Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda

The hotel advertised itself as a luxury 5-star resort that was newly renovated. We booked the best possible room with a swim-out pool, which proved to be a poor choice due to heavy trolley traffic and noisy parties between 1-3 AM as guests returned to their respective resorts on the grounds. I suspect the renovations were on the pools and common areas, not the rooms.

Our room, 93017, was unbearably humid with constantly damp bed sheets and slippery floors, despite running the AC at full blast. This created an uncomfortably cold environment without effectively reducing humidity. Wood baseboards showed visible swelling, and bathroom ceilings had mold. The humidity made floors treacherous, forcing us to waste towels keeping them dry. The sugar was clumped and you had to tear the packet in half for it to come out for reference, i had post a photo of my blue shirt being left on the bed for about 30 min, showing the dampness that was transferred.

Our party of three (myself, my 92-year-old father, and 13-year-old daughter) were all charged adult rates. The third bed, a pull-out couch, smelled of WD40, and complaints went unaddressed. Extra blankets were unavailable, and the third bed lacked proper bedding and pillows. The language barrier proved challenging as staff would say "yes" to requests but take no action.

The restaurants are generally good but could benefit from more authentic representation of their respective cuisines. The buffets are nice, and most staff are attentive, though some lack basic service skills, such as proper cutlery handling and placement (specifically server Cheila).

Wheelchair accessibility is problematic, with 90-degree ramps making navigation difficult. Restaurants like Yurta, Tainos, and Naan require navigating awkward ramps with sharp turns. At Yurta, guests must manage heavy curtains without staff assistance.

The hotel's wheelchair is poorly maintained - bring your own. Many steps are inadequately marked, and resort trolleys lack steps, requiring lifting mobility-impaired individuals.

Room service is inconsistent, delivering roughly 75% of orders eventually (example: my father's omelet was missed twice before they claimed they couldn't make it; coffee arrived 30 minutes later, cream 30 minutes after that).

The Sports Bar is good but needs more vegetarian/salad options. Popular items like mozzarella sticks and draft beer frequently run out.

Beach bar staff tend to ignore guests until explicitly approached.

CAICU's day manager Erados is exceptional - managing staff well and helping with translation. The paella cook is also noteworthy for her motherly demeanor.

At BP-Punta Cana's Japanese restaurant, staff seemed lost and inappropriately suggested stairs for wheelchair access.

Front desk experiences varied: Miguel provides excellent service, while Bernardette is dismissive and rude. She responded poorly to queries about pre-arrival email communications.

Our bellhop Dennis was excellent. Note that arrivals at Bahia Principe Punta Cana require an internal trolley transfer to Esmeralda (or other resort sections like Ember or Fantasia) - information not communicated beforehand.

Mid-November weather was subpar, and climate control throughout the resort was inadequate. Indoor restaurants were too cold, and temperature variations between areas were challenging for elderly guests.

The Spa offers good services but lacks customization. My father's massage experiences were disappointing - first too soft for pain relief, then a basic athletic massage. The double room's broken thermostat left him cold throughout. However, my daughter enjoyed her facial treatment.

Beware of constant haggling from sales people and double check any excursion you take, the photos and the actual excursion are worlds apart.

Prepare with any medical essentials; the store on the resort is pricy - pack of mints was $8 USD while cough medicine was $12 USD.

The renovation, I believe, took place in the pool from what i heard guests say. The staff, are really need training by senior and experienced individuals from the industry. [Details]

We had a great week at Luxury Esmeralda. The size of the resort is perfect. It's very easy to walk to the 2 buffets or any of the restaurants, pools and the beach. With Esmeralda being part of a larger Bahia Principe complex, we had access to 5 other resorts as well as our own. The tram service was excellent. The trams were running constantly, which is a big difference we noticed from Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica where the were barely running and if they did, it was for Privilege guests.

We did not have a problem finding a shaded spot at the beach or by the pool. We preferred the quiet pool over the pool closer to the beach. We have no problem with music playing but when the entertainment crew was there, the music volume was turned up A LOT and it became almost painfully loud.

The restaurants were excellent with the Mongolian Restaurant (Yurta) being our favourite. Our least favourite was Naan. The Teppanyaki restaurant could use some work. It was very rushed, and not much of a show like at other resorts. They made us leave and sit with in the main restaurant for our dessert. It was odd and disorganized. We did not have a problem getting reservations and were able to enjoy 5 throughout our stay. We enjoyed the buffets but did find it hard to get your drink order. One night my beer came after we had already finished eating and were about to leave. Ah well.

Luis at the front reception was friendly and welcoming. Alfredo at the guest services desk in Building 90 was extremely helpful, pleasant and engaging. And Kudos to Denny, the "best driver" at bell services. These 3 made an excellent impression on us and we appreciated them! [Details]

Le soleil était présent presqu'à tous les jours. Personnels souriants, gentils serviables qui tentent de nous parler en français, le comprennent certaines fois mais n'osent pas le parler. Vive les traductions du téléphone. Au lobby Frederico tentait vraiment de nous aider.
Au buffet la nourriture était variée et très bonne, Mimosa sur demande à tous les matins. La chambre toujours bien arrangée, champagne lors d'un anniversaire. Lit très propre, chambre très grande, propre mais dans les toilettes une odeur persistante d'humidité et puisard. La porte-patio fermée ce n'était pas bruyant. L'autre côté de la rue, le Punta Cana est en réparation donc des coups de marteau.
Piscines avec beaucoup de chaises, serviettes disponibles mais l'eau de la piscine était très chaude pour se rafraîchir nous prenions des douches à l'extérieure près de la piscine. Service autour de la piscine très présent.
Plage très étendue MAIS vis-à-vis le Bahia il ne ramassait pas les algues donc après 1 semaine il y avait une accumulation de plus ou moins 3 pieds de hauteur à la longueur. Nous nous sommes plaints mais ça n'a pas changé. Dans l'autre semaine, ils en ont ramassé un peu mais jamais assez pour pouvoir marcher sur la plage. Par contre vis-à-vis le Ambar, les algues étaient ramassées. Nous sommes déçus de n'avoir pu marcher comme l'an passé au Onyx.
Attention à un représentant de compagnie, il vend des excursions plus dispendieuses que la publicité de sa cie avec des avantages qui n'existent pas. Si tu te plains, le patron va communiquer avec toi par courriel, j'en ai reçu un de : dominicanarepresenta@gmail.com c'est du bidon. [Details]

The trip was to be a last minute choice so we decided to go back to the Esmeralda. Wow things have changed and not really for the best. We used to be able to venture out of the Esmeralda and walk through the other areas of the property but this time we were stoped by security and told we could not go past our area. The Esmeralda was to be the luxurious place and have access to everything, not so!! Also we were kicked out of the pool at 6pm every day. Friends at the Rui had the pool closed at 10pm. Also we wanted to invite friends to visit us on the beach and pool and again security guards stopped them from joining us even if we where with them. Not good!! Food was just ok. Nothing spectacular as in the past. Room was nice and big. I would like to go but maybe this time stay either at the Ambar adult only resort or go and try the Riu Palace next door. [Details]

This was a fantastic stay after many years of avoiding the DR due to foods. The foods were as good as some great stays we have had in the past 20 south trips, ie Sandals, Couples, Iberostar, etc.
Entertainment was a downer compared to other places we have visited but the rest of the comparison areas it was simply great.
Looking at repeating next year, but for 11 or 12 days not 7; but earlier in the year, maybe Feb when there are less people maybe.
We used 2.5 bottles of bug spray and still got chewed up, went to Jamaica the following month - 0 spray / 0 bites.

Checkin - 7. You have to commute from lobby to Esmeralda.
Food - 10. Simply Fantastic.
Bars - 8. Great drinks
Staff - 9. Awesome communication in English, very few had issues.
Service - 8.
Entertainment - 5.
Resort - 7. Not too far from things. Not a bad setup, we did visit Ambar a few times for Coffee and dinners.
Pool - 7.
Beach - 7. Huge waves, early for a seat, 5.30am.
Room - 8. AC and water and bed was great.
Commute/Travel - 6. We arrived late and had to wait at main resort to be transfer to Esmeralda. Should be a stop and go.
Location - 8. Not far from the airport.
Quality/Price - 7.
TOTAL AVR 7.46

1 advantage to this massive complex is, for longer stays you could visit other areas of the resort to break up the week.

Certainly returnable. As a repeat guest said - "I know what I'm getting here so its my 7th trip".
We are looking at a double length trip for next year, despite lack of entertainment, the 5:30 rise and shine, huge waves and bug bites .... its simply that nice here at this property. [Details]

We traveled as a group of 5 to this resort in late April. The three kids are all in late teens. The resort was very good, with excellent meal choices, a good buffet, excellent beach access, comfortable and recently updated rooms, and very accommodating staff. [Details]

This resort is AMAZING .. 5* the food was very good. Buffet was excellent. The beach buffet was very delicious as well. The sports bar food and service was great ! Angel at the pool bar was a good bartender ! GARY the cook for the grill on the beach buffet is great ! Also for the drinks , the beach bar was NUMBER ONE !! The beach bar service was the best , and the drinks were also .. EMANUEL& KATHRYN made the best drinks , and were so kind . Thank you !! If you like the restaurants BOOK way in advance !!!!!! Everyone including the entertainment group was super nice and engaging with the people on the resort ! The room were very clean and modern as well. I can't emphasize how clean and well kept the resort is here ! My family and I will definitely be back again and again !!! Thank you [Details]

Great resort. They meant it when then they called it 'LUXURY'. Staff was very helpful especially Jose DeLa Rossa, Silvestre, Orlando, and the maid Jessica.. Food was a good choice, of meats and fish including lobster, shrimp shellfish, suckling pig and steaks everyday. Many local fruits, deserts, yogourt and ice cram, and daily fresh baked bread.
Negative was that seat saving at the beach was allowed at the beach and pool areas, even though seat saving was against the rules. They did have disabled places at the beach. They should do some thing about the mosquitoes, as I came home with many bites on my legs and arms. But they were not the dangerous kind as all I have is a bad itch.
The specialty restaurants were all good except the Fish Market, which had poor service and food selection. The 'Steak House Meat' was exceptional. Best steak I ever had, and I'm from Canada.
The room was well laid out, with a whirl pool bathtub and a rain drop shower. Marble floors were damp mopped everyday. WiFi was better than adequate. [Details]

The hotel extended a warm welcome, with an incredibly helpful and considerate staff. The accommodations were not just clean but truly remarkable. Spending time with friends made the experience even more enjoyable, and we had an incredible time filled with fun. The evening shows were fantastic! A huge thank you to Bahia Principe Esmeralda for an unforgettable stay. [Details]

Spent 10 days at Esmeralda. The resort is very nice, staff were great, food and drinks above average. Our issue was the mosquitos. We paid a lot more for a swim up room but the bugs were so bad we could barely use the pool or sit on the patio. We had our room and patio fumigated many times but it only helped for a couple of hours. We spent 30 minutes every night killing mosquitos in the room before we could go to bed. Out of 10 days, we had 1 full sleep without them buzzing around our head. Never would have paid so much money for the swim up if we knew how bad the bugs were. Quite disappointed for wasting so much extra money. We ordered coffee from room service. One morning it did not arrive, not a big deal, we made our own. The next morning at 7am, we were woken with a knock delivering a full breakfast that we did not order. They apologized for the error but every morning after that, we received a call at 7am asking if we received our room service. Even though we told them we did not order it, they still called every morning, sometimes before 7am and we were still sleeping. Definitely still some glitches that need to be figured out since the reopening. [Details]

The hotel was closing we did not know. Food was not very good. Service mediocre and everyone was asking for tips all the time. The rooms old not nice emenities. Will never come back. No one helped with restaurant times were terrible. [Details]

I sent reviews during my stay. [Details]

We had high hopes for our 15 days in one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean to be wonderful in every way. And it wasn't right from the beginning. Our first room, there wasn't a mattress on the bed just box spring, the next morning we spoke to the front desk and told them about what we found. Unacceptable and we'd never experienced this ever in all the travelling we've done. The front desk, adventually offered us another room that did have a good mattress but for more money. You'd think they would be so ashamed they not require us to may more. The whole hotel needs a complete upgrade, halls are dirty and needing repairs and paint. Stairwells dirty, stairwell railings in our building wiggling not safe to hold on to. Also needing a fresh coat of paint..dirty, The pools were lovely and kept clean, entertainment was good on the whole. We watched only a few as they began to late for us. Now to the last and the most disappointing part was the food! We wondered why and many guests who said they had stayed at the hotel before said the same. The buffet restaurants twice ran out of butter for toast, syrup for pancakes, French toast or crepes. I personally asked the kitchen staff to replenish the bowls...to no avail. Either they didn't have the butter or syrup and didn't review supplies before opening for breakfast or lunch. Also, No Bran cereals for the older generation who are needing fibre in their diet. I said to our Butler if we knew that we would have brought in our luggage bran flakes, buds or even raisin brand. Surely with the number of restaurants in all the joint owned hotels someone in charged, should have seen the shortfall and borrowed supplies. One lunch the restaurant ran out of beer! Also, the way this chain of hotels arranges for the guests to make reservations for dinner is very complicated and stressful. The internet during our 15 days wasn't working some days at all, we paid extra for the streamline service which near the end of our stay didn't work at all. All in all our stay at your hotel was very disappointing. The highlight on the most part were your staff, they tried to attend to us with little English and no Spanish or French on our part. The Butler we had, Maria, was wonderful and tried her best to help us make our holiday pleasant. Needless to say we won't be back to your chain of hotels. Coming from Vancouver, British Columbia the cost of this vacation was not inexpensive and the front desk when the internet or our room was far from satisfactory kept asking for more money. You have to know, many of the guests all were complaining about our same observations. We have stayed at a few all inclusive hotels and you should be ashamed of your hotel. [Details]

Firstly, the hotel is older and in need of updating although it was clean enough. The a la carte restaurants had amazing food and did not disappoint. The buffets were sub par with little to no variety. The worst service was as the Jasmine restaurant. The servers are extremely slow and rarely acknowledge you. On New Year's Eve, we did not have a choice but to book at this restaurant. Although we had reservations, the staff seated on a first come first serve basis and when questioned, were very rud, snapped at you and then ignored you. I asked the three hostess' names who were disinterested in assisting and at fist they lied and told me false names, then turned their name tags around so you could not see them or took them off altogether. Yurianny attempted to conceal her name, but was too late. She did gather all the staff to alert them and point me out which was unacceptably rude. The second hostess told me her name was Maria. Her name was actually Yasanfry. The third hostess told me her name was Nicole and it was actually Ludy. Obviously these three ladies knew they were rude and attempted to hide their identities. I did put in a complaint but the hotel manager did not reach out to discuss the poor service and rudeness of these three individuals. Totally unacceptable!! In addition they regularly ran out of food and drinks. The grounds are beautiful but you better pack your patience if you go to this hotel. [Details]

We enjoyed our stay because the beach was incredible and the grounds/pool were immaculate. That's what we came for and we got it. But like most places since the pandemic, service has taken a nose dive. From check in, to the lobby, to the restaurants, there is barely any motive to serve you. It didn't matter if I tipped or didn't tip. Sometimes servers would disappear after getting a tip. It was not like this before the pandemic. The food was not appetizing. I lost three pounds in the week I was here. The Brazilian steakhouse was good and the breakfast hash browns were my favourite. Everything else was poorly seasoned and way overcooked. The food problem is easily solved by better training. The poor service is solved by better management. I saw a manager in the lobby pointing out people to servers who were without drinks and the servers moved to solve that. These are easy fixes. I saw the cooks making the burgers over an inferno on the grill which explains why they were all burnt on the outside and almost raw on the inside. The cooks need better training. So much food is wasted because it is made poorly. The room we had smelled bad like mold. It's probably tough to keep that smell away but it's necessary. We had to plug our noses when we first entered the room. I'm not too put off by chips and dents, but smells are a problem. I would come back here if I got another amazing deal and if they fixed the food. Our next vacation will be somewhere that is a true five star. This place is a strong three or weak four. If they fix the food and service it will be a strong four. The entertainment crew is five star. They are bright, cheery, friendly, and kept the mood light. [Details]

Good luck calling room service for towel, baby crib, food or hygiene products. Absolutely no service. With over 7000 people per day in all the Bahia, the staff was not able to handle the high demand population. The WiFi was cutting on and off all the time. Down jn our room for almost 3 days. [Details]

Hands down 5*. We had such a great time all round - dining, pool, beach, services, rooms.
3 of us (2 rooms) travelled in March to this new to us resort. So impressed we will return next year. TY Esmeralda!! [Details]

Friendly, clean, excellent proximity to.beach, pools and restaurants. Amazing quality and variety of foods daily. Fun for family OR singles. [Details]

My husband and I booked Esmaralda for our 5 year wedding anniversary and were very disappointed in the service and the cleanliness of the bathrooms in the lobby and pool area. The ocean was too busy to enjoy, let alone get a spot. The pool was beautiful but were not able to get a spot everyday. We loved the food and drinks at the Ambar restaurants and the service was great at the a-la-cartes but service everywhere else was very unlike what we are use to at other Punta Cana resorts. We are use to the staff being so friendly and helpful, where we felt we were bothering them at this resort. Sadly disappointed as the reviews were so good. [Details]

Covid measures are not always followed and never enforced.
Check in form clearly states you will follow Covid rules and regulations. You must sign it digitally.
The site is VERY clean, pools are cleaned every morning VERY clean, eating areas and rooms VERY clean.
Disappointed with beach area for a 5 star it was not even a 1 star. Ambar resort beach was cleaned only. Until I complained to the right person. Mother Nature was not kind but they should have a person to at least clear a walk way to the ocean because the stench of seaweed that's 1 foot high. When they finally cleaned the beach of seaweed it was great!
The food 5 star restaurants!!! Buffet requires you to wear a plastic glove. Room service also a plus!!
Rooms are big!
First time I saw a cirque de Soleil show over the pool. Amazing. [Details]

Please see strong and weak points. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and recommend the Bahia Principe Esmeralda in the Dom. Republic [Details]

The hotel was clean, the grounds and beach beautiful. [Details]

Nice food and drinks. Good service if you tip. Interior in the room is a bit tired. Good luck with booking a la carte... Not too much of kids entertainment. [Details]

This hotel is over priced and over rated. This hotel is nice but best suited for families with young children. There is little to no adult entertainment and the lights and bar go off at 11:30 pm. The food at the buffet is average and the staff speaks little to no English. This can be a source of frustration for both the guest and staff. [Details]

We enjoyed most of the trip people food entertainment t was good not enough for adults at es. Esmeralda entertainment big problem with restaurants we had 2 weeks ahead and only 3 went through very hard getting them [Details]

Loved the resort! The junior suite we had was exactly as it looked in the pictures! Very wide range of restaurants which was awesome. Would highly recommend this resort!! [Details]

Great hotel, friendly and helpful staff. Restaurants are excellent. [Details]

Great hotel, friendly and helpful staff. Restaurants are excellent. [Details]

Vacations with my wife and 6-year-old son. Very nice complex. Resort is very nice, clean and well maintained. Beautiful beach (not too much algae when we were there). Staff always smiling and helping. Food was great; especially the ''a la carte restaurants'' while the buffet was good but not has much choices compared to other ''all-included'' I have done recently. Free WiFi acces on the complex. Would go back! [Details]

Location is good with a nice clean facility and amazing staff. The food at the buffets were good. The french restaurant was excellent but unfortunatly the Japanese restaurants takara and mikado dont serve actual japanese food. Whatever we order they serve the food in a dominican way and it takes a long time. The higher floors have brighter and less humid rooms [Details]