well, what can I say? First things first. Do not get suckered into buying a meal plan from the hotel. The food was mediocre at best. Overcooked entrees were a standard and the "asparagus salad" consisted of a few old crushed leaves of iceberg lettuce, and two spears of canned asparagus, sliced lengthwise. You get the picture. I think the chef mainly caters to diabetics because salt and pepper were ignored altogether. Breakfast was uneventful and a xerox copy of itself day in and day out. It is NOT an all-inclusive place and please don't believe the brochures when they tell you that it is. The second day a man conducted an orientation during which he said that if we want free beach chairs, to go and see the boy named Carlos, right there at the beach, at which point Carlos made an entrance. The next day we learn that, on the beach chairs are not free, they are just less expensive that somewhere else (80DR) Things like this were expected by the third day.

The restaurant staff will use the hygiene excuse to make you sign up for the meal plan, but we ate on the beach at several different restaurants (couldn't take the hotel fares) and the food was by far superior and not as expensive as they make you believe.

Do not take taxis as they are a rip off. They charge you an arm and a leg just because you are a "gringo". That brings me to the "city tour". Please save the money and donate it to some education fund instead. Everything in the tour was scheduled around visiting stores and locations where the tour guide was to receive his commission when you buy something. (granted it's a common practice everywhere, but this was too much) He actually got frustrated when the trinket shops he was insisting on taking us to didn't produce sales. His attitude changed drastically when he got his tip (suddenly he was Mr. Enthusiasm himself, and offering extra services at no extra charge...hmmmm....)

Do try the young coconuts, they are great! Do talk to the locals, whey are really warm and fun people.

Tips....the wait staff expected tips after every meal (we were the schmucks who signed up for the meal plan, although I must say mane people did also, but then again they might have been there before and for some unknown reason chose this instead of real food on the beach) and then on our last day there they distributed small empty envelopes with the word "tips? and inside was a small survey. I thought this was in extremely poor taste.

The rooms were clean, but some problems with water and waste pipes should be expected in the event of rain....that's all I will say.

Our maid was wonderful.

The beach was crappy. VERY, VERY DIRTY. Not to mention that there is a massive coral formation and swimming area is severely limited, unless you don't mind walking on the coral for a while (wearing thick-soul shoes if you don't want to fall prey to millions of sea urchins) and then falling off into the water. But if you manage to squeeze past hundreds of people who are all trying to swim in the small coral-free lagoons, get your goggles on and dive right before the coral. Amazing fish await you! They are different colors and shapes and if you bring a small piece of banana with you in the water they will come in schools!

The weekend is another "fun" time when thousands of people come down to this "exclusive residential area" beach and make it their pick-nick and dance area. I have never seen so much refuse on a beach afterwards...and it didn't get cleared away the whole week we were there.

Oh, yes, and while you're on the beach trying to relax and forget the North American winters...a small, but exceedingly persistent group of sales boys from the local trinket shops will descend upon you (they have an uncanny ability to distinguish the tourists from the locals.....could it be because we still glow in the dark when we get there....?) and insist on selling you something because "the business is so bad and he is making no money and you have to buy something". One actually told us "Don't disappoint me, you must buy something from me before you leave." Wow! Talk about a sales pitch.

There is a small ice-cream shop right next to the hotel entrance. Very nice and inexpensive. My favorite is plum ice cream. All the flavors were great and you can't beat something so refreshing in the 90+ degree heat at 9am.

The "JEEP SAFARI" again, donate that money to someone else who will actually benefit from it. All the tours are SEVERELY and I repeat, SEVERELY over overrated and do not meet any assumed standards. Descriptions do not match the actual tour given, but the price is hefty at US $42 per person. "Plantations" consisted of a handful of trees if lucky...you get the picture.

There is a German guy named Fred, if you find him on the beach, and he will be your best tour guide. He is a character, but it's because of him that we got to see something in that part of the country.

One last word about the manager at the hotel, a guy named Bill. Possibly one of the many reasons we won't be returning to the place. Too plastic and too enthusiastic, this was spooky.

All in all, the place was "primitive", no not in that rustic sense, but in the "unprofessional" sense. Everything seemed to be made by someone who has no idea how the hospitality industry is supposed to function. (I've worked with hotels worldwide for the last 14 years)

Disappointing was that they could not make the place appear interesting; their main concern was to rip off another couple bucks...sadly. The place has a lot to offer...if you know where to look and who to ask.

A country with a Third World Economy is charging more to get from the airport to the hotel than a cab in Manhattan! And it's not as far either, go figure. That same trip in NEW YORK CITY WOULD COST YOU LESS!

SO, if you are a retired truck driver or a family member of one and are over 50 and don't really care about anything but lounging in front of a chlorine-infested pool all day, by all means book your vacation right now! Just don't forget to tip! They are waiting!!!!!

Villas Jazmin will appeal to a select number of travelers. The hotel is in a residential neighborhood and is about 4 blocks from the beach. I noticed several people said it was two, but they must live in cities with really long blocks. There are no ocean breezes to keep things cool or mosquitos and other insects at bay. The rooms or villas are clean but basic. The furnishings are the typical local stuff and have about as much charm as the furniture you could buy at Wal-Mart. The AC only works when you're in the room. There is a closet but no dresser. The staff are not overly friendly but respond positively when approached. Let me be clear that they were not in any way rude. They just weren't weren't particularly friendly with the exception of that Bill guy. He seemed to be a cruise director kind of guy.

The beach is something to behold on weekends. At least on Sunday, we arrived late Saturday night. It is a popular locals spot and it draws a huge crowd. Lot's of music blaring out of speakers mounted on cars, lots of partying. Everyone having a good time. Monday morning it's like a ghost town with just the trash left behind to tell the tale. Really, there is NOBOBDY there. As another reviewer said, it's very Gilligan's Island as you feel like you could be there for years and no one would ever know. (Not sure where the bathroom facilities were) The beach is okay. It reminds me of the beaches at Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The one big difference is the this beach does not have a nice sand bottom. I'm not sure if it's coral or old lava but you would need some sort of footwear.

We tried one of the local restaurants and were quite disappointed to be served frozen fish. Hello. the ocean is about 200 yards away. Cab fare to Puerto Plata is $40USD round trip. There is a tour each day, or at least on weekdays.

So to sum up, if you're going to Dominican for a beach vacation, you should look at another resort. Kids would be bored to tears here. To my knowledge there were no water sports equipment (ie boogie boards) available. If you're looking to get away, and I mean AWAY, from it all you might like this place. We were absolutely bored and moved to a hotel on Cabrete Beach after two days. We loved it there.

Villas Jazmin is the perfect place for those seeking a quiet, relaxing vacation. It is not a four star hotel with all the amenities, but a small residence with plenty of charm.

We stayed in a one bedroom villa which had a couch, kitchen table with chairs, refridgerator and a microwave. Cable tv and a DVD player along with a CD player were also provided. Each section has its own private pool area with a main pool located at the Villas Jazmin restaurant/bar.

Two blocks from the beach which can only be described as a Gilligan's Island scene. It is quiet during the week and on the weekends locals will come to the beach with music and food to relax.

Do not expect soft, white sand. The beach is protected by a coral reef which prevents rough waters from breaking down the seashells. However, the water is warm and clear. Carlos, the beach boy, will provide you with beach chairs for a little over $1 US per chair per day.

The nightlife consists of several local bars providing happy hours and karoke. The scene will not be like spring break given that most of the Villas Jazmin visitors are older than 35.

Each day there are excursions leaving the hotel for those wanting to do more than lie on the beach. I recommend the Jeep Safari tour.

There is the optional food plan for $160 per person for the week which includes your breakfast and dinner. While the food is excellent, many repeat visitors opted not to do the food plan. Costambar provides many restaurants with great food for cheap prices. The most I spent on a meal was $10 US.

The community is safe to walk around and explore during the day and night. I would highly recommend this for families or couples looking to have fun and relax.

I had a blast at Villas Jazmin. Puerto Plata is secluded, private village situated in a lagoon with a lot of expensive mansions nearby. I was there in January and the greenery and the flowers were in abundance. The water is light green and warm even at this time of the year. There are barely any waves, so swimming is great. The villas are very comfortable and clean. The staff is the friendliest i've ever experienced. The food is plenty and very fresh and flavorful. At the front desk, I booked trips to coffee plant, fruit plantations, caves, etc. Villas Jazmin is RCI only resort, so I met a lot of people from Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, and other countries.