leather couch, coffee table, desk and chair...our view was of the beautiful wedding gazebo and pool. Our maid was Laylea and she was always given something nice as a Thank You. Our room was always cleaned around the same time, after breakfast but before lunch. Not once did we have any issues with our room, nothing was broken and we never seen any bugs and believe me, after reading some reviews about cockroaches, this was the thing I feared the most! It was spotless!
Internet – Cost was $5 for 30 mins…however, when we went, it was free due to the ticket printer not working – this was a bonus. I took note of either 8 or 10 computers, located in an air conditioned room.
Grounds/Pool/Beach - What can I say about the following, the grounds were always kept clean, you'd always see someone doing something with the flowers, maintaining the grass...they were never in your way. The grounds were beautiful with little ponds, palm trees, flower beds, bushes...beautiful. The pool was amazing and NOT cold like some people have written. What the hell do you expect, it's a pool! The water was warm, not freezing; it was so refreshing...even in the shady spots. Some people are too damn picky in my mind - which is the main reason why I decided to write this review. For those complaining about the small stuff, I'd like to know what hotels you stayed at, because this one was well worth money spent! Loungers were always found at the fool...we didn't stick around where the Animation team was, rather our spot was always in the middle or near the end of the pool (down by where the last bar is, where the table and chairs are located). That bar opened for service at 12 I think. The pool was always clean, it wasn't loud, again, because we stayed clear of the Animation team, not that they weren't good, but, we prefer to relax and not be bothered to take part in shows. We always found a spot with shelter too, for shade. Next, the beach, ahhhhhh, the beach!! We spent our mornings at the beach, and our afternoons at the pool. The beach was a tad bit windy but it was a comforting breeze, the waves were high, but not rough enough in that you couldn't swim...there was some coral, so, I would recommend water shoes...but it was absolutely amazing. The beach was VERY clean, well maintained, never once did we have an issue with not getting lounge chairs, nor shade. We use to go for walks down the beach to check out other resorts, but we were always glad to get back to our own beach...the beach bar that we went to was the bar that was part of the Steak house and Seafood restaurants. My female cousin and I never got our drinks there that were the job of our husbands!! So, to speak of what the service was like at the bar, my husband would have to tell you, but he never came back complaining so that was good. I wouldn't be able to tell you what time it opened either, we brought down our travel mugs and they were always topped up! For those getting married, they have a beautiful set up on the beach!
Food/Buffet - We ate at the buffet every morning and for lunch...there was always plenty to eat. Some foods were labeled, some were not, we stuck to the basics of what we knew and we didn't get sick. I had stomach issues on Wed, but I highly find it unlikely it was from the food, more from the fact that I was drinking a lot, and not drinking enough water. One day I had a hamburger, cut into the middle, and it was fine, bit into the edge and it was red. I didn't eat the rest and went back for something else - problem solved. The next time I had a burger, I asked the chef to cook it black, he did, and it was great and I didn't get sick. The food was the same ol same ol every day, with different assortment of things, like for instance, one day it was white rice, then seafood rice, then veggie rice...and so on...you'd always find chicken, whether it be grilled, baked, deep fried, fries, different assortments of pizza, beef, steak, lots of fruit, deli meats, salads, pasta, different assortments of pasta sauces, some Dominican foods which I didn't bother with, if I didn't eat it home, I wasn't eating it there! They had a juice machine, but if you wanted pop or something different, the servers would get it for you. (Hi Padro!)
Restaurants - We ate at the Steak house twice, the French restaurant once, which required reservations, the Chinese restaurant once, which is in the same restaurant as the Japanese (Japanese rest. requires reservations and is off in another section of the restaurant) and the Mexican restaurant:
Steak house - First night I ordered the grilled chicken, it came with a Caesar salad, it was good. Second night I ordered the steak, cooked WELL, that too came with a Caesar salad (which was a little runny, due to the lettuce being wet). My husband ordered the steak twice as he enjoyed it so much the first time...he ordered the other salad that was on the menu the first night, wasn't too fussy on that and so he went with the Caesar the second night. Both nights were busy, as there were 2 wedding receptions, but the service was still good, and on time. We didn't feel rushed. The first night we weren't told about the buffet in which you could pick up your breads and deserts, we went up anyway, the second night we were told to help ourselves.
French Restaurant - It too was good, the service was good. My husband had the sirloin, me, the chicken which was served on a bed of rice and was stuffed with mashed potatoes, with garlic, YUMMY!! For our starters, we both had soup, I had the one that mentioned lobster and I'm not sure what he had...don't remember, but, both meals were good.
Chinese - For our started, husband had the egg rolls which he said was good, me, I went with the fried chicken, I lost one on the floor taking it off the stick :( The other one was good though LOL. We both ordered the Beef in Sweet and Sour sauce, well, the sauce wasn't very good, very disappointing, it kind of tasted like throw up in your mouth - sorry to be disgusting but I'm being honest...the couple we went with both had the Chicken Chow Mein and both said it was VERY good, they shared some of it with us LOL. Service was good, we didn't feel rushed and we always tipped!
Mexican - We were served with nachos prior to ordering, which was funny, because we were thinking, funny we haven't seen any nachos yet! Viola, there they were. We all had the chicken fajitas, which were good. They had salads to select from in a buffet format. Again, service was good, we didn't feel rushed and we always tipped.
Bars - Our evenings consisted of hanging out at the Lobby bar, both upstairs and down. Plenty of room at the bar and many seats to people watch and enjoy your drink. The service at both bars were fine, we didn't wait long for someone to approach us to serve us...some drinks took longer to make, but that didn't matter one bit to us...we tipped here as well. It didn't speed up the process; it was more of a Thank You for doing a great job. We went outside to another bar that is just outside the lobby, near the gazebo...this was nice, and because there was always someone there playing music...service was good there as well. Overall service was extremely good!
Vendors - 2 of the 7 nights that we were there they had vendors set up long the walk way in between the theatre and lobby, this was convenient for us because we didn't leave the resort, except to go on our excursion. They were pushy at times - nothing different there!
Theatre - HUGE and the chairs - very comfy. We attended the Michael Jackson show only, it was good...my husband fell asleep through it, but I thought it was good LOL.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Marilyn & Jerry |
We stayed at the Majestic from March 30/08 until April 6/08. We were 2 couples ranging from 36 - 49 in age. We have been to Punta Cana 4 times and at 4 different resorts.
-this resort was beautiful
-the construction did not bother us. We were given rooms on the other side.
-the food was great. Always something different to choose from at the main buffet. The steak house was so good, we went there 3 different evenings for supper.
-our rooms were always clean and very spacious
-the pool was so refreshing
-the beach is beautiful
-the ocean is warm and so inviting.
-we found the staff to be very friendly and they went out of their way to please us....even at the main buffet restaurant.
No complaints from us and someday we might go back there to see the expansion. If you have the chance to visit and stay at the Majestic do not hesitate....GO and ENJOY!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Lou and Anne ~ Prince Edward Island |
We just got back from the Majestic Colonial last week after being bumped from the Eden H Arena. All I can say is that I would go back tomorrow. I had e-mailed Richard with a room request of second floor with pool view and that is exactly what we got. The room was perfect, I especially liked the four drawers in the bathroom area for all our toiletries. Yes the bathroom area is open with jucuzzi tub. The toilet area, although very small is enclosed with a frosted glass door as well as the huge shower area. The safe is programmable with your own numbers and is free of charge. There is lots of closet space as well as iron and ironing board. We just had a regular room but yet, every day, we would come back from the beach to find a special treat in our room, champagne, chocolate covered grapes, cheese trays and meat trays, fruit baskets, etc. The resort is a wonderful size and we could easily walk the full length of it in about 5 minutes. Our rom was 2222 and it was halfway between the beach and lobby. We ate at the a la carte restaurants 5 nights and loved each one. We had chateaubriand, grilled lobster and really good food at all the restaurants. For the gamblers out there, the casino is very small. There are a few shops on the resort but the prices are very high. There is even a chapel on the resort. If you want to shop, you can walk about five minutes off the resort to a plaza where there are quite a few shops, be prepared to barter. We had no problems finding loungers, although on a couple of mornings, we felt like we wanted a palapa therefore I was down and found some at 7:30 otherwise there are plenty of loungers available. For those of you who have heard about the Big Wave, it happened the day before we arrived and yes, the beach was closed for a few days. There is a section of beach that took quite a beating but there is still plenty of beach to enjoy. Our favorite thing to do at night was to sit in the courtyard under the stars and listen to the saxaphone and piano player. Beautiful place to dance the night away. We did not see any shows or go to the disco as we've done all those things in the past. We brought gifts for the maids and even some for anyone whom we felt deserved something. We really paid attention to the staff and distributed candy along the way. Our reward was so many hugs every morning, they even nicknamed us Poppy and Mama. By the second day there, our waiter at the beach restaurant automatically brought me a cappacino and my husband an expresso. The sweet guy kept this up all week. We gave him a nice gift on our last day. Everything about this resort surpassed our expectations, from the cleaniness, to the service, to the wonderful staff and yes to the food. The pool is the biggest I've ever seen. We saw so many people complain about the least little thing while we were there. We felt it was important to write a positive comment card before we left as well as to express our gratitude to Richard. If we had a minor negative, it would be that the food could be warmer, but they feed big crowds, so chill and enjoy. If you are going there, do not hesitate as both my husband and I highly recommend this place and are already making plans to go back next year.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Susan ~ Kenora, Ontario |
Arrival and Flight
We flew Air Transat out of Winnipeg, Mb and had excellent flights in both directions. We pre-booked our seats and were comfortably located at the emergency exits so we had plenty of leg room. Unfortunately for Air Transat both flights were only 1/2 full so we were even able to select our own row seats which made the trip even more comfortable.
The bus had just a couple of stops and our tour rep allowed us to take our beer onboard.
Our arrival at the hotel was quite eventful as the hotel was overbooked and they separated our party to all different numbered buildings. I had tried to email and confirm our reservations two times in the week prior to our arrival and never had a reply from the hotel staff so I was "expecting" this problem. They did end up upgrading 3 of our rooms for 1 night and then "letting" us move to the type of poolside, swim-up rooms that we had thought that we had arranged for...it was just not a pleasant experience having to spend so much time and effort at the front desk at check in and then again the following day to get new room cards programmed, have the bellboys arrange to move your luggage etc.
The poolside rooms were very nice...our 3 rooms were in Building 2, very close to the main buffet and at the quiet end of the pool.
Restaurants
Most of our group found the food to be ok and certainly no one starved. We found that a lot of dishes didn't look like they were either chilled well enough or heated enough and avoided items that looked like they had been sitting on the buffet line a little too long. People in our group tried all af the restaurants and found the "Steakhouse" at the Beach Bar to be the favourite.
Bars
The swim up bar was the most fun.
Beach and Pools
The beach was gorgeous, just like all the pictures and the pool was great.
Grounds
Immaculate
Activities and Entertainment
Our favourite place to meet was at the outside bar to listen to the sax before supper.
Tours
Some of our party played golf at Punta Blanca and Cocotal.
Departure and Check Out
Uneventful
Conclusion
The Majestic was a lovely resort. I would suggest taking a Spanish language course before travelling...I found language to be a great barrier even though we usually made ourselves understood with some very basic Spanish and alot of signing. The waitresses would take your drink orders and nod that they understood and then we would never see them again. The consensus in our group of very friendly Canadians was...tipping did not make a difference in the type of service we got. We all had a great time and would have, wherever we were staying. If you have any questions, you could email me and possibly I could help.
j.s.mc@shaw.ca
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Joan and Kevin ~ Dartmouth, Nova Scotia |
My husband and I treated ourselves to a 25th wedding anniversary trip to the Dominican Republic during the March break week of the 8th to the 15th.. We were not disappointed. We arrived midafternoon at the Majestic Colonial and were greeted with the wet towels and a Majestic drink. We had some time to wait for our room as our request was not fulfilled. Our travel agent requested a junior suite overlooking the pool and they gave us a room overlooking the construction in building 4. Thankfully, I kept my request from the agent and I spoke to Richard and Victor who promptly took care of us and we ended up with a lovely room in building 2 on the 3rd floor overlooking the pool.
The rest of the week was a dream vacation. The meals were very good and you had many choices. Towards the end of the week, we were tiring from the buffet. We loved the Gourmet restaurant and the Chateaubriand at the Steak House. We didn't try the Japanese cuisine, as neither of us is fond of oriental food. The service was always great and you were greeted with a smile. Our waiter Socrates went out of his way to speak to us daily. I know some Spanish and he and the others were grateful that you would try to speak in their language. We did not find the language a barrier. After all you are in a Spanish speaking country. Nelson Mandela and Jesus in the Steak House restaurant knew your name when you returned for meals during the week. They kept everyone entertained. I even heard Jesus speak in German to a large group of German tourists.
Our room was wonderful and huge. It was always kept clean, thanks to Mary Lucie Perez. She could not speak English, but understood what Spanish I could manage. We had champagne in our room when we arrived, a fruit basket another night and on our last night, a special anniversary treat was left on our table. Thanks for the nice touch. We did not mind the washroom set up at all. We loved the king size canopy bed.
The beach was wonderful. We would take long walks up and down the beach, sometimes twice a day. The waves were rough the first couple of days, but how that water was so warm, when you compare it to the Atlantic Ocean in mid August. At least your toes did not freeze!! We enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. As the March break for Ontario coincided with the Nova Scotia March break, we met many people from Ontario, especially teachers like ourselves. Many of the tourists were Canadians. The Americans we met from Baton Rouge, Louisiana nick named our resort the Majestic Canadian! We had no problems getting beach chairs or shade. We did not spend too much time at the pool, because we enjoyed the swimming and scenery at the beach, as well as the tropical breezes. I did mind the topless women at first, but by the end of the week, one did not really take notice.
My husband and I loved sitting out on the terrace at night listening to the amazing saxophone player who sounded just like Kenny G. The other bands were amazing too. We did get to see two shows at the theater, the Michael Jackson shown and the Circus show. Both were very entertaining. The other nights we sat around outside listening to music, enjoying the company of new friends and sipping on Majestics and Cervezas.
We did take a trip off the resort on the evening sunset cruise on the Tropical Storm. For the price, I would not recommend it to anyone, unless your'e into the heavy drinking and loud party scene. We were led to believe by our Air Canada agent that this cruise was romantic and quiet. Another couple we met from Ottawa were told the same thing. We are quiet couples and looked forward to a quiet cruise. We learned the hard way. The next time, we would probably do the outback tour. Many of our new friends really enjoyed this trip. The cruise was quite expensive. The meal at the Jelly Fish Restaurant was fairly good. My husband really enjoyed the Rock Lobster. As I don't like lobster, I had the mustard chicken, which was good.
We would highly recommend this resort to anyone. It was full, but you never felt crowded. The grounds were immaculate and the people working there worked from sunup to sundown. Amazing people! We would love to go back next year and go with a group of friends. Thanks for the reviews. I always looked at your site for important information.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Carrie |
March Break
We had a family vacation taking both our son's 17 and 18, what an excellent vacation!!
My husband and I have gone on many vacations, but this was the best!
Nothing to complain about, service was excellent - even though it was March Break and hotel was full - you did not notice it.
Always chairs by the ocean and many huts to provide protection of the sun.
Excellent food - wow imagine not having to go to the same spot twice for supper. All suppers were from a menu with exception of the buffet.
You received the same service regardless of tips or not.
When we were there about 80% of the tourists were Canadian
Would highly recommend this resort to anyone, this resort truly is one of the best we have been to before, and we always stay at 5 star or better resorts.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | David ~ Toronto, Ontario |
Arrived around noon -- told our room would be ready in 20 minutes. Had lunch, went back and room was ready. Room was oceanfront with huge terrace -- nicely appointed and very clean. This resort lives up to its five star rating. The accommodations are excellent and the resort itself is beautiful and not so huge you feel lost. Reservations are required at only two a la carte restaurants (Gourmet and for Teppanyaki) the food was very good to excellent – some of the “hot” dishes in the buffet could be kept warmer. My spouse is vegetarian, and they were always able to accommodate her needs. The beach is superb, but the water is rough (with undertow) so I would closely supervise younger children. Language is not at issue at all – we do not speak Spanish (other than the few tourist phrases) and never had any problems. The staff is VERY friendly and helpful …. they do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable …. especially Jesus and Nelson at the Rodeo Grill, and Denny the beach waiter/concierge was the best! Service here is top notch. This was our 5th trip to the DR (all 5 star resorts) and this was the best. If the Majestic does not meet your expectations, stay home.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Michael & Chris |
This was a pleasant surprise for us as we had originally booked for the Eden which is brand new, but apparently overbooked. There were approximately 20 of us that were informed that we would be going to the Majestic instead.
Check-in – the lobby is one of the biggest lobby’s that we have seen and very elegant. Check in was quite fast
Rooms – our group was a total of 3 couples and we were all in building #4. The downside of this building is that your balcony faces construction. We did not care as we leave our room @ 7:00 a.m. and never return til it’s time to get ready for supper. By that time, the construction workers are getting ready to quit for the day. The rooms are very spacious with a Jacuzzi splitting the bathroom and the bedroom (no privacy from whomever you are sharing the room with). The toilet is a separate cubicle and the walk in shower is large. No problems with cleanliness, towels, etc. All was very good for us.
Pool – a winding pool vs a round/kidney etc shaped pool which was different, but very attractive. Lots of bridges so that you did not have to walk all the way around. Always kept very clean. If you decide to “hang out” at the pool, keep in mind that the Entertainment group has their activities planned by the Pool/Swim-up Bar so it’s quite noisy in that area. If you want quiet, plan on the other end of the pool (by the Wedding Arbor)
Beach – the color of the water literally takes your breath away. It was quite windy every morning, but the afternoons seemed to be calmer. Very sandy –no water shoes needed on this beach. If you like walking – you can walk all you want – both directions.
Food/Restaurants – no complaints with any of the food. A couple of us were sick, but we did not blame the food as it was too good to believe that it could have caused us to be ill. The buffet had lots of choices for all 3 meals – if you went hungry – you’re too fussy! We also ate at the Beach Grill – quite a few choices there as well. The Japanese & Gourmet restaurants are the only two that require reservations. Our friends enjoyed the Japanese and we all enjoyed the Gourmet. The Steakhouse had the best steak that we have ever enjoyed in the Caribbean. The Seafood was also great, Grilled Lobster seemed to be the “winner” in this restaurant. My husband & I tried the Mexican and also had no complaints. In general – there is something for everyone and if you have children, they will not starve!
Service – now I can understand why people like 5 stars! the service was great! We never had to wait and plates were cleaned up as soon as you set them aside. One of things that really stood out was that most of the staff spoke English to a certain degree. It’s one of the first resorts that I’ve been to where I say “Buenos Dias” and they say “Good morning”. The Staff is very friendly and they all look like they enjoy their jobs –
singing, dancing. It’s so nice to see people that smile while they work and are willing to help with anything you may need.
All in all this resort is absolutely beautiful and not one of us could complain about anything. Would we return? No doubt about it!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | missmissy |
Got home last night from 1 week at The Majestic. What a wonderful vacation!!! I wanted to thank all those who, starting 10 months ago, answered all my questions about Punta Cana and helped me select my resort. I don't say this much, but Punta Cana is a place I will definitely go back to and will definitely head back to the Majestic!
A quick review-My husband and I are in our early 40s and were traveling without kids. We arrived to the hotel, was offered the signature drink and were checked in. Our room was not ready yet so we went to eat. Overall we found the food to be above average for an AI resort. Most meals were good or very good. When we returned, our keys were given to us and a bell boy escorted us to our room. we had a colonial junior suite which as a small balcony and a huge patio with an outside jacuzzi and lounge chairs which was just perfect for 5:30 sun and evening lounging! First thing we did was head down to the beach-it was magnificent! No matter what time we headed down there were always loungers at both the beach and pool and a palapa if you so desired! Nothing ever felt overcrowded. No waiting at any of the restaurants. All the staff was very friendly and helpful. We don't speak Spanish for the most part which would have been helpful because there is a language barrier, but we got our point across and so did they. The evening shows were a little cheesy, but fun. The casino was very small and that is the only place where I could say the staff for the most part was not friendly. My husband made a spa reservation for me for a chocolate wrap which was just amazing. In New York my 1 1/2 hour treatment would have cost between $200-$300 was just $98 and well worth it!!! I never wore a watch and my only worries were beach or pool today and where are we going to eat dinner. On to the restaurants... my favorites were Le Gourmet and The Steak house which were very good. The seafood, buffet, and Japanese were good, but we didn't get a show at the Japanese place for some reason. The Chinese and Mexican were okay. They could use an Italian restaurant, although fresh pasta was available at the buffet. Any complaints are minimal and not worth writing down except they had no bourbon. My husband is a Jack Daniels drinker and not only was there no Jack, but no bourbon at all. He settled for the Presidentes and The Majestic Con mucho rum. We took the jeep tour which was interesting but a very long day...and buyer beware...if you buy mamajuana to take back, purchase it with the alcohol already in it-otherwise it is considered a plant. We had to open up one of our bottles of rum to pour into the mamajuana roots so we could get through customs. Of course the rum leaked all over our bag on it's journey back.
This was the best vacation I have had in many, many years and am now a Punta Cana lover!!!
Thank you all for your help and thank you Majestic for an amazing vacation!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Allen |
We have just returned to winnipeg, canada, from a one-week [late-january ‘08] stay at the majestic colonial in punta cana. I’m 63 and my wife is 57. it was our first visit to the dominican republic.
* Flights
- we flew sunwing from winnipeg. The flight was supposed to be non-stop, but as i’ve so often read about all charter airlines – they changed it to ‘stopping-in-london, ontario’ both ways. This was very disappointing as it increased the flight-time........ and the chance of weather delays. This is exactly what happened when there was a storm in ontario and the return flight was 4 hours late, bringing us home at 3:30 in the morning!
- when you arrive in p.c., ignore anyone trying to sell you a taxi-ride – unless you actually want a taxi. They will be saying your charter company name, but you must find the REAL charter person, who will direct you to your bus or van. [the charter people wear distinctive shirts, so they’re easy to spot.]
- regardless of your airline -- if you’re delayed at the punta cana airport coming home, walk [for one minute] from the extremely crowded and boisterous terminal 1........over to terminal 2, which is very new, very empty, and has many electronic flight departure signs --- of which, incredibly, there are NONE in terminal 1. Go figure! [Lots of food services in #1, though.]
* Hotel
We chose the majestic colonial on the basis of it being new in 2005; the impressive overall look of the resort; the number of ala carte restaurants [6 or 7]; the tennis courts, the 400m pool snaking through the grounds, and the overwhelmingly positive guest comments we found here on the internet.
We were very pleased with everything at the majestic and would recommend it highly!
A few miscellaneous comments..............
- we found all the staff to be wonderful..........very friendly and helpful!
- the number of beach and pool chairs and palapas [shade-structures] was impressive! And, the beach maintenance was excellent!
- The beach is utterly incredible! The sand is perfect and it goes on forever! It was very windy and wavy at the majestic when we were there.........and i suspect that is quite common at that spot. I snorkelled anyway, close to shore, and there were a few fish on the left side of the roped-in swimming area.
- we didn’t do any tours. None appealed to us and we feel they are generally over-priced for what they are. [But, lots of people like tours and there were quite a few, if you’re keen.]
- the cleanliness of the long pool was amazingly good! Since this is such an important feature of the majestic, it would be a disaster if it’s maintenance was neglected...........but this is obviously not the case. It’s the nicest, most innovative pool idea i’ve ever seen!
- The buffet is wonderful, but the 6 or7 ala carte restaurants are even better. We particularly enjoyed the gourmet restaurant.
We found the food good in the steakhouse and seafood restaurant, but the service was too fast for our taste. The seemed to rush us through our meal too quickly. I can appreciate that they have many people to move through the restaurants, but we like a slower pace to our meal and this is one reason we chose the ala cartes. [you can go to any restaurant more than once and only two required reservations.]
We made a reservation at the teppanyaki ‘Ichiban-style]’ japanese restaurant, but while eating in the regular [adjoining] japanese restaurant, noticed how loud and boisterous the teppanyaki sounded, so we cancelled that reservation.
[We also found all that loud noise distracting and annoying while in the adjoining restaurant.]
- we tried to use some spanish and found the staff responded very positively to this small gesture.
- we requested an upper-floor room, hoping for a view, and this was what we got, but unfortunately it was on the back-side.......... facing next-door construction! we requested a move to the pool/garden side and they moved us two days later. This second-floor room in building 2 was perfect!
- the toilet was not working in our first room when we arrived, this was fixed quickly. The hair-dryer and coffee-maker were not working in our second room when we moved there. These were also fixed/replaced immediately.
- any request of housekeeping was quickly taken care of. [e.g.- request for a face cloth, more tea, more water, etc.]
- we found the beach towels nice, but the bath towels were too rough.....almost a bath MAT texture.
- we would love to have had red and white house wine in the room mini-cooler. We are not beer, champagne, or soft drink lovers.........but we love wine.
there’s plenty of house-wine at all the bars and in the restaurants, but, the hotel refused my polite inquiry/request about wine in the cooler. however, one of the bartenders was kind enough to give me 2 bottles of wine for the room. He got the biggest tip of the trip!]
- tipping at all-inclusives is not required or even expected, but we decided to take a lot of U.S. $1 bills down there and tip anyone who was pleasant, tried hard, etc., etc.
there were plenty in that category!
People working on cruise ships and at all-inclusives are underpaid and it felt good to make this small gesture toward them.
[but, get the U.S. dollars before you go.........you’ll probably have trouble getting them down there.]
- it’s wonderful how generous the hotel is with sealed-bottled water! It’s very re-assuring to have ample bottled-water to alleviate concerns about health problems that might come up. We took ‘upset-stomach’ meds [antibiotic and immodium] with us....and one of us had one bad afternoon and evening, which the meds fixed by the next day.
[there are so many variables about getting sick, it’s impossible to know what causes it. Just take meds with you, in case.]
- we also had hepatitis a & b shots before going, just in case. They seem to be recommended often. [It’s a several-month, 3-shot series, so start early.]
- supposedly, all the hotel water used [except the tap water] was safe. they used bottled-water for ice cubes, fruit and vegetable washing, dining room water, etc. [i guess you never know for sure about this, but they seemed quite careful about it at the majestic.]
- the tennis courts needed some clean-up and sweeping. [The same kind of wonderful attention that’s given to all the other areas of the hotel grounds.] it looked like the courts were recently worked on and then there was no cleanup of the courts or surrounding area after the work was completed.
- the nightly shows in the theatre were quite good.............though not as good as those on cruise ships.
- we enjoyed dancing to the sax and keyboard music in the plaza bar area each night........and on the beach one night. Excellent!
- the majestic seems to have planned very well for services appealing to all age groups.
- i was disturbed to see assorted bugs crawling out of one of the wicker coffee tables in the lower lobby one night. [As a courtesy, i mentioned it to the front desk and the fellow explained that they spray every night, but can’t use too strong a spray as the guests complain about the smell. You can win!] perhaps wicker-style furniture is not the ideal choice for that open-air location.
- We eventually found out that there was a marketplace within walking distance of the majestic, near the entrance, on the highway. ironically, the day we walked there, the merchants all appeared later in the hotel garden selling their merchandise! [i guess they come on Thursdays.] Other than the few hotel shops, ‘haggling’ is the selling/buying system. [Start at half of what they’re asking and work from there.]
all in all..........we were very happy guests and like so many of these other web-comments, we whole-heartedly recommend this hotel. The majestic colonial is wonderful!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Barbara |
We just returned from 16 nights at the beautiful Majestic Colonial in Punta Cana. Here is our review:
We arrived late on Sunday January 13th and were quickly taken to a room in Bldg 1 on the main floor. This was not the type of room we had asked for and so asked to be moved. They were able to move us the next morning to a third floor room in Bldg 3 which was more to our liking. The only problem with the room location was it was directly in front of the activity pool which was quite noisy with excercise and dance classes each day from 4 till 6 pm.
We stayed in that room but next time would probably have tried to get one closer to the main lobby area which would have been quieter. Other than the odd late night returnees waking us we found the room very nice. We loved the shower and double sink area with the shelf and drawers most of all. We also had a leather couch and large coffee table and the balcony was a great place to relax at the end of the day.
The grounds are beautiful and the main lobby building is spectacular. Huge two story marble filled with 20 or 30 couch seating areas. Very nice and spacious.
We spent a lot of time at both the pool and the beach. We thought the beach was fabulous with tons of powdery sand and lots of waves to play in. We especially liked the light beige beach chairs as they seemed of a much nicer quality than any of the other resorts. It didn't matter what time of day we went to the beach, we never had a problem finding chairs or a palapas to sit under. If yu wanted lots of personal space, you could easily find that at the top area of the beach. It was a bit closer down near the water but not overly so. Some days we found the beach a bit too windy, and so we spent time at the fabulous pool. Long winding and not too cold for us at all. If you don't like the loudness of the activity area, there is plenty of quiet spots closer to the main lobby with an exceptional bar playing lovely Dominican music. Again, we never had any trouble finding somewhere to sit (even shade) at any time of the day.
We loved the evening bands which played on the open air courtyard from 7 - 10pm each night. There is a dancefloor and lots of tables and chairs to relax after dinner. The bands were great, too. There weren't many waitresses so we usually got up and got our own drinks. We went there almost every night. We didn't see any of the shows so cannot comment on those. A nice feature was an early evening movie each night in the theatre, all animated for kids to watch.
We had a one hour session with one of the photographers and bought the cd with all of the pics. She did a fabulous job taking us around the resort and shot some great photos.
The food was more than adequate at the buffet and we ate there most meals. They just started putting signs on the different foods the day before we were leaving. It was interesting trying to choose a meal before that, but they had a lot of variety, beef and pork and chicken every night. Also, chili, lasagna, pastas, pizza, seafood and much more. We also tried the Steakhouse, the Gourmet and the Asian restaurants. All served nice meals. We had our anniversary dinner at the gourmet and they decorated the table with beautiful flowers especially for us. We also saw couples having special dinners on the beach.
Overall, we loved this resort. We have stayed at 4 other all inclusives in the caribbean and thought this one rated very high on our scale. We probably will book to go back there next year.
If any one has any questions email me at barbara.kjl@shawbiz.ca
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | IRMA ~ Hamilton , Ontario |
Hi Debbie,
We stayed at the Majestic Colonial from Jan 17th to 24th and scanning the reviews on your site before our visit helped us quite a bit. Overall we found the positives far outweighed the negatives and would rate this facility as a 41/2 rather than a 5 star.
Our tour operator was Nolitours and we flew with Airtransat. We found the service attentive and timely.
We arrived at the resort late at night and were pleasantly surprised by being assigned an oceanview room on the 3rd floor of the 4th building . If you prefer quiet , ask for rooms located closer to the beach and away from the activity pool. The staff at the front desk, the concierge desk, the restaurants, towel hut and on the beach were always friendly and helpful. Service in general was good. Mind you, while all inclusive, we found that it did help to provide the occasional tip when appropriate ( 30 pesos to 1 dollar) .
ROOM
We loved our room, and the mini bar was always stocked. Yes there was a slight musty smell, but heh you are in the tropics and we soon got used to it . We received for the first 3 nights (between 5 and 6pm), some nibblies ..cheese plat and wine, fruitplate, and sushi ..was a nice touch. We also had a bottle of champagne waiting for us in the room on our arrival. It was pretty quiet at our end except for the Occasional over exuberant party goer
RESTAURANTS
We found the food acceptable and there was sufficient variety to suite all palates. We tried all eating facilities and preferred the buffet for breakfast and lunch with the Gourmet ( tenderloin)and Seafood( grilled lobster and Grouper) restaurants as our favourites. The only issue was food was not labeled in the buffet setting ,resulting in not trying many of the offerings.
BEACH vs. POOL
We preferred the beach because of the constant breeze and being away from the constant boom of the activities at the pool. Service for drinks and towel exchanges were available but you had to flag him down to get attention because of the crowd. We found that you could come down anytime up to about 9:30 am and get a lounge chairs. We did the usual thing and picked our spot early to reserve our lounges by leaving our towels on them. The ocean was on the cool side at first but you soon got used to it ...a boogie board enhanced the fun of the waves.
DOWNSIDE
RESORT...
The only time we found service lacking was from some of the waitresses in both the lobby and plaza bar areas. I asked the same waitress in the lobby bar 3 times (in both Spanish and English ) for drinks which never came. At that time I had to go up to the bar and get the drinks myself. Inconsistent service would indicate lack of complete training of the staff on customer service.
The other negative was more to do with the tourists..I term them "Piggy tourists"...those people who come with a sense of entitlement because they have paid a good buck at an all inclusive..those very people who expect respect and service but have no respect for the people around them( fellow tourists or staff) , nor for the culture or environment( leaving bottles and plastic glasses lying around , cigarette and cigar butts throughout the beach area (because "they" can pick it up). The staff did make a valiant effort to keep the beach area clean .
CONCLUSION: We had an enjoyable time and would recommend this resort .We got the feeling that they are trying to improve both their service and their food offerings.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Tammy ~ Ontario |
We stayed at this resort from January 14 – 21st. Our first impression going into the driveway was not the greatest but to your surprise, they have a beautiful lobby. It’s 2 floors and is really spectacular. Our check in was quick as we arrived late at night. The gardens at night are beautiful with the lights and water fountains.
Rooms: We had the room on the main floor, facing the pool with the walk out. Well worth the money as it was very convenient as there were two loungers on your patio as well as a table, 2 chairs and a Jacuzzi tub. The bathroom is open to the room. This is fine for a couple, however, not too good for a family or friends sharing a room. The rooms were cleaned daily and we received fresh sheets as well as towels daily. The shower was fabulous!! Nice and big and always had plenty of hot water. Room had a safe but did not have a peep hole in the door.
Food: Seemed to be the same every night at the buffet and they don’t label the items. Everything seemed to have fish in it so we stuck to the pasta and fresh fries later through the week. The steak house and gourmet restaurant had the best food. There was really no choice if you were hungry between 3 and 7 in the afternoon as there is no where to get food. The snack bar doesn’t open until later in the evening and the food wasn’t good. Bring munchies as our friends paid $8 American for a bag of Doritos on the resort.
Pool: Beautiful but the water was really cold. Maybe it was because of the size, however, it was really too cold.
Service: The service at the bars near the pool was great. If you wanted a drink in the lobby, you can expect to wait. The waiters and waitresses seemed to be a little rude and not in a hurry to ask you if you wanted a drink.
Beach: Was nice but no bars are located on the beach. You have to walk to the buffet restaurant near the beach to get a drink. There were waiters that walked the beach but didn’t ask whether you wanted anything.
Fitness: I was told the gym was really good and nicer than most. There were tennis courts on the outskirts of the resort; however, I would not go there as it seemed to be unsafe as most of the walkways leading to them did not have railings. If you fell down the bank, you would find it hard to get back up. Definitely not a place I would bring kids.
Excursions: We did the parasailing and it was awesome. There was a hut close to the beach that had all the excursions listed on the board. It was $45 for one person or two for $80. The boat ride was hilarious and the whole experience was great.
Overall, I would rate this hotel 4 or 4 ½ but definitely not a 5 star. The resort seemed to be small; however, there’s another resort being built next door so maybe it will be part of the Majestic. For the price, I would not recommend this resort nor would I return.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | The Plouffe from Ontario Canada |
This was our first time at a resort and what a FIRST EXPERIENCE. WOW. It was MAJESTIC...
As much as we can not compare it to any other one… our next one will have BIG shoes to fill.
The place is AWESOME. We went from Dec 20 to 27/07. We went with our two daughters, 18 and 16 and they want to go back for Easter…
I could talk about the place for a long time but I will limit it to a few comments…
We traveled with Sunwing and again no negative comments. ALL went well from our departure from Toronto to our return. The resort is so beautiful. The food was SUPER, the drinks were great. The service was excellent. The staff are very courteous and professional. If you have questions or comments, you can contact us directly at gabdan@hotmail.com
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Nancy aka Seachick |
Hi Debbie - here's our review of this great resort:
Majestic Colonial, Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, 2007
Just back from this wonderful resort. We were there during Tropical Storm Noel and even though we had 3 days of heavy rain and high winds we still enjoyed our vacation and would like to return one day. The resort is a smaller one and is easy to get around. We appreciated the covered walkways during the heavy rain. The grounds are immaculate and beautiful both day and night. A row of boutiques next to the Theater and a small internet centre. Internet was pretty fast..$5 for 30 minutes, $8 for an hour. Medical centre and a Casino completed this area. They are building a new addition on the right of the beach and we were told it would be more luxurious - this should be something to see! At no time did we hear or see any construction. A large fence with black tarps covering it blocked views of any work going on.
Check in: We were only 4 to arrive around 6 PM so we were checked in very quickly by smiling staff at the main lobby. As soon as we got off the bus a porter came out with a tray of cold, wet faceloths and a welcoming fruit drink. Very refreshing and a taste of all kinds of special touches we experienced at the Majestic. We were given our towel cards and room cards along with a little booklet describing the facilities and restaurant schedules. The staff at the reception are very helpful and fluent in english. Our porter pointed out different areas of the resort as he took us to our rooms.
Rooms: Very beautifully done and spotless. A bottle of bubbly with 2 wine glasses were set out on the table, along with a fridge stocked with 2 Presidente beer, 4 bottles of pop and 4 bottles of water. The safe works with the code you program it with, no charge for safe. Room is large with a comfortable king size, 4 poster, curtained bed. Lots of closet space provided. Nice touch was 3 large drawers in vanity for putting away health and beauty products. Lots of thick fluffy towels and 2 fluffy facecloths provided, along with a supply of bath products. The room had 2 thick dressing gowns but you would have to be a size 10 or smaller to be able to close them in front, lol. Jacuzzi tub set up in the room and a large closed in shower. We had a beautiful view of the pool and wedding gazebo from our nice large balcony in Building 2. It was even more stunning at night when the pool and gardens were lit. Air conditioning was very efficient and quiet. When the patio door was closed you couldn't hear anything from outside. Only annoyance was when people got back late from the disco and laughed or sang in the hallways and slammed doors. There are 3 or 4 elevators in each building for people who can't take the stairs. They are small but efficient and are not equipped with fans, so if you are claustrophobic you might like to take the stairs. The ground floor facing the pool have outdoor jacuzzis on their patios and lounge chairs with thick cushions on them.
Pool: A long and winding pool with a few integrated jacuzzis. A quiet area near the lobby and the entertainment area near the beach . Three bars situated along the 'banks' of the pool, with the swim-up bar situated near the entertainment area. There always seemed to be something going on in that area - so if you want quiet, I suggest asking for a room near the lobby area. But again, it can get noisy at that end in the evening as it is near the theater. Pool was cleaned every morning before 7. Maybe it was the time of year, but we never had problems getting a lounger or a palapa.
Beach: Beautiful! Clean, with soft white sand. We took long walks on either side of the resort. As we were there during the Tropical Storm, the waves were quite rough and we didn't enjoy getting pounded so we took long walks in the surf instead. They said the resort was 75% occupied but we didn't get that impression. Anyway, we had no problem at all getting a palapa or a lounge chair. I think this resort has more palapas than any other we've been to on Bavaro Beach. A few nice touches concerning the staff at the beach - a waiter comes by every hour or so and takes orders for drinks. There is also a towel person who comes by in the morning with a load of fresh towels and asks if you'd like a clean one. There are security guards who patrol the beach and there are 2 or 3 vendors who walk up and down a few times a day with their wares. Not once did they solicitate - they just walk slowly on the beach and if you're interested they will show you their wares. Also, the photo guys come by once a day with their parrots and monkey. We saw one family having a group photo done and also some romantic couple photos.
Food & Drinks: Drinks available at 6 bars. The beach bar didn't seem to have enough barmen and the ones that were there didn't seem to care if you wanted a drink or not. The other bars were more efficient. Coke at the bars was never cold and usually lacked fizz.. there were at least 2 slush machines at the beach and pool bars. There are 6 restaurants at the Majestic. The main Buffet, the Japanese, the Gourmet and the Taino are all air conditioned. The two a la cartes on the beach do not have air conditioning or ceiling fans and can get quite hot if there's no wind in the evening. You need reservations at the Gourmet and at the Japanese, but half of the Japanese restaurant is also a Chinese a la carte - you do not need reservations for the Chinese part and the food was delicious. Try the Beef Cantonese - very tender. The food at the Japanese was good and the chefs are very entertaining. The Gourmet menu was quite refined and so was the restaurant. We didn't eat at the Taino because there was a really bad smell in that restaurant - along with the Ladies washroom next door. I don't know where it came from but we walked out as soon as we got in there. We also saw 2 private supper set-ups on the beach at night. Lovely setting with candles and rose petals in the sand leading up to a table set for 2. Looked very romantic! Food was abundant everywhere. Service in all the restaurants and the buffet was excellent. I don't think I've ever seen so many wait staff in a resort. Most of them were always smiling.The staff work very long hours- from 6 AM to 10 PM, 12 days in a row, so be gentle with them. Lots of them live in Puerto Plata and room close to the resort. These employees work 24 days in a row and have 6 days off to see their families..it's an 8 hour drive each way... but we never received anything but great service from them. Many wait staff spoke only Spanish but there were many who spoke english and french and they helped out. If you can speak a bit of spanish you will be greeted with big smiles - made my day. A tip at the end of your meal will also bring on beautiful smiles. The food was well prepared and tasty but the only complaint I had was it wasn't hot enough. Lots of the dishes were only lukewarm and this at 6:30-7:00 PM when you would think they would be fresh out of the oven. Another complaint was the elevator-style music in the Buffet. It almost put us to sleep one night, lol, and the poor kitchen staff looked as if they were in pain from listening to it.
Excursions: We didn't take any this time because of the storm. No water sports available until 2 days before we left.
Entertainment: We watched the Michael Jackson show and it was very entertaining, even if we had seen it before. We were fortunate to be in the DR for Halloween. The resort really outdid themselves with decorations and Halloween shows for the kids and adults. Staff were dressed up and the Buffet has some exquisite pumpkin and squash jack-o-lanterns. A few entertaining shows mixed in with the usual Mr & Mrs comedy shows. The Theater starts at 10 and is quite loud. During the evening there is a musical trio who play in the garden and also in the lobby bar. There are 2 lobby bars at the Majestic - one in the check in area on the top floor and another on the floor below. A beautiful wrought iron staircase or an elevator gets you up or down.
We were very happy with the resort and all the staff and plan to return
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Debbie & David |
Thanks for the update, we just got back last night at 1:00 A.M. We stayed at the Majestic Colonial Punta Cana for 6 days. If you call ahead to the on site Medical facility they can provide oxygen, plus the tubing but is 9.00 American dollars, I bought my own.The tanks are 63.00 American dollars each and they require a 300.00 refundable deposit once you return the tank. They seemed very willing to accommodate any medical request if it's possible for them to obtain, of course for a price. We got a free bottle Rum,Whiskey and a bottle of champagne, which we had our first evening upon arrival. We packed it securely with no problems from customs.. On the cigars, you can take them out of the country, they really didn't search that thoroughly but no Cuban cigars are allowed out of the country, however, you can take Dominican cigars out of the country as we got some for family members. Thank you again for all your tips, advise and knowledge of the DR. We had a wonderful time, you made it much easier.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | REL |
We flew Sun Wing Vacations from Toronto to Punta Cana – Sept 15 – 22nd. Flight down was uneventful and airport & shuttle bus service was trouble free & efficient. We arrived at the Majestic about 12 noon to be greeted with our wet towels & majestic drink along with a quick check in. Our room, 2345 was ready & waiting for us and Guest Relations Manager, Laura personally showed us around the resort & to our room. Emily & Laura made themselves available for any questions or concerns we had. Thanks to you both.
Good Points:
Accommodations are absolutely beautiful. Our view was tremendous of the pool & ocean. We had no issues with musty smells. Maid service was perfect, with our maid coming as we asked her, about 10 am every day, once we had finished breakfast & were on our way to the pool or beach. Most every day our fridge was stocked with what we asked for. The bed was comfortable and we asked for 6 pillows on arrival and had them within an hour! The shower & hot tub were both wonderful and the toilet was not an issue, knowing what to expect prior to arrival like we did.
Service is wonderful at the Majestic. Everyone is friendly, smiling and willing to help. Language was not an issue. We were ‘surprised’ the first few nights with Champagne & cheese/crackers, sushi & white wine along with Red Wine & chocolates. We received courteous & friendly service at all the restaurants. Our wine or water glasses were never empty and someone was always coming by seeing if we needed anything. Special thanks to our Pasta & Pizza Amigos we made at the Main Buffet. Both these gentlemen are great cooks! The entertainment staff work hard and keep things ‘hopping’ around the pool & the resort.
Pool & Beach are both second to none. Lounge chairs were always available as were palapas. Ocean is a beautiful aqua blue and is a comfortable temperature. The pool was always clean & also very refreshing.
Restaurants / Food – We found all our meals to be very good quality. There was plenty of variety for the most part at every meal. Keep in mind there is only so many choices any restaurant/buffet can have for breakfasts etc., so some may think it gets ‘repetitive’ after a while, but there is still lots of choices! We ate at the following restaurants; The Gourmet, The Japanese, Steakhouse, Seafood along with the Main Buffet. We tried on 2 occasions to go to the Chinese Restaurant, only to find it closed, which I mention below in the improvements. It is hard to pick a favorite, as we enjoyed all the restaurants, both for the food and service we received.
Bars; Lobby bar had great service and had the top shelf liquor. The only thing you were asked for, was your room #, when you ordered a premium selection. This was only for them to ‘track’ what was being ordered and served. There was no charges for any of these premium drinks, be it Kahula or other Top Shelf Liquors.
Improvements:
There were no “Majestic Passport Books“ available. When we asked for ours at check – in, we were told it was only available in German. This provides the guests with information on restaurant times and other valuable information.
Due to occupancy, all restaurants were not open every night. This is one area that they could improve the communications on to their guests. On 2 of the 7 evenings, the Buffet was the ONLY CHOICE! On a couple of occasions we arrived at the restaurant we had hoped to dine at, only to find it was closed! Last September (06) at Ocean Sands/Blue, each morning at the Main Buffet, we were given a 1 page information sheet on Daily Activities ( Times, Locations etc. for Entertainment Staff Activities ) as well as restaurants that were ‘in recess’. This information sheet was simple but an effective way to let all guests know both what was going on that day and which restaurants they could not dine at that evening. It is understandable that resorts can not keep all the restaurants open each evening during ‘down season’, but all the guests ask is they be told in advance which are open which nights, so they can plan their meals to include the restaurants they want to go to. Also, there should be at worst only 1 evening a week, where your only choice is a buffet style meal. That is part of the reason you choose a resort with 5-7 a la carte restaurants, so you can go to them!
We took a 1-2 hour trip to Domenico Cigar Factory. We prearranged the trip via email with Heike Niesler (she is the assistant manager). They picked us up in a small van at the Majestic at 9:30 am and we were back at the hotel by 10:45 am. No charge for the trip both ways & promptly picked up when promised! It was a very interesting personal tour and provided the opportunity to both try and buy their finished products afterwards. http://www.domenicocigars.com. It is well worth the time if you are interested in Cigars.
In closing, find a nice way to communicate with your maid as to ‘what time works best for you to have your room cleaned’ and they will be more then willing to try their best to accommodate your requests. We had our room cleaned the same time 6 days straight. If you want “4 towels” or other items, leave a note and a tip and they will gladly accommodate your requests.
In the Main Buffet, if you have a special request for pizza toppings, ask and they again will do their best to make it for you. I asked and received a great pizza made within 5 minutes, hot & fresh. Be sure to tip these employees who work hard to make your stay memorable. A few dollars goes a long way and they truly appreciate it.
We would definitely recommend Majestic Colonial to all the Deb’s Dominican readers.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Gerilyn and Mike |
My wife and I just returned from the Majestic Colonial. I’ll try and hit all the main points. We were there from September 01-08 and got married. We had 30 people travel in our group. The most important item is that I highly recommend this resort. The resort, rooms, service, beach and pool were all first class. So for those who want to read on, here we go…
Resort – beautiful. Great lobby and bars. Grounds well manicured and clean. Very few mosquitos but some people did get bit (too be expected)
Check In
danischm@nflcanada.com
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Angela |
we just came back after spending 4 days in the majestic colonial 8/16-8/20 for a saturday wedding. there were 6 in my family all adults and 85 guests in all. we had a great time even though it rained saturday the day of the wedding (dean passed by).
the service could not have been friendlier and accommodating. our room for 2 #2313 faced the pool. who spends time in the room except newly weds, etc. the night shows were pretty good considering they are not professionals. we enjoyed the food and thought we had a good selection. there is enough to drink for everyone. And don't forget to tip them one or two dollars according to what they do for you. It might be all-inclusive but these people make very little salaries. The place is beautiful, the grounds are green and manicured and the weather for august was comfortable on the beach on in the pool. We all agreed we would go back to this resort again.
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | ref611 |
Not going to go into great detail as others do,but will give you some of my observations. This was my first A-I. My better half and I are basically cruise people but wanted to try this out. Did research and picked the Majestic
Stayed in Room 2141 bottom floor with Jacuzzi on the porch with two lounge chairs and ten steps away from pool.
Good Point -This room was right across from the pool wet bar and all the activities Bad Point- People would camp out in front of you at the edge of the pool and sometimes take the lounge chairs off the porch (had to ask people to get off so I could use them). If you want quiet this was not the area for you.
The room was close to the beach but quite a walk to the main lobby, buffet and restaurants.
The beach was Beautiful. More than enough areas to sit through out the day. Palapas for all.
OK, Lets get to the food.
It’s good but not great.
Cruise food much better (Royal Caribbean) Buffet by the main lobby was good. More than enough choices to find something to eat. Some dishes were there everyday and some new ones appeared thru our stay.
They say you need reservations, you really don’t.
Most times they will take you as a walk in.
Japanese /Chinese - Don’t bother, Better food at your local take out
Le Gourmet Good food worth going
Steak House and Seafood -Good, but they are outdoors and the salads and desserts are subject to the elements
Caribbean/Dominican If you’re into that kind of food eat up During the Day the Steak House and Seafood Restaurants were a continental breakfast and lunch buffets If you are really hungry and didn’t want to leave the beach it was OK and once again opened to the elements. I opted for the walk back to the main Buffet Much better and air conditioned The Shows – Skip them The theatre was a covered open air building If they would put fans hanging from the ceiling it would be tolerable.
SCUBA
While I was there I used Marianna Sports which is the water sport vendor at the hotel I took my Advanced Open Water certification I passed and received my documents and mailed them to PADI Hopefully I will receive my card, if not that will be another story.
The instructor was Glenn, he was great. I had 5 great dives.
The one and only drawback, which really wasn’t for me was the boat they used Instead of climbing up a ladder to get back on the boat, you had to pull yourself up and over the side of the boat, with their assistance if you needed it
We met Andrea at the customer service desk. She was nice and sweet and took Care of the few problems we had expeditiously and always with a smile Over all we had a good time, but will stick to cruising
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Jen & Brandon ~ Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
We vacationed at the Majestic Colonial for one week, from June 22-29/07. This was our ninth all inclusive visit to Punta Cana and our third visit to the Majestic (previous trips were in April & September '06). We are married with no kids, aged 29 and 31, and don't have many goals on holiday other than to relax and soak up some sun!
Upon arrival we were escorted to our room by the rooms division manager. We were in room 2247, a standard room with a good beach/ocean view from the balcony. We faced into the pool and were located right in between the beach restaurant and the pool bar. The room was decorated with flowers and 'towel art' when we arrived and continued to be done up throughout the week. It was always nice to come back to the room and see what creations the maid had done that day. Our room was always cleaned by noon and the mini fridge was usually filled by 2 p.m. We did leave a few dollars for the maid each day and whenever we left a dollar and with a note asking for specific items in the fridge, our request was always met.
The consistency of the food at the Majestic is one of the main reasons we have kept visiting and we weren't disappointed this time. We dined at the Gourmet (French), Chinese, Caribbean, and Steakhouse a la cartes and enjoyed all of them. As others have mentioned, the chateaubriand at the Steakhouse is incredible. We also enjoyed the sushi at the Chinese a la carte - it was just as good as we remembered from our previous trips. We had breakfast every morning in the main buffet and split our lunches between there and the beach restaurant, which was more convenient if we were still a little soggy from the pool. Be aware that if you do go to the main buffet for lunch and you are wet, you will not be allowed to dine there. We saw a few people come in literally dripping wet and they were disappointed to be turned away by the hostess (there's a reason why the beach restaurant has chairs that aren't covered in fabric!)
The service is another of our reasons for repeat visits to the Majestic. We really felt spoiled by the efforts the staff made to welcome us again. Most nights we had treats (truffles, brownies/dessert plates, even sushi one night!) delivered to our room along with wine or champagne. We also got to enjoy our own private dinner in the gazebo one evening, which was incredibly romantic. The gazebo was decorated with rose petals and candles, and palms framed the walkway as we made our way in for dinner. It was one of the highlights of our trip and we really appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a special dinner there. Service in the restaurants and bars was fantastic, as always - lots of smiles and laughs. We were blown away by the number of staff members who remembered us from our previous trips. One of pool bartenders even remembered that I always ordered 2 bottles of water with our drinks! Now that's impressive!
As with our previous trips, the only excursion we went on was a trip to Don Lucas cigars. It's the best place to buy quality cigars, and you can pick up coffee, rum, artwork and jewellery while you're there. The trip is free and can be arranged by guest services or by your tour rep - it's well worth a few hours off the resort.
I'm happy to answer questions and share photos from our visits. If you would like to contact me, please email me at ginnyfyris@yahoo.ca Happy travels!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Luvclearbluwater |
The Majestic Colonial is truly an amazing resort! Upon arrival you will be welcomed with pleasant smiles, cool towels, and their signature drink, the “Majestic” which tastes a little like an orange cream popsicle. Don’t worry about the safety of your baggage…it will be well taken care of by plenty of bell hops who will be there awaiting your arrival. The registration desk is just to the left of an immaculate two story lobby which is beautifully decorated with a mahogany ceiling, marble flooring, huge flower arrangements and lush wicker couches and sofas. The front desk staff is friendly, qualified, and competent. Check in is quick and efficient. Just like all the resorts/ hotels I have ever stayed in, check-in is at 3:00 pm and if you arrive before that time you will probably have to wait for your room. But don’t fret…just go and enjoy a nice lunch in the buffet which is located just down a gorgeous marble, double staircase and a then few steps to the left or enjoy a drink in one of the three bars located inside or just outside the lobby.
The rooms are beautifully decorated in a pale yellow décor and are supplied with champagne. I saw two rooms. The first was in Building 4 (room 4420). It was on the fourth floor and had a huge cathedral ceiling. It faced the empty lot on the right side of the resort, but it had an expansive view of the beautiful sea. Victor, the front desk manager, assigned us the room because he believed we would enjoy the view. He personally escorted us to see it, and if we had been seeking a romantic, private vacation, the room would have been perfect; however, we had our 20 year old daughter with us, and wanted closer to the pool, music, bars, etc. Victor, who I will always remember as one of the nicest and most accommodating people I have ever met, understood what I wanted and quickly made arrangements for another room. We were welcomed to use room 4420 until our Majestic Suite Pool room was available. In the short time we used the room a fruit platter and a cheese and cracker platter were delivered for our enjoyment! In the days to follow, we also had delivered to our door, bottles of wine, and a platter of sushi and one of chocolate covered fruit. When our new room was ready Victor then again escorted us personally to see our Majestic Suite Pool Room (2144). This room was perfect for us. Right on the pool and near the ocean, this room had about 400 square feet of yard, two nicely cushioned chaises for our use, as well as two chairs and a table on the patio. There was a Jacuzzi inside and outside on the patio. This room, like the others contains an open bathroom, two marble sinks, and a large marble shower. The bed was a king poster bed. They brought in a twin bed for our daughter. The room was plenty large enough for the two beds, a sofa, sofa table, desk, and television cabinet complete with DVD player. There is plenty of closet and drawer space and a section containing a cooler/fridge which is restocked as needed. There are drawers in the bath area as well, which were very handy for storing toiletries, etc. The pool is massive, stretching and winding from the lobby end of the resort to the ocean end. It is simply beautiful. There are several bridges allowing for crossing from one side of the pool to the other. There is one swim up bar located toward the ocean end and just a few paces from room 2144! There are six bars in all and they are spaced evenly throughout the resort, so no matter where you are, one is located just steps away. The grounds are immaculate! There is a Chapel on the grounds that is quaint and beautiful. Mass takes place on Sundays at 10:00 am. The beach is beautiful…just like all of Bavaro Beach…white sand and beautiful clear, blue water. It is wide and there are plenty of chaises and lots of shade if you want. We found chaises under the beach huts all during the day so no need to rush out! The restaurants are all good. Outstanding, in my opinion, was the Pumpkin soup and the Beef Wellington at the Gourmet and the Chateaubriand at the Steakhouse. My daughter love the grilled Lobster at the Seafood Restaurant. We also enjoyed the Hibachi presentation at the Japanese restaurant. We met “Fried Chicken”. He was adorable. You don’t need to have reservations for the Asian and we ate there twice because my daughter was so impressed with the Lemon Chicken. There is also a Sushi Bar there that we enjoyed. The Mexican/Dominican was good too. There is a lot to choose from so you should find something you like. The buffets offer so much variety you should surely be able to find something you like there as well. There is a fast food shop that serves buffalo wings, fries, nachos, etc. after 11:00pm. My husband and daughter enjoyed more than one midnight snack!! In the early evening hours it is wonderful to sit outside the lobby in the courtyard and enjoy a drink, and listen to the band before dinner…savor every minute! The shows are fun and entertaining. The theatre is large and the chairs are very comfortable. The spa is top notch. I enjoyed a Caribbean Vitamin Cocktail ($120) which was very relaxing and left my skin in great condition. There are plenty of shops to purchase gifts, cigars, etc. You can also take a short stroll to the Plaza Blanca…there is a wonderful Dominican there…he called himself Monte Hall, and we enjoyed him very much. The vendors also came to the resort grounds on Wednesday night. The animation team offers plenty of activities if you wish to participate and there is a board just outside the lobby to let you know what is going on. If you are a walker, as I am, you can walk for miles in either direction on the beach or you can walk the perimeter of the resort which I estimate to be a little less than a mile. The gym is also nice. There is a treadmill, several stair machines, resistance machines, free weights, etc. There is a staff member there to assist you if you need it. There are so many wonderful details to list that I could go on for some time but I will end with this: We have traveled to many Caribbean Islands and also to Maui and Oahu and we have stayed at both non inclusives and all inclusive resorts. This was our 4th trip to the Dominican Republic. We found this resort to be everything you could ask for and more. The service was excellent. Victor is amazing! His staff including Juan and Keyla at checkout are wonderful, as are the Dominican people in general. They are a friendly, happy, and good natured people. That, coupled with a beautiful resort, is a recipe for a perfect vacation! Go…enjoy!
| Majestic Colonial Punta Cana | Byron |
Background information
The company with which this holiday was booked with was Global Late Deals. The Hotel was selected out of a choice of five given to me by my manager. Communications between those within my party and hotel staff took place before our arrival. This review is written as the experience and the view of two late teenagers who have travelled moderately and between them visited Jamaica, St Lucia, New York, and Florida.
Flight –
We flew with Mytravel which is apart of the Airtours Group. Everything to do with the flight ran smoothly. The layout of the plane was extremely cramped and I would not recommend this style of aircraft for such a long flight. The food was what I expected. The on flight entertainment was limited; also I must mention that headphones to use the entertainment system were at a cost £2.50. Refreshments were also chargeable ranging from £1 - £5. I doubt I will fly with this carrier again even the “premier” seats looked undesirable
Airport-
The airport was OK. I didn’t like the way the girls taking pictures grabbed us. There was no orderly line system in regards to the entrance Visa, nether the less we didn’t wait long. Joined another line to get passport stamped, I was asked to take my sunglasses of before she stamped my red book. I found it strange that the same card I had to wait to get was just taken of me as they say when in Rome do as the Romans. Our bags came through quickly and we were of to find the VIP travel desk. In regards to the porters if they were a bit more courteous then maybe they could of touched my luggage but I just said NO and looked them straight in the face. The VIP guys were alright. We got directed to the vehicle my only qualm was that were we put our luggage was in a little trailer at the back that was left open and unguarded whist we waited for other passengers. We only dropped of people at two other resorts before reaching the Majestic.
Check in –
This was smooth we were greeted with cool towels and Majestic cocktails. We were greeted by Victor and taken over to the reservations desk where we met Majestic Emily whom I had heard so much about from my Manager she was very pleasant and ensured me that we would enjoy our stay we then proceeded to make reservations for the two restaurants. We got the tour through the grounds and had most things explained to us and then we arrived at our room 2347.
Room –
The room was excellent and cool. There was not any smells the view was really nice however I think it’s a more important to girls because my GF would stop going on about it. The bed was fine the pillows were a bit low but there were more in the cupboard near the door. The safe was one I had used before and worked perfectly, the champagne was on ice and we were told if any problems were arise then to contact front desk. ** There were little snags in the room it basically just needed that extra bit of finishing however there was nothing that major** The mini bar was restocked to a sufficient standard and I made one request for some chocolate during our stay by leaving a note inside the fridge and it was granted. The maid was really kind and we always gave her a gift or a tip. In order to get the sheets changed I stripped the bed on day when we came back new sheets etc were provided. There was inconsistency with the time that maid attended to the room in hindsight I can only assume that as the hotel capacity fluctuated during our stay this changed the patterns of the maids.
Grounds –
The grounds were well kept inside the resort and gardeners were always busy at all times of the day. The grounds were clean although I think there should be more signs warning people of the slippery floors after cleaning or just in general. Driving up to the resort is a different story. The grounds seem unkept and in need of some serious TLC, hopefully this will be done whilst the new resorts is under construction. The tennis/ five a side football area seems far away from the rest of the resort and this is also in some need of attention.
Food –
The food at this resort is really nice. All the staff at every restaurant are attentive and courteous.
We only took breakfast at the buffet which was more than suffice. The selection of food is vast and pastries and bread is made fresh. There is something for everyone at this buffet – My only gripe about the buffet is that when the resort had more guest the line for the omelette station was ridiculous and I felt sorry for the one man with no support minding the station.
We ate lunch at the beach mainly which was generally pleasant. The chips were nice and the salad selection was plentiful. I personally kept away from any type of paella or any seafood dishes. The burgers although seemingly cooked still needed time on the grill and I would say at least another 5 minutes as once I bit into a raw one. There is a good selection of meats and decent desserts.
The Taino restaurant was our favourite. It had the best food and service overall in our opinion. The snapper is highly recommended as well as the 3 meat entrée. (Please remember to stress well done is you don’t like pink meat) The Dominican goat stew served with rice and peas was the best dish overall and It was just what I needed when I felt a bit “fluish”when we just arrived, It favoured a mild version of Jamaican curry goat and it was nice to have some “real food” at that time. The dessert at this restaurant was the best throughout the whole resort some of the cakes were outstanding.
The Gourmet restaurant was really nice. I heard the pumpkin soup was nice and I know that my creole soup was really nice in all the meal was on point from the beginning to end the dishes reminded me of the type of food you might encounter at Zizzi’s. The ambience was really nice and calm and we had a great time
The Chinese part of the the Tepenyaki restaurant was the worst meal I experienced within the whole trip. It was not very nice at all and I actually left 95% of the food on my plate. I tried sushi for the first time although I was put of whilst watching someone taste one of the sauces by raising the spoon to his lip at which I heavily protested. Maybe not eating that much at this restaurant was a blessing because 1 half of a couple whom we had been conversing with throughout the trip fell ill and put it down to the sushi at this restaurant. The cooking show was good we had a mixed crowd which was mostly Spanish speaking so were a bit slow on the up take of some of the jokes regardless of that it was a good experience and one of the cooks even sang a song for us. The food was plentiful and tasty especially the starters, we opted out of trying the dessert so I couldn’t tell you about those.
The Seafood/Stake house restaurants both had a welcoming feel to them. They appeared less formal and were always very full. I think that the resort tried to fit to many tables into this place but nothing untowards happened due to the over crowding so I guess it works fine. The food was again of a high standard and the presentation was well thought out. The service here was not a quick as other restaurants which obviously has something to do with numbers.
The little fast food hut near the disco was good. The buffalo wings were nice and the staff were joyous.
Casino/Sports bar.
Both of these areas in the resort were lacking, in that the casino was small and the lay out sometimes restricted the easy flow of people throughout. The bar was OK however they couldn’t make certain cocktails. The drinks service whilst playing was “sometimish”. The cashiers had attitude but nothing spiteful I just took it as something you play along with however my GF didn’t find them funny. I left them in the knowledge that we were married and had 6 children and the oldest was 7.
The sports bar was just a sports bar and never really changed from one. The “disco” very much reminded me of a primary school disco at the end when the teachers get up and dance so it wasn’t what we really expected. I think this was due to the amount of people at the resort and also the age group the resort is geared to. The music was not that varied and it was mostly Spanish with a few American tunes thrown in now and then regardless of this it’s the beat you dance to not the words.
Spa/Gym
The spa was a hub of extreme professionalism within the resort and a place we would both highly recommend. The services are reasonably priced and the staff are polite and welcoming.
The Gym was well equipped and had a cool breeze to it. The machines were mostly modern and the TV screens were all working.
Entertainment –
The entertainment was very much like something the redcoats would do at butlins which we didn’t expect to encounter. On the plane we both watched Dreamgirls and I said it would be good if a performance like that was put on but nothing like that took place at the theatre and the mc spoke very quickly and wouldn’t always bother to do the English translation. The MJ show was good however without the costume changes would have been just OK. I say this as someone who frequents musicals and the theatre often so some people may find these shows great.
The pool entertainment was entertaining in a “You’ve been framed” kind of way and no one was forced into participating. The swim up bar was heavily populated at the time the “fun and games” started as some guest swam towards the noise to see what was happening.
Tours.
Went to the cigar factory which was long winded and just a shop really. However it was free though I can’t complain. We done the Bavaro Runners Safari Adventure which was fun after about noon when my hangover was nearly gone. This trip was good but it was really long winded. Horseback riding was fun although there was something just not authentic about “Maria’s house”
Return
I settled the bill the night before we left it was $174 this amount was purely for phonecalls. Check out was fine until the time we had to get on the vehicle and the porters were adamant that I hadn’t given one of them my check out card. This annoyed me and I wasn’t pleased.
Overall
Were planning my return to the DR sometime this year and then another trip to the DR in early 2008 and I’m sure the Majestic will feature in one of these trips.
Last updated:April 28, 2008
