Majestic Elegance Jan 2011 A friend and I vacationed at the Majestic Elegance in the Elegance Club section for 2 weeks from Jan 17th-31, 2011. This was our 9th trip to Punta Cana, and our 6th stay at an Adults Only resort (or section). The 2 weeks at the Majestic just flew by and it was time to pack and come home before we knew it! The weather was the best we have had in all our trips. 14 days of sun and heat! Rain was only either over night or first thing in the morning and only lasted about 15 mins. As expected there were good and bad but the good certainly far outweighed the bad overall. Overall rating 8.5/10 In conclusion – The resort over all was great but for us comparing it to other 5 star resorts in the same price range that we have been to, it fell a little short. Had we not had such great experiences at other similar resorts in the DR we would not have been so critical. But the fact is we have been to a few great resorts and we cannot say this was the best of the best. But this does not mean we do not think it is a great resort and would be perfect for most people. Overall we had a great 2 week stay at this fine resort and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
Room Number:
4334
Arrival: Check-in was simple. We were greeted at the lobby by Jordi and our butler and he lead us through the resort pointing out where restaurants, bars, services etc were located. We ended up in the Club Lounge where our butler proceeded to do our check-in. He took us to our room and explained how everything worked. We were off to a great start! There was a bottle of Champagne in the room upon arrival. Luggage did take longer than necessary to arrive (even had to go down to the lounge to check on it) and we had to wait in our room to be there to claim it. Club Lounge and section – although this did fall a little short of what we had last year in the Preferred Club at Dreams it was very nice. The lounge had free unlimited internet computers, snacks, bottled water and coffee, and a concierge desk where you would exchange your towels and make your dinner reservations as well as any requests you had. There were plenty of bali beds and padded loungers around both club sections and we never had problems finding one. The Club beach section also was nice and had plenty of loungers available both in and out of the shade. For us the Elegance Club upgrade was well worth it. Elegance Club Section 9/10
Rooms:
Room-10/10: We were given room 4334, in building 4, 3rd floor. The rooms on this side of the building faced the empty lot next door with great ocean views, palm trees and gorgeous sunrises. For us this location was perfect and was one of the best views we have had. I could even lay in bed and look out at the ocean! The room was huge and nicely laid out. There was plenty of closet space, a programmable safe and a nice sitting area with a Jacuzzi tub. The balcony was a good size and included a table and two chairs as well as a small clothes rack. There were 4 bottles of liquor in the room that would be replenished as requested. The maid did a great job most days and our room was done by noon (as we had requested). Sheets were changed almost every day. The mini bar service was the best we have had – everything was replenished as we used it. There was plenty of hot water and the pressure was good both in the shower and the tub. The one down side to the room was the A/C was a little on the weak side and the room was kind of warm at times, especially at night when going to bed.
Restaurants and Bars: Food: Buffet -9.5/10: The layout of the main buffet would have to be the best we have experienced in our travels. It was a large restaurant with lots of space between the tables and a separate large food section which never seemed crowded. There was always a great selection of dishes which changed daily. Most things were well labeled. The staff was constantly checking and replacing trays of food as needed. Service was also very good, glasses were never empty and dirty dishes were cleared right away. There were no carts here laden with stacks of dirty dishes – they were taken away to a separate section and then to the kitchen asap. Overall we found the service at the buffet for breakfast and lunch better then we received some nights at the a la cartes.
A La Cartes – 8/10: There are 5 a la carte restaurants at the ME; Steakhouse, Japanese, Gourmet, Italian, and Seafood. There is also a Sushi Bar as part of the Japanese that you can make use of any night you wish. We made a meal of the Sushi one night and also did it as our appetizer course another. For us the a la cartes overall were a let down. I try to choose resorts that have a number of a la cartes and that offer unlimited access since for dinner we like to dress up a bit and go out for a pre-dinner drink, a nice leisurely dinner and an after dinner coffee or drink. This was not the case at the ME a la cartes as most of them had what I came to call a pub atmosphere instead of a nice restaurant atmosphere. Service at several of the nights left much to be desired; once each at the Sea & See, the Steakhouse and the Italian. On two occasions our main courses arrived at the table before our appetizer dishes were cleared away. Also on several occasions our orders were screwed up. The food however on the most part was quite good if a bit salty at times, but there was nothing outstanding that we had at any restaurant that we wanted to rush back to have another night. However the steak at the Steakhouse was quite good and even well done enough for me. The portions for us were a good size and not the heaping plates of food where you have to send half of it back. The deserts were even bite size. We ate at the Gourmet, Italian and Sea & See 3 times each; the Steakhouse twice; and the Japanese once. If I had to choose a favorite I would probably say the Gourmet since it had more of the atmosphere we look for in an a la carte and I liked the Curry Shrimp & Grouper dish. The main problem with the Gourmet however was as others have mentioned the limited menu with only 4 appetizers and 4 main courses. However the best dining out evening was our second visit to the Italian Restaurant. It was an outstanding night service wise – our server even helped us choose dishes and surprised us with extras – and the food was very good too. However I would not rate this as tops since our 1st visit was horrible and our 3 was just OK.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Layout and Grounds-10/10: The grounds at ME were very lush and easy to get around. The walk from the lobby to the beach was under 10 mins. They had covered walkways between the room buildings all the way from the Club lounges to the lobby area. The Elegance Club section is nicely laid out and is somewhat isolated from the main section. The only thing you need to leave the Club section for is to eat – although they do have light snacks available at the Club Lounge all day. The main lobby area was quite grand and one of the most upscale ones we have seen. The grand staircase looks like something out of an Opera Theatre. The whole resort is kept very clean with staff even constantly cleaning windows and polishing floors.
Other Comments: Best Stuff of note about the ME: – The Lobby bars were quite large and had plenty of seating. – They had (at least for Club members) one of the best selections of international drinks we have had including Clamato juice for Caesars and they never seemed to run out. – The special Club Party nights were a nice touch – The servers go around the Club pool with daily special drinks and popsicles – Never had a problem booking the 2 a la cartes that required reservations and never had to wait for a table at the others –although we did have to take a table in the main section of the Steakhouse because the Club section was full (this was not a problem with us) – Several servers got to know us and what we drank and would even have our drinks ready without us asking – Never had to go to the front desk once – everything was done at the Club Lounge – Never had a problem finding a place in the shade either at the pool or the beach – The Bali beds were plentiful around both Club pools and they quite comfy. – You never have to go far to find a bar Good Stuff of note at the ME: – Language was not a problem here – but they did seem to really appreciate it when you did try to use some Spanish. – The whole resort was kept very clean even the bathrooms were almost immaculate. – Our Butler either called or when he saw us asked how our stay was going – Beach towels were easily picked up and exchanged in the club lounge. Yes they were usually out late in the day but this is to be expected. – If you are not that hungry there is enough snack food available at the Club lounge for a light breakfast or lunch Not So Good Stuff: (but none of which ruined our vacation) – Some bar tenders were asking for our room number every so often when we ordered our drinks – There was no rhyme or reason as to when the Roof Top Club Bars were open – Servers insisted on switching glass glasses for plastic ones whenever you left the bar even if it was just to go to an a la carte – Dress code not enforced – Adult’s Only and Club Members Only not enforced in Club Lounge – Inconsistent service – Smoking was allowed at the Sea & See a la carte – it has been a long time since we have had to eat at a restaurant where smoking was allowed so it really was noticeable. – At other resorts they have usually asked if we would like an after dinner drink but this was never offered at any of the restaurants here and in fact I usually had to specifically ask for a Cappuccino. And only once at lunch time were we offered a shot of mamajauna – Twice we had to go down to the Club Lounge to get new room keys since our old ones stop working