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We had a wonderful time once again at Emotions! A special thanks to Aldeleidy what a wonderful woman to greet you at tjhe buffet or any of the a la carte restaurant, always smiling, remember your name and there to make it a time to remember

Planning a visit to Emotions by Hodelpa in Playa Dorado? I wanted to write a review of a “member’s experience.” What is a member, you ask? Many resorts offer some sort of club or timeshare options and they try to rope you into watching a presentation in exchange for something free: tickets to a local event, spa treatments, activity, etc. You will likely be approached to watch a presentation at Emotions. If you are not remotely interested, just politely say no. However, I can confirm that we bought an Elite Collection Club membership back in 2018 and feel that we have received value for our investment. The first plus is that this is not a traditional timeshare. There are no maintenance fees. You just pay the daily all-inclusive rate when you visit. As members, we stay in a one-bedroom condo-style suite, with a jetted tub on the balcony. We have use of the fabulous members-only pool with uninterrupted beach views and bar service, the member-only bar inclusive of top shelf drinks, and the Aroma restaurant, where you can order from their menu, as well as the Italian and Mexican dining menus. But it’s the relationships we have formed with the staff at Emotions that makes the whole experience worthwhile. Xiomara, in the Member’s concierge office; Roberto, in the Opus Bar; Leonidas, who services our room; Roberto, in the main buffet who moves like lightning; Genesis and Scarlet in the Aroma Restaurant; and Manuel, who brings us drinks at the member’s pool, are just some of the wonderful staff that makes us feel like we are home. Today, I would like to tell you a story of what the staff at the Aroma Restaurant did on our last trip. One week into our 2-week stay, I ended up getting the stomach flu. After 2 days confined to my suite, I was well enough to join my family for dinner. However, I knew I could not manage the rich, elaborate dishes at any of the restaurants. I stopped by Aroma an hour before our reservation, and mentioned to Genesis that I had been sick and asked if the chef could prepare some plain chicken and white rice for me. I additionally requested dark meat chicken, since I hate white meat. She explained that, of course, the chef would be happy to prepare my simple dish, but that they only had chicken breasts on hand. Although I was disappointed, I didn’t actually expect them to head out to the grocery store within the hour to meet my picky request. When we arrived for our reservation, Genesis told me they were trying to get my chicken legs and apologized that there may be a delay. Not long after, they brought out our meals and…I was served butterflied, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, grilled to perfection with rice. Almonte, the chef, surpassed every expectation I could have had. Somehow they sourced dark meat chicken in less than 2 hours. AND it was prepared to perfection, so delicious, even without any sauces or spices that would irritate my fragile stomach. THANK YOU to Genesis and Almonte (and anyone else behind the scenes) who made this happen!

So this is a true and from the heart honest review of this all-inclusive resort. First and foremost, I believe that in reviewing this place, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a lively place with loud music and, you don’t mind being in crowded pools and a beautiful beach, then this is the place. I would definitely recommend the upgrade to VIP. It’s around $60 per night and very well worth it. The food was very good and they did cater to my special diet. If you’re looking for a quiet place, then I would recommend you keep searching there’s nothing quiet about this place. The music at the pool is very loud and my experience here would be sort of like being on a crowded cruise ship. It definitely wasn’t for me. A big word of caution would be, if you’re going to rent a condo on this property make sure it’s nowhere near the 24 hour snack bar if you plan on getting any sleep. Seems like at 2 AM people come out of the disco, then go straight to the snack bar, they’re loud, drunk and obnoxious. I would never rent a condo here again. In saying that they do have a property called Xanadu next-door, which is completely opposite, super quiet, beautiful new condos that are well taken care of and, lots of uninterrupted pool space and a beautiful beach, however, it is not all inclusive. You have to cook your own food or eat at one of the many local restaurants. In my opinion that’s the way to go. They have a grocery store that’s 10 minutes away by Taxi and if you’re not into the party scene, you’re going to have a much better time. The staff at emotions were amazing, super shout out to Orlando, who helped me out tremendously and also to Xiomara. I had no issues with the VIP room I rented from the resort for a week, but the condo I rented privately, beachfront near the snack bar was a total nightmare definitely would not go that route and if you do bring some earplugs. The condos that are rented are not part of the resort and are subject to the owners maintenance, which in my opinion was terrible!

General Impression The resort itself is clean and visually pleasant, with a beautiful beachfront and well-maintained grounds. However, the overall experience never felt relaxing, mainly due to constant solicitation, inconsistent service, and food safety concerns. While there were some genuine highlights, they were often overshadowed by frustration. Cleanliness & Maintenance From a purely visual standpoint, the resort is clean. The grounds are well kept, the beach is beautiful, and the animation crew does an excellent job keeping the beach tidy throughout the day. Long chairs were always available, and the water was clear with small, enjoyable waves. Room maintenance was one of the strongest aspects of the stay. Cleaning was done daily and done well, with water and beer restocked consistently. There’s nothing negative to say about housekeeping, they took excellent care of our room for the entire stay. That said, food hygiene was a serious concern. Our group of 10 all got sick after eating at the resort, despite having a mix of seasoned and less experienced travelers. On our way out, we encountered another group of 6 that were also all sick. We repeatedly encountered dirty glassware. For example, ordering mimosas in the morning and finding red wine residue stuck at the bottom of the glasses. This significantly reduced confidence in the resort’s food handling. Food & Drinks The buffet is mixed. One standout was the bread selection, which was excellent every morning, fresh, varied, and genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, that was one of the few consistent positives. Coffee from the buffet is poor. If you want something drinkable, you need to go to the One Coffee shop, which serves included coffee and is noticeably better. Do not make the mistake of going in that shop with wet swimwear, you will be yelled out of the place. The resort only has three included restaurants, and it really feels limiting over a longer stay. The Italian restaurant was clearly the best of the three. The Mexican restaurant was passable but nothing memorable, while the Dominican restaurant was genuinely bad. The resort would greatly benefit from adding a fourth included option, especially Asian cuisine. Alcohol options are also limited. Only one beer (Presidente) is included; all other beers cost extra. Included spirits are vodka, gin, and rum, and some other types. The local rums (Brugal and Macorix) were actually quite good, but the gin and vodka options were cheap and not great tasting. The single best meal of the entire trip was the private beachfront restaurant, which is not included and costs $100 USD per couple including meal and a bottle of wine. It offered a private plateau overlooking the ocean, a private chef, waiter, and wine specialist, and it was easily worth the money. This experience genuinely saved the face of the resort. Special thanks are deserved for Chef Felix, waiter Amauri, wine specialist Chemi, and Elyssa from the Mexican restaurant, who even sent us churros as a surprise. This meal stood far above everything else we ate that week. Service & Staff Service across the resort was inconsistent. Table service in bars and restaurants was hit or miss, with more negative experiences than positive ones overall. The biggest issue by far was sales pressure. The Elite Club sales staff and activity sellers were everywhere, hiding near the buffet exit, along walkways, and constantly approaching guests on the beach. It genuinely felt like being hunted by “hungry sharks.” This alone made the stay stressful and far less enjoyable. The beach vendors were even worse. Massage sellers, foot rubs, and people selling random junk would approach constantly. At one point, someone in our group got a foot massage (which was actually good, $15 USD for 20 minutes), and we were immediately swarmed. At one point, six vendors surrounded our group at once. It completely killed any sense of relaxation. This constant solicitation was the single biggest reason I would not return. Amenities & Activities Daily pool activities were a strong positive. There was consistent animation with aquafit, bingo, and other games, and the foam party was genuinely fun. Karaoke ran two nights and was enjoyable, even if some of the local music was a bit “high-pitched”, though our group singing Bon Jovi probably wasn’t any better. Mini putt and a large outdoor chess board are available and were a nice casual option. The swimming pool and beach close way too early, which limits evening enjoyment. Forget about swimming in the dark, everything is closed at 6 PM and you will be warned if you swim past that time in the ocean or the pools. One evening, around 11 p.m., there were often two different parties or sound systems playing at the same time, with overlapping music. For anyone wanting to sleep earlier or rest, this was frustrating and far from relaxing. Music could last until midnight some days. Spa The spa service itself was excellent. My wife had a massage and received attentive, professional care, good enough that she returned for a second session. However, the facilities were partially disappointing. Only the sauna was functional. The jacuzzi was cold, and the steam room did not work. Also worth noting: the entire spa experience is out of pocket and not included. Wi-Fi & Infrastructure Wi-Fi was unreliable throughout the stay. Messages on Messenger could take a long time to send, and sending photos was frustrating, they would eventually send, but often much later. Coverage was almost site-wide, except for the beach. There were also a few power outages during the week, ranging from about five seconds to up to five minutes. Fees & Value Be careful with hidden fees. Losing your towel card costs $25 USD, and losing your room card costs $10 USD. For what I paid, roughly $2,000 CAD for 10 days, I expected more. This is not a 4.7-star resort, despite what many reviews suggest. I gave it 3.5 stars only because it absolutely does not deserve 4. City / Destination Review (Puerto Plata) General Impression Outside the resort, the town felt like a full tourist trap. Nearly every interaction felt transactional, and it was hard to trust anyone. You could never get the same price twice for the same activity, depending on who you spoke to. Even with hotel staff, confidence was low. When Friday arrived, the resort became overrun with local guests. While I generally get along with everyone, the behavior was extremely disruptive. People cut in line at the coffee shop, were loud in hallways at all hours, and had no regard for others. Loud music at 3 a.m., yelling in hallways, and repeated security calls were common during our stay. Activities The buggy excursion was one of the highlights of the entire trip and is highly recommended. It cost about $155 CAD per buggy for my wife and me. You get to see the countryside, drive through water and mud, and come back absolutely covered in dirt, water, and worse. The tour included a stop at a local ranch where they make Mamajuana rum, which was a nice experience. However, the beach stop on the tour was extremely dirty, with visible trash and even human feces. Once again, salespeople were everywhere trying to sell the same junk as everywhere else. Money & Practical Notes There is a local mall a short walk away with a Scotiabank ATM. I used it to withdraw Dominican pesos. There’s about a 6% fee, but I checked carefully for card skimmers and everything seemed fine. Be careful with currency conversion trickery from stores, taxis etc. Prices for CAD to Pesos would vary from 39 pesos to 50 pesos per 1$ CAD. Final Verdict Overall Rating: 3.5/5 For the price paid, there are far better experiences available elsewhere. While the resort has a beautiful beach, solid housekeeping, and a few standout paid experiences, the constant sales pressure, food safety issues, noise problems, and limited dining options made the stay disappointing. I would not return to this resort, and based on this experience, I don’t plan on returning to the Dominican Republic all together. The destination, food, and overall atmosphere did not live up to expectations for what is often advertised as a top-tier vacation spot.

We had an amazing experience at this all-inclusive resort! The service was truly outstanding—every staff member was warm, attentive, and genuinely eager to make our stay special. Special shout put to Vielka, Juan De Dios and Yudi at the Oregano restaurant (dominiscan food) their service made all the difference for me and my family !! and the food was truly amazing!