| Puerto Plata Village | Paul and Kathie ~ Kingston, Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Feb. 12 – 19
Arrival was great. We originally were suppose to go to Luperon but due to the bridge being washed out we were sent here to Puerto Plata Village. On the up side it wasn’t snowing here and it is warm. We brought our son with us (24)and he had a blast with the people he met.
Rooms Our room was very nice, really clean, had a balcony and a hairdryer. What more could you want. We did get an "up-grade" from what we had booked at the other resort, and enjoyed that.
We went to our room one night only to find that there was some water that had leaked from the room above, we phoned the loby and someone was there in about 5 mins, had it fixed and all cleaned up for us in about 20 mins saying that they would come back tomorrow and properly fix it. We never had any other problems. It was very nice to have things looked a quickly and pleasantly.
Restaurants and Bars We thought that the food was fabulous. The buffet certainly had a great selection to choose from. There was always chicken, beef, pork, fish, pasta and salads and fruit. If you didn’t like any of these food groups, well something is wrong somewhere. For those of you who say the food is bland, use some salt and pepper.
The a- la – carts were incredible and we had no problem to make reservations. We had a choice of Dominican, Italian and Mexican. As long as you got up in the morning you had no trouble making the reservations. In the 7 days that we were there, we only ate at the buffet at night once, and that was delicious.
Beach/Pools/Grounds The grounds were kept immaculate. There were always cheerful people trimming, sweeping or washing up. The pool was well looked after and always seemed to be clean. Even though this resort is not on the beach, there is a shuttle that takes you to the beach every 10 mins, or you can walk as it isn’t very far. The beach was beautiful and was raked daily. The beach also had the resort bar and lunch counter for our convience.
There were locals that tried to get you to buy their wares but all you had to do was smile and say no thankyou and they wouldn’t bother you.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did do a Catamaran tour that sailed up to Luperon, stopping to snorkel and lunch on a quaint beach before pulling into Luperon Harbour where you met a bus to take you back through the countyside. Had a great time doing this. The captain and his crew were great fun and made the trip enjoyable. We also went horseback riding for 3 hours through villages and amazing countryside, stopping a a local "bar" for a drink and a break. Eventhough my behind was a bit sore after, this was a very enjoyable trip to take. Other Comments Although our vacation started out well planned, doing research on the resort we would be staying at etc. You know the saying… the best laid plans… Changing resorts a the last minuet ended up being a great vacation. Our son had a great time with the other young people there, we had a fabulous time and greatly enjoyed ourselves. I am sure the other resort we were suppose to go to was good as well, but we did have a lovely time at Puerto Plata Village and would go back. Top of Page
February 2009
This was visit #5 for me, 2003-2005-2007-2008-2009.
This year I went with a friend and 3 young teenagers (14-14-15). They had a room separate from us, thank you! The kids had a blast; it was the second visit for my son! Upon arrival, we got an upgrade (balcony and mini-fridge)- the boys got an extra bed in the room. I would say everything is the same as last year minus a few minor changes: The main bar is closing at midnight- Disco goes on 11:00PM- 2:00 AM for dance and drinks- Bars re-open at 10:00 AM—- That is very fair! Pool is open until 7:00 PM (pool bar is done at 6:00PM- so you can sip your last club soda!) and it re-opens at 8:00 AM (pool bar at 10:00 AM) The buffet (selection) was bit smaller but just as delicious as last year, with a theme every night. The Oriental restaurant is no longer- It is now a Dominican restaurant- Much better food!! The Italian à la carte is like a 5 Stars! Again, it is basic, but clean- amazing staff- great food- nice beach and that is the life! I am going back next year- if not sooner- that should answer the question! My e-mail is on the March 2008 review!
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| Puerto Plata Village | Pat and Lorna ~ Canada |
March 2008
This was trip # 6 to the D.R.and # 4 to this resort. We were there last year with the kids, this year, no kids! The hotel is under new management.
The Positives: – A new chef, the food is even better, comparable to a 5 stars for the presentation,selection and taste. – New air conditioning units in the rooms, very quiet and effective. – New bicycles (thanks!) – A la carte restaurants (Mexican,oriental,Italian) are unlimited. We loved the Italian!! – No problems to get a chair at the pool or the beach. – Excellent maid service, fresh towels, FACE CLOTH. Lots of pressure in the shower. Bring your own shampoo.. – Excellent service at the pool bar, minimal waiting! – The pizza is to die for! – The activity crew- Popeye, Elvis and Romi are great!
– WE LOVED IT, we are going back next year with the kids!
A few things to remember: It only has one pool, but like they say: "you can only use one pool at the time!" The room are super clean, but basic. Again, if you expect large suites with marble and fancy furniture/decors, etc, wrong place. If you are like us and go there for the sun, the pool and the beach, then the rooms are perfect. Clean, clean and clean with comfortable beds (2), colour TV (flat screen) phone and safe available ($). If you call home (Canada or US), get a calling card at the plaza and use the public phone there. We paid approx. 7.00$ (250 pesos DR) for 29 minutes of long distance! Get out and visit. Book a tour at the plaza (1/2 price from the hotel!!). I went deep sea fishing this year, it was great. Get a taxi for 1/2 day for about 50-60$ and go visit the Fort of San Felipe. Go to BRUGAL RUM Factory, go downtown and buy cigars (I was paying a fraction of the price "at home" for 25 cigars that were hand made in front of me!), go to the grocery store. IT IS VERY SAFE. No begging, no one asking for anything, very polite store keepers, you have to get out! I hope you will have as must enjoyment as we did! questions, reach us at: pdussault@cogeco.ca Hasta Luego!
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| Puerto Plata Village | Connie ~ Canada |
January 2007
We have just arrived back from PPV. I must say we had mixed feelings about going after reading some reviews…. However, we had a great holiday and despite the rain every day , we had a great time and all arrived home with tans to envy! We went with a group of 25 people and that was really cool because not everyone knew each other but all took advantage of Go Travel Direct’s group rate!
The rooms were very clean with none of the flooding as previously read about. The toilets worked fine and maid service did get the job done… I had to ask for towels on one day and they made it to the room before I did!
I must say that this is the cleanest resort I have been to. There was never a garbage can in site, however, you never saw any garbage anywhere!
The food was wonderful!!!! The a la carte restaurants were awesome and we managed to get into all of them. Even as large a group a we had. You had to book by 7:30 a.m. to get in however.
The cafeteria served a large variety of food and always had plenty of it. The beach luncheon was hotdogs, hamburgers, fries , pizza and fajitas every day! I have never found it so easy to find diet cola on the resorts but they always had it!
The beach was clean, well maintained and the waves were to die for. My family and the rest of our party had a wonderful time jumping and riding the waves. Careful of the waves one of our ladies lost her eye glasses in the waves…. never to be seen again. ha ha. This was at the end of our trip thankfully.
The only real concern I would express was the check out times. Our flight came in at 2 in the morning and flew out at 4 a.m. We had to be out of our rooms by noon . This was originally allowed complimentary late check out with Go Travel .. unfortunately with no record of that we had a difficult time trying to keep our room. We were not allowed to keep our room, as reception said they needed it. However other individuals were allowed to keep theirs, even after I was told NO. I do question how they decide who keeps a room and who doesn’t. I have contacted Go Travel about this as I feel that if the travel agent books you at obscene times the late check out should be included. I bluntly told them that I think it was just one more way to fleece the customers for extra american dollars!
Had a great time and would go back.
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| Puerto Plata Village | Richard |
June 2006
We visited this hotel from the 11th June to 25th June 2006 and apart from the bad flight experience we arrived at the hotel. From the first appearance everything seemed nice and we was greeted with a fruit punch drink and immiediately told our rooms were upgraded.
Sounds good so far until we got to our room. The doors had massive gaps leading out to the balcony where a regular infestation of mosquitos would fly in and make a meal of you in your sleep and yes we had every mosquito device in there possible. The beds were hard and too small for a couple to have a comfortable nights sleep. And the pillows were lumpy and hard. The television had the worst reception. Channel 5 when it first started was better. Enter the bathroom and you have a jungle safari with the toilet being covered in small ant like creatures and a rather evil looking spider. To get the lights working we had to give them a tap to get them working and the wiring is sub standard.
We had a football field 25mtrs away which during our stay decided to have a helicopter landing on it. Thought there may have been an emergency as it was not a designated helipad, but it stayed there overnight and in the early hours of the morning it decided to shake our room and wake us up by starting up the rotors for a good 30 minutes. I promptly told the pilot to lift off or shut down as he had woken us all up. Complained to reception and unless you are dominican you are not treated as priority. They even go off and talk to some one else whilst dealing with you. The helicopter and pilot was actually the owner of the hotel complex who should know better. For one day we had no water at all in the bathroom and for a further two days no hot water. After enough complaining we were given a set of keys to go and shower on the other side of the complex. A fifteen minute walk to have a shower. The food was inadequate and very similar every day, and pineapple looks so nice with ants all over it and the bread looks really good with birds flying in and sitting on top of it. We had paid to go to a quieter hotel instead of the fun tropicale and at the weekend we had over 250 locals enter the grounds and stay there.
Staff are helpful but locals are the opposite, rude arrogant, and go for food like vultures. One dominican actually grabbed food from the tongs i was using. You could not get to the bar and there was drunk and disorderly people all over the site which was really impressive for my child. The Entertainment was dire and if you ever hear the "Chocolate" song again you will scream. They couldn’t dance, mime or sing, or even speak clear english. The ones that could speak clear english did not even use the mic.
As for the first weekend being overcrowded with locals it didn’t get any better the second weekend with over a 1000 locals arriving in a hotel that has 386 rooms. Cram them in. Trouble was brewing at the site and the First Choice holidaymakers were getting to the point of exploding and our rep was pulling her hair out. The hotel could not cope. The food was raw in the middle and the drinks were awful. Everything it seems has to have coconut in it. Even the mash potatoes in the ala carte restuarant. The animotion team decide to ask ladies to shake their boobies and other sexual gestures and the only price was brugal rum, which was referred to as dominican viagra. Not good in front of a nine year old. When you go on trips all the tour guides seem to mention is the "Carwash" which is their reference to a brothel. All the shops have signs saying we sell Viagra, even can be drunk by women. Be warned if you feel ill as the medical centre stings you for every penny they can muster out of you even if you have got travel insurance. The market stalls inside your complex try to rip you off, they wanted to charge 5,000 pesos for a photo album which works out approximately £85.00 and they tried to charge another couple 27dollars for a small doll. Bartering is ridiculous and you have to be on your guard, and you get hassled left right and centre. Avoid at all costs and I am sure Basil Fawlty must have bought a timeshare here.
I will state however pushed they were, look for these members of staff, they tried to make the best out of a bad situation. Victor Lopez and Pavarotti (animotion team), Jose, Ramon, carmillo, benites and ruth, all heads of the restaurant, and eddy the understanding chef. Nelson at the bar ignoring the troubles and trying to help, Sandra of kids club who made my daughter feel very welcome. Yency and Mello the bellboys who can speak better english than the reception staff and deal with problems better than reception staff and Miranda the Night Manager. If you are with First Choice, a big shout to Louise Mckee and Annie who need Advil on a drip to cope with all the headaches, you were wonderful and we actually do miss you!
If anyone needs advice they can contact me at dj-culture@fsmail.net and I will be happy to help
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Leslie |
March 2006
Vic and Leslie had the best vacation that we have ever had, we stayed at the Puerta Plata Village and the brochures do not give this resort enough credit. We went from January 22 – February 5, 2006
We have only good things to say about this resort. The food, people, employees, entertainment etc was just awesome. Our room was great we would defiantly go back to this resort. We had great weather which helped too. Only one cloudy day in the 2 weeks we were there.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Chloe ~ Ottawa Canada |
March 2006
We got back from beautiful Dominican Republic yesterrday. What an exciting trip it was! My boyfirend and I stayed at Puerto Plata Village, in the Playa Dorada resort complex. I would definitley recommend staying at one of the hotels there (theres 16 in all). Puerto Plata Village is a 3 star hotel, but you wouldn’t know it. The staff was great, the rooms were comfortable; nothing too fancy but it did the trick. The food was ok. I’m a cooking lover and I thought that it could have been a little bit better.
None-the-less I didn’t starve. The pizza was the best. The only problem we had with our hotel was that if it rains hard many of the rooms got flooded with water from the toilet bowl. They cleaned it up and fixed it relatively quickly, but who wants to wake up to half an inch of water on the floor. The beach was a little different than I expected. I found the water to be quite dirty, lots of seaweed and other crap floating around made for a rather unpleasant swim. The water was cool but you got used to it and it became rather refreshing. The view from the beach was wonderful and there was lots to do throughout the day.
We golfed at the Playa Dorada course and it was spectacular. The conditions could have been a bit better (some parts of the greens/fairways we yellow).Despite that, all I have to say is WOW! If you’re a golfer you should play this course. It was open yet very challenging. The view of the mountain in Puerto Plata, and the ocean were breathtaking. Definitely a highlight of our trip.
We went to Ocean World and did the Dolphin Swim that was truely amazing. The dolphins were tons of fun and the other activities were just as pleasing; the day was fantatsic until we came upon a VIP WORLD promotional booth. DO NOT GO TO VIP WORLD. The rep will wisk you away to their resort/villa and at the end of the night we had a 10 000$ timeshare.
It was a beautiful place but unless you have the financial backing and are a huge traveller you will be stuck with a lot of headaches out of a lot of money. This was a very bad desicion on our part. Luckily we were able to get out of it. But PLEASE DO NOT GO TO VIP WORLD, you are getting yourself into a timeshare. Ocean World however, is a must!
Our next excursion was PARADISE ISLAND which you book through your travel rep. IF YOU DO ANYTHING IN PUERTO PLATA DO THIS. You drive for about an hour through the beautiful countryside, then take a "speedboat" to this sand dune in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by the most beautiful coral that I have ever seen. We snorkeled for about an hour and a half, then relaxed in the sand for another hour. Open bar and food on the island, and they supply everything. It was amazing. This was the best thing we did by far. After they took us from the island through a rainforest, stopping in a lagoon to give us some info on the National Park, we then stopped at a small fishing village called Punta Rusia. We were given a buffet lunch and open bar. Walking around this poor fishing village was a treat because you saw the other side of the spectrum. Getting out of the resorts lets you see the poverty in the country. It was humbling to see these people live with next to nothing and still be nice, friendly people. The day ended with a long 2.5 hour drive back to our hotel. The whole day was truely special and we will never forget it. Again if you do anything in Puerto Plata I suggest this. However the boatride can get bumpy and some of the elder particiants said it wasn’t very comfortable. The guide was great and informative, on the ride there he gaves us a rundown of the Dominican way of life, politics, social attitudes and labour. The whole day was educational, family oriented and fantasitc.
All in all the Dominican Republic was a great place to travel. We will definitley return, maybe not to the same resort, but to Puerto Plata. Even when we were dealing with the headaches of getting into a timeshare we were having fun. It was the greatest week of our lives. Never to be forgotten.
I hope this helps anyone who is travelling there. Cheers.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Larry ~ Canada |
March 2006
We visited from Feb 7 to 21/06. The weather was iffy, but that is the luck of the draw, we still got plenty of sun, and in fact the clouds were a godsend some days. Some rainy days though, the 97 cent Walmart rain ponchos we took that fit in your pocket were a hit! The rainiest day happened to coincide with the northern lights(?) bus tour of Puerto Plata, Sousa and Cabarette which was excellent timing really. It was also very good value.
It was our third trip since 1999. First trip was to the Elizabeth which is different name now, and last time was Paradise Beach, just down the beach from PPV and the place to go snorkelling.
Can’t complain for the 2-week price we paid. Yes, buffets can get repetitive but the food was good and if you dont like something no one makes you eat it, try something else; no way you could eat everything offered (although my friend Earl seemed to try, must have been the beach volleyball appetite).
Some people might complain about some dishes, but these resorts try to please visitors from how many countries? OK, the Asian restaurant wasn’t Asian in any way we could determine, but it was different and nice. The Mexican one was almost Mexican, and the Italian one was, well, almost Italian. I would suggest to PPV Mgt that at the very least they play background music that is supposed to resemble the theme of the restaurant to compensate for the food issue. We thought it was funny though, no big deal.
Everything about the resort physically was fine. We were going to upgrade to a suite the second week, but the standard room was much better than the standard room at the Paradise, comparable to the junior suite at the Paradise that we upgraded to back then. So we stayed put.
My advise to PPV management, in no particular order:
#1- The PPV should give their animation staff proper working equipment and a budget to work with. The loudspeakers were awful, usually fuzzy or cutting in/out. Very distracting. One of the occasional beautiful nites we had they had their show indoors because the outdoor speakers were bad/worse than the indoor ones. When 99.9% of the singing is lip-sinking they need speakers that work correctly! That said, our last 2 visits featured local talent at those resorts who were terrifc singers and instrumentalists. Do any resorts do that anymore? I dont know if all resorts have gone cheap but someone staying at Jack Tar had a similar comment. That said, we saved about $800-$1000 a couple over many other resorts so something has to give.
#2- Do something about the hygene or lack thereof in the bathrooms. I am not a freak on this topic; however, seldom if ever were there paper towels to dry hands, and the electric dryers hardly ever worked at any of the wash rooms. On top of that, floors were always clean, but the doorknobs were disgusting to the touch. This was not just restricted to PPV. I am extra sensative because our doctor advises that my wife and I ( and I hear my friend Earl too)have likely come home suffering from e-coli infection. It is not a surprise, and good reminder why it is important to have those shots.
#3- is it necessary to fleece Candians on the exchange rate? This extends to Signature vacations as well. When we were there in 1999/2000, the rates for US and Cnd were about 10 pesos to Cdn $ and 15 to US $. That wasn’t unreasonable when the Cdn $ was around 62 cents or so. This time PPV gave 22 peso to $Cnd or 32p to $US. The Plaza only gave 24, although the atm may have done better, but I dont know what the international charges amout to. Sousa beach and the gift shop in Puerto Plata gave us 27p for Cnd cash or traveller cheque, which is more in line.
That said, if you are going, take USD for they clearly want that currency. Your most material expediture there will be the tours you take, and they are priced in USD. Even the huts and street/beach vendors want USD. I speculate this has ramped up along with peso devaluation. You’d think they would know that the USD has been falling against the Cnd.
Some people thought it was better to pay with a Charge card because you avoid converting to USD. The sellers will charge you Pesos equivalent of he USD cost that in turn will be conveted to Cdn $ by Visa etc at likley the best exchange rate. That was probably true years ago, but not now. Some people were thrilled when they were told by the Signature rep that they convert the USD cost of the tour at 37p to the $. They didn’t realize that it was a terrible transaction rate. I just chalked it up to the Dominican experience where more often things are not as advertised, and expect the unexpected. Its part of the charm.
We bought 4 trips the cost of which was about $400 USD. When I bought my USD at home, the rate was $1.16, or $464 Cdn. I didn’t buy enough.
Had I not had USD, they would have changed my Visa $400 USD x 37peso= 14800 pesos. I estimate the peso will be converted at about 28p to the Cnd dollar, or about $528. The $64 extra cost wont break anyone, but it was an avoidable loss AND WOULD HAVE PAID FOR A LOT OF imodium. My assumption of reasoanble exchange rate was wrong. Take the USD.
We went to the Malacom (spel?) or boulevard in PPLata where the Carnival celebrations are held. Interesting, young vendors selling Haitian carvings tried selling me a large one that I knew would be a problem on the plane home. He wouldn’t take no, started off at some crazy number, and after badgering me,eventually dropped his price to $10 USD before he gave up. Those carvings are in the huts and at the resort tables for some crazy starting price. I just never thought you could get one for $10. As it was, I paid $5 for 2 small ones; never wanted them, they were too cheap, neat, hand carved, how could I say no?
We look forward to our return visit. We’ll return to PPV.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Sheri |
July 2005
What to say about our trip to Puerto PLata village.. It was really good. We went in the middle of February, 2005. It was a Relaxed trip, my boyfriend and i didn’t expect it to be quite that chilled out.
Rooms were nice. Good enough. TV didn’t work, that sucked because we like to turn it on when we are napping and getting ready.
Also.. maids seemed to have a problem with keeping towels in our rooms. Despite leaving presents every day, we still didn’t have towels every time!!!!
Food was good. Lots to pick from at the main resteraunt. Loved the mexican and italian resturaunts, the international one wasn’t that goodl.
Didn’t care for the food at the beach bar. Not enough selection. I dont eat meat, so i could choose from fries or pineapple.
The pizza stand is awesome…. had that a bunch of times. But they never opened on time – hard to get used to that lazy pace of life!!!!!
The beach is sweet we went there everyday. They try to make you to wierdo games, once we did, but most other times we ignored them. I was there to tan, not to play tag.
Cool market down the beach. Bought a nice ring and some paintings.
Didn’t do any excursions. Too Expensive!!! just took a trip to the city one day with a guide he was cool, there’s lots to see there.
Can someone please tell the resort this- AIR OUT YOUR NITECLUB!!!! the smell is horrible-sweat mixed with stale beer and cigarette smoke. Yuck, you had to be really drunk not to notice.
Staff is so friendly, dont be surprised if they sit with you at breakfast or dunk you in the ocean.
All in all, good trip. was worth the price we paid but could have been a little more perfect. We’re going to mexico next time because we want a little more of a party atmosphere.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Steph |
June 2005
We have just returned from 2 weeks of absolute luxury at Puerto Pleata Village and Beach Club, Dominican Republic. (30/5/05 – 13/6/05) I would definately recommend that everyone at least tried this resort – we had the most amazing time.
FLIGHT – The only problem with the Caribbean is the 9.5 hour flight. On the way out we had a delay but it went quite quickly and the First Choice staff dealt with it excellently. The personal in-flight entertainment was great, a little repetative but it was nice to be able to watch what you wanted instead of having to watch what they provided. Check-in was easy , we out of the airport and on the coach within about half an hour. The only thing is they give you the visas to fill in in the airport but they could do that on the plane.
CHECK-IN – Check in at the hotel was quick and efficient, the staff were really friendly. We didn’t have a bell boy, as some guests did but we were ok.
THE ROOM – We booked a standard room which was really nice. It was just big enough for the two of us. Lovely bathroom, TV facilities and air-conditioning. The maids kept the rooom really clean and tidy and made the rooms quite quirky by making the towels into interesting shapes.
THE HOTEL & ENTERTAINMENT – The staff could not do enough for us. They were really happy to help. I mean, yeah, they were working for tips but they deserved a tip after everything they did for us. They were really friendly, always saying hello and wanting to chat. The enetertainment were fabulous. They made such an effort to put on each show every night and the dancing involved was amazing. And none of them are trained dancers. Dario, "the pool bar man" was great. He chatted away to us, helped us with our Spanish and made us feel really welcome. Lenny (animation team) did water aerobics with us every day and my boyfriend became really pally with him and they had a laugh together. The animation team, in all were fantastic. They were always putting on activities and the kids club was excellent. We don’t have children of our own but a family we met had theirs with them and they couldn’t wait to get to kids club and the mini disco. The nightclub was ok, it was a bit empty due to the hotel being very quiet while we were there but that was ok.
THE FOOD – The food was also great. There was a huge selection in the buffet and all cooked to a high standard. There was one occasion we had a problem but we spoke to the manager and he asked the chefs to do us something especially, which was beautiful. The restaurants weren’t open every night and the Italian wasn’t open at all but they did put a small selection of this menu at the international restaurant. The food at the international was disappointing the first time we went in, but on the second occasion we were very impressed. The hotel put on a gala buffet once a week which was really nice to sit outside and eat some traditional Dominican food, amongst other cuisines.
There only one bad thing to really say. As we were forewarned, we were sort of expecting it but on one weekend (from Sat am to Sun PM), an influx of locals came into the resort and they did take over the place, as a generalisation. Don’t get me wrong some were very nice people but as a whole, tourists were made to feel a little uncomforatble and there were some awkward moments, particularly between local men trying their way with English women.
OVERALL – Overall the holiday was fabulous and we cannot wait to go again next year. I highly recommend that you go!! Its rated a 3*+ but it should be at least a 4*!!!!!!
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Ellen ~ Canada |
June 2005
I just returned on June 12th – AGAIN — from Puerto Plata Village. My friend and I have visited 3 times in less than 5 months – January for 1 week, March/April for 2 weeks and again in June for 1 week. I guess you can deduce that we really like it. Although this last visit, there were fewer people and a little less excitement, the animation crew still did their jobs at 110% and kept everyone going. The food was still great, the a la cart restaurants top notch. I can go on and on and on, but my primary reason for writing this review is . . . I was there the same week as Josie, Dom, Daniel, Nicholas and “the 2 mamas” and failed to get their address, phone number, e-mail – whatever. Josie, if you read this, could you please e-mail “Rabbi” at bluenoser1@mountaincable.net. Thanks!
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Josie ~ Canada |
June 2005
We have just arrived back from the Dominican on June 11,2005. We stayed at the Puerto Plata village for a week. Our stay there was very memorable. We attended with 2 children and two seniors. This resort had something to offer to all age groups. We all attended expecting very little and we left very happy. All the staff there are so very kind and hard working. They did what ever they had to so we were kept occupied during the day. Games ran from 10-12 and 3-5pm. The food was great. We all ate too much. There were 3 different restaurants and a different theme every night with entertainment. Don’t expect Las Vegas shows but boy could they entertain you! Your vacation is what you make it. The entertainment ended every night at 11 and then the Disco opened up. That, we did not get to. Too tired by that time. We did not expect all of that. The rooms were basic but who cares what the rooms are like when we are there to enjoy food, drinks, entertainment and sun, sun, sun. And boy did we every get that. The surrounding premises are just magnificent. The kids loved it there as did our moms. Just a note for all those attending the Dominican, do not underestimate the sun like we did keep the sun screen levels high 30+ because you will burn. And keep the air conditioning high in the rooms to keep out the mosquitoes. This resort was not on the beach but it is just a 5 minute ride away. It is nice to have choices on where to spend the day. There was food, drinks and entertainment where ever you chose to be. It is actually nice to have a change of scenery. It is also great because you have a short walk to the plaza or reserve the bikes and ride around playa dorata and see all the other hotels. Overall I would recommend this hotel to anyone planning their next getaway. Expect less and you will get a lot more out of it as we did.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Martyn & Gaynor ~ West Sussex England |
April 2005
Myself and my wife have just returned from the Puerto plata village on 23rd April 2005 having decided to go there to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. What can I say having read the reviews on this place I had some mixed feelings especially as we had travelled independently? I was pleasantly surpassed okay the rooms were a little basic, not the sandals type plushness but then we didn’t pay sandals money so what do expect.
they were very clean and linen and towels very changed regularly, on one day my wife and I put the don’t disturb sign on the so the maid didn’t come in and do the beds but she very kindly left new towels just in case on the door handle. the toilet cistern handle came off in my hand one morning so on the way to breakfast i went to reception and reported it before I could get back to the room to collect my stuff to go to the beach the guy was three attending to it by the time I got back that afternoon fixed. The beach was great the food in the buffet could get a little same but we eat in the restaurants every night we wanted to. The staff are extremely friendly and bust a gut to keep you entertained it rained for 4 days non stop they earn their money then. Well, done Lennie , Victor , David in the disco all great guys. We meet great people from Canada and 3 great german guys Rocki Mogly and MIchael.
If you treat these people with respect they will do anything they possibly can for you and don’t forget to take some felt tip pens colouring books and the like for the kids and sweets if you go the outback safari, which is great. Do the dolphins at ocean world as well. if you do go get your trips from Manuel or Sandra at Alav tours in the plaza just down the road from the complex they are so much cheaper and just as safe even though your tour operator will tell they aren’t. Its not true and you’ll save at least 30%. go and enjoy. Any more hints give us a shout on email FMOSSMERCURY@AOL.COM
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Sylvie and Natalie ~ Halifax, Nova Scotia |
April 2005
Thank you Debbie, for this site. The reviews I read usually help us decide on whether we got to a certain resort. Since I get usually information from this site, I’ll give you my opinion on this resort and tips to make your vacation a great one. First let me say I’ve traveled to Negril, Jamaica, Holguin, Cuba, Mayan Riviera, Mexico, Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, DR. I usually stay at 4 and 5 star resorts. This is the first 3.5 star we’ve stayed at and I don’t regret it one bit! On this trip my sister and I traveled together, both in our late 30’s. I’m going to try to be brief…
Let’s start with Check In – It went very quickly and smoothly. We arrived at 1:00am and the only people at check in were from our bus. The air conditioning didn’t work, so we went back to inquire on getting it fixed, instead, they changed our room. I didn’t expect the service to be that quick. I’ve been to a 5 star and had to wait more than a day for the same thing!
Room – We were in a room not far from the pool and dining area. Perfect location. The rooms are not fancy. They are dated, the furniture is old, but the beds are comfortable. If spending time in a beautiful room is your thing, then this is not the resort for you. If you’re only using for a bit of sleep, no problem. Know that most of the standard rooms do not have hairdryers or fridges. We never had a problem with the hot water, or any of the staff cleaning our rooms. We called one time to get towels, and they arrived before I got out the shower! Another quick service I have yet to see at a 4 or 5 star.
Property – The grounds were constantly being groomed. The property is clean. The layout of the resort is nice, set like a village and the villas are designed in Victorian style, much like you see in Puerto Plata city. The pool and bar area is the perfect gathering place at the end of the day. It’s comfortable, looks like a cantina and it’s conducive to meeting lots of people. The a la carte restaurants and buffet restaurant are in the same area. The snack bar is near the bar. The bar and snacks are really 24 hours. The snacks serve hot dogs and pizza, that’s it. I loved the pizza.
The bartenders were so friendly. They never ignored you and I never waited long for my drinks, no matter what time of day or night.
Pool – The pool was nice. The water was the perfect temperature, most importantly not too cold. It was pretty quiet despite all the people around. Water games and stuff picked up in the afternoon. At the end of the pool, there’s a waterfall. Looks nice. The swim up bar had great service.
Beach – We never had a long wait to get to the beach. The shuttle ride was another opportunity to meet people and it only took about 5 minutes to get there. About 15 if you walked. The beach was clean, plenty of loungers, though many of them are also broken. Never a problem finding shade. Loungers were easier to find if you headed to the beach in the morning, a bit of a challenge in the afternoon. The vendors aren’t a problem. They know when you aren’t interested. The market is at the end of the beach on the left side (facing the water). PPV has one of the best parts of the beach.
At first I thought I would mind being so close to the airport (only 20 minutes away) and seeing the planes overhead. Turns out, it didn’t bother me at all.
The beach grill opens from 11am to 3pm. It served a variety of foods, fries, vegetables, salad, fruit, beef, chicken. It seemed there was something different every day. Try the ham & cheese grilled sandwiches, they were good!
The snorkeling off the beach is not that great, though there are a couple of rocks, coral you can see that have some fish and sea urchins. Not much compared to other beaches we’ve been to. The sand was smooth and we did not need watersocks to get in the water.
Restaurants – I was pleasantly surprised at what this resort had to offer. There was something different every night at the buffet restaurant. There are no theme nights as you would find in 4 or 5 star hotels, but that didn’t matter. I loved the self serve coffee station. That beat having to wait around for someone to serve you, especially for a coffee addict like me! There is a Dominican specialty corner where local dishes are served. Breakfast was really good. If you are looking for food that looks like home, tastes like home and you are too afraid to try something, then stay home. Some of the food at suppertime didn’t look all that appetizing, but it tasted fine and some of it really good! Don’t be put off by the appearance of the dishes. Their chicken was always amazing, no matter how the prepared it.
This resort has 3 a la carte restaurants. My favorite was the Mexican, then the International, (they had good steak), and least favorite was the Italian (the wine was horrible, the pasta was ok). We reserved for all 3 restaurants the first morning we were there. It was not a problem booking ahead and all at once. We actually had other people join us last minute and didn’t seem to be a problem.
Entertainment – We were there for Holy Week, so things were a bit lower key than usual I think. Some of the services at the beach were closed and I think the shows were not as elaborate as usual. The disco was closed Good Friday, it was packed that Saturday when it re-opened. The entertainment was that important to us, though we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the company of the many friends we met and hung out with around the cantina bar. What I found cute was the kids disco/entertainment at the beginning of the evening. It’s a great way to include the kids, having them come up on stage to dance and sing.
Excursions – The only excursion we did was a day trip to Puerto Plata city and Sosua beach. It cost us about $35 US. It was a nice day and nice to see what’s outside of the resort.
If you buy coffee, don’t buy it at the market, your best price is at the Playa Dorada Plaza or in the city. We also found the best price for rum in the city, or at the Plaza.
Conclusion – Bring a water bottle with a wide enough opening for ice cubes. If you are a big water drinker like I am, you’ll need a bottle. Water is dispensed in coolers with the big 18Liter bottles. It never sits there long enough to get cold, but you can ask for ice and put that in your water bottle when you fill it.
If you are looking for a resort with lots of marble, columns and classy looking areas, this is not the place. It is clean, comfortable, relaxing, but not all that fancy.
Don’t forget your sunscreen and your waterbottle. Try the pizza at the snack bar. We brought toiletry items and candy for housekeeping, they seemed to really appreciate it. All the staff enjoy the fact you acknowledge them with an HOLA in the morning, no matter what type of staff they were.
I’ve read a lot about locals “taking over the resort”. I’m not sure what the problem was with past reviews I’ve read. For a good portion of our week, our resort was pretty evenly split between English, Canadians and Dominicans. I can assure you the Dominicans were not ruder or pushier than the rest of us. This is one of the things I actually enjoyed about this resort, the fact that so many locals were vacationing with us.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten something…. But if you have any questions, or want to know more, or you think I can be of more help, just drop me a line at travelissylvie@hotmail.com
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Canada |
April 2005
Puerto Plata Village, april 6th – 13th, husband, 2 kids and myself. First of all I just want to say that we had the time of our lives. Until this trip we never have taken our kids with us, but felt it was time. This resort was very kid-friendly!! As well, it was adult friendly, we can see ourselves going back here without the kids next year (decided to take them every OTHER year)
check in: greeted with smiles, a cocktail each, very welcoming, efficient, given our key, remote for TV, safe key ($15 for a week) and coupons for a’la carte dining.
our room: we booked superior, but didnt feel it should have been called that. This was the only real downer was our room, double beds (spoiled by bigger I guess), very plain, just too small and ordinary. We have been to other 3 star resorts and have always had better rooms. They did show us the master suite and if we go back next year we get an upgrade to one of those when we book superior. The suite was really nice, VERY spacious, couch, chairs, huge patio with 2sets of doors to it, large fridge better decorated etc….
meals: I am a very picky eater, so its not too fair for me to assess the buffet, because I ate fruit and bread a lot!! My husband loved their pizzeria and mexican restaurants, their breakfasts in the buffet restaurant were great!! French toast, omelets made in front of you, bacon, etc…there were always lots of choices for food there, I found myself really wishing that they had french or ranch salad dressing though….I didnt eat salad all week because I am not fond of vinagarette dressings or italian…..one other item that would have helped my family out would have been HEINZ ketchup!!!! Their ketchup is not good ( in our opinion….we love ketchup!), if we go back next year I am bringing ketchup (packets in purse) and a small bottle of ranch dressing. I had 2 meals in the international restaurant and ordered the steak meal both times, cooked exactly how I liked it and very very good!!!!! Best meal I had there was these 2 steak meals served with mashed potatoes and fresh buttered bread..mmm…
kids club what a godsend!! we brough our kids there a few times, just for an hour each time though, when we needed a little break from them!! They played on the playground, watched english cartoons, played with lego with the childcare provider, she took them for a couple of walks etc, we always tipped her a couple of dollars every time we came and got them.
staff I have never met a friendlier, enthusiastic bunch of staff. They were simply wonderful to all of us!! They are very hard working and courteous, always smiling!!!!! I tipped them as much as I could afford!!! There was one woman that worked in buffet restaurant that was especially sweet to my daughter always smiling and tending to her….she would say good morning and cut up her sausages for her, put ketchup on her eggs for her, etc,,,,all the things that I make her do for herself!!! Her name is Annie, if you are reading this Annie, thank you so much alyssa says she misses you!!!
pool groundskeepers were constantly skimming leaves out of pool , pool was a good size and had great bar tenders serving the swim up bar drinks!! They kept making my kids banana milk shakes, they felt like they were drinking pina colodas like their mom!! pool was clean and well maintained
activities we didnt really take part in too many activities, my husband got coaxed into a beer drinking competition it was hilarious!! he won too!! The activities staff do a GREAT job motivating people and keeping them entertained
In conclusion, we loved this resort and might go back next year!! If anyone needs any info or wants to see a specific photo of resort email me and I will get back to you. lorann17@hotmail.com
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Penny, Wayne, Nicola, Hannah and Lauren ~ UK |
April 2005
Hi, we just got back from a return visit to ppv earlier this month and we had a great time! Although the atmosphere was a bit different it was still very welcoming.
The Staff The staff are the best part of the holiday. The Animation staff, Victor, Romi, Ruben, Richard, Pablo and Matthew(who was by far the most entertaining member of staff, but sadly finished his training half way through our second week.) There were also the dancers(Alberto, Melvin and their team) who try hard to put on some entertaining shows. One night they did a "Water Fantasy" show which was brilliant. All of the Animation staff and dancers joined in. At the end of the show all of the guests were invited to jump in the pool fully clothed for one night only. We then did the club dance and merengued with the staff in the water. It was fantastic!!
During the day most of the staff made an effort to entertain the guests around the pool and on the beach. However last year Jack, John and Francisco tried even harder to entertain by getting more involved with the activities. The bar staff David, Joselin, Sandy, Sandy & Francisco also tried hard to make you feel welcome. They always had happy smiley faces. Overall they are all amazing and make you smile!
Resort
The resort was clean and tidy, there wasn’t a piece of litter anywhere. Everywhere you go you will find a gardener or cleaner trying their hardest to make it a nice clean environment. The rooms are basic, but have everything you need. (Who’s going to spend all day in their room anyway. It’s the Caribbean!) They are cleaned daily by the hard working cleaners who are also extremely friendly. The beach is beautiful and again there’s lots going on if you are looking for something to do. Get a snorkel and swim out the reef right in front of the beach. So long as the sea is clear you’ll see lots of fish (especially if you take a piece of bread or a boiled egg to feed them!). There are a lot of vendors, but if you politely say "no" and smile they won’t harrass you. The shops and bars at the Plaza are worth a visit. Especially the coffee bar (which serves the best iced tea) and Hemingway’s Bar. The taxi drivers at the gate will take you out to Puerto Plata or Sosua. For a standard price they will stay with you the whole day, and take you to see their house and their friends and the shops and the sights and basically give you a real taste of their country for a very reasonable price.
Food The food was lovely and there was lots to choose from, La Pinata(Mexican ****), La Cupey(International*), La Regola(Italian***), La Pizzeria(24hr Pizza and Hot Dogs), Buffet and the BBQ at the beach. There are many cocktails to choose from but be careful you don’t drink too many coconut cocktails because you get an upset tummy.
The bars are great too, but watch out for the Dominican rum measure. It’s a bit bigger than at home! The ice is fine. It’s made from purified water.
Trips/Excursions
Last year we went on the Outback Safari. We loved it so much we went back for a second time it was one of the best days we had. They take you to see the real Dominican Republic! They show you a typical house and how they live, they also show you where all the local children go to school. At the end you go boogie boarding on Cabarette beach which is amazing the waves are very powerful!
We also went on the Freestyle Catamaran last year. They take you snorkeling in Sosua which is amazing. But this year we had a change and went on the Banana Republic Party Catamaran, which was even better as it was bigger. They also took you snorkeling in Sosua but this time there was a slide and diving board which was great fun. The crew were really friendly and make an effort to keep you happy (including holding a bag for those who were struggling with sea-sickness!). Another great afternoon out is the cable -car that travels all the way up the nearby mountain. You have to make your own way to this, which is easy enough as you can get one of the taxi’s that are waiting at the hotel gate. Once you get to the entrance to the cable- car, you are met by a member of staff who offers to guide you around the top of the mountain. We recommend it as it is very interesting and educational.
A small complaint is that more of the shows and entertainment should be staged outside. The weather was absolutely fantastic the whole time we were there but many of the shows were held in the Salon Conveniences. This was a freezing cold room that was dark and dreary.
Overall this is definitely money well spent as it is the best holiday we have ever been on and we hope to make another return visit one day. See you soon ppv!!
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Trish |
April 2005
Hi, just came back from ppv on april,6/05.I felt this was a 1 star resort,the food was,nt great.the bar drinks were terrible and our room was old and uncomfortable{no shower for two days].I felt during the day things were okay,the beach was good although its far from the resort.At night there was not much to do ,we went to other resorts at night for late night entertainment.I would never go back or recommend this resort.If I went back to the Dominican I would stay in a 5 star resort paying abit more would surely have been worth it to all of us.On a good note we loved the Outback Jungle Safari and the natural water fall and going into the poverty stricken areas.Bring lots of food snacks,books,pencils and money to give to all the kids,This was the highlight of our trip and very educational.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Dan ~ UK |
April 2005
Hi i have just returned from a PPV and all i can say about the hotel is all postive:
The staff
All the staff at PPV are very friendly people and always make you feel welcome and bring a smile to your face. The maids made up the room lovely everyday, Bar staff were great always happy and singing excepcally david 😛 . The animation team are very friendly, always smiling they invovle everybody and make a effort to go and talk to everyone not just certain people. They run activities (water aerobics, darts, spainish lesson ect) throught the day for people to join in and have some fun. The dancers are all awsome but dont speak that much english but thats ok.The show that they did were excellent and always kept us entertained. Angelina (kid club) is the best out of them all shes good with the kids and is such a lovley person to!
The pool/bars/club/food
The pool was a nice size not to big and not to small and Its was clean at all times aswell. Bars lots of them there is always a bar open. The club was good they play diffrent types of music so everyone will enjoy that closes at 2am. The food, i found with the food selection there was alot of meat in the buffet i did find that there was much choose. The italian restrant was lovely i found the lasgane very nice. The mexican and the internationaly i didnt enjoy as much though .
Trips
We went to Ocean World Adventure Park Which was really good and was worth it. We did the dophin encounter where we got to dance/touch/feed and hug a dophin. Also we did the seal lion encounter which was scary but alot of fun and you get VERY wet. Dueing both these encounters photos are taken which can be bought after the encounter. There is a lagoon there which you can also sunbath by and the lagoon and two tigers at the side of it but they are behind glass its very cute! Its a great day out!
Overall I think this hotel is excellent in nearly everyway and i will be going back next April ! I would most definatly recommend ths hotel!!!
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Lori |
April 2005
We visited Puerto Plata, DR on March 23rd, 2005. We stayed at Puerto Plata Village. What can I say other than it was a fantastic vacation. The resort is rated at 3 ½ stars but I would have to say that it is rated that way because it is not located directly on the beach.
Overall, I would only have positive things to say about PPV. But there were a couple of negatives.
First, the positives. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the grounds were very well kept. There were all kinds of daily activities each day and the nightlife was great.
The pool bar was the best. The bartender Jocelyn (sweetheart) would never let you run out. He would always make sure you had a drink.
The A La Carte restaurants were excellent. I would have to say that the Mexican was the best. (A word of advice: Book the A La Carte restaurants early. We were a little late booking and we couldn’t get an opening until day 4 of our trip. But once we discovered that then we booked the remainder.) You can book each one (Italian, Mexican, International) only once during a seven-day stay.
There was a 24-hour bar and a pizzeria. The pizza was great.
The beach was great. The resort wasn’t directly on the beach but there was a shuttle going back and forth all day and you never had to wait long (about every 10 minutes or so). If you wanted to walk it would probably take about 15 minutes.
We bought most of our souvenirs at the market on the beach. It is cheaper than in the city but you have to bargain with them. Most of the things they sell are not worth half of what they are selling it for.
The casino was located just across the street from PPV in Jack Tar village. They have a Yuk-Yuks comedy show there on Thursday nights. We won a little money but nothing to brag about.
We spent a couple of days outside the resort. We visited Ocean World Adventure Park. It was great. It cost us $55 US per person for a full day admission. A little pricey but your meals were included (not drinks). We also did a half-day city tour that was enjoyable as well.
Now, for the negatives. We arrived early in the morning (9:30 am) and our rooms were not ready until 3 pm. We had to sit around for most of the day and wait to go to our rooms. We all managed to dig out our swimwear after waiting so long and changed in the lobby bathrooms and hit the pool until we could go to our rooms.
The food was good but it started to get a little repetitive by the end of the vacation. There is a bit of an unpleasing aroma in the dining room (I guess it’s from the mixture of seafood dishes that they prepare everyday) Breakfast had to be the best meal of the day.
The maids were great but we found they were a little slow at cleaning the rooms. Not a big deal because we never spent much time there anyways. The rooms overall were clean but they are becoming very old and outdated.
I would definitely recommend Puerto Plata Village to anyone.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Chelsea |
March 2005
We went from ohare to PPV on march 11th, we flew condor airlines, awesome flight, awesome crew. The takeoff’s and landings , incredible! Since this was only the second time ive flown i was scared, but Condor has me wanting to fly again. Anyway, we arrived at PPV around 5pm, we were checked in and in our rooms in less than a half hour.
Very friendly staff, very helpful. I have some good things to say about PPV, and quite a few bad. The good, maid service, we never wanted for clean towels, sheets, soap, or really anything we couldnt live without. Tip them the first or second night your there $3us dollars and you wont believe the service thay will give you. They even came back at night to check towels and such and turn down our beds. When you go to leave tip them again they really do work very hard, we also left them our shampoo, bug spray, toothpaste, etc..
The beach was very beautiful, and the walk is not far at all, but you can always take the shuttle. They keep up the grounds very nice, and it is a very clean enviroment.
The food, I was not happy with alot of it, we were never told that you had to make reservations for dinner, and were not informed of it until the apple rep came at noon the next day. By then we are in our second day and still eating at the cafeteria. I dont like the fact that we had to make reservations and they have to be made in the early morning or they are full. The restaurants were very good, very good service, very friendly staff, and it was nice to get dressed up a little. The mexican would have to be my favorite. I do have to say that after a few days of eating the meat, it was not what you have at home, very strange taste, so i did end up eating alot of pasta, salad, and so much pineapple that i dont think i’ll ever eat it again.
Back to the beach, and the shopping, BARTER BARTER BARTER!!! Dont think you can go downtown and get better deals, you wont!! They constantly come up to you at the beach selling everything under the sun, either barter if u want what they are selling or we found that if you just pretend you are asleep they will leave you alone. Downtown, if you dont want to see how very very poor people live and have children begging you for food dont head there. It’s very dirty and very depressing, But when you go home you will appreciate the lives that you live there.
Our Apple Rep, Gustavo, when we did see him which was once the whole trip and that was our second day, we were there 7 gave very little information unless you asked, all he was interested in doing was selling excursions which by the way if you want to spend $100US per person, thats up to you. They do sell them cheaper downtown but we were informed not to buy from anyone but Apple. From what we heard from other guests, paradise island is a rip off, you spend 3 and a half hours on a bus, then you go by boat and they fly big time, very reckless. The island is very small but we were told very beautiful. The party all nite long tour, Heard that drinks were were expensive and the music on the bus was intolerable.
We did hear that the Outbake safari was very cool, but yet again they take you to a very poor home and school. I think the one thing that really made me mad was that if you werent english or CANADIAN, you were not in the elite, dont get me wrong, but its like the few Americans that were there were not acknowledged. When they would ask who was from where, they never even spoke of the USA and there were some there, spending their hard earned money just like everyone else.
I guess my final gripe would be that you had to drink their rum, their beer and was hoping for at least a little variety, maybe some American somewhere. I guess if your going there it would be a good idea only to stay 4 or 5 days, after a while its all repetious, same music all day long, same food, same drinks.
On a good note the swim up bar was really cool, the bartenders there were awesome, Thanks Sandy!! Last thing, whether from America or wherever bring the wristbands, that have "till they all come home" or even the ones your children are wearing, you can pretty much get whatever you want in trade, its really really big there, they cant get them.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Thomas ~ Ottawa, Canada |
March 2005
We stayed at Puerto Plata Village in late March 2005. It was our first visit to the Puerto Plata area.
Of all the resorts that we stayed at, Puerto Plata Village rates amongst the best. The food was fine whether taken at the buffet or in one of the three restaurants. The staff was very good at their jobs and very friendly.
As Puerto Plata Village is not on the beach, there is a short 5 minute trip to the beach via a shuttle or a 15 minute walk. However once at the beach, there is a good beach bar and grill run by the resort. The beach vendors were not annoying and a simple “No gracias” was all that was needed to turn them away if one was not interested.
Apart from the beach, there was always something to do. The nightly entertainment was generally good and a casino is just across the road. A 15 minute walk will take you to the shopping plaza.
The two basic types of rooms are apartment-like and bungalow-like ones (6 to a block). While the bungalow-like ones are bigger and nicer, the other type is fine. One noticeable and perhaps annoying item is the musty smell of the bed clothing probably caused by the humidity and dampness.
In short, we enjoyed our stay at the Puerto Plata Village.
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Wendy from Winnipeg, Canada |
March 2005
Eighteen of us traveled in February (5 from Winnipeg and 13 from Edmonton) to Puerto Plata Village. We ranged in age from three to early 60s and everyone enjoyed the great time.
It was the fourth stay at Puerto Plata Village for my husband and I and the third for my sister and brother in law, and we really wondered why we had gone anywhere else. Although this resort is rated a 3 ½ Star (I think that is only because you have a short walk to the beach) we have found it far superior to other higher rated resorts. We have visited Punta Cana (5 Star and the worst food, staff, etc) and Varadaro Cuba (4 Star, good but not the same) and they don’t compare to Puerto Plata Village.
Staff
The staff from the chambermaids to the Manager are very professional and caring. The “towel boys” were great, always smiling and sharing a joke, and Pedro the “oyster shucker” watch over us every day. We were very impressed with the animation staff. They interacted with all the guests equally and did not just hang around with certain guests as we have found at other resorts. They had games and activities organized at all times for those that were interested and although we didn’t take in many shows the ones that we did see were very good.
Check In
Our check in was very fast and efficient compared to what we are use to. Our rooms were ready when we arrived and were clean and comfortable. (How much time to you spend there anyway?). The Edmonton bunch arrived 2 days before us and some were not happy with their room, however Olga, Guest Services Manager, had it straightened out in no time and everything was settled to their liking.
Restaurants and Bars We ate at all three al a carte restaurants, the buffet and the Beach Bar and Grill. The food has really improved since our last stay in 2001. The Mexican is our favourite however the food was good anywhere and the afternoon pizza was the best.
The bar staff (except one) where amazing, happy, singing and laughing all the time. The bar tender at the swim up bar was so good to the kids (ages 3 to 10) and served them “drinks” too. He makes a wicked gin and tonic, good thing it’s not a long swim to the ladder.
Beach
A tractor cleans the beach area of Playa Dorado daily and the staff are always raking and picking up. It may not be the whitest sand we have seen but the beach is definitely the cleanest. There are plenty of “chairs long” for everyone and the bar is a short walk from any where on the beach. The water was great as was the weather.
All in all had a great vacation at Puerto Plata Village and I am sure we will be back in 2006
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Ellen from NS, Canada |
March 2005
My name is Ellen from NS, Canada and last month a group of 7 of us girls went to Puerto Plata Village Feb. 19-26th. We had an amazing time and I would definitely recommend this resort to other people. We knew it was a 3 ½ star so we were a little skeptical but as students the price was right and it still seemed to have a lot to offer. I had been to Tryp Cayo Caco in Cuba and Brisas Guardalavaca which were both 4 stars but I had just as great a time here. In fact the food was far superior to anything I had in Cuba. We LOVED the 24 hour pizza and the buffet and a la carte restaurants were so good! The weather was beautiful each day and we spent most of our time at the beach. We also did two excursions: paradise island and a waterfall tour. Paradise Island was beautiful and the snorkeling was amazing but it was a very long day. 7:30am – almost 7pm. Beware how much you party the night before the excursions! The waterfall was a MUST SEE! There are a couple tours that sound similar so make sure this is the one where they take you up into the falls – 7 levels! I can’t even describe how amazing it was. The guides are amazing. But go – do not go if u are older or not fit because u will have some trouble getting up the falls – the only reason to go on the tour!!! We definitely would recommend this resort and this area for younger people who like to party a lot. It was great having a choice of discos and bars to go to. We went to Mangu (very fun), our hotel disco, and Hemmingways (at the plaza each night!) and had a great time at them all. Just try them out! There were some little things that weren’t perfect about the resort like not having really warm water in the shower, but we didn’t go to talk about those things! We didn’t complain once because we were there for the sun, beach, partying and meeting people and having fun. Great place for families with kids as well. The beach was busy but we liked that. I would definitely go back if the price was right – don’t be put off by the bad things people say about the resort – traveling is an experience and people’s standards vary!
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| Puerto Plata Village – Playa Dorada | Anne & Tom ~ Winnipeg |
March 2005
Just returned from a wonderful 2 week stay at P.P.V. Cannot say enough about the all of the staff, maids, cooks, waiters, bar staff and the hard working animacion team: Lennie, Alberto, Victor, Pablo et al. You are all great.
FOOD: the buffet was very varied and had plenty of choices for everyone, you will not go hungry at this resort. The fresh fruit and salad bar were beyond reproach, and the dining area was always kept clean and fresh, tables cleared of used dishes immediately. The a-la-cartes were good. the Mexican was a 4star experience, service and great Chicken Fachitas, very friendly and attentive servers. The italian was almost as good, but I am sorry to say the International did not come up to par, and then maybe we just went on a bad night.
ROOMS. Our room was ready for us when we got there, very basic but extremely well looked after by the hard working maid, plenty of towels and soap and toilet paper, sheets changed every few days, great working AC and nice balcony.
ENTERTAINMENT. As I said the animacion team work ther little butts off and it was really quite professional on some nights, and a few laughs with the holidaymakers willing to get up there to be laughed at. Kudos to all of you.
BARS. All of the bars were great in their own way, the swim up bar was fun, the lobby bar was nice and quiet and cool for a change of pace, and the main bar was kept busy all the time. All bar staff were great fun, especially "hello BaBY" Hi Marco.
CHECK IN. Very quick and efficient, we were in our rooms in no time flat, with our luggage about 1 minute behind. Would we go back there, you bet, it is a great place for the money, the only thing that stops this from being a 4 star hotel is it’s location, off the beach, but then we have all day to get there, so no big deal, if you are considering this hotel for any future stays, go ahead, it is GREAT!!!!!!
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