We decided to try and different Dominican location and chose La Semana. We entered Bahia Principe's roulette and Cayacoa was what was chosen for us. We could not have been happier. Usually we are lovers of long beaches, but there were so many other things we liked about this report, we did not miss a long beach. The staff were invariably friendly and helpful. The food had wonderful variety and was delicious and elegantly prepared. If you are a bird lover, there was a wide variety of local birds on and near the resort. There are not people constantly bothering you trying to sell vacation club, but the opportunity is there if you are interested. We were really impressed with Bahia Principe as an operator If all goes well with the pandemic, we plan to go back next year at the same time and try Grand El Portillo…
I travel here with my family of 7 and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was very friendly and the buffet was amazing. The resort was beautiful and clean. This resort had a friendly, warm and inviting atmosphere filled with wonderful staff.
We were so disappointed because we spent extra money on a suite. The location of the suite was horrible. Far from everything and had many stairs to get up and down on the hill. We had a stroller so it made it impossible. We had to wait 20 mins for a trolley to take us to the main pool or beach. The room was hot and had lots of mosquitoes. The AC only works if you leave your room key in it. My kids had 20 bites within minutes. I asked for another room, inside the main building. The manage had a attitude with us. Ot was very hurtful they I had to have an argument to get relocated. The lobby has no AC so not only was it difficult communicating with them I was hot while doing so. They said didn’t have a suite in the main building so we took a basic room. No mosquitos in the new room but a leaking AC. Our new room had a leak and every so often water dropped on us. The AC didn’t get cold at night due to their leaky AC system. Their restaurants are a joke. The buffet was better than any of their restaurants. There was no kids club offered. Food was beyond basic. The hotel manager refused to refund us the difference from a suite to a basic room and minimized all my issues. The hotel manager said to email the management. I even purchased the room directly from the hotel site. After the trip I emailed the Management it took them 3 weeks to respond. They said they won’t offer us a discount and to come back again. Ha ha.. I will never go back. They aren’t a good business and don’t do right by their customers. Listen customer service is everything, and their service SUCKS. The only thing nice about the hotel was the location.…
I booked this trip with my boyfriend in mind. It was his first trip and I am well travelled from backpacking to high end hotels. When I picked this resort, I spent some time scowering reviews and this hotel stood out to me for several reasons: although kid friendly, it was mainly adults going, not families. It had amazing views and looked stunning. And lastly it was not a big party hotel. I am so glad we chose to go here. I couldn't have been happier with choosing this hotel. In order to give the best feedback I can, I am going to break it down. Food and Drinks: The food was wonderful. The buffet is quite large and you will not be short of finding something you enjoy. Breakfast and lunch is a standard one daily, but again many options to switch it up. And dinners were themed for the most part. There were items they had always and others that switched up. Service was good for drinks and cleaning plates etc. The staff have more of a language barrier in the dining areas, which doesn't allow you to build much of a relationship with them sadly. But they are very polite, cheerful, and try to communicate with you if you like to chat. They have a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options. Beer is only El Presidante. You will not see anything else. Wine is extra cost. But there are daiquiris and pina colodas etc. Rooms and public areas: The rooms are beautiful. You will for the most part get a view no matter where you are in the hotel due to the elevation of the main building and others. The rooms were cleaned fully everyday if you leave the slip on your door knob and honestly beautiful. They are well kept and large. The main areas are impeccably clean and remind me of a Caribbean Fairmont with the asthetic. Beach: For me this was the only shortfall. I am a big snorkeler and I knew going into this resort it was unlikely to be supportive of this endeavor. The beaches are clean and well kept. The sand soft. The seats, unlimited to your liking. The water at the larger main beach a bit murky, at the second in the inlet a bit more clear. There is not any coral like areas but at the second beach there is some nice spots to snorkle outside of the roped off area. We did see a sea snake and fish out that way. The water is warm. The locals can access the beaches but are very considerate of giving hotel guests the space to enjoy the beach as well. Pools: So many pools! We spent 90% of our hotel time at the main pool and there was always seats available. We would move to follow the sun as the morning shines towards one side and through the day to the other. It was nice to be out there with the entertainment staff that kept activites going through the day. We did water aerobics, miniput, dancing, Spanish lessons. Entertainment: Going into this trip I hadn't imagined we would be big on the shows, but oh man were they fun. The staff are amazing and so so kind. We attribute the time we had as being so memorable because of them. They work so hard and just keep you smiling. We would just participate in everything because they made us so comfortable and energized! Accessibility: Please note this hotel is full of stairs and hills which may affect people who may have mobility issues. That being said, all things are done to assist as the hotel can. There is a shuttle to assist you if need be and I would recommend the main building if you book as it accesses all the main accommodations easily with elevators. Excursions: We booked three tours as follows: 1) Los Haitites - 5/5 Fun, entertaining, educational. 2) Catamaran Snorkeling Tour including Shipwreck - 3/5 Not the best snorkeling, food good, staff not very engaging. 3) Playa Rincon Safari - 4/5 good staff, beautiful scenery, educational. Overall we loved it and would go back. I hope this helps people make the right choice for them. I recommend for couples and friends. Not young kids!…
We visited this resort in Feb of 2020 for one week. This resort is beautiful and clean. Good housekeeping staff. Some ware and tare in the rooms and throughout the resort. Food was good. We had no problem finding good food each meal. The 3 a la carts were very good. The french was my favourite. The buffet is small but clean and well stocked. Snack bar was pretty good. Entertainment staff was very good. Full of energy. The beach is nice but very small. Lots of lounge chairs around the pools and at the beach. The pools were fairly clean. Pool bar was good. Lots of drinks. The lower pool was our favourite as the bathroom was close snack bar was close and the views of the bay are beautiful. In fact their is not a bad view from this property. My only complaints about the resort was the location of our Jr. Suite. We were on the side where the entertainment is. Over looking the bay. The room was large, clean and well maintained. However the nightly shows run till 1030-11pm and they play music after that. So if you are on this side of the resort you may not fall asleep till 2am due to the noise. Around 4 delivery trucks arrive and beep as the back up. After 2 nights of not sleeping I went to the front desk to ask for another room. They were very prompt to give us not only another room but gave us a upgraded room. It was 2x the size of the Jr. suite. It had a huge bathroom with jacuzzi tub (could use some repair.) but it had an ocean view that was to die for. Beware of the guys selling day trips in the lobby. Only book threw your rep. And don’t pay cash for trips. Credit card only. Overall this hotel is very nice and well maintained. The views are beautiful. Pools are nice. Food is good. Would I return to this hotel in the future? No Did I enjoy my stay at this hotel? Yes i did Would I recommend this hotel to others? Yes…
We had a group of 12 stay at Cayacoa from Feb. 5th to 12th,2020. Check in was fairly qoick wiyh about 40 people checking in at 1100pm. Our group was a little scattered around but that didn't matter. We changed 2 rooms the next afternoon without problem. The rooms were clean, good size and looked after by the maids every day. The buffet restaurant was well stocked at all meals. Breakfast very typical with everything you need includig egg station. Lunch and dinner always had something different and was well cooked.Meat and seafood always available.I didn't do the a la cartes so I can only say the people in our group that did liked them.We spent most time during the day at the pool.The bartender Raul was fantastic and we were lucky he was there for our whole stay.If he asks you if you want a drink just reply porque no. He will know you read this. Also at the pool you will find David who is with the Padi Dive shop ay the bottom of the elevator that takes you to the beach. He will aid you in any excursion you want whether it is one of his or someone elses he can help. His knowledge of the area and the people of Samana is extensive. The town is worth visiting a couple of time. The beach at the hotel is not the greatest but there is a bar and everyone likes a dip in the sea. If you really want a fantastic beach you can go to Las Galeas either by tour or rent a scooter or car. It is less than an hour away and quite nice.…
Went for a week with my boyfriend and we had a great time! The resort is beautiful, be prepared for a lot of walking!! Everything went so smoothly. We experienced no problems during check in and check out. Every staff member we encountered was helpful and always had a smile on their faces. Our room had a beautiful view, bed was comfortable, big shower - no complaints!! Entertainment staff were awesome - special shoutout to Nadiuska, Wesley, and Jensy for getting everyone involved and making our trip more enjoyable. Evening entertainment was great, would definitely recommend Sunday night karaoke and the circus show! The food was good - great selection and the a la carte restaurants were great. The bartenders are very generous!! Special shoutout to our favourite bartenders who were so kind - Dario, Manuel, Raul, and Fernando. We spent most of our time at the main pool - only negative I can think of is that the pool and pool bar close at 6pm. We didn't spend too much time at the beach but there is a lot of seating and the beach was maintained well. It felt like there was more time we could have enjoyed at the pool which was cut off short. I would consider this resort as more quiet - for the older crowd but most definitely enjoyable for younger people as well. Quite a few families and young children were there. Overall, I would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a quiet and relaxing vacation!…
When we landed at Samana airport we went to the air canada rep and he told us we were going to the BPG Cayacoa. (Most reveiwes said that 99% of the roulette people end up here). The resort is 45 mins from the airport which was fine. Checkin was ok a little slow the whole bus was at our resort. (Its not like punta cana where there are 20 resorts in a row and they drop off people like bus stops). Since we did the roulette we got whichever room was available. We got the room with 2 double beds. Even though when we booked the trip we had requested a king bed. It was so late by the time we checked in, ate a snack at the snack bar, we didnt care to bother with a room change. Felt like more of a hassle. So we ended up moving some furniture around and pushed the beds together, and it was fine. This resort is not at all suitable for small children or people who are unable to walk too much. It is built on a hill and is ALL slopes and stairs. We stayed in bldg 21 and it took 116 stairs to get to the main buffet. U can call reception from your room and they will send a golf cart to come pick u up. But that could sometimes take up to 10-15 minutes of waiting. So we just walked. If there was a cart waiting to pick up someone else we would hop on. But we didnt wait. We saw maybe 3 kids the whole week we were here. Bringing strollers will be a nightmare here!!! Unless u can get a room in the hotel building which has elevators and not the outside villas. There is free wifi everywhere. Rooms, lobby, restaurants, pools, even spotty connection at the beach. Once you check in you can log on. You can book ala carte restaurants on the app. (We teied the Orcadea, amazing!) We had an amazing week. Walking a lot. Food is great here. Lots of variety. We enjoyed everything and were not picky at all. Drinks were good too. We have been going to cuba the last few years so come back to DR was very refreshing! The place is spectacular so green and grogeous. The most scenic views we have ever seen. Extremely clean and well groomed. Bathrooms by the pool and lobby are very clean. Servers and everyone working around the resort are very nice. A $1 tip and a smile can go a long way. They are Ready to serve and help at all times. Beware of the bahia principe privilege guys in the lobby. They are vultures and will try and sell u time shares and upgrades. They are v annoying and persistant but if u say no to them 2-3 times they will leave u alone. Do not make eye contact with them and do not let them start up a conversation. U will waste 1-2 hrs of a good day just trying to get them to shut up! He will start of by offering u a necklace and then its down hill from there lol The beach is very small, yiu ca the elevatorfeom the main poil area or u an walk down hundreda of steps on the other side. Water is merky. Sand is brown. So if u are expecting to see crystal blue water and white sand u will be disappointed. Its very clean though. The far section of the beach is shared with the locals which was not a bother. Some reviewers complained that there were too many locals on the beach. We did not find that at all. We spent more time at the pools all week anyways. Our block of villas (bldg 21) had its own pool and bar. Very quite...we hung out there on a cloudy day and were by ourselves the whole day which was brilliant. Our room 2106 was great. Big. Clean. Bathroom also was great. Lots of good pressure hot water. Too many mosquitos though! Bring mosquito repellant and keep the ac cranked in the room. Do not turn the ac off...or u will get invaded by mosquitos. Also leave the bathroom door open so the whole area is cold. It gets very cold at night. We ended up wearing socks to bed. But we didnt want to be bitten! So bring long pjs! Walked into town one day which was nice. Its very safe. Theres a Bahia shopping village. Vendors will approach you a lot but will leave u alone if u say no thanks. DO NOT book any excursions with random vendors in town!!! Walked on the "bridge to nowhere" a few times. Its a very long walk. We loved it. Dont walk it at night as its totally isolated and cut ofd from the hotel. We did the National Park excusion which was excellent. I would highly recommend. Be sure to wear running shoes as you will be walking in caves etc. Alot of people wore flipflops and its very rocky and slippery. All in all excellent resort and a wonderful week!!! …
Perfect! My husband and I came down on February 25 with our niece and her boyfriend and we leave tomorrow. My husband and I have stayed at many all-inclusive throughout the Caribbean and South America and this is by far my favourite spot. We have stayed at Grand Baha’i Principes before and always enjoyed them but this is my favorite! It is quite small and we had a room on the second floor so we could easily get to the lobby buffet and the pool. The views from our balcony work gorgeous and there was never any trouble getting the chair either at the pool or the beach. The food at the buffet is always excellent and although I don’t usually stay up to watch the entertainment I did this time and it’s worth it-especially the circus night and the starz night. The animation team works very hard to make people feel welcome and included without being pushy –they were all amazing. We will definitely return to this beautiful resort and I think it will become our regular vacation destination!…
Loved it here! There was one takeaway I felt this resort excelled in and that was management. The resort was full the entire week we were there and an additional crowd came in mid week and we never once felt cramped. We had a ritual where we would walk the city in the a.m return for lunch then laze on the beach. No matter what time we arrived there were always plenty of beach chairs calling our name. There are signs that clearly say that reserving chairs is not permitted. At the pool, they state that they will remove your towels if your not around. I wish every resort would practice this. What a difference. The shows were great, loved the circus show. So impressive for a resort show. Each night they featured different cocktails Grounds were beautiful. Well kept and there was always someone painting or polishing brass or cleaning. When we arrived it was about 1 am and we were hungry. There’s is food 24/7 there so we were happy to get a bite to eat. Overall the food was good as were all of the a la carts however the food for the most part was warm-ish and not hot. This is my only complaint. There was plenty of variety. You will be fine at the buffet even as a vegan although maybe a bit limited. I am not a seafood lover so the a la carts were limited in that regard. They definable had more seafood to choose from than non seafood dishes but I never went hungry. The beach is small. An elevator takes you down about 4 stories to it or you can do the stairs. While it was small it was pleasant. They bring a small buffet to the beach at lunch so you don’t need to leave it to go eat. There is a bar there and the bartender is the same one all week so a good tip at the start of your vacay goes a long way. Just to the left of the beach is a public area and the staff were good at not allowing those guest uses the resort chairs. There are vendors there of course who cruise the beach. To the right is a bridge that goes to a small island. There is nothing on the island and it is polluted with garbage. A shack sits on top of the island which serves as a shelter for someone. I suspect it is the homeless guy on the bridge but I’m not sure. This homeless guy sits on the bridge and asks you to take a picture of him jumping in the water. He gets back up as quick as can be. No worries he does not want money or mean harm, he is looking for food. There is a stray dog on the resort. So sweet he will follow you around but if you pay too much attention the management will get after you. I know as they wanted my name and room number to verify I wouldn’t bring the dog in my room. I did not give that info. The town is good to poke around in. It is a 6 minute walk downhill from the resort to the village or they have a trolley to bring you there. If you venture down and don’t want to walk the hill to get back up take the first road to the left of the resort entrance (if you are facing the resort) down that road on the right there is a parking lot. Cut through there and you are on the beach 🙌. No hill which by the way is quite the hike. Once you are in the city, head right by the water and they have the Principe village. Keep going and they have the tourist stuff with tourist prices. Head left and the prices drop. There is a Scotiabank also if you need pesos. No USD there so if you want that bring it with you. Many shops to putter in and to my surprise they do not bug you at all. No one bugging to come look. Go in with no pressure to buy. The rooms were good and comfy. Nice heavy bedding which was great as my hubby likes to set the air con at Canadian winter setting 🥶 so I need a heavy blanket. Shower sucked. No pressure.We paid for a room upgrade but I am certain we did not get it. Whatever I was only there to sleep. It was a great trip. I would defiantly fork out a few extra bucks to return to this brand. I would also definitely stay there again…
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