We had originally booked at the Coral Costa Caribe, but after being informed they had no room for us, despite a reservation, we were shipped to the Embassy Suites. Staff was very polite, friendly and spoke good English (we don't speak Spanish). Rooms were very clean, quiet and provided plenty of nice towels. Manager (David) was very courteous and personally set up tee times for us at the Country Club which is right across the street. You get a substantial discount on the golfing if you are staying at the Embassy. Food was good, much better than the Coral Costa Caribe. Private beach was peaceful and offers plenty of beach chairs. Sand is a bit rough in spots, but beach in general was very good. Overall, the staff and quality of the hotel saved our vacation.

My daughter and I wanted to spend some quality time together on a budget with little to no distractions. The Juan Dolio Embassy Suites at the Metro Country Club filled the bill just fine. While the food at the hotel is mediocre (better at the beach club), the fitness center is a joke (ancient electronic machines that aren't even plugged in), the place could use some 100 watt bulbs (buy your own on the way there - dark rooms) and the carpet needs replacing - there were some positive aspects of the 10 day stay:
Quiet
Golf Course
Accommodating Staff
Private Beach
Chilly but large enough Pool
Nicely landscaped Country Club Grounds
Manager's Reception at 5:30 = free drinks

We hired a driver to take us to & from the airport and paid $30 US vs the $50 US they wanted to charge us.

The worst thing to happen was that while there an unauthorized charge showed up on my account linked to the card I used for incidentals but once back in the US - I contested it and it was reversed.

There is tennis and a small playground for children but not much else to do nearby. Like many parts of DR it is an economically challenged area and security and safety must be foremost in your mind. We felt pretty safe with the guards of the gated community.

The beach water was not clear but warm and the sand had plenty of shells to hunt for. Not too many vendors. Hopefully the dump to the east of the private beach will be cleaned up but otherwise it is a very nice place to spend the day.

I'd go back when the airfares are CHEAP and the rates are less than $150 per night per room.

PS - Be sure to eat before departing for the airport - the food is terrible there. Also be wary of baggage handlers - they are very rough with luggage. One of ours was broken in 2 places (handle and zipper).

I knew I was staying at an Embassy Suites but I had expected some charm or touch of local color. Unfortunately, this hotel could have been found in any U.S. city. The lobby and small dining area were enclosed and there was little outdoor space. When I am on vacation I like to be outside as much as possible. One restaurant was open while we were there offering fair but expensive food. There was 1 vegetarian entree and 1 mediocre veggie sandwich. The menu was the same for lunch and dinner. There were only 4 or 5 outdoor table so we found ourselves eating indoors at the plain restaurant next to the atrium lobby with CNN on the televisions and non-Dominican music playing. Breakfast was good but note that it was only served until 9:00 during the week. Note the AI plan does not include certain things- one day we payed for bottled beer because our waitress did not see our wristbands and did not know we were on the AI plan. Cappuccino also was not included- not a big deal, just a bit strange.

The rooms were spacious and very quiet which was nice. However, when we arrived they did not have the type of room we requested. It was very late and finally agreed on a room. We were told it had a balcony but realized the next morning that our room was one of few that had about a 2 foot balcony- you couldn't fit a chair outside to sit. The room would be great for a family but was kind of lost on 2 people. We had to ask for a safe which was light enough for me to carry so I wonder how secure it really was. No rooms had attached safes.

The grounds and area are quiet and secure, (the quiet was the best thing about the hotel IMO) however it was a bit inconvenient having to wait for the shuttle which only ran from 9-5. The beach club was very nice, however we often walked beyond it to an area with better swimming and local places to eat and drink. Note that taxis can drive onto the grounds but the motoconchos can't.

The people were professional and the pool was large but again lacked warmth and charm. Also note the surrounding cement is slippery when wet, many people fell as it rained while we were there.

The fitness center is just a bicycle and treadmill. If you are expecting a stocked gym, you may be disappointed.

We only spent part of our trip here and I was glad to move on to our next destination. We will not stay here again and only recommend it if your budget is limited or other hotels are booked.

The positives: Both public area and our guest room were spacious, clean and well maintained, staff was friendly, very nice swimming pool area, and it is located in a secure and peaceful estate with a golf course and many privately owned houses.

The negatives: It is 5 minutes drive away from the beach, and the hotel provides free shuttle service. It is unfortunate that we were left waiting for the shuttle for good 50 minutes without being explained anything but just 'it's coming'. We wanted to play tennis. The website gave us an impression that the hotel owns a tennis court. However it appeared that it was managed by a different entity and the receptionist was not forthcoming in arranging the tennis court for us. Many of the drinks on offer for 'all inclusive' guests were so bad in quality and the only drinks we enjoyed were beer and water (coke was flat, 'fruit juice' was heavily sugared drink, both white and red wines were well oxidized and not suitable for serving to guests). To be fair, the food was not bad. On Saturday the dinner was buffet and on Sunday it was a la carte. The service at the restaurant was good.

We did relax and enjoy the environment while we were there, and although it was not faultless I would recommend this hotel since I do not know the standard of this type of hotels in this country. However, we would like to try other place if we go to that area next time.