Excellence Punta Cana

Spent 2 weeks with my husband at this resort. Very Clean Polite and helpful Staff Stayed in the Club Section [Details]

I recently stayed at Excellence Punta Cana and I was very pleased with my stay. I was looking for a nice adults-only all-inclusive spot with a nice beach and good service. And I wasn't disappointed. The room was very nice and clean, with a huge rain shower in the bathroom and a relaxing bathtub with jets in the main rooom. The food overall was good, but the a la carte restaurants available for dinner were really good (standouts to me were the Asian and Mexican spots). They had lots of bars all over the resort so you wouldn't have to walk far to find one. Included in your room is more alcohol which can be used as much as you like at no additional cost. I didn't stay at the Excellence Club area (an upgrade), but after checking it out, I wish I had looked into it more as guests that pay for the upgrade get better rooms, a private beach and extra pools and more attentive service. [Details]

Friendly people, very clean, lots to do, private pool room well worth the extra cost. Felt safe, Beach was great and no merchants to bother you. [Details]

Overall a great experience. Good food, nice room, good service. Would recommend this resort for other couples. [Details]

This stay was absolutely amazing! This was mine and my husbands first time in Dominican. My husband and I celebrated our honeymoon here and it was such a relaxing, peaceful week at this resort.

Our 2 favourite meals were the romantic dinner on the beach and the Spice restaurant. Fantastic food at both! 24 hour room service was also amazing - we took full advantage of this. Nachos and chicken strips were ordered nearly every night! While I am a picky eater, some of the food was not my favourite. My go-to drink while on holidays is a vodka soda splash of pineapple juice and I found I did not enjoy it as much at this resort as I have at other resorts. It tasted different/unusual every time I ordered it. I tried several other drinks on their menus which were very tasty!

We were very happy that we decided to purchase the club excellence as we took advantage of what it had to offer and we loved being on that side of the resort. The club excellence pools were our favourite pools. We spent most of our time at these pools which was amazing. The swim-up bar was located in a strange location and did not have a good view of the ocean.

The ocean was extremely wavy and there was a LOT of seaweed. My husband and I are pool people so this did not bother us, however, we would not recommend this resort to someone who loves to swim in the ocean/spend most of their time by the ocean.

The entertainment (specifically the circus show and fire show) were FANTASTIC!

We purchased the Gardenview room and we loved that our room looked out onto 2 of the club excellence pools. We also loved how modern the rooms were and the tub in the main part of the room was awesome!
The staff were all extremely friendly and welcoming.

As this was our honeymoon, we were able to take advantage of the Honeymoon package which was free to us as we were married within the last 3 months and this was an excellent bonus!

Lastly, we decided to do the Couples Hydrotherapy/75 minute massage and this was AMAZING - would highly recommend!

Overall, our stay at this resort was incredible. While I did name a few downfalls above - none of these things put a damper on our trip. We will definitely try out the other Excellence resorts! [Details]

Its nice, but wouldn't go back [Details]

Almost everything was very nice from check-in to check-out. The room was very good. Everything worked, the AC was perfect, the bed comfortable. We had a nice view of the pool and the ocean from building 8 and it looked to be the same from all of the buildings. The size of the resort was just right. It was easy to get walk around to everything. The staff were without exception very nice and professional. The Gym was one of the nicest I have seen in the many resorts we have stayed at all over Mexico and the Caribbean. We tried all of the restaurants and they were all good. We really enjoyed the fact that you didn't have to fight to save a chair by the pool or beach and most of them were under thatched roofs. The water in the pools and the ocean was warm. It was nice to be able to sit at the edge of the beach and still be close to the pool/bars/restrooms. The only slight complaint about the pool was the lack of towels after noon. We had to hunt to find one or find a staff member who would get one for us.
The entertainment was mostly dancers who danced to recorded music. They were good, but after 3 nights of the same thing we would have preferred something a bit different. Before and after the main stage shows they had some entertainment at the Martini Bar and some of it was good but the one lady who sang on many of the nights was pretty bad. All in all it was a great trip at a good price. [Details]

Everything about this hotel was wonderful, from the check in, the room, the amenities, but most of all a staff that always exceeded our expectations. This was our 50th anniversary and we have been to the Caribbean over 40 times and this was by far the best hotel. The restaurants had A varied menu and we never had to wait to be seated. Room service was also the best as food was delivered Hot and in a timely manner. Caught by the beach and pool we're always available. Towels We're in abundance. We were part of the excellence club and that only enhance our Experience. I will definitely recommend this hotel to all my friends and family. And I counting the days till I can return. [Details]

We go to the Caribbean nearly every Spring to escape the malaise of Winter in Canada. This winter seemed to drag on and we were anticipating a nice week in paradise. Overall the resort is beautiful and mostly well kept. Some of the pools need a bit of maintenance where tiles were often missing and spotted at the bottom of the pool but they were always kept very clean. A couple of issue with our room where it had the familiar Caribbean mouldy smell that tend sto get into everything. One bathroom sink was slow to drain and was never fixed even after reporting this to hotel staff.

The buffet was OK but just that, OK not over the top. Stick with the restaurants. The Asian and the Grill being the best. The Lobster House was a bit of a let down food wise but a beautiful setting by the ocean. The ocean side lunch grill was not that good either but edible. We only tried it once and did not want to go back. Italian restaurant is best for lunch, Our final dinner was at Magna, the Excellence Club restaurant. Great food but we were eaten alive by bugs, Staff had to hand out bug spray but everyone was spraying this around us around food and our plates, glasses and utensils. Not the best atmosphere for safe eating but it was nice to see the ocean. We had breakfast there every morning and it was excellent and without bugs. The coffee shop after dinner for home made ice cream was one of our favorite stops.

I would avoid the cigar shop when it is is open. It seemed to be closed most of the time. The man operating the store was very pushy trying to sell me what I didn't want. Similarly the cigar vendor that was in the lobby on 2 occasions was very pushy and desperate to sell you anything. Buyer beware, there were no really good cigar deals.

If we had not visited the Dominican Republic 10 years ago on 2 different occasions and knew somewhat what to expect we might have been put off a bit more by the apparent attitude of some of the servers. It can come off with a bit of a why are you bothering me attitude. Something to work on in the hospitality industry that goes far with guests.

We would return if we find a similar deal. We booked months ahead to experience significant savings.
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This is a beautiful well kept resort with lots of space that never seems crowded.

It is a wide resort as opposed to a long resort, which we are used to in DR. This means that there are areas of the resort that you don't see in your daily travels because you don't need to go there to get to a restaurant or the beach, unless you're a walker.

The people on staff are top notch. They are super friendly, always willing to help and truly seem like they want to be there.

Our room was on the top floor overlooking the club pool. Very nice, bright and spacious rooms. Only inconvenience was our room was never cleaned until between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. I understand someone has to be last. It would have been nice if they would mix up the order so some days so we were done first so you could go to your room and relax if you wanted.

We had dinner at Chez Isabelle, The Grill, Agave, Magna (Club only) and Oregano. All were outstanding with the exception of Agave. Our server seemed overwhelmed and the food was lacking. For breakfast we either ate at the buffet or Magna. Magna was especially nice. Coffee was served in a french press and the mimosas were wonderful. The buffet was very nice too and there was never a line up at the omelet station. We also had room service for breakfast and lunch one day. Our food was delivered 30 minutes after ordering. Very impressive service as the food was hot when it arrived.

The beach sucked. I had read reviews that the beach could be rough but I thought, how bad could it be. It was bad. We tried it one day and lasted about 10 minutes in the water. My wife and I both got knocked down by the waves multiple times. Not fun. Also, it can be a challenge getting a chair by the beach. This was the biggest disappointment we had with this resort. That being said, we spent our days at the club pool. We always got a bed and the bar was always open.

The Eco Park was an added bonus to the resort with paths to walk through gardens and multiple species of birds to view. I especially liked to see the parrots up close.

The shows were your standard Caribbean resort shows The audience participation games before the shows were quite entertaining and funny.

We spoke to a number of people who had also stayed at Excellence Riviera Cancun and we all agreed that this was a very nice resort but not the same as Riviera Cancun. The funny part was nobody could put their finger on what exactly was different. Perhaps it was the layout. I do know the restaurants are smaller and louder and the buffet didn't have the selection that was at Riviera Cancun. Otherwise it's a mystery.

Would I go back to this resort? Probably not. I really like the Excellence model of unlimited alla carte restaurants with no reservations. There are three other Excellence resorts that we haven't been to yet. Perhaps we'll try them all then decide. [Details]

Top shelf hotel. Big enough but small enough that you can walk every where and access everything. Beach is amazing very secluded and as real as The Caribbean can get. Locals are are cool and very chill , no pushing there products just hard working folks who from what I can see and taste the Best food in the World [Details]

Great resort! Overall we had a wonderful vacation although we had a small issue at first. We booked a plunge pool room and upon arrival were told it wasn't available, and wouldn't be for 3 days. They offered us an “upgrade” to an ocean view room which didn't make up for the $$ for the plunge pool room. So we worked it out and moved into a swim up room in building 14 the next day. I mentioned I liked a Baileys in my coffee and they made sure we had a bottle in our room the entire stay, in addition to the other bottles in the room!
The only other disappointing thing I want to include is swimming in the ocean right in front of the resort was not permitted during our stay, we had to walk to an area above the resort to swim due to how rough the water was.
The staff work really hard and do whatever they can to ensure your stay is the best.
The good by far outweighs any bad at this resort!
We would definitely go back (home)! [Details]

Simply amazing! From the grounds, parks, vegetation to the amenities and facilities Food - exceptional, cocktails presentation and quality one of the best we had at the resorts. Clean, clean, clean, everywhere! And the PEOPLE that work at the resort are the highlight of everything we experienced! Excelente! [Details]

Where to begin. I normally would not take the time to write a review about a hotel and our experience even if it was a poor one. I feel the need to warn travelers about this hotel, even though they are renovating. I know because they started renovation way before we arrived! We were sold that the hotel was fully operational and 100 open. This was incorrect. Restaurants were boarded up. pools were closed. Staff was unaccommodating because most knew they would be out of a job in less than a week. I was made to switch rooms half way into my stay, since they were tearing down the building i was located in. Then once moved had no air conditioning for 2 plus days. Be careful when dealing with this travel agent as you will be sold something they cannot guarantee. [Details]

My fiance and I spent a week at the Punta Cana Excellence resort. Firstly, you must note that this resort is not in Punta Cana, but in Uvero Alto. The bus transfer from the airport took about 1.5 hours because it was the last of about 6 hotel stops. Also, for excursions, we likely paid more because we were far out of town and were the first to be picked up and the last to be dropped off (meaning we spent several hours on buses). Secondly, it rained far more than we are accustomed to during our March Break travels to the Dominican Republic. Thirdly, this resort had the most rough water/waves that we saw along this stretch of the island and during our excursions. So if you like going into the sea, rather than a pool, this is not the resort for you. The life-guard chased anyone who went into the water.....Now for the good stuff: My fiance and I are experienced travellers, having travelled to dozens of Caribbean luxury resorts. We have no complaints about the resort itself. Our basic level room was lovely, and very clean, as was the entire resort. The resort did not have one mosquito due to their evening spraying. The restaurants served excellent food, including lobster and steak for no additional cost. The breakfast buffet was extensive and even better than Club Meds and Sandals resorts. The drink list at the bars was extensive. They were never short on beach towels, and there was never a shortage of beach or poolside lounge chairs. The staff were friendly and offered very good service. We are 55 and 48 years old and preferred this resort over Grenada's Sandal's resort, as the guests were both younger and older than us, and included some groups of singles, making it more lively in the evenings. And the evening shows were of good quality, and not cheesy like at some resorts. There was free Wi-Fi access throughout the resort and in our room, which was surprisingly nice. We would go back to ANOTHER Excellence resort in order to enjoy the sea water. [Details]

great resort.... loved every moment [Details]

Fabulous resort, wonderful staff....had a wonderful time. We didn't want to leave! Would definitely come back and recommend to others. [Details]

Overall resort was satisfactory with some good and some misses. [Details]

The hotel is nicely laid out running parallel to the beach and pools which we appreciate vs walking forever to get to the amenities. All the hotel staff were extremely pleasant and always with a smile on their faces. The rooms were well kept, clean, large and always restocked. Restaurant selection is great although I did find some of the food to still be a bit flavourless. Overall one of the best we have enjoyed. [Details]

Excellence Punta Cana is a beautiful resort. Antonio at the Club Office was fantastic. He attended to all our requests with great courtesy and constantly checked on us to make sure that we were enjoying our vacation. Thank you so much Antonio for making our vacation a memorable one! The beach, the room, the show, the service, the staff, the food were all “excellente”. No reservations were required at any of the restaurants; you could go wherever whenever you wanted. The beach was beautiful, not crowded. We were lucky to have our own private beach. We didn't have to worry to look for a great spot on the beach. Thank you Johanna and Innez for setting us up (pulling our lounge chairs to wherever we wanted them and for fixing the towels on the lounge chairs) every day on the beach. Extra clean towels were no problem; we were given fresh cold face towels from time to time and they were amply available at the beach bar, along with cold water/drinks, magazines, etc.. Thank you also Johanna and Innez for bringing ‘fresh coco locos' every day around noon – really appreciated it. You, two were so nice to us and we will not forget your pleasant and bubbly personality. Excellence Hotel is very lucky to have you as employees. Good job! Servers would come around at specific time on the beach with drinks, ceviche, pizza, etc. The shows, the dancers, the circus and the music were very entertaining; the seating at the shows was so comfortable and the service was great.
The food and service were great, especially the Grilled House and the Lobster House restaurants. The grilled grouper at the Grilled House was excellent. We enjoyed the grilled and/or steamed lobsters with garlic. Ask for Martinez to serve you. He is full of surprise. You can even ask him to give you the lobster meat without the shell. Leave the dessert to him; you will not be disappointed; the cappuccinos were so good. Martinez was fantastic; he is a very hard working chap with very good attitude and decorum. Thank you so much Martinez – keep up the good work, you will go to places!
Room Tip: We had an upper level ocean view room and it was excellent. [Details]

There are so many good things I don't know where to start! I have travelled to many destinations in my life! I have been to many resorts! My wife and I both agree that this resort in punta Cana was the best we have ever been too! The service the food the people the quality the luxury the drinks just simply unquestionably the best ever! We felt like celebrities the entire time we were there! The beach was beautiful! [Details]

We recently stayed at Excellence Punta Cana from May 8-15. From the moment we arrived to the time we left, we had fantastic service, food and drinks at this beautiful resort. We barely stepped off the shuttle and were greeted with a friendly hola and a smile and were given a glass of champagne and a cool cloth. We were introduced to Roberto (guest service manager). I cannot express how much we appreciated everything Roberto did to make our vacation relaxing and one of the best vacations we have ever had. Shortly thereafter, we were escorted to the Excellence Club and then taken to our room by Eduardo. The room was a very nice size, the bed was very comfortable and we loved the rain shower and large sink area. The window in the shower is a bit strange but was not an issue for us. It may be an issue for those not travelling as a couple. We had a ground floor room in building 8 within steps of the pool and very close to the Club beach section and a short walk to all the restaurants and lobby. The Club lounge is also in this building. We could not have been happier with our room location.
POOL & BEACH: We spent most of our time at the pool either by the swim up bar or in the area just outside of our room. We had no problem getting a float and pool towels were plentiful. The pool area is so large that you can be around the swim up bar and meet and chat to other guests or if you just want quiet, you can find a more secluded spot and just relax. Be sure to try a Banana Mama and Coco Loco. There are games on one side of the pool but we did not take part in any of that so cannot comment on the pool entertainment. The beach is also wonderful. Being on the Atlantic side, it was not the powdery white sand but the sand was still soft and the water is beautiful and warm and the beach was kept very clean. Service at the Club beach section was excelente! They come around with pizzas at lunch to both the pool and beach.
FOOD: I have no idea how anyone could not find enough choices and variety. There were many food items I would have liked to have tried or have again but you can only eat so much in a week. If you do not find enough food to enjoy at this resort, then you are the problem, not the resort. I had one of the best lasagnes at Oregano on our first night and I so wanted to have it again but with so many choices we did not get back again to Oregano. The pizza was the typical pizza found at most resorts and was very good. The French onion soup at Chez Isabelle was also one of the best onion broths I have had. I had the fillet steak which was very good and my husband had the rib eye which was a bit tough but still good. We are fortunate to have top quality beef where we live so we typically find the beef throughout the Caribbean does not have the same standard as we have at home. One has to expect some differences when travelling. I typically do not eat fish/seafood but my husband loves seafood so we did eat at the Lobster House. My husband found the grilled lobster to be better than the steamed lobster. I had the mahi mahi and much to my surprise was fantastic. I also tried the grouper and it too was very good. We also ate at Spice and we both enjoyed our meals. We ate a Flavor Market one night and it was a fun dining experience. It would not be my choice to dine this way too often but we enjoyed it very much. We also ate at The Grill for lunch and dinner and enjoyed our meals there very much. We ate at the beach grill, Las Olas, for lunch a couple times and the food was great. The burgers are fantastic. They always have the burgers, fries, pizza and then each day a different special, so have a look at the board out front each morning for the daily special. We ate at the buffet for both breakfast and lunch and there was enough variety to find lots to eat. We did not get a chance to eat at Toscana, Agave or Barcelona. We also went to the Club Lounge several times for snacks and appetizers. You can eat there or get a container and bring the food to your room. The Club lounge was a very nice touch. Please take advantage of the variety of food the resort has to offer. These people take great pride in what they do and work hard to serve so many people on a daily basis. Be open minded enough to try something new and don't expect things to be exactly as they are at home. Remember, you are at an all-inclusive. Take advantage and try new things and if you don't like something, then try something else. If I had to make a suggestion regarding the food, I would suggest they put less out at a time at the buffet so the food would stay hot longer especially at breakfast with the waffles, pancakes and French toast. They often would keep making these items and they would sit too long. I think guests would rather wait a few moments for these items to be cooked fresh similar to the made to order eggs. My other food suggestion would be to serve more vegetables with the meals at the restaurants. However, all in all, the food was great.
ENTERTAINMENT: We did watch a few of the nightly shows. Some were very similar to others so we did not go every night. The best show was the Michael Jackson show. Simply outstanding! We did not get to see the circus show which was disappointing as this show was on the night we left. Please keep in mind that you are at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean and the entertainment people work very hard to entertain everyone. If you are looking for Las Vegas or Broadway type shows, go to Las Vegas or New York. The saxophone player at the Martini bar was very good. Be sure to try the chocolate martini.
SERVICE & STAFF: Throughout the resort the staff and service was 5 star for sure. Although many staff do not speak much English, they truly make the best efforts to make sure you are happy and have everything you want. Our housekeeping staff always had our room kept cleaned. Our turn down service was above and beyond one night when we returned to have our Jacuzzi filled with water and bubbles with beautiful rose petals all around. Please note that you have two different people doing your room from daytime service to nighttime turn down service. Fortunately we realized this before leaving the resort as we were only leaving a tip each morning. Once we realized this, we made sure we found our nighttime housekeeper so we could give her a well-deserved tip. Our mini bar was always stocked with our requests each day. All the servers in the various restaurants and bars were great too. Unfortunately I should have taken notes as there are so many that deserve a special thank you. The names I do remember are Sandy at Chez Isabelle, Angel at The Grill, and William on the entertainment committee. The servers and cooks at The Flavor Market were lots of fun. Thank you to all of you!
A HUGE MUCHO GRACIAS to ROBERTO: Roberto made sure our mini bar was fully stocked with all the items we wanted on our first day. He had a birthday cake sent to our room one day as my husband's birthday was a few days after we left the resort. On our last night, he reserved a table for us at The Grill to make our last dinner special and memorable and he had a bottle of champagne chilling in our room. We did not ask him to do this, he just did it. Anything we wanted or asked for was done immediately and with a smile. Sometimes Roberto would just appear and ask if there was anything we needed or anything he could do for us. Roberto, you are one of the nicest people I have ever met and I truly hope we get the chance to revisit Excellence Punta Cana many more times. You added such a special touch to make sure our vacation was magnifico and you and all the staff made our vacation BEYOND SUPER EXCELENTE. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
We have stayed at other 5 star resorts and this is among the best and everyone we met at this resort also thought the resort was great. We would recommend this resort to anyone. We normally like to try different resorts but we will be looking to return to this resort for sure. [Details]

I have been here 5 times now and the stays just get better each time. The staff is the greatest and will make you feel at home. This is a great adults only resort with a mature crowd. I would go back in a heart beat. [Details]

Can't say enough good things about this place, beautiful resort, wonderful service, very clean, and the restaurants are top notch. We had a great waiter at the Lobster House his name is Jose Lewis, he went above and beyond to make all our meals there special, plus,plus,plus. [Details]

After reading many reviews on TripAdvisor was a little skeptical about this resort. Let me say that all my skepticism was put aside once we arrived. The resort is very well maintained for 14 yr old resort. The food and staff were awesome, we would go back in a heartbeat! Jose Lois a waiter at the Lobster House was exceptional, could not do enough for our group of 8! All of the staff goes out of their way to be friendly and courteous. I saw many guests being rude to the staff and they all took it in stride and continued with their excellent service. Just because you come from a wealthier country and earn more money than these people, does not give you the right to be rude and treat others in a disrespectful way. These lovely Dominican people are some of the kindest most genuine people I have ever met. Will most definitely return to Excellence Punta Cana! [Details]

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The resort is beautiful and well manicured. The restaurants and bars were excellent. The entertainment was excellent. We definitely recommend this resort. We would return to this resort. [Details]

We had another wonderful vacation at Excellence. The staff are very welcoming. If there is a problem it is seen to within minutes. You are entertained from the pianist at the buffet at breakfast to the entertainment staff with their many activities during the day, to the saxophonist in the evening to the special entertainment at night. Hardly a day goes by but there is a special party at the beach or on the square. The food is fantastic. We had steamed lobster one night and Chateaubriand the next. All premium drinks are included.The beach is pristine and there are chairs available at the beach or the pool all the time, no saving a chair necessary. I would highly recommend it. [Details]

avoid at all costs [Details]

We arrived at the resort in the dark and it looked wonderful when it was all light up at night. During the day you can see that it is in need of some TLC and it's showing its age.

Construction is going on all over the resort which was an inconvenience since the bridge across the pool to the beach area was closed all week. Noisy jackhammers and saws could be heard all week around the pool. We realize that work and upgrades have to be done but it doesn't make for a very relaxing vacation. It should be nice when it's all done for those who have booked for Christmas and New Year.

The food was very disappointing, it was lukewarm or cold at the buffets and in the al la carte restaurants. Our best meal was at Chez Isabelle, French Onion soup and Chateaubriand. Spice and Agave were okay but not wonderful. There were many complaints about the Lobster House from other guests therefore we avoided it for dinner. Lunch there was not wonderful either. The service in Toscana for dinner was good but the food was terrible.

The highlights of the resort are the beach, the saxophone player who was amazing and the friendly staff.

We booked the Excellence club but found it's really not worth the extra dollars. We didn't seem to notice any difference in service or amenities other than maybe upgraded liquor in the room and a better lounger on the beach. The towel game is played here so get up early if you want a spot in the front facing the ocean on the beach.
Should you decide to walk the beach, walk East to avoid being hounded by vendors who are quite aggressive trying to sell their goods.

This was our sixth trip to a 5 star, adults only, all-inclusive in two years, and the first to Punta Cana. The other trips were to the Mayan Riviera. The El Dorado Casitas, El Dorado Maroma, El Dorado Royale, The Valentin Imperial Maya, and Secrets Capri. We would rate this resort in our bottom two and would not return.

Even though the Excellence has the amenities of a 5 star resort it is lacking in many areas compared to other resorts we have visited. It's the little extra touches that are remembered such as food presentation, daily towel art in the room, FRESH flowers, not plastic on the tables in the restaurants. Proper room service, where you don't have to call housekeeping for coffee mugs so you can drink the pot of coffee and milk just handed to you at the door. We noticed all the condiments and butter were in packages at the buffet and al la carte restaurants which seemed fine if you are eating in a fast food restaurant. Plastic cutlery for lunch at Las Olas. If good food and fine dining is an important part of your vacation look elsewhere.

There is a lot of room for improvement at this resort in many areas. The pool washrooms were lacking in cleanliness, no toilet paper or hand towels most of the time. The pool and beach garbage cans were over flowing regularly with pizza boxes and coconuts. Once again the little things that are noticed.

A special thank you to Antonio and Juan who took care of us at the beach with towels and drinks.

We would not consider this a 5 star resort. [Details]

travel agent didn't inform the resort that we had a b-day and a anniversary so we didn't get up graded or have an perks [Details]