Paradisus Punta Cana Is Paradise
Written: Jun 27 '06 (Updated Jun 28 '06)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Just about everything
Cons: Musty odor in room permeates your clothes and lingers even after washing!
The Bottom Line: It is really beautiful. The grounds are gorgeous, the food is good and it really is a great place to just take a deep breath, let it out and RELAX!
|
|
|
| bdoll's Full Review: Paradisus Punta Cana - All Inclusive |
My husband and I just returned from a week at the Paradisus Punta Cana. Before our departure, I read reviews from other travelers on a different website, and read many, many negative reviews. I don't know what people were expecting, but this is about as close to Paradise as one can get going to an all-inclusive.
We arrived in the Dominican Republic and didn't have any problems getting through the airport. There are ladies dressed in tropical attire and as you are going to baggage claim your picture is taken. On your return to the airport, these pictures are on a board and you can purchase them for $7.00 a piece. You also have to pay a $10.00 entry fee into the country. We were told by some people that you have to pay $20.00 to get out of the country. That is not true. We were never asked to pay to leave.
Ok...we met our bus. It was a 40 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. Dominican Republic is poor just like Jamaica, so it's not really a scenic ride.
We upgraded to Royal Service (recommend doing this) about two weeks prior to our trip. Our name was not on the VIP board at the entrance to reception. This error was immediately rectified and we were taken to a private check-in. We were offered a cool drink, given our bracelets and taken to our room. These bracelets identify whether you are Royal Service or not by the color of the word Paradisus on the bracelet. (I'll get to Royal Service later).
Since I didn't see other rooms, I don't know if the Royal Service Room was better or not. I do know that we were on the other side of the resort away from the Royal Service pool and restaurant. I could use the exercise, so I didn't really care about that.
Our room had a musty odor to it as most hotels in the Caribbean do. It didn't bother me until I got home and found that the odor permeated our clothes and EVERYTHING that was in the room. I have had to wash and rewash our clothes, even the items we didn't wear. We had a mini-bar in our room that was supposed to be replenished daily (sodas and water). It was not and we had to call. Not a big deal.
Restaurants - There are eight I believe. Two you have to make reservations for two days ahead of time. One is El Romantico, which is french and very good. The second is the Japanese steakhouse. It was good, but not as good as the Japanese steakhouses in the states. We weren't expecting great things from this restaurant, but in the end it was not at all disappointing. My favorite was the Mexican restaurant. We ate there twice. Chicken and vegetable fajitas...VERY GOOD! No, it doesn't come out on a sizzling plate, but very tasty nonetheless. The italian restaurant was good, but not very italian. There is a Brazilian restaurant (meat comes out on skewers). It was good as well. We ate the buffet lunch everyday (roast chicken, different types of fish, hamburgers, fries, salad bar, fruits, cheeses), which was good. There was plenty to choose from. The italian restaurant offers whole pizzas for lunch and many people ate that. You can take it to the beach or pool. To sum up the food, it was not grand cuisine. But it was very good.
I have learned that if you want to eat fine foods, then you DO NOT got to an all-inclusive. If you are looking for 5-star meals then you go to a resort that has restaurants that you pay to eat in everytime. The alcohol pours very freely, and they do not skimp. Go to the main lobby bar and see Carlos. He is wonderful and makes up his own drinks. He made us one called Pollo Loco (crazy chicken). Not sure what was in it besides vodka, but it was very tasty. We had several that evening.
There is a small casino with one roulette table, three black jack tables, one poker table and several slot machines. The blackjack tables had a $5.00 minimum. Not much to say about that...like all casino's it's a game of chance. We went every night and had fun. They have nightly shows, which were good.
I mentioned previously that we upgraded to Royal Service. With this upgrade, you have access to a private beach and a private pool. The beach is really nice. There are soft, comfortable beds, yes beds, to lie on. However, the people that stay in the Ambassador Suites, which are located right outside the beach, put their towels on the prime beds and chairs the night before. This infuriated my husband so much so that he would take nightly walks to the beach and remove the towels just to inconvenience them. Much to his dismay, the towels were put back on by the time we got out there in the morning. It was nightly fun for him more than being able to get the prime spots.
They have a massage hut on the Royal Service area of the beach. $30 for 30-minutes and $60 for 60-minutes. It is less expensive than going to the on-site spa and well worth it. We indulged twice.
Royal service also offers a private dining room for breakfast with made to order omelettes, fruits, cheeses, juices, mimosas, etc. They also have tea time @ 4pm and hors d'overs (sp?) at 6:00pm. There is butler service, but he does NOT follow you around, so don't expect that. If you want something from him, you must call. They have a pillow menu with scented pillows, goose down, and kid pillows. I tried the Lavender pillow. It was nice.
Royal Service will make your dinner reservations for you as well. All you have to do is call them, and they will take care of your needs. We would upgrade again if we go back. The only employee from Royal Service that rubbed us the wrong way was the bartender at the Royal Service pool bar. He has a serious attitude problem, doesn't know how to make drinks (or just doesn't want to be bothered) other than the standard, and has a scowl on his face the whole time. He really needs to be moved elsewhere.
There are many watersport activities to choose from. We went parasailing. $45.00 for one person, $85 to go tandem. If you haven't tried it, you must. I am afraid of everything, and this is the most exhilirating thing I have ever done. We also did a Scuba Doo excursion, which was really stupid. You ride around in a submerged scooter and see fish. Air is pumped into the helmet that goes over your head, so there is no breathing apparatus in your mouth. Don't waste your money. They have free snorkeling three times a day, but sign up early if you want to do this. There are speed boats you can take out, hobie cats, etc. There are some off resort excursions, but we didn't partake.
For all of you shoppers, you won't find the nice shops like you do in other parts of the Caribbean. DR is just not set up like St. Thomas, etc. There are local crafts on either side of the beach. Takes about 20-30 minutes to reach. They are very pushy. Do not pay more than half of their first offer. Tried to sell us a wooden statues (about 12" high) for $65. NOT! They will let you walk if you are too low on prices. The jewelry is junk, but makes nice gifts for younger children.
Don't buy "cuban" cigars from the beach peddlers. You might think you're getting a steal, but they are really just stealing your money. Most of the cigars being sold there are DR cigars. A cigar vendor comes to the resort a couple of times during the week, and you can get good cigars. Of course, you can't take the cubans back to the states, obviously.
Let me address tummy issues. Unless you have a cast iron stomach, you will most likely suffer minor discomfort. I had problems in the morning, but by lunch I was fine. Take some immodium with you. I guess depending on how your system adjusts to the changes will determine your level of discomfort. Mine was minor. I am, however, still have some issues and I have been back three days. Do not let this deter you. I think I have had issues with just about every island I have visited. DO NOT EVEN BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH THE WATER FROM THE TAP. There is bottled water in the room...use that. The water used in the restaurants and bars is filtered, so that isn't a problem.
I read that one should bring plenty of ones with them for tipping. While not required, most of the employees do appreciate a dollar or two. They will pay closer attention to you as well. At the time, one US dollar was worth 33 pesos; you do the math. They are so poor that I just wanted to help them.
Oh, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot for the younger crowd to do. We met people who brought their teenagers with them, and most said they were bored.
Lastly, we were hit up by Sol Melia (the company that owns the property) to listen to a vacation club pitch. If they do engage you in conversation, you can brush them off all you want, but that will not deter them. Everytime they see you, they will stop you. In particular, Americans. We listened, but told them no BS, give us the bottom line. I was more interested in making my 3:00 appointment for a massage than what they had to say.
We had an absolutely marvelous time. I highly recommend this resort. This is a place to go an just RELAX!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bdoll
|
|
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.