The Barcelo Capella Resort in Juan Dolio, I believe is probably as nice as you are going to find in a 3rd world nation where corruption and
a very low standard of living are the norm. Check in was fine, though the clerk could have been more attentive. Bring plenty of $1s and $5s
to buy small items on the beach and for tips. If you tip $1 for each drink or after dining, you will be treated like royalty. We were there
for a week, and probably tipped $100 which is not much. The rolled out the red carpet for us every time we ate or went to the bar. One worker
told us his weekly income was $20. Though a third wold country, you should always remember to treat people well and you will be rewarded.
We stayed in room 4401 which was supposedly "The nicest room at the resort". It was the top level room and we figured it would be much nicer
than the average rooms. The room was exactly like all other rooms, but we had a deck which had chairs, a TV and a hot tub. This was nice, but
the hot tub would not fill up. It was nice to be able to sit outside on the deck and have food or drinks. Also, there was American programming
(albeit limited) to watch at night. The room didn't have any special perks other than the deck outside which we paid handsomely for.
The bathroom was average size and there was very little water pressure. Considering that many people in this country do not have running water,
I couldn't be too upset about this fact.
It was hard to be festive and enjoy yourself too much when on vacationing 100 yeards away from shacks with no electricity or floor. The people
did not seem to be unhappy or resentful, but instead thankful for coming to their country. It was like watching one of those sad abused animal
commercials where Willie and Sarah McLachlan sing sad songs.
The buffet was nice if you like fruit, bread, and unidentifiable meats. It was nothing special...
The resturant, Chez Fontaine, was also in the property, but not part of the all inclusive package. The food there was really wonderful,
but pricey. It is outdoors and had a wonderful atmosphere and view. There was a large lizard also sitting at our table, though my husband and
I did not mind.
The grounds of the resort are beautiful (as long as you stay on the pathways). There was a female peacock wandering on the grounds when we
arrived. A few days later she had babies following her around. They were precious and we enjoyed watching them waddle around.
The actual buildings look... "gilded" if that is the right word. If something was cracked, they would epoxy over it and roll another coat of
paint on it. Nothing was actually fixed, just covered up.
Tours booked at the hotel are hosted by a local tour company. The tours were some of our best and worst experiences. We did the Santo Domingo
full day tour which was wonderful. Another day we paid about $100 each to do a tour of the interior of the country. This tour was rescheduled
twice due to bad weather and not enough people being booked. The day the tour actulally took place, we were met by THE MOST obnoxious American
tourists I have ever met. They were all drunk, on some type of drugs and one actually threw up over the side of the truck. Oh, did I mention we
were riding in the back of a truck. My husband and I graciously told the tour host we would rather not go on the trip, which he did not respond
well to. I could not imaging spending 12+ hours in the back of a truck with these people. When we got back to our rooms, we contacted the tour
coordinator who refunded 100% of our money. We then decided to do a horseback riding tour which led through pathways in the jungle. This was a
bit sad, becuase along the paths you would pass random dump sites where it seemed like the resort dumped it's trash. It kind of seemed like a
tourism exploitation tour. We only rode along the beach for about 5 minutes, but the view was beautiful.
While on the beach, we were constantly approached by vendors. This is NOT a private beach. I really do feel sorry for the poor people in this
country, and I would buy items here and there. But some peddlers will not take no for an answer. I fell asleep, and had a man wake me up to try
to sell me a large framed painting. There was a woman who would give massages in your beach chair. It was wonderful. One day, I didn't have any
money with me, and she told me I could just pay her the next day, which I did. She was very nice and not pushy at all.
However, our worries were forgotten at the bar. Our bartender, Santo, became our best friend. He would fix us fruit trays when he saw us coming.
He was not just a great bartender; we learned more about the country and resort than we ever would have on our own. He told us about his family,
and how people on the island live. He even invited us to his son's 10th birthday party. We did not go, but made sure to buy him a small gift.
He was greatful which I feel was heartfelt. We got Santo's address, which we promptly LOST.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
