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 Tropical Princess Beach Resort and Spa - Punta Cana —  Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 35 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 164 Standard & 146 Family Suites Description from resort website: All Inclusive 24 hours - 2 a la carte restaurants (Brazilian, Dominican), 1 buffet restaurant, a Creperie - 3 bars (National drinks included) (Premium brand drinks not included) - Total use of 7 bars, including 4 bars at Caribe Club Princess Beach Resort & Spa - Church with religious services - 2 Swimming pools for adults and children - New playground for kids - Mini Golf - teen club and kids club - 2 Gourmet Restaurants “La Cava” and “El Pescador” avialable at extra cost  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 15  ~ Map of Resort ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4 ~ Reader's Caribe Club Princess/Tropical Beach Wedding Reviews  ~ Dominican Republic Travel Forum  Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form or e-mail Debbie your review |
| Tropical Princess | Lindsay ~ USA |
Arrival: March 31 - April 7
We were transferred here from Colony Bay Beach Resort after arriving there and being told that it was closed. Luckily Expedia found us a family room here and check-in was very easy and our bags were brought with us to the room. It is a beautiful hotel - great landscaping with a mangrove forest and wonderful bird life
Rooms
We were so pleased to have an attached room for our son to sleep in and they bought a crib in for us right away (despite us being last minute additions) It was great having two bathrooms. The balcony furniture could be a little bit nicer/substantial and our light outside didn't work. It was basic and clean with a mosquito problem but they did fumigate and try and solve the problem (plus it is the tropics - maybe it would be better to put up mosquito nets) Air conditioning didn't seem to work, but we didn't need it. Maybe they are helping the environment - it wasn't hot in there and was fine with the fan on.
Restaurants and Bars
There was a good selection, we ate at the buffet each meal as we had two young 'uns. My husband got stomach sick but he admits that it was his fault for eating 3 plates of oysters! The presentation was thoughtful and beautiful and the staff were really friendly. It was wonderful being able to drink champagne/wine at will!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful beach - I've been to many and this is one of the best. It's great walking up and down it, spying on all the other hotels. The ocean is as blue as it comes, my kids are young so they didn't go above running in and out of the surf. The pools were great - 3! I think they could skim all the crappy little stuff out (bugs etc!) but there was lots of shade and they were so nicely designed. I liked the garden walk especially - lovely flowers, birds and fish. So peaceful walking and a real treat for the kids to come across peacocks on their walks!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We weren't interested in any activities, I'm not a fan of loud music so we just stayed away from the area where there were activities going on. We did go to the beach party for a few minutes before all the people came with our kids - it was magic for them seeing the disco ball and dancing on the beach to the disco music! It was cool having the option to have pictures with iguanas/monkey/traditionally dressed Dominicans. They weren't pushy about it either, it was fun for the kids to pose with such things.
Other Comments
I found the reps trying to get you to go to the other Princess hotel a bit annoying - trying guilt trips to get you to go there (as they work on commission) I tried to be polite in turning down their overtures but then was forced to be an arsehole to get them to leave us alone. I do think that the hotel is trying to improve its service - we had a few questionnaires and a guest services lady interviewed me to find out if there were any problems. Anything we did say negative (ie mosquitoes in room) was dealt with immediately. Thank you for the wonderful vacation Tropical Princess!
| Tropical Princess | Joanne ~ Ontario |
Arrival: February 20 - 27
We arrived about 11:30 p.m., we thought we were in Paradise, lobby, was like the magazines look, we headed for the beach bar, no music, we were looking for some kind of entertainment,we met some great people
Rooms
Not a 4 star at all. outdated furniture, but liveable for a week, except for the mosquitos & ants, pretty basic ..... sleep on your belongings,money etc.
Restaurants and Bars
I've never been to such a quiet resort, only music was exercising on the beach, or in pool, no music @ the bars
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was breath taking, the grounds, very clean & the pools were clean,take lots of sunscreen, it's very expensive there ... Pools close @ 7 everynight, the bar by pool closes @ 7, lobby bar closes @ 11 p.m., there's a disco, but it's not right on the premises .... be careful if your already booked, security wants money if you get lost or want help
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
not much going on, check Trip adviser for more info., everybody is in bed @ 9 @ night, nothing to do & no entertainment @ the beach
Other Comments
DON'T GO HERE, find another resort, 17 people got robbed out of their rooms & safes, if you were lucky to get a lock for your safe, when your checking out,(if you got broken into), they try & charge you for the damages, that the theives did & you don't get on the bus, you miss your flight .... they took laptops,cameras,licenses, birth certificates, credit cards & cash .... the security & the police aren't helpful @ all .... don't forget you need $ 20 american to get out of the country ..... please check out another place !!!!!!! I've been on Trip Advisor, since we came home & the robberies are still going on
| Tropical Princess | Alla ~ Canada |
Arrival: Jan 16-23, 2009
Check-in was fast but out luggage was delivered to the room in 3 hours
Rooms:
Clean but desperately need some repair and impovements. Sheets and towels are very old and grey
Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet is exellent. A la carts can be skipped, nothing special
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach is very good with a lot of shade
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Entertaiment is good. Didn't go on tours
Other Comments:
My husband and I were visitors at the Tropical Princess Resort and Spa for the week of January 16-23, 2009. The beach is beautiful, the buffet was better then we expected. The rooms could use some improvements (actually, a lot) and the grey sheets and towels could be newer but that's ok.
I would recommend the resort to someone whose expectations are not very high. Especially, if you are a fan of being scammed by the hotel you are staying at. There is very interesting scam going on at the Tropical Princess Resort and Spa. The day before we had to check out, they left a letter at our door saying that we have to pay $500.00 for a broken door. When asked to explain, they showed us a picture of our room with a broken front door, printed on black and white computer paper (so as you can not see that it is not a real picture). The door was apparently fixed by our return.
How do you like the rates of Dominican handymen? $500 for a job that takes a maximum of 1 hour.
No one from guest services or management wanted to explain what's going on. No one listened to the explanation from us that we spent the whole day at the beach with our friends and that no normal people would leave their room completely opened and accessible to other people to browse and take what they wanted.
We were laughed at for two days. The man at guest services clearly knew that we were not at fault but decided that making some extra money on the side is more important. The hotel manager refused the meeting we requested .
About 15 minutes before our bus came, new evidence was presented that someone saw my husband by the room with the broken door and he apparently has said it was not his room. By that time, the "witness" had obviously gone home.
Don't think everything was that bad, at the same time we received some "good" news too,they agree to reduce the price of the old door renovation to mere $375, real bargain.
Upon trying to leave, the security and a few bellboys surrounded us like we are common criminals. One of the men had grabbed my arm and tried to restrain me. My husband was pushed around.
We were not able to board our bus. So, in the end we had to pay the $375.00 and then order a cab, so that we could get to the airport on time and not miss your plane.
At this time we consider different options of guaranteeing that this matter gets the attention it deserves.
Good luck on your vacation if you are still interested.
| Tropical Princess | Cliff ~ London, UK. |
17-31 July, 2008. We are a family of four with a son of 12 and a daughter of 10 from London, UK. We have previously read lots of reviews of the Tropical Princess, some good and some bad. All those people who were not happy with the resort need to seek help – where have you been before? The room was superb, the maid service even better, food and waiters were well beyond our expectations, pools and beach clean and fantastic. The weather was superb for 14 days, and we had an absolute blast. We ate at the buffet and could always find something interesting and delicious – full marks there! We would cheerfully have stayed another month without running out of things to do and all were very sad to return home (yesterday!).
We loved speaking (dreadful) Spanish to the staff and were very grateful for their enthusiasm and assistance. We admired the animation (entertainment) staff who worked all day then moved to the Serenata Theatre to entertain us in the evenings.
With regard to Thomson, I am not sure that we would book with them again. The flight to Punta Cana was good and the transfers on time but advice from the resort rep proved inaccurate and expensive. A big deal was made of the Anton Zilli food, which turned out to be stewed sausage and mash or inedible pasta. The flight home was bitterly cold, devoid of any explanation but with lots of blankets distributed.
| Tropical Princess | Elaine |
We were at the Tropical Princess Beach Resort and Spa for two weeks from May 9th. Not a great experience.
The food was terrible - the breakfast never changed, the lunches and dinners were boring with only minor changes in the menu from night to night. The only a la carte restaurant that was good was the Pilon. Of course we only had access to two a la carte restaurants - we were not aware of this before we went. I have never been to a resort where they limit you and expect you to pay to eat at the others!!! Unless you tipped the staff at the buffet, service was terrible also. We found the bar server at the pool bar crude and inappropriate - performing sex acts on stuffed animals, bananas, etc. Inappropriate because there were teens and children at this pool as well. We were a group of 27 people. All but a few were affected by something at the resort and were ill for a week or more after coming home. I have since been to the doctor, and it is parasites. I have been travelling since 1988 and it is the first time I have had ill effects from a Resort.
The bedsheets were old and dingy and the towels were also - very rough and threadbare. Often the keys didn't work and you had to go back to reception to get new ones. One of our group had to change is keys almost daily - they stopped working. The air conditioning worked in only a few of the rooms. One of the people with us lost his wrist band in the ocean and the resort expected him to pay for a new one since he did not have the old one to turn in. The fact that he was clearly a guest of the resort did not matter. The first person we spoke to wanted $50, and the second wanted $60 - strange. We had to ask one of the departing guests for her bracelet.
We also had problems with things being stolen from our rooms. One person had $75 stolen. I had minor things stolen, my daughter had her health card stolen - totally unacceptable and creepy that people are going through your things. I would not think it was the cleaning staff - too easy to be caught but someone at the resort is stealing from the guests. We were at a Princess Hotel in February in the Mayan Riviera - at that resort, staff were entering the safety deposit boxes and stealing money. We heard this in a review before we left, so purchased luggage locks and kept our valuables in our suitcases but we heard from many guests that money was stolen from their safety boxes. I will never stay at a Princess Hotel again.
The only positives about the resort - three pools and a good beach with plenty of lounge chairs. The grounds were well cared for and the rooms were kept clean. The service at the many bars at the pools and beach (with the exception of the person at the pool bar) was good.
| Tropical Princess | Andrea |
We are a family of four (two girls aged 8 & 13) and have just back from spending March 6-13 at the Tropical Princess in Punta Cana.
Check-in went rather smoothly though depending on the number of people ahead of you, it could take a long time due to the number of agents available and the speed of the check-in process. Lobby is nice and has a bar available.
Grounds are fairly large compared to other resorts we have stayed at but is easily walkable. It’s not as large as the Bavaro Princess All Suites, but larger than other resorts we have stayed at in the past. If necessary, there are golf carts with attached “trailers” with seating that follows the path between the lobby and pool area. Grounds are immaculate and well maintained with mangrove vegetation and various species of birds. Makes for an enjoyable stroll.
The resort comprises of both the Caribe Club Princess and the Tropical Princess. I would not stay at the Tropical Princess. It is a two star at best – though it classifies itself as a four star. Rooms are very dated and depressing. Windows do not close fully so there were many mosquitoes in the room. We upgraded to the Caribe Club which merits its four star rating. The rooms here are spacious, clean, modern and airy – which is expected from a four star.
There are three pools located throughout the resort area. These are well maintained and clean. As expected, they are not heated and rely on the sun. I hate cold water and felt comfortable swimming in the pools. The main pool has the swim up bar and is the location where most of the sports activities are held. The other two pools are much quieter and this is where we spent our time. The pool closest to the Tropical Princess side of the resort meanders around and has great landscaping. There are umbrellas throughout the pool area.
The main buffet restaurant was good. Food was better than the last few times we were in Punta Cana. As to be expected, food is not overly spiced to keep it rather neutral for all taste buds but there is a very wide selection with each night having a particular theme (I.e. French, Italian, etc.). There was always some standards such as pasta, pizza, etc. for the less adventurous. Service was attentive (I.e. getting drinks, clearing plates, etc.) and staff were courteous and friendly. Though the last two days the resort did get busier and there were longer wait times to get in to the restaurant and to get drinks – no big deal.
We tried the Italian a la carte restaurant. It was no different from the buffet restaurant, other than the fact they serve you. I wouldn’t do it again. There is also an Asian, Brazilian and fish restaurant available. My suspicion is that they would be similar in experience. This is an all inclusive resort so I do not expect gourmet dinners. I can wait until I get home for fine dining.
Bar drinks typically use super sweet syrupy mixtures. The days of using fresh fruit to mix with those Caribbean type drinks are long gone to keep costs down. We resorted to drinking beer and water most of the time. Wines are plonk.
Beaches are great – wide and long white sandy beaches. Lots of umbrellas available and we never had a problem finding one when we hit the beach at 10:30. Of course, the front row is taken by then. Water is a nice aqua colour and depending on the type of day, there are great waves to frolic in. Even on red flag days, my 8 year old daughter was jumping in the waves with no concerns.
| Tropical Princess | Donald |
Wow, what a vacation! Let me preface by saying I was a little concerned as I had read mixed reviews for this and other Punta Cana resorts… our experience was great.
I traveled with my 14 year old son, a father/son get away. We understood ahead of time that this was not a 5 star resort in New York, and that we would be experiencing a different culture, with different standards, and different attitude… with this in mind we hoped for the best but tried not to set our sights so high that we would be disappointed. We were NOT disappointed.
The resort is beautiful. The lobby open with a beautiful set in the lush gardens and ponds, with peacocks, ducks and other birds. The lobby bar was a great meeting place for the friends we made, ending each night with drinks and conversation before the 10pm live show in the theatre. (More on this later)
The path from the lobby to the different room buildings was about 6 min brisk walk or 12 minutes to enjoy the sights which worth enjoying. We stayed in the Tropical Princess which is 4 identical buildings, 2 floors. We were on the top room, with a great view of the pool. Top floor rooms have stunning vaulted ceilings and we enjoyed the open feeling. The décor was nice, stunning with the vaulted ceiling, but the furnishings were not special. The bathroom was large, although there were stains on the counters and tub… when they paint they are not as careful as one would expect… this is part of the different culture. Our room was always cleaned. No bugs, although one Gecko did find his way in on the third night. We caught him under a cup and released him out side.
There are only small drawers, not big enough for cloths, I understand this is typical in all DR resorts. The water was always hot and lots of pressure. Our fridge was always stocked with pop and water. I let our maid know we did not want coke, only diet coke (called coke lite in DR). Even though she did not speak English, and we did not speak Spanish, we could easily communicate. We tipped her $3 US each day and a little gift and we understand this goes a long way to maintain good service.
The staff at these resorts make as little as $150/month… your tips go a long way. We tipped about $80 over the week and always had great service. Tip the first day, and try to go back to the same bartenders & waiters and you will always get great service. For the price we paid, adding $80 in tips was still a steal of a deal and makes a huge difference.
The other resort that shares the same property is the Cribe Princess (my spelling is wrong), they have several buildings. Some are new and some are old. It is real hit and miss in the rooms here. Two groups of friends we met had to change rooms, others we met were not happy with theirs but did not change. Although Tropical Princess is the “lesser” of the two resorts, the buildings are consistent and on average better then the Cribe Princess.
The food was great. With 70 to 100 items at the buffet, if you can’t find a variety to make yourself happy, the problem is with you not the resort. Breakfast and lunch at the buffet were pretty similar and good. For breakfast let me recommend the fresh cressoints… from the oven to my plate in 10 seconds. The omelettes were great, as was all the food I ate… we are not adventurous and had mostly the common breakfast fare. Lunch was equally good, and if you don’t want to walk from the beach to the buffet, there are two beach eateries. These have chicken, chips, hamburgers, hot dogs nachos, cheese and such. The burgers and hot dogs did not look appetizing and I can have those at home so we never tried (did not hear good things about them.) The chicken was great.
For dinner the are several al carte choices, only two were included in our Tropical Princess package. The DR restaurant was good, different but beautifully presented… my son preferred the choices at the buffet. The food at the Brazil restaurant was outstanding, wow, great, get the picture. In the buffet each night there was a different theme. If you did not like the theme food, there were always lots of pasta, chicken, and safe North American style food. One foot note on food, the breads, buns, and potatoes were outstanding. I wish our potatoes tasted like they do in the DR, wow! The breads were all fresh, like hot out of the oven, and we really love good bread.
One sour note, the red wine is not good, and the white wine is OK at best. All other drinks were great, love the beer and slushy drinks with or without alcohol. The beer is comparable to American beer.
In the afternoon there is a Crepe restaurant that is great. The fruit creaps are just OK but the savoury ones are really good.
The 3 pools were great. The one closest to the Tropical princess is mostly families and quiet. The middle one is also quit and the smallest… not many people at this pool. The third and farthest pool is the party pool with the swim up bar and activities. This is where we played when we choose the pool. Now speaking of the activities, they were great. The staff speak a bit of English and they give it their best shot. Freddie we miss you! These guys are a ton of fun and put up with us throwing them in the pool and all our pranks. They appreciate tips and your good nature. We enjoyed pool volleyball, beach volleyball, ping pong, darts, and pool exercise classes. Age 12 to 60 in all these activities the week we were there. We were glad to walk to the far pool for the activities, and glad our room was far away for when we wanted a break from the noise. Our friends who moved were near the pool and hated the noise at the beach bar till late late in the evening. Not a problem at the Tropical Princess.
The beach is amazing. Almost white sand, clean, beautiful blue water, few weeds and debris in the water, but the surf is active. This is great for adults and older kids riding boogie boards and playing in the surf… but a little much for younger kids, say under 8. There were tons of lounges and shade canopies. Tons more then the other resorts we walked by. The resort was 98% full and we always found a spot at 9 – 11. If we got up earlier, we could have had the front row of loungers (they were 5 to 8 rows deep.)
We took bug spray, never used it. We took meds for tummy troubles, used a bit on the 5th day for travelers diarea for me, but nothing serious. My son ate more salad then I and he was great the whole time. All the water used in cooking is filtered bottled water.
The nightly entertainment was always enjoyable… but much of it is in Spanish, French, and sometimes German. Some nights it is all dancing and lip syncing to English songs. We saw 6 shows and enjoyed them all, but some better then others. No Lion King or Michael Jackson shows the week we were there… too bad we were looking forward to these.
Sunwing was great for us. Flight on time, the rep at the hotel was great… the only complaint is that we did not get free ear phones on the plane as promoted.
Yes there were minor irritants at times, not all staff is as good as they could be but most are great. Things are different here then at home. If you love it so much at home, why are you taking a trip to a different culture? The locals are friendly and appreciate when you try to communicate in Spanish. I only knew a dozen words but they appreciate my effort and body language is universal.
Will we go back, you bet… looking forward to next fall, and yes I am going back to the same resort, it was great.
I hope this helps, we appreciated the reviews from others. Have a great trip!
| Tropical Princess | Christine ~ Pembroke, Ontario |
Had to comment on this resort. Three of us went to this resort in March 2007. I have travelled every year for the past 15 years. I thought this place was wonderful.
FOOD:
The food at this resort was remarkable. I had never seen a buffet that offered more than 75 items,.I counted, and that was each night. We did not go to any of the a-la-carte restaurants because of the choices at the buffet, if you did not find anything to eat, then you are way too picky. Some of the a-la-cartes there was a fee, but if you were in the V.I.P club there was no fee. You have to remember that the food does not taste like canadian food either in the Dominican, Mexico and Cuba.
BARS:
We had great service at all the bars, with language not being a problem. We also had a choice of many liqueurs. The staff were friendly.
ROOMS/GROUNDS;
The rooms were very clean, and the bathrooms were spotless. We felt very comfortable in these rooms. When we arrived, we had made a request to be on an upper floor, and found ourselves on the ground floor. I went to the desk and asked if it would be a problem to move us up, and they said "No problem at all, we will move you tomorow", and we were moved. In other places I have had major problems with being moved, and sometime waiting 3-4 days.
The grounds at this hotel were great. The one thing that impressed me the most was the piped in music all along the walkways. Everyday I would walk the paths in the early morning, it was so relaxing with the music, tropical birds, tropical fish, ducks and swans, what could be more beautiful. I also thought that this would be a great place for someone to marry. We were there for two weddings, with the dinners set up near the ocean, and the other under this gazebo over the pond with swans and fish, all nicely decorated.
There was a problem with chairs, but we just got up early and saved ours, which has to be done in many other resorts. The pictures in the books look exactly as the resort is. It was a wonderful place, and I would return again in a heartbeat.
| Tropical Princess |
Not sure where all these positive reviews came from. We just returned from there and it was not as we expected it to be. From the brochures we looked at it was different. The area is beautiful but the food was not as great as stated in the other reviews. The buffets were horrible. The rooms were not the best. The air conditioning didn't work, bathroom fans in both rooms needed to be replaced. The shower handle fell off, the washline in the tub was missing, our card didn't work in the door, the hair dryer blew out, the housekeeping was horrible (we were never given enough clean towels even with putting the dirty ones on the floor). Again, the resort was beautiful, but would not go back. There is hardly any English speaking staff so getting something was not easy. Were we at the same place????
| Tropical Princess | East Coast Canadian |
We were very happy with our week at the Tropical Princess!
We travelled from East Coast Canada via Sunwing, and were impressed with this charter airline and its services. We were offered champagne, a meal with wine, and complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic) and snacks on the outward flight, with the same, sans champagne, on the return to Canada. We had prepaid for seats with extra legroom, and were happy we had done so....loads of room!
Tropical Princess, and its sister resort Caribe Club Princess, function as one large resort, with guests having access to all facilities, although having to pay a little extra, sometimes, if you had not paid for VIP service.
Our room was spotless, and had two double beds - very, very comfortable. Housekeeping service was great.
We used only one of the three large, free form pools at this resort, and found it clean and cool - but not too cool!
The beach is beautiful, and we spent a lot of time floating around in the azure ocean - we were very surprised at the large number of people who don't seem to stick even one toe in the water, at any time!
The resort is lovely, with well landscaped grounds, prowling peacocks and other birds, a few small shops to buy things at greatly inflated prices (by my reckoning, suntan lotion would set you back about $25 or $30 US, so take lots from home!), pretty buildings, friendly staff.
We could always find something good to eat (although we were not brave enough to sample some of the more exotic offerings) and I am still dreaming about the flan available at this resort. La Creperie was great for an afternoon snack of ice cream (try the coconut!) or a sweet or savory crepe offering.
We were also happy with the drinks we were served, whether at the beach or a pool bar. Coco Loco and Pie Pie (I am not sure whether I am spelling that correctly) were my personal favorites!
Even though there are a few glitches in this, as in any, resort, the one thing we'd like to note is that this resort does not seem to have enough beach and pool chairs for the number of guests - either that, or many people are "reserving" chairs at both the beach AND pool. It seemed the whole resort was up and at it early in the morning (prior to 7:00 a.m.) 'reserving' chairs.
The lack of chairs and 'late arrival' of those who thought they had reserved chairs by virtue of placing their towels or other belongings on them - which were subsequently removed by other people - served as a source of entertainment for us as we sat on the beach, sunning ourselves and people watching. Loud arguments ensued........
All in all, however, we would return to this resort in an instant!
| Tropical Princess | Karl |
We are very experienced travellers and love embracing different cultures and languages. This was our second venture to the DR opting not to return for years because of our poor experience years ago in Puerto Plata. I am sad to report the workers of the DR continue to be unappreciative of their surroundings and the employment it brings.
The resort is classified all inclusive, you will find they nickel and dime you to death. Tips tips tips, seems to be the mantra of the island. The resort charges extra for the room safe, it is a tiered all inclusive under the guise of a VIP program. Many on this site recommend it but I submit it is hardly worth the cost asked. In fact I will argue they have set things up to entice you into opting into it, resist the temptation by going elsewhere, assuming you travel to the DR after you've read this. The resort is, at best, a three and a half if that.
The room is standard and access is via a magnetic card. On day two I had made the trek to re-key the card three times, once at the very end of the night....the system was down and we were hostage to having no key! The family suite is an absolute rip off providing nothing like what you expect with the exception of two beds suitable for small children only, if you think this solution will give you and your significant other the privacy you desire then you will be disappointed.
There are seven la carte restauants, you are only permitted to attend two and they are the worst of the bunch, the remainder you pay for, yet another money grab!
Overall we were disappointed, as I said we are well travelled and don't have unreasonable expectations, even asking me if I enjoyed my stay seems to be something lost on the scant hospitality extended here. The beach is great, the water is great and the resort was average, the workers need a wake up call! This place didn't come close to meeting my lowest expectation. Do yourself a favour and stick to Mexico, it is the same setting and they seem to understand the value of appreciating their guests.
| Tropical Princess | Valerie |
This was our first all-inclusive with our two boys, ages 5 and 8. We didn’t think this type of travel would suit us, but we are hooked.
We heeded advice from others and took a cab from the airport to the resort for US$28. This way, we avoided stopping at all the other hotels first. Still took about 40 minutes.
Service:
The people at the front desk were not very friendly, and I started to worry whether we were in for typical bad attitudes that you find in so many American resorts. I had difficulty with 3 different people at 3 different times on 3 different issues. However, when you get past the front desk, it’s a different world. The rest of the employees at this hotel, from the Animacion staff, the waiters at the buffet, maids, to the coconut tree trimmers were extremely polite and friendly. They will all go out of their way to help you with anything you need.
We took alot of coloring books, crayons, pencils and toiletries for the housekeepers...worth the effort. They work 24 days straight and then go home for 6 days.The people who work there are so kind and sweet, they deserve much more than they make, so TIP GENEROUSLY!
Change in US dollars is very difficult to get so we took $100 in ones and $100 in $5 and $10.
I read another person’s comment that she wished she had taken her kids’ used and unused sporting goods and clothes. The Dominicans love baseball and any old equipment, cleats, or clothing would go over great with them. If you took down a suitcase full of stuff to give away, you could then load it up with your souvenirs on the way home and avoid that overweight charge. Each of your bags cannot weigh more than 70 lbs, or you have to pay (around $5US/kg) -
VIP:
If you are staying at this hotel, you MUST go with the VIP package. The extras are sooooo worth it. You get a gourmet dinner at La Cava, massage (20 min. each), turn down service every night, internet usage (1 hour each) and a motorized boat tour.
Food:
The a-la-carte restaurants were great! We personally enjoyed La Cava, Sombrero and El Rodrizzio. If you want an early supper you must book them the day before. If you are vip and want to make reservations for the restaurants you must do this at the vip conceirge stand. NOT AT THE FRONT LOBBY.
We thought the buffet was awesome. Each meal offered at least 30-50 items, and there was a different theme each night. Even my picky kids found a plateful of food each time we ate there.
Sometimes we just ate pizza, fries and burgers at the Brazilian restaurant for lunch, or visited the fabulous Creperie next door. I gained 5 lbs. on this trip!
I took acidophilous for a week before I went and took pepto each day and I still had minor tummy troubles. However, it worked for the rest of my family, so maybe I’m just more sensitive.
The grounds:
Absolutely beautiful. A mangrove swamp lines the walkway from the lobby to the resort area. There are lots of peacocks and waterfowl milling around, and at night, kids can catch toads and frogs in the gazebo area near the restaurants.
The pools were quite lovely. The busy activity pool had a bar and music. The picture takers walk around with parrots and monkeys to take your souvenir photos. The middle pool was more low key, and could have used some music. Other than that, the zero entry warm pool was a hit. The third pool is beautiful, with fountains and jacuzzis all around.
The beach:
Soft, pale sand, clean, perfect. One of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Chairs are pretty easy to come by, but if you want a palapa on the edge of the beach you have to get down before 9:00. There is no snorkeling at this beach, it’s more wave jumping and boogie boarding. $20 will get you a boat ride to a reef closeby.
The room — It was quiet and comfortable, nothing fancy. Lots of hot water, good pressure and clean drinking water. The weirdest thing to me about the whole resort was that there are no dressers! I called and talked to 3 people before a maintenance guy proved to me that there are no dressers in any of the rooms to put away your clothes. Yes, there’s a closet, but I can’t hang up size 5T t-shirts. 2 small desk size drawers under the tv as well.
Bring a candle - rooms are musty. Also no alarm clock in room. Things don’t dry very well but if you hang them up it’s a little better. You can bring dryer sheets to put in the drawers and closet to keep your clothes smelling fresh.
Sports:
We thoroughly enjoyed boogie boarding and jumping the waves. The kids got to practice snorkeling in the pool, and we got a free boat ride (vip). We also had a blast learning to shoot bow and arrow in the archery course each day. The teen club has some very worn down pool tables, but it was a welcome diversion during a day long rain storm. The mini golf is worn down as well and looked too hot and depressing.
The Kids’ Club looked like fun, but neither of my kids were buying it because everyone spoke a different language. (English is definitely the minority here.) They were taking the kids out on the banana boat when we saw them one day, and learning archery another time.
Buying/Bringing Stuff:
We heard of someone buying Pringles for 8 US$, so we brought our own. We brought American ketchup packets too, their ketchup is brown and weird. Take insulated mugs as the sand gets hot and so do your drinks.
Try to take everything you think you would ever need. The prices in the gift shop were insane. Disposable camera for $20, sun tan lotion for $25, $15 dollars for immodium. Bring all types of medicine and sun block just in case to prevent from having to pay those ridiculous prices. Use bug spray in the evening to avoid bug bites. Bring TONS of sunblock - we used baby sunblock 45 SPF and still burned!
A lot of humidity, so ladies don’t even think about trying to straighten your hair. I went curly all week with lots of de-frizz. A light sweater was welcomed one night. Guys must wear long dress pants to dinner.
Souvenirs:
When buying souvenirs on the beach, barter low, half the price they ask is what its worth. They know the new people coming in because they are not tanned! They held up a lighter flame to a Larimar stone to prove it was real (that it wouldn’t melt). Don't do that with amber, you'll ruin it. Also, when buying jewelry from vendors, sometimes the bracelets and necklaces don’t come with the clasps. You have to buy them separately.
Would we stay here again? In a hearbeat!
| Tropical Princess | April and Alex ~ Canada |
Age: 20s Travel with Boyfriend
We broke our comments in terms of major categories:
Check In
General Tips
| Tropical Princess | Paul ~ Canada |
We travelled to Punta Cana March 11 to 18th 2006 for the Ontario March Break and stayed at the Tropical Princess / Carib Club Princess. We are 3 adults in their 30s with much travel experience in the Caribbean and with all inclusive resorts. Keep in mind we booked this holiday 3 weeks prior to departure so there was not much to choose from. We were a little concerned that there was so little reviews on the Tropical Princess but upon arrival we discovered why. The Tropical Princess / Carib Club Princess are the same complex that share same facilities. The only difference in the 2 “hotels” is the type of room you receive and where it is in the complex. So if you are looking for Tropical reviews, read also the Carib Club reviews. Furthermore the Punta Cana Princess is in the same complex, a 2 minute walk away. They have their own restaurants but shared in our trolley service, spa, etc. ( a side note I visited the Punta Cana Princess on walks daily and once at night and it is far more quiet, sedate, and smaller than the Tropical and Carib)
Our flight to Punta Cana was uneventful. The drive to the hotel was an hour despite the guides saying 20 min. from airport as they stopped at 5 hotels before ours.
The lobby at the Tropical/Carib is nice. The interesting concept of this resort is the lobby/nightly entertainment/disco/shops/internet/guide tours/theatre are nowhere near the rooms. In fact you have to take a trolley from the above places or walk about 7 minutes to the complex where the room buildings/restaurants/pools are. This has pros and cons. On the one hand the area between the two areas is beautifully manicured/gardened almost with a ‘rainforest’ theme which makes for a wonderful stroll. However there are times when you need to be at the above places i.e. lobby to complain or pick up things or when it is raining that the distance is a pain. Further the trolley is on Dominican time and there are times when the wait is much longer than the 15 min. they promise.
If you book at the Tropical – pay for the VIP program once you arrive. Don’t give your North American travel agent the extra commission. We bought it in the lobby upon arrival and do not regret it all! It goes into effect the next day after arrival. You get the items listed: 1 bottle rum, cigars, bathrobes, night turn down service, premium liquor (Absolut/Bacardi) 1 hour internet service, but most importantly you get a free dinner at La Cava and a free 25 minute massage in the spa!!! Well worth the $90 we spent. All the restaurants are included except La Cava and El S… La Cava is $25 per person for Carib Club and $50 per person for Tropical guests. With the VIP bracelet, you get there for free and the lobster and steak dinner was definitely worth it! Further we all used the spa 2 more times after our free massage as it was at par with most North American spas. Prices were reasonable.
Food: For the most part, the dinners at the specialty restaurants are good. We ate at all of them and were impressed with presentation and choices. Service was slow at most of them but what can you expect? The buffet restaurant was frustrating at breakfast and lunch. You can’t get your own pop/water/coffee so have to constantly be flagging down waiters even though the machines are accessible. Further they usually only have 1 cook for most popular items: omelets, crepes, meat, pasta etc. which generated lineups making most food warm or even cold by time you reach your table. We felt the food at the buffet was mediocre at best when compared to other resorts in Dominican and elsewhere. Where was the fresh orange juice? It was concentrated.
Rooms: On arrival our door lock was broken and we refused to stay in room until it was fixed. Looked like a forced entry had been done. It was around 10:45 p.m. We got the “don’t worry, no problem” line that they would take care of it tomorrow. No way. Not with reports of thefts etc. on previous reviews plus our concerns for our own security. We had also requested a room not on the first floor which it was. Since it was Sat. night there were no other rooms available so we couldn’t leave our room for drinks etc. and had room service. They did temporarily fix it by 1:30 a.m. and promised us a new room on 2nd floor next day. This did happen by 3:00 p.m. next day and we were happy with our new room. Most rooms in the Tropical are Suites – 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms. Perfect for stretching out. Our maid service was not the greatest at all despite leaving many gifts and cash but didn’t feel like complaining about it as yes, you are rarely in room anyway.
Resort: We have been to countless resorts in Caribbean so have much to compare to. We swear people at this resort stayed up all night or get up at 5:00 to reserve beach chairs. This was very frustrating as we are sun-worshippers and were on the beach by 7:30 every single day and never once got seats that we wanted but further back under huts. We know pools were easier but we are not pool people. These resorts need to get more chairs to met demand, it baffles me that this is an issue at most resorts despite people complaining. There were constant chair stealers we saw and battles. Its not worth it. Invest in as many chairs as you have guests. Logic? A majority of the guests were French from France. They had their own French entertainment staff that combined with the Dominican staff who were generally Spanish only with some French and little English made interactions with the English speaking guests fairly limited. We were blatantly ignored most of the time when they were scouring the beach / pool for people for activities. It was only on the 3rd day when we realized that the guests had different wristband colours. All guests who were French had blue so staff would know the French. VIP was orange and everybody else was grey. Interesting dynamics to watch.
Overall: We did not have one daylight hour of rain and clouds were minimal so how can one complain too much about a holiday? We knew going in that this was a last minute holiday at a 4* resort in Dominican. So with the exception of the broken door, mediocre food at lunch, and generally being ignored by the staff, we had a great holiday with good times in our group and the people we met. Would we go back? Almost definitely not, but that is because we never return to the same resort as we like new experiences in new places. Would we recommend Tropical/Carib? With some reservations of what to expect, to definitely buy the VIP plan, and to request a Carib room or a Tropical suite. Beach itself is beautiful and you can’t go wrong with that.
| Tropical Princess | Kim and Mike ~ Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
I have read many reviews and found them very helpful, I thought I would return the favour by adding a short review about our trip to the Dominican last March 2005. Our tour operator was Transat Holidays, and everything went smooth from booking our vacation (Marlin Travel) to arriving at the resort.
Check In / Lobby
We thought the lobby area was beautiful, it was open air, with a high thatched roof, bar at one end and the front desk at the other. The Saturday night we arrived they were having a party by the bar, it was quite busy and everyone seemed to be having a good time, check in was quite fast maybe 20 minutes and before we knew it, we were being shuttled to our room, there was no waiting for our luggage because it was on the shuttle with us.
Room
We were located on the second floor in one of the smaller buildings, the room was quite adequate, however we felt it could use a freshening up.
Food
Both my wife and I are very picky eaters, but we always found enough food at the buffet to keep from going hungry. I found the quality of the food at the beach side restaurant (lunch) not very appealing, we pretty much ate lunch every day at the crepe's restaurant. Breakfast was always good.
Beach
I can't say enough about the beach, it was amazing,mile after mile of soft white sand, bordered by palm trees on one side and beautiful turquoise water on the other.
The water was very warm and the waves were high enough to enjoy body surfing, but not high enough to be concerned about your safety, there was never a day we couldn't swim because the conditions were to rough.
Grounds
The grounds were well maintained and constantly being worked on during our stay. The mini golf definetely needed a major overhaul.
Entertainment
After a full day on the beach we really didn't have the energy for any of the evening shows.
Pools
We spent most of our time on the beach with the exception of the last day when we used the pools, they were all very nice, there was three pools all with different activity levels depending on what you wanted.
Service
All the staff we came in contact with were very friendly.
Weather
Oh yea, how could I almost forget commenting on the weather, pretty boring, hot and sunny everyday, it was beautiful !
Summary
Overall we had a very enjoyable week, however we will try other resorts in the area before going back to the Tropical Princess.
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Caribe Club Princess Beach Resort and Spa - Punta Cana — Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 35 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 355 rooms and suites Description from resort website: 3 a la carte restaurants (Italian, Mexican, Chinese), 1 buffet restaurant, Creperie (New Feature) (located at Tropical Princess) - Additional use of 2 a la carte restaurants (Brazilian and Dominican) located at Tropical Princess Beach Resort & Spa - 4 bars and use of 3 bars at Tropical Princess Beach Resort & Spa - Church with religious services - Metamorphosis Spa - free shuttle to and from casino - While staying at the Caribe Club Princess Beach Resort & Spa, guests enjoy the use of the facilities, services, restaurants and bars at the Tropical Princess Beach Resort & Spa - kids and teen club ~ Reviews posted on this page — 23 ~ Map of Resort ~ Reader's Vacation Photos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ~ Reader's Caribe Club Princess/Tropical Beach Wedding Reviews ~ Dominican Republic Travel Forum Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form or e-mail Debbie your review |
| Caribe Club Princess | Shawnee ~ Ontario, Canada |
Arrival
Overwhelming..Our first vacation.
Sunwing Representative was very friendly and helpful. Check in was not until 3pm and we arrived at 12pm. The resort made sure we had everything we needed to start enjoying our vacation right away.
Rooms
We had a suite with a king size bed. The bed was very comfortable and the pillows were also comfy. We had no complaints. The water pressure was low around dinner hour due to so many showering at once. We just waited a half hour to shower. Maids were in every day cleaning up the room and making the bed and replacing towels. Reminder...they do not have face clothes, if you use one be sure to bring your own.
Restaurants and Bars
The buffet was delicious! It had a wide variety of food. My husband is a picky eater and he had no problem finding things he liked. Each day the buffet had a different theme. This made it a little more interesting. We did not attend the disco. The pool bar was lots of fun though!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The Beach was beautiful!!! The grounds keepers were out every morning cleaning the beach area. Lots of cabanas on the beach but you had to up early to get one. There were tons of lounge chairs on the beach also. There was 3 pools and they had lots of sun and shaded areas for all to enjoy. The resort was kept up very nicely. You hardly ever seen garbage laying around. The vegetation and wild life was breath taking.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There were activities on and off the beach for everyone to enjoy. Our Sunwing Representative was there every day to help book excursions. We went on 3 excursions: Rancho Ilanos was a dune buggy adventure. We went horseback riding, drove your own dune buggy and toured the area. We visited the public beach in Punta Cana where we swam in the ocean and visited with the residents. They were selling beautiful hand made crafts that you could buy. We also went to a cave that was a fresh water spring. We dove off into the crystal blue fresh water. It was a sight to see! Then they took us to a coffee, cocoa and sugar cane plantation. The gentleman who owned the plantation gave us a demonstration on how he processes coffee beans, cocoa and real vanilla. We also got to taste samples of them.
The other tour we did was called the Marinarium. We went out on a catamaran out into the ocean. We went snorkeling, swam with nurse sharks and stingrays and had lots of drinks and danced. I got a picture of me holding a stingray. WOW!!!
The spa is absolutely breath taking....you must see visit it!
Other Comments
This was a wonderful experience! The resort was gorgeous! I would definitely recommend it!! It also has another sister resort attached to it called the Tropical Princess. Our resort was a 4+ and the Tropical was a 4. The only difference between the two........rooms and ala carte privileges. We ate the same food at the buffet, swam in all the same pools and had just as much fun as are new friends from Markham, Ontario did.
sm_vertigo@hotmail.com
| Caribe Club Princess | Deborah ~ Decatur, IL, USA |
Arrival
First of all when we got to Punta Cana and drove through the gates of this hotel we were excited about how pretty it was. Well, beauty is only skin deep. When we checked in, they did not have the information about the $400 upgrade for VIP, so we were put into a regular room. The rep from our tour group was to talk to us the next morning. When we reached our room, a good half mile from the front desk, it was ice cold. Two lamps did not work, the remote control did not work, nor were there any alarm clocks. We had virtually no idea what time it was the whole time we were there unless we used our cell phones. The only light source we had was from a ceiling fan, but in order to use it, we had no way of turning off the fan, because the pull cord was missing. We could not adjust the air conditioner, or turn on the heat, for some reason, they must not allow people to do this, because the thermostat had no response to our adjustments. The water in the shower was ICE cold and there was NO WATER PRESSURE whatsoever. The reason we purchased the VIP package was because I had called the hotel and said I wanted a jacuzzi room, and whoever I talked to, told me the VIP rooms had jacuzzis. Well, with the water pressure as it was, it would have been absurd to fill a jacuzzi anyway. The hairdryer had only one setting, low. We talked to the concierge about the remote control, he told us. "You are VIP, you just call... we come take care of you" Two days later we received our working remote.
The next morning, we voiced our concerns with our rep, had to sit for almost two hours while he sorted it out, even though we had all of our papers which stated "VIP" quite plainly, the hotel was denying it. We were handed the correct tags, internet, meal, massage and watersports coupons, but did not receive the rum or cigars.
There were never any watersports available, never any snorkles or parasailers. Who wants to use the internet on vacation anyway? The first full day we spent there, we were locked out of our room for nearly an hour, because our key did not work. We lost electricity and the ceiling in our bathroom was dripping on us. It took four phone calls to various people there before anyone came out to fix it. We had to get ready for our dinner with water dripping on our heads. My boyfriends eye was nearly swollen shut from a bug bite he received while sleeping on the first night. I had a bite above my eye, and two on my arm. He had three on his. Our room was full of mosquitos and ants. If you sat down a soda for five minutes, you had to look in it to make sure it wasn't ant infested. The buffet food is absolutely horrible. I never once saw chicken, and the only time I ever saw beef was "head". You could order a cheeseburger from room service, but it took two hours to get there and was cold and disgusting.
We continued to ask about the rum, the cigars, and oh, don't forget the bathrobes we were to have received in our room, which would have been nice coming out of a freezing cold shower and into a freezing cold room. In all, we probably made six phone calls, and stopped at the front desk four times, asked the concierge twice about the rum and cigars, everyone just wrote it down on a piece of paper. Nobody ever did anything about it.
You couldn't swim at night if you wanted to, they turn off all the lights surrrounding the pool and on the beach. Which was actually fine, because this hotel boasts that they have several jacuzzis, but we never did find one that was heated. All the water in the jacuzzis was as cold as the pool, which was too cold to enter.
Nobody seemed to know anything about anything. I think that sometimes they just pretend to not understand so they don't have to deal with you.
On our last day, I went again to Guest Services, which had a very surprisingly long line, each and every time we were there. (obviously there were LOTS of complaints). I told the gal at the desk that we were leaving and would like to get the rum and cigars, she told me that her supervisor had taken it to our room the day before. I informed them that we had not received it, I wanted someone to come to our room, and show me that it was there. She said it was "Impossible. My Supervisor is very very busy right now, and she is very good about doing what she says" She ended up getting the supervisor on the phone, but the "good supervisor" would not talk to me. I was basically called a liar. I never did receive the rum or the cigars. We don't smoke, and we don't drink, but I feel like I paid $400 for the rum and cigars, because that was the price of the room upgrade for what I believed would have a jacuzzi and did not. We did not use the other coupons, with the exception of the meal ticket. Which, when we showed up at the steak restaurant, we only had our ticket, not the paper it was stapled to, and my boyfriend had to walk all the way back to the room to get it. I watched this happen to two other people while I was waiting on him. The steak was edible, but a dollar menu cheeseburger from McDonalds is better, especially since we had to wait two hours to get it.
The day we were to leave, the bellboy put us on the wrong bus, and we ended up having to pay another 30 for the ride while we were on it, even though we had already paid. If we hadn't had the money, I imagine we would have been dropped off in the middle of one of the scary neighborhoods we drove through.
At the airport back in the states, my boyfriend and I both noticed a bunch of itchy bumps on our genital areas. Apparently whatever bugs bit our faces and our arms were crawling all over our most private parts while we were sleeping. I feel absolutely violated and disgusted by this fact. I am so disturbed, I can't even sleep at night due to the itch and the emotional aspects of this. Just imagine yourself. We don't even know if it was ants crawling on us, or some other type of bug.
This hotel was supposed to be all inclusive, but unless you flashed cash, nobody could understand a word you say. But once they see the money, they are all fluent in french and english.
The only nice thing I have to say about this trip was our dune buggy excursion. We booked it by the hotel, it was only $130 for both of us, and took us away from the hotel for about four hours. We rode dune buggies in town, on the beach, on on muddy paths, (you could avoid the muddy puddles if you wanted) we swam in a cave, on the beach, and visited a banana plantation. It was absolutely awesome. Only downfall were the kids begging. Of course, they had their little shops and jewelry stands set up at each pit stop, but the guy who booked our trip had already warned us of this. They went out of their way to get us coffee when we got there, all they had were sodas and beers, which they offered at no charge to all of us. They also offered us ice cold bottled waters during the excursion as well. This was a lot of fun and I recommend it to anyone. It was called Rancho Xtreme.
All in All, I spent a lot of my vacation in tears, even when we got back to the states, since that is when we discovered that we weren't only bringing back souveniers, but also some creepy crawly bites as well. Disgusting.
I am so glad to be home and I really ask that anyone think twice before booking at this hotel!! The bad thing about all this, is that I probably forgot to even mention everything bad here.... In the states, this hotel would have been shut down from lawsuits.
| Caribe Club Princess | I and B ~ Canada |
Arrival: Jan 23-30
Trip from Punta Cana airport took about an hour as if you stay at the Caribe Club Princess you are the last off the bus, stopped at 3 other resorts that Sunwing uses.
Rooms:
We stayed in the Eldorado building #1 room 1371, rooms on the third floor have the cathedral style vaulted ceiling that makes the room feel larger. This room is also a corner room and is very large, the balcony overlooks the main pool right at the swim up bar, which on occasion was somewhat noisy.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was edible , nothing special, a la cartes were less than inspiring, Chinese seemed the best to us, buffet ranged from ok to very mediocre, food was much better at the RIU Bachata in Puerto Plata where we stayed last year.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was awesome , best beach we have seen yet in the Dominican Republic, we have been to Puerto Plata 3 times and the beach there is ok but Punta Cana is a superb shade of blue and lovely white sand that stretches forever, you can walk for about 20 minutes and see the wreck Astrom in front of the RIU resorts and pass by the beach vendors where you can barter for cheapy cheapy DR stuff if you like.A word of caution for those sqeamish about topless/scantily clad beachgoers Punta Cana is a very cosmopolitan tourist region with many European travellers who enjoy the sun so expect lots of the aforementioned both at the beach and around the pool area.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We were in Fly and Flop mode so we just relaxed on the beach, but we heard many positive comments on the Saona Island catamaran trip.
Other Comments:
Overall we we were happy with our trip to Punta cana and the Caribe Club Princess, our trip was enhanced by those fellow travellers that we enjoyed the week with from the UK, Canada, and our Austrian friends. The Dominican workers are so fun to be around and work very hard to make your trip memorable. We have nothing but positive things to say about the resort staff and our dealings with the hotel front desk managers. Go to Punta Cana and enjoy yourself.
| Caribe Club Princess | Kevin ~ Milwaukee, WI |
Arrival: Feb 2008
Lets see, it took forever to get the bag, so we went for a drink. When we did get the bags 2 hours later then we took a dip to no surprize no one at the pool bar had to wait again.
Rooms:
Thin walled mildew stained stinky, we bring candles (becouse of being in the DR before) but that wouldnt cure the noise, just the smell...The walls are so thin and the doors are worse.
Restaurants and Bars:
food was AGH!! Grand palladium and the Ocean blue had them beat big time the Barcelo?? (stayed drunk the most of the time). I do have to say the people are great!!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Sand wasnt cleared from seaweed. Grounds where good. Apple Rep sucked.
Other Comments:
If you excpect a 4 you get a 2 apple.
knerby@hotmail.com
| Caribe Club Princess | Wisconsin |
We arrived at the Caribe Club Princess on Sept 28th a half hour earlier than expected. It was a Sunday so there was not any music or drinks waiting for us. But the bar in the lobby was open and the workers at the counter were in great spirits. We were a group of four. Our room was ready but our friend was not ready, so they immediately upgraded them to a suite at no extra charge. We were then immediately taken to our rooms by a tram that runs throughout the complex. E mail me on trip advisor and I can direct you to our photos of the suite. We were told that we could upgrade to a suite the following day. We were happy with the room we had and did not upgrade.
Rooms: The rooms were clean and we had vaulted ceilings on the third floor of the Coralillo Building #34 which made the room seem even larger. They have a mini fridge with beer, water and soda. There are two sinks in the bathroom and a hair dryer. You do not need electrical converters. There is an in-room safe with a key, cost of about 23 us dollars. We had a deck over looking the Tropical side of the resort and their swimming pool and a glimpse of the ocean. We could hear the ocean all night long even through our closed doors.
Restaurants: Buffet was always neat and clean and great food presentation. The workers were fun and very helpful. There was always a variety of foods. Something for everyone even if you are a picky eater. We ate at the Chinese, Italian, Dominican and Asian Restaurants. Our two favorites were the Italian and the Asian. Last year we liked the Chinese and Dominican best. I guess it all boils down to who is doing the cooking. Our favorite was the Asian. We got Turkey, Chicken, Beef and Pork, with black bean rice. We were a little disappointed that the Creapery was not open, this is on the Tropical side. It was probably because we were there during the off season. If it is open when you are there, it is a must try. The Snack bar by the beach had Hamburgers, Hot dogs, French Fries, chips, salad fruit and deserts.
Bars: The lobby bar has the most to offer as far as selection. The pool bar was the next bar to have the most. They have blenders and also pre-blended drinks. Vodka, Rum, Beer etc. The beach bar La Matica was right off the snack bar and beach. All of the bars also had bottled water.
We had EXCELLENT service. Not just the bars but everywhere, maid service, bartenders, waiter/waitresses, and the cooks at the buffet and snack bar. We are not big tippers but we are consistent tippers. No matter who they were if they were doing a good job we gave them a tip. We gave T-shirts and hats to our favorites at the end of our stay as well as an additional tip.
Activities:
First of all the beach is really beautiful and well maintained. We also did not have a problem finding chairs at the beach or the pools.
There are nightly show and then dancing in the lobby afterwards. There is a disco which we did not go to the “Areito”. There is a beach party with dancing one night. There is a cookout another night by the pool. There is a kids play area and a teen club with pool and foosball. There is also archery, bocce ball, shuffle board, miniature golf, tennis, basketball. There is water aerobics, step aerobics, dart contest, stretching class. They have kayaks, boogie boards, catamarans, volleyball, soccer. Parasailing is also available and snorkeling. There are henna tattoos, massages and hair braiding.
Shopping: There is shopping on the beach about a mile in each direction, also the Bavaro shopping outside the complex is about a 15 minute walk. Or you can shop right there at the stores right by the lobby.
Check Out: Just as smooth as checking in (no problems or extra charges)
We will definitely go back
| Caribe Club Princess | Melissa ~ Leicester, England (one of a party of 8) |
Thought I would just let you know about our wonderful holiday at the Caribe Club Princess. I too had read the review and inview of the low price of this hotel compared with others in the area I was a little concerned as to what we were going to. I/we had no need to worry. The Hotel was fabulous. From arrival until departure I could not fault it.
Booking in was quick with a welcoming drink on arrival, we were taken to out room block by little trams and we were delighted with our room, It was very large with two queen size beds , a table and chairs, large wardrobes with shelve storage and a dressing table. The bathroom was excellent - clean towels daily. and cleaned beautifully every day.
The grounds were amazing as was the pool area and the beach, well it was everything you expect a carribean beach to be, stunning, white sands and turquoise water. The beach had great waves so getting out a boogie board is a must. Plenty of sunloungers and shade if you required it.
The swim up pool bar was amazing - so were the Happy Birthdays!!!! lots of mamajuana and a very happy barman - an experience.
The food was fantastic, the buffet was always good, the Mexican was exceptional, the italian was OK but Im not a great lover of italian food, didnt try the other restuarants. Had the odd upset stomach but I think it is par for the course when you go abroad, it certainly didn't affect the wonderful holiday.
And on top of all that the weather was wonderful, Did the half day Happy hour boat trip which was great fun other than that we had a relaxing two weeks
As I said this hotel is amazing and so are the staff, so friendly and always helpful and smiling. But I just love the Dominican Republic it is my favourite holiday destination and I cant wait to go back!!
| Caribe Club Princess | New Brunswick Canada |
This is my third trip to Punta Cana DR. We do a girl trip each year, we are single gals 25-35. This year we stayed at Caribe Club Princess. The resort was beautiful, our room was third floor with a balcony and cathedral ceiling. Our mini-bar was stocked daily, and our room clean.
The beach is terrific, soft white sand and the water is crystal clear with waves. The restaurants are delicious, we ate at Mama Mia, Mexician twice, a-la-carte, and the Shanghi, the Creperie is great for an afternoon snack. The Beach Bar has a great lunch menu as well. Brazillian restaurant bar make the best banana mamas fresh blended.
The nightly entertainment was not as good as previous years, but they do work hard. I certainly recommend the spa, the aromatherapy full body massage is a must the day before you leave.
My only negative, it that for the first three days my friends and I where the only english speaking people, it was all Europians, and we being from Canada, certainly do not appreciate the endless smoking whenever, whereever. We found them very rude to the resort staff, and they assumed they owned every beach hut on the beach even if you towels where on the chairs. Perhaps is was just the week we picked and Caribe Club Princess or maybe it is known to cater to the Europians and we where not aware of this before hand.
Over all we had a lovely vacation, and cannot wait to return.
| Caribe Club Princess | Marilou |
We are a couple of 26 and 32 years old. I am French Canadian and Kevin is American. We are both very well traveled, between the two of us, having traveled to Venezuela, DR, Mexico, India, China, Europe, South Africa and all over the US… The purpose of this trip was to spend a relaxing and romantic week. This was my fourth trip to the DR and Kevin’s third.
Resort layout
The Caribe Club Princess is located on a wonderful stretch of Beach. The resort shares its grounds and amenities with guests of the Tropical Princess (they are basically the same resort). The grounds are mostly very compact, the rooms, restaurants, pools and beach all being with approximately 5 minutes of eachother. The lobby, theatre and Disco are further in the back of the resort, approximately a 10 minute walk from the rest of the amenities, through a nice path through the mangroves. After having visited extremely large resorts like the Palladium in PC and the Barcelo Maya in Mexico, it was refreshing to visit a resort where all is close by.
Room
We had a standard room located in the Cayena Building. Our room number was 1372. 3rd floor, with a King Size bed, small table with chairs, dresser, couch, fridge… Pretty much the standard in DR. The room was very clean and we were satisfied with its size. A perk of being on the third floor is the rooms have a Cathedral ceiling which makes the room seem bigger. The bathroom was fine with a large counter. The water pressure for the shower wasn’t great. There is a safe in the room but one must pay 24$ to use it. We meant to go and pay for the key but never got around to it. The maid did a great job. The times at which they made up the room alternated a lot, the first day it was a round 9 AM and the last day, not till 5PM. Our balcony had a view of the pool and of the ocean in the distance.
Food
The resort has one main buffet area. It is open air therefore very hot in there. The food was standard. The breakfast was the best meal of the day at the buffet, as is standard in the DR. We had dinner twice at the buffet and both times found the food satisfying. The had grilled scampi one night which was great. We ate at 5 à la cartes: Italian (Mama Mia), Mexican (Sombrero), Dominican (El Pilon), Brazilian and Asian (Shanghai). All meals at the a la cartes were very good. My favorite was the Dominican Restaurant El Pilon which was very quaint and where the waiters were super. All but the Brazilian restaurant were air conditioned which was really nice. We usually had lunch at one of two beach buffet restaurants. Food there was the same every day. Nachos with cheeses, hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, fries, fruit and a variety of salads/vegetables. This was sufficient to keep us fed but people who spend two weeks here might find it gets old. By far, the best food feature of this restaurant is the “Crêperie”. It is open all afternoon long and has a nice shaded terrace where one can eat or play board games. They offer 8 varieties of Crêpes: Cheese, Cheese and Ham, Cheese and Chicke, Vegetables and Cheese and Chocolate, Strawberry/Mango, Pineapple and one other I can’t remember. They also have Ice Cream and flavored coffees here. It is a wonderful place to have a mid-afternoon snack.
Beach and Pools
The Beach is wonderful here, as in most places in PC. There are several palapas, yet still not enough for the demand. This is the hotel I have visited where the towel/chair game is played most aggressively. There are signs that say no chair/palapa reserving everywhere yet people still do this. After getting caught palapaless the first day, we figured we might as well join in. To get a palapa oceanfront, one had to be up at 5:30AM, to get a palapa period, one had to be out on the beach by 8AM. Of course, we found this unpleasant but after several trips to the DR, we are sort of used to it…
There are 3 pools at this resort. The pools are nice. They could use a coat of paint. Activities are at the pool between the Cayena and Corallilo buildings, as is the pool bar. The two other pools are more quiet.
Service
Front desk staff was great. We had no major problems or request but every time we had a question we were answered very nicely and there was always someone there who spoke French or English. The service in the a la cartes restaurants was great. We love Gabriel at the Brazilian Restaurant. Service at the buffets was average at best. We often had to go look or ask for cutlery. Coffee at breakfast was rarely offered nor did orders for drinks often taken. The staff at the buffets did not seem very happy to be there. This was not a big deal to us but could be annoying to some people so it is worth noting.
Entertainment
There is the standard Dominican Entertainment Team. They organize dance lessons, volleyball, waterpolo, crazy games… There is also the ElDorador team which is a French Entertainment Crew which focuses primarily on Francophones and the Blue Club which is an animation team geared towards the Italian. The El Dorador team and Dominican Team sometimes work together to organize games. There is a Children’s Club and a teenager club. There are the standard spa and massages offered. There was also hair braiding and Henna tattoos. All of these warrant a fee, of course. There is a show at the theatre every night. Mostly it is the standard Miss Caribe contests, Joke Shows… One night there was a show called Gothic which featured a professional dance troup. This show was pretty good and should not be missed. There was a wonderful contemporary dancer in a few of the acts.
Miscellaneous
There was a beach party one night with dancing on the beach. This was great fun and drew in lots of guests. The internet service is 10$ for 1 hour. The hour can be used over 5 days. The computers were very recent and the connection very fast! The resort could use a little updating. It is still very nice but you can tell that it is old. The vegetation at this resort is gorgeous and lush. It has a great tropical feel to it. There is the standard photographer with Monkeys and Iguanas and Birds and such. Mariachis go around the à la carte restaurants and offer to serenade you for a tip. I always enjoy this type of entertainment. The discothèque is fairly large and allows guests of other hotels as well as Dominicans in. We only went one night and went pretty early so there were not many people but the layout was pretty nice.
Overall we had a very nice vacation. This was not the most upscale resort we have been to but as I always say, a vacation is what you make of it. It had the most important: Sun, Sand, Alcohol and Food. You have to go with the flow and enjoy the fact that you are privileged enough to visit one of these resorts.
You can see my pictures here:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/560188322gsNnSo
Please keep in mind they are my personal pictures so you may not be interested in the people shots. However, there are several pictures of the resort, beach, pool and room. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at marilouemard@hotmail.com
| Caribe Club Princess |
We just returned from 8 days at this resort. I must say you get what you pay for. We got a very good deal on the trip. The place is at best average. The best thing about it was the beach. It's gorgeous & the best I've seen in PC. We stayed at the 2 Sunscape resorts & their beaches were not as nice. The grounds on the resort are kept very clean & the lobby is beautiful with lots of places to sit & the best bar. This was the only bar where the drinks were not watery. Most bars run out of ice & drinks are warm. There are no blender drinks unless you have VIP. The trolly from the lobby to the rooms was nice if you didn't feel like walking & came frequently. The hallways to our room smelled horrible like trash. The rooms were kept clean but we hardly ever had towels or received them very late (8 PM one night). My suggestion is get clean pool towels at the end of the day in case you don't get bath towels. When we did get bath towels they were gray & nasty looking. There are no wash cloths so if you like them bring your own. They only give you 2 towels per room & 1 hand towel. The rooms need upgrading but they are clean. Mattresses are horrible. We had to get up every day by 7 AM to reserve chairs by the pool. If you don't do this by 8 AM you won't have a chair by the pool. Stay away from the main pool. So many people are in it, it gets very dirty by the afternoon. There was also brown scum on the sides. The other 2 pools are much quieter & cleaner. Even the chairs by the beach get taken early. If you are from the US & like a resort with English speaking guests don't go here. Most of the guests are foreign. We didn't have a problem with the staff - most could figure out what you needed.
Food: Specialty restaurants are very good especially Italian. You have to make reservations every day which didn't take too much time but they fill up quickly. They don't enforce the dress code so men can wear shorts. The buffet was OK at best & in the evening gets very HOT. There is no air conditioning or even fans so it gets very uncomfortable especially in the evening. Breakfast is the same thing every day so it gets pretty boring. They only open 1 omelet station so the line is always long. There was always pasta at dinner which was good. Eat dinner in the specialty restaurants as much as you can. We did not do the VIP plan because it was $22 per person per day & you had to take it for the whole week which did not seem worth it. Glad we didn't pay the extra. Bring Pepto - our daughter got sick for a few days. Also lots of sunscreen - it's very expensive to buy. I would not return to this resort - I would probably pay a little more & go someplace nicer but on the same beach. I'll never try anything less than 5 stars!
| Caribe Club Princess | Christine ~ Pembroke, Ont. |
Wonderful place to go! My friend, my 14 year old daughter and myself travelled to the Dominican and stayed at the Caribe Club Princess/Tropical Princess. These are two properties in one. This was my 11th time travelling to the Dominican. I have stayed at Puerto Plata several times, Punta Cana and on the Carribean side. I do not know how people can say anything but good things about the Dominican people. The are to me the kindest, friendliest , hard working and most helpful people I have ever come across in my travels. I have also been to Mexico and Cuba . The people in my opinion are the best in the Dominican. I think that people who travel to the Dominican go with very high expectations, you have to remember that this is a third world country, and they work for $5.00 a day, they are poor, but they will bend over backwards for you. The one thing that most Canadians have problems with is that they do have lots of garbage in their streets, so does Mexico.
This resort was rated a 4* hotel, I give it 4+. I thought this hotel was amazing. The grounds were the best. I was so impressed by the long walkway that led to the front lobby, it had ducks, wild birds, fish, tropical flowers and the best of all piped in music. That walkway had the most relaxing atmosphere.
If you have never travelled to the Dominican, the beaches in Punta Cana, are very much compareable to the beaches in Cuba. The sand is white, soft and the water is aqua and clear. The beaches are nice in Puerto Plata but not as nice as Punta Cana.
The food at this resort was " AMAZING", there were 11 buffet stations that you could choose from, that is an incredible amount of food. If anyone complains about the food at this resort, just disregard their comment. There were theme nights each night, Mexican, Dominican, Italian, Seafood etc....There were a-la-carte restaurants but we did not want or desire any other food, there was plenty to choose from right at the buffet restaurant. You did have to pay for some of the a-la-carte restaurants. Two were included, three were $11.00 per person, and two specialty ones were $25.00 per person, one being a seafood restaurant. They not only had wine with dinner but champagne, and that was at the buffet restaurant. That was the first time that has ever been offered at any of the `15 trips I have been on.
This resort was fantastic, and I would love to return again, I am hoping that my son will get married at this resort. It has an on-site chapel, a cinderella carriage just outside the chapel for pictures, and they decorated the dinner area for their weddings so nice. (there were two that we saw)......GREAT PLACE, YOU WILL LOVE IT.
| Caribe Club Princess | Judy |
My friend and I just got back from Punta Cana after a 9 day visit Just two women on our own (late 40's early 50's). We stayed at the Tropical/Caribe Club Princess two resorts in one. We were on the Tropical Princess side.
I have nothing bad to say about this resort. Everything was great. The rooms are well away from the lobby and theater area with shuttle buses running all the time or you can walk along the well maintained walkways while listening to the ever playing music and see all the birds living in the bushes along the way - ducks, geese, water chickens and even peacocks.
We flew direct from Charlottetown which was even better but unfortunately had to come back by way of Saint John in order to clear customs.
Room: We had a suite with two washrooms which we did not expect. The rooms were clean and well maintained. The maid was very helpful in getting us an extra pillow and extra towels when requested.
Food: There was lots of variety and everything was well presented. Depending on where you started with the buffet, some of the food would be getting cold when you reached your table. Thus, start with the cold and end with the hot. After a couple of days we learnt the trick of getting out table, going for our breakfast and then asking for tea. Other wise, your water would be cold by the time you came back to the table with your plate. We ate at two of the a la carts - Dominican which we just didn't care for the taste of, and Brazilian which was great but was mostly meat. There were three other a la carts which are included for Caribe Club guests but Tropical guests would have to pay extra. These are Chinese, Mexican and Italian.
Beach: The beach area was very nice. White sand, lots of chairs and huts, and well maintained. There were lots of activities that you could take part in. The water was very wavy and hard to actually swim in but great for bogie boards. Besides, there were three pools if you really wanted to swim.
People: All the people working at the resort were very friendly and always willing to help you with any questions. Some of the guys of course were extra friendly to us gals!
Shopping: There is a great little mini mart on the resort with a little bit of everything in it. However, if you want to go to a bigger area $200 pesos for a taxi will take you to Bavaro Shopping Mall where you can spend the day and still not get to all the shops.
Entertainment: The resort has a theme show in the theater every night of which they do a great job. After the show there is a 1/2 of dance lessons in the lobby and then if you like, the disco at the edge of the resort opens at 11:00 p.m. where your drinks are free till 12:00 midnight. If you feel real adventurous, you can go to the Mangu disco which is on another resort but has two levels. You will have to pay $6.00 US admission here but that also includes one drink. Both discos are open to the locals. We even had a beach party one night instead of the theater show.
Excursions: There are many different excursion that you can take. We went on two. Saona Island we felt was not worth the money. It took us over two hours on the bus and then 1 & 1/2 hours on the catamaran to get there. Venders were waiting to pounce on us as soon as we got there. The beach is nice but nothing spectacular - at least not the area where we were taken. Then it was a speedboat trip back to the bus. Manati Park on the otherhand was well worth the money. We spent the day there. Swam with the dolphins, saw all the shows and had lots of time to explore on our own. We also went parasailing at the resort itself which we both loved and were glad we did.
Overall: I would definitely revisit this resort. My friend was sick a couple of nights but seeing as I was sick on the plane on the way down and others from the same plane we sick even though they stayed at different resorts, I feel that we took the flu down with us on the plane and it had nothing to do with the resorts themselves.
| Caribe Club Princess | Marti ~ USA |
I have traveled extensively over the past 25 years with a special emphasis on beaches. Still, I was a bit concerned when booking this trip because of the wide variety of mixed reviews and because it would be just my 19 year old daughter and I. We had an absolutely wonderful time start to finish. All of the staff was pleasant and friendly and helpful. Both check in and check out were simple and quick. We asked for and received a TV remote control. Our room was spacious and clean and everything in it worked correctly. There are no clocks in the rooms, but the wakeup call service is reliable, with a second call for snoozers.
MEALS - The buffet meals offered an amazing variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, beverages, and sweets. Something was always being offered freshly grilled to order, eggs, burger, fish, pasta, lamb chops, etc. Hot foods were hot, cold foods were cold. (However, it is not the Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel or McDonalds, if you are afraid of new foods or familiar foods cooked new ways, take your vacation in the states). The buffet waiters were always attentive. We never made it to the reservations desk for restaurants before 11:00 am and always had at least 2 to choose from. We also stopped by the buffet each night to see what we were missing and, !surprise!, the buffet offers a different theme each night reflecting the restaurants with the exact same food and a beautiful presentation, in addition to the regular variety. So, while the restaurants offer menus and personal service, the food is the exact same as the corresponding theme night at the fabulous buffet. If you think you are getting a superior meal in the restaurants, that is just an illusion. Based on various reviews we had read, we brought some snack foods from home just in case and never touched them. Between lunch and dinner and late night, beach bar offered nachos and cheese, salad makings, chicken, pasta, etc.
BEACH – The soft white sand beach is deep and wide in front of this resort, spacious even when every chair is filled. Endless walks are available in either direction. We did bring our own beach towels which was nice only because we on the beach well before the beach towel hut opened, and had no trouble finding loungers as we were up for the glorious sunrise each day. I did notice that by 7 AM each day all the shade chairs were taken on the beach. We took our first sailing lesson on the beach from the resort beach/ocean toy guys and then sailed confidently every day on our own. The water was too choppy the day we wanted a windsurfing lesson, but they were great about letting us take one out anyway in the shallows to just get a feel for it. Yes, there is a small bit of seaweed/sea grass, it is an ocean. Volleyball games and soccer were easy to join into, and with the pool right on the beach, we could just lift our heads to see if that was an activity we were interested in as well.
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT - The evening shows, well, ... the choreography lip syncing, and dancing were excellent. Unfortunately, the sound system is just awful, sitting in the very last row made it tolerable. The nightly lobby dances were great, lots of energy, enthusiastic, friendly animation staff. They do enjoy pretty girls and flirt extensively, but will concede to the boundaries set by the guest. They are incredible dancers and happy to gently and patiently teach everyone their steps.
TOUR - We did the Apple safari tour early in the week. It is an excellent tour for seeing the country side, learning a lot about the dr, and seeing a completely different beach. We also met some great people who were with us on the tour and it was fun to run into them throughout the week and learn what they had been up to. We had pencils, crayons, colored pencils for the school children which they were very happy to receive. We also took several recorders (penny flutes) and these really lit up their little faces, wish I had brought lots more!!
SHOPPING – Bargains are to be had. Haggle, and haggle some more. Try to pay 1/3 or less of the asking price. If you pay too much in one shop, you are bound to make up for it in the next. There are shops both to the right and left of the resort on the beach. The ones to the left are closer and a bit more relaxed with a wider variety of goods. They are all open approx 9 – 5. Of course the prices in the resort shops are high for things you could have brought from home; they have to pay shipping and import taxes and make a profit.
TIPPING – We were haphazard about it, didn’t always have a wallet with us. Of course everyone likes and deserves to be rewarded for jobs well done, but whether we had a dollar ready or not, we always had a ready smile, good humor and a kind word and always got good service.
LANGUAGE – Neither of us knew any Spanish beforehand. We did make an effort to learn a few basic travelers’ phrases on the plane ride such as please, thank you, good morning-afternoon-evening, how are you, what is your name, where is, what is, when is, how much is, too expensive, it’s delicious, etc, and picked up more as the week went on. It was fun to surprise the staff with our Spanish; they almost always answered us with a big smile and in English. It appeared that only the maids and a few of the wait staff knew very little if any English, but it was not a problem at all.
MISC - We, nor any of the folks we met were on the VIP plan and did not miss it or feel the least bit slighted. Brought bug spay, didn’t need it, got 3 bites between us all week. Had drinks at various times in all the bars and always found the drinks delicious and bartenders fun and eager to serve.
COMPLAINTS - #3. We were told by Apple that a hospitality room would be available for us to shower and change after check out on our last day since our flight home was not until 8:00 PM. We went to the desk an hour before our bus to the airport and none were unoccupied, so we had to take our hospitality shower in the open air shower by the pool and change in a nearby restroom. Really, no problem! #2. The maid left no clean towels one day. We called housekeeping mid-morning, but still had no towels in the afternoon. After a second call, we received towels within 30 minutes. We had been tipping her, but stopped after that. #1. Trash left all over the beaches by inconsiderate, lazy resort guest. Yes, there are workers who clean it all up, but why not leave it the way you found it for all to enjoy?
OVERALL - This resort is large, but has a compact, cozy feel and is it very simple to find one's way around. The nature walk to and fro the lobby, stores, night show stage, is well lit, lots of peaceful wildlife and interesting vegetation and takes about 5-7 minutes. We always saw trams available especially at night, both after the shows and the lobby dancing. None of my pre-trip worries came true. I would definitely recommend this resort and I would definitely stay here again myself. It is safe, fun, clean,