Pros:
Quick service at the check-in counter.
Beautiful beach and water
Pools nice to swim in
Clean rooms and beach area
Plenty of chairs to sit at the beach
Food at Santa Fe Grill and Rigoletto Pasta Club (we didn't try El Fogon you had to pay for that restaurant)
Lots of activities to do on the beach (boat rides, tubing, snorkeling, paddle boats)


Cons:
Lots of construction. They are building a large building on the beach. Trust me, they won't be ready for at least a couple more months. Be prepared to hear hammer drills all day long.
Refrigerator locked for most of the stay. We couldn't get our complimentary beers and sodas.
Each day at the beach someone from the hotel would ask us to join their VIP club on the beach.
There is a small walkway from the garden area of the resort to the ocean area and hotel salesmen and vendors will bug you non-stop.
The biggest problem was no one brought us drinks. Not at the restaurant, the beach, anywhere!!! That is what an all-inclusive is about. We tried to tip the waiters and they still wouldn't bring drinks. In Mexico they would swam you if you tipped them a couple of bucks.

I would look at another resort. At least wait until 2010 (hopefully the construction will be complete). If you are looking for good service go somewhere else.

We traveled to Santo Doming from June 16 - 23. My family of 4, 2 adult/2kids and my sis in law's family, 1 adult/3 kids came from Chicago and met up with the rest of the family at the resort. We booked our package including airport transfers and that was great, because the airport nearly dumps you in the street. The shuttle driver was awesome, he even stopped on the way to the hotel to let us buy food at a stand. There was a 2 hour delay on our rooms but we requested rooms in the main building. The rooms in the main building better than the rooms across the street. If you end up waiting for your room, go to the bar and ask for a "Cielo Azul" or Blue Sky. DELICIOUS If you can pick rooms, we had 325 and 326. If you are traveling with 2 adults, be sure to ask for a 3rd key. The electricity in the rooms need to have a key card to activate. The views weren't important but the balcony was nice. The house keeping is SLOW but honest, we left our electronics and they were there when we came back. Simple Spanish phrases will help you.

Breakfast is the same thing but there is a wide variety of selections. Be sure to get some of the fresh all natural smoothies. The large pool is across the street from the main entrance. It was really nice. Get there early to get a chair in the shade because the sun will scorch everything in its' path. The swim up bar, hot tub, kids club and mexican restaurant are right around the pool.

Lunch is available at the buffet, Mangos, and the pizza place on the beach. Hamburgers, hot dogs and are available for the picky eaters. Try the grilled fish, it was awesome. There are bars with drinks everywhere. My 8 year old is now suffering from withdrawal of the pina coladas. There are free activities to do like, paddle boats and snorkeling, etc. No one told us in advance but you have to go to the other side of the beach to get them.

Avoid the seafood night!!! We tried the every restaurant available and ironically the Dominican was the worst. The Italian and Mexican were good. We did not try the Pelicano because we were too cheap. I didnt miss it.

The beach is not white powdery sand, but more pebbly. We saw jumping fish and crabs everywhere. We were never bothered by the timeshare reps, but the excursion guides are relentless. We did take the ATV tour, we agreed to the Lake, sugar cane field, and public beach, what we got was a ride to the country through cow pile fields. It was enjoyable but definitely not what we paid for.

To anyone traveling to DR, Pack more than you think you will need. We went through 3 cans of spf 85 sunscreen and still came back burnt. Aloe Vera that cost $3 at home is $14 there. The water used to cook the food has been cleaned but the water in your hotel room isn't. We never had any issue with diarrhea or vomiting. The mosquitos however, DO NOT SLEEP. Bring OFF and check your walls before sleeping.

I read all the reviews a million times and the best advice I found was to remember that the standards of America and DR are completely different. If stains bother you, bring Clorox wipes. I consider myself the queen of preparation so we really didnt miss any of the comforts of home. There are cheaper packages to nicer resorts in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata if you really want to visit DR. Overall we had a great time and do recommend going there if you MUST be in Santo Domingo.

I was scared before reading reviews but honestly I'm usually pleasantly surprised when I get to the place after reading a bad review. This was not the case here- exactly.

The best thing about the whole place is the beach and the water is amazing!!!!! And that's what I wanted to relax on the beach so that being said...

Food- not good. I am not a big buffet person but this took me over the edge. It was bad
Drinks- they are a little weak but if you ask for an extra shot then you are fine.
Room- it is so in need of a makeover! It was nothing special at all
Shows- ok nothing memorable, but I guess it's entertainment.
Casino- it feels so sketchy in there. You have to "check your camera and your gun!" umm ok. why does someone have a gun anyway?? a little shady but we stayed for a round or two of roulette and left. I know all about resort casinos and well the house ALWAYS wins.

We did the excursion to Soana Isl which I had been to before- but I wanted to take my boyfriend. It's gorgeous there! Do it if you can.

I was so worried about Oasis Hamaca after reading all the reviews on this site but it was Jet Blue, not O.H. that let me down. My mom and sister almost missed out on our vacation because of J.B. messing up their connecting flight. I spent the first day at O.H. by myself. At that point I couldn't handle being put in a crappy room like most of the reviews talked about on Trip Advisor. When I opened the door to my room I almost cried...IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Beyond my expectations, we booked an oceanfront room, got one on the third floor. I felt like everything was actually going to be ok and it was. The first night I spent at the resort by myself, as a young woman I was worried I'd be harrassed and I wasn't. I felt safe. Mom and sister arrived the next morning. Food was great, it's different from what you'd expect from home so if you don't like one thing move on and try something else (the passion fruit is a must try). The beach was amazing, you can sit under the cabana or snorkle right there at the beach. The guys at the little dive shop are great and the snorkling, banana boat, horse back riding is well worth it and affordable. We also did the massages on the beach, soo relaxing. Drinks were great, all you can drink El Presidente and frozen drinks definitely put us in vacation mode, make sure you tell them you want liquor in your frozen drink if you want it. The power did go out quite a few times during our stay, I don't really know what that's all about but they do have an energy saving system that requires your room key to turn on the a/c, lights etc. maybe too many people kept their key cards in to keep rooms cool (ok, I did it too but my room always felt wonderful when I returned and the power turns back on quickly.) The vendors on the public beach next to the resort and on the resort (across the street near the buffett) are very aggressive. They want to make a sale and that was annoying. We did buy a lot from the vendors on the beach and it turned out their stuff was cheaper than what we found in the Mercado Modelo in Santo Domingo (which was a complete rip off, thanks for nothing travel books). People in the hotel are very friendly, maids, bartenders, front desk etc. Try to speak their language and they appreciate that you tried (I bought a 5 language translator at Barnes and Noble before the trip for $20 and it saved my life). We always had fresh towels, plenty of soap, bottles of water to brush our teeth. Overall my family and I had a wonderful time and we plan to return again.