I didn't have a great experience at this hotel. The rooms were a joke....the AC unit had about a 3 inch gap between it and the window - bugs were flying in. The room I had was an older one and it spelled like my grandmother's old house. I ate there for 3 days and had food poisoning on the 4th day. The food, though there was a variety, was tasteless and sloppy looking.

I left there feeling gross and would rather pay some extra cash to go somewhere decent. I didn't have a choice in this situation since it was an organization booking the trip.

Chris...Pembroke, Ontario
I just returned from the Celuisma March 29th. I could hardly wait to write my review because of the previous reviews. I was nervous about going this time, even though it was my 5th time, because of what I had read.
I travelled with gotravel and have nothing but good things to say about this company.This was my 7th time flying with them. I had contacted them with my concerns about the sicknesses I was reading about. They assured me that if there had been some sort of outbreak or food poisoning that it is the responsibility of the rep., at the destination to report it to the company so they can put out an "alert". They told me they would investigate for me and call me. I received a call at work, informing me that that I had nothing to worry about there was no outbreak or poisoning. Upon arrival, I asked the rep., if there were a lot of people complaining of sickness and he said only the usual "tourismo" of 5-6 per week, that if there was food poisoning it would have been the whole hotel, not just a handful. None of us had any ailments while there.
There was enough food to choose from including roast turkey, pork, chicken, fish, steak, stew, pasta etc..The desserts do taste alike, and that is because of the vanilla.
Hairdryers are available if you ask at the desk, as well as the remotes.
The rooms are very, very clean. They do need up-dates, which they are working on now. But if a paint job or a door not shutting properly is going to ruin your vacation, dont go here.
The beach is getting better every year. They have expanded the width of the beach all along the beachfront. They spent 1 1/2 months doing this, and at great expense.
Do tip the staff, they work hard to make your trip enjoyable.

Myself and 2 friends just returned and cannot wait to go back.
The resort had the odd "quirk" but nothing that would ruin a vacaton. The staff were friendly and accomodating.
The food, although bland, was plentiful and varied. The a la carte restaurants were quaint and provided a change from the buffet.
The resort was clean - VERY clean! The pool was well maintained and awesome to swim in!
Rooms were large - but definitely in need of some upgrading.

An excellent trip - no sicknesses, no complaints!
Give it a try - the beach, the activities and the Banana Mamas will make you forget that the towels weren't replaced immediately!

This was my second time at the Celuisma Playa Dorada. We were here March 11-18, 2008 and about the same time last year. We booked the same resort because the price was right, we had a good time last year and knew what we were getting. I was a little disappointed this year. They have cut back on the number of staff so the service is a little slower. The beach is awesome! They have begun to renovate some of the rooms/buildings and so some are still a bit shabby and there are occassional issues with hot water and phones. But the beach is amazing, and who goes to the caribbean to be holed up in their room the whole time? This is a third-world, tropical country. There are bound to be issues.

The food was plain but usually something for everyone. We ate out at the Pasta and Mexican a la cartes and all was good. The highlight was dinner show on the beach on the Monday night. No one in my group was sick from eating the food.

We booked our excursions on the beach. You can negotiate better deals than with the excursions through the hotels. If you're going to do Paradise Island, do it through the tour company with the hotel and get the trip with the glass bottom boat ride. Don't do the dune buggies, they are in horrible shape and have issues with brakes and steering and no helmets and they take you down the crazy Dominican roads. Last year we booked with Jones Safari for our excursions, this year with Mekur Tours. Both were good but we preferred Jones Safari. Enjoy your trip and don't forget to bring your thermal coffee mug for your cervesas and pina coladas...keeps them cooler longer on the beach.