Just returned from a week at the Casa Marina Beach. We were over there with Thomson.

Casa Marina Beach is All Inclusive resort, however after 11 pm. you have to go to cashbar. My advice? Read, read and once again read what you buying before you go. People complains about paying after 11 pm. and we knew it before we went on holidays so we weren't disapointed. I CMB resort is very tidy, clean. Holidays over there are quite cheap as all inclusive offer.

We had meal three times a day - as buffet. Food was delicious and there was a lot of choice. There was a lot of free drinks including water (not in bottle but you could fill your own bottle too) and red wine at dinner. For me the best drink was: Banana Mama with Rum. The best all - inclusive bar - middle one with really nice staf.

There are 3 swimming pools in the resort etc. Beach is beautifull.

My only complaints are: bathrooms are old and no longer good looking BUT very clean so it wasn't so bad. Maid was knocking to the door even if we left "do not disturb" sign on the outside door.

Paradise Island called Bacardi is no longer virgin island so I wouldnt recoment going over there - it takes 3,5 hour to get there and its not worth it. If you can you should go to Monster Truck Safari where you can climb the waterfall - excelent experience

Just returned from a week at the Casa Marina Beach and Reef Resort. The weather left a little to be desired, as it rained every day, but we still had a blast and you can not predict the weather when you book your holiday.

It rained so hard one afternoon that we thought we were going to float away.

There were 10 of us in our group. 6 adults and 4 kids. We took our son and daughter, both 12 and they had the time of their lives and are already saving for a return trip to the Casa Marina. They really got their eyes opened while visiting the DR. They have a new appreciation for life here at home in Canada.

Flights- We flew from Toronto to Puerto Plata with Sunwing Airlines and we were very impressed with the service we received. We did not leave Toronto until 1630 so that meant we virtually lost our first day in the DR because we did not arrive until around 2100 and to the resort around 2200. Just a hint. On the plane they hand out a blue form for you to fill out to get in to the DR. They tell you that you only need one per family but as you will find out, the DR requires one per person. Everyone was held up filling out the extra forms before they could go through the DR customs. You also need to fill out one of these forms each to get out of the DR. Take some extras with you to your resort to fill out to save you some time when you leave. Our flight home got off on a bit of a bad note. We were to be picked up at the resort at 1830 for our 2100 flight. Of course the bus was late and we were not on the road until 1900. We arrived at the airport at 1925 and someone got on the bus and told us we were going to have to hurry as our plane had already arrived and we would be leaving at 1940. ? 15 mins. What the heck? He also went on to say that if we missed our plane booking another flight would be at our own cost as well as the place to stay as it would not be their responsibility. We were to check in directly, go right through customs and right to our gate. Of course, the whole bus was in a panic. Then we found out we needed these forms filled out. Check-in was very slow. Our lady could not get the tags on the bags right. After all was said and done, when we got to our gate, the plane was just letting the arriving passengers off. We boarded the plane after a short sit in the waiting area and what do you know, we took off at 2100. The big panic and for what??? We were not impressed with the fellow. The flight home was good and the service was just as good as the way down.

Now the good stuff......the resort.

Check-in - was very fast and efficient. The staff were very good and got us to our rooms in a timely manner. The welcome drink was great as we were all very thirsty.

Rooms- We stayed on the beach side of the resort. Many reviews have said that the reef side is nicer but we quite liked the beach side. We were in room 536 and had just a beautiful view. From our room we could see the ocean through the palm trees. The smaller pool and the hot tub were just below our room. We had a very adequate room. We had a king size bed and they brought in a cot for each of the kids. The room was cleaned daily and fresh towels left. The air conditioning worked great. In fact the kids were cold through the night. Thanks to Alicia who took great care of us all week. We would see her early in the am and then right into the evening. The only complaint I could have about this room was that it is close to the disco and you can hear the music at times. Then a few evenings, some young couples left the disco and decided to hang out in the hot tub below our room and were quite noisy. Once they knew they were waking others they left. Our room had a great wrap around balcony. It was nice to have the run of both sides of the resort. We were all over the resort. I understand that the reef is the newer side but we were very satisfied with our side.

Food- We all found lots to eat. In fact, sometimes too much. If you can't find something to eat then there is something wrong. We ate mostly at the El Batey Buffet as it was close to our rooms. The presentation was excellent.
Some of the carved fruits were beautiful. There was a good variety with a different theme each night. We also tried the Mexican and Italian a la cartes. The food here was also very good. The service in the Mexican restaurant was outstanding. If you are hungry in the afternoon they serve snacks too. Pizza, fries, hot dogs and hamburgers. Lots for everyone. Also a coffee/tea cart in the afternoon. I think we all gained weight over the week. The fresh pineapple and other fresh fruit is delicious.

Drinks- Lots to drink. The fav drink was the Banana Mama. Even the kids liked the non-alcoholic version. I think we are all having Banana Mama withdrawl. The service at all of the bars was very good. The busiest was the Mirador Bar on the reef side where all of the cool tubs are. Otherwise, we were quiet happy and "well watered."

Pools and Beaches- We used all of the pools. The pool on the reef side is the busier. It has the sports activities and the kids enjoyed this pool. The middle pool, on the beach side is quieter and more for sunbathers. The small pool that was by our room was very quiet. The hot tub was also there but was not very hot. The pools are very well maintained. The same fellow was seen every morning cleaning the pools. They were a bit on the cool side and I found the ocean to be warmer but hey- we didn't have to cut a hole in the ice to go for a swim. Due to the weather, the ocean was very rough and red flagged for most of the time we were there but we swam in the ocean anyway.
I think each one of us got taken by a wave and rolled on the bottom of the ocean. What an experience. Make sure you wear your one piece suit or you might lose it. We liked the beach on the reef side as it was less crowded.
The only let down, is that there is no bar or bathroom down there. All of the activities like volleyball and baseball etc happen on the beach on the beach side of the resort. The cool tubs in the reef were very popular but were cold. The view from here is just breathtaking. Just a note- if you are taking kids with you. There are no specified areas for topless sunbathing and when you first see it, it takes you by surprize and the kids don't know what to think. They soon became used to it but maybe there should be a specific area for this??

Shows- The entertainment staff do a fantastic job of the evening shows. Our fav was the Jukebox Show. These kids work long hours. They are at the resort all day doing different things and late into the night. We were happy to see Mr. Blackey. We met him 2 years ago at Paradise in the Playa Dorada complex.

These 2 resorts are owned by the same company so the staff have the opportunity to transfer between resorts. He is awesome. There are no shortage of activities to be involved in if you want to. One evening, the magician visited and we really enjoyed his show. My daughter was his assistant for one of his tricks and we still don't know how he did it. Amazing!!

Staff- The staff are all very friendly and hard working. Most of them speak English very well. A shout out to "Tony Macaroni" who works in the buffet restaurant. He is very funny and entertaining. Get him to show you his napkin trick.

Resort- Both sides are very nice. The grounds are very well kept. There is always someone sweeping up leaves or raking the beach. The gardens are beautiful.

Tours- We did the Paradise Island, Monster Truck Tour and the boys went deep sea fishing one morning. My daughter and her grandmother also did the half day shopping tour. The tours definately made our trip and were worth every penny. We booked through our Sunwing rep but there are other ways to book trips. We just like the idea that if we have a problem we can go back to the Sunwing Rep with our complaints. The boys had a blast fishing and they each caught a nice one. My husband got seasick but 1/6 isn't bad. They all wanted to go again as soon as they got back. The Paradise Island trip was nice but would have been even nicer had it been a nice day. It was so windy and rainy and the ocean was very rough and therefore we could not get out to the reef to snorkel. We stayed in the shallow water and there was still lots of fish to be seen there. The highlight was swimming with all of the jellyfish. At first we were afraid but soon found out they would not hurt you. My dad had one in his hands. It was so cool. My daughter was blown away by the jellyfish and will not soon forget that. Remember, there is no bathroom on Paradise Island so go before you get on the boat. Our speed boat driver was awesome. He took us down the coast on the way home making extra dipsy doodles in and out of the coast and the kids loved doing donuts in the speed boat. The mangroves on the coast were amazing to see. We also loved the Monster Truck tour. Of course, the day starting out raining. A good idea to pack a rain poncho just in case you get this kind of weather. Our tour guide was Dios and we were the Dios family. He was awesome. It had rained too much to go across the rivers or to get to the typical house so that was disappointing. Nonetheless, we still saw alot of beautuiful country and visited a school. The trip is very worthwhile. My daughters main objective on the shopping trip was to purchase an amber ring and she got a really nice one. One hint- at the fort- don't give your camera to anyone to take your pic with the donkey. You will be asked for money to get your camera back.

I've talked to others and the same happened to them.

We have just returned from the Casa Marina Beach, two weeks ending on 14th. February. We were met at reception with a cold fruit drink, and within minutes were on the way to our room 1145. The room, on the third floor was basic but clean, with no musty smell. The beds were soft and comfortable, good air conditioing, and hot water every night for a bath or shower. We opened the patio to a great view over the sea. The only problem being only three channels on the t.v. This was rectified when a further boxset was added to the t.v. Then we had the option of about forty channells.

The food in the restaurants was of good quality with a great choice at every meal. There was a problem in getting a table at the popular time of about 8.0 p.m. People would be walking around the restaurant, waiting for others to finish, then sitting down at dirty tables. After a few nights we were told it was better at the Reef restaurant. This proved to be true. There you are met by the head waiter who would ask how many in your party, before showing you to a table. After this we ate every night at the Reef. At lunch times both restaurants again offered good buffets, but we opted for the Seascape or the Mexican restaurants which provided snacks like pizza, chicken wings, hotdogs, beefburgers and chips and salad.

In the bars they serve President beer. The rum and other spirits are local, but served with Pepsi taste great. The cocktails are also nice, with a great variety. It is easy to get served, with no more than two minutes wait at the most demanding times, usually just before they close. The bartenders are grat fun, always service with a smile.

We only looked in at the shows at night. They were very popular and seemed enjoyable, but we prefered to sit by the bars watching the waves roll in. There are two beaches. The one on the Beach side was the most popular. There are games provided by the entertainment crew during the day.There are plenty of sunbeds, although the best ones go quite quickly, and the others do need replacing. The parasols are $3 per day, but are a godsend in the midday heat. The bars are only about 50 yards in any direction, and the empty glasses are picked up as soon as they are put down.

One day one of the guests, a French/Canadian set up his speakers & equipment at the middle bar and sang and played his guitar for about an hour. We were quite content at this beach, watching the beach volley ball each day. Then during our second week, along came a Canadian group of people one side of us, and some local lads the other side of us, both competing with their rasterblasters. Heaven was spoilt.

We had previously seen the Reef beach, which was reached by some wooden stairs. There were only a few loungers with no shades. Then by chance we walked by one evening, and there was about fifty sunbeds and fifteen parasols. Paradise restored. So for our remaining days we were happy, and I was keeping fit with the umpteen walks up & down the stairs to visit the bar.

Some guests have complained about the local people setting up their stalls in the hotel, and being a nuisance. We never had any trouble with them at all. The same outside the hotel. If asked to look at their goods, a 'no gracious' is all thats needed.

By the way. Outside the Reef reception there is a floodlit baseball field. Most nights the locals have a game going on. Worth a look.

Overall we had a great time. Our only complaint would be the loudness of groups of Canadians & Americans. In couples they are o.k., but once in a group the volume goes up, and at the bars there is no such thing as queueing. Its everyman for himself.

As soon as you step off the plane the heat hits you! my boyfriend and I both changed into our swimwear the moment we got to the hotel and even then were baking! but you do get used to the humidity

The hotel was lovely, beautiful grounds and wondeful friendly staff. The rooms were spacious, bathrooms could do with freshening up but we didnt spend much time in our room anyway.

You do have to buy a tourist card at the airport, we bought ours before we went from the Embassy and saved queueing at the airport. The guys at the airport try to carry your bags for you ( not far) and ask for a small Dollar tip. If you dont want them to just be polite, say No gracias and continue walking.

The buffet restaurant was very good, plenty of choice. Staff worked hard to clear tables and replace cutlery etc. Anything you wanted you only had to ask. We stayed a week which entitles you to 3 vouchers- one for each of the 3 restaraunts. We had no trouble booking and found them to be brilliant.

All inclusive drinks were fine, lovely refreshing Fruit punch for sipping on the beach! Always filtered water available for you to top up bottles with which saved buying more. During the day the seafood restuarant turns into the snack bar (all inclusive). we didnt try this but heard it was good.

We went with Thomson, the welcome meeting is worth going to, full of useful info.The reps only suggest not doing trips through external companies due to insurance reasons

We went on many excursions whilst at the Casa Marina and had no trouble with any of them.
1) Reps night -show followed by time in a casino. The casino was our main reason for going as my partner enjoys a little gamble.

2) Monster Truck Safari - Excellent day out. Tearing through the countryside where Jurrasic park was filmed in Huge 8 wheeled trucks! Stopping to meet the locals and thier village was good. Makes you realise what you do have home! You also stop for lunch and to swim in a fresh water lake which was amazing. The water fights with the other trucks were also great fun. Be prepared to get wet!

3) Paradise Island- What can i say... it really was paradise. Wizzing along the sea in a speedboat is great fun which takes you out to the Island. Pure white sand, clear blue water and a coral reef surounding the island. Absoluetly amazing seeing all the fish swiming with you, every colour you can imagine, some are quite a size! Then back on the speedboat through the mangroves of the National park.. brilliant.

4)Ocean World Adventure Park to swim with the dolphins- once in a lifetime experience not to be missed!
Ocean world is a great place, plenty to do and shows to see. Sharks,sealions and bird shows are all good fun. We had a bit of a disater with our swim as just before it was our allocated turn to do the swim with the dolphins a huge tropical storm came right over us. the complex was shin deep in water and youve never seen thunder and lightening like it! Needless to say all 9 of us decided that we went going to do it in that weather. Ocean world were great, they completely understood it would ruin the experience and arranged transport to pick us up the next day and bring us back for our swim with the dolphins. We were treated like royality the next day and all 9 of us did our swim in glorious sunshine! we were even given a free photo of us with the dolphins.

All in all an excellent holiday. What has made this a holiday we will never ever forget is that on the last day of the holiday my boyfriend proposed to me whilst watching the sunset! so definately our best holiday ever.

We stayed in the hotel from the 3rd May 2006 -17 May 2006

We were married over there and went in a party of 20 we took our nearly 3 year old, our 15 month old and I am also pregnant. With the children and being pregnant I was obviously very worried about the food. I had no need the food was fantastic, I took all jars for our 15 month old but she didn't eat one the food in the buffett was brilliant and there was always something for them to eat, they both eat much better over there than they do at home. I also didn't have to worry at all everything was exceptionally clean I even ate seafood over there and none of us got sick.

The rooms were fine although no lifts so it was a bit of a nightmare with two buggies although they would have moved us to the ground floor if we wanted but due to the fact my 15 month old kept jumping in the pool it was safter to have a balcony were she couldn't wander off.

The swimming pools were great, everything was cleaned all the time, I don't think they ever stopped cleaning. The wedding was fantastic, it couldn't have gone better.

have landed this morning from a absolutely great holiday to the CASA MARINA BEACH, SOSUA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. To sum things up, you do get what you pay for and you are getting a mid-range hotel but I can honestly say that this holiday has been excellent value for money and I have no complaints what so ever.

My best friend and I went for a 2 week fly and flop to read and sunbathe and it was perfect for that.

We were in one of the older rooms (room 117) which was clean, basic and the bathroom a bit tatty, but it was always clean and serviced everyday. Yes occassionally there were a few tiny flies in the bathroom around the sink as they come from the drain, but honestly it wasn't worth complaining about!

The hotel staff are the friendliest you'll meet and will do anything for you. The hotel is very clean and there are constantly staff going round tidying up and collecting glasses etc so the palce is always ship shape. The locals are also excellent friendly people and yes they will ask you to go into their shop but a smile and a "no thank you" is returned with another smile and a wave - They are not at all aggressive as some reviews have stated. My friend and I are 28 years old and both girls and we found both the resort complex and Sosua to be perfectly safe.

All the water (other than tap water) is purified and is readily available, as is a full range of beverages. They do use Coke, Sprite, Fanta etc not the local brand. As for the alcohol they do use local brands of rums etc but after 11 you can pay at the cash bar and they have the more mainstream names. Mozzies are active on the island and we were advised to take Malaria tablets prior to travel as well as Typhoid/Hep A and Tetanus booster.

The food at the buffet is edible and varied but can sometimes be a bit lack lustre! But hey, it's a buffet, you'll soon find what you like. The smaller buffet restaurant located on the reef side near the ampitheatre is a better buffet, the food seems to be hotter and fresher than that of the main restaurant on the beach side. The 3 specialist restaurants per week really break up the monotony of the buffet. The speciality restaurant food is very tasty and does not disappoint. I can whole heartidly recommend the SeaBass or the Red Anapa stuffed salmon from the seafood restaurant.

The weather was great, very very hot and very humid. When we walked off the plane we thought we were stood in the stream from the airplanes jets but that was just a Dominican Republic breeze! You do get used to it tho. I have to say I am not sure whether it's suitable for young children - The flight is the best part of 8.5 hrs there and 7.5 on the way back and there's not a lot for them to do there and with the sun being so powerful alot of children were struggling to keep their cool.

There isn't much to do in the evenings really inside the resort. It is totally safe to go into Sosua but we stayed in to keep costs down. We did watch one of the England matches in Eddies bar and had the most amazing time, the buzz was electric and the drinks so reasonable.

I would say that either for a couple who are happy to just be together or a group of couples or friends it is an excellent holiday, I need to go with some who you can keep entertained!

The entertainment team work very very hard but it's not really my cup of tea. We met a few other people who were all great and we all spent the rest of the holiday as a group which was excellent but I think we'd have been a bit bored of each other's company if we hadn't met them as there's not much to do really.

I would go back at the drop of a hat, had a great holiday made special by some very special people. You have to do a sunset with a cocktail, either in the jacuzzi or on the terrace near to the middle bar and absolutely fabulous view.

I would like to write a thorough, honest review of our 2-week all-inclusive holiday to guide other people in their choice of stay for future holidays abroad.

My boyfriend and I travelled with Thompson to the Dominican and we were told that we would be given a hotel from 3 choices on arrival. We were told the basics of the three hotels and our overall holiday in the fact that food and drinks, including alcohol, would be available from 7am until 2am, you wouldn't need very much money unless you wanted to buy gifts, you would need $20 each for a visa on your way out of the country and it would basically be a holiday to remember.

On arrival you have to pay $10 each for a card which they then take off you 2 seconds later after filling out your blue form so they know you're in the country. We were not told until we landed that we needed to do this, and many people appeared puzzled at what we were expected to do. Nonetheless we all got on with it and proceeded to find our coach.

A nice young man approached us, and looking weary and feeling shattered from our 9 hr flight he offered to take our bags to the coach as he knew exactly which one was ours for our hotel. He dragged our bags 20 yards and asked for a tip. Now, I have not encountered this before but I didn't have anything less than a $10 so that's what he got after he aggressively pulled me to the side. I am 22 but I look about 15 so maybe he saw me as vulnerable? I don't know? I would just like to mention this for others so they know that when these men offer to take your bags to the coach they will demand money for doing so. I would have some change on me for future trips or just kindly say No Gracias.

The weather wasn't too promising but what can you expect when you travel at the beginning of the rainy season? We expected a lot more rain for the first 2 weeks in June but it rained for a couple of hours the first day and we had nothing until we literally stepped on the coach to leave! Overall the weather was beautiful! I do understand some reviews which mention the lack of shelter. Had it rained any more on our holiday we would have struggled to find shelter with as many people who stay there at one time. You have to pay for parasols on the beach.

The grounds of the Casa Marina are kept to a high standard and there are some beautiful flowers and trees, which make the place feel less like just a hotel. The views from the Jacuzzis are lovely and all in all I couldn't complain about the standard of cleanliness. I was impressed. You will see many people out cleaning the rooms as well as the pools and pathways.

Our first problem with the hotel was that our room wasn't ready for us so we had to wait about half an hour or so. The young girl at reception seemed very sweet and helpful, although didn't appear to speak much English. Didn't bother us but when complaining or asking certain questions I could imagine this may irritate some holiday-makers as a lot of the staff we discovered to be the same.

Our room had 2 double beds, bedside table, a TV, cupboard, wardrobe, 2 lamps, chair and bathroom. We also had a sea view, which was delightful. I would recommend it. Although the noise from the Disco may bother people with young children at night? Our toilet flooded once the whole time we were there. They do not have signs in your bathroom asking you to throw waste paper in the bin provided and not the toilet. Most guest’s find this out the way we did but was sorted quickly, no problem. I wouldn't recommend a bath but a shower was fine and watch out for regular power cuts. They only bothered me when I was in the bathroom but then I'm scared of the dark:)!

There were lots of ants in our room but apparently this is normal. Wouldn't have bothered me so much but they were in our drawers where we kept our underwear etc and we were bitten several times! I'm not being fussy but I am trying to give every experience so you have an overall picture.

You are given a card each for the use of beach towels. Lots of people seemed to use this service but we had taken our own. If we had known of this service beforehand I would have saved the space and left the beach towels behind. I think this is a great idea! However the towels did look rather old. Some of the room towels could have done with being larger and newer. Don't lose your card though, as they will charge you $15 for it and the towel if you lose that aswell. Don't ask how but some people manage to lose a great big blue towel!

We didn't spend much time in our room as the complex had 3 different pools if I'm correct and 2 beaches. A quiet one and a much more lively one with activities. The pools were clean but we did experience a couple of days in which you could feel your legs tingling in the water. We found out other people experienced the same and there appeared to be a fault in the lights in the pool by the El Batey restaurant. A man spoke to a worker but nobody seemed to be too bothered. There were always sunbeds available and the pools weren't cramped. Activities were all at the largest pool.

The food at the El Batey restaurant was good. My boyfriend is pickier than I am and had a few complaints about the standard and selection but we were happy with what we paid for. The service was quick for the first few days (in that the waiters clean the tables and put a jug of water, glasses and knives and forks on the table), yet this diminished soon after. My boyfriend found himself looking for all of these on many occasions. They do not like you to do it yourself and you are ordered back to your seat while you wait another 10 minutes for them to do what you could have done yourself in 2 minutes. But this is what they are expected to do by their bosses who appear to keep a keen and critical eye on them. I was happy with the food and service here. You may find yourself waiting for a table aswell at peak times.

You have to book for the other restaurants such as Luigi's and the Mexican place between 9 and 11am. They told us they were booked up for days and we got fed up of trying. You have to book at reception with a limited number of tickets they give you. You may also find yourself paying for some items aswell. Joseph's restaurant off the busy beach is slightly expensive and little selection. Nice positioning but only worth it if you're prepared to pay when you've paid for and all-inclusive holiday. I'm a student so all-inclusive obviously appealed to me.

My complaints about the food and drinks are as follows. Thompson told us that you would not have to pay for ANY drinks or ANY food, as of course, we had paid for an all-inclusive holiday. The bars are not always well staffed and you will find yourself waiting for a drink for a long time at the Sunset Bar close to the El Batey restaurant. Bars close at 11pm and the bar near the disco opens at 11.30pm where you will have to buy your drinks. These include JD and coke, Martini, Malibu etc. Such drinks are not included in the ALL-INCLUSIVE package and no free drinks are available after 11pm. You have no choice but to pay unless you have stocked up and filled a table full of the alcohol served at the free bars. We weren't too impressed with the 'free' alcoholic drinks, which we were looking forward to and we were not prepared to buy drinks after 11pm every night for 2 weeks. We would have gone on a non-all-inclusive holiday if we wanted to do that!

Eating is set at certain times, breakfast 7-10am, dinner 12-3pm and evening meal around 7-10pm. You cannot take ANY food out of the restaurants, not by the pool or to your rooms. They do not provide you with clean water in your rooms except for 2 bottles in the bathroom on your first day only which are intended for use when cleaning your teeth as the water is unfit to drink or even swallow a little of. You will have to get a bottle of water and re-fill it at some of the restaurants yourself.

If you want a snack...a sandwich, crisps or chocolate etc.you will have to pay for it yourself at the not-so-cheap boutique. Here you will not be greeted or spoken to politely...if spoken to at all unless they want your money. Please do not make the mistake we made of taking US dollars. They do accept them in the shop and give you change in pesos but there's a lot of number crunching on the selective calculator. They do not convert your money at reception. I don't think they even know it's written in their booklet. I got the feeling they like it in pesos and there's no need for meet and greet in the shop. If you understand Spanish and some slang you may feel your ears burning aswell, but I would take it all in good humour. They don't have very good air conditioning in the shop... so they were probably a little cranky due to that. The air con in our room was much better but found we had to sleep on the bed closest to the balcony to feel it's full effect at night.

Our rooms were cleaned every day and if you put your towels in the bath they will replace them. It's policy that if you leave them on the rail it means you do not need them replacing. Read the little note by the toilet. Our maid was very nice and polite but many a morning we woke to her trying to get in the room at 8.30. If you do not want to be disturbed I strongly suggest using the 'Do not disturb sign' and trapping it in the door so it doesn't blow off! Also lift the handle up and bolt the door. We would just bolt it and the maid would open the door slightly until we realised you can lock it shut. This didn’t offend us but some people may be. We found it amusing and expected her arrival every morning:)

When we first arrived our rep strongly advised us not to take trips. I found this strange as reps usually try to get you to go on every little trip available. He even said they had had problems with trips arranged by themselves. Such problems were not elaborated on and quite frankly he scared me out of doing any trips. Many other people ventured out of the complex and enjoyed the trips and we did not hear of any complaints. I wish we had taken a couple of trips but we didn't take much money (as the Travel Agent had advised) and we ended up using our money for things we didn't think we'd need to buy.

Evening entertainment at the Amphitheatre is a must. They work really hard at what they do and we enjoyed the nights we spent there. I would recommend their shows to everyone. We weren't too keen on the Disco, as it wasn't for us along with having to buy drinks but many people; especially the younger generation seemed to love it. Quite loud though if you really don't like that sort of thing but we could tolerate the noise easily.

They also had a large screen in the amphitheatre so we could watch the England match, which was considerate of them, seeing as the nation as a whole does not care for football. I think baseball is a big sport over there.

Overall we did enjoy our time at the Casa Marina and we do have fond memories and lovely fotos, but we probably wouldn't go again. We did make the most of it and didn't make a fuss or complain. It made us realise that we enjoy a holiday where we felt safer walking the streets and where we could choose when and what to eat and drink. As a young girl I would feel slightly intimidated and sometimes threatened by the men if I did not have my boyfriend with me. On a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the hotel invites traders to set up their stalls and offer the guests the chance to purchase gifts. This is a lovely idea and I was excited to get down there and start haggling but I regret to say I was faced with some aggressive selling tactics and felt forced to purchase if I dare looked. If you look... you buy. If you don't wish to look a No Gracias is the polite way to turn them down. If you start to look at their items don't expect to be allowed to browse freely. If they had toned down the forcefulness and aggressive tactics I can honestly say I would have purchased a lot more from them. But they completely put me off even walking by them and I only bought one necklace for my sister. I thoroughly understand this is how they make a living and it is a third world country. I didn't know whether to take the security men walking around with guns in holsters as a sign of safety or threat. I think a few locals do wonder in without the wristbands worn and I did see locals being treated differently although they appeared to be on the same holiday as us.

When checking out you are asked to complete a questionnaire and add comments but we were overlooked by a gentleman who crossed the lines of personal boundaries and totally put me off wanting to spend any time completing it at all. I have no idea if this is commonplace but it made me feel like he would comment on any points I made for improvement and he quickly snatched it from my hands.

We did not come across any problems with our air-con, electricity etc. in our room but witnessed people attempting to complain or simply ask for help with little response. I feared that the smallest upset would ruin our holiday as you have paid for a service and when you do not receive the basics you leave feeling resentful and unhappy with your holiday choice. I feel we were lucky not to come across this problem and feel sympathetic towards those who did. Yes, it is just a 3* hotel, but manners don't cost anything. I have read many peoples reviews and it appears that the problems you come across will determine your enjoyment of your stay. If you have not encountered such problems then of course your enjoyment will not be dampened.

The rep on the coach to the airport was cheerful and helpful and checking in our bags went fast and smoothly. We paid our $20 each for the visa stamp on our tickets and didn't wait long for our flight back home.

Well what a fantastic holiday again at the Casa Marina Beach Resort, I could go on for hours but will try to keep it to the point!

Rooms
We stayed in 922 on the Beach side of the resort, the room was fine for us, it had two double beds, bath / shower, TV and Balcony. We stayed in the room a max of 1.5 hours during the day and then at night to sleep in. We had one problem during our stay and that was the bath in the room above leaked into our bath, one call to maintenance and it was sorted!

Food
We only ate at the buffet restaurants as we are the fussiest eater ever, I have to say hand on heart that we have never eaten so well on a holiday, at breakfast we had eggs, pancakes, French toast and so much more variety. Lunch we mainly ate at the “Mexican” as it was right near the pool and was fine for us, they mainly did chicken, chips, fish, ribs, pizza, salad and burgers. The evening meals have a different theme each night which is repeated on a two week rotation so you should not have any problem with repetition. They tend to have a seafood option, a few meat options, pasta and desserts that will make you put on the pounds by just looking at them!

Pools & Jacuzzi’s
There are three pools, the largest at the Reef side which has activities all day long ranging from aerobics, volley ball, basket ball, water polo and various “fun” games. The other two pools are slightly smaller and a lot quieter.

There are also three Jacuzzi’s built into the reefs, we went to these every day to watch the sun set with a cocktail of the day! Yes these are cold water Jacuzzi’s but they are very refreshing especially as we had extremely hot weather with very little rain for the whole two weeks.

Beaches
There are two beaches, a quiet one and an activities one, we went to both beaches and tried a few of the water sports. We were very lucky as the sea was very calm and we had green flags everyday for the two weeks, we have been before and you cannot get out pasted the waves! We got friendly with a few local children who come to the beach, they have fun jumping around in the water and will not pester you at all, we approached them and could not believe how friendly they are, when we left the little boy (Chico) gave me a necklace made out of shells and was really sad to say goodbye for all of us!

Entertainment
This is really where I could go on all day, the staff are amazing and work extremely hard during the day and night, you cannot fault the effort and energy that they put into there job. The staff that we really got on well with was Antonio (Medina), Norberto, Billy Blue Eyes, Romeo (aka Eddie Murphy) Emily (Dancer) and Tania in the Kids Club. Had some very emotional goodbyes when we left!

You will find all these people around the pool or at the beach organising games and then they are also in the evening shows and will also come to the disco with you as well. You will see them the next morning with big smiles and laughing, singing and joking with you - how they can do a 14hr day and still be smiling after 12 days straight is beyond me!

The evening shows are fantastic and they put so much effort into the dancing. It will amaze you they have entertainment every night with the shows again being on a two week rotation so you will not see the same show twice if you go for a fortnight!

Trips
This year we only did the one trip which was to Paradise Island through Mel’s Tours, 4 of us went and had a really good day, the only thing I would have to mention is if you suffer from a bad back then this is not for you as the speedboat ride was quite rough (still have the bruises on my bum!) and we went on a calm day! Also the drive back to the resort is still 2/3 hours on the VIP option. We are glad that we chose the VIP option as it included all food and drink so you did not have to worry about taking enough cash with you.

We will be returning to this resort next year and will be staying for three weeks as we found two weeks just went too fast for us, we love this resort and would go back tomorrow if we could.

Fab weather, great staff, good value for money.

I have never been to a place where people moan so much- you are on holiday enjoy yourself and make the most of it.

There was a lot of scaremongering in the hotel, people telling you not to go out- we went out both in the day and evening. The locals do ask you to go and see their wares but a firm no and they leave you walk on- we have been to Gambia and its far worse their.

We had a lovely room and the food is ok (I thought it was great my husband had a weak stomach so stuck to pasta and sauce) my recommendation is to drink plenty of water- the problem is that it is an all inclusive holida and if you drink alcohol all day and night you will be ill!

We went on the sfari trip and swam with dolphins and had a sea lion experience- aonce in a lifetime experience!

There is planty to do at the resort- football, step arobice, swimming, water arobics or just sun bathing- the evening shows are also worth a visit- some are better than others - it reminded me of Butlins but with fantastic weather.

Dont pack any cardigans- believe me you wont need them!

The restaurants are all good- we didnt think much of the mexican but try it- its free! and if you dont like them, you can always go to the buffet!

We visited two bars eddies (to watch the football) and a Canadian run bar called the Voodoo Lounge which played great British music.

This was a very reasonably priced holiday and all in all was great value for money.

Some staffdont speak very good english, rather know phrases, however they are all very friendly and will help as much as they can.

We found the locals outside the hotel much more useful than the reps when we needed to find a dentist- Moses (yes that was his name) showed us the way and phoned the emergency number and got us drinks while we waited for the dentist to show. We gave him 200 pesos which is about £4 but you dont have to give them anything, however we were so happy to have been helped as the rep had sent us in totally the wrong direction.

Just returned from 2 weeks at the Casa Marina Beach Resort. My son was married their on Friday 12th May 2006 we went in a party of 20 and had a wonderful time.

I cannot understand how any one could come here and not had a good time the staff were amazing if your going soon look out for George in the buffet (really looked after us) and Billy Blue Eyes (on the entertainment team).

The Buffet was excellent always plenty of variety, the Italian Restaurant was very good and we had the wedding reception their and again the service was excellent, the Seascape Restaurant was also good (recommend the Lobster and the Mixed Grill (although there is a small charge for these items) well worth it.

Don’t be worried about going into town or on trips the people are very friendly and if you do not want to look at their shops just tell them but if you do always haggle over price it’s the done thing.

One word of warning beware of Card Fraud even in the main Bank in SouSua my Nephew had his card copied in the cash machine whilst the Bank was open and lost about £300.00 Beware of Very Helpful Friendly Locals Hanging Around The Cash Machine.

My husband and I were at this resort in April for 2 weeks in April. I have just been reading other reviews, and cant understand how anyone can fault this hotel for the price. We have also stayed in 4 and 5 star hotels, been all over the world and also done 6 star cruising so we know good holidays. In our opinion this hotel was fantastic the gardens are immaculate, pool fabulous, beach is great, and having the Jacuzzis built into the rocks with unbelievable views was amazing. For a budget holiday this is one of the best!! Staff cant do enough for you and are so friendly, they work really hard and the shows they put on in the evening are fine. Plenty to do during the day with all kinds of games/aerobics at the pool and beach,We did join in even though we are both getting on a bit now 55yr and 62yr, if you don't want fun and games, you can always find a quiet spot to relax and read your books. We found the food and drinks to be of excellent quality for a 3 star hotel. You have a choice of 3 other restaurants you can choose each week so you at least get a change from the dining room. For myself the dining room was great as I can choose what I want I am a bit fussy due to health reasons only, but found plenty to eat. Rooms could do with a face lift but clean and comfortable. Did the snorkelling trip/jeep safari and a couple of trips on our own all was great fun. The island and scenery are beautiful there is lots to see if you make the effort. We would definitely book this one again.

"Oh my God"

Both my wife, 12 year old daughter and myself visited the Casa Marina Beach in April 2006 and were wondering what to expect after reading several mixed reviews on this site.

On arrival we were shown to our room within 10 minutes and were really surprised at what we had. A ground floor room with patio doors that opened onto the larger beach side pool. The room was basic but cleaned daily with new towels and toiletries every day. Even if you were sleeping when they came first of all they would return later during the day to clean it. You cannot ask for any more than that.

The hotel itself was fantastic with plenty going on during the day and some very amusing entertainment during the evenings. The children's club was fantastic and they kept our daughter busy for the 2 weeks we were there.
The drinks were free flowing without the usual long waits to get served.
Be careful of the measures and a rum and coke is probably 75% rum, 20% ice and 5% coke. The food in the buffet was very good which varied each serving. When my daughter who is he fussiest eater you could possibly find had something to eat each serving I have no complaints. The other restaurants on the site were also very good with the Italian standing out as very good.

The beach was very beautiful but as other reviews have mentioned please beware of the flag system as it is there for a reason. The number of people who were in the water riding the waved when the flag was on red was amazing. I am a very strong swimmer and though it couldn't be that bad with the number of people in so I gave it a go. I was only is there for 10 mins and despite having a good time when I had to pull somebody out who had broken his ankle I decided to leave it there and follow the flag system.

Even when the flag is on yellow it is still very dangerous for children as the waves are quite powerful and the current strong.

We did 2 trips while here. The monster truck safari and the Ocean world trip.

The Monster Truck Safari was an experience I will never forget. I met some of the most wonderful people I have ever encountered. They are so poor and yet are so rich. Everybody has a smile on their face and will make you feel so welcome. Please take plenty of pens and paper with you for the children and the smile on their little faces when you give them something will stay with you forever. In all a wonderful day was had by the entire family.

The Ocean World Adventure Park trip was also a wonderful if expensive day (photographs).
The dolphin encounter was a once in a lifetime experience and it can be expensive as you will want all the photos (£75 for us). The sealion encounter was for me the highlight. It was very funny and these wonderful creatures are so cute.

Just came back from Casa Marina Beach with my wife and two sons. We go to the Caribbean at least once, sometimes twice a year. It was our first time in a hotel with less then 4 stars and I can definitely say that there is a big difference.

The good - There weren’t too many good things, the beach with enough space and clean ocean water. The grounds decent and since the hotel is relatively small and it’s pretty close to get anywhere you want. Staff tries hard but they are understaffed and overworked. Very good dinner deserts and breakfast were decent. Italian a-la-carte restaurant – Luigi – was very good but make a reservation at least 3 days in advance.

The bad – Rooms badly need updates, they are old, dingy and smell. Blankets have tears, burned holes and foot prints. Towels (both room and beach) seem even older, those that used to be white are grey and those that used be blue some undetermined color. Last couple of days we didn’t even get hand towels in the room despite daily tips to the maid. They do not provide lotion or drinking water in the room (after first day) and 1 small shampoo bottle was changed after 3 days (that’s for 4 people), good thing we brought our own. No you don’t spend a lot of time in the room but it leaves unkind impression. Lunches were horrible with the exception of two days. They seem to refuse to use spices in snack bars and drinks are watered down (which wasn’t a problem for us personally). There are not enough tables to accommodate all people in the buffet, so you almost always have to wait for a table and hunt one down by yourself.

The average – Buffet dinners were for the most part OK, nothing spectacular but you’ll find something to eat. Mexican and Seafood a-la-carte were very sub par but tolerable. The entertainment gets better with the amount of alcohol you consume which is problematic because as I mentioned drinks are watered down. I do have to say that entertainment quality average is not due to lack of trying or enthusiasm. They just don’t have the skills or time to practice.

We just returned from a two week stay in Sosua at the Casa Marina Beach and Reef. We stayed on the Beach side in Buiding 10. My husband and I along with our two children (4 yr. old and a 22 month old). We had a fantastic time. The entire resort area is gorgeous. The grounds are amazing. Beautiful trees and plants all over. We were there from Feb 6-20-2006. Our room was quite large. We had two double beds and even had a crib in there plus our entire luggage and we had plenty of room. We had no trouble or complaints with the room. We were steps away from one of the pools as well as steps away from the El Batey Restaurant. We had a lovely view. Our maid was very nice and always had a smile on her face. She did an excellent job cleaning it every day.

The restaurants were all very good. We enjoyed them all. Our favourite was the Italian a la carte. We went to all of them and like them all though. If you don’t care for having buffet at lunch time, then you can go to the Italian or the Mexican between 12-4 and they serve hot dogs, burgers, fries and chicken wings. That is always a hit with the kids too.

The pools were clean and the beach was great as well. We went to the beach in the mornings and then to the pool in the afternoon with the kids. They loved it all. And I don’t know what it is with this place but these kids slept great. They even needed naps in the afternoon and were sometimes hard to wake up to get ready to go out for supper.

If you are going to this place with children, I highly recommend the kid’s club. Tania is excellent with the kids and they all seem to love her in a hurry too. Our son went in the mornings from 10-12 most of the time and then it runs again from 3-5. This girl is wonderful. She has fun with the kids and you can tell she loves her job. She is always smiling and singing and in no time greeting all the kids by their names. She starts in the morning and some days does not finish till 11 p.m. She also works doing shows at night in the amphitheater. They work had.

We did a day trip through “Bobby Brown” from our hotel lobby. We just wanted to go out there and see some of the really poor sections and wanted to see lots of kids. We had a suitcase full of stuff to give away. We had toys, balls, pencils, papers, stickers, craft supplies, soap and all the clothes our baby girl no longer wears. So one day we went to Puerto Plata and visited with one family there. Took lots of pictures and our kids enjoyed the kids there too. As we were getting ready to leave, we gave them a bunch of stuff. Then on our way back to Sosua, we stopped to another spot and found a baby girl who was four months old and we gave them all the clothes for their baby to have. It was nice to see how fortunate we really are. They don’t have much but they are always smiling and look so happy. It made our day doing this day trip. We have lots of pictures that will cherish forever.

This was our second time in the DR and we really liked it. The first time was 5 yrs ago and we stayed in Puerto Plata. This place was bigger and we liked it better.

We went out of the resort a lot as well. We never had any trouble with that either. At night time we would go for walks in hopes to see kids wondering around. None of them bothered us. They actually would come up to say hello and that was about it. We had stuff for them too. We watched a few ball games across the street from the Reef Lobby. We went out almost every night just to walk around. If you need to make a phone call, it is cheaper to do it outside the resort. If you go out of the Reef Lobby, across the street is a spot where you can call out or use their computer and even a money exchange. They charge 10 pesos per minute for calls to Canada and US. I think it was 20 pesos for calls to the UK. This is much cheaper then calling from the room.

We ate at Baileys one day on our way back from the public beach. They make great burgers there.

We went to the public beach two different times. The water is calmer there then at the resort. Plus you can look around at all the little shops along the way. And my favourite was seeing a bunch of little Dominican kids and babies. They are so cute!!!

We are looking forward to going there again one day. We would recommend this place to anyone! It is a great place and the best part of it all is that you always get service with a smile. You are staying at a three star resort but you are getting 5 star service. It is a great place to go. You will love it. And if ever you run into any trouble or need assistance with anything, Annett from Guest Service is wonderful. She is in the lobby on the Beach side. We need cough medicine for our little girl and she made a call for us to the pharmacy and was able to tell them what we needed and within 15 minutes we had a delivery guy over with 5 different types for us to choose from. We did not get charged for the delivery either which really surprised us. She was very helpful.

Date visited was January 1-8 two adults from Toronto Canada

We arrived at the airport about 9:30 PM Dominican time. The passage out to the bus was fast and our things loaded quickly on to it. It took about 15 minutes to get to the hotel. The check in was also fast and our things were put in our room. At this point we wanted some food and because of the time had to go to a near by restaurant, that was about 3 minutes from the hotel. We had a light snack , that was good and the people friendly, sorry do not know the name.

We found our room had two beds about double in size that were comfortable but larger would be better. The room was clean and a good size, as was the bathroom.

The resort did not su! pply any bars of soap and facecloths were hit and miss. No hairdryer. One thing that was an inconvenience was the fact that the A/C and lights would only stay on when the door card was inserted into a reader on the wall. We did notice that the room did not get hot in the day when we were away with the card removed.The room could have larger light bulbs in it. It had a nice balcony that overlooked one of the two large pools at the resort.We asked for two wake up calls that were on time.All things considered the room was good dollar value

There are two large buffet restaurants with a large and mixed selection of hot and cold food plus a salad bar and desert bar. Each restaurant also has a bar. The staff is fast at clearing used plates from the table.There are three a' la carte restaurants that served seafood,Mexican,or Italian, and you reverve for these three dinners There are two beaches with the larger being four minutes from! our room. There are lots of lounge chairs on the beach but they should be marked with a towel early in the morning.The beach is sandy going into the ocean with a clear sand bottom.

We found the nightly show varied and very entertaining featuring guests and resort employees.It also had a free bar to add to the enjoyment. We made several walks down the streets of Sosua and found the people friendly. The vendors were a little high pressure but did nothing to cause any concern for safety.The streets are safe to walk, but watch out for the motor bikes, their main taxi service.

We went on the Outback Jungle Safari and it was very good. The trip is good and has good guides. This company helps local people by sponsoring a new family each year giving them a solar panel for hydro and money. THe half day city tour (Sousa and Porta Plata) was OK, but seemed to focus stopping several times for shopping.

Be su! re to take things for the room cleaning staff such as makeup, shaving stuff, things for children, etc. as small gifts. Leave a note indicating what you've left so the staff aren't accused of staff. . Do not forget the childern of the Dominican. Take them school suppies and some toys, but NOT candies. There is no health/dental program.

My family and I (2 adults and 4 daughters aged, 16, 14, 12, 10) went to the Casa Marina Beach in October 2005 for two weeks. We had the most amazing time, in fact, so good that we have booked to go back in June 2006. The rooms are very basic but extremely clean, every thing you need is on hand. It is not luxury but this reflects in the price. We found the staff to be extremely helpful and their positive outgoing nature created the perfect holiday atmosphere.

The food was out of this world. Something for every taste, you can either go for traditional British food or you can try some of the local dishes. At no point did any of us feel ill and we ate absolutely everything on offer. The free bar was incredible - we found the drinks extremely strong and often had to ask for additional soft drinks in order to dilute them.

Our rooms were cleaned every morning to an extremely high standard. However, the television in one of our rooms didn't work for the duration of our stay. However, I am sure this would have been rectified had we bothered to report it.

The weather was incredible only a couple of days of rain. We all got extremely tanned. Needless to say we are all looking forward to going back in June.

Just returned from Casa Marina Beach in September. Was our second year there and it was marvellous! Have read all the reviews previousy, and concluded that there are a lot of whiney people out there.

Casa Marina itself is a well run, clean hotel. Its not the Ritz, but then u dont tend to spend much time in the room anyway. Its basic, but sufficient. There is plenty to do during the day, the big pool has lots of activities from waterpolo to water aerobics. The restuarants and snack bars are clean, the staff are friendly and the food is very nice. So much choice that anyone could find something nice to eat. For your greasy chips and pizza and chicken, go to the Jalapeno restuarant during the day. For your more sensible rices and pasta and fruit go to either of the buffet restuarants. At night, the buffet is very nice, lots of variety and choice. If you book into either the Seafood, Mexican or Italien restuarant you get waiter/waitress service and can order a la carte. All 3 restuarants are very nice.

Dont be scared of exiting the complex. The last year, on our first visit, myself and my wife didnt leave the complex until the last few days, thinking we would get robbed or mugged. When we did eventually leave we regretted not doing it sooner. This year we were out almost every night! Voodoo bar is a great spot and Ken, Hannah and Trent will look after you in there.

For excursions, dont fall for the oldest trick in the book. It is very popular for the holiday company reps to encourage you not to leave the resort, so as you will spend all your money inside. They also try to sell you trips at very high rates. Dont fall for this. Get outside and shop, you will experience the whole culture of the Island, and contribute to the local economy. Everything is so much cheaper than in the hotel. Dont shop in the hotel shop, go to the Big Supermarket in the town. Dont use the phone in the hotel, go to the Internet Cafe outside Reef reception to the right about 100 yards. You can make 10 phonecalls home to the UK for the price that the hotel charges for 1. And dont buy the excursions of the holiday reps. Right outside Beach reception is a shop called Mel's Tours. Mel organises the same excursions at half the price and they are well recomended.

Dont want to write a big essay, but just want to share one thing with the people that say that the Dominican Republic is a dump, and wouldnt go back. Last year we got friendly with one of the local waiters. He escorted us out last year on those final nights, to put our minds at rest. We kept in touch for a whole year, and this year, he met us at the hotel on our first day, spent the entire two weeks with us, going out, helping with the language and helping us integrate with the locals when outside of the complex. He couldnt have been more of a friend to us, and he plans to come to UK in March or April so we can return the favour. The Dominican people are the salt of the earth. So friendly, so accomadating and would do anything to help a tourist. These people in the hotel work from morning until night, 7 days a week, and they earn in two weeks, what a middle income earner in the UK earns in just one day. And everytime they clean a table, or lift a plate, or serve a drink, or clean a room, they always have a friendly word, a smile and are usually whistling or singing.

Dear Debbie

I feel compelled to send my review of the Casa Marina Beach Hotel to you due to the unwarranted bad press that this hotel has had by some of your site visitors. My boyfriend and I (both in our mid twenties) returned from a fortnight there on the 25th of August having had the time of our lives. We went with Thompson Holidays (Glasgow flight) and despite the hotel being classed as a three star, far exceeded our expectations. It should be borne in mind that a few bad reviews should not reflect badly on the hotel as a whole – it is after all a vast all-inclusive complex, with hundreds of guests from the UK, Germany, Holland, USA, Canada and even some locals (in my book, the fact that there were Dominicans staying there is a good sign in itself). Also, it is a well known fact that people are more likely to air complaints than give praise and so would encourage those who had as fantastic a time as us to get their experiences posted to allow a balanced view to be given to people considering this hotel as a holiday as we were a bit apprehensive about the hotel before we went.

The complex itself is made up of two hotels-the Reef side and the Beach side, the Reef being the newer of the two. We stayed on the Beach side and although it was not as plush as the Reef, it was cheaper and retained the charm of the Dominican Republic. As all the facilities were shared anyway, we were perfectly happy to pay less and get the best of both worlds!! The room was fairly basic but always cleaned to a high standard with excellent air-conditioning and sky TV with English, German, French and Spanish channels which was great if we fancied an early night. We were also provided with a huge bottle of mineral water with which to brush our teeth with in our bathroom (you are repeatedly advised not to drink the tap water-even for brushing teeth). When it ran out we were able to replace the big bottle for less than $1 from the hotel shop which is not a hardship in my book! If you have children, take extra care that they don’t take a gulp of water by mistake!! The grounds of the hotel were attractive and well kept. I would say it was of a better standard generally than some more expensive counterparts in Greece or Cyprus that I have stayed in.

Complaints about reception are slightly exaggerated-but then I guess we had no major problems that needed attention. It is possibly true to say that they seem to pay more attention to women with queries from men, providing you smile and are polite you will have no problems. Unlike a very rude Dutch family who were screaming at the receptionist for ages that their 16 year old son should be given an over 18s wristband to allow him to be served alcohol because it’s legal for under 18s to drink in Holland-I mean hello, did they forget they were in the DR and thus subject to their laws!?! The hotel was responsible to refuse this!

The food was always a high standard and with enough vouchers to eat in the A la carte restaurants 6 times over two weeks we had plenty of variety and the buffet had themed evenings too. No problems making reservations and no tummy bugs in sight contrary to expectations! The food in the specialty restaurants was nice, but when they say A la Carte don’t expect something very posh-it’s more about being given waiter/ess service for a change rather than getting up and down to the buffet so it gives you a rest. Much of the food is Dominican style e.g. rice, curry/casserole, tropical fruit etc and always seafood/fish as an option. Again, if you are an English “egg, beans and chips” type you may struggle but again, if you wanted that you should have gone to Magaluf or somewhere more “British”. At lunchtime’s pizza, chips and burgers are available at the snack bars. The only complaint about the food is that they tended to use a lot of coriander in things so if you don’t like the taste, you too may struggle a bit. The alcoholic drinks were certainly NOT watered down-if anything they were ridiculously strong……and that’s coming from a Scot!!!! The hotel also used branded soft drinks e.g. Coca-cola, Fanta and Sprite which is quite uncommon in European all inclusive hotels.

The daytime/evening activities were extensive. The big pool was where the action was during the day, we usually went to the quieter pools or the terrace as we preferred to relax without being hassled to play water polo every two minutes….but then we are just lazy! Get your sunbeds ASAP though-if you are out after 10am they are scarce!! The evening entertainment was fine if you like that sort of thing-it is a bit Butlin-esque but is more than adequate considering it is predominantly families with children and couples in the hotel. We went a few times. There is a nightclub on site but we only went twice, again it serves its purpose if you fancy a bit of a boogie or to get friendly with the entertainment team! We went out into Sosua for drinks some nights and from what we saw it was safe and well lit-Baileys Bar, Voodoo lounge and La Roca were all good spots to watch the world go by, there were quite a few wee bars we didn’t try though so judge for yourself…..Andy the rep took us on a free walkabout to show us how safe it was…again if you smile and are polite you will have no problems with the locals, they are very friendly and welcoming to people who venture out the “compound” and no, its not just because they want to sell you stuff!!! The reason why the vendors are persistent is because people are wrongly advised not to go out the hotel and therefore the people are very poor because the expensive hotel shops make all the money. Sosua public beach is also very attractive.

Daytrips. There are loads of water sports available as part of the all inclusive package at the hotel including banana boat and kayaking. We went out on trips on the Monster Trucks…an absolute MUST do you get to see the island, stop at a gorgeous freshwater river for lunch and a swim!!!!!!!! And Dolphin swim, it was good and worth doing just to say you have done it, but again its more for geared up for the kids - its bit like Seaworld in Florida. It is a bit of a conveyor belt though.

All in all a great holiday- W