TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We wanted to love it but we couldn't.. I'll start with the good. The grounds were beautiful, the staff outside the lobby were great and the pools and variety were nice. The bad... you couldn't go into any of the lobbies without constantly being harassed about whether you got your welcome gift or tour and it was a trap to get you into a meeting. It got so bad we avoided the lobbies at all costs. Even while waiting for the shuttle to leave multiple green shirts approached me and one guy even said if I filled out this exact review in front of him he'd get a day off, it was beyond annoying. We had a loft room that never got below 25 degrees, in building 72 the ac is in the loft so downstairs never got cooler, they even came to fix it one night and said the pipes were so clogged so imagine what we've all been breathing in. The a la cartes were not great, the buffets had better options. I'm easy to please so I was disappointed. My husband got a steak house that had no seasoning, we ended up canceling future reservations. The sports bar was probably one of the better options but because we were from the punta cana side we had to take the "train" and had to wait over 25 mins for it to return while empty golf carts past us repeatedly and even told us they couldn't help us? We made the best of a not great situation but I'd never recommend this place or come back. We spent a lot of money for a less than ideal resort.

We visited this resort on the recommendation of a friend who had visited a few years ago and was really impressed. When we booked last January we had access to 13 restaurants and 6 pools including the adults only " Secret pool" . In August we had an email from our agent stating that due to some upgrading in the resort we now only had access to 4 restaurants and 3 pools but we're reassured that these 4 restaurants were more than enough to satisfy our appetites and expectations, we agreed to keep the booking. On arrival we were greeted by a very smart gentleman who introduced himself as our ' personal concierge ' and that the following day he would give us a tour of the resort, nice touch we thought. Next day we were picked up and taken for our tour, straight to the offices of The Palladium Travel Club where we spend a gruelling 4 hours of selling technique, on paper it sounds a no- brainer but read the reviews!! It started at £25000 and rapidly dropped to what we could afford , which wasn't enough to make this worthwhile. People should be made aware of what they are getting into and not underhandedly tricked into going, very sinister!!! Beware! The rooms are clean and kept clean daily and very nice albeit a bit dated, but we had problems with our WC, phone and television which were not resolved properly and eventually we were moved with only 2 days of our holiday left, not good! Food was generally good quality but more often as not cold, we were not alone in complaining about this but it was never resolved, we were practically vegetarian the whole 2 weeks, afraid to eat the meat! The restaurants that we had access to were not brilliant and again the food was cold, moderate service and cold uninspiring surroundings, only exception was the Japanese , as food was cooked at your table. Pool areas were very good with lots of provision for the kids, clean too. The old towels at dawn brigade are in force, ignoring signs about not reserving beds, what's new? The upgrade at the hotel has made the best parts available only to Travel Club members, we plebs wander through the rest with our sub- standard wrist bands! Very disappointed with TUI for not negotiating access for us as we booked well before the change over and with hindsight we should have cancelled but hey- ho. All in all we still enjoyed our holiday because people are more important than anything else going on and we met some wonderful people, plus the surroundings are undoubtedly beautiful, the grounds being nicely kept by hard working staff. So not all bad and it's sad that this hotel seems to have put more stock in the more wealthy element, it could be so so good.

This resort is way overrated for its price. Dates rooms with broken plumbing, televisions, and termites poor service and buffet food in main resort was terrible.

The grounds on this property, and the adjoining resort, Palace, were pristine. The grounds staff are always cleaning the tree debris, sweeping walkways, cleaning the pool, etc. My daughter and I saw a staff climb a palm tree while we were watching from our patio. He cut down a fresh coconut, made a hole on the top, added a beautiful flower, and presented it to us. We were able to enjoy the fresh coconut water. A lovely gesture. All the staff are extremely professional and friendly. They go out of their way to help make your stay wonderful. The lobby bathroom was always spotless. The cleaning staff are exceptional as well. We were easily able to book our excursions and specialty dinners. We went on a half day shopping excursion to "Chez Nicoles's Boutique" where the store was well organized, prices were good, so many gift options, such as alcohol, coffees, chocolates, vanilla, honey, souvenirs, There is also a small bar where you can enjoy a drink after shopping, while waiting for the bus. The zip line excursion was great! There were 12 cables to fly through trees. Staff were well experienced and made sure at each platform we were safe and properly hooked up. The full day SAFARI tour is a MUST for first time Dominican tourists. It embraces the culture and food. You visit a multi generational family run plantation. Do this! The food on both resorts were ordinary at the buffet restaurants. Lots to choose from, however, nothing mind blowing. I recommend the Steak house first. The Japanese was good, however, the Italian was very disappointing. THE CHIC, cabaret show and dinner, is also a must. Pay the extra for a lovely evening of food and entertainment. There is no food truck, even though it is mentioned. The beach is nice. Parasailing and the usual water activities available. Evening shows were disappointing. The same 7 shows are repeated, and they are divided on both resorts. The lobby has live music in the evening. Mostly Spanish only. There are activities around the large pool to engage in. The small pool, near the beach is a little quieter. Staff at both bars give a generous pour.

We stated in Room 3209, next to the pool, close to the beach, restaurants, The Hemingway, and hotel lobby. The room was spacious, well appointed, serviced daily, with the mini bar topped up daily. The pools wew well maintained, there were plenty of sun loungers. The bar staff were greate, especially Santa, Fernando and Ruth at the Saona Pool Bar. My favourite place is the extra time Sports Bar. The staff are brilliant, the food is good, and you can order of the menu.