I spent 24 hours at the Barcelo because my flight was delayed due to a seal breaking on the landing gear of the plane. All 200 of us that were to fly home were checked in as quickly as possible around 11pm Saturday night after giving the hotel short notice.

Plus of the hotel:
- I was given room 9304 which was large, clean, had 2 double beds, a table and chairs, side tables, dresser, clock, fridge, coffee maker and older model tv.
- the hotel meals were lovely with great variety but this could have been due to the many local people who came for the weekend
- the staff were very welcoming and helped me in several instances with a cheerful attitude
- the beach has some thatched shade that is great to snooze under
- there are some areas of the beach where you are not suppose to swim. I'm not sure why but it is posted.

Negatives:
- room 9304 looks over a bar that was so loud that it kept me up until 5am when it finally closed.
- there was no hot water in the morning but it was fixed by the afternoon
- the restaurant is a lovely room but I would love to have it like the Grand Paradise which overlooks the ocean
- the beach is quite a walk through the mangrove trees (and swamp) to get to
- the balcony door did not lock but the entrance door did have a deadbolt

This was only for a 1 day stay so I don't have much more to add. The Barcelo was a newer hotel and I would probably rate it a 4 star but I still prefer the Grand Paradise.

My Family and I have been to this hotel many many times….. Not once has Barcelo Puerto Plata let me down.My husband proposed and we were married there. As any place I visit, your attitude will dictate your time. Go with an open mind and the knowledge that in other countries food will taste different, service will be different. Sit, Relax and enjoy the experience.


FOOD- OH my yumminess! My husband is a vegetarian and was very very happy with the many choices. I loved EVERYTHING! The omelet bar, pasta bar, fresh meats.The mangu and yucca in the AM.Be open minded people!

Staff- LOVED THEM! So friendly, happy and always willing to help.

Room – we have a bit of a leak once, that was quickly corrected. Then the toilet run over a bit, quickly corrected as well.

Over all, I only have positive things to say about Barcelo Puerto Plata. I am currently planning my March 2013 trip and CANNOT WAIT!!!!!

Rooms - awful! The bedding smelt like wet dog, which made it impossible to sleep. The shower offered only cold water multiple times during our stay. The rooms are really just rundown apartments with no views. Dirty rooms, dirty bathroom with waste from other rooms showing up in your toilet, and no water in the mini bar.

Bar - what I can I say besides horrible drinks?

Food - is ranging from mediocre to awful. Service is non-existent. Please do yourself a favor and not say here,

room was very old, but clean: tiny old TV from the 80s. Bathtub looked like the paint peeled off and was painted over. very cheap decor. But clean.
The power went out at least 5 times a night. usually for 5-10 minutes, a few times for 30 minutes to an hour. There was no back up generator, so no emergency lighting or exit signs or any illumination at all. It was pitch black in the room and throughout the resort. When the sky was cloudy and the stars and moon could not shine through, you literally felt like you were in a cave or completely blind when standing out in the open, could not tell where to go.
The food was awful. Worse than any cheap buffet I've ever tried in the states. Very poor selection, almost no veriety at all.

The buffet:

- for salad bar only dehydrated iceberg lattice, tasteless unripened tomatoes, cucumbers, only 1 kind of dressing at lunch
and dinner and no dressing at all in the morning.
- the meat had a rubber texture and was impossible to bite into
- the same food every day, no verity
- rice, boiled potatoes, heavily overcooked vegetables, canned overcooked beans, pizza and pasta.
one day we had to navigate through very thick cloud of smoke in the buffet to get food because their exhaust fans broke in the kitchen.

The restaurants:

we went to Italian, Mexican and Seafood and every entree we ordered was exactly the same. All salads came from the buffet
and always consisted of dehydrated iceberg lattice, tasteless unripened tomatoes, cucumbers. All the vegetables were cut the
same way. Sometimes they would throw a piece of avocado on it an call it an avocado salad.
Every time we ordered fish no matter what it said on the menu: salmon, sea bass, mahi-mahi or anything else, it actually was just the local fish (called dorado i think) with a different sauce on top! In every restaurant.
When we ordered calamari the brought out shrimp using an excuse that calamari was not good, but one of us was allergic to
shrimp, so they gave her canned mushrooms instead!
All the pastries had a strong smell and taste of baking soda. The cake we ordered was stale and dry, at least 2 weeks old.

the beach:

was dirty, seaweed, wood debris and garbage wash up on the shore. The sand was rock hard and very dark color.

One of our rooms got flooded during the rain.

One day there were no clean/dry beach towels because the laundry was not working -- due to power outage.

We paid for wi-fi and could never get it to work. The signal was either not there or very weak, kept logging you out.


the shows:
very very much on a budget in terms of props and costumes. The dancers tried their best.

Highlights:

cheap
close to airport 20 min
staff, especially the animation crew were very nice, entertaining and accommodating.
Honestly, if it was not for the animation/show guys our vacation would probably be ruined. They saved the day by always making us laugh, recommending things to do and providing information on the local attractions if you are a seasoned traveler looking for a good deal it is better to get a nice non-all inclusive hotel near the beach in Cabarete. great beach, lots of restaurants on the beach with bars, DJs, rooftop and beach front dining, cheap massage on the beach. I think that's what we'll do if we ever go back to DR.