TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

It’s taken me a while to write this review as we actually visited this resort in October 2023, let’s start with the good points, the food on the whole was very nice and the restaurants were nicely presented especially the main buffet and meat, we booked a room with a swim up pool attached to it and found that a godsend when we wanted some relaxing alone time, the big pool on the resort was good and spacious with many seating facilities, sadly that’s the end of the good points, the bar staff especially in the lobby bar were very very rude and the drinks were so watered down, I had a much nicer drink whilst at dinner in the main restaurant, the beach was overran with people trying to sell you things and didn’t personally feel safe down there, the staff on the whole here were very rude and as an English person I found it very difficult to communicate even the simplest thing, the reception staff didn’t want to know if you had a question to ask, the housekeeping staff did a good job cleaning however a particular one we had we tipped on the first day ( maybe a grave error) but for the rest of our time there all she did was hint and harass us for money, we put a do not disturb sign on the door and she still knocked on our door every time, she also came round the swim up bar a joined to our room and harrassed us there whilst in next doors room. The entertainment was next to none on Ambar it was all held elsewhere and the shuttle drivers were rude so we didn’t even bother going to any of the entertainment.There isn’t really anything luxury about this place

Visited this hotel again we have been a few times before decided to go again . But it really wasn’t the same . Very young vibe now very party like atmosphere now . Food very repetitive no more theme nights , Very 18-30 vibe . Rooms clean . Showers were awful cold or very hot light by bed stayed on all night reported it many times never got fixed we had to block light with a pillow at night . Booking restaurants was easy never a problem .

After a recent stay at Bahia Ambar in Dominican Republic my entire family got sick and got a bacterial infection from food or beverage consumption within 2 days. This resulted in a corrupted hospitalization stay of a family member. The resort is taking no responsibility and offering zero reimbursement for the last 2 days we were unable to stay at the resort do to illness from this location. They sent my family member via ambulance to the hospital affiliated with this hotel. After a 40 minute commute and passing several hospitals the corruption began. They would not begin treatment without $4,000 up front. When we couldn’t provide this at 4pm on a Sunday we asked for another option. At this point the hospital rep said let me ask the doctor if this is negotiable! Wait what doctors negotiate prices for emergency care. We needed treatment so we were at the mercy of the hospital recommend by the hotel. Sounds like someone gets kickbacks for sending patients here. Behold not one local person in the ER they are all tourist. After treatment we we told transportation back by the hotel. Another lie. We had to take the hospitals taxi back at double the cost. Sound like another kickback. When speaking with the hotel not only did they dismiss any wrong doing but pointed blame on other factors and elements. This wasn’t one person getting sick. This was my entire family and vacation crew in 2 separate rooms with the same contamination. We drank no water other then bottled even to brush our teeth. We have stayed at this resort in the past and no issues. The hotels lack of concern and negligence is unacceptable. Reaching out to the hotel again no care in the world about the criminal practices. When checking out of the hotel we were approached by staff member to try and narrow down where we ate to find the source. Now hotel takes zero accountability again. I contacted customer relations multiple times to ask for a reasonable 2 day refund for the time missed at resort. Instead received below response. Please receive a cordial greeting from Bahia Principe Bavaro Resort, especially from our Customer Service Department. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for taking the time to share your experience at our Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar, and your continued confidence in our services. First of all, we are very sorry that you and your family fell ill during your stay, and we hope that you are fully recovered; however, we would like you to note that it is not possible for us to establish responsibility for this matter since during the year -as well as during your stay- the Resort has been visited by thousands of tourists who have not fallen ill. It is important to keep in mind that there are certain risks when traveling to the tropics. There are several factors that can contribute to illness, such as climate, temperature variation, food and drink combinations, excessive sun exposure, personal reactions, among others. Therefore, the condition suffered cannot be related to the food or beverages consumed at our Resort. We can assure you that during this period of time there was no risk of contracting illnesses at the hotel. In addition, we wish to emphasize that we consistently adhere to strict cleaning and hygiene protocols designed to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all our guests. These protocols include regular disinfection of all common areas and rooms, the use of approved cleaning products, and ongoing training of our staff in hygienic practices especially in our kitchen. We deeply regret the situation you have experienced and fully understand your concerns regarding the hygiene and safety protocols at the hotel, we deeply apologize for the situations you have had to experience if you feel that we have not met your expectations or if you have the impression that you have not received the service you were entitled to. We regret that we are unable to offer you any compensation at this time.

From the stunning beauty of the resort to the amazing staff, Bahia Luxury Resort exceeded all my expectations! Johnify - in aquamarine front desk, Niki - dinner reservations and James - excursions were amazing, and breakfast with RocRoc - I looked forward to his "El Café" song every morning and this were a few of my daily highlight. The VIP award goes to Edwin at the pool bar he was phenomenal—he made the best drink and was professional, fun, and always smiling, even while busy. He truly made my stay unforgettable! The Pool side music, bands, entertainment every night, karaoke etc provided a variety. While the specialty restaurant food could have been better, you had tons of choices for dining, excursions to choose from as a solo traveler I felt safe. My room was unbelievable and super clean. Shout out to housekeeping. Bahia Luxury Resort is absolutely spectacular. Can’t wait to return!

We had high expectations of our second trip to Ambar for our anniversary, previously came here in 2023 and had a lovely time. This time however a different story. Got in late due to significant flight delay but the hotel accommodated this easily with plenty of staff on hand to get check in done quickly with a lovely welcome. First day intended a lazy day followed by dinner at rodizio. Had a club sandwich delivered to the room at lunch, however by tea time my wife was starting with stomach cramps and nausea. Went to rodizio to try and get some food to see chicken getting served simply not cooked through. My wife was unable to stomach any food and had to leave quickly due to needing to get back to room and spent the next 40hours experiencing horrendous D&V, due to blatant food poisoning (from the club sandwich). Out of a 7 day stay, only really able to enjoy one day at best. Went to meat and ordered the chicken there as I thought a thinner cut would be safer…nope still pink with fleshy veins. Food in yurta was nice but lacked staff attentiveness. Food in the Buffet was nice as always but at busy times again staff just couldn’t cope, inconsistent service, lack of drink offers and getting placed on tables not yet ready for service. The buffet diner when we attended previously had different theme nights each evening bar one and this time I think there was only one for the whole duration of our stay which was missed due to being too ill to leave the room. Really gutted and disappointed in how this holiday turned out and my wife still hasn’t fully recovered. My wife was only able to stomach small amounts of (mainly bland) food for the rest of the trip and drank mainly water for the whole stay (exception being Gatorade which had been advised and maybe 2 Sprites), so really didn’t get any value for money on this trip. Pros: Beautiful location, lovely beach, generally pleasant staff, swim up is lovely. Al a cart service is usually good. Room service is generally prompt. Cons: Food poisoning rife, aware of multiple other guests with similar complaints, stay away from chicken. This is more than traveler’s tummy!. No response from hotel at all when advised of illness through the official app.