TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

I had not been back to this resort since it went fron adult to family. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw few children and their parents were with them! Upon arrival I was greeted by an amazing team of individuals at the front desk, I did not get all their names, the few that I did get; Sofia, Stacy, Ceaser and the "big guy". The bell hop, another young big fellow, easily carried my suitcase up to my room. After getting settled, I went to the pool bar where Windson and has staff were hard at it. He recognized me, even though I had not been there for years. I had dinner in the buffet and was completely satisfied with my meal. The next morning, I had an omelet made exactly how I wanted it. For the rest of my stay this cook made my omelet without me saying anything to him. For a cook to keep his station running smoothly and remembering guests choices was a great start to the day. I noticed on my way to the beach, there were two new places to sit, relax and listen to the birds. As the resort is fairly small, finding a lounge chair was easy. The bartenders there, Alexander(?), knew his stuff, however, if you asked for a brand name liquor, there wer times that it wasnot available. The liquors with the "slap on labels" - all the bottles were the same, the label only told them apart, are not worth drinking. Juan, the lead waiter in the Mexican restaurant, simply said is fantastic! The entertainment staff under the care of "Speedy" are giving the best they can. Some of the girls need to smile while they are preforming. The gardeners and maintenance staff always greeted me as I walked by them. No one can control the weather, as the first week rained everyday, for maybe 10 -15 minutes. The next week was perfect. The beach vendors can be a nuisance, they are gowever, only trying to earn a living, be patient with them. Would I come back to this resort? A definite yes.

We travelled as a family of 4 (a 12 and 15 year old) and here’s what we thought. Pros: We loved the breakfast Buffett and the Cafe. Rooms are spacious, beds are comfortable. Entertainment crew was great especially around the pool. Dinner Buffett is themed. We really enjoyed Tony as our waiter. He was attentive and treated us like family. It is a small resort and we didn’t mind the walk to the beach. We liked access to the boogie boards. We enjoyed the Mexican and Italian à la cartes. Presentation of food was amazing. Pizza at the beach was delicious. Find Hector on the beach- great guy- will hook you up with great excursions at fair prices. Clean and beautiful property. Lots of loungers at beach. No issues with wifi. No issues with hot water (although others said they were having trouble but I think it is figuring out the faucet personally) Little things that could be improved on: Viva Club Staff trying to get you sign up as a club member were pushy at times. Shower set up - we had to roll towels to make a dam otherwise our bathroom was a flooded mess Events list on app didn’t happen (ie. foam party that my kids were excited about). Would have been nice if it was updated daily. More loungers and umbrellas around the pool - if you weren’t down there shortly after 7 it was tricky to find a spot. A bar in the lobby would be nice or a bar near comfy seating. Some days the amount of cruise day pass traffic was a little much. Overall, an amazing holiday especially for my kids first time.

This was our first visit to Wyndham Heavens and what a fabulous resort. My husband and I loved everything. The rooms are spacious and very clean. The resort is very clean and the ground are beautiful. The gardening staff keeps everything looking beautiful. The buffet is our place to eat. Every meal was delicious and the staff is so kind, and friendly. There was a great selection to choose from at each meal. We didn't do the al-la-carte restaurants on this trip. We've heard that the food is delicious and the staff is also great. The coffee shop has a delicious variety and I enjoyed many cups during my stay. The pool is clean and very refreshing. The pool bar staff are very kind. They make delicious drinks. The beach is beautiful, with sand as soft as walking on powder. The water is warm and the waves are fun. The beach vendors are very nice. We got a great deal on many beautiful keepsakes and gifts for our family. The staff at Viva Heavens goes above and beyond for their guests. We had many fun and informative chats with Maria and Tony who work the buffet restaurant. We have traveled alot over the years and we feel this resort is a gem. We are returning in three weeks for our second visit. We will be bringing our granddaughter who is celebrating her 20th birthday. We will also be returning again in November. We will get to see our new friends, Sue & Kevin B. We we have found our home away from home. ?? Our representative Wilver from Air Canada was also amazing. See you all very soon. ????

Stayed at Viva Wyndham Heavens in Puerto Plata and honestly, it exceeded expectations. The vibe is super chill, perfect if you’re looking to unwind. Rooms are very spacious, clean, and comfortable, and the staff is genuinely friendly (not forced at all). The beach is just beautiful. Food was solid with good variety, and the evenings have a really nice, relaxed touch with live music that makes the whole experience even better. Definitely one of those places you’d come back to without thinking twice.

We returned from a three week stay at the resort on March 7th, 2026. This was our 16th visit to the resort since 2018. Our last two visits to the resort had been two weeks in January 2026, and three weeks in October/November 2025. We arrived on February 14th for our latest visit, and the resort was at, or close to capacity, the whole time we were there. We met a number of first time guests at the resort who said that they would normally travel to Cuba, Mexico, the United States, or other countries, but had decided to go to the Dominican Republic this year. We have been to a number of other resorts, but none have staff that we find as pleasant and accommodating as the staff at the Viva Heavens. It is a small resort and it is very easy to get to know many of the staff by name. The rooms are large, they are kept very clean, and the food is excellent. There is a very active Viva Heavens Facebook page with lots of pictures and information, and where previous/current guests are able to answer just about any question you have in relation to the resort, particularly if you have never been there. When we arrived at the resort, check in was quick and easy. Sophia, the front desk manager, as well as Cesar and Abdidas, who work at the front desk, were very friendly, and helpful. “Bell Boy”, Diony always had a smile and assisted us on a number of occasions. Solangel, in Guest Services, was great to deal with and always very pleasant, as was her co-worker, Litzy. They all went out of their way to address any concerns we had, and took very good care of us. The coffee bar, Cafe Heavens on the corner near the Blend restaurant is open 9 am - 4 pm. It has a great selection of specialty coffees, including iced coffee, delicious pastries and doughnuts, and starting around noon, a selection of wraps and sandwiches. Sara, who works there most days, is always smiling and very pleasant to deal with. Before going to the resort you can download the Viva app. You can go into the resort on the app and see the a la carte restaurant information and menus, along with a lot of other information about the resort. You cannot book any a la carte restaurants until you have checked in and have a room number. You log into the app by entering your room number, last name the room is booked under, and the date you will be checking out. You can usually book the a la carte restaurants three evenings in advance – ie on Monday morning, you can book for Wednesday at supper time. If you wish to book for a larger group, or have problems booking the a la carte restaurants, see Guest Services in the lobby, they may be able to assist you. We once again stayed in an Amnesia suite in building 4. These suites are very large. There was always lots of hot water, and the air conditioner was ice cold. We now know most of the employees by name and do not have a negative thing to say about any of them. Cruz and Marino are the two food and beverage managers and they are always on the move throughout the resort, ensuring that there are no issues and checking with guests to ensure that everything is alright. They both went out of their way to ensure we had a great stay at the resort. We also spoke to Jennifer, the Manager of the resort who is visible at various times at the resort ensuring that there are no problems. They are all very pleasant to speak to. The resort used to put two bottles of water in your room each day. They now put a 1 litre glass water bottle in your room. On the ground floor at the main entrance to the building you are staying in, there is a water dispenser where you can fill your glass bottle as often as you want, as well as your drink cups, and any other containers that you have. There are new water dispensers at the pool and beach bars which face to the front, and have a number of plastic glasses alongside, so you can now easily access water any time, without waiting. We got coffee at the pool bar most mornings from Luz Maria, who is very pleasant to deal with. We were also well served by Widinson at the pool bar – he makes a great espresso martini. Grismaily works at the pool bar she is always smiling. Leonardo, and Darlyn also worked at the pool bar and provided great service. At the beach bar, we got great service from Alexander, Alexis and Marlin. Ricardo, at the beach buffet was very attentive and pleasant to deal with, always remembering our choice of drinks and quickly bringing them to our table. Despite the resort being full, or close to it, there was always lots of bartenders on duty, and there was rarely a lineup to get a drink. We spent a lot of time at the pool bar in the evenings, usually both before and after supper. Supervisor Aurelio was very pleasant and attentive, and we received great service from bartenders Orelvis, Agustin, and Yanet. As the resort was at or near capacity, three of four of the a la carte restaurants were open every night. With the exception of one night we ate supper at the buffet, and one night we ate at a restaurant off the resort, we ate at one of the a la carte restaurants every night. The food at all of the a la carte restaurants was very good. Neither my wife nor I eat seafood, but we had a number of meals with friends who had seafood and they all said it was excellent. Here are the four a la carte restaurants: The Blend –Fracisco is the Manager of the Blend a la carte, and pleasant to deal with. Hostess Sheila provided excellent service, as did “Professional Wine Opener” Carlos, and Jose Tomas, Excellent food - my picks are the salad, steak, and the cheesecake. Puebla 222 (Mexican) – Manager Juan, who was always pleasant to deal with, ensured that our needs were met. My picks would be the tortilla soup, chicken fajitas, and the three milk cake. Rosmarino (Italian) – Beautiful at night - it overlooks the beach and you can hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Manager Dawin is very pleasant and accommodating. The Hostess Nathaly, Jorge, Francisco, and the other staff, were all great to deal with and went above and beyond what was expected to create an incredible dining experience. The mushroom risotto is delicious, as is the lasagna and the tiramisu. Sofrito (Dominican) – A very nice restaurant and you can usually eat inside or outside, weather permitting. We were well served by Manager Jose Luis and Hostess Sheila.My picks here are the stuffed banana rolls for an appetizer, the Banderra Dominicana, and the Dominican cocoa cake. We ate a few times at the main buffet and it was very good. Manager Ranfi, and servers Maria, Marilenis, and Tony always take very good care of us and provided excellent service. There are several evenings that they have “Theme Night” in the buffet for supper, and it was excellent. There is no room service, but the buffet is open from 11:00 pm on, all night, with some limited food available if you get the munchies. While we like to have wraps and sandwiches from Cafe Heavens for lunch, we also like eating at the beach buffet, which is open from 11 am until 5 pm. A selection of burgers, hot dogs, fries, chili, and delicious stone fired pizza, and a variety of other items. The small building near the pool that used to be the Cigar Bar, then the Viva Club, is now the “Atlanticbar.” The Atlanticbar is open every evening except Monday, from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm Mondays, and 5:00 pm until 1:00 am Tuesday – Sunday. Viva members get most drinks for free, some have a small charge. Other guests have to pay for all drinks, which might seem wrong at an all inclusive resort, but going to this bar is optional, and the drinks are expertly made, using “top shelf” liquor, and there is a good variety of beer and liquor available. While we were there, the Atlanticbar was staffed by a very nice young lady named Ana, who was very personable, and an excellent bartender. It is a great place to relax, get away from the crowd, cool off, and treat yourself to a special drink. The bar does not accept cash – payment can be made with a credit card, or the drinks charged to your room. The walk from the pool area to the beach is approximately 5 minutes along a scenic path that is well lit at night. During the day, there is usually a good selection of turtles, fish, birds, and other wildlife visible in the stream alongside the path. There is usually a foam party on Saturday at 4:00 pm at the main pool – lots of fun. Each week, in the evening, there is usually one White Party, and one Silent Disco. Both are lots of fun. Other nights there are a variety of shows held in the theater on the second floor, near the main buffet – there is usually a Dominican Show, Magic Show, Variety Show, and Karaoke. One evening a week, there was usually a man in playing the saxophone who was very talented and nice to listen to. The entertainment team, lead by the very talented “Speedy” was very active, with a variety of games each day, both near the main pool, and the beach area. There was a rum tasting at 4:00 pm once a week that was a lot of fun. They also held a Beach BBQ on Wednesdays and Saturdays while we were there, on the beach, near the beach buffet. It was scheduled 12:00 noon until 3:00 pm and had a great selection of chicken, pork, beef, corn, pineapple, sausage, and other items. It was all very good, particularly the BBQ pineapple, which was delicious. We are cat people, so we enjoyed interacting with the cats that are on the resort and brought food and treats for them. They are very friendly, but not aggressive, and they will not bother you. Dominican Independence Day is February 27th each, year and it is a very big celebration in the Dominican Republic. We were happy to be there once again for that special today and celebrate it with our Dominican friends. My wife had a birthday while we were there, and the staff went out of their way with special decorations, a cake, and the whole restaurant, staff and guests, joining in to sing Happy Birthday. The other thing we really enjoy at this resort is meeting the other guests, from all over the world. It is a small resort, so you see the same people several times a day, and we usually get to know some very well, keep in touch, and we have arranged to travel back to the Viva Heavens to have overlapping visits. This has become our second home, and the staff our second family, we are already booked to come back in the Fall of 2026.