TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This place is beautiful. The rooms are comfortable and the service is excellent. So much to do. Beautiful beach and pools. Loved the water park and all the swim up bars. Loved the fact that we had access to Breathless resort as well. We celebrated our friends 50th anniversary. Had a great vacation.

The service and food were great. Beautiful resort and the friendliest staff. My only complaint was with check-in at preferred which had us pay over $1000 more for our 13 year old. When I booked I was told 17 and under was considered a child. My rating would have been a 5 if it had not been for the very stressful check-in.

We enjoyed the preferred adult pool and the staff was friendly everyday. Even after a group of seniors that graduated high school showed up on day three of our trip, I never saw the staff slow down or lose a smile (these kids ran them ragged). I have so many things to do for all ages, and adult member can go to the connecting adult resort Breathless if you need a break from the family side.

As we arrived, following an arduous and tiring journey, the bus doors opened and a young man whose badge identified him as Edwin flung his arms wide open and with a beaming smile welcomed us “home” he took our cases gave us numbered tab receipts and invited us into reception to register. We were promptly handed a drink each and the whole process was quick and efficient following which Edwin, having sourced a trolley loaded our bags and delivered us to our room. We had a balcony with a garden view which also overlooked the area weddings, within the grounds, were held. We had a whirlpool bath on the balcony discreetly sited behind wooden slats for privacy from anyone in the grounds. It was a junior suite with a bedroom and separate lounge. The fruit awaiting our arrival and note to claim our champagne were a lovely touch. The room was well aired, clean, comfortable and stocked throughout our stay. The whole complex was of a super high standard well maintained and the majority of staff were clearly pleased to be employed there. We had a few favourites the aforementioned Edwin, Jenny at the pool who kept us hydrated and supplied our chosen drinks. Alison who took breakfast two notches higher and Mimosa lady whose name I cannot recall. Shadow from the entertainment team was a favourite with all ages. The food choices were inclusive meeting the needs of those with allergens and food intolerances, diverse and varied, we did not eat the same food on any two of our ten days, the favourite was the Asian Teppanyaki experience evening which had to be pre booked but was included in the holiday price. There were a number of pools from paddling to infinity and a lazy river and swim up bar something for everyone. The beach had loungers under the shade of the coconut trees and a very handy bar to keep our thirst quenched. Two words were used constantly FAMILY and EXCELLENTE these were the hotel values and carried through from the initial greeting to the last farewell.

Let me say that things got off to a rocky start when we did not receive the room we reserved. We have been to 17 all inclusives and 15 within the Dreams/Secrets brand and never had this happen. After missing most of our afternoon and evening going back and forth to different lobbies to deal with this issue, the manager met with us to apologize for all the inconveniences. He made sure we were taken care of the rest of the week. Boy were we spoiled! Alvaro on the beach treated us like rockstars making sure we always had what we needed. Randy was our Bali bed server and he made sure we were given the royal treatment. The ocean was beautiful most days we were there before the sargassum got bad. Willy at Bluewater and Luis L. at Tamarindo were excellent servers! Alberto and Carlos took care of us each morning at the breakfast buffet. Dominican Power! Manuel at the omlet station was so friendly and always had a smile to greet us. Israel took great care of us and everyone else at the preferred pool. Last but not least, our favorite lobby waitress was Esterlin. Her smile and energy were unmatched. She made sure we had a drink in our hand whether we liked it or not! Ha ha! Rooms were clean, pools were amazing, and the water park was a blast! I am thankful to pay for a brand that cares about their customers and makes sure that they receive consistent experiences no matter the resort or location. Thank you, Onyx for a memorable trip for us and our family!