We stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe Samana from Apr.14 to the 21. We found the hotel to be absolutely beautiful and the location is breathtaking. Our room was exactly as pictures on the website showed. Loved getting up in the morning and having coffee on our balcony taking in the scenery and watching the fishing boats. The purpose of our vacation was pure relaxation and that's exactly what we experienced. Note - this is not really a resort for those who enjoy lots and lots of activity, although there are some excursions. We stayed at the hotel during a period of extremely low occupancy and found the service and staff to be very helpful and accommodating. There was never any dificulty getting lounge chairs either pool side or on the beach. The beach is small but private, although a bit close to a main road and the armed guard was a bit disconcerting. Just a side note - don't wear your sunglasses in the water as you are likely to lose them as some of the waves can get quite large.

With regards to the rooms, our room was beautiful. You must be aware, however, that as you enter your room there is a small card reader mounted on the wall where you are to insert your room key which turns on the lights and a/c. The front desk does not provide this info.

The buffet in the hotel was terrific until about Thursday when it appeared food selections were becoming somewhat limited. The fresh fruit was amazing.

Overall the holiday was exactly what we needed and it was great to return home and find no snow!!!

This hotels sits in one of the most beautiful spots on earth and the hotel, surroundings and views are simply breathtaking. I wish I could be as positive about the hotel management, staff and restaurant. We were planning to stay 2 nights as part of our travel through Samana but ended up staying just one night because we found the service not up to par. We arrived during very low occupancy and asked for a room with a view, we imagined this wouldnt not be a problem since only about 10 percent of the rooms were occupied. We were given a room with a view of a hill and a rooftop. We asked to be changed and after a few trips to front desk, first they needed our credit card to charge us an extra $10 for a room with a view, then the key did not work, an hour later we were in our new room. When we finally got the door to open the entrance light did not work, there was no water pressure in the shower, no a/c, and the alarm clock kept flashing at 12;00 and did not work. We complained to the front desk and then to a manager but it did not seem like they wanted to help us enjoy our stay since they doubted us and became very argumentative. We ended up staying in the same room and slept with no ac. It seems like whoever manages this hotel never stayed at a real hotel . Also the food was bland, there was only one red wine available and it was served cold and tasted like an imitation of wine. The staff at the restaurant were equally rude sometimes talking louder than the guests and other times speaking on the cell phone. If you plan to stay here do it for one night just to experience the location, dont go there to relax be pampered or eat well. They are not a luxury hotel and do not know much about catering to a well traveled consumer.

Our gang stayed here between the 22nd to the 29th of Feb. I think I speak for all of us when I say outstanding!! Everything was perfect and every good review was right on the money. If you didn't enjoy this resort then you don't enjoy much! Was very very sad to leave after the week and I would definitly go back again!

My husband and I returned last week, Feb 25/08 - March 3/08, from the Gran Bahia Principe Samana Resort. We can only say very positive things about this resort. From our flight from Toronto, to landing in Samana, everything went so smoothly! We received our hotel package as we got on our bus to the hotel, which really made it perfect upon arriving at the hotel. I kept my eyes closed and covered as we opened our hotel room door just in case it did not look like the photos I had been shown on this site! But, to my delight, the room was spectacular!! I fell in love.
(yes, with my room, and my husband, all over again!!) That feeling of not knowing where you are in the morning, was so dream like. The first morning, I opened my eyes, and, there, out in the ocean, I saw a huge ship that was docking for the day in Samana.

If you are looking for a holiday that will reconnect you with your spouse from the everyday hub, I can truly say this is the place to go. It is not a huge resort, but, it is big enough that you actually don't see people you saw at the airport for days. There is only one pool and the beach, but, neither ever really seemed too busy. I personally like to see some people, so, total seclusion is not necessary. The staff are so friendly, (and so Spanish!), but, with broken English and broken Spanish, everyone ends up understanding each other. The staff go out of their way to make things just right. The hotel is very clean and you could see the maintance crew at work at all times. Each day our room was cleaned and the maid did something sweet each day. (ie, put flowers in the bath towels hanging in the shower/bath area, hung up dressing gowns, put cushions on the bed differently each day, made a swan with the towels, etc.) At night, the maid came in, turned our bedding down and placed chocolates and a good night card on our pillow!

Food - people always want to know about the food. I will quickly touch on this topic. For me, just being able to arrive and eat, is a treat in itself! But, honestly, the buffet choice was really great. When we are away in another country, I am very picky in what I eat. Especially meat. I am always kind of leery of what it actually is! But, the choices were plentiful. I never had trouble filling up my plate (1, 2 and sometimes even three times!) The a la cartes are very good as well. The dining experience in itself, was so romantic. The waiting staff took such good care of you, making sure your wine glass was always full, and that everything was perfect. We are not true sea food eaters, so, the nights we were to eat sea food, it was a little bit difficult to pick a choice from the menu. But, I have to say, the filet mignon was fabulous. You can go to a a la carte 4 times in a week. I would suggest booking them right away, even if you are unsure if you want to go to them. You can always cancel! You will never be hungry the whole week you are away. There is always a food bar open, and, even if you are hungry in the night, you can order room service!!

All the guests were very friendly, and, from Canada! We met some couples that we ended up becoming quite friendly with. The night life I can truly say is a tad bit lame. The shows are mainly getting people involved and acting silly. I am sure those that volunteered,or were volunteered, had a good time. Watching the show though, at times, got a little bit redundant. The one night everyone goes down to the piano bar though, and that is really lots of fun. A local band plays and everyone dances and has a good time. We went back to our room each night when the shows ended at 11, watched t.v., and had a few drinks. It was a nice way to finish off the days.

We chose to do some excurions. We went whale watching, the safari trip, and also, the horse back riding. We loved seeing the way they live in Samana and enjoyed meeting local people. I personally was fascinated with the children. I felt Natalie could have been a bit more detailed about the horse back riding. Saying that you should be fit, was truly a understatement!! You actually did not arrive at the bottom of the falls - we 'parked' our horses, and headed down the HUGE cliff!! Thankfully, my guide was really sweet, and held my hand the whole way down!! The falls were spectacular! My husband was daring and went in with the other 100 people! The natives gave us a show by climbing up the side of the falls and then diving or jumping in! That was amazing in it self! I wanted to go ahead of the crowd when I felt it was almost time to head back to the top! My guide actaully pulled me up at certain points when I thought my legs would not go any further!! Truly, if you are not fit, as in, cannot climb 200 stairs without huffing and puffing, I would personally not go on this excursion!! I am 43, and, I thought I was healthy!

This holiday was exactly what we needed. I was so sad to leave. If you can, try to book for 10 days. Especially if you want to do a few excursions. This way, you will still have plenty of days to still lay in the sun and enjoy all the festivities at the resort! We hope you enjoy this resort as much as we did!!