Worst hotel on earth. Not at all a 5 stars hotel. It’s very dirty, not kid friendly, and you’ll leave with plenty of stomach problems and bug bites. The guest service office could care less about your concerns and you’ll be starving from how nasty the food is. The entertainment staff are friendly but they don’t do much. Don’t be fooled by pictures.
After seeing many mixed reviews and being very sceptical about what to expect, I wanted to write a genuine review and set the record straight on a number of things at this hotel. I will break down my experience with my girlfriend in order to make it as accurate as possible and clear. Rooms: We stayed in the Superior Deluxe room. This was one down from the junior suite and two down from what is the most expensive, the honeymoon villas. Our room was a good size and we even looked at upgrading to the best suite, which overlooked the VIP pool, except this wasn’t available and they wanted to just give us the same room but not with the sea/pool view, which wasn’t worth it. As a young couple, we had moderate expectations but could afford the better rooms. I would suggest taking my advice that you should not bother going for the suites unless you literally can easily afford it. The only difference between the superior deluxe rooms and the suites is that they’re about 30m closer to the beach and that they have a ‘jacuzzi’ which is literally just a small bath, with a few jets. We chose not to upgrade for this reason. It wasn’t worth the additional $30pp a night. The same room, with sea view was also underwhelming, if available, as you find that these rooms aren’t really a sea view. There is a row of about 3, on 3 levels, which face the VIP pool and faces the sea. The bottom level doesn’t see the sea and the middle only does slightly. It’s about 50m back from the sea so I’d suggest only booking this room if you have a guarantee you’ve got the top floor of these suites. Another point to make is that the suites come with VIP, yet counterintuitively, upgrading to these rooms does not mean you get VIP, you apparently have to pay separately and I actually was told differently prior to coming, which I am frustrated about. You can pay $25pp a day for VIP. Our room’s experience was OK. We had no hot water for 4 days and we complained several times but guest services didn’t care and didn’t want to know. I will be pushing this further because it made us sick! The room was slightly dated and I can’t even imagine the room lesser to this as our room was already riddled with issues such as a faulty AC, internal doors not closing and just general paint loss & chipped mirrors, etc. The AC issue also added to our sickness and it wasn’t good. Bugs were a huge issue. Overall, it was OK. VIP: Trying to keep this brief as this is already long, it is absolutely worth it. In fact, I’d have rated our entire experience a 1/2 star if it wasn’t for VIP. You are entitled to premium alcohol (all the best brands) and there is an A La carte which gives you much nicer meals for breakfast/ lunch. This was an absolute daily, needed, alternative to the buffet (will mention later). There is also a private pool, which is nice as it’s away from the loud and repetitive daily entertainment. I get it’s Be Live but it was the same every day, and overly pushy. We are a young couple and were there to have fun but there’s an element of wanting to relax and you do get a bit hounded in the main pool. HIGHLY RECOMMEND VIP. Food: There are restaurants on site. Mexican - I’d say it was very good and had a nice menu to choose from. Brazilian - again, very good, except you don’t choose, they just bring out nice meats and you use a buffet for sides. Japanese - by far the best as it’s like a standalone restaurant and a bit like a Tappenyaki performance type vibe. Mediterranean - not our favourite, limited menu, but better than the buffet. NOTE* if you want to go to these restaurants uou literally have to be up by reception for 7am unless you want to not get any for the week. Max is 3 per week unless you argued like we did for having no water for 4 days (4). The buffet was average at best, I get it is a buffet and it’s very typical, although there are flies everywhere and in a couple of cases, we even saw birds pecking at fruit! We were sick and had a few issues. I get it’s a different climate with different food and water but something wasn’t right. Honestly, from speaking to people, buffets are like this everywhere in the Dominican Republic, which is fine. The desserts were very good, not sure where they came from but everything else was repetitive and just didn’t taste fresh at all really. Seemed recycled. Entertainment: As aforementioned. In addition, I’d say it does suit some people as many did seem to enjoy it. We just felt a bit hounded but this happens everywhere. I wish it was a bit more suited to British people as they spoke almost no English. Service: I wish they spoke better English, but I guess it’s not a bad thing, it’s more our fault as it’s their country, but we had many issues. This included sorting our room issues & just ordering things at the bars. The waiters in the restaurants were good, especially VIP, but I wasn’t the happiest at all by Guest Services and it shouldn’t take being upgraded to VIP to actually be somewhat listened to! Pool/Sea: Pool was beautiful. VIP too. One big issue was that it wasn’t being cleaned properly. I get the climate but the guys with nets in the pools to dig things out didn’t do it properly and especially after rainfall, there were literally dead flies and things everywhere and didn’t change all holiday. Was a negative, but they looked good. Beach was beautiful and I wanted to address the rocks issue. So there are indeed huge rocks scattered pretty much throughout the entire coastline (unless you go to Sanoa, which I think is a MUST). You can climb in off the pier further down but even then, it’s still really rocky and you find the odd 1m2 patch of sand but it’s rare. Not much of an issue really as we expected it and was shallow enough. Currency: TAKE DOLLARS. I wish I knew this before as I’d have taken way more and literally no Pesos. They use USD literally everywhere and prefer it. seem to charge more using their currency and it’s a bit ridiculous. Locals: For some reason the hotel complex is riddled with people trying to sell you things and you never get left alone. You literally have to tell people no up front or they ask and ask again. There’s little vendors scattered around with stalls and they are frustrating really. They charge a lot and soon come down. There are shops on site near the beach which do the same but I’d say they don’t hassle you as much. The hotel has its own excursion people. I get their jobs and it’s like this everywhere but they do hound you and it’s not good. If it’s not the entertainment guys trying to pull you up, it’s the excursion guys trying to guilt trip you. Honestly. Don’t let it put you off too much, it’s kind of standard and just be straight with them. We pre booked things so literally weren’t going to give them much time but even then, still got hounded when we had done the trip they were offering!! Again, their prices halved by the end of the holiday without trying. Demographic: A good mix, not a lot of English speakers. Some Germans, French, lots of Spaniards. VIP is adult only, I’d say a low proportion of young adults and couples. I’d maybe recommend the Punta Cana one for more of that? I guess. Spa: We paid for a deep tissue massage. Not sure how this even deviates from a standard massage because it felt like a standard massage anyone could give me. It was $120 USD for two, for an hour, which we later found people got for about $80. Annoying, considering it’s hotel owned. Same with the excursions. Anyway, the spa was quite basic but probably worth it if you can afford it as it’s relaxing but I wouldn’t say my back benefitted from it, which it probably should, it just felt nice. The spa ladies walk round 90% of the time, like the excursion guys, trying to sell it. Don’t be fooled. They said they’d give us the spa itself free for an hour but it was disappointing. The sauna didn’t work, the jacuzzi was non existent and the pool was filled with dirty water and it honestly seemed like it had been out of use for about 5 years. I agree with other reviews which says it is due an upgraded from being built in 1999. It’s seriously hanging on a thread really, it probably was 5 star when it was built but I’d say it’s a 4 now, with a low experience in other areas, hence my rating. If anything, I think I’ve been really conservative. Side note: Try Mama Juana, it’s a local drink and they love it when you ask for it. Overall, it was okay, I probably won’t go back as I like to try new places and I was put off by our treatment by the guest services and the handling of our room. The rest of it was bearable and somewhat predictable. The health situation was also off putting as I have been to the Caribbean many times before and didn’t feel like I felt there. I would recommend it but I’d just be mindful about all this and consider it in the cost of your booking & consider what I’ve said above. I was told by someone that other resorts in the area didn’t have the above issues, except for the buffet, which is apparently just standard everywhere. Which makes sense. Do your research and also take bug repellant because we had about 100 bites between us and we’d asked for our room to be de fumigated but it wasn’t. Again, an issue. The repellent we brought literally must’ve saved us massively. Maybe this contributed to us being sick (the bites). Genuine opinion? Pay a little more and go to the Hilton or Dreams maybe. Their normal rooms are about the same as the suites here anyway, which don’t really overlook the sea anyway. A couple of the VIP waiters do really deserve a shoutout, although I can’t remember his name but he probably knows who he is! There are also time share guys going round asking about your age and when we said 22, they soon cleared off. We did wonder what they wanted at first because they were unlike the others who tried to sell us things. Later we saw people in their 30s sat down looking at numbers. This reflects another review I did see. There are loads of native animals on site, which was a nice touch, except for the wild cats running up to your tables when eating! That needs to be addressed! Thanks.…
This is the worse hotel I have ever stayed in! I booked an Oceanview room, and I got a room with many trees covering the entire view. The A/C was broken, and the hotel didn't have water to take a shower. There was a mildew smell in the room; I didn't feel safe. The food was horrible; we got sick at the first meal. They don't have any decent drinks. I will never book at this hotel anywhere I go; I wasted two days of my vacation in this dump!
There is good food and nice people there but this was not enough for good stay. There was no hot water and their WiFi not working “We are Working on it”. Without both these important items and small other thing here and there, we did not fully enjoy our stay
Food 6.5/10 -Good variety - very dirty plates, cutlery, glasses with lipstick on them - no hygiène in canteen - 🤢🤢🤢 Rooms 4/10 We initially booked a supervisor deluxe, we’re so disappointed paid an extra $270 for the next level up and same thing. - dated rooms - broken toilet seat - dust in all corners - tv not working - no hot water for the WHOLE 10 days Customer service 2/10 - just waooow! - I could be dying and no one would turn up - All they care about are the VIP guests, the rest are irrelevant - you are hassled all day long to book excursions - Waited 2hours for room service - Entertainment, same exact thing/ music every single day. Location 6/10 - BEAUTIFUL beach - Nothing surrounding the hotel - 1 hour away from airport - casino and club near by I am writing this review while still here because I’m so so disappointed ! This place is advertised so falsely. It is not what it says on the tin. 2 star hotel with poor poor poor customer service! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.…
We came for a friends wedding. First day ,Our room was flooding water running down the walls. Looked like the ceiling is going to fall in .Called the desk and was told it’s cement block and that is how it is . No room service toilet doesn’t work dirty bedding. What a waste of money
Our holiday at the hotel were calm, relaxed and safe. The most we liked green garden. All different trees, flowers and animala, that the take good care of. The beach is divine. The staff was very pleasant and friendly. The food was not the best.
I usually never write bad reviews but this one deserves it. The place was run down but the worst was the food. I will Never go back to DR. This experience truly left a bad taste in my mouth! The only good thing was the beach. Their Brazilian steak house was an absolute joke. Their buffet, well I mainly ate pizza and pineapple because the rest was terrible. The only person that was genuinely a nice person was the receptionist, Angel. I couldn’t wait to come home. What a disappointment
Save yourself the money and pain and go elsewhere. The first couple days of our trip all seemed fine but that’s probably just because we were so excited to be on holiday after two and half years. As the days passed, we realised we were becoming extremely ill. We began to notice bugs on the food in essentially every restaurant and buffet on this resort along with cockroaches on the dining room floors. The food is entirely inedible and has most certainly given my partner and myself food poisoning. The same food is cook and served, reheated and then passed to a different restaurant or snack bar to then serve again. The food hygiene and safety practices are nonexistent. After speaking to people around the resort, it seems most people experience the symptoms we are to some degree. The resort itself is just a pure example of false advertising. The photos are stunning and very promising but upon arrival, the buildings and amenities are entirely run down - not at all like the photos. The pools are dirty and unkempt. The beaches are no better. The rooms(“superior deluxe”) are scarcely and poorly furnished with a bed, a single chair and wardrobe. Curtains look smoke stained and do not close properly. We do have a working fridge and AC unit which has been a god send but that should not be the best part of your vacation, surely. The shower is poorly designed and floods the bathroom each time it is used so you always have a big mess to clean up when you are finished. The toilet blocks relentlessly which isn’t good seeing as how my partner and I are in constant need of it… it’s obviously sickness is a common problem at this resort as when we visited the Mediterranean restaurant, there was dried vomit on the cubicle walls. Again, health and safety and cleanliness is not something that exists here. After complaining to guest service and speaking to the site manager, he offered to upgrade us to VIPs so we had access to two different restaurants as well as a different snack bar and pool. Please note this was under the condition that we sign a Hold Harmless Agreement which was not made clear until they handed us our new wristbands. We did not sign. We said we would try for a day or two and let them know how we were feeling. By the end of the following day and after attempting to have dinner in their “best” restaurant - the Japanese - we were completely done. We returned to guest services and said we did not want to stay another minute but would allow them time to arrange a transfer to a resort down the road for the afternoon of the following day once we had returned from our excursion. We had rescheduled it twice due to illness and shock, we were still very sick when we finally did go on the trip and struggled to enjoy it. Just more money wasted at the hands of Be Live. They told us we would need to contact our holiday provider to arrange the transfer. They had no intention of helping us leave this nightmare. Speaking of money, BEWARE! Every vendor and member of staff is simply out to scam you. They will lie through their teeth and do anything to shake you down. We came here to relax and were not once given the opportunity to do so as there are vultures on the beach, by the pool, on every path you walk, by every bar and every area you could possibly choose to try and rest. Your room is your only safe haven. It is simply unacceptable. My partner and I waited so long for this holiday. We traveled half way across the globe and paid with an arm, a leg and a kidney as well. Unfortunate as I most definitely need it back to help process all the toxins that are currently swimming around my body no thanks to Be Live Canoa. To top it off, on our day of check out, they told us we were required to pay for the use of the safe in our room - even after being told this was free after being upgraded to VIPs. We said we would not pay it. They said they would waive the fee if we signed a hold harmless! They must hand these things out like candy because they KNOW THEY ARE IN THE WRONG. We refused to sign as we had already begun our legal proceedings against the resort at this point. We argued for nearly an hour and when our transfer to the airport arrived they lied to the driver saying we had not paid for our stay at the hotel and to not let us on! The driver then refused to let us on our already paid for transfer and then drove off without us until my partner finally had no choice but to pay the fee! They called the driver back to pick us up once they had strong armed a further 35 dollars out of us. This was absurd and simply the most disgusting display I have ever experienced. I have never been so stressed from a holiday. They will try to drain you of every penny they can before you leave because they already know that no sane person would return to this hell willingly so they do not even slightly care about making their clients happy or correcting any issue. 5 star? Only at poisoning you, falsely advertising the resort, ruining your holiday, and then doing nothing to resolve it. Stay here at your own risk.…
We had booked this hotel after having a few trips for our honeymoon cancelled and we were really excited, however, when we got there the place was disappointing on all levels. Firstly, we were hounded before we even got to our room by people selling rubbish. I asked the bellboy to take us to our room and he said 'no stay buy something'. It was overwhelming and upsetting after 18 hours of traveling. When we finally got to the room, it made me cry. The mini fridge was just on the floor and it was clear the cupboards had been removed from the walls, TV didn't work. balcony windows dirty and missing parts, floor tiles broken and raised , bath room door looked like it had been set on fire, dirty towels, bed and headboard broken - to look at it would have been a 2* room. When we spoke to the reception they didn't understand what the problem was!!! The holiday was ruined by this hotel. The room was just one problem - the staff were rude and although our Spanish was basic, they didn't try to help, food was average and you could only book 3 la a carte per week and the food was the same all day every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It wasn't just the food, the drinks were watered down and I ordered a wine to watch it being poured out of an old coke bottle!! The food and drink were so humdrum that we upgraded to VIP, this was much better but cost us $25 per person per day!! By far the worst think about this hotel were the people they let in the complex to sell you stuff or even timeshares. We were hounded on a daily (hourly) basis to listen to people try and sell us something or to rip us off. You couldn't relax with the amount of hounding that the hotel allowed. My husband and I wanted to relax but we found ourselves often avoiding the pool, beach and bars because of these people. Overall, don't go here.…
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