We recently returned from Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa and had a fantastic experience! The grounds exceeded what we expected, the almost continuous pool system was very unique and the food was superb. The service in all of the restaurants was phenomenal ~ albeit a bit "over the top" in the main buffet…but much better than being forgotten! Most everyone spoke enough English to make conversation (more than I can say for most of us Canadians :p) We came down for my daughters wedding and booked in with 44 or so people! Ages in the group ranged from 14-60 years old ~ seasoned travelers to first timers. We beached it, golfed, sat by the pool, got massages, played in the foam party, did a catamaran, went to Surf Camp with http://macaosurfcamp.com/, went deep sea fishing, learned archery, ventured to the market, closed down the disco most every night, and made it home intact!!! Good times, GREAT memories!! The wedding itself was situated (of course) in the gazebo area. Such a perfect setting; and Jessica, our wedding co-ordinator was great, even if we couldn’t find her, she showed up where she needed to be, on time & prepared. There were speakers that the bride & groom could hook their I-Pods into for certain songs ~ my only beef would be the volume control was lacking ~ some attendees could not hear the vows spoken by the couple. Otherwise, all was seamless. We hired a freelance (not resort) photographer www.hdcphoto.com (which I found from other reviews on this site) and we were completely pleased with their prices {PHENOMENAL!!}, impressed with their quality, promptness in pulling together the photos in 2 days and relieved at the congeniality and patience of the photographer! My daughter did the "Trash the Dress" shoot the day after the wedding and said it was so much FUN!! My husband & I did a shoot after them for our ten year anniversary and were very impressed with the shots!! We also must commend our photographer as it was blistering hot that day and he kept going ~ even waiting out a short rain spell so we could finish our shots on the beach!! Overall, I must say we were all very impressed with the resort, the staff and all the ammenities.
Room Number:
*7$% & $%@#
Room Block:
Five
Arrival:
We came from Canada as a group of 44 for my daughter’s wedding on March 24th. Our bus from the airport was luxurious and air conditioned…our arrival (bombarding the hotel with ALL of us at once) was dealt with in a calm,organized & professional manner. A couple of the people asked if they could upgrade, and for a fee, they were given a preferred suite with many more perks (for a fee of course!!), but were happy with this arrangement.
Rooms: It was very convenient and much appreciated that many of us were situated in the same block as the rest of the party (away from the Bride & Groom of course!!) I felt sorry for some of the other patrons as some of our party was quite rambunctious, but thank goodness for cement walls!
Restaurants and Bars: We attended the main buffet (World Cafe) the first night for dinner as we were hungry & tired and were all impressed with the service and selection of a wide variety of foods! Breakfasts were always an adventure from fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juice, hand made omlettes & During our stay our party ate at: Oceana (Surf & Turf) Delicious!! ~ with familiar, yet reasonably priced wines by the bottle for sharing) Portofino (Italian) Soooo many items to choose from!!! Some dishes (pasta) were too aldente, but still, the presentation was fantastic and the quality of the food was great Himitsu (Japanese) Oh What Fun!!! The chef makes this place HAPPEN!! Go by 5:30-5:45 to book for one of three dinner times (6, 7:30 & 9 if I’m not mistaken) So well worth it!!! And if anyone has a birthday, just tell the waiter & they will bring out a small nicely decorated cake!! SeaSide Grille (Burgers & such) Long waits during lunch time, but more selection than burgers or hot dogs. El Patio (Mexican) Never went, but those of our group who did had no complaints
Beach/Pools/Grounds: The beach was clean but could use a few (ok many) more beach chairs… Drink service on the beach and at the pools exceeded our expectations all around!
Pool & grounds were always clean and very well maintained. It was like "the night before" never even happened! :p
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: Wow! Every day there is something NEW!! Watch for your little sheet of paper you get every morning that tells you the weather forecast, the daily activities, announcements, etc…it is filled with a tonne of info!!
I wished there was a quiet yoga on the beach in the morning, but settled for watching the fools doing the foam party in the afternoon instead!! Lots of laughs with all their activities!!
Other Comments: All in all, I was super impressed with Dreams. I have only stayed in all inclusive’s in Sosoua, Punta Cana (10 yrs ago) & Manzanillo. I might be a bit rusty on that front, but know my food well and completely enjoyed it here. The work the staff does to keep this hotel up to caliber is so so commendable. Kudos to ALL! ISSUES: The HOTEL photographer did not respect the space for the gentleman I hired to take professional photos. He did do an adequate job with his photos, but his services are in the package and the bride & groom did not appreciate his face in theirs when he did not need to be there…more communication would be my suggestion….
We DID have a power outage for about 30-60 minutes in a restaurant(which we made the best of and had fun with it! ~ and think of the draws on the system these places are putting on their plants), our A/C did not work in our room, but we weren’t in there enough to bring it to anyone’s attention; also, we did not have hot water on our departure day…