look all these poeople moaning and we had a few when we was there nothing was good for them
but we found for the 400.00 pounds each it cost us for 12 days that it was vaule for money
some people were throwing there money at them just to move over the the other side i think it was more of a i am rich i can pay

so why say and there were lots of people saying it "we wanted a cheap holiday " thats ok but dont think when u get there you will have 5 star if u want that pay for a 5 star and stop moaning

staff were good and very helpfull
food was good
trips fantastic boot trips were very good
as we called them our sheds they were very clean and the maid were excellent we had no problems maybe the ones moaning did not look after these people with a few bucks each day and they need to get a life
for all your moaning go outside and see how these people live and they are so greafull and happy when there was some 48 people on Dominican Republic that had died from hurrcane noel

people we meet were great " bear and oli the wheel barrow man (haha) and the 3 sets of girls and all the others thanks for making this a great time we did not stop having fun for 12 days
hope to speak to u all soon

pete and lin

Left the resort 03/12/07, having had been there for 2 wks.

OK peeps, shooting straight from the hip here....in life, you get what you pay for. This was a cheap holiday, but felt that the experiences far exceeded the expectations.
Yes, OK, like previous reviews, ants, water...blah blah blah, but being really honest here, only had a cold water shower twice, maybe three times...but Dominican 'cold' water is a darned site warmer that Brit 'cold' water. Never had any probs with AC or ceiling fans. Sprayed repellent into the room each night before we went out, as you have to in any tropical country, so no qualms there....and guess what, if you do wear a 'gold' wristband, the mozzies don't discriminate between colour!! :-)
I don't typically travel well (stomach) but saying that, never encountered any problems with any of the food. It was always varied and tasty.....and I'm pretty fussy! OK, you do get the birds and the flies, but this is an open area, put up with it, it's really not as bad as some of the reviews have stated....you only have to wave your hand a little....besides good practice for dealing with the 'VIP' reps.
VIP reps.......some peeps don't mind going to 'look see', some peeps do. Those that go, get rewarded with a bottle of rum, t-shirt, cap etc. Those that don't want to go, be firm with the 'rep', but don't be rude....and don't get suckered by the emotional content.
Did a couple of trips, Paradise Island, great, but prob a touch too much for what you get. It cost $140 p/p, but prob worth $100p/p
Did the Ocean World night time trip, 'Bravisimo' $69p/p and the food alone was worth that.....lobster (as much as you want) and prob one of the best pieces of beef I've ever tasted. Following this, you get to see a show, in Spanish, and then either retire to the casino for an hour, or the disco. I did the casino, got lucky too!! (hope Jason reads this lol)
The beach was favoured by many, not the biggest I've been to, but plenty enough.....5 mins walk, tops. What we found to be pleasureable was:- going to the beach in the mornings, nice sea breezes and crashing surf, returning to the buffet at lunch, (you must go to the Italian at lunch too....pizza, finished off with, 'to-die-for' ice-cream' then slinking off to the pool to take in the afternoon rays and taking advantage of the pool bar. (bloke called Silvio, top man, top service) well worh throwing a few 'bucks' at!!

Met some great peeps there too, a dozen of us all gelled, so made it sooo much easier....you always had someone to talk to...even if the only chat was, 'yeah, I'll have another banana mama please', or, 'who wants beating at table-tennis next' lol

OK, prob missed loads off, but feel free to email me if you have any queries......oh, and enjoy whilst it's still standing, as reps tell of plans to knock down and build appartments in the future!

his is simply the worst accommodation we have ever stayed in. Dirty linen. Dirty Towels. No water in Morning to shower or flush toilet. Rain water came through ceiling past fan. Inch and half gap under main door allowing all sorts of wildlife to come in during day or night. Food was cold covered in flies and a sickness bug waiting to happen. Pool toilets looked like they had never been cleaned. Lack of lighting round accommodation makes an interesting walk home after a couple of drinks. Staff are rude and look like they have no interest in job at all.

This was so bad we upgraded as did 18 others to the Tropical suites for an extra £120 per person for the 2 weeks. Well worth it as food was great......No sickness bugs or any other problems. Only problem we found was so many mosquitoes. Make sure you take some really good repellent. Other problem was guys hanging around restaurant trying to sell vip holiday weeks. If you decided to have a look then make sure you no what you are paying for. Ie we where led to believe that there was a further 3400 Hacienda resorts that would provide VIP treatment as they do in Peurto Plata. In fact this is not the case. Also if you decide this is for you then haggle. Go away and think about it they then start chucking all sorts of deals at you.

Garden Club due to be ripped down next year
Tropical, crown and villas are very nice. facilities are good. entertainment is ok......music by pool is far too loud....beach is ok considering its the atlantic.
choice of restaurants is good all though we found the buffet to be the best.

Oh and DONT book your trips through your reps!!!!! Go to the beach and speak to the guys in the huts. Haggle and get the same trips for about 30-40% cheaper!!!!


Overall if we hadn't of had the problems at the start it would have been a very good holiday. We would probably return in the future!!

Having read the reviews before going on holiday on 31st October 2007 we were expecting the worst.However it just goes to show you cant please everyone.Those expecting a 5 star holiday with no insects and perfect facilities should get a life.This is what you pay for, it is a very hot country, and insects are part of life here.
Although the accomodation was basic, it was adequate and clean.We had hot water and stopped insects with a towel under the door.The staff were helpful and friendly and the food was good.The pool area was well maintained and overall we were pleased with our stay.Yes you do get a green wrist tag, and yes people did have gold ones and silver ones, so what, if you pay more you get more.
We were able to see other areas of the Island on trips, and yes the people are poor, however wherever we went they were friendly.Some of the scenery is great, the views picturesque, the beaches and sea were what you think of a tropical island.I recommend the trips on the catermaran and the trip to paradise island.The snorkling was great.
We were lucky with the weather it was perfect, beware to book after November 1st as this is the start of their summer season.The weather the previous week had been poor.Overall we enjoyed our holiday and would recommend to others.