TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Amazing Family Vacation for All Ages Our family of seven, including two seniors and a seven-year-old, had an incredible stay at Bahia Principe Esmeralda to celebrate a 70th birthday. Transportation & Check-In: We booked private transportation through the hotel, and the 45-minute ride was smooth and comfortable. Check-in was slightly confusing since we had three rooms, but there was no wait, and the process went fairly quickly. Rooms & Resort Layout: The rooms were spotless, well-maintained, and exactly what we needed. The resort itself is stunning and perfectly sized—not too spread out, which made it ideal for the seniors in our group. Everything was within walking distance. Pool & Beach: The pools were fantastic. If the chairs seem to be reserved, ask the staff—they’re very helpful in finding available seating. The beach was beautiful, though it could get a bit crowded when looking for chairs. Dining: The buffet food was excellent, with plenty of variety for everyone, and it was the preferred choice for our seven-year-old, as the à la carte restaurants had more limited options for kids. That said, the à la cartes we tried (all except Casa Bella) were fantastic for the adults. Guest services made it easy to arrange a group reservation, which was very helpful. Kids Club & Entertainment: The kids' club was a highlight! Our seven-year-old went every day and loved it, especially participating in the kids' entertainment at 8 p.m. The evening shows at 9:30 p.m. were family-friendly and fun for all of us. Village Experience: One adult in our group enjoyed the dance club at the Village, which was a fun option for nightlife. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any shows at the Village due to rain, and the Dominican show, which came at an extra cost, wasn’t well advertised, so we missed out on that. Special Shoutouts: A huge thank you to Hector, Miguel, Willamer, Carlos, Argy, and the entire kids' club staff for going above and beyond to make our stay special. Their warmth, attentiveness, and exceptional service truly made our trip unforgettable! Extras & Tips: The sports bar was a great spot to relax in the evenings. We didn’t venture far from Esmeralda because the resort had everything we needed for an amazing vacation. For a smoother stay, we recommend bringing: Bug Spray: Essential for the evenings. Tumbler Cups: Great for keeping drinks cold by the pool or beach. Towel Clips: Handy for keeping your towels in place on windy days. Singles for Tipping: The staff works so hard and truly appreciates it. Final Thoughts: Bahia Principe Esmeralda exceeded our expectations. The staff, amenities, and overall atmosphere made it an unforgettable trip. I highly recommend this resort for families, especially with seniors and young children—it truly offers something for everyone!

Our all-inclusive trip to Punta Cana began on a less-than-perfect note. Arriving late at night, we found all the restaurants closed and had to resort to room service—which was a disaster. Half of our order was missing, the other half was incorrect, and the veggie burger contained a literal pebble! The room was in rough shape, with stained sheets, ripped linens, and a non-functioning TV. Needless to say, our first night was frustrating. However, the next day brought a complete turnaround. After speaking to management, the TV was repaired, the room was thoroughly redone, and we filed an incident report. From that point on, the staff went above and beyond to ensure our stay was enjoyable. Special thanks to Jean, our guest experience agent, who was incredibly helpful and made our visit much more memorable. The food was excellent, with a rotating buffet that offered new dishes daily. My kids loved the pasta bar and unlimited ice cream. The beach was beautiful, with fine sand and clear blue water, though a bit crowded, and the constant push to buy the “Dolphins Experience” got tiring. Poolside entertainment was a highlight, with talented Bahia staff engaging guests with their dance routines. However, the nightly shows were underwhelming, giving off a camp-like vibe. Overall, this resort turned out to be a great choice for a family vacation. After the initial hiccup, the modern rooms, good food, friendly staff, and stunning beach made for a pleasant stay.

We had the best time at Bahia Esmeralda. We spent one week there but we definitely want to come back as it was one of the best vacations ever. We booked a room with 2 double beds for our family of 3 but they also had a pull out sofa which came very handy. Great quality of drinks and food and great service most of the time. The best a la carte restaurants were the Mongolian one, called Yurta and the Dominican one. We also tried the Italian one but it was not so good. The beach is beautiful,plenty of sunbeds, but if you do not go early in the morning, you will not get closer to the ocean seats, as a lot of people are leaving their towels on them. The same situation is at the pools. Bring mosquito spray. Try to go to Domitai Park, the 9 activities tour, for the whole day, from 8 am to 5 pm. It was a memorable day. The people who work there are very nice and they are trying to do their best. Special kudos to Carols from the Sports Bar who is very professional and very attentive and Alex from the reception. A huge thank you to Hector and Wonderson from the entertainment team, who are very nice and willing to do anything to make you feel better and to have fun. I would also like to acknowledge one of their male dancers, Zasa, who is absolutely an amazing dancer, very talented and passionate, a true professional He should definitely be promoted more, as he is a true gem.

My family had a fantastic time at the Bahia Principe Esmeralda. We were a group of fourteen and were always accommodated. The al la carte restaurants were delicious and always had room for our big group. The employees at the resort were some of the friendliest and energetic people I have ever seen at a resort. The entertainment team of Hector, Jose, Mauro, Miguel, Ang, Extania, Ezequiel, Santos, Charlie, Warderson and Bubalu kept us busy with activities like dancing, yoga, zumba, discos, darts, and so much more. They were just spectacular and deserve the recognition. Overall, the resort was amazing and we had a wonderful vacation. Thank you!

This is our second time at Esmeralda, our third at this Bahia Resort in Punta Cana. The last time was almost 10 years ago. It was really nice, and we kept saying, "We will be back. Positives: -Room reno really nice and this is the first all-inclusive where the mattresses and pillows were excellent. Nice upgrade from our last trip. -Food was good and I think improved from 10 years ago as it's the first time I did not get a sensitive stomach while travelling. -We requested a second floor room overlooking the pool. and the halls were quiet. -Staff were helpful and friendly. -My daughter turned 18 while we were there and they surprised her with a birthday banner on our room door and sang "Happy Birthday" at our dinner. Staff made a "big deal" when she got her band changed to the adult band. -Pool was not crowded and they had a good team leading the aquafit and other activities. -Ocean was warm and there was very little seaweed on the beach. -Lots of seating and shade available on the beach. -Towels in room and at pool were plentiful. -The resort now restricts some movement between their sister properties. Your band determines which buffet you can eat at, and which bars will serve you. This is good because it spreads out the crowds and makes your resort feel more private. -Sports Bar coffee was fantastic, if the staff made your coffee and they didn't point you to the automatic machine. If you asked for a coffee, first the staff pointed you to the machine. We always said no, and asked them to make it because it was excellent. In truth, this seemed to annoy them because they were very busy and it did mean you had to wait. But it was worth it. Cons: -Not enough shade at the pool. Since they renovated, they changed all the shade to umbrella's and most of these were bent due to the weather. There were also not enough of them and unless you figured out where the sun tracked through the day, it was hard to find shade by the pool. -Resort is slightly understaffed. Every bar could have used at least 2 more staff. Every specialty restaurant could have used more staff and it seemed to us that the lack of staff in restaurants limited the seating. The restaurants were 1/3 full, at best, completely determined by staff ratios. And even then, the staff struggled to keep up with their assigned tables because they had too many. -Biting Flies! This is our biggest con. We have been to Punta Cana 5 times and we have never experienced so many bug bites! Much worst at the beach but even by the pool. We spent a few days at the beach but had to stop because our legs, and everyone else's were covered in huge, red, ITCHY welts!! The resort ran out of bug spray. The itching could drive you nuts. I don't know if the resort has minimized spraying for bug, but it was really bad. These things were small that you didn't notice you were bit until the intense itching hit. And it lasted for days. Just as one spot would get better, you were bit in 3 more, and the intense, mind-searing itching would start again. -The Matum "theater" area. Every resort has their own shows now, and you no longer head up to the large Bahia theaters. The Matum in a large covered space beside the sports bar. During the day, it is a snack area, with fantastic coffee. The trouble was using the space for the shows. The stage was too low to see beyond the 2nd row of tables. The tables and chairs were placed randomly. Servers walked through blocking the view. People stood up to see, blocking the view of those behind. In short, we gave up on most shows because it is a terrible set up. Last but not least, we were at the resort over New Year and they did a fantastic job transforming the pool area for the evening entertainment and fireworks. New Year's supper buffet was abundant and excellent. Singers and bands were really good, and the firework display was better and bigger than expected. They shut the pool area celebrations down at 1am but bussed people up to the village for continued party till 4am. We did not attend that, but the preparations up there looked good too. Many Canadians down there for the week and other nationalities. The Esmeralda attracts more families than college students, so that was not a problem. Also, most guests treated the staff respectfully and we only witnessed one very rude woman. We ate at: Yurta: very good Teppanyaki: disappointing Casa Bella Italian: ok, not great Las Olas Brazilian Grilled Meat: good, but not memorable as it should have been M.E.A.T @ Amber: Great! This meal was actually very good and comparable to a better restaurant in Canada As I said in the beginning, we will be back. Maybe we will try the Amber the next time.