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 Grand Oasis Punta Cana/Grand Oasis Bavaro  Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 14 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 346 rooms Resort Website Description: Year Renovated - 2002 - 1 buffet and 3 à la carte restaurants including 1 Italian, 1 Tex-Mex and 1 grill (proper attire required for diner). 1 snack-bar. 5 bars including 1 open 24hrs - Swimming pools. - Paddling pool - Whirlpool - Spa - Guests receive an exclusive transfer to the casino at the Catalonia Bavaro Beach Casino  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 28  Don't forget to send Debbie your review ~ Map of Resort  ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Save on All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts with Travelocity Save on All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts with Travelocity.ca |
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| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Dennis |
My wife and I have traveled to the Dominican Republic a dozen times and have never experienced a property that we would never return to; now we've found one!
The (upgraded) room was too humid for habitation. The bed sheets were always damp as were the towels, our clothes, books and papers. The sliding door did not have a screen so attempting to dry out the room with outside air only served to welcome mosquitos into our clammy abode.
Two attempts by "maintenance" succeeded only in temporarily stemming the flow of water/condensation from the ceiling AC unit.
The food was poor to mediocre but we just could not get past the flies that were constantly on the food in the buffet serving areas, on the baskets of bread, on our plates, silverware, napkins and our food once it was in front of us. I have never experienced such unsanitary conditions anywhere in our very extensive travels. Table clothes are not routinely changed between diners; stains and spills from earlier diners only attracting more flies.
Our only respite from the flies was one a dinner at the Italian restaurant one evening.
It defies my understanding why this property is not experiencing widespread health problems among its guests.
The staff was nice, but have not been trained to be neat or attentive to the needs of their guests. A simple thing like having "cafe con leche"
arrive promptly at breakfast more often than not just could not happen.
I could go on and on but good reader I trust you get the message.
We would certainly not give the management of Grand Oasis Punta Cana 5 stars or 5 apples. A 3 would be most generous.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Amber ~ Calgary, AB, Canada |
Grand Oasis Cameleon Select Club / Bavaro Suites
Arrival and Flight April 10, 2008 - Air Transat Flight TS138, after being stuck on the tarmack in the plane for 4hrs during a snow storm we were finally off on our 6.5hr flight there. Thankfully the plane was not full as it was more comfortable to have to be on for 10.5hrs.
Rooms : Junior Suite in building 7 - they were spectacular and just like the rooms shown on the website which was nice, however I could see it being disappointing if you were in a standard room only seeing pictures of these rooms for sure.
Restaurants : I have to say I was impressed with all the restaurants, however my favorite was the Aqua which is mostly specific to the Cameleon Select Club as we can go in without a reservation at any time. I find the best thing to remember is that you can't expect it to be like home, but for being away I found it quite good actually. I was never sick, but stayed away from the salads as all the lettuce is washed in tap water which you can't drink.
Bars : Great service and the bartenders were great.
Beach and Pools : I found that the beach was great, white sand and good water. The first few days were a bit murky as there was quite a bit of wind, but the last half of the trip was calmer and the water was clean and clear which was nice and I spent more time in the water then. I did not spend any time in the pools at all to be honest, however saw them cleaning often and others seemed to enjoy them as well.
Grounds : They were always working and keeping things neat, tidy and clean around the place. After it rained one night they were out picking up everything that fell and cleaning things up nicely.
Activities and Entertainment : There was plenty to do and the entertainment was quite good as well.
Tours : I didn't take advantage of any tours this trip as I was simply going to relax and unwind on the beach, but others who did were really impressed and seemed to enjoy their outings.
Departure and Check Out : April 17, 2008 - Air Transat flight #TS139, check out was great as I only had to pay an extra $15 to keep my room for 2hrs longer. Departing through the airport all went without a hitch and it was nice to be on my way home.
Conclusion : I was impressed with the overall atmosphere and service provided at this resort. Keep in mind I did pay the extra to book as part of the Cameleon Select Club to ensure a suite in building 7 and some of the other little extras which made the entire stay that much more enjoyable. I decided before I went that I was going to spend the extra upfront and hopefully ensure a better time than try to fix it when I got there. I found the people to be friendly and helpful, but you do have to remember they are on Dominican time and everything will get done, just not always right away like back home.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Katerina |
We stayed there for the first week of April’08. It was our first Caribbean vacation, but I have to admit I expected more for the money.
Pros:
1. Room was in a good condition (bldg#2 – we gave a $20 tip to get a better room), maid service is excellent (subject to a $4 daily tip) – Angela was great - the room was always clean and the fridge was well-stocked.
2. Overall resort was quite clean and 50% of staff was friendly.
3. Resort doctor was very nice and helpful – my Daughter was very sick for 4 days with the stomach flu. He gave us some kind of medication (everything is Spanish) and she was in a tip-top shape after 12 hours! Plus we didn’t have to pay anything, b/c we were able to use our insurance (not counting tip, of course).
4. Pool – great.
5. Weather and ocean – really enjoyed both!
6. Haven’t seen any bugs, roaches or rats – progress!!!!!
Cons:
1. Terrible Food!!!!! The "best" place at the resort is considered to be the Italian Restaurant, but in my opinion, I would rather go to Olive Garden. We ate there once and my husband got sick! Stay away from American Grill - food is simply inedible. Windows (buffet) is great for breakfast or lunch, but dinner selection is very poor (at least they compensate with the friendly staff!!). Seafood place is acceptable. Room service selection has ONLY 6 sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
2. Impossible to make reservation to the restaurants if you don’t tip! My husband didn’t tip and the rep gave him American Grill reservation for 8pm at night, saying that this is only one availability for the entire week, b/c somebody cancelled. When we got to the restaurant – the place was Empty!!!! ….Later, I spoke to another rep - Annie, who was very kind and helped me to get reservations for every night of our 1-week stay there.
3. Beach is not very clean. Aside from the seaweed (which is cleaned daily), watch out for broken glass.
4. ATM machine dispense only pesos – bring cash with you!
Overall, our experience was o.k. Would I recommend this place to anyone? Probably yes…, but only for students.
Hope it helps.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Andrea ~ Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
Pictures Link: http://travel.webshots.com/album/563045309mFrSWZ
Arrival and Flight: Flew Air Transit from Toronto for an early departure at 6:30am. The flight was uneventful and slept most of the way. Arrived in Punta Cana Airport around 10:40. Customs went quick and departed the airport to the hotel within 45 minutes.
Resort: Located within the Grand Oasis Punta Cana is the new section Grand Oasis Bavaro Suites (please do not confuse it with The Grand Oasis Punta Cana).
The Grand Oasis Bavaro Suites is not like your typical resort which have large lobby but has its own small lobby that caters to the Cameleon Select Club. This section is brand new and was pretty much completed while I was there other then the elevators. This section has it's own pool, restaurant and bars as well as full access to facilities and services at the Grand Oasis Punta Cana (guests at the Grand Oasis Punta Cana do not have access to the faculties at the Grand Oasis Bavaro Suites)
Check In: Check in went quick but the room was not ready. This I find typical with many resorts that I have been at that have early flights in so my girlfriend did as they suggested and went and had lunch and roamed the resort. We finally got back to the lobby around 3:00pm (we had to test out the coco locos at all the bars) and our room was ready.
Rooms: Our room was in building eleven on the third floor and it was a great room. It was all brand new with new drapery, plasma TV. Furniture, beds, digital safe, etc. And everything worked. The maids took good care of us while we were there and we tipped them for it. There was always plenty of water, beer, soft drinks, coffee in the room. You really could not ask for more when it came to the room.
Restaurants: We didn't go to any of the a la carte but ate at the main buffet "Windows" our buffet restaurant "Bavaro" and the "Beach Garden Cafe". Both buffets (Windows and Bavaro) were excellent but Windows seem to have a larger selection of food and the service was much faster. As for the "Beach Garden Cafe" it was great. Buffet style with plenty of choices as well as a BBQ station outside for hamburgers, hotdog's, Chicken, etc. It was also open 24hrs with snacks from 11:00pm to 6:00am.
Bars: We checked out all the bars and the drinks were great. I did find that the service was not as good at any of the bars as I am used to at other resorts I have stayed at. At times there were a huge line ups at the "Beach Garden Cafe" on the beach. The only time you would see all three bartenders working was when management came around. Also they had a problem with keeping up with clean glasses which they did remedy by using plastic cups but only when management told them to get them.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Caireen ~ Kahnawake, Quebec |
Rooms We got a good deal from Sunwing (after a cancellation of our Mayan Riviera destination just one week before!! with no explanation!) so we were debating upgrading to the suites, but ultimately were still on a budget so chose the "deluxe room". Initially had some problems, which gave us about one hours worry about our choice, but front desk and maintenance were quick to fix an adjoining door which had swelled open (maybe a family had been there all week and kept it open?) Also took a little wiggling to get the balcony door secured to my boyfriend's standards. Room was huge with King-sized bed, comfortable, with a closet with shelves and lots of drawers to put our stuff. Not the case in all rooms as we got a glimpse of a few down the hall. Could be the difference between a deluxe and standard room? Also suite rooms in Building 7 definitely nicer, but we ended up liking our room in Building 3 very much, close to beach and activities and as one woman in 7 said "much closer to the bars to get a drink!" However, one thing we noticed....DAMP. Took two days for our towels to dry from home and clothes and sheets always a little damp, which strangely enough didn't bug us while there but as you will see cost us on the way home!! Jeans not a good idea in any case, as I like to wear jeans capris and skirts. Not a good idea with the humidity!
Tahira, our maid, was quick to answer any concerns about the room if spoken to directly, esp. about our preference for Coke Light and a remote that worked. Otherwise clean towels, face cloths and room every day. Did tip her few bucks a day, she obviously worked hard all day, but always had a smile or singing.
Restaurants We had no problems finding something to eat at any time of day. Buffet breakfast had alot of selection, Carlos, our AM waiter always ready with a smile, high five and my tea, was the best, there for breakfast and lunch. Dinner waiters we found hard to get drinks from or missing cutlery, just seemed not to care as much as earlier staff. We ended up eating and leaving quickly to go to the pool bar to relax after dinner. We also tipped when we had good service, but guess the evening waiters actually never got to find that out! Italian was ok, but our reser was for 9:45, and we ended up pigging out at the beach grill on chicken and fries so we wouldn't be hungry!!! Needless to say we were still a little full. We missed the seafood place because I got sick (tried to blame the food, but my boyfriend was quick to point out the amount of rum I had the night before....oops) But we didn't think we missed out on much because was so windy couldn't have been that pleasant. American Grill we ate at twice and really liked it...loved the chips and salsa before the meal! First time we had resers, second time on our last night we just walked in and asked if we could be seated. Good beef enchilada in the combo, liked the fajitas.
Also, could still find food to eat when i was not feeling my best...nothing a little white rice and bananas couldn't fix!
Bars No complaints there...when I found my drink a little weak at the pool bar just asked for a little more rum. No problem. May have been the start of my downfall that day! My boyfriend thought the Presidente beer on tap tasted like Coors light, but we also loved the Vodka and orange with fresh orange juice....and can't forget the BananaMamas! Little too sweet to drink all week tho'. Pool bar very refreshing to sit in the water and get your drink or wander around the pool with it.
Beach and Pools Beach was great, always cleaning up the seaweed, and always found a nice place to lounge when we wanted. Took a long walk to the left past the other resorts (we're really nosy about how other people are living!) and found the undeveloped beach and the sunset our first day there. Meant to go back but just never made it. Main pool was nice and refreshing , alittle bit of debris floating, but a guy cleaning it during the middle of the day. Always noticed someone cleaning something! Was windy some of the days we were there so could understand. other pools looked nice but never made it to swim as main pool more active and closer to the bar!
Grounds Just amazing and beautiful! Took way too many pictures of flamingoes for my BF's taste but they made it seem more like paradise. Maybe saw some kind of a funky squirrel or rodent run across the end of the hall, but it's open, what can you do.
Activities and Entertainment BF caught a beach volleyball game and was quite happy, we did the banana boat for $10 bucks each one day and the 1 hour snorkelling from the glassbottom boat for $20. Was worth it, as bread in hand attracts many coloured fish, blue and yellow, with some duller striped fish and some blending into the coral. Caught two shows which were entertaining, but missed alot of them as just getting through the kids show required more alcohol than I could handle all week! My son probably would have loved it, but....little too much! Disco was fun and packed the one night we made it, with animation staff staying to get the party started...they work long hours!! Casino was fun as my bf won on the 25 cent slots...I managed to grab $175 of his winnings...paid for our dunebuggy excursion and more. Animation staff also busy all day doing all kinds of exercises, games, dancing, etc. Fun to watch, didn't get too involved tho'.
Tours Through Sunwing, booked the Country Adventure tour, which we figured, you can't visit a country without learning a bit about it. Didn't regret it one bit, very interesting and entertaining guide Alberto, forgot the school supplies I meant to bring for the kids, but others remembered. Really an experience to see how other people live in other countries. Bought some oregano off of the woman who's house (shack) we visited, then raw sugar and vanilla at the ranch. Then had some panicky thoughts going through customs with an unlabelled container of green leaves and white crystals!! But had no problem there. Found out I was allergic to horses at the ranch...travellers, a little Benadryl, Gravol and Immodium can't hurt and make sure you have your Ventolin if you're even a little asthmatic...you never know what your trigger will be (I'm a Nurse). Missed out on swimming at the beautiful beach because others in our group had dinner resers and we were late already. Oh well.
Next we took the Tropical Storm Happy Hour Sunset Tour. Got stuck on a boat full of french-speaking people but luckily found two other english couples. Got to snorkelling point and unfortunately the "Tropical storm" part came out....the waves were too big and the boat ahead of us were rescuing their passengers as we got there!! Apparently some tail-end of a hurricane was causing big waves....and clouds! There went our sunset...no wonder I had too much rum. Still had fun but wouldn't do this tour again...only rum, coke, sprite, orange soda and beer on that boat. But the little bottles of mamajauna with our pictures on them were cute and only 10 bucks.
The 3rd and final excursion (we found out we're not lounge people) was the dunebuggy ride. The MOST FUN we had all week....awesome, we were filthy and loving it. Finally made it to the Macao Beach we had missed earlier, which was amazing...but alot of kids and people trying to sell stuff while you're trying to wash off! Cheapie, cheapie, just 4 u! Then back in the dirt and off to a natural pool in a cave....equally amazing. At the end they offer you horse riding...I skipped this time!
Departure and Check Out Went fine at the hotel. get the phone cards to call home though...my bf mistakenly made a ten second call home to Canada and it cost us $9. Phone cards are $20 for 18 min, internet $5 for 20 min, but for two days one of the computers was free so everyone kept sneaking on!
Ok, here's the thing about damp rooms....you're luggage weighs a heck of a lot more going home than when you came. I bought some souvenirs, but nothing major, some pareos and necklaces for the kids, three little bottles of rum and coke light for my bf. However, when we got to the airport, they told us both our bags were overweight and charges us $100...between the two of us 10 kilos over. I can't figure out how since when we left both bags were under, but when I unpacked my jeans felt like they came out of the washer damp....that's all I can figure out....but caution for anyone who likes to skirt the limit, they will charge and we weren't the only ones because they kept announcing for all the people who paid overweight charges to verify their receipts at the airport. I'm thinking some kind of scam too, but whatever...they took american or canadian, they didn't care as long as it was cash!! I felt like a criminal.
Conclusion We definitely had a great time, our first trip away from the kids by ourselves as a couple, you could definitely have a romantic, fun, amazing time here. We have no idea what a 5 star would be like, but we're not fancy smancy people and Grand Oasis suited us just fine! had a little of everything for us. We also like the size of the resort, not so big you needed a trolley to get from place to place, could walk to everything easily(especially when a little sick and needed to get back to the room quick, LOL) We would consider bringing the fam back here if we ever considered bringing the kids back with us, but I think we might keep it our little place for now (there's five of them!!)
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Keith |
We stayed here the week of March 22 -29. The resort is lovely but the room we had was terrible. The plumbing for the tub would not work and after 3 days they came only to make it worse. We never did get it fixed. The bath room switch for light and fan and bedside lamp would not work and we got it fixed after 3 days. The sunwing rep tried to help us but did not have any luck either. The front desk only wanted a upgrade at 50.00 a day. The morning we were to leave we lost all power in the resort and had to finish packing in the dark as they had no back up power. I would not rate this resort a 4+ it is more like a 3 even though I have never stayed at a 3.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Terry ~ Halifax, Nova Scotia |
We just arrived home from our vacation at the Grand Oasis Punta Cana.
Vacationed from March 22 - 29, 2008 with Sunwing Vacations - Pleased with our carrier. This is an average/usual charter flights with mimimum legroom. We received our free glass of champagne, headsets and movie. Choice of meal on both flights. Beach towel in room. Welcome information meeting with free bottle of rum.
This resort is located between gated off Club Med and the Natural Beach Park you cannot get access to the entire beach. There are 3 other resorts located in this location. The beach has a lot of seaweed. There was a tropical storm the week before which gave the beach more seaweed then normal. If you walk up past the 3 resorts the beach there is gorgeous and wonderful to swim. I would not recommennd the beach in front of the resort for swimming.
The beach has lots of huts for laying under but you need to get up early in the morning to reserve these places. Beach side there is a restaurant which serves breakfast and lunch and serves as a a'la cart resturant in the evening. (Not sure of name as it wasn't mentioned on the door or at the reservation desk). Also by the beach is a snack bar with hamburges/hotdogs and chicken fries and condiments. Beach Gardern Bar located between beach area and pool area.
Watersports - free kayaking and cataman - (need a free lesson) if you cannot drive a catarmarn. We did have trouble getting the free catamarn lesson. For payment you can snorkle on the beach $10.00 not a great spot for snorkling, glass bottom boat ride $10.00 for $20 glass bottom boat and snorkling for appromately 1 hour. We did the glass bottom boat ride didn't do the snorkling because we didn't know you could and information there was not great but others on the boat did go and it was a great spot to see lots of fish. We were on the boat and thru out bread and yellow/black fish just bubbled to the top also seen a few blue fish. This is the area a lot of catmarman and snorkling tours took thier people. Banana Boat $10.00 (I think). I believe you can also book a fish tour as well. This is the area you exchange your towel.
The resort has two pools adult and general swimming pool with a kiddies pool area. Didn't go to the adult pool so I don't know what it was like. Swim up bar and a pool bar which opens later than the beach bar and is open late into the evening. Lots of activities going on at the pool area, spanish lessons, dancing, volley ball etc.
Bars - there is the swimup bar, pool bar, beach bar, adult pool bar. Unsure of what times the pool bar opens but is 12:00 or later, I believe the beach bar is 24 hours. Swim up bar closes at 6:00 p.m. Pool bar is the congreation area in the evening before the show and during and after the nightly show. Piano bar opens at 10:30 p.m. Karoke on Tuesday and Sautrday. not a lot people here usually. Disco bar open 10:30 p.m. only went once not a huge crowd.
Nightly entertainment - in the covered theatered. Movies every evening before the kids show (Kid particpate with singing and dancing). Then the main show which a differernt theme every night. Michael Jackson show is great. They also have audience particpation shows and the dance shows which showcase thier native dancing. Beach party was simply a show with audience participation hamburges/hotdogs.
Managers party was orange juice and champagne and entertainment staff dancing with us!
Resturants - Main Buffet good food average amount of selection. A'la Cart - Italian - Awesome service and food. Tex - Mex (Amercian Grill) average food - no steak. Didn''t try the others. I seen the Japaense and the Aqua restaurant and there was a fifth down by the beach but I don't know what it was called. You can make reservations in the main lobby between 8a.m.- 11:00 a.m and 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. reserve early.
Lobby area and grounds looked wonderful.
Our room was huge and so was the bed. Everything worked in our unit no problems with cleaniness. Loved the safe. $18.00 - you progamed in a code no key to lug around loved that.
The room were not overly fancy but they were nice.
La Fieston tour - long travelling time.
Travelled to the Artitist Villiage simply stunning and beautiful. Boat ride was great offered food and drinks. Food was hotdogs. Entertainment - dancing both watching and participating. Sailed past millionaire homes like Michael Jackson, Michael Jordon, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton.
Then off to our stop with snorking on a reef. Very good snorking here. Includes was a buffet and banana boat and tubing boat rides.
We had a great vacation and enjoyed our stay. We would not go again because of the beach but if your not a swimmer in the ocean it would not be a huge issue.
If you want to ask any question email me at terbearg@hotmail.com with Grand Oasis in the subject line.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Penny |
The Seaforth & District All Girls Marching Band along with chaperones (group of 53) from Huron County, Ontario, spent March Break at the Grand Oasis Punta Cana. The purpose of the trip was a performance and humanitarian tour. The girls gathered donations and school supplies to help school children at the little school in Cabeza de Toro near the resort. Caren DeVries, rooms manager at the resort, helped us set up preparations for our week and everyone had a wonderful time. The staff at this beautiful family friendly resort went out of their way constantly to ensure that our group had a memorable stay. The Band performed on stage at the resort, as well as at the Beach Party, The resort provided a truck and translators to accompany our group to the school where they performed and gave gifts of much needed school supplies, shoes and hygiene supplies. The highlight of the trip was a suitcase full of recorders (the musical instrument taught to grade 5 students in Ontario)... The girls had fundraised to buy them as gifts for the Dominican children. Bandmembers and chaperones returned to the school to teach the teachers and students to play and left the recorders for them to begin their own music program! The work at the school was very educational for our pampered children....seeing how their small gifts could make such a difference. The girls had a wonderful time taking in all the activities the resort had to offer and chaperones were extremely pleased at the level of security on the resort. I have travelled to Grand Oasis twice before and have no desire to even try out any other resorts....Caren and her staff always make me feel like a valued guest....I encourage anyone travelling to this resort or any other to remember the families that live in the area....School supplies and hygiene items are in short supply and will be greatly appreciated.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Blair and Wendy ~ Oshawa |
Just book it and go. Not enough can be said to convince you. What a terrific time.
This may be long but we touched most of the things that may interest you.
We flew out of Toronto February 24 2008 and returned March 2 2008 with Air Transat. We arrived as usual in the evening about 9:30pm. It was an uneventful flight. Our return trip was the same but was late due to a previous storm. No big deal.
Our tour rep in Punta Cana was Audry and she was able to direct us through out our holiday to ensure we were getting the best out of everything. Great job Audry.
Our suite was 9202 on the Bavaro side as indicated. The grass was very manicured and lots of work going on in upgrades but never annoying or bothersome, work must go on. The room was so fresh and new, just a couple of months old, complete with a small bottle of rum. What a wonderful room it was. Big flat screen television, a writing desk, a nice sofa and an abundance of pillows on the bed made it luxurious. All the usual amenities with in our room beach towels instead of lining up for them. We tried to turn them in for fresh ones at the beach shack one day, but they were always running out. Some people used three or four a day, very unnecessary. It's only sand. The easy way to get new ones was to give them to the maid and fresh ones were put in your room before they went to the beach shack. The bed was a king and was very fancy. The bed was so comfortable but the room was a bit cold. The air conditioner was not controllable. It was on or off. We turned it off during the day and on at night . Extra towels on the bed for a bit of warmth made the nights so comfortable. I could not be bothered to ask for maintenance to come. It was easy to get around the workings of the air con. The bath was large and had a Jacuzzi tub that we used, the shower was great and the toilet was in a room of it's own off the bathroom that made it real nice. Beautiful marble fixtures all around and the floor and walls to match. Lots of storage space throughout and drawers. A closet with hangers that were removable not the half hangers that you cannot use out of the closet. We hung up shirts and bathing suits to dry on them, very handy. Lighting was very nice and not to bright. The balcony faced the exclusive pool and had two comfortable chairs and a table. If you had a ground floor suite you had chaise lounge chairs at your door and the chairs. Juan was our exclusive waiter to the Bavaro and he always offered a drink. After your first order he always knew what your order was. ( Try the vodka and fresh watermelon juice, wow.) The Bavaro side is quite quiet which is nice. You never had to walk far to find the noise and excitement. The room had a safe which we used and we even got a $10.00 American tab for free at the casino every night. Don't be fooled, nothing is free. After a couple of drinks and a hope full winning streak it cost over $70.00 to walk away, all the time the dealer saying how close we were to winning the big one. Stay away. Mosquito's were around the room a bit. Never saw one outside but the new rooms had floor drains in the bathroom in case of a water leak and I think they come up the drain that is not capped to the outside. I put a book over the grate and we found it to be better. The nightly hunt for a couple of mosquito's before bed was a ritual but not a big deal. A towel at the door on the floor may be of use to keep the mosquito's out.The fridge was real cold if the cupboard doors were left open. The fridge will obviously over heat and not cool in an enclosed area, so the doors were always open. Nice cold water, pop and beer. The water bottles were the one litre size, so bring one from the airport if you want a smaller one for the beach. Very big water bottles. But handy in the room, and the bathroom for brushing teeth. There was a coffee maker and it also came in useful for tea if you brought back bags from the entrance of Windows restaurant. The bars served very good clean cold water. I am very careful when it comes to water and this was very clean. Not a problem. Elena was the maid. Few English words but I am the foreigner, no big deal, we laughed together anyways. Funny when language doesn't work you can still figure things out. Her English for mosquito made me laugh all the time we were there. Mow-kito. She did a fantastic job. Always on the go and efficient. I tipped everyday, three dollars a day, about twenty for the week, not many others were tipping. It was hardly noticeable but I knew they were not as when I did it was a big deal to the help. They thanked and thanked us for the tip. We left small trinkets as usual but the skipping ropes, hair ties, young kids Disney underwear and the Hot Wheel cars that were only a dollar at home went real well.
We had our own exclusive a la Carte restaurant, no booking needed, just show the yellow wrist band.
The restaurants were very nice, we did the American Grill twice and the Da Mario once. Both were very good. The steak and pork together kabob was absolutely fantastic. We had the buffet dinner once but otherwise we did our own a la Carte for the rest of the time. I had steak with fried onions with the best ever creamy mashed garlic potatoes. There was two huge strips down each side of the meat and I could only eat one side but they were awesome. Wendy was able to clean the rest of them up, she is a potato nut.The Windows buffet was pretty good, a different theme every night, but we get tired of dinning out every night so the overabundance of food gets tiring. Lots of variety including fishes and some sea food. During lunch there was lots to eat as well. We made the mistake of having a huge Cesar salad at the Beach Garden Cafe for lunch and you know what happened. It had been made fresh in front of us but afterwards we realized that it was sitting in the open and not refrigerated very well. But live and learn. Beach Bar-B-Que on Thursday night with a party. It was no big deal.
The bars very fast and full of fun. Lots of good times for all. Again I tipped and was embarrassed a few times as even during a long line up I would pass by and they would yell at me asking if I wanted anything. Great bunch of guys.
We talked to the Manager a few times. Very nice and they have allot of great ideas for this place. Great job so far.
The beach was AAA and very busy. Not so much walking south but endless to the north. The water was calmer than we expected due to the reef. We sat near the towel shack most of the time and had some great laughs at the people working the shack as well as the hair braiding women. Olla, Hello, Bon Jour, with big smiles only to see the smiles disappear when they were turned down. Funny. Too expensive for something that looks so foolish on allot of people. The beach vendors were very good and easy to deal with. We found out from Don and Nancy, a fantastic couple we met there that cruising the other resorts sometimes saves you allot of shopping time and money. Their shops are reasonable and allot less work to find things you want. Water was so clear and warm, however a long walk of over two hours north away there was a lagoon that they took catamaran rides to. It was called the natural swimming pool, the smell was off and you could draw a line through the middle of when the colour changed from blue to brown. The smell was coming from a stream running into it. We did not walk in the water or on the beach there. It was the Bavaro Barcello 4 in one. They had allot of sickness there, no wonder.
The grounds were absolutely gorgeous and well maintained. Broken things from the drunken nights before were fixed within a day.
Activities were around for everyone but we were in a quiet mode so we watched and relaxed. A friend that we had met from Sirenis Tropical had started here and was just as much fun this time as last. Great job Jordan, he calls himself Micheal Jordan, to much.
We did not tour as most tours offer sand, sun, beach and rum, all the same as the resort, why leave? We did do the bike ride only to find out that they took use to a vendor at the end of the ride and expected us to shop. Not. The bike was so uncomfortable, the seat was broken and the tires wobbled bad. The catamaran and sail boards were there to use. The guys in the shack tried to scam $10.00 lessons but I read up well on the resort and the lessons were included. They showed me how, to little use as the catamaran went everywhere but where I wanted it. We headed to shore with the greatest force and beached it. Whew. Let me off. Tennis, gym, snorkling, volleyball and shuffle board for entertainment if you like. The Micheal Jackson Tribute was pretty good and the only show we went to. It was generally to late for us as we never left the sun any day.
Checkout was great as we had the room for longer due to the late flight, costs a bit but worth it. Check out was a little confusing as we had the room longer and paid and simply vacated the room and moved our luggage to their locked room. I thought they understood, but no big deal. The ride to and from the airport was nice as it was only 20 minutes. Unlike Sirenis which is an hour away, and BuMmPpyY.
Don't hesitate, just go. Great people, great sun, great sand, great times. What a wonderful stay. Thanks to Air Transat for putting it together and to all the people that make it great. Air Transat included, by surprise the $20.00 U.S. departure tax. Thanks Transat Guys. More 151 Percent Proof Rum for us.
| Grand Oasis Bavaro/Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Gretchen |
Just love the short 20 minute ride from the airport to be greeted with cold towel, fresh cookie and rum punch. Check in was a breeze and Building 7 was as beautiful as ever. This year we had the second hot tub on our patio looking out to the ocean. Weather was just wonderful and the service remains what I believe to be the best in Punta Cana. A warm thank you as always to Caren for making us feel like we are returning home again and again, Nicholas at the adult pool, the maid service and all staff members who constantly go out of their way to make your time in the sun is something to treasure.
Grounds - lush and kept beautiful. I have one pet peeve in this area though - I don't understand why guests can not return an empty glass to the bar where they filled it in the first place instead of just placing it on a wall...
Beach - enjoyed the expansion by re-locating the local merchants. Was happy to see that they were in walking distance. Always enjoy playing the game with them. Seaweed raked every morning! No problems with getting chairs.
Pools - wonderful. Great selection. We spend most of our time at the adult pool, but do miss the privacy wall. Would like to see some sort of privacy regained in that area again.
Food - made reservation at Italian restaurant for anniversary. Whole meal was outstanding! Windows offers great variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lunch at the beach bar and hamburgers on the beach also hit the spot. No problems with the food what so ever. This year I noticed how much more flavor the fruits and vegetables have than here in the states. You should never go hungry at this resort and quality was great.
Room - we stayed in Building 7 again and enjoyed every minute of it. Maid service was great every day. No problems with hot water, mini fridge or AC at all.
Entertainment - this was our 7th visit to PC so we kinda pass on the majority of shows, but please do not pass on the Michael Jackson show. It is spectacular even seeing it again.
Something New - we took the bike ride with JC and other guests. It was relaxing and is a great idea. Will definitely do it again when we return. Tours leave everyday at 10 am and sign up is at Tennis office.
Punta Cana is growing by leaps and bounds. Amazing how things have changed over the past 7 years, but always still worth the trip. The people of the DR are an amazing group of people. Always there with a smile. And if you have the room, throw some school supplies in your suitcase for the children. This year, I gave our supplies to the Outback Safari crew who will get them to deserving kids. Every little bit helps…
I enjoy our time at Grand Oasis and would recommend it to anyone. And of course, we will be back...
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Barb |
My best friend and I just returned from a one week vacation at the Grand Oasis Punta Cana. We holidayed from February 26th - March 4th. I can't say enough positive things about this resort! The food was fantastic with a great variety to suit all tastes. We ate at two of the three a la carte restaurants. The Tex Mex was okay but the Italian was superb!
The only negative comment I have is that there was a group who were consistently noisy until all hours of the morning. This didn't allow my friend to get much sleep. I had taken ear plugs with me so I was fine.
The beach is awesome and the pools superb.
We booked with Sunwing and had no problems with the flights. They served tasty meals and were very pleasant to deal with. I am already planning a second vacation to the Grand Oasis Punta Cana.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Jennifer ~ Winnipeg, MB, Canada |
Arrival -
A group of 6 of us flew down with Sunwing vacations. This was frustrating for us as originally it was a direct flight, and then after we booked, they changed the flight to go through London, Ontario. Sunwing also changed the flight times. Arrival at the resort was smooth, however many people rushed the desk, and I would assume that it took quite a bit of time to get checked in if you were not first in line. Originally we had asked for rooms on the upper floors, but were told there were no other rooms and placed on the first floor of building 5.
Rooms -
In building 5...NEED UPGRADING/REPAIR. Of the three rooms that we had, each had it's own individual problems ranging from leaky plumbing, to having locks on the doors that don't work to (in all three rooms) a cockroach problem. One room had no alarm clock and the other a phone that didn't work...we asked several times and only the phone got replaced, regarding the alarm clock, we never saw it. When presented with these issues we were informed that the only thing they could do was upgrade us to building 9, at a cost of $100 per room. Also they offered that if we wanted we could get our room fumigated (but we did not want to get poisoned ourselves and thus opted not to get it --> we wouldn't stay in a house that was fumigated at home, why would we do it here where standards are much lower). Despite the fact that all three rooms tipped very liberally, the maid service was poor, and they would often knock on the doors at 8 a.m. even when we had the do not disturb on the door. Very annoying. Overall, we really only stayed in the rooms to sleep, but small attention to detail would have been nice and would have made our stay much more enjoyable, and less frustrating.
Restaurants -
Food was great. We went to the Windows restaurant, as well as Di Mario's and American Grill. No problems and lots of selection, however, if you are a vegetarian you may have some trouble being satisfied if you don't intend to expand your palette during your stay. Desserts were spectacular! One thing that would be nice is if they got drink machines in the buffet. Often we would be done our dinner and just getting our drinks.
Bars -
Bars everywhere and the alcohol is plentiful! Bartenders were very polite and recognized you quickly! Great service! YAY BAHAMA MAMAS!
Beach and Pools -
3 pools - all were great and cleaned regularily. Very accessible and the common pool does not allow topless which is really nice if you have a family or are travelling with a group. The beach was nice..yes there was seaweed, but it's the ocean so not the biggest deal in the world. Really nice soft sand and never had problems finding 6 loungers all together at either location.
Grounds -
Meticulously maintained. Beautiful. Attention to detail.
Activities -
Lots of fun. Animation team going all day and all night trying to get people involved. Really fun and enjoyable for people of all ages. Great job!
Tours -
We walked 2 resorts down to Natura Park and took the 1hr snorkelling excursion for $15. Perfect amount of time and the reef is right there so it only took a minute to get there. Great value! We also did the Outback Jungle Safari ! It was a great day and they take you to numerous places that expose you to the Dominican Culture. We were also able to give a large donation of school supplies which I was informed would be allocated appropriately (they look out for the community!). Excellent job again Outback Safari...we will continue to support your business each time we visit the DR. P.S. if you want to buy coconut oil, do it on the excursion it's the cheapest there!
Conclusion -
All in all we had a really great vacation, but the Grand Oasis needs to pay more attention to detail and have more focus on customer service. I would recommend this hotel for a vacation, but would say that you might have a more enjoyable time in blocks 7 and higher as the rooms there were gorgeous and maintained (according to other friends that we met and they showed us their room)!
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Jennifer ~ Prince Edward County |
Arrival -
No problems. We flew in with Air Canada, it was great. At first my husband and I didn't have seats together, but once the plane took off, they did what they could do, and we sat across from each other.. loved the food!!
Rooms -
Building 11, everything looked new, it was beautiful, house keeping did a great job. Still working on the pool just outside the building, but it will be nice when they are done.
Restaurants -
We had no problems with the food, we went with a group of 6, two with allergies, everyone found something good to eat.
Bars -
I only drink beer.... it was good, and we had no problems with the service.
Beach and Pools -
Once again, Beautiful, and clean. Some seaweed on the beach, but every morning the men were out raking everything up.
Grounds -
Everything was clean, cups were always picked up around the pool. Someone was always cleaning, either the pool or around the pool!!! We could always find chairs, like I said we traveled with a group of six and we had no problems Finding a group of seats, either on the beach or around the pool.
Activities -
That is one thing we didn't join in! We watched, it looked good!!! Everyone around watching it seemed to enjoy it.
Tours -
My husband, and friend went on the " three hour tour" of deep see fishing. My husband does not like fishing, but really enjoyed it, he said it was an experience. They caught 6 fish between the two of them. They loved it. They booked this from Philippe, The guy sitting on the beach!
Also booked a four wheeler tour on a ranch with Clenel, (great guy) The tour was really something to see. Glad we did it. I am still in contact with Clenel. And we also took a cab into to town, they took very good care of us.
Conclusion -
Before we went, we were very worried, because of what the reviews said, Once we got there, we saw it was not true, the "klan" really enjoyed themselves, it was clean, the rooms were beautiful, the staff was very friendly.. from the moment we got there.. (thanks Hosea.) The food was great, we had no complaints.. Come on peaople what is your problem? You want to have a great trip, go to the grand oasis! It's all what you make of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Marci ~ LaSalle, Ontario |
Arrival -
Arrived January 12 at approximately 3pm. Busses were waiting for us.Transition from the Airport to the resort was quick and easy. Check in was a breeze and beverages were served as we checked in.
Rooms -
In Building 3, King size bed with garden view. Room was clean and everything worked. Privacy was great!
Restaurants -
Food was great! Selection was great! Service was great! We ate at two of the ala cart restaurants. The American Grill.....it was superb! and... The Italian restaurant.....also superb.
Bars -
All the bars were great....ready to have your drink right at hand. Weather it was a soft drink or a alcoholic beverage. The swim up bar was awsome!
Beach and Pools -
The Pools were awsome.....always somewhere to lay out....The beach had some sea weed, but they worked had to wheel barrell it out.
Grounds -
Very Clean and well kept....Beautiful
Activities -
Kept ourselves busy....were were there for R & R. We did enjoy the evening entertainment and the different themes they had. Great shows!
Tours -
We didn't feel a need to do any touring. We took a cab to the main mall to brouse.....and we walked to the flea market up the road.Conclusion -
After reading some of the reviews, I was skeptical....but after going I didn't know why people would write such low reviews. We would go back in a heart beat. Those people are probably just not happy with life in general and nothing would ever be good enough for them. An awsome trip, an awsome place. We will do it again!!
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Larry ~ Ontario, Canada |
Arrival -
Arrived Jan 18th at hotel at 1330 hrs .... had first drink in hand by 1332 hrs by a wonderful lady named Caren and was in room and unpacked by 1430 hrs
Rooms -
Room was 1311 one king size bed had no problems at all everything worked and worked well.
Restaurants -
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent, Excellent, start with Buffet "windows" food was great, plentiful and well cooked. The American grill and the Italian a la cartes were the crowd favorites for our group of 8 ALL the food through out the resort was great lots of oils and spices available to dress up your food to your liking.
Bars -
Excellent bars ...... could possible use another one on the beach in front of building 7
Beach and Pools -
Beach was fantastic, pools were clean
Grounds -
Very clean
Activities -
never did any as we were part of a group of 8 and we were doing our own thing. Tours -
Every tour we did "and we did 3" were great but this comes from experience and a willingness to create your own fun.
Conclusion -
I have read some of the negative reviews on this resort and cannot for the life of me or the 7 other people that were with me see what they are talking about everyone of us said we would go back to the Grand Oasis in a heart beat. Anyone going should not be concerned about anything as you will see for yourself when you get there.
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| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Shelly |
When we arrived at the resort at 3 am in the morning, there seemed to be much confusion at the front desk, there was only one person on duty to check in 25 or more people. We were 14 people checking in ,part of a group of 30 people to attend my sister’s wedding. We were all put in building 11. Some of us could not get in our rooms until 6 am due to keys not working. There was no telephone service in the building, and people had to walk several times to the front desk which was a hike.
Building 11 is the new Bavaro Suites, which was not in anyway up to standards to receive guests. On yes the rooms were beautiful, boutique style with plasma TVS that did not work, telephones in room that were not connected and if you were lucky to have a safe in your room were not bolted down, so anyone could walk off with them. Most electrical outlets did not work, and the air conditioning we could not adjust so we slept in sweats. There were no door handles on the bathroom doors. Patio doors did not lock properly. When it rained the hallways which had marble floors, were always flooded and very dangerous to navigate when returning to the room late at night. In my brothers room the Jacuzzi leaked and flooded his room.
I was in room 11214, the toilet was blocked and it took 30 hours for someone to come and fix it . I was lucky I had family members next to me so I could use their bathroom. We had a leak in the ceiling of the toilet area and for 3 days it rained dirty water. The room was very damp and we had lots of flies which I have never seen in a room and I have been traveling to the DR for 25 years.
The service at the restaurants was the worst I have ever seen, I have stayed in 3 star hotels and had better service. Sitting down for breakfast it took 15 minutes or more to get a coffee. And other meals to receive a drink it took the same or more. The food was so bad that I basically ate cheese and break at night. The Grill at the pool, the hamburgers were never cooked always very red inside, actually the breakfast meal was the most decent.
I was totally disappointed with our Tour Operator Sun Wing vacations, Most of our group was there for only 1 week, but 8 of us were staying 2 weeks, When I returned to my room at the end of week one, my key did not work, so I went to the front desk they told me check-out was at 12 noon, but I explained to them I was there for 2 weeks and there was no need to check out
And they were arguing I was only there 1 week, so I went to see Antoine my Sun Wing rep who informed me that I was there only 1 week as per his list. I had to get my airline ticket to proof I was there 2 weeks and then he had to call Sun Wing for verification, this took over 2 ½ hours of my valuable time and finally get my room back. This is the first and last time I travel with Sun Wing. Air Transat back I come.
The beach was beautiful, very clean, raked every day. No complaints here. The pool areas main pool clean. But the Adult pool and the lazy river near buildings 9 and 11 scum floating on top. Would not consider going in.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Kathy ~ Belleville, Ontario |
Arrival -
Check in was kinda slow . the 1 guy behind the desk started to check us in in with in seconds a family can up to the desk to check in and left us standing there. the rest of the arrivals came and went were were first there and last checked in. my husband was getting ticked as everyone was already gone to there rooms.the guy said it was because he had a better room and didn't want to let anyone know. Not too sure about that as we did 3 room changes within the hour, for reasons beyond their controll (leaks etc.) Rooms -
We did end up with a fantastic room , We had a 2 brand new double beds, same for sheets and blankets and towels. Room was very spacoius with 2 doubles, mini fridge had 3 beer coke and sprite, coffee makers with supplies , refilled ever day . I really like that feature. always cleaned every day .very satisfied with building 9. couldn't have asked for more it was ocean view right in front of the beach from our balcony there was also 2 pools.
Restaurants -
we loved the main dining room (windows buffet) I have to dis agree with others there was a fantastic selection of food with themes night. Friday was Gala Night there was the chef grilling lobster ,and so many other food to chose from there was even a diet section for those with special need plain boiled potand fish , chicken breast were awesome. mexican night .how anyone could say a negative comment obout the food is impossible for me to believe it was excellent.Bars -
all the bars were very welll equipped, you only had to asked . there was every brand including the real Baileys, again I disagree there were exceptional choices. more there than I have seen in the past 22++ trips .Beach and Pools -
pool was very clean they were doing some work on the on in front of our building .the beach was also great lots of chairs , never played the towel reservation game . never went out early to get one either went had a leisurly breakfast and took our chances, one incident pure selfishness on their part(2 couples= 4 chairs)they commandered 11 chairs every day 4 under their palapa , 4 on the beach for the sun and 3 spares with thei stuff and just in case they didn't want to move there towels .You know who you are ! very selfish I don't think you would see a Canadian doing this for sure I never seen this many being hogged, I had to move spaces as it was relly bugging us, when other people were around looking for a place to sit.Grounds -
very cleaned and well groomed . the beach raker of the seaweed day in day out for all of $4.00. He workes 15 days on 5 off and 10 on. Oh what a thankless job . Activities -
Not very impressed here, altough I never took part but from past expeiences definiatly lacking.We found evening a little boring not ehough going on . there is a definiate need for a place (piano bar etc.)for the middle and older generation to dance and mingle. we heard this complaint from a few people. Kiddies show should start around 8pm parents wanting kids to join in but 9;30 a little late for toddlers after a long hard day at the beach, we went to the disco, well,I guess we have reached the age where we are out of the loop, hard to dance to the track music of tumping, and I am one who love to dance and loves all kinds of music. very amusing they teach the bacahta and the merangue but rarely heard it . I missed that part of my vacation . there were a lot of over 40 just dying to do something in the evening, Too many venders brought in too many evening with the same tables with the same very over priced jewelery. Tours -
didn't do the tours been there done that but now very over priced.Conclusion -
I would go to this resort again . I have been to the DR over 20 . We have been going there for past 20 years , we love the DR I would give this resort a 7.5 out of 10. they have lots opf potencial but the resort needs to caterer to all ages and desires of the tourist. I will return . you couldn't miss with this one especially on a sell off , which I will definiatly look for.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Raymon ~ Ontario |
Hello all,
I am not a picky person and have traveled to Dominican and Cuba many times. This trip was a little disappointing. Upon arrival we were not greeted by a Apple rep and our rooms were not ready.(no big deal, we arrived at noon and check in is at 3:00). Usually you are welcomed by a package of info and maybe a welcome drink and small info session. This did not happen. We made our way to the bar.
We stayed in Building 5. The rooms were o.k but they are definitely dated. Also, the bed is not comfortable. After I read reviews I checked the bed every day for bed bugs and I am happy to say none of the 4 couples we went with had them. The house maids could have done a better job with our room but all in all the room was o.k.
The buffet was o.k. I eat anything and everything and although I found the food good, I was a little disappointed with the amount of options at the buffet. I have seen a lot nicer buffets for less money. (for $2800 a couple I expected a much better. The al la carts were disappointing. The Seafood one only offers fish. No lobster, crab, etc. Red Snapper and Mai Mai was the 2 fish dishes on the menu, The Tex Mex was o.k but again not like other resorts. The Italian was great. Make sure you go to it.
I was disappointed to see there is no lobby bar. There is no Canadian Whisky or Domestic alcohol at any of the bars. There is a drink menu that you can buy some domestic alcohol but it is expensive enough. Presidente is a good beer and I drank plenty of it. The pool bar is nice. They ran out of Vodka one night.
The beach is nice and the workers do a good job of removing the seaweed in the morning. Do not buy any excursions from people on the beach. We gave a $50 down payment for a snorkeling trip and a guy named OLMIE took our money. We were not the only people who got ripped off. We thought it was legit and even got a receipt. It was from Tutti-frutti tours. The pools are nice but the main pool with the swim up bar was not clean and had alot of stuff floating in it. It could have been the fact that there were a lot of kids there. We did this trip Jan 2-9.
The Grounds were well maintained and kept clean. The Tennis courts were good but were closed after rainstorms because they are dirt courts. The Casino was nice too. It is a cash bar unless you are gambling. If your wife is just watching, she has to pay for drinks. Plan on waiting for up to an hour to e-mail to your family. The internet cafe has 6 computers but only 2 were working and apparently that is usually all that work. $5 for 20 min was a good deal. Phoning home is $4.00 per min and calling cards do not work.
Don't plan on any animation people trying to get something going. Pay attention to the schedule and find where things are going on if you are interested in doing anything. This is one of the first trips I have been on that there is no animation people getting things going.
We did the Caribbean trip with a Stingray experience and Swim with nurse sharks. It involves a Catamaran. We all enjoyed this half-day trip and would recommend it. It was a great experience. The sharks were bigger than we thought they would be. We also went snorkeling with the people from the resort and it was great. Bring bread and you will be amazed. Also, the banana boating was fun too.
In conclusion, we had a good trip but were not overly impressed. If you have already booked your trip than don't worry. I am sure you will have a great time. If you haven't booked it yet, there are a lot nicer resorts in Punta Cana. Try the Grand Palladium or the Barcello Bavero. I am sure you would be happier going there.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Deas and Pam ~ Fanny Bay, B.C., Canada |
Hi Debbie,
Just thought we`d drop you our opinion of the Grand Oasis Punta Cana. We were there from Dec. 20- Jan. 04/08. We travel quite a bit, and never expect the world, or to be waited on "hand and foot" We always make the best of our vacations, and have always had a wonderful and very memorable time. This trip was memorable all right, right down to nightmares!
First of all I`d like to say that the bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and especially the housekeeping (Cira) staff was incredible! The front lobby staff, (who are supposed to be the "welcome staff") were completely ignorant! They could not care less that the well advertised ATM on site was "damaged" or that we could not access cash to tip their staff. Each morning we`d go to the lobby to exchange money or try to access from our account or credit card, they would smile and say "NO" or they supposedly didn`t have any. It was very difficult to access any money while there.
We would NEVER advise going off site to try to find an ATM! We did, and ended up witnessing a fatal head on crash. Hence, the nightmares.
We also took an excursion to "Captain Cook" where you go for a lobster dinner, shopping, and access to a bank. We got enough money to tip the way we like to and do some jewelry shopping "on site" The lobster dinner was raw, and it was impossible to look in any of the shops without being completely hounded. We`d want to look around and ask the keeper to just let us look...but they would not let us take the time, forever going on about this item or that one. Four of us took this trip, we were picked up at noon, and were not do back at the resort until 4:30...we were back long before 3.
All in all, the beach was beautiful, our room was fabulous,(4324) once you got past the lobby the staff were amazing. However, if you wish to have money while there, take it with you! And if you like to venture off the grounds, DON`T go to D.R., go to Mexico!
We booked this trip after looking thru the Sunquest travel guide, and everything that they advertised was false. No nightly theme parties, beach parties, managers dinner parties on the beach, no ATM,no beach vendor shopping, no upgrading to junior suites.... (because the new buildings that were supposed to have been built, weren`t- and they dumped everyone who had booked into the new buildings into the junior suites. Needless to say, there was also construction going on.)
We have never had a sour taste in our mouths after a vacation or complained, however, we could not get home fast enough. Others were trying to get early flights home. Everyone we spoke to were ill -due to the food as we were.
Mexico....here we come! Never to return to the Dominican again.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | VM ~ Toronto |
We were in Grand Oasis Punta Cana from 19th Dec. 2007 to 26th Dec. 2007.Rooms -
We liked our room (# 3130); it was next to the beach and the pool. Everything was very close by and in couple of days we feel safe to send my daughter to the room alone even.
Except one day always our room was clean. Did not see any bug. Air-conditioner & iron worked fine. It was an ordinary hotel room but I liked the size. Restaurants -
We really enjoyed all restaurants and food specially seafood including lobsters on Christmas even. We eat Lobsters lot but never had delicious Lobsters like that. My kids freely went to the beach restaurant and picked what they wanted during the day. Non-alcoholic drinks were very good. I never forget the Christmas Eve dinner at Windows.
Bars -
Non-alcoholic drinks were very good.
I loved the coffee they make at the Beach Bar. I asked them to use a bigger cup and enjoyed every late night.Beach and Pools -
They were clean. We enjoyed dance lessons and water aerobics lessons at the pool during noon.
We did not find hard time to find chairs in the beach because my husband or I went to the beach around 8 am and reserved them for the family (like others do).
We did Para Sailing (we have to pay extra), Kayak, Catamaran (thanks for the guy who trained my husband) and enjoyed all. Grounds -
Hotel and surroundings were clean all the time.Activities -
We enjoyed all activities: Table-tennis and Tennis (they have rackets), bike rides (with no helmets.. my son was not comfortable with it, but he did it) in the morning (thanks for the guide... sorry I forgot his name) especially with my 8 years old son. My kids and husband spend lot of time near the Pool table and thanks to Carmen for her kind smile and support all the time. It was an open and safe place for kids even.
Animation team always worked hard with kids and adults to make them happy. On 25th Dec. Santa arrived by motor boat and gave gifts to every kid.
Tours -
We took the Safari through Sunwing and it was a day long trip. I wish it was shorter than that. They could take us to a place for horse riding closer to the place we went. We saw the same thing on the way and it will be nice to organize this trip couple of hours less than now. They took us to a souvenir shop but prices were very high. I bought a mermaid wood statue from one of the vendors in the resort for US $ 60, but this shop said similar one is US $ 450 (finally he came down to US $ 200). All the fancy jewellery and cigars also were very expensive there. Sunwing should take us to a reasonable store for shopping. Be careful for buying things from this store.Conclusion -
I learned to bargain during my holidays and got couple of good deals. If they say US $ 30 then ask it for US $ 5. I bought lot from Miguel and he bought things from the city even for my request.
We tipped couple people but they were not expecting from us. I gave couple of Canadian pens and notes pads too. Everyone was nice, very polite and always smiling. Some could not speak English but we did not have any problem.
We had couple of disappointments too.
- We want to get more US $ (they advised us not to use our Credit Cards) but there was no Bank Machine. Front Desk also did not have enough cash. They asked us to get a taxi and go to a bank. But my husband walked to another resort and got it done.
- Somehow my husband lost his wrist-watch. I complained it to the front desk and they noted it. That was it. I do not think they do anything to find something you lost. There is no Lost and Found place or no inquiry with the staff (especially maids).
- Most of Night Shows were great for adults and kids. But, there was one show not good for kids. These shows should suitable for the whole family because we have to go there with our kids at night.
I would like to recommend this resort to anyone who likes food, relaxation and other extra activities during a vacation.
We had a great time and my daughter who is 16 years old wants to go to there again.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Cindy - Waterdown, ON |
We just returned from a Christmas vacation at this resort. We arrived on Dec. 20th and returned on Dec. 27th. When we arrived, we were amazed at all the Christmas decorations. Although it was our first family trip away over the Christmas season, the atmosphere was certainly festive. We have travelled to Punta Cana 4 other times prio and found that this resort was by far the most in need of upgrading.
ROOM: We stayed in Building 5 and found that the first room we were assigned had bed bugs jumping on the sheets when we first pulled down the covers. The TV and the air-conditioning were inoperable as well as the mini-fridge. We immediately attended the front desk and they were able to relocate us to another room. Great customer service in this regard. We viewed two rooms before we found one that had operable air conditioning. We did see cockroaches, they were HUGE!
FOOD: I have read several reviews that the food was awesome….not according to our family. We aren't too picky but out of our group of 10, we were definitely disappointed with the food. We recommend the Italian and the American Grill. Christmas Eve was rather interesting! The resort had two sittings in the buffet restaurant (Windows) with a very expanded menu of lobster, roast beef, pork, etc. The line-ups in the buffet were long and the festive cheer was not too positive. People were yelling at others for jumping the line. There wasn't much Christmas cheer in those line ups! We are still talking about Christmas Eve dinner, it certainly was different!
SERVICE: The best service I have ever received in any of the resorts I have been to! I don't know if they brought in extra staff for the holiday season but I did not have to wait for a drink at the bar, never had to wait for beach towels, always had hot water for showers with our room always stocked with bath towels. Service was awesome!
BEACH: The construction that you might have read in a review earlier was just finishing up when we arrived. We did see the heavy machinery but all was removed by Dec. 22nd. The staff were constantly raking the beach and you still see them using their wheelbarrals to dump their contents on the other side of the towel building but I found them to be aware of pictures being taken. They are hard workers! The availability of beach chairs is no different then any other resort. We usually were out getting chairs at 8:00 a.m. and there was slim pickins but I wouldn't leave it much later to get them. We found that people were dropping off their towels the night before, especially for the umbrellas. We had fun with those people….moving their stuff to the other end of the beach. Grow up people, at least play the game in the morning with the rest of the guests!
OVERALL: Would rate it a 3 star and would definitely not return to this resort, mainly due to state of rooms and food. There are plenty of resorts to try in Punta Cana.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Robert |
This was the third time for my family to visit this resort. We were here in April 2006 and in June 2007. Things have changed since then. Our trip was December 11th to December 25th, 2007. When we were there before, it was an All Inclusive resort only. There was one set of wrist bands worn. Now you can see yellow, white, fusia and blue bands being worn by vacationers.
The Bad:
BEWARE :The 'time share' people VACATION CLUB were a real pain in the butt with their hard sell. They stand usually in threes at any and all strategic points on the resort meaning every time you want to get something to eat you get harrassed by them. They also chase anyone and everyone down on the beach area.They hang out in the lobby as well. In the end, my family had to be a bit rude and asked them to stop the blah blah blahs! We would have to shut our eyes on the beach and pretend to be asleep to avoid them many times. We were used to the banana boat ride, parasail ride, glass bottom ride, tube ride vendors. We also got used to the massage and hair braiding ladies. Also the selling of disco nights out of the resort. We tolerated a lot of harassment that was very stressful on a constant basis.
There was a great deal of construction going on when we were there and this totally inconvenienced everyone on the beach. Children couldn't build their sand castles without dump trucks, garbage trucks, pick up trucks, front end loaders, motorcycles, wheel barrels etc. going by on a constant basis. This was ridiculous. We told our Sunwing representative about this and he confirmed that there were many complaints about this, too. The beach is supposed to be protected by the hotel and is not a public beach where every vehicle can travel up and down on a constant basis with their black fumes erupting whenever they went by. The vehicles honked their horns for people to move out of THEIR WAY. People had to move their chairs or else get run over.
Also, coming back to Punta Cana Airport at Security we had two telescopic umbrellas taken from us as they were considered a weapon by the Dominicans. Never heard that one before. They were nice new ones, too. Also, not metal but plastic with nothing pointy or heavy about them. We strolled by to take a peak on their whereabouts and they had disappeared within 5 minutes. We had a pen taken also. It was a good one. They let us keep a cheap hotel one. Many women lost their lipsticks as they were considered a threat also. But they would pick and choose if they liked or disliked the brand name, colour or the condition of your makeup to whether they would keep them or not.
We had to pay $72 cash for they CLAIMED that our baggage was overweight. We were underweight when we left Toronto Airport and did not purchase anything. Also, we used up a lot of product within the 2 weeks that we were there, so we should not have been overweight. The people behind us had to pay $130 and they weighed their luggage at the gym before leaving to the airport and thought that they were okay as well. There were two girls behind us who had to pay $300 for being overweight as well. They were nicely dressed and their suitcases didn't look very big either. They had no cash on them. They offered to use their Visa card to pay the extra cost but the airport wouldn't take it. They had to go back through the airport to find a debit machine as Security wanted "cash". There were many other people that we spoke to who also got "dinged" for supposed being overweight with their luggage. We feel that we were TAKEN as far as this goes. Some people were foolish enough to have purchased rum at the resort and had the bottles in their carry on luggage. Well, these definitely were taken away, but they let them keep their resort water bottles and walk through with them to board the plane.
The whole picking and choosing and making up the rules on what was allowed and what was not allowed by Security made us very angry and others felt the same way, too.
My advise is to make sure that you have a lot of cash when you return through Customs. Also, U.S.. or Dominican dollars. They do not accept Canadian cash at the Airport.
Other:
Food is very good, resort is relatively clean, nightly entertainment is good, but the raunchy club dance gets old fast-why must the animation crew always dance like they're fornicating, even in front of the children. The canned songs they play have disgusting lyrics, not appropriate for a family vacation spot.
The karaoke bar was supposed to open 6 days a week, but in 14 days it was only operational 3 times. We were told it was because no one came in, but that was completely untrue, many people came and went because it wasn't set up.
No, I would not go back, the time share hawkers are too intrusive, a relaxing family-friendly vacation spot this is not.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Melissa ~ USA |
Today is October 11th and my husband and I went to this resort from Oct 2nd to Oct 9th. We had a total mix review on this place. Basically for the price of $631 I can say that I got what I paid for and then some. Overall, we were happy with our vacation, however, we did have a few problems.
Our first piece of advice for anyone going would be to read these reviews CAREFULLY, make notes, pay attention. Everything they are telling you is accurate and great information. So when someone suggested bringing things like pool toys, sun screen, OTC drugs such as tylenol/immodium etc, your own mug, bug spray, calamine lotion/anti itch lotion/spray, aloe vera gel, etc. just go to CVS or Walgreens the night before and stock up on the cheap brands of this stuff. These things in the resort are insanely priced.
We would also recommend bringing a travel alarm clock there was not one in the room and when we had dinner reservations we were always turning on the tv to find out the time, pens there were none in the room and as mentioned in other reviews you will need a pen and $10 for each person to enter Punta Cana. Also, if you can/have room bring your own beach towels. The ones we got were moldy/sweaty smelling and we turned them in for new ones every day and they all smelled that way. Plus, everybody has the same towel and we were told to keep an eye on them because people steal them from each other when they lose theirs to avoid paying $20. Much easier to not even use their towel and bring/use your own.
We stayed in building 7 which we had read in other reviews here was the newest building with better features. We never saw any other rooms so I can not comment on other rooms, but ours was REALLY big, had cathedral ceilings (we had a room on the 3rd floor, room 7308), a huge shower, a separate room for the toilet with a door, double sinks, huge balcony with two chairs and a small table, a couch and chair with table, a desk with chair, an armoire with a tv and shelves, a long hallway that housed the mini bar, shelves for clothing/belongings, closets for clothing, and the safe deposit box. The fridge never got cold enough to really chill anything in it, we called several times to have it looked at and they would call us and say nobody was there when they came and they would send someone *right now* and we would wait for an hour and nobody would show. Eventually we gave up. As in other reviews the air didn't really work all that well even on the coldest setting and highest fan speed. The rooms were very noisy, everything is ceramic floor so no noise is really absorbed so if someone is walking down the hall talking you can hear them as if they are standing in your room. If you are walking down the hall you can hear peoples tvs and conversations inside the rooms. Also the theater is located not far from building 7 so you can hear the entire show from inside your room. They don't go very late, so it's not a big deal, but the first night I was VERY tired from traveling and not having slept more than 2 hours the night before so needless to say the first night I was unhappy to be woken up by loud music, yelling, and cheering.
We did upgrade to the suite for $95 per person (through apple vacations) so we got many things free that otherwise had to be paid for such as the safe deposit box, the service fee for room service, internet service, so we felt that between the big room and the other freebies $95 was more than fair per person.
We had a problem getting reservations for the ala carte restaurants. Basically there is 4 hours in the day in which one guy sits at a desk in the lobby taking these reservations which he inputs into a computer and gives you a little printout with your reservation on it. This guy would sit and chat for a half hour PLUS (to anyone who spoke spanish if you didn't it took all of 2 minutes to make a reservation) as a long line of people stood waiting in line. As soon as the time slot was up for him to make reservations he would tell everyone "that's it come back later/tomorrow" umm WHAT I'VE BEEN IN LINE FOR AN HOUR!! So of course we went to the front desk and another guy came over and took several people's reservations and input them in a matter of minutes. I know there were a couple times when someone was up there making reservations for the whole week, so that made sense, but the times when he was just bsing with someone for a half hour for one reservation made no sense and was inexcusable especially with a long line of other people waiting.
As far as the restaurants and bars went, they were all very good. I found a review on here that said to ask for a mudslide from one bartender, but of course I can't find the review now. I did find one in front of the Beach Grill with a bartender named Benjamin who made AWESOME mudslides. As far as beer goes, definitely bring your own big mug because they only give out these tiny little glasses. The Windows buffett place had great food with a huge selection. There was something for everyone there for all meals. The little grill on the beach was good, again always had burgers and hot dogs, chips, salsa, cheese, bread and sandwich makings, french fries, pop. Great place to run up to for a snack. Also we figured out that the Beach Grill was open all the time and had all sorts of things as well.. sorta a mini version of the Windows Buffett, but we were originally confused by it because it is inside near a seating area for the seafood ala carte restaurant. The tex mex American Grill was nothing to write home about but the Italian restaurant was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Definitely go for the steak there! Very good, comes with the best twice baked potatoes as well.
So as you can read I had a mixed review of my vacation, but really as I said earlier, it was worth the price I paid for sure. For what we paid we were both definitely happy with the experience.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Nancy |
My husband and I just returned from a week at the Globalia Punta Cana Grande. We had stayed at this resort a few years back when it was owned by Sunscape. I read a lot of reviews after I had booked this trip and was a little nervous about my choice. We have been traveling to the DR at least once or twice a year for over 10 years and for the most part have had great experiences at all the resorts we have chosen. As far as Punta Cana Grande goes, I think it is a fair deal for the price. We did upgrade as soon as we arrived to a suite in building #7 and it was well worth it. We were on the third floor with a great view of the ocean and the quiet pool. Building 7 even had an elevator. The room was gorgeous and one of the largest rooms we have ever stayed in. The service was great. We had people falling all over us to help us or serve us. We do tip. If we ask for anything we give a tip. The food was average for an all inclusive. The speciality restaurants were also about average for the all-inclusive experience. We did not get sick at all but we are careful what we eat. We found many options for eating. The pastries were great. The resort is smaller than most, but that worked for us because my husband does have some problems with walking long distances. I would describe the resort as cozier than most. The pool by building 7 was very quiet and we were happy that we did not have to hear the loud thumping music that generally you hear most of the day at the all inclusive resorts. The beer at this resort was very cold and so was the mini fridge in the room. We have stayed in other resorts that had not so cold beer on tap and the fridge was just chilled – not cold. So all in all I would say that this resort is worth your money if you get a good deal. Hope this relieves fears a person may have had in booking this resort.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Ashley |
Me & my 3 girlfriends who are 18 checked in on june 22nd. we were staying for our senior trip to june the 29th since we graduated as we got dropped off at the hotel, bellboys ran up to us to get our luggage and a worker greeted us as we checked in with a drink each. the service was great, you didn't have to wait long for anything, the food was amazing. the non stop drinks were amazing to the drinks weren't so good, but hey your in a different country what do you except. the shows were amazing at night and the piano bar, and disco club was alot of fun also. it was very clean, but there were many bugs like misquotes, i came home with 47 on just my two bottom halfs of my legs. there was a nice amount of things to do there, the workers were so nice, the music they played was fairly equal they played dominican & american. the sun is incredibly hot there so pack all light clothes. another good thing is that there is food avaliable all night long . the only other promblem i would say there was the language most of the workers spoke a little bit of english, it was annoying at times but after staying there you get use to it & i actually left knowing alot of spanish. so overall i would recomend his hotel for everyone to stay at, it was very enjoyable & its not even 3 weeks later & im planning another trip there soon.the workers were such hard working people they worked crazy long days and still had great spirits and attitudes. the weather was amazing it thunderstormed one night there but we slept through it because that day we went on kon tiki, which is a 5 hour boat ride you non stop drink & you snorkle that was alot of fun also. it rained 1 time during the day for about 5 to 10 minutes and the sun came right back out, it was actually refreshing. we had 2 rooms right next to each other and our decks had a door you opened & we could get right to eachothers rooms, it was very convient cause there was 4 girls staying in 2 rooms. we were in building 6 which was such a recent building everything was up to date and new. we went into building 2 because we met people who were staying their and there rooms were nothing like ours, i would recomend a higher number building you request. our beds & pillows were so comfy in our rooms, then our friends room next to our their beds & pillows werent so comfy, we left the maid tips and they would leave us extra soda, water & beer, and extra towels, also what i thought was very neat is that they would leave us like towels in shapes of hearts, and swans. I could honestly say this was the best 8 days of my life this trip, im hoping to go back very soon to visit all the workers, and to just relax on the beach resort.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Susan ~ West Point, New York |
This resort was great! I can tell you that the food was great, although the hamburgers were not like american burgers. The ATM machine was not working and the nearest one was at the next resort, but the staff was in the process of fixing that issue. We swam with the dolphins at Manati Park which was well worth the $75.00 (us $) for about 1/2 hour. Also took advantage of the Spa. The massages were incredible! I would not recomment this resort for young children as the playground was not that great...but other than that the place was fantastic and the dominicans sure work hard at pleasing you during your stay. The rooms were nice and clean and the maids were great....no theft here.....make sure you take advantage of the lock box in your room......:) Enjoy! I'd go back!
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Casey |
We just got back (Jan 19-26th) and were hesitant based on the reviews. Our vacation was near perfect. For the price we anticipated 2-3 star accommodations and got 4 star. Our room was in building 3 on the 3rd floor overlooking the ocean. (we gave a $20 tip at reception) A small price to pay for an incredible room. We wanted building 7 but decided our location was better for all the activities and was easy access to beach, adult pool, and restaurants. Our room had great water pressure and hot water. We left small tips and gifts for the maids and they decorated our room with the towels. On the days we did not leave tips-no towel decorations. We had no problems getting pool towels, restaurant reservations, service etc. Much depends on the time of year you go as with any vacation. Many people that had some problems visited over the holidays when travel is at its peak. I would certainly recommend going during lower travel times of the year to have access to all the ammenities. The shows were very good with much talent in the staff. The decor beautiful including the beach. The food was so/so even at the restaurants and we went to them all. Save your lobster money for a trip down the beach to one on the local restaurants. The beach party was over the top. They had roasted pigs, local soup cooking in cauldrens, prime rib, sausage, steaks, fish, pasta, roasted chicken. We brought our own wine for most meals as their wine is not the best. You can also buy in town and bring back to your room. Take some excursions-we went on the four wheelers promoted at the hotel and loved it!!. Make sure they take you to the cave lagoon. We brougt a gift from my fiance's son with a card written in spanish for a local boy and took a picure of it with him-very special. Bring bags of candy to throw out to the kids as you ride along. They are so friendly and cute. We played tennis at the resort-clay courts but well maintained. We went on the bike trip daily at 10am which was a nice free event. Our guide pulled coconuts from the trees and cut them open for us to drink the milk. There is only 14 bikes so plan ahead and sign up the day before at least. We took a night excursion-van pick up from the lobby at 10pm to the Tropicana disco for $10 what a show!!! It is in a cave and they have a live Merenge band and show followed by disco dancing. We came home at 2am. Much better than the disco at the hotel. The casino at the hotel is so/so. They don't accept pesos. I found this many places that wanted dollars rather than pesos. My best recommendation is come prepared, read the local guide book from the airport, plan your week from the start with reservations at restaurants and sports reservations, anticipate some problems (that is part of traveling), and enjoy despite the challenges.
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Gretchen ~ Pittsburgh |
After opting to stay at the Riu (big mistake) last year due to Globalia's construction and not being offered by Apple Vacations at that time, it was great to be back at Punta Cana Grand. We visited from April 20 - 27th and couldn't have been happier. This was our fourth stay at this resort and it was wonderful to be back. Check in was a breeze. And all during our stay, the front desk was attentive and polite. We stayed in Building 7 and found it to be quite beautiful. During the evenings, we often sat out on our patio and enjoyed the view. The grounds as always were beautiful and very well kept. The resort works hard to keep the grounds clean and manicured, so when you decide to get up and leave your plates and cups lying around, don't blame the staff. And of course everything was cleaned and ready to go for the next morning. The food was abundant and delicious. No problems in that area at all. The beach party and the amount and quality of food was totally amazing, as well as the overall presentation. The Riu's idea of a "beach party" was grilled hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken outside the main dining area. (and the following day, the leftover hot dogs showed up on your pizza). Service at Punta Cana Grand was excellent. Letting the service staff know that you appreciate their hard work (just as in the states) goes a long way. I have always felt that this resort goes out of its way to provide you with the feeling of truly wanting you there and making your stay as enjoyable as possible. We spent a lot of time at the adult pool and even with construction on the other side of the wall at times, it was still enjoyable. The shows were professional, enjoyable and well planned. I am looking forward to returning again and again. Footnote: we did the half day Outback Safari excursion and had a blast! We also found Captain Cook's a bit dissapointing, but still enjoyable. A special thank you to Caren for everything, Luis from Apple and Karen Ferrari at Beyond the Beach for assisting with the delivery of school supplies and Nicholas for always having my drink ready!
| Grand Oasis Punta Cana | Deborah |
Just returned from Globalia Punta Cana Grand April 24,2007.We were there 6 nights. My husband and I have been to Bahamas, Iberostar Tucan ,Rivera Maya and Riu Negril, Jamiaica.
This was our first trip to the DR. The Globalia is a hard review to write. We did have a good time but the resort was not as nice as I had expected. It wasn't bad -it just was missing that WOW factor .
Well here it goes.
Airport-no problems we were surprised how smoothly everything went I thought the airport was very beautiful being open aired. Have your $10.00 ready with your form filled out. Apple transfers were great- had us to the resort in 20 mim.
Check-in - quick and easy no communication problems-also got the room I requested!
Room-The best! upgraded through apple to a master Jr. Suite. At first I was apprehensive but so glad I did ! Believe it or not a room in build 7 can make or break a trip at this resort. The rooms have beautiful canopy beds huge showers and a jacuzzi or if your lucky like us two. One on the deck with a direct ocean view.
Pool- Main pool looks much larger in pictures its adequet, no stairs to enter just a few ladders. OK for us but some seniors weren't happy
Beach - Nice but have seen much nicer. A lot of seaweed on beach everday, not enough palapas or loungers for that matter. I was up at 6AM everyday and struggled to find two together.
Didn't care to look out at the venders right in front of the resort and the boats in the small marina eveyday just too busy looking.
Food- ok. ala cartes were better than the buffet. Buffet was much better at all the other resorts I have been in.
Weather-I know this has nothing to do with Globalia but we had a few cloudy days and a few rainy days. One night it was like a monsoon and the resort was pretty flooded . Many rooms had water in them {lower level} And if you walked to dinner water was mid calf. They have a very poor drainage system.
This is where that nice room on the 3rd floor comes in handy.
Did we have a good time ? Yes relaxing.
I'm glad we didn't take our two sons they would have been dissappointed since they went to iberostar tucan, Mexico with us last year. No comparison except for the beautiful room.
Will I go back probably not. It was definitly lacking something.
If you go have an open mind don't expect the Ritz {which I didn't}
Bring a pool float
Don't drink the water use bottled for teeth brushing {PS we did NOT get sick at all that’s a plus}
Go to the beach party Thursday night
Try not to get a ground floor unless its in build 7 they are built up a little higher
Upgrade to a master Jr. Suite in build 7 well worth the money
Last updated: April 25, 2008
