Dominican Republic

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Best hotels in Dominican Republic, based on:
#7 Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort And Spa
#7 Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort And Spa
Miches
Dominican Republic
24 reviews
Beautiful resort!
Just returned from a wonderful vacation. After a 2 hour drive to the resort we were not disappointed! The beach was stunning (no seaweed), the water was warm and you could play in the waves or walk a short distance and swim in a calmer area. You could walk for an hour to the right and see no other resorts, or walk to the left and find Club Med about 20 min away. If you love the beach like I do, it was wonderful! Lots of chairs on the beach the whole week we were there. The resort itself is beautiful and the staff were excellent overall. We stayed in the Preferred section and it was great, but would probably stay in the regular section next time. It was not worth the extra $ in our opinion. The rooms were beautiful as was the balcony with an ocean view. If you go in rainy season it is important to note that the top floor (4th) does not have an overhead covering and therefore when it rains (as it did every afternoon or evening we were there) your balcony furniture will get soaked. Luckily we had read a previous review and asked for a room on the 3rd floor. The food was excellent at Castaways (steak house), average at Dona Altagracia (Dominican), average at Meraki (Mediterranean), and excellent at the Mexican restaurant on the Dreams Resort side. Almost all of the restaurants are in the same area which was very convenient if you went to one and there was a wait you could check out another to see if you could get in sooner. The Coco Cafe was great and we would pick up a cappucino to go before heading to the Market Cafe for the buffet breakfast. The omelette stations were excellent as was the variety of fresh fruit, juices, breads, pastries, pancake/waffle station, crispy bacon. There is also a guy at a station beside the omelette maker who will make chilequiles (Mexican dish with chicken, tortilla chips, green or red salsa, crema, and cheese) and they were excellent! Highly recommend you try them. The piano bar is a nice evening spot before or after dinner. The bartenders here are great. My husband drinks Heineken so he was happy, and I tried a few drinks but my favourite was the margaritas. We didn't really partake in the evening entertainment other than the piano bar so can't really comment on it other than we noted that a lot of evenings the outdoor entertainment by the restaurants is combined for Secrets and Dreams so there are children around. This is an excellent resort (our first time at a Secrets) and we would definitely return. We were able to relax, walk on the beach and play in the ocean, do aerobics in the pool, eat good food and drinks, we didn't have to fight for a beach chair, didn't have long waits at the restaurants or bars, and we found the staff excellent overall.
#12 Majestic Elegance Punta Cana
#12 Majestic Elegance Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Dominican Republic
315 reviews
Disappointing Elegance Club experience despite som
Unfortunately, our stay at Majestic Elegance did not live up to our expectations, particularly considering that we had booked the Elegance Club. I want to start with the positive: we received excellent service in the Italian and French restaurants and at the bars. The staff there were attentive, friendly and professional. However, one of our biggest disappointments was the Elegance Club butler service. Our butler, Gabriel, never properly explained the benefits and services included with the Club or even gave us the basic information needed to navigate the resort. We had to ask different people where to eat, how to get to the beach, where to get beach towels, etc. Some of the information he sent us by message was also incorrect. For the first time at an all-inclusive resort, we actually worried about whether we would find somewhere to have lunch or dinner. We felt constantly dependent on information that was either unavailable or unreliable. The restaurant situation made this even worse. The resort advertises a large selection of restaurants, but during our stay they operated on a rotating schedule that was never clearly communicated to guests. We would walk to a restaurant only to discover that it was closed, and then find a sign telling us which restaurant might be open instead. This became a frustrating guessing game throughout our stay. Rather than choosing where we wanted to eat among the restaurants advertised by the resort, we were often simply trying to find out where we could eat that evening. The beach experience was equally confusing. Following the signs, we initially settled in the area marked “The Club,” which was also what our wristbands said. On the second day, a server refused to serve us because, apparently, we were in the wrong section. We moved to the Elegance Club area he indicated, only to spend the entire day without a single server coming by. There were also used glasses left behind from previous guests. Even the direct route to the beach was never explained to us — we discovered it ourselves on our fourth day. Until then, we had been taking a route also used by service trucks. Our departure left an especially unpleasant final impression. Gabriel told us that our luggage needed to be collected from our room one hour before check-out to ensure it reached reception on time. We decided to take it ourselves, and it took us about 10 minutes. At reception, our luggage was stored, but we were then told to sit outside on the steps and ask the arriving bus drivers ourselves whether they were our airport transfer. We eventually learned from other guests from our country that our bus had arrived. We then had to retrieve our own luggage and take it to the bus ourselves. Meanwhile, the staff member responsible for our luggage ran after us mainly to cut off our resort wristbands and collect our check-out and luggage slips. His manner and the way he spoke to us felt intimidating and hostile. It was a remarkably unpleasant way to end a vacation. What disappointed us most was not any single incident, but the accumulation of them. At a resort — and especially in a premium Club category — guests should not have to spend their vacation figuring out where they are allowed to sit, which restaurant is open, where they can eat, how to reach the beach, or how basic services work. There were some genuinely excellent employees, particularly in the restaurants and bars, and they deserve recognition. Unfortunately, the lack of organization, communication and guidance overshadowed much of the experience for us. We would not choose the Elegance Club again, and after this experience, we would not return to this resort.
#13 Bahia Principe Escape Samana
#13 Bahia Principe Escape Samana
Samana
Dominican Republic
108 reviews
Good Location, but Falls Short on Food and Accessi
Overall, the stay was average with some strong elements but also clear gaps, particularly in food quality and accessibility. This is not a premium experience, and expectations should be managed accordingly. Location & Setting The hotel benefits from a strong natural setting, directly connected to the beach. The sea views and overall atmosphere are enjoyable, especially if your priority is relaxation by the water rather than resort amenities. However, there is a notable issue at the beach: a visible pipe discharging into the water. Whether operational or not, this negatively impacts perception and raises concerns about water quality. From an owner/operator standpoint, this is something that should be addressed or better managed visually. Pool & Outdoor Areas The main pool is medium-sized and centrally located. It appears clean and reasonably maintained. I did not personally use it much, as I prefer the beach, but it functions as expected for a property of this level. No major issues here, but also nothing standout — it's adequate, not a highlight. Food & Beverage (Key Weakness) This is where the hotel underperforms. The main buffet restaurant offers an open buffet, but the quality and variety are limited. Food is repetitive, and overall execution is inconsistent. I would rate it 2.5 out of 5 — acceptable for basic needs, but below what you would expect for a resort setting. À la carte restaurants Pool-level restaurant: This is the best food experience in the hotel. Good quality, better presentation, and more enjoyable overall. Lower-level restaurant: Noticeably weaker. I tried it once and did not return. Constraint: Guests are limited to only two reservations total for à la carte restaurants during their stay. → From a guest experience perspective, this restriction limits the ability to compensate for the weak buffet offering. Accessibility & Circulation (Major Risk / Limitation) This is a critical issue. The property has a large number of stairs across multiple levels Movement between areas is not intuitive or easy Based on observation, it is not suitable for: Wheelchair users Guests with mobility limitations Anyone requiring barrier-free access From a facilities and planning perspective, this is a fundamental design constraint, not a minor inconvenience. It should be clearly disclosed by the hotel to avoid mismatched expectations. Operational Observations (Implicit Gaps) Food operations lack consistency and quality control Guest experience strategy seems uneven (one good restaurant vs overall weak F&B) Infrastructure elements (e.g., beach pipe) are not well managed from a perception standpoint Final Positioning Strengths Strong natural setting and beach proximity Clean and functional pool One good à la carte dining experience Weaknesses Overall food quality and variety Limited à la carte access (only 2 bookings) Poor accessibility (not mobility-friendly) Beach infrastructure issue (visible pipe) Bottom Line This is a mid-tier stay at best. It works if your priority is location and ocean setting, but it falls short on food quality, inclusiveness (accessibility), and overall experience consistency. It is not a poor stay, but it is not aligned with higher-end resort expectations.

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