Ocean El Faro

Ocean El Faro
3.643.643.643.643.64
3.64 based on 89 reviews
#43 of 110 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 Punta Cana
Rated 4.5 stars
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OEF

, Groves Point, NS
2024-03-25
The Hotel is beautiful and modern. The rooms are very nice, with modern decor. Had to change rooms twice. Our first room was so damp and cold that the sheets were wet. My passport curled upon itself in a couple of hours and the room smelled so bad- like a leaky basement. The second room was across from the Disco and too loud to sleep. Our last room was good. The staff were good to accommodate us in a timely manner to get our rooms switched.
I have food sensitivities and allergy. Went to front desk as soon as I got there to let them know. They gave me a blue card that described by diagrams what I have an allergy to. I circled what I was allergic to as instructed by staff. Every time I went to buffet, it was hard to get someone's attention to show them the card. When I would show the card, no one understood what the card meant or what I was trying to say. It also seems as though they had never seen the card before. I then used Google translate which had them shaking their heads "no" to say they didn't understand what google translate was trying to say. It is difficult in a buffet to explain what you need and in such a place that it seems a majority of staff do not understand English. I decided that my safest option was to go to the a la cart restaurants where I could specifically speak to the waiter/waitress about my food allergy and sensitivities. At the steakhouse, they asked if I had allergies before entering which I thought was great, but as soon as we sat down in the steakhouse, the waiter brought over bread with baked cheese on it. The staff would go through the motions of asking about food allergies but it wouldn't get communicated to the wait staff or the kitchen. The same happened at the Italian restaurant. This made my dining experience stressful for the whole week as I was constantly worrying about getting sick. Luckily I guessed at the right foods for me.
The Japanese restaurant was safe for me. [Details]
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The strong points
Very modern decor throughout the resort, nice rooms, bathroom, steam machine for clothes, nice chairs on balcony, loved the coffee shop
The weak points
Not enough bathrooms close to pool Not enough bars or staff around pool Entertaiment too noisy around pool No understanding of food allergies even with card provided by resort. Need more staff to understand English
Sanitary measures
Seemed very clean
Certified

Ocean El Faro- Swim Up

, Hamilton, ON
2024-01-23
During the holiday of 2023, we stayed at Ocean El Faro, in the swim-up suite for a short stay. The hotel had a large footprint with many onsite amenities. Everything that was noted on the hotel as being offered was present. Overall, the hotel is nice but I would hesitate to compare it to a true 5-star hotel. It boasts a lot of features however the finishings and services would be more comparable to a 4-star hotel. The price of the hotel is accurate for the services and resort that is offered. [Details]
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The strong points
1. A lot of culinary options. 2. Beautiful room and resort. 3. Large resort to explore safely.
The weak points
1. Poor service and staff. 2. The room needed cleaning upon check-in (mould in the shower). 3. Sales tour staff were aggressive.
Sanitary measures
1. Daily pool cleaning. 2. Commercial cleaning products used.
Certified

West Jet

, Hamilton, ON
2024-01-23
Loved the Lazy River but the room we were in was a bit far away from restaurants ect as it was hard at times getting a golf cart I have trouble walking far & my husband has dementia so I had to watch him constantly if he wanted to go back to room I lost him twice in restaurant/ Buffett
My son wanted too book for beginning of March but too expensive for 3 of them [Details]
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Certified

Excellent holiday!

, Richmondhill, ON
2023-11-03
It's an amazing experience. Five days was not enough to cover everything. Staff was really good and friendly but little barrier was the language. (But managed it). They had amazing events at different times. Food and liquor were available at anytime whenever you want and it's all inclusive. The beach was lovely [Details]
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Certified

Ocean El Faro

, Drummonville, QC
2023-09-06
We stayed at the hotel 7 days. The resort was really pretty and the room too. Had lots of fun. We were in the El Beso part and it was calmer than the other section. However I didn't wear my bracelet all week and the staff did not even asked for it so we could of gone with a cheeper room and just go to the pool El Best and nobody would of said anything.

If you want to party El Beso is the place for you. They do late night party for adults. [Details]
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The strong points
Food was good. Hotel and the room were very beautiful, nice design. Many pools and bar stand
The weak points
The service and the attitude of some employee The constant spam on the beach by the people who are trying to sell you things The beach was awful, polluted and full of seaweed. The ambiance on the resort was bad
Certified

Best resort in Punta Cana

, Etobicoke, ON
2023-08-22
First time here and I was extremely happy, impressed & satisfied with my overall experience at this resort. From the checking staff to my room, everything was great. My room was spacious, clean, comfortable. The facilities as well, the beach was excellent & all the staff top notch, friendly, helpful & professional. Highly recommended Ocean El Faro. Gorgeous resort. Loved my vacation here. [Details]
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The strong points
Clean, espacious, comfortable rooms. Friendly, professional and helpful staff. Food delicious every day is different at the buffet (bfast, lunch & dinner) gorgeous establishment, beach is perfect
The weak points
The snack bars, should have more variety. The disco should hire a better DJ it sounded like a beginner learning his way throughout the night
Sanitary measures
Great
Certified

Would I recommend Ocean El Faro? No

, Ajax, ON
2023-08-09
We survived our vacation at Ocean El Faro but it is definitely not a place we would revisit or recommend to anyone that has travelled extensively. Some of the staff at the hotel are accommodating, the other half are dismissive and couldn't care less that you've worked hard all year to afford this vacation for your family and the least you expect is good customer service.

The first night we arrived, we noticed a strong moldy scent in the room which lasted the entire duration of the vacation. All of our clothing remained damp for the entire week because the place was so mildewed. Luckily for us, one of our friends read the reviews extensively before coming and brought a moisture absorber. She has extras and shared them with the rest of our group. If not, we would have likely died of mold inhalation.

It is next to impossible to book a specialty restaurant - especially if you are travelling with a big group. You have the option to book online at 8am but by 8:01am, all of the reservations are gone. You can also wait in line to book (also at 8am). People were lined up on a daily basis and even borrowed chairs from the main square to sit because the wait was so long. Not exactly how you want to spend your time on vacation so be prepared to become very comfortable with the buffet if you are not able to get a booking. The food? Meh. It wasn't the worst. If you stick to items you know, you'll make it out without having to hug the porcelain express. I stuck to omelets every morning made by the lovely Juan. The buffet is very short staffed. It was next to impossible to get a drink or extra utensils, or even napkins. Ideally, someone should be assigned to a few tables and that way, all tables have a waiter. On more than one occasion we had to leave our seats to flag down workers just to get the basic items you get in a restaurant.

The resort is fairly large. We were in the furthest building from the main hall so we resorted to taking the shuttle on most days because it was so hot - borderline hell. All of the shuttle drivers were kind, except the one who left us waiting at the stop and never came back to get us one evening. We almost missed our restaurant reservation because of this. We literally wonder if it's because we weren't able to parlé Spanish with him like some passengers were able to.

We booked a bus to go shopping with one of the hotel workers and he ghosted us. Never showed up the day of the outing and did not answer our call. We were fortunate to find another worker who was instrumental in finding a bus to accommodate our large group. The original worker reached out to us an hour after we departed for our shopping trip but I didn't respond. No point.

We managed to get a spa day in. The ladies at the spa were professional and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our time spent there. Be advised, if you are planning to claim your massage through insurance, they will only issue your receipt to the person whose name the room is booked in - even if they have not had a massage! Makes absolutely no sense but reception couldn't figure it out.

The grounds are very well maintained and clean. Housekeeping was pleasant and kind and she took care of our room well and stocked it regularly.

The beach is lovely however, there is so much seaweed it makes it really uncomfortable to get to the water and even be in the water. We spent most of our time at the pool which leads me to the service we received at the pool bar. Terrible, terrible, terrible. One specific worker made it bad for the team because all we remember is how horribly she treated us by ignoring us and walking away to serve other guests while we were mid-sentence in ordering!!! The staff at this hotel need a really good course in customer service. Having visited many all-inclusive resorts, this one sits comfortably at the bottom of the list for customer service.

We were bored most nights. The shows lack creativity and turned out to be a snooze fest for most guests. It would be helpful for Management to travel to other all-inclusive resorts in other countries to see how they can improve the entertainment aspect of this place.

In summary, if you've travelled previously, this is not a great place to visit. One of the gentlemen in our group had never ever travelled before and thought it was the greatest thing out. He had nothing to compare it to!! The rest of us have been to multiple places and each of us agree this is definitely not the place to spend your hard earned money. [Details]
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The strong points
Beautiful Landscaping!
The weak points
customer service, short staff.
Certified

Mediocre- Falling apart, slow service.

, Toronto, ON
2023-06-25
I was shocked to learn this hotel was only 4 years old. It was truthfully falling apart. From missing pool tiles to so much rust staining and dripping down the walls from the roof it was very hard TK believe I could be in such bad shape in 4 years.

The rooms also had the most horrible and moldy/mildew smell. But there no place to buy air freshen air to help. You will adjust to bad smell but it's almost unbearable in the beginning

Service is overall very slow. Sometimes it would take 10-15 mins to get a drink at the restaurants of food places. All of the staff and service was the slowest I've ever experienced and I'm a big tipper (tipped over $200usd during my stay). [Details]
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The strong points
Very nice beach and good food. Lots of pool and easy to get a lounge chair by the pool
The weak points
Resort was falling apart, staff was slow, restaurants were fully booked by 8:01am so very had to get a reservation. And the horrible smelling room.
Sanitary measures
Floors were always dirty
Certified

Horrible!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY

, Pickering, ON
2023-05-15
I wish I could write a better review for this resort but we had the absolute worst experience.... I went with my boyfriend and we stayed for 8 days. We booked privilege to have all of the bonus aspects of what comes with it... little did we know, we got absolutely scammed. We read reviews before booking and we read a lot of great reviews so we got totally scammed based off of what we experienced. To begin with, we had a butler (name was Manuel) he brought us to our room, told us that anything we needed at all to message him on WhatsApp and he will be at our service no matter what. Seems great right? Well the AC in the room did not work, the mini fridge did not keep anything refreshingly cold, the shower leaked water throughout the entire bathroom - so much so that if you had to go pee, you had to sit/stand in a puddle of water to do so. We messaged the butler and told him our issues and he did not provide us with any help, but instead tried to give us the room down the hall with the same issues (no working AC, same shower leak). We said no, we need a working room. He then directed us to the front desk who again was NO HELP at all, did not provide us with any upgrades or a new room and kept telling us that a manager would call our room phone to get it all figured out. NO ONE CALLED OR TRIED TO HELP US. Our butler made two dinner reservations for the first two nights and said that he would make the rest of them on the second night. On our third day we had not heard from him, so I messaged him asking where our reservations were. He read my text and never responded. I went to the front desk to make our own reservations and they proceeded to tell me that they cannot do the butlers job but will make the reservations for the time being. After I told them that the butler was ignoring our messages they said "Well he is a busy guy". After that I messaged the butler again asking him to reserve a beach cabana for us for the morning, he ignored every single message. He never once checked in with us, or responded or even asked us how it is going. And the worst part is, we would see him around the resort with other guests and he would look at us with a straight face and acted like he did not know who we were.

The food was subpar, we were not expecting the best of the best but we thought that with the resort being a 5 star, it would have good food. The food was horrible, the only good things we ate were at the Sakura restaurant and the semi-good pizza at the El Mercado buffet. The food was awful and most nights gave us diarrhea..... We were absolutely disgusted with the food and by the end of the trip we just wanted to go home......

The service was so hit or miss. You either had great bartenders or ones that could not care less. We tipped well thinking that would help and it was not appreciated whatsoever. Half of the workers could not speak english either so it was so difficult to try and get help or ask questions or even just talk to them at all. We tried using google translate and they pushed us off and said "no english, no comprehend" They also have a lazy river, but the catch is you have to buy a tube there to enjoy the lazy river..... they do not provided tubes!! And the tubes there costed 45$ USD!!!! They gouge you!!! The "private beach" has people all over it hassling you to buy things like necklaces and stuff like that and they do not leave you alone!!!! The Mini bar in the room was so disappointing too, they provided you with three water bottles, three small beer cans and two mini liquor bottles (the one shot ones). Absolutely horrible. The beach towels you get in privilege are supposed to be replaced daily and they were not, we had to bring them down to the towel place to get new ones.

The room service was horrible too. We were so sick of the buffet so we decided to order room service for lunch one day. I called at 2pm and the food did not show up until 650pm and by then we were already out on our way to dinner. I called the next day at night for some juice and they never brought it to us!!!!!

They rarely had any events or activities going on during the day and it was not advertised either!! The website says jet skiing was available but it was not. The website also said that privilege guests got a steak and lobster special dinner per 4 night stay, and we never got that and when we asked about it, they said they do not do that....

We spoke to multiple people about the horrendous experiences we had to try and get help and no body did anything to help us.

My boyfriend and I made the most out of the horrible experience we had by just trying to enjoy the sun and the time off but honestly, it was so brutal that I would never recommend this place to anyone. Our travel agent even tried getting a hold of the hotel to figure out what was going on and why we were being treated so poorly and they pushed her off too.

We paid extra for privilege for the extra benefits and we got scammed and they never tried to make right what they did wrong. Manuel was the worst and if they consider that a butler, they need to visit a true 5 star resort to figure out the meaning of good service.

Do not waste your money here!!!!! This place is not 5 star!!! [Details]
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The strong points
not many to be honest
The weak points
Read the review.... absolutely horrible
Certified

Ocean el faro Punta Cana

, Gananoque, ON
2023-04-20
Check in was negative the clerk advised us that if we lost our bracket wrist band it would cost us $150 us. I chuckled at the ridiculous statement. Any guest who lost a wristband would not do so on purpose and most properties would give another with passport proof. Found this 1st impression negative, not accomodating and ridiculous. 2 small 355 ml of beer in room fridge is also a joke...its an all inclusive. We paid 5.00 us for 6 extra small cans which probably went into the employees pocket. [Details]
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The strong points
Clean, food was acceptable
The weak points
Staff need training on basic customer service and knowledge about the entire property. Seems like many only knew what they needed to know based on their workstation.
Certified

El Faro review

, Thornhill, ON
2023-03-23
We had a family of six people at the resort including three children. Our family travels a lot usually three times a year to different destinations. We've been many times in Punta Cana and I'd like to say that this trip was a disappointment. For the price that we paid we were expecting much better service and experience. [Details]
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The weak points
Only one coffee shop is available at the resort and to get a cup of coffee you have to spend 20-30 minutes in line. We tried the Steak House and the Italian restaurants and it's really ridiculous that you have to spend almost two hours in line
Certified

Deceived

, Kapuskasing, ON
2023-03-19
Very beautiful hotel, clean, very well maintained lazy river and garden are spectacular. [Details]
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The strong points
Spectacular lobby area..good drinks, very good food…
The weak points
Very deceiving beach area….rocky, not enough lounge chairs, dirty if you walk along the beach, long wait for bar service, bartenders are not the most friendly felt like we were bothering them even when we tipped…restaurants booking system poorly managed….
Certified

Moderate resort

, Pincourt, QC
2023-03-13
It's a 50-50 resort, means there's positive points and negative points there, not enough chairs around the pools and taken as of last night, friendly staffs, water park for kids and they'll enjoy there, for premium and exclusive members special restaurants and buffet, sometimes too crowded and noisy,
Premium employees bother you every 10 meters every day even if you already said NO, In general if you are an easy going person, it will be acceptable. [Details]
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The strong points
Friendly respectful staffs, daily programs are nice, clean room and acceptable housekeeping,
The weak points
Waiting line to reserve the restaurants, you have to stay in line as of 6:30 am and the start at 08:00 am, to reserve, without reservation also long line, Two days no internet,it was down, food quality and serving methods is not the best,
Certified

Best trip ever

, Canada, ON
2023-03-11
We went to Ocean El FARO to celebrate his 60th birthday. It was the best trip of a life time. I would tell everyone the go to this hotel. It is as beautiful as in the pictures. People are very nice and courteous. I will definitely go back. Loved it very much. [Details]
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The strong points
Area, clean, beautiful and the workers are so friendly.
The weak points
The people that try to sell you there time share is obnoxious. They wanted us to pay 35,000.00 us for a time share….crazy man.
Certified

Good Hotel but Service could be a lot better

, Stoney Creek, ON
2023-01-29
There are so many reviews to dig through and so many that don't look promising but overall I would recommend this hotel. We travelled with 2 children ages 5 and 18 months.

We stayed from January 20-27th. When we arrived at the hotel the lobby is very grand and beautiful. Upon arrival staff was friendly and helpful at the front desk and the bags were delivered to the room so you do not have to wheel them to your room. The entire resort is probably an eight-to-ten-minute walk from beach to lobby. They do have shuttle buses that will bring you around if you don't want to walk. The main strip is great with everything right there. There is a store (which is grossly overpriced unless you don't care about money but that also comes with travelling so make sure you bring everything you need), all a la carte restaurants (I think there is 6 total plus the buffet unless you are on the el beso side or a privileged traveler I believe there is a few more options for you), bowling alley (we didn't try it), sports bar, the entertainment spot, teen club, spa, gym and a coffee shop. My husband and brother in-law tried the gym out and said it was pretty good.

The coffee shop is fantastic with lots of options for everyone. It does get busy so pack your patience especially when it first opens (7am). A suggestion would be to have it open at 6:00 or 6:30 as a lot of people are early risers.

The a la carte restaurants - we didn't try them until day 3. I think the app got updated halfway through our trip and it fixed the glitch everyone's talking about with booking HOWEVER if you go on at 7 to book a restaurant for 6pm, I bet you it will be available and while your screen is spinning it will say full. Best bet is to book in person at the desk. Be there at 6:45 to avoid a long line up. You will find most restaurants aren't even that busy so not sure how they are full. You might even be lucky to walk up to one in the evening and ask to get in. We only tried the Steakhouse, Margarita and Route 66. All were fantastic. Gerson at Margarita and Jennifer at Route 66 were great. Don't waste your time at the buffet for dinner, book the restaurants you won't be disappointed. Room service was good as well for the kids. Easy to get them chicken nuggets and fries at any time when they were hungry. The snack bar was okay good for a light snack – plate of fries or nachos was always an easy pool side snack. Buffet is the same as any other all inclusive just meh. Something that was helpful for me with kids was I always took food with me back to the room after we left the buffet for the kids to snack on later (pancakes and pizza were perfect).

The pool/beach bars are understaffed. Pack your patience or bring your wallet more then $1 a day and your guaranteed to get a drink fast. We found that if you're not tipping a good amount daily, they don't bother with you and you'll wait 25 minutes for a drink and they will purposely serve other people before you even if you came first. Bring a big cup from home or else you'll finish your tiny cup before you get back to your chair and you just wasted 25 minutes.

The beach is great for kids to dig and play. Go early in the morning to get a cabana to have shade for them. The waves are rough and it is very rocky but a short walk down the beach to the left leads you to a little bay that is great for swimming with the kids. No rocks but also no chairs as it is off the resort but everyone swims there.

The pools were good. Main pool was the party pool. Loud and good entertainment. Hard to get a drink. The next pool closer is to the ocean is quiet and less busy. Bring your towels again early to get a spot with an umbrella. We never had a problem or had a problem getting clean towels. The lazy river was fun bring your own tube from home to avoid disappointment. We just got a few at the dollar store and left them there when we came home. The waterpark is good. My 5-year-old had fun running around and going down the waterslides. My youngest wasn't allowed on it – the whistle blower will find you. The main pools are great for littles as they have a ledge they can stand on and play and cool down. There is also a park that was great and never busy.

Our room was in building 7. It faced the main pool which we enjoyed when we went back to the room you can watch all the drunk people for entertainment and enjoy the music in the afternoon. The room was clean, tv worked well with a lot of stations, good shower and my 5-year-old loved the jacuzzi bathtub. We had a “crib” for our daughter in the room which was just a pack and play so as a warning to other mom's its not a crib just a pack and play that they pile blankets in for the babies to sleep on. Bring your own or let them sleep with you. The maid our first 2 days left nice towel arrangements with flowers. We left her a 10 tip on day 3 and never seen another towel arrangement or anything above and beyond. The person that stocks the fridge the first day we left a 10 tip asking for it to get stocked with lots of beer and water. That day it was full and even had a bag of nuts in it. Every day after that lots of water but only 2 mini cans of beers. Fill your cups at the bar before you go to your room to have drinks in your room.

The WiFi was from the beach to the lobby worked well everywhere.

My only negative review for this hotel would be that the staff is very money hungry. We paid enough money to stay at the resort and we brought $70 worth of tip money and flew through it and still felt like it wasn't enough. Anywhere else the staff would be grateful and appreciative for whatever amount you gave them even if it was only $1.

Overall, I would recommend this hotel but wish the staff was more friendly and attentive to you as this is an ALL inclusive resort. [Details]
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The strong points
Very clean Good a la carte restaurants Great pools Lazy river Beach
The weak points
Service is poor Need more staff They expect tips for everything
Certified

Beautiful place and great service!

, Saint Hubert, QC
2023-01-16
We loved it! Checkin was a little rough but after that it was smooth sailing! [Details]
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The strong points
service, cleanliness, food variety
The weak points
check in was chaotic , room was musty smelling
Certified

Ocean el faro review

, Toronto, ON
2023-01-05
Basic value resort. Did not try to be impressive not even to a returning guest. [Details]
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The strong points
Swim up room. Nice size resort Coffee shop New years entertainment Piano bar
The weak points
Can't walk far on the beach A la carte booking system A la carte food Buffet very repetitive. Wait service at swim up rooms Seemed short staff at a la cartes and coffee shop
Sanitary measures
None in place. Sanitizer pumps didn't work.
Certified

Very Good

, Innisfil, ON
2022-11-28
The Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotel when i stay in Dominican Republic.10 star!
Service 8 star.Alexandra server on the beach Fantastic!
Entertainment10 star!
Pool service for adults 4 star!
Rooms always clean ,fresh towels,-10 star! [Details]
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The strong points
Beautiful View!
The weak points
Difficult to book a la cart restaurant even we try 7.00 am. Also far to walk to restaurant.No bus. Only last day Eduardo was helping us. Very friendly person willing to do extra miles.Should be bus schedule and posts when is stop!
Sanitary measures
Ok
Certified

Met Expectations

, Stoney Creek, ON
2022-05-07
It is a 4 & a small fraction star resort. Not 5 star certainly however it really is not priced as such. $1,200 CAN each including flight and transfers from Toronto is an outstanding value. [Details]
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The strong points
The lazy river The swim up bars Presidente on tap The wide selection of fresh food Most staff are friendly The bones of the resort are very very good and newish -- opened in 2017/2018.
The weak points
Restaurant booking/entry is a joke. Some staff won't give you a glance unless you are holding a $5 US cash tip for them. Many staff either speak not enough English to be useful or pretend not to speak English due to poor attitude or lack of motivation.
Sanitary measures
Excellente!!!

Beautiful Resort with great service

, Oakville, ON
2022-04-26
Our stay at the hotel was great. I loved the freshness of the hotel as its clean and newly built. The layout and design of the hotel is really nice.
Lots of pools and lazy river for having fun in the water the whole day. Multiple restaurants of different cuisine with good food. Would appreciate more vegetarian options. The entertainment and the shows in the evening were nice too. Beach was very clean and water was great. The service of the hotel was also great. No complaints overall. Good value for money. [Details]
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The strong points
Newly Built, Lazy River, Multiple Pools, Drinks Service, Beautiful Lobby, Hotel layout and Design, Service, Beach was clean and nice.
The weak points
Vegetarian options should be increased for vegetarian guests Include ice-lollies, Ice-cream bar should be open for a longer duration
Certified

Privilege experience

, Montréal, QC
2022-03-21
It was a great resort with lots to do. Clean with big rooms. Good beach but requires water shoes. Food was ok (first time in DR). [Details]
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The strong points
Clean resort and pools, nice big rooms, lazy river
The weak points
The travel club solicitors were very pushy
Sanitary measures
Good measures in place and all employees wear their masks
Certified

Very good vaction .

, Montréal, QC
2022-03-01
very clean beautiful modren hotel .. nathing to complain . the size of rooms are good with all needed equipment . [Details]
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Certified

Book at Own Risk!

, Guelph, ON
2022-02-24
Our children booked the Junior Suite Swim Up at this hotel and upon arrival realized that their sliding back door to their room that went to the swim up pool did not lock. The advised the front desk who said they would fix it but did not. On their third night there while they were away from their room, someone broke into their room and stole money and damaged the onsite safe while doing so. My son and his roommate immediately went to the front desk to report it. This is where things get upsetting. The front desk instead of having concern for my child, in turn accused them of breaking the safe, with no logic with why these kids would need to break into a safe that only has their own belongings in it. They proceeded to tell they boys that they would either have to pay $480 USD for the safe or they would kick them and their 3 other friends staying at the hotel out on the streets. (keep in mind the other 3 boys were in different rooms and also had money stolen but no damage in the room). We had the one boy's parent call the front desk as he is from the Dominican to talk to them and at this point we thought everything was handled. Nothing would be done about the money that was stolen but they were no longer asking for the money to replace the safe. Until last night the day before their departure. 10 security officers showed up at our kids doors and demanded that they either pack up their belongings and leave the hotel or pay the money for the safe. They would not leave their rooms even with parents on the phone trying to speak with them. The forced them down to the front lobby to pay for the safe. When the father tried to communicate with the front desk they claimed to not speak English. We all know that the front desk employees always speak English. The boys paid for the safe and were then left alone.

There is zero logic in anything that this hotel did to these kids other than to mark them as easy targets upon the arrival knowing that there is no way parents were going to let them leave this hotel on their own in a foreign country ensuring they would get paid. 3 days of their trip was ruined by the stress and fear that this hotel put into these kids who are simply trying to get a vacation away.

Book at your own risk! [Details]
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Nice place for the price at that time , not a 5*

, Orleans, ON
2022-02-22
We got a really good price but i wouldn't probably not return there as its not a 5 stars hotel and very disappointed on food / restaurant.

A bit far from the airport and the beach wasn't good [Details]
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The strong points
Easy access, layout (pool / restaurant / shop etc... ) of resort is awesome ,everything is centralized. Clean overall Good service overall Sections for kids / adult only or senior
The weak points
Food wasn't for a 5 stars hotel All restaurant were short staff or disorganized Lobby , staff etc... have no change. We brought 100 x 1$ just for tips on everything and ran out quickly. Gift shop is so overprice
Sanitary measures
All good , a bit disorganized for PCR test procedure and long wait
Certified

Awesome Family vacation

, Sarnia, ON
2022-01-28
Overall we are loving our holiday. We have travelled south for many years. Buffet is good. A la cartes are exceptional. Pool and beach set great, lazy river and kids water park is amazing! Very clean property. [Details]
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The strong points
Overall we are loving our holiday. We have travelled south for many years. Buffet is good. A la cartes are exceptional. Pool and beach set great, lazy river and kids water park is amazing! Very clean property.
The weak points
The staff really vary in service attitude and overall language barrier has been challenging. I dont expect staff to be fluent in my language but when asking for common items... Staff should know the words ie salt , or rare, well done in steakhouse.

Review

, Calgary, AB
2022-01-28
Great weather and clean accommodations. [Details]
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The strong points
Excellent service
The weak points
Na
Sanitary measures
Good cleaning process

Great experience at the hotel!

, Surrey, BC
2021-12-17
So far I had a great experience. Staff is amazing and very helpful. The food is good and it has very reasonable hrs.. the time for opening and close. [Details]
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Life to its fullest!

, Owen Sound, ON
2021-12-16
excellent food life I liked the restaurant zakura and the steak house really very good, the entertainers excellent show [Details]
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The strong points
the food very varied for my taste
The weak points
The bar lacks more elaborate drinks and more presentation for my taste in Canada we have more elaboration and more reduced sweet touch

Families Beware!

, Vancouver, BC
2021-08-13
I read a lot of bad reviews about Ocean El Faro before we left for our family vacation on August 1, 2021. I was disappointed but hoped that the people who wrote the reviews were just being overly picky. My intuition told me to cancel but my heart really needed this 5 star, all inclusive vacation. So, we packed up our 2 kids and set out on a journey that would rapidly turn into a nightmare. We did all of the typical things families do on vacation. We swam by day, dressed up for dinners, bowled and caught the evening shows. Our nightmare began when we went to make our appointment for our departure Covid-19 test; To re-enter Canada we needed a negative test result within 72 hours of our departure flight. This hotel tests guests for Covid on site in their private doctors office and results are returned in 24 hours.

We were given an appointment on a Thursday morning for a Sunday afternoon departure - leaving us outside of our 72 hours requirement as we were arriving in Canada Sunday night. Guest services told us not to worry about it, it is the processing time at the lab that is recorded on the document required for air travel. My husband went to the doctor's office to verify this information. They told him the same thing and added that they could change data on the document, like the time, if the time wasn't within the 72 hour window we needed. That did not sit well with my husband. He did not want anyone changing information on our results so we rebooked for the following morning (Friday). This left us with a tighter turnaround time to get our results back before our departure on Sunday. I jokingly said to my husband that they were going to give him a positive result for being so difficult. Lo and behold, when we got our results back Saturday evening - my results were POSITIVE, everyone else was negative! We all had been double vaccinated with Pfizer and had taken every precaution available. I started to cry in the doctor's office and the doctor told me that I will have to quarantine at the hotel for 10 days and the hotel would pay for my quarantine. I asked, how many people has this happened to? I was told it was just me. We were then sent to guest services to make arrangements for the 10 day quarantine.

Once we got to guest services, we were told - No, the hotel does not cover quarantine costs, even if you were exposed to Covid-19 at their hotel. You will have to pay $85 US a night and rebook your flight at your own expense. Lucky, my husband speaks Spanish and was working out all of the details on my behalf. Meanwhile, I asked the doctor and a different rep at guest services if I could please take a retest! I was supposed to leave the next day! They said they could do a retest but that they would not get the results back until Monday because the lab is closed on Sunday. That was not helpful to me or my family so I continued to cry. Their options made me feel helpless. The floor manager on duty, Johnny Onorio, even had the nerve to ask me to stop crying because it wouldn't change anything. Can you imagine asking a mother to stop crying when she was going to be separated from her kids and detained in a country where she doesn't speak the language?!! There were so many things running through my mind. In a moment of clarity, I thought why can't I just leave the hotel and get a rapid retest somewhere else?! I decided to Google rapid test clinics in Punta Cana and found one that would give test results within 5 hours! So my husband and I jumped into a cab and made the 25 minute journey to the lab at 10 PM, I took another PCR test, and we returned to the hotel. I went to my quarantine room while my husband returned to our 2 kids. At 5:50 a.m. he called to tell me that my results were released online and they were NEGATIVE!

Being a teacher, my first instinct was to tell the hotel about the rapid testing facility in Punta Cana so this never has to happen to another guest again - it can be a learning experience for all. I went to see the doctor and she was very happy for me and said that she would let others know about the rapid test lab. Then, I went to the manager of guest services, Carolina Santana, and she said she WOULD NOT tell others about the option to get a rapid covid test off site because it is not protocol. Protocol is to quarantine at the hotel at your own expense and get retested at the hotel even if it means missing your flight because their lab is closed on Sunday. I do not disagree with that plan IF you can offer a retest in a timely manner to confirm the guest actually has Covid. Since they don't process tests at El Faro on Sunday anyone who needs a retest on a Saturday at this hotel will be left unsupported! Carolina was not a flexible thinker. In fact she was rigid, unsympathetic and unempathetic about my situation. So, I repeated my issue to her, thinking that she couldn't have possibly understood what happened to me. But no, I got the same robotic response -”that is not protocol”. How can you be the manager of Guest Services when you don't take care of the guests when they need it the most? Carolina's attitude is negligent if you ask me - an absolute failure to take care of guests at this hotel. If a guest tests positive at your resort, it is your responsibility to assist them to get a timely retest so they can verify whether or not they actually have Covid before you start the process of charging them thousands of dollars to extend their stay. And in this case, I did not have Covid! I received a false positive from their private clinic and a negative at a public lab in Punta Cana (Referencia) and negative at arrivals in Canada (Switch Health) - all within 48 hours! If I had listened to Ocean El Faro, I would still be there in isolation away from my family - for no reason!

So, BEWARE OF THIS HOTEL - you will test positive for Covid here even if you aren't. When you do, they will not help you unless the solution aligns with their protocol. If I did not take matters into my own hands and do some quick problem solving, I would have missed my flight and I would have been detained at $85 US a night for nothing.

If this happens to you or anyone you know, please visit the Referencia Laboratorio Clinico. It is open 24 hours a day. The address is: Av. Boulevard 1ro. de Noviembre, Punta Cana Village, Edif. Belanova, Región Este, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 1 809-221-5545

As an aside, there is not a lot of Covid prevention going on at this hotel despite their overuse of the word protocol. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style - for dinner you can eat at a restaurant or the buffet. To eat at the buffet, an employee gives you a flimsy plastic glove to wear to serve yourself. But that employee is not wearing a glove when they give you your glove - so the glove has already been contaminated! The dining room is mask free at the tables when you are eating so anyone can cough / sneeze or touch the exposed cutlery on the preset tables in the vicinity, drinking glasses are set face up so they can catch germs easily as well. The bowling balls are only cleaned on the outside, not in the holes where you stick your fingers. There is no social distancing going on in or around the pools. In fact, the staff in charge of the pool entertainment run contests where guests are unmasked in close proximity to each other (pool polo & volleyball, beauty contests, etc) And there is no contact tracing going on at all!. After I tested positive for Covid at Ocean El Faro, nobody asked me where I had been or who I had been in contact with…. so the protocol excuse given by Carolina seems very weak to me considering there are minimal precautions implemented that will effectively prevent an outbreak here. We will never be returning to the Ocean chain of hotels. I advise you to do the same. [Details]
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Certified

Ocean El Faro Review

, Kitchener, ON
2019-04-29
Enjoyed our stay [Details]
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The strong points
Very clean, staff friendly, great food, beautiful landscape, pools cleaned twice everyday, comfortable beds, no trouble getting into a la cartes, privelige a la cart breakfast was very good, pool bartenders very good, piano bar awesome
The weak points
Our butler was not the best, time share people annoying, think they rushed to open, tiling work not the best, low quality patio doors, very hard to lock, you are privilage, you still need to ask for premium liquor
Certified
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