TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This hotel was an absolute nightmare. The staff is not only poorly trained, but they have the worst attitude imaginable. When I checked out, I simply requested a receipt, and the front desk guy had the nerve to ask, “What do you need a receipt for?” Excuse me, but why is that any of his business? To make things worse, he claimed that I should have requested a receipt before my arrival. Are you kidding me? On top of that, the food was disgusting, and the rooms were filthy. I wouldn’t stay here again even if they paid me. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place at all costs.

Used the spa massage and Andry was very through. I had a terrible knot in my back and she really concentrated on it to loosen it up. Highly recommend the Alegra Spa when visiting. The rest of the team are a pleasure, I used the spas services 3 times, that’s how great it was.

My husband and I arrived at the resort on 9/28/24 even though we checked in, in advance online, we still had to check in at the main lobby and the check-in process was slow we waited about 30 minutes and there weren't many people there. Upon completion of check-in we were transported to our room 2105 in a golf cart. Upon arrival the room was very dated, looked nothing like the pictures online, the ceiling of the shower had an opening and there was a dirty shower curtain, the bathroom disgusting and there was a large gap under the door so bugs could easily make there way into your room. I decided not to stay in that room so we went to the front desk to complain. Once at the front desk we were told to get an upgraded room we had to purchase the privileged room which was $70 more per night. Not happy about that but we upgraded. The room was better but smelled of cigarettes and the bathroom smelled of sewage. The bathroom only had one washcloth and two towels, and as privileged guest we were suppose to be given beach towels as a "perk" of the privileged. On Sunday morning around 8am, I called the front desk asking for more bath towels, beach towels and washcloths. We headed out and came back around 6pm, our room was cleaned and provided no towels at all. So, I had to call again and request towels and washcloths. After waiting about an hour we got our towels and still no washcloths, also the room was missing a hair dryer room 816. Then the power went out around 7pm, seemed like our unit which was on the 3rd floor was affected as other guest were experiencing the same issue of no power on the 3rd floor. We went to the front desk to complain about the no power as the room was getting hot quickly as it was over 90 degrees each day we were there. The front desk stated they were aware and working on the issue. We decided to go eat and see the Michael Jackson show while we waited for the power to be restored. The Michael Jackson show was good, the person playing Michael Jackson is actually a very good entertainer he has all of MJ's moves down packed to coordinate with every music video. We got back to our room around 10pm and still no power, I was so upset so we called the front desk and after speaking with them they changed our room, so at 10:00pm instead of relaxing and going to bed we had to pack up and move out of the room. Then we were sent to room 802 which was clean but still no washcloths. Monday morning we saw the housekeeping and my husband asked for a washcloth and she was the only person to actually finally bring us washcloths she got a nice tip for that. **Food** Food is trash, thank goodness my husband and I rented a car the only good meals we had were from the restaurants we went to in Punta Cana. The breakfast not good, not a good selection of foods and the dinner the same. No salad dressings at all, bacon under cooked, grilled chicken no seasoning and the desserts not good at all. The only thing I did like was the banana bread and the vegetables. I was very disappointed paying so much money to have your food and drinks included and they constantly repeated the same foods and did not have a wide selection. **Restaurants** We made reservations at the steakhouse and we were 20 minutes late but we decided to go anyway hoping they let us in because the reservation states they hold it for 10 minutes. We got there and asked the host if we could still eat and she was very rude and stated "nothing that I can do". I was shocked as a paying guest of the resort and yes I understand we were late but she never even said sorry we cannot due to the amount of guest, or let me see what I can do, or you may have to wait but I can see if I can get you a table. She was just rude, she needs to work on her customer service skills! Also, the pizza is horrible they have pizza available until 2am and it does not taste good at all. **Grounds** The grounds are beautiful they do take very good care of the grounds pools and beach are great. Plenty of chairs. **Privileged Perk** In my opinion the only good thing about the privileged room is the room because it is updated. Also, the bar that is available to the privileged guest, Angela the bartender is a pleasure she is so sweet and made good drinks. Otherwise if you can deal with a dated room, that is not great then skip paying the extra money. If you are a foodie and want good food do not stay at this resort find another resort you will be disappointed. Overall, when I come back to Punta Cana, I will not stay at the Catalonia Resort due to all the issues that occurred having to change rooms 3x, no power, food sucks and cannot get linens when needed.

Zairy en ivelisse we're wonderful. We loved the staff, especially at the pure chill out bar! We loved the resort and everything was amazing. Thank you all so much. Best vacation ever. Thank you all again this has been great. We loved the pool as well!

Check-In Experience: Upon arriving at the hotel, we were initially impressed. The scenic drive through the lush grounds set a positive tone, especially after our long 8-hour flight from the UK. We were greeted with a refreshing drink, which was a nice touch, but unfortunately, that’s where the frustrations began. The check-in process was slow and disorganized. It appeared that not all guests in line had pre-booked, which significantly delayed things, as locals seemed to use this hotel for last-minute stays, paying upon arrival. The use of tablets for form completion added to the delay, especially for older or less tech-savvy guests. Some people had been waiting for over an hour; our own check-in took 45 minutes. Given the heat, which was unavoidable, this made the situation even more uncomfortable—definitely not the ideal start to a holiday. Once we finally checked in, we were whisked away by golf cart to our room in Block 14. Still feeling frustrated from the check-in experience, I didn’t tip the bellboy, though I regretted it afterward, as he was not at fault. The issue lay entirely with reception. The Room: We opted for a Privilege Room, which cost an additional £40 each, and honestly, it was worth it. The room was spacious, well-designed for two people, and featured double sinks, a large double shower, and a super king bed. The bed, while firm, provided excellent sleep quality. The room’s temperature hovered around 24°C, but the ceiling fan helped keep us comfortable throughout the stay. Dining: The hotel offers a good variety of dining options. A la carte restaurants can be easily booked using a QR code, which also provides access to information about all the resort’s services. The food quality was generally good, though, as with most all-inclusive resorts, the meals did become a bit repetitive after a while. The main buffet restaurant was hit-or-miss in terms of service. Ordering drinks was often frustrating as they rarely arrived unless you followed up. It’s surprising that the resort doesn’t offer a self-serve station for soft drinks, water, and coffee during busy periods. This simple change could free up staff to focus on alcohol orders and other tasks, improving the overall dining experience. It was clear the waitstaff were stretched thin, as they were not only taking drink orders but also clearing tables and resetting them, which explained the occasional service lapses. Beach and Pool: The beach was lovely, with warm, inviting waters. The Privilege section was quieter, and finding a lounger was never an issue. The Pure Bar, exclusive to Privilege guests, was a great perk, and the staff there were wonderful—helpful and attentive. Tipping goes a long way here, and being generous ensures you’ll be served right at your lounger. The only downside is that the Pure Bar doesn’t offer snacks, which would have been a nice bonus. We also enjoyed the main pool, particularly the jacuzzi section, which was perfect for relaxing at the end of the day. However, the pool did get crowded, especially on weekends when more locals seemed to be using the hotel. On-Site Shops and Local Tips: The on-site shops were convenient but overpriced and limited in selection. We ended up taking a taxi to Downtown Punta Cana to visit Jumbo, a Costco-like store that offers everything at a fraction of the hotel shop prices. A quick tip—bring your passport if you need to exchange currency, as the hotel doesn’t provide this service. Also, ensure that your full name matches on both your passport and credit or debit card, or you might have to use a cash machine instead. The round-trip taxi ride to Downtown Punta Cana cost $30. Entertainment and Evenings: Evening entertainment at the resort was good and quite popular. However, we found it difficult to enjoy our evenings outside of the room. The bar areas are all open-air, and during our stay, there was little to no breeze, making it uncomfortably hot to sit outside for long. It’s a shame, really, because the bar staff were friendly and quick to serve, but the heat made it impossible to relax. Vendors: Like most resorts, beach vendors are present, and while they can be persistent, a firm “no” and walking away does the trick. Over time, though, it does become tiring. The vendors within the resort, near reception and along the main walkways, are positioned in high-traffic areas, so you’ll likely encounter them frequently. After two weeks, it started to wear us down a bit. Overall: All in all, this hotel offers good value for money. While there are certainly areas for improvement, the overall experience exceeded some of our expectations, especially considering the affordability. After reading some of the other reviews, it seems that some people simply enjoy finding things to complain about. I would recommend giving this hotel a chance—it’s not perfect, but it’s definitely not as bad as some make it out to be!