Let me start off with saying,we are AMERICANS, we are a average couple,50ish in age,have traveled to Mexico 13 times, 3 cruises, and twice to the Dominican Repulic. So we have seen and experienced quite a large field of differences. Our trips have always been to all inclusive resorts.
THIS WAS AT THE " GRAN BAHIA PRINICPE PUNTA CANA BAVARO "
Your Arrival: When we arrived in the Dominican we were greeted by warm air and smiles, we did not have transfers arranged, so when a baggage guy came up to us and started talking, we asked where to catch a Taxi, with smiles he brought us to where the taxis are, and thanked us, we tipped him a couple of bucks and he was happy. ABSOULTELY NO PROBLEM with finding a Taxi, the cost to our resort was $40 which we found out was the going rate and had no problem paying it, tipped him a $5. Takes about 30 minutes to get there.
Checking into our resort was some what of a hassle, because the really do not speak english very well at all, if any !!! It took us about 20 minutes to finally get a room. Some of the staff are alittle better at thier jobs then others, just like any where. During this transaction I asked which way the beach was and he pointed to his left, then I asked him which way our room was and he pointed to his right, no way was he going to move us closer, but he did let us know there was a pool right outside our building. The POOL was a small shallow piece of cement with 3 COLD whirl pools in it. After we took a trolley to our building ( building 51 ) we started to get a feel for how FOOLISH LARGE this resort is.
Rooms:
We were on the 3rd floor, overlooking the pool (LOL), Just about as far from the OCEAN AS POSSIBLE! King size bed, which was extremely firm, Bathroom where very nice with a exceptional shower, just like anywhere you had to rent a Key to Activate the safe, well worth the $26. My wife and I had been bit in the night by bugs, 2 nites in a row, so on the 3rd day, we stripped the pillow cases, sheets, and comforter off and threw them out side our door so the chambermaid would totally understand, she did not speak any english what so ever. Rooms were pretty good size, and air conditioner worked well, as well as the ceiling fan. Very comfortable temp. Plenty of closet space, iron, blow dryer, and your frig was stocked every day.
Restaurants and Bars:
BOOZE, weak, very weak, and your FROZED DRICKS, where not FROZEN, they came out of a chilled slushy machine. This was the only place we have seen that there was a charge for stronger drinks, good scotch, brandy, ETC. OK OK, NOW ABOUT THE FOOD. WHERE SHOULD I START!! COLD, to LUKE warm, now when I say this, please don’t say I’m being to picky, it was EXACTLY THAT. Every meal, morning noon and night, and the selection of food was diffenetly catering to the people from germany,Italy,Spain,France, not the Americans, you have a better Quality of food you enjoy in your local buffets. It got so bad, we started making grinders to take back to our room, because of the selection of american food. Once again they the staff did not speak english. They did not even know what a cup of ice was.
Beach/Pools/Grounds: One of the nicest beaches we have seen. Clean, Sandy, no Rocks, very very comfortable water temp. Some topless, no major issue, alot of chair saving and then never showing up. Same with the little covered Cabanas. LOL, it got so bad with the saving thing, that if I had not seen anyone show about to the covered cabanas far a few hours, I would throw the towels and books,hats off on to a nearby chair so other peole were able to enjoy them.
Pools down at the beach area where kept up nicely, and very clean. The beer at the snack bars in the beach area were the coldest, food still was cold to luke warm, but the beer was cold!
Other Comments: Absolutely not American friendly, ( American food,speaking english or lack there of) We had to take a trolley from our room, to get to the lobby, then take a different trolly to the beach that was about 1/2 mile away from the lobby. To time consuming and inconvient. Did not enjoy it. To large of a resort, (3500 people and it was booked full) Staff – did not speak english, and the evening shows were terrible, now we were not expecting las vegas by a long shot, but these people never practiced and it showed, could not even keep in step with ANY and I measn ANY dance routine. Sound system was loud and very blurry, could not uderstand what they were saying, even the few very very broken english words they tried. WE WILL NEVER GO BACK, I HOPE SOME OF YOU READ THIS AND CHANGE YOUR PLANS, YOU WILL BE DISSAPOINTED IF YOU GO. YES THE WATER IS NICE, YES THE WEATHER IS NICE, YES ITS IT JUST PLAIN NICE TO GET AWAY WITH YOUR SPOUCE, HOWEVER YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS RESORT.
TheY work off of QUANITY, NOT QUALITY !!