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Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana: Traveler Reviews

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3.5 of 5 stars 1,203 reviews
1,203 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
308
4.0 of 5 stars
397
3.0 of 5 stars
169
2.0 of 5 stars
185
1.0 of 5 stars
144
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#44 of 73 hotels in Punta Cana
Show Hotel DetailsHide Hotel Details
  • Hotel class: 4 of 5
  • Rooms: 877
Description: Spanish-style Oceanfront All-Inclusive resort situated amid natural vegetation, in the center of the famous Playa Bavaro. This description is based on information provided by the hotel.
Address:
Calle Friusa, Playa Bavaro
Punta Cana
Dominican Republic
Check Rates: $255 Avg. Price
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TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

( 51-55 of 1,203 )
“Excellent Value”

Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

5 of 5 stars
Thunder Bay, Canada
May 13, 2008
3/3 found this review helpful

My girlfriend and I (mid 20's couple) stayed at the Occidental from May 2 - May 10 with another couple and had a wonderful time. We booked with Air Canada Vacations and stayed in a Junior Suite room. I read over 100 reviews on this site before heading there and found that we were pretty prepared for everything that came our way on the trip.

All in all the resort is an excellent value for the money as there is everything a reasonable person would expect. I have broken down the many aspects of the trip, including everything that I experienced and everything I would have liked to know before I left for the trip...

Airport:
After we landed at the airport and quickly cleared customs we were loaded onto a bus with the help of a gentlemen who carried our bags. For the whole 100 meter trip to the bus, the guy asked for $10. I found out later that my friend we were traveling with actually paid that much. This was the last time that any of us paid what the locals were asking. After that, it was a 20 - 25 minute drive to the resort.

Check-in:
When you arrive at the resort, the guys at the front have you leave your luggage and check-in. We arrived at about 10pm, so we got into a room right away. The check-in was quick and we even got into a room close to our friends. We had to wait until the morning to purchase a safe key for the room ($25). Once we were set to go to the room, the bell boys loaded us and our luggage onto a golf cart and showed us to our rooms. We dropped the gentlemen our first of many $1 tips.

Room:
The room was better than I expected, having a king-sized bed, love seat, back porch, A/C, fridge, and typical amenities of a North American style hotel room. I really only used the room for sleeping, showering and getting out of the sun the odd time. It was comfortable for sleeping and the showers always had warm water. A couple of times the power went off completely in the room in the afternoon, but it didn't bother us any. Anyways, if you plan to stay in your room a lot, then why are you staying on a resort in Punta Cana?

Every day we each left $1 on the pillow for the maids. They provided us with clean linens, towels, beer (we left a note requesting some), plenty of water, and really just a nice, clean room. We were so impressed by the room-keepers that we left them some toys at the end and a lovely note (in Spanish) from my girlfriend.

Beach:
The beach is why we came on the trip, and it was immaculate. The water was a beautiful ocean blue and also very refreshing. You could walk down either side of the beach for as long as you like. We found that the Occidental section of the beach had some of the most sand area, and it was definitely one of the most well-kept stretches as well (not very much seaweed on shore). Despite a lot of available seating, it was difficult to find shade from a palapa on the beach. The waves were decent enough on some of the days that you could boogie board.

Pool:
The pool was always extremely clean. Of the 3 pools on the resort, we spent all of our pool time in the large pool. The pool is fairly shallow in many parts, never getting more than about 5 feet deep at any point. If it did get any deeper I may have drowned considering the excellent service at the swim up bar. There are not that many spots around the pool with palapas, but we usually found one without difficulty.

Grounds:
The grounds are absolutely gorgeous. I can rarely think of a time that I didn't see a grounds keeper working their ass off during the days. We gave the pop/sodas in our fridge away to these guys and they were thrilled each time we did. One guy actually shimmied right up a tree for us to get my girlfriend a coconut when I simply asked him how to go about getting one of the fancy coconut drinks I saw others with. In terms of layout, things are set up nicely around the resort as we knew our way around in no time at all. No problems here at all.

Buffets:
The lobby buffet always had something for everyone. Breakfast there was always good with all the main foods (including two omelette and one crepe station). Also, plenty of fresh fruit, meats, eggs, smoothies, etc. The beach buffet was the place to go for lunch when staying at the beach. Soups, salads, pasta, fish, meat...a really nice buffet with a great view of the ocean.

Snack bars:
The home run was located at the pool just above the swim-up bar and had hamburgers, chicken burgers, hot dogs, french fries, deep-fried calamari and nachos. It was a nice place for a snack and a decent alternate to the beach buffet for lunch. Overall, the food here was decent, although the service from Robinson was exceptional. The pizza and taco stands were both exceptional for evening - late-night snacking. You can basically get them to stone-bake your pizza with just about anything you want on it...unreal after a drink or seven! The taco stand had beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or veggie tacos. I tried the beef and chicken and loved them both.

A La Cartes:
First off, book these restaurants the first morning that you are there (between 8 and 12). We immediately booked the Oriental, Brazilian and Mexican each two days apart (can only book 3). Later in the week we booked the Italian restaurant without difficulty. The Oriental was good, although we still had some room after the appetizer, entree, and desert that you got to order. The Brazilian was our favourite as they bring out one bit at a time...the way they serve everything is pretty cool and mysterious. I won't ruin the experience for you...just make sure you enjoy eating meat and you will love it. The mexican was pretty great as well. Similar set-up here to the Oriental place....I would say good overall for this place. The italian we avoided until the end because a) why would I come to Dominican to eat Italian and b) I heard it was nothing special. I must say that the soup and the antipesto were pretty good, but the entrees left something to be desired. If I really only got to choose three, I would leave the italian out.

Bars:
There are bars just about everywhere you go on this resort. The best drinks were probably in the lobby bar as they are served in a glass with all the fixings. The pool bar is where I did the most damage to my liver. The other bars are all suitable and equipped to keep you happy. Heads up for Lidio at the swim-up bar with his mamaviagra's...kind of like the mamajuana shots they give you, but they are his special recipe. The mamajuana is a blend of half red-wine, half rum, with honey and a bunch of seasoning (wood chips and stuff). Aside from the weird stuff they have just about any drink you can think of. I did a lot of the slushy-type drinks and found that the rum here goes down a lot better than the N. American stuff. Some must try's: Pina Colada (rum), Flamenco Especiale (pink blend), Coco Loco, Tiki Tiki, Strawberry Daquiry, Sex on the beach. However, I should note that I am primarily a beer guy and I loved the Presidente they had on tap everywhere. It is a nice little Pilsener for those in the know. The beers that were stocked in my fridge were Bohemia Especiale - also a Pilsener.

Service:
Everyone went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. We left a lot of $1 tips over the course of the trip, although I am sure the service would have been great regardless.

Activities:
There is not a ton that goes on at the resort for activities. You can take out one of the sit-on-top kayaks for a quick spin, play daytime tennis, and various other things around the resort for no cost (eg - volleyball, beach aerobics, ping pong, water polo, etc.). We were basically there to relax, so we didn't do too much aside from the tennis and the gym a couple of times. The courts were in suitable shape and included some older racquets and balls (just book a 50 minute time slot one day in advance). The gym had everything you need, although one 30 minute workout was more than enough for us (so hot even in the morning and with the A/C). There are plenty of people on the beach that will take you para-sailing, and other motorized watersports...be prepared to negotiate a price.

Club Mangu:
Looked like a pretty happening club with a DJ playing a lot of dance, electronic type music. Had two levels and was quite busy. Since it doesn't really get going until midnight, we only made it out once briefly. Free cover for hotel members although the drinks there are certainly not free. If you want to party hard at night, the opportunity is there.

Entertainment:
The entertainment was actually pretty good with the nightly shows they had. They did things like dancing, singing, talent shows, kid stuff, etc. If you're looking for something to do at night, it is worth checking out. I actually regret not checking out the Michael Jackson show I heard so much about.

Shopping:
Anything on the resort is really expensive, so try to avoid having to pick anything up there like snack food ($5 for Pringles), sunblock (absurd costs), batteries, etc. In terms of other stuff, the independent vendors are your best bet. Apparently there are vendors just outside of the resort, although we didn't venture there ourselves. Instead, you can find vendors walking the beach either to the left or right. All of the vendors are aggressive, although in the end they are harmless. There is a much better selection traveling left on the beach than the right and we found the vendors less pushy here. For two of the nights on the resort, vendors were allowed to set up around the pool outside the lobby. I thought that was acceptable as you could easily avoid it if you wanted, and it was a convenient way to see everything the island has to offer in terms of goods.

A typical experience is like this...as you approach the store the vendors verbally try to attract you to their store or even approach you, try to shake your hand, lead you into their store, etc. You then hear all sorts of great lines like "cheapy cheapy, looky looky, Punta Canada (if you tell them you're from Canada), best prices in Punta Cana, best wood in Punta Cana, etc. Many vendors have you place everything you might want in a single place. Some of the time it was uncomfortable, although I got used to it pretty quickly. When the time to make the purchase come, it starts to get even more hilarious...The vendors pull out a calculator and inspect the items, often looking at some sort of sticker on the item as if it has the price. Really, they are just assessing the items based on weight, workmanship, etc. After a few seconds they come up with a ridiculous price and offer it to you with a straight face. Of course, never pay what they originally suggest. Haggling is the way it goes for everything in this country. A guy wanted $128 for a few small wood sculptures, although I eventually talked him down to $30 (after 5 minutes of haggling and almost leaving the store 4 times). If you are unsure about prices, try some low offers out at different places...you will be surprised how quickly you can figure this whole game out. Once you agree on a price for things, the guys calm down and honour the price. A "no thanks" wasn't always an effective way to get you out of the store, but just walking out always did the trick. Just beware that these vendors will prey on nice people. I usually don't enjoy these situations, but I actually enjoyed working for a good deal in the end.

Excursions:
We did the Saona beach excursion for $92 booked through our Air Canada rep. The tour goes from 7:20 am until about 6 or 7 pm. You take a 2 hour bus ride south, including through a town, then a 2 hour catamaran tour, a few hours on a nice clear-water beach in the Caribbean Sea, a stop in a natural swimming pool with starfish in the Sea, a speed boat ride back and then the return bus ride. Drinks and lunch are included. All in all, I wasn't overly impressed with the tour. The beach was very nice...but with the long rides involved and the $92 fee, I have to say the tour was just good.
Our rep also mentioned the Outback Safari tour (full day, check out real life in the D.R.), and a half day tour that includes snorkeling among nurse sharks and stingrays (which I would have liked to have done as well). Each of these tours was somewhere around $80 - $90 and are supposed to be the best tours to go on.

Timeshare:
The only negative aspect of the resort is the timeshare people. It doesn't take a whole lot to spot these guys. Generally they are situated outside of the home run restaurant by the pool and in the lobby outside of the buffet. They were generally around in the mornings and were dressed in white collar shirts and dark pants. These guys were always trying to get you to go to some information session...they were often quite aggressive and always a pain in the butt. Avoiding eye contact, ignoring them, and just walking by tended to work pretty well for us. I didn't have a problem being kind of rude to these guys since they weren't exactly polite to us.
I couldn't believe that these guys were allowed on the resort. It is unacceptable having to deal with these guys when you're relaxing on vacation. The resort really should do more to eliminate this problem in the future. Despite our frustration with these guys, their minimal pestering wasn't enough to affect our vacation.

Other useful points:
- the receptacles in the rooms accept a regular north american style plug so you can plug in your many devices
- my ipod and mini speakers were essential on the beach and by the pool
- bugs are really few and far between there for the most part. if you're sensitive to bugs I would suggest some mosquito repellent with deet in it at night. noticed more bugs on the excursion we were on by the way
- we opted for no malaria pills, and so far so good in that department (knock on wood)
- bring a lot of US $1 bills for tipping as they are hard to find around the resort
- bring lots of sunblock, batteries, snacks, or anything else you can't be without unless you're willing to pay big $
- we brought some inflatable chairs for the pool which paid great dividends for the $9 spent at wal-mart
- if you like to drink a lot bring a travel mug or some insulated thermos for drinks. the bartenders will pour whatever you want into whatever you want.

All in all, this resort was everything we expected and more. You will find an inconvenience no matter where you go, although it is up to you if it is going to ruin your time or not.

I would be delighted to answer any questions you may have about this resort. Hopefully you have gained something useful from this review.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Overall value, beach, pool, bars, food
    • Disliked — Timeshare people
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
nelboski's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Age group: 25-34
Member since: April 25, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $255 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“We just can't believe it!!”

Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

May 12, 2008
0/1 found this review helpful

We were one of the couples that read lots of review but figured we were open minded and easy going people.. not everyone has the same opinion BOY we were wrong. Where do I start.. we got back today so still drained from the over all experience. Let me say first of all.. we would reccommend Apple anytime.. they were GREAT... no problem at all with the flight, ride to and from airport. This was our first all inclusive vacation so we stayed in the Royal Club in the Occidental and if it wasn't for the Royal Club and the beach we would have thought what are we paying for?? After we arrived and things started to happen we figured lets suck it up because after all we're on vacation.. The staff at the Royal Cub restaurant were fantastic and to work 12 days(the staff) straight ALL day and be as nice as they were was amazing to us. I (the husband) went back tonight to read more review and I have to tell you everything I read tonight and before our trip is exactly what happens.. it was bad.. 2 times NO water AT all, electric went out, tiolet ran 24 hours straight all the time, room keys never worked, below average room and out dated bathroom, AC was VERY loud, the water issue wasn't bad when we had it, noise from the contruction going on, oh and they never told us when the water was off, never informed us that the PRIVATE pool in the Royal Club wasn't even working as in no water in it, we did experience the feeling that if you don't have Royal Club bracelets on you were looked down on.. by the way.. if you are Royal Club you have different brands of alcohol. Room service was very nice. We would not reccomend Occidental Punta Cana to anyone and would never go back.. still haven't decided if we will return to Punta Cana.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — beach
    • Disliked — room
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
KNDMaryland's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 35-49
Member since: May 12, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $255 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“LOVED IT...LOVED IT...LOVED IT...”

Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

May 11, 2008
3/3 found this review helpful

Don't hesitate to stay here unless you are upper class American and only expect the very very best. For the price you pay this resort is awesome. I have been to Punta Cana before and stayed at a Riu resort which was nice but I liked this much better. I am from middle class america and I was very satisfied. I went with my daughter and my 2 grandsons. They had a blast. It kills me when people put in these reviews about no hot water and a long check in etc. You are in another country people. Not America. Deal with it. They don't have water systems like we do. If you expect 5 star service then don't leave your country where you have all the modern facilities. We only had to take a cold shower one day and it gave us a good laugh. Check in couldn't have been any smoother. We arrived at noon and were in our room at 1. Food was great, pool is awesome. Swim up bar fantastic, beach is beautiful and on and on. So bottom line is if you are an average american like me go to this resort. It is wonderful. email me any questions and I will gladly answer them. And please ignore the negative comments. They are unfounded.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — everything
    • Disliked — nothing
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
simbapa's Summary
Date of Stay: April 2008
Traveled with: Family with young children
Age group: 35-49
Member since: May 11, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Older travelers, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Shopping
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $255 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“**Never Again **Worst Hotel I've Stayed In Caribbean**”

Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

May 9, 2008
0/2 found this review helpful

Let me start by saying this hotel had the worst service of any
caribbean hotel I have ever stayed.
I go to all-inclusive so i will not be harrassed!! Every day i was
harrassed to buy something. The rooms were shabby and the bathroom was horrible. No hot water, some days no towels.
For 3 days for about 3 hours there was no power or water!
NO ONE advised us and when I asked they said everyone was
advised.
The food was average, but the 5 or so restaurants you could choose from were not all available, only on certain days you could pick from only 2.

If it wasn't for the beach I would have been miserable!

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — the beach
    • Disliked — the whole resort and staff!!!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
rlbeaches's Summary
Date of Stay: April 2008
Traveled with: Friends
Visit was for: Quality time with friends
Age group: 35-49
Member since: May 09, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Great pool scene
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $255 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Mixed Emotions”

Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana

May 8, 2008
2/3 found this review helpful

A few things to start my review that I think are important to know. Husband and I traveled to celebrate our 1 year Anniversary - we are 28 years old. We booked through Apple Vacations and in my opinion we recieved an amazing deal (About $115 per per person per day including air from Midwest). We have been various places in the Caribbean and this is our favorite vacation destination. However, this was our first trip to Punta Cana as well as our first trip at an All-Inclusive.

SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL
The beach is gorgeous, the pool is nice, the food was decent and the grouns were stunning! The rooms were crap and the service was well below par. All in all for the price we paid it would be hard to complain, but we would NOT go back to the Occidental and we would not recommend it. We may or may not go back to Punta Cana.

DETAILED REVIEW
First things first - We had a great vacation!! But it is hard not to have a great time on vacation. We are pretty laid back people and love to travel and we know to take in some of the issues/mishaps and etc. to have a great time. You can not allow the little things to ruin your time. So we certainly tried to follow that approach - and let the little things slide. (But there were a lot of little things!) I had read tons of reviews prior to going so I guess I had prepared for lots of these as well and warned him too.

APPLE VACATIONS: A+
Excellent Travel Agent. The Apple rep on site at the Occidental really helped. Had we not booked through Apple our vacation would have been a little tougher to get through. She was very helpful and freindly. Check in at the Airport with Apple was smooth and flawless. Our direct flight down was excellent. Transfers were well arranged. I would use Apple Vacations again in the future and would certainly recommend them.

CHECK-IN: B
We arrived at the Resort shortly after 3:00. There were only a few people ahead of us in line and the process went fairly smoothly and we were welcomed with a cocktail. We did tip the frony desk $30 in an attempt to get a nicer room - this didn't work. We were assigned Building 11 and escorted via golf cart with our luggae to our room.

ROOM #1 D-
We walked into our first room and were immediately disappointed. We had requested a King Size bed. But instead of a King we had 2 beds pushed together AND a cot. We asked for the cot to be removed - it never was. We tried to call the front desk, but had no idea how...no numbers or info anywhere. So we stepped out onto our patio for a smoke and locked ourselves out of the room. (TIP: Do not pull the door all the way shut you will be locked out). So we hopped over to patio and bushes and headed to the ront desk - to report that we had locked ourselves out AND had 3 beds and had requested 1. The language barrier was an issue they didn't understand what we were saying about locking ourselevs out. But eventually, (20 minutes) were escoreted back to our room. We were told we could switch rooms and get a King Room in 2 days. The room was not very nice. It was clean I guess, but old. The bed linens were OLD. The bathroom was OLD! and there was absolutely no information about anything! The toilet ran all day and night, the alarm clock didn't work and the water pressure sucked, no remote control, etc. etc. etc.

ROOM #2: C-
2 days later we were moved just down the hall to a slightly better room. It seemed better cared for had the King size bed we had requested and actually had some information in it. The water pressure was much better, the toliet didn't run, the clock worked and our maid was much friendlier and left us flowers and did a very nice job! However I still woudl overall rate this a C- It wasn't up to the standards I expect. I don't need a Ritz, but I guess you could say I am a Marriott girl. This was more like an old Howard Johson or Ramada. One night we had a Queen flat sheet laid sideways as our bottom sheet (not a fitted sheet and not the right size) and 2 Twin or Full sheets as our top covers. My feet were actually on the matress - this really grossed me out. Another night my husband had to kill a small army of ants in the bathroom. All in all the rooms are in a DESPERATE need of a make-over.

MAID SERVICE: B+
The maid we had the first 2 days was a C-, but the maid for the majority of the trip was very very nice and was one of the highlights of the resort as far as people and service!

FRONT DESK: D+
They were great at check in, but seemed to get progressively worse as the week went on. They had no desire to help you. They couldn't change our large bills, they didn't speak very good english, there was always a wait...and they really just didn't seem to care about anything or want to help you in anyway.

FOOD: Overall B+
This isn't the best vacation food you will ever eat, but all in all it was good. It was better than I thought it would be and there was always something to eat... I am a vegetarian and was nervous I would have a hard time finding food. But I didn't.
My suggestion is try the ala cartes - if you don't like them go to the buffet afterwards!
ITALIAN: B
Husband liked his, mine was fair at best. Husband ordered an entree, but asked if he could have a side of Spaghetti as well. They said No, Entree or Pasta NOT both! So he ate half the tray of Procuitto on the salad bar...bet this cost them A LOT more than a side of Spaghetti would have.
MEXICAN: C
Mine was good, husb did not like his at all. Our appetizers were delivered to the table beside us. We had 2 glasses broken at our table in 1 meal...not very good service. But again, my dinner was good.
BRAZILIAN: B-/C+
Not sure what to say it was Fair to Average.
ORIENTAL: A
This was our best meal of the week - and to be honest probably the one we were looking least forward to. It was excellent.
BUFFET: A-
Huge variety good food for the most part. Fresh fish from the grill at dinner was excellent. Crepes were fun and yummy, Paninis were good for lunch. All in all we were happy with the both Buffets for all meals. The only thing disappointing was the fruit!
HOMERUN CLUB: C
It served its purpose Snack type food by the pool, but nothing great and nothing horrible. Burgers, Fries and Hamburgers essentially.
PIZZA: C
Wood fired pizza - thought it would have been much better, but didn't really enjoy it. The long hours were awesome though and it was great that something was open for late night snacking. Again, it served its purpose when you needed a late night snack, but...wasn't very tasty. Hours are basically 6 pm-6am
TACOS: A
Awesome tacos! Probably of the better I have ever had. Shrimp Tacos were YUMMY!! Wish they would have been open Late. Hours were basically 6pm - midnight.
*Sidenote, odd policies: One night late maybe 10p-11 pm we ordered tacos at the window. Next night we ordered Tacos at 6pm they told us we had to be seated and served. Another night again between 10-11 pm we ordered at the window, but they told the guys behind us they had to be seated and served.... Lots of things went this way throughout the week. Kinda felt like they did what they wanted...when they wanted and to whom they wanted...
DRINKS: B-
The only beer is Presidente Draft. This was fine, I liked it but would have LOVED to have botteld. Also, wasn't as cold as I would have liked... By the end of the week I was pretty much over Presidente and couldn't wait for an Ice Cold Bottled Beer! Other drinks were OK...it isn't Top Shelf liquor so it is what it is. It was all OK. The Rum there tended to give us a headache. Tiki Tikis were good. And you gotta try the Mamajuna!
*Sidenote: we didn't have beer in our frige in our room, just water, 7-Up and Pepsi, but the day we checked out there was bottled beer in the fridge.
SERVICE: D
Service and Room was our biggest complaint. It is very segregated! There are tons of different color wristbands and you get treated differently accordinly! I didn't like this at all. Also, no one who worked there was there to help you have a good time or do anything out of their way to make your trip more enjoyable...for the most part they didn't seem to care!
BEACH TOWELS: F
OK this is one of those small things that certainly didn't ruin our trip, but was so annoying and so easily fixed. The resort is huge, the pool is no where close to the beach and there was only one place to get towels and it was on a far end of the beach - far away from the pool and super far away from our room. Plus, the lady that worked there spoke no English and quite honestly a
[----] On the first day I found 2 chairs and the husband went off looking for towels. He was gone forever trying to find them and then she wouldn't let him take 2 unless 2 people were there. You had to sign a contract...it was crazy! At one point, I had no towels, but 3 peices of paper that supposedly if lost would cost me $120. The towel thing was the most stupid thing I have ever seen or experienced in all of my travels!!
BEACH: A.
Beutiful waters, soft white sands and tons of palms trees. Plenty of chairs and well maintained, especially trash pick-up
POOL A-
Very Nice.
GROUNDS & PUBLIC AREAS: A
Well maintained and clean. Beautifully landscaped, but none of the fountains operated.
BARS: A.
A few dollar tips here and there will get you excellent service.
CLUB MANGU: A.
It was fun!, just be careful and ladies don't travel alone.
ACTIVTIIES: C.
I can't say much about activities...we didn't partake in many. But I do know the day it rained there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO!
ENTERTAINMENT: C.
Calling this entertainment is quite a stretch. We watched the first few shows of the week, but were pretty bored with it all.
BATHROOMS: C.
NEED MORE! One area of the resort there is 6 places to eat, 2 bars and the main stage and 1 small bathroom...Often several stalls were unusable. Often out of toilet paper. More attention needs to be paid to bathrooms.
CHECKOUT: D
This was nightmare. The line was 30 people deep and we were supposed to catch a bus. They said we should have come down at around 9 am to check out. WHAT?!?!?! We had a $1 charge for a phone call. They couldn't take my credit card, break my $20 or take 4 quarters...annoying!
CASINO: C
It is tiny. All slots and machine operated games, but provided a little bit of fun and entertainment here and there. Did well on the Roulette Wheel.
OFF PROPERTY SHOPS D:
We went to shops one afternoon outside of the property and it was not a pleasant experience. A guy yelled at me down the street for purchasing something from someone else instead of him. Wouldn't recommend going to the shops unless you have to.
ON PROPERTY SHOPS: D
EXPENSIVE! Can't break large bills. Small selection.
EXCURSIONS: A
We went on a tour booked through Apple where you drive small 2 seat speed boats up and down the coast and stopped for snorkeling. The snorkeling was the best I have ever experienced and the boats were fun. The crew were freindly and funny! Loved the excursion!

We met some very friendly people from around the world, esp. Canada and Germany! We enjoyed hanging out with a great variety of people! Americans were the minortiy. However, we did meet someone that was neighbors with my husbands' parents. It was ironic. The weather was mostly good. One day of heavy rain all day. Some scattered showers on another day. A few days with scattered clouds.

All in all we had a great vacation! Ate and drank well. Met some great people! And enjoyed relaxing on the beach and by the pool. But I would NOT recommend the Occidental and I am not sure I would recommend Punta Cana. Have had much better trips other places in the Caribbean and on cruises! But again, it would be hard to beat the price.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Beach & Pool
    • Disliked — Rooms, Front Desk and Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
BAUM2BE's Summary
Date of Stay: April 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: November 11, 2006
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
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Average price*: $255 (year-round)
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Occidental Grand Flamenco Punta Cana Address

Calle Friusa, Playa Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic