This was my first trip down to the Dominican Republic so I have no comparisons with other resorts in the area. We chose this resort as the reviews were favourable and we wanted a quiet and relaxing stay with a nice beach. We got exactly what we wanted in this regard.
ATMOSPHERE: This is not a party resort as I saw only one group of singles. There were mostly young families, and couples (both young and old). I believe there is a disco though I never ventured there. It is very relaxing, with jazz played in the piano bar and dance music out by the pool. There was a large number of argentinians, a few europeans (french and german) and canadians. There were a couple of same sex couples who seemed to be having a good time as well.
FOOD: Though I've not been anywhere in DR, I have been to cuba and mexico and I will say that the food was pretty good. I found that there was a nice mix of different options. Each day was a different theme in the buffet (DR, italian, oriental, spanish, mexican, international). There is always a pasta bar and grill section. There was paella every day, which i absolutely loved. The only negative note was that they opened later than what is advertised. For example, dinner is supposed to start at 6:30 or 7:00 pm but most evenings the doors were opened after 7:30. There is a beach snack bar which is a buffet as well. Not much change from day to day: fries, nachos, burgers, rice, chicken and pasta. I enjoyed it all the same.
STAFF: Very friendly
They all spoke multiple languages (i heard french, german, and of course spanish and english). I didn't feel like they were expecting tips from us, though we did tip after meals. The front desk staff were incredibly professional and helpful. Check in and check out was quite quick. Our room maid did a thorough job of cleaning as well. The only negative was our tour representative oddly enough. Emile from air canada vacations was rarely there and not all that helpful.
ROOM: we stayed in villa 4, which was close to the beach and a lovely short stroll to the buffet and lobby. We emailed in advanced to ask for a room on the second floor that is quiet and close to the beach. We asked for the second floor because it is "airier" due to the vaulted ceiling. We heard that the suites were nicer but we were hardly ever in our room and frankly, it wasn't worth it. The standard room is just fine in case you were wondering.
BEACH: Beautiful!
The beach is long and you can walk for miles. One can actually walk into Las Terrenas if you walk along the beach for about an hour. Beaches in dominican republic are all public so you will find locals now and then. There are beach venders who sell necklaces, paintings, carvings and excusions. I found that we were asked on a daily basis but a simple no gracias seemed to do the trick. Also, they bug less and less as the week went by.
The water is warm and clear and not rocky. You can walk a ways and the water level will still be at your waist. There is coral where you can see many fish as well.
Note that there are sand fleas. I noticed that some people got bit pretty badly and some, not at all. Similar to mosquito bites, I would advised you to use but spray if you are out early (ie. to watch sunrise/sunset) or soon after rain.
A few general observations:
- people do reserve palapas very early....yes very irritating but what can you do
- for the most part, there were plenty of beach chairs available and trees for shade (except when overbooked)
- on our last full day, we noticed that the beach was particularly crowded. a fellow guest told us that the hotel was overbooked that day by 100 people! Many were being bused to Bahia Principe San Juan (45 minutes away) and given $300 US
- now and then there was a wafting of sewage smell. i'm not sure why, but it was unpleasant.
- El Portillo Beach Resort
- El Portillo
