Just come back from the Dominican with my husband, we stayed for 2 weeks from the19th of June and this Hotel needs a lot of work to get it up to standard. We had a good Holiday because of the company we met but I just wanted to make travellers aware of some of the problems we encountered.

Food
The food is like most hotels that are all inclusive and it was good that the snack bar was open till late and also 24 hour bar however both myself and my husband had upset stomachs that lasted the whole holiday and the tablets didn't seem to do anything. The restaurants are really good and you book these at breakfast the day before but you want to eat there or go after 9.30 at night without booking. The drinks in the Hotel especially the lager was awful and I only managed to get a decent glass of wine at the restaurants the glasses don't look clean so I don't know if this caused the stomach problems but because it is so hot you have to drink.

Room

The room was very disappointing (we where in block 2 ) opposite the very expensive mini market (12 dollars for 2 small packs of Pringles and 2 chocolate bars). It smelt very musty and damp and the level of cleanliness was very poor. We had to wait till 11 o'clock for our towels one night, the toilet broke 3 times and the air conditioning was very noisy. The fridge if you left a 1 dollar tip was always stocked up with drinks and the shower did work however I know of other people who had problems with the water going off. I also had problems with my hair straightener's as the power is different to the UK but when you get outside it doesn't matter as the humidity just makes it frizz up any way.

The main problem with this Hotel is that from Friday to Sunday they allow locals in for a weekend vacation. This meant that there were at least 300 extra people in the Hotel . You then had to queue for meals and drinks, the pool was packed and the beach and the noise levels both day and night were horrendous. I think the tour operator should warn British holidaymakers as this does spoil you Holiday. The pool had to be closed for 2 days as they were throwing pizza and chips at one another.

Beach

The beach is beautiful however it is far from clean. At the weekend it is full of ciggy ends and cups. As you walk along other hotels are clearing away the excess seaweed so the sea is much clearer however our hotel did not do this hence there was a lot of seaweed in the water.

The trips are good to the islands and horse riding both worked out at about 45 and 30 quid.

I would not go back to this hotel but enjoyed the holiday as we met such nice people George and Maggs, Jodie and Ste Leanne and Paul, Hayley and Mick who made the holiday enjoyable.

Just got back from the Barceló Dominican Beach Resort (6/26 - 7/1) and I was pleasantly surprised by the property, amenities and staff. I too read the reviews and wasn't expecting what I got. It seems everyone's experience is hit or miss and mine was very nice.

The hotel is indeed a short ride (20 min max) from the airport. There were no lines when we checked in and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for an upgrade. The desk manager said he'd try and we wound up getting an oceanfront (6702) however it was a single and we needed a double. We begrudgingly gave it up for a double in Block 5 (5202) which was also close to the beach. The room was actually more comfortable: bigger and modern. However, it faced the pool and became a lil noisy in the evening when the disco let out. It's not close to the disco at all but some folks would make a racket on their way to their rooms, the 24 hr pizza/burger place or the beach. One night they hung out right in front of our balcony and we had to call security to ask them to move. It seems the spa rooms in Block 6 are the hot commodity. They're right behind Block 5 but much quieter and more perks.

I don't understand the comments about the language barrier. The staff speaks multiple languages. I speak Spanish but my travel buddy doesn't and she managed to get everything she wanted. I thought the staff was very nice and went out of their way to accommodate us. We brought a couple of singles for tip money and that didn't hurt. We were on a first name basis w/some. The animation staff is full of energy and work all day. You'll see them on the beach, by the pool, in the evening variety shows and then at the disco. They must run these poor kids ragged but they don't seem to mind. They're always smiling trying to get you involved.

The food was pretty good at the buffets and a la carts. We didn't get sick but we were very "regular." We're picky eaters so we stuck w/food that was prepared in front of us (e.g., omelets, grilled fish, pork chops, etc.). There is nothing appetizing about food that's been sitting out. Also, don't overload your plate w/a ton of stuff because it won't sit well in your stomach. Use common sense and you'll be fine. The Brazilian, Mexican and Japanese restaurants are a must. The Italian I could've done w/out. Note, the only place to grab a bite between 3-6 pm is the 24 hr pizza/burger place and the lines are out of control. The pizza is good but I wasn't diggin the burgers. Space out your eating time and you won't starve like we did. Btw, you'll see advertising for Captain Cook's seafood restaurant. Skip it. The food is lousy (how can you botch grilled seafood?) and they'll charge you $60. The only thing cool about the place is the free water taxi.

The beach is beautiful and there are a ton of chairs. However, if you want shade, you'll have to rise early to claim a palapa (thatched roof umbrella). We got up at 6:30am and threw our towels and some clothes on the chairs then grabbed breakfast. They weren't touched by the time we returned. Yes, it's selfish but everyone does it so when in Rome...or DR. Btw, the massage huts on the beach are a must. They're cheaper than the spa and the breeze is delicious. Faustina runs the one near the beach bar. She's fantastic and the relaxing massage for $30 hr is out of this world.

This was my first trip to Punta Cana and I'll def go back. However, I'd like to check out other hotels to compare. I heard the Melia and Flamenco properties are some of the best. Keep an open mind and you'll be fine. If you're expecting five stars go elsewhere. I hear the French Riveria is wonderful.

I don't even know how to start....well your room won't be ready until almost 4pm; *** this is not a place for tourists*** I would say 85% of the visitors were residents of the island, places like pool tables, basketball courts and big parts of the pools and bars were usually taken by residents; the food is not the best in the main diner, but I got to say, if you do reservation on the exclusives restaurants (mexican, japannies, spain and brazillian; all 4 stars) you will love it, but because everyone wants to go there, they are just looking around just to see if you finish to almost kick you out because they have people waitting, so, you have to eat in a hurry ( but the food was good ); I will recommend that your kids use water shoes to get in the pool, cuz the flood its too rustic and they may have minor cuts (mine kids did) ;room service was fine, didn't see anything fun at night, casino was empty, and the kids club its a simple play ground like the one on your nearest park, the beach was nice but I'm sorry I don't recommend or return to this hotel; I've been in 2 others resorts in Punta Cana before and I had a great experience, but this one "0".

We experience the most awful vacation time ever.
Rooms:
Our room was not ready for guests. The bedspreads were wet and so were the sheets. There were no towels in the bathroom and the minibar was empty. We were locked out of the room three times and finally maintenance came to repair the lock.
There were bugs on the beds. The rooms smelled like mildew.

The next day the VIP representative, Mel,
came to meet with us and he spoke to the Public Relations Manager. She spoke to us and transfered us to the Elite Club. During this transfer, some of our belongings dissapeared. So another hazzle, called security and bottom line nothing was recovered. The upgraded room was still smelly, but we got a better bed.

This hotel needs major repairs. The rooms are not maintain in good standards. The a/c leaks in every room. We had 4 rooms.

Service:
Maids, waitresses, bartenders were wonderful.

Entertainment:
The entertainment team was great.

This hotel is not worth a dime!!!!!!!!!!!