Dominican Republic

This was our first sun destination this year. We've heard good things about this hotel so we thought we should give it a try. We are experienced travelers and our expectations were probably a little high for this one. Our dissapointment came right off the bat, when we entered the room. The concept/design intention is great. However, I've never seen a hotel room finishes more poorly executed in my entire 30 years experience. Right as you enter it, the linoleum floors (first time I see linoleum in a hotel room) look moldy, stained and deformed from all the humidity. The walls are patched and painted over without any attention to finishing/sanding. The paint job also very badly done. A 3 year old could do it better. The grout in the shower tiles were moldy as well, not cleaned properly. The toilet was not cleaned, there were blood marks/splashes on the wall beside it as well. The shelves were dirty with sticky liquids of some sort.The fan in the room makes a bad noise as it will fall off. The phone does not work in the room. Apart from that, the bed sheets were clean, the towels were clean. We did mention the condition of the room to a few employees around but we never got any response back. The hotel staff was polite. The waiters in the buffet were attentive and nice. We particularly liked Wilton so we went there every night for a little desert or chese plate after dinner to be on his station, to say hello to him. Out off all the a la carte restaurants, we tried the Bordeaux, Portofino, the mexican and the beach Grill. The beach grill had a great steak, and the French one had a very good duck confit and lamb shank. The entertainment was very good compared with other all-inclusive resorts we've been at. The entertainers work hard all day trying to make the customers feel welcomed and not bored. The spa was nice, but felt a little rushed through the water treatments and some of the massage therapists lacked proper training, were inexperienced. One would expect a minimal professional massage for the "premium" price they charge. The bathrooms at the pool and on the beach were not clean and often missing soap and paper. The floors and sink area were not tended to often enough as well. The bar staff on the beach were always around if you needed a drink. We did not like the constant harassing of the beach vendors. Another inconvenient thing is that you need to pay around $1000 CAD extra for the "Preferred" status upgrade to get a better room and have access to other amenities of the hotel, like sections on beach, pool, bars. restaurants, lounge, etc. Everywhere you turned, there were signs with privileged area where you would not have access to. This makes you feel a little off, unapreciated as a guest. We were offered that upgrade at the beginning but we refused it because they said that there is no room available for us to upgrade to. Therefore, considering the "spare room" we got stuck with for the whole stay, it made no sense to pay that enormous amount. Overall, not the best place we've stayed at, but the people are nice. I don't think we will revisit this resort. P.S. we did tip all the employees that serviced us, all around the resort, regardless of the service quality provided. We come from a lifetime of services ourselves...

Very relaxing. Quiet space available. Buffet dining excellent with different theme every night. Accommodations were 5 star. Staff were pleasant and helpful beyond expectations. Wasn't overly impressed with a la carte dinning facilities. We much preferred the resort when it was Adult only, not suited for children.. Would highly recommend this resort and we will definitely return in the future.

Staff are super friendly room was clean.

We stayed a total of 7 nights in the "adults only" area which is the upscale area of the whole complex, check-in process was expedite and they provided us a private space to get changed as we got there earlier than the check-in time. Inside the hotel there are VIP areas that belong to the "Exclusive Traveler Club", and there are sellers that are constantly trying to sale you the club, be aware of them. The beach is gorgeous; however the amount of lounge chairs is not enough for all the guests, therefore we had to wake up early to "reserve" a pair, otherwise we would have seated far from the beach. The gardens and common areas are beautiful and well maintained, we stayed on the third floor with an overview of the pool and main plaza, a bit far from the beach but was OK. There is a bar nearby the beach and the staff is always available to serve, in general the people working there are super friendly, kind and happy. There are several restaurants with different type of food, from Italian, Peruvian, Steak house, Asian, etc. most of them needs a reservation which can be done through a website, and of course there is a buffet with good options, including a “Dominican” theme night on Friday with typical food, rum and performance, it is highly recommended! There are more facilities in the other side of the complex including shops, restaurants, pool, theatre, etc. We ended a couple of nights in that area as the shows were more entertained as the VIP area is calmer and quieter. Also, there are kayaks available for free, as well as snorkeling and sailboats. The closest town is only 15 min away by walk, cute area with shops, restaurants and bars. In general we had a good week, if only the beach area was less crowded… :)

We stayed for 10 days and were 2 couples. We enjoyed our vacation. The hotel was very nice and clean. The food was pretty good and there was a decent choice. It's a smaller complex so great for those who have difficulty walking. We had a swim out room and loved the privacy of being able to cool down without going to the bigger pool. We had some minor issues, mix up at check in ect but they were handled without too much trouble. I would recommend this hotel if you're looking for a quiet getaway to soak up the sun and relax.

Bahia Principe Esmeralda.

The resort was a lot smaller than we typically vacation at. For some ways, this was good, as service in restaurants and bars was fantastic. However, being so small had less to offer for kids activities.

Firstly, I found the rooms to be very outdated and in need of renovation. The decor and amenities are not up to modern standards, which detracted from the comfort of my stay. Additionally, there was no air conditioning in the restaurants, making it extremely difficult to enjoy dinner without sweating profusely. This significantly impacted the overall dining experience. The buffet restaurant was another major disappointment. The food quality was subpar, and the area itself was quite dirty, which was unpleasant and unappetizing. Oceanside and ZEN restaurant food quality was another let down. Hunters steakhouse and Rio restaurants were amazing and together with lazy river the highlight of our trip. Furthermore, the customer service throughout the hotel was poor; staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful when approached with concerns.With exceptions at the diamond club pool bar. Regarding the Diamond Club, I found it to be not worth the extra cost. The lobby had no air conditioning, making it uncomfortable to spend time there, and other hotel guests (not Diamond club) were using the Diamond Club pool and beach area, leading to confusion and a lack of exclusivity. Lots of locals on weekends making the pool, beach and bar area very noisy and crowded. We will definitely not recommend this hotel. This hotel is at most a 3 star.

While the resort grounds, beach access, pools, and bar service were satisfactory, the guestroom condition was outdated and poorly maintained, falling well below expectations for a premium 5-star, family-friendly resort. The combination of unresolved room maintenance issues and concerns around food quality, sanitation, and hygiene significantly detracted from our stay, making the experience stressful and disappointing, particularly while traveling with a 4-year-old child. Key issues experienced during our stay: 1. Non-functional air conditioning made our stay horrible, especially with 29 - 31 degrees C at night. The prolonged heat and sweating caused significant discomfort, especially for our 4-year-old child. 2. Faulty toilet: The toilet produced a constant water-dripping noise throughout the night, further disrupting sleep, particularly problematic given the lack of air conditioning. 3. Unclean in-room jacuzzi and dirty washroom upon arrival 4. Unsanitary coffee machine: The in-room coffee machine was dirty and showed signs of rust, raising concerns about cleanliness, hygiene, and room readiness. 5. The buffet offered a wide variety of dishes, but cross-contamination is a significant concern. There weren't enough serving spoons and spatulas, leading to customers reusing the same utensils for multiple dishes. Additionally, the dishes were not properly labeled. The live grill, which is used as an omelette station in the morning and a meat station for lunch and dinner, was dirty and had grease buildup. 6. The kids' club is a joke. The caregivers are teenagers who can't communicate in English; instead, they keep yelling at the kids in Spanish. When I went to drop my child off, I hesitated after seeing the poor condition of the place and the kids there. I noticed a couple of kids crying, but the caregivers didn't bother to check on them. Some of the earlier reviews on Google and TripAdvisor mention that the kids' club is a breeding ground for hand, foot, and mouth disease and other contagious infections due to sanitation issues.

Our stay at the Bahia Principe Grand Aquamarine was outstanding from start to finish! From the moment we arrived, the staff set the tone with their welcoming attitude and genuine care. Every interaction felt relaxed and friendly which made the entire experience feel effortless and comfortable. The resort itself is beautiful. The grounds are kept in excellent condition, the pool areas are spacious and there were a lot of opportunities for activities. The room and the food were amazing, and I can't overstate how much my partner and I enjoyed our stay.