Hi! Cross posting for more feedback but trying to choose between the grand palladium and the riu palace.

Had loved our stay a few months ago but their restaurants reservation "system" was poorly managed and was definitively a minus. Not exactly sure whose interests our concierge had in mind then but he also didn't help, made things worst in our case. Curious if things have improved of late?

I’m at the melia rn for 4 days. If anyone is staying here as well lmk im alone and need friends 😂

Hi Guys, I’m gonna fly soon to Punta cana to have a nice vacation time, but I’m a little bit worried because my flight arrives at 11 P.M. to the airport considering immigration time and that stuff. I’m gonna be free by 1 A.M. But I need to Know if there is a place to sleep there because the Hotel gives me the room Until 12 P.M. i’m considering to spend the night in a hostal But. If I can save a few bucks gonna be great.

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Beaches

If you're visiting the Dominican Republic mainly for the beaches, I'd recommend avoiding Punta Cana and staying in Bayahibe or along the coast on that side instead. During my visit, the water in Punta Cana was dirty, with lots of seaweed, and you don't get to see the sunset from that side of the island. Bayahibe was a much better option if you want nice beaches and sunsets.

Punta Cana is, however, better located for excursions (Saona is closer to Bayahibe though). On the buggy excursion we stopped at Macao beach which is a better beach in Punta Cana with less seaweed than the other Punta Cana beaches

Saona Island

I thought staying in Bayahibe and departing from the local port in the morning would mean more time on Saona Island, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. There were still loads of tourists all departing at the same time, and we didn't end up leaving the port until around 9:30–10:00 am.

The trip includes a stop at a so-called "natural pool", which is basically shallow water near a beach. We then arrived at Saona Island at around 1:20 pm and were told to return to the boat by 3:10 pm.

By the time you account for queuing and lunch, you only get about an hour to actually enjoy the beach.

My advice: Look into private boat trips and compare the prices. It might be worth paying extra for more time on the island and a better overall experience.

Before visiting, I'd read lots of comments warning people against hiring a car because of the driving and road conditions. Coming from the UK, where we drive on the opposite side of the road, I actually found driving in the Dominican Republic to be fine.

Yes, there are some potholes on certain roads around Punta Cana, but overall, the roads weren't as bad as I'd expected for example the highways between Punta Cana, Bayahibe and Santo Domingo were easy to drive on

Traffic in the capital can be busy, as you'd expect, but it's no different from other major cities a lot of other cities are worse. Punta Cana also gets traffic at certain times of the day

I wouldn't rule out hiring a car based on the negative comments online. Just book from a company with full cover for peace of mind

Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park

Personally, I wouldn't recommend it for the price. Paying $70 just to walk through a forest and visit four cenotes felt extortionate.

If you want to visit a cenote as part of an adventure experience, look into other options, such as the adventure parks in the Punta Cana area, including Bavaro Adventure Park.

As expected, prices are high in a tourist-focused destination like the Dominican Republic. However, I found some excursions particularly overpriced for what you actually get

I'd personally choose Bayahibe/Dominicus for the beaches and sunsets, and Punta Cana for its location and access to excursions.

Stayed at Riu Macao last month. Phenomenal time, I’m already planning the next trip. But I was wondering if anyone else was familiar with the Elite club bar that’s right by the entrance of Macao. If you are or especially if you’re staying there right now, what is that scent they have going on in that room. It’s this fresh nutty smokey scent. That itself was such a highlight of my trip. If you’re there would you please ask about that I wish I did before I left

Hi, I have a group of about 20 people and we are trying to plan out an all-inclusive spring break trip for 2027. We are all 20-21 years old and we are looking to go somewhere with people our age.

I’ve been looking to book through juscollege but we are trying to look at multiple options. Not sure where to look at though.

Heard bad things about RIU Republica, looking at Occidental and Barcelo Bravo as options. If anyone has advice or suggestions for booking a trip like this please lmk.

My husband and I are staying at the RIU Palace Bavaro. We took a walk on the beach today and I thought I'd give a seaweed update. At our beach it is OK. A little sargusm but nothing crazy! We took a right out of the hotel and walked up towards Iberostar and beyond to the end of the jetty, as far as we could walk. Completely different story when we got up to the Iberostar property and beyond. The ocean almost looks like chocolate milk by the Iberostar and the beach is covered beyond that! Just a couple of pictures for evidence. 1st picture is of the RIU property. The 2nd is the Iberostar property. The 3rd is beyond Iberostar and Premier Resorts.

I am looking for a resort that has a separate living room and bedroom space within 30 minutes or less from the Punta Cana airport. I have already stayed at Majestic Mirage, Majestic Elegance, Excellence Punta Cana, Paradisus Palma Real, and Zel Punta Cana. Has anyone stayed at any others with this room set up and enjoyed their stay? Appreciate the help!

⭐ 1/5 — Extremely Disappointing Customer Service and Cancellation Experience

I had a very disappointing experience with Daypass.com after booking a day pass for Serenade Punta Cana.

After making my reservation, I came across multiple concerning reviews regarding the resort’s amenities and overall guest experience. As a paying customer, I contacted Daypass.com to explain my concerns and request a cancellation and refund.

Instead of addressing my concerns in a helpful and customer-focused manner, their responses repeatedly emphasized their nonrefundable policy. Despite several email exchanges and my clear dissatisfaction, they refused to refund my deposit.

They eventually offered the option to transfer the deposit toward another experience, but by that point, I had completely lost confidence in their customer service and no longer wanted to continue doing business with them.

What disappointed me most was the lack of flexibility and the repeated responses that made me feel my concerns were being dismissed.

My advice to other travelers: Be extremely cautious before booking through Daypass.com. Read the cancellation terms carefully, research the resort independently, and understand that you may not receive a refund even if you have legitimate concerns before your visit.

Based on my experience, I would not recommend booking through this platform.

Grand Palladium Select Bávaro

Paradisus Grand Cana

TRS Turquesa Hotel - Adults
Only

Zel Punta Cana, All Suites

Lopesan Costa Bávaro
Resort, Spa & Casino

Secrets Royal Beach
Punta Cana

Hotel Riu Republica

This is my list.

For context I’m 31 and going solo, only going to be staying the weekend.

Love drinking and chilling by pool, with music.

Don’t want a full crazy party vibe but I don’t want the resort to be dead.

Does any one of them stick out that would be good?

Any experiences with these resorts?

Has anyone done an excursion from Punta Cana to El Salto del Limó waterfall?

It looks gorgeous but the 4-5 drive....I just want to make sure it's worth it!

Hey yall! My wife and I will be flying in for our honeymoon in a week and we had our complimentary private transfer booked with seasons transfers through excellence.
I go to check if my flights changed at all and our arrival flight is now saying it will land 8 minutes later than the original scheduled landing time that I put on the transfer booking. Flight number didn’t change so it was probably just a minor time adjustment.

I emailed seasons a couple weeks ago to update the times and I have not heard back. Are we screwed? Will we lose our private transfer for having the times be 8 minutes apart? Do they track flight numbers I’m probably overthinking but I want to make sure our honeymoon goes off without a hitch. This will also be our first time in the DR.

Thanks in advance!

Im surprising my daughter with a trip to the Dominican Republic for her graduation and staying at Dreams Dominicus La Romana in July. Does anybody know if the resort can do something special in our room to really make her feel special?

Solo traveller looking for others to party with at the RIU while I’m in punta Cana … staying Oct 23-26

I was wondering how much cash i should bring just for tipping employees at the resort? Im staying for 4 days.

Hi I'm in punta canna and I'm looking for local artisan style jewlery not the mass market stuff on the resorts. Any suggestions?

Wife and I just got back from the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and we couldn't have had a better experience! Here is my review

The resort is very close to the airport, about 15 minutes away which was great! We had private shuttle transport which was a great decision. Not resort related, but we did the VIP entry into Punta Cana and it was worth every penny. I don't care how busy it was or wasn't, I would do it every time without a second thought. Met at the jetway and escorted to a golf cart where we we transferred to the private lounge. They retrieve your luggage for you and bring you right to your transport counter.

We had club level which we found absolutely worth it. We booked it through a club room vs the per day charge. Upon arrival we were escorted to the club only bar Bongos for a private VIP check in where we were served welcome drinks and offered a buffet of treats. We were not aware of this, but with our room selection we were provided a butler. Robert was absolutely amazing and made sure we were taken care of every step of the way. The use of WhatsApp was outstanding and he responded to every request within minutes.

We had a club level junior suite with an ocean view and it was outstanding! Very spacious and an amazing view of the ocean and the pool. Bed was really comfortable and the large double vanity and waterfall shower were perfect for us. If you like watching your wife shower, there are moving walls to open the shower glass to the room which we found a fun sexy addition. We were celebrating out 15 year wedding anniversary so it added to that! Housekeeping made sure our room was clean, fresh towels were there, and the mini fridge was stocked every day. All around excellent accommodations!!

This time a year is apparently a great time to go as the resort was very quiet and not crowded at all. There was ample availability to grab beach chairs or chairs by the pool. No need to run down at the crack of dawn and claim your spot. The beach was nice, heavy seaweed this time of year, but there was a nice dock you can walk out on and look out over the water. We spent our days by the pool where we rented a cabana three of the five days we were there and it was 100% worth it! Private space to relax and sprawl out which provided nice shade and was very comfortable. ($185 per day) We had access to the club pool, but we only used the main pool. Maybe when it's more crowded it's worth it, but we found it pointless. It's behind the main pool, it's hotter as the breeze is knocked down by the walls and elevated smoking section, and it's cramped a bit as the pool is much smaller.

The service at this place was a 12/10 in our opinion. The highlight for us was our pool server everyday Dihana! She was hands down the one of the most special people we've ever met. One thing we found was an amazing touch is that every employee you see there when you walk past them they say hola and they put their hand over there heart. It was a simple but touching thing that made us feel like part of the family. Not sure if that is a Punta Cana thing or a Hyatt thing. If you go to this resort, find Dihana, sit in her section, and take care of her as she will absolutely take care of you. My wife was actually emotional saying goodbye to her the last day. Another great thing about the pool was the afternoon performers. Very nice vibe and kept guests engaged and singing along.

The restaurants were excellent, however, wife is a very picky eater so we didn't experience them all. Waves was by far our favorite as it offered a nice selection, and a nice outdoor environment. Kelvin the manage made sure to stop by our table each time and what a great personality! Aldoni, Juan Pablo, and Edgar were our servers the three nights we ate there and they couldn't have been better! Service with a non-stop smile. We loved the One Eyed Cat martini bar, as well as the Pier. Alberto was our server at the Pier and was also excellent! Great selection of food for everyone and such high quality. My only complaint would be they are closed Monday - Wednesday so not as accessible. We did the Blind Butcher as well, and due to the wife being picky, we would likely pass on that next time. What we did have there was excellent, so if you have a wider pallet I would highly recommend it. The atmosphere is amazing with performances throughout the night. Only other thing we didn't like about it was it felt rushed. I had to go to the bar to get another drink because I couldn't get the servers attention. We also enjoyed the sports bar which was nice especially this time of year. Got to watch some of the baseball playoffs, and Thursday night football as well. It's on the family side so it was more crowded than the others.

The highlight for me as the husband (wife doesn't drink) was Bongos, the club only bar. Luici is the head bartender and is a mixologist so he can whip up anything you want! We saw him at almost every bar at one point as he moves around making sure the guest experience is top notch. The club level bar was great for me as it offered the higher end alcohol that the other bars didn't. I'm a scotch drinker and enjoy that as my night cap. Antonia was the other gem of this bar! She was the night bartender and was such a sweetheart. At the end of the night I'd hit Bongos and get a full cup of ice and an almost full cup of Glenfiddich to take back to the room. Never once did she bat an eye at this request. She also remembered me so every time I stopped in, my wife and I would play cards at one of the high tops, she'd be to the table with a scotch without me even asking. On top of that my wife dinks a tea at night before bed and she would make sure I got the hot water from the espresso machine before I would head back to the room.

At night they have some performances going on which adds to the atmosphere. One night it was a violinist, another a saxophone, and they had some live bands each night. Our favorite was the silent disco! It seems silly by we had fun putting the headphones on and tuning to the same channel and dancing around looking ridiculous! Point here is they do enough, but it's not too much.

Overall we couldn't recommend this resort enough! The Hyatt Zilara absolutely deserves your consideration when planning your trip to PC. This was one of the best trips we have ever been on, and we can't wait to go back!