Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana

Wellington Fava Roque

Well, my experience at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana was great. The resort complex is large, with good infrastructure for guests. When I needed to rest, the room was excellent—comfortable, clean, and tidied up daily. On the days I wanted to have fun, there were parties, clubs, a beautiful beach with inviting waters and lounge chairs on the sand. Even though I had read several complaints about the staff, I was always well treated by everyone, regardless of tipping. They do their best to provide good service within their limits, since the hotel has a high guest turnover compared to the number of staff, especially the bartenders. Speaking of which, I had a hard time getting up from the lounge chair and walking a few steps to get another drink. But on the beach, there’s always a bar nearby. If you're part of the premium club, the staff handles that for you in the premium area. I also read a lot of negative comments about the drinks, but every cocktail I had was delicious. And even though they use local spirits in some drinks, Dominican rum is among the best in the world. I didn’t get a hangover from low-quality alcohol. The local beer is also of good quality. As for the food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner offer a wide variety. The menu is diverse, and even though some dishes repeat throughout the week, you won’t be able to try everything in a 7-day stay. People who complain probably don’t appreciate international cuisine and stick to pizza, burgers, and fries (usually Americans). The beach is beautiful, even if the seaweed shows up for a few days—that’s just part of the lush nature. Lots of interesting people, a vibrant and laid-back atmosphere. The staff really tries to communicate with you, but I believe tourists should keep in mind that when you leave your country for one with a different language, you should at least learn a few basic words to express yourself. No one is obligated to speak another language in their own country. I think they go above and beyond to communicate. If this were in Brazil, we probably wouldn’t even try. Visitors should figure it out or hire a translator. In the end, I didn’t have enough days to enjoy everything the resort had to offer. It was an exceptional experience. Whenever I think of vacationing in the DR again, I’ll want to return to this hotel—provided they maintain the same level of service I experienced this time.

Rachel Cotter

This was our first time visiting DR. Overall, the resort itself is large and well kept. Most of the staff are friendly and welcoming and there is a lot to offer. Unfortunately we had some major issues during our stay. Our first room was a connecting room and the lock on our side was broken, the toilet wouldn’t flush even after maintenance came, and the room had a terrible musty/moldy smell. They did accommodate a room change, however the new room had the same bad smell. The buffet was another disappointment, minimal selection and staff were quite unpleasant. One of the included restaurant we went to, Tequila, was also a terrible experience. It took about an hour and 40 minutes for our food to arrive, and when it did most of the order was wrong. The restaurant was not overly busy but our waiters were more focused on taking videos and having shots with the table next to us instead of serving our hungry kids. While the resort has some positives, these issues made it hard to fully enjoy our vacation. I would recommend spending a little extra and choosing a different resort.

Ellie Coleman

Had an amazing time at this hotel. Upon arrival we were given a free room upgrade. This room was cleaned by Jolanda everyday who always made sure the room was spotless and we had clean towels. The pools were not very busy and the bar staff were very helpful to everyone. They have shared tipping rather than the tip going to that specific person. There are sun beds available at all times. We stayed in September so the beach did have a lot of seaweed but the staff were out everyday trying to get rid of what they could so guests could enjoy the beach. The only negative would be how the waiters and waitresses treat some guests at meal times in the main buffet - we got ignored on a regular occasion and had to go out our way to get drinks whereas other tables around us would be getting their drinks refilled at the table and brought to them. Buffet food was delicious and had such a great selection with different themed nights. We went to the Asian and Italian restaurants which I would also highly recommend booking. The ground staff were constantly working hard to repair the cracked floorings (assuming from earthquakes), and the gardeners were always out making sure everything was up to standard. Overall we had an amazing experience and would definitely look at coming back in the future.

Lori Wilson

The gym is beautiful. Germonimo is helpful attendant. Always welcoming and friendly. Keeps the gym running nicely. The gym does need more dumbbells. One 5, one 10, no 15lbs. When busy, not enough dumbbells. Has two rowers, several treadmills, 2 bikes. A punching bag and tri-Rex equipment is also present. The resort was beautiful, and the staff were helpful. The entertainment staff by the pool were amazing loved their energy and inclusivity. However, the evening entertainment crew needs to learn how to control a sound mixer. The volume was way too loud to the point that the show was unattainable. The first night I sat in the middle the second night we went to try to see the show, and we sat at the very back and after five minutes we had to go Because the volume was so loud the sound was distorted, which made it very difficult to understand what was even being said. It is a shame because I know the crew works so hard. If you have the ability go next-door to the Esmeralda and watch their show, their fire show was amazing on the beach. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the grand. The beaches were beautiful. The pools were nice. Temperature was perfect and the food at the resort was amazing. Our favourite was the fish market second to that was the Brazilian steakhouse then the garden Grill, which is now called the flame. The food in the buffet was tasty. However, the environment in the buffet was less than ideal guests these days don’t seem to know how to handle food hygienically. It bothered me no end to see Guest touch food and didn’t take it or pick up food without tongs or cough without covering their mouth. The buffet was way too loud too busy and I wish you could do an LA cart every night.

Nuna Xiong

The resort was wonderful. The staff were excellent, however they do not have room service. They had buses to transport people from rooms to lobby and beach which was wonderful. Sometimes we got lost looking for restaurants because they didn’t have enough signs.