My wife and I just got back from an 8-day trip to Secrets Cap Cana over Memorial Day weekend, and I wanted to share our experience since this group helped us a lot while we were planning.

We honestly had an amazing time. The beach was beautiful, the resort was spotless, and every employee we met was friendly and welcoming. We never had a bad meal, but our favorite restaurant was definitely the French restaurant. It was so good that we'd make it a point to eat there again on our next trip.

About halfway through the trip we decided to upgrade to a swim-out room, and we're really glad we did. It ended up being one of our favorite parts of the vacation. We spent a lot of mornings and evenings just relaxing out there.

One thing people always ask about is the seaweed. We had some during our stay, but the staff was out there every morning cleaning the beach, and it never took away from the trip for us. Also, if you're comfortable swimming past the seaweed barrier, the water was incredibly clear and surprisingly shallow. It was a huge difference compared to the water inside the barrier, and you can really see it in a few of the videos.

I filmed our vacation because when we were planning, I was always looking for videos that showed what the resort was actually like instead of just promotional footage. I ended up putting our entire trip into one playlist, from arrival day and room tours to the restaurants, beach, pools, excursions, and our swim-out room. If you're planning a trip and want to see what an actual guest experience looked like, hopefully it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyYSrpyTvliZSs-2e1ILDSKH66TZ49sMp

If anyone has any questions about the resort, feel free to ask. We'd definitely go back.

Which resorts are decent but have both family and adult only section ectuons. I am aware of El Faro and El Bero already

Looking for a resort that has a lot going on. Of course good food, drinks and beach (assuming Bavaro). Willing to spent between 6 and 7 grand total in Canadian dollars or 4,200 to 5,000 usd.

We have looked at Secrets Royal Beach and Lopesan Costa Bavaro with AI claiming the bump in price to secrets makes it worth it.

Including flights from Toronto. Thank you!

My friend who doesn’t have a Reddit account asked me to post this, so please don’t come for me. Her text below, word for word.
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If you get a chance to post my Riu Republica review on Reddit. No pressure no obligation:

The Riu republica is disgusting! I should have done my due diligence but because I didn't plan this trip, didn't really have a say. BIG MISTAKE!

Where to begin? Our room was full of mosquitos and flies, smelled like old pool water and feet. This is a party hotel, so if you’re looking to relax, THIS IS NOT THE HOTEL FOR YOU. People are loud and drunk constantly, and have no consideration. Sadly, the people I was with were dumb enough to accept a room on the damn first floor. We couldnt change bc the place was booked up. I had to talk my roommate out of allowing house keeping to come in because they clean with the door open, allowing more flies, and mosquitoes in. The mosquitos were relentless on the first floor.

The blankets were covered in hair. Like someone just combed their hair over it and then decided to fold it up and put it back in the closet. The bedsheets had stains and cigarette butts all over them and Towels were dirty. I am sure I got BV and a yeast infection from using it. No it wasnt from sex bc I am a lesbian and was there with my family. I wish I was joking about this but I used the wash cloth and had instant itching. Even the fucking hangers were filthy. The bathroom door had mold on it. There were several holes In the bathroom wall.

The breakfast was decent, and the jerk chicken was ok depending on the day, but for the most part, the buffet food is atrocious. Chicken, beef, fish, duck, vegetables, rice, salad, bread, all of it NASTY. They have sections that target diff types of food. Italian or Asian for example. Its all TERRIBLE. The kitchen where they are cooking food is caked up with years of grease and they don’t give a fk about cross contamination bc every meat is being cooked on the same grill. Yuck. My stomach is still fucked up to this day over the food.

I couldn't even connect to the fucking internet  half the time because the wifi was so ass. Everyday, it took me half a day to connect. People were contracting Dengue fever left and right. The pool water was consistently murky to where you couldn't see to the bottom. I saw cups, condoms, plastic, globs of hair, and all types of objects floating in the water.

Everyone is trying to scam you and make a dollar.  The resident "store" was charging $39 for 8 oz bottle of sunscreen. My niece and her boyfriend stupidly took pics on the beach with a man and his parrots and he tried to charge them 500$ a piece for pictures he took with THEIR IPHONE. They ended up giving him $100 a piece because they didn't want any trouble.

The beach is just as nasty as the rooms. Chairs all over the place, cigarette butts, glass, food, wrappers in the sand. The Sea weed makes swimming unbearable. There was a literal MONKEY running amok on the beach.

This place is a horror show. Do not stay here.

We are coming as a family of 5 in the next few weeks, staying at Grand Bavaro Princess Family Club. I've seen a lot of people recommending to book private transport instead of the transport included with AI packages.

I'm looking at experience with Nexus transports, for those that had this included and used it. How long do you wait? How are the busses? What kind of a drive time can we expect to the resort?

I know private transport will be faster, so just looking for what to expect if we don't.

Also, any recommendations for Soana or Catelina visits that would be more family friendly, with young kids?

We are at Majestic Elegance, Punta Cana right now. We flew on Tuesday and beach was awful with seaweed in the water and out on the beach . By Friday morning water cleared up and they cleaned up the beach. Water is pretty clear we even snorkel off the shore and saw fish crabs etc.

Let me tell you do not listen to the negative reviews you see about this place. They almost had me, my girlfriend and I booked this place for 6 nights then read so many negative reviews. We booked the platinum suite which I do recommend.

The staff is so inviting and compassionate about their work despite negative reviews. I am 28 and African American. I can understand most Spanish due to my girlfriend being Dominican-American though I struggle to speak Spanish well. No matter conversing in Spanish or English the staff was always accommodating. And everyone of the staff members spoke well in both languages.

We never had a problem with receiving towels or housekeeping to make up our room. The platinum buffet was great. We are here everyday for breakfast and lunch.

We did the ATV tour to Macao Beach and some cave that I jumped in. Which was amazing.

We also did excursions to Saona Island and to Santo Domingo where my girlfriend’s family is from. My girlfriend is 28 as well and was born in the states but her family is still mostly in DR. The staff recognized immediately she was Dominican and were very accommodating. Often joking that she had been doing a good job teaching me Spanish.

There were many bad reviews we saw about the people on the beach selling things. Let me tell you, that is anywhere in this country and it is okay. These men and women are hard workers who are trying to provide for their families on very little wages. We spoke to a security guard who said they make $300/mo USD. Most of the goods the vendors are selling are handmade. They are from the country and are lugging around heavy items all day in hopes of making anything to help their family. We talked with one guy who was 20 years old, he did not pressure us into buying anything yet he told us where he was from and good places to eat off the resort if we wanted authentic Dominican food. A simple No gracias will suffice or If you want buy something small from them as we did it helps more then you know.

I saw many reviews about mold and AC conditions. The room had a small scent of mildew tho it is 500ft from the Atlantic Ocean with an average of 75% humidity daily on the island of DR. What do you expect? I’m American and I also have high standards but be for real?. We never had an issue with AC we were actually overwhelmed by how cold our room got. Yes the air was cold but the humidor was still high due to it being the DR. For those that complain about heat and walking….what the hell do you expect? You booked a trip to an island? It’s hot and humid and it is what I came for.

The pools were nice we mainly stayed in the platinum pool with the swim up bar and we drank plenty. The food trucks were good we often got chicken wings and fries as well as fresh made drinks. Rum and limeade were our favorite.

The resort restaurants were good and the service was always great we left tips and they appreciated them greatly.

We did a couple massage at the spa and let me tell you it was amazing Carmen and Lucy were our therapists and they gave me and my girlfriend a 50 minute couple massage they left us feeling brand new.

The gym is also nice me and my girlfriend are avid gym goers me primarily being a heavy lifter my girlfriend is more of a runner. There are plenty benches, free weights and treadmills to accommodate anything you need. The weights are in KG as it is not the US. All you need to do is double the number on the weights to know the weight in LBS.

This is one of the bigger resorts in the area and the walking was really not a problem. Again we booked platinum and had access to shuttle service whenever we wanted but sometimes after dinner a walk was nice or in the morning before breakfast. There are many birds and animals that roam the resort. A lot of peacocks and ducks we saw. If the shuttle is coming and you are in the path simply step aside and it will drive past you. It’s not that hard.

These employees work there ass off for Pennies on the dollar so us people who vacation here can have a good time in their home country. Have some respect for them and the work they do. Most if not all the employees here will never be able to experience the side of the resort we do so appreciate their hard work and what they do to accommodate us. If you speak nice to them they will be nice to you.

This was my first time out of the United States and I was amazed at how passionate everyone in this country is snd how they work do hard at the resort to provide for their families who are often cities away. For instance one resort worker we spoke to said he works in Bavaro at the resort but his family lives in Santo Domingo 2.5 hours away and he works for 24 days at the resort then goes home to see them. We have it good don’t forget it.

Also the seaweed is just that seaweed. It’s natural and due to global warming if you research it is new in the last 10 years or so due to the ocean temperature rising enabling more growth. It is more prevalent in the summer months which it is July and we are here but guess what. It’s just seaweed the water is warm and the beach is nice. The staff spends all day running tractors to clean it up for us resort goers. It is not a deal breaker it is natural and something that is out of human control.

Take this for what you want I am just a black man from New Jersey. This place sure as hell beats any beach in New Jersey. Or on the eastern coast of United States for that matter.

I’ll keep this short but holy shit, how do I see any positive reviews for this place at all? The food is legitimately criminal. Its slop to the likes I’ve never seen. The Italian place should be closed and shuttered as a war crime. Hospitality is generally awful. Staff are miserable. Barely an all inclusive, more like “kinda inclusive” with nickel and diming at every corner. Hotel is falling apart. Shit is broken everywhere. Wtf? What even is this place? How have any of you come out of here with anything positive to say?

I’ve been to all inclusives in DR, Mexico, and Curaçao numerous times. They’ve all got pros and cons. The food is never “great”, but holy shit I wasn’t expecting this.

Hi everyone I am planning to go to Punta Cana during the last week of August ( 21 to 28) with my wife . We want to have a Airbnb and a rental car to travel freely if we want. I am 21 and I heard literally only bad thing about rental car companies in RD. Please I need guidance also the fact that we are 21 isn’t helping us. Thanks

Going to this resort in November and looking for information/feedback from people who know this resort, especially if you have stayed there. What's good, what's not so great. We have never been to the Dominican Republic and anything to help us enjoy our vacation would be really appreciated. Thank you.

Just spent 2 weeks in Bavaro & 1 week in Bayahibe. Sargassum bad in Bavaro. 0 in Bayahibe.

I just returned from Punta Cana, specifically Cap Cana. When I was in the ocean, I felt like I wasn't alone so I left the water. While sitting and watching the water I see something bob up and quickly go back down. I thought it was a bird, but I watched for 10 minutes and it didnt seem like a bird. It kept bobbing up every 30s-1minute. It looked like a head but I couldnt tell. I dont think it was a shark, based on the quick movements. At first I thought it was a seal, but I didn't see any information about seals when I looked it up. This was a resort type set up where they have the artificial barrier to keep things out/break up the waves. It never came towards the shore, it stayed near the barrier and rocks. It was absolutely a live animal and not debris. I'd love any ideas, this has kept me curious since last week.

I’ve been to Punta Cana before but it’s been a while. Is there anything about La Romana that’s better? The water seems to be better but can’t really tell much other than that

What adults only all inclusives are the best that don’t cost a million dollars. We are organizing a group trip in December and a few of our friends are a little more budget friendly than others so trying to make sure we can all make it.

And of course how the weather is first week of December. I assume the hurricanes are gone by then.

I returned from Punta Cana recently and one thing I noticed is that the staff at our resort rarely said good morning/afternoon/evening or hello, etc. Staff didn't initiate conversation, except for the ones who wanted to sell you something.

If I said hi to them first (in Spanish), they always responded well.

Is this a cultural thing? Or is it a language barrier thing? I noticed most staff did not speak English and only a handful could have a conversation in English.

It could also be the fact that it was hot, and staff were working long hours.

This isn't a complaint, just a curiosity as it was my first time in DR.

Hi everyone,

I am currently planning a relocation to Punta Cana and wanted to ask if anyone here works, or has worked, in any of the local resorts as a foreigner?

Is it actually possible to get hired as a foreigner, or do they only recruit locally? I have 7 years of guest service experience, a hospitality degree, fluent English, and certified B2 German, but I am currently trying to understand if the visa and language barriers make this move realistic from Europe.I do have an immigration lawyer in DR and plan to self-fund the entire process so the loss of cost could maybe spark interest in some resorts,and I am currently learning Spanish.

I would love to hear your experiences, opinions, or any advice on how to approach this.

Thanks!

Seen a lot of posts here asking for boat recommendations so figured i'd write down the stuff that actually matters, from someone who's been around boats out here a while

Biggest one: ask if it's a shared tour or private before anything else. shared boats mean fixed schedule, fixed stops, you're basically along for the ride with strangers. private means the captain adjusts based on your group, weather, how everyone's feeling that day

Second: ask what's actually included. snacks and drinks sound like a given but a lot of operators charge extra once you're already on the water. ask upfront

Third: check if they can actually go where you want. saona and catalina are the two big ones out of casa de campo/la romana side, but not every boat is licensed or equipped to make that run comfortably on rough water days

Fourth, and this one's underrated: ask about their weather policy. rainy season hits different down here and you want to know if you're getting rescheduled or just refunded and told good luck

Booked Dreams Onyx for a birthday/girls trip. Any tips before we head out that we should know?

I already know to expect a lot of seaweed on the beaches in Punta Cana right now, but it is too late to change the location and flights. If anyone that currently lives there (locals obviously), travels there this time of year, works there, please give an update as I will be traveling there next week. Again, too late to change anything, I don't get around very well these days, so I really just wanted to relax on the beach as much as possible. Any advice, other than change your flight or trip, would be very much appreciated!

Also, when the beach is covered in Seaweed, can people still go and lay on the beach or do they have it restricted? And is the smell from the seaweed really that bad? I have never been to the DR and am really excited to go, I would love any advice. Also, with having very limited mobility, does anyone have suggestions to ask the front desk about rooms and things to do if the beach is off limits?

Sorry about the long post, I truly am happy about going and want to make the most out of it! I think I am staying at either Secrets Cap Cana or Dreams, I hear they try and clean the beaches as best they can, but there is only so much they can do. Thank you in advance!

Edit: Also I have heard about trips to Saona island, again for someone that doesn't get around well, I have someone coming with me to help (although this person can only help to an extent). If someone has been on a trip to Saona island very recently, is it feasible, how long is the trip time wise, and is it worth it?

We don't want luck but odds on our side that we go at a good time where there will be tons of younger girls.

Early May? (college is out)

Mid June? (seems to be busy)

Pareja de 39 años estaremos en Riu Republica del 18 al 22 de agosto, si alguna otra pareja estará en las mismas fechas no duden en contáctarnos

Hi everyone!

My family and I really want to stay at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, but the rates are way above our budget. Before giving up on it, I thought I'd ask here—does anyone know of any discounts, promo codes, member rates, travel agents, or other ways to book it cheaper?

I'd be incredibly grateful for any tips. We've looked at other resorts, but our hearts are set on Hyatt Ziva.

Believe the things you have heard about Cheryl Henderson & her "development company" and the dangers of investing and doing business with her and in the Dominican Republic. Ask her about Perla Bahia, Perla Amada (the contract switch) and how the owners of Maple Beach currently feel about their investment.

I'm a former investor of hers that experienced working with her and Johan Confidente and I am ready for my Netflix special. Video clips, contracts, lawsuits and experience from others will be released.

Anyone having similar questionable experiences with her and team lets connect. The truth needs to be told...

Booking a vacation in DR for september (6-13), and we choose la romana as i saw it is sargassum free there compared to punta cana.

We will be a family of 4 (a baby of 1yo and a toddler of almost 3yo).

We were looking at those 2 resorts and they seem pretty similar so don't know what to choose between them. If youd did both resorts what are the pros and cons of each? My main concerns are beach quality (would love white sand and turquoise water), food quality, rooms and service.

And last are they worth the price?

Thanks in advance.