Puerto Plata Village Hotel

This was a last minute holiday, with little planning so our expectations were not very high. I am pleased to say that our expectations were exceeded in many ways. Puerto Plata Village was a very nice resort, with many very nice people working there. Our room was cleaned regularly and the cleaning staff were extremely pleasant. The only complaints about the rooms I could make are perhaps the hard mattresses and the shortage of towels. The food in the buffet was plentiful and varied, perhaps not the most flavourful but always good. The a la carte restaurants required us to get up at 7 a.m. to make reservations, so we only made it to the Mexican restaurant, which was quite nice. All the serving staff in all the restaurants were pleasant, if not terribly attentive. The bars were always well staffed and the drinks were very tasty. The pool area was always rather packed, though the pool itself was often empty. Towels were draped over chairs that were never occupied, which was very annoying. The pool staff were very friendly and outgoing, always trying to get people involved in pool games. The "disco" could have really used a new DJ, the music was not very good. If I never hear Calypso music again, I will be happy. The beach was a short shuttle cart ride away, the trip made at near lightspeed down a narrow path, which was a whole lot of fun!! Like a rollercoaster ride! The walk to the beach, if you didn't want to wait the couple of minutes for the shuttle, was about 10 minutes. The beach was beautiful, the water was amazing. The beach vendors were a little annoying but they didn't hassle anyone. Again, there was a problem of people holding chairs they would never use, but since we spent hours in the water, it wasn't too much of an issue. We visited the shopping mall in Playa Dorado and found the prices to be as good or better than what we found on our trip to the city. Our trip to the city was an adventure. We wandered all over the city, to the Amber Museum, the cemetary, and all the way to the Fort. The Dominican Republic is a third world country, if you never leave the resorts, you might forget this fact. The people were very friendly, particularly the two tourist police we met, but no one does anything for free, so be sure that you ask about the price before anyone helps you out. The cab trip price includes your return trip so be sure to pay on your way back, not beforehand or you may be stuck paying again. On the whole, we found our trip to be very pleasant. The resort was clean, well-staffed for the most part and worth the money. The Dominican Republic was a nice place to visit, the people were very friendly and easy-going, although the men were a little too flirtatious for my liking. I would recommend this resort to others, particularly if you were looking for a relaxing time.

Bad timing, we had 4 days of showers. The sun was missing in the picture of my trip. I enjoyed it even if the rain was soaking my sandals all the time. Food : Food was good in a la carte restaurant(Italian, International, Mexican). Everything my friends and I tasted was delicious. Thanks also for the coffee and Amaretto ! On the other hand, the buffet was OK depending on what you eat. Dominicain chicken was my favorite. Also, "La Regola" pizza stan was the perfect snack for craving stomach in the afternoon or after the party. Great variety of water and beach activities (even if I couldn't try a lot - temperature). Entertainment : at the resort was OK. Everyday, different activities and games were going on and in the evernight, a (30-45 min.) show was playing (dancers, comedy, Alladin show). Rooms : For a first trip, it was OK but I would pay a bit more for a better one. Beach : Easy 5 minutes walk. After a long day the shuttle was appreciated. Thanks. Volleyball court very popular, a lot of shading spots under the trees for those who gets sunburns on the first day ! Great place! To finish my review, I recommand you take a one afternoon trip into Puerto Plata to see the real republic dominican life. Leave your hotel, leave the "Playa Dorada" resort tourist life, take the "gouagoua" (bus for 20 pesos) and go see the real things ! P.S. Deal your purchases in pesos, you will get better deals on souvenirs. Buenos dias Amigos !

Wow. Just returned from our 1-week trip to puerto plata village. i don't want to write a book here, just wanted to let everyone know who is thinking of going there, that it is a wonderful place. unless you are one of those people who walk around with your nose up in the air and is very picky, you will have a great time here. everything you need is right on the resort. the rooms are basic, but clean and cool (the air conditioning was welcoming!!). the food was great, with a variety of selection. the a la carte restaurants were fabulous. the staff was was amazing. always happy and friendly, and anxious to please you. the grounds were beautiful. i love the way the resort is set up (villas). i went with my 39 year old aunt, and parents (i'm 24), and we all had a blast (chillin at the beach and pool, excursions, dancing at the disco, shopping). there is something for everyone, young or old. the whole playa dorada area is a very secure resort area, so you feel safe to wander around. puerto plata village, as a 3 1/2 star resort, lived up to everything we expected (and then some!). can't wait to return next year!!

Our two weeks at your resort was one of the best since we take holidays in the Playa Dorada Complex. We travel every year since 1987 on the Complex. My husband love the golf and me, I love the beach. We were supposed to stay at Heavens (as we bought vacation weeks years ago) but as it is closed for "renovations" they send us at your resort. We love it soo much that we will like to go back next year at the same comditions that we were given this year. We even meet a couple that we knew years ago :Andre & Yvette from Montreal. The staff is wonderful. The room (we had a strudio No 102) was great and our maid Ramona was the best. Hope to see you next year.

So much to say about our vacation. Our vacation was fun and relaxing which is exactly what we wanted. Now when we booked our vacation we knew that puerto plata village was not a 5 star hotel. We understood what that meant. I will say and I emphasize that this resort is pretty much exactly what it says it is and it offers everything it says it does but not much more. If you are going thinking you are going to get luxurious rooms, you will be disappointed. However the rooms are clean and bug free. We were happy with our rooms since we didnt spend much time in our room anyways so why pay for that luxury when you dont need it and won't use it.Tipping the maids is a good thing as you will get little extras, flowers on your pillows and towels, extra tv channels, (they will program your tv for you), she even fanned my nighty out on the bed which was so elegant. However tipping is not mandatory.Take a few snacks like chocolates, chips as if you crave these they are quite expensive down there. At the end of your stay you will find the food starts tasting all the same. Before I went I read reviews that said this and didnt pay attention to it or didnt believe it and now I realize how true it was so those snacks you take will be heaven sent if you take it.Big and important thing to know is that pinnacoladas are great, they taste great and go down nice but be aware they are a laxative. The coconut milk they use is a natural laxative. I learned this after drinking my 6th one for the day and they someone told me. ARGGGHHHH.Some people are concerned that this hotel is not right on the beach. The beach is a short walk (10-15 min) and if you dont walk to walk there are little shuttles that go to and from the beach every 5 minutes all day. The hotel has its own bar and barbque huts on the beach which is included in the all inclusive deal of your hotel. You want to go to the beach no worries there is plenty of food and drink on the beach. Beware the beach venders, most of what they sell is garbage and over priced, you can get better deals at the plaza which is a little mall just up the road from the hotel. You can walk or take a taxi which is 3US dollars each way. The plaza is two stories and you should start on the second floor as the prices are cheaper and they will barter with you more up there although they dont have to. The prices at the plaza are not supposed to fluctuate but on the second floor they will barter with you.Women who want their hair braided, dont do it on the beach it is over priced and who knows where they combs and such has been. Puerto plata has a salon, they will do hair and massages and much more for very reasonable prices. I had my hair braided and it cost me 21 US dollars. Please keep in mind wear a hat or put sunscreen on your head after you get the braides. My head got very burnt and had to take the braids out. My head still has blisters on it. Along with salon services there is an internet service available which is only 1 US dollar.Use the ala cart restaurants. They are great and gives you a nice break from the buffet restaurant. If walking is not your thing then re-think puerto plata village. The hotel rooms are like in little houses spread all over. You might get in a house close to the pool and restaurants or you could be in a house which is further away. We didnt mind the walks it was nice but for older people they might not like it so much.Excersions are great, the safari tour was great the last time I went to the dominican and this time we did the scuba diving in sosua. Anyone who like to swim and wants to try scuba diving should really think about this. There is free scuba diving in the pool with an instructor and if you like it you can pay 60US dollars and go in to sosua beach and they take you scuba diving in the ocean. AWSOME It was worth every penny of it. You also get a picture taken and a video is done of the dive, the picture is 15 US and the video is 35 US dollars I got both and am very pleased with it.All the staff was great, the resort was clean, the rooms were clean with no bugs and the food was OK. Use sunscreen, rent a safe for your room it gives you piece of mind and you will have a great time.

My husband and I left for a 2 week vacation on Feb 11-25 with another couple and had a wonderful time. We had never been on a winter holiday together and had celebrated our 10 anniversary in 2003 and thought what an awsome place to spend our long awaited "Honeymoon". The hotel staff were excellent. The rooms and main lobby were kept very clean and there was always someone cleaning up the grounds which were beautiful. We did have a bit of trouble with our room (air conditioner was growling!, no comforters on the bed, no chairs)but when we tried to switch rooms they were overbooked and didn't have anywhere for us to go anyway so after the 3 day we just stayed where we were. Like another person said you just get so that those things don't bother you anymore because you are having a great time! The food was great in the ala carte restaurants and the buffet was OK. After 2 weeks it was getting repeated allot. I found the food quite bland especially the desserts(which allot of them were custards)except for the cakes which tasted like cinnamon! The Pizza Hut was a big hit with the four of us and so cheap! Hemmingways is a very nice restaurant but a burger costs you $10 Canadian. The pool and the swim up bar were great as was the 24 hour bar and lobby bar. Everyone there always had a big smile on their face and that made you feel like smiling. How could you not smile...you were in Puerto Plata! We went on 3 tours and had Ingrid as our guide for 2 of them and she was awesome! We went on the Jeep Safari, Paradise Island and Puerto Plata/Sosua tours. Be sure to book them from Alav tours at the plaza. We got all 3 tours for $90 US per person. At the hotel through our tour company they would have cost us about $160 US per person for the 3 tours. We loved all 3 tours and if you are on the adventurous side go on the jeep safari and climb the waterfalls. Awesome! My husband can't swim and I am scared of heights. He went on the waterfalls but I stayed back and swam in the water. He had the best time and the water guide was so helpful with him. He was at the bottom of the waterfalls to go under and make sure my husband was ok when he jumped off the falls. It was awesome and we have it all on video as there was a young guy there filming and climbing along with them. A great memory. Overall, our 2 weeks at Puerto Plata Village were very good. We had allot to drink (the rum is great!) and the food was good and the service excellent. For a 3 1/2 star this place is the place to go. Thank you to all the staff for making our holiday a trip to remember.

My family and I recently went to this resort in the beginning of Febuary 2004. We went with family who had been there before, as we had never been. We were greeted as we got off the bus by a blast of refreshing warm, sunny air. It was amazing! Our hotel accomodations were to our liking, except for one incident when my bathroom light burnt out. It was immediatly fixed though, by the helpful hotel electrician. The weather was very sunny and warm, but not too hot. It only rained for one brief day, in the afternoon. Even then it was still enjoyable, as we played ping-pong in their covered gazebo. The Mexican, Italien and International dinners were fabulous, and they staff was extremely attentive to our every need. The Buffet was also enjoyable, and there was a variety of meals to choose from each day. The games and activities were alot of fun and the staff kept us entertianed everyday and were extremly nice! The beach, which is a mere 5 minute walk from the resort, is also accessible by taking one of the complimentry shuttles directly to the beach if you don't feel like walking! The beach food and bar were extremely good, and the beach entertainment was Bueno! The Ambrosia Disco, which opened nightly at 10:00 Pm, was a blast, and their music for the most part was enjoyable and was it was easy to get your groove on! Overall, my family and I had the most fabulous and relaxing vacation of our entire lives! I reccomend that everyone go there at least once, to that exact resort! You'll have a blast, no worries!!

We were at Puerto Plata Village Resort for 1 week March 9-16, 2004. We had read other reviews and were pumped to enjoy our holiday. I should say that we have been on a few holidays in the past (Puerto Vallarta, Mx (2x) and on a Caribbean cruise, so we had some idea of what a great holiday is. Unfortunately, this was not one of them! The overall impression of the resort was favourable and we were pleased with our room, although nothing fancy, very clean and everything in working order. It was lovely to have a balcony with chairs and a table, so we could sit and read a book outside if we were so inclined. The roosters woke us up starting at 4 AM our first morning, but after a few days, we got used to them! The buffet area was where our holiday started to deteriorate! The food was lacking in quality and flavour. The potatoes were consistently underdone and had an odd flavour. We had never done an all inclusive before, and I have to say, based on our experience here, we will not likely try it again. We attended the orientation and were told we could drink the water served in the resort as it was purified, but not to drink it from the taps in our room. We followed this to the letter. I did not even use the tap water to brush my teeth, preferring to use some bottled water that I had brought from Canada. I had 1 1/2 Pina Coladas and that was it for alcoholic beverages. I did drink a glass of purified water at the buffet on our second day there. Our holiday deteriorated further, when I proceeded to get very ill on our second night there. The following day, I survived on a cup of tea and one piece of pizza (which was very good). From that day on, I drank only bottled water that I purchased at the little store at the resort. After that I survived on a small portion of scrambled egg, french toast or pancake and bacon at breakfast and soup and buns for lunch and dinner! I tried more of the pizza on two occasions and managed to fare okay with that! By day four, my husband got really ill. He was feverish, shaking and cold all day. For the rest of our holiday (3 more agonizing days) he ate nothing but a little breakfast and soup and buns (and the odd piece of cake which was quite delicious). Needless to say, we were both very thankful to go home. We both weighed ourselves when we got home and I lost 3 lbs. and he lost 4! Not a very common occurrence on a holiday! I have never contributed a review to a resort website before and it pains me to have to be so negative, but I felt very strongly that I should jot down a few facts. In all honesty, this review is completely biased by the fact that we were both so very ill, but it's hard to be positive in this case. I can't help but wonder about their food preparation skills and whether they have health standards they must meet.

Feb-March 2004 When you get out of the airport you will immediately be accosted by bagboys trying to take your luggage for the 3 seconds it takes to walk to the bus, these guys are extremely pushy but, if you give a firm no gracius once or twice they usually give up, I wouldn't encourage people to give them tips since they are so pushy and ignorat, one guy had the nerve to tell me he could break a bill for me so I could tip them all for lifting my luggage onto the trailer on the bus (save your tips for the maid). I was a little hesitant at first staying at a 3 1/2 star resort, but once I got there I realized what a good place it was. If you are the type that likes a more luxurious room and special treatment, I would say this resort isn't for you. I found the rooms to be clean and comfortable, but nothing special. When my friend and I went it was high time "spring break" so it was quite packed, but the staff did a good job of keeping up. I found the food to be very good at the buffet restaurant, the Italian was only so so and the International was good, never made it to the Mexican one. You'd better get up early to make reservations for the ala carte restaurants, like 7am ish. The pizzeria was cool, it was nice to have pizza almost any time, however it wasn't nearly as good as home (no surprise there). If you really like nightime entertainment I'd say you might want to try another resort (I can't be bothered myself) but, the week that we were there I hardly saw any night entertainment only daytime, but maybe it was an off week, who knows. The place does have pool tables but, you have to pay, I think it worked out to about a dollar a game. The resort isn't beachfront so you have to take the shuttle or walk, however the shuttles run constantly. If you want a place to drink eat and be merry, this is a great resort. If you want a more luxurious stay, I would suggest somewhere else, I've stayed at 4 1/2 star resorts before and you do notice a difference for sure, but overall I liked it and would likely return if the price were right.

We arrived at the Puerto Plata village on the 17th of February. Reading the reviews posted was probably not a good idea. Every individual is different so therefore their opinions differ. We enjoyed our week in Puerto Plata Village, the service was great, the food was great and especially the a la carte, we spent our first wedding anniversary there and my husband had flowers delivered to me which we just beautiful. We have nothing bad to say, the beach is across the street but there was a shuttle running every few minutes and if you wanted you could just walk there. There was a shopping plaza just a nice walk up the street and it was totally safe to go. You were in side a guarded resort, but there were several resorts around the immediate area so it may have looked like alot of people on the street or in the plaza but they were just from other resorts. We made some excellent friends there and would not hesitate to go back again next year. If you're looking to plan a wedding there, our two friends will surely see that everything is in order, contact Melissa and she'll take care of everything. The only problem with our trip, we were there for 7 days and wished it were 14!!!!!