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I love Randy he was very helpful

We stayed at Barceló’s Occidental Caribe for five nights in late August with our two teenagers, and overall we had a very enjoyable stay. This was our first time at a Barceló property, and we would rate the Occidental Caribe 4 out of 5. It isn’t a perfect 5-star luxury resort, but for the price we paid—especially for a Premium Ocean-View Suite just yards from the beach—we thought it was a great value. Arrival & Check-In We arranged transportation to and from the airport through the resort, and it was easy to set up. Check-in was smooth and took place upstairs in the Premium Lounge in the main building with no lines. We had requested early check-in, but our room wasn’t ready, so we had to wait until the regular 3 p.m. check-in time. One disappointment was learning that we did not have a butler to assist with dinner reservations, even though we booked directly through the resort. We were told that only certain reservations, including those made through Expedia, received butler service. Fortunately, I had contacted Guest Services ahead of our trip with our preferred à la carte restaurants and dining times. Our reservation slips were printed and waiting for us at check-in, so I highly recommend arranging these in advance if possible. Premium Ocean-View Suite We stayed in Room 7214, a Premium Ocean-View Suite on the second floor, and the location was fantastic—as close to the beach as you can get. Our suite consisted of two adjoining spaces with two bathrooms and two balconies, which gave us and our teenagers some welcome extra room. Our bedroom had a king-size bed that was firm but comfortable, along with large pillows. The adjoining living area had been converted into a second bedroom with twin beds. The resort is older, so don't expect a flawless, newly renovated 5-star room. There were some minor scratches and dents, but nothing that negatively affected our stay. For what we paid, upgrading to the Premium Suite was a bargain. The AC in both rooms worked extremely well, we always had hot water, both small refrigerators were refilled daily, and the safe worked properly. Housekeeping was cheerful and consistently provided fresh towels. We found that tipping early and often—even just a couple of dollars—was always appreciated. The 7200 block is particularly convenient because it is close to the beach and only one floor down to the main “party pool.” We would definitely request this area again. Another major advantage of the Premium category was access to the à la carte restaurants every night, along with breakfast and lunch at La Hacienda. Food & Restaurants Go into the Occidental Caribe understanding that this is not a 5-star foodie resort, and you probably won't be disappointed. We always found something we enjoyed and certainly never went hungry. We ate most of our meals at the à la carte restaurants or at La Hacienda for breakfast and lunch, although we also enjoyed the larger variety available at the Alcázar buffet. Most of the main dinner restaurants—French, Italian, Dominican and Japanese—are located on the second or third floor above the main check-in area. The pool snack bar is convenient during the day and becomes the Marenostrum à la carte restaurant on certain evenings, featuring fish and steak. One of our favorite discoveries was the pizza restaurant upstairs the snack bar in the pool area. I highly recommend ordering the personal-size pizzas. You aren't allowed to take them down to the pool, but the restaurant has a beautiful ocean view and felt like one of the resort's best-kept secrets. We didn't have dinner at the Mexican restaurant, but its beachfront location next to the quieter family pool is beautiful. Japanese Steakhouse The Japanese restaurant features teppanyaki-style seating, and it was fun watching the chefs interact with everyone while preparing the meal. One thing worth knowing: the menu made it appear that you could choose steak, shrimp or chicken as your main dish, but that wasn't how it worked during our visit. Everyone received a small portion of the different proteins along with fried rice and vegetables. We didn't actually receive shrimp; instead, small pieces of squid or octopus were mixed with the vegetables. That said, it was still an enjoyable experience. French, Italian & Dominican Restaurants We also ate at the Italian, French and Dominican restaurants. Each featured dishes inspired by its respective cuisine, and overall we thought they were decent. On a couple of nights we returned a little late from excursions, and the restaurant staff were still willing to serve us, which we appreciated. Don't expect top-quality steakhouse cuts—the steaks were acceptable but not what you would get at a luxury 5-star resort. Some highlights for us included the shrimp cocktail at the French restaurant and the Dominican-style whole fried fish, which my wife especially enjoyed. You may notice empty tables at some of the restaurants despite difficulty getting reservations. My guess is that this has more to do with kitchen and staffing capacity than the actual number of tables. At Marenostrum, the hostess initially couldn't seat us on our final evening, but after a friendly conversation she was able to find us a table. A little patience and kindness can go a long way. Pools The main “party pool” has music and activities throughout the day and is definitely the livelier option. We alternated between that pool and the quieter family pool. The quiet pool has a large, refreshing Jacuzzi in the middle, plus tiled loungers partially submerged in the water and several shaded areas under cabanas. Finding the perfect chairs or umbrellas can be difficult during busy times, although we were always able to find something either on our way to breakfast or afterward. One tip: the resort can run out of fresh pool towels later in the day. If you have an early excursion the next morning, grab fresh towels beforehand. Entertainment We only attended one nighttime show, but the dancers worked hard and the performance was enjoyable. The Animation Team also puts a lot of effort into organizing games, activities and entertainment throughout the day. Our teenagers enjoyed the late-night disco. We never had to wait very long for drinks, and bartenders could make them weaker or stronger depending on your preference. The beach party was well attended, although a rainstorm interrupted it about halfway through. We left on Saturday, so we can't comment on the foam party. Staff One of the things that stood out was how friendly the employees were. From servers and housekeeping staff to gardeners, pool cleaners, front-desk employees and the people handing out towels, we found that almost everyone responded with a smile and a “hola” or “buenos días” when greeted. A little kindness goes a long way, and small tips are genuinely appreciated. Shops & Vendors We only visited a couple of the resort shops for small items, so we can't comment much on the shopping. There is also a Punta Blanca Mall beyond the tennis courts that we hoped to visit, but it closes at 6 p.m., and we never made it there. The 15-20 minute walk itself looked enjoyable, with plants and flowers along the way and a large pond with plenty of wildlife. Excursion buses may also stop at souvenir stores, so you'll have other opportunities to shop. On the beach, expect vendors selling various items. A polite “no gracias” usually works if you're not interested. You'll also encounter opportunities to take photos with parrots, lizards or monkeys. Just be aware that these photos are not free, so establish the price before allowing someone to put an animal on your shoulder! We didn't use the spa facilities, so we can't comment on those. The Best Part: The Beach! For us, the beach was the highlight of the Occidental Caribe. We knew traveling in August meant there was always the possibility of tropical weather, but we were fortunate to have beautiful sunny days with only a couple of brief rain showers. August can also be a heavy month for sargassum seaweed. Workers were out early in the morning trying to clean the beach, although there was still some seaweed. We took a long walk along the beach all the way toward the Hard Rock and noticed sargassum in front of other resorts as well, so it certainly wasn't unique to the Occidental Caribe. The beach itself is wide, lined with palm trees and beautiful, and we never had trouble finding loungers. Overall: 4/5 and We Would Return This was our first stay at a Barceló property, and we would gladly return to the Occidental Caribe or try another Barceló resort. We've stayed at a number of 5-star resorts, and I can understand where some of the negative reviews of this property come from. If we had stayed in a basic hotel room and had to rely almost entirely on the main buffet for every meal, our impression might have been different. But staying in a Premium Ocean-View Suite just yards from the beach, having access to the à la carte restaurants every night, and enjoying the Premium dining options made the Occidental Caribe a very good value for our family. My biggest recommendation: upgrade to an ocean-view Premium Suite if your budget allows. Come with realistic expectations. You're not staying at a flawless 5-star luxury resort—but you're also not paying a 5-star luxury price. For us, that combination of value, location, friendly staff, pools and a beautiful beach made for a great five-night family vacation. Overall rating: 4/5. We would return.

The hotel was very clean and well-kept, the room was well presented. For an all-inclusive hotel with such great service, it was surprisingly very affordable. The food was great and you can get a variety of food and drinks at several restaurants, buffets and bars all day and night. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and they had an amazing programme that kept you entertained all day and night. Our assigned Butler, Baroni Rodrigues did an amazing job. He decorated the room for our special occasion, made our restaurant reservation and ensured that our stay was memorable. 10/10.

Stayed at Occidental Caribe in Punta Cana for a week and decided to check out the hotel casino one night. They have a game called “the Key Game” according to the dealer where you use a laser to pick keys off a rack, anyway long story short I ended up winning over 51k(in dollars!!!) Still can’t believe it… The casino is small and typical for a resort, but that payout made the whole stay, hell the whole quarter.. . If you’re at Occidental Caribe, go into the casino. I walked in for something to do and walked out with a bag for real!!??

My experience here turned out to be good but started off terrible. First day and leak in bathroom and maintenance guy said it was fixed and it wasn’t. The service from the staff was excellent. Especially my assigned Bulter Baroni Rodriguez. He was very attentive and helpful in every way possible. The building is outdated and needs some renovation. The water doesn’t get hot enough for a nice warm shower. That’s was disappointing. My first room had a very bad leak from upstairs unit and maintenance guy tried patching up the job saying it was fixed didn’t know that I was well experienced in the field of repairs. The food was ok, only if buffet could have been hotter . Fried ice cream was delicious