TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Pros: Room: It was ok. Upon arrival, lamp was sparking (yes, electrical sparks) we did not get a king (which we booked) and towels were missing. But they addressed most of the issues quickly. Mattresses were comfortable, A/C worked and the cleaning crew was excellent and lovely. Beach and pools: Beautiful beach, no umbrellas. Great pools, very limited umbrella. Invest in some umbrellas guys!!! Like 50 more. Staff: everyone lovely and kind with exception of one or two of the elite salesman. (Who were actually really beyond rude) Cons: The hotel should revisit their elite sales strategy. It’s brutal and ruins the mood and ambiance a lot! Food safety: the staff does try, but the buffet is not clean. Looked to me like it was mostly due to un clean guests. (Grabbing food directly with hands and worse, etc) A few of us got bad food poisoning and missed out on a couple days of the trip. Shows: not really our thing anyway, but there were literally two shows all week. One was in Spanish (magician) which is fine for those of us that understand. The rest of the evenings it was loud music at the pool bar and kids songs till 10pm. (Baby shark still haunting my dreams lol) If you plan on coming here- manage your expectations: it’s fun and beautiful beach, great staff, clean rooms, but not particularly fancy in any way at all.

Went to DR for the first time and spent a few days at this resort. Loved the location. The beach was amazing. Went there every day, ate lunch at the snack bar, and the Ola Lola bar was convenient for drinks. Staff helped find lounge chairs. Vendors kept approaching but they were fun to talk to. We paid extra for the Bigaro restaurant one night and it was by far the highlight of the trip. Great food and experience. The rest of the resort was just okay. For an all inclusive resort, not everything is included. There are price lists everywhere and it’s confusing. For example, at the One House coffee shop all the coffees are included but not the popsicles. Resulted in more than one awkward conversation through the week. Not much service at the buffet and on your way in and out you keep getting approached by sales staff for the Elite collection. The lounge chairs at the pool fill up quickly and we kept missing out on fresh pool towels. Tried a couple times but they were always out so we ended up using the same ones each day. Rooms were spacious and nicely decorated but there were issues with the plumbing. One of the sinks leaked so we couldn’t use it and we had a couple small leaks from the air conditioner puddle on the floor. We managed fine, but on the last night there was a full out flood in another room around the corner from us. The people staying there had to evacuate. Balcony was lovely and the cleaning staff were friendly and courteous. Will definitely go back to Playa Dorada but will look for another resort to try next time.

Katarina is the best room cleaner always with a smile and such a great person (room 13210)

We arrived first week in January and still have until the 27th of March before we return. At the halfway point we are still very satisfied as per previous long stays. We are happy with everything from room comfort and service to the spectacular beach and great food experience, not to mention the wonderful staff. To start mentioning names would be a lengthy affair but a very extra shoutout and appreciation to Maria at the main restaurant who is a cut above all the other good waiters and our incredible chambermaid Ana Eloisa who always works from the heart. Papa George

After trying out Emotions last October and being pleasantly surprised, we returned with another couple. They did indeed "kick it up" a notch. This time there were umbrellas by the adult pool and an attempts at coverings on the Bali beds. Because the hotel was full, it did require that I get outside by 6:00 am to reserve chairs by the adult pool. The location of Emotions is probably one of the best on Playa Dorada. The beach is cleaned in the mornings and, if the weather allows, it's a good spot for swimming. The adult pool is quiet and one can easily have a siesta after lunch on the Balis. Eury, our bartender deserves a gold star for his Bloody Ceasars. They were the best!! And it was great that they were catering to Canadians by finally getting Ceasars on the bar menu. Our room was comfortable and overlooked the pool. Our housekeeper Katrina(?) went above and beyond every day. She deserves a raise. The food was better than fine. Even the buffet had something for everyone and I saw the staff taking the temperature of foods to make sure they were hot or cold enough. Shout out to Augustin who made sure the coffee cups were full at all times when we needed it most. The 3 restaurants were good and we returned to the Italian for our final night. Adding another restaurant with the all-inclusive would bring it up to par with some of the better resorts in Punta Cana. A steakhouse or surf and turf restaurant would be great - and without having to pay. Now for another suggestion. My husband and brother are both golfers. There is not connection between the resort and the golf course which means they had to beg a golf cart ride to the course all 3 times they golfed. They both have mobility challenges and the "5 minute walk" is a lot longer than 5 minutes in the heat. And on 2 occasions, the front desk didn't answer their phones when they called to request a ride back. All in all, I would recommend Emotions. It is great value for the money and the staff, food, rooms and location are all great.