We have stayed at this hotel twice now and have not been disappointed.

The staff are friendly, helpful and multilingual. On our second stay, our room was automatically upgraded. The entertainment staff are also friendly, if slightly amateurish - but that just adds to the charm. A local dive school has a sales desk by the pool and also handles the beach towels (they lend you a clean towel per person every day and even accepted to swap our wet towels for dry ones when we got caught in a downpour). We went diving with them and found them very professional. We also went on the catamaran day cruise to Sosua to snorkel and had a great time.

The food was varied and good. There is a buffet restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a range of dishes served in self-service dishes and a grill bar where the staff prepare one or two dishes per meal on demand. The beach bar and restaurant is open for lunch and drinks until 6 and has a reduced version of the buffet menu on offer. Pizzas and hotdogs are served at 4 and 10pm if you are still hungry (which we never were). They also have three à la carte restaurants (chinese, mexican and italian), and as part of the all-inclusive formula you can eat in each one once. We enjoyed the mexican restaurant but the chinese restaurant is not worth a visit. The italian restaurant was closed during our stay.

The hotel's private beach area is clean and pleasant. We walked along the beach pas other hotels and thought that our hotel had the best beach. The only disadvantage is that you have to take a 5 minute golf-caddy ride (or a 10 minute walk) to get there.

The hotel is on a complex with several other hotels, a casino and a shopping centre. They will lend you bokes to use on the complex and you can get the local "bus" from just outside the main gates. Make sure that you confirm the price with one of the hotel staff before you leave as when you get on the bus, people will try to tell you that it is more expensive. When we were there, a trip to Puerto Plata was 20 dominican dollars. One driver tried to charge us much more but we stood our ground and he gave up (the fact that we both speak Spanish probably helped).

The Dominican Republic is not a destination that I would choose for a cultural visit but if you are looking to chill out and drink (free) cocktails, you can do a lot worse than the Puerto Plata Village.

Had a fantastic time. I was there from March 4 to 18, 2008. I spent my first week in a small town and then ended up at the resort from my taxi driver. Everyone was so friendly. From the staff at the front desk (Julio) to the bartenders (Ambiorix). Food was good and rooms were great. Will be going back next year to hook up with all the great people I met. Was sad to have to go back to the rain in Vancouver.

The first day my cousins and my sister where ready to get on the swimming pool, awhile I was looking around, in the night some next guys danced Chocolate it was so funny, then the had some next dance for the little children and my sister didn’t wanted to do it by her self so me(Sheila)and my two cousins(Paola n Emil) got up and did it with all the kids(lots of fun). The second day me and my cousin went to the bar, went to the beach, we played pool in the night and after we went to the night club and we danced like mad lol (I loved it).Then the third day my last day I meted a very friendly barkeeper(Delvis). The last day was the best day even if I didn’t wanted to go..lolz I would never 4get da
Sheila_bls@hotmail.co.uk

I absolutely loved staying at Puerto Plata Village, it was a great experience for my whole family. Whether I was splashing in the waves or sipping non-alcoholic pina coladas (yeah not allowed to drink real ones yet), I was having the time of my life. The facilities were great, the service was sensational, I loved swimming in the pool and getting my hair beaded, and the food was outstanding. The meal was a different theme every night, you could eat downstairsin the buffet, or if you prefered something a bit more formal you could change out of your swimsuit and eat upstairs in the resturaunt. I enjoyed the shows that were put on every night, there was dancing, and singing, and even more. On the beach the little shops where I bargained for prices had many things that were great for souvenirs and gifts for people back home. I absolutely reccoment that you book a reservation here... it could change your life.