Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
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Hotel Description:
The Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort and Sirenis Tropical Suites form a five star hotel complex, situated on the east side of the Dominican Republic, on the Uvero Alto-Macao beach in the Higüey region, and set amongst one of the most beautiful coconut groves in the Caribbean, bordering a totally virgin beach extending some 400 metres. loading...
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Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort Reviews
" We have just returned from a two week... "
Submitted By: Miss D Thompson
We have just returned from a two week stay at this hotel and overall we loved it, the staff are exceptional and it was great for my two young children.
THE POOL: The pool is huge!! I travelled with my partner and our 2 young children, my little boy who is 2 and my little girl who is 9 months. Each end of the pool sloped in gradually and this was great for us as my little boy could play in there without having to be constantly held and my little girl could crawl around in the water. There are several small childrens pools dotted around if you wanted to find a quieter area away from the pool bar which can get quite busy. The pools are cleaned daily and there are always plenty of sunbeds available!
THE ROOMS: The rooms are fairly spacious and although they could do with a bit of updating they are clean and contain everything you need. They were cleaned daily and fresh towels and drinks were left, a small tip for the maid every couple of days goes a long way. There is an iron and ironing board in all the rooms so don't bother taking one!
THE STAFF: The staff at this hotel are great, nothing is too much trouble! They speak basic english and go out of their way to accommodate you. We had a problem with the tv in the room when we arrived and after calling reception someone was there right away to sort it out. We tipped everyone,the bell boy,the maid,the bar and restaurant staff,the maintanence guys and they looked after us all holiday.They are also wonderful with children giving them so much attention.
THE RESTAURANTS: The food in the buffet restaurant is fine, a lot of it is cooked fresh in front of you and there is plenty to choose from. They make some great displays out of bread or fruit and sometimes cake, my little boy loved it! The freshly cooked omlettes in the morning are gorgeous.
The a'la carte restaurants are fab. The japenese and the italian were the best, great food and the best themed/decorated i have ever seen abroad. In the japenese all the food id cooked in front of you in a big display, it is a really good night out and a nice break from the buffet. The food in the mexican and steakhouse was good although we did get bit quite as it is near the pool so we couldn't relax and enjoy our meal. They did spray a lot though try and kill them so they were making an effort to rectify the problem.
We didn't try the gormet(this is the only one you have to pay for) or the mediterranean as it had a lot of seafood on the menu and i'm not a lover of fish although others who had been said the food was great. There are two places to eat down by the pool that open for breakfast and lunch and there is a lunchtime BBQ on the beach.
THE ENTERTAINMENT: Mini club for the kids is a bit repetetive(same songs every night) but the kids seemed to love it as by the end of the hol they know all the dance moves. The shows are good fun, they only seem to be done by the animation team but they make a great effort(fab dancers) and they make them really amusing. The show doesn't start til about ten though so quite often we missed it as the kids were tired.
The daytime entertainment was good with games, dancing, aerobics on the beach in the morning and games in the pool in the afternoon.
THE BEACH: The sea is quite calm and really clear and warm and the sand is white with loads of sun loungers available. The only problem was cigarette ends all over but this is not the fault of the hotel just lazy people who can't be bothered to get up to go the bins.
THE GROUNDS: The grounds are spotless and spacious and really well kept. The hotel is nicely spead out so you can have a little walk about without feeling hemmed in, this is good as there is nothing outside of the resort to walk out to.
THE CASINO AND SPA: Under 16's are not allowed in either of these. Me and my partner visited the casino seperately while the other stayed with the kids. They offer blackjack,slots,poker and roulette. It is only quite small and the staff don't seem very experinced on the tables(the dealer on the blackjack table had another member of staff adding up behind her) so keep an eye on whats going on especially on the roulette as people had chips cleared off the table when they had hit the number that come out. It has a bar though and was quite good fun if you like a little flutter.
We didn't get to the spa with having the kids but we spoke to many who had and they said it was gorgeous inside and the treatments were a similar price to home but a better standard. Oh and girls, they offer nail extensions with nail art so don't worry if you don't have time before you go, treat yourself and get them done there.
DOWNFALLS: The only one problem we had with the hotel was at the weekends they let all the local dominicans in which was stated in the brochure but we never realised to what extent. Hundreds of them arrived coachload after coachload, they were really loud, took over the pool where the swim up bar was which made getting a drink impossible as they wouln't let you through and the bar staff seemed to serve them before us. They were getting drunk and being sick in the pool, their children were stealing the kids toys but getting them back was impossible as they didn't speak english. They were very loud at night shouting and singing at 3 in the morning. The hotel did group them altogether in rooms near the entertainment theatre but it did slightly spoil our holiday. When they all went it was back to a peaceful and relaxing holiday and you could stop watching your bags constantly while in the pool(things went missing a lot when they were there) but then the next weekend they all piled in again making it feel i'd gone to benidorm rather than the carribbean.
I don't think they come every weekend, maybe we were just unlucky but it did seem to turn into a party camp when they were there which is not good when you have kids pr want a quiet relaxing hol.
OVERALL: Overall we had a fab hol and would probably return to his hotel but not when the locals are in town!! We want to try the Dreams hotel down the road as we had a look around this hotel whilst waiting for the helicopter to come and it looked absolutely gorgeous. For value for money and a great time you can't go wrong with the sirenins though!!
THE POOL: The pool is huge!! I travelled with my partner and our 2 young children, my little boy who is 2 and my little girl who is 9 months. Each end of the pool sloped in gradually and this was great for us as my little boy could play in there without having to be constantly held and my little girl could crawl around in the water. There are several small childrens pools dotted around if you wanted to find a quieter area away from the pool bar which can get quite busy. The pools are cleaned daily and there are always plenty of sunbeds available!
THE ROOMS: The rooms are fairly spacious and although they could do with a bit of updating they are clean and contain everything you need. They were cleaned daily and fresh towels and drinks were left, a small tip for the maid every couple of days goes a long way. There is an iron and ironing board in all the rooms so don't bother taking one!
THE STAFF: The staff at this hotel are great, nothing is too much trouble! They speak basic english and go out of their way to accommodate you. We had a problem with the tv in the room when we arrived and after calling reception someone was there right away to sort it out. We tipped everyone,the bell boy,the maid,the bar and restaurant staff,the maintanence guys and they looked after us all holiday.They are also wonderful with children giving them so much attention.
THE RESTAURANTS: The food in the buffet restaurant is fine, a lot of it is cooked fresh in front of you and there is plenty to choose from. They make some great displays out of bread or fruit and sometimes cake, my little boy loved it! The freshly cooked omlettes in the morning are gorgeous.
The a'la carte restaurants are fab. The japenese and the italian were the best, great food and the best themed/decorated i have ever seen abroad. In the japenese all the food id cooked in front of you in a big display, it is a really good night out and a nice break from the buffet. The food in the mexican and steakhouse was good although we did get bit quite as it is near the pool so we couldn't relax and enjoy our meal. They did spray a lot though try and kill them so they were making an effort to rectify the problem.
We didn't try the gormet(this is the only one you have to pay for) or the mediterranean as it had a lot of seafood on the menu and i'm not a lover of fish although others who had been said the food was great. There are two places to eat down by the pool that open for breakfast and lunch and there is a lunchtime BBQ on the beach.
THE ENTERTAINMENT: Mini club for the kids is a bit repetetive(same songs every night) but the kids seemed to love it as by the end of the hol they know all the dance moves. The shows are good fun, they only seem to be done by the animation team but they make a great effort(fab dancers) and they make them really amusing. The show doesn't start til about ten though so quite often we missed it as the kids were tired.
The daytime entertainment was good with games, dancing, aerobics on the beach in the morning and games in the pool in the afternoon.
THE BEACH: The sea is quite calm and really clear and warm and the sand is white with loads of sun loungers available. The only problem was cigarette ends all over but this is not the fault of the hotel just lazy people who can't be bothered to get up to go the bins.
THE GROUNDS: The grounds are spotless and spacious and really well kept. The hotel is nicely spead out so you can have a little walk about without feeling hemmed in, this is good as there is nothing outside of the resort to walk out to.
THE CASINO AND SPA: Under 16's are not allowed in either of these. Me and my partner visited the casino seperately while the other stayed with the kids. They offer blackjack,slots,poker and roulette. It is only quite small and the staff don't seem very experinced on the tables(the dealer on the blackjack table had another member of staff adding up behind her) so keep an eye on whats going on especially on the roulette as people had chips cleared off the table when they had hit the number that come out. It has a bar though and was quite good fun if you like a little flutter.
We didn't get to the spa with having the kids but we spoke to many who had and they said it was gorgeous inside and the treatments were a similar price to home but a better standard. Oh and girls, they offer nail extensions with nail art so don't worry if you don't have time before you go, treat yourself and get them done there.
DOWNFALLS: The only one problem we had with the hotel was at the weekends they let all the local dominicans in which was stated in the brochure but we never realised to what extent. Hundreds of them arrived coachload after coachload, they were really loud, took over the pool where the swim up bar was which made getting a drink impossible as they wouln't let you through and the bar staff seemed to serve them before us. They were getting drunk and being sick in the pool, their children were stealing the kids toys but getting them back was impossible as they didn't speak english. They were very loud at night shouting and singing at 3 in the morning. The hotel did group them altogether in rooms near the entertainment theatre but it did slightly spoil our holiday. When they all went it was back to a peaceful and relaxing holiday and you could stop watching your bags constantly while in the pool(things went missing a lot when they were there) but then the next weekend they all piled in again making it feel i'd gone to benidorm rather than the carribbean.
I don't think they come every weekend, maybe we were just unlucky but it did seem to turn into a party camp when they were there which is not good when you have kids pr want a quiet relaxing hol.
OVERALL: Overall we had a fab hol and would probably return to his hotel but not when the locals are in town!! We want to try the Dreams hotel down the road as we had a look around this hotel whilst waiting for the helicopter to come and it looked absolutely gorgeous. For value for money and a great time you can't go wrong with the sirenins though!!
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" It would be churlish to complain... "
Submitted By: Mr D Billington
It would be churlish to complain about this hotel although it's a bit on the big side for my taste. However, the food was good ( something for everyone and also themed restaurants if you don't like the buffet ) the rooms are comfortable but in need of a face lift. The staff especially in the bars and buffets are brilliant, very smiley and friendly, unfortunately this doesn't apply to reception. We arrived at Punta cana at 1.30 local time and didn't get to our room until 8.30pm. Now a word of warning. If traveling from London Gatwick DO NOT fly with My Travel. This flight goes via Manchester. We had a 45min flight to Manchester then spent 2hrs 35mins on the ground before setting off on a 9hr flight we were not informed of this by Thomas Cook. Coming back was even worse, we arrived in Manchester 1hr early at 4.15am only to be informed that there was a technical problem and we had to leave the aircraft we had no more contact from My Travel until 7.30am when the gave us a £3 ( yes thats right £3) voucher to buy refreshments!! we eventually arrived at Gatwick at 11.30AM 7hrs15mins after landing in Manchester.
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Sirenis Cocotal was absolutely... "
Submitted By: G Markland
Sirenis Cocotal was absolutely fantastic! The flight there with First Choice was not what we expected however, and we had to stop off at Manchester which we weren't informed about.
The reps out there are great fun. Look out for a member of staff called Jesus! absolutely gorgeous! :) entertainment is fantastic too, really funny. Weather is HOT and everyone was really friendly!
However one of the rooms we had booked had a crack in the bathroom ceiling. This was fixed and sorted within a matter of time when we were out of the room during the day.
Anyone who says the food is awful... its fantastic tropical fruits for breakfast... pancakes... fry up you name it they have it. As for lunch its very convenient if you have young children as the bar is right next to the swimming pool, swim up bar is great!!
Aerobics twice a day too, once in morning on beach with Jesus (the lovely member of staff) and again in after noon in the pool! great fun.
All in all had fantastic holiday and definitely would and want to go back!
Highly recommend if your laid back.. up for a laugh... want a gorgeous tan and ready to smell the Caribbean!
Georgie . xx
The reps out there are great fun. Look out for a member of staff called Jesus! absolutely gorgeous! :) entertainment is fantastic too, really funny. Weather is HOT and everyone was really friendly!
However one of the rooms we had booked had a crack in the bathroom ceiling. This was fixed and sorted within a matter of time when we were out of the room during the day.
Anyone who says the food is awful... its fantastic tropical fruits for breakfast... pancakes... fry up you name it they have it. As for lunch its very convenient if you have young children as the bar is right next to the swimming pool, swim up bar is great!!
Aerobics twice a day too, once in morning on beach with Jesus (the lovely member of staff) and again in after noon in the pool! great fun.
All in all had fantastic holiday and definitely would and want to go back!
Highly recommend if your laid back.. up for a laugh... want a gorgeous tan and ready to smell the Caribbean!
Georgie . xx
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Just came back! We thought this was a... "
Submitted By: Mr Steve Hare
Just came back! We thought this was a great holiday as we went to have 2 weeks relaxing. We think the staff were very friendly and helpful.
Our accommodation was lovely. The beach was fantastic, clean and plenty of sun loungers although you still had to endure people saving their beds with towels!
We went on 2 day trips both were very good. Swimming with dolphins was a great experience at 185 dollars for 2 (where can you go out in England for that?) was worth it.
Then the Kontiki cruise was also good, we went snorkelling and then had a party on the boat (must admit this should be adults only) was very entertaining.
We found that the food was lovely and always fresh and well presented in the buffet halls, and the other restaurants were just as good, although having to book them was a bit of a chore but worth it. The steakhouse could be improved.
All in all we had a great time and would definitely go back.
Our accommodation was lovely. The beach was fantastic, clean and plenty of sun loungers although you still had to endure people saving their beds with towels!
We went on 2 day trips both were very good. Swimming with dolphins was a great experience at 185 dollars for 2 (where can you go out in England for that?) was worth it.
Then the Kontiki cruise was also good, we went snorkelling and then had a party on the boat (must admit this should be adults only) was very entertaining.
We found that the food was lovely and always fresh and well presented in the buffet halls, and the other restaurants were just as good, although having to book them was a bit of a chore but worth it. The steakhouse could be improved.
All in all we had a great time and would definitely go back.
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
" I have just come back from this... "
Submitted By: Ms J Buckley
I have just come back from this resort, and I totally agree with some of the reviews.
First I would strongly advise you not to fly with My Travel, the 9 hour flight from the UK was horrendous in cramped conditions, the in flight meal was average, the toilets are down a winding staircase, and the staff are quite abrupt and god help you if you want another portion milk!
The resort itself is very pleasant, the beach good and the pool areas nice. I agree with the previous review about the rooms, my room was initially ok but after a few days I started getting water dripping from the ceiling.
I complained and the rep tried to suggest it was caused by me turning off the air conditioning, maintenance came fairly promptly and took off the panels to allow the rest of the water to poor in my room, and then it was ok for a day...it started dripping again and did so until I left the resort.
I must stress that the standard rooms are only suitable for 2 people, and if a third is booked they will have to sleep on a fold down bed.
Once you have been allocated a room its very hard to get it changed if you are unhappy (my son his partner and 2 children were given a 2 bedded room to share) he was very unhappy and it took a week for them to move him to a suite for and extra £140.
If you are picky about your food then you wont like it here, they do rather strange combinations e.g. green beans with a fried breakfast!
The resort shop is a rip off so don’t forget your toiletries, mozzie repellent, sun tan lotion. If you run out or forget anything you will be sorry. A snicker bar will set you back £1.60, a tube of Pringles £2.50, deodorant £5.00!
Tipping the room boy/girl will get you everywhere! Don’t be put off by my review if you have already booked, you will have a nice time here, but I think there are places nearer the UK that are better!
First I would strongly advise you not to fly with My Travel, the 9 hour flight from the UK was horrendous in cramped conditions, the in flight meal was average, the toilets are down a winding staircase, and the staff are quite abrupt and god help you if you want another portion milk!
The resort itself is very pleasant, the beach good and the pool areas nice. I agree with the previous review about the rooms, my room was initially ok but after a few days I started getting water dripping from the ceiling.
I complained and the rep tried to suggest it was caused by me turning off the air conditioning, maintenance came fairly promptly and took off the panels to allow the rest of the water to poor in my room, and then it was ok for a day...it started dripping again and did so until I left the resort.
I must stress that the standard rooms are only suitable for 2 people, and if a third is booked they will have to sleep on a fold down bed.
Once you have been allocated a room its very hard to get it changed if you are unhappy (my son his partner and 2 children were given a 2 bedded room to share) he was very unhappy and it took a week for them to move him to a suite for and extra £140.
If you are picky about your food then you wont like it here, they do rather strange combinations e.g. green beans with a fried breakfast!
The resort shop is a rip off so don’t forget your toiletries, mozzie repellent, sun tan lotion. If you run out or forget anything you will be sorry. A snicker bar will set you back £1.60, a tube of Pringles £2.50, deodorant £5.00!
Tipping the room boy/girl will get you everywhere! Don’t be put off by my review if you have already booked, you will have a nice time here, but I think there are places nearer the UK that are better!
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" Just come back from this resort and... "
Submitted By: lovebunny1965
Just come back from this resort and what can we say, we were in room G001 Coctal side and we spent the whole fortnight with a room stinking of sewage, a hole in the floor, wet bathroom floor, moldy walls (which were painted on our second day whilst we were out) moldy bedding, flies over the food with dead flies on the food counter by the pool restaurant, birds flying in and perching on the bread basket in the main restaurant and eating the bread from the baskets. The pool is in a very bad need of repair.
Be warned there is some sort of stomach bug going round that makes you very ill. The beach is awful full of debris and cigarette ends. The outback safari trip is superb.
Manati Park is great but you have to book this with a guy on a different desk to rep.
Don’t bother with the sharks and rays it is over priced for a day spent mostly on the boat drinking rum, you get picked up in the afternoon and don’t believe the rep when she says there are star fish there are not and if you need drinks that are not alcoholic then you wait a long time. The grounds are kept stunning.
All in all I would have to agree with other reviews and say this hotel warrants a three star rating. We have stayed in better 2 and 3 star hotels in Egypt and Turkey.
Be warned there is some sort of stomach bug going round that makes you very ill. The beach is awful full of debris and cigarette ends. The outback safari trip is superb.
Manati Park is great but you have to book this with a guy on a different desk to rep.
Don’t bother with the sharks and rays it is over priced for a day spent mostly on the boat drinking rum, you get picked up in the afternoon and don’t believe the rep when she says there are star fish there are not and if you need drinks that are not alcoholic then you wait a long time. The grounds are kept stunning.
All in all I would have to agree with other reviews and say this hotel warrants a three star rating. We have stayed in better 2 and 3 star hotels in Egypt and Turkey.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" We went on an all-inclusive one week... "
Submitted By: Mr R Devalia
We went on an all-inclusive one week package through Airtours. The flight was with Monarch- the worst charter by far! We only travelled with them due to the unavailability of other packages. We have travelled with them previously and would strongly discourage anyone to travel with them - seat pitch horrendous, meals disgusting, (you actually pay extra £15+ per meal!)and entertainment lousy.
Very nice airport at Punta Cana. Transfer to hotel took 2 hours so not too bad. The roads are quite bad but it IS a developing country. Checking in at reception on arrival at the hotel was very efficient. First impressions very good and the reception was impressive.
Initial room allocated was ok but we asked to be moved, as it was noisy due to its location next to the theatre. Second room was fine initially but we discovered dripping water in the bathroom from the floor above. It took about 4 visits to reception to have it fixed. We insisted on being moved to a top floor room as the problem was not fixed permanently after 4 attempts. Having read a few other reviews, this seems to be a common problem.
The third room on the top floor was excellent with a sea view balcony, extremely clean and well furnished.
Generally the hotel is very nice, well kept with beautiful tropical grounds. Most staff were helpful and friendly with the exception of reception where we found them unwilling to help and a bit rude at times. However after our second room change, we received complimentary fruit, bottle of wine and rum - a nice touch.
The food was ok- not for food lovers. The buffet choice was very extensive but the food was very bland and not to our taste. It would become very monotonous after a week. Breakfast was the best meal of the day. Pancakes at the snack bar were freshly made and delicious.
Swimming pools were huge and very nice and there is an excellent beach with white sands and clear, warm shallow water. The facilities at this resort are excellent and include sauna, Turkish baths, jacuzzi, tennis courts, games room and various other activities including water sports.
We went on one day trip to Saona Island. Complete paradise. We went on a speedboat and returned on a catamaran. Fabulous day out, the beach was stunning, the best we've ever seen. However it was a very long day and the cost ($80) was excessive, but definitely worth it. Drinks and food all included.
Overall, an excellent holiday, the hotel is beautiful, grounds are amazing. The location is isolated and far from local shops- not much chance to explore outside the hotel grounds. A perfect relaxing holiday for a week, an excellent deal.
Very nice airport at Punta Cana. Transfer to hotel took 2 hours so not too bad. The roads are quite bad but it IS a developing country. Checking in at reception on arrival at the hotel was very efficient. First impressions very good and the reception was impressive.
Initial room allocated was ok but we asked to be moved, as it was noisy due to its location next to the theatre. Second room was fine initially but we discovered dripping water in the bathroom from the floor above. It took about 4 visits to reception to have it fixed. We insisted on being moved to a top floor room as the problem was not fixed permanently after 4 attempts. Having read a few other reviews, this seems to be a common problem.
The third room on the top floor was excellent with a sea view balcony, extremely clean and well furnished.
Generally the hotel is very nice, well kept with beautiful tropical grounds. Most staff were helpful and friendly with the exception of reception where we found them unwilling to help and a bit rude at times. However after our second room change, we received complimentary fruit, bottle of wine and rum - a nice touch.
The food was ok- not for food lovers. The buffet choice was very extensive but the food was very bland and not to our taste. It would become very monotonous after a week. Breakfast was the best meal of the day. Pancakes at the snack bar were freshly made and delicious.
Swimming pools were huge and very nice and there is an excellent beach with white sands and clear, warm shallow water. The facilities at this resort are excellent and include sauna, Turkish baths, jacuzzi, tennis courts, games room and various other activities including water sports.
We went on one day trip to Saona Island. Complete paradise. We went on a speedboat and returned on a catamaran. Fabulous day out, the beach was stunning, the best we've ever seen. However it was a very long day and the cost ($80) was excessive, but definitely worth it. Drinks and food all included.
Overall, an excellent holiday, the hotel is beautiful, grounds are amazing. The location is isolated and far from local shops- not much chance to explore outside the hotel grounds. A perfect relaxing holiday for a week, an excellent deal.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" We just came back from Punta Cana at... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Parks
We just came back from Punta Cana at the Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort Jul 3rd-10th and I must say it was a little disappointing. First of all it is entirely over rated. We were told it was a 4 star and when we arrived it was stated it's a 5 star well it's more like a 2 1/2 to 3 star.
The rep that met us at the airport Emma was high spirited and informative she really helped us out. Once we arrived at the resort it was more like a compound there is nothing outside the walls of the resort but once you go through the gates it was beautiful. In the lobby while waiting they have some type of fruity drink for you but you'll need it because it was so hot and humid just in the lobby. There were no fans or air conditioner in the direct lobby.
At check-in they gave you one key for the room, two cards to get towels at the beach and a key that that once you got inside the room you insert for power. That's right if you didn't have the key which looks like a credit card you had no power whatsoever in the room. So needless to say we were already hot and had to enter a hot room as well. Once we got into our room which was not the sea view we wanted but the agent didn't guarantee it either the room was disappointing.
There were cracks in the walls and tiles, no wash clothes, no iron or ironing board, my curling irons and lap top would not fit in the plugs even though they were suppose too(we tried to buy a adapter but they didn't have the write ones), there is no internet service in the room you must used the three stations in the lobby and you have to purchase an internet card $6.00 or $10.00, paint was chipped throughout the room, the fridge is not a mini bar but they do have water, cokes and 7up inside.
There is no wash room so if you want your clothes washed or pressed you have to send them out most of the time you get them back within a few hours but it's another expense that we didn't know about. Our room had a nice view of the mountains and the grounds were beautiful. The service was excellent and the entire staff was helpful, pleasant and informative.
The food was nothing to write home about in fact the best meals that we had were by the pool and that was at lunch time. One other meal we had which was fabulous was on one of the tours we went on which we had a chance to eat local food which is one of the reasons we went. The dining facility were the buffet meals were served was hot, hot, hot! There were no fans and no a/c! Talk about hurrying up to eat. You couldn't even enjoy yourself we couldn't figure out how the staff did it everyday but they always had a smile on their faces.
The staff that was in charge of the daily activities were fabulous their energy level was always high. We recommend if you take any tours try the outback safari tour we had Eddy and Papi as our guide and driver they were outstanding and also if you like water sports the aquatic tour on this tour you get to drive your own speed boat and go snorkeling. Yeah baby! I can't remember our guides name but he was excellent! It rain a few times while we were there but it felt good although it was hotter than heck afterwards it was fine.
We also managed to do so shopping and I got some really good deals just be prepared to walk away and they'll come after you. We met a few couples while we were there and they were lovely so don't be afraid to talk to people. On the day we were leaving something happen to the bus so he had to wait at least an hour longer for pick up but since we had meet people it wasn't so bad and one of the couples was going our way so it was a pleasant wait. Then when it was time to load up that they didn't have enough room for our bags which didn't make any since.
So Emma was calling around trying to get a taxi to take our bags to the airport at first she said one of us would have to ride in the taxi with the bags and I wasn't having it so in the end our bags ended up in the taxi and all four of us on the bus. Emma was very apologetic. Once we got to the airport which we still made it there early we were going to get something to eat but we found out that the cash machines (two) were out of money and this was at 2:00pm. Luckily one of the eating places took credit cards. Over all the trip was nice, the shows were good, the staff amazing and day trips excellent! We had the best beach according to other couples who were staying in the area (it was excellent). We felt that certain things should have been standard items such as the wash cloth's and iron/ironing board considering down the road at other resorts that were smaller had them.
We recommend that if you stay there take these items with you and also mosquito repellent, pack lightly such as shorts, tanks, swim wear and a couple of casual outfits. They have Ala cart' restaurants (which we only recommend the Mexican, the rest no! and they say there's a dress code but most people didn’t follow it and it wasn't enforced we made the effort.
One more thing, if you're going to eat at the ala cart restaurants you have to book in advance meaning you should start lining up about 7am but be aware that you're not booking for that day you'll be booking for further in the week once you book they give you a ticket which you need to present when you arrive at that particular restaurant so don't think you can just eat anywhere you like.
We only went for 7 days we feel 14 days is too long. We will not be going back to this resort but we would go back to the Dominican Republic.
The rep that met us at the airport Emma was high spirited and informative she really helped us out. Once we arrived at the resort it was more like a compound there is nothing outside the walls of the resort but once you go through the gates it was beautiful. In the lobby while waiting they have some type of fruity drink for you but you'll need it because it was so hot and humid just in the lobby. There were no fans or air conditioner in the direct lobby.
At check-in they gave you one key for the room, two cards to get towels at the beach and a key that that once you got inside the room you insert for power. That's right if you didn't have the key which looks like a credit card you had no power whatsoever in the room. So needless to say we were already hot and had to enter a hot room as well. Once we got into our room which was not the sea view we wanted but the agent didn't guarantee it either the room was disappointing.
There were cracks in the walls and tiles, no wash clothes, no iron or ironing board, my curling irons and lap top would not fit in the plugs even though they were suppose too(we tried to buy a adapter but they didn't have the write ones), there is no internet service in the room you must used the three stations in the lobby and you have to purchase an internet card $6.00 or $10.00, paint was chipped throughout the room, the fridge is not a mini bar but they do have water, cokes and 7up inside.
There is no wash room so if you want your clothes washed or pressed you have to send them out most of the time you get them back within a few hours but it's another expense that we didn't know about. Our room had a nice view of the mountains and the grounds were beautiful. The service was excellent and the entire staff was helpful, pleasant and informative.
The food was nothing to write home about in fact the best meals that we had were by the pool and that was at lunch time. One other meal we had which was fabulous was on one of the tours we went on which we had a chance to eat local food which is one of the reasons we went. The dining facility were the buffet meals were served was hot, hot, hot! There were no fans and no a/c! Talk about hurrying up to eat. You couldn't even enjoy yourself we couldn't figure out how the staff did it everyday but they always had a smile on their faces.
The staff that was in charge of the daily activities were fabulous their energy level was always high. We recommend if you take any tours try the outback safari tour we had Eddy and Papi as our guide and driver they were outstanding and also if you like water sports the aquatic tour on this tour you get to drive your own speed boat and go snorkeling. Yeah baby! I can't remember our guides name but he was excellent! It rain a few times while we were there but it felt good although it was hotter than heck afterwards it was fine.
We also managed to do so shopping and I got some really good deals just be prepared to walk away and they'll come after you. We met a few couples while we were there and they were lovely so don't be afraid to talk to people. On the day we were leaving something happen to the bus so he had to wait at least an hour longer for pick up but since we had meet people it wasn't so bad and one of the couples was going our way so it was a pleasant wait. Then when it was time to load up that they didn't have enough room for our bags which didn't make any since.
So Emma was calling around trying to get a taxi to take our bags to the airport at first she said one of us would have to ride in the taxi with the bags and I wasn't having it so in the end our bags ended up in the taxi and all four of us on the bus. Emma was very apologetic. Once we got to the airport which we still made it there early we were going to get something to eat but we found out that the cash machines (two) were out of money and this was at 2:00pm. Luckily one of the eating places took credit cards. Over all the trip was nice, the shows were good, the staff amazing and day trips excellent! We had the best beach according to other couples who were staying in the area (it was excellent). We felt that certain things should have been standard items such as the wash cloth's and iron/ironing board considering down the road at other resorts that were smaller had them.
We recommend that if you stay there take these items with you and also mosquito repellent, pack lightly such as shorts, tanks, swim wear and a couple of casual outfits. They have Ala cart' restaurants (which we only recommend the Mexican, the rest no! and they say there's a dress code but most people didn’t follow it and it wasn't enforced we made the effort.
One more thing, if you're going to eat at the ala cart restaurants you have to book in advance meaning you should start lining up about 7am but be aware that you're not booking for that day you'll be booking for further in the week once you book they give you a ticket which you need to present when you arrive at that particular restaurant so don't think you can just eat anywhere you like.
We only went for 7 days we feel 14 days is too long. We will not be going back to this resort but we would go back to the Dominican Republic.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" Classic Holiday!! Flew from Gatwick... "
Submitted By: Mr Ben And Gemma
Classic Holiday!! Flew from Gatwick didn’t know we would be stopping in Manchester to pick up more passengers. Annoyed about that as the waiting on the ground was hours. Had to emergency stop in Bermuda again another hour or two waiting. Arrived La Romana after about 14 hours on the plane. Nice airport. Good organisation to the buses but keep hold of your bags unless you want to tip the porters.
Bus journey was a rollercoaster that went for 2 hours. Buses overtake other buses. Sometimes on blind corners. We passed a upside down lorry 5 mins outside the airport. Everyone is nuts behind the wheel I’ve never seen anything like it. Made me laugh all the way.
Arrived at hotel and was very impressed. It was raining hard and everywhere was well sheltered so we didn’t get soaked as we thought. Check in very quick and bags delivered to room.
Our room had a strong smell of bleach and the toilet ceiling was falling in bad. Bath wasn’t the cleanest and the bed wasn’t as good as mine at home.
Food was ok but really the same stuff every day. Glad I went only for a week as I couldn’t do 2 weeks on the same food as the buffets. Breakfast was best meal everyday. Didn’t bother queuing up to book for the restaurants. Looked stressful and that’s not needed on hols.
Drinks are ok but cocktails sometimes don’t have alcohol in them. Bar staff are so much better and helpful when tipped.
Beach was amazing. The sea was clear blue and hot but a bit rough most the time. Plenty of women over exposing themselves on the beach and pool sides. Very nice, but I caught an eyeful of a large women 'all hanging out' as I was eating my lunch in the restaurant! Very off putting.
We did 2 day trips and both were really based on drinking rum all day which is great. safari trip. And boating out to an island. Both were very good fun.
Dominican locals are very, very friendly helpful nice people. I haven’t a bad thing to say about them or the hotel staff.
Overall a great holiday with the only really bad thing being not told about stopping in Manchester which we had to on the way home too. Hotel is very good but more 4 star than 5. But given the DR is 3rd world then Its top class hotel. We will go back to the DR but will try a different hotel. One last thing. Its very hot all day long and night. Really nice.
Ben And Gemma 26 year olds.
Bus journey was a rollercoaster that went for 2 hours. Buses overtake other buses. Sometimes on blind corners. We passed a upside down lorry 5 mins outside the airport. Everyone is nuts behind the wheel I’ve never seen anything like it. Made me laugh all the way.
Arrived at hotel and was very impressed. It was raining hard and everywhere was well sheltered so we didn’t get soaked as we thought. Check in very quick and bags delivered to room.
Our room had a strong smell of bleach and the toilet ceiling was falling in bad. Bath wasn’t the cleanest and the bed wasn’t as good as mine at home.
Food was ok but really the same stuff every day. Glad I went only for a week as I couldn’t do 2 weeks on the same food as the buffets. Breakfast was best meal everyday. Didn’t bother queuing up to book for the restaurants. Looked stressful and that’s not needed on hols.
Drinks are ok but cocktails sometimes don’t have alcohol in them. Bar staff are so much better and helpful when tipped.
Beach was amazing. The sea was clear blue and hot but a bit rough most the time. Plenty of women over exposing themselves on the beach and pool sides. Very nice, but I caught an eyeful of a large women 'all hanging out' as I was eating my lunch in the restaurant! Very off putting.
We did 2 day trips and both were really based on drinking rum all day which is great. safari trip. And boating out to an island. Both were very good fun.
Dominican locals are very, very friendly helpful nice people. I haven’t a bad thing to say about them or the hotel staff.
Overall a great holiday with the only really bad thing being not told about stopping in Manchester which we had to on the way home too. Hotel is very good but more 4 star than 5. But given the DR is 3rd world then Its top class hotel. We will go back to the DR but will try a different hotel. One last thing. Its very hot all day long and night. Really nice.
Ben And Gemma 26 year olds.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
" The only down side to this holiday... "
Submitted By: Miss E Dickinson
The only down side to this holiday was the bus ride to and from the airport, roads are terrible pot holes everywhere (made even worse when it rained), mad drivers in built up areas and no organised traffic.
Apart from that me and my Fiancé had a brilliant time. We have no complaints about the resort whatsoever. It was like paradise.
The buffet food was amazing so much choice, hot and cold and different every night (we were there for 2 weeks). The choice of restaurants were great but they were a little bit too humid inside needed extra air conditioning but food was great.
Also all you can drink, cocktails were lovely.
The pool was one big pool that seemed to stretch for ages. There was entertainment by the pool and if you are not interested in that, (like us) then just go to the other side of the pool and you couldn’t hear them.
The beach was out of this world it was better than what you could even imagine when you are actually there it is breath taking. The beach must have been combed every day because I went looking for shells and could not find any I had to go out of the resort a bit to find them but you do so at your own risk as you get lots of shop keepers trying to hassle you to come into their shop and buy as they are situated on the beach out of the hotel boundaries.
One thing I will tell you do not shop at the shops on the resort they are extremely over priced for what you can get at the duty free at the airport, and there is one shop on the beach to the left that is cheap and ok and don’t hassle you.
Coral was only a few feet away from the shore and the sea was crystal clear, take a banana in with you break it up near the coral and watch the fish come for it, take your free snorkelling gear with you from the hire huts.
A couple of days when it was a little windier the sea was murky and you could not see a thing but instead we went on a banana boat and canoes, it was great fun.
The staff was very helpful and maids came in every day to clean and stock up and change your towels. Bar men were great it was my birthday while we was out there, we swam with the sharks and rays which is highly recommended excursion to go on, and I cant swim but it was brilliant, when we got back we told our favourite bar man it was my birthday
and we got a free bottle of champagne.
Entertainment on the night was good and there were a couple of acts you could watch in various locations.
And one thing I will suggest is take plenty of mosquito repellent, everything and anything you can get your hands on to take before you get out there.
Overall there is a lot to do and see at this resort because it is so big the staff are great, food was great, clean rooms and we are now thinking of going back next year to get married there.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RESORT.
Apart from that me and my Fiancé had a brilliant time. We have no complaints about the resort whatsoever. It was like paradise.
The buffet food was amazing so much choice, hot and cold and different every night (we were there for 2 weeks). The choice of restaurants were great but they were a little bit too humid inside needed extra air conditioning but food was great.
Also all you can drink, cocktails were lovely.
The pool was one big pool that seemed to stretch for ages. There was entertainment by the pool and if you are not interested in that, (like us) then just go to the other side of the pool and you couldn’t hear them.
The beach was out of this world it was better than what you could even imagine when you are actually there it is breath taking. The beach must have been combed every day because I went looking for shells and could not find any I had to go out of the resort a bit to find them but you do so at your own risk as you get lots of shop keepers trying to hassle you to come into their shop and buy as they are situated on the beach out of the hotel boundaries.
One thing I will tell you do not shop at the shops on the resort they are extremely over priced for what you can get at the duty free at the airport, and there is one shop on the beach to the left that is cheap and ok and don’t hassle you.
Coral was only a few feet away from the shore and the sea was crystal clear, take a banana in with you break it up near the coral and watch the fish come for it, take your free snorkelling gear with you from the hire huts.
A couple of days when it was a little windier the sea was murky and you could not see a thing but instead we went on a banana boat and canoes, it was great fun.
The staff was very helpful and maids came in every day to clean and stock up and change your towels. Bar men were great it was my birthday while we was out there, we swam with the sharks and rays which is highly recommended excursion to go on, and I cant swim but it was brilliant, when we got back we told our favourite bar man it was my birthday
and we got a free bottle of champagne.
Entertainment on the night was good and there were a couple of acts you could watch in various locations.
And one thing I will suggest is take plenty of mosquito repellent, everything and anything you can get your hands on to take before you get out there.
Overall there is a lot to do and see at this resort because it is so big the staff are great, food was great, clean rooms and we are now thinking of going back next year to get married there.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RESORT.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" Fantastic resort, staff friendly,... "
Submitted By: Miss M Hamish
Fantastic resort, staff friendly, food lovely, and beautiful surroundings. First class hotel!
The journey from the airport is rather long and we experienced a few problems along the way. i.e. Coach broke down and flooding made the roads dirt tracks with pot holes.
Overall though, excellent holiday and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing holiday in the Dominican Republic.
The journey from the airport is rather long and we experienced a few problems along the way. i.e. Coach broke down and flooding made the roads dirt tracks with pot holes.
Overall though, excellent holiday and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing holiday in the Dominican Republic.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
" Overall ok, food wasn’t great not... "
Submitted By: Mrs N Jones
Overall ok, food wasn’t great not much choice mostly salads. Entertainment poor we were there for two weeks and had one good night. Half of the staff were friendly and polite the other half very miserable. If you get chance the boogie cars were great. A great way to see the Dominican. The pool was cleaned but there was bugs and dead skin in at all time, once there was vomit in there and was still there hours later.
<br>
We spent £150+ at the doctors with mosquito bites they were terrible and we had taken a plug in repellent for the room and sun cream with repellent. <br>
<br>
We spent £150+ at the doctors with mosquito bites they were terrible and we had taken a plug in repellent for the room and sun cream with repellent. <br>
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" In February, my fourteen-year-old... "
Submitted By:
In February, my fourteen-year-old daughter and I went to the Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort, which was situated in the Dominican Republic. We had an excellent time, before we went away we were a little worried by some of the reviews we had read about our chosen resort.
Although alarm bells started to ring on the outbound flight the fortnight we had at the resort was excellent. Regarding the flight I paid a £70 upgrade for us both to get extra leg room (I am registered disabled having arthritis and after a bad accident having part of my knee cap removed and therefore have restricted movement). As I have always been spoiled flying to the USA with Virgin Atlantic it was a shock using a basic no frills airline that were intent on screwing every last penny out of you even charging for water and coffee! It turned out that the seats that we had paid extra for were right next door to the toilets and throughout the flight I was disturbed by people knocking and walking over my feet. The flight seemed like an eternity because of the operator and although I will go back to the country and probably the resort, next time I will fly to the USA using Virgin have a week or two in America and then get a shorter flight using an American airline to the Dominican.
Arriving at Punta Cana airport from the UK, there was dedicated staff at the airport removing from us $10 US each for the entry visa. Be aware, on the way out you need to pay $20 US per person otherwise they will not let you leave!
A lot of passengers were tired and had small children and like us had travelled for more than twelve hours'. So what followed next was not welcomed. The most appalling airport 'scramble' for cases and for available trolleys - Punta Cana airport it seems was attempting to cope with more than 1000+ passengers and luggage from all nations...say no more. The taking away of the occupied luggage trolley out of the airport door prior to the exit of the airport was forbidden but it turned out that trolleys were not needed as the walk from the baggage reclaim area to the front of the airport and holiday rep was very short and the subsequent walk to the welcomed air conditioned bus was even shorter.
After the usual long tiring journey to the resort, it took well over one hour on roads, which were so bad you would believe that you had arrived in war torn Beruit or Iraq. I have never seen potholes so big. The Rep informing all visitors not to hire a car because the Island residents were not licensed or insured informing us that holding a bottle of rum was the equivalent of a licence. We therefore were extremely pleased to reach the hotel.
The first view of the hotel was quite impressive, with the large airy foyer and immaculate grounds. Check-in was fairly routine but very quick despite three coach loads of tourists arriving within the space of ten minutes. By the time we arrived we just wanted to get to our room. We checked in and you can leave your luggage in reception for the Porter to take to your room. The bellboy who was very cheerful considering the amount of luggage he had to shift delivered our luggage to our room within minutes. Upon arriving on the island you can plainly see the poverty of what still is a third world country. We were informed that wages are very poor, finding out later after speaking to very friendly members of staff they are paid only $100 - $150 US per month. So on giving our porter a $10 US tip the smile on his face was huge and well worth every cent and every time we saw him during the next two weeks he always enquired if we were having a great time and was there anything he could do to make our holiday more enjoyable. Again as we later found out the customer service relationship was superb even if you didn’t tip the staff. You will find all staff there are friendly and always smile and say 'olla' All of the staff seemed to make a fuss of the children.
Our room was spacious and airy with two double beds, en-suite bathroom mini-bar (no alcohol) and balcony with a sea view. It was kept very clean during our stay being cleaned everyday and we were given fresh towels all the time. Our ‘maid’ was called Lorenzo, he was 25 and already had 5 children, and he must have had his first when he was thirteen! Again a $15 US tip at the start of the holiday saw him treat both myself and my daughter like visiting royalty however after speaking to other guests I don’t feel as though we were treated any differently to other guests. A few days where I wanted to keep out of the sun and on days that my daughter wanted a break out of it he would come back two or three times a day and replenish the mini bar (soft drinks only). My litre duty free bottle of Irish did just about last the two weeks! One day we had Swans on our bed made up of shower towels from Lorenzo, which was a nice, little touch.
As our body clocks had not had chance to adjust to Dominican time we went to bed almost immediately and woke early on our first day. This allowed us to tour the hotel grounds and beach. The grounds are very well kept, as is the beach (a walk along the beach in either direction will show how much cleaner the hotel beach area is). The pool is a good size with nice shallow areas for the children and two bars that you can swim up to.
The hotel was quite busy during our holiday, which meant there was a shortage of sunbeds. Some mornings you could still get one by 9:00 am other mornings the all seemed to be occupied by 08:15. Most of the palopas on the beach were taken by 08:00 or so. The resort has planted additional palms that are lower to the ground to provide shade.
The weather was very good with a couple of good storms in the evening. Two days were overcast but otherwise it was hot and sunny.
The shops attached to the front of the hotel are very expensive with limited choice. The medical facilities were excellent as I can vouch for as despite using plenty of sun block I got extremely sunburnt on my ankle and leg on only the second day. (The doctor put it down to medication that I was already taking – so people on medication beware – speak to your GP). However after a couple of injections over a couple of days and loads of anti-histamine cream I was soon on the mend.
Some of the themed restaurants were very disappointing. In the Pizza/ Italian they had limited menus and below average food. However the Chinese, Mexican and Steakhouse restaurants were excellent. Sadly after ten days of the fortnight we got fed up eating and drinking, I suppose that happens when you go all inclusive! The booking system for the restaurants is awkward, having to queue at two points in the reception area during breakfast time, and having to book a night or two in advance. But generally the feedback from other guests was that they could dine either that night or the following night where they wanted (if they were going to the themed restaurants). The two very spacious buffet
Restaurants were also used for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the variety of food was excellent. Starters, main courses sweets coffee as much as you wanted and most countries dishes to suit all tastes and generally of a very good standard.
The hotel is not a 5 star hotel by European or North American standards but can this be expected in a third world country? Having not stayed in the Dom Rep before I have nothing to compare this hotel to. Although I have mentioned some negatives, the positives of the helpful staff, good location, hotel and grounds, beach and weather all made our stay very enjoyable. My daughter loved every minute and misses the friends she made whilst on holiday.
During the daytime you can do a lot or you can do very little, we went for the very little option as we were just in such a chilling mood in the sun.
We spent our days on the beach, by the pool which was magnificent or on very long late afternoon walks on the beach in either direction. The beaches were deserted; it was like being on a desert island. Jurassic Park was also filmed nearby. The sea was turquoise blue and very clean. This Serenis Cocatal resort itself in my opinion has one of the best, safest and most beautiful beaches on the island
The poolside is nice with many sun beds with plenty of cover all around. The pool itself is very big and has 2 bars in it were you can chill out and have a few drinks up until 6pm when the pool closes. We spent most of our time on the beach its great with lots of space. Water sports and snorkelling gear is at hand which is good as there are some nice fish to see all around the coral.
At one of the many bars there was a very extensive choice of drinks, cocktails, soft drinks spirits, coffees and much more, the bar staff were mainly male all of which had a wicked sense of humour and all had the eye for the pretty ladies.
Evenings were good as you could go watch a show or even go to the on sight Casino or even just chill and chat away too many people. It’s a real nice feeling there as everyone gets on and you always seem to have people saying hi.
We also went on two ‘day-trips’. The first I re-named the booze cruise, drinking very strong rum punch while on a sail boat then a bit of snorkelling, sunbathing on another deserted beach then a boat ride back to the main area where the music was loud, the dancing was wild and the women who somehow out numbered the men 3-1 left little to the imagination!
The other trip we went on was similar to another area and deserted island and both trips were certainly worth the extra money ($150 US for the both of us) and broke up the ‘monotony’ of the all inclusive resort.
The day before we were due to leave we had a note shoved under the door from the rep. The note stated that the plane that was due to take us home had to be serviced and a replacement plane from another airline would be used. The downside was that we were going to be delayed by nine hours. At the start of the holiday if you had asked me if I would like 15 days of an all-inclusive holiday for the price of 14, I probably would have said yes. But having to check out of the room early (we did a deal with Lorenzo and it was one of the last rooms he did that day meant that we stopped in the room being able to shower and chill out whilst fellow passengers got hot in the reception!) Having to wait a few more hours at the airport where the facilities were awful, then getting back in the UK nine hours late meant hitting the M25 during the evening rush hour and delaying the onward journey home to the Midlands was an absolute pain.
Would we return? Maybe but as I said earlier not flying from the UK or using My Travel! Would we recommend this resort to a friend? Yes.
Although alarm bells started to ring on the outbound flight the fortnight we had at the resort was excellent. Regarding the flight I paid a £70 upgrade for us both to get extra leg room (I am registered disabled having arthritis and after a bad accident having part of my knee cap removed and therefore have restricted movement). As I have always been spoiled flying to the USA with Virgin Atlantic it was a shock using a basic no frills airline that were intent on screwing every last penny out of you even charging for water and coffee! It turned out that the seats that we had paid extra for were right next door to the toilets and throughout the flight I was disturbed by people knocking and walking over my feet. The flight seemed like an eternity because of the operator and although I will go back to the country and probably the resort, next time I will fly to the USA using Virgin have a week or two in America and then get a shorter flight using an American airline to the Dominican.
Arriving at Punta Cana airport from the UK, there was dedicated staff at the airport removing from us $10 US each for the entry visa. Be aware, on the way out you need to pay $20 US per person otherwise they will not let you leave!
A lot of passengers were tired and had small children and like us had travelled for more than twelve hours'. So what followed next was not welcomed. The most appalling airport 'scramble' for cases and for available trolleys - Punta Cana airport it seems was attempting to cope with more than 1000+ passengers and luggage from all nations...say no more. The taking away of the occupied luggage trolley out of the airport door prior to the exit of the airport was forbidden but it turned out that trolleys were not needed as the walk from the baggage reclaim area to the front of the airport and holiday rep was very short and the subsequent walk to the welcomed air conditioned bus was even shorter.
After the usual long tiring journey to the resort, it took well over one hour on roads, which were so bad you would believe that you had arrived in war torn Beruit or Iraq. I have never seen potholes so big. The Rep informing all visitors not to hire a car because the Island residents were not licensed or insured informing us that holding a bottle of rum was the equivalent of a licence. We therefore were extremely pleased to reach the hotel.
The first view of the hotel was quite impressive, with the large airy foyer and immaculate grounds. Check-in was fairly routine but very quick despite three coach loads of tourists arriving within the space of ten minutes. By the time we arrived we just wanted to get to our room. We checked in and you can leave your luggage in reception for the Porter to take to your room. The bellboy who was very cheerful considering the amount of luggage he had to shift delivered our luggage to our room within minutes. Upon arriving on the island you can plainly see the poverty of what still is a third world country. We were informed that wages are very poor, finding out later after speaking to very friendly members of staff they are paid only $100 - $150 US per month. So on giving our porter a $10 US tip the smile on his face was huge and well worth every cent and every time we saw him during the next two weeks he always enquired if we were having a great time and was there anything he could do to make our holiday more enjoyable. Again as we later found out the customer service relationship was superb even if you didn’t tip the staff. You will find all staff there are friendly and always smile and say 'olla' All of the staff seemed to make a fuss of the children.
Our room was spacious and airy with two double beds, en-suite bathroom mini-bar (no alcohol) and balcony with a sea view. It was kept very clean during our stay being cleaned everyday and we were given fresh towels all the time. Our ‘maid’ was called Lorenzo, he was 25 and already had 5 children, and he must have had his first when he was thirteen! Again a $15 US tip at the start of the holiday saw him treat both myself and my daughter like visiting royalty however after speaking to other guests I don’t feel as though we were treated any differently to other guests. A few days where I wanted to keep out of the sun and on days that my daughter wanted a break out of it he would come back two or three times a day and replenish the mini bar (soft drinks only). My litre duty free bottle of Irish did just about last the two weeks! One day we had Swans on our bed made up of shower towels from Lorenzo, which was a nice, little touch.
As our body clocks had not had chance to adjust to Dominican time we went to bed almost immediately and woke early on our first day. This allowed us to tour the hotel grounds and beach. The grounds are very well kept, as is the beach (a walk along the beach in either direction will show how much cleaner the hotel beach area is). The pool is a good size with nice shallow areas for the children and two bars that you can swim up to.
The hotel was quite busy during our holiday, which meant there was a shortage of sunbeds. Some mornings you could still get one by 9:00 am other mornings the all seemed to be occupied by 08:15. Most of the palopas on the beach were taken by 08:00 or so. The resort has planted additional palms that are lower to the ground to provide shade.
The weather was very good with a couple of good storms in the evening. Two days were overcast but otherwise it was hot and sunny.
The shops attached to the front of the hotel are very expensive with limited choice. The medical facilities were excellent as I can vouch for as despite using plenty of sun block I got extremely sunburnt on my ankle and leg on only the second day. (The doctor put it down to medication that I was already taking – so people on medication beware – speak to your GP). However after a couple of injections over a couple of days and loads of anti-histamine cream I was soon on the mend.
Some of the themed restaurants were very disappointing. In the Pizza/ Italian they had limited menus and below average food. However the Chinese, Mexican and Steakhouse restaurants were excellent. Sadly after ten days of the fortnight we got fed up eating and drinking, I suppose that happens when you go all inclusive! The booking system for the restaurants is awkward, having to queue at two points in the reception area during breakfast time, and having to book a night or two in advance. But generally the feedback from other guests was that they could dine either that night or the following night where they wanted (if they were going to the themed restaurants). The two very spacious buffet
Restaurants were also used for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the variety of food was excellent. Starters, main courses sweets coffee as much as you wanted and most countries dishes to suit all tastes and generally of a very good standard.
The hotel is not a 5 star hotel by European or North American standards but can this be expected in a third world country? Having not stayed in the Dom Rep before I have nothing to compare this hotel to. Although I have mentioned some negatives, the positives of the helpful staff, good location, hotel and grounds, beach and weather all made our stay very enjoyable. My daughter loved every minute and misses the friends she made whilst on holiday.
During the daytime you can do a lot or you can do very little, we went for the very little option as we were just in such a chilling mood in the sun.
We spent our days on the beach, by the pool which was magnificent or on very long late afternoon walks on the beach in either direction. The beaches were deserted; it was like being on a desert island. Jurassic Park was also filmed nearby. The sea was turquoise blue and very clean. This Serenis Cocatal resort itself in my opinion has one of the best, safest and most beautiful beaches on the island
The poolside is nice with many sun beds with plenty of cover all around. The pool itself is very big and has 2 bars in it were you can chill out and have a few drinks up until 6pm when the pool closes. We spent most of our time on the beach its great with lots of space. Water sports and snorkelling gear is at hand which is good as there are some nice fish to see all around the coral.
At one of the many bars there was a very extensive choice of drinks, cocktails, soft drinks spirits, coffees and much more, the bar staff were mainly male all of which had a wicked sense of humour and all had the eye for the pretty ladies.
Evenings were good as you could go watch a show or even go to the on sight Casino or even just chill and chat away too many people. It’s a real nice feeling there as everyone gets on and you always seem to have people saying hi.
We also went on two ‘day-trips’. The first I re-named the booze cruise, drinking very strong rum punch while on a sail boat then a bit of snorkelling, sunbathing on another deserted beach then a boat ride back to the main area where the music was loud, the dancing was wild and the women who somehow out numbered the men 3-1 left little to the imagination!
The other trip we went on was similar to another area and deserted island and both trips were certainly worth the extra money ($150 US for the both of us) and broke up the ‘monotony’ of the all inclusive resort.
The day before we were due to leave we had a note shoved under the door from the rep. The note stated that the plane that was due to take us home had to be serviced and a replacement plane from another airline would be used. The downside was that we were going to be delayed by nine hours. At the start of the holiday if you had asked me if I would like 15 days of an all-inclusive holiday for the price of 14, I probably would have said yes. But having to check out of the room early (we did a deal with Lorenzo and it was one of the last rooms he did that day meant that we stopped in the room being able to shower and chill out whilst fellow passengers got hot in the reception!) Having to wait a few more hours at the airport where the facilities were awful, then getting back in the UK nine hours late meant hitting the M25 during the evening rush hour and delaying the onward journey home to the Midlands was an absolute pain.
Would we return? Maybe but as I said earlier not flying from the UK or using My Travel! Would we recommend this resort to a friend? Yes.
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2004
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
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We stayed her for two weeks 10th of june - 24th june 2009 leanne 29 and rob 26 years
The staff are very friendly always eager and on hand to help not all can speak english that well but you will find a few who can, but they still do their best.
ARRIVAL
also you must pay a tax to enter the country of $10 each and when leaving $20.00 dollars each so make sure save some money for the return trip your deposit for your deposit box will cover most of it.
On arriving checking in found it very quick you do however as most places have to pay deposit for safe in room untill end of holiday which is advisable just for safe measure but i must admit left our bags on the beach and pool on their own with no problems. They also have dancers which perform for you with a drink while you check in hospitality is at its best here.
ACCOMODATION
The tropical side are suites which comprises of living room basic ,a bathroom and large double bedroom and air con advisable at night to shut door to bedroom for best use of the air con, Mosquitos there are alot there if you suffer with getting bit you will def get bit here. doctor advised a 95% deet in the repellent and as we usually get bit we only got bit when didnt use it. The maids are great they keep everything clean and bathroom looks lovelly ( you will have to see !surprise) can tip if you wish
leave by television. A bonus here alot of american channels great movies.
UPGRADES
You can also upgrade such as the main disco is not included in the all inclusive package so if you pay $5 dollars each a day for the rest of your stay though,cant just do for one night you will get another band and free drinks in disco as drinks in disco are $5 dollars each and you drink 5 then you can see the saving. there are many other extra packages the one we did for the last four days as a treat to ourselves as had some money left over we moved to the cocotal part of the building to a suite with jacuzzi free top up of booze in room a romantic meal for one of the nights a lobster meal on the beach it was beautiful and watch the sun set the waiters were on us hand and foot a brilliant.free laundry which is expensive, free room service which on them dodgey days of booze night before last thing want to do is fave people downstairs in canteen. there are many others but no first hand experience. there is also a presidential suite which im hoping to have for wedding next year. there are upgrades frp
MONEY
Money is another thing we decided to get pasos which is their money for the dominican but everything over there is done in dollars so better to get dollars. Also make sure you barter with the locals for jewellery pictures anything trust me they tripple everything epecially if english lol
FOOD AND DRINK
Food at the hotel is fantastic such a wide range of food to suit everyone healthy to greasy lol will find something to suit everyone.
you may suffer with a bit of loose stools but its probably to do with the change of food we had that but no stomach ache. would not drink to much coconut or pineapple drinks not if heavy drinking anyway as water infections and they a natural laxative lol. the reps told us at meeting possible if get a bad stomach it might be to do with dehydration when was the time you suffered with stomach pain from that seemed to me they said it to cover themselves.
EXCURSIONS
Also they may tell you not to go with locals for excursions as they have no insurance this is not true and some of the best excursions i have been on have not been with the reps and the reps are more costly.
If you go down by the pool there is francis who always wheres a horse t shirt if try to lower price he will can haggle a little.
Im an excursion queen first thing i do when get to hotel is find out reps deals and if locals are safe then theirs. i can assure you that they are.
the definite musts of the holiday if cant afford to do it all is 1/$40 each Catilina island which if you like snorkeling and getting a real feel for marine life this is an amazing place to do this did not realise how many colour fish had teeth but dont break skin lol such an array of fish i had never seen before or colours make sure take bread rolls from canteen stuff them in bag dont let them see as they dont like you taking food out of canteen. more the better the people that did not do this saw less and if diving make sure take bread as they do not supply it as a rule and you will find you wont see as many fish. It was like paradise underwater. 2/ speedboats $110 betweenus half a day but what a day. racing across the coastline for sometime then tie the boats up in open water and snorkeling which they provide and went with thomas cook and the locals did this trip twice. the best one was the locals with francis (horse t shirt BY POOL) as they had more one on one time for you took me and partner we held starfish felt coral held and saw other strange creatures that never seen before. amazing!! take bread !! arrive by coach well lorries with no windows lol litterally like the lilt advert open top bus. cool breeze though!!. 3/ the ultimate experience has to be swimming with dolphins a 1/2 day trip and something worth paying for approx $180 dollars but worth every penny thats for both of us. thing to be wary of the tour operators say that wwf does not agree with the locals we have large penns out at sea but would prefer you to spend an extra $300 dollars each to fly to ocean world- it maybe me but what is the difference from an animal trapped in concrete in ocean world to being a penn in the sea? where is the dividing line?? you also get to snorkel with rays and vegetarian sharks huge these are! BIGGEST FISH I HAVE SEEN! 4/ Be weary of the buggy and quad trips there are different ones as reps dont usually do these trips as too many injuries but i can assure you the one i went on cost $120 for two of us and we drove to the beach stopped off at beach and drove back and spent most of the time in a que no fun what so ever. 5/ alot of people said the megatrucks were good who went on but we did not do that excursion. there is also only one shopping trip and thats available on a tuesday with thomas cook. 6/ swimming and snorkeling with rays and sharks with thomas cook also very good but remember if on budget go to the locals.
WHAT TO DO
there are so many activities to do as excursions i have not named all. we found ourselves as usually party people stay awake at night sleep all we wanted to be awake in the day not to miss a day and some nights be in bed by eight from the activities of the day. This hotel is what you make it you can just laze in the sun or you can get involved with the games they have running at different parts of day or mad for it excursions like me.
SWIMMING POOL
this has a small swim up bar with approx four stools but the pool is the largest pool i have ever seen all different depths and even the tallest of you will be happy you cant touch the floor in some parts upto 7ft7 in places. Its kept very clean with loads of sun loungers and the beach right next to it.
THE BEACH
the carribbean has to be the place for its puriest fine grain sand and light blue oceans with a tropical breeze and you can feel the satin beneath your feet as you walk amongst the tall shaded palm trees you even have waiters sometimes pass and they will get you a drink while you watch the world go by and catch up on your tan, very hot out there so becareful so many people had been burnt the first day looked like lobsters!!!
SPA & CASINO
The spa offers a gym and massage treatments rangeing from $25.00 upwards but massages are brilliant if been for a two hour gallop on horse back which i absolutely loved then need it for the aches and pains. The jacuzzi was luke warm not as hot as we have here and the long bath had many jets but it was freezing i suppose as its always hot out there they prefer it but again excellent service and lovelly staff they may have had other amenities but this is just what i experienced.
The casino quite a small one but none the less still two roulette tables and black jack and poker the usual and to be served by a waitress as you play without having to get up. about fifteen bandits. you only get free drinks in the casino in your all inclusive if you play the table and machines.
ENTERTAINMENT
we missed most of the evenings from being to tired from the day but they did have childrens stage shows on about 7pm and then the older entertainment from 9.30 which would include spanish dancing one night then mama mia grease and hypnotists all sorts for the whole family. thomas cook quiz night.
Advice: beautiful
Activities: lobester dinner on beach
Good for: Beach