Paraiso Del Sol Hotel

You get more than your money's worth. The grounds are beautiful and clean. Rooms are large and clean. Do not expect great furniture and fancy washrooms, but you have everything you need. The food was very good. The people try their best to please. This is the first time I ever went to a three star and was very pleased, I got more than I expected.

After the reviews read from here before we went on this holiday I will admit that I was more than a bit dubious. It seemed that there were very mixed reviews on this hotel and resort. But I was more than happy when we finally got there. We went for two weeks at the end of November 2003. HotelThe pictures I had seen of the hotel before going on holiday really do the place no justice at all. The broacher makes the place seem more of a complex with huge building. It is a big place but it doesn?t really seem like it once you get your bearings. Our room was lovely. It was clean, big and had no problems with insects or dirty towels/bedding like I had previously read. We had a balcony overlooking the main pool, a powerful shower and hairdryer in the bathroom, and air-conditioning that made your room a little too cold if left on high. The rooms were cleaned every day. We had fresh towels every morning and our bedding was changed weekly. The maids sometimes came quite early but left as soon as they realised that you were in bed, and came back later. The bar was open practically all the time. The rum there can be a bit to strong for some, one we experienced was 75.5%! We didn?t eat at the Italian restaurant as you had to book a table in the morning for what ever evening you want to eat. We didn?t do this because we couldn?t really be bothered, and because we were happy with the buffet restaurant. we heard of know one who was ill during our two weeks there, although we did stay away from some of the local plates when on the buffet.We found the hotel staff very friendly and the whole place nice. The shop in reception is very expensive and I would advise that if you want snacks or suntan lotion that you just walk to the surrounding shops. You cant drink the tap water but don?t have to but bottled water either. Every bar has a tank with purified water in it so that you can refill bottles to take up to your hotel room.BeachI will admit that I think the beach for the hotel was one of the best we saw while we were there. There were plenty of beds for every one, a lovely bar on the beach and you were even given tickets for fresh beach towels every day. The waves could get quite strong on some days and I would definatly agree that its not a place for children to swim, but we loved the waves and felt like kids again messing around in the sea. The beach itself is all sand and that continues when going into the water. The beach vendors can get a little annoying to start with, but they soon recognise your face and after saying a firm no to them, they don?t hassle you any more. We spent most of the day on the beach and the afternoon by the pool.I would advise going into the town of Cabarete for a visit. We went by taxi and was very cheap. The locals always try to entice you to buy things, but you can pick up some really good things to take home.We both thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and would definatly go back their again. It was great value for money (?550 each) and even our flight with Airtours was comfortable.

I dont really know were to start with this this hotel is a danger to your health. First the food is not kept at anywhere near a safe temp everyone we were with spent at least 2 days ill (15 people) then we just stopped eating it. next the water dont drink anything but bottled the filtered hotel stuff is not!!! now the really bad stuff the beds are infested with bugs during my 3day stint in bed with dehli belly I received 75 bites to my legs from said bugs. I have stayed in dumps in Bolivia and Peru and not had a problem like these. DO NOT STAY HERE IT IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH. The only saving grace is the country is beautiful. LOLJeff

the hotel is not the safest place to vacation -if you saw where the food comes , carried in by people from a kitchen so far away to each restaurant you wouldn't eat thee---- no face cloths for sure -----6 out of twenty people i talked with were sick there - not a clean place at all -- poor bedding ---dirty washrooms from clas of people going there -not a kept up resort --- very little english spoken-- management pass you off-------- this is a low budget hotel , with big ideas yet not co-ordinated -------bring your own water -they provide no bottle water , you must buy it and reuse your bottles ---if thinking of this place i suggest you stay home -------- pay a little more and good to the 5 star resorts , this is lucky to be a 2 star resort --definitely not a 4 star at all ----- go to the viva tangerine hotel or and have a great time there , we did , and left the dump behind and the difference was spectaculiar and well worth it .----------be safe and read all reviews -----the camino and parisio del sol hotels are for low budget hotels ,no sanitary precautions taken here at all ---be safe not sorry

I have just returned from the Paraiso & Camino and for the price ($478 plus taxes from Toronto all inclusive) it was not a bad deal. Upon arrival we were given a room in unit 5000 in the Paraiso area. This area is close to the activities pool. This area is prone to noise throughout the day and into the night. This is not a good location to be if you are bringing a child which may have to sleep throughout the day, or may have to go to bed early. (ie. before 10:30 p.m.) We were given a ground floor room as per our request. The room was clean but had a non-functioning lock on the patio door. Due to the noise and the door, we requested a room in the Camino area across the road. We requested a ground floor room, but were advised they were all booked up. The room was clean and quite. Unfortunately we looked out over the Mariposa restaurant. Although it was not the best view it was an acceptable room. The patio door locked, but the bathtub faucet leaked a very steady stream. With one night of our vacation left the air conditioner broke down, and on the last day the light in the bathroom began to work only ocassionally. The room service was acceptable, but with some interesting quirks. As per other reviews I found that they wanted to clean the room at 7:45 a.m. daily. This was not a problem due to the early hours kept by our baby. What is interesting is that there were several shifts to room cleaning. There was the person who swept, mopped, and made the beds. The person who took the towels, and the last person who came 4 hours later to return your towels. Every day for 4 or 5 hours you'd be without towels in your room. If you do go to this hotel, take your own shampoo and conditioner. None is supplied. You may also want to take your own soap as we were supplied with only one bar for both the sink and the shower for the week. You should also take your own hair dryer as none are provided. You will have to go to the front desk to request a remote for the tv. You will then have to program it. This is an easy task. They have an internet area, but it didn't function for most of my one week visit. There is another net cafe just two doors down from the hotel. The food at the hotel is good, but can be monotonous by the end of a week. The worst part of the whole vacation was the selection of fruit at the buffett. It was very limited and not likely to be ripe. The orange juice is Tang. Great for astronauts and kids only. The milk might have been powdered. It always had some kind of strange foam on it. And lumps. How does milk have lumps in it? DO NOT EXCHANGE MONEY AT THE HOTEL. They will give you only about 50% of the going rate. BRING $20 U.S. PER PERSON FOR THE DEPARTURE TAX. IT MUST BE U.S. $. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET U.S. $ IN THE D.R. Do not count on getting the money when you arrive there. The beach is well kept but the water is consistently rough. You must go into Caberete for water sports, about a 10 minute drive away. Free shuttle buses will take you into town directly from the hotel. If you are looking to book a tour look up Junior at his business just a few doors down from the resort in the freshly painted mall. He's from Canada and has a well established business. If you are looking for a quiet, inexpensive vacation look at the Camino del Sol. Yes, there are a few quirks, but the staff are some of the friendliest people on earth. Would I go again? No. I would spend the extra money on a better place.

My sisters and I had recently stayed at this hotel and let me tell you we were very worried this resort wouldnt be good because of all the reviews we had read and we were goin during christmas so finding another hotel would be hard. But we went with an open mind and i mean we had soo much fun. Alot of the things we read about this hotel was not true. Like for instance the staff was extra nice and they made it fun. They were so friendly and talked to you every chance they got. The resort it self is soo beautiful. we stayed at another resort part of this chain and it was nice too but wasnt as well maintained as this one. Also the roaming downs they didnt bother you at all they would just sit there and they had owners so they werent stray. We had no problems with our drinks. The only thing i would say if your booking tours dont book with el tours. They are the worst tour compay i've experience while i was there. I would say go to freddy tours they are friendly and they make sure you get what you are promised. Yeah the beach was red flaged the whole time we were there but all the resorts had a red flag it all really depends on the time of year you go and the weather i mean my sister tried going swimming during a red flag and like she almost died soo i wouldnt go too far in the ocean if it is red flag. The vendors on the beach they do ask you but all you have to say is no and they will go away. The only bad thind was it is true about only having ten mintues of hot water. But we over looked it. But this was one of the best vacations i had. The dominican republic is an awsome place to go if you want to try something new and the people are super friendly

went to paraiso del sol on 1st july 2003 and had a fantastic time, had previously read reviews and was a bit sceptical but once we arrived these were all washed away. The hotel was better than expected and there was always someone out keeping the grounds clean and tidy. The entertainment staff were fantastic and really welcoming. The beach was excellent and just there in front of you! Although the entertainment finished reasonably early the bars were open until 1am which was great. The bar staff were great and always chatted away, loved the place that much we've booked again for next year already!

We have just returned from a one week last minute holiday to Dominican Republic - we were allocated our hotel on arrival, Paraiso del sol. We enjoyed out stay. At first we were alarmed by the sight of armed guards, but soon realised they are just doing a job. Yes they carry guns and yes you see men walking around town with machettes - but they are returning form the sugar cane fields - not looking for tourists to chop up !! The room was beautiful - clean towels every day - the maids did knock every day anytime after 7am, but if you put the lock on from the inside they realsied you were in and didnt come in. Food was very good, but a few more individual restaurants would make the choice better. We have no complaints !!

My wife and I had a great time at this resort.Here are the things that are different if you are looking for a typical tropical vacation.1. There are no rooms with an ocean view. There are villas close to the beach, but there are protected by a high sand and vegetation dune.2. The beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean. There is no barrier reef, so the waves are similar to those on the US east shore. It is not the gentle lapping of small waves.3. Live entertainment ends at 11:00 PM.Here are things that are expected of a tropical vacation:1, The weather was mostly sunny. Some clouds/rain as typical blew through quickly.2. The layout is conveient. There is no room more than 300 yards from the beach. Four resturants are conveniently located at all housing complexes.3. Food is good and abundant. Many drinks are "top" shelf. The all inclusive is worth it.4. Staff is very accommodating. Some "working" personnel lack the ability to communicate in English well, but all of the service staff is very easy to talk to.5. There are two large pools, two pool bars abd two beach bars.We are going back

Before I left for this trip I disregarded the negative comments made by others who reviewed this resort. Where do I begin? Let's see. We arrived on a nice tour bus which took us thru a back road to get to the resort. This was terrifying at first as it was a gravel road and we felt like the bus was about tto tip over. Once arriving at lobby we were splendidly suprised. It was beautiful. Check-in was promt and we were glad to receive a room over-looking the junglewith a slopped ceiling. Let me add that this resort has no protective fences or barrier walls, only guards with guns and big sticks. Also, this hotel is most obviously not 3 years old. The hotel buildings looked new, although the bathtubs must have been at leats 20 years old. the pools were in no way 3 years old. You get the point. The door in our room was a little hard to close and some of the dresser drawers had no bottoms. The first day taking a shower the shower head fell off the wall and hit me on the shoulder. Now I didnt expect much as this was a 3 1/2 star hotel. But this was rediculous. The towels had not only holes, but also stains. This includes the hotel pool towels. And it gets worse. As two women traveling we were harrassed by a few male members of the staff. Now dont get me wrong, there were many wonderful staff members at the hotel who were extremely curteous and kind, although some could not keep their hands to themselves. Every morning the maid would open our door and walk in between 7 and 8 am. The second night we had a man walk into our room in the middle of the night and security with guns escorted us to a new room at 1am. When we asked about how to find out about the next flight leaving for any north american destination, we were told but hotel staff that there was not a single flight untill sunday, the day our plane was to leave. The food is okay, but there were items labled things like "Meat in Sauce" (mystery meat). Michealangelo's, the Italian restaurant was fabulous, but you have to book it before 9 am oer. the beach is always a red flag, and there were sand storms constantly. The beach vendors wont leave you alone. The pina coladas are faboulous at the beach bar, but dont get them at the main pool bar. They put way too much alcohol and dont listen when you ask for very little. The last night of our trip a bus full of locals from Santo Domingo dominican republic arrived and the males were harassing and taking pictures of all the younger european and canadian women with out asking by snapping their cameras in our faces. My friend had a man from S.D try to remove her bikini top in the pool. I had a man from S.D grab me in an inappropriate manner. A hotel staff member forcefully grabbed my arm and told me to dance with him. Thankfully a kind male guest put him in his place. We will never as a result of this trip return to the Dominican Republic. Perhaps had we stayed at a different resort we would have felt differently. My advise is to thouroughly research any destination before booking a trip. I hope this helped.