Bahia Principe Punta Cana Hotel

We went the end of the Oct for a week and booked with Apple. No problems with the flight (for a change). The resort - Our room was clean, quiet, nice balcony on the 3rd floor overlooking the gardens. Most of the TV stations were in Spanish so we didn't watch much TV. Had a table 2 chairs and a couch, king size bed and the usual dresser and TV stand, mini frig which was stocked with pop and beer and 3 large bottles of water. (You can not drink the water in the room). Bathroom was large with a jaccuzi and the usual bathroom amenities. Grounds were well kept up and clean, well lite at night. There was no problem catching the "train" that takes you to the restaurants. Beach - very clean and wide. Water was somewhat clear but we had a few storms so that turns up the sand. No holes in the water or stones, very level so you can wade if you don't swim. Lot's of shade available. Only 2 bathrooms though. People don't seem to like to wear their tops so there was a lot of that going on. It's always the people you wish would put their clothes on. ugh and fat guys with thongs doesn't work for me. Restaurants - Beach restaurant always had the same food and was crowded. Burgers, pasta, same fish, salad fixings and dessert (usually cookies or a little cake square). We ate at the Italian which was not very Italian. They had things like pork chops and lamb??? A few pasta dishes. It was odd. The Mexican restaurant was pretty good. They had a buffett and then you ordered you food. Buffett restaurant was okay. Sometimes it was rather difficult to find food we liked but we didn't starve. ha! Entertainment always started about 11 p.m. I guess because most guests were from Europe and they take the naps? That was in Spanish also. All in all I think the beach was great but I wasn't crazy about the food.

Group of 6 of us just returned from our annual trip to Punta Cana. Stayed this year at the Gran Bahia Principe. First off, the resort is beautiful!!! It is big, but once you get a little familiar, it really isn't as big as we were worried it would be. The trolleys run very regularly so the most you usually have to wait is 5 minutes. Not that we couldnt use some exercise, but we were on vacation!!! We were upgraded to the Golden Club and stayed in Villa 6 which was a great location. We were close to the pool that had the most activity and also very close to the beach. We did go to the Golden Club pool one day but the swim up bar was not open and there was not much happening there. So we moved to the pool across the walkway, closest to the lobby and it still did not have the activity that the pool closest to the beach had. But we were only there half day anyway because we were going out to Steve's Bar that day for the meet and greet. The food was really good whether you ate buffet or ala cart. We did the Japanese twice, Le Gourmet, El Carpaccio and Garden Grill. Le Gourmet and the Grill were the best. Japanese was entertaining, but the food very salty. Breakfast you could always get a fresh omelet and contrary to other reports, there was always bacon!!! The staff were ALL very friendly. Others have complained that they speak very little english, but hello, it is a Spanish speaking country!!! They do their best to try to understand you or get you someone that does. We did our best to help them understand us. Americans are the few that speak generally 1 language, so who really needs to adapt???? We do!!!! My high school Spanish class has helped me at least get by a little!! hahaha The rooms were very spacious and nice. Maids did a nice job each day and even went out of their way to make towel designs and leave flower petals or balloon decorations. The weather was fabulous (very hot this year) and all around it was a great vacation. We enjoyed everything about this trip. No one in our group had any complaints and we did not speak to anyone there who was unhappy about anything. If I left anything out, send me a message and I will give you any more info you want or need. Do not worry about ANY negative reviews people may have written.....they are unfounded from what we experienced. Some people you just cannot make happy. And if anyone went to this resort and left unhappy, it was their own faults!!!

I booked this trip last minute so I didn’t have a lot of time to research the hotel before leaving. However, upon arrival I knew I had made the right choice. The Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana is absolutely a magnificent resort. I don’t know where to begin with describing how fantastic this hotel is. I suppose I will start with the service and the people who work there. I found no problem communicating with the employees, their English is very good. The resort and rooms are absolutely immaculate and clean, and I am very picky when it comes to cleanliness. The pools are well kept, the beach is amazing, and the grounds are so beautiful. The resort is large and they offer a shuttle service back and forth from one end of the resort to the other, however, I never took a shuttle once, it’s takes about 5-10 minutes to walk from the reception to the beach. My only grumble is about the entertainment—it could use a lift, the dancing is amazing, but the “acting” could improve, you’ll see what I mean if you go there. The food is great. The buffet has a wide variety of international dishes, and the a la carte restaurants are fantastic. I must say I am amused to read some of the negative reviews about this resort. I do not understand what these people expect when they go on a vacation. I suppose I would say you should consider the source and take their reviews with a large grain of salt. Don't wait or think about this anymore, just book the trip and go! You will not regret it!

Us three family members from Vancouver Island, Canada, just returned from a wonderful stay at the Gran Bahia Principe (gold club). We met up with friends from Ontario who we hadn't seen in years, so it was also a reunion. Our overall impression of the resort was that it reminded us of the lushness of Wailea in Maui and the slightly more formal style of Europe. We enjoyed the global village atmosphere of many languages being spoken (my daughter is in French immersion) and trying out our Spanish. We had absolutely no problem speaking English with the staff. We appreciated that the gentler atmosphere (it seemed to us) was not so Party-Hard as we found on our Mexican all-inclusive holiday. My husband is a non-drinker, and I don't drink a lot. Still, we were not ignored by the wait staff because of that. For all the cost of the trip, the extra dollars we contributed to tips, and small gifts left for the maid made all the difference. Tipping is very much appreciated down there, even small tips. In the whole week we spent about $100 in tips -- and the small gifts I left on the pillow were bought at the local drugstore for about $5 each. Well, we had towell origami, fresh flowers on the bed, and twice a day maid service, balloons left on the door, candy for my daughter. All the little extras that made such a happy trip. The food was very very good, and I have worked in a French kitchen. Our friends were in the Diamond Club but we still managed to have a few dinners together. I would highly recommend this trip to families. A beautiful resort, gracious and accommodating. Family (retired senior, homemaker Mom, twelve year old) from Campbell River, B.C., Canada

Just came back from staying at the Grand Bahia Principe Punta Canta "gold" section october/08, and there are some things a North American traveller should know before booking this hotel. First of all the staff there were very friendly however, very few can speak english, some refused to speak english to us, they just responded to us in spanish. Front desk answers the phone in spanish, room service, all staff including bar tenders aproach you in spanish versus spanish followed by english, that most resorts do as we were used to. A few days in we found out why. 99.9% of the guests staying at this hotel were spanish speaking, we were excited to meet up with another couple or a group of people to have drinks at the pool with, this didnt happen because nobody spoke english and quite frankly we felt frowned upon when we started speaking english. Upon arrival to our room we discovered the bottom of the bathtub was dirty (black film) the shower head was coming out of the wall, the caulking job looked like it had been done by a four year old having some fun, not to mention the back sliding door would not close properly, it was a chore having to grab the entire door and quickly latching it, which was a must because if the back door is not sealed the air conditioning does not come on. This resort is absolutely gigantic, we didn't realize how big it was until we had to wait for a tram at a "bus stop" in the pouring rain followed by a 10 minute ride to the front desk which held the Casino, Disco, and buffet. You could only imagine our frustration when we got there and forgot something in our room, back to the bus stop 10 minute ride back to the room etc. Our first morning there we slept in untill about 9:45 am, shuttled to the buffet only to find it was closed for breakfast at 10:30 am so they could set it up for lunch, which did not re open untill 12:30 pm. Front desk told us buffet is closed, lunch at 12:30 pm. Folks if you missed the breakfast buffet there is nothing to eat on that resort untill 12:30, not a snack bar etc. The buffet was horrible, spaghetti sauce that looked like tomato soup with chunks of meat, pork loin that could not pass for scraps for our dog, never mind trying to cut through it, hot dogs that were not cooked properly, hamburger that was so salty you couldnt swallow it, the list is far too long to continue, and I believe pig snout was also there as well yum yum. Off to the beach we go, just gorgeous, white sand blue ocean amazing. We were starving and thought ok they must be offering up something at the beach, I mean come on it's the main attraction. The only thing we could find was a smaller version of the lunch buffet, except outdoors, with flys. All a la carte restaurants were closed, at this point we were willing to pay money for a restaurant that had quality food. none to be found.So we drank instead, only to find something strange was happening, my husband and I must have had 16 drinks between us with no food on our stomach and felt almost zero effects from the alcohol???? we should have been on the floor...at this point my husband was floored losing his patients and wanted to complain, he had enough and quite frankly so did I. We decided to carry on, we were by the sea and wanted to remain positive. Room service.....well lets just say trying to negotiate a well done hotdog with a spanish speaking person was next to impossible, the nachos didnt even come with salsa just a weird tasting cheese sauce, the ceaser salad came with 5 giant anchovies that were the size of slugs and the dressing tasted like spoiled vinegar. The french fries were good though which we had to eat during the day for energy. After a lazy day at the beach we were drained, getting any rest on the bed was nearly impossible, it was hard as a rock. Yes there are dominican beers and soda in the fridge for the taking, when we asked for more diet pepsi we were refused because we were only allowed two smalll bottles per day. We went to the gift shop one day to pick up some chips and chocolate, my husband and I didnt calculate properly and it came to 14$ ok our mistake sorry, we told them no deal please give us our $20 back. we were refused, the manager came down and said pick something else in the store. It wasnt like we took the chocolate out of the store or anything. Complaining was a no go, all of a sudden there accents became thicker and it was harder for them to understand english. The saving grace was the a la carte restaurants at night, they were "ok" but we were a little turned off when we saw a GIANT roach walking out of the japanese a la carte. The Grand Bahia is just too big for their own good, their only saving grace is the dominican people working there, friendly charming, nice, which we found out they only make $250 dollars a month. Just a few things you should know before booking at this resort. P.S - stick to Schmirnoff vodka and beer if you want to get any sort of buzz on. and the ATV "crazy wheels" excursion was absolutely AMAZING, a must try while in the dominican.

We just returned from our 4 night/5 day fall vacation (oct 2-6) in Dominican Republic, and had a blast! This was a 30th birthday party, and 10 friends attended. I had mixed reviews by reading all of these reviews about the Bahia Principe, but rest assured, it was a VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE! Yes, there were a few hiccups along the way with checking in and making restaurant reservations, but it was totally tolerable and none of us felt overwhelmed or unpleasant about the customer service. The positive points.... The grounds of the resort were absolutely meticulous and the entire resort (restaurants, common areas, rooms, pools, etc) were all extremely clean. We all kept commenting the entire trip how clean and neat everything was. There are also ample pools around the entire resort, so we never felt that the pools were over crowded or we could not get prime lounge chairs. Also, the resort has a mini "shuttle" (looks like a really long golf cart) that runs the entire length of the resort that can pick you up and take you to the opposite end of the resort where the beach and other restaurants are located. It really is a short walk (about 5-10 minutes), but its a nice bonus to know that the shuttle is always waiting for you when you are beat down from a long day in the sun. For the majority, the staff was friendly and courteous. If you are expecting over the top Disney World friendly (which I gathered from many of the negative posts) than, you need to go to Disney World! Remember, this is Dominican Republic and it is a different culture, but overall the staff are friendly. Lastly, we splurged and did spa treatments at the Spa and were really impressed! Between four women, we tried different treatments (pedicure, massages, facial, and body exfoliation). We loved it! The spa technicians were all very friendly, considerate, and knowledgeable. Points to Consider... The food is not the greatest. Again, if you want great buffets and 5 Star restaurants---go to Vegas. There is a main buffet, where you can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then several restaurants. But, depending on your length of stay, you will only be able to make two or three dinner reservations. Just spend the extra money and upgrade your meal package when you book your vacation that allow you to eat in any restaurant the entire week, as eating at a buffet everyday gets pretty old. We had the opportunity to make two restaurant reservations and ate at the Steak Restaurant and Japanese Restaurant. Our steaks were great! We all kept commenting on how tasty they were. Also, the alcoholic beverages seemed watered down. But, again, this is coming from a group of people who enjoy different types of vodkas and rums, so we were expecting the same type of drinks we are accustomed to drinking. The bars also close at 11pm (the swim-up pool bars close at 5:30pm), so even though its all inclusive, remember that its not going to be all night 24/hour partying. There are entertainment shows (we saw the Lion King and it was actually pretty entertaining!), Karoke, and a Disco where drinks are served. Also, don’t expect to go outside of the resort unless you are on an excursion since Punta Cana is underdeveloped and does not have local bars, nightclubs, and shopping for tourists. Be a little aware of the excursion packages that are offered from VIP Travel. A few of us in my group bought an excursion (snorkeling and motorized boat) when we arrived and it was not worth the $75.00. I wish I would have spent the $75.00 at the spa! However, the other part of our group bought the $75.00 doon buggy, cave, and horseback riding excursion and they had a blast. Don’t forget the mosquito repellant! All in all, it was a decent, cheap and warm fall vacation. Bring lots of sun block and enjoy! I'm glad I had the opportunity to go to Dominican Republic.

Me and my girlfriend have just returned from the Gran Bahia Prinicipe Punta Cana and it was without doubt the best hotel we have ever stayed in. I had read reviews on the GBP Bavaro before i went and i seriously dont know where some of the reviewers get off by giving this place bad press, maybe they expect to be greeted off the jet by a red carpet and a glass of Cristal, followed by an armed convoy and personal greeting from the President?? I am neither a snob, nor a scally - just an area sales manager from the North of England who wanted a 5 star holiday, and thats exactly what we got, honestly we paid £600 for a week all inclusive with flights! I'd spend more than that on a 3 star for a week in Greece! WEATHER - We took a chance and went end of September / Start of October and so the holiday was cheaper than it is in the "dry" season at the start of the year. BUT you do pay less and the resort is much less crowded and we only saw about 5 minutes of rain, one afternoon! the rest of the week was glorious sunshine and so we took a gamble and it really paid off. However i do believe we were lucky as one week before a nearby tropical storm had affected the region quite detrimentally, but that is the risk you take. POOLS - We spent most of our time at the main lagoon pool next to the beach and the pool which serviced the GBP Punta Cana which had a pool bar called Hibiscus. Both pools were lovely with Jacuzzi's and LOADS of free loungers. The drinks at the pool bar were nice, but not as nice (or as strong) as the ones we ordered in the lobby bar (main reception where you check in) FOOD - Where do i start??? You get 3 a la carte meals where you can order your main course off the menu, we chose the Garden Grill Steakhouse (nice but some fatty meat), Japanese (very good and entertaining - take your camera!) and the Pescada fish restaurant which we never ended up going to in the end as we werent ready to eat at the time we booked and so just went to the main buffet restaurant "orquidea" Orquidea is the main buffet restaurant for the GBP Punta Cana and we ate there mainly for breakfast, lunch and evening meals. It was the best buffet food i have ever had, the breakfast was lovely also. The buffet does its best to change theme every night from Italian, Mexican, Domincan, American etc. and there are differencies in some of the main courses you can choose, although the salads and desserts remain fairly similar. However considering what a dazzling array of salads, desserts etc. you can choose from, we thought they did a pretty good job of keeping things interesting. Overall the quality of the food was Excellent. STAFF - The Domincan people are very friendly and all we met were keen to make you as happy and as comfortable as possible. Some of the tourists at the resort, namely Americans i found quite rude (as they were to the staff in Cancun) which i felt was inappropriate. I used a few Spanish phrases which they really appreciated, i even asked for my fried eggs in Spanish to which a Spanish lady was obviously quite impressed i made the effort, smiled and exclaimed "muy bien"! ROOM - We were in building 14. The rooms themselves were spacious and comfortable, the air con wasnt the most powerful weve had but did the job especially in partnership with the ceiling fan. the jacuzzi bath was very nice and both me any my girlfriend could fit quite happily. The only negativem i would say was the pillows were quite hard, although check your cupboards as i found a softer one in there, shame it was on the last day! RESORT - the resort is massive - you will probaly want to use the little trolley bus which runs from the reception down to the beach. the gardens are beatiful and extremely well tended to. The staff are always runing around making things look their best and their attention to detail is excellent. Very clean and well kept complex. BEACH - The beach is very nice although the waves were quite choppy when we were there which meant we couldnt do as much of the all inc. activites as we wanted to. The sand is a soft light golden colour (not quite white) and the sea a greeny blue. If you want true paradise, go to Saona island - that IS white sand and turquoise water - look at my pics. ACTIVITIES - We didnt do any all inclusive activities in the end, you have to pay for tuition on the small catamarans and windsurfing although the equipment itself was free. We paid to go horse riding at sunset with the PAT ranch which was lovely, also did scuba diving off Catalina island and the trip to Saona, which was stunning. All in all we were hugely impressed with the Gran Bahia Principe and would definately go back to a resort with them again, although we did go to the GBP La Romana which wasnt quite as nice as the GBP Punta cana (pool was full of bugs, snack restaurant had lots of flies, resort didnt look quite as tidy) Considering we didnt have much to do, we would go back tomorrow and certainly werent ready for coming back after just one week. Hope the review was helpful!

My wife and I visited this hotel back in May 2008 and feel terrible for not writing a review, as certain comments written about this complex need confirming!!! The overall experience was FANTASTC!!!. My advice to potential visitors to this complex is that if you are English and want a true 5 star hotel for a reasonable price, then don't hesitate..... Book up.. My wife and I have been spoilt by 5 star hotels in Mexico and a very expensive hotel in Cuba, however for the money you pay for this holiday, you will be hard pushed to get better in the Caribbean for the value for money.. I don't want to repeat what other customers have already said, so will keep it brief.. The food is excellent.. We went for 13 nights and travelled with First choice. We visited most of the A La carte restaurants and found them excellent. The buffet is the best that we have had in the Caribbean and without banging on about it, we have stayed at some top hotels.. We enjoyed it so much, we are going back in Oct this year.. One tip.... Take some tropical jungle spray with you.. You might get bit by the insects.. My last note.. If you are a hard working couple who want a holiday to unwind, enjoy beautiful surroundings, and like a bit of luxury, with no yobs, great entertainment, then this is the place for you ... Enjoy...

The place is absolutely gorgeous and clean, this was by far the best resort I have been to and would go back in a minute. We went with our 2 kids and they had a blast everyone was friendly, the weather was great and the pools were great for the kids. The only downfall of the resort was that it was really big(but that's not really a downfall), it's a great place to go with a family the entertainment is amazing and it's a beautiful resort so if your thinking about going to Punta Cana definitely check this resort out. Don't listen to those who say it's not they must have had a bad experience.

We were looking for a "cruise without a ship" and that is exactly what we got. Impeccable grounds, enormous pool, crystal clear water and a clean beach with some beach activities. There was always plenty of food at the buffets, which while not gourmet 5 star had plenty of choices. A few observations: 1. While there were Americans there, the primary clintele were Europeans. The staff appeared multi-lingual, but the second language was often not English. This can make it harder to get extra towels, sheets, etc. 2. There is a main buffet and then side "restaurants." We concur with those who said the kitchen did best with simpler cuisines. We liked the Italian a lot, the Mexican some, but were not wowed by the French. The main buffet is always open with lots of choices for anyone. 3. The resort itself is simply huge. Given th temperature and the sun, we took the golf-cart train like everyone else. 4. There is apparently an exciting nightlife with entertainment. However, after 8+ hours at the huge pool with a child, we turned in early. The room walls allowed some noise through, but we never had any trouble. The rooms themselves are huge, with space for a desk, a sleeper cot, big bed, enormous shower, etc.