Sunscape Puerto Plata Dominican Republic

Sunscape Puerto Plata Dominican Republic
3.743.743.743.743.74
3.74 based on 661 reviews
#7 of 21 hotels The Monarc.ca popularity scale (#1/15) classifies all the hotels of a single destination according to the number of grades received on 5 and the total number of reviews. in Puerto Plata
Rated 4 stars
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Clean, friendly resort

, Regina, SK
2024-03-17
We had a great stay. The staff were pleasant. The pool(s) were kept up and the bar service was good. The rooms were always clean. Issues were dealt with quickly ( air conditioning broke down, they offered us another room) and they gave us free late check out. [Details]
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The strong points
House Keeping, pool staff and Food service workers provided awesome service, If something was not right, they went out of their way to make sure you were happy
The weak points
The food was so so but you could always find something you liked. Very little fruit was available. Some of the staff did not speak english so communication was not always great
Certified

Resort review

, Blenheim, ON
2024-03-06
My wife and I spent 10 days at your resort we enjoyed ourselves very much. There was lots to do. The food was good. The staff was great (considering they are going to be out of work next month) [Details]
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The strong points
The beach, the brick pizza oven. The staff.
The weak points
We are truly sad that this resort is being shutdown and converted to condo units. Seems like greed motivated, with little to consideration for the staff that will be unemployed in an already depressed economy.
Certified

Sunscape Puerto Plata

, Meaghers Grant , NS
2024-02-16
We were very pleased with this resort. [Details]
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The strong points
Great staff, good food. Breakfast was especially good omelettes. The pasta was really good at lunch and supper as well.
The weak points
The bathrooms around the resort were small but mostly clean. Could use an upgrade at some point.
Certified

Junior Suite Sunclub Level

, Picton, ON
2024-01-21
The people were very friendly, the grounds were clean and the gardens were well established and beautiful. [Details]
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The strong points
Cocoa cafe had amazing coffee, the buffet was well stalked - not a ton of variety but always plenty of food. We liked that the al la carte restaurants didn't require reservations. The pizza on the roof top patio was delicious.
The weak points
2 out of the 4 pools need filtration upgrades, by the end of day they were foggy/green bubbles on top.A few people in our group got ear infections although staff cleaned them regularly.Some tiles in the room were not adhered and made popping noises.
Certified

Sunscape

, Kitchener, ON
2023-12-28
Nice small resort. Rooms were cleaned everyday.I would not stay in the VIP area again. Rooms are the same in the regular area. The pool was too small and the area to sit around the pool was small. Most VIP people went to the other areas to swim. The plus was the bartenders and the drinks made were so much better than the outside bars. I think this hotel is going down hill competed to my 1st trip here. I do not think I will go back again.. [Details]
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The strong points
VIP Bar Drinks were fabulous. All staff members were friendly and generally show interest and made sure you were smiling..
The weak points
Food needs to change.. There was too many people bothering you or trying to sell you things on the beach.
Sanitary measures
Very Clean!!!
Certified

Fantastic for sun and sand!

, Calgary, AB
2023-12-13
I stayed here last week for a week of sun and sand. I went in with the intent to find a cheap holiday to relax on the beach and have a bit of a reset and this provided exactly that. First off, upgrade to the Sun Club, whether you use the adults only side or the family side, it provides a seamless check in process and great location of buildings. My room faced the pool/theatre which could be a pro and con. Pro if you want to enjoy the theatre show from your balcony, great view and few bugs. Con if you want a quiet room as you hear the noise from the pool and theatre. I was in building 17 however if you were across in building 16 facing foliage, it was much quieter but you experienced a few more bugs. The small pool in the courtyard between the two buildings was great for an afternoon nap with more shade but still can cool off in the pool.

Beach - Sun Club also provides their own area on the beach that is reserved which was nice. We never had to worry about getting a lounger. There was little seaweed and crews out every morning cleaning up the beach from anything that came in with the tide. There were a number of vendors on the beach trying to sell you things however they were all great if you said no thank you.

Pools - Multiple pools, with the main one having the swim up bar. Never an issue to get a lounger there either.

Restaurants - There were 4 a la carte which you didn't have to make reservations to get into. We did notice however they were all not open every night. During the week stay, they were all open at some point so we could try them all. The Asian place was by far the best. The service was a bit slow as everyone had come in pretty much as the same time, but the staff were awesome. We had the same waiter in all the a la carte restaurants and I could have swore his name was Renaldo however on my last day I saw him in the buffet and his name tag said Francisco haha. He never once mentioned I called him by the wrong name and always greeted us when we came in at each restaurant. The buffet was okay. I did learn on the last day we were there that if you go when it opens instead of closer to closing (we spent a lot of time on the beach) that the food is fresher (duh lol) and there seemed to be more choices. Having experience other resorts with high end food, I was a little disappointed but then I had to put it in to perspective - I was at a 4 star resort, not a 5 star. I wouldn't expect the same caliber of food.

Overall it was a great 4 star property and if you are going to the Dominican it is a great option. We talked to a number of guests who have stayed their multiple times and keep coming back. We didn't hear a bad word about it (except me when I had to change my expectations of the food). It was the perfect vacation for sun and sand and at a great price. I would stay here again. [Details]
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The strong points
Pros: - Staff - Beach - Sun Club Upgrade
The weak points
Cons: - Food - if you have been to a 4.5 or 5* property the food wasn't great. The Asian a la carte was fantastic though.
Certified

Sunscape pourto plata

, Etobicoke, ON
2023-12-07
The hotel is nice and relaxing great staff very friendly. Entertainment is seriously lacking Ala carts are not open every night it seems to be the same food in the buffet as in the Ala carts. If you miss the presentation with your rep you are lost for the time you are there. The TV for the resort on what is going on the font is way to small. We were supposed to have a buttler no such thing [Details]
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The strong points
Resort clean, relaxing staff is friendly lots of pools
The weak points
Entertainment, to much repeat on food walkin bar is slippery when getting in and the swim up bar needs a different color as there's a step you can hurt yourself.
Certified

Sunscape Puerto Plata

, Brampton, ON
2023-04-29
It was excellent as expected, my last vist was 5 years ago. The Sun Cub level is the best way to go - also in the adult only section. There was a lack of staff which had two of the three restaurants closed on Monday which was disappointing - we also expected that there would be more seafood available, maybe next time we visit in 2024 [Details]
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The strong points
Rooms clean, staff very helpful and always happy to help
The weak points
The cashier area would not exchange Canadian money
Certified

Good stay

, Newmarket, ON
2023-04-07
Hotel is nice, clean, but little bit out dated ,also restaurants have little seafood options. Service is good, specifically our maid Monica G. Wifi was weak. [Details]
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Certified

Would definitely recommend

, Dieppe, NB
2023-03-16
This hotel was nothing but great, rooms were clean public bathroom were clean and there was always people cleaning around the resort. [Details]
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The strong points
Food at the buffet was very good everyday with alot of varieties. Pool area was super fun and night shows was awesome. The beach was beautiful and well maintained.
The weak points
The a la carte was not that great. You couldn't make reservations and the food was similar to the buffet food. Would've love to seen more entertainment during the day at the beach and pool area.
Certified

Worry free stay

, Morden, MB
2023-02-20
Excellent service by Carlos (Happy Happy) and John in the SunClub restaurant. Katrina who kept our room a perfect 5 for the Two weeks we stayed there. Jymily and Ginnette who answered all our questions and helped us with all our needs for the entire time at Sunscape. Thanks to all the staff for a worry free stay. [Details]
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Certified

Family Hotel

, Prince George , BC
2023-02-03
Overall experience was a good one, but Sunscape hotel is a bit run down. Check-in takes way too long and some of the staff at the front desk lack compassion. On night #1, we had a shower and clearly, the seal at the bottom of the shower door was gone as there was 1/4" of water all over the bathroom floor which ran into the bedroom. It took two calls to get this repaired as the first person felt that the solution was to mop up the water and then put a towel at the base of the shower door to keep the water in. Also struggled with clogged total. This toilet was clogged before we got there but no one had fixed it. My husband fixed this himself. Lastly, the central air is permanently set at minus 15. Way to cold. We traveled with a group of 12 and we all ended up with a cough and sinus issues. It was way too cold and damp in the room. [Details]
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The strong points
Breakfast buffet and dinner buffet very nice with lots of variety. Hotel has a solid variety of entertainment. Most other staff quite friendly and hospitable. Also, lots of poolside chairs.
The weak points
Please refer to my first paragraph. Most issues are with the specific rooms. They are quite run down and repairs are being done on a reactive basis which is quite frustrating.
Sanitary measures
Not applicable at this time.
Certified

Very Satisfied

, Innisfil, ON
2023-01-27
We feel very satisfied with the employees, cleanliness, and size of this resort. Its location is great, it's next to shopping, pharmacy, coffee/dessert shop, small casino, big casino 7min away, a beautifully manicured golf coarse wraps the resort, and the plants and trees are very well maintained. The resort is starting to show its age a little, but still very clean, we were never without paper or soap in the bathrooms throughout the resort, we saw no bugs, and the staff called us after we needed anything for our room, to make sure it arrived ( a first for us in all our travels ) :-). Beds were comfortable, and we had lots of pillows. Air conditioning worked great, and we had to turn them off at night to warm up. There is a lady who sings nightly in the front lobby/bar ( she is terrific ) soft voice, and sings all genres in English. The beach has bathrooms ( so happy about this ) [Details]
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The strong points
we were in the last building #12, yet everything is close to the restaurants and main lobby. Disco is on the beach, so loud music is not heard late at night. 24hr snacks and drinks, just no booze after 1am, which puts people to bed, restful nights.
The weak points
The beach has a lot of selling from vendors ( bothersome ).This resort was supposed to be 15 min from the airport, but because the main bridge is under construction (7 months) it took us 1.5hrs arrival and 2hrs back to the airport. Not good for excursions
Certified

Resort correct...

, Gatineau, QC
2022-03-20
Cet hôtel devrait être classé 3 étoiles. Je ne le recommanderais pas. Seulement le menu et la propreté sont les points positifs. Le personnel n'offre pas un bon service, l'accès au Wi-Fi est très limité, à la plage, l'eau est brouillée et c'est très venteux. Le service est de mauvaise qualité. C'est long se faire servir un verre d'eau au buffet. Il n'y a pas beaucoup d'activités (seulement zumba) et il n'y a pas de spectacle à tous les soirs. Ils ne prennent pas de réservations pour les restaurants à la carte, ça peut prendre plus d'une heure pour avoir une table. Les restaurants ne sont pas ouvert à tous les soir et il n'y a pas d'horaire. L'air climatisé est fonctionnel en tout temps et elle se règle soit trop chaud ou trop froid. Nous avons eu un problème avec notre carte pour la porte et nous n'avons pas pu acceder à notre chambre pendant trois heures durant la journée. Le problème s'est reproduit un soir et nous n'avons pas pu regagner notre chambre de 12:30 AM à 1:00 AM cette fois la. L'ensemble de la propriété (les chambres, la piscine, les restaurants, les toilettes, la plage, etc.) est bien entretenu. La qualité du menu au buffet est excellente (variété et goût). [Details]
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The strong points
Variétés du buffet et bon gout -Proreté des lieux
The weak points
- Manque de divertissement/Activités - qualité du Wi-Fi - Plage venteuse - Service - Restaurants (sans reservation alors toujours beaucoup d'attente)
Sanitary measures
-Il faut porter le masque seulement dans les restaurants -Nettoyage de mains avant d'entrer dans les restaurants

Amazing resort

, Thunder Bay, ON
2022-03-20
From start to finish the resort was amazing. The staff were friendly and efficient and the rooms were clean and comfortable. Wifi was free and available throughout most areas. Entertainment staff was great and ensures a fun time for all! Would return for sure. [Details]
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The strong points
Food was great! Entertainment staff amusing and talented.
The weak points
wifi was hit and miss some days but was free!
Certified

Tellement décue

, Saint-Jérôme, QC
2020-03-03
Tellement déçue de notre choix l'hotel n'offre aucune animation la moyenne d'age est très élevée (70ans) et plus aucune musique latine que de l'américain [Details]
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The strong points
Chambre confortable,resto a la carte tres bon le service était correct
The weak points
Pas d'internet la plupart du temps ca ne fonctionne pas c'est dommage qu'un beau site ne soit pas mieux exploité

Sunscape Sun Club Adults only PPuerto Plata

, Springford, ON
2020-02-08
Overall a very enjoyable experience, the staff was very friendly and helpful and as always the weather was amazing. They have a very beautiful beach at this location but also a lot of people trying to sell you services and souvenirs which does take some of the fun out of it. Luckily they don't harass you a simple no thanks and they will leave you alone. The upgrade to the Sun Club is definitely worth it. You have a private area free of children at the resort and a private area at the beach with shade. Real mixed drinks using fresh fruit and bottled beer. [Details]
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The strong points
The staff were great, our bartenders Francisco Jaques and Juan Manuel were top notch. They really look after you. The private pool and beach area were also a nice touch
The weak points
The food was OK but not my favorite. The WiFi is very spotty good enough for e-mail but not much else. It can be noisy until about 11 pm depending on where you are located because of the entertainment. Many people at the beach soliciting.
Certified

Christmas trip

, Hanmer, ON
2020-01-17
It was my second time in Peurto Plata but my bfs first. He loved it and I found it ordinary but I enjoyed myself regardless. My biggest issue was being bothered on the beach. I've been to many destinations with no issues. I'm not sure why this can't be curbed/controlled/monitored. The coffee in the buffet was awful but the little coffee shop had delicious coffee drinks. [Details]
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The strong points
The food was better than expected and the resort was very clean. I felt safe and comfortable here. Most of the employees were friendly.
The weak points
Being constantly bothered on the beach by vendors. There was a dank odour in our room. We tried spray but that didnt work. Quite a few broken loungers on the beach. The night entertainment was just dancing. Not exciting and similar over and over.
Certified

Family hotel really Adult only not recommended

, Fergus, ON
2020-01-12
Sunscape Puerto Plata “Unlimited Fun” Sun Club Adult Only room 3210

Our onsite rep was Karen - fabulous a real pit bull when it came to dealing with any issues with the hotel – definitely on the side of helping the customer get the best experience

This hotel is part of the AMResorts chain (Dreams, Secrets, Zoetry, NOW, Sunscape, Breathless, Alua and Reflect)

Check in and Adult Club Lounge:
We had a separate check in area but no one directed us there until we went to the main desk however once there it was quick. The check in is in the Sun Club lounge just right of the main lobby, it also contains a small bar, snack area, TV and it is where you get and exchange the towels. (note this is contrary to the towel practice at other resorts of the same chain and written in the book in the room – where it says there were supposed to be baskets around the pools and resort where you can drop off or pick up towels.) Of course, that same booklet in the room also identifies that the beaches were owned by the Mexican Government so I think someone just copied what is at the Mexican resorts without making some of the more specific changes to it.

Room:
We were on the second floor (no elevators). The room was a decent size with a large balcony.
The air conditioning worked well, though we found we needed to set it so it would not come on a much as it was quite chilly and noisy. The room also had a ceiling fan.

The bed was set up as a King however it was actually two Queen beds that had been pushed together, this was a bit of an issue as the sheets (there was no comforter) and blanket we found in the closet did not fit properly. So unless you both wanted to sleep in the middle of the bed you were short sheeted. We also found the light/fan switches were in the middle of the bed on the wall, so you could see were a side table would have been in the middle so you could walk to the switches rather than crawl across the bed – we arrived in the evening so even the person who brought the bags to the room had to do the same.

There was a shortage of wall plugs and no USB plugs in the room.
The room had a safe (electronic), decent sized closet, small fridge (with water, pop and beer) and flat screen TV. My one thought when I was looking around the room was the lack of decoration/colour. The room was all white, white furniture etc with splashes of blue in the throw pillows and dust ruffle. There were no pictures on the walls so the room felt bare/sterile.

The bathroom was walk in shower only and single sink. There was enough space to put your things but barely. The window/vent (no glass) is open to the outside and you can hear a lot of noise though it especially as ours was open to the Court yard where the Adult only jacuzzi was located so sounds in that area echoed quite a bit. We found it was better when you closed the door to the bathroom but you could still hear quite a bit of noise as that door was also just slats not a solid door.

Loved the shampoos etc, nice smell and they provide them in larger bottles than most place which is a nice touch and doesn't create as much plastic waste. They quickly provided replacements if they were needed.
The shower always had hot water and decent pressure.
Never saw the turndown service which was listed on some of the literature.

Maid Service: Good but nothing extra. No towel art, notes and one day she came to clean in the room when we were there, which was okay (we sat on the balcony and read) but we had left her something on the bed and in the past if we happened to still be in the room when the maid cleaned they usually said something to us – this person not only did not acknowledge the tip but also did not say anything when she arrived or left. Last year I got stuck in our room at Emotions due to a nasty flu, I was in the room for three days the maid always said hello, goodbye and thank you for anything we had put out for her.

RESTAURANTS:
The buffet was nicely set up, food was hot and a good selection. We did find as it got busier, given the high ceiling in the main area it did tend to get quite noisy. There are no ceiling fans and it can get quite warm. I must admit I prefer a buffet with some open-air portion to it, there were some small tables just outside the door but they were not set up for eating and were all smoking tables.

All the restaurants have nice architectural feature, high wooden ceilings, large wooden windows; 3 of them are on the second floor with the pizza place in between. We did have a lobster dinner which was tasty but huge – certainly worth the extra cost if you enjoy lobster – you may however consider sharing.

There are four ala carte restaurants – but the one which had separate breakfast/lunch area for Sun club was not open – Castaways/Barefoot Grill (the one that prior guests had praised ). The restaurant never opened at all the entire time which is odd given you have to go through it to the beach and the area was often busy so it would have made sense for it to be open at least for lunch/snacks. The bar in it was open.
They did have a smaller breakfast/lunch area in the family Sun Club section where the adults were also allowed to go to eat if they wanted. They provided a basic continental breakfast and could cook eggs up for you too. It was nice and quiet in the morning.
It wasn't overly busy when we were there but they were still fairly busy around the resort but I guess not busy enough to open all the ala carte restaurants on any given night.

Gohan – Identified in the booklet as Adult only in the booklet they had out and “casual elegance” dress code but they did not adhere to this which was disappointing. Men were allowed in shorts, T-shirts, baseball caps and women in casual dress with flip flop despite it specifically saying this was not permitted. Quite a number of families with young children also came in. This spot would be the only truly Adult only space other than the Lounge and jacuzzi area.

We did not go the pizza shop but did look at the menu which did not seem to have what was advertised in their handout (tacos and burgers). We also did not go to the Italian. We did do the Gaucho Grill which also served tasty food but it did take a while to get the meal due to the number of people in the restaurant at the same time.

Coco Café – nice little spot with deserts, fruit and wonderful coffees.

Tamarindo – above the larger pool, wings were fabulous.

Staff in all the restaurants were friendly, helpful and attentive would recommend getting there early as the guests when we were there tended to go early causing wait times to get into most of the ala cartes or if you don't mind just eat later.
There was apparently room service for the Sun Club, the menu had a decent selection but we did not utilize it while here.

WIFI :
There were some issues the first day or so but then it improved however not good enough for hubby to watch a hockey game which he does like to do when at a resort. It did also have a tendency to cut out as you moved around the resort. The only folks who get it throughout the resort are the Sun Club folks, everyone else it is just free in the lobby. The other thing we noted is our Wifi calling feature on our phones that usually works did not at this resort yet has at other resorts in the area.

PHONE: This hotel charges even for local calls from your room, our rep let everyone know that if we needed to reach her to go to the lobby and have them call on our behalf.

POOLS:
There are two main pools, the one smaller one is supposed to be the quiet pool but we didn't notice much difference while there, both seemed to be quite busy. The Sun Club Family and Sun Club Adult only have a large jacuzzi each in their areas. During this trip ours was never quiet unfortunately due to the group of guests also at the hotel who enjoyed loud/active conversation all day (we prefer quiet relaxation on holiday). These jacuzzi areas are a court yard so conversations echo even into the rooms.

Landscaping:
This hotel is built with a natural break between the hotel and the beach. There are several small bridges over the Mangrove area and information about the birds and animals you may see. We did see lots of turtles, fish and various birds including humming birds. The landscaping is beautiful around this hotel and shows the care and attention that has been put into it.

BEACH:
The separate beach area for Sun Club is nice as I really need shade on the beach and you can pull the lounge chairs forward if you want into the sun. Unfortunately, the separate section does not stop the sellers from wandering around you constantly. Interesting enough on another beach in the Dominican the resort set up an area similar and the sellers were only allowed in if invited by a guest and they respected that rule, this for a much quieter time on the beach. In this spot they all came through and then sat in areas just in front of that section so your view was sales people rather than the lovely ocean waves.
Beach large area kept pretty clean other than a lot of cigarette butts. Nice and Sandy going in the water so no need for water shoes. Chairs were comfortable and in good repair.
Personally, I would suggest they gather and pile the chairs at then end of each day. Then the next day they can place out only those needed (so it isn't so cramped with rows of chairs).
I have seen other places use this system and it seems to work quite well. The chairs can be cleaned and broken ones put aside, the beach looks less cluttered and they can give the area a thorough cleaning from all the litter stuck in the sand around the chairs.
There was no shower or foot wash as you leave the beach before entering the Castaways/Barefoot Grill restaurant (only way on and off the beach) so everyone was trudging sand in. There are showers at the end of each walkway just as you reenter the resort room sections.

SMOKING:
Allowed pretty much everywhere in the resort except actually in the restaurants – did not appear to be any non-smoking areas around the pools, beach. The rooms are non-smoking but the balcony's had ashtrays on them. It did appear during the time we were there that the majority of guests were European and French Canadian many of who seemed to be smokers.

Vacation Club:
They are there like many places in the Dominican and Mexico however they politely said hello, and did not push if you did not want to hear their pitch.

Eco Friendly: Lots of encouragement at the resort towards conservation, they did have straws however and they put out a daily sheet of events call the Sundial. You could see it on line apparently but the WIFI wasn't consistent. However other AM resorts we have noticed have a channel on the TV with the daily events and throughout the resort also have screens that show you the events/restaurants open etc.

Stores:
They have a few small stores with the usual tourist stuff in them at greatly inflated prices – our Sun Lotion just $8-10 at home was $20 US in the store and a basic chocolate bar Twix was $3 US so up to 3 times the price. They also had a pharmacy, art shop and jewelry store. We did not buy anything on this trip and know that you can either go to the mall in the Playa Dorada complex for slightly better pricing or into Puerto Plata for some tourist items cheaper.

Staff:
Suggestion for the resort - Please let staff know that guests often do not appreciate yelling outside the rooms. Staff often yelled to each other or spoke on Walkie Talkies at full volume while walking around/cleaning rooms etc at all hours of the day starting quite early (prior to 7 am). Guests are on vacation, they want to relax, sleep in etc (This is an issue similar to what we have seen at many resorts so not unique) Other than that they were always busy and friendly. [Details]
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The strong points
Landscaping; lots of variety of food and spaces to be around the resort
The weak points
Loud, lots of smokers

Great Resort

, Dartmouth, NS
2019-11-25
This resort is a hidden gem! If you're looking for a smaller resort where you won't lose the people you went with then this is a great resort. It was clean, the staff were amazing friendly...ALL of them, every single day! The rooms were great...standard but shockingly nice...I actually was impressed with the bathroom too. There was a blow dryer in it! there was an iron & board...I rarely see this in rooms when I travel. The internet was not the greatest unless you were in the lobby, but I really didn't care. The food spots were few but creative...The buffet was in a restaurant style space....food was in one room and then out the restaurant spot to eat...I liked that I didn't have to see people getting their food while I ate mine. Twice in the week they set up supper out at the entertainment area...tables, table cloths, candles and a buffet...it was done very classy...service again, was great....if you went late enough you could enjoy the show and eat...it was wonderful. Twice out of the week they moved the breakfast buffet to the spot overlooking the beach...also the disco at night, an open space...it was beautiful to eat breakfast and look at the sun rising, hear the sounds of the water and the seeing the sand...I loved they did this. The Disco was fun, not anything over the top...great music, drinks...and if there were fun people it didn't matter if there were only 20 of us there...we had fun...again you could look out at the ocean it was great. I also visited the spa...another great feature of this resort...one of the best spa days I've had...the place was beautiful and clean. We had a couples massage, then to a beautiful pool like hot tub room...complete with drinks and cookies...then off to the steam room, the suana and a cool shower under a bucket...last but not least in their lobby they have those fish tanks that you put your feet in...it tickles and it was fun. Overall impressed with their spa. The beach is not the white sand beach but I liked it...if you walk to the left of the resort you will end up seeing some of the most beautiful views of the mountain and greenery...you will not get tired of walking and seeing it...the water was warm. Unless you're super private person there is no need to upgrade to the private area...in that area they have two small private pool areas and private meal spots...the swim up bar pool area is nice. The other pool was also nice but not much shade there but it was close to the lobby and bar. I was in building 10 Room 110. It faced away from the main area but I loved it...I walked out my door and i was not far from anything. The swim up pool area also has a food spot on top of the bar which is open from 10-6 serving hot dogs, burgers, fries, rice, beans, chicken a salad bar and dessert bar...nachos too...also a bar there too...it is a sit in open area it was great. Overall I loved this resort and would definitely go back. They also have a pharmacy on site, a jewelry store and a few other stores for souvenirs or things you may have forgetten...sunglasses, clothing, hats etc..If you go out the front lobby (which check in was great and the lobby was nice) and go to your right you are no more than a 5 minute walk to the local mall...in the mall was a restaurant and disco, movie theater, money exchange and over 20 other souvenir style stores...also the emergency was there. I loved this resort for what I was looking for...and I would definitely go back again. Bring bug spray and use it.
If you want any additional info just email me at sherryacrowe@gmail.com [Details]
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Certified

Great vacation!

, Halifax, NS
2019-04-14
I traveled in a group of 6 people and this was our first time to DR..we all enjoyed this resort very much! It was very clean, the staff was great and the food was very good! If I had to critic anything, I would like to see more umbrellas around the pool for shade...but, we've had the same problem at other resorts we visited in Cuba too. There are people who have offices on the resort who are trying to sell time shares which approached us multiple times...that got a little annoying over the course of the week but we just kept politely telling them we were not interested. Over all it's a great resort for the price! [Details]
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The strong points
I would definitely go back to this resort again
Certified

Paradise

, St. Johns, NL
2019-04-01
This was our first vacation together without our kids. (We have been together 27 years). It was like we were in paradise. The resort was clean and tidy. The workers were so kind and friendly. They were always happy and always friendly. The food was amazing. The drinks were plenty. I would recommend this resort to anyone. Can't wait to go back. [Details]
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The strong points
Staff always had a smile and so friendly. Rooms were always cleaned and food was great
The weak points
Locals on the beach selling stuff didn't take no for a answer
Certified

Somewhat Dissatisfied

, Toronto, ON
2019-03-24
I stayed at this hotel last year and had a great experience and is why I decided to book it again. However, I had a disappointing experience. The bed was very hard and after a couple of nights, it made my hips sore from sleeping on my side (not even exaggerating as I've never had this happen to me before). As I was there this year during high season, it made for a different experience as the hotel was at full capacity. The bars ran out of certain types of liquor (vodka mostly) every day. I went to the towel centre 4 times in one day to discover they had no beach towels. The snack bars ran out of certain types of food by midday. Guests put their beach towels on the chairs at the pool to reserve them and left them all day and didn't show up. The hotel staff did nothing to prevent this although a sign posted said that all towels left for more than 1 hour would be taken to the towel centre. The rooms were not cleaned until 6pm some days and not at all once. I won't book this resort again during high season as they cannot keep up with the demand. Guests whose flights were delayed were sent to stay at other resorts because the resort was overbooked. Truly a dissapointing experience. [Details]
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The strong points
Good food selection of a la carte restaurants
The weak points
Didn't sleep through the night as the doors on the rooms are made of solid wood and guests slamming them late into the night and early morning.
Certified

Sunscape Puerto Plata

, Aurora, ON
2019-01-23
Rooms and Food were ok.

Relentless barrage of the vendors on the beach was incredible. Could barely speak to the person next to you without being interrupted. Vacation Club was pushed way too much. Continual harassment to attend one of their sessions. Was in adults only section and the first week we were there, there were 3 couples that controlled the Sun Club pool. Very loud and abusive language was far too excessive. Complaints were made to the hotel but they wouldn't act.

Some very nice people work at this resort but these 3 factors certainly diminished our stay [Details]
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Certified

Sunscape Puerto Plata - September 2018

, Ville Saint Laurent, QC
2018-10-24
We strongly recommend this hotel for relaxing vacation. [Details]
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The strong points
excellent staff, beautiful garden, clean beach
The weak points
none
Certified

A wonderful family vacation

, Toronto, ON
2018-04-15
We really enjoyed our family vacation at Sunscape.Our party consisted of two children, ages 1.5 and 4.5, two parents and three grandparents. It was important to me that with small children that the bus ride was short from the airport. 20 mins was perfect! Check-in seemed to be quick for everyone except for us. Not sure why that was the case. A little frustrating. They put our bags on the golf cart with trailer and took us all to our rooms which was handy.

We were in building 7, which initially I was disappointed with after reading reviews but I think the reviews are harsh. Sure, it's more of a walk to everything but we didn't mind that and really it isn't that far. Who doesn't mind a stroll in a warm paradise? Rooms are a very good size. We also were on the first floor which was convenient with our stroller. We had an adjoining room with grandma. I read reviews saying that the adjoining door was a slatted door similar to the bathrooms but this was NOT the case. It was a real door! The bathroom door IS slatted and does not provide much privacy but with our family that didn't matter. The unfortunate thing is that the "vent" from the bathroom shower is just a slatted grate with the hallway on the other side and the sound from the hallway really travels into the room. When kids are trying to take naps or sleep at night and there are children screaming or adults talking in the hallway or on the walkways, you can hear everything. I brought ear plugs which I would recommend. The walls in general are indeed thin. We tipped the housekeeper in US dollars every day. The shower would allow water to spread all over the floor which was not ideal.

The beach, the grounds, the gardens were always well taken care of. There was a storm before we arrived and so much debris and plastic was washed up onto the beach. But they worked hard to clear it. There was only two days where the water was clear and not churned up. This is the Atlantic ocean (not the Caribbean sea as found in Punta Cana). Those are the days we signed out the free snorkelling equipment and walked a bit to the left to where the rocks jet out. There is a small reef there which was great to explore. Water was a lovely temperature. So were the pools.

This is the first of some resorts where we could almost always find a beach chair if you go in the morning (and not a ridiculous early time either). We appreciated this. I LOVED the natural shade of the mangrove forest plus the birds and creek running through the resort. Really beautiful and calming. A real draw for me choosing this resort. The sand was lovely to walk on. Not that many shells right outside out resort but walking to the left you can find more and coral.

Chairs were able to be found at the pools too but they should definitely get more umbrellas!

Food was decent 7.5-8 out of 10. Plenty of options for everyone at the buffets. Castaways was a nice choice for a meal with a beach view. And a sandy area for the kids to run around instead of having to sit the whole meal. They need more avocado and guacamole served everywhere! Especially when they offer nacho chips at the buffet. We really missed this from the last time we were in DR. Be sure to try the coffee at the cafe inside!

We did notice that the resort is not very accessible to wheelchairs, strollers. We were often carrying our stroller up and down stairs even into the buffet and snack bar above the pool. The area that had a ramp option into the buffet always had the door locked which was not ideal. Also, to get to the restaurants upstairs, we needed to carry our stroller up a huge flight of stairs. Inside, there was a electric chair lift for the elderly, but that's not helpful when you have a stroller.

Children were well taken care of at the Kids Club. But there weren't many children there so we made plans with other children we met there so they could go together. They even would take them to have meals at the buffets. My daughter loved making hairbands and doing crafts.
They would play a kids movie every night before the evening entertainment which was a nice wind down for the children. They also had pool and table tennis beside the stage area. And free popcorn!

Nightly entertainment was done with the same cast every night. Which shows their talent at being able to perform 7 different shows but also gives the impression that they are masters of none. The Carnival was one of the best shows. But you could tell they weren't giving their all every night as they seemed tired, particularly the women, apart from a couple of the amazing male dancers.

I recommend planning your own tours outside of what the hotel offers in order to save money.

There are people there trying to persuade you to come to a special dinner or lunch or breakfast to offer you a timeshare. Be aware.

The Playa Dorada mall is 3 min walk from the resort. It's pricey but you can find a variety of souvenirs and things. Buying on the beach will usually be cheaper because you can bargain more. There are tonnes of vendors everywhere all the time! Just a smile and a no thank you is sufficient. We did receive foot massages on the beach which was lovely. I liked that they had the option instead of just souvenirs.

Overall we had a wonderful time and I recommend this resort to families for sure. [Details]
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The strong points
seemed safe even leaving belongings by our chairs, staff so friendly to children, decent food, beautiful mangrove forest by beach.
The weak points
thin walls in the rooms, sounds from outside travels in, bathroom vent is just a slatted grate to the hallway, not very accessible to stroller and wheelchairs, need to serve guacamole please! :D
Certified

Great but annoying

, St Catharines, ON
2018-04-13
Your wifi sucks big time. The staff at the buffet were not very good . I had to ask at almost every meal for service. They would bypass my husband and I and would approach another party first who just was seated. I tipped every meal and still got lousy service . The towels on the lounges says they would take them after one hour they were not I have a suggestion take the towels and when they come and ask for another towel because there's was taken you charge them $10 per towel and you'll see the slow down a lot or get someone to go around and remove those towels . We never got to go to the pool with an umbrella or get more umbrellas. This has deterred me from returning [Details]
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The strong points
The food on the buffet was great even though I got sick
The weak points
Your staff and the flipping towels on the lounges. They were never removed even though there was a sign saying after one hour they would be taken
Certified

Fp00168

, East Garafraxa, ON
2018-03-14
The property was good, the pool was good and the beach was great. The food was good however the restaurants had a no reservation policy making the air times 1-2 hours before you could get in if you could get in. What is the purpose of having all of these restaurants if you can't eat in them. The food at the buffet was abit repetitive. The entertainment could have been a little better. Overall good experience , staff was very friendly. Wifi wasn't bad also, was accessible on grounds and in your room. [Details]
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Sunscape Resort Review

, Simcoe, ON
2018-03-07
We had a very pleasurable time from the moment we landed till wè checked out. The resort was very clean and the food was excellent. The rooms were great and kept very clean every day, the pools kept very clean,all the staff were very friendly, beach was beautiful and clean with lots of chairs to be had and shade areas available. I could keep going but in a nutshell we found this resort to be a gem and would go back again in a heartbeat. [Details]
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The strong points
Excellent food, excellent staff, very clean resort, lots of washrooms that were cleaned several times a day and they all worked the way bathrooms are supposed to work, clean beach,somewhat calm waters in a roped off area (no huge waves crashing onto beach
The weak points
Nightly entertainment(sorry not into Caribbean music or dancing - thats just me)-karaoke on Friday nights only(lol)
Certified

Won't return

, Hamilton, ON
2018-02-18
Hotel is clean but the age of it is evident in the condition of the buildings. SunClub level not worth the extra cost, services and perks advertised not available/delivered. Staff ignored rules outlined for pools, not enough chairs, lounges etc for size of resort. Resort understaffed especially in restaurants and bars, attention to guests very difficult for staff to deliver due to the small number of staff. Many staff unable to understand guests due to lack of ability to communicated in any language other than Spanish. [Details]
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The strong points
Resort was clean. Food was good.
The weak points
Bathrooms small, understaffed, restaurants inaccessible/ difficult to access for guests with physical disabilities, lack of adequate seating in pool areas and resort in general. Website pictures not reflective of resort.
Certified

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