Paradisus Punta Cana - Dominican Republic

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Paradisus Punta Cana is an excellent resort. Visited: October 2002 Posted by phenry In all our travels to resorts, this had to be the best. They served great food, and the bar service was exceptional. Bartenders Alberto and Lucy (in the front bar) were fantastic. They added a little more spice to our stay. My husband and I took this trip alone, but we are planning the next trip with the whole family. I know they will love it - especially my 8-year-old granddaughter. This resort is highly recommended. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beautiful..BUT! Visited: September 2002 Posted by ypadilla This resort is absolutely gorgeous! The grounds are very well kept and the restaurants are pretty good. Our main complaint is the AC, there's definitely not enough of it. Our first night was miserable, We requested a room change and was told to wait till the next morning. The second room was the same and when the weather is that hot, trust me AC is very important. Minimum AC in the restaurants doesn't quite cut it when you're having a hot meal. Aside from the AC issue, the staff wasn't that great at getting activities going. If you go in a group then that's a plus! We couldn't even get the staff to start a volleyball game. As for the Premium Brand Liquors that were suppose to be made available..like Bacardi, or Absolute...Not once did I get an Absolute Vodka. Every night the bottle was displayed on the bar but we were told only one per night! Unfortunately every night for 7 nights we were told they ran out. So I hope you like those slushy drinks because they make tons of them for you! I was willing to go for the local stuff but the resort didn't carry cranberry juice and so I ended up with the frozen drink. Oh and YES we tipped as well. Not much of anything else going on in this resort... So, basically if you want to do nothing but eat,drink AND you don't mind sweating over meals a bit & a little at night when you sleep then this is for you. Oh yeah they did have a small indoor bar that had good AC and 1 pool table.. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was beautiful. Visited: August 2002 Posted by bxeli I can't wait to go again. The staff, food, beach - everything was great. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I had a very pleasant stay here. Visited: July 2002 Posted by ejrnj Food at the Paradisus Punta Cana was above average, their staff was very friendly, and the beach and pool were beautiful. However, my room was not as clean as I would have liked, and towel and linen service were very poor. There was also not much evening activity for teen daughters. But overall, it was nice and I would recommend it more for couples. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A great place for relaxation and fun! Visited: July 2002 Posted by sitters The Paradisus was a great resort. The all-inclusive part was really nice because we didn't have to carry around money the whole time. The people were so friendly and extremely fun. It was a great place to meet people. I was 16 when I went and my sister and I came back with many new friends. However, I wouldn't drink too much of the water there because there were a couple of times when I felt a little sick from it( not too bad though). Also, they spoke Spanish here. You definitely need to know a little Spanish. Overall, it was a great place and I would recommend it to anybody who wants a relaxing yet fun vacation. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Surrounded by a beautiful landscape, a serene beach, and enjoyed tasty cuisine. Visited: June 2002 Posted by Dibo71 This was my first time out of the country and at an all-inclusive resort. I did some research before I left to find out if everything was true about the resort. Believe me, it was. Everything was included - and they didn't skimp on the alcohol either. The pool bar was fantastic. Ramone and Vincente were the best bartenders I've ever met. Beware - although you get bottled water to drink, and to brush your teeth with, the four of us got ... let's just say thank God for Pepto, Loperamide,and Cipro. I had stomach problems on the flight home (6/30/02) until presently (7/4/ 02). It must be that they clean their food with their tap water and that's how we got sick. Overall, the grounds were meticulous. Some of the restaurants were better than others (the Brazilian place was great for dinner and their breakfast buffet was awesome). The natives were wonderful. However, brush up on your Spanish (I made it through the trip with five Spanish words and/or phrases). There were plenty of daytime activities, but not enough nightly activities, the beach was very clean and the ocean was turquoise. Finally, the rooms were clean, nicely sized, and well decorated. For $466.00 per person for five nights, you can't beat it. Also, although gratuity was included, the emplyees worked extremely hard, so it wouldn't kill you to tip them. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was the best place I have ever been. Visited: June 2002 Posted by jgrassia This resort was perhaps the nicest place I have ever stayed in my entire life. The staff was so friendly and worked so hard to make sure you had the time of your life. The best place to hang out was the pool bar. Ramon and Vincente (bartenders) knew how to make you feel comfortable. If you get the chance to visit this resort, make sure you tell Ramon to get the roof on the bar spinning. Helpful hints are to make sure you know some Spanish. Also, be very careful when getting in and out of shower. Marble floors in bathroom can be very slippery. I am definItely going to return to this resort. If you are single, this is not the place for you to go. This is a couples and family resort. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We enjoyed complete freedom with peaceful surroundings and lots of fun! Visited: May 2002 Posted by cravinonu Two girlfriends and I chose the Paradisus Resort. We had no complaints. We absolutely loved the place. The resort was beautiful with such amazing grounds. The beach was breathtaking - I am used to the Jersey shores. The people were beautiful, incredibly helpful, fun and super sweet. The food was yummy. I had fun at the Japanese place. The Chinese place also had good good service. The animaion guys were so much fun...they showed us the night life and taught us how to dance the night away. The experience was wonderful and we felt so free and relaxed that I probably would never have left. One warning, though - stay away from the four runner excursion in Punta Cana with the Bavaro Runners. Unfortunately, my stay was cut short when I lost control of the runner on their rocky roads that were surrounded by barbed wire. I got cut up pretty badly. I am fine now, and I am scheduled to return to the resort in August to complete my beautiful vacation in Punta Cana. I absolutely loved the place and would recommend it to families and couples. Even though we were three girls, we had a blast with the natives. Even after my accident, I still remained very faithful to the resort. It was the peaceful and beautiful. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fun in the sun! Visited: May 2002 Posted by LaughingGirl72 The resort is just beautiful and grand. The grounds are always clean and well manicured. And 99% of the staff is friendly and helpful. Even though the resort is all-inclusive (tips as well), you would be surprised how far a little tipping goes. It also helps to try speaking a bit of Spanish. You are in a foriegn country, after all. The service at the lobby bar is less than desirable. The pool bar is the place to be. The staff there always has a smile. Franklin, Ramon and Vincent are funny and friendly. The are the hardest working bartenders and DJs. They deserve a raise! The Chinese restaurant and the Steak House are both five star restaurants. Stay away from the Japanese, place unless you like bland, flavorless noodles. If eating lunch at the grill by the beach, make sure that food is well done. We came across some bloody chicken and steak more than once. The rooms are well kept and stylish. But the housekeeping is just okay. The towels don't look all that fresh. Also, the bathroom floors are very dangerous when wet! There are no handles to grab onto, so use caution. If you have to go shopping, there is a shopping plaza nearby (Plaza Bavaro). If you hate being pestered while shopping, this is defineltly not the place for you, because 95% of the merchants are money-hungry wolves. Forget about going there alone if you are a female. Go with friends - if you must go at all. Out of all the shops there, only two or three had gentlemen working for them. There is no "cat calling" there. The nightly shows are all very good. The Fun Pub is alright. You kind of have to make your own party. But that is what vacations are all about. There is a great dance club at the Flamingo Hotel next door called The Magu. In addition there are plenty of tours available. Joselitto, who books the tours, is very friendly and professional. We went on the booze crusie and Bavaro Splash. (Four hours seemed to go by so quickly on the booze cruise!) The splash tour was cool, because you get to drive your own tiny speed boat. Both tours have snorkeling. Almost all of the reef is dead because it has been touched. The sea life there is okay. Overall, the resort is fantastic for the money. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an all-inclusive resort and fun in the sun. It is good for families, but not so much a singles place. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was excellent! Visited: April 2002 Posted by ALVAGYN I'm returning to Paradisus Punta Cana as soon as possible! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Paradise at the Paradisus! Visited: March 2002 Posted by cementlady This Resort was wonderful. There was something for everyone - relaxation, beach, pool, gambling, birdwatching, people watching - just everything! The food was good to excellent in all the restaurants and the service was great. We loved learning Spanish. Our room was also great. Punta Cana was a beautiful place. We also did two side trips - Saona Island and a day with Punta Cana Runners with our guide Daniel. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beautiful Property - Lacks Service Visited: February 2002 Posted by cbp01 This was our first venture into an all-inclusive resort. We found the gardens beautiful and the beach very nice. The problem with the resort focuses on service and ultimately the management. Let me give you a few examples of poor service: out of the 7 nights we stayed I was able to take only 1 shower before dinner, the water pressure was non-existent. When I brought this to the attention of the front desk they responded "we are working on it". I later found out that no showers was a common problem with other guests. I attempted to use the spa early in the morning and I asked for a towel for a shower, their response was they had none. Service at dinner was very hit and miss, some nights it was good and others poor to very poor. The servers were very polite but seemed to lack real training. One meal I had a glass of red wine spilled on me, the staff was very apologetic but this did not help the shirt I was wearing. On two occasions the room was not made up until after 5:00 pm. The all-inclusive golf is very mis-leading. We chose this resort because we wanted to golf. No where in the brochures or at the resort were we told that there was an extra charge for the golf cart. They wanted to charge $33.00 per person for the nine holes we attempted to play on our first Sunday. We put the clubs away and never did golf. The front desk was not helpful at all. When we presented them with a problem they were more interested in telling us why it couldn't be done than asking how they could help and make it better. This is a wonderful property and it could be a classy resort if develop the service side of the business. Spanish is almost a must. You may find your visit challenging if you have no working knowledge of the language. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? For the money it can't be beat. Visited: January 2002 Posted by JPGrave Grounds: Pros-Beautifully manicured, guarded entrance and security within, golf cart type transportation. Cons-Pathways not well lit and are tile block-slippery when wet. Buses run often but tend to be overcrowded at night. Rooms: Pros-Spacious, two levels, nicely decorated, good a/c, ceiling fan, refrigerator, safe, ample closet space, porch, Second floor more private, but no elevator. Cons-Clean but not spotless, pillows like pancakes, lousy water pressure, no washclothes, pillowcases on request, no clock or coffee pot. Food: Pros-Tremendous buffets at all meals plus restaurants- never had a bad meal. Cons-Make all reservations immediately upon arrival, good times go fast Ask your travel agent to book them! Beach: Pros-Gorgeous, a walkers paradise, plenty of chairs and huts, nice breeze. Cons-no beach boys, no waitress service, no bar or beach. Shopping: Pros-none –If you’re going to shop--pick another destination! Lobby store has everything and naturally is overpriced. Casino/entertainment: Casino-blackjack, Caribbean stud, roulette, slots - nice diversion for an hour or two. Entertainment-they try but it ‘ain't’ Vegas or New York City. Amateur at best. Staff: Pros-plentiful and extremely friendly. Most upper echelon has some command of English. All menus are in 4 languages (French, German, Spanish, English).They all appreciate an American who attempts Spanish -- no matter how lame! Quick Tips: When checking in, check map for room location. If you have a late departure (check out is noon) ask for a late check out ($10 per hour charge-negotiable). If you have no command of Spanish buy an electronic dictionary (Radio Shack). It makes things easier and fun! At all bars you must ask for liquor in your drink, i.e. Pina Colada con (with) Rum! A small tip, 20 pesos ($1.10) goes a long way-- 50 pesos will get you extraordinary service. It’s truly appreciated and you’ll be remembered. Bank in lobby will change dollars to Pesos. Change anywhere else is impossible to get. In conclusion, as a vacation spot to eat, drink and lie on a beach, for the price it can’t be beat. We ate all the food and salad, had ice in our drinks and had no ill effects (plenty of bottled water available). Just stay away from tap water. Saw a few bugs but what do you expect it's the Caribbean-enjoy! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great place--we loved it. Visited: December 2001 Posted by abrez We have been to many Caribbean resorts, but none are any better than the Paradisus. The facility is very pleasing to the eye. Although it is a large complex, it never seems overcrowded. Service is terrific, people are friendly and accommodating, and the food is sensational. Rooms are clean and well maintained. The pool is super and the ocean (for those of us who love ocean water) was sensational. Obviously we loved it and think you will, too. There were negatives, however. The evening entertainment was marginal and water pressure in the showers was very poor. For us it was an acceptable trade off. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Great for R&R but with some downfalls Visited: November 2001 Posted by jmckenna71 My wife and I spent our honeymoon at this resort. We stayed 10 days. We both enjoyed the resort. Here is my objective evaluation. The downsides: 1) As in any all-inclusive place, the food is very mediocre. It starts out ok but after a few days you begin to notice that the food hasn't changed at all and it all looks the same. They try to spice it up with foreign restaurants but it doesn't help too much. I'd stick to the Italian and Chinese restaurants and the buffet. Forget the Japanese and the Romantico. The Spanish and Mexican restaurants weren't open. b) Similar to the previous point, the service in the restaurants is borderline pathetic. There were some good people but they seem to promote the worst. However, service in the bars and sports areas was great. c) The buses don't have any type of recognizable schedule so sometimes you wait forever. Plus, someone needs to introduce them to catalytic converters as we got sick of breathing in the gas everytime we rode. d) This is not the Eastern Caribbean - the water is not as clear and definitely rougher. There were significant waves. e) This is not a place for singles. Mostly married couples and families with some newlyweds. As far as nationalities, Id say 25% Spanish, 25% French; 20% American 20% German; 10% other. Upsides: a) Rooms were great. b) The landscaping is great c) The pool was really cool d) Beaches were very nice. e) Lots of activities to keep you busy if you want. Overall, I'd recommend this hotel for those who want to relax or for those who want to have a family vacation. If we had kids we would bring them as well. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Paradisus Resort is beautiful and so are the people. Visited: October 2001 Posted by steele Last October and December 2001 a friend of mine and I flew to the Dominican Republic. Our first resort was the Paradisus. The staff was friendly. The rooms were very clean. The food was the best I'd ever eaten anywhere. What wasn't eaten was thrown away to maintain freshness. I was somewhat disgusted by the remarks of other visitors here. If you can't enjoy yourself in Punta Cana like never before, please stay at home and save the staff and fellow travelers the misery. These beautiful people live in a land of little and try to go out of their way to be helpful to those who have more in one pocket than most of these people will ever see in their lives. So, please be courteous and enjoy. Some of the prices at the local shops were inflated, but you could bargain with them. Also, one of the other things we really enjoyed was the all-inclusiveness of Paradisus. There were no vendors on the beaches, the security was good and they kept our refrigerator stocked. They also had the most beatiful beaches, pools and views, and the food was wonderful. It seemed like it rained a little every day. There was always a nice breeze. I'm definitely going back. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fabulous and utterly luxurious. Visited: October 2001 Posted by juliagrieves For our honeymoon last year, the Paradisus Punta Cana was perfect. The staff was friendly and the resort was spotlessly clean. I would thoroughly recommend the Sakura Japanese restaurant. Although the whole hotel had a very happy and relaxed atmosphere, if I could go back tomorrow, I would without hesitation! We loved every minute. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An escape from reality! Visited: October 2001 Posted by abasile My family and I just returned from our third trip to this beautiful resort. As in the past, the weather, accommodations and service were all superb. With 6 restaurants, nightly entertainment and a casino, you never have to leave the resort. (Although I did twice to play golf at the beautiful Cocotal Golf course.) I highly recommend a visit to this resort. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I had a fantastic time. Visited: August 2001 Posted by sarajrudy This was the best vacation I have ever had. We were greeted at the airport by the resort's bus service, which took us directly to Paradisus. Once we entered, there were guides and trams to help us locate our room. On the way we noticed that the grounds were kept to perfection and the vibrant flowers were everywhere! The room was just as exquisite, they left fresh flowers for us each day and left the room temperature just how we liked it. They also decorated the bed with flowers and fancy towels, but I'll let you see for yourself! We opted for the all-inclusive vacation package - and when I say everything was included - believe me, it was! My boyfriend and I enjoyed two scuba dives, horseback riding, kayaking, banana boating, snorkeling, all the room service, food and drinks we could handle, and a lot of other things. Plus, they offer many offsite excursions for a reasonable price. But we had so many things to do on the resort, we did not have time for anything else! The entire staff was wonderful, they were helpful and understanding if guests did not speak Spanish - it does help to know thier native tongue but not necessary. I also reccommend the pool bar at about 1:30 pm - Mamawana! Have a great time if you decide to go - I would be there right now if I had enough vacation time left! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This resort is the best! Visited: August 2001 Posted by hiramgel We are a couple who travel all over the world every year for vacation. Last year, we decided to travel to Paradisus Punta Cana. Never, in our prior vacations, have we felt so wonderful. Everything that we could mention is not enough, because this resort is the best - the food, beaches, bungalows, restaurants and drinks. Everything was so nice that we keep telling our friends about it. The attention of the staff is wonderful. They treat us as their own family. So, we have reservations again for August 25, 2002 to spend another week in this resort. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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