Dominican Republic

First of all it took us 3 hours to get our room. I paid for a Junior Suite with Ocean View. You only saw tops of the roof from our room. I asked for them to change it. The manager was really trying to get us another room with an ocean view. She was very nice about it. Well, 3 hours later she found a room in the Sosua Bay hotel. They are connected. The room wasn't a suite, but, I really didn't care at that point. It did have a beautiful view. Now I wanted to take a shower only to find there were no towels. I went to call the office so they could bring towels and the phone didn't work. My husband went to tell them to bring towels and they said we should have brought them from our last room! What!!! We are supposed to bring them! During the evening the air conditioning stopped working. Next day after breakfast we went to get towels for the pool. NO TOWELS! Went back to our room for towels They took them out of our room. Even the one's we didn't use. They told us to go to town and buy towels. The only reason we gave 2 stars was because later in the day 24 hours after we got there. We did get a beautiful room. All went well after that. Also, if your looking to be on a beach, this is not the place. You have to walk about 3/4 a mile.

The Victorian House shares the same amenities as Sosua Bay Resort. There is not much of a difference in the two. This is my second time at this resort and I have stayed at both. Either or is as good as the other. For the money it is an ok place to stay. However next time I will look for a non all-inclusive hotel that has good ratings and stay there. The food was ok but I didn't try most of it because most of it did not look good to me. I tried every single desert they had and did not like any of them. The al a carte is ok without being great. The best part of it I guess would be the views and the candle light meals. Most of the staff were friendly but I have complaints about two of the staff. The guy working the pool bar stood in front of me chatting with his buddy for a full five minutes before he would even acknowledge my existance. He also did this to another tourist. There was an incident during the buffet dinner in which I was standing at the front of the line right in front of the cook and he did not acknowledge my existance until all of the spanish speaking customers had been served first. Spanish speaking customers and local Dominicans cut right to the front of the line to be served first before any of the white people were served. I wanted to complain to management but I didn't feel as though there was any person who was clearly in charge or who would take a complaint seriously. I was disgusted with the shameless racism that the cook displayed and I was offended. There was an African American there that was just as surprised as I was. In this way the resort did not make me feel like a valuable customer. If I were to go back to Sosua I would not stay at this resort because the quality and variety of tasty food is lacking. There is plenty of food but most of it did not look good. It would probably be a better deal to stay at a cheaper non all-inclusive hotel and eat out at restaurants. By the way not all the staff treated white people like second class people compared to the spanish speaking people at the resort. I have read reviews from other hotels and resorts and apparantly this type of racism occurs often in resorts throughout the Dominican Republic.

They close the reception at night, you can´t ask for anything. Not even a extra room.

very good

The resort was absolutely beautiful, and the the staff was excellent and very entertaining. The beach area had breath-taking views and the pools were very clean, and if you need entertaining the non-motorized water sports were awesome (kayaking, hobo, snorkeling)! The only complaint we had was that getting reservations at the restaurants were difficult and the buffet food was okay (we wished that it was a little tastier).

The hotel was very clean and neat. The staff was over the top friendly. The entertainment was really bad but it is, what it is. The drinks were good. Very good selection of alcohol. The grounds are incredibly beautiful.

i been to this hotel when it was under a different name, the renovation of the hotel it very nice and the staff is wonderful.... the rooms are spacious but the beds are hard as rock!!!!..the first room that was assigned to us was on the third floor and has a walk way all around and a window where someone can easily climb into our room, the next day my husband checked the window and found out that the lock has been removed and someone could just open it and get into the room and walk and out , we contacted the manager and they change our room..they also have a safe in the room that you have to pay a daily fee in order to use it AND they give you the code you can't pick your own..all in all vacation was good friendly staff and nice location

We had a great time. Met some new friends. Beach was great.Food was good but pretty much the same everyday[ [buffet but you could aiways find something you would like] Pool was good but noisey in the morning with activites Afternoons were quietier. Very pictures and the staff were good I'd go again

will return for a longer period. the property is new and very good shape. great views

Séjour excellent malgré la pluie la deuxième partie du séjour. Hotel de très grande qualité mais qui ne propose pas, pour les personnes hors tour operator, de "navette hotel" pour l'aéroport (même payante). Pour moi, ceci, pour ce type d'hotel n'est pas normal. Autre anomalie pour ce type d'établissement. Vous devez payer pour avoir accès au coffre fort de la chambre (même si vous prenez une junior suite). Première fois que je vois ça dans un hotel de ce niveau

It was a beautiful location, the drive there was a bit scary, it took a little over 2 hours to get there from the airport. It was very well staffed and not too crowded.

Nice place to stay for a couple of days. Nice beaches, food was discent. Good value for your dollar.

overall experience was quite good. could have been improved with better info of activities. at the time we went, the road for the last 20 miles from Samana to the hotel was poor. we drove rented car. car rental was a great way to go. fyi - U.S. citizens. most guest were French or German. Not an issue. Just fyi.

My experience at Blue Bay was excellent. This was my 2nd time staying there, and I will return. My wife lives in Puerto Plata, so I travel there frequently. The location in Playa Dorada is great. You are a 5 minute walk from a shopping plaza, and water sports originate from there. Unfortunately, during my most recent trip there from March 28 - April 3, parasailing was not available, which was a disappointment. The jet skiing was lots of fun. The entire staff at Blue Bay is great. When we had an issue, they quickly responded and resolved it. One wish . . . I wish more towels were initially provided in the room when arriving. For my wife and I, there was only 1 small hand towel and 1 large bath towel. I always try to tip the maid at the beginning when I see her, so as to ensure great service. This policy worked again. I found all of the staff to be friendly and attentive. The room was clean and very comfortable. The grounds of the resort are well maintained and aesthetically very pleasing to the eyes. The food is very good at Blue Bay. I am on a low cholesterol diet, so I do not eat many of the foods. But, judging from my wife's reaction, the food is delicious. I do wish there was more of a salad selection at the buffet restaurant. I ate dinner at both the Grill and Asian restaurants, and both are great for both atmosphere and quality of food. The service is also great there. I did not have a chance to eat at the seafood restaurant. My biggest complaint is the constant appearance of people selling vacation timeshares on the resort grounds. There is obviously an agreement between the management of the resort to allow these people to relentlessly approach the guests of the resort. They are a bit of a pain, but I know how to handle them. In the past, I usually stayed at the Iberostar resort. I would rate Iberostar a notch higher, but the cost is significantly higher at Iberostar. Blue Bay is a great buy for the buck, and it is a really nice resort.

The drinks were great- we had a fun time. Average age was not 20's so if you are looking for quite time it might suit for you.

good time , nice beaces but could be cleaned, from time to time , good food but server could smile more, good

The best part about this Hotel are the Staff. They were so nice and friendly, I made tons friends while staying their :D The food was good and the rooms were not. Only issues were the timing of the food places, wish they were open longer and the rooms A/C was a little to high. I would definitley go back, the price was good :)

nice had fun

The hotel itself was average as were the facilities. It just seemed to lack energy and fun.

I really did not want to leave after seven days. This is the middle of three Riu resorts on northern coast in Puerto Plata, and I like to think the best. Lovely location with incredible landscaping, immaculately manicured. Two story buildings in lovely pastel colors are situated in gardens with tree lined paths leading to beach or reception or dining halls. The beach is filled with trees, palm and others, so you can sit in shade or sun. The beach faces Atlantic in northerly direction. Beach is raked almost daily to clean up fallen leaves from trees. Really impressive, the effort put into landscaping maintenance. There is a pool but I much prefer the beach. Pool seemed to be choice for families. There are talapas for shade if you like. The biggest decision you'll need to make here is when to eat. Dining is buffet style with lots of variety and freshly prepared foods. Chefs are at a number of stations cooking more food as needed. There are culinary themes during the week: Dominican, Chinese, Mexican. Fantastic pizza made in a wood burning pizza oven in the dining hall. Rooms are simple and kept nicely cleaned. Beds could have been more comfortable but each room has a nice terrace. Front desk very accomodating about a requested room change. We spent all our time outdoors in the glorious weather. The location is unspoiled and does not feel crowded. There are plenty of day trips you can take, but I was really into the beach and swimming and sunning. Very relaxing week and looking. forward to returning.

fantastic stay,friendly and relaxing enviornment,excellent food

The area where the resort is located is absolutely beautiful. The staff are all very polite and helpful. The entertainment crew is hilarious and a lot of fun. There are lots of things to do at the resort if you don't want to leave to do outside activities and there are shows every night. The only things I didn't like were that there's nowhere in the resort where you can grab a snack 24 hrs. If you miss dinner, which ends at 10, you're out of luck until breakfast, which begins at 7. Also, there are no irons or ironing boards in the room. You have to go to the front desk and put down a deposit for these things. Third, the outlets are not fit for chargers for things like cell phones and cameras. You also have to put a deposit down at the front desk for an adapter to plug anything with a large charger in.

We go alot because they always treat you like family!!!!!!

The hotel did not allow quest at a reasonable price. It was ok.

this hotel have excellent customer service, the food was good, the good experience start at the entrance with a very special person t name Ramon. Always greeting the customer with a happy face. I definetly will come back to this hotel. thank you,

The facilities at this resort are ok, but the food and the service are terrible. Beautiful beach, a few daytime activities, clean rooms... but the place is a little run down, falling apart a little. Overall it's not bad but it is very noisy, the staff is too in your face to do things when you are relaxing, they don't stop peddlers from bothering you on the beach, and the food is just plain terrible. The trip was fun because we made it fun but I would not go back to Puerta Plata, let alone that resort.

The food is bad. I had the runs for days. My parents are from DR. I don't recommend anyone going to this hotel. Its a bad experience for a typical tourist. The best thing about the hotel is that it's next to CoCO Bongo's which is the hottest night club in Puerto Plata. NO LCD/PLASMA!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is definitely a family place. The food could have been better. I wish that they would include more of their country's culture and do better at American food.

We had a wonderful time at the VH Gran Ventana. We had never been to the Dominican but this was a great deal so we thought we'd give it a try. It is not a 5 star resort, but a good 4 star. The rooms and buffet food are adequate, the a la carte restaurants are very good. The beach is cleaned every day and the snorkeling is great. Wifi is not free, but down the street at the Roadway bar it is- buy a beer and they are happy. Very close to the airport so no wasted time getting to and from the resort. We met some wonderful Canadian friends. One shopping tip- prices are very high with the beach hawkers, but walk left along the beach and the Orange Market will charge about a third. We will be back!

we did not stay at this hotel... It actually closed and we stayed at there sister hotel, Gran Ventana! It was absolutely amazing ! great service and all the workers were sooo nice! food was good beach was great and hotel was extreamly clean !

Stayed for 10 days and had a wonderful time. Hotel was very, very quiet and offered no animation which was what we expected but not appealing to all. Exceptionally clean, excellent service, great selection of cocktails prepared wonderfully- sometimes Too strong!!! Food was ok for buffet but a bit boring. Pizza restaurant, beach snack bar, ala carte restaurant were amazing and helped break the monotony of the buffet. Beach was about 5 minutes away- very safe walk or quick shuttle that runs every 15 minutes or less.

I really enjoyed being in this hotel! The staff was very nice & entertaining, the drinks were great, food was just ok tho def not what I expected! I thought we'd have amazing Spanish food but it was just ok. Overall I did enjoy a fab vacation with my fiancé! Days by the pool having drinks, beach, th night shows and disco! Weekend was more fun bc locals were around! We did not have time to try the Mexican or Brazilian restaurant bc the reservations were all booked.

The resort sits in a excluded complext where no much action takes place, so it is not conducive of young couples. However, it is a good value for the money.

The front desk people were very accomandating. We changed rooms to get a king size bed. The hair dryer didn't work so they gave us another one for our stay. The food was ok for a buffet. We had no problems getting reservations for the other rest. The food was very good in all 3. The room was very clean with no problems (except the hair dryer). The beds are very confortable. The only problem with the staff was at the bar in the lobby. Somedays they didn't have enough people working and when there were a lot of them working they just stood around and did nothing. We took a taxti into town, make sure before you go that he tells you how much the taxti is before you leave, because the price on there board and the price the drive charged us was not the same. The pool was very big but if you have children there is not a lot of the pool they can use since most of it is little over 4 feet deep. We were a little disappainted in the beach. They don't have the white sand and crystal blue water that you see in Punta Cana. Take bug spray. We will not be going back. Punta Cana has them beat hands down.

That was our 3rd time in this resort - we just love it. Nothing is better for a family.

Relaxing fun time very romantic our room was clean very nice furntiure the staff was great very friendly no complaints at all

We all paid for the king upgrade AND DID NOT GET IT - they were sold out - no money back - nothing. Wait staff wonderful - front desk people left a lot to be desired. Pools, drinks - good. will I go back ? NO