TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Room: Our room was really nice and modern. Looked like they were still doing a few up. They’re situated in 2 storey blocks throughout the complex. It was clean and our balcony was pretty private but other...s weren’t as the paths went straight past them. We pushed two 3/4 sized beds together so had a massive bed for our stay. The bathroom and shower were really nice and towels were replaced every day without asking. Mini bar is included. Our safe didn’t work but wasn’t a big deal. The room next door was a smoker which was a bit annoying and pretty much made our balcony unusable unfortunately so dedicated smoking blocks would be good but no complaints re the actual room. Pool/beach: The pool area is pretty big. It’s one giant pool but split into two sections by a bridge you can swim under. There was plenty of sunbeds around and we weren’t getting there until 11am. One side was busier and more child/entertainment focused and the other was pretty chilled and deeper mainly used by adults. You can still hear the music and stuff but it wasn’t bad mostly although sometimes they’d turn it right up and some of the songs were ridiculous but never lasted too long. There’s plenty of bars and snack bars nearby. It gets pretty hot when there’s no breeze from the sea but can easily just move onto the beach which is right next to the pool area where it’s more bearable. There’s even more sunbeds available on the beach as it’s massive. The sea was pretty calm but not the light blue stereotypical Caribbean look you’d expect. Staff will come round and give you coconuts and sell excursions etc but they’re not overbearing. There’s also an excursion booth by the pool. The water park is also way separate and probably a 5/10 minute walk to the other side of the complex with more pools and sunbeds available there. Entertainment: The entertainment team seemed pretty active without being annoying. I didn’t really get involved in anything but there was always stuff going on throughout the day especially for kids (kid free couple but kids weren’t an issue, it’s definitely suitable for adults only) and at night there was always a show or some sort of band/karaoke on. The sports bar is decent too. I didn’t make use of any of the sports facilities because they were quite out the way but they looked good. Beyond the hotel I don’t think there’s much to do. We booked an excursion for a snorkelling trip which is worth doing but was a good hour or so drive away. We also went to Coco Bongo which was again a good hour away but we were happy just chilling in the hotel. Food: The all inclusive restaurant is what you’d expect. Not amazing food but good enough. Times are good, breakfast is on until 11, dinner until 3, tea until 10. My biggest complaint at the whole hotel was how hard it was sometimes to get a drink in there or a 2nd set of cutlery. Felt like this was way harder than it needed to be. Should just be a drink station and somewhere to collect new cutlery but I found myself stealing cutlery and glasses off other tables and then going to the staff bar and serving myself for a drink. I’d recommend using the restaurants on site for the evening meals. Much better than the buffet. The Italian wasn’t great though. French was the best food/service. Special shout out to the Brazilian as well as the American burger/hot dog van for snacks. The Ikebana restaurant isn’t veggie friendly even though the menu says it is but is a really good cooking experience. There’s a barbecue on the beach every day around dinner time and a snack/pizza bar by the pool. You can also get snacks at the coffee shop (bring your own tea bags if you drink tea cos they don’t seem to understand tea!) and sports bar. Staff/service: There’s an army of staff at the hotel. No complaints about any of them. Some speak better English than others (we definitely felt like the minority there being English) but none were ever rude or unhelpful. Tips are quite expected which got annoying early on but they’ll let it go if you just say no. I don’t mind leaving one at a restaurant etc after good service but expecting a tip for chopping the top off a coconut bugged me. There’s a load of concierge booths on the site as well which is a good service and saves you having to trek back to reception every time you need something. Overall: I’d recommend this place to anyone. I was nervous going because it felt too cheap and I can’t believe how good value for money it was. It felt like no expense was spared in any corner of the place (concierge booths/gardening details/decor of every restaurant etc). When my only complaint is the lack of cutlery available at meal times it’s pretty good. Get it booked.

We've just returned from a week here and this is our honest review (be warned, it's long!) First things first, the grounds are STUNNING. The resort is well kept, the grounds are beautiful. There were a fe...w open wires in the pool and a few lights were hanging on by cable ties lol but that was honestly the only "issue". The gardeners and ground keepers work so hard (we tipped one guy who was sweeping around the pool as I feel like they're forgotten about!) The room did us well! We had a family suite and yes it's not 5*, but the beds are comfy, the air con is incredible and the shower is great, it's all you need! Mini bar was refreshed daily. The maids come at very random times, any time from 9am to 5pm. They woke us up from our afternoon nap a couple of times ?? but we told them not to worry about cleaning the room and they just gave us a load of stuff for the bar, and clean towels. We didn't really have anything to do with our concierge. We booked the a la cartes through the app (other than the Brazilian which wouldn't work). He rung us at 9.45pm on our second to last day to see if everything was OK, which was strange ?? but he seemed friendly enough. We saw 3 entertainment shows. They were standard all-inclusive shows. Nothing to write home about but passes the time! The live music by the lobby was nice. There was quite a lot going on for the kids which was good. 80% of the staff we found to be very happy and friendly. Yes you get the odd grump, but the majority were lovely. We never felt that the Spanish were favoured over us at all. Shoutout especially to Julieta at the lobby bar, Yessica, Mario and Matteo at Bar Coralino, they were all so so lovely. Mario and Matteo make the best drinks! They will make just about anything and by the end of the day we had everyone in the pool drinking frozen Baileys (shot ourselves in the foot because then they ran out ??) Matteo's special was stunning (frozen Baileys, Kahlua and Ameretto). Mai Tai, Bahama Mama, Blue Hawaiin, Dominican Flag, Miami Vice, Mudslide, Chocolate Martini, all lovely! You could get most of the cocktails at the swim up bar which was great! They're not the strongest but after drinking all day in the sun you can feel it! Also if you ask for it strong, they'll make it strong! We found the food a bit hit and miss. We didn't go much on the buffet for lunch or dinner. I always found something but my husband is very fussy ?? there wasn't much there other than pizza and chips for kids. I loved the breakfast though! The omelettes were lovely, my husband made a ham and cheese toastie every day in the toastie press! It did say breakfast started at 7am but it actually started at 6am which is misleading but good if you have an early pickup for an excursion! Also had pastries, waffle station, fruit, and hot food. They only had bacon 1 day out of 7 which was a shame. The hash browns are lush! We tried the Brazilian, Italian, Japanese and American a la cartes. American and Japanese were our favourites. The Japanese experience is brilliant, shoutout to Pedro, he was brilliant. The baby ribs in the American are blooming lovely too. We did the snack truck once and really liked the chicken tacos! Didn't rate the BBQ on the beach, I think we just timed it bad when there was nothing up there. There were birds and flies all over the fresh fruit as well which wasn't great. The pizza station is really nice! They did us a whole pizza one day which was lovely. The coffee shop is great for a little break from the sun. Ice cream, frozen coffee, and donuts were all good! We tried out the water park which seemed brilliant for kids. We actually really liked the food there as well! They had their own shop too. In terms of money, we took $160 USD for tips for a week and that did us. We tipped $1-$3 on average to everyone and it was appreciated but never felt forced. I took my Starling card which they accepted in the shop, supermarket and lobby. The shop is cheapest for souvenirs like Mama Juana (from $5) and magnets ($5). We also paid about £6 to have a later checkout until 1pm. We got the golf buggy up to the supermarket off site. This was cheapest for snacks. 2 tubs of pringles, a big bag of Cheetos, large coke and 2 chocolate bars was just under £15. The buggy rides are free but we tipped every time. It's a lovely little area around there! The seaweed was very bad at the beach but the tractor comes along each morning and does a great job of clearing it up. There are a lot of mosquitos! We bought decent repellants and wore bands but still got a few bites each. Nothing too bad but definitely don't forget your repellant and bite cream! In terms of excursions we did monkeyland (booked through Viator) and loved it! Got picked up in an open bus, taught all about the locals, fed the monkeys for about half an hour, then learnt all about the coffee and cocoa. Great half day excursion. Be warned, a monkey pooped all in my hair so don't wear your best clothes ?? We also did Saona through GetYourGuide. Yes it's a very long day but the island is absolutely stunning! I think if we did it again we'd pay extra for the VIP one so it's a smaller group. It seemed a bit disorganised waiting for the boat at Bayahibe and you are hounded by sellers, but the catamaran trip was a vibe and when you're there it's like walking through a postcard. We booked online so we could pay by card. There were sellers around the pool but they didn't hound you. A simple "no thank you" and they left you alone. We felt very safe the whole time, even going off resort to the shop. The only time we were a bit cautious was the transfer to and from the airport. They drive like maniacs over there ?? and the locals pounced on the bus at every traffic light, started washing the bus and all of our luggage was in an unlocked trailer attached to the back of the bus, so we were all making sure our bags weren't being stollen, but all was ok. We booked through Tui and had no problems there. Staff were friendly and transfers on time. All in all we had an amazing time here. Yes we've stayed at better 5-star resorts, I'd personally say it's a 4 star, but regardless, it's a gorgeous hotel and we had an amazing time!

My wife and I emailed prior and told we could purchase a day pass to visit family at the resort on the day of our anniversary. On arrival customer service was awful and were told we were unable to do so af...ter spending a $80 return taxi from another resort. Although we had our digital passport, We were not informed we would require our physical passport for a day pass to use for under 10 hours. Had we been informed this we would have brought it saving us $80 and 1hours taxi journey. We offered alternative options as a security deposit such as a phone and cash however there was no compromise, even though the omission of information regarding the passport was down to them. The staff could have been nice and understanding however were rude, unhelpful and had a terrible attitude. We were made to look like idiots and had no alternative but to return to our resort, leaving our 6 family members staying there in a terrible mood and wishing they had booked elsewhere to begin with.

Before our trip, I read a lot of reviews, some glowing, others very critical, so I went in with an open mind and realistic expectations. This review is on the longer side, but I’ve tried to keep it balance...d and helpful for other families considering this resort. Arrival & First Impressions Arrival was smooth. The airport experience was fine, and the hotel transfer didn’t take too long. Check-in was quick, and we were able to go straight to our room. However, our first issue popped up immediately: our room was missing a bed for our daughter. Given that we booked for three people, we expected everything to be ready. The room itself was spacious, clean, and well laid out. We looked around for spare bedding to set up the sofa bed ourselves, but found nothing. After letting reception know and heading out for dinner, we returned to find the bed still missing. Another trip to reception finally resolved it. The sofa bed was actually quite comfortable, but this kind of oversight shouldn’t happen, especially after a long journey. Housekeeping was very good overall. We tipped our cleaner a couple of dollars every few days and consistently received fresh towels, a tidy room, and a restocked minibar. Pools & Outdoor Areas The pool area is visually appealing and quite spacious. There’s a shallow section, which is great for kids, but most of the pool is surprisingly deep, over 7 feet in some areas. If you're looking to relax in the shallow end with kids and shade, options are limited and can get competitive. One concern: a strange odour near the pool bar area that made it feel less than clean. Restaurants & Food There are two main buffet restaurants: Macau and Saona. Saona only seemed to open during peak times, while Macau was available more often. Unfortunately, Macau had a persistent unpleasant smell, which made dining there uncomfortable. Drink service here was hit or miss; we often asked for drinks that never arrived. We much preferred Saona, it felt cleaner, and the food was slightly better. If you can, opt for breakfast there. Lunch at the poolside buffet was okay, though the salad bar had a fair few flies all around. The pizza takeaway was always hot, fresh, and reliable. The beach BBQ was also a nice touch and a good lunch option. The resort advertises 8 à la carte restaurants, and we tried 7 of them (skipped the raw bar). Here’s a quick breakdown: • Japanese – The most entertaining! A fun teppanyaki-style show with decent food, though some dishes were slightly overcooked. • Italian – Our daughter’s favourite. Good variety, decent quality, and attentive staff. • French – Easily the best food of the trip. The service was more professional, and the dishes felt more refined. • Mediterranean – Our worst experience. Extremely slow service. We had to ask several times to place an order and for drinks, and nearly left out of frustration. • Brazilian – An unusual and underwhelming experience. The servers bring skewers around once and don’t explain the process. You need to be quick or you’ll miss what you want. We only knew how it worked thanks to a previous review. Also, after this dinner, both my husband and I became ill for the next 24 hours. Possibly just bad luck, but worth mentioning. Despite these ups and downs, we never went hungry. Our food routine became: breakfast in Saona (if open), lunch at the beach BBQ or pool buffet, and dinner at the à la carte restaurants. The café near the lobby became our favourite spot. It was air-conditioned, served excellent coffee and a wide variety of ice creams, and had friendly staff and quick service. We also enjoyed the food truck outside the lobby, which always served well-cooked snacks. Bars & Drinks Service at the bars was inconsistent and often slow. The pool bar was the worst offender, usually staffed by just one person, even when busy. We also noticed that Spanish-speaking guests were served more quickly, regardless of who had been waiting longer. While understandable to some extent, it became frustrating. We often left the pool to get drinks at the beach bar or the buffet bar nearby, which were slightly better. We often found that the bars ran out of soft drinks such as coke and lemonade throughout the day so had to go elsewhere for our drinks. Evening service at the lobby bar was also a challenge, long waits were the norm. Facilities, Atmosphere & Cleanliness The resort grounds are beautifully laid out and generally clean. It’s a picturesque place to walk around and enjoy, especially early in the morning or at sunset. That said, weekends brought a noticeable change in atmosphere. A large number of local guests arrived, and while lively and fun at first, the vibe quickly shifted to party-mode. The pool got very loud, and family-friendly space felt limited. During these weekends, we and other international guests felt somewhat ignored by staff, which was disappointing. The waterpark looked good, though we only spent a couple of hours there. We had one serious maintenance issue: our toilet overflowed, flooding the bathroom floor. We reported it to reception before dinner and assumed it would be handled while we were out. It wasn’t. We chased them again after returning, waited another 45 minutes, still nothing. Eventually, I contacted TUI through their app, and someone came about 30 minutes later. All in all, it took nearly three hours to resolve. Not ideal with a sleepy child! Beach & Location The hotel is located along the North Atlantic coast, so don’t expect calm, crystal-clear Caribbean waters. The sea was a bit choppy and cloudy during our stay, and we were clearly there during seaweed season. The hotel did have tractors cleaning the beach every morning, which helped, but we didn’t feel inclined to spend much time there. Fully understand the hotel and staff have no control over this, and they did make the effort to clear it away daily, I felt this should have possibly been mentioned when we booked by our holiday rep. Overall Verdict This isn’t a bad hotel, but it’s not a 5-star experience. Realistically, I’d rate it a 3-star, maybe edging into a 4-star at times. While we had some great moments and our daughter had a fantastic time, the service, cleanliness, and food quality were inconsistent. We’ve visited the Dominican Republic before and absolutely love the country. It’s beautiful and vibrant, and the people are warm. But unfortunately, we wouldn’t return to this particular resort. Still, we made the best of our holiday, enjoyed ourselves as a family, and appreciated the moments that stood out. Just go in with realistic expectations, and you’ll likely still have a good time.

The hotel is no 5*,more like 3*.Not best suited for couples,but okay for families.The service is awful, especially in the buffet restaurants.Most staff are miserable looking and unfriendly.No set tables,sp...oons,clean glasses, crockery and replenishment of food.Queues of 16+ people for omelette or eggs is normal.Ala cartes aren't the best, Peruvian is an experience,with no clothing restrictions,flip flops and beach wear for some.Loungers are tired and broken on the beach and in need of replacement.Our room was spacious with a good view and cleaned everyday.Entertainment was very good,the circus was excellent.The pool restaurant is an accident waiting to happen.Topless barefoot people,to and fro from the pool,soaking wet, leaving the floor very slippery.Grounds are well maintained and lovely to see,with ducks, peacocks and other birds.All in all,a disappointing trip for us,maybe out expectations were too high.