Arrival: March 6 – 13 Smooth as a Bahamamma !! Lobby is open air and has gleaming tile floors! Welcomed with a warm Ola, a cool cloth and a yummy drink. We were in our room withing 10 minutes.Bags delivered right away . Room 5013 which is the building closest to the beach and our view was gorgeous.
Rooms
Clean as a whistle and the bed was comfortable. Bedspreads could use to be updated but the sheets and pillows were clean and fresh. The fridge was stocked daily with pop , water and 2beers and we asked for 2 more beers because we like to sit out on the balcony first thing in the morning and have a beer.(just joking)! The room was on the third floor with a vaulted ceiling so it seemed huge. For the most part the rooms were very quiet but towards the end of our week, we had new , very loud neighbours who watched a StarWars movie in the middle of the night. We could hear it enough to know the movie, so we pounded on the wall(plaster) very hard shouting and they turned it down somewhat! Bring a flashlight with you bc there are no lights in the outside hallways and can be quite dark at night and the early morning when you go down the throw a towel on a chair if you want a to reserve a Palapa. Many people do this but if you don’t, it’s not a problem getting a chair later. We loved the fact that the beach and pool were right there . The lobby was a 5 min walk.
Restaurants and Bars
Everything was tasty and plentiful. The main Buffet has a huge assortment (especially breakfast) . The A LaCarte restaraunts are fine but if you are latish eaters , be prepared to wait for a table. My husband thought at first that the portions were too small, however after dinner he was satisfied. Plus you could pretty much get snacks 24/7 at Mare Norstom. The vegetables served with meals were scrumptuously prepared(lots of broccoli and cauliflower) at all the restaurants but Salads as we know them were not always available. But there were always interesting choices for appetizers. Our least favourite place was the Petite Fondue, as my husband thought it was too much fussing to get fed. The windows are always closed(I assume bc there are no screens in them) and with all the Fondue pots boiling with oil , it was a bit heavy/greasy in the air. We found the staff at this restaurant very limited in english and not so friendly, but in my opinion, the fresh fruit dipped in chocolate was worth visiting this restaurant.
The MareNorstum Bar(open air) located right at the beach was awesome with comfortable/ casual rattan furniture and swinging chairs to relax in and have a drink/snack/lunch while looking out at the ocean.
Bars: Well, we had no complaints about the drinks or the service, especially at the pool bar. Just give the very competent servers a nice tip , smile, be friendly, try to speak their language and chat with them and they will bend over to give you great service . Lobby Bar, very nice place to go in the evening for some very light , fun entertainment and top shelf drinks. Yes, even Baileys!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
OMG- this beach is incredibly beautiful !! I didn’t think there was too much pedalling but then again when we saw venders we simply walked with our feet in the water and looked out to the ocean if we didn’t want to make eye contact. Sometimes they would shout out to you but just ignore and they will keep moving on. Mid afternoon walks are as long or as brief as wish bc the beach never ends and a great time of day to cool off by the water. Always a breeze and for a few days, downright WINDY !! But not a drop of rain until we boarded the bus headed for the airport. Grounds are so interesting with tons of Palms, fun sculptures and lush flowing bushes. From our balcony one morning we watched staff shimmey up palm trees, thinning them out (there are so very many palms on this property so getting shade is never an issue) and also cutting down the coconuts. One day by the pool, the staff were making drinks in those coconuts. The grounds keepers and pool cleaning staff do such a great job . The public washrooms at the resort are spotless all the time!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We have access to the some of the other Princess Resorts very very nearby so we walked to see them. Not as nice as the PCP ! I think the main big difference is the business of the resort. PCP-small and not crowed ! Also bc it caters to adults the pace is more pleaseant. The entertainment staff at this resort are really nice and did a great job getting people going. But if you didn’t want to participate, not an issue ! Day or night! We did do the Saona Island Tour (the upgraded tour with Seafood/Lobster Dinner and a gorgeous Catamaran excursion $139.00ea/US )The island is in the Carribean Sea (calm waters and much hotter) and is protected by the government much like our National Parks. No resorts but gorgeous beaches, restaurants and lounge chairs. Long Day 8 am pick-up at Resort and we arrived back at 9pm . We loved the tour. Our tour guide Johnny( very knowledgeable Dominican fellow ). He spoke Spanish, German, French and English and did so throughout the day seamlessly. It was interesting to drive through the City of Higuey on route to the South side of the Island ! It gave us a feel for urban life in the DR. And of course during our 1.5 hour drive to get there, we saw much rural life as well. The bus was comfortable but no washroom on board. This tour was well worth the day !
Other Comments
Lovely resort, no complaints. Just make sure you bring some mosquito repellent for the lobby at night. I would and will be visiting this resort again!
3orch@sympatico.ca
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