While legal requirements regarding marriage in the Dominican Republic are the same for travellers from all countries wishing to get married in the DR, the information below refers specifically to Canadians.
Top 10 Caribbean Hotels for Dominican Republic Weddings
The information published below has been provided by Dominican Republic Services in Toronto, Canada. (Please check with whomever you have chosen to process your documents to clarify what they require - costs, number of copies of documents required, and preparation of the Statutory Declaration of Single Status may vary, particularly if you will be attending a Dominican Consulate in person to have the forms processed.)
Please also confirm with the hotel you have chosen for your wedding if they require your birth certificates to be legalized or if just translating is enough, and that your wedding date and details are confirmed.
Your Wedding in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is the ideal place to celebrate your wedding. Surrounded by palm trees, tropical flowers, live music, you will find the perfect balance between privacy and a friendly atmosphere.
You will need two witnesses holding valid passports who can be travelling with you or you can ask local hotel staff to witness your wedding.
The following documents are required to get married in the Dominican Republic. Note that legal transcripts of birth certificates, single status affidavits and divorce certificates need to be prepared in the country where the documents were issued.
Original birth certificates. Send two photocopies.
Valid and signed passports. Send two photocopies of the main page.
Notarized Statutory Declarations of Single Status done according to the sample. Bring or send one original and one photocopy.
Please see attached sample of a Statutory Declaration of Single Status.
Divorce certificate or death certificate (if applicable). Send original or notarized photocopy and two simple photocopies. In both cases, a minimum waiting period of ten months applies before a woman can remarry.
The 3rd and 4th documents are translated and legalized by the Dominican Republic Consulate. The birth certificates have to be translated into Spanish as well.
If you are near Toronto and wish to drop off your documents at our office, you may do so by booking an appointment with us in advance. When it is not possible, please courier to us all above-mentioned documents and their copies. DO NOT SEND original birth certificates or passports to us, only their photocopies. Please include a prepaid courier envelope to return documents to you with your daytime phone number and mailing address. Legalization of documents takes 5 working days.
Please note that your first, middle and last name must be the SAME in your passport and statutory declaration. If name is different on your birth certificate, please indicate that in point 1 of your declaration.
Fees: $100 US each legalization, $40 US each translation
Note: Some hotels in the Dominican Republic may charge legal fees for the authentication of documents legalized by Dominican Consulates abroad by the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs.
Please note that some Canadian institutions require the Dominican Marriage Certificate to be translated and legalized by the Dominican Republic Consulate in Canada. Please contact Dominican Republic Services for further details.
A sample copy of the Statutory Declaration of Single Status is below,
as provided by the Dominican Republic Services in Toronto.
STATUTORY DECLARATION OF SINGLE STATUS
(Please do not just fill in but retype the whole document)
CANADA ) IN THE MATTER OF:
Province of __________ ) the marriage between
) [full name of both parties as in passport]
)
I, [Full Name as in passport] of the City of __________, in the Province of ________ DO SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE THAT:
1. I am [full name as in passport], born as [name as it appears on Birth Certificate] on [date of birth] in [place of birth]. 2. I am a Canadian citizen with passport No. _______ who resides at [full address]. 3. I intend to marry [full name as in passport] in the [Hotel Name] in [City], Dominican Republic during the week of [week of marriage]. 4. I am single and have never been married before. [If divorced, please put: I am divorced as per divorce certificate No. ________ as of {date of divorce}. During my previous marriage I was known as [name as it appears on divorce certificate]]. To the best of my knowledge and belief there is no legal impediment or other lawful cause to prevent me from getting married. 5. I am currently employed as a [occupation]. 6. The names of my parents are _______________, Mother and ________________, Father.
AND, I make this Solemn Declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.
DECLARED before me at )
[City], Province of ________, ) _____________________
Canada, this __ of _______, 200_ ) [full name as in passport]
1470 Peel St. Suite 263
Montreal, P.Q. H3A 1T1 Phone: (514) 284 - 5455/6600 Fax: (514) 284 - 5511
Dominican Republic General Consulate - Toronto
347 Bay St. Suite 904
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2R7 Phone: (416) 369 - 0403/1602 Fax: (416) 369 - 1685
Hotel Wedding Packages
The following information has been obtained from the hotels directly. While we try to keep this information current, note that information, prices, and contact info may change. Please help us keep these listings current. If your hotel is not listed, please send us your Wedding information and we will post it.
Catalonia Bavaro Resort
Description: Weddings at Catalonia can be arranged directly with the hotel and include: services of personal wedding coordinator, ceremony performed with a justice of the peace or priest, preparation of marriage certificate, decoration of the wedding area, special decoration of the room the night of the wedding, witness provided (if required), flower bouquet for the bride/boutonniere for the groom, special gift for the bride and groom, manicure and pedicure for the bride and groom, one hour massage, champagne for the nuptial toast, your choice of elegant wedding cake., romantic dinner in one of our gourmet restaurants, honeymoon breakfast in bed, golf reservations for the couple in the 9 hole field incl. green fee, golf cart and golf clubs.
Phone: (809) 412-0000 Ext 7016 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Coral Costa Caribe Juan Dolio (prices as of September, 2007)
Description: Complete guidance from a Wedding Coordinator, bride’s bouquet, groom’s buttonhole, 1 single tier wedding cake, decorated champagne glasses and cake knife, decoration of archway, house champagne toast.
Optional Extras: Hors d’oeuvres, private bar, private buffet, video, photos, extra flowers, hairdresser, music.
Traditional Wedding Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 10 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (10 guests). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc.
Deluxe Wedding Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 15 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (15 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 15 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom. Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc.
Romantic Wedding Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 20 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (20 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 15 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 24 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room. Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc.
Elite Wedding Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 25 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (25 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 20 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 36 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, special beauty package for bride and groom at salon (manicure and pedicure), hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room, room upgrade to Paradise suite for bride and groom (subject to availability). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc.
Catholic Wedding Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; ceremony to take place in our conference center (not available at any other location on the resort), welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, Priest’s service ceremony fee, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 15 guests (registered as guests of resort), one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (15 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 25 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 36 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room, room upgrade to Paradise Suite for bride and groom (subject to availability). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc.
Renewal of Vows Package Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 10 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (10 guests), Hors D’ouvres for 10 guests during toast to the couple. (Marriage license and minister fees not applicable or included.) Other
services available at extra charge – photographer, live music, etc.
Description: Wedding Package includes Judge and the wedding certificate, 1 pound wedding cake, champagne for the ceremony, sparkling wine and a plate of fruit in the room the day after the wedding, bride’s bouquet and 3 buttonholes, flowers for the judge’s table, reservation in one of the specialty restaurants for the wedding day (only for guests with all-inclusive), area decorated for the ceremony waiter during ther ceremony, translation Spanish – English, live local music, horse & carriage, room upgrade (subject to availability, breakfast in bed (morning after), hairdresser for the bride.
Also Available: Description: - Golden Renewal of Vows - Bottle of champagne for ceremony, Wedding cake, Flowers for the table, Bouquet of flowers for the bride, Button hole for the groom, Special decoration at our gazebo, Waiter service during ceremony, Reservation in specialty restaurant on wedding day (all-inclusive guests only)
LTI-Beach Resort Punta Cana Golf & Spa (as of Oct./07)
Royal Wedding Package 2007/2008 “Wedding of your dreams”
Includes: Organization of the ceremony, celebration of the wedding ceremony with a civil judge, Dominican wedding certificate and translation of the ceremony into English (also in other languages if requested), witnesses (if needed on request), room upgrade (sea view) and king size bed (subject to availability), fruit basket & sparkling wine in the room upon arrival, farewell souvenir, Caribbean music trio, flower bouquet for the bride, buttonhole for the groom, two bottles of sparkling wine for the ceremony, decorated wedding cake, photographer service with 20 prints, wedding gala dinner in specialty restaurant “La Estrella del Mar” for up to six people, “Morning-after” romantic breakfast in the room with sparkling wine and decoration, late checkout for the couple (based on availability), bridal beauty package (pedicure, manicure, hair set & makeup), aromatherapy couples massage, 55 min.
Optional services are available, enquire for details.
For further information contact: Wedding Coordinator – Sylvie
Majestic Resorts Wedding Package 2008/2009 (Updated November 2008)
Description: The Majestic Resorts Wedding Package includes:
Specialized assistance of our wedding planner, Location of your choice - White sand beach, tropical gardens, our magnificent gazebo or your own site, Room Upgrade for the couple (subject to availability), Early Checkin and late Checkout (subject to availability), Services of a Civil Judge, Beautiful decorated wedding cake, Bouquet for the table, Ironing of grooms tuxedo and bride's gown, Simultaneous translation of the ceremony if needed, Marriage certificate in Spanish, delivered by DHL, Champagne after the ceremony for the group, Candlelight romantic dinner for the couple, with champagne, Romantic breakfast in your suite, 10% discount at the Spa, 15% discount on horseback riding, Basket of fruit in your room during your stay, Bottle of champagne in the room, twice during your stay, Room service included for the couple
Contact hotel directly for further information and required documentation.
Optional $$: Photos, Videos, Music, Gala dinners, private reception with music, cocktails, etc., flowers, beach party
Ocean Hotels - Ocean Sand/Ocean Blue (updated September 19, 2007)
Free Weddings, includes: Wedding planner to guide and assist you to archive your fairly-tale dream wedding, Ceremony at the location of your choice: our amazing white sand beach, the magnificent hotel gardens or by our romantic lake, translater, 2 chilled bottles of champagne for a toast on this great and special occasion, dinner reservation for the couple and guests at La Brasa Restaurant on the beach or section of the main buffet (parties of 10 or more, maximum 30), beautifully decorated wedding cake for ten people, Romantic candle light dinner by the beach for the couple, Late check-out for the couple, Preferential location of the room according to category reserved, 10% discount on all our Spa services, Turn down service at night.
If the client requires the services of a Civil Judge, the legal fee is $586.00 U.S. This service is not provided by Ocean Hotels, it is a public service given by the Dominican Government, which reserves the right to change the amount requested for services of a Civil Judge, without previous notification. Legalization of the certificate of marriage:
$70.00 U.S. Moreover, to pay the legal fee for Civil Judge services, Ocean staff has to travel 60 minutes to the nearest Government office that handles these affairs, therefore clients will have to pay $30.00 U.S. to cover the hotel expenses.
Palladium Hotels & Resorts/Fiesta Hotel Group (updated November 10, 2007)
Description: Wedding Package
The wedding takes place in a decorated gazebo in the garden and near the beach: a) The judge and all administration arrangements to legalize the wedding, b) The wedding cake, c) Bouquet of flowers for the bride and a buttonhole for the groom. d) 1 bottle of sparkling wine, e) A gala dinner for the bride and the groom and guests included (must be guests of the hotel otherwise charges apply).
Extras not included in the package:
a) Horse and carriage - $45.00 U.S.
b) Musical trio - $75.00 U.S.
c) Video (American/European system) edited
d) Video (American/European system) not edited
e) Photos
Wedding & Renewal of Vows Complimentary Package (complimentary with Royal Service oceanview room for 7 nights)
”The Wish”
Includes: symbolic ceremony with our minister, expertise of our Romance Specialist, to help in planning all details to perfection, welcome letter, romantic turn-down service during your stay, alternative locations for ceremony, bouquet for the bride, matching boutonniere for the groom, recorded background music during the ceremony, bottles of house champagne for the wedding toast, Paradisus wedding cake (your choice of vanilla or chocolate), basic ceremony setup, reservation in your choice of resort restaurant in the evening, personalized menu cards, in-room bottle of domestic red or white wine or champagne on the night of the ceremony for the couple, 10% discount on spa services for the couple (not including products).
For further information contact: Romance Manager – Kelly Hunt
Princess Hotels (prices valid from Nov./07 to Oct./08)
Princess Package
Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 15 photos (ceremony only) (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS.
Magical Package
Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, live Caribbean Trio (one hour), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 25 photos (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS.
Royalty Package.
Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, live Caribbean Trio (one hour), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 36 photos (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS.
Infinity Renewal of Vows Package
Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, welcome fruit basket for bride and groom, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony performance by an English-speaking staff member, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request for additional charge, ie. fresh flowers), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for guests up to 20 people (champagne and water), reserved area in one of our all-inclusive restaurants, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake.
Complimentary “Romance” Honeymoon Package includes: Room with king-size bed, fresh fruit basket, 1 bottle of rum, nightly turn-down service, late check out, free of charge (upon availability), special floral decoration in the room, special cocktail for honeymooners, Complimentary photo souvenir during cocktail.
Optional services are available, enquire for details.
For further information contact: Wedding Coordinator - Francelia Perez Suriel
Description: Sirenis Hotel Weddings include basket of fruit on arrival, bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, bottle of champagne in room on wedding day, judge, wedding certificate, ceremony venue, bride’s bouquet, buttonhole for groom, 10 photos of the ceremony, sparkling wine and appetizers for 8 people, wedding cake, a romantic dinner in one of the restaurants (book in advance), wedding breakfast served in room, surprise gift, room upgrade on wedding night, subject to availability.
Additionals: (extra charge) – On stage DJ music, live band music
Hotels/Resorts are added to our Review Index Pages as soon as we receive a review for that hotel. So if you have stayed at a hotel recently and don't see it listed yet, send us your review and it will be added to the Review Index.
Ill try and write a short and to the point review. We both were very satisfied with the resort it was great and we had a lot of fun. It was also our first carribean vacation. There were some things we could critique about the hotel but nothing to complain about. They did an outstanding job.
Your Arrival
We arrived at the airport. The airport is very hot and busy. The apple vacation people were nice, they took us to the hotel. I was a bit apprehensive before we actually got into the lobby because of the area. You could see like poor carribean villagers and some piles of rubble and garbage piles then every so often you will pass some nicer resorts but can only see the gates. Once you get through the gates and get into the lobby, the lobby is very nice with fountains and....just nice. We booked the paradise club and for the little bit extra its really worth it....atleast to us. They seem to go out of thier way for you more and theres some extra amenities that are nice.
Rooms
The rooms have marble like floors and are very fancy with nice showers. The beds prabably wernt the comfiest but they wernt terrible either. Ours was near the beach, but i was noticing some of the rooms were near the dance club and if you go to bed before 2 those rooms would be awful.
Restaurants and Bars
The bars were great. Never had to walk more than 100 feet to have a drink put in your hand. My wife thought Roberto at the beach bar was amazing. If you didnt get the paradise club you might have to wait for drinks at some bars. They didnt have a good top shelf selection though....just some nice gin, disarrono and nice vodka. No high end tequila and only dominican rum. I Read a lot of reviews saying the food was bad. I think this was prolly a little black and white. There was food that was very very good and there was also food that wasnt very good.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The grounds were very nice and there was an army on people keeping them clean. Id just look at pictures. What I liked was you could windsurf kayak and katamaran all for free. The people who rent them out are quite rude though. The only people in the hotel I thought were. Beach chairs were quite packed, but beach wasnt. they had security guards keeping away the local peddlers so that was very nice to not be bothered by them. The water was nice. Prabably not the best ive seen in the whole of the carribean but just as good as any other in punta cana.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went to the marinarium and the dolphin explorer. We had a great experience with the marinareum and a bad one with the dolphin explorer. The dolphin explorer was over priced, we missed a lot of the event because our driver kept us in the van for an hour while trying to find another couple at another resort. Then they wouldnt allow us to take pictures and charged an arm and a leg for thier own pictures. I implore you to not go on the dolphin explorer. The marinarium however was great. It was priced very well. We swam with sharks stingrays and in the coral with the fish and it was great. The people were extremely nice as well, we had a great time in this excursion.
Other Comments
We had a great time and would go back again. All the staff were extremely courteous and they went out of thier way for you. I could critique some things, but nothing bothered me and we are both fairly picky customers.
Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana--9 days is too long here.....A 4 Star at best..
Hotel Gran Bahía Príncipe AMBAR
User Rating:
Celeste >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jul, 2010 | Leisure | Family
We stayed at Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana from 6/29/10-7/7/10. A friend and I traveling with our kids. I am a 39 yr old single mom with my 14 yr old son and my friend who is a 36 yr old single mom with her 2 daughters ages 16 and 12. I WOULD PROBABLY GO WITH ADULTS ONLY NEXT TIME. My first time to DR and my friends 2nd time. Last year they stayed at Iberostar PuntaCana. She didnt want to return to Iberostar this year as it felt like a 3 star resort and wanted something better like a 5 star which is why we chose Bahia Principe..however after being here they liked Iberostar much better and she stated this was NOT a 5 star. Some reasons were that this resort is VERY large and alot of time was spent walking or taking the trolley to either the beach, lobby or their shopping/entertainment plaza. The grounds are beautiful and well kept, the rooms are large and clean and yes you will get some buggies but that's expected in the tropics. This hotel did however spray an awful smelling chemical into the air from a truck to kill the bugs which was helpful. My perception is that you will probably get the same at most resorts here, so pay less if able...I can't imagine they know how to do 5 Star as americans know 5 Star.
Your Arrival
We arrived to resort at 1pm and told to come back to check-in at 3pm because our rooms weren't ready(which we expected as check in is at 3), we were given bracelets and told to enjoy the buffet in the main lobby restaurant. We asked if we can upgrade closer to beach/main pool by the beach and was told we need to check with manager at 3pm. We went back to check in at 3 and told our rooms still not ready to come back at 3:30, so we did and asked for the manager but he didnt come in yet and told now only my friends' room was ready and we were ok with it and decided to take my luggage to her room until my nearby room was clean. We were given rooms furthest from the beach and pools even tho we requested villa closer to both or either and they were unable to accomodate us so we took the rooms they assigned. Bellboy took us and our luggage to villa 18 just to find out the room only had 1 bed and 2 beds were needed for the 3 of them. Highly frustrated now we asked the bellboy to take us back to lobby and we asked for the manager. Again we are told he isnt in yet and no other rooms with 2 full beds close to each other was available but to check back at 4 or 4:30pm, now we are extremely frustrated, and tired from traveling since 4am and demanded they find us our rooms. The manager then walked in and seeing he was dressed in a tie I asked if he was the manager and to speak with him. The manager was very nice when we told him what was happening and surprisingly found us 2 rooms right outside the 2nd pool closest to the lobby which was fine, we didnt get into a room until 5:30 pm--highly unacceptable and this left us a bad taste in starting our vacation.
Rooms
Large and clean but never seemed cool enough and I don't feel it was the ac but that it was just miserably hot the whole time all day and night and the ac was unable to keep up. The maids do leave pretty flowers around---but throw them out as soon as you get them...this brought the bugs. I didn't purchase the safe as they wanted only cash for it at about $8 USD, and I only had my debit card, therefore I used my friends' safe. The Iberostar did not charge for using their safe.
Restaurants and Bars
VERY SLOW serving! But that is everywhere in DR I am told. There are 2 main buffets, 1 in Punta Cana lobby which is one we used often and 1 in Bavaro lobby both air-conditioned but yet still not cool enough. There is a 2 snack/buffet-like bars by the beach and main pool down by the beach that we thought was a little better than the main buffet. All in all I didn't like the food and I am not a picky eater by any means but it was worse than a cruise buffet. I filled up at breakfast as this was the better meal of the day, skip lunch most of the time and had light dinner. Every day had a theme for food but yet the food seemed to be exactly the same but in different variations. After 2-3 days of same food I got sick of it and stuck to rolls with butter and olives and cheese, the kids had fries and nachos with cheese sauce...you can only have so much white rice. I tried alot and didnt like it, the meats and fish taste different perhaps because of the spices used I am not sure but I had no desire to eat most of the time. NOW the specialty restaurants are a different story. We were allowed 3 reservations that we couldnt get into until our 5th,6th and 7th day there. We went to Japanese Hibachi, Tex-Mex and The Garden Grill Steak House...all were very very good..Garden grill the best. If they only served the same quality and prep of these foods daily then I'd say it was definately 5star quality food.
Lobby bar closed fairly early around 11pm and you could not get anything to drink anywhere except in the shopping/entertainment center called Pueblo Principe in the front of the resort. Sports bar there charged for drinks as they had domestic booze, the karoke bar and theater section served the free drinks. The drinks at the swim up bars were weak most of the time, depending if you tipped the bartender. Their frozen drinks were through a slushy machine and when liqour was added it was no longer a frozen drink..I'm guessing because the liquor was very warm as expected being outdoors.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
We took the trolley to the Beach as it was way too hot to walk for 15 minutes..thats how far we were from beach. The trolley runs continously so it was efficient. Twice at beach we were unable to find a hut let alone any shade which was well needed...we were only able to tolerate the sun and heat for a couple of hours so we headed to the main pool right behind the beach. Water looks gorgeous of course, sand fine and white, workers raking up seaweed, clean. The water was a little murky until you got about waist deep or higher, there were waves, not big but still ok to boogie board on. I personally enjoyed the pools more. Alot of activities at main pool(by the beach). I like the Pool by our villa in middle of resort best, especially the animation team there that made it enjoyable,bartenders very nice. Pools and bar at pools close at 6pm but most people stayed until about 8pm. Beautiful grounds but I understand most other resorts also have nice kept grounds.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Our kids were bored from doing same thing daily=swim,breakfast,ping-pong tournament,water aerobics,swim,more ping-pong,lunch,bingo or darts at pool, water volley,dance lessons,swim some more,dinner,shows,Pueblo Principe(shopping/entertainment within resort)to play pool,live music, but I did enjoy myself regardless. I thought the shows were great, you must not miss the Michael Jackson show which is actually a tour group in DR that goes from resort to resort to perform and they were incredible and the audience went wild...even I loved it and I am not a fan of MJ. Do not miss the comedy show..the staff of the animation team perform this and it was absolutely hysterical. We missed the Lion King show but caught the tail end and we were sorry we missed it because it looked good. Get involved in the dance lessons, the water aerobics as the animation team once again is a blast...especially Amari..he made it so much fun for all of us. If it rains head to the main lobby and all activities are done there. We didnt do any excursions because we were too hot. The casino is small but quaint..I won $100 USD. The vendors in the middle of Pueblo Principe are extremely pushy and outrageously over priced..NEVER pay them what they ask for!! I got a photo album for 5x7 pics to fit 50 pics,a medium-sized clay PuntaCana doll/statue, a Lava rock necklace for my son, totem pole bracelet for son and they wanted $65 USD, I said no way, the "boss" put items in a bag and told me to take it to room and come back tomorrow with $35 instead. I did go back the next night with the items and said "I will give you $20" he grabbed the money without hesitations. On flea market night these vendors come into the resort and set up tables outside the villas..again very pushy, they grab your hand and tell you to look,they place jewelry on you etc...ONCE AGAIN never pay asking price..I bought a ring-costume type flower ring-they wanted $25..I told them the same ring sells for $5 in US stores and started to walk away and they offered it to me for $7--i took it.
Other Comments
Bottom line--dont bring tweens/teens here, the kids' club is for ages 4-12 but should really be 4-9. This is a HUGE lovely resort,beautiful beach, awful food (other than specialty restaurants)but you will find something to eat. Nice pools and Americans are the minority amongst tourists. Mostly Canadians whom were rude to us and made comments often, others from Spain,Italy,Russia, Belgium. The staff was very friendly, kind people and fun. It helps to know a little spanish but most of the staff speak english. I tipped about $35 in the whole 9 days and was treated very well...$1-$2 tip a day goes a long way. Very hardworking staff here and they deserve it. A lot of smokers everywhere. Great to just unwind,relax, soak up the sun and fun but not for 9 days...5 days or nights is max here. Lastly at airport going home few travelers who stayed elsewhere all got sick with stomach issues...we did not at all. Those travelers stayed at Majestic Colonial & Excellence, Melia Caribe, Iberostar Domincana. Bring alot of sunblock--they charge $23 bottle, if you like american snacks bring that too...snicker bar=$2.00each, bag of Lays Classic chips=$10, small can pringles=$5...and these are only snacks available. have fun!!!
Loving Cayena Beach Club!
Hotel VIK hotel Arena Blanca (LTI Beach Resort Punta Cana)
User Rating:
Skye >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jul, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
Arrival
Very quick through the airport since they are looking for tips. Check-in at Cayena Beach was very smooth and bags were delivered to our room in a timely manner.
Rooms
The rooms were in good condition and we had no problem with them. Staff was very helpful if we had issues. The cleaning people decorated our room with flowers one day and put our bedspread into neatly decorated ways each day as well. There were small fruitflies that are all over the Caribbean that were sprayed for at least once during the week, but they didn't bother us.
Restaurants and Bars
Buffet was okay. The food at all restaurants doesn't have a lot of flavor, but it was still good. El Cano lunch specials were really good, especially the crab stuffed chicken. Look for Pazqual when you go there. He's a character and will make sure your meal is good. He's the restaurant manager, I believe.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was cleaned daily by a cleaning crew who cleaned up the seaweed early each morning. The beaches were beautiful white sand with palm trees. There were plenty of watersports and activities daily. The pools were very clean and I saw a man putting chemicals in at least twice that week. The grounds were taken care of well and were always clean. We saw a guy with a machete knife trimmming the bushes. That was kind of fun.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went to visit the kids at an orphanage with Melanie from the office. She was a great guide. We learned more about the island and saw things that many tourists do not see. Definitely worth learning about.
Other Comments
If DR was closer, we would make this an every 2 year event, but we're on the west coast and it's much too long to make this trip too often.
just back from iberostar bavaro for our third time....place hasn't changed. thats a good thing! we arrived from chicago, as usaul getting thru customs smooth. off to hotel, quick! check in a bit shaky this time as there was confusion on our room. while we waoited, off to lunch and some grilled lobster in the buffet. all in all everything went smooth. only one problem the whole time...arriving in our room the tv remote was broke. notified the front desk that day and the next. was never fixed....totaly not like the the usual iberostar way of doing things.
last day there we got to relax on the beach and enjoy tropocal storm bonnie roll by. was pretty cool.
this was the the first time we had to contend with rain. duhhh it's the tropics.....
took a tour of the new grand hotel...wasn't impressed.
will probably go back a forth time.
feel free tocontact with questions
rich and gayle
Good hotel, nice rooms, great service, nice restaurants, rough ocean
Hotel Excellence Punta Cana
User Rating:
Julie >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jul, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
We had a good time, relaxed and had fun, weather was mid-80's and VERY humid, short thunderstorms almost daily, which is to be expected in July, but was pretty uncomfortable at night when you were dressed up.
Beautiful hotel, no wristbands needed. The resort is much larger than you first think, every time you walk around you discover something new, their map was a little hard to follow. Good service, nice people, great public bathrooms.
The orientation was useful, although they waited too long for no-shows.
Arrival
Fine, nice people, lobby is beautiful, a nice place to hang out, bellman are great, they give youa warm welcome, champagne and an ice cold washcloth, we checked in and out quickly, although had to wait 2 hours until our room was ready because we arrived early (had a nice lunch and walked around). They provide change, but bring lots of small change for tips (USD, 1's and 5's) because sometimes it takes them a while to find some. Concerge was very helpful.
Rooms
Great, very clean, garden view King, my husband is 6'5" and was very comfortable, layout and closet space was fine, plenty of room for your stuff, view was OK, giant palm trees, very private porch. Request the 3rd floor! Better view, quieter, high ceilings! Nice Jacuzzi, huge bed. 24x7 room service (limited menu), well stocked beverage bar, coffee maker, snacks were disappointing, TV was fine. Maid service 2x a day (use your Do Not Disturb sign!) Nice maids. They have elevators, but we didn't use them.
Restaurants and Bars
Beautiful restaurants, great service, no AC - wear loose, cotton clothes! They escort woman to their tables, we didn't get a chance to hit every restaurant, but all were fine, except the Lobster House was full of gnats. Food was good, but we both experienced major diarrhea, do not touch tap water, bring Immodium!!!; do not not ignore warning signs (stomach pains) and stay away from coconuts. Grill on the beach was fun, great ribs. Sports bar was fun, ice cream and snacks. Drinks are good, top shelf.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pools were nice, but shallow. Swim up bar was fun, and large. People are bad with reserving lounge chairs, and not picking up their wet towels when done. The hotel could have more baskets for garbage and wet towels to encourage clean up, and could do a beter job of cleaning up cups, garbage, etc. on the beach and pools. They often ran out of towels mid-afternoon (and after surprise rain) but would bring them to you when ready. They have nice lounge chairs with cushions, nice towels, and side tables. If you see chairs with rolled up towels, they ARE available!
Beach was fun, nice view, quiet, NO boats (too rough?), a little windy, but that means no bugs and a cool breeze. We received no bug bites (sand fleas) but used bug spray on our feet. Beach and ocean were clean and nice for walking, but undertow / surf was very rough, they recommended NO swimming the 7 out of 8 days we were there (people went in anyway); we walked the beach in the daylight away from the resort and felt safe. The drink service was OK, could be a little better. Public bathrooms were very nice.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We ziplined, which was fun but quite the workout (if you're over 55, overweight or a smoker, or afraid of heights, watch out), you walk through the hot, humid jungle climbing tall platforms. Everyone was dripping with sweat. We bought the CD for $20, it was OK, but 90% is pictures of other people (you can't bring a camera on the rides, you lock up all personnel belongings in a locker, bring Deep Woods off). Guides are excellent (the lead guy is hot!), very experienced, safe and nice. Wear sneakers! The open air bus trip was interesting, dirt roads in the jungles, don't bring a lot of stuff with you. Ladies - this is a glamorous sport (go easy on the makeup). Go in the AM!! We were gone 8:15 to 1 PM, it's not a 2 hour event like they tell some people.
We also did the Somoa Island booze cruise, it was OK but I recommend 1 or the other, and not back to back like we did, the AC bus ride was LONG, and the same roads as zip lining so it was boring to me, bring a change of clothes and leave them in the locked bus, it rained when we got to the island and the entire way back so we were wet and chilly, many people on our boat got very sick from too much rum. The vendors attack you from the bus to boat, very annoying. One way is nice large Catamaran boat, one way is open air, small speed boat.
Again, beware if you're older or overwight, you have to climb up swim ladders and hop over seats. Beach barbecue was just OK, swimming was OK.
The water at the resort was so rough, we did no included water sports. We went horseback riding along the beach, which was fun, go the day after their day off when they're fresh, go in the AM! (cooler), they let you gallop (if you want) and take your pix, horses were surpringly responsive. Don't pay for the extra horse riding.
No golf, but we didn't care.
Other Comments
We had a good time. A variety of people and ages, most seemed to be from the tri-state area (US) so we had a lot on common. Many honeymooners, some families, some couples in their 40's and 50's, a few older. It was romantic and relaxing. Played a lot of pool volleyball.
The hotel (as they all can) could make a few small improvements, but overall it's a nice place and I would recommend it.
Our only real complaint was the rough ocean. We've been to Jamaica and on the other side of the DR island and loved the water.
Gran Bahia Princiipe Bavaro - Diamond Club lived up to our expectations plus more!
Myself (40 years old), my husband (43 years old) and our niece (15 years old) spent two lovely and relaxing weeks at the Gran Bahia Principe Bavaro Diamond Club Section from July 8-22, 2010.
Arrival
When we arrived we immediately left our bags with the bellboy at the front entrance, walked 100 metres or so to the Diamond Club lounge and very quickly checked in with the incredibly professional Francy Dugarte, the Diamond Club Manager. She explained our a la carte bookings, gave us a map of the resort, and provided us with a cold welcome beverage. After signing for our electronic key we were directed back to the front area where a bell boy placed all the luggage in a tram and drove us to our villa #34 directly beside the Diamond Club pool. Alexandro carried all the bags to the third floor room and welcomed us with a smile.
Rooms
The room in the Diamond Club room was spacious and included two double beds, though king size beds are available upon request and if you aren't travelling with a third like we were. There was also a sitting area with a table and two chairs, a television, dresser drawers, bedside table with reading lights on either side and enough closest space for everyone. My recommendation to you is to bring along extra hangers or ask your maid for additional ones upon arrival. There were only 5 hangers per closet side. The hangers you will receive upon request are wire hangers so if you have an issue with them, bring your own plastic ones.
The bathroom consists of a jacuzzi tub/shower combination with marble surround as well as the sink and toilet. Don't forget that the water is NOT DRINKABLE out of the tap at this resort and therefore you will have to brush your teeth using the bottled water provided. There are new bottles delivered to your room every day.
In the room there is also a mini bar fridge that contains water, pop (pepsi, 7-Up and Orange) and two cans of Brava beer. The fridge is restocked as needed. Each evening when we returned back to the room, there was new stock free of charge. The fridge does have some extra room in the event you bring your own wine, liquor or refrigerated snacks with you on vacation.
As well, every room does have a walk out balcony with a small table and two chairs. I would suggest that you bring along clothes pegs or a clothsline if you wish to hang your bathing suits or towels to dry in the evening because there is no rack made available on the balcony and otherwise you are hanging items from the chairs or the balcony rail, neither of which are ideal. My only suggestion regarding the room to the resort is a drying rack added to the balcony, I have come across them at RIU resorts in the Dominican and Mexico.
Restaurants and Bars
When you book at the Diamond Club section you are allocated four a la carte reservations per week with your concierge. In addition, at the Diamond Club section you are provided with exclusive use of the Italian Restaurant for breakfast and lunch each day. It is only steps away from the Diamond Club pool and is a much quieter and relaxing breakfast and lunch experience.
On the evenings we ate at the buffet restaurant it was just ok compared to the a la cartes but we never went hungry on those evenings and simply understood that the process of presenting food on such a large scale isn't going to produce gourmet. Now the a la cartes are an entirely different story because they are all FABULOUS in their own unique ways! Our favourite was the Garden Grill located mid resort, with the highest quality food I have ever experienced at an all inclusive! The manager is Joselo, an incredibly friendly gentleman who will greet you with a smile and assist in making your dining experience a great one. I highly recommend you book this location as soon as you arrive.
Our second favourite restaurant was the Italian Restaurant with a wide selection of main entree as well as an enormous variety of appetizers in a buffet style. I can't say enough about the entire staff working in this restaurant from first thing in the morning when they greet you for breakfast till your evening dinner reservation. Very hard working, always with a smile and each one of them made our vacation a great one! Thank you Yulia, Jesus, Juddy, Ramon, and Rafael for your professionalism and daily smiles!
Our third and final favourite that I'll mention was the Japanese Restaurant. You have two options for eating at this restaurant, the tapanaki area where they cook the food in front of you and the table service. Don't forget to request the tapanaki so that you aren't disappointed. As well, just a tip, always double check your reservation slip after booking with the concierge to make sure the request is noted. We did see a family quite upset when they were seated in the table service area after believing they requested the tapanaki but unfortunately that area was completed reserved for the night and the slip was table service.
The bar service was on par with the majority of other resorts in the caribbean that I have experienced over the past 15 years or so. The beer on tap was Presidente, there was champagne for mimosas and cocktails were colourful and well presented. There are blenders at the bars and I would suggest you request they be used for some drinks because the "slushi machines" don't do them justice.
There were three bartenders who stood out as the friendliest, most professoinal and most customer service oriented during our visit. They are located at the Diamond Club pool.Thank you to Maria, Starling and Joselo!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
I can't comment greatly on the services and fun available on the beach because I am pretty much a pool tourist but on the days I did walk down to watch my husband take out the catamarran, I found plenty of lounge chairs and a sandy ocean floor to walk on. The water is not as clear as it was during our last visit three years ago but it was quite wavy due to a storm system in the area. I did see an entertainment crew running games such as horseshoes and volleyball so it looked like there was plenty to keep you occupied on the beach. As well, there was a beach bar for guests with a slightly less assortment of drinks to choose from.
The grounds are positively immaculate for such a large resort and you will always see groundskeepers out in the baking heat trying to make your day a visually appealing one. Positively no complaints with the grounds!
There are an assortment of pools in this resort. There is a beach front pool divided into sections with the deepest area being to the right of the swim up bar. I was actually a bit surprised at how deep it is, a good 5 and a half feet because it came up to my shoulders so I don't think I'd want too many little people in that area. This pool is positively CRAZY during the day with people and activities. If you are looking for relaxation, don't sit at this one! This is the pool for those booked into the Junior Suites and not upgraded to Diamond Club. Like I've said before, book Diamond Club and avoid disappointment. This booking gets you four a la cartes instead of two per week along with a nicer breakfast and lunch and the exclusive use of the nicest pool on the property.
Which brings me to the Diamond Club Section pool. I have taken both videos and photos of this area that speak for themselves. The links are attached to this review. It is a large free flowing pool with a swim up bar, pretty views to every side and plenty of lounge chairs. The towel service and bathroom is a 20 second walk and it is also directly on the transportation line that runs the length of the resort. A special thanks to Jose, the pool guy who kept the pool area clean and inviting during our entire stay. He greeted us each and every day with an "hola" and a smile, a very sweet man.
As noted on other reviews, this resort is very large but not daunting and very manageable with the "tram" transportation service that runs every 3-5 minutes along three seperate lines of the resort from front to beach.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Regarding activities on and off the resort, I can't review off the resort because I didn't book any, yet there are a number available from the representatives who walk around the resort everyday.
On the resort you have the pools, the beach activities (non-motorized water sports-one hour free daily), the games around the pools and beach and the shopping in the resort at the front area to the left of the lobby. As well, there is a casino but I don't think I've ever met anyone who has won at one in the Caribbean.
Other Comments
This resort is a very solid 4.5 star and certainly a 5 star if you factor in the quality of the a la carte restaurants. The service was fantastic, the room location ideal, Diamond Club pool inviting and hotel as a whole completely lived up to our expectations and exceeded them! One last note that we found helpful when packing for our own trip. Men are allowed to wear dress shorts in the buffet restaurant, and all but one a la carte restaurant so if you wish to try the French restaurant you must wear long pants...no exceptions.
I know that on the review sites the reviews for this resort differ greatly, with some loving, some hating and those that thought it just so-so. We are experienced 15 year + all inclusive travellers who have stayed at 2.5 star resorts, 4 star resorts and 6 star resorts and I can honestly tell you that we would return to the Diamond Club section, Premier section, the Ambar (adults only) or the Esmeralda section in a heart beat! I didn't really go into the Esmeralda area review, but there is video about it on my video link. It is a smaller resort attached to the property directly on the beach but strictly for those guests who book there. It looked heavenly when we walked around it and when talking to guests they compared it to the Bahia Principe Ambar but for families. It is very tempting to stay there next time as well.
You won't go wrong booking the Gran Bahia Principe Bavaro but Diamond Club or better is a must!
Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions regarding this review. My email is kcponce @ hotmail.com.
is a great place to get married. Lovely and gorgeous....
good but could have been better
Hotel Gran Bahía Príncipe AMBAR
User Rating:
Debby >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jun, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
Beautiful facility and beach. Service ok. Great bar drinks and overall service. Food was below expectations. A number of people got sick - must have been food as we were all careful with water.
Overall, great vacation. Not for singles but definitely for couples who want a wonderful time.
Your Arrival
Some confusion upon arriva.. They drop you off at the Bavar and then shuttle you to the Ambar. Was somewhat a pain as most events took place at the Bavar site.
Rooms
Large, clean and very nice.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars were great.
A la carte: Suggest the Japanese and the French restaurants.
Buffet: OK but not great. Always the same and never enough of the feature meat. Service at the buffet was not that great.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful grounds. Great pool!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
always had to go over to the Bavar. Somewhat of a pain.
Other Comments
Would suggest that the hotel review its buffet operations.
Great facility and service.
Would suggest more entertainment on site versus having to make your way to the Bavar. Often shows were full with Bavar guests and we had to stand.
BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS!
Hotel Ocean Blue Golf & Beach Resort
User Rating:
ivelisse >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jun, 2010 | Leisure | Family
I have traveled many times to Dominican Republic, i was born there ;) This was my first time in Punta Cana. I was very pleased with this resort, mostly with the service. WOW i have never seen so many people smile and look like they enjoy what they do everyday. Most important to me is cleanliness, we were part of the hotel that has privilige attention through their vacation club and I have to tell you my suite was cleaned TWICE a day, just like the cruise ships, they had a turn down service. AWSOME. I had to tell her not to keep replenishing all the alcohol in my room, the outside bars were enough for us. Our bldg was #10 and right next to it we had a separate area for VIP breakfast which turned into the beach restaurant for @ lunchtime for the rest of the guests. We also have a roped off area at the beach. I have to tell you that even the places that were not for VIP guests were also clean, we had some friends in other bldgs yes there is a difference in the liquor in the room, the ammeneties in the bathroom and the outside furniture is wicker not plastic BUT THE SERVICE is the same for everyone regardless your status.
Your Arrival
Check in was very quick but then again we also have a private check in lounge.
Rooms
amazing! is the only word to describe it...clean, beautiful,coMfortable...I DIDNT SEE ONE SINGLE BUG!!! BUT then again it may not be the season for them ...i think is more into the july/aug months
Restaurants and Bars
we had dinner at all the restaurants, the mexican was our favorite because JONATHAN (our waiter) was the best. also the food was very very good and the mamajuana shots are the best. Tequila shots do not compare to this.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool is very active with music and dancing & some contests BUT thats only at one end, the other end is a little quieter for those who want to rela & read a book....
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
we did a catamaran excursion with VIVA COLONIA TROPICAL its right at the hotel, ask for valentinno..check them at vivacoloniatropical.com
we also did dune buggy through dirt & beach...great!
Other Comments
I am very nervous & anxious when i go somewhere unknown to me, even though this is my homeland, punta cana was new to me and this resort was the best pick. We never saw anyone harrasing us for the time share but then again my daughter bought one the last time she was there :) thats why we are now PRIVILIGE GUESTS...so you never now, if you have the time give them a try
beautiful resort good food and drinks
Hotel Majestic Colonial Punta Cana
User Rating:
maria- goretti >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Jun, 2010 | Leisure | Family
we enjoyed our stay very clean and beautiful beach
pleasent staff.
Your Arrival
perfect.happy with the room and staff.
Rooms
very clean and planty of towels.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
alway perfect plenty of chairs
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
we did not activties in the resort.
Other Comments
we will be going back for another vacation at the Majestic Colonial.
Excellent Hotel with great hospitality
Hotel Majestic Elegance Punta Cana
User Rating:
Mett >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jun, 2010 | Leisure | Family
The hotel staff was the highlight of the stay. They were all extreamely courteous and friendly and accomadating to the kids.
Your Arrival
The arrival was messy that being the Tour operator for Westjet being disorganized on a very rainy day. We had to walk in the pelting rain with kids to a bus that was parked a bit of distance. I do not blame the resort for this episode.
Once we got into the resort all was smooth.
Rooms
I lke the rooms except I do not like the washrooms "open concept".
I prefer the washrooms being seperated by a wall within the same room.
All the rest was great.
Restaurants and Bars
Absolutely no complaints. All the restaurants were great and the service was exceptionally good. The food was great and the service was exceptionally great.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
great.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The activities like the shows that they had needed improvement in quality.
Especially the bands. However most shows were entertatining.
Other Comments
The Laundry service is a disaster. I had an expensive sports coat ironed and ruined as a result when I wanted them to press the coat.
Exceedingly Abundantly above ALL I could ever have Hoped for... AWESOME- WOW - FABULOUS
This resort was More than I could dreamed it would be even after seeing photos on line, it was Beyond... our dreams... all the way,.,,,,, 4+ star
Your Arrival
we arrived early in the morning around 10:30 am, such a warm wlecome & very efficient, our bags were kept secure by the front lobby watchman, and we could used the hotels resteraunts& bars, and pool while we waited for our rooms to be fully ready.
WE were greated with pineapple & Coconut drinks, and BIG WARM friendly smiles
and HOLA's....
Rooms
WE were surprized when we got an OCEAN VIEW ROOM, in Bldg 3
Kingsize bed... and warobe with lots of rooom to put away clohes, larege closet, and safe, bathroom was also a good size & the maids kept our rooom clean & adorned with fresh flowers & towel art each day; we made sure to tip here veryday & Ileft gifts for her ( perfume, soaps, candies, etc.)
Restaurants and Bars
WE loved the SANTA Fe- (mexican bar& grill) - had the Chicken Fahita's and the portions were large, enjoyed also the 3 mix plate with shrimp and steak and chicken breast. this was our favoritw resteraurt a la carte; next ws the BUFFET, always good & more than plentiful, with fruits, and salads, and choice from the grill. such as porkloin, chicken breasts, fish, shrimp, pork roast, salmon, huge beef roasts, the display & garnishses were amazing... the staff -excellent & polite & always wanting to serve you more
lots of servers, friendly warm, and obliging
There is a Great resteraunt overlooking the, and it is air conditioned- serves Italian cusine, dress is nice shirts, shorts, but ladies take a sweater, or shawl... it teends to be tooo cool up there.
we had pork tenderloin, and beef tenderloin... was very good, as was the desserts....we were WOW'd again
Beach/Pools/Grounds
lovey, soft light gold/ beige sand... easy to walk on, and CLEAN beach
water was warm & lovely, lots of places to sun & also hide in the shade... mango trees all around provided a wonderful canopy over us on a day we so needed to rest & enjoy the breezes
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There is always something to see & do, the Pool games were lots of fun for us for an afternoon laugh... dancing lessons everyday at 5 pm, spanish also is taught pool side.
there is a nice pool bar & a resteraunt above it is airconditioned Italian cusine
Other Comments
I'd HIGHLY reccomend this resort , I cant say anything bad about it at all
the only thing we found hard to deal with was the number of peddlers, selling their wares, and they hound you on the beach, or while on tour/ excursion in Puerto Plata, the people there need to make a living & so many are selling art, jewllery, carved wooden boxes, or in town square, a lilttle boy came and gave me a yellow flower
tip tip tip - they ask if you dont...
that was the only part of hte trip which made us feel like they could ruin a lovely time.
yet knwoing they need so much.. be careful, and go with your gutt instink when you talk with them... I bouight some nice jewllery from a boy at the beach, and he was very easy to talk with... no pressure; then there are some who will tell you $250 US... for items we canget here at home at dollar store.. and pay a total of $10
they insist you wear this or that & they fill a bowl with things they want you to buy,... i certainly learned much and how to say NO.. and walk away.. strong & OK with not being taken.
Nice resort
Hotel Ocean Blue Golf & Beach Resort
User Rating:
Abe and Maria >
2 contribution(s) Canada
May, 2010 | Leisure | Family
We flew West Jet out of Toronto great flight there and back. This is a very nice resort if you can get it for a sale price, we booked through my brother in law because he is an H10 member. There was 30 of us all together for my brother in laws wedding
Your Arrival
Very fast no problems getting our rooms and off to the pool we went
Rooms
Rooms are big, like most reviews furniture could really use a update, A/C did not work very well at all, called main. and they said it was fine?? went to some friends rooms and they were much cooler. fridge was not stocked up every day with the two beers like most resorts we have been to. Maids do a great job roomed cleaned every day.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars are all great, buffet is always good but was closed a few nights do to the resort only being about 20% full, Route 66 is a great place to eat, ate at the Mexican and did not care for it at all and my wife loved mikes coffee shop evry night
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach is very nice but we are more pool people and spent many hours at the pool bar, all bars have really great service
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Only thing we did was deep sea fishing and was very rough seas that day no fish caught and most of us spent our time sea sick
Other Comments
This is a great resort if you can get it on sale I would never pay full price again, but we really enjoyed ourselfs very much
A great week
Hotel Barcelo Punta Cana
User Rating:
Naj >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
May, 2010 | Leisure | Family
Alright first of all arriving at the airport in punta Cana was an experience on it's own, my sister an I have not been to Dominican republic for six years and it was wonderful to feel the open air and see the palm trees the moment you step off the plane. The airport is completely open as well and unique. I do suggest to book transportation to the hotel if you have not already and the best one would be coco tours. Once arriving I was hooked, the entrance is huge and very well furnished. In general the pool, the food, the shows, and the drinks are just amazing and let's not forget the most beautiful part of the hotel; the beach.
Rooms
The rooms are very elegant and I for one was surprised to gets room like I did. Each room has a balcony so don't worry about having the one without. The beds and pillows are extremely comfortable and ofcourse each room is equiped with a flat screen tv (English and Spanish channels included) and the bathroom is very well structured with a shower head that is detachable and room service is always on point.
Restaurants and Bars
Where can I start? The buffet alcazar is the best for breakfast (I encourage to eat there every morning) a huge variety of sweet breads, crepes, pancakes, fruits, and traditional Dominican breakfast. Oh! And there is a chef that will prepare an omlette with your choice of ingredients. The other buffet called the marlin is perfect for lunch if you desire chicken, rice, French fries ect. Obove the marlin is the pizzeria don Simon...let's just say it is the best thin crust pizza I have had to date. Then there is the restaurant el mirador that is also excellent for lunch and it is only open from 12 to 3, so hurry up and eat there , the food and salad is amazing. Of course all of these are walk in restaurants but make sure you slate dried up and covered up from the pool or beach before walking in. The al carte restaurants are given to you by reservation that the hotel kindly makes for you; there is the conuco that is fancy Dominican cuisine, the Roma which is Italian, the tokio which is a habachi style restaurant and there is Paris which is french cuisine. I wouldn't know how to describe Paris because we did not get to eat there but all the al carte restaurants were beautiful in design and food to die for.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pools are seperated in terms of quiet pools and one with music and animation. Both are really great to spend time with family . The quiet pool is next to the kids pool and also next to the restaurant a el mirador. It is very relaxing and calming. The pool located near the buffet is full of people who want to play pool volleyball and water polo and want to watch the workers dance and well...animate the ambience. The beach is amazing; it is so clean and blue and the water is very refreshing...all there is to waorry about is going to far into the water.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
On the grounds of the hotel barcelo you can participate in the games the workers create for you. There are salsa lessons, contest in the pool area and on the beach. Beach and pool volleyball, water polo, arobics...and just plane dancing. Every night they host a singing and dancing show in the huge ampitheater; there you can order drinks, play pool and watch the show. For lids there is the kid pool call the varcy water park ; full of slides and water falls. There is also a day care for kids and a game room for teens, a sports bar for adults and a spa as well. They also have a huge trampoline and trapeze for the daredevils out there. Of course on the beach there is parasaling, windsurfing, and all that good stuff. And I wouldn't know about outside because I never wanted to leave but they do host excursions to vie other islands and zoos ect.
Other Comments
The staff at the hotel are very friendly and really are there to make your stay the best.
The Iberostar Dominicana exceeded both mine and my wifes expectations. We traveled there for our five year anniversary, and were completely blown away at everything, especially the staff. The people work from sun up to early morning hours, and all day long are singing and dancing, while smiling the entire time.
They make you feel like there is no communication or cultural barrier. They make you feel like you are at home. From the time that we showed up, to the time we left, we were joking around and laughing with the staff and other visitors.
Jonny P. and his fellow staff members at the bar are probably the best in the world. He was awesome, and weather you leave a tip or not, you will get the royal treatment. I have read many reviews before we went that said you get better service if you tip. I would say that you get the same whether you do or not. These people treat everyone the same, and I just cant say enough good things about them. Don't get me wrong, we left tips because they definetly deserve them, but I don't want people to miss out on this experience because they think they will get poor service without tipping, you won't.
Overall, this will be the only place I ever travel in the Dominican Republic. The only problem that we had was with our local travel agent, which was our fault for booking through cheapcarribean.com. This guy was a real ass! He scheduled an appointment for our first full day there, to go over what was available to us, and offer the excursions, and stood us up, and then did it again the next day. But that has nothing to do with the hotel.
All in all, I was very impressed, and am usually not with anything.
Excellent all the Way , this Resort exceeded our expectations, we had a marvelous time
The Resort was not only clean, and grounds well kept it was beautiful beyond description. Behind the resort is Mt Issobel Torres, which overlooks Puerto Plata. The days temperatures were around 30- 40 degrees incl. humidity sunny days for teh most part of our stay- we had a few rain showers, and one evening of "torrential" downpour" unlike anything I had ever experienced, the staff took it all in stride, and provided umbrella's , and an extra glass of wine & beer while we waited for the rains to cease.
The view is breath taking, and the lay out of the resort is very walkalbe, and makes the most of all its ammenities. We always had fine service, and great food at all the resteruants. The staff was very gracious, and polite, alwasy keeping things in order. They were friendly & plesant, our room was well maintained, and each day we where graced with towel art, swans& hearts with flwoers. We left a ti0p and gifts for our maid each day ( fellow travelers had told us to bring small perfumes, and lipstick, and pantyhose, childrens vitamins, toothpaste, soaps, things that she might not be able to afford on her her meager wages.) Our miad was delighted to recieve the gifts we had brough _ i was also prpared with gits for children, toys & blow up balls... with smilie faces, and little girls jewllery, and things for their hair,.. Next time we will bring more school supplies, and ask the airline about bringing items down to give as gifts & to help families there
Your Arrival
Our arrival was smooth- we noticed jsut how small the airport was, it can recieve only one plane at a time, however the staff are helpful, and going through customs was noneventful, we all boarded small buses to take us to our hotels (quaint, small, bumpy little buses, with some airconditioning) and a very friendly & welcoming guide- takes you to your hotel. We enjoyed his descriptive tguided tour to our hotel which was only 20 minutes away.
Upon arrival at our hotel, the porters greeted us & helped us with our bags, which nede to stay in a secure area until our offical check in time. WE had about 5 hours to enjoy the the resort, before our rooms were ready for occupancy. We learned alter from others to give a tip $10-$20 US and presto you WILL have a room... ( so we will keep that in mind for next time)
the POOL was lovely as was the beach, clean and free from litter.
WE were also greeted by a young gentleman in WHITE- we learned alter on that these "folks" are hired to bring you to the VIP area, where you are given the opportunity to sign and pay into a resort vacation program, and get better room rates & deals.
Our friendly "pal" met us almost daily.... and called us his borhter & sista from a differnt mother - how cute!... he made us feel warmly welcomed, and he wanted us to have a plesant stay.
Rooms
The Room was spacious, and overlooked teh ocean, which was lovely, we could here the birds in the mornings, and thought the open air concept of the hallways was quite unique.
The furniture was all wood & spanish with the Oasis, palms with the theme.
clean rooms, with orange/ rust coloured cermanic tiled floors, bright yellow walls, and nice linens, and curtains.
We also appreciated teh safe provided, (you have to pay extra to get the lock & key)- but peace of mind is worth it- to keep vauables safe.
Restaurants and Bars
There are 4 a la cartes & 1 buffet which helps to keep variety the spice of life
THe display of choices is beautiful, and a wonderful and tastey selection greeets you each day.
Sunday there is a GALA Buffet dinner, all other reseraunts are closed,
one night a week tehre is also a BBQ and Beach Party for all to enjoy.
( Unfortunately we missed that- as we were so tired from a days excursion we went to bed very early; but heard this LLUD party.. for hours...
the next day I found out just who was making that racket outside OUR bedroom balcony
it was the entire resort, all guests partied on the beach...
oh well we still had a good nights rest, next time we will join them!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Clean and lovely, very nice layout. always kept, each day grounds men were working, mowing lawns, weeding,.. keeping things beautiful.
Beach sand was a light golden brown, soft, and free from stones, or cutting shells. it was nice to walk on. the ocean was also clean & warm nice to swim in.
We enjoyed the pool, after our excursion days, to cool off & get refreshed. We also joined in some of those 4:00 O'clock pool side games.. was fun, the staff really get you to join and feel a part of a fun holiday comminity,..sometimes they dress up like caats, sharks, palm trees... and otehr tribal get ups... supperman also plays volleyball!
was fun, youthfull, and refreshing.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We were only there 7 days. and we had 5 day trips
1) OUTBACK SAFARI - was most excellent, intersting, informative & fun- our guide KENNY ( ask for Him) was a fountain of knowledge- and also great fun.
we toured sugard cane feilds, saw farms, visited a small school (where we took school supplies) & tasted fresh ground and brewed domincan coffee, we also visited the rural community that this OUTBACK supports, 1/2 of your fare goes to the school !
we had a great lunch at the outback headquateres, and then off to do some BOGGIE Boarding, body surfing on a very secluded beach; we also went to a mountain stream, and found a fresh water pool to swim in. that was perfect to get off the salt water. drinsk flowed freely all day & they took great care to see we were all happy & having a good time..... 5 stars!!!!!! ya
ps- your travel group wont give you this partifular tour option...
I booked all mine here online... from HOME and saved $$ and loved the freedom to choose OUR OWN TOURS
2) FREE STYLE Catamaran - what a glorious Day of Sailing and SNorkleing in Sosua Bay.. it cost us about $84 US each but well worth it for the experince of seeing thsoe incredible coloured fish.. amd corals. under the sea.again... go to the REAL DR online and book this EXCURSION. ( link provided below) you will NOT regret it
3) Puerto Plata Tours with HOLA - WE had GERMAN for our guide- excellent very knowledgeable about the history and area..... what an excellent value $37US each, the tour included:
Brugal Rum Facotry, Jewllery Factory & Store ( Bring money), then a Cigar Factory & Store; next stop Fort San Filpe, then AMber Museum, then off to the Cable Car & UP Mt Isbobel Torres. to see a great view of Puerto Plata.
there was cloud up there when we arrived at the top 300 feet up, but it did clear & I got some fabulous photos.
4) DEEP Sea FSIHING --- STAY AWAY FROM **GONE FISHING** NOT a good value & no fish or service....
5) We made our own Tour on Sunday- as we hired a taxi & went to church, and sight seeing.
it was brilliant, i neva wanted 2 leave, the staff were the funniest people i hav eva met and the kindedest. the food was exceptional every nite and there is a wide variety too. the swimming pool was really refreshin n clear !! sensational !! it is gorgous weather every day, the beach was the whitest, softest, best sand you had ever walked along. the sea was as clear as glass and stretched as far as the eye can see.The rooms were cleaned thurally every day and were spotless, the beds where the comfiest i had ever slept on, the flour was clean and crisp. the tv was quite large, lots of wardrobe space and the bathrooms were spotless.the entertainment was excellent and every nite was different shows and performances and the last nite show was exceptional.
i would recoment this hotel to everyone and i would go again in a minute.
the only thing i would say is that dont go there just for a week because it is 2 far to travel for just 7 days so i recomend goin for 2 weeks insted, but overall it is the BEST EVA !!!!!!!!!!
Your Arrival
arrival was teriffic, you get the blast from the heat as soon as you get off the plane but you soon get used to it. the baggs came quite quick and the trollies were free so that was good. it is very easy to find your was around and the staff tell exactally were 2 go and reach your coach, it is very straight forward.
Rooms
everything about the rooms were top class !! do i need 2 say any more ?!!! x
Restaurants and Bars
food was exceptional every nite and there was a choice of quite alot of bars to attend, otherwise go to the buffay witch was top standed every nite. the bar staff and waiters are very friendly and helpfull and the drinks were chilled and refreshing.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
the pool was cleaned every nite and was cool and calm, they hav a seprate bit in the pool incase you want to have a game of vollyball and the staff regualy hosted games during the day. there is also a mini pool where your youngsters can go and make friends. also round the bak of the tennis courts there is a jaquzzi where you can chill. the beache was raked every morning so it looked clean and inviting every day, the sea was as clear as glass and relaxing. the grounds were simple to find your way around and spacious.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
the day trips were exceptional and i would advise you to go on them all, also there is a wide range of acitvities to do in the grounds including a spa, golf, tinnis, gym and many more.
Other Comments
all i can say is that i would recomend this hotel to everyone and i would deffintly go bak there agen !!!x big thumbs up :) xx
This is a great resort! I was surprised to see that the resort focuses so much on maintaining the grounds.
Not a single complaint in terms of the staff, in fact many of them went out of their way to ensure we were having a great time! All of the bartenders at the pool bar were absolutely fantastic, especially Kelvin for getting us up and dancing every night! Plus the staff are very attractive, which helps! ;)Our Signature rep was also very friendly and helpful, we did some excursions and he definitely helped us choose the most memorable ones.
I would say this resort is more geared towards a party crowd than families. Not saying that it was crazy and noisy or anything, just that the staff was pretty much all 20-30. That said, they were SO much fun! The Animation crew (in particular Romeo) always made sure we were entertained which was very enjoyable.
All in all, an AMAZING trip!
Your Arrival
Our arrival was un-eventful. We had to wait a little while for our bags to be delivered, but it gave us a chance to freshen up before going out. Probably like 15-20 mins wait. We were quite far from the lobby though (closest patio to the beach) so it was an understandable wait time :)
Rooms
The rooms were very nice. Before leaving I had read some reviews and they said that the rooms were less than desireable which prooved not to be true. The water pressure was fine and the rooms were immaculately cleaned.
We even made a mistake and ended up breaking our electricity-- when the cleaning staff came they tried helping us and when that prooved to be difficult they helped us get the maintenance number. They showed up almost immediately and fixed it for us (even though it was our fault) with no fee to our room.
Restaurants and Bars
La Perla was definitely the higlight. I even live close to the ocean in canada and I found that the seafood was great! La Cana, which is where we ate most of our meals was also very good, all fresh produce and very friendly staff. The steak restaurant was just like any steak restaurant in North America.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Both the pool and the beach were great! The pool was convenient because the swim up bar opened early in the morning and it meant that you were covered in sand which is never nice when you have to re-apply sunscreen 10x a day! But the beach was amazing at night!!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The Animation team kept us entertained day and night, I don't think they ever took a break! With dancing, competitions and games there was always something to do if it was too hot to just sit by the pool/beach.
We did 1 excursion, Stingray Bay was one of the best experiences ever! We received a 'stingray massage' which was definitely a first and swimming with the nurse sharks was fantastic! The staff on the boat was also very friendly!
Other Comments
If you do go, I'm sure you will have an amazing trip! I know we did- the trip was so great that we will definitely be returning very soon!
My wife and I departed from Ottawa,Canada on March 20th,2010 and stayed at the Melia Caribe for 2 weeks.
Our flight was very good with Canjet and we arrived at the resort at 11:30 in the morning.
No problems checking in as everone was very friendly and very helpful.Our room was indeed ready by 3 p.m. and our luggage was brought to the room before we could get in.We ended up at the Market Place restaurant for lunch and they had a very good assortment of food for everyone's taste.Food was excellent,well cooked and presented in a very distinctive fashion.
Your Arrival
Well greeted at the airport,no problems finding our transportation to the hotel.
Check in was a breeze,people were very helpful and friendly
Rooms
Rooms were very clean with lots of hot running water for the shower.
Safe in the room is a nice added touch But should be included in the price.It was worth the 28 dollar charge though for the 2 weeks.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurants are very nice and have a good assortment for everyone including families with young children.
We met Julio and Johnny at the Avenue bar and they treated us like royalty. of the best bartenders that I have encountered on all of our trips.They both make GREAT mohitos.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pool was cleaned daily,grounds are very nice and tidy.beach was cleaned every morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Golf course near by was very good.I was picked up every morning at 6:35 for my 7:00 tee-off time.
Worth the 37 dollars american for the power cart,very nice and challenging 27 hole course.
Other Comments
This resort is definitely a 4 and 3 quarter star in our books.
We will more than likely go back in the near future.
As I have stayed here more than 33 weeks i total you would be correct in thinking I love this hotel, it's staff. location, everything. But for those of you who haven't yet visited my corner of paradise I will try to explain why I and many other people return year after year, sometimes two or more times in a year. (Don't we Ruth!!)
Your Arrival
Check-in is always easy with your rooms all ready and information given at check-in regarding the hotel facilities. While you are waiting you are given the 'welcome drink' which is a lovely non-alcoholic drink which after my 8-9 hour flight is most welcome.You get your room key and labels to put on your bags, then it's only a quick trip on the golf buggy to your room where the bellboy will explain how the room is laid out and how to use the air conditioning. (A word to the wise here there are sensors on the patio/balcony doors and if they are not lined up the air-con doesn't work, the idea is that if you want the door open you don't need the air-con trying to cool all of Playa Dorada!!)Your bags if not brought on the buggy with you will be brought to your room very quickly. The 'fridge has pepsi, seven up, water and two beers inside, restocked to this amount every day. If you prefer diet pepsi it is available, just leave a note on the 'fridge.
Rooms
As a self professed idle bum I always ask for a room in either the first or second building and Marlyn Mendosa guest services has always managed to oblige so far!! That said even the furthest rooms are not that far from the main building. I have had a room with two doubles and another with a queen sized bed, both are lovely, for me an extra bed to spread all my 'stuff' on is wonderful.All rooms are cleaned daily and towels are changed when requested, if you want clean ones put the old one in the bath, if you don't mind using them another day just hang them up. Fridge as I've said restocked daily and room to keep any chocolate you may have brought with you.
Restaurants and Bars
Pizzeria is wonderful and open five or six evenings a week. There is a set menu but you can mix and match any ingredients you want and garlic is available but not put on unless you specifically ask for it.
The Buffet is the main eating area. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. A wide choice of food at each meal with something for just about everyone. At breakfast the chef will cook omlettes, fried eggs, pancakes and waffles at your request as well as the many other buffet items, fruit, cheese, breads/toast,yogurts, milkshakes...you get the point. Lunch has soup, salads,burgers and again a variety of other choices.Dinner is often themed so you may have Italian, Oriental and Dominican different nights, with other foods available. The beach bar is open every lunch time and has a Mexican theme with Chilli on chips/fries, fried chicken, fish all available.The A'la Carte is open most night but has to be booked in advance, nice for special occasions but I will confess I don't always go, no problem, just my choice.
There is also the option of eating at any of the Grand Ventana's many eating places, main buffet, three A'la Cartes and a beach bar/restaurant. I have eaten at all the various restaurants and have no complaints about any of them.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The hotel is not on the beach but so close that it isn't a reason not to go here. Beach is lovely, if there has been rainy weather the sea does dump rubbish but there is always a work party cleaning it all up as soon as possible. Normally no problem getting a lounger but if you want a shelter they are popular and you may end up towards the back of the beach under the trees, away from the sea but nearer to the bar!
The pools are always clean which is a bit of a task as there is a lovely tree over the main pool which provides some shade but it does drop it leaves into the pool so some-one is normally cleaning the leaves out two or three times a day. Both pool bars open at ten, the quiet pool bar is open until six and is normally run by Anna, the main pool bar stays open until midnight.
The grounds are so well groomed they are beautiful, every day someone is doing something in the grounds, trimming, weeding or replanting.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The resort is now quite low key with only a little live music three or four nightsa week but if you want shows you can go over to the Gran Ventana. Regarding trips they are many and varied, I have done just about all of them except fishing trips(my stomach doesn't like boats!)I feel you need to decide what sort of trips would suit you, they can be booked through your rep, in the plaza, on the beach(not recommended) or through a local tour operator Martin Espinal of Isaira Tours, I have used Martin many times and never had any cause for worry or complaint, Martin tries very hard to make sure the trips are what YOU want to do and will adjust to suit you if it is possible
Other Comments
This is a lovely quiet hotel that does not have any facilities for children so if you want to bring children I would suggest the sister hotel the Grand Ventana, likewise if you are party animals the Victoria is not for you. If on the otherhand you want a little peace and quiet, R & R and maybe some golf then the Victoria is just the place.You will find at least 50% of the guests are repeaters, ie. they are staying there for thier second,third or more time. That to me speaks volumes if people want to keep coming back time and time again. If like me you tend to be there at the same time each year you bump into others who are doing the same and you meet friends year after year.
Any questions feel free to join us on the travel forum and ask them, I'm amandalou.
Great as usual
Hotel Gran Ventana Beach Resort
User Rating:
Alec >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | Family
Booked through itravel2000, price was fair to good. Flight was with Nolitour / Skyservice. They changed our flight from Fri 06:20 AM to Sat 3:40 PM, I was given the option to cancel with refund, I did and a good thing as Skyservice went under. I had re booked with Air Canada, flight was good, however, nothing free on the flight except a glass of juice.
Your Arrival
Arrived at 8:30 PM, check in was fast and rooms were ready.
Rooms
No problem with rooms. Maid service was good and room cleaned daily. Everything in the room worked. Water is in large bottles so bring a smaller one to top as required.
Restaurants and Bars
Food has to be the best I've tasted in 8 trips to the D.R. All the A la Carte's are good;
Octopus - Caribbean
Ocean Grill - Everything on the grill
Sapore di mare - Italian
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Great
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Night Entertainment is good, however, I've seen better.
Snorkeling very good in front of the resort.
Lots of Tour's and plenty to choose from.
Other Comments
Great all around resort. Very good experince and will recommend to others and will return.
NH Real Arena...NH Really Amazing
Hotel NH Real Arena
User Rating:
Diane >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
Overall for the price we paid we were very pleased with NH Real. We booked "Le Mirage" through transat holidays with our Travel Agent at tripcentral in Bedford, NS. Didn't see the need to upgrade to "Conceirge". Although we would upgrade to the NH Royal (adults only) if we return here. We are a married couple, aged 50 & 55. This trip was all about rest & relaxation. I booked NH Real because the beach and rooms sounded great (and they were). Here is our detailed review of the NH Real Arena:
Your Arrival
We departed Halifax on Friday April 2 at 6:45am on Canjet. Flight uneventful and arrived at PUJ airport on time. Passed in our Immigration cards and got our passports stamped at the airport counter, through security...then unto pick up our luggage. Wait wasn't very long. Boarded the bus and enjoyed the short daytime ride to resort (only 20 minutes).
The entrance to the resort is very plain and minimalistic. The inside lobby is quite dark with all of the dark colours and wood. Very Zen looking with incense burning most of the time. We rather liked it....the clean, open, spacious feel. If you like a rustic, jungle-type property....this isn't it.
Having booked "Le Mirage" we were able to access the private Paradise Club Lounge. We checked in there actually. They offer a small bar, coffee, water, soft drinks, fruit, sandwiches, snacks, a nice seating area, internet access and always had staff on hand to assist. We arrived around noon and our room wasn't ready, so we changed and headed to the beach...Wow! After a look around and a cold drink we checked on our room status again and it was ready at 1:00 for us...so off we went with the porter and our luggage.
Rooms
I had emailed the NH Real one week before we arrived requesting a poolview room. I never received a response back from them but we did get our poolview room. We were Room # 2143. The Punta Cana building, ground floor, Rm. 43. Very well appointed rooms with a nice big shower, separate toilet area with a frosted glass door, large whirlpool tub and the "infamous" hole-in-the-wall....it was a non-issue for us. I enjoyed soaking in the tub and watching TV at the same time. Adequate drawer & closet space. The safe is free. Iron came in handy twice. We did bring along extra hangers since you don't get many. We packed facecloths but they do have them....the maid finally gave us some after a few days.
Room had a king bed (very firm), 3 pillows, a small sofa, coffee table, armchair, bureau with 4 drawers, desk & chair, 2 nightstands with drawers.
We thought the rooms were spacious. There is a terrace outside. Rooms do have coffee makers. Mini fridge stocked daily with beer, Coke, Coke Lite, Sprite & water.
The only issue we had with our room was mosquitos coming in when housekeeping was cleaning. The slippers provided made a good flyswatter....lol! No big deal but I think an upper floor would be better!
Restaurants and Bars
We mostly used the Festival Buffet for our meals. Selection was quite good. Yummy omelets for breakfast. Lots of fresh fruit available at all mealtimes. I was pleased to see plenty of salad veggies. Usually had 2 types of lettuce, arugula, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrtots & beets, onions etc.
Carving stations had turkey, fish, ham etc. Had grilled shrimp a few times. They had nice stuffed baked potatoes one night. Lots of hot vegetables.
We thought the bread was very good. Nice dessert selection and ice cream. The service in the buffet was very good. But we found the staff very friendly and helpful.
We usually lunched at the Beach Restaurant. They have a large BBQ grill set up everyday outside offering chicken, beef, fish, fried rice etc. Inside they have hamburgers, hot dogs, assorted meats, veggies, salad & desserts. It is best to go early when they open at noon...it is hard to find a table at around 2 when it is busiest. Somedays I just made up hamburgers and wrapped them in napkins to take back to our beach chairs.
We only booked 2 a la carte restaurants. The Shore Grill - fair-good. We had the shrimp wrapped in bacon and the ribeye. The meal starts with an appetizer of nachos & a few chicken wings. Tasted ok but never warmer than room temperature. Other folks we talked to said the same. I think they must prepare them ahead of time and just serve them 'as is'. Then came a ceasar salad...good but had at least qtr. cup of dressing poured on top of it. Even asked for dressing 'on the side' but still received the salad the same way.
The shrimps were good but the ribeye was quite fatty. It tasted good...you just had to cut off all the fat first. It came with a baked potatoe.
Dessert was a small cheesecake topped with a brownie & white chocolate decoration....very good. There is definate room for improvement at the Shore Grill Restaurant.
Our second restaurant choice was the Asian-Tapanki - Good. We were seated at the cooking station and enjoyed the sushi, fried crispy onions & soup as an appetizer. The busboy was over-enthusiastic and absconded with my husbands soup and onions....we light-heartedly teased him when he returned and laughed it off. The main course was fried rice with egg & veggies, shrimp, chicken & beef...all good. We then were ushered to a large table for a dessert of fried ice cream. Overall we enjoyed this meal but felt a bit rushed. Although we understand the need to have the next seating on time...we felt that an offer of coffee with dessert would have been nice.
After speaking to a few of the staff...they suggested that the French restaurant, Senses offers the best meal of all, they recommend the beef tenderloin......have to remember if we go here again. Anyone should be able to find a decent meal at this buffet unless they are super-picky.
NH Real also has a sports bar that opens at 5pm (I think). It has a couple pool tables, popcorn machine & a bowling alley ($10 per game to bowl) And a few TV's.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach...the reason we chose this resort...and it is gorgeous. We love to take long walks and this fit the bill perfectly. Waves not too big, soft white sand, no rocks. I love this beach.
Yes...the towel game is in 'full-force' here. There were a couple mornings that you still could get chairs at around 8:30-9:00 but most mornings we had to get up around 6 and claim our palapa. Then back to the room for an early coffee on the patio...breakfast at 7:00...then hit the beach for the day. There are not as many palm trees on this area of beach so the palapas provide the most shade. We only encountered a problem on one day when a family of 5 parked themselves under our palapa. They never moved or touched our chairs..they just decided to squeeze under with us....we said "Hello" but got absolutely no response from either him or her. They just turned their heads away from us and kept talking in French. I thought "Hello" was a fairly universal word! We have galdly shared our shade before but were asked first. To be totally ignored I thought was a deliberate insult to my husband and myself. Yes...we ended up moving. It was just too darned uncomfortable and weird to stay there with them.
The pool wasn't used much by us since we're beach people. I found it a bit too noisy and too many kids. Very hard to get a chair with shade at the pool. I didn't even try.
The grounds are very nice. A few more years will see the plants and shrubs mature and more flowering vines. Overall very tidy, clean grounds. One suggestion would be for the resort to provide a few benches or seating areas around the grounds. We enjoyed a stroll every evening but found nowhere to sit and jusy enjoy the atmosphere. We didn't like sitting in the central courtyard because it smells of smoke from cigarettes eventhough it is open air, it is enclosed on all four sides by the buildings.
One afternoon we watched a maintenance worker scrub the beach rocks around the base of the palm trees by hand. He had a wheelbarrow with soapy water in it and a scrub brush...we went to the bar and got him two cold drinks. Smiles & handshakes were exchanged and we wondered what he'd make of our 'gas powered high-pressure washer' at home!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't take any tours this trip. We only went for rest & relaxation this time. Shopping is an adventure in itself here. The prices at the hotel gift shop are very expensive. One small tube of sunscreen = $26 us. Thankfully, we bought plenty from home.
We did want to purchase coffee and rum to take home and I found directions on the internet (can't remember where from originally) to the Supermarcado behind Captian Cook's restaurant in Cortecito. Overall their prices were about half of what the hotel gift shop wanted. We bought 6 large bags of Santo Domingo coffe @ 105 pesos each (hotel price 300) The best Dominican Rum 368 pesos (hotel price 575) Pringles 86 pesos (hotel price 150) Overall our shopping cost us $55.00 us for everything. Hotel shop would have charged us over $100 us for the same purchases.
To find the supermarket....looking out at the ocean, turn left. The walk is about 25-35 minutes down the beach. Go past the restaurant that sticks out in the water about another 5 minutes...watch for Captain Cook sign. Turn in right beside Captain Cooks and walk through the alley. Be careful crossing a small paved road, as there are lots of motorbikes. The doors to the supermarket are right there. You should see a few metal carts outside the door. It is a real grocery store with set prices.
The vendors along the way are very persistant! Be firm but polite. Don't believe what they tell you! We mistakenly told them we were looking for the Supermarcado....and twice we were told that they was no supermarcado up there and we could buy from them...ha ha ha!
As for the entertainment....we have no comment on this aspect of the trip. We never saw one show. We were usually in our room by 9:30-10:00. The shows didn't start until 9:45. Didn't use the Tantrah Bar upstairs either.
Other Comments
I must mention the service at this hotel...we were very impressed with the level of service we received. We thought it was the best we have ever had at any resort we've been to.
We never felt any pressure to tip however we did when we felt it was appropriate.
Being a 'curious' person I wandered over to the NH Royal one day and had a walk around their pool area. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed. I just wandered by and entered the property. The swimming pool is fantastic! It is a lazy river type. The lower level rooms all have sun lougers outside their patio doors right on the edge of the pool. It's almost like having a swim-out room. It's nice & quite, adults only and you have access to all the NH Real facilities & restaurants. And no kids allowed the Royal beach.
If we go back to this resort it would be to the Royal section for sure.
We loved this resort!!!
Hotel Barcelo Punta Cana
User Rating:
Kirinda >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
We loved this resort. Just big enough, not too big. Loved that it was right on the beach (BEAUTIFUL beach). The food was great. Didn't really get to know the staff, not like in Cuba.
Your Arrival
We arrived late-after midnight. Check in was quick and easy. We were happy to find that snacks and drinks were still available-fried chicken and chips!YUMMY!
Rooms
We were told that most people choose to upgrade to the prestige class rooms for an additional fee-we didn't feel the need to. Our room was great. We had a 4th floor room which had a vaulted ceiling-nice and roomy feeling.
Restaurants and Bars
Great food at all restaurants. Bars were plentiful! The bars were busy- it was spring break for college students too-aughhhhh!
We were very pleased to discover that our a-la-carte restaurants were already booked for us-very convenient!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Fantastic beach-very big and clean! Lots of chairs and shade if you wanted it. Pools were great, big, clean and not too crowded. Loved the lounge chairs that were built right in the pool. Grounds were clean and well kept.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Did the sharks & rays snorkling tour-absolutely fantastic!!!
Other Comments
This was the first time in Punta Cana for us. We are going back next year!!!
awesome resort
Hotel Gran Bahía Príncipe AMBAR
User Rating:
charlene >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
Your Arrival
well our arrival was just a little off nothing to do with the resort though.We were to arrive at the resort around eight in the evening and we are still in the air it almost felt like we were going in circles.Well in fact that is exactly what we were doing the captain comes over the speaker and tells us that we had in fact been going around in circles and almost out of fuel as we are going to have to land in la romana as there were no lights on the punta cana runway.He said this could take one hour or six hours.So we landed for fuel and had to wait for further instructions of what three planes were to do.After sitting for about two hours we were given the clear to take off although not quite yet all of a sudden we saw airport management running to the plane and then we hard this banging what now our tow bar is stuck to get the plane off the ground.Finally we are on our way to the airport arriving at our hotel around two.Everyone was grouchy sleepy and just plain frustrated but once we got through all that the rest of the week not a complaint about anything.Just a beautiful resort to enjoy
Rooms
We found the rooms to be very large and beautiful.It had a beautiful king bed and every day the maids were in by eleven doing our room every day leaving a new towel art that we hadnt seen before.Every night we would come in to our bed being turned down with chocolates on the pillow.we were in room 61211 which was very close to the pool and the beach.We had a stacked mini bar which we did not use.The bathroom was large and spacious with a large walkin shower.The room also had slippers and robe and an unbrella which we never had to use.Upon arrival we found two bahia shirts a bottle of rum a fruit plate and a letter from management what a way to start a holiday
Restaurants and Bars
First off the buffet even the pickiest eater could find something to eat.One of the things that i liked the most about this resort was the presentation of the food all the vegtable and fruit carvings and the variety of the food.I prefered the main buffet to the beach buffet.As you walked in their was a girl with a smile good morning and she would put hand sanitizer on everyones hands.The restaurants well the one that we preferred not as much was the italian restaurant at ambar nothing wrong with it just nothing stood out with it.Next don pueblo totally different story very very nice it was so cool to watch the chef come to your table if you ordered chateaubriand and cook it right in front of you to your satisaction and also watching him make flaming bananas chambeau right in front of you.We went to the gourmet grill which was also very nice but the real highlight restaurant was hands down the italian restaurant at the new esmeraldo chocolate mousee to die for.We did so enjoy this.Dining with some special friends andre and kathy whom we had just met put the icing on the cake.This resort was awesome as well.We got to see in one of the rooms the rooms were beautiful but still i preferred the ambar.It was so quiet and laid back
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Well we only went to the beach once as i found there was quite a undertow which me not being a swimmer was not pleasant but having said that up every morning at six to secure a palapa at the pool.I was so concerned before we left home reading the reviews about not being able to secure a palapa but getting up and watching the sunrise everyday securing a palapa was one of the best parts of my day.Being fairhaired i really had to have protection from the hot sun.The pool was amazing and enjoyed every day with our new friends that we just met george and cavell from oshawa grant and janice from halifax and cathy and andre from bathhurst new brunswick. Thankyou guys you are the best
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Normally we do the shows but not this time we did go to the michael jackson show but left very quickly as there was no where to sit down and the screaming was very loud through the whole show from the audience.We did no tours this time went down with just the idea of relaxing and enjoying hubby and i being together only one day that i would mention after being at the pool with book in hand waiting to to breakfast one of the staff cameup to us and told us that we had to leave for about half an hour and take our stuff with us.Why well there were taking pictures of the pool and they didnt want anyone there for a new website well let me tell you that was not well received by money as now there would be a mad dash for the palapas next they said they were going to cancel the shoot in the end it did happen
Other Comments
There was so much that we liked about Ambar their entire staff,Everywhere you looked the entire staff was always working cleaning gardeners cleaning staff desk staff everyone .You would watch the maids every morning out picking their flowers for the rooms.Oh i did forget to mention the lobby never before have i seen a more beautiful lobby new flowers everyday real orchids every day marble floors nice furniture absolutely beautful lobby.The cleaniness of this resort absolutely unbelievable.Oh and the butlers i cant forget them.I can home the last evening to a jacuzzi full of bubbles red flowers and petals in and around the tub a note from the butler saying enjoy your last romantic evening in punta a mat in front of the tub saying i love you.What a way to finish off a totally wonderful week.Without question we will return to this wonderful hotel.Been to a lot of resorts through the years but this one sure is a keeper and already planning our next trip back.
A Romantic Italian setting in Sosua
Hotel Piergiorgio Palace
User Rating:
Debbie >
30 contribution(s)
Apr, 2010 | Business | Solo
It was only a short, one-hour, drive along the North coast of the Dominican Republic from Playa Dorado, where I stayed the previous three nights, to hotel Piergiorgio Palace, located in the buzzing city Sosua, which stands out for her small and cozy beach, the many small shops, a wide variety of beach bars and the locals playing domino. Sosua is one of the nicest destinations in the DR, where you still can mix with the ever friendly and polite local population.
Your Arrival
The check-in procedure at the reception desk of Piergiorgio Palace is a breeze, one of the advantages of staying at a small hotel. The staff can dedicate more time to their guest because there are no busloads of tourist being dropped off from the airport.
I say goodbye to the always-dependable Martin Espinal from Asaira Tours, who brought me here and who will pick me up in two days to bring me to my next destination.
Hotel Piergiorgio Palace is a romantic hotel owned by an Italian, which is truly noticeable by the overall atmosphere and splendid decoration. The beautiful antique tile floors, romantic terraces adorned with various plants, flowers, tall standing trees and the view over the Sosua bay definitely impress me.
Rooms
Hotel Piergiorgio has 55 rooms. The best accommodations are located on the top floor and left side of the hotel. An apartment complex is obstructing the view of the rooms at the lower right side of the building. This is where I get a room and I can only barely see the water. I know I won’t be sitting a lot on the small, white and round balcony with only one old painted little chair while a table to put my drink on is missing.
The room, which is really clean, accommodates two queen size beds covered with apple green bedspreads and further offers apple green curtains, a minibar and a television with satellite channels. The decoration suits the atmosphere of the hotel though I feel it is a little old-fashioned.
The bathroom is very large. On the wall tiles: pink ones, white ones and those featuring matching roses. I think of Laura Ashley. The antique facets are white enameled and there is a large walk in turbo-power shower. No complains about water pressure, that’s for sure!
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurant Puntilla Piergiorgio:
The best what hotel Piergiorgio Palace has to offer is restaurant “Puntilla de Piergiorgio” where the Italian chef, Luciano Merlino runs the kitchen. Luciano’s main passion is to create deserts and other sweet delicacies but he is, without a doubt, also the king of all the other 160 items listed on the menu. The perfect location on the Sosua Bay makes the dining experience complete. No wonder that many wedding couples select this place for their wedding dinner and party. To enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner in restaurant Puntilla Piergiorgio is a true delight.
Bar
The cozy hotel bar, painted in white and pink and located under the trees in between the pool and the restaurant, offers an enormous choice of international spirits and liqueurs. De bar staff is very friendly and talkative.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The hotel has a mid sized, clean pool with sufficient sun beds. Here you can soak up the sun or read a book in a peaceful ambiance.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Piergiorgio is located at the end of a quiet and somewhat dark street, especially at night. Because I am a woman travelling by myself I ask the manager Louis if it is no problem to walk back from the centre of town to the hotel later tonight. It is only 5 minutes but it is better to be safe than sorry. Louis tells me that every building in this street has security in place and that during the seven years he has been working at the hotel never occurred anything unpleasant.
The Beach, located at the Sosua Bay is only ten minutes away.
Loida offers excellent soothing massages in the Piergiorgio Health Center, as I can tell you from my own experience. Beside the classic massage, Loida offers foot reflexology, cellulites massage, waxing, facials, and skin treatments.
Services
Wi-Fi Internet is offered free of charge in the lobby of the hotel.
conclusion
Hotel Piergiorgio Palace Hotel is an excellent hotel, located in a quiet part of the busy town Sosua. Warmly recommended to those who like a calm and relaxed environment but also like to enjoy the buzzing energy and the many bars that Sosua has to offer.
My Husband & I along with two other Couples spent a week at the Gran Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado. It is one of the most Beautiful Resorts we have been to. A 5* for sure. No complaints!! Great Food ..Great Service and a beautiful Island. I read all of the reviews before leaving and have no idea where some of the complaints came from . We couldn't have been treated better.Would love to return again soon
Your Arrival
We arrived April 8th ..2010
Rooms
Beautiful Rooms ....4 poster beds !!! Keep very clean !
Restaurants and Bars
We only did the Don Pablo ...It was lovely !!...Loved the Buffets!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The Best !!!
Other Comments
Overall Very Satisfactory!!!
Great time but....
Hotel Bavaro Princess
User Rating:
Greg >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With friend
...the service does not warrant the five star rating. It is generally poor. Plus having to pay for WiFi access in a five star when its free at Mom and Pop hotels everywhere is crazy. The beach is great, as everyone knows. The food is passable all inclusive fare. The facilities are good. The hotel is not as large as some, so that's good. There is definitely enough to contribute to your fun. But service was not great.
We really enjoyed ourselves
Hotel Viva Wyndham Tangerine
User Rating:
Kewl >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | Family
We had a great time.
Spent 1 week as a family with 2 small kids
1) prebooked taxi to pick us up from the airport to the hotel with fivestardr@hotmail.com that took us comfortably on the half hour trip to the hotel.
2) Check in was quick- nice simple clean rooms - clean bathrooms - everything worked - hot water, mini fridge - plenty of bath towels etc. etc. rooms were cleaned and made up daily - nice towel art - friendly housekeeping staff - thank you Felicia - you did a great job with our room..
2) Nice food - buffets were large and had sufficient variety to prevent monotony. different nites - different themes - oriental, italian, mexican, dominican, french etc. etc. the mexican ala carte was nice...
3) no bar in the pool..but by the poolside.. service was usually quick - Louis was surly - but the others were great - especially Victoria.
4) Animacion - the entertainment team - God its good to be young - sparkly, friendly, talented and sexy and apparently no need for sleep - they device games and activities all throught out the day to keep you entertained. pool side games, in the pool games, beach side games, dance lessons etc. etc. on nights with the disco - they dance with you into the wee hours of the morning...and then they are up and bounding a mere couple of hours later again. And their shows at night are fun and energetic.Be ready to do fun but embarrassing stuff if you are asked to participate...they also man the kids play area and watch the small kids during the day - nice.Hola Junior,Elesa, Chris etc. etc.
5) Nice beach - its a public beach - stray dogs and beach vendors abound - shoo the dogs away - politely decline the vendors....or bargain with them...and you will have no issues - the sea is a little rough, the waves are strong, it can get a little windy - yet lots of fun - beautiful ocean - kids can play on the beach - supervised - lots of kite servers - fascinating to watch them
6) Short walk on the beach to cabarate - quaint restaurants and bars - overpriced tourist shops. Tip - do your Internet browsing at Cabarate - much cheaper that at the hotel - but check out the shop in the hotel- better quality and similar prices on some stuff !!!
We had a great time - we were never bored or hungry. Perfect for a week's getaway.
A Great Getaway, Great Beach
Hotel VIK hotel Arena Blanca (LTI Beach Resort Punta Cana)
User Rating:
Michael >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | Family
We stayed at the VIK during the Easter Holidays this year -April 4-12. We had been to the resort 4 years ago when it was under LTI ownership and were impressed with it then, so we went back. I have to say that it is now better.
My wife and I stayed in building 3, where we had stayed before, and were pleasantly surprised by the updated look of the renovated room. There were better beds (no more singles pushed together) good pillows ( a common complaint in other reviews of this resort, and one that I would definitely complain about if necessary), air conditioning that we actually had to turn DOWN, and more than adequate towels etc. Another plus was the variety of lighting options they have installed in the rooms, and the large screen satelite TV's which have a variety of English channels. Our daughter and two friends were staying in Building 4 which was also renovated and had no cpomplaints about their room. Our maid sevice was excellent and the room was extremely clean.(thanks Confessora)
The food has also improved. The buffet does not have the cooking oil smell that I remembered from the past visit and all food was prepared well and was varied. The Italian a-la-carte has improved imeasurably. There is a good selection of items on the menu. The bars were adequate and the servers fiendly. give Johnny at the Buchannero Bar at the beach good tips and you will be "my friend" and get great service for the duration of your stay.
As far as the beach, what can I say? beautiful sand, water, waves, etc. The only downside is having to get up very early to claim your spot on the beach. I'd recommend by six o'clock. We left it until seven the first morning and prime spaces were limited.The towel system is very efficient - give them your cards at the beginning of your stay and turn in towels at the end to get your cards back. - SIMPLE - You can get your towels changed at any ppoint during your stay and the couple who run the towel business are very friendly and accommodating.
Overall, the service at this resoprt is great. All people we dealt with were friendly, accommodating and eager to please. One side note - avoid the pushy salespeople from the adjoing Cayenna Beach time share - REALLY ANNOYING - Don't agree to one of their information sessions- this time we made the mistake of doing it. You learn from experience
My Boyfriend and I, with a couple of friends just arrived back from the NH Real Arena lastnight and I would go back tomorrow. We loved it, the Service, food, rooms, everything was wonderful. I would definitly suggust it to anybody! Go stay there, you will LOVE IT!!
Your Arrival
We arrived around 12:30 pm at the hotel, got our room at 2:30. We booked the Le Mirage Deluxe and the room was excellent! The check-in was fast and the had drinks and snacks, a big screen TV and couches to lounge on to wait in the Le Mirage section of the checkout. The lobby was very nice!
Rooms
We got to our room and it was a garden view near the midpoint between the lobby and beach but a gourgeous view of a fountain and palm trees and gardens. There was a giant hole in the wall, which was interesting and not a big deal to us but might be to other people if they are travelling with friends, not much privacy!! The other couple with us got the Le Mirage Concerige rooms, which are closer to the beach but don't have holes in the walls, They had to switch rooms to an upstairs floor because the room was very musty and damp. Upstairs is definitly better in that section, their second room was better.
Restaurants and Bars
We didn't get to experience the A La carts, we had friends arriving 4 days after we did and we wanted to wait to book then. Well waiting was the wrong thing to do...BOOK YOUR A LA CARTS ASAP!! when you arrive at this hotel, they book up fast and they're not open all nights. Not a huge deal for us, but I wish I would have asked eariler, that was my fault. They have signs everywhere, at the entrance to the buffett and the lobby telling us what days they are open or closed. The Buffett was amazing tho, the had Oriental, Italian, dominican, international, mexican, and american nights. The food was always fresh and very tasty. Breakfast was to die for, Ommlettes, bacon, boiled eggs, lots of breads..everything. No shortage of great food!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was perfect! as it always is. the best and widest! Pools were awesome! pool bar seperate (which is wonderful cause im not a big drinker all day) Big pool and a seperate quiet pool behind that. Also, two pools on each side close to the beach with there own pool bars for the Le Mirage Conceriage. The grounds were very well taken care off. Flawless!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
They had dancing, yoga and water arobics at the beach everymorning, but don't worry there was a quiet side too go if you just wanted to relax. There was also great fun at the pool everyday. The activities workers always were around having fun and getting people to join in on the fun. They were very good at their jobs.
The International entertainment was UNBELIEVABLE!!! AMAZING!! I've been to the DR from a 3+star to a 5 star and this, by far was the BEST ever!
Pre shows, beautiful singers. They had fire dancers, acrobats, dancers. Special people in the shows including, a Argentinan male dancer. Mexican Fire throwers. Cirque de Solie. And the disco tech was very fun and always full after the shows.
Other Comments
This place was perfect and I would highly suggust it to anyone and I would go back myself in a heartbeat!
We arrived in Punta Cana the evening of April 17, 2010. The baggage pick up at the Putna Cana airport was a breeze and our buses were ready and waiting to take us to the resort. The ride was swift and fun!!
Not gunna lie, once we got to the resort it was a little messy. The bus dropped us all of at the "Reserve" side when we were supossed to check in at the main lobby. Once we were picked up from the reserve side to be taken to the appropriate check-in, people's luggage was left behind, therefore had to go back!! No one was too bothered by this, as we were all so excited to be there. For anyone who hasn't figured it out yet from reading other peoples reviews, the "Reserve" is a resort within the Paradisus resort if that makes sense. You need a special bracelet to use most of the facilitites located within the reserve section. The resort is massive so you get around by trolly most of the time.
Rooms
Our room was gorgeous. Upon arrival, my fiance and I were upgraded to the Royal Service. We were getting married at Punta Cana F.Y.I and had a 50 person group with us!! Our fridge was stocked daily. Rose petals and little gifts would be left in our room everyday. Our room would be cleaned once a day, but when we would leave at night, they would sneak back in and make swans out of towels and re-stock our fridge again for when we strolled in at 3 in the morning. The bathroom was huge, our view was ocean front. We were in building #1, and we wouldn't have changed anything about it. Expect there aren't alot of drawers to put your clothes in. Actually I dont think there wre any! Our room was right on the beach as I mentioned and we were close to the restaurants and the main pool. We could call for a trolly when we were ready for dinner and it would be right outside our room within minutes. F.Y.I. it is a nice 7 minute walk to the restaurants. NOt as bad as some poeple make it out to be.
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurants were average. My favorite was the Italian and the Japanese. Unfortunately 7 days was not enough time to try all of the restaurants, especially since you cant make reso's so you have to wait in line, early, to get into a place. The steak house was also very good. Being from Canada we have some of the best beef, but I must say, I had the tenderloin (a little rare for my taste) but the most tender piece of meat I have ever had in my life!!!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was unreal!! Im not a big ocean swimmer so we hung out at the main pool most of the time, plus there was the swim up bar there, but the beach was gorgeous. The best I have ever seen. They have beds scattered everywhere. If you are in the Royal Service there is a little part of the beach that is sectioned off. There are always beds available there.
The royal service also has there own nice quiet pool, but we ventured over to the main pool most of the time beacause thats where our group would hang out.
We never got a chance to visit the Reserve pool (if you have the Royal package you can use the facilities in the Reserve section) which was very unfortunate.
The grounds were unlike anything I have ever seen in my life. Gorgeous greenery everwhere you look. I actually can't explain how nice it was.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
On the day before the wedding the girls went to the spa (a little over priced) and the boys went golfing. They said the golfing was amazing for you men out there. The spa was great too. Best massage I've ever had. Sat in the massive hot tub after as it started pouring rain outside while we were getting our massages.
Some of our group did the Catamaran. Sorry can't remember which one, but it takes you to a natural pool. Waist deep water. Warm. Absolutely beautiful. The staff on our boat were amazing. They also took us snorkling. I had never been before so I don't have anything to compare it to, but everyone else who did said it was great.
Other Comments
For a group of this size (50) people the resort was a little large. It was just hard to keep track of everyone, but as the days went on people figured out where the usual meeting spots were so dont worry about that sort of thing. For anyone who is planning on getting married here DO IT. it was the most amazing day of my life. The wedding planning staff on site are amazing. I can actually say that everything was perfect!! If any brides out there have any questions please dont hesitate to ask.
I would recommend this resort to anyone and everyone. Thanks Paradisus for making my wedding week the most memorable week of my life!!!!
Had an unforgettable trip! Need help from past guests”
I will just write a short blurb about our trip to occidental since this is more about finding out about drink ingredients :)
This was my wife and I's second trip to the Dominican, but first to Punta Cana. We had a group of 20 friends (all between 22-35) going down for a once in a lifetime trip. Reading the negatives on this place (in trip advisor)had me trying to scramble with the travel agent to find other accomodations, but we went here. Let me tell you, if you are planning a trip to the Dominican and you have already selected your resort, stay away from the negative reviews. It is nothing more than stress and probably is 90% false. No one will ever be happy with everything.
Our biggest repsonsibility all week was do we drink at the pool, the beach, do we go on an excursion, do we eat, take a nap etc. It was exactly what we wanted! The week was great, the staff was great (tried very hard), the weather was awesome, the beach was amazing!
I will post more but my main reason for this post is to get some help from previous travellers. I am looking for the ingredients that go into 3 drinks that I fell in love with while I was there and forgot to ask.
I was at the Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana from April 25th to May 2nd this year. I really enjoyed my stay and the resort, its staff, grounds, entertainment, food were excellent. During my stay I fell in love with 3 particular drinks there called the Flamenco Especial, Matai, and Tiki Tiki
I am wrtiing this email looking for some help in identifying the ingredients that were in these drinks so that I can make them myself at my home to enjoy.
In the FLAMENCO ESPECIAL I know there was Ron Barcelo rum, (which I bought 2 gold and 2 white down there) but beyond that I am uncertain. It had a banana flavour as well as coconut. I dont know if that taste came from the juice or other liquors.
My guess
Ron Barcelo white rum
Banana Liquer
either coconut cream or coconut rum or the juice was a coconut flavour (It was somewhat pink in color and the mix was a juice turned into slush (no prob just blend with ice here)
In the MAITAI I am pretty sure I know all the ingredients but to make sure:
My guess
Ron Barcelo White
Amaretto almond liqueur
grenadine syrop
Orange Juice
In the TIKI TIKI I have no idea other than the juice was some type of mango.
If you could help me out by listing what types of liquors were in these drinks as well as what type of juice was used (for the FLAMENCO the juice was frozen into slush) that would be extremely appreciated.
I have been craving a Flamenco Especial for 3 weeks now and would love to be able to make them at home.
Thanks and I hope to hear from someone
Your Arrival
We were all from Moncton NB we travelled Air transat preference club (do this if its an option for you, great upgrade!)
We Got their early (10am) out of our group about 4 of the 9 rooms were already ready, so we lugged our stuff to their rooms and went to the pool bar.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The best excursion you can go on while you are there is the Tropical Storm party catamaran. Drinks, music, sunken ship, snorkelling, natural pool laggon in ocean, drinking games, huge inflatable slide, dancing etc. Ask for Sam he is from Autsria and the best guide.
We arrived late in the evening, check-in went very smooth. Luggage brought up to the room in short time. We stopped in the lobby to have a drink after our much awaited flight and start of our vacation.
Rooms
We had 2 rooms, and each one was great. We stayed in building 4, and faced the back of the resort, which was our doing, we wanted a quiet room. Was very clean, and spacious. Never a problem with A/C or water, or any of the other things I'd read about people complaining about.
Restaurants and Bars
We ate in the buffet most meals. Went to the Italian ala carte 2x and was very impressed with what we all had. Left with our tummys full with no complaints at all. Bars were all wonderful, all giving good service. Again didn't find there to be such a language problem as stated in other reviews.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Ahh the grounds, now that's how I judge a resort, I'm a flora and fauna person. The grounds at Ocean Blue were just beautiful. Loved the ponds with the natural habitant in and around them. The pools were great, we stayed away from the so called "party poo" We are normally beach gals, but found the winds the week we were there to be abit too much. Hard to have conversations without sanding blowing in your mouth. But thats not the resorts fault, gotta blame mother nature on that one.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Didn't go off the resort at all, was enjoying ourselves too much. We all came for relaxation and chillin.
Other Comments
I really find it hard to read negative reviews about any of the resorts. Your in paradise people, where else could you go away and not spend another penny and eat and drink all you want. I think in this day and age, people want it to be like home, well it isn't people, your in another country, which English is not their first language. Enjoy your time there and remember you left home for a reason.
Well this was my 2nd trip to DR and first to PoP. I had an open mind and was not disappointed. The resort was great, the people were nice and I loved the city. I will be returning to this resort with the kids in the new year.
Your Arrival
I flew in via Canjet on Transat Holidays. Once cleared customs and headed outdoors there was a rep right there at the booth who directed us to the right shuttle bus. Within 20min we were heading off to our hotel. We arrived around 1030 but check-in time is 3pm. The lady gave us our bracelet for the AI and told us to try back at noon to see if our room was ready. I went back at 1145 and got my room keys. I had to wait a few minutes for the bellhop to show me to the villa but make it to the room and back in time for the buffet to open up for lunch at 1230. Overall very pleasant very efficient.
Rooms
My room had a single bed and a daybed like couch that I used just to store suitcases on. It was on the ground floor looking onto the golf course which was nice. It was not the best room I have ever stayed in but it had what I needed and was clean. The AC worked great, fridge kept my water cool, always had hot water regardless of what time of day it was, my coffee maker wasn't working but as soon as I notified the front desk it was changed. The maid did a great job everyday. My only real issue is the tv reception was not very good and there was no wi-fi but those are just picky points as far as I am concerned.
Restaurants and Bars
Topaz Buffet-Food was basic but plentiful. It was not the biggest selection but there is enough variety to keep everyone fed and happy. No issues I liked it alot. The Lotus-Oriental A la carte, I had one supper there and it was a great meal and experience. Pancho Villa-pizza for snack/lunch daily and it was good, it is also the Mexican A la carte. I enjoyed my supper there once. I never had an opportunity to get to the Italian A la carte but ate there during afternoon snack and the food was always good and served fast. Bars, the wave pool was never that busy with good service Felix was an excellent Bar-tender. Main bar fast service most times but busy. The Palms bars- great service, great view of the beach and ocean. Franklin was an excellent bar tender. It would have been nice to be able to have a bar open past 1am.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach- what can I say other than it was beautiful. Well kept with lots of loungers to lay on. Pools were constantly being cleaned as were the grounds. This was a real nice resort, it was not perfect or super fancy but there were no major issues and the staff tried hard to make your stay good.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The imagination crew were good. Most days they did some activities but I did not partake in any of them. They tried hard to keep the guest entertained and should be given a pat on the back for that as they did a good job. The evening entertainment started with a kids show then the adult one followed. I was there almost every-night and the shows were funny, and good. No its not Vegas but I had no problems with the entertainment. Again they all worked hard for the guests. I met a tour guide as I was walking to the Playa Dorada Mall, his name is Dominic and he was parked at the Wyndham hotel. He took me out on two excursions. He was a decent guy, always early for our pickup times and he did give us the"Dominican Experience". He was clear about the price for the taxi drive and his payment was what we decided to tip him. If you want the one on one/small group sight seeing then I would definitely recommend him. I booked through Didi on the beach as Manual was not there at that time for the City Tour just so I could go on the cable car(which I enjoyed). At the mall I used Julio to book for the dune buggys and that was fun but very wet and muddy so be warned.
Other Comments
If you want more info just message me and I will go into more detail. I just skimmed over the points. But from the reviews I read before going down they were dated and/or not flattering and I feel this resort deserved better than that after I had a great week there.
3 time back
Hotel VIK hotel Arena Blanca (LTI Beach Resort Punta Cana)
This is our 3 year and every year we have stay at the Vic Arena Blanca and we love it the staff is wonderful and friendly when we got there we were on the 2 floor my husband just had knee surgery so this was not good i went to the front and with no problems they moved us to the first floor. People say why do you go to the same resort well first the resort is so clean and the staff are so friendly and we love the food breakfast is awesome and at lunch the burgers and fries and hot dogs are so good and there-always fresh fruit and cookies and cakes and dinner is fantastic especial our pasta maker i had garlic and butter with there amazing meat sauce also a red with no meat and Alfredo our rooms were cleaned every day and we came back to swans made from towels and always fresh flowers,I go to the Vic because of the food,staff,and how clean it is the T.v works the ceiling fan is great the AC works the rooms are wonderful remember if you want all the leisureliness of home then stay home also i feel so safe I work for Tim Horton and i start at 5 so i am always up at 3 so i would get the towels and go to the beach to get our spot the security guy Gabriel always walk with me to the beach watch me place my towels as we walk back we have a smoke he saw me back to my room.
Your Arrival
When you get off the plain they move you threw quick and on to your bus and on your way check in is a snap and the bell boys are quick your not waiting a hour for your bag
Rooms
We had 2 rooms that were always cleaned and the cleaning staff went out of there way to see that we had everything we need it
Restaurants and Bars
Fantastic and wonderful food night after night
Beach/Pools/Grounds
always clean the guys every day raked the beach and cleaned up what ever the ocean sent in. also threw out the day staff pick up all cups and garbage you had they always ask do u mined we had games threw out the day and fun beach exerciser at night the had show for the little one and at 10 for the grown up the show witch usually are musicals are so good the staff puts on the show and they do a dam good job
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We have swam with the dolphin at Maniti Park which is beautiful they put on water show with sea lions and dolphin's we did the Eco tour which is done on Segways and the one I recommend if your only going to do one is the boat they take you to coral ref's and you swim with the sharks and sting rays we dance on the boat they had a wonderful lunch and drinks we had a blast they have a gym,spa night club a little every thing for everyone.
Other Comments
Well when we return next year it will be at the Vic we had a wonderful week as always it a lay back quiet resorted and that is what i look for because I am there to relax and the Vic lets you do that You have to remember it's not home and if that is what your looking for then stay home
Very nice resort Transportation problems sucked!!
Hotel Bavaro Princess
User Rating:
Frank >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
Overall we had a very nice vacation. The negative reviews about this resort must be from pretty unhappy people as we had very few issues. In fact, the ONLY issue was with the trams and service vehicles that travel around the resort on the sidewalks. We were always having to watch for them and get out of the way. If you have ever seen how Dominicans drive you will understand completely!! Other than that we had a great time until the flight home. When we arrived at the La Romana airport it was closed and we were informed by another PASSENGER that there was no plane to take us home. I asked our bus guide to contact Signature and was told very rudely by their agent - LAURA - that it wasn't her problem and that the airport was responsible to accomodate us and then she hung up on me. So much for customer service. Then we come to find that SUNWING had not been able to get the plane going yet because of scheduling problems. We kinda thought that this would be something that was taken care of well before the time to send the plane - sort of like how they require us to PAY in advance.... Regardless, we were offered a $5 voucher for food and the airport opened approx 1 hour later and we were allowed to check in but were told that the plane had only just left and would arrive @ 6am. Keep in mind that all of this was going on from 1am until approx 3am for a flight that was supposed to depart @ 3:45am. The plane did arrive @ 6am only to do a touch and go because of fog and continued to Punta Cana to get fuel. We finally departed @ 9am. SUNWING is now 2 for 2 in screwing up on flights for us and I am thinking it's time to find another travel provider. Especially as we were also told by the signature rep that Sunwing had bought them out so we could expect better service..... still waiting for that part.
Your Arrival
The trip down was fine, but we didn't realize that we were looking at a 2 hour bus ride to the resort. Be very careful to check these details out as the trip description said the resort was 35 minutes from the airport - I guess we needed to clarify which airport!! Check in was pretty quick and we were in our room within 30 minutes of arrival @ the resort
Rooms
Rooms are a little dated but very nice nonetheless. Only issue was that the thermostat didn't work so the air conditioner ran full tilt unless you turned it off. We just turned it off at bedtime and kept the overhead fan on. Actually slept better this way as it was way quieter!!
Restaurants and Bars
Didn't try any of the al a cartes but the buffets were pretty good and the selection was finne. You could always find something to eat.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was beautiful but the water was a bit rough most of the time. We actually got washed ashore one day but it was ok. The same old game of palapa and lounger saving is alive and well @ this resort even though there are signs asking you not to so hopefully someone from your group is an early riser!!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Didn't go off the resort but there was lot's of activities to choose from and the animation crew was working hard to keep everyone entertained.
I have been to the D.R. 4 times and this was the first one i attended and all the others were a let down after staying here. The service was excellent. The resort was great and felt right at home there. We just loved it. Since then I got divorced and went to another resort by myself and won't make that mistake again. I am already planning a trip back to this resort. I recommend this resort to anyone that wants to get there moneys worth. I will be going back there very soon and hope to be greeted as I did last time. Hope to see you all there you won't be disappointed.
John Sorensen
Your Arrival
Was great treated like royalty
Rooms
The rooms had everything you could possibly need. The AC worked great which is a big plus so you can get a good night sleep.
Restaurants and Bars
All food was very tasty and the bars were top notch and it seemed there was never a lineup for drinks. They are great people that serve you and have no complaints.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool was awesome and very clean. The beach is something you will just have to see on your own. We just loved it. And at night could not get any better.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Lot's to do. You never run out of things to do. And the prices were not bad even your average Joe can afford them. The resort is hard to explain it is just so beautiful everywhere you go. They treat you like royalty. These people know how to run a resort. Everything is so clean and perfect.
Other Comments
This is a great place to vacation and you really get your moneys worh and I will be returning soon. Like I said have been to the D.R. 4 times and this was the best place by far.
My second trip to the island and first to this resort. 14 wonderful days! Met some wonderful people who were on holiday as well, had our daily happy hour with Hector. He was willing to keep my Bubba jug full. The staff was some of the nicest people I have ever met. Smiling, dancing. They always appeared happy doing their job.
Found it a shame that, they are fighting to get their rating back up. West Jet has them listed at a 3star resort, and Sun wing at a 2.5, but with the service and food, and the cleanliness of the rooms...this rating should be upped to at least a 4 star.
Will I return to the Island...Yes...Will it be this Resort. Absolutely!!!
Your Arrival
We arrived around 5pm. Checked in and had our bags taken to the room. They were kind and showed us the way to the dining room. Made sure we had a lock and key for the safe. Lucy (the spitfire) was there with a big hug and welcome. She was ready willing and able to answer any question that one may have. Go Lucy!
The reception area was a very nice place to sit and relax; one could always feel a nice breeze
Rooms
Our room was very spacious, lots of drawers and closet space. Our cleaning girl was very sweet; she left us flowers every day. The balcony was quite big and gave us privacy. The bed was comfortable and so were the pillows! Lots of hot water, but who needs that much when all you want to do is cool off. There were hairdryers in the bathrooms. A small fridge with a counter and cupboards.
Restaurants and Bars
We had two great bartenders Rocco during the day and Hector in the evenings. Sorry to say I didn't get the young lads name at the swim up pool bar, but he sure could mix a great drink and do a slam dunk from his station to the net! We pretty much had the same waitress in the mornings and same waiter in the evenings. Both were awesome at their jobs. Wish I could remember their names, but they each greeted us with a hug and kiss. The food was good and varied. We did not feel like it was the same every day. The extra pieces of chocolate cake were very much appreciated. Best pancakes ever! Going the extra mile for wine for us, who could ask for better service. Pizza as a snack by the pool was a daily event, would let you build it yourself if you asked.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was nice, and was raked daily. The only draw back was all the coral right in front, but it was no problem to walk down the beach a bit. There you could wade right in, and swim with no problems. Spent most of our time at the main pool. Kept clean by the guys, who used the net a couple of times a day. The grounds were raked and swept daily. Very neat! Beach towels were big...NO...holes in them!
Note: We did decide to sit at the quiet pool one day, about 10 days into our trip. We were there only a short time before getting our first bites on the legs. Mind you it had rained the night before, but we got up and returned to our spot at the main pool and all was good again.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The hotel offered nightly trips to the clubs, we however did not partake. We did go off on our own to the casino one night, which the hotel made sure we had a free cab there.
We booked a cab along with some other people and went into Puerto Plata for a day trip and toured the Rum Factory among others sites.
We also took in a day to Paradise Island, Wow! is all I can say on that. A trip up into the mountains to visit a school, see the water falls. Another great day! Last trip was out on the Catamaran. A day at Sousa Bay, snorkeling and a 2 1/2 sail back. Wonderful!
The animation team was a great group. High energy! Have to say I lost weight due to the water activities. Fun!
Drawback - Same activities everyday...would like to see new for next year
Other Comments
One of the things that impressed me the most was the many loyal customers they had. Pretty much everyone that I met and spoke too, have been coming to this resort for 5yrs up to 12 years, some even said they came more then 3 times a year. These were people from Canada, England, Germany, and Sweden.
Flew Skyservice when checking in baggage was said to be way over weight however in bringing more stuff back it was way underweight. In the future if this happened I would request my bags weighed at another station as I believe the Toronto Airport did not get the correct reading on our luggage. Landed in Punta Cana rather than La Romana airport. Could be anywhere from 1.5-3 hour bus ride which is nice to see the surrounding area and towns. Check in was smooth, had to wait for our room but were able to enjoy the facilities while we waited. Bell boy holds your luggage while you tour the resort. Bring swimsuit/light clothing in carry on so you can enjoy the resort while you wait.
Rooms
Room was beautiful...Bed was soft and had a slope, bathroom needed improvements(faucet was off the shower wall a bit) There was an iron board/iron, fridge, television, hairdryer and large make up mirror. The fridge is stocked daily with 2 pop and 2 beer and 2 water. Safe lock fee is 4 dollars a day. Maid service was phenomenal. There were sand flies on the furniture but was to be expected. We stayed in block 12 which was right by the ocean and pool. Excellent view very clean and quite.
Restaurants and Bars
Buffet served breakfast, lunch, dinner and all night snacks. Dinner buffet was the only one that I didnt really care to attend. Lunch and Breakfast were good. Snack bar by pool and ocean served excellent burgers, chicken wings, pizza and french fries. This snack bar alternates the seafood and Mexican dinners. Mexican was tradition and good (but I made the mistake and had the shrimp brochette and it was not good at all) We did not attend the Seafood but I heard the steak there was excellent. No crab or lobster. The Japanese did require reservations and you had to be at the guest service booth by 830 am to get a reservation. Surely worth it! Sushi starter, chicken, steak, shrimp and fish accompanied by grilled veggies and rice. Lastly the Italian restaurant was AMAZING!! Excellent apps and antipasto bar. The entrees were very traditional and delicious.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful long white sandy beach with turquoise water. Tons of beach chairs not many teaky tents for shade. The ocean is roped off, alonf the rope is a man made reef, snorkling is FANTASTIC along this reef. A MUST SEE! Pool is huge and pool bar is beautiful. Again not many teaky huts but lots of chairs. Grounds were well kept as well. Very serene.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Many activities excellent animation group to keep everyone participating. Off resort tours can be purchased at the beach for a much lower cost than from the tour companies. Saona Island was beautiful but for a full day trip only about three hours allotted for exploring. I would recommend Catalina if you are interested in snorkeling.
Tranquil, quiet, restful.
Hotel Sosua by the Sea
User Rating:
robin >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Solo
Restaurants and Bars
Town is walking distance and busy enough for those looking for night life but also quiet enough for those that aren't.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Private secluded cove and beach around bend in walking distance from busier resort beach. Small waves and crystal clear water.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
AN ABSOLUTE MUST is to find Chiquito on the beach and sign up for his horseback riding excursion. The most fun I've had on a trip so far and I'm not one to leave the beach. Very local experience through the mountains and galloping in the river then home cooked meal for lunch by his sister in her village. His number is 809-977-4619. Tell him Robin sent you!
This resort was fantastic
Hotel Bahia Principe Punta Cana
User Rating:
CJ >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
Several friends and family went to the Bahai Principe Bavaro in Puna Cana for a wedding. The resort was amazing, people were friendly and all of us would return their again. I would highly recommend this resort - it was fantastic.
Your Arrival
No problem with the arrival at the airport or at the hotel.
Rooms
Very clean, well stocked and beautiful. Staff was so friendly.
Restaurants and Bars
Such variety and the food was amazing.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Our room was just outside the pool, which was beautiful. However we spent most of our time at the beach, which was lovely.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Lots to do if you had the time.
Other Comments
The other problem we had was stamps. Bought some post cards and could notlocate one stamp at the entire resort. However, that was the only blemish on a perfect holiday weekend.
We have been to punta cana 4 times before this trip to Dreams resort & spa punta cana. My husband & I both said this vacation was magnificant! I read the reviews of this resort after it was booked and I was ready to cancel. I am not sure if it is other resorts that write in bad reviews so you don't go there but Im glad I decided to keep my first choice or we would have missed out on the very best trip of our life! The resort had 9 units with 3 or 4 floors to each unit. We were placed in unit 1 with a ocean view, balcony and the most beautiful room imaginable. Everynite our bed was turned down. We had chocolate on our pillows and red flower pedals sprinkled on our bed. We were not honeymooners, this was for everyone and the maid would turn on our radio with beautiful music to set the mood! We never came back until 2 a.m. every morning because we danced the night away in the great disco!
Your Arrival
I always love flying into punta cana because I love the thatch roof airport all open with a mariache band playing for you as you arrive. The girls at the airport are dressed in native red & white dresses taking your picture as you arrive. You can purchase this picture when you are sadly departing! And I mean sadly! Entry is smooth with lines moving smartly. No problems. Have passport & papers ready in hand.
Rooms
The rooms are spotless,lite and airy. Beautiful open canapy bed(king size),plenty of clothing space in closet and drawers. Terrycloth ropes for your use for the week. chocolate on pillows and flower pedals on top of your rolled down bedding every nite. Hairdryer in bathroom and iron(planga) and board in closet. Balcony with table & chairs looking out on the carribean. WOW!
Restaurants and Bars
What wonderful food! 5 resturants and a full buffet dinning room with about 14 different stations with unbelievable foods. If you leave hungry its your own fault. There are no reservations needed for the resturants. There is an Italian, mexican, japaneese, chineese & french. Unbelievable and most delicous. You can order anything and as much as you want. I thought the beef was of a better texture and taste than US beef. No joke. Dress is casual but nice. Men must wear long pants for french and mexican and japaneesse. Dress shoes for men, no sandels. ITs WORTH IT!!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was beautiful. If you are a beach walker go to the left not the right. You can only go about half a mile to the right. To the left you can walk 3 miles out to the next resort(solice). The pool is one lazy river starting at the begining of the hotels to the end at the ocean. 3 feet deep all the way with rafts available. Just beautiful and very well maintained. Water bars right there. Great!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We go to relax at the beach and pool. We dont leave the resort. there are many things to do off the resort though. The pool activities are soooo fun because of the staff. The staff cannot do enough for you. Your glass is never empty and your face never without a smile because of the staff. Many thanks to Julio, Bernardo, Wilbur, 2Pak, maritza(one of our pool & beach waitress')Isabell and all the others who made our stay unforgetable! I mean that sincerely!! You literally "want for nothing". Its all there for you and more. Wait till you see the gounds! I will not even try to explain it. You so need to see it for yourself. All I will say is that it is BREATH TAKING!!!!
Other Comments
I cannot wait to return to this resort again next year! The weather on March 22-29 was in the 90's everday. Their rainy season is in may. dont book then!!!
Melia...Heaven on Earth
Hotel Melia Caribe Tropical
User Rating:
LINDA >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With friend
Your Arrival
The ride from the airport was a very short one. We were the first hotel, so we got to our hotel in less than 20-25 minutes. Upon arrival we were literally "whisked'' away to the VIP lounge where Royal Service guests registar. The staff were so incredibly nice, warm, and welcoming. So professional. We were given a briefing on everything we would need to know and we were brought three gorgeous drinks on a platter which were amazing. We met our "butlers'' who told us to call for anything we needed. We were so impressed by the welcome we recieved. Great first impression!
Rooms
We were in Villa 50 in the Royal Service section. Room was unreal! Gorgeous. We were upgraded at no charge to a one bedroom master suite. All marble. We had a kitchen, living room, dining rooom, huge bathroom, dressing area, jazcuzzi, huge bedroom and beautiful patio which looked onto the most gorgeous gardens. The fridge was stocked with all beverages, water, ect. We also had a free bottle of rum, which was wonderful. Room was spotless. So clean you could eat off the floor. Two LCD tv's. We had a pillow menu to choose from each night, I choose a lavander pillow. The butler would come and infuse your jazcuzzi each night with coconut oil and fresh flowers. Maid would also pick fresh flowers daily for the room.
Restaurants and Bars
The restauants and bar areas were all just gorgeous. There were so many to choose from it was crazy! No problem getting reservations and you do need them. The Marketplace buffet was fabulous, all fresh cooking, something for everyone. Always good. The seafood rest. was great too, one night we had lobster and maui-maui, soooo good! Staff was incrediable. The Gabi rest was good. Buffet by the beach awful, did not go back. All in all, food was good, not great. Did not matter, the place itself was so amazing we did not care!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
You will feel as if you died and went to heaven. No pictures can describe how gorgeous this place is. The grounds are heavenly, all manicured so perfectly. So many huge pools. The Gabi pool was great and very private and laid back. Beach was beautiful beyond belief. Lots of chairs, beds, ect everywhere. Never had to rush to get anywhere to save a seat.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Lots to choose from, but we did not do any, not enough time! Wanted to soak up the sun and drink good drinks!!!!
Other Comments
I cannot stress how amazing this property is. Before I went I read alot of bad reviews and all I can say to them now, is NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!! You would have to be crazy or a total snob to not like this place and think it is one of the most amazing resorts on earth. I would definitly without a doubt upgrade to Royal Service. They make you feel special and are there for your every need. It is worth every penny. We had the most amazing time, the staff catered to our every need. Interent service was free in the VIP lounge and we were happy to be able to communicate with home as the calling cards were a real hassle. All I can say is HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing!
Hotel Be Live Grand Marien
User Rating:
Nicole >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
What an awesome resort! The rooms are beautiful and clean, the resort itself is fabulous, the staff are fantastic and the food is wonderful. It is the first resort of many (and I've been happy with them all) that I will return to. I recommend this resort to anyone! From the beach to the pool to the people...what more can you ask for. Go with a positive attitude, enjoy your vacation, and you won't be disappointed!
Your Arrival
Air Transat is GREAT!!! my husband and I both really recommend them. Well done!
Rooms
We were in building 9 - awesome rooms - well worth the extra little bit of money. However, my brother stayed in building 5 and his room was great, too!
Restaurants and Bars
LOVED the food. This is the first time that I have not been disappointed in Dominican food and it's the first time my husband has eaten more than fries. The a la cartes are great and who cares if there is a little wait - what else do you have to do? You're on vacation!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Tremendous!! What more can I say... :)
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Lots to do if you want to join but you can just relax and not be bothered if you would rather lay back and soak up the sun.
Other Comments
Go!!! You will not be sorry you did!
La Romana is still the best place I've stayed in 10 Years of traveling
Hotel Dreams La Romana Resort & Spa
User Rating:
Albert >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
I traveled to Dreams La Romana for my nieces wedding March 12-19th. My sister (48) joined me(54)for this trip. She has never been in the Dominican Republic and seemed very impressed with this hotel and the people of the country itself. A couple of weeks prior to the trip, I contacted the resort by email and requested an upgrade to a Preferred Club room. I was told by the manager they couldn't make a promise, but that they would try. I also requested an upper room, two beds and if possible ocean view. Again, they said they would try.
I took my wife and kids to this resort in 2006 when it was Sunscape Casa Del Mar. We loved the place then and I was worried about all the extra new rooms that the restaurants would be crowded, the bars too busy to get a drink and that the premium liqueurs would disappear. I was wrong and the service everywhere was better than before.
Your Arrival
We arrived after a long and hot bus ride on too small of a bus for the group. When we arrived after almost 2 hours. I went to the front check in desk and was told they couldn't find my papers. I told them that I might have been upgraded to Preferred Club. The gentleman came running around the desk and escorted me to the front entrance and said Preferred to the man there and we were swept away to the Preferred Club check in building. There we were seated with Romy Martes who got us checked in and collected the $70 per day per person. They made sure we had drinks in this air conditioned building. I think we were in there for no more than 5 minutes and I had to explain that the lady with me was not my wife, but my sister and that I paid for her to come to my nieces wedding and that she was the reason for the upgrade. Romy said "Can I be your Sister too" We were in the room and changed into suits and left the bags sit right where they were. We would unpack later.
Rooms
The room was 5244 I think. Anyway if faced the Preferred Club Pool, Bar, etc. and had a very nice view of the ocean. The room was fantastic. clean, large and had everything I have come to expect in this type of resort. We had special Gold beach towels to show that we were preferred club members. There was plenty of room in the free safe and the closets and drawers. There is even an iPOD docking station in the room. We always had fresh towels twice a day and the room was spotless every day. We always leave some sort of makeup and/or candy and money for the maids.
Restaurants and Bars
We ate at the Mexican restaurant twice because another of my nieces had a small child and they seemed to serve us the fastest. We ate at the Himitsu,
World Cafe, Portofino, Oceana, Seaside Grill and as I said El Patio. I can honestly tell you that we never had bad service or a meal. We rarely waited very long to sit down. Partly because we eat as early as possible and the restaurants tend to get busy later in the evening. at Portofino's we were waiting for 15 minutes for the rest of our group of 10 and they came out the door to try to get us to sit early. We had a delicious meal at the Seaside Grill after the wedding. The World Cafe Buffet had more than enough choices. Of course you can't eat a little bit of everything each meal or else you will get bored with the menu. We even went to the cafe one night after the disco closed and ha pasta, hamburgers and hot dogs. Again, no complaints. The Pizza at the pools is still the greatest after 4 years away and the fruit boat at the beach was always busy. I did enjoy that there was now a swim up bar at the new pool (that wasn't there before) and I never waited for a drink very ofter. The bartenders tended to remember me by the Jim Beam hat I wore and came running whenever I showed up for a drink. I always give 1-2 dollars when getting a drink. They earn the money.
We spent many nights at the lobby bar. Always busy and always good drinks and service. We had to contend with about 70 girls from the University of Kentucky, but we had no problems. There were 40 of us there for the wedding and we all seemed to get along just fine. After the lobby bar closed we would go to the Disco.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
I spent most of my time on the beach. I can go swimming in and around a pool anytime, but beach, I can't always get. I even stayed on the Preferred Beach a few times. There are always enough chairs, someone to get you a drink, etc. I could find shade when I needed it and sunlight too. Our group wanted to play volleyball and the group was set up. There were water aerobics offered every morning. There were always people going out to the bounce raft in front of the resort. I saw many people snorkeling in front of the resort out by a reef and much more swimming with the fish around the pier. The grounds are immaculate. The wedding took place in the gazebo by the ocean and was decorated perfectly. the had cocktails set up on the pier after wards and then dinner at the Seaside grill. They also had a DJ set up in back of the grill for the wedding party to dance.
Other Comments
Again, this is one of the best resorts I have ever been. The people are all friendly and will do everything they can to please you. I can't wait to back here again in a few years and I promise I will.
Wow! For a large resort they do most everything very well.
We travelled as a group for our daughter's wedding and have to say that it was wonderful. Jasmine, the wedding planner was terrific and definitely went above and beyond to make sure the wedding and dinner were as we wanted. Kuddo's to Jasmine. The ceremony was on the beach with a musical trio playing. An aisle was decorated with flowers and led up to the arch where the ceremony took place. The ocean provided a beautiful backdrop (except for the folks who think it's cool to be in a strangers wedding photos - no prob. we'll just air brush you away!) The chairs were all done up with covers and ribbons and everything looked wonderful. It was a traditional but still casual ceremony. Of course, it goes without saying that the Bride and Groom were radiant! The judge speaks Spanish and Jasmine translates but that didn't detract from it at all. At my daughter's request we had a sand ceremony which was very nice. She used sand from home and from the beach there. The wedding dinner was in the Italian Resaurant - Il Capriccio. Although we had chosen to have the dinner in the public area of the restaurant, they did it up so beautifully that it might as well have been a private reception. They decorated the table with the items we had brought and added flowers and flair. Judy was the maitre d' and was extremely helpful,he even checked with the bride before each course to be sure the timing was okay. The wedding cake was 3 layers and delicious! There was no way we could eat it all after our delicious meal so we asked the staff to enjoy it later. We were able to do toasts and all those good things. It was truly a great wedding!
Your Arrival
Arrived via Air Canada Vacations out of Toronto at 1pm. Customs and Immigration was a breeze even though there was another plane load of people arriving at the same time. We were bussed to our hotel with a minmum of fuss and check in was relatively simple. As expected our rooms were not ready and we spent a lot of time sitting in the lobby waiting. After a little lunch our rooms were ready and they loaded up our luggage and took us off to our home away from home.
Rooms
Our rooms were just as we requested, on the ground floor and together for the older group with the young adults a little further away. Rooms are clean and spacious. Some nights we received exta "warm" towels and some morning our room was decorated with flowers, towel art and balloons. We definitely felt welcome. Our room was always cleaned in the morning - perhaps it helped to have the "make up room" sign out by 9 am.
Restaurants and Bars
2 Alacarte's were chosen for us (the whole group) and we weren't sure we liked that. We could have tried to change the reservations but in the end it didn't matter what restaurants we went to. Our favourite was the Japanese. It's nice to have someone cooking in front of you and the food was good. All of the other restaurants would have a buffet for appetisers and dessert but you order the main course from the menu. The selection of appetisers was awesome at every restaurant. The lamb as a main course was excellent but the lobster was way overdone. You never went away hungry. They were very accomodating the 2 of us that had alllergies, offering at every meal to make us something different if need be.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
We were upgraded to diamond bracelets which allowed us access to the Diamond Pool and the restaurant nearby for breakfast and lunch. That was one of the best features. We had no problem getting chairs at the pool in the morning and would get 8 for our group. Some of us went to the beach which was very crowded. They certainly pack you in! We are shade lovers and there is an area with lots of palm trees so it was relatively easy to find chairs in the shade and then move about as the sun changed locations. Sand flies were a problem. Although we never saw them biting we had lumps and bumps, that appeared as hives later. My daughter, the bride, was severely affected. Some people were distressed by this others were okay. In the end, although a beach person by preference, I opted for the pool.
The grounds are beautiful, very well kept. They can do things with a macheti that are unbelievable.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There were activities around the pools (not the Diamond pool - yeah) and at the beach but we managed to not be distracted by them. The shows in the evening varied some really cheezee, others were pretty good. They had new shows most of the nine nights we were there.
Most evening we spent on the terrace, drinking cappucinos and "Chocolate Monkeys" and followed it up with a train ride, twice around the resort.
Other Comments
It would be convinient if the trolleys all met at a hub and you could transfer to different lines. Sometimes getting to the restaurants or the Ambar was a challenge for those with mobility issuse.
It was a great resort, the weather was terrific (only 30 mins rain at breakfast one day!)and a great time was had by all!
Better than expected! Great place!
Hotel Barcelo Punta Cana
User Rating:
Laura >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
We traveled to Punta Cana on 1/16-1/20, 2010 (I was unable to change the stay date) for my brother's wedding on the beach at the hotel. In our group was 17 adults and one 5yr. Our trip was booked through our local agent. It was through FunJet vacations. Once we got there all our arrangements were handled by VIP tours. I have been to Cancun, the Mayan Riveria, and this was my 2nd trip to the DR. All were all inclusive trips too. So I have a little something to compare this too. I was very nervous due to some reviews being not so great for this hotel, but I really think they were wrong. Or had very high expectations. You will certainly have a great time here. Other things, there are several gifts shops there. And prices are reasonable. There was also employees looking for kids to do activities and several photographers available too. So if you are planning a family portrait you can do it here. I have no idea what the print prices are though. Every bathroom I went into was very clean. There were constantly mopping floors everywhere. My brother and my new sister in law said the wedding coordinator and wedding planning itself was wonderful! They would recommend it to others too! Tipping helps with getting what you need. A couple of American dollars make employees very happy. Several of our group members did visit the casino and had fun along with the dance club. I also want to comment on the tv. On some of my other all inclusive trips the tv station selections were poor. This hotel had the best selection of television in all my travels. Many american movie channels, kids channels, weather channel, and even abc and cbs channels. Now I know you are thinking why do I care about the tv, well if you travel with children you will care. And if the weather is bad you would care.
I would definately recommend this place to family and friends. Is it the Ritz Carlton, no, but it is nice for the money. We had a great time and hated to return to the weather in New York in January! We can't wait to return again.
Your Arrival
At the airport we got on our shuttle bus to the hotel. The bus was nice, but the constant motion of it made of few of us motion sick. There was stops at other hotels to drop off guests, and speed bumps and constant swerving to avoid others on the road. So that was a long ride, but we had all been traveling for about 12hrs at that point and were hungry, tired and had been in constant motion for about 12hrs! Because we had a group, it did take about 1/2 hr for us all to check in. A few rooms weren't ready, but were within a 1/2 hr. The bus back to the airport was much nicer, bigger and less stops.
Rooms
Before arriving I had read in other reviews that blocks 1,2, and 3 had most renovated rooms. I emailed the hotel about two weeks before our arrival that we wanted all our rooms in those blocks. They emailed me back and said it was no problem but would cost $12 a night, per person to upgrade to the deluxe room verses the standard room. I emailed back that we would upgrade and would figure it out when we got there. The night before we left I received and email saying they upgraded the entire group for free. So we were all very pleased! All our rooms were very good/great. A few didn't have chains on the door, so they were walked in on sometimes by employees bringing towels, or drinks to the frig. Heads up if you don't have one on your door! The room safe was very nice, the bathrooms were very nice too. OUr hair dryer seemed to be very close to catching fire. But that was the only trouble with anything in our room. Our room was VERY clean. I had to look for dirt. A few of the others said they did have a few small spiders, but that was it. The frig was stocked with coke, diet coke, water and beer. We were in room 1206 and had a view of the vacant land next to the hotel and the ocean! So no complaints here! Some of our friends were near the casino and they said those rooms were very loud. So if you get near there, you may want to change immediately. One thing I've learned is, you need to be your own advocate. If you don't like the room say so immediately they seem very eager to make you happy.
Restaurants and Bars
My daughter has celiac's disease, the 5yr who traveled with us. So I was really nervous about food. We ate often at the main buffet, but also ate at the Marina rest. for breakfast and lunch. The food seems to be much fresher at the Marina, and hadn't sat out as long. Also to the side of the Marina there is a little hut and a man will make your eggs to order in the morning and in the afternoon they ofter chicken breast sandwiches, hamburgs, etc. Once we discovered that place, we ate breakfast and lunch there the whole time. For dinner it was the main buffet hall (sorry can't remember the name of it. Just to the left of the lobby) and we also ate at the Marina and French Rest. Both were very good. And other people who traveled with us ate at the Japanese Rest. and they said it was really good! Make sure you make reservations for the rest. right away as they fill up fast. Some of us did get upset tummys and were in the bathroom often. But no one was in bed sick by any means. I don't think that the food is bad, it's just our bodies adjusting to the different oils and ingredients used to make the food. Also I think some of the others might have had tummy troubles from the sugary drinks too. My daughter was able to eat and had no trouble at all. I had emailed the front desk letting them know we may need assistance with her Gluten free diet, but we really didn't need any help. They returned an email and said that there chefs would be available if we needed them. We did ask at the French rest. and the waiter didn't understand about a plate being gluten free. But it was more of a language barrier thing. Overall, I think the food was good. Not great(more because I wasn't sure of all the ingredients), but good. There was always something to eat. They have bottles purified water everywhere for you. The only complaint we had was there was no cold milk. We got warm milk and sour milk, but never cold milk. So that was disppointing to my five yr. old.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pools are HUGE here! There are 2 HUGE pools and then one amazing kids' pool! Really, amazing! The pools were VERY clean. If you are up early enough in the morning you will see they come out and scrub the sides and vaccum too. Plenty of chairs to go around. It actually seems like there were more people down at the beach than by the pools during the day. The grounds are nice, there is someone constantly mowing, raking or painting there. The beach is BEAUTIFUL! You can walk for miles and miles! Not a lot of shells, if you have a kiddo looking for them, but there are a few. The waves are a little stronger than I'd like, especially traveling with a child, but they are fine. The beach is well maitained and cleaned everyday. Can't say enough...beautiful beach and weather!!! This place is huge! Really! If we were looking for someone in our group, it could take you hours to find them! So it was a great group place, because if you wanted to plan something together you could, but if you want to be alone, you certainly can.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
This place is great. If you are coming to be active there is a lot to do. There is boating equipment down by the beach, the trapeze, and tons of activities by the pool near the Marina rest. But if you are coming to relax, you can certainly do it here too! There are many tours you can book off the resort. In our group some did ther bravo runner tour(great way to see the DR) and loved it, some snorkeled and loved it, and some parasailed. Just ask with the parasailing, they do do parasailing right in front of the hotel on the beach, but for some reason the ones in our group were picked up in a boat with about twenty other couples. And then they traveled to another area and had to wait as each couple went. The parasailing was cool, but that wasn't what they wanted to do (all the waiting that is). So make sure you are going out in front of the hotel.
Other Comments
We were told by our travel agent to not bring a lot of cash, just a visa or m/c credit card. We found that our credit cards wouldn't work often. You could get turned down, and then ten minutes later your sale would go through. We arrived days after the large earthquake in Haiti, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the lines being down. Also one of our members charged her parasailing to her room. On check out day the ATM wasn't working,nor were the credit card lines. So we scrambled to come up with money for her to check out. So be aware of that. The ATM was down more than it was working. Also, my only warning about this place, which really isn't the hotel, I'm sure it's like this at all the resort, is calling home. Calling cards do not work. So your only other option is to use a credit card or call collect from the hotel phone. I choose using the credit card, thinking calling collect would be more. I did have a Verizon cell phone with me, but it did not work in the building, only by the pool or beach. I did make some calls home to my husband and other children from the hotel room. When I returned home I got charges on my credit card for $80 a call!!! I called the merchant 800 number on my credit card statement and complained! I was told that it is a $15 charge JUST to connect your call and $4 to $5 per minute to talk! SO beware! I told them I was under the impression it was just standard rates and they never told me otherwise. THey then told me that they are "not obligated by law to tell the rates" unless we ask. It was partially my fault for not asking, but still ridiculous. So never assume. I did get them to reduce the charges after the fact, but I just wanted to warn other travelers.
If you are looking for a five star resort don't go to the Riu Bachata who's five star rating may be accurate if it was based on a scale of 15!!
Hotel Riu Bachata
User Rating:
Marilyn >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | Family
We travelled to this resort to celebrate our son's wedding. We were a family group of 17 including 3 children and one teenager.
Your Arrival
Our arrival was fine - we were greeted with a cold drink. Only glitch was the man who was handing us our luggage said to my husband " you pay me". A omen for what was to come. Our rooms were not together as we had requested.
We went for lunch in the beach restaurant and one of the represntatives came over to "greet" us. I know he just wanted to make sure we weren't a "wild bunch" who were there to party because he asked who was in charge of the group. That was me.
Rooms
Clean but beds hard. We might as well slept on the floor.
Forget about having your fridge refilled.( by the way at this resort the in- room bar and fridge are replenished every 2 days.) We only had ours refilled ONCE in 7 days. The rest of our group had the same problem, although, miraculously, they were refilled if you paid. Don't stay in building #9. Rooms are moldy smelling and it is beside the bar that stays open 24hrs. Those close to the bar can forget about sleeping. 3 of our group of 5 rooms here, had to be changed, which they were good about. Air conditioners in half the rooms didn't work. My son called for 2 days and finally repaired it himself. Rooms are supposed to have umbrellas, non of ours did. ( It rained for 2 days while we were there)
Restaurants and Bars
There was very little variety in food at this resort. Not much fruit. The cooks gave you the feeling you were bothering them. I set a serving spoon back on the platter and one cook grabbed it and dropped it purposefully on the saucer it was supposed to be on. Constant little things like that made us all feel uncomfortable. The children could stand in the line as long as the adults then would be ignored by the cook until one of us appeared. All in all the serving staff were unfriendly unless you were forking out the cash - even then, if it was only a dollar or two, they were not impressed!
The two ala carte restaurants are in two sections of one building which is also the lunch buffet. You still have to serve yourself salad/ appetizers. Staff here were very pleasant and professional though. Although you were not limited to 2 meals here, we didn't bother because the food was not very good. Bars serve weak drinks which is OK. Bartenders tend to pick favourites and ignore others. Again, money talks.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The grounds and location are beautiful. The wedding in the gazebo was just gorgeous. I didn't use the pool - it was very crowded. Beach was clean and there were lots of chairs. Swimming at the end of the Bachata property is very rocky. Go down towards the Mambo for a sandy bottom.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The off resort activities offered are expensive so we didn't participate. Not many activities at this resort. Only have a couple of paddle boats and couple of kayaks which were not available most of the time we were there because of rough water. Even then, they are shared by all three resorts. Teenagers have very little to do. The younger children do have activities. Tennis courts etc are so spread out between the three resorts, they are hard to find and busy.
The evening entertainment is absolutely pathetic! I've been to many other resorts and this one is the worst by far.
Other Comments
The wedding and people who helped us were excellent.
Sunquest is not going to be much help if you run into problems. Our son became very ill ( stomach problems ) on our 5th day. (The doctor at the resort was very caring and professional.) Our son, who is 26, was taken by ambulance to Puerto Plata where he was admitted. We were all very worried and having to taxi back and forth. There was a phone for us to keep in touch with him at the front desk. One member of the staff at the front desk would allow us to call the hospital at no charge, and then the next one would charge us $1. I think they just pocketed the dollar when they felt like it. On the 6th night I approached a Sunquest rep to explain our situation - we were going to be late getting to the airport as we had to take a taxi to the hospital and have our son discharged - our flight left at noon. I asked if it would be possible to prebook a seat for my son in which he could stretch out and not be crowded. Also, not have to stand in the long check in line. He would not help me. He told me he could not do anything and that I should look for the rep who would be there. Now, how was that going to help us??
If it had not been for the beautiful beach and lovely wedding I would have called this resort a disaster. We stayed at the Bahia Principe San Juan 2 years ago and would recommend it way before this supposed 5 star. All in all, I have decided I will not be returning to the Dominican Republic.
We had the best time and we could not find one thing to complain about.
I can't say enough about this place. We had the best time and we could not find one thing to complain about.
The food was awesome, the room was great and the bar at the pool was amazing!! They really know how to make your stay great.
Rooms:
Our room was a corner room in building 62, second floor. The maid was awesome and did a good job, we always left her something on the pillow. The bar was always stocked also.
The day of our renewal we came back to get ready for dinner and our butler had been in our room and had run a bubble bath for us, left a bottle of champagne and lite and insence stick for us...how beautiful.
Restaurants and Bars:
We ate at the Japanese restaurant and liked it best, the Italian one in the Ambar wasn't the best. We prefered the buffet most days over any of the a la carte restaurants.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was amazing!! We spent most days at the pool and hardly left it. I already miss our walks on the beach.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the Tropical Storm tour. Its was worth the $79 that you pay. Its an all day cruise but remember to bring a towel. Our travel agent told us we didn't need to but yes, make sure to bring one. They make sure you have a drink at all times if that's what you want.
We also did the parasailing off the beach and that was awesome!! $89 for tandome sailing. You have to try it!!
Other Comments:
We had never been to the dominican and wanted somewhere special to go for our 20th anniversary. We managed to find a minister that lives there (he is from the U.S. origonally) and he did our ceremony and we could not have asked for anything more. If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me.
Got married at the Bahia Principe San Juan, 52 guests, great time!
Hotel Bahia Principe San Juan
User Rating:
Danna and Iain >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jan, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
My fiance and I checked out several resorts in the DR before deciding on the BPSJ. We stayed in Punta Cana last year at the Blau Natura Park, and had enjoyed that trip, as well. Seemed that this year, the prices for Punta Cana were higher, so we decided to give PoP a shot. Well worth it, as the price difference allowed many more people to come to our wedding - we ended up with 52 from all across Canada, from age 8 months to 60 plus. Our vacation was fantastic, and overall, we found the BPSJ to be a clean, friendly, and fun resort. Our wedding itself was beautiful, fun and relaxed - really, everything we wanted it to be.
Your Arrival
Arrival at PoP airport was uneventful. The airport is undergoing renovations, and it is pretty obviously under construction to update some very dated decor. AC rep checked us in on the bus on the way to the resort, which was great, and saved us a ton of time at the desk. We really appreciated that even though a few of us forgot the hotel vouchers, we were set up with our keys as soon as we got to the hotel. We were greeted by a group of other Canadians from Ontario as soon as we got off the bus with beers and Jets chants - definitely a highlight of our vacation! Hi to everyone from Bowmanville if you are reading this!
Rooms
Our room wasn't quite ready for us when we arrived, but we're pretty easygoing. We were supposed to receive champagne and flowers and fruit in our room at arrival. The next day, when our wedding coordinator found out we hadn't received it, it was there within an hour, along with t-shirts and a bottle of rum. Our AC was very cold, but I know some others in our group had weak or non-functioning AC. We tip the maid and fridge fillers daily, and we had a good supply of drinks all week.
Restaurants and Bars
Buffet: we took most of our meals at the main buffet for convenience sake. The food was good, good selection, and lots of culinary staff replenishing as necessary. Bacon almost every morning, and it was great! My husband loved the omelettes, as well. The waitstaff were really friendly, and recognized us after a few days. Sometimes slow to get drinks if it's busy - consider getting them yourself on the way to the table. As well, my father has celiac disease and had no trouble finding suitable choices at the buffet.
Tex-Mex: I love spicy food, and this was probably my favourite of the sit down restaurants. I had my bachelorette dinner there, and the staff were super fun and attentive. They brought out huge sombreros after the meal, so we have some great pictures.
Italian: Lunch buffet was fantastic, it became our usual after we discovered it. Pizzas were surprisingly good.
Mediteranean: The meal was presented well, but I found my steak to be undercooked (and I like it medium rare to rare). Again, staff were great, and came out to sing a very enthuastic happy birthday to one of our friends.
Fast food near the Diamond Club: I wasn't as impressed with the food at this one, but I don't like fast food for the most part. They serve burgers, hot dogs, chicken, soup and salad between meals. It was busy, especially with young families having a bite before the main buffet opened, and as usual, staff were great.
We had two large groups go to the sit down restaurants (20 people or so), and both times, the staff initially denied that they could have agreed to the reservation, stating they couldn't accomodate the group. After we showed proof, though, they made it work, and were friendly and attentive.
We spent most evenings at the strip (Pueblo Principe), which is outside the main hotel area but still on the grounds. There are patio tables and nightly entertainment, and animation staff will try to get you to dance with them. We had a few good games of flip cup going, and the staff joined us for a while, as well as some other guests. Lots of fun! We had a great time in the kareoke bar, although it gets very smoky. The disco/club was fun, but beware the sticky/slippery floors. The dj takes requests all night, and there tends to be a lot of Michael Jackson, which was just fine with us.
We brought travel mugs as favours for our guests, which keeps your drinks colder, and means fewer trips to the bar.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach: My husband felt the beach was a B-. The beach is darker sand, and the water is a little murky. Our friends who have stayed at 5 stars especially noticed a difference.
The hotel has brough in sandbags as a breakwater, which might seem a little unsightly, but they were really fun to swim to and sit on. The staff are constantly working, raking away rocks and cleaning away our empty cups. I didn't find the ocean floor rocky as I walked into the ocean. Still great sun and lots of fun, but not the white sand and turquoise water you will find in other areas.
Pools: The pools were very nice, lots of chairs, and the swim up bar was fantastic. There are activities going on for most of the morning (aqua aerobics, stretching, bikini contests), so it you are looking for peace and quiet, you might want to consider the beach or Golden Club. My one concern was that three of our guests got ear infections, two of them severe enough to warrant medical attention. We had to wonder if this was related to the pool. The towel lineup is a little wild, consider bringing your own.
Grounds: again, the staff are constantly working. Not so much as a stray leaf to be seen. Immaculate. If I could choose, I would like to see more varieties of flowers on the grounds, but that's really splitting hairs.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
I went to the spa and had the seaweed wrap, which was great, very relaxing. The girls were polite, and the coconut products they use smell wonderful.
My bridesmaids and I got our hair done at the salon, but they did charge me more than I was originally quoted for my 'special wedding hair'. We made a complaint, and after a few phone calls back and forth from front desk to spa,
the situation was rectified.
We went on the snorkelling/beach/lunch excursion, and the entire group was with our wedding. We had a great time, lots of drinks, and great lunch. Flying fish were swimming (flying?) alongside our boat - amazing! I think part of the fun might have been the fact everyone on the boat was with our party, as some friends went on a different day and weren't as impressed.
We also rented a taxi and went into Sosua, but had a bit of a detour due to language barrier. Went for lunch at a restaurant (Melia Mui?) in Sosua, and while the food was great, the service was extremely slow - we waited almost 1.5 hours for our meals, and had a limited amount of time in the city, so we were pretty irritated. Shopping in Sosua was a bit of a disappointment, but the trip itself was fun, and it was worth it to see life outside the resort, if briefly. We did stop at a supermarket to buy rum, which I would recommend - much cheaper than the vendors or gift shops.
I would discourage you from buying anything from the vendors on the nights they come into the hotel and set up shop. Friends were offered prices more than $250 higher than what we paid for the same items on the beach.
Other Comments
Two of our guests had to use the medical facilities, both due to earaches. The first, a male in his twenties, went by himself, and was told that he needed to go the next town to get medication. He ended up in an ambulance on the way to Puerto Plata, and the hospital tried to give him an IV and get him stay for the night - for an earache! He's in the medical field himself, so he declined, but they did make him pay $500+ up front for his care due to his insurance. The second, and more serious, was for our friend's 8 month old, who also had an earache. Mom is a nurse, and was also surprised when they suggested an IV. However, the pediatrician was very accomodating and respectful, and they did not feel pressured. They were very grateful for their travel insurance, though, as they did need to stay longer because their son was not cleared to fly.
Other wedding matters...
Our wedding coordinator, Georgina, was amazing, very pleasant and professional. She seemed to be a pro at getting things done in a pinch. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous, and plentiful, and the ceremony went very smoothly. Our group was considerably larger than most destination weddings, but the Georgina and the staff made sure everything was perfect. We decided ahead of time just to go with the music the hotel provided, and we were glad to not have to worry about it. At the ceremony, the hotel provided a keyboardist, who was very talented. The photographer was lots of fun, and took some great shots, although the packages were a little more expensive than we anticipated.
Our wedding meal was at the Italian restaurant with a special menu, and we were very impressed. Started with a shrimp cocktail, then a fish soup, breads, and for the main course, surf and turf: a huge lobster tail with tomato and cheese topping, and a large portion of steak with mushrooms and onions. The lobster was particularly good! In hindsight, I would have asked to substitute a salad for the soup, as it seemed guests either loved the soup or hated it. Our dessert was a chocolate mousse, as well as wedding cake, which was delicious. The staff were again fantastic, laughing as our friends' children helped deliver wedding cake. Lots of drinks, very accomodating, plently of mamajuana and flaming cuacharacha shots!
Overall, we had a wonderful time, and I would definitely return to this resort. The staff were so good, we are considering trying other Bahia properties. Our wedding truly exceeded our expectations, and if you're considering a destination wedding in PoP, I would highly recommend this resort, much in part to Georgina and the staff.
The arrival was probably the most stressful part of the trip, but after that, it was smooth sailing. The people assisting us with check-in didn't tell us where they were taking our luggage, they just pointed us to the shuttle and we were on our way, slightly concerned about our belongings. We were also separated from others in our group, since we were Platinum and they were not. Lastly, there was a room issue in which they gave our beach front room away to another group, but that was sorted out after one night!
Rooms
The rooms were very nice! We stayed in a beach front platinum room, and i have no complaints at all, besides perhaps the shower, which had a drain that didn't exactly suck the water down quick enough, so I had the issue of an overflowing tub on a daily basis. Otherwise, everything else was nice; the bed seemed comfortable, the jacuzzi was nice, and it was nice and spacious. Eevrything was always stocked up for us, so the maids did their job!
Restaurants and Bars
I have to say, before leaving on my trip, I heard a lot of complaints about food, so I was slightly leary about the whole food poisoning issue. I had none of that! I absolutely loved the food.. We ate the buffet twice a day and ate at an a la carte restaurant for dinner, my favourite buffet being La Hispaniola (the food was pretty good for the amount they had), and my favourite a la carte being Sakura. Some of my family members had issues with the food, and you obviously have to be cautious when it comes to tap water (don't drink it!) and making sure your meat it fully cooked. The only "restaurant" I had a problem with was the small burger shack behind El Gaucho, as the burgers were undercooked, and when we asked for them to cook them a bit longer, they were less than friendly!
They also have a restaurant, Licey's, which is the only one not in the all-inclusice package ($40/person). They have a very nice selection, and I especially loved their seafood! Let's just say it was money well spent, and I left feeling very, very stuffed.
One issue with the restaurants, however, is when you're in big groups, they often get the food mixed up, and you'll be switching around your plates looking for what you ordered, but the food quality is so good that no matter what you end up with, it's bound to be delishh!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
What can I say? The grounds were huge and slightly confusing for the first few days, but after we got use to it, it was no big deal! The shuttle proved an issue more than a few times due to being full, so it would have been nice if they ran them more often. The grounds were very well kept though, and everything was just beautiful! Same with the pool.. The entertainment crew were great, the water was refreshing, the swim up bar was a neat touch, and it was a nice area to just lounge around in. Then there's the beach.. White sand, clear water.. Everything you could ask for!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did parasailing and Adventure Boogies, both of which were well worth the money! Parasailing may have been frightening at first, but it was such a rush! They accomodated us right away, were friendly, and made it a fun, safe experience. Adventure Boogies was $65 per boogie, well worth it for dune buggying across the countryside, seeing some of the homes, a chocolate/coffee plantation, a lagoon/cave, and Macao beach with horseriding! You sure get muddy though, so don't shower beforehand, because you'll be covered head to toe!
We had a great time.
Hotel Bavaro Princess
User Rating:
Sherry from Edmonton,Ab >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Nov, 2009
Arrival: Nov.21-28,2009
Flew Air Canada from Edmonton-Toronto-Punta Cana and the flight was good, connection was tight on the Edmonton-Toronto connection due to snow in Edmonton on departure, but everyones'baggage made it through.The complaint we had was that on arrival in Toronto on our return trip we were supposed to have checked baggage right through. However we arrived at 1 am and the carousel did not open until 4 am so we were stuck withh our baggage at this ungodly hour and then had to proceed through normal check in again. Service was slow here with only 2 reps working for a while.Seats on our plane were better than a charter and flights were on time. Punta Cana airport was great, no problems here. In fact it was better service than at Toronto and Toronto had less people when we were checking in.
Rooms:
I was nervous here because of the mixed reviews and this also makes me feel like I should write a review. They were fine. I really liked the set up of the bungalow suites. We were in the platinum section, but some of the group was in the regular section and they were just as close to the beach. Also the regular rooms had a bit more of an updated look because they had more modern sinks, a jacuzzi, and new shower whereas our rooms had a regular tub,shower and sink and they were also bigger. Did not have the newest flat screen TVs, but it was fine. my sister in law had problems with hers. We also had a kitchen table, chairs and small couch as shown in the hotel pictures. The rooms look much like the pictures. There is remodelling going on, but it is screened off and they could not be heard.If you expect a new posh North American style hotel you might be disappointed, but we were very happy with the room. There are also very clean and we had extra bottles of hard liquor in our!
s, as well as water,beer and pop. The bathroom had the usual hair dryer and soaps and shampoo,etc.If there was a problem they would come to fix it right away and guest services in the lobby were very helpful. Also the staff in the platinum lounge were great.
Restaurants and Bars:
The food was good and there is lots to choose from. Most people in our group liked the main buffet, which had different theme nights. You had to really look around to see what you wanted to eat, but there was an American station and an Italian as well. It also seems to have a large selection for Europeans especially for breakfastThere were also some yummy specialties such as fresh doughnuts, cinnamon buns iced with what you wanted , crepes, and one night specially decorated little sponge cakes.. Our wedding supper was in El Gaucho, the steakhouse, and it was excellent.TBone steak was cut thin,I but it was tender and very tasty. The guests could also choose a mixed skewer which I believe was good as well.We had an excellent caesar salad, a Pumpkin soup(ok), corn and baked potato, and chose a chocolate mousse for dessert. The wedding cake was absolutely delicious. It was a white cake filled with a bit of fruit and a very creamy but not sweet icing. We were seated separately!
and were by ourselves for the first part of the evening so we were able to have our wedding speeches. The waiters were good as well.Some of our group ate at the Japanese,Tanuki, and they said it was very good. We also ate at Chopin, the international buffet and had a good supper there as well The setting is really quite nice in here for a buffet. A couple tried the seafood and Italian which they said was good. My nephew got sick one night after this and so did I, but it was just the night so not sure what it was.Although we could book a la cartes quite easily with the platinum lounge it was impossible to get our whole group in. It would be easier with a couple. Without platinum you had to get up and stand in line. Occasionally the beer wasn't cold enough or they woulld run out of bottles/imports, but no problem.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
I love their beach and grounds,extremely beautiful. Pool was good as well, but did not spend much time here. Our beach was very busy compared to some resorts and a couple of days chairs were hard to come by. The weather was hot and quite humid, but we loved it, a bit too humid for some. Might be nice to see more fans in the lobby.The trams were great to get from one end of the resort to the other. If I missed one I would walk though, maybe a 10 min walk from the beach to the lobby.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
My tours were messed up but my husband went deep sea fishing with Mike Fisher and he showed up on time, although we weren't, my fault, but did not catch much-that's fishing. Booked online from home and Mike was very good. Golf was good but pricy. Some went on the dolphin swim and loved it. We also went with the hotel local snorkeling bunch from the beach and had lots of fine. I really wish I would not have missed Punta Cana Mike's tour,
Other Comments:
The wedding coordinator,Francelia, was easy to talk to,very organized and set everything up. It went off without a hitch and was everything we wanted. They have a lovely little gazebo just off the beach. Pastor York performed the ceremony and it was lovely.He seems to be a wonderful man. We had 2 guests come in from off the resort that we had to pay for, but there was no problem.I might have to edit this but I can't keep my eyes open. We had a great time.
Our wedding day could not have been more perfect.
Hotel Caribe Club Princess
User Rating:
Cat from Barrie, ON >
2 contribution(s) Canada
Sep, 2009
Arrival: May 8-16/2009
Upon our arrival at the hotel we were eagerly met at the reception. Because I was already in the Domincan to meet up with the boyfriend we had not reserved the hotel yet. We had booked the wedding package online 3 months earlier, so the reception was expecting my relatives who were flying in the next day from Canada. The people at reception worked with us to get us the 'Penthouse' honeymoon suite and they made all the room reservations for my husband-to-be's dominican family that would be coming for three days. We had no problems getting everything all set up. We were also told when we would be meeting with the wedding coordinator the next day.
Rooms:
We were very happy with our two floor honeymoon suite. Granted we were in the older building but the room was still immaculate.We had a huge canopy bed, sunken lounge/TV area and the second floor had another lounge area with a hot tub. We overlooked the pool and the ocean. What a great view! We had balconies on both floors. There were fruit baskets and bottles of rum delivered daily.
My family and my husbands family's rooms were across the pool from us in the newer building. The locks were broken on the sliding doors in two of the rooms, but as the rooms were on the second floor no one was to worried. Though my father did mention that their room faced another resort and below their balcony was a cart path for the motorized carts that delivered food and drinks to the beach bars and he could here these carts running all night along with the staff standing not too far away drinking and smoking while on their breaks at the beach bar. Though all around we didn't really have much to complain about. Everything was very clean!
Restaurants and Bars:
This resort is not as big as others, so there are not as many a la cart restaurants and the buffet gets old really quickly. We definitely liked the chinese restaurant (which served sushi!) and the portuguese grill. The crepe cafe is NOT good. The bars served the typical domestic drinks and most of us drank their version of champagne for most of the trip. Their champagne is very light tasting and we managed to get pink champagne a few times as well.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was GORGEOUS! I love Punta Cana for this very reason and we all loved the beach. Lots of beach chairs, lots of space (read-no crowding,) not too many vendors and sun sun sun. The beach is soft white clean sand and the water is turquoise. We spent a lot of time playing in the pool while my husband's family was there, we even taught my new nephew how to swim. The water wasn't the cleanest in the pool, but oh well.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on one of the go-cart tours. I would not recommend these tours as we didn't really think we got our money's worth and these so-called go-carts weren't what I would call safe. We drove on a lot of the main roads and with the way the locals drive around, it can be really scary, especially as there are not traffic laws and no 'left' and 'right' sides of the road, just you and other drivers trying to pass everyone. We did get to see Macao beach which is a beautiful undeveloped beach. It was too bad they only take you there to try and hawk you cheap jewelry and you don't really get to enjoy the beach. It would have been more fun driving around the beaches.
My dad and husband went deep sea fishing but it was really rough and everyone got sea-sick. My husband said 'first and last time for that!"
Other Comments
Our whole purpose for this trip was to get married and our wedding day could not have been more perfect. Francelia is the wedding coordinator for all the princess resorts and she is FANTASTIC! She took care of absolutely everything. We met with her once and she went over how the ceremony would come together. She went over the package we picked, flower we wanted (i told her to pick them for me) where we wanted the reception, ceremony on the beach, etc. We didn't have to do anything!
The day of the wedding my friend and I went to the salon to get my hair done. The stylist did a great job. I headed back to my room to get ready. My mom and sister and friend came up and we all got ready together. My bouquet arrived and then the photographer came up about 20 minutes before the 2pm ceremony and got some great pictures in room. Then at 2pm, fashionably late we all went downstairs to the waiting golf cart to take us to the beach. They had decorated the golf cart with tropical flowers. They droves us around the pool to the edge of the beach. Francelia met me there with a bunch of tissues as we pulled up, as I welled up, just before I walked down the aisle with my dad. They set up chairs on the beach and made a trellis out of palm leaves, where my fiancee was waiting with the ocean in the background and the sun shining down on us. The ceremony was quick (10 minutes) in spanish for my husband's family and in english for mine. We had no official wedding party as our wedding was small. I did not realize at the time, but during the ceremony a large crowd had gathered to watch our wedding take place. When I look back now at the pictures taken it seems that everyone staying at the resort was standing there in their bathing suits watching us. The wedding photographers and hotel security did a great job to make they kept everyone out of the wedding photos. After the ceremony we had champagne toast and we took some pictures with the cake, (how that cake did not melt in the Dominican sun is beyond me!) then we walked down the beach and took some more pictures. My sister ran back to the beach bar and got the photographer a bunch of beers so he took way more pictures than we was supposed to. We even got some pictures taken around the pool and in the gardens. The reception was held at the portuguese grill restaurant. They walk around with huge skewers of meat and slice it off the skewer onto your plate. Because there was only 17 of us, we didn't have a private party, but dinner was excellent though we were kicked out of the restaurant at 8:30 after we had cake because there had another dinner seating. My husband was very annoyed by this and we ended getting more rum to our room and reservations at the a la carte for the rest of the week and some free massages. I was actually happy to take my wedding dress off after that dinner, we were all stuffed! All in all a great day! The wedding pictures were fantastic when we got them back. Any people that had somehow snuck into the pics were magically airbrushed out and we got the Photo Shop photo album as a wedding gift from my dad and it's one of the best wedding albums I have ever seen. When most people see it, they can't believe how well it turned out. All in all, GREAT vacation and magical wedding. Definitely the way to go if you don't want to plan a wedding! Thanks for reading:)
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