My girlfriend and I went to Cayena Beach for a week in the middle of June through Interval. It ended up being cheaper than a lot of other hotels in the area and it was advertised as "5 stars" on their website. Definitely not. I'm going to make an objective list of pros and cons to help anyone who is considering booking at Cayena Beach.

PROS: The beach was absolutely immaculate. It was our first time in the Caribbean so this was quite a treat. The private pool bar for Cayena Beach guests only was great. It was empty and the bartenders were very nice. The whole Cayena area was great for the Cayena guests. All of the employees were very, very helpful and nice. You can tell that they really want to make your feel at home and make your trip the best it can be.

CONS: NO AIR CONDITIONING. That's right. During the week that we went, the air conditioning in the entire Cayena building was down. The hotel didn't do anything to alleviate the heat for the guests, didn't offer to move any guests, and simply said that it should be fixed soon. It was broken on the Saturday that we arrived and it was still broken the following Saturday when we left. Going back to an 85 degree room at the end of the night really wasn't pleasant and this alone ruined the trip. Also, the food wasn't great. It was just ok but for the money that we spent, I was expecting a lot better. Furthermore, my girlfriend and I both got violently sick from the food. I know there are other factors involved with getting sick but fair warning that the food is sitting out without air conditioning. Next, there were tiny ants crawling around our bathroom. In a "5 star" room, that was absolutely unacceptable. Next, all the pools close at 7pm so couple that with no air conditioning and you have quite the problem.

That was our trip in a nutshell. The theme was "we're just going to try to make the most of it." Unfortunately that's not the mentality that you want to have from a vacation. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. If you want to save a few bucks and the things I described don't bother you, by all means go for it. We still had a pretty good time here, mostly due to the great staff. I just hope our next timeshare experience is better because we were both looking forward to going home and that says something. Good luck.

We stayed at this hotel in June and had a fabulous time. The hotel itself is a small exclusive resort that made us feel welcome from the start. The rooms are large and comfortable and yes maybe could do with an update but we weren’t here to spend time in our room. It is exclusive for the Cayena Beach guests and whenever a "stray" wandered over from the Vik Arena,security were there in a flash. We had exclusive use of the restaurant for breakfast lunch and dinner and the food was excellent. If we wanted we could eat at any of the other restaurants which we did and although much busier they still had good food. Drinks were good and readily available. We used the kids club every day and Melanie and her colleague did a great job with the kids. The beach was beautiful and the water inviting. There was plenty of entertainment should you require it. Everything was clean and well presented and I would not hesitate in returning to this resort with my family. I would give it 5 stars.

We first stayed at Cayena Beach during Christmas and New Year 2010 - 2011 for 2 weeks. We have returned to Punta Cana 4 times since then but have been unable to book Cayena till a trip in April 2012.

Firstly the three negatives, as other reviewers state, the rooms are modest and in need of refurbishment. However I hear this is being planned so things will probably improve. Besides, if you go the Punta Cana to spend much time in a hotel room, you may be missing the point! Second negative is only 5 of the 47 rooms have king size beds, most have two doubles. For this stay I requested a king size and got one which was nice. Third negative is the number of time share sales people stalking guests. They can be a little devious at times, but a firm no thanks usually stops the pressure.

Now the positives which far out weigh the negatives. The Cayena is a small private part of the much larger VIK Arena Blanca hotel. Cayena is quite compact and located literally on White Sands beach which is without a doubt one of the best sections of Bavaro beach. Room to food is 50-100 meters, food to beach is about 20 meters. The El Cano restaurant is exceptional and exclusive for Cayena guests, good food and great staff. The restaurant staff really make the stay special.

The beach deserves special mention, the sand really is almost white. Swimming there is very good since the beach is in a bay with a reef offshore meaning even when it's windy there is little surf, and the water is warmer than some other sections of Bavaro beach which are more exposed.

Previously there was a modest shortage of sun beds on the beach but this has been neatly solved with a new sun lounger area immediately behind the beach. The beach section in front of the hotel is reserved for Cayena guests only and this is policed quite effectively.

Cayena guests have full access to all facilities in the VIK Arena Blanca next door, this includes the main "El Mirador" buffet which is not bad, and two other main restaurants which are very good. Trattoria (Italian) and Estrella del Mar (Sea food and some other dishes). There is also a number of other minor eating places and bars dotted around the Arena Blanca. Available at modest extra cost is the excellent La Proa restaurant located above the Cayena El Cano restaurant. La Proa is a fantastic place to eat once or twice during a stay since it is open fronted for the most part, with amazing views. Expect to spend about US$50-60 for two people.

If you arrive at Cayena after 5.00pm on a week day you'll have the check in at the VIK Arena Blanca, since the Cayena reception is closed, but this fairly painless with good reception staff.

As with other all inclusive hotels, tipping is not required, however a few dollars once in a while goes a long way and is much appreciated. The Cayena staff are genuinely friendly and will go to some lengths to make your stay pleasant, especially if you show some appreciation for good work.

If your idea of a holiday is spending most of the day locked in a 5 star hotel room watching TV, don't go to Cayena. But if you want to experience what the Dominican Republic has to offer by way of weather, food, people and beaches, I whole heartedly recommend Cayena Beach Club. The cost is fair, the beach is flawless and the food and staff are great.

My husband and I stayed here for 5 days and 4 nights. The staff is wonderful especially.... Juan, Licowdy, Antonio and Pasquale. The resort was perfect for our 2nd Honeymoon. The resort is nice and close to the ocean, which makes life so much easier. The food and drinks were great. Our favorite places to eat were the ElCano for breakfast and lunch and the Italian place for Dinner. The room was very clean and the beach chairs and huts were perfect. Very relaxing resort!:) Word of advice make sure you get tot he airport at least 3 hours in advance it was a nightmare leaving there!!