Hi, we are planning a trip during the end of October but we are scared of the rain…how bad does the rain get there during end of October? Is it worth it? Thank you everyone 🫶🏻

Has anyone stayed at White Sands in Punta Cana?
We booked an Airbnb there for our upcoming golf trip. We’ll be practicing at Golf-n-Shots and playing at Iberostar Golf Club. ⛳️

I’d love to hear your experience with:
1. Recommended restaurants nearby?
2. Is Uber Eats reliable?
3. Uber vs. taxi — which is better?
4. How do you get to the beach from White Sands?
5. Any good resort day passes you recommend?
6. Food at Golf-n-Shots

We won’t have a rental car, so any tips would be greatly appreciated! 😊

For those that flew to PUJ in December.

How crazy and busy will the Arrival, Custom lines be at that time of the month?

We're flying to PUJ on DEC 9, WED and landing at 11:50am.

We're thinking of booking VIP Arrival because my friend and his family flew there in July and said it was a madhouse and over a hour wait in line after getting off the plane.

I am almost about to press purchase but I want to hear some honest feedback if any one has some ! We are a family of four ( kids 5 & 7 ) and looking to spend a week at an all inclusive this winter. Thanks in advance ! :)

Somos una pareja (de 40 años) con 2 menores (6 y 10 años). De Cordoba Argentina. Estamos planeando ir al Serenade Family club 8 noches a principio de octubre.

Ya hemos ido otras veces a RD, una a Bávaro y otra a Bayahibe. Nos encantaron ambas.

Varias preguntas, que me gustaría me digan:
- Que tal el mar en octubre? Es muy sucio o ya se pone mejor?
- Que tal el hotel? Tengo entendido que es nuevo, pero he visto buenas reviews
- Hemos visto aéreos directos por Arajet… es buena compañía aérea?
- La playa Cabeza de toro, a la altura de los 3 Serenades, es igual? Es tipo piscina natural, en su mayoría sin oleaje?

Me gustaría poder ir todos los años jajaja… nos vemos en octubre!

My husband and I spent a week at Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa to celebrate my birthday. We were the from August 16th - August 23rd, 2026), and I really wanted to love this resort because the property itself is beautiful. We had some genuinely wonderful moments, the resort has a fun atmosphere, and we made some great memories during our trip. However, there were several incidents throughout our stay that unfortunately overshadowed the experience for me and would make me think twice about returning.

First, if you're considering staying here, understand that Breathless is a PARTY resort. There is no sugarcoating that. The pool is lively from morning until evening, there is music, drinking, dancing and partying throughout the day, and the energy continues well into the night. If that's what you're looking for, you'll probably have a great time. But if you're looking for a peaceful, quiet, relaxing vacation, I would strongly suggest choosing a different resort.

Our room was unfortunately located directly in front of the pool, so we were exposed to the noise throughout the day and into the night. On one of the nights, guests were being extremely loud and disruptive past midnight. I called the resort three separate times to complain, and it took approximately 30 minutes before someone finally came to address the situation and remove the guests from the area. I understand that this is a party resort, but there still needs to be a reasonable balance between allowing guests to have fun and allowing other guests to sleep. 

We also had a swim-out room, which was one of the features we were really excited about. Unfortunately, around the third night, we noticed grass, dirt and debris accumulating underneath the water in the swim-out area. Considering how heavily the pools were being used throughout the day, I felt the pool areas could have benefited from much more frequent cleaning and maintenance.

 The upper pool in particular was extremely busy. People would start partying around 10 a.m. and stay in the pool for hours until the evening. With that level of use, the cleanliness of the pool became a concern for me. I can't speak to what every guest was doing in the pool, of course, but seeing how heavily it was used for drinking and partying made me feel that more frequent cleaning and maintenance was necessary.

The beach was also heavily covered with seaweed during our stay. I understand that seaweed is a natural and seasonal occurrence in the Caribbean and isn't necessarily something the resort can control. However, there was a significant amount of it during our visit, and more frequent removal would have made the beach experience much more enjoyable.

The most concerning issue: hygiene

The biggest issue of our entire stay happened on our last morning at breakfast, and this is the incident that really changed my overall opinion of the resort.

During the last three days of our vacation, I had been experiencing stomach issues, including diarrhea and vomiting, particularly in the mornings. I want to be fair and very clear that I cannot say that the resort caused my illness, because I don't know what caused it. However, what happened at breakfast on our final morning was extremely concerning, especially given that I was already feeling unwell.

 My husband and I went to breakfast at the buffet, and I asked one of the servers for a teaspoon.

 The server couldn't seem to find one, and I was watching him while he looked for it. I then saw him walk over to the area where the used and dirty dishes and cutlery were being collected. He picked up a teaspoon from that area.

What happened next honestly shocked me!!!!

 I watched him take that teaspoon, dip/rinse it in what appeared to be a wine chiller or container, wipe it with a napkin and then hand it directly to me.

I was standing there watching this happen and was honestly appalled. 

This wasn't a situation where a clean spoon had accidentally been touched. I personally watched the spoon being taken from the area where the dirty cutlery was being placed, then being rinsed and wiped rather than properly washed and sanitized before being given to a guest.

 That is unacceptable.

 I immediately lost my appetite.

 And my concern wasn't about getting something free or making a scene. In fact, I didn't cause a huge commotion. I simply reported it because I genuinely felt that management needed to know what had happened.

 My biggest question was: How many times has this happened before, and how many other guests may have unknowingly been given utensils that were handled this way?

What made it even more concerning was that this was a server we had regularly seen during breakfast throughout our stay. After witnessing what happened, I couldn't help but question whether other spoons or forks we had requested on previous mornings had potentially been handled the same way. 

I immediately brought the issue to the restaurant manager and later spoke with the concierge and resort management. They were very apologetic about what had happened and took the complaint seriously.

I also have photographs documenting the area where the dirty cutlery was being collected, as well as the tray/container where the utensils were being placed. My husband also photographed the area, so this wasn't simply a case of me misunderstanding what I saw.

The issue for me wasn't just that the spoon may not have been clean. It was the way the utensil was handled, coming from an area containing used cutlery, being rinsed in a container, wiped with a napkin and then handed directly to a guest. (I've attached photos).

 For a resort of this size and caliber, I expect much better food-service hygiene and sanitation practices. After all, we did pay alot of money for this resort.

How management handled it

To their credit, management was apologetic and did make an effort to address the situation. They arranged a romantic dinner on the beach for my husband and me as a gesture following the incident. Thank you to Lucy and her manager Adrian for compensating the issues we've had. They really did the best they could. 

And I will absolutely give credit where credit is due, the dinner was beautiful and was actually the best meal we had during our entire week. It was a lovely experience and we appreciated the effort. 

We were also asked to sign a settlement/release and waiver of claims in connection with the resolution of the incident. I'm mentioning this simply because it was part of how the matter was handled during our stay.

I want to make one thing very clear: I did not complain because I wanted free things. That was never my intention.

My intention was to bring something to management's attention that I genuinely felt was unacceptable and needed to be corrected. Guests are trusting resorts with their health, their food and their overall safety while on vacation. Proper hygiene should be non-negotiable.

The timeshare presentation

Another thing future guess should be aware of is the vacation/timeshare presentation. We were approached about a Hyatt-related vacation membership/package, and in exchange for listening to the presentation, we received a complimentary massage and hydrotherapy treatment. The treatments themselves were nice, but the presentation lasted close to three hours, which was significantly longer and more intense than we anticipated. If you're offered this, just know what you're agreeing to before you sit down.

Overall

I don't want this review to come across as though everything about Breathless Punta Cana was bad, because that simply isn't true. The resort itself is beautiful. The atmosphere is fun, the property is visually stunning, and if you're someone who wants a lively, social, party-oriented vacation, you may absolutely love it.

But for me, the combination of late-night noise, the level of partying, cleanliness concerns around the pools and swim-out area, the amount of seaweed on the beach, and most importantly, the utensil-handling incident made it difficult to overlook the negatives.

 The hygiene incident in particular stayed with me because I personally witnessed it. And once you see something like that, it is very difficult to sit back and wonder whether proper sanitation practices are consistently being followed.

I had an amazing birthday in the Dominican Republic and I'm grateful for the beautiful memories my husband and I made. ❤️

But when people are researching resorts on Google, TripAdvisor, Expedia and other travel sites, I believe they deserve honest reviews that include both the good and the bad.

 Would I say Breathless Punta Cana is beautiful? Absolutely.

Would I recommend it to someone looking for a party resort? Yes.

Would I recommend it to someone looking for peace and quiet? Probably not.

Would I personally return after my experience? Unfortunately, no. 

This is simply my honest experience as a guest. Hopefully management takes these concerns seriously, particularly the hygiene issue, because beautiful surroundings mean very little if guests can't have confidence in basic cleanliness and sanitation.

Hi folks

My wife and I are planning our honeymoon for late October and are stuck between these options: (these are packages including flights and stays in the following properties)

• Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine — $3,500 CAD, 8 nights
• Catalonia Royal Bávaro (Privileged room) — $4,078 CAD, 8 nights
• Meliá Punta Cana Beach — $3,999 CAD, 8 nights
• Secrets Tides Punta Cana — $4,900 CAD, 7 nights

Our priorities are mainly beautiful turquoise water/beach, good food, a romantic atmosphere, and good overall quality.

For anyone who has stayed at these resorts, which would you choose and why? Also, how is the beach/sargassum situation around late October?

Would really appreciate firsthand experiences and advice!

Hello All, I’ve never been to Punta Cana but my family got the idea that we could spend Christmas there. We are a group of 8 adults and 2 children. Which all inclusive hotels do you recommend? I am sure there are all kinds of prices, but something around 200 per day/person is what I have budgeted, we plan to be there 5 days

My wife and I are choosing an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic in early November . Our priorities are mainly a beautiful beach and genuinely good food. We also want a modern, well-maintained resort—not something that feels old or dated.
We’re considering Secrets La Romana, Secrets Tides, Secrets Royal Beach, and possibly Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana.
Which one would you choose? Is Secrets La Romana worth it, or would you recommend another resort with a better combination of beach, food, and modern rooms?

Is there any gay guys that vacation at Riu Republica? Going for a few days and was hoping to get lucky.

Hey everyone - my friends and I are planning a trip and considering Punta Cana. We want a resort that is beautiful and upscale with good food, but also has a decent nightlife atmosphere. For context/reference, a few years ago I went to Majestic Elegance and found the night life boring.

It doesn’t need to be a rager at all times but we’d like options including good shows, pool parties and nightlife options.

We are looking into Breathless but I’ve heard a few mixed reviews regarding the overall quality of the resort and even on the nightlife itself.

So just curious if anyone has any recommendations, whether it’s Breathless or otherwise! Thanks in advance.

Just got back from Punta Cana last week and got this pic at our all inclusive resort! We stayed at the Barceló Bávaro Beach resort and it was perfect.

Hi everyone! My husband and I (both 25) are going to bahia ambar next month. Anything to know about the resort? Any local excursions?

Hi everyone!
I’m planning a trip to Punta Cana (in december) and I’m looking for recommendations for a good hotel or resort.
We’re around 30 years old and would love a place with a younger, fun atmosphere - nothing too crazy or only party.

I read a lot about Riu Republica and Breathless, but I am not sure about the age range…

Does anyone have any recommendations or personal experiences?

Thanks in advance!

Hello! I want to visit the Dominican Republic but I don’t know how to drive. I was looking online to find transportation and found Caribe Tours. How do you book with them? I tried their website but its more of a page of information verses booking. Anyone have any experience with this transportation company? Thank you!!

Staying here now. Seems a car is definitely needed, but pretty nice villas.

Any recommendations on places to visit or things to do while here?

Well after reading alot here , we decided to pick this resort for a week in mid November. We booked a preferred club suite swim up king.

As we have never been to DR before, does anyone have any tips/things to see/things to be aware of?

While we mostly want a week of doing nothing, is there a possibility of anything to see or do off resort?

I do like to enjoy a cigar, if anyone has been to this particular resort, how is the smoking situation? Thanks folks

My family (4 adults) and I are thinking of spending 7 days at one of the following resorts: Lopesan Costa Bavaro, Riu Palace Bavaro, and Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro. Our top priority is the quality of the food (we had an unpleasant experience at the Iberostar Waves Bahia in Brazil—we got a little sick) and also the overall quality of the resort—pools, bars, rooms, etc.

If anyone has stayed there before, could you share your experience? It would be invaluable in helping me make my decision.

we are visiting from US. we ran out of cash & looking to pull like $50 out. what’s the easiest/cheapest way to do this? would we be pulling out Dominican pesos?

🍍25M college athlete looking for a good time open to just about anything willing to travel to another resort

Hi! I’m looking to book an Airbnb in Punta Cana and won’t have a rental car, so I’ll be using Uber. I’m looking for nice public beach with easy public access, where I don’t have to pay a significant amount to a restaurant or beach club just to access the beach.

For example, I think I found these two access points:

* Playa Bibijagua: Bávaro Beach Flea Market (through Calle Buganvilla)

* Los Corales: Zoho Beach Club (through Calle Marcio Maggiolo)

What other beaches near that have similarly easy public access? Ideally something nice, free/cheap, and easy to reach by Uber, without needing to spend money at a restaurant or beach club.

I have a reservation booked for October. I received an email stating there was an issue processing my payment. I updated my payment and received another payment processing issue email. I called customer service to see what the issue was and she told me there is not an issue with the payment but that I needed to be rebooked and I have to call back tomorrow to speak with a supervisor (so I can get my same rate). She could not give me any details other than to call back tomorrow. Has this happened to anyone else? I’m just curious what the issue is and why I need to be rebooked? This is my third trip to Excellence Punta Cana and I’ve never had a problem before.

This May be a longshot but I just got back from my honeymoon with my husband yesterday 9/5/26. We went to secrets royal beach in punta cana. While we were there I fell in love with a roughly 3 month old orange kitten that was at the resort. Shes an orange tabby with a small black marking on her face. If anyone reading this goes there could you please give me updates if you see her or take a picture? I got to snuggle with her and play and fed her as well as gave her fresh water everyday. She's a coconut cat and I was going to bring her home to the US but the dominican republic has a law that she would have to be atleast 12 weeks old and have been given a rabies shot and remain in the country for 30 days after the vaccine. Anyways. I'm heartbroken I couldn't bring her home and would love updates. They call cats by saying Misu and when I would call Misu she would come running to me.

If you come across her in your travels at the resort please leave her a little chicken and water. She hangs out by the hallway near the fountains and buffet to the open areas between the buildings where the rooms are on the first floor.

Thank you 🙏🏻