I went with a group of 9 to the Dominican and absolutely loved it. The one complaint I have about the hotel is the fact that they didn't put our rooms all together- we were spread out in different "villas". It would have been nice to be close together so we wouldn't have to go searching for other members of the group. The food was average- Of course everyone had "issues" and had to run to the toilet once or twice but that comes with eating an entirely different type of food than we do in the states.

I thought the entertainment was great. Each night they had people on a stage performing. Each night was a different theme. At times it was a little "erotic" but good. Our group loved going to the Disco. It's so fun to watch people let loose and have a great time.

the pools were amazing. Along with the pool bars! I love being able to drink pina coladas at the pool at 10am!!! The beach was also great, but a little windy. You can walk up and down the beach a long ways. Nice to check out what else is around! Lots of shops so you deffinately don't have to leave the resort to do your shopping if you don't want to.

I liked the set up of the resort- it was like a big square and there were shops/restaurants/ etc around the square. Also has a place where internet can be checked, pictures that were taken through out the day at the resort can be purchased, etc.

I saw that several people tipped. I didn't. And I never had bad service. I guess it's your preference.

Several people in our group took light bulbs with them because they read on here that the rooms were dark. I didn't take any along with me- but it appeared to me that someone that stayed prior to my stay had already changed the light bulbs.

I have also noticed people making statements about how the rooms were. You will notice when driving through the Dominican that EVERYTHING is hand made. They don't have the forms of building equipment like we do here in the states. It's amazing to see how they build their buildings... all by hand.

We booked several excursions through "apple vacations". which can also be booked by the people that walk around the pool area trying to get you to book. Here are my thoughts on the excursions that we did. the first one was the snorkling/sting ray- It was awesome. They had a mini bar on the boat (couldn't drink until after you swam- liability reasons) a little treat, and entertaiment. They had quite a few staff members that actually took a groups of people in the water and showed you different things, fed the fish so they would swarm around you, etc. It was deffinately worth the month. 4 of us did the swimming with the dolphins $130. It was not worth the money at all. You did not get to interact with the dolphins nearly as much as you should have for that price. we felt like we were being hurdled around like cattle. They do not have individual sales of pictures- so be prepared to spend 30 dollars or more for a video. Some of the group did zip line- which I heard was amazing- and 4-wheeling, which was alright (be prepared to get dirty as you drive in the sand). I wish I had more time there because there is soooo much to do, and you also want to have some relaxation time by the pool or by the beach!! isn't that what a vacation is for?!?!?!

Be prepared- this is a very poor but beautiful country. No one will ever harm you- they appreciate the money and work that you bring to the country. Remember- you don't need to pay full price for items that you buy. You can always get them to take less money!!!

Becareful- I could never get through on the phone to the states- but just for trying I got charged. Some people were able to use their cell phones while there. I however, was not able to.

Enjoy your trip! I know I sure did!!!

We did a lot of research on the resort and thought we had made the right decision on the stay. We were a group of 10 that stayed 6/24 - 7/1 and had our ups and downs with the resort. We were in Villa 6 and booked under the "elite club" and prepaid for many things through our travel agent. Don't get me wrong - we had a good time on the trip, but we just didn't get what we paid for.

The Good

- the beach was very nice and gives you the feeling of South FL - if you swim out a little bit, it is nice and clear. The area is lined with resorts going both North and South, but you are welcome to walk the beaches as far as your legs will carry you. We found that about 1/2 mile to the south of the resort there was an area with much larger waves to jump and body surf. We were never hassled on the beach by the walking cigar vendors, a simple no gracias and they kept walking.

The shops will hassle you whenever you walk by and you should expect to pay @ 25% of whatever they start out with.

The pool is HUGE and you may need to watch for the little ones if you take them with you. All of the kids in our party can swim, but it is very big and if you are in the middle, you could get tired(sorry, past lifeguard coming out of me).

The food was what you would expect at an all inclusive. Some resorts are better than others - this one is about right in the middle. For those that complain about the food - when was the last time you cooked for 1000 people from all over the world?

The town square concept was very nice and people seemed to enjoy themselves.

The Bad

Service - not so much without tipping. I know a lot of people say tip because they don't make much and work so hard...I paid for an all inclusive. If I had wanted to tip I would have gone to Miami or the Redneck Riviera and done ala carte everywhere

The room was nice and cold, but our friends room was nice and hot. They called 5x a day every day for someone to fix it and they never did. I watched them work on it one time and they took a screw driver and banged on the compressor and said that it was fixed - not once did they take a set of guages to check the freon level. Their room and ours also had shower issues - in eac of our rooms there is a secondary floor drain under the bathroom sink that became very useful - the showers over ran the tubs every time we took a shower and ran in to the secondary drain. Our friends shower didn't have one of the pieces of glass, so it just ran in the floor anyway. They were suprosed to find that one day they came in and there was a hole in the floor where the shower once was, looking down in to the room below them - apparently their shower was draining in to the bathroom below.

The shows are mundane. I have been to several resorts that do nightly shows, and these seemed to be all the same. There was a theme to each show, but I could not follow the theme. ie doing a Brazilian Copa Cabana theme and playing American music that did not relate? Even my kids didn't care to go back to the shows. They performers try very hard and obviously work very hard, but they are simply doing what is put in front of them.

The Ugly

Be careful if you book an Elite upgrade. Some of the highlights we were sold and have in writing include: 1 hr of motorized watersports daily(jetski, mini speed boats, banana ride, water skiing), 30 min catamaran daily, climbing wall, bungee jumping, conciege in our building (with beach towels), private check in and check out, ability to reserve a restaurant, 30 min relaxing massage, horseback riding, 24 hr room service, premium alcohol in room, stocked mini fridge, pool and/or ocean view

what we received:
15 minutes on our choice of a banana ride or water skiing
one 30 minute catamaran ride
climbing wall was broken all week
bungee jumping was $7 per jump per person
concierge was in villa 5 with the main purpose of selling trips/upgrades
had to get beach towels exchanged by 9 am each morning on the beach before they ran out
check in/check out was to the left in the lobby
reservations at restaurants were taken, but we were served las
15 minute massage
did not do horseback riding
alcohol in room was one time thing - if it was restocked, you had to pay for it at whatever price they wanted which included the mini fridge
our room overlooked the service road between Ocean Blue and the next hotel

The Really Really disgusting

My daughter had the following things stolen - a pair of Rocket Dog sandals while swimming in the ocean, a dive mask, and a Teddy bear was taken from the room 2 days before we left for home. I personally put all of the stuffed animal in one spot before leaving the room each day and know it was there when we left. It disappeared and the hotel said that the maid that cleaned our room was no longer with the hotel.

When checking out of the hotel, I was being charged $30 for calls that I made from the room. I used my cell phone, not theirs. When I forced them to show me the times and numbers called - it was before our plane ever landed in Punta Cana, so be wary of the phone thing.

To summarize the trip - we had a good time, we didn't get what we paid for, no one got sick from the food or water(self induced does not count), the grounds were clean, the entire resort including rooms and lobby are slicker than snot when wet, I wouldn't go back. I will be happy to answer anyones questions or comments.

This was our first family All-Inclusive vacation. My husband and I had been to Punta Cana over 15 years ago, but this time we had our 3 children ages 15, 14 & 11. We followed the reviews closely before selecting this resort. Although the reviews were not 100% positive, we were able to weed out what was important to us. Our stay was from June 27-July 4.

The drive from the airport was not a good representative of the resort. Our tour operator booked a kamikaze driver that swerved around every pothole and went over every speed bump at top speed. It was scary as all hell.

Upon arriving at the resort after 9:30pm, we checked in quickly. Our rooms were pre-assigned and our key cards ready within 5 minutes. My husband was still tipping the bellman while I had the keys in my hand.

It was very easy finding Villa 5, floor 2, rooms 09 and 10. Unfortunately they were not facing the pool/garden but faced a back fence. It didn't seem to be a problem, until 1 am when the people upstairs caused such a racket that woke everyone up. The rooms also had a musty smell that even my Febreze couldn't eliminate. The next day after breakfast I went to the check-in and asked for a room change. They obliged and the next day we were given 2 side by side rooms facing the pool. I was very impressed with their willingness to accomodate.

The rest of the week went perfectly. The food at the main buffett La Tortola was amazing. Who complains about an omelette, crepe/pancake and french toast station for breakfast everyday. Even hot oatmeal, yoghurts, fresh juice bar, breads of all kinds and yes even homemade doghnuts. Our lunch was always at the beach buffet, Las Brasas. Paella with all kinds of seafood, oven roast chicken, pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, pork chops, fish everyday! Dinner was always at the different a la cart restaurants. We never did the 2 supplementary ones. We didn't need to.

The Italian was our favorite. It was our 17th wedding anniversary and they had a trio of musicians that serenaded us. The appetizers were enough to fill you. The lamb was excellent. You must get the risotto!! Either the cheese or the fruit. It was heaven on a plate!

The Mexican restaurant, Margarita, was amazing as well. Appetizers in the center of the room with nachos, black bean, guacomole, salsa, rice, etc. were terrific. The fajitas weren't the best we've had, but good. The chimichanga was great.

The Domenican restaurant, Mi Casa de mi Abuela, was really good. Very authentic dominican food. The waiters were tripping over themselves to serve us. Fantastic and interesting food. The seafood soup was great.

The american restaurant, Route 66, was OK. Not our favorite. The food took too long to come and not very good. The mozzarella sticks were the only thing decent. The french onion soup had stale bread and it was definitely soup from a can. The cheese on the burger was cheese wiz. Some people may like that, but my husband couldn't eat it.

The caribbean grill, Las Brasas, was a pleasant suprise. The fish and the beef fillet were awesome. It was the most beautiful setting on the beach with the wind blowing slightly. Good service there too.

The resort overall was clean & well maintained. Maintenance was very quick to respond. Our safe wasn't working and maintenance came within 15 minutes of our call to fix it. The toilet plugged the 2nd day. Again, it was 15 minutes when someone came to fix it. The rooms were cleaned late because everyday the hallways were swept and mopped first. Anything extra you need, the housekeeping cart is always close by to ask for more towels, drinks for the mini bar, or anything else. It was very convenient. When the maids left, the rooms were immaculate. Even our shoes were lined up nice and neat against the wall.

Since the resort is over 3 years old, you can tell that there's always maintenance going on. We ended up in Villa 4 and the whole first floor rooms were getting painted our last 3 days there. The workers were so low key, we didn't know they were working until we passed and looked inside an open door. The Lobby railing was getting painted our last day there. It seems they put alot of care into their resort.

The beach was not as I expected from the reviews. Yes, it was beautiful white fine sand and the water a caribbean torquise, but there was a lot of seaweed that needed clearing. We had a huge lightning storm the Sunday night and Monday the beach was practically unswimmable. It took them until Tuesday afternoon to start clearing the leaves, roots and debris from the storm. Once they cleaned the beach, it was OK. Not clean enough to avoid stepping through seaweed to go for a swim. I expected better from the beach.

The pool bars did get crowded once in a while, but the bartenders were attentive to someone who needed a drink. They were the hardest workers. Victor at the main pool bar was super. When you didn't know what you wanted, he'd make something for you to try. Tipping didn't get you better service. We brought so many single dollars with us for tipping, but the staff served and catered and never waited around for a tip. We decided our last day to go around and tip the people that were there for us throughout our week.

We did the half day snorkeling and it was great fun. A bit pricey at $39 pp, but well worth it.

If you know Spanish, it's good. Everyone, except the maids, know English well. You won't have a problem communicating. I found out that they speak French as well because of their Haiti neighbors.

The resort is not that big that it's overwhelming. You can walk from the lobby, farthest point, to the beach in less than 7 minutes. There's a tram that goes around but we only used it if it happened to stop in front of us.

The Theater shows are OK. Yes, they lipsynch, but the costumes are great. The cuban magician was amazing! They post the days events in the lobby and the beach everyday. Also, they have the Ocean Post flyer at the buffet every morning with the weather for the day and the events around the resort.

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the resort. Great place!

went on boxing day for 2 weeks best time i ever had the food,pool,staff,beach and room i would give a 10 out of 10.we had 2 kids with us age 11 and 10 they didnt want to come home.i would go again.LOVED IT XX