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Playa Dorada, a gated oceanfront community on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, is home to Gran Ventana Beach Resort, one of the country’s friendliest, most welcoming hotels. Located directly on the beach, our Puerto Plata beach resort boasts three pools, a kids club and an airy, cool and fresh lobby. We also offer a superb, all-inclusive value for families, couples and group vacations.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family Resort
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish
Location
Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata 57000 Dominican Republic
Gran Ventana Beach Resort
8,071 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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Gran Ventana Beach Resort offers a lively atmosphere with vibrant entertainment, though guests seeking tranquility might find the music intrusive. While the value receives mixed reviews, affordable package upgrades are a highlight, despite some concerns over amenity quality. The resort boasts commendable cleanliness, popular beach access, and a variety of activities, yet some visitors desire more shade and note occasional crowding.
Its prime location is appreciated, yet may contribute to nighttime noise. Rooms are clean and cozy, but could benefit from updates and less staff disruption. Service is generally lauded for its friendliness, with some notes of occasional sluggishness.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Affordable
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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VH is really close to the airport and located on a beautiful stretch of beach. The lobby entrance is grand and airy. On our very late arrival by sunwing, there was only one desk person to check all of the arrivals in. The bars and restaurants close at 10, but there were burgers and hotdogs available in the main restaurant. It was a bit disappointing after a long day in airports and flight. Our room was good, the beds were a bit hard and small for two, so we each used a separate bed. Storage for clothes was limited, so we had to live out of suitcases a bit. Wifi was available throughout the resort and pretty good. Our 3rd floor balcony with partial ocean view was nice, but the door was very hard to lock. The tub looked pretty tired, and hot water was a bit sporadic. The daytime view of the mountain behind the red tile roof was stunning, especially when crowned with a cloud. There were a few rain showers which usually passed quickly. Meals in the main dining area were really good. There was plenty of room, and food was always filled. The omlette man took orders ahead of the line to keep the grill full and the line moving. There were some outstanding servers like Rosa who's bright smile welcomed us to the dining room, and Enrique, who cleared tables with lightning speed. Cocktails were delicious, with plenty of alcohol. Bar tenders Rosa and Jessimina were fantastic. A la Cartes were easy to book. I went early our first morning and booked all 3, which is nice since some resorts you have to wait in line to book each day for that day. The food at the A La carte was good, and the service was wonderful. I think the Ocean Grill was my favourite. The beach is so clean and a great length for walkers. There are plenty of beach lounges, but if you want a shady spot, get there early to save a chair. The pool chairs were also pretty full, so reserve early. The animation team was really fun, with daily events and night time shows. Guest participation in dance competitions, karaoke and drinking competitions to name a few, were hilarious and a good way to connect with people. Our airport pick up wasn't until 7:00 pm and we could only have our checkout extended 1 hour, till 1:00 pm. A courtesy room to shower was available at 3:00 and a secure baggage room to keep luggage so that we could continue to use the facilities until departure. We met some really great people during our stay. I would be likely to return here.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I really enjoyed this resort. The amenities were very nice, I spent time in the pool and at the beach every day. I thought the food was excellent with a wide selection of seafood options at every meal although others in my party weren't as impressed.
The best part of the resort for me was the entertainment staff. Henry, Bryan and Carlos made every one of our days more enjoyable. Their games, events, and performances were all made better by their infectious personalities. Oh, and the dancing, the three of them were always out working the crowd and dancing the evening away, coaxing even the most reluctant guests join the fun.
The mini disco every night was a hoot. It was great watching them get all the kids up on the stage and dance to various songs. Even gusts without kids had fun watching the mini disco show.
For the evening shows, my favourite was Michael Jackson night, Bryan's performance was spectacular! Watching him moonwalk across the pool deck was awe inspiring and prompted gasps from the audience.
Service was also top notch, the cleaning staff was particularly excellent. Every day our room was swept of sand (which gets everywhere) and the floor was moped. In addition to making the beds, the clothes left on the beds were folded.
A couple of areas of improvement: The wifi is really lacking. Service in the common areas was almost non-existent. If I needed to do anything online I had to go back to my room. Also, the water flow in my shower was lacking.
Small complaints for an otherwise great experience. I would gladly return.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Pool chairs are reserved early. If your room is close to the entertainment area you will hear...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I was here for 2. Weeks in Dec 2023 for my second visit. Given the same room overlooking the pool area. Everything was very good: the room, food, bar service etc. 3 Ala cart restaurants and large buffet with good food choices. Hot food were all covered. I really enjoyed the Ocean Grill by the beach which also offers great lunches during the day.
Great Lobby Bar, Beatifully landscaped property throughout.
Beach is nice and great for walking, especially to the right. I found the pool to be somewhat on the small size and very congested, so I spent my time at the beach
The evening entertainment was somewhat lacking . Lots of karaoke and very loud so if one prefers quite, pick a room not near the pool.
One issue, the maid cleansing the room by about 1pm but they return with fresh towels in the afternoon sometime and a separate chap provides the water, beer, pop etc around 3 30pm. Too many interruptions if you are looking to relax in your room. The safe is not digital and requires a key which I found to be a bit of a nuisance.
All in all a very good resort.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I arrived yesterday evening from the Vh Gran Ventana hotel in Puerto Plata, I have traveled several times to the south. I will never recommend this hotel, the policies are only for their benefit, Restaurants with repetitive menus the most arrogant staff (Antony at reception, the only one who speaks French) made us queue five times for a change of rooms. Staff who make comments to each other in Spanish to make sure they don't make people understand. In addition, the staff only gives you very little information. White wine diluted with water and served from plastic bottles, and in addition 75% white wine served in cardboard glasses because there is no longer any window glass. A Wi-Fi network that only works in a few places. Not enough chairs at the swimming pool and some are even defective. the only positive point is the cleanliness of the rooms and the room staff. Transport between hotels and the airport too small for the number of people (so much so that one person behind us vomited on us...
vacation: nightmarish :-(
The clientele is elderly (in themselves they have the right to travel) but if you don't want to feel like you're in a CHSLD don't go there... In addition, the main restaurant operates under strict hours.
I'm simply summarizing our stay but I have much more to say....
Never again with VH hotels
I arrived yesterday evening from the Vh Gran Ventana hotel in Puerto Plata, I have traveled several times to the south. I will never recommend this hotel, the policies are only for their benefit, Restaurants with repetitive menus the most arrogant staff (Antony at reception, the only one who speaks French) made us queue five times for a change of rooms. Staff who make comments to each other in Spanish to make sure they don't make people understand. In addition, the staff only gives you very little information. White wine diluted with water and served from plastic bottles, and in addition 75% white wine served in cardboard glasses because there is no longer any window glass. A Wi-Fi network that only works in a few places. Not enough chairs at the pool and some are even defective. the only positive point is the cleanliness of the rooms and the room staff. Transport between hotels and the airport too small for the number of people (so much so that one person behind us vomited on us...
vacation: nightmarish :-(
The clientele is elderly (in themselves they have the right to travel) but if you don't want to feel like you're in a CHSLD don't go there... In addition, the main restaurant operates under strict hours.
I am simply summarizing our stay but I will have much more to say....
Never again with VH hotels
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Positives about this resort. 1. Jackie Guillermo Juan bar tenders were great. Carlos Bell boy and Yohinda at the buffet make this place amazing.
2. Beach is great calm waters when we went. Lots of places to claim your spot.
3. Pool by the Italian restaurant clean and fresh and quiet.
4. It’s a hit and miss at the buffet.
5. The Italian restaurant is the best out of all the a la cartes. 6. Ocean grill lunch is ok with the selection of chicken wings and chicken leg nachos fries hamburgers.
Negatives about this resort.
1. Reception or front desk don’t speak English well and mumble when explaining the information.
3. Octopus restaurant we had the fish and octopus ceviche and it smelled so bad and taste so sour my son got sick and had stomach problems. We had the chicken curry and they put a sweet plantain in the curry was so bad. The goat was ok and to be safe the same beef from the buffet is made there too.
4. The ocean grill a la carte we had the steak and shrimp. Shrimp was mushy and same steak they have at the buffet.
5. They had different entertainment every night and there was never enough seats. We never seemed to get a seat and there were about 30-40 people standing around because the resort doesn’t have enough seats.
6. The gym at the resort is run down and the ceiling covers was hanging off. Only one bench and the weights are old and rusty.
7. Beach towel have a time where you can only grab them or change them a certain time.
8. Dead cockroaches everywhere
9. When we arrived to the resort no drink or snack was offered.
10. Wifi only works best in your room or at the lobby at times it can be in and out
11. When we arrived they gave us a room that smelled moldy, fan in washroom didn’t work and ac was broken. We had to go back to the desk and ask for a new room.
12. First few days we had to keep asking waiters for water or drink when arriving the buffet untill we complained to the manager.
Regardless of food or bad service we tipped at least $1 up to $4 per sitting at the buffet or bar or a la carte.
We ate at the casa colonial there sister hotel 3x you have to pay for the meals. Breakfast was amazing approximately $60 for 4 ppl
Dinner at the lucia for four people was $160usd and they actually have risotto
Coffee/ espresso or caffe latte $2 each
Because your staying at the gran ventana you can go there and they will give you a tour.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â We came from December 20-28,2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I spent two happy and relaxing weeks at The Gran Vetana in late January this year. We are a retired couple living in the United Kingdom and thoroughly enjoyed the lively "Vibe" of this Caribbean gem. The resort is situated in a great location on the Puerto Plata coastline and is within a nicely landscaped and secure enclosure. We did have a five hour transfer by taxi from Punta Cana Airport and if we are fortunate enough to return to The Gran Vetana we shall probably try to get there via a closer airport, but the journey was worth it . The staff really are all helpful and friendly and everything at the property is well maintained - we had absolutely no issues with any of the facilities and fittings. It is a truly "All Inclusive" hotel with no extra charges for such items as room safes and the loan of clothes irons . Our fridge was regularly topped up with plenty of bottled water, soft drinks and lager. The cleaning staff also do a very good job of looking after the accommodation rooms , public seating areas and toilet facilities. We were never short of toilet rolls , clean bed linen and towels. Service at all of the bars and restaurants was consistently good, and we enjoyed the range of food and drink available.There is a hard working entertainment team that contribute so well to that happy vibe and It was really good value compared to many of the places we have visited in the Caribbean.It is easy to see why so many of our fellow guests were multi-repeat visitors.Met some lovely people from Canada and The Dominican Republic. As I previously mentioned, all of the staff, from the receptionists to the Gardeners were great and you will find some great characters such as "Lovely Jubbly" Raoul in the main restaurant , Louis and Roberto of the photography team. Sue and I rarely like to pose for pictures but these guys are fun and you get some enchanting photos.Thanks to all at The Gran Vetana, best wishes from Sue and Bob.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Yes , go there and enjoy it!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Some good and some bad, overall ok but wouldn't go back.
The good: -Food is great and something a little different each day. Both of the specialty restaurants were above average and would highly recommend if you can get a spot. -Cleanliness was above average. Everything from the dining area, rooms and grounds were kept very well and had no complaints. -Beach is really nice, again kept clean and is quite large, also has a decent area for some snorkeling without having to go on an excursion.
The bad: -Staff is hit and miss, they are either really friendly and helpful or absolutely miserable and unhelpful, unfortunately I'd say most there are the later and finding good service was hard. -Waitstaff in dinning are terribly disorganized bouncing from one side to another and no one seems to have a clear role. This means good luck getting a drink during dinner. -They have this odd obsession with returning guests at this place. I've seen resorts give a gift basket or a little perk to returning guests, but this place is unreal. They give out different bands to these people and treat them like gold but everyone else is unworthy. Strange business practice since most of them looked like they should be funeral planning not vacationing, so not sure the newer guests will have much incentive to return. -Entertainment wasn't very good, the kids entertainer looked unhappy to be there, the rest was incredibly repetitive for hours on end of the same thing every night. - Resort design doesn't allow for an average bed time. Everything faces inward to a common area which includes the entertainment area. The rooms are pretty good for soundproofing but they cant handle the insanely loud entertainment that goes until about 11pm. Fine if we were on our own, but no good with smaller kids. The resort moved us but it was to an older area that was slightly separate from the rest of the resort (they were helpful with this, but not happy with the design) - Games like pool and foosball are all cut off at 7pm so unless you want to smoke a cigar with your kids, there's not much to do. First resort I've been to that closes stuff off like this in the evening.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â A lot of entitled returning guests that act like they own the place. Friendly staff are few and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We thouroughly enjoyed our return to Gran Ventana and highly recommend this resort. It is very well managed and maintained.
This time we didn't feel like sitting on the shuttle to the hotel so paid $35 USD for a taxi; it was the best $35 ever spent...quiet, fast and comfortable. The Air Canada Vacations rep helped us get a official airport taxi/mini van.
A few of our favorite things: • the quiet beach area at the far East end of property (a.k.a. the introvert beach); more umbrellas have been added this year as well as a little bar nestled in the trees • beach walks: amazing, long area to walk in both directions; we averaged 20,000 steps a day • sunrise at the beach: beautiful colors, breathtaking!! • beach snack bar for lunch: hamburgers, fried chicken & nachos everyday • many gluten-free options at buffet and snack bar • coffee station outside of dining room that seems to run 24 hours a day • the resort cats that visit your table in the dining room looking for snacks • quiet pool (a.k.a. introvert pool) by Beata building; no music played, lovely Tikki Bar (must experience the "Jackie Special" made by bar tender Jacqueline who has worked at resort for 20+ years • enclosed, courtyard gardens in rooming blocks • returning guests get fruit platter and bottle of rum in room when they arrive
The staff are outstanding and the propert is so well looked after. A real pleasure to enjoy. Thank you for allowing us to be guests!
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â There is lots to do for the extroverts at resorts, but Gran Ventana has many options for the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is in two parts: first, my initial impressions, and second, an incident that highlighted discrimination at this hotel, which claims to be kid-friendly but falls short. The dining service staff were friendly, but reception lacked warmth and didn't offer a welcome drink, iron, or adequate towels despite knowing we were three people in the room. The hotel lacks amenities like coffee makers unless in a junior suite.
During our stay, I experienced discrimination when told I couldn't feed my son outside the food court, even though he was quietly resting. Despite complying, I was repeatedly harassed about this, showing a lack of understanding and empathy. The hotel's response was inadequate, and even after raising issues with management about overcharging and safety concerns (like bleach left in our room), resolutions were slow and unsatisfactory. Overall, this experience did not reflect a true 4-star standard and I advise caution before booking here.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from OSCAR LORA, General Manager at Gran Ventana Beach Resort
Responded 3 Aug 2024
Good morning, 169gisellea We have read your review with concerns, and we would like to let readers know the other side of the coin. As I mentioned to you during our discussion in my office, Expedia's prices are dynamic and ever-changing. Expedia's revenue management strategies are beyond VH Gran Ventana's control, let alone lowering their set rates as you requested. The discriminatory comment is not valid and not acceptable. Were you able to witness anyone taking food out of the beach restaurant? No, you did not. The hotel has rules and regulations, including not allowing guests nor clients to take food outside our restaurants. In your case, you disregarded this rule, and our staff was explaining to you the reasons behind this rule. We apologise overall for not living up to your expectations, as we do for the majority of our guests who stay with us and come back as family.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I was a little worried due to the negative reviews but I don’t have enough good things to say about this resort. 10/10 would recommend. Here is my whole review:
The food was great! (Coming from a picky eater) There were tons of options at the buffet at every meal and most of the menu was changed daily with a few staples every day like a pasta bar, pizza, bread and salad bar. Snack bar always had hamburgers/hotdogs, fried and grilled chicken, nachos. There an are a few bars and never took more than a few minutes to get a drink.
The staff were great, very friendly, and helpful. HUGE shoutout to Hanry who made our trip unforgettable, he went above and beyond for us and all the other guests. Hanry had the best vibes, he was always dancing around and chatting with the guests making sure they were having the best time. Our trip wouldn’t have been the same without him.
The rooms were nice clean, the room did smell strongly of cleaner upon arrival but we aired out for a few minutes and it was okay. The air condition worked very well, shower pressure was decent and had no issue with hot water. Wifi worked perfectly in the room. (There is only wifi in the room and lobby).
There were always grounds keepers out cleaning up the walkways and gardens, cleaning up the tree and offer coconuts to guests. Overall very clean and well kept resort.
They kept the pool very clean, I only wish it was open later it does close at 7pm. I went Monday-Saturday and never was overly busy. Note, You do get one pool towel per guest that you can exchange as much as you’d like. If you can I’d bring your own.
There is lots of lounge chairs around the pool/resort, and quite a few at the beach also. When it rains there’s seating in the lobby, entry ways of each building and lots of cover tables at the stage.
There are many activities throughout the day, Zumba, Pool Competitions, Dance Parties for Kids, Drink lessons etc. Night time entertainment could be better but there is always something going on, during our trip we watched magic show, karaoke night, white party and live band.
The resort shop was overpriced (as to be expected) there is a mall with tons of local shops and a bank which has great exchange rate about a two minute walk from the lobby, we went a few times it was great.
Overall as two women travelling we felt incredibly safe, no issues.
They say you come as guests and leave as family and I couldn’t agree more. We will be back!
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Puerto Plata area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$211 - AU$509 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
gran ventana beach hotel, gran ventana dominican republic, gran ventana puerto plata, gran ventana beach resort puerto plata, hotel gran ventana beach, grand ventana beach resort, gran ventana hotel dominican republic
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