We were travelling with our three sons all under the age of five and I would say this is a fabulous resort for children. Most of the people there had kids and we had an amazing time until the last night. The food was great, the rooms were large and clean, the beach was a little dirty but is the fault of the guests...

Our last night we went down to the beach, around 4pm, to take some photos of the boys on my lap in the sand. We were on the resort property.
While sitting on the sand a dog, one of the many that guest were feeding and we had avoided knowing they were wild dogs, jumped over my husbands shoulder ( he was on his stomach taking photos of us) and jumped on my five year old bitting him on the mouth as he started to scream. My three year old jumped up and started to run away - the dog turned to him and bit him on the bum and them pinned him and started licking his face. I was trying to get up and protect my 6 month old as my husband kicked at the dog to get it away. My children were terrified - we all were.

My son had to go and get a needle right away. We were leaving the next day and upon arrival in Toronto took the kids to the Doctor. Both my five and three year old are now getting needles for rabies - we don't know if the dog had it but it is 100 percent fatal, 100 percent! So a total of 15 needles later - we still have to get more- I would advise people to be careful. Rabies is contracted not just with bites and blood but with saliva - hence the son who was licked on the face had to also get treament.

The hotel's responce was to put up signs on the beach the next day and they gave my son a piece of gum and a bowling ticket. They told us the dogs were filthy and disgusting but there was not much they could do about them.

We had such a wonderful trip up until the time, really no complaints but I think I need to tell people about our experience so they can be careful and protect their children. The dogs seem friendly and I think the dog wanted to play but who knows what diseases it might have and it did bite them. A wild dog can turn quicky and we don't know how they are treated by their owners.

We love the Dominican and will definately go back. I don't know about this resort because of the dogs but the area is beautiful and the people are wonderful!

We were guests at this resort March 9-16. We were 2 adults and 3 teenagers and we paid for the Elite Club. Upon reserving, I had requested that we have a nice view and rooms close together. Our rooms were right next door to each other but we both had a view of the back alley and the back of the vendor's market. We tried to change our room but were told none were available. When paying for the Elite Club, you are offered private check in and check out however, if you arrive after 11 PM, you do not have this option. You must wait in line even though you have paid for this service.

After our first morning there, I slipped on a puddle of water in the lobby and broke my ankle (no signs in lobby to indicate a wet floor). The hotel staff did a very good job of running the other way and ignoring me. The hotel doctor was excellent along with the hospital in Bavaro however, the general staff went out of their way to ignore me even after attempts to speak with the manager. I had broken my leg on the first day and we were only able to speak with someone about it on the last day after my husband demanded to speak with someone. Needless to say, I had a horrible week riding around in a wheelchair unable to enjoy the pool or beach. We did meet some very nice people though. I spoke with many guests about my injury and a lot of them had similar tales of falling as the grounds are very slippery when they are wet.

In terms of the overall hotel, I would not return. This is our second time to Punta Cana. We stayed at the Iberostar Bavaro the previous year and loved it but we like to try new things so we gave this resort a shot. The food was good but nothing the like Iberostoar. They had way more variety and better displays. However, we did enjoy the Dominican Restaurant and the Steak House (El Bogadon), the food was excellent. Mike's coffee is great as well. I did not eat in the Italian restaurant but those that did seemed to not like it at all. The grounds are neat and well kept but not as pretty as the Iberostar. The poolside drinks were good and the staff were nice. We used our bowling certificate one night (the boys did, I watched from my wheelchair). The lanes are very nice but the bowling balls are very heavy and it is 10 pin. Younger kids would have a tough time. There is a ping pong table, video games and pool tables upstairs. Our teens spent one night here and said it was okay. We went to one show and were not impressed so we did not see any others. Plus there is no table service. You have to get your own drinks which is not really a big deal but when you are paying big bucks at a 4 1/2 star resort, this should be provided. The entertainment in the lobby bar was great and geared more for the older crowd. The casino was nice but not as fun as the Iberostar's casino.

As for the Elite Club, do not waste your money on this. You don't get any better service. The room we had was nice but did not look like the room on the website pictures. There is no billowing gauze hanging down from your non existent four poster bed. The bathroom was nice and big and had a nice jacuzzi tub. As part of the package, you are given a horeseback ride excursion. This is easily booked with the Elite Centre Desk. My husband and 2 kids did this excursion and it was awful. You get a 1/2 hour ride as part of the package but the bus ride out there is 45 minutes. The horses were okay. While on the ride, my family encountered a young Dominican boy who was riding a dirt bike and dragging a dead dog behind him. The dog had clearly been alive when he started his journey but dead by the time the trail ride came across him. Needless to say, the kids were traumatized. Once the ride was over, my family waited over 2 hours in a parking lot for the bus to return. There was no food or water available. Luckily there was another tour bus there from another resort that gave them some water. And when the bus finally showed up, the driver tried to take them into a small village of vendors. My husband told the driver that there was no way he was going anywhere except back to the resort. The driver turned around.
Also included in the Elite Package was a 1/2 massage which was enjoyed by the pool. One meal from the a la carte restaurants was included. We chose the Steak House and it was excellent. We did not hear good reviews about the lobster restaurant so we did not go there. The 1/2 hour catamaran with skipper means you get a Hobie Cat and one of the staff there gets on it for 10 mins to make sure you know how to steer. The free motorized sport we took advantage of was the tubing and the kids enjoyed that.

We did a lot of tipping and got good service. We left a few dollars in our room each day for the lady that did the cleaning and we always had lots of water and beer in our fridge.

Overall I was disappointed in my stay. The atmosphere at this resort was on the quiet side and not nearly as much fun as the Iberostar Bavaro. The pool side crew at the Iberostar did a much better job getting the guests involved in activities. There was no pool volleyball or water polo organized for guests. I think there was some stuff on the beach but I did not make it out there as my chair did not roll well in the sand. Our teenagers had fun but there were lots of teens there to meet and have fun with. However, given the choice, they would all opt to return to the Iberostar Bavaro.

Our group of four adults and two teenagers had a great time at the Ocean Sand. The resort is beautiful and I would not hesitate to recommend it to my friends. If you are looking for an all inclusive beach vacation at a reasonable price look no further.

The grounds are immaculate and the complex is well laid out. The Sand and its sister resort the Blue are actually one in the same for all intents and purposes. They share the common areas and are only separated by the awesome pools. It is a bit of a hike from one end to the other but there is a trolley that seems to run continuously.

Our standard junior suite room was very nice and quite spacious. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom featured a shower/Jacuzzi and twin sinks. We didn't spend much time in our room other than to sleep so I can't imagine needing more than this. I was hoping to get a second or third floor room after reading some of the reviews but it really didn't matter, we did not have any mustiness or ants.

The beach is awesome and we spent most of our days lounging under the canopies that they provide. Being spring break time for many the resort was busy. Like most other resorts this meant getting out to the beach early to stake your place with a beach towel, especially if you wanted shade. Finding a place at the pool did not seem to be quite as competitive but you still needed to be on the ball.

We enjoyed the food at the resort. There is a large breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet with very nice if somewhat noisy dining rooms off either side. They also have a lunch buffet down by the beach. The resort has a variety of a la carte restaurants that are included in the package. They even have two restaurants that require a supplemental fee. You will never go hungry.

The morning buffet was excellent and featured just about anything you could ever want. Our group seemed to gravitate to the omelet or pancake/crepe stations but you could help yourself to various egg dishes, fresh fruit, bacon, ham, sausages, smoked salmon etc. etc. My friends enjoyed pouring themselves a champagne and orange juice every morning and after a few days I was really getting into starting my day with a Bloody Mary.

The lunch selection at the main buffet was excellent and we found the food quite tasty. As we spent most of our time at the beach we usually went to the beach buffet for lunch. It was quite nice with tables inside an open but covered area and on a patio facing the beach. The selection was not as extensive as the main buffet but there was salad, pasta, fish, paella, pizza, hotdogs and hamburgers, among other things. My personal favorite was the roast chicken it was outstanding. For dessert fans they always had out lots of little cakes and cookies and the ice cream was really good.

In the evening we usually went to the a la carte restaurants although we were quite impressed with the selection and quality of the dinner buffets on the nights we went. You did not have to make reservations at the a la cartes but this meant that unless you were there early you would have a little bit of a wait. Our party of six usually had to wait at least an hour but once we figured out the system it was no problem. We just checked in with the hostess and either enjoyed a few cocktails at the patio area or just wandered around checking out the various vendors on the night they were set up. The El Bodegon, one of the additional supplement restaurants, also featured a tapas bar. I went in to check the place out and they handed me a plate to fill up and take back to the patio. The snacks were great and I returned there a few other evenings, they kept handing me a plate so I assume that the tapas is for everyone.

I think that if you expect the a la carte restaurants to be the fine dining experience that you would have at your favorite restaurant back home you will be disappointed. They are however a nice change from buffet dining and we found the food and service to be very good. Our group enjoyed the Italian and we ended up going back later in the week. The food was far from authentic Italian but the salmon, shrimp, chicken and even the steak entrée were all quite nice. We also enjoyed the Caribbean, Mexican and Dominican restaurants probably in just about that order. We did not try out Route 66 the American style restaurant. Mike’s Coffee bar featured all kinds of specialty coffee as well as desserts and was a nice treat.

What would an all-inclusive be without its bars? The Ocean Sand/Blue does not disappoint, they are all over the place. They mix a generous drink but if it is not to your liking they will certainly adjust it for you. They have premium liquor although they will usually pour the local stuff unless you ask. Frankly I would rather have the Brugal rum than Bicardi, although I do prefer a Tangueray martini. The beer on tap is Presidente which is a nice light larger; if they had other brands I didn’t see them. They have all kinds of fancy drinks that the ladies liked- The Dirty Monkey seemed to be a favorite. The only thing that I didn’t see was a nice single malt scotch but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had that to. The service at all of the bars was excellent and I often tipped although I never felt that I was getting an inferior drink or poorer service when I did not.

There was a lot of activity and entertainment available. We did not have young kids but they all looked like they were having a blast in the pool or in an organized activity. Adults and teens were certainly not left out as the pool and beach areas featured lots of sports, contests, activities and of course there is always people watching! Many people took advantage of the non- motorized water sports while others for a few extra dollars checked out the banana boat and parasail rides. We spent most of our time on the beach and in the beautiful water. Our teenagers went for a spa and really enjoyed it.

In the evening we had a variety of entertainment choices. The main lobby bar featured a saxophone/vocalist or we could go to the casino, sports bar or bowling alley. At about 9:30 PM they had a live show and if we still had any energy the Disco opened later. Actually the only real criticism I have of the resort is the quality of the shows. I actually hate to complain as the rest of our experience was so positive and in the big picture this is a bit of a quibble. The covered theatre is excellent with lots of seating and tables and the sound system and lighting were all fine. Unfortunately each show featured dancing and lip-synching to canned music and to be honest the dancing was poor and the productions uninspired. We have been to many all inclusives and we know not to expect Vegas style entertainment but these shows were not up to par with what we have seen elsewhere.

Mosquitoes were not an issue at the resort and apparently they spray. A few of the reviews had me concerned about this but if there were mosquitoes we certainly didn’t see any. As a precaution I sprayed on a little Off (deet) and wore long pants in the evening. I didn’t get bit by anything: others in my party got a few bites but we don’t think they were from mosquitoes. Probably sand flies.

Our party did a few excursions. Our friends went out on the Bavaro Splash excursion driving their own speedboat along the coast in a convoy until they reached a place to snorkel. They quite enjoyed the thrill of the ride and being able to snorkel in a small group. We all went on the Caribbean Festival cruise on a large catamaran, we swam with sharks and stingrays, snorkeled on the coral reef and then we were entertained with some dancing. In Mexico they issue you with your own snorkel, which you keep, this was not the case on this excursion; it is probably worth throwing your own snorkel in the suitcase if you plan to snorkel in the Dominican Republic. All in all an entertaining afternoon.

The ability to read the reviews on Trip Advisor is a great asset to the traveler but I think one must keep an open mind. Even the best destinations will not meet the needs of everyone, as you will see if you sample the reviews of the various resorts. Add my family and friends to the many vacationers who have had a great time at the Ocean Sand.

We have stayed in Ocean Sand from 28th Feb to 13th March.
We are a young couple in mid 20s from Czech Rep. and i have to say the holiday was absolutely amazing. 15 days of sunshine and hot as it should be in the carribean :-) , just a few showers usually during night (maybe 2 during evening which takes just about 5 min). I thing it is one of the best time to go to Dom. Rep between feb and march because it is usually the lowest rainfall during the year and you can watch the whales as well around Saona island which is not so far. By the way we saw one not very far in the ocean when we were on the beach on our last day. Not kidding!!

RESORT
The resort is huge and very clean(i saw many hotels but never ever such a clean one like this), staff very friendly and funny(especially in the lobby and pool bar).
We had just one problem at beginning. After a long journey from Manchester. We flew with First Choice(i think best longhaul airways) we have been given room in first floor with a view to the bush(by the way we tipped the receptionist on arrival and ask her for a pool view and 2nd floor ) and that was just not what we have expected. Room was very dark and the doors to the bathroom does not open properly but after we went back and my girlfriend ask Miguel(very nice guy in reception) to change our room ..... since that time was everything just Amazing!!!! He gave us 2nd floor, pool view, just next to the bar, very close to the beach in villa 9) and what a difference from the first one, very light one(it makes a lot when the sun wakes you up in the morning :-)) OK. So if you can ask for a pool view room....do it

FOOD
Perfect!!!almost everything you can imagine, i liked the most the juices corner durign breakie. fresh juices from banana to the exotic fruits which are just superb and the food(beautiful - always fresh and tasty. You can go for lunch to the beach restaurant called La Cana and take it to your sunbed. we usually did that, sometimes went to the main one for a proper lunch but i think at this hot weather you do not need to eat so much. For dinner you can choose from lots of A la carte as well. We tried every one apart of American one and my opinium the Dominican is just the best one. I do not like Mexican and italian is not so good as well. In the main restaurant there is always a lot to choose from if you will be still hungry after eating in some of the a la cartes.

One night there was a theme night....they served food from kitchen and believe me, you do not need to worry about the quality or anything else because the kitchen is so tidy and well organised(they have to feed 1600 people and more every day(headchef is very friendly by the way and have a lot of staff what i saw) Just maybe one advice for start of your trip. Take it easy with food at beginning, give your body some time to get used to different kind of food, do not eat things that you would not try even at home and everything will be fine. Overall, very good experience. Tasty, hot, good quality, never have any problems after eating there.

MIKES COFFEE
Best,best coffee, smoothies, chocolate, cakes, my favourite place there, would like to move it home, really!!! my tip:ask for a cheese cake, they do not usually have it on display).

BEACH
if there is a paradise in the world it is just here. White sand, blue water is hot and so clean. Real paradise, little bit windy sometimes, but i think it is good, because it refreshs you during the time when the sun is so strong.....and keep away the mosquitos as well.

TIPS
Take lots of 1dollar notes to tip the guys there. Work hard, what i heard sometimes 15 days and 3days off. So let them earn some extra money.

airport - there is 10$ tax fee at arrival

mosqitos - it was a big issue before leaving, taking the antimalarial med or not. We decided not to take, did not see a lot of mosqitos, but take some sprays and spray yourself at least after sunset. my girlfriend got bitten just twice, i wear long shirts and trousers when was dark and never got any bite. But it is all up to you. It can change, we were there during the time when there were not any rainfalls.

shopping on the beach - the boys can almost force you to buy something, i do not like this kind of behaviour(different culture), if you decide to buy, tell them what you willing to pay, you usually get it lot cheaper, i bought some cigars, the starting price was 50$ and i walk away with them just for 8$.

Spanish - remember, you are not at home, staff does not speak a lot english, learn at least the basic phrases and words. can help you, maids does not understand at all. If you want more water in your fridge(just leave a dollar and note AQUA. The fridge is stock daily and you will need a lot of water just for brushing your tooths. DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER!!!!

Use a sun lotion because the sun is very strong and you want to sleep over night ,don´t you??with sunburns it is not very big pleasure. after 2 weeks there you will be tanned and everybody will be jealous at home :-) especially during winter :-)) I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THIS PLACE, IT IS REALLY A PARADISE, THIS RESORT IS WORTH TO STAY. BYE S&D