A friend and I went to the Paradise Beach Resort and Casino from April 10th to the 17th. We weren’t looking for anything fancy just a place to get away in the sun and warmth.

We arrived at the resort approximately noon time and checked in, we went to our room and it was moldy smelling, so we went back to the desk and was given a key to another attic room after a little while. The second room was 100 times better. The air conditioning worked, the bathroom was clean. We weren’t looking for a fancy room because we were only planning on being in the room to sleep – so what else do you really need.

The food was good – I am a somewhat picky eater and could always find something to eat. The chicken was awesome. The drinks were good. Neither of us had any complaints to really speak of about the resort.

The cats ran around and there were a few dogs.

We walked around the Casino but didn’t play anything – tour rep advised not to. We didn’t even venture to the disco – neither of us was interested in going but had heard that there were hookers and drug dealers there.

We took a tour into Santiago (a full day tour). They called it a bus but it was a van and there were 9 of us. The air conditioning didn’t reach the ones sitting in the back of the van so we finally opened the windows and it was a lot better. We visited a cigar factory – it was nice to see how they are made. We went to a pottery place where they make all kinds of pottery – very nice to see. The drive was long but not too bad. Lunch was good and the water falls were awesome. It was a long day but glad I went to see it all.

Our last day in DR, we took a ½ day tour to Puerta Plata. We were on a more comfortable little bus. We visited the rum factory – something to see. They are 3rd in the world for their rum. We were shown around the city and seen the rich, middle class and poor sections of town. Shopping was ok. We thought we might have been able to do better on the shopping if we had gone into town on our own.

All in all, I was well rested and relaxed when the trip was over – which was my intension in the first place.

If you go to the DR and want to call home, the best deal is to buy their calling cards and call home. The tour rep said that calling collect is expensive and using the phone in your room is expensive as well. I called home and bought the cards and had no problem at all – it actually worked out really well.

Neither of us was sick from either the food or drink. There are lots of water jugs around for you to fill up your water bottles.

We met lots of nice people from all over.

We were just two guys looking for a vacation in the sun. Nothing was unexpected or intolerable.

The Attic room we had was a dump but we didnt care as long as the toilet flushed eventually. The bathroom was old, dated and broken but it was cleaned 5 out of 7 days. There are better rooms here and worse ones too.

The food was fine, always a couple of inedible items like the green stuff(peas pudding with no flavour), the vomit melon(actually tasted like raw vomit) and the rubber squid(I love squid too). There was always something awesome like the chicken. With 10 cold and 12 hot items, the selection wasnt there. We didnt starve though.

Bars were fine as they apologized when they had to serve you the fake alcohol.

The disco(Crazy Moon) was the place for the Dominican employees to pick up.

Enough($7 us a beer) alcohol and you had a great time but Girls ride for free.. The midget in the towel was original for sure.

The casino...you have to visit that...every rule in their book was outlawed by Vegas! Fake customers, rigged games, remote controlled slots...the works! The Bingo by "Wolfman Jack" was just heart wrenching to watch the suckers being taken.

I’ve been to Paradise Beach Resort from the 17th of Feb till 1ste of March 2007. Checking reviews before I got worried where I would end up. I must say I went with a friend as two 24 year olds just relaxing from our busy jobs. That was it!! All we expected was to relax and completely be gone for a short while. That is exactly what we got! The Dominican Republic is a poor country so leave your Western expectations at home and you will be surprised! The food is good (it is not five star but nobody promised you that!), best beach of all resorts (big and clean), nice location (near shopping center and bars), great facilities (shop, bank and fast internet is available for $5 per hour), all inclusive means all inclusive (towel service, beer, cocktails, snack, beach, pool, tennis, sunset and disco) and friendly people! The staff is great they work there ass off to make sure you have a good time!

The complex and the rooms are not very fancy furnished but the beds are great and it is clean (housekeeping everyday). Tv with cable, air conditioning and a bathtub are standard in every room.

Playa Dorada is a bit isolated from the rest of the country, taxi will rip you off and renting a car is not recommended. Tours are the answer but will cost between 40 and 140 US dollar (most of them $ 80 for a day). The playa is save but again the rest of the country is poor so be prepared for some pain in the (spoiled) ass stalkers (a.k.a hard working men trying to make a living for there family)

Driving from the Airport to the complex I got ashamed of my wealth. When you are drinking your all inclusive beer remember to count you blessings instead of complain. No sea view is not the end of the world people!

My wife and I just returned from one week at the Paradise. The beach was great, the food was great, but the weather was terrible. It rained a considerable amount.

Check In - very quick with no problems

Bars - great drinks and friendly staff

Entertainment - great but the nightly rain affected the performances

Food - Buffet was good, the two a la carte restaurants were great. Its so nice to eat with a view of the ocean. There is a good selection of food each day and the staff are good.

Room - Superior Gardenview was ok but the A/C was inadequate, the hot water was limited, there was water dripping through the ceiling and in the closest the last night because of the rain, but the room was always clean

Beach - great sand, great swimming, beautiful view. We spent most of our time on the beach

Playa Dora Plaza - a good place to shop

We booked the Cable Car excursion (not much to see when it is cloudy and raining). The Ocean World Adventure Park Magical Nights is a great tour to book - great food and great entertainment.
The pool was clean but we didn't spend much time there as the beach and ocean was better (when it didn't rain). The store in the hotel lobby was terrific and the changing of money beside the store was very convenient - $1 US = 33.60 pesos.

me and a friend (both 19 years old Female) stayed at the paradise last september and it was the best holiday we have ever had!

Check In: very quick. no problems at all!

Room: we booked a standard room and had expected to get a a really crappy attic room but were automatically upgraded and got a great suite! AC worked perfectly, no problems with the toilets as expected from reviews that we had read. room was perfect considering we wernt going to spend much time in it!

Entertainment: We loved the shows!! thought they were excellent! the dancing was amazing, i have never seen men with so much rhythm and enjoyment in what their doing! hollywood show was the best! sexy blacky and spaghetti were the funniest by far!

We just returned from our third trip to Paradise Beach Resort, Puerto Plata. Every year we go for two weeks & it gets better and better. We plan on going to the same resort until our bodies are too old to make the trip anymore !! We have made many, many friends of the staff at the resort and especially one particular beach peddler, amoung many other beach peddlers. If you want to buy a bathing suit wrap...talk to Juan, he is an amazing young man and our numero ono amigo !! It's like a home away from home for us....only the scenery, the climate, the sights and smells are different. We had an ocean view superiour room which had a small dinette area and a kitchenette...why you would use these when it is all-inclusive.... ????? .... but having a refrigerator was nice. The room was always cleaned spotlessly and some days we had flowers on our beds and in our washrooms, I always left the maids a couple chocolates on the beds every morning.

We went on the Helidosa Helicopter tour {which is right around the corner/actually may be part of the resort because their office decor is the same as the resorts} for the 20 minute trip which was absolutely amazing and well worth the money. We also took a day trip to Oceanworld which again was a once in a lifetime adventure. We swam with the dolphins and spent the whole day just in amazement. Makes "Marineland" here in Canada look like a swamp or a fishpoon !! A awesome lunch is included with the tour and you sit and look out over the harbor and the ocean while you eat. Talk to John or Alberto on the beach, they arrange the tours and will give you a good deal and take care you and any problems.

Paradise beach has the largest beach front of any of the resorts in the DR ~ plus the just re-did the beach and made it much wider. This year the beach seemed pretty empty {which is fine by me/but hard on the peddlers}. There are "beach people" & there are "pool people", the resort was full and people were constantly arriving. So, most of them had to be "pool people" ~ why you would want to sit around a pool when you have the sand and the beautiful ocean right there...I could sit around a pool at home during the winter/we have many indoor pools ???

Also, Paradise Beach is the only resort in the DR that the dining areas are all open to the ocean ~ from where-ever you sit your view is of the ocean. It also has two a la carte restaurants and the food in all areas is totally amazing, as is the serving staff. My husband loved the omlette guy every morning/ he makes your omelette with whatever you want in it while you wait {30 seconds}. If people can not find something they like to eat or complain about the food ~ they should maybe just stay home and do their own cooking. We always tipped the wait staff at our supper meal ~ only $100 pesos or something/but they were very happy to get anything. We know it is all-inclusive & you don't have to tip, but these hard-working, go out of their way to please you people make about $4,000.00 pesos a month {about $200.00 can}. Of all the hundreds of tourists that go through this resort about 5% tip, we heard that from several of the staff there.

We have just returned from ten days at Paradise Beach in Puerto Plata and had a wonderful time. We have been going there for many years and have seen lots of improvements over the years. This year’s new improvement was the beach. It is much larger than it was and they brought in beautiful white sand. The rooms are being renovated and our room had new furniture, including a new queen-size mattress that was very comfortable. It is an older resort, but it is clean and comfortable. The people that work there couldn’t be nicer. They are all friendly and eager to please.

Hi all, we just got back from a week at Paradise Beach Club - Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata.

Hope this review is informative.

We are a family of four with two girls aged 5 and 3, from Toronto, Canada.

The weather for us was great! We had sunny mornings then cloudy afternoons with a breeze. The temp was around 25-28 degrees Celsius but got up to 35-40 with the humidity.

There are two beaches to choice from. The one left of the restaurant was popular, had a bar and washrooms close by. It also had the ping pong table, beach volley ball court, basket ball court and lots of trees for shade and relaxing. The beach to the right of the restaurant was quieter. Again lots of trees for shade and relaxing. No bar on that side but washrooms were close. (With little kids, washrooms are important.) Both beaches had lots of lounge chairs and we never had a problem finding a few. Both beaches were generally clean. The crews go up and down cleaning up the seaweed. Most of the litter was from guests – cigarette butts and plastic cups. The staff did a good job of picking up plastic drink cups left behind by the guests. The sand is coarse and brown but not bad. The beach vendors generally left you alone if you told them ‘No’ firmly. The beach was very safe. No one ever approached your stuff and I never had a concern about our belongings. The water was warm and generally clean. The waves were too much for my kids but for adults they are very calm. You can go about 10 meters into the ocean before you can’t touch the bottom. I snorkeled for shells but there is not much to see unless you go further from shore. There are no life guards so I stayed pretty close to shore.

The pools were very clean. The kid’s pool is heart shaped and about 1 m deep. The main pool is very large and has a kids area, about 40 cm deep.

It has the swim up bar, a small island (mainly decoration), a volley ball net and was the main entertainment area for water related activities. The hot tub was just a few steps away and very nice. My kids enjoyed playing in all the pools and then jumping into the hot tub. TIP: Get your kids a small floatation ring and let them swim in the large pool, eventually they really enjoy it.

The food was very good for a 3.5 star rated resort. You get the same food with slight changes so a second week would have been tedious. They offered a great selection and put a lot of effort into providing good food. We happened to be there for the US Thanksgiving and they served roast turkey and cranberry sauce. Most lunches and dinners had some sort of special item – roast pig, roast leg of beef, fresh fried fish, roast chicken, baked fish. For breakfast, there was always the omelet guy and he will fry you eggs any style. I found the food was often salty but I watched others shower their food with salt, so to each his own. Keep an eye out for the ice cream, when they have it, it is very popular. The four of ate very well and no one from our family got ill. We met others that went on some of the day trips and came back sick. TIP: Take a small sealable container, during breakfast or lunch pack it with some snacks for your time at the beach or pool. Again, a tip for parents with small kids.

The service was good without tipping. It is even better with tipping. Take a lot of $1 US. They don’t like loonies or toonies because they can’t exchange coins.

The bars serve the good drinks. They will make drinks stronger or weaker depending on your preference. The beer gave me gas, yeah it was the beer.

My kids drank a lot of OJ, probably explains all the tips to the washroom.
TIP: Take a few insulated mugs from the dollar store, with lids that close.

The reason why this resort is no longer a four star – the rooms. We booked a superior ocean view room but they bumped us to a junior suite. The room was clean enough but small and dated. I asked to see the ocean view room I was supposed to get and it would not be big enough for the three mid-sized suitcases we brought. The AC worked and we never had a problem with water but others complained of water from the AC or the toilet pooling on the floor. Most agreed that the maids and service guys cleaned it up quickly but the rooms seem to be 20-30 years old. The rooms are not well lit. We turned on all seven lights available in the suite and we still found it was dim in the room. Our mini-fridge was very good to have for storing OJ and snacks.
TIP: Watch out for everyone that wants to sell you something.

Playa Dorada Plaza – Walk out the main entrance, turn right, follow the road for about 5 mins (10 mins if you take the kids). The plaza is a two story out door mall. It is a good place to get booze and trinkets for home. If there is no price tag, expect to barter. The resort store beside the main entrance was stocked with tons of stuff. If you forget something from home, it will cost you a few extra bucks but they have it. I was surprised to see they had little blue pills (like Niagara but with a V). TIP: If you plan to try the Niagara, get a separate room for the kids, remember they drank a lot of OJ during the day and will need to pee during the night and interrupt a potentially very intimate moment….. not that I would know.

The resort has an internet café. $5 US for 60 mins. You don’t have to use the entire 60 mins in one session, just remember to logout and keep your receipt with the code.

The safety deposit key is 594 Domincan Pesos or about $18 US. They will let you charge this on a credit card but charge you an additional 5%. I never had any concerns about security but for $18, why risk it.

The casino – Okay but nothing too exciting.

The disco – Entrance is free but drinks are not. I must be getting old because it was too quiet for me.

The shows – The kids always found them entertaining. Very good effort.

The bugs – Yes on the ground floors, no on the upper floors. I am still scratching myself….from the bug bites.

I stayed at the Casa Marina Beach a few years ago. Same company but different location. Casa Marina was smaller but essentially the same with newer rooms, slightly newer everything but for the same money I would go back to Paradise.

Notes for Canadians – Don’t forget to keep $20 US for your exit fee at the airport. Don’t forget to keep the check out slip, they won’t let you on the bus without it.

Hi everyone just returned from Paradise Beach resort, Playa Dorada. Stayed 28th Aug til 11th Sept. We are 5 adults ranging in age from 25 to 36 3 girls 2 men. We had a couple of niggles with 2 of the rooms as they were on the 3rd floor but not the attic rooms. 1 had a toilet which didn't work and the other only had 1 bed and we had requested 2. The rooms were very big and spacious but we also requested a balcony or terrace. However one call to Alex on front desk and we were changed. Myself and my boyfriend ended up with a twin room on the ground floor in block 14 right on the beach RESULT!!!! and our friedns ended up with a room near the pool.

All our rooms were clean, dry, all had hot running water whenever we wanted it and none had creepy crawlies running around! So all in all absolutely fine. The rooms are dated but we were told the standard rooms are gradually being refurbed but not sure how far this has gone.

Food was fine also no probs except one fussy eater but you can't please everyone. Always hot and plenty of choice for everyone. Did get a bit repetitive but then we didn't eat anywhere except the main buffet or the snack bar.

Entertainment on the evening was much better than before with some excellent show especially on Saturday nights. Water and fire and Hollywood show by far the best ones. Entertainment in the day is a bit sparce although I tend to be on the quiet beach and this doesn't bother me some in our group felt this could have been better. Single girls beware as per usual all the entertainment guys will be after you especially Spaghetti and Blacky Blacky. Really nice guys but in 2 weeks saw both of the with at least 3 girls each!

Drinks were fine and were flowing from 10.30am til 1am which is great and then you can go to Crazy Moon until 4/5am (pay in the club) not affected at all by the new licencing laws. We spent most of the days at the swim up bar and Manni the barman was excellent!!!! I'd come off the beach in the aftrenoon and he would see me swimming across the pool and have my drink waiting for me when I reached the other side!!!! Needless to say He had a very big tip off all of us.

No problems with sunloungers anywhere always plenty to choose from however, the hotel was definitely not full. Busier on the weekends when the locals come in for the day but BEWARE they will take your towels. Only had a prob on a Sunday when at least half a dozen went walk about. We complained but were told tough pay up needless to say we never except a tip to member of staff (not Manni!!) and hey presto a new towel.

Beach reconstruction is just about at the Paradise as of Monday 11th September and they have said will finish by 23rd ish? beach is looking alot whiter and the sea has changed colour too!!!

Seven nights booked with Vacation Express/CoCo Tours through OurCruiseCo.com for $636 each for two people at the Paradise Beach Resort and Casino. We (Regina (30), and Mike (42)) had gone to Punta Cana (Occidental Allegro) for our honeymoon in 2004 and loved the DR so much that we returned June 11 – 18, 2005 for our first anniversary. The flight was non-eventful, leaving from Louisville, connecting through Sanford/Orlando, arriving at Puerto Plata on time. In-processing was maybe 15 minutes, with the bus waiting right outside. The ride to Paradise Beach was about 10 minutes.

Check-in - Handled pretty efficiently, and the busload of people was processed through in maybe 20 minutes. The lobby was nice, open-air, with a pond/fountain on one side and a large aviary with lots of parakeet-type birds. No bar in the lobby, (the Allegro Punta Cana had one, which was nice), and it was rather warm. The hotel’s gift/convenience shop is there though, and was actually reasonably priced. A 20 ounce Coke was only about $1.20. They have bottled water too, but as pointed out by others, the trick is to buy (or bring) only one and then refill during your stay from the coolers provided at each of the bars. Bellmen were escorting people to their rooms, but when it came time for us to go there were none available so we just started wheeling our luggage ourselves. We hadn’t gotten far before a returning bellman stopped us and insisted on taking our luggage, his sales pitch being that he had to show us how things in the room worked; so rather than argue over it we let him take our luggage and tipped him a few dollars. If you’re like us and would rather not tip someone to do what you can easily do yourself, then you could try to avoid these guys. His orientation to the room consisted mainly of showing us where the thermostat was.

Room – Unique! We got one of the oft-mentioned/scorned loft rooms, which was fabulous. It seems from reading the reviews that some people have gotten –just- the loft, but we don’t see how this can be, the way the rooms are laid out. Our room was on the third floor (can’t remember which building), and of course there are no elevators but the stairways are wide and the steps shallow, and we figured the climb would work off some of the calories we’d be eating and drinking. Just inside the door is a spiral staircase leading up to the loft. People with mobility issues wouldn’t want a loft room because the bathroom is up the stairs, but it was fun for us. There’s also a bedroom up there with two single beds, two closets, and shuttered windows that can be opened straight to the fresh air outside. It’s true there are no screens, but that’s not a problem because there are absolutely no bugs! No flies, no mosquitoes, no gnats, nothing. This still amazes us about our two stays in the DR. The air conditioner upstairs didn’t work, but we didn’t have anyone staying up there so we didn’t ask for it to be looked at. That was the only room issue we had the entire time. The bathroom was small but adequate, with a tub/shower, toilet, and sink. Not a lot of counter space at the sink, but adjacent to it at the end of the tub was a tiled shelf with plenty of room for our combined toiletries. Downstairs the main room was huge. There’s a small kitchenette which at some time probably held a mini-fridge, but the space was now empty, with a sink and two-burner electric stove built into a stainless steel countertop. Above was some cabinet space, with a closet to the left. No microwave, and no coffee maker, that I recall. Adjacent to that was a sitting area with a nice cushioned rattan couch and two chairs, and a glass-top coffee table. Beyond that was the bed (only a full-size, but adequate) with two nightstands, and beyond that a space where another full-size bed could’ve easily fit. The far end of the room was solid windows, some of which could be opened out onto the pool area, with heavy drapes that blocked light well. The TV was on a stand near the end of the bed, and though it was old and didn’t have a remote, it worked fine. There were 20+ channels, with a lot of them either in English or subtitled. The tile floors were nice and cool, never damp, and the vaulted ceilings upstairs and down were great. We put our cameras/money/valuables out of sight when we left the room and never had a problem. One of the upstairs closets had a safe that the key could be rented for $8 a day.

Resort- The grounds were lush and very nice, lots of flowers and interesting plants everywhere, and kept immaculate by the groundskeepers. The pool was large and never seemed crowded, and we were in it every day. There was an attached kiddie pool at one end, plus another separate kiddie pool. The swim-up bar was nice, being our first, and our favorite hangout during the hot afternoons. There was another bar next to the pool, with lots of tables and chairs for sitting in the shade and watching TV or playing games. Next to that was the stage, and beyond that the large spa/jacuzzi which could seat probably 30 people comfortably. The water wasn’t really hot enough for a spa, but the massage action was nice after playing volleyball, and it was a nice place to relax in the evening with a drink. Look for the turtle pond near the front entrance to the casino, and the two geese that wander around and sometimes let people pet them. As mentioned before, the gift shop in the lobby is surprisingly reasonably-priced, and next to it is a money-changer that gives the best rates around, even better than in town. The casino has a few banks of slots, plus roulette, blackjack, craps, and poker. Note that minimum bets at the tables are given in US dollars and Dominican pesos, and the minimums are a lot less if you play with pesos ($5US minimum otherwise). About a block away from the front entrance of the resort is the Plaza, which we didn’t look around a whole lot but it was nice to have it that close. There’s a call center where you can make calls back home (about 80 cents a minute) and a money-changer, but their rates were slightly worse than the hotel’s. There’s a Pizza Hut, Hemingway’s, a restaurant/bar type place, a seafood place, and probably some others we didn’t see. The Plaza is two stories, and really quite large.

Beach – The resort sits on kind of a point and is flanked on two sides by the beach. The sand is nice, more of a gray/brown color than the brilliant white of Punta Cana, and it’s kept pretty clear of seaweed. There are lots of lounge chairs, and enough shade that we could always find some when desired. There’s a nice beach volleyball setup, as well as shuffleboard, ping pong, and bocce ball. The watersports hut has sailboats, windsurfers, kayaks, and snorkel equipment for free. When we took a sailboat out they wanted us to pay $6 insurance in case anything happened to the boat, which we declined, but once out in the water we discovered there are coral formations just below the surface in places, so getting the insurance for a sailboat might be a good idea, assuming it really would insure you. The beach stretches out west of the resort in a long crescent and affords a view of Pico Isabel de Torres and downtown Puerto Plata. Along the beach are the other resorts of the Playa Dorada complex, and while always busy, the beach was never overly crowded. Do walk to the end of the beach to the little complex of beach “shops” (tin shacks) crammed with every imaginable kind of souvenir. We went into town shopping several times and the prices you can get at the beach shops for the standard stuff can be as good as you’ll find anywhere, if you’re willing to bargain ruthlessly. And the shop owners were fun to banter with. Vendors sometimes walked the beach with T-shirts or cases of jewelry, but they weren’t a nuisance. There’s a bar near the beach, but not right on it as we had on our last trip. Bring insulated travel mugs and you won’t spend a lot of time running back and forth.

Food – The buffet restaurant was large and clean and we were always able to find a table. Sometimes not silverware, but there was a lot of wait staff and they quickly provided whatever was needed, including drinks, which we rarely had a problem with. The food was okay, some great (especially the desserts), some not-so-great, and most somewhere in the middle. For breakfast, be sure you see the omelet guy, he was great. There’s like a salad bar with all the omelet fixings, which you select and put on a little plate, then hand it to the omelet guy and he prepares your omelet while you wait a minute or so. The pineapple was super, and there were lots of other fresh fruits. The juices were good too, and there was always a large selection of fresh breads. Theme nights were questionable, as the menu didn’t seem to change much, but there was always enough good food that no one should go hungry. But the very best thing about the buffet restaurant was its location right on the beach; especially nice at sunset. The snack bar was okay, great fries, and look for the do-it-yourself sandwich grill. The snack bar becomes a sit-down restaurant, Eden’s, at night, and the food was pretty good, but the best was Michelangelo’s, which we got to go to twice because some friends we made couldn’t use their reservation and gave it to us. Nice atmosphere, very attentive wait staff, an antipasto bar that was pretty good, entrees that were very good, excellent desserts, and an after-dinner-drinks cart with amaretto, brandy, scotch, etc. Try to go more than your allotted once if you can. Some have said that if you ask the concierge nicely you can get additional reservations. We never had a problem with stomach upset while there.

Entertainment – We were both very disappointed in the entertainment at Paradise. We had read good things about the nightly entertainment, including one guide book that said the “nightly entertainment is superior.” Having experienced wonderful nightly entertainment at the Allegro in Punta Cana including a very nice production of The Lion King and an awesome show of Flamenco dancers, we were expecting something even better. BUT we were sorely disappointed in the “Mr. Paradise” and “Best Couple” shows and the like. Don’t get me wrong, the Allegro had these same shows, the difference being the nightly entertainment at Paradise never rose above this level of entertainment to be…entertaining. One bright spot in the entertainment were the animacion team who were truly talented, energetic and a lot of fun. Especially everyone’s favorite, Blackie-Blackie.

Nightlife – The Crazy Moon disco is onsite but we didn’t have good luck with it. It’s only open Friday and Saturday nights, and we went one of each (albeit probably too early). It was pretty dead, and while we were there they only played the local music, which Regina loves but Mike can barely stand. So, the hot tip is to go to the Mangu disco two resorts over at the Jack Tar. It’s close enough to walk to in about 10 minutes, or grab a cab. Very popular, very crowded, a good mix of tourists and locals, and they play both local music and US Top 40 stuff. Admission was $10 for both, which included a free drink, and additional drinks are only about $3 and they make them almost too strong.

One word AMAZING!!! I've have just returned from my trip and me and my friends have had the time of our lives and are completely depressed to be back home!!

The hotel was perfect and our rooms were out of this world with top class air conditioning and spacious rooms with great views. The maid came every day with fresh towels and flowers and cleaned the rooms superbly!

The major thing that made our holiday was the entertainment staff- they were FANTASTIC!! Every night there was a better show each one as good as the other, and after the shows finished the staff would all join us at the bar, at the end of the holiday we became great friends with them all and I will miss them!! All the entertainment staff were GORGEOUS and could not do enough to please you.

The entertainment throughout the day was also first class, with crazy games taking place such as cocktail making comps, boat races in the pool, darts, iron man comps, football games (both on the field and in the pool) water volley pool and many more including daily water aerobics!

You were free to come and go from the complex as you pleased and we frequently visited a Dominican night club about 10 minutes away, every one was friendly and it is not as you would expect at all!! The music varied between English and Spanish and we enjoyed the up beat Spanish music so much that we all bought a CD from the complex to remind us of our fantastic holiday!!

I can not understand how people would find fault with this complex with its good food, cleanliness, friendly staff and great facilities!!

We just returned from the DR we had a fabulous time. There were 15 in our party we stayed at Paradise Beach Club 4 of us had been there before and we thought we would try it again,yes we know that it is one of the oldest Hotels in Playa Dorada Complex but the Staff and people there are wonderful,we had a little mix up with rooms when we first arrived but everything was straightened up everyone was happy.They have done allot of work at the Hotel and it very nice.I love being able to sit and have Dinner seeing the ocean and the stars it is just Fabulous.We have stayed at other hotels but the Dining Rooms are all inside.

I love Puerto Plata and plan on going back for a 4th year in a row next year, but I will never stay here again. We always stay in 3 or 3.5 star resorts because its within our budget, but this one is the worst one we have stayed at.

First of all there are no fridges in the rooms, the food was awful, very repetitive and the pork was always undercooked, the chicken dishes were edible but not great. We went to Hemmingways 3X and pizza hut once and also ate at a dominican cafe in the countryside just to escape the food here. Even the a la cartes were not that great limited choices and not much better than buffet. If they ran out of something in the dining room and you ask them for it they were not very courteous either (water jugs, salad dressing)

Breakfasts were the most satisfying for sure. Quite often I had to go to the store on the resort and purchase bottled water because the water jugs were empty and no one would get more at that time.

The scenery there is nice, beautiful garden paths, waterfalls, ponds with turtles etc. The pool was very clean and refreshing as was the hot tub. The grounds were always very clean too.

Our room was by far the most basic I have ever seen. 2 single beds pushed together (this is their idea of king) and a desk and a TV on a stand. very small very plain. outdated. This was superior oceanview! We had a balcony which was a good thing. Our safe broke and wouldnt open (our money was already inside) they took 3 hours to fix it. Never once had hot water for a shower tried both morning and night each day. Our friends that came with us never had hot water in their 2 rooms either. The A/C worked though thank goodness!! The maids did a great job cleaning and keeping the room looking as good as it could.

The beach was nice, the boardwalks and scenery was beautiful.

The daily entertainment was a huge lack there of. No music was played by the pool through the day and hardly any activities. At night the entertainment was not that entertaining either.

This was our first trip to the Dominican Republic and will be our only. Our Superior Ocean View Room was ocean view with a nice balcony with a couple of chairs. Superior was not any where close to what I would give this room. Room was clean enough, but not to our standards. If you have a king bed they never had proper bedding. You get double bedding, 2 fitted sheets, 1 top queen sideways, 2 double blankets and 2 double bedspreads so you spend your nights fitting for the covers. Remote for the TV you have to go to the front desk and sign for one. Safe is not included-$18.00 US for lock for safe. No small fridge in room. If you want water you need to buy some at the little store in the lobby and then you can take your plastic bottle to all the bars and refill them with water from large containers. Apparently there were problems with plastic water bottles everywhere so that's why you do not get water. Not one maid that we had spoke any English at all. First night - no hand towel, no face cloth no soap. Every day after had to call front desk for hand towel or face cloth. Sometimes we didn't get pillow cases till after supper in the evening.

If you like to shower, pray it doesn't rain. First time it rained hard one night and surprise no hot water. By second day of no hot water front desk people say it's a pressure thing and definitely have water tomorrow. Hot water on third day. Second time it rained same thing except this time it was only two day with no hot water.

Pool is not very big at all, pictures are quite deceiving. They keep the loungers and pool area cleaned every night but you must learn the towel trick. When you first arrive you get cards to go get towels. At the end of the day take those ones back and get clean ones for the next day. Next day in morning you place your towel over lounger in good spot while you go have breakfast or whatever so you have a spot for later.

First day we thought the food was great. By 5th day we were starting to get sick of it. They have a real problem getting food to stay hot. Main buffet was never more than luke warm. There never seemed to be enough staff to get you something to drink with your meal or clean tables and reset them. Beginning of 2nd week had real problem keeping food in. One girl from resort had to go to hospital and get IV for stomach ailment. Pizza Hut in Playa Dorado Mall make the best pizza, just like home!

Eden's a la carte restaurant was absolutely great. Service was top of the line and the food was hot and really good.

What a major disappointment this year, Thank goodness for the weather. We had 13 days out of 14 that were beautiful. The food was very repetitive, 12 nights out of 14 there was a (some kind of) mixed grill, very tough!. We probably ate from the kids counter (for hot dogs and spaghetti) most of the time when we didn't go off the resort to find some decent food. We lucked out on Christmas Eve, we actually saw "ice cream" which was totally non existent throughout our 2 week stay (it was there every lunch and dinner time the last three years we have been there). Our desert for the most part was cookies. Coffee was very hard to come by (thank goodness for Samuel in the morning). If there was coffee, there was not milk (cream), if there was both, there was no cups, if there was cream and cups there was no coffee, you know the story.

We booked a Junior Suite this time, (hoping the weather would cooperate and we wouldn't need it). Through Nolitours, they said that the fridge would be filled with Water, Soft Drinks etc., didn't happen.

Cleaning of the room was very basic. We had a lovely lady cleaning our room, for the most of our vacation but nothing special even though we left many US $$$$. We had to use our beach towels for a shower at night because we had nothing else most of the time.

We did at least have water pressure in the shower and no bugs in the bed, however, hubby was eaten alive all over his legs with something that has caused him major grief.

myself and my boyfriend stayed at the paradise beach hotel in playa dorado in oct 2005

we booked a late deal and after reading some of the reviews on this site i was apprehensive to say the least my worries were unfounded !

on arrivial at the hotel we were greeted with a cocktail ( perfect start to your holiday ) and then the porter took us and our luggage to our room which ok are not based on the ritz but they were clean and bug free and its only a place to sleep and change pool was great alaways plenty of sunloungers no matter what time you get there, jacquizi and the swim up bar is fab staff were fantastic always smiling espicially juan in the resterant bar he was a character

food got a bit repetative but what do you expect after 2 weeks my boyfriend is a real bland butt and was a bit worried about the food he never went hungry finding something he liked every meal , try edens grill food was lovely , we never made it to michael angelo,s so cant comment on that one beaches are clean and not crowded swimming in the ocean was lovely tropical fish swim right by you , the looky looky men on the beach will try to sell you anything and everything but a polite no is all it takes and they leave you alone went on three trips there the waterfall and safari was ace climbing right up waterfalls and jumping off ocean world is a must swam with dolphins in the ocean absouletly amazing beatifull breathtaking creatures pull you along by there dorsal fin , dance with you and even give you a kiss and at $145 each well worth it also went on the quad bikes very mucky but great fun !

I just spent 6 days 5 nights at the Paradise Beach Hotel

I’ve been to the DR before so I guess I was jaded by staying at a really nice hotel before (Natural Park in Punt Cana)

When I first got to Paradise Beach I was like what the Hell?

There is nothing fancy about this hotel. ‘My room did have bugs, a huge roach was lying dead in the middle of the floor when I awoke one morning.

There was no servi bar in my room, the a/c was on a schedule of its own, the bed was not comfortable, no iron or ironing board, not even bottled water in the room. That, I couldn’t believe. When I inquired to the front desk they told me to get it from any bar. When I went to a nearby bar they gave me an empty soda bottle for me to pour water into, from an adjacent water cooler. C’mon man, no bottled spring water in your hotel room, in the DR? Go figure. That tells me they really don’t care about their customers because one can get very sick from just brushing your teeth with the tap water there. You can not afford to slip up and drink the water in the DR else you’ll be sitting on the toilet your entire vacation or maybe in the hospital. They could have in the least, supplied us with bottled water.

THIS IS NOT A 4 STAR OR EVEN 3 STAR HOTEL. The best thing about the hotel was their staff, very friendly and accommodating at all times. They conversed with me a lot, perhaps because I’m a Black American male traveling alone and was curious about me, I don’t; know but they were friendly and loquacious. The food was okay, edible but not delicious. The pool was clean, Jacuzzi was too although it closed early, which I also didn’t understand. The peddlers/vendors were bothersome but personable. Thing is, it’s like that all over the Caribbean when you’re dealing with poor folks. They just want to make a buck. The currency rate was 30 pesos to every US dollar which gives the illusion of having lots f money. NOT !!!! I spent way more than I expected because everything was inflated. The taxi drivers will jerk you in a second. I took a snorkeling trip to Sosua (Highly recommended) about 30 miles way.

I decided to stay behind for the day because Sosa is nice and I wanted to explore it . When it was time to return to the hotel in Puerto Plata the taxis tried to jack me for $40 US dollars.

Me being a brotha I have no problems mingling with my peoples of color in the DR so I took a public cab (where you share the car with others) back from Sosua for about $.90 cents (roughly 25 pesos) that’s right I save $39.10. You do the math.

The DR CAN BE WONDERFUL if you don’t expect too much. If you’re high maintenance DO NOT STAY AT THE PARADISE BEACH in PUERTO PLATA. I took a tour of the new Wyndam Hotel there. Now that’s a real hotel! BEST THING ABOUT MY TRIP OVERALL?

We went to the Dominican Republic the beginning of Juli. The Paradise Beach Club. After reading all the replies I was very curious what to meet there. The replies warned me of bugs in the beds, stealing room maids, moisty rooms, awful food, bad service, lowered down drinks, dirty beaches etc. etc. And the positive reviews were of the same measure as the bad. I wondered why??

I found out it has more to do with the attitude of the customer as with the service rendered!!! Allow me to express our experiences.

The Rooms:
At first we had a floor room. The windows were small and looking out over the pool. But we aren't that picky about our rooms, since we consider them a place to sleep and to shower or bath. And we do like a good airco in places like this. We found a good bed (no bugs!) and a good bathroom, airco worked fine, so we were pleased. But after we went to sleep we found out our neighbors were very noisy. We had one part of ensuite room with a small door in between. Our naighbors had their TV on 24 hours a day and lived only during the night, receiving friends, watching scary movies, screaming, laughing, gigling. You mention it... We all were included, heard it all word by word! My husband tried to ask them to be more quiet, but the slammed the door in his face. We called reception 2 or 3 times that night and heard that we wearen't the first ones to complain. Next day we were upgradedto a superior room, no questions asked, no extra money asked. That room was OK as well. More room, huge windows. still view on the pool but at the stage, so we could follow the entertainment from our perfectly airconditioned room.

Bugs???
No bugs in the rooms!! Never found even a fly!! The rooms are treated with (harmless to humans) insecticides twice a week. You will find notice in your room. The beaches though have sand fleas. That can cause a rush at your lower legs, hardly goes beyond the knees! One of our fellow travelers got the rush on his back because he sunbathed directly on the sand. Hard to avoid! Have some anti-itch repelant with you.

Room cleaning:
All our rooms were kept clean perfectly! There was a notice in our rooms that the sheets and the towels were changed every other day. If we needed the towels cleaned dayly, just throw them on the floor! If we needed sheets and towels cleaned: throw the towels on the bed. We found it worked perfectly! We left 1 or 2 dollars in our room once and a while with a note for the maid that it was free for her to take, and we found our room decorated with flowers, extra soaps, etc. It is hard for me to read that the room service is bad. These women are working so hard, for such minor a wage! If you give them that little extra, that will give them some extra money to look after their family and kids, they will give you that special feeling that you are on a holiday and pampered.

The food:
Well, food is always a bit tricky. So many tastes and likings. Hard to please everybody! But we liked it very much. We wanted to taste everything, but there was to much to choose from. We liked the different themes in the Buffet restaurant "Hibiscus". There was a big salad bar with fresh fruits and vegetables to make your own salad, there were always 2 dishes prepared in your presence. I found that when steak was served, ask the cook to bake a fresh one and he will do it to your liking: rare, medium rare or well done. Than you will have your perfect peace of beef! Don't take the pieces of meat that are already cooked; they are all overdone. Breakfast was my favourite meal. I am an early riser and while waiting for hubby to gain his conciousness I installed myself in the restaurant with a book, where Alessandro provided me with a constant flow of fresh Dominican coffee, yummie!!! Breakfast always had either pancakes or French toast with maple syrup, fresly baked eggs or omelet with ingredients at your own taste. Bunch of fresh fruits, cereals, porridge...Hard to mention it all.

And I read a comment that there weren't fresh fruitjuices. I am surprised! Every day there was fresh mango juice or cherry juice or tropical mix, every day 2 types of fresh juice. Guess that replier didn't look around good enough.

As for the service... We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for our drinks, and when emptied there was a new supply even without asking. We tipped here and there a dollar or two. Showed some interest in the people working there, even went to church in Puerto Plata with one of the waitors.

The a la carte restaurants?? We only been to Eden, the Grill restaurant, and we liked it very much. Service was perfect, food was great and I will never forget the sunsets from that terrace.

Tummy upset? Didn't strike me! Hubby did have some fast flow down the tummy tubes. Immodium!!! It did the trick!! Hubby is also very sensitive to heartburn. Never heard one complain what so ever!

Entertainment
We never took part in the day entertainment, but at night we did like to watch the shows. The Poolshow was amazing, the Playback show hilarious with Mister Blacky Bracky as a Dirty Dancer. I loved the Dominican Folklore show. Wasn't that in for the games, but they took NO for an answer and never forced anyone. Just wished I could have danced the Merengue a bit more...

Drinks
Well, with drinks it is the same as food. Everybody has a different taste. Some think them to much watered down, others think them to strong. If you don't like them watered down, ask for a little less ice or no ice. And if you think them to strong ask for.......yes, more ice.

Mister Allan at the Sinnersbar is a real magician!! He is the "Cocktail" Tom Cruise of the Paradise Beach Club! The tricks he does with glasses and bottles combined with the constant flow of words makes him an attraction in himself. I liked watching him during the day. And when I got tired of it, I went for my sunbed on the beach..

Beaches
There are many resorts on Playa Dorada. The Paradise Beach Club was the first (as far as I know), back in the 80ies. That is why it has the most perfect spot in the area! It has 2 beaches. The Western one is where all the activities take place. It has a smooth sandy surface and good swimming water. But it is so, so, so HOT! Hardly any wind.
While the Eastern beach is more quiet, has more rocks and corals on the beach and in the sea. But it has the nicest cool wind the entire day!! Needless to say: we were on the Eastern beach when we felt the desire to sunbath. Just don't forget your factor 30, 40, 50 Sunprotection!!!! Or you will burn alive!
At 6.30am the beaches are immaculate. Still being cleaned of the garbage that was left behind the night before. So that they will be in perfect order when the guests will arrive. So many sun loving people, will leave so many garbage, more than 4 or 5 men can clean during the day!! So when the beaches are a dump: don't blame the hard working people over there! Blame the people that will not take care of their own rubbish!

Out door trips
Many excursions are on offer. We did two. But we didn't book them on the resort. We were warned: far to expensive! They will say quality is better and you are insured. But that is a hoax. A trip booked aotside the resort is of just as much quality and equaly insured.

We booked with CB Travels at the Plaza Playa Dorada. We did the Outback Jungle Safari and the Paradise Island trip. The Outback Safari is a MUST!!! Not only the trip into the mountains, but the Waterfall climd and descent is awesome!! Experience of a lifetime!! We payed 29$ for the trip; they charged 79$ at the resort for the same!!
The trip to Paradise Island was nice, but a bit disappointing for us. Might be due that we are used to the sea life in the Red Sea because we are big Egypt lovers. The excitement of the snorkeling didn't add up to the 3 hours drive to and from the island. Having in mind the prices of excursions we decided to hire a car for 2 days and do our own sight seeing. You can hire a sedan for 50$ a day. Driving around the Dominican Republic on your own is a treat in itself. You can do it at your own pace, choose your own places to go, your own stops and restaurants. In short discover the country through your own eyes.

We went to Parque Nacional "Los Haitises". Drove to Sanchez and looked for a boat to set us across Samana Bay. It is costly! We payed 60$ a person for the boat and another 30$ for a guide who hardly spoke English, but he knew his way around the parque. And it was worth every penny!! This area has a unique environment of isles and mangroves. Holes, where in ancient times indians lived that decorated the walls with impressive murals. The animal life is amazing: pelicans, fregatta's, crabs with blue cizzors... To much to mention. The boat trip across Samana bay will take about an hour. We were so much impressed how the boatsman took the waves and streams... Expect to be wet!!! Take some dry clothing, well protected, and keep your camera's and other electrical stuff dry! Take precautions.

The other day we went to Santo Domingo. Beautiful city! Not to be missed. It deserves more than just a day. Don't eat your lunch at the touristy spots! Go into a nearby street and have a huge chicken salad for 3$! Including a master class Merengue dancing!!! ;-) And the drive to Santo Domingo was a treat as well. You will not believe what is for sale along the highway!! From fresh smoked crabs and pigs to tapestry, inlayed fruits and vegetables and pottery.