my partner and i have just returned from a great fortnight in the dom rep we stayed at fun tropicale in playa dorada , the rooms were in need of an update well thats the bad stuff out of the way there are at least 4 separate bars to choose from within the hotel we choose the one by the adults only pool although if you want the fun and action with the animation team in the family pool you can and they do pull out all the stops to ensure everyone is envolved and enjoying there holidays we we to oceon world to swim with the dolphins this was a dream come true and well worth it too also did the monster truck safari thats a must as you get too see the real dom rep we went on the half day tour of puerto plata as well and was great to go on the cable car to the top of the mountain the final trip we did was to paradise island and yes it does live up to its name we went snorkelling there and it was amazing , back to the hotel the food at the buffet was great with plenty of variety every night highly recommend booking the other two restaurents as well the brazillian and the italian both fantastic all in all we had a great time and will certainly be returning to this hotel

Have just come back from 2 weeks in the dom rep, and could saftely say i wouldnt go back, especially to this hotel, it leaks everywhere, the peacocks and the wildcats keep you up all night, the birds fly in and out the buffet nicking the food of your plates, there is bird mess down the back of the chairs, As for the weekends, it is filled with the locals, you cant get a seat anywhere, they push you out of the way to get to the food, and the same at the bar, and the noise from them is horrendous, after 1 week we had enough and the rep moved us to another hotel, along with another couple, as we were leaving another 8 people going to complain, I never thought i would have to write a review lke this, been to Dom Rep before and loved it, but my god has it changed and for the worse, I feel sorry for the staff who work long hard hours, not so much at this hotel they were to busy eyeing up anything in a skirt, especially during the day as they did little else, but the second hotel by far so much better, WHAT A SHAME, I CERTAINLY WOULDNT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE

i have just got back from 2 weeks in dom rep its my second time at this hotel and i loved it just as much as before the staff are really friendly and always try to involve u in all the activites during the day round the pool or for the ice breakers and dancing at night but if you dont want to join in just say no and they will leave u alone... the whole hotel is very clean and all the satff work really hard even tho they dnt get paid alot!!! the shows at nice are really good and the beech partys are amazin all the drink portions are very big and the food is lovely and you should try the itailian and brazilan aswell as they are also great...

i loved it that much i have already booked agen for next year...if you go on any trips take some sweets and things for the dominican kids as they love little pressies and their faces light up when you give it to them.

Date: 02 May 2008
Just returned from a 2 week stay at the fun Tropicale. The hotel is one of 2, the other being Fun Royale, in the same complex. The hotel is excelent value for money, very clean and tidy.
The rooms are quite basic but all you do in there is sleep so no complaints from me. The maid comes in daily and are very trustworthy. We left money, cameras and mobile phones laid around in the room and nothing went missing whilst she was in cleaning. Before I went I got told they were not to be trusted but they were really friendly and I did trust them.
There are 2 pools, the adult pool and the main pool with childrens pool. The main pool is where all the excitement and entertainment is. If you looking to relax the best place to be would be the adult pool. The entertainment staff try to get you involved in the activities such as, water valleyball, water arobics and other water games. If you dont want to join in just say no and they leave you alone. The pools are clean and well maintained. In the main pool there is a pool bar. Its nice to swim up and have a nice refreshing drink in the pool. The adult pool is relaxing. It overlooks the Mountain and the golf course. There is a 24hr bar at the main pool but you can not swim up to it.
There are 4 restaurants. There is the main restaurant, pizza place, Italian and Brazilian. You can only go to both Italian and Brazilian once a week. You also need to book these the morning you would like to go. The Italian is gorgeous, really nice inside. You need to dress smart to go to this, men need to wear long trousers. I had the lasagne and it was honestly the best one I've ever had. You also get a glass of champage when you first get in the restaurant. The Brazilian wasnt very nice however. Basically it is just all different types of meat. They come round with different meats you do not have to move to get it. They keep coming round to fill your glass up. The main restaurant is very nice also. The food can be a bit repetitive but still tasty. Meat can be a bit tough and undercooked. The waiters are very friendly. Dont be suprised if the entertainment staff ask you if they can join you. They need to sit with a guest of the hotel or they need to pay for the food. They dont get paid much so its good to let them sit with you. They leave you to get on with your meal they dont pester you or disturbe you. The pizza place is really nice. Its just off the main pool and start serving from 12pm - 5pm. You can get as much as you like and they are always making fresh ones so theres plenty of different flavers.
If you get hungry after the main restaurant has closed, there are burgers, hot dogs and salad served in the main restaurant all during the night. The main bar at the main pool closes at midnight but then if you go round to the adult pool thats where the 24hr bar is. They are very generous with the measures so dont be suprised.
All of the entertainment staff are fantastic, they work really hard from first thing in the morning to last thing at night and dont get paid much for it. They are always full of energy and like to get everyone involved. If you just want to be left alone just say no and they leave you alone. They put different shows on every night which are quite good. They make them as good as they can so cant really be disapointed with them.
I went on 4 trips, Paradise Island, Monster Truck, Cat Morane & Ocean World. Paradise Island is a great trip. You get picked up from reception, get taken to the sea where you then go on a speed boat for about 20 mins to the island. Once you get to the island, you then have a place to put your bags and everything. There is food and drink on hand during the day. You then go snorkeling which is fantastic. It is worth getting an underwater camera for this. You are on the island for about 2.5hrs then you get back in the speedboat and go for lunch.
The monster truck is fantasic. A bit of advise dont have to much to drink the night befor. Again you get picked up from reception, get taken to the truck and off you go. You get taken to see the real Dominican. It's worth taking sweets or little gifts for the children as they will be expecting them. To see there faces once you give them the treats is worth it.
Catmorane is like a booze cruse. The staff on there are great and make the day great. You also get to go snorkeling on this trip as well which is great.
Ocean world is well worth the money. You can eith swim with dolphins, sea lions and sharks or a mixture, or you can just pay for admission and watch the shows. It is a long day and very hot.
All in all this is a really fantasic holiday, well worth the money and I would reccomend it to everyone. The Thomas Cook Rep Lianne is fantasic, she is always happy to help you even when shes off duty. She joined us on our last night to have a drink with is and to say bye. Best holiday rep ive met.