We stayed at this resort November 15-20, 2012 we did upgrade to the Royal Service and was worth the extra money. We loved the room with the jacuzzi tub, we also liked the private beach, private pool and the Gabi restaurant that came with the upgrade. We ate all our meals at the Gabi but one, we tried the American Steakhouse which was good but the Gabi was just as good and didn't have to make reservations which is a plus. The Gabi has great lobster, steaks, and salmon for dinner. The snack bar by the pool had great quick lunches. We really enjoyed this resort and don't have any complaints. I have to mention one name that made our vacation memorable and that was Pablo our butler, he was so nice and helpful always went out of his way to make sure we were enjoying our stay. Thanks Pablo for being so nice to us and always with a smile.

My friend and I spent a week at Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana. It was one of my best vacations. The resort is incredible; the sights; the beach; it is sooooo relaxing. The attention was excellent. We had a problem with our room, the telephone wasn't working and there was a leak in the bathroom.Luis Daniel went out of his way to make sure we had the issue resolved. Since the telephone line was out, we were upgraded to a honeymoon suite. Everything went perfect. The service was very friendly and the food was exquisite. I would recommend this resort to anyone that is looking for a relaxing vacation. I certainly came back home feeling peaceful and happier. I am planning on going back.

Going on this 5 day trip was the best thing I ever did for myself. I traveled alone for a wedding where I only knew the bride, but had THE best time. The food was incredible, the service was warm and accomodating, the grounds are truly beautiful and lush, and I'm already planning on returning. Esmarlin at the VIP lounge spoke great english and made my stay beyond great.

*Go in the off season and you MUST upgrade to Royal Service. Amazing rooms, VIP pool, VIP restaurant, "butler" who will drive you wherever you want to go in a golf cart (the grounds are HUGE), and you get a pretty bracelet instead of tacky wrist band so the bartenders know to pour only top shelf into your drink :) You also get free room service all day, which makes a great start to every day!
*Buy your booze from the gift shop, NOT the duty free store at the airport. It was half the price at the resort (even cheaper than in the US)
*Bring a plastic tumbler with lid and straw. The bartender doesn't mind and you don't have to make so many trips to the bar
*Don't bring a towel/shampoo/hair blow dryer (all are provided)
*Do bring sunscreen/bug spray/hair conditioner/comfy sandals
*Do speak as much spanish as you know, it goes far and the staff appreciates it
*Do tip for your drinks/food/cleaning staff--you will get THE best service for a small price (Dominicans make a very small wage, yet prices are inflated all over the island to tourist prices, so don't be stingy!)
*Do not order the free house wine, it's terrible, but the house champagne is lovely
*Skip the 'American' and 'Dominican' restaurant, but def try the 'Italian' and 'Japanese'. Also, if you upgrade, the Gabi was by far the best food at the resort. Skip dessert, nothing was worth the calories, but surprisingly, the bread was fantastic everywhere.

My husband and I just returned from spending a week at Melia Caribe Tropical for our honeymoon. We absolutely loved our trip. The resort was amazing. We had a room right near the beach, pool and Turey buffet so it was very convenient. It is a very large resort but being RCI members we were able to hop on a golf cart and be whisked off anywhere we wanted to go at almost any time. We did try the reservation restaurants a few nights and were not extremely impressed with the food but we did really enjoy the buffets so we ate at those a lot. We also planned a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach for our last evening there but unfortunately it rained. Alexander in special events made sure that we still had a lovely romantic dinner at a different location. The staff was very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The resort was beautiful and tropical! We did do some off resort excursions through Blue Tours. We went to ride dune buggies which was amazing, just be sure to research the company that you go with. We heard that other companies took you out into a town where the children were begging the whole time. Ours was out on the beach and in the mud the whole time. Much fun. We also did a snorkeling excursion through Seaquarium but it was disappointing. It was just in a cage out in the water and the sharks and sting rays just layed on the bottom. The only negatives I would note are that the water was pretty chilly in the pools and that they came to our room trying to get us to come to a time share speil and kept coming back. Very annoying. Over all our honeymoon was a fabulous experience!