Travelled to dom rep for my 40th birthday with 22 young ladies, the hotel was very nice and cleaned on a regular basis. The staff were all very friendly and welcoming. We were made comfortable from the moment we arrived. Meals were updated and very tasty, The entertainment in the evening was provided by very talented dancers good shows were put on , not really my style but appreciated because the guys worked really hard all day long to keep everyone happy. Lots to do or not to do, plenty choice of food apart from the night buffet, which was always Hot dogs,lol but appreciated for soaking up the alcohol, we consumed. The beautiful well kept beach is delightful, and it was easy to get rid of people selling a firm no will do. Can't wait to go back.

Well where do I start:

Staff: They could not be more helpful, so friendly and nice. The service was faultless, they refilled your drink before you had even finished and were so polite.

Food: Amazing. The buffet was lovely especially the gala dinner on xmas eve - you would be hard pushed to beat that anywhere, there was lobster, turkey, beef all delicious. The 3 a la carte restaurants were excellant especially The Octupus and the Italian.

Hygiene: Every morning at 7.00am there were about 25/30 maids scrubbing the public areas around the pool. You have to use the antibacterial wash before you enter any restaurant and to be honest I have never been abroad and not had a funny tummy at some stage but I spent 2 weeks here and all 4 of us ate everything and were all fine.

Rooms: A little tired but then you dont spend much time in them. We stayed in the Catalina block and our room overlooked the beach with a beautiful view, very clean.

Because it is a small hotel in comparison to some we have stayed at the kids made friends really easily and it was extremely safe so they had a lot of freedom. I wished I had not read some of the bad reviews before I had gone because I worried for nothing! We have been to Austrailia, Egypt, Menorca to name but a few and I woiuld recommed this. The Dominicans are lovely.

As everyone else we were nervous going to the Gran Ventana having read some negative reviews, such as the food and the Tattoos. We have travelled all over but never the caribean, apart from mexico. This hotel is fantastic and there is no other word for it. It was very clean, and being cleaned all the time. The food was fantastic, those that moan have clearly got nothing better to do. Our family did not suffer any problems but the variety and type of food was fantastic. The staff were always trying to help with genuine smiles and nothing was too much for them. If you have kids and want them to have fun then for the Dominican this hotel is for you. The pools are perfect for young children and the Kids club a welcome distraction whenever needed. The beach was lovely and the same as anywhere a gentle No to the beach sellers sufficed. The nighlife could have been better but this is a family orientated hotel and the younger kids love the entertainment. The food and drinks and relaxation was amazing and I would definitely recommend this hotel. It is affordable luxury and a place where the kids can have so much fun. We had rain for 3 days which proved a littel tedious but that is part of the holiday experience and not the hotels fault. For the Dominican I would definitely recommend. Spoke to others that had been all over the Caribean and in particular the Dominican just to try different places but none on the island compared to the Gran Ventana. A wonderful hotel and wonderful staff and we met some lovely people.

I have just returned from a fantastic week at the Gran Ventana hotel. I would definitely recommend it - it's not quite the boutique hotel it claims as it must have a 300+ capacity, but it's perfect for a pretty cheap all-inclusive week away.

The Gran Ventana is very clean. Food is really good - a self service restaurant with a wide choice of food including loads of fruit and salads, and 3 other restaurants. The staff are very friendly and provide excellent service, they can't do enough for you. Rooms are good too - we had an extra bed put in our room as there were 3 of us, made it a bit of a squeeze but beds are very comfy, good air con, nice clean bathrooms, fridge, ice machine in the hallway and TV. And the hotel had a lovely beach, two pools - one big one for kids and everyone, and another hidden away which is the quiet pool. nice to have the choice. There are bedrooms surrounding the quiet pool, so if you want a quiet spot ask for a room up there.

We were meant to stay at the Barcelo Puerto Plata Hotel, but were moved before we arrived because there had been an 'incident' at that hotel. People we spoke to at the resort said we'd been moved to a much better place - quieter and better food.

We travelled with Thomas Cook - they were OK on the whole, but they do try the hard sell. We booked diving direct with the hotel - was very good. And we also booked the Bravissimo show which is a busride away - unless you like tacky cabaret, DO NOT BOOK THIS SHOW. It is just dreadful.

The flights were awful - very very cramped and poor service on the flight, but am not sure we could expect more for the money we paid (£700 for the week for everything).