Gran Bahia Principe La Romana Hotel

I stayed at the property for two weeks with my wife and teen-aged daughter after my travel agent [by accident or design?] booked us to the Bahia Principe in La Romana rather than the Bahia Principe in Punta Cana.I discovered the error one day prior to departure but was unable to switch as all Bavaro Beach properties were fully booked. The La Romana property had just undergone a six month renovation and features a very attractive main reception/dining room/entertainment centre as well as upscale rooms[particularly bathrooms...Swedish shower heads, etc.]...friendly staff,good food..... BUT! Five reasons to stay away... 1.For whatever reason,the area is an ideal breeding environment for rapacious mosquitos,black flies,gnats,and sand flies which are particularly bad after dark.Several guests relocated to other properties during our stay. 2.Total isolation.There is absolutely nothing in the area...this is a big problem because the casino is like a funeral home,the so-called gym is full of rusty iron,and the spa[although totally renovated] features therapists who really are less than skilled.Apparently,all Bahia Principe properties require all massage clients to wear a diaper-like undergarment while receiving massage treatment at the spa or bathing suit if at the beach location. 3.Virtually none of the spa,dining room,maid staff speaks any english,which means that the simplist request becomes a challenge. 4.The harbour is being dredged,which means that the water all along the beach is very murky;I don't recall a single ocean swimmer during my stay. 5.I don't drink but many guests complained about the quantity and quality of alcohol[which may become increasingly important if staying there for any length of time].

The good… most of the staff was great, especially the entertainment & bar staff. The buffet was quite good for an AI resort. The not so good… the resort is in the middle of nowhere. If you want complete seclusion and do not want to go anywhere then here is the place. La Romana is about 45 minutes away and Santo Domingo is about 1hr 30min. San Pedro is about 10 minutes away but there’s not a lot there. Everyone talks about going to San Pedro to shop at the “Jumbo”. It’s basically a Wal Mart and not that exciting. The beach was ok but definitely not up to the same standards as most Caribbean beaches. Very peaceful and relaxing since it’s so huge and there was maybe 200 people at the resort. The water is horrible. It was so murky when we were there that in ankle deep water you couldn’t see your toes. I also heard there was a lot of jellyfish in the water but I didn’t venture out to check. The pool area was nice. Lots of chairs but that was because there was no one at the resort. We tried all the á la cartes once but did not bother going back. The Italian and gourmet were alright but we preferred the buffet. Quite a few people that ate at the seafood restaurant, including my friend, ended up sick. The bugs were very bad even though they spray toxic chemicals around the resort everyday. It’s not just mosquitoes but ants and spiders. I tried 3 types of bug spray and nothing worked. All the evening entertainment and bars (except the disco) are outside which made it difficult to escape the bugs. Housekeeping was very poor. A couple days they did not even bother to clean our room. We had to ask for towels and water. One afternoon we returned from the beach to find our room door open and no one in the room. Thankfully nothing was taken but the maid must have left it open. We had other security issues as well. One night we were followed home from the disco by locals that managed to get wristbands but were not staying at the resort. I wouldn’t recommend this resort to anyone. Most of the singles that arrived at the resort while we were there lasted one night and they paid extra to go back to Punta Cana.

The hotel is fantastic. If you have seen any bad reviews and are worried about this place, don't be. I cannot fault the hotel in any way. It was spotlessly clean, plenty of things to do. Loads of great choices for food and drink. The beach is man made, but very nice. The one and only let down was the sea water. If you are going to the carribbean and white sandy beaches and clear blue seas are an absolute must for you then i would not go to this particular hotel. It is a real shame because it would've been the cherry on the cake for what is a really beautiful hotel. BUGS: I DID NOT SEE OR WAS BITTEN BY ONE SINGLE SAND FLEA! I would recommend taking bug repellent as there are some mosquitos around, these are minimal in the resort as they go around each evening with a repellent. It is like a fog that isn't very nice, but its not around for long, but when you venture away from the hotel, you realise just how much its keeping the mosquitos at bay. TIPS: There is a snorkeling trip to Catalina island which is unmissable. The boat leaves directly from the beach of the hotel and takes 45 mins. when you get there it is post card caribbean. we saw some amazing fish! p.s you must take some bread with you from the restaurant. Hold it out under the water and the fish will come and eat it. It cost 55 US dollars per person and was worth every penny. If you need to pee while you are there, go in the sea like everyone else. My husband went into a bush and came out covered in mosquitos!!! DOWNSIDE: The one and only niggle i have is the transfer. We flew into Punta Cana airport and was told when i booked the holiday that it would take an hour and a half. Rubbish! it is 3 hours on a coach! The fact that i had been misled was more annoying than the actual transfer, it sounds like a long time, but actually wasn't too bad, and i would do it again to stay at this hotel.

I went at this hotel last year when it had the name: "Santana Beach Resort". At that time, it was considered to be a 4 star hotel and I paid about 1600 CAN $ for the complete trip (7 days). This year, with the new name, I have the impression it is more expensive (about 2000 CAN $) for the same trip at the same time. I won't go this year but as I watched the photos, I think they renovated the lobby and the overall site is a little bit more luxurious. Nevertheless I'm sure you would get the same fun I had there last year. The staff is super, respectful and polite! The rooms are very very clean, hadn't any problems of insects of some kind, even the maid are smily. The lobby is soooo charming! Food in restaurants was really good, kitchens and buffet were very clean. The only problem may be the water at the beach. It's not clear at all...not as we say it is in the Carrabeans. The thing is the beach is manmade as well as the artificial bay in front. Therefore water can't move naturally. Anyway, you have the opportunity ($) to do a trip to Saona Island. It's not so expensive, maybe 40 CAN $ for a whole day. It's reallllyyyy worth it! Very beautiful! I was enchanted by this landscape! Go for it! It's all an adventure! Then, the site offers fun activities. You won't get bored at this hotel. When I went at 1600 CAN $, it was really worth the money! I went with Sunwing Company and we always had somebody with us who spoke French (I'm from Québec). That was great! Very good company except for the delay of the plane when we went back. But ok for only 3-4 hours plane trip. I recommand it!!!!!!!!!!!! Very charming place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Take a look at the travelers pictures: it's the truth!) :-)

If you are looking for a relaxing getaway with nothing to do but swim, lay by the pool/beach, and eat, this is the place for you. The resort is isolated from other resorts and very quiet. Hardly any Americans- mostly Europeans and Canadians- which was a nice change! There are also 2 nice clay tennis courts and free boats (kayaks, mini-catamarans, pedal boats, windsurfers).

the resort was wonderful except for the sand fleas which bit you without you knowing. by the time I got home I had over seventy bites.Had to go to doctors for medicine to clear up the bites as they were very, very itchy. every night at 630 they defogged entire resort with insect spray that was very strong.One afternoon they even came to the beach area spraying. I had to leave the area for the smell. if you are sensitive to insectiside then avoid this resort as i could smell it everyday when at the beach area at the resort. when they sprayed you had to go indoors as it was very heavy spray which lingered in the air. Can't be good for you. Even in the indoor restaurant there were dead flies on table after they sprayed outside. the water was not clear at all due to river that runs into the ocean beside the resort. You could not see the bottom . Not at all clear like the Punta Cana area.We took a trip thru sunquest at the resort to catalina island. trip was great except that they forgot to send someone to pick us up at 4pm. After waiting one and a half hours we finally decided to take a taxi back to the resort. Would take this trip from the resort and forget about booking with sunquest.Would not go back to this area of DR but would return to Punta Cana area again.

In my opinion, GBP La Romana is a great hotel in a very very bad location. We booked the junior suite golden club through Air Transat. Hola Victor from Air Transat thanks for everything. Check-In was done on the bus and our room was ready when we arrived at the resort. The staff were excellent; they quickly learned your name and were very attentive. Some of the more memorable were Yinga (I hope I spelled it correctly) from the Golden Club, Santiago who mixed excellent drinks in the lobby, Cipriani I believe was the beverage supervisor and Eddy the photo guy who loves you for free. I believe Eddy is going to be working at Casa del Mar as of this week. I know just the very basics in Spanish and we had absolutely no problems communicating. Our room was always immaculate; made up early in the day with turn down service while we were out for dinner. After some controversial forums on this site as whether or not gifts are a good idea or not I only took a few items. Our maid who we tipped with cash came to our room to say "gracias for the gift" after I had also left her a Canadian ball cap. Others told me they preferred gifts to cash, maybe it depends on the area you go to. I always tipped with cash, the gift was a little something extra from Canada. The food was AI resort food; good selection and nobody went hungry. The alcohol grande Brugals, free flowing cervezas what can I say… The Beach A beautiful setting plenty of palapas and chairs however they have a serious problem with sand fleas, even the hotel admits to it. Plan not to be on the beach. People were bitten so badly that they had to use after bite and take Benadryl for the swelling and itching. My husband's legs were pretty bad and as I scratched mine I noticed a woman doing the same...I no longer felt sorry for myself as her ankles were very swollen and red. Little black flies were also bad at the beach restaurant and out by the Pueblo Principe. Everybody including the animation staff itched. Shortly after 6 pm and without warning they fog the resort, be prepared to run. If it wasn't so bad it would've been funny; picture it people sitting in the lobby having drinks suddenly disappear into the fog. Early one morning we saw two employees with masks on and blowers fumigating the sand. Not a place you would want to walk barefoot afterwards or allow your children to play. The water was murky from a river not far from the resort. Apparently when it rains and it rained while we were there as we caught the tail end of tropical storm Olga, mud is washed down the river which stirs up the bay. GBP has more plans to improve the beach with a water feature not sure what can be done about the bugs and water though. There is a neat little man made island not far from the beach which is a nice place to visit for an hour or so. A boat runs every hour on the hour or you can kayak or take a pedal boat out to it. There are no services on the island other than a cooler full of bottled water, plenty of palapas and chairs. It was a nice place to chill for an hour or so. If you go out you could always pack some drinks and a snack as the view from your own private little island was beautiful. Would I go back? Personally no. That being said other vacationers there said it was great and would not hesitate to return.

Excellent hotel. Booked at the last minute with First Choice and upgraded to premium class (well worth the extra money for a bit more comfort). Flight to Punta Cana was good and progressed quickly through arrival lounge. Transport to hotel was around 3 hours 30 minutes due to Dominican traffic - annoying but worth it. HOTEL - clean, a few bugs but it is a 3rd world country in the Carribbean - what do you expect!. Rooms big and comfortable - cleaned well . Stayed in Block 17 - good views of sunset and pool. Bath and shower really good. At the end of the day did not spend to much time in the room - we were on holiday. RESTUARANTS - Good choice of food - if you can't find something you like from here there really is no hope for you. Still if you like chips/burgers/pizza's theres always the beach bar or the burger hut. ENTERTAINMENT TEAM - Excellent - big shout out to Francis, Tony (please throw him in the pool if you can catch him) and Daniel -great guys who work hard day and night. POOL AREA - very clean BEACH - again very clean although the water is cloudy - beach at the Iberostar in Bayahibe is better. Been to the DR 10 times now and this is one of the better hotels and would return again and again . Big hello to all we met there especially Rachael and Natasha from Scotland, Michael and his girlfriend and anyone else. If you have any questions happy to answer them - mellowman@btinternet.com

This was my first trip south, so I didnt have anything to compare it to, but I travelled with my boyfriend who has been to different places for the past 5 years. We found the deal on a website, then booked through an agent. I thought the price was great - $1750 for 2 of us. We upgraded to the Golden Club. It cost an extra $40. When we arrived we were greeted with a drink. The staff was very friendly, although some couldnt speak any english many could get by. HOTEL/ROOMS The hotel grounds were immaculate. Very clean, beautiful flowers. Our rooms were nice, clean - there was a tropical storm on the second night and our roof started leaking so we were moved to another room. Both had wonderful ocean views, even from the bed all you could see out the window was the beach and ocean. One of the complaints we had was the maid service. They tended to knock lightly then just enter the room, not giving you a chance to get up and answer the door, wake up, or stop whatever you were doing:) And Joe was disappointed that the maid only left a towel creation when we first arrived. I guess a lot of places do that regularly. BEACH The place was far from busy, you never had to fight for a lounger on the beach or the pool, and you could always find an avilable "tree" to lounge in the shade. The beach was huge. And kept very clean. The water was very murky though - apparently there is a river close by which causes that. We were disappointed that it wasnt the typical clear turquoise water you expect in the carribean, There is a small island about 1000 meters off shore you can take a boat or kayak too whenever you want. There are a few loungers out there, but no bar - just water. FOOD The food was pretty good. The selection at the buffet was pretty much the same every day. We chose to stick to what we new. We both got the dreaded travellers diarhea, but not too bad that it kept us in our room during the day. We were in bed early every night though. And I spent one afternoon and evening vomiting - I suspected the ham. We did 2 a la cartes - Gormet and Italian. I thought the Gormet was good, Joe didnt like his chicken and lobster. We both ordered the safest looking penne at the Italian, but neither of us could eat it because it was too spicy. ACTIVITIES The pool was huge, and theres a few smaller ones for kids to wade in. There were activites every day - aerobics, bingo, archery. Joe griped that there wasnt a lot to do though. They would run one activity at a time, and about 5 a day. EXCURSIONS We went on a half day trip to Catalina Island. The travel agent offered it for $90/person. We booked through the resort and paid $45/person, and the guide rescheduled to ensure the weather was optimal. That was the highlight of my trip. We snorkled and browsed the island. The water and beach were clear and beautiful. They said drinks and a snack were included, we had unlimited rum and a bag of cheezies. A few other things worth mentioning; -There are no towns within walking distance. We rounded up a staff member to help us get to Bayahibe. It cost us $30 round trip to take 3 different buses each way. It was worth it though to get the chance to explore the culture and meet the locals. -Our flight home was delayed for 3 hours, so we werent getting picked up at the hotel to go to the airport until 8:30pm. We (and a few other families) requested to keep our rooms a few hours longer, but were denied - everyone was very annoyed because the hotel was only at 45% capacity. We were offered a hospitality room to shower in. We could only have it for 30 minutes and when we got in, there were no clean towels. OVERALL I enjoyed my stay, Joe says he wont go back. I appreciated that it was quiet, there were no crowds or line ups. I may understand his opinion after we go to Casa Del Mar (its his favorite)next year. If you are looking for a peacful relaxing holiday, the Bahia Principe would fit the bill. If what you want is adventure, excitement and nightlife, this isnt the place for you. Hope this was helpful - Happy travels!!!

My husband,2 teenage daughters,my niece and her husband with there children 6 and 3 just came back from Santana Beach Hotel in LaRomana. We had a great time.The hotel rooms were a good size and always clean. The pool was fabulous,and there was a wonderful variety of food. The staff was always very helpful.But if you are looking for miles of beautiful,white sand beach with tourquoise water this is not the resort for you.The beach was great for young kids.I'd recommend Santana Beach