Spent a delightful day/evening at Playa Esmeralda, in Jan 2010, after a mission trip. It's newly remodeled, and everything has been updated,and freshly painted. Was surprised to see a bidet in the bathroom. The help, especially Claudia and Emelio, were very polite and eager to be helpful.

Let's start with the positive. The resort was clean and new. They were just finishing a large renovation/upgrading of all of the rooms. The bathroom fixtures were new and the rooms were very clean. We felt safe there. There was security 24 hours per day. The security guards were pleasant and helpful. The staff were very eager to help and make our stay a good one. The beach is lovely and the pool was clean and refreshing.

Now the not so good. Soon after we arrived we realized that perhaps they were'nt ready for us and should not have accepted our reservation. There was only one other couple there from New York and they left three days after we arrived, leaving us as the only people in the resort, except for New Year's eve. Being alone at the resort was fine in itself. However, because we were alone, the service was pretty poor. The pool bar was not wroking when we arrived and we litterly had to searhc for someone to bring us a beer. Breakfast was a very poor and skimpy continental breakfast with INSTANT COFFEE. Imagine all of that great DR coffee and we had instant coffee. And no fresh fruit. The chef was from Rome Italy. Therefore, every meal everyday was Italian: Antipasto, pasta and meat/fish. There was no food available from breakfast until 1:30pm and then no food available until 8:30pm. NOTHING. There was no entertainment in the evening, evening though the entertainer was there all the time we were there. Overall, everyone there was very attentive but the systems they had to work with were faulty and, therefore, our vacation was not exactly one to remember in a positive way. I wish the new owners luck in building their business; however, if they continue to only try to appeal to Italian customers I think they'll have trouble.

We stayed here for three nights during the week (not a weekend) this month and had a great experience. We virtually had the beach all to ourselves.

The rooms were comfortable and clean, the food was good, some of it excellent, the view wonderful, the service adequate, the sun and sea great. We had come here off of a very busy month and from here were heading into Santa Domingo for work. It was a great place to kick back, read a book, swim (which we did every morning and afternoon), enjoy the sand and sea, talk and rest.

If booking here you should know that you will get what yoy pay for. This is not a up scale resort. It is much more European in nature. The food is good, but it is sort of a mix of Italian (the owners) and Dominican, not American. The beach is great, but not the best on the Island, We found the swimming to be great for us.

Our room had a great view (see pictures). The bed was OK but not the greatest. The AC was cold, but we only used it one night because usually the sea breeze was cool enough. There is cable TV with a good assortment of English speaking programing, but much of it in Spanish. There is daily maid service with new towels every day.

The bar and restaurant area is really nice, though in the evening, since where you eat is open to the outside, there can be a lot of mosquitoes. Be sure to pack a lightweight long sleeved shirt and some long pants/slacks and bring repellent. There are no screens on your windows, so bugs in your room are a real possibility.

We rated this place very high because it met our expectations. This is exactly the kind of place we wanted. We have traveled around the world quite a bit and have stayed in a wide variety of places. If you are expecting a plush resort and stay here, you will be disappointed. We would definitely stay here again.

We spent 5 nights at the Playa Esmeralda this month, we had stayed there last Feb. and were looking for another inexpensive break. We had two rooms - one for two, at $70 per night all included, and one for one person, at $75 all included. Our rooms were as last y ear, but this time facing the pool on the first floor. The rooms are simple but clean., with two twin beds pushed together. The mosquitos are the onbly downside to the rooms. This place is Italian run, and as far as I can see, Europeans don;t understand window screens. The food is really good and fresh, not fancy, but lots of salad stuff and fruits. All three of us felt we had plenty of choices. Drinks are included, but this year the only beer was Brahma, and I prefer Presidente. Wait and bar staff are smiling, helpful. The animation staff was as animated as ever, and shows were presented on Sat and Wed nights. The beach - perfect. What more could you want?