Just returned from Gran Bahia Principe (28th April 08 of us from England met family and friends from Canada for a wedding.
We have stayed at many 5 star hotels etc all over the word this was absolutely spot on. We have no complaints what so ever. ( we have come to realise over the years that some travellers go out of their way to find problems, our attitude is go to enjoy not to find fault.
A couple of tips do book the restaurants , Japanese/French/ Seafood etc as soon as you get there dont leave it too late as they really do get full quite quickly. The buffet in the main Reception/Lounge area for breakfast and lunch is very good. You really can eat yourself to a stand still.
We were upgraded to Premier when the rest of our party where in the standard area of Punta Cana and guess what the rooms as exactly the same and also Premier is a little out of the way of from the main resort. The resort is like a very large village but the bus/trolley service is excellent. Take some US $ 1 with you, yes everything really is included but its nice to tip the staff and room cleaners. All in all we were very impressed and are definately going back, Soon

We had a marvelous time. This was a family vacation, but since our kids are grown ups, it was different.

We were met at the airport and driven to the hotel, and the fun started as we arrived. My sister and her friend were there, having arrived the week before. They shepherded us through the check-in process, but the staff were so friendly and accommodating, it wouldn't have been a problem in any case.

Since my sister was a returning guest, she had made our reservations and we received VIP treatment throughout our stay.

Our villa was very close to the beach, and we used the tram to get to the main buildings and back. The service was excellent, and wait times were almost non-existent. Our rooms were in one of the two story villas, and the service there was excellent as well. The chambermaids decorated the common areas and our rooms with beautiful birds made from folded towels and flowers.

The weather was glorious, and the only rain was during the night! It got a bit windy, and the red flag was up on the beach on a few days, but that didn't keep us out of the beautiful, warm water.

The food was very good, and we ate in the main dining room most days, but had four dinner reservations in the theme restaurants. Each one provided an entertaining and delicious meal. I am still chuckling over the Spanish chef at the Japanese restaurant. While he was very adept and the food was done perfectly, he just didn't look the part.

We went on the Reef Explorer tour, and for the most part we loved it. The snorkeling was excellent, the massage was to die for, and the kayaking was a lot of fun. I have a personal issue with having nurse sharks and sting rays being penned up for the amusement of tourists, but I will admit that others enjoyed them.

We also went on a reef snorkeling expedition, and throughly enjoyed the beautiful fish and coral. The crew were very friendly and accommodating, and the time flew by. We enjoyed some wind down time in a gorgeous lagoon with warm waters and a floating bar, made from a deck hatch.

My youngest son and his wife stayed on for another 5 days, and had cool weather for two of them, but they too had a fabulous time.

This was our second time at this resort- why take a chance when you are pretty happy overall the first time.
If you are uncomfortable with mingling with folks from Russia, Poland , Italy , Quebec, Spain, England and dealing with people who do not speak good English, well .... stay home and freeze.
The hotel is a great value , cafeteria food was excellent, but with 7 or 8 nice restaurants there is lots of variety. With a bit of friendly banter with the staff it was easy to get a couple of extra restaurant dinners . (Helps if you speak a bit of Spanish). We ate 5 out of 7 dinners at the restaurants. Best ones are the Italian Japanese and French) What I really like, and not everyone realizes this , is that breakfasts and lunches are served at some of the restaurants eg. the italian for breakfast and fish restarant at the beach for lunch. No reservations needed. The quality of these is much better and the atmosphere is nicer than the beach cafeteria plus its full service.
Rooms are large and vey nice and maintenance is excellent .. the staff is really trying hard to please.
I find the Dominicans are generally shy, but try hard to speak English, a few worda of Spanish are well appreciated. Hey, this isnt Cleveland and thats part of the charm. Once you make initial contact , no problemo. My wife speaks Spanish very well so we got the inside scoop and a few nice perks as a result .

One hint, ask for a room facing the pool, if not you are looking at the mango swamp.

Getting a good spot at the pool or beach is always a bit problematic. Just get there early or very late or talk to A****** at the pool cafeteria.

I was pleased to see that the Bahia is improving year over year.. the food was better overall.

Small gripes.
Drinks are totally inconsistent even from the same bar i.e. weak - strong , cold- warm etc. need some standards.

Also we hosers from Canada like to bring our big insulated Timmys coffee mugs along to get filled with Margueritas etc. Well , mid week management decided they cant do that any more so they gave us 3 small plastic cups which we quickly transferred to the mugs. No big deal.

The beach is second to none.

Great vacation.. again.

We recently returned from Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana and had a wonderful time. The rooms were clean and in good shape. The entertainment and drinks were plentiful and the pool was wonderful as well. There were very times that I didn't notice the cleaning staff working around the grounds. The only aspect of the hotel that I didn't enjoy was the food. On a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 4. Don't expect too much in that department. If possible book or ask for an upgrade to the Gold Club, It is closer to the pool and the Ocean and you will save time on the walk/bus ride. I would return to this hotel.