Barcelo Talanquera - Dominican Republic

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We received excellent service. Visited: May 2005 Posted by ualfligirl We loved our stayed in La Talanquera. The staff was great - very friendly and accommodating. The food was excellent and very fresh. The hotel was very clean. But the only thing that I wasn't too impressed with was the bathroom. It wasn't as clean as I'm used to in a hotel. My friends and I will definitely go back, though. Thanks for your great service. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I had a great experience and would come back. Visited: March 2005 Posted by ksz1028 My room was right on the beach. I opened my door and there was the beach. The entertainment was outstanding. The staff was extremely helpful and upbeat. The only downside to the entire trip was the aftermath of the meals (Exlax not needed). The weather was perfect and the women were a sight for sore eyes. I am a single male who went with several of my friends and even we attended the children's show because the staff made it that much more fun for everyone. The afternoon game days were someting we always woke up and looked forward too. I strongly recommend this resort to everyone whether it be a single person, spring breakers, couples or families. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I will stay in this hotel when I visit Dominican Republic again! Visited: March 2005 Posted by twobigones4ya Reading the reviews for this resort gave me little hope of the happy vacation I had been waiting for for five years. But the reviews were wrong. I thought this hotel and its staff were the perfect part of my "getaway from everyday life" vacation. When we first got here, I hated our room! The staff wanted nothing but for guests to be happy and have a good time, so sure enough I complained and they moved us into a better one. I read horrible things about the food, but the consistency was my only complaint. They did not change up the options enough, but I enjoyed every meal. I had the best time on the crystal clear beach. Make sure you use their snorkeling gear, it was wonderful! And the hotel and bar staff were just a few steps away, and happy to serve you! If you need anything, just ask, and they will make your trip as pleasant as possible. I did, however, think this hotel was more of a party than a relaxation spot. But I had no complaints there! I got what I paid for - all-inclusive - and only spent a little money to bring back gifts to the USA. Visit Talanquera, you will have fun! 9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was great, and they put on great shows at night. Visited: February 2005 Posted by josh2293 We stayed here for two weeks. The satff was great - and very helpful. Also, the shows at night were wonderful. In addition, the rooms were very nice, and the kids' club was great. I would go back again. 5 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This place was great! Visited: February 2005 Posted by wesrigby I really liked this resort. I read some mixed reviews, but I found the staff very friendly and helpful. The pool was huge and the entertainment was great. The food was good, with lots to choose from, and the Italian restaurant was great! The beach was very clean, and the ocean was crystal clear. The only thing was the room. The bathrooms needed to be cleaned a bit better. I would definitely come back to Talanquera, though. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It wasn't bad! Visited: February 2005 Posted by spearce01 I hate it when people submit bad reviews, when you get what you pay for. I can understand if you paid thousands of dollars on this hotel, but you probably didn't, so stop complaining. You have to look at the good in everything. When I read the reviews about this place, I was thinking it was going to be bad. When I got to the hotel, the entire staff was very friendly and helpful. Our room was clean, and the only thing was the bathrooms needed some bleach and a good scrub down. And the food was good. I found that I needed to find what I liked and stick to it, but the variety of different foods was great! Also, the beach was very clean and well maintained. If you are not happy about your room, just asked to be moved. I would give the rooms a 2.5 star and the pool, the entertainment, the beach and the staff 4.5 stars. So please look for the good and not the bad. But if you do find the bad, then spend more money on your holiday and go to a five-star. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It's not great but it's ok Visited: February 2005 Posted by eeva_ I stayed 10 days with husband and 2,5 yrs old child in this hotel. Due to the tsunami in Asia our trip to Thailand was cancelled. Compared to Thailand where we have been before, this place' and hotel's standard was very poor unfortunately! The hotel is nevertheless nice in general I think; it's kept clean and its garden is beautiful. We lived in a villa and I suppose it was the best way to live there. The service was awfully slow especially in the reception, even though there were friendly clerks who helped. I also got the impression that some of the male clerks had a tough time doing business with women and thus preferred dealing with my husband instead of me! The service in the restaurant was sometimes just way too slow, e.g. getting a teaspoon took sometimes over 15 minutes and involved more than 3 waiters. Finally we grabbed spoons and things from the other free tables, we didn't care about asking anyone anymore as it was no use! We were lucky we didn't get sick of the food, some other people we talked with did unfortunately. We definetly got sick and tired of what was on the menu! Breakfast was really good but the other meals included almost always the same stuff - not very inspiring! Beside all this, I really didn't like the idea of being "stucked" at the hotel all the time. Fact is that the surroundings do not offer anything else except for a couple of small gift shops and some armed security guys here and there. So basically there was nothing else to do than to hang around at the hotel or the beach -unless going on the excursions but with a small child that can be difficult. The beach was quite small but clean and there were enough space for all the hotel guests. Security kept the too eager sellers in place; We were in fact very happy that a simple "no thank you" was enough during this trip! Anyway, regardless of all our small disappointments, it was a good holiday! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Talanquera was great. Visited: January 2005 Posted by ddjwms We just returned from the Barcelo Talanquera and we were pleasantly surprised by our stay. We had read a lot of negative reviews about this hotel, but overall, we were quite satisfied with it. The desk clerk was unfriendly and abrupt at check-in and ended up causing us the only real problem we had during our stay by overcharging us when she converted the cost of our stay to Dominican Republic pesos. It has taken us several weeks of back-and-forthing with Barcelo to straighten that out, but they finally did come through with a refund. Otherwise, we had a quite pleasant stay. Our room had a nice balcony, and while it was a good walk from the beach, etc., the grounds were attractive and pleasant to walk through. The room had been freshly painted, and our maid did a good job of cleaning each day. This was an older resort, and the rooms reflected that. But overall, they were clean and adequate. As another reviewer noted, the beach had many trees and shady areas; I personally liked this, although I could see that some sunlovers might find it disappointing. But I thought it compared quite favorably with beaches at other resorts in the Dominican Republic and Mexico where we have stayed. The loungers did fill up quickly though, so get there early. There were some sellers on the beach, but they were not pushy; a head shake was all it took to keep them away. The water in the pools was quite chilly; even the Jacuzzis were cold. But we enjoyed just lazing in the sun. The pools themselves were clean and attractive. We had no complaints about the food. It did get tiresome after awhile, but that has been true of all the all-inclusives we have stayed at--some with higher star ratings and much more expensive than the Talanquera. There was a choice of beef, chicken, fish and at least one other meat at lunch and dinner. There was an omelet station at breakfast and a great pasta station at lunch and dinner. We especially enjoyed the fresh breads and the serve-yourself ice cream. The Italian restaurant had good food and great, attentive service. The bars were convenient and kept the drinks flowing. All in all, we had a great time at the Talanquera and would go again. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? ok but mixed problems Visited: January 2005 Posted by mkilgar Lets start with check in POOR to say the least half hour in line to be told no rooms were ready for check in. Beaches were very dirty and beach staff did not do there part to keep it maintained if you are looking for blue water its not at this resort. Line ups at the bar were constant, they looked after the locals first??? Room was fine, standard with no view but clean and good service every day. Many visitors were sick from day 2 of there holiday I believe it was in the food prep. Sanatitation was very poor, public washrooms were very dirty, you get what you pay for. For a cheap holiday it was a 3 star at best if they cleaned up there act it could be a 5 star, they all need to attend the seminar on customer service which was very much lacking. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the best week of my life! Visited: January 2005 Posted by a_jelybean81 I stayed at this resort with three other 19-year-old girls! We absolutely loved it! I certainly would not have changed a thing. I read reviews before leaving and I was a bit worried, but I shouldn't have been. The resort itself was gorgeous...the gardens, flamingos, and the waterfalls. We had a beautiful ocean view rooms, plus our rooms were connected. We couldn't have asked for better. The pools were very nice and clean, but we didn't spend much time in the pool area because I love the beach, which was where I spent almost every afternoon! Some people have complained about the trees on the beach, but if you want to be in the sun...just move your beach chair over and get out of the shade! I came back home with a very obvious tan. Everyone must go on the Saona Island day trip! It was definitely worth the $65! It was like paradise. The entertainment was hilarious, we looked foward to it every night. After the show, we would head over to the disco and dance until 2:00 am! They played a lot of English music and they would play whatever we requested. We even met friends from the Capella who had come to party at this resort instead. The staff was very nice, and they worked very hard to please everyone. However, service at the front desk could be very slow. Just be patient and they will do their best! The Italian restaurant was delicious! You must try the wine. The buffet was also good. There were always fries for picky eaters. But I tried almost everything and did not get sick, and neither did my friends. Some advice: If you want to purchase things, don't buy it on the beach - walk down the street (two minutes) that divides the resort, and you can get the same things half price! Altogether, we had a blast. We met tons of people from Germany and Italy and partied until 5:00 am every night. We also got to know the staff and even the vendors on the beach. I certainly recommend Barcelo Talanquera to anyone - families, couples or teens. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were overall pleased with our stay and are going back. Visited: December 2004 Posted by meln We were pleasantly surprised after reading many bad reviews. The staff and the locals were very friendly. The rooms were really not anything to brag about and did just fine. But really, how much time do you spend in your room? The day trips were great (especially Saona Island). Booking outside the hotel was less expensive. Go visit Pierre @ Cigua Tours for a better price and to ensure authenticity (ask for Andres as your tour guide-he was great). We had such a great time that we are currently planing another trip to the Barcelo Talanquera for this May. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I suggest you stay away from this place! Visited: December 2004 Posted by ambis2004 The date of our stay was for 12/29/04- 12/31/04. I really wanted to give it "0" stars. As a Dominican who knows good Dominican service and hospitality, I thought this hotel was trash. To say the food was horrible would be an understatement. I also thought the staff was unprofessional and lacked courtesy. The rooms were awful. The pillows were overused, and the headboard hit me on the head because it wasn't attached. We saw people where carrying their own mattress from room to room. In addition, the fish smelled awful and my mother even caught food poisioning. I decided to leave the next day, and they refused to give me my money back! But since I was also Dominican, they couldn't fool me like they seemed to fool the other tourists who were there and didn't know where else to go. While I was waiting to get my refund, I saw a lady crying because her toilet was broken. Please stay away from this place. You'll thank me later. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? You get what you pay for! Visited: December 2004 Posted by ronjun Our family - two grandparents (but young at heart), a single parent and her two daughters - gave a wide age range and expectations to match. We stayed for Christmas and it was good, both from the point of view of food and entertainment. The 'garden' rooms were satisfactory; somewhat below the standard in some other parts of the Caribbean. But, we got what we paid for, as it was a last-minute deal and half the price of others on offer at the time. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a very mixed experience, it really depends what room you get Visited: December 2004 Posted by fenyo_krisztina We read all the mixed reviews and were thus prepared for disappointments and problems. It was good that we were, because at first we were given a room which resembled a prison: dark, damp, run-down, smelly, far away and with a view of a tree. It felt like a punishment, but we were determined to fight. We realized, and I really wish previous reviewers had stressed this more, that this hotel in fact consisted of two hotels, even separated by a road with some traffic in between. The part on the beach was an upper three-star with a well-kept building with nice rooms and sea-views, a quiter bar overlooking the beach, and a more pleasant, less crowded restaurant. At first, we got the prison-room in the other part, which had the swimming pool area and the tropical gardens. Here the rooms were much more run-down, and there were many rooms which would be a nightmare to have, like the ones right next to the dining area. We explored the two parts and decided to fight for a sea-view room on the second or third floor. To be really sure, we gave some incentive and it worked. Second day, we moved to a very nice room and our mood changed and we had a good time. But you have to work at it a little bit. To us, the only enjoyable bit of the sardine box-like small beach was to be right on the edge so we only saw the sea. So, make sure you put your towels out early for that. The swimming pool area seemed always crowded and loud for us, so we very rarely used it and stayed at the beach instead. The sea was quite calm, good for swimming and lounging on a waterbed. But don't expect turqoise colored sea and white sandy beach! Settle for reality. This one was a little dirty, the water was brownish, at times, dark blue. Unlike many others we didn't find the food repetitive at all. It was varied and only occasionally very good, but an all-inclusive is not where you expect gourmet food anyway. The drinks were fine, even the Spanish table white and red were drinkable, the beer was refreshing. Yes, the bar service could be a little slow, but waiting a few minutes when you are on holiday is not a big problem for us. It was worth exploring the surrounding beach area. The nearby four-star Barcelo Beach was much more spread out, but on the other hand, the sea was calmer down at the Taranguela. The trips were very good, Saona was gorgeous but getting pretty crowded now. All in all, if you get a good room (which I think is only possible in the smaller beach part) then you can make the most of this mixed three-star hotel. But overall, I would not come back here but spend some extra money and go for a four-star and further up at a nicer beach. But as a cheap deal, it was worth it. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This trip will not to be repeated. Visited: November 2004 Posted by mick_bingham Our first mistake was to let two (EX) friends book this holiday and go together. My husband and I enjoy learning the language and seeing the country we visit each year as we don't see the point in traveling thousands of miles just to lay on a beach - they all look alike. On the third day I became ill, drank water and stayed mainly close to my room. I tried the communal toilets, but they were always blocked and stank to high heaven - germ breeders. On the fifth day, I was admitted to hospital and attached to a drip for dehydration because I couldn't keep anything down and was up six to eight times a night. After one of these occasions, back at the hotel I left a note on the door asking to have our bedding changed, it didn't happen. The cost of my illness continued when I returned to the hotel because I had to have further injections. Yes, insurance was used but we had excess costs. We spoke to Nick (the rep) about it, and he informed us we would see food handling improvements. Being a Fresh Food Trainer for a big company, I know what problems can occur. The food did improve, but the flies stayed. We managed to do the trips. The white water rafting was a fear of mine, but it was excellent - except that the video we purchased didn't work at home, so that was money wasted. The entertainment was raw and not at all geared to family viewing. It was certainly not worth staying around for. The bars down the road were much more entertaining. The staff was great and even better when we spoke to them in Spanish. They seemed to appreciate the effort - even if we didn't get it right. They would also look after you in the restaurant, drink wise, etc. We didn't have problems getting served at the bars as speaking Spanish helped, take note. To finish, I will say that for the money we paid, Kenya is better value and has more going on for less money - and the food is always freshly prepared and delicious.The place is just magic. Furthermore, we have never been to such a cleaner and more friendlier country than Kenya. So for us, it's not always the case of you get what you pay for, it's the professional attitude of the hotel and its staff. Would we go back to the Barcelo Talanquera? No, there were too many rooms and people to cater for. Moreover, we will never travel with Airtours again, their customer service skills are zilch, and their after service is zilch. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Overall, this was a good hotel, but some improvements are required. Visited: August 2004 Posted by james_mckechnie The previous reviews on this site require updating, as they are a year or so old. I stayed at this hotel with my wife and three teenage children in August 2004. Reading the previous reviews, we were somewhat concerned. However, our first impressions on our arrival did not support these reviews. The thing to remember when staying all-inclusive is that it can become repetitive with regards to food and drink. What needs to improve at this hotel to bring customers back: 1. Staffing levels at the weekend must reflect the number of guests. Queues both at the bars and restaurants were unacceptable. We planned our trips for the weekends to lighten this burden! 2. Service at the bars was poor. We were left waiting while the bar staff served native Dominicans first. This happened time and time again. 3. Evening Entertainment was poor. This I reported on one occasion to be offensive to both my family and myself. Animating sex, alcohol and violence with a gun is not what I believe to be family entertainment! Or is it just me? 4. The beach requires 100 tons of sand to bring it back to its former glory. This has clearly been negleted over a long period of time. It should not be difficult to put right. I've been very honest with you. Now, for the good things! This was a three-star hotel, but parts of it were more like a four-star. For example, the rooms on the beachfront, the Italian Restaurant, and the gardens werew all five-star. We were also pleased with the Internet Cafe, reception and parts of the service! We really had a good time, and the hotel and holiday lived up to our expectations. Plan your weekends, if the hotel has not taken my (and other guests') feedback onboard. Relax, you will read good and bad about anywhere or anything you do in life. The reviews you read are personal reviews and must be taken in that context. Americans have written reviews on this hotel, which are to be taken with a view that they seem to have far higher expectations of hotels and service. If you want five-star service and accommodation, book a five-star hotel. Don't be put off by others reviews. However, just be mindful of the points I have commented on. This review is to both help you as a future guest to this hotel and for the hotel to improve on what they already have. Have a fantastic holiday. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!! Visited: July 2004 Posted by keylalyek I have just returned from my stay at the Barcelo resort. I spent 4 nights there and I must say you get what you pay for. I don't know why they call it 24 hour service if they are not going to service you pass 8:00 pm. I asked for extra towels and never recieved them. The furniture in the rooms were old and had a musky smell. They had a storm Friday night while I was there and all the t.v.'s blew. They didn't replace my t.v. until two days later. Everyone was complaining about not getting any dinner or lunch. It is an all inclusive resort, but if you get there 1/2 hour before they close you will not be able to eat. There were parents with children who went to bed hungry because they didn't have anything to eat. This hotel maybe good for families because it's not that expensive. If you can afford it stay at the Hilton in Boca Chica. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Be Warned. Visited: December 2003 Posted by donna_price In a word this place is NOISY. The brochure will tell you that ‘there is plenty to do during the busy periods, but there is always a quiet spot to relax and unwind.’ There are NO areas that you can find to escape from the incessant music and ‘animation’. There are apparently 435 rooms in this hotel. The chances of being allocated a room which has both a light airy view AND quiet are remote. From what we could gather, most of the rooms needed refurbishment. The 50 or so rooms situated on the beach side of the complex appear to be newer than the main building. Half of these face the sea and the other half face the road between the two parts of the complex. The ones facing the road have trees and shrubs surrounding them and never receive any sunlight, consequently they are damp and musty (high humidity). The other side of the building is more pleasant with sea views and sun. However, these also face onto the beach & games area, the ‘enforced enjoyment’ provided by the animation team starts between 0930 and 1000 with aerobics followed by volleyball, followed by more aerobics. All of which are accompanied by very loud ‘music’. These activities go on for most of the day. If you feel that you can escape this by retreating to the other part of the resort where there are 3 swimming pools – think again! Here, they have pool aerobics and pool polo also accompanied by the ever-present muzak. When these activities do eventually stop, the music continues. The other downside to the rooms on the beach is that they are adjacent to the disco, which is held every night from 2300 to 0200 hrs. Due to the ‘excellent acoustics’ of the buildings, this music is potentially ‘piped’ to every room. When the disco finishes you are serenading by slamming doors, singing guests or the melodious echoes of someone vomiting into the toilet above our room (506). But don’t worry, if you’re lucky you can get some sleep between 0400 and 0700 when people then start banging doors in their rush for breakfast.The food was plentiful but repetitive. A lot of gastric problems which the local doctor insisted was due to the guests’ food intolerances…! Warning: ensure that you wash your room glasses well in bottled water as the maids tend to rinse them under the tap! We tried the ‘a la carte’ Italian restaurant and wished we hadn’t bothered. Fortunately, it didn’t completely ruin our appetite and we were able to follow this by the usual buffet. The other ‘gourmet’ a la carte restaurant L’Ecrivisse, has a limited menu (for your all-inclusive deal), most of the items being charged as extra. We did not bother to try this restaurant in the end. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This place was amazing. Visited: August 2003 Posted by monica208 This was the vacation of a lifetime. Three other girls and I stayed at the Barcelo Talanquera Beach Resort. I had read many awful reviews about the resort prior to going. I was so scared to see where we were staying because people ran it down so much. After arriving, all my fears subsided. It was beautiful! The people were amazing. The animation crew was amazing, too. Watch out for them, they are very fun and friendly! Every day we had a blast - each day got better and better. The only complaint I had was about the food. It was just that we weren't used to the type of food they served. But, I would starve to go back. I didn't care about what we ate. I cared more about the sun and the fun. I would recommend this resort to anyone - especially a bunch of single females. Be sure not to leave your heart with any of those crazy Dominicans! Trust me, you will have a great trip! We are returning in February. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was brillian, and we are returning to the Dominican Republic. Visited: May 2003 Posted by s_m_lawless The hotel was very nice, and the staff was friendly. You must go on the Dominican Discovery. The beach vendors were very talkative. But if you do not want to buy, a simple "no", and they go away. The entertainment was brilliant. Look out for Mosquito, he was crazy! We are looking forward to going back. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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