stayed at this hotel first two weeks in june. What can i say it is the best hotel we have ever stayed at in the twenty years we have been traveling abroad.
Rooms were spotless and huge the only thing that i can say was a bit the downside we found that the shower was sometimes cold no matter what time of day you showered
the buffet was very good something for everyones taste and the service was excellent. We only tried one of the ala carte restaurants(Gourmet) the food was superb,we were told the other ala cartes were of the same standard.The pools were very clean and service there again excellent,we never had any troble finding sunbeds as it seemed the place was half empty which we loved.the bar service in the evening was very good nothing was too much trouble the cocktails were to die for in all i would highly recommend this hotel and in my view cheap as chips if you went to any other carribean such as antigua.barbados, for a hotel of this standard you would be paying at least 4 grand a head we paid £1000.50 Each with first choice and that was upgrading to premier seats.go ond enjoy

We have stayed in GBP Cayo Levantado for a whole week (4JUN-11JUN) along with another family couple, each one with 2 kids (1/3 and 1/4 years old).

ISLAND
The island is absolutely beautiful mixing well kept gardens and savage nature.
Most of the island is private to GBP. Just the public beach area is accessible for visitors.
Don't forget you are in an isolated place and getting off the island is not as easy as it looks. You have a time-table for the free transfers (twice a day) between the island and the mainland. Please be aware that once you are on the mainland (GBP peer) you are in the middle of nothing and you have to take a private taxi into the town.

HOTEL / ROOMS
The hotel itself is big but walkable (for those of you that know GBP Mexico you will find similar buses). The hotel have a main building (with rooms, bar and main buffet restaurant) plus other isolated buildings (villas) with up to 8 rooms.
The rooms are huge and wonderful: big balcony, big bathroom (with shower and jacuzzi), a poster bed and a huge window separating the room from the bathroom.
One advise: try to book Villa nº3 (rooms 103, 104, 203 or 204) because you will have the best view to the beach and very close to the main building and main pool.
The food is not the best of its class but is quite good and varied. I did not tried the a la carte restaurants because of the kids...
The main restaurant and the beach restaurant are open at lunch but for dinner the beach restaurant is closed (you have the main restaurant and the a la carte restaurants).

HEALTH
No problems with the food and water inside the hotel but some excursions turn out in a few problems...
During our stay we found zero mosquitos! I don't know if it is just luck or if it is usual...

BEACH
The island has 3 beaches: one public and two private beaches.
The public beach is beautiful but very explored... Filled with lots of chairs, bars and people that wants to sell you local stuffs.
The hotel bracelet doesn't work here... But the walk between the hotel premises and the beach is full of little shops with handcrafts and other stuff. It's the only place in the island where you can find these items.
The private beaches are the best ones to be in. One of them is open straight to the Atlantic and therefore can have some significant waves, but the other one is protected by reefs and the water looks like a lagoon. If you have kids this is the best place to be. In front of this beach you have a little cayo that provides excellent photo backgrounds. Lots of shades (natural and man made), lots of chairs, unlimited towel use, etc, etc, etc.
Near these beaches you have a pool and a buffet restaurant for lunch. Don't miss the lift to the private beaches because the view is absolutely beautiful.
You can snorkel around the beaches and around the cayo.

POOL
There are 3 pools in the hotel: one main pool in the geographical center of the island, one beach pool and one jacuzzi pool. They all have bars, toilets, towel exchange and games/books. The beach pool is the most busy because (of course) is next to the beach and next to the lunch buffet restaurant.
The main pool is the most quiet but it has a huge area for kids. Around this pool (in fact it's made of three different areas) you have wonderful palapas to rest and enjoy the end of the day.
The jacuzzi pool is the quiet place to be if you don't like confusion.
Please notice that the main pool and the jacuzzi pool don't offer food (only on the beach pool) but they do offer a lot of drinks :-)

DOWNSIDE
I just have two complains about this wonderful place:
1. It's not possible to get money in the hotel. You have to go into mainland to get money from cash machines (boat+taxi+bank+taxi+boat).
2. It's the same problem in Samana airport: no cash machines!
Having said this, please be aware of the airport taxes... You need to have aside the money for the airport taxes, otherwise you need to go into mainland to get it. (I was told that only USD or EUR are accepted, which means that once you get the money from the cash machines you need to go into the bank to exchange the dominican dollars into USD or EUR).

Portuguese couple with a 4 years old child
I was there with my wife and my daughter, was wonderful (28-4 to 6-5-2008).
Everything: from the village with private Jacuzzi, the food, the beaches and to the staff, was GREAT.

Well what can I say, we stayed her in May 07.............yes I know you are saying, and she is only now writing her review.

We travelled with First Choice from Gatwick to the New Airport, this however was a nightmare, as we were originally booked to fly from Manchester, and at the last minute, First Choice changed it, We were the first plane to arrive from the UK at the new Airport, we breezed through the airport really, waited for about 10 mins in a queue at immigration, we were met at the other side by the Rep who incidentally put us on the wrong coach, after the mix up was sorted, we were on our way.

Our wrist bands were given out on the coach, and room keys, and any relevant information, after a eye opening ride for 1hr by coach, we arrived at the dock, we were offered drinks and nibbles, whilst we waited for the boat to take us over to the Island.

The boat ride was 10 minutes, after disembarking we walked up a bit of a slope to the main hotel ( a buggy was supplied for people with walking difficulties), the animation team where there dressed in local garb, and performing the Gran Bahia dance, we were welcomed into the Foyer, the sight was Jaw dropping for us, we were then shown to our rooms, we had booked a Beach Villa, I had weeks before emailed, and requested the villa nearest to the Water Sport Hut, which they obliged, we walked into the Villa, and it was just enormous, a massive King Size Four Poster Bed, a Bathroom to die for, with a Jaccuzzi, and a Jaccuzzi on the Terrace.

After getting our cases, we changed, and made our way back to the main hotel, from the beach we took the elevator, and walked down passed the quiet pool.

We only ate at the Buffet Restaurant all fortnight, so we can only comment on that, and we found the food to be more than excellent, plenty of choice, and new and varied dishes, Steak cooked to your liking, Omellettes filled with your choice of fillings, and Spanish lessons whilst you ate.

We spent most days by the quiet pool, and Walkey was more than a helpful barman, as soon as we arrived at around 10am, we would have a Pina Colado and Presidente in a flash, some days we would have to shout............"Water" only please.

We are not Party animals, so we were happy with the quiet drink in the courtyard, and then back to the room, we would watch a Film, order room service, and then relax.

Any minus points, if any "People" we had a few people mainly mexicans, that thought, Staff should run around for them, fetching clean towels, and moving chairs..........how Pig Ignorant people can be, and they were loud!!

We enjoyed the Jaccuzzi pools aswell, we only found this the last couple of days we were their.

The undercurrent on the left side of the private beach is quite strong, so be careful.

We loved it that much, we are going back in 2009..........cant wait.